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World Cup could make football ‘mainstream’ in co-host Canada

MONTREAL: Three weeks before kickoff in the first ever World Cup match in Canada, football leaders in the country voiced hope the tournament will finally give the sport the cultural prominence it deserves. Football, which most Canadians call soccer, is the country’s most popular participatory sport, but by many measures the nation is still primarily captivated by ice hockey. The 13 World Cup matches set for Toronto and Vancouver could help tip the scales, said James Johnson, CEO of Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment, which works to promote the sport. “There is a huge opportunity for a cultural shift in the sport in Canada,” he told AFP. More than a million of Canada’s 41 million people are registered to play amateur football, but broadening support for the professional level is a priority. Canada has three teams in MLS, North America’s top professional league. Toronto FC has won an MLS Cup and is considered the most stable Canadian club. The Montreal Impact have faced financial challenges and there are widespread reports the Vancouver Whitecaps may relocate, partly over profitability concerns. - Growing potential -

Harry Maguire ‘shocked and gutted’ to be left out of England’s World Cup squad

MANCHESTER: Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been left out of England’s squad for this year’s World Cup. The 33-year-old center back confirmed in a social media post Thursday that he is not part of Thomas Tuchel’s roster for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, saying he was “shocked and gutted” by the decision. Tuchel is set to confirm his squad on Friday. Maguire helped England reach the World Cup semifinals in 2018 and the final of the 2020 European Championship.

FIFA's big experiment may have made the World Cup too big for its own good

A supersized World Cup with more teams, more games and even more host nations than ever before leaves a big question hanging over the biggest sporting show on earth: How much is too much?

Mane headlines tried and trusted Senegal squad for World Cup

DAKAR: Senegal’s Sadio Mane is a key selection ‌in the 28-man World Cup squad named by coach Pape Thiaw on Thursday as the influential forward looks to make up for lost time having missed the finals four years ago in Qatar through injury. Thiaw will have to trim his squad by two players ahead of the final deadline toward the end of this month. Mane remains a leading player for a star-studded Senegal lineup that looks to be the most potent of the 10 African qualifiers for the finals in the US, Mexico and Canada, with a blend of experience and youthful athleticism in the squad. The 34-year-old Al-Nassr player is likely to lead ‌the line but ‌also selected are Bayern Munich forward Nicolas Jackson ‌plus ⁠Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye ⁠and Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr. Bayern’s 18-year-old midfielder Bara Ndiaye has also been called up but there is no place for Malang Sarr, who has excelled this season with Lens. Idrissa Gueye, also of Everton, has been included despite missing the tail-end of the season through injury, with Sunderland’s Habib Diarra and Tottenham Hotspur’s Pape Matar Sarr also midfield options. Experienced center-back Kalidou Koulibaly has been picked ⁠along with goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Senegal were the best team ‌at the recent Africa Cup of Nations in ‌Morocco and edged the hosts 1-0 in a contentious final that was later ‌awarded to the North Africans, a matter that is before the Court ‌of Arbitration for Sport. Senegal have been drawn in Group I at the World Cup and open their campaign against France on June 16 in New Jersey in a repeat of their famous 2002 World Cup meeting in which the African side came ‌out on top against the then-holders. They also take on Norway at the same venue (June 22) and

Neymar suffers calf injury but expected to join Brazil camp ahead of World Cup

BRASILIA: Neymar has suffered a ‌minor calf injury but is expected to recover in time to join Brazil’s camp next week ahead of the World Cup starting on June 11 in the US, Canada and Mexico. The 34-year-old, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, was named in the squad on Monday, marking his return after a prolonged injury layoff that kept him out for much of the qualifying campaign, as Brazil chase a record-extending sixth title. Much ‌of the ‌build-up to the squad announcement centered ‌on ⁠coach Carlo Ancelotti’s ⁠decision over whether to include Neymar. The Italian, who took charge of Brazil last year, had not previously recalled the former Barcelona and Paris St. Germain attacker, who now plays for Santos and is set to feature at his fourth World Cup in ⁠pursuit of his first world title. “Neymar has ‌a minor calf injury, ‌an oedema,” Santos’ head of medical services Rodrigo Zogaib ‌told Brazil’s ge.globo on Wednesday.

UK sending three police officers to World Cup for ‘cultural’ help

LONDON: British police are sending just three officers to the US as “cultural interpreters” during the World Cup given the lack of any US funding, UK police said on Thursday. By contrast, 40 officers went to Germany for the 2024 European Championships, with financing by the hosts, said Mark Roberts, who leads football policing. “The States are not funding mobile travel delegations this time,” Roberts told reporters of next month’s tournament where England and Scotland will play their three opening group games in the US Both ‌nations have a ‌huge traveling fan base and the English have ‌a ⁠history of hooliganism, ⁠though the exorbitant cost may put many off this tournament which is being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. “Our fans at World Cups are really well behaved ... I’m not anticipating problems, but clearly we’d rather have a presence there that can get involved if we are seeing issues develop,” Roberts added, stressing that he was not criticizing the US decision nor ⁠was there hostility to a UK deployment. The White House ‌Task Force for the FIFA World Cup ‌2026 did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Two additional British officers will ‌be working with US authorities at the Washington-based International Police Cooperation ‌Center. “Most of the other European countries just aren’t bothering” to send their own officers to the tournament, Roberts added.

Mexican sports journalist robbed at gunpoint during live report

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Egypt omit Nantes forward Mostafa Mohamed from World Cup squad

CAIRO, May 21 : Nantes forward Mostafa Mohamed has been left out of Egypt's preliminary squad for next month's World Cup but uncapped teenager Hamza Abdelkarim, who plays for the Barcelona under-19 team, was included.

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World Cup could make football ‘mainstream’ in co-host Canada

Harry Maguire ‘shocked and gutted’ to be left out of England’s World Cup squad

FIFA's big experiment may have made the World Cup too big for its own good

Mane headlines tried and trusted Senegal squad for World Cup

Neymar suffers calf injury but expected to join Brazil camp ahead of World Cup

UK sending three police officers to World Cup for ‘cultural’ help

Mexican sports journalist robbed at gunpoint during live report

Egypt omit Nantes forward Mostafa Mohamed from World Cup squad