The FIFA men’s World Cup is the most popular tournament for the world’s most popular game. The 22nd edition kicks off in Doha, Qatar, on Nov. 20, 2022. You know it’s a big deal, but do you know how the World Cup works?
Qatar’s Akram Afif scored THREE penalty kicks in the AFC Asian Cup final on Saturday to guide the host country to a 3-1 victory vs. Jordan. Afif’s magic card trick celebration after his first penalty has gone viral.
This may be the most unique and coldest goal celebrations we’ve ever seen.
After burying the penalty, the Qatari star reached into his shin guard and pulled out a trading card of himself. Then with one quick movement and some sleight of hand Afif switched the card to reveal the letter “S”.
Afif magic card trick celebration
New Zealand Football (NZF) said it will contact FIFA about protecting players from racism after the men's national team abandoned a friendly against Qatar at halftime in protest at an alleged racist slur against one of their players.
New Zealand said a Qatari opponent directed a "significant racist slur" at All Whites defender Michael Boxall, who has Samoan heritage, shortly before the interval.
Saudi Arabia defender Yasser Al-Shahrani returned to training with his club Al-Hilal on Thursday, 133 days after suffering a serious injury during their stunning 2-1 victory over Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar last year.
Al-Shahrani, 30, suffered head, chest and abdomen injuries after colliding with his own goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais in the final minutes of the game, which was arguably the biggest shock in World Cup history, with Argentina going on to lift the trophy.
The newest episode of Apple TV’s hit show Ted Lasso features an extremely niche yet beautiful tribute to legendary sportswriter Grant Wahl, who died while covering the World Cup in Qatar. Season three’s fourth episode ended with a message, “In memory of Grant Wahl,” but it was an earlier moment that eagle-eyed viewers will remember most.
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has submitted a new bid to buy Manchester United which is believed to be worth around $6.12 billion, Sky Sports News reported on Saturday.
Sheikh Jassim, a son of Qatar’s former prime minister, launched the bid in February. A spokesperson representing Sheikh Jassim said at the time that the bid was completely debt free, via Sheikh Jassim's Nine Two Foundation.
Manchester United did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
MANCHESTER, England - Global soccer players union FIFPRO said that the World Cup should never again be squeezed into a November-December window, and that Raphaël Varane's international retirement should ring alarm bells about the sport's smothering schedule.
FIFPRO released their World Cup 2022 Post-Tournament Review and Player Survey on Thursday, and said the results confirmed their fears around players' mental and physical fatigue and injury risk.
LONDON - Qatari investors are preparing to make a bid to buy Premier League club Manchester United in the coming days, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the deal.
The report added that the consortium will submit an initial bid for the club by the end of the week, and that officials from Qatar Investment Authority are helping with preparations for the bid.
It's been over six weeks since Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup trophy and Argentina celebrated their long-awaited third star. Messi has since returned to playing for the traveling circus that is PSG, but the 35-year-old's thoughts won't stray far from that month-long odyssey in Qatar and the fulfillment of a life's dream for some time to come.
On Monday, a 45-minute interview in Paris between Messi and Argentine journalist Any Kusnetzoff for Urbana Play provided all the details from the triumph, fresh in the Golden Ball winner's mind.
The lasting feeling from Thursday's 5-4 friendly between PSG and a Riyadh All-Star XI in Saudi Arabia is that Cristiano Ronaldo, on the verge of his 38th birthday, and Lionel Messi, 35, could play forever. Neymar, 30, looks like he's got a year or two left in him.
It was Ronaldo who scored Riyadh's first two goals while Messi opened the scoring for PSG in the third-minute. Both provided moments of dazzling skill, much to the delight of the businessman who paid $2.66 million for a single ticket.
Messi opens the scoring off Neymar's pass