World Cup
Albania vs England – World Cup Qualifier Preview, Team News & Predicted Line-ups
Loro-Borici Stadium is the venue as Albania and England battle it out for top place in FIFA World Cup Qualification Group I on Sunday afternoon. Both sides got their campaigns off to a flying start, but Gareth Southgate’s men head into Sunday proceedings as odds-on favourites to prevail. Though it has been precisely 20 years since England last met Albania on foreign soil, the visitors still harbour some pleasant memories of their previous trip to Tirana. The last time England went to the Balkans to take on this opposition, they ran out 3-1 victors in March 2001. Albania Preview A closely-contested 1-0 victory against Andorra means Albania have started their third consecutive World Cup qualifying series with a win. The Albanians will now be looking to begin their World Cup qualifying w...
Calvert-Lewin scores twice as England breeze past San Marino
In Gareth Southgate’s 50th game in charge, England beat San Marino 5-0 at Wembley to kick start their hunt for 2022 World Cup qualification. Goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin (2), James Ward-Prowse, Raheem Sterling and Ollie Watkins ensured a comfortable evening for the Three Lions against a country with the worst FIFA ranking in the world. Manager Southgate named a very different looking side for the game than the one that we have become accustomed to recently. He became the first person to manage and play for England 50 times and made 10 changes to his starting 11 from the last international run-out, a 4-0 triumph over Iceland in the Nations League last November. Injuries to current number one goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish kept the pair out of this round of in...
Arsenal receive positive Martin Odegaard update after ankle injury scare
Arsenal have been left breathing a huge sigh of relief after it was confirmed that the injury suffered by Martin Odegaard while on international duty is not serious. Gunners fans were left concerned on Wednesday night after the in-form Real Madrid loanee appeared to painfully roll his ankle before being substituted at half-time of Norway’s 3-0 World Cup qualifying win against Gibraltar. The absence of Odegaard for any extended period of time would have come as a sizable blow to Arsenal, with the 22-year-old having grown in influence since moving to north London in January and played a critical role in Sunday’s comeback draw against London rivals West Ham, afterwards attracting effusive praise from manager Mikel Arteta. But not only does it seem that Odegaard is now unlikely to miss key upc...
England vs San Marino – World Cup 2022 Qualifier Preview, Team News & Predicted Line-ups
England’s World Cup 2022 Qualification campaign gets underway on Thursday as they welcome FIFA’s worst-ranked nation San Marino to Wembley Stadium. Gareth Southgate will become the seventh manager in history to reach a 50-game milestone as the England national team head coach. He will be eager to celebrate it with an injury-free victory against San Marino. The 50-year-old guided the Three Lions to the final four in the 2018 World Cup and will be looking to do a repeat or improve open this in Qatar next year. Widely considered as favourites to finish top of Group I, England will have to overcome Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra and San Marino to advance to the final tournament. England Preview England have thoroughly outclassed San Marino in their previous six competitive meetings, winning...
Germany banking on victories to regain support
Germany will seek redemption for November’s humiliating thrashing against Spain as Joachim Loew’s squad look to get the fans back behind them by winning their first three World Cup qualifiers. Germany host Iceland in Duisburg on Thursday before facing Romania away on Sunday, then play North Macedonia three days later back in Duisburg. “We want to start the European championship year with an exclamation mark and please our fans again,” Loew said after naming teenagers Jamal Musiala, 18, and Florian Wirtz, 17, in his squad. “Our ambition and goal is to get ourselves into a good starting position with three wins.” A fortnight ago, Loew announced he will step down, after 15 years in charge, following the European championships, due to take place from June 11-July 11. He badly needs convincing ...
European World Cup Qualifiers Preview – March 2021
Club football goes dormant for a fortnight as national teams return to action for the first time since November 2020. The European section of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification gets underway on March 24. All 55 UEFA national teams seeded into ten qualifying groups will battle it out for 13 places at the final tournament. Group winners will secure an automatic berth in Qatar, while the runners-up will have to navigate through the play-offs. Though the original design incorporated two matchdays for June 2021, the postponement of the Euro 2020 has caused havoc in the international schedule. To complete the qualifying group stage by November 2021, national teams in Europe will commit to three matchdays instead of two as planned initially. Like the last competition, the teams will face each ...
5 games to watch during the international break
It’s international break time, much to the dismay of fantasy football players all around the world. The international break tends to divide opinion. There are some who love watching their national side, while others just can’t wait for club football to return. If you’re on the latter side of that debate, maybe these games are something you ought to be keeping an eye on. Here are five games to watch over the international break. Belgium vs Wales (Wednesday 24th March, 19:45 GMT) Wales pulled off one of the shocks of the tournament, knocking out Belgium World Cup qualifying in Europe is tougher than it seems. While it feels like the usual suspects make it through with ease every time, there’s always potential for an upset. There are ten qualifying groups, and only the group winners gain auto...
Former England skipper wants brain tested for dementia signs
Former England striker Gary Lineker says he will get extra checks on his brain for signs of dementia. Research has found that former professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to die from a brain disorder than the general population. Already, an inquiry was launched by the UK parliament this month into sport’s link to dementia. Lineker, who has previously suggested a complete ban on heading in training, joined a radio programme for a Dementia in Football documentary. He revealed he and colleagues Alan Shearer and Ian Wright fear they could end up with a brain disorder. “I’ve had conversations with Alan Shearer and Ian Wright and others about the worry that, come 10, 15 years, that it might happen to one of us,” said the 60-year-old former England captain turned broadca...
Edinson Cavani: I almost joined Manchester United ahead of Napoli
Edinson Cavani has revealed he almost joined Manchester United 11 years ago. Cavani revealed he almost joined Manchester United in 2010. The Uruguayan was with Palermo at the time but ended up joining Napoli and then Paris Saint-Germain – before signing for United a decade later. Discussing it with Inside United, Cavani said: “Just imagine it! I can’t remember exactly what happened. “I do remember there was talk about one or two different teams, but hey, if I’d had that opportunity [to join United], I would have taken it, of course I would, without giving it a second thought. “I don’t remember definitively if that was the case. “But what I do remember is that I was due to travel to the World Cup in South Africa, and during that tournament, I had a conversation with Napoli, and well, told t...
Manchester United linked with Nick Pope with club concerned Dean Henderson is ‘too inexperienced’
Manchester United are being linked with Burnley stopper Nick Pope this summer, with the club concerned that Dean Henderson is not ready to be the club’s number one. Following Henderson’s return from two seasons on-loan at Sheffield United in the summer, there has been constant debate over who should be the Red Devils starting goalkeeper, particularly with David De Gea having been inconsistent in the last 18 months or so. The majority of this campaign has seen the Spaniard remain as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-choice, with the younger Englishman largely having been deployed in domestic cup competitions. With De Gea granted leave to return to Spain for the birth of his first child last week, the 24-year-old has been handed the chance to impress with a run of games, although after a strong p...
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Brazil legend Ronaldo ‘the best player in history’
Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has named Brazil legend Ronaldo as ‘the best player in history’. Ibrahimovic expressed his admiration towards the World Cup winner ahead of Milan’s Europa League clash with Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night, while putting him ahead of modern-day greats such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the all-time list of top players. The 39-year-old thinks Ronaldo Nazario, who inspired Brazil to World Cup glory in 2002, transcended the game with his unique talents and still stands out as the unrivalled master of the footballing craft to this day. Zlatan told Discovery Plus: “I don’t need to describe Ronaldo, ‘The Phenomenon’. “I always say you have the players that play the game, and the players that are the game. For me, Ronaldo is the game. When you watch him...
Leon Balogun impresses at right back in Europa League for Rangers
Super Eagles center back Leon Balogun impressed in a right-back role as Rangers won in a seven -goal thriller in the Europa League round of 32 clash against Royal Antwerp at Bosuilstadion on Thursday night. With 24 minutes played, the Nigeria international came off the bench to replace Rangers skipper James Tavernier, who was not able to continue due to an injury. The right-back position is not entirely new to Balogun as he has played in that role for the national team, Mainz and Brighton & Hove. In fact, he made his debut for the Super Eagles as a right-back when he replaced Efe Ambrose in the second half of a pre-World Cup friendly against Mexico in March 2014. “I was back to an old role and I was happy I can still play it,” Balogun said at yesterday’s press conference. “I think the ...
