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Tag: Mexico National Soccer Team

  • Messi, Mbappe, other leading storylines for World Cup Final

    Messi, Mbappe, other leading storylines for World Cup Final

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    DOHA, Qatar — Lionel Messi’s last chance. Kylian Mbappé’s shot at emulating Pelé. A third World Cup title for either Argentina or France.

    Sunday’s final is rich with storylines as the 22nd edition of the World Cup ends with a title match fit for the occasion.

    Here are five things to know about the final:

    MESSI’S MOMENT

    Is Lionel Messi the greatest soccer player of all time? The debate will rage forever because there can never be a definitive answer. Some — especially younger soccer fans — think so, while others will point to Pelé and Diego Maradona, particularly because they won the World Cup — the sport’s ultimate prize. It is why, to many, Messi needs to win the World Cup to join Pelé and Maradona in the pantheon of the greatest ever players, even if deciding who is No. 1, 2 and 3 comes down to individual choice. Argentines would still be split between Maradona and Messi. And there have been striking similarities between them as Messi displays the kind of relentless brilliance and fighting spirit shown by Maradona when leading the team to the title in 1986. Messi is heading into his second World Cup final, having been on the losing team in 2014 when he was contained well by Germany except for one chance that he dragged wide in the second half. Can he seize his chance this time in likely his final appearance on soccer’s biggest stage?

    MBAPPE’S DOUBLE?

    Mbappé might not have won the biggest prize in club soccer — the Champions League — but he is taking the international game by storm and is one victory away from winning back-to-back World Cups by the age of 23. He can emulate Pelé’s achievement in winning his first two World Cups — not just that but leading the team as its star player. Mbappé is soccer’s latest superstar, leading the new wave of talent in the game after 15 years of domination from Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. It will be regarded as a real baton-passing moment if Mbappé wins the World Cup at the expense of the 35-year-old Messi.

    THIRD TITLE

    Both Argentina and France are looking to win the World Cup for the third time. It would leave the winning team in outright fourth place on the all-time list, behind Brazil (five), Germany and Italy (both four). Three of Germany’s titles were won by West Germany (1954, 1974 and 1990). A victory for France would rubber-stamp its status as the dominant national team of this generation, with its previous titles coming in 1998 and 2018. Argentina won its titles in 1978 and 1986. Both of the countries won their first World Cup title when hosting the tournament.

    DESCHAMPS’ TREBLE

    Deschamps has already won the World Cup as a player (1998) and a coach (2018), like Brazil’s Mario Zagallo and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer. Neither Zagallo nor Beckenbauer won it twice as a coach, though Zagallo did achieve that feat twice as a player to make him a three-time career champion. History beckons, then, for Deschamps, who was an industrious, deep-lying midfielder as a player — once referred to as “The Water Carrier” by French player Eric Cantona because of his ability to stifle attacks from opponents and then pass the ball simply to more creative players around him. Pragmatism is the key to his coaching style as well, with France renowned at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups for defending compactly, hitting teams on the break and being clinical with its finishing. In Russia four years ago, France averaged 48% possession in matches and averaged six shots on goal per match — the second lowest at the tournament. In Qatar, France — hurt by injuries to key players — might not have been the best team but it is the most efficient. “I’m not the most important person,” Deschamps said. “It’s the French team.”

    GOLDEN BOOT

    Four players are in realistic contention to win the Golden Boot, the award given to the top scorer at the World Cup. Of course, Messi and Mbappé are among them. They each have five goals so far, one more than Argentina striker Julián Álvarez and France center forward Olivier Giroud. According to tournament regulations, if two or more players are tied on goals and have played the same number of games, the one with the most assists takes the prize. FIFA’s technical study group will decide what counts as an assist. Of the four players in contention, Messi currently leads the way with three assists, one more than Mbappé. No player has scored more than six goals at a World Cup since Brazil striker Ronaldo had eight in 2002.

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    Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • After World Cup success, Morocco has renewed aims to host

    After World Cup success, Morocco has renewed aims to host

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    DOHA, Qatar — The idea that Morocco could co-host the 2030 World Cup with near-neighbors Spain and Portugal seemed a bit crazy when it was floated four years ago.

    It doesn’t seem so crazy now.

    Morocco has gained status inside FIFA and credibility with fans by eliminating Spain and then Portugal in knockout games to be the first African team to advance to a World Cup semifinals.

    There are longer-term prospects for the national team with a solid foundation seemingly in place. There’s strong recruitment from the Moroccan diaspora in Europe, coupled with homegrown players nurtured at a world-class training center near Rabat.

    Though there is no proposal yet to create a first multicontinent World Cup hosting bid, the head of Morocco’s soccer federation still believes in the concept.

    “We wanted this organization to be shared between the African continent and the European continent,” Fouzi Lekjaa told The Associated Press in an interview at the team hotel this week.

    “In order to show the world that the relationship between Africa and Europe is not only the relationship of illegal immigration and the fight against it,” Lekjaa said. “Rather, it is a relationship in which civilizations can meet and cultures meet.”

    That Morocco and Spain are so geographically close — “We are only 14 kilometers (less than 10 miles) away” Lekjaa noted — is the core appeal of any joint bid as it was in 2018.

    So is the support of King Mohammed VI who immediately asked for a renewed World Cup bid when Morocco lost the 2026 tournament hosting vote to the heavily favored United States-Canada-Mexico plan. The latest in a streak of losing Morocco bids was a 134-65 vote by FIFA member federations in Moscow on the eve of the last World Cup.

    What has changed since 2018?

    Lekjaa, a government minister in charge of the state budget, now has more influence at FIFA as an African elected delegate on its ruling Council since joining last year. He is clearly in good graces with FIFA president Gianni Infantino given that holding a government job was once a barrier to candidates in order to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

    “Now we seek to be a key player in the international dimension within FIFA,” Lekjaa acknowledged.

    What seems possible in soccer politics also changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with continental championships postponed plus hosts and scheduled dates changed at short notice.

    European soccer body UEFA was flatly opposed in 2018 to jointly bidding with another continent.

    Still, Europe and Africa combine to have 109 of the 211 FIFA voting members and there was clear politics involved in Ukraine joining the Spain-Portugal bid in October.

    FIFA has yet to specify a timetable and bid rules toward an expected hosting decision in 2024 for the 2030 tournament.

    Infantino also had talks with political leaders that fueled speculation of an unlikely three-continent bid anchored by Saudi Arabia and also including Egypt and Greece. By comparison, uniting Spain, Portugal and Morocco looks more logical.

    The 100-year anniversary of the World Cup is in 2030, and the original 1930 host, Uruguay, is jointly bidding for it with Argentina, Chile and Paraguay. The South American soccer body CONMEBOL has just 10 votes at FIFA.

    Morocco is also building influence in African soccer and winning admirers globally for the $65 million Mohammed VI Football Center, which is a training base for players, coaches, referees and officials.

    “Morocco’s policy has made us an important partner for all African countries. We are present in partnerships in money and business, and also in sports,” Lekjaa said.

    Under his leadership since 2014, the Moroccan federation tried to professionalize management at its clubs, install more natural grass pitches and create regional youth training bases.

    Casablanca-based team Wydad, coached by Walid Regragui, benefited from this strategy, winning Africa’s Champions League in May.

    Regragui was installed as the coach of Morocco’s national team three months later, with Lekjaa emphasizing that the national team that beat Portugal on Saturday featured seven players from Moroccan clubs.

    “There is no reason for European teams to be better than us,” Lekjaa said. “They are now better than us because they work in professional ways, and this is what we seek.”

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Saudi Arabia exits World Cup with newfound confidence

    Saudi Arabia exits World Cup with newfound confidence

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    LUSAIL, Qatar — From a generational-defining win over Lionel Messi and Argentina to the recent reports that Cristiano Ronaldo could soon be on his way to play soccer in the kingdom, Saudi Arabia has caused a sensation at the World Cup.

    The Green Falcons have nothing to be ashamed about after being eliminated following a 2-1 loss to Mexico on Wednesday.

    The second-lowest ranked team in the tournament at No. 51 — one spot behind host Qatar — and ahead of only 61st-ranked Ghana, Saudi Arabia was competitive from start to finish at the first World Cup in the Middle East.

    “We did our best. Today it was more difficult for us,” said Hervé Renard, Saudi Arabia’s French coach. “But we don’t have to forget what we did together.”

    The Saudis opened with a surprising 2-1 victory over Argentina and also played solidly in a 2-0 loss to Poland before conceding two second-half goals to Mexico to finish last in Group C.

    Salem Al-Dawsari, the team’s star No. 10, pulled a goal back in added time, before the Saudi players bent over on the field at the final whistle in prayer and then stood up to applaud their fans.

    Strong goalkeeping from Mohammed Al-Owais prevented Mexico from scoring another goal — which could have sent the South Americans through to the round of 16. Instead, it was Argentina and Poland who advanced in the most wide-open group of the tournament.

    With Renard motivating the team in his emblematic white shirt on the sidelines, Saudi Arabia proved tough to beat with a team featuring all 26 players based at home.

    The fact that none of the Saudis play abroad may have been a surprise factor but the reality is that the country’s best players don’t need to go to Europe for rich contracts when they are paid handsomely in the lucrative Saudi league.

    A high-paying contract is exactly what could lure Ronaldo to join six members of the Saudi national team at Al Nassr, one of the country’s leading clubs.

    The reports linking Ronaldo with Al Nassr come after the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had his contract terminated by Manchester United.

    Saudi-controlled Newcastle is also reportedly in the market for Ronaldo.

    But whether Ronaldo goes to a Saudi or Saudi-owned club or not, the country’s national team leaves Qatar with plenty of newfound confidence.

    The performance could also help promote a possible joint bid by Saudi Arabia with Egypt and Greece to host the 2030 World Cup.

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    Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Messi scores as Argentina routs UAE 5-0 in World Cup warmup

    Messi scores as Argentina routs UAE 5-0 in World Cup warmup

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    ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Lionel Messi played the entire game in Argentina’s final World Cup warmup and scored in a 5-0 rout of the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday as the pre-tournament favorites stretched their unbeaten run to 36 games.

    Messi scored his team’s fourth goal right before the break, having also set up Julián Álvarez to open the scoring in the 17th minute. Angel di Maria scored twice in between.

    Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made four changes at halftime but opted against resting his star player, leaving Messi on for the full 90 minutes.

    Inter Milan forward Joaquín Correa scored the visitors’ fifth goal on the hour mark.

    Argentina starts its World Cup tournament against Saudi Arabia on Nov. 22. It also faces Mexico and Poland in Group C.

    “We’re confident,” midfielder Rodrigo De Paul said. “But for many it will their first World Cup so the first game will be very important.”

    Earlier, Andrej Kramarić’s late goal was enough for Croatia to beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Riyadh.

    Croatia star Luka Modrić played only the last 25 minutes, enough to set up Kramarić for the winner in the 82nd. Kramarić still had to elude five Saudi defenders before scoring his 20th international goal inside the far post.

    Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić began with an unfamiliar lineup and gradually brought on his established players. Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovačić, Hoffenheim forward Kramarić, Tottenham midfielder Ivan Perišić and Real Madrid’s Modrić all came on in the second half.

    Saudi Arabia’s French coach Hervé Renard also made numerous second-half changes. His team has a tough task in Group C against Argentina, Mexico and Poland.

    Croatia is in Group F along with Belgium, Canada and Morocco.

    Germany was playing in Oman later, while Poland faced Chile for its last World Cup warmup. Mexico and Sweden were to play in Girona, Spain after that.

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Injury report raises hope for Di María’s World Cup status

    Injury report raises hope for Di María’s World Cup status

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    TURIN, Italy — Argentina winger Ángel Di María will be out for “around 20 days” with an injured right hamstring, Juventus announced on Thursday, leaving hope he can return in time for the World Cup.

    Juventus said tests revealed “a low-grade lesion to the hamstring of the right thigh,” adding “it will take around 20 days for the player’s complete recovery.”

    Di María exited Juventus’ Champions League loss at Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday when he pulled up grasping the back of his right thigh while wincing in pain.

    Argentina, one of the favorites for the World Cup in Qatar, opens on Nov. 22 against Saudi Arabia and also faces Mexico and Poland in Group C.

    Di María’s injury came days after fellow Argentina international Paulo Dybala was injured while playing for Roma.

    Also, Lionel Messi has a slight calf injury and was unavailable for Paris Saint-Germain’s game against Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday.

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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