Saudi Arabia - players.bio

Giroud equals Henry mark as World Cup holders France sink Australia

DOHA: Olivier Giroud joined Thierry Henry as France’s all-time leading goalscorer with a brace as holders France recovered to beat Australia 4-1 and get their defense of the World Cup off to a winning start Tuesday. Australia took a shock lead at Al Janoub Stadium with the game just nine minutes old when Craig Goodwin scored. France, whose build-up to the tournament was marred by injuries, saw left-back Lucas Hernandez come off hurt in the move that led to that goal.

Brazilian journalist at World Cup says regional flag mistaken for LGBTQ symbol

SAO PAULO: A journalist covering the soccer World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday (Nov 22) said local police hassled him outside a stadium after a regional Brazilian flag was mistaken for an LGBTQ pride flag.

Thanking Memo: Cult World Cup hero Ochoa saves day again for Mexico

DOHA: Mexico fans and players would have only wanted one man standing between their goal and Robert Lewandowski’s impending penalty — and cult hero Guillermo Ochoa duly did the business. The 37-year-old goalkeeper, called up for his fifth World Cup, turned the Polish striker’s effort away to earn Mexico a point in their goalless World Cup clash on Tuesday. The curly haired Ochoa appeared to say something to Lewandowski in the run-up to the spot-kick and it might have distracted the usually deadly striker, whose effort was tame.