World Cup: Hits and misses
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have dazzled at the World Cup in Qatar, while Morocco caught the imagination of a continent on their run to the semi-finals.
Spain Sport News
World Cup hits and misses
DOHA: Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have dazzled at the World Cup in Qatar, while Morocco caught the imagination of a continent on their run to the semifinals. But the host nation flopped badly, Germany made a swift exit and Cristiano Ronaldo discovered he was no longer an automatic pick for Portugal. AFP Sport looks at the hits and misses from a month-long festival of football. Overachievers Morocco became the first African side and the first Arab team to reach the semifinals of a World Cup. And it was no fluke. Walid Regragui’s men, ranked 22nd in the world, beat Belgium and drew with Croatia on the way to topping their group before dumping 2010 champions Spain and Portugal out of the tournament. Roared on by tens of thousands of fans and supported across Africa and the Arab world, they came up short in the semifinals, losing 2-0 to France, but they have broken new ground. Japan shocked Germany and Spain to top their group before losing on penalties to Croatia in the round of 16. South Korea underlined the progress Asian football is making by beating Portugal to qualify from their group but came unstuck against Brazil in the first knockout round.
World Cup of firsts ends with clash of titans
DOHA: There is no new name on the trophy and many of football’s global superstars are taking their final bow but the most controversial World Cup in history will be remembered as a tournament of firsts. Heavyweights France and Argentina progressed to the final, each looking to win the trophy for a third time after a tournament packed with shocks and surprises. Four-time winners Germany crashed out at the group stage for the second successive time while Argentina were beaten by Saudi Arabia in their opener in one of the biggest shocks in the tournament’s history.
African team to win World Cup in '15-20 years', says Morocco coach
Morocco coach Walid Regragui said he believes an African team will win the World Cup in the next "15 to 20 years" after his team finished fourth in Qatar.
Was Palestine the biggest winner at the World Cup?
LONDON: This year’s FIFA World Cup welcomed fans from across the world, and the quadrennial event is ground zero for reporters. Many football fans snubbed Israeli reporters, though, in a sign of Palestinian solidarity.
Proud Morocco want to build African legacy after World Cup run, says Regragui
DOHA : Morocco will leave Qatar proud and happy after becoming the first African or Arabic team to reach the last four at a World Cup but they should strive for more in the future, coach Walid Regragui said on Saturday.
Modric, 37, sets sights on Nations League title for Croatia
DOHA: Luka Modric led Croatia to the bronze medal at the World Cup on Saturday and revealed he will extend his international career into 2023 in an attempt to win the Nations League. The 37-year-old won his 162nd cap in the 2-1 win over Morocco, four years after helping his country to the World Cup runners-up spot behind France. Croatia will now attempt to win the Nations League title next June in the four-team finals also featuring Netherlands, Italy and Spain.
Stronger league could be Qatar World Cup legacy, says Spanish coach
DOHA: With brilliant games, superb goals and shock results, the Qatar World Cup has been one of the most entertaining, but Sunday's (Dec 18) end of the tournament marks a crossroads for the hosts as they ponder where to go from here.