Tag Archives: WC

Buenos Aires, Argentina | AFP | Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli said Tuesday he expects captain and star striker Lionel Messi to arrive at the World Cup in peak form after he battled fatigue at the 2014 tournament. “We’ve spoken with Leo about what’s happening and that he doesn’t find himself in …

Casablanca, Morocco | AFP | Morocco is “fully mobilised” for its long-shot bid to host the 2026 World Cup, hoping to be a candidate “for the whole of Africa”, top sports officials said Tuesday. The kingdom “is not a non-starter — it’s a real candidate,” Moulay Hafid Elalamy said in …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | In a World Cup year, African football has plenty to look forward to, but it will open 2018 with a glance back at the achievements of one of its stars. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is expected to be crowned African Player of the Year in Ghana …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | England manager Gareth Southgate is not fazed at the prospect of having to travel thousands of kilometres across Russia during the group stage of next year’s World Cup. His side came out in Group G in Friday’s draw ceremony at the Kremlin State Palace in …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | They may not be a top seed for Friday’s World Cup draw in Moscow, but the fresh blood added by coach Julen Lopetegui has put Spain back among the favourites for glory next July. Early exits at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016 appeared …

Paris, France | AFP | With a potent attack featuring teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe and Atletico Madrid hotshot Antoine Griezmann and a midfield stuffed with talent, France should be among the World Cup favourites. With Alexandre Lacazette offering yet another attacking threat, a top-class goalkeeper in Hugo Lloris and depth …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic promised to avenge his side’s humiliating 4-1 thrashing by Colombia at the 2014 World Cup following Friday’s draw for next summer’s finals in Russia. The firebrand Franco-Bosnian admitted “it could have been worse” after the Blue Samurai were drawn alongside the …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia breathed a collective sigh of relief on Friday after avoiding Spain and looking like favourites to make it out of their group in their first home World Cup. “The ideal group,” the government-run R-Sport news agency shouted in a banner headline on its website …

How does it feel to be on the outside looking in? Moscow, Russia | AFP | Football fans visiting Yekaterinburg in the Russian Urals for the 2018 World Cup will find out when they get seated in one of two temporary stands that fill empty plots of land next to …

Doha, Qatar | AFP | Qatar on Sunday unveiled the design for what it claims is the World Cup’s first ‘reusable’ stadium, the seventh of eight expected venues that will stage games during the 2022 tournament. Ras Abu Aboud is a 40,000 seater stadium that will be built on Doha’s …