Newcastle a more ‘united’ city and club under new regime, says captain Lascelles
NEWCASTLE: Skipper Jamaal Lascelles has admitted keeping Newcastle “united” is a much easier job now than it was under Mike Ashley and Steve Bruce.
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Eyes of football world on Doha for World Cup draw
DOHA: The draw for this year’s World Cup takes place in the shadow of Doha’s skyscrapers on Friday, with the focus for the evening on the actual football after a build-up dominated by the many off-field issues surrounding the awarding of the tournament. It is the most controversial World Cup in history, with Qatar dogged ever since it was named host in 2010 by accusations of vote-buying — which were hotly denied — and questions over the country’s suitability. From human rights concerns to the ongoing war in Ukraine, it has been impossible to keep the spotlight solely on the sport, but FIFA president Gianni Infantino has repeated, as he did on Thursday, that it “will be a fantastic and unique World Cup.”
Brazil on top as FIFA sets World Cup draw seedings with updated rankings
DOHA, Qatar: The United States received a boost for the World Cup draw and Canada took a hit in Thursday’s updated FIFA rankings. The Americans, who failed to qualify for the last World Cup, will be in Pot 2 after being ranked 15th in the world. Canada, which won the North American qualifying group and will play at the tournament for the first time in 36 years, missed a chance for a rankings boost by losing at Panama 1-0 in its final qualifier.
Exciting possibilities await confident Saudis in World Cup draw
RIYADH: It is not hard to pick the darkest day for Saudi football on the global stage; the 8-0 thrashing by Germany at the 2002 World Cup finals will never be forgotten.
Spectacular Dubai World Cup closes UAE racing season, but summer action is just beginning
DUBAI: It has been a good UAE season — the best since the pre-Covid halcyon days of 2019. There have been many highlights, but for me the main one was that Dubai welcomed back the world — to horse racing and to Expo 2020. Horses from 15 countries raced here during the Dubai World Cup Carnival, including some from smaller racing nations such as Norway and Greece.
Adidas unveils official World Cup 2022 match ball ahead of draw
DOHA: Adidas has unveiled “Al Rihla” — the official match ball for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at an event in Qatar, which saw World Cup winners Kaka and Iker Casillas take part in friendly match alongside some of the best local players. It is the 14th successive ball Adidas has created for the World Cup and has been designed to travel faster in flight than any of its predecessors.
Michail Antonio questions whether Kurt Zouma’s abuse of pet is worse than racism
West Ham forward Michail Antonio has questioned whether Kurt Zouma’s mistreatment of his cat is “worse than racism”.
Kurt Zouma under investigation after cats taken into care of RSPCA
Kurt Zouma is being investigated by the RSPCA after his two cats were taken into the care of the charity, with the defender having been fined “the maximum amount possible” by West Ham following the mistreatment of his pet.