Pleased to say that Rob Smyth is helming our liveblog on the opening ceremony and the World Cup opener, starring Ecuador and hosts Qatar.
I’m signing off here. But give Rob’s blog a click, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Ta ra!
One of the most interesting little subplots of this World Cup is that Luis Enrique, Spain’s manager, has set up his own Twitch account, streaming live and direct to the fans. This is a clip from a recent post, where he discusssed the fluidity of their attackers.
Luis Enrique about playing with a false 9.
— Juani Jimena (@JimenaJuani) November 19, 2022
¨That is a myth, we do not play with false 9¨
I love what he is doing with the stream.😍
Follow me for more football videos with English subtitles.!!! 😉😉 pic.twitter.com/GxopbYiUdy
One of Luis Enrique’s attackers, Ferran Torres, is dating his daughters, Sira Martínez. Both the Barcelona forward and the former Barcelona boss have been speaking about that. This is via Reuters.
“Not at all,” Torres told a news conference on Sunday when asked whether he felt pressure because of the relationship. “I think the coach and I, we know how to differentiate between when it’s family and when we are manager and player. I think we have to get on with it in a natural way, just that and we’re getting along fine.”
Torres, 22, went public about his relationship with Sira Martinez, a Spanish show-jumper who is also 22, this year. Luis Enrique joked about it on Saturday when he was asked which of the Spain players represented an extension of him on the field of play.
“Very easy - it’s Mr Ferran Torres - otherwise my daughter will come after me and chop off my head,” the coach said in an online chat.
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Back to Qatar we go. Jacob Steinberg has written this piece on Raheem Sterling, who marked the 10th anniversary of his England Debut last Monday.
Even though his form for Chelsea is a concern, it would represent a major surprise if Sterling does not start against Iran.
The England shirt no longer weighs heavily on Sterling. This is the 27-year-old’s fifth international tournament, underlining his importance to the side, and it is startling to consider how much has changed in the last decade. To put it into context, Gareth Southgate was working on the Sweden game as a pundit for ITV. Sterling was 17 and had just broken into the Liverpool side.
While we’re on club football … Chelsea welcome Tottenham to a sold-out Stamford Bridge in the WSL
and there’s this …
This is a decent stat, albeit related to club football. Bale has only one trophyless season since 2012-13, his loan spell back with Spurs …
Since 2012/13 when he left Tottenham, Gareth Bale has gone trophyless in only one season 👀😭 pic.twitter.com/qWdVi9LHR7
— IG: TheFootballRealm (@theftblrealm) November 13, 2022
Hello everyone. We’ll start with this fine piece on Wales and Gareth Bale, who play their first World Cup match in 64 years on Monday night against the USA. Absolutely mouthwatering.
That’s all from me – I’ll hand over to my colleague Michael Butler for the foreseeable.
A minor historic moment yesterday:
Balloons in the national colours of Israel and Qatar festooned the departure gate for the first commercial flight between the countries on Sunday, permitted by Doha for fans of the World Cup despite the absence of formal bilateral relations.
The passengers’ excitement was mainly at being able to attend the soccer tournament - for which Israel did not qualify - with such surprising ease. But several also voiced hope that the temporary non-stop connections would clear the way to fuller detente between the Gulf emirate and Israel.
They were issued contact cards for a discreet Israeli consular delegation sent ahead to provide emergency support - a reminder of their current semi-recognised status in Qatar, which is close to Iran and has hosted leaders of Palestinian Hamas.
“There were a few concerns, I cannot deny that,” said Sagi Ashkevitz, who was flying out with three friends to his second World Cup. “But in the end, the idea of watching Messi for the last time, together with the idea that we are actually making history, overcame all of the concerns, and we are happy to be a part of it.”
(Via Reuters)
File under ‘shocking and entirely unsurprising’:
One thing the Dutch have got right about their goalkeepers is the squad numbers. Their three keepers will wear numbers 1, 13 and 23 – the objectively correct formulation. Staggeringly, they are one of only three squads at this tournament to have numbered their goalies as such. The other two? England and Spain. Now that’s insight.
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Oh dear…
We spent the night in a fan village near Lusail Stadium. Guests slowly checking in to find they can’t buy drinking water without a wristband. It’s 30 degrees. Nearest shop an hour walk. No one knows where the wristbands are. We’re told the festival is meant to kick off at 6.30pm pic.twitter.com/Fi7DPXqnrq
— Rhia Chohan (@rhiachohan) November 19, 2022
This is a World Cup like no other. For the last 12 years the Guardian has been reporting on the issues surrounding Qatar 2022, from corruption and human rights abuses to the treatment of migrant workers and discriminatory laws. The best of our journalism is gathered on our dedicated Qatar: Beyond the Football home page for those who want to go deeper into the issues beyond the pitch.
Guardian reporting goes far beyond what happens on the pitch. Support our investigative journalism today.
An interesting subplot from the ever-intriguing Dutch camp: who the hell is going to play in goal? Whoever gets the jersey against Senegal tomorrow will be vastly inexperienced after the shock snub of Jasper Cillessen, who most pundits assumed would be Louis van Gaal’s first choice. Instead, he picked three keepers with – wait for it – eight caps between them.
Ajax’s Remko Pasveer won his first cap against Poland in September. He is 39. Justin Bijlow was used by Van Gaal in his first six games in charge but not used in the nine matches since – and has only recently become Feyenoord’s No 1. Uncapped Andries Noppert from Heerenveen is the other goalkeeper in the squad.
(Info via Reuters)
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West Ham defender Thilo Kehrer feels vindicated in moving to the Premier League in an effort to nail down his World Cup spot.
“I wanted to have the best rhythm and be fully fit and competitive for the World Cup. That was a major reason for me,” said the player who has featured in every league match since joining from PSG in the summer.
“It has paid off so far. It was a big challenge and that’s what I was looking for and it is a very good preparation for the World Cup. I feel the confidence of Hansi [Flick] and you can see that in my playing time. I will give it all to pay back this trust.”
(via Reuters)
@A_Hess Infant-ino indeed. He could have made a better fist of things rather than brush it alway with some false equivalence over his "bullying" experiences as a child. And no one believes he ever had hair either.
— TheFlyingPasty (@ToffeeDan) November 20, 2022
Bad news for the Socceroos:
Here’s reader Michael Ohl on the Infantino speech: “It is not binary issue. Yes, the west should look at itself and our historic abuses. But just because the west behaved as bad, if not worse, it is not a good enough reason for not condemning abuses happening in all countries around the world today, including Qatar. War, colonialism, subjugation by one nation on another nation, state sanctioned killing people, torturing people, discriminating against people or abusing people for whatever reason is wrong and has always been wrong, and that applies to all eras and all countries.”
Kurt Perleberg keeps things simple: “Is this Fifa World Cup turning out to be the worst sporting event of all time?”
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Fawad Azam writes in: “I do find the tirade against Qatar a tad hypocritical. We all know the awarding of Russia and Qatar was riddled with issues. However I do agree that bringing the World Cup has put a spotlight on the issues in Qatar and forced some changes which wouldn’t have happened otherwise, such as banning the Kafala system and minimum wage. The problems with migrant workers is still an issue in many parts of the gulf which Brits are more than happy to holiday in every year but we have no issues when taking our selfies at the pool.
“We have had China hosting the Olympics with their human rights track record and Russia hosting the last World Cup four years after it had illegally annexed Crimea. We have Egypt currently hosting COP27 with its human rights abuses. I don’t think these hosting duties go to model countries. But then again what is a model country? In UK we have migrant fruit pickers who are going back home to Indonesia after only eight weeks of work despite being offered six months’ worth. They are now riddled with years of debt.
“I am not white and don’t drink alcohol. I am going to the World Cup for the first time, some may mistake me as a fake fan! The ‘fake fan’ accusations brings a whole new angle into the racism of what is a ‘true fan’.
“However this is probably the only time I have felt safe and comfortable going to a World Cup without the fear of hooliganism and drunken behaviour. Previously would have never considered going to any other World Cup as being a brown England fan I would stick out in the wrong way from either side. So for me Qatar hosting the World Cup has opened the door to people like me who have otherwise not been able to attend.”
El Diego klaxon! Here’s an extract from Diego Maradona: The Last Interview & Other Conversations – a 1992 discussion in which the crazed genius talks Baggio, Berlusconi and USA 94:
Ruben Neves knows which side his bread is buttered on. Here’s the Portugal midfielder on You Know Who: “From what I’ve seen in training, he’s in spectacular shape. He doesn’t worry us at all, we as a team know perfectly well what we need to work on so that each individual stands out on gameday. If we’re good as a team, Cristiano will be phenomenal.”
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Antonio Rudiger reckons Germany can go the distance. He would say that, wouldn’t he?
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Meanwhile, back in the Northern Premier League:
61 | Just managed to catch Thompson on his way back in - an away fan has apparently urinated in his water bottle, and then when Thompson has squirted it at said 'fan' after finding out, he's been sent off. (0-0)
— Warrington Town FC (@theyellows) November 19, 2022
Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford reacts to Infantino
The first signs of fallout from Infantino’s speech come from the Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford. Here’s what he has to say:
I had two thoughts when I heard those comments. First of all, I think there is a serious point about being prepared to review our own history. Wales is an outward-looking, inclusive nation where people’s rights really matter to us. But it wasn’t always like that. In our own history, we have had times when things that we have done, including things that we have done in other parts of the world, wouldn’t measure up to the sorts of beliefs and standards that we hold ourselves to today. So to take a moment to reflect on our own histories, it’s not a moment wasted.
The second thought I had listening to what was said was to remind me of Healy’s first law of holes. Some people will remember Denis Healey, the great labour politician. And his first law of holes was when you’re in one, stop digging.
(via Reuters)
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In case you missed it last night – Karim Benzema becomes an automatic pick for the Injured World Cup XI. In fact, N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba would be part of that team, too – poor old France. Luckily they still have the adoring Mbappe-Giroud partnership up front. Fraternité!
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Fun fact: Raheem Sterling made his England debut alongside Leon Osman, Steven Caulker and Carl Jenkinson. Ten years later, he’s a senior figure in the squad and battling against younger upstarts for a place in Southgate’s XI. He’s out of form but I’d still have him in the side tomorrow, ahead of Grealish and Rashford. You?
A few have pointed out that Gianni’s speech yesterday bore a striking resemblance to one made by former Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo from back in 2017. Great minds?
As a New Yorker, I am a Muslim. I am a Jew. I am Black. I am gay. I am a woman seeking to control her body. We are one New York. pic.twitter.com/peOL9x2ltl
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 29, 2017
Managing Brazil at a World Cup – the hardest job in football? Happily, their current boss seems to have a healthy perspective. “Whether we win or not, I want to be at peace,” says Tite. “At peace with myself. That’s my big desire.”
Something tells me that sense of inner peace might be a lot easier to find from the champions’ podium on 18 December. Read the full interview here:
Wales’s World Cup gets under way tomorrow evening. Here, former winger Terry Medwin remembers the country’s first – and last – appearance at the tournament, when they were knocked out by an unknown 17-year-old called Pelé:
Now then. That Infantino speech eh? “Today I feel Qatari,” said the 52-year-old Swiss-Italian man yesterday. “Today I feel Arabic. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel like a migrant worker.”
Not, apparently, a Gervais-esque send-up of modern identity politics but rather an earnest plea for open-mindedness and unity during the course of this tournament. Here’s our report, here’s Barney Ronay’s take, and here’s our in-house fact-check on what exactly was said. Are we being too harsh on Gianni, or is there a kernel of a clumsily-delivered half-decent point in there somewhere? Thoughts welcome.
Let’s kick off with some Sunday-morning listening:
Preamble
“It will be the best World Cup ever – of course.” Those the words of Gianni Infantino about an event marred before a ball has been kicked by criminality, corruption and death – and yet somehow the least contentious statement of yesterday’s grand address. (More on that shortly.)
Today, at least, we’ll get to put his theory to the test. That’s right: 12 years after the World Cup was awarded to Qatar in a decision that left even David Beckham lost for words, the day is finally here and it looks like we’re actually going through with it.
“Focus on the football” is another favourite Infantino directive. We can do a bit of that this afternoon, when the hosts face Ecuador at the gleaming new Al Bayt Stadium. And if the prospect of the planet’s 44th and 50th best international sides locking horns wasn’t enough for you, there’ll be a lavish opening ceremony beforehand featuring K-pop superstar Jeon Jungkook and nay-pop superstars the Black Eyed Peas.
But before then we will have an uninterrupted stream of news, previews, buildup, correspondence, interviews, debates, squabbles, quibbles, protestations, trivia, reminiscences, hopes, dreams and regrets from this strangest of World Cups … plus a bit of football, too. Got any of the above? Please send them through via email.
So kick back, crack open a Bud Zero, and stay tuned for live updates from day one of Qatar 2022.
