Your latest World Cup headlines on Thursday, November 17.
Wales alter schedule due to heat
Wales have altered their World Cup training schedule due to the unexpectedly high temperatures in Qatar.
Rob Page's side were due to hold their first open training session at their Al Sadd base shortly after lunchtime on Thursday, but they have pushed back their plans to several hours later in the afternoon owing to the extreme heat in the country - with the likelihood that all of their future training sessions will now be held later in the day.
Temperatures reached 33°C on Wednesday afternoon, while the lows in the early hours of Thursday morning were a sweltering 26°C.
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The official tournament pocket guide states that winter temperatures in the region range from 17-24°C, significantly lower than those currently being experienced.
Speaking about the Qatar conditions earlier this year, Page - who was part of a Football Association of Wales delegation which visited the country in July - said: “It was 44 degrees, crazy hot, and thankfully it’s not going to be that in November. They’ve done their best to accommodate that. I went to the stadium where we play our three games and it is exceptional. They’ve put air conditioning units all around the pitch, I could feel it from where I was stood. I’m not so sure the players will feel it from the middle of the pitch, and certainly our supporters won’t from the top of the stand."
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Iran boss clashes with journalist
Carlos Queiroz clashed with a journalist after being asked a question on the oppression of women in Iran. Former Manchester United assistant boss Queiroz was quizzed by the media ahead of his side's World Cup opener against England on Monday.
At the end of the press briefing, the 69-year-old was asked for his views on working for a country that oppresses women. He responded: “How much you pay me to answer that question? How much you pay me? Talk to your boss and give me your answer. Don’t put in my mouth words that I don’t say. I’m asking how much money to answer. Think about what happened in your country with immigration."
It comes after the boss said his players had the right to protest at the World Cup over women's rights in their own country.
"The players are free to protest as they would if they were from any other country, as long as it conforms with the World Cup regulations and is in the spirit of the game," Queiroz said. "But you can also express yourself on the field in the game of football and the players have only one thing on their mind and that is to fight to qualify for the second round."
Maddison studied Fernandes
James Maddison revealed he studied Bruno Fernandes in a bid to improve his game.
The Leicester City ace has been in scintillating form, although there were questions over whether or not he would make England's World Cup squad due to his lack of game time under Gareth Southgate.
However, the manager was unable to ignore Maddison's exploits with the Foxes and selected Maddison as part of his 26-man squad for the tournament. And the 25-year-old revealed Portugal star Fernandes was one of the players who he kept a close eye on when casting his eye over his Premier League rivals.
"I'm definitely a student of the game," Maddison said, as quotes by our sister title LeicestershireLive. "I watch all the games, I watch everything. My house is football mad, my girlfriend goes crazy about it because I watch everything. In lockdown when there was four games a day on TV, I had them all on. I'm a football man and I've said that many times. I just love the game. In my head I'm still that little boy who's kicking around in the garden. A student of the game is probably the way to describe it.
"I don't think there's a player I model myself on now. I appreciate all the good players in the Premier League and always try to take stuff from players whenever I can, whether they're a higher level than me, the same level than me, or even a lower level.
"If I'm watching games on TV, I'm often watching players in my position. A couple of seasons ago, when I actually thought to myself 'how can I score more goals?' when I wasn't in the squad, Bruno Fernandes was playing very well for Man United and putting up ridiculous numbers in terms of goals and assists. I'd probably watch him a little bit closer at the time, that's the first one that springs to mind. There's loads of examples. 'How is he scoring so many goals?' kind of thing and 'what runs is he making that I'm not?'"
Wayne's Nev call
Wayne Hennessey revealed he will keep in touch with Neville Southall during Wales' World Cup campaign.
Legendary goalkeeper Southall won 92 caps for his country, a record which has since been surpassed in the men's game by Chris Gunter, Gareth Bale and Hennessey himself.
Hennessey was presented with an award by his childhood hero and fellow north Walian Southall prior to winning his 100th cap against Czech Republic in 2021. And ahead of Wales' first World Cup outing since 1958, Hennessey admitted he will seek advice from the former Everton man during the course of the tournament.
“I always wanted Wales to get to a World Cup," said Hennessey. "I would have loved to see Neville Southall on the big stage like this, he is a massive hero for me. For me to actually be here I will have to give him a phone call. Everyone would have loved to see Wales in a World Cup. For me he is my ultimate hero.
“Any advice I could get from him is key at an event like this. I will keep in touch with him and what a Welsh legend he is. I did an interview with him recently and he has a lot of stories which is always interesting. He still comes and watches the games and it is always nice to get his feedback from the games as well."
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