Ronaldo close to £172m-a-year Al-Nassr contract: Here are the most expensive sports deals ever December 6, 2022 Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly close to agreeing to a contract with Saudi Arabian football club, Al-Nassr, in a deal that could see the striker earn £172.9m a year – the most expensive contract ever offered to a sports player. The 37-year-old footballer mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Manchester United this November, after his relationship with [...]
World Cup briefing: Why and how to watch Tuesday’s last-16 matches December 6, 2022 Now we’re all hopelessly addicted to daily World Cup action, best to drink in today’s two matches in the round of 16 – the last games before a horrifying two-day break. Here’s a preview of Tuesday’s fixtures. Morocco v Spain, 3pm, ITV Spain will be fancied to beat Morocco, who have never been past this [...]
Trevor Steven: With Jude Bellingham unleashed, England can beat France December 5, 2022 There were so many good things to take out of England’s World Cup win over Senegal on Sunday, but none more impressive than the starring role played by Jude Bellingham. We are truly blessed to have a 19-year-old who shows such maturity, aggression and leadership. He is setting a new standard and showing what is [...]
England 3-0 Senegal: Clinical Three Lions set up World Cup quarter-final with France December 5, 2022 England produced a clinical performance to eliminate Senegal from the World Cup in Qatar last night and set up a blockbuster quarter-final against holders France. Gareth Southgate’s team overcame some early jitters with two first-half goals crafted by Jude Bellingham and finished by Jordan Henderson and captain Harry Kane. Bukayo Saka added a third after [...]
World Cup briefing: Why and how to watch Monday’s games December 5, 2022 Fifty-two games down, 11 to go: after the flurry that was the groups stage, the World Cup is approaching its business end as the round of 16 continues today. Here’s why to watch Monday’s fixtures. Japan v Croatia, 3pm, BBC Two teams defying expectations meet this afternoon at the Al Janoub Stadium. Croatia were written [...]
World Cup briefing: Final day of group stage games sees Brazil in action December 2, 2022 Today marks not just the final day of group stage action of this year’s World Cup but also the final time a 32-team group stage takes place at the tournament. The teams in Group G and H will today be looking to book their spot in the last 16 alongside the other 14 teams already [...]
The World Cup team of the group stage: Who is in the best performing XI so far in Qatar? December 1, 2022 The knockout rounds are almost upon us, so who have been the standout players from the group stage of this World Cup? To answer that question we asked football data experts Delphlyx to pick an XI using only the best performing players in each position. The presence of Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi may come [...]
All about Senegal: what to expect from England’s World Cup last 16 opponents December 1, 2022 The Wolof word “teranga” in Senegal’s nickname denotes a generosity of spirit that the West African country is proud of, although it is unlikely to extend to England when the teams meet at the World Cup on Sunday. It is no accident that the Teranga Lions are the reigning champions of Africa, and a team [...]
Ed Warner: Is Infantino a moonbeam or a clown? Either way, Fifa boss is here to stay December 1, 2022 Gianni Infantino. Moonbeam or clown? Flibbertigibbet? Certainly. Problem-solver, or problem to be solved? All depends on where you are coming from – quite literally. Just don’t expect Fifa’s demon/angel (delete according to taste) president to be going anywhere soon. Most likely not until 2031. Football’s Swiss-Italian head honcho has been front and centre of the [...]
World Cup briefing: Group E and F’s deciding games and how to watch December 1, 2022 Today’s World Cup matches bring in the festive season of December and represent the penultimate day of group stage action. All of today’s Group E and Group F matches will have some say in which teams make the last 16 in Qatar – and which crash out. So here is a round up of what’s [...]