Football
SAFF Championship 2021: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal in the Final Race
Despite the fact that India were the pre-tournament favorite, there was an expectation that the SAFF championship 2021 would be more competitive than recent editions. All of the teams have done well since the tournament began earlier this month. There are still four teams competing for a berth in the finals. As there is only one group in this competition, the top two teams in the points table will progress to the final match. Let's look at the group stage scenario and assess which two teams have the best chance of reaching the finals.
Read:SAFF Football: Bangladesh to face Nepal in a 'do or die" match on Wednesday
Scenario for Championship Match Berths in the Group Stage
The finalists of the SAFF Championship 2021 will be determined by the last two group stage matches. Because the winner of the match between Bangladesh and Nepal will face the winner of the match between India and the Maldives in the championship match on October 16 (Saturday) at the National Football Stadium in the Maldives.
SAFF Football Championship 2021 points table (as of October 10)
Team
Match
Win
Draw
Loss
GD
Points
Maldives
3
2
0
1
2
6
Nepal
3
2
0
1
1
6
India
3
1
2
0
2
5
Bangladesh
3
1
1
1
-1
4
Sri Lanka
4
0
1
3
-3
1
Read: SAFF Championship: Bangladesh lose 0-2 to Maldives
Bangladesh vs. Nepal: (5 pm, Bangladesh Standard Time)
Head-to-head:
Bangladesh Win: 13 | Draw: 2 | Nepal: 7
Bangladesh
Bangladesh have a simple equation in their quest for a final berth. Bangladesh will go to the final if they defeat Nepal.
Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka in their first match of the tournament. They surprised India by drawing the match with ten men on the field. However, Oscar Bruzon's team did not put up their best effort against the Maldives, losing 2-0. They have the lowest goal differential (-1) among the top four teams. Therefore, Bangladesh will not advance to the final if they draw their match against Nepal. So, this is a make-or-break situation for the tigers.
Read CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Lionel Messi Sets New South American Record
Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 4-3-3)
Anisur Rahman Zico (GK), Yasin Arafat, Tariq Kazi, Topu Barman, Md Saad Uddin, Jamal Bhuyan, Mohammad Ibrahim, Sohel Rana, Biplu Ahmed, Rahmat Mia, Motin Mia
Nepal
Nepal kicked up their SAFF Championship 2021 campaign with two impressive wins over the Maldives and Sri Lanka. They also performed well against India but were defeated 1-0. Nepal are currently in second place in the points standings after collecting six points in three games. Nepal will proceed to the final if they win against Bangladesh. However, Nepal may still qualify for the final if they draw this match and India lose to the Maldives.
Read: SAFF Champs: Bangladesh to play hosts Maldives Thursday night
Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 5-4-1)
Dangi (GK), Lama, Uparkoti, T.Tamang, S. Shrestha, G. Shrestha, Rajbanshi, A. Tamang, Chand, Aryal, Chemzong
India vs. Maldives (10 pm, Bangladesh Standard Time)
Head-to-head:
India Win: 14 | Draw: 2 | Maldives: 4
India
India got off to a shaky start in the tournament. They drew with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in their first two games, losing vital four points. They fought back strongly against Nepal and won the game 1-0. India are still in contention for a top-two finish in the points standings. They must win their encounter against the Maldives to qualify for the championship match. India will be eliminated from the competition if they lose points.
Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 4-2-2)
Singh Sandhu (GK), Desai, Bose, Bheke, Kotal, Femandes, Ralte, Wangjam, Yasir, Singh, Sunil Chhetri
Read: SAFF Championship 2021: How Bangladesh can qualify for the Final
Maldives
The Maldives had a shaky start to the tournament. They were defeated 1-0 by Nepal in their first match. However, they bounced back against Bangladesh, winning 2-0, and then beating Sri Lanka by a solitary goal. The Maldives are in first place in the points table with 6 points. If the host draws their match against India, they will progress to the final. So, the Maldives are in a stronger position than the other three teams in the final race.
Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 4-2-3-1)
Faisal (GK), Yoosuf, Samooh, Ghanee, Hassan, Nihaan, Ali, Mahudhee, Fasir, Mohamed, Ashfaq
Verdict
The top two teams in the points standings are the Maldives and Nepal as of October 10. These two teams appear to be competitive, and they have exhibited a desire to win the tournament. Though India remain the best side on paper to win the tournament. They made a fantastic comeback against Nepal in their last group stage encounter. On the other hand, Bangladesh had a promising start to the competition but struggled against the host Maldives. Bangladesh must come out on top against Nepal with a winning formula to proceed to the SAFF Championship 2021 final.
Read UEFA Nations League 2021: France Beat Spain in the Final to Become Champion
SAFF Football: Bangladesh to face Nepal in a 'do or die" match on Wednesday
Bangladesh national football team will face Himalayan nation Nepal in a " do or die" league match of the five-nation SAFF Championship' 2021 on Wednesday.
The crucial match will kick-off at 5 pm (Bangladesh time) at the National Football Stadium in the Maldives capital Male.
The match will telecast live by T-Sports from big bowl.
League leader and hosts Maldives will play 3rd placed and only unbeaten team India in the last league match also on Wednesday at 10 pm (Bangladesh time) to assure the final berth in an any bodies game.
Read: SAFF Championship: 10-man Bangladesh come from behind to draw with India
The winners of Wednesday's matches will directly qualify for the final on October 16 at the same venue.
Bangladesh will play the last league matches in a must win situation to reach the final, but the Maldives, Nepal and India keep their final alive also with draw.
CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Lionel Messi Sets New South American Record
Argentina thrashed Uruguay 3-0 at home in a South American World Cup 2022 qualifiers match on Sunday (October 10). On the other hand, Brazil drew 0-0 with Colombia away from home. Brazil dropped points for the first time in the current qualification matches. The Argentine superstar Lionel Messi was brilliant against Uruguay, setting a new international record in his illustrious career. Three more World Cup qualifiers were played on Sunday. Let's take a look at the outcomes of CONMEBOL's World Cup qualifiers.
Results of the South America World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Matchday 10 and 11
Argentina vs. Uruguay
Argentina made a strong start and seized the lead in the 38th minute due to Lionel Messi's brilliant chip strike from outside the D-Box. Rodrigo de Paul extended Argentina's lead within six minutes. After that, Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan scored Argentina's third goal in the 62nd minute, putting the game out of reach for the visitors. Argentina enjoyed possession of the ball, and goalkeeper Emi Martinez once again proved his true class by stopping two fantastic efforts from Luis Suarez.
Read: Lionel Messi's Charity Work: Exemplary philanthropy of legendary footballer
Colombia vs. Brazil
Brazil dominated the ball possession and attempted to score numerous times, but failed to find the net during the 90 minutes. They had 4 shots on target in 9 attempts. This was Brazil's first draw in the South American World Cup 2022 qualifiers. On the other hand, Colombia did a fantastic job of tightening up its defense.
Bolivia vs. Peru
It was a tight contest between the two teams, with the host Bolivia winning by a single goal. Bolivia enjoyed the most ball possession, but it took them till the 82nd minute to score. Bolivia climbed to 9th place with this victory, while Peru remained in seventh place with 11 points.
Venezuela vs. Ecuador
Venezuela defeated one of the table toppers, Ecuador at home. They won the match with a score of 2-1. Ecuador took the lead in the 37th minute, but Venezuela equalized in the first half's injury time. The home team scored the match-winning goal in the 64th minute. Venezuela are still at the bottom of the points table.
Read UEFA Nations League 2021: France Beat Spain in the Final to Become Champion
Chile vs. Paraguay
Chile needed to win this game to keep in contention for a place in the top four. They did an excellent job and won the game 2-0. Chile have moved up to the eighth place with ten points after this victory. On the other hand, Paraguay are in the sixth position with 12 points.
Lionel Messi’s New International Record
Lionel Messi became the first South American player to score 80 international goals during the encounter against Uruguay.
Lionel Messi's 80th goal came in the 38th minute of the match. He is now three goals clear of Brazilian legend Pele (77). Neymar comes in third with 69 goals, followed by Uruguayan Luis Suarez with 64 international goals.
Read France wins Nations League with late goal from Mbappé
Ronaldo Nazario ended his career with 62 goals and Romario netted 55 international goals for Brazil. Messi's countrymen Gabriel Batistuta led Argentina with 53 goals, followed by Edinson Cavani of Manchester United with 53 goals for Uruguay.
Messi is currently the fifth most prolific international goal scorer of all time. He needs 5 more goals to overtake former Real Madrid star Ferenc Puskas, who scored 84 goals for Hungary.
Former Malaysia striker Mokhtar Dahari is third on the list with 89 international goals, followed by Ali Daei of Iran with 109. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo is now in first place with 112 international goals.
Bottom Line
Argentina and Brazil are leading the South American World Cup 2022 qualifiers. Brazil are six points ahead of Argentina with 28 points, who are in the second position. On the other hand, Argentina are six points ahead of third-placed Ecuador. The rest of the eight nations are battling it out for third and fourth place. There will undoubtedly be many more exciting contests in the forthcoming CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier fixtures.
Read Argentina wins; Brazil draws in World Cup qualifiers
First-ever DNCC Mayor Cup begins on Nov 15
The first-ever Saif Powertek Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Cup, powered by Runner and co-powered by Daraz, will begin here on November 15.
DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam made the official announcement of the meet at a press conference at a local hotel on Monday. Managing Director of the Mayor Cup’s title sponsor Saif Powertek Limited Tarafder Mohammad Ruhul Amin was also present on the occasion.
READ: SAFF Championship: Bangladesh lose 0-2 to Maldives
Three leading sports—Cricket, Football and Volleyball- are including in the first version of the DNCC Mayor Cup.
Former captain of National Cricket team Khaled Mashud Pilot will act as technical director of cricket while former star footballer Sheikh Mohammad Aslam and joint secretary of Bangladesh Volleyball Federation Fazle Rabbi Babul will act as the technical directors of football and volleyball respectively.
Former captains of national cricket team Mashrafe Bin Mortaza MP and Akram Khan, ODI captain Tamim Iqbal, captain of national football team Jamal Bhuiyan, volleyball player Horshit Biwas, film actor Ferdous and actress Purnima will feature in the Mayor Cup campaign.
Fifty four ward councillors and 18 women’s ward councillors (for reserve seat) will form their teams to compete in the Mayor Cup, where every citizen under DNCC will be entitled to participate for their respective ward teams.
READ: SAFF Champs: Bangladesh to play hosts Maldives Thursday night
DNCC is organizing the Mayor Cup on the occasion of birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the Bangladesh independence.
UEFA Nations League 2021: France Beat Spain in the Final to Become Champion
France won the second edition of the UEFA Nations League (2020-2021) by overcoming Spain 2-1 in the final. Spain could not have the last smile after playing fantastic football in the final and dominating ball possession for longer periods of time. On the contrary, France's counter-attacking style had caught the youthful Spanish team off guard. The French team was defeated by Switzerland in the round of 16 of EURO 2020. This victory will help them to move on from some of their past regrets. The match report of the UEFA Nations League 2021 final is discussed in this article.
Nations League Final Match Report: France vs. Spain
Kylian Mbappe's goal in the 80th minute of the match gave France's first-ever Nations League victory. Spain grabbed the lead in the 64th minute of the final match in Milan's iconic San Siro stadium.
Spanish striker Mikel Oyarzabal placed the ball into the bottom corner after receiving a long pass from Sergio Busquets. French defender Dayot Upamecano tried but failed to stop him in a one-on-one duel.
Read Argentina wins; Brazil draws in World Cup qualifiers
Following the goal, the French side responded immediately and took the lead within two minutes, thanks to a spectacular long-range strike from veteran forward Karim Benzema.
The Real Madrid striker received a through pass from Mbappe and went inside before firing a stunning shot towards the far right corner to level the score at 1-1 in the 66th minute.
Both teams tried to equalize after that, but it was Mbappe who scored in the 80th minute to give France the victory. He sprinted forward after catching a through pass from Hernandez and calmly placed the ball into the net.
Read: UEFA Nations League 2021: Semifinals Preview
Spain claimed Mbappe was offside when he got the ball, but a VAR assessment revealed a tiny contact from defender Eric Garcia. So, France's lead was maintained following this decision.
Match Stats: France vs. Spain
Overall, Spain had more ball control and executed with more efficiency than France. Spain dominated the game from the start, with 64% ball possession. They passed with an accuracy of 85%, compared to France's 78%.
France wins Nations League with late goal from Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé scored late as world champion France came from behind to win the Nations League with a 2-1 victory over Spain in the final on Sunday.
Mbappé netted with 10 minutes remaining as France was again forced to fight back, just as it had done in the semifinals against Belgium.
There were few chances in a cagey final in Milan but the match burst into life shortly after the hour mark.
Read: UEFA Nations League 2021: Semifinals Preview
Moments after France hit the woodwork, Mikel Oyarzabal fired Spain in front but its lead lasted less than two minutes before a magnificent finish from Karim Benzema.
“This is the first piece of silverware I’ve won with France so I’m very proud and delighted," said Benzema, who only recently returned to the France squad after a five-year absence.
"We played two top-level performances. We went out there to win the trophy so I’m delighted for the team as a whole and I’m proud as an individual.”
There was a video review for a possible offside on Mbappé but the goal was given as Spain defender Eric García was the last to touch the ball as he attempted to intercept the pass to the France forward.
“I'm used to not talking about referees and I concentrate on what I can control,” Spain coach Luis Enrique said. "I don't think I've ever talked bad about referees.
“I've got nothing to say. I concentrate on trying to make my teams play the best way and accepting wins and losses.”
European champion Italy beat Belgium 2-1 in the third-place match earlier Sunday.
Spain beat Italy 2-1 in their semifinal game with Ferran Torres netting both goals. There had been doubts about Torres’ fitness but he recovered to start the final. Midfielder Adrien Rabiot was absent for France after testing positive for the coronavirus.
France started well and almost took an early lead as Benzema rounded Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón and attempted to roll across for Mbappé but the ball was cleared by César Azpilicueta.
Spain went closer five minutes later as Torres threaded the ball through to Pablo Sarabia but his fairly tame shot was an easy catch for France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Spain dominated possession but created few chances. It was the only side to have a shot on target in the first half though.
Theo Hernández had scored the last-minute winner for France against Belgium and he ignited Sunday’s final when his effort crashed off the underside of the bar and out in France’s first real sight of goal in the 63rd minute.
Moments later, however, it was Spain which broke the deadlock as Oyarzabal raced onto Sergio Busquets’ ball over the top and fired into the bottom right corner.
Oyarzabal had set up both of Torres' goals in the semifinal match.
But France was swiftly back on level terms as Benzema cut in from the left and curled a sumptuous effort into the top right corner.
And the stage was set for Mbappé to score the winner as he and France continue their revival. Mbappé was judged to have sprung the offside trap as he raced onto Theo Hernández’s through ball and placed it into the bottom right corner.
Lloris pulled off two great saves from point-blank range to deny first Oyarzabal and then Yeremi Pino as France survived a late siege by Spain.
Mbappé has now scored in successive matches, after two goals in his previous 13 internationals.
It was the third straight victory for France.
Argentina wins; Brazil draws in World Cup qualifiers
Lionel Messi was among the scorers as Argentina beat rival Uruguay 3-0 on Sunday, hours after Brazil's run of consecutive wins in South American World Cup qualifying ended in a 0-0 draw with Colombia.
Brazil leads the qualifying competition with 28 points from nine wins and the draw, six points clear of second-place Argentina after 10 matches. Brazil's tally so far would have been enough to qualify for all World Cups directly since 2002.
Ecuador remains in third spot with 16 points, marginally ahead of Uruguay based on the number of victories. Colombia is in fifth place with 15 points. All three have already played 11 matches.
The top four teams earn direct entry to the World Cup in Qatar next year. The fifth-place team can still qualify via an inter-continental playoff.
All teams in South American World Cup qualifiers will play again on Thursday.
Read: South America World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Argentina, Brazil to face Uruguay in October
ARGENTINA 3, URUGUAY 0
Messi’s team was preparing for a long, tense night at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. Uruguay coach Óscar Tabárez selected a back-five tasked with stopping Argentina's powerful offense and his team created most of the best early opportunities, with Luis Suárez hitting the post once.
But a stroke of luck helped Argentina in the 38th minute. Messi gave an overhead pass in an attempt to assist Nico Gonzalez, who failed to touch it. But the ball gently and unexpectedly passed by goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, into the right corner.
Luck once more was on the Argentinian side in the 44th. A series of passing mistakes by both teams gave a clear opportunity to Lautaro Martinez on the edge of the box. Lautaro failed to hit it cleanly, but it was enough to move the ball into the path of a Rodrigo de Paul.
The second half started with Uruguay trying to charge up front with substitutes Edinson Cavani and Darwin Nuñez, but once again Argentina scored. Messi found de Paul on the right flank, and the midfielder sent a low cross into the penalty box. Lautaro Martinez scored from close range.
“I think we are growing a lot in the level of our game,” Messi said. “We are now used to having the ball. Tonight was a tough match and we had to win it. It all came out perfectly.”
Argentina's next challenge will be against Peru. Uruguay will travel to Brazil.
COLOMBIA 0, BRAZIL 0
Brazil had the best opportunities of the encounter and forced Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina to make three key saves. The most important was in the 84th minute in a close range finish by substitute Antony.
Neymar returned to the Seleção after a suspension, but was off pace, missing several passes and running with apparent difficulty. He left the pitch immediately after the final whistle. Brazil coach Tite said in a news conference too much is expected from his star player all of the time.
“He is an exceptional player because he makes exceptional plays, he does it exceptionally and not ordinarily,” Brazil's coach said. “He is a special player, we know it. And he was also well marked, sometimes by two players.”
Read: Brazil wins and Argentina draws away in World Cup qualifiers
Tite tested out lineup or formation changes, as he promised. His defensive midfield was Fabinho and Fred for the first time. He also used wingers Raphinha and Antony in the second half, following their impressive performances in the 3-1 win at Venezuela.
Colombia's next match will also be at home against Ecuador.
Also on Sunday, third place Ecuador lost 2-1 at Venezuela. Enner Valencia opened the scoring for from the spot in the 37th, but Venezuela turned its fortunes with goals by Darwin Machis late in the first half and Eduard Bello in the 64th.
Ecuador remains on 16 points and last-place Venezuela has seven.
Ninth-placed Bolivia frustrated seventh position Peru with a 1-0 win at La Paz. Ramiro Vaca scored the only goal of the encounter in the 85th. Peru remained on 11 points and Bolivia improve to nine points in the standings.
Eight-placed Chile beat sixth place Paraguay 2-0 to reach 10 points in the standings and maintain its chances of qualifying. Ben Breteton opened the scoring in the 68th and Mauricio Isla added a second in the 72nd. Paraguay remains in sixth place with 12 points.
Ballon d'Or 2021: Meet the Nominees
The names of the 30 players who have been shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or 2021 award were published on Friday (October 8) by France Football magazine. There was speculation that they might give two awards this year, given the fact that the previous year's ceremony was canceled because of the Covid-19 epidemic. However, France football has only published the names of the nominees for this year's award. All the expected names have been selected for the award. Argentina's Lionel Messi leads the latest poll to win the trophy for the record seventh time. Let's take a look at the 2021 Ballon d'Or nominees.
The Ballon d'Or 2021 Candidates
Here are the players that have been shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or 2021 award by France football. Italy have a maximum of five players, followed by England with four, France, Spain, and Portugal with three, Argentina and Belgium with two, and Norway, Denmark, Algeria, Croatia, Egypt, Uruguay, Poland, and Brazil with one each.
Goalkeepers
Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG & Italy)
Italian goalkeeper Donnarumma is the only goalkeeper in the list. He played a pivotal role in Italy’s EURO 2020 win.
Read: Ballon d'Or 2021: Five favorites to win the coveted award
Defenders
Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea & Spain)
Spanish defender Azpilicueta won the Champions League with English side Chelsea.
Ruben Dias (Manchester City & Portugal)
Defender Ruben Dias was named Premier League’s player of the season 2020-2021.
Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus & Italy)
Bonucci won EURO 2020 with Italy earlier this July.
Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus & Italy)
Juventus and Italian Captain Giorgio Chiellini was the heart of Italy’s defense that won the EURO 2020.
Simon Kjær (AC Milan & Denmark)
Danish defender Simon Kjær had a terrific season with both AC Milan and Denmark.
Read Premier League club Newcastle bought by Saudi sovereign fund
Midfielders
Jorginho (Chelsea & Italy)
Playmaker Jorginho won two of the biggest trophies this summer. He helped Chelsea to win the Champions League 2021 and also played an important role for Italy to win UEFA European Championship 2020.
Pedri (Barcelona & Spain)
Barcelona’s young midfielder Pedri had an outstanding season with both club and country.
Luka Modric (Real Madrid & Croatia)
Croatian midfielder Luka Modric played his part with Real Marid and earned a place in the 30-man shortlist for Ballon d'Or 2021 award.
Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City & Belgium)
Belgium midfielder Kevin was one of the star players for Manchester City last season and won the Premier League with the Citizens.
Phil Foden (Manchester City & England)
Foden is an excellent talent. This attacking midfielder showed his true class with both Manchester City and England in EURO 2020.
N'Golo Kante (Chelsea & France)
Kante was so instrumental in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph last May.
Mason Mount (Chelsea & England)
Mount is a young promising playmaker. He won the Champions League with Chelsea.
Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan & Italy)
Barella won Serie A with Inter Milan and EURO 2020 with Italy's national side.
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United & Portugal)
Bruno was the best performer for Manchester United in the 2020/2021 season.
Read Brazil wins and Argentina draws away in World Cup qualifiers
Forwards
Lionel Messi (PSG & Argentina)
Messi finally won a trophy with the Argentina national side. He won Copa America 2021 and also won Copa del Rey with FC Barcelona.
Neymar (PSG & Brazil)
On an individual level, Neymar had a decent season with PSG.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United & Portugal)
Ronaldo was the top scorer in the 2020-2021 Italian Serie A season. He has been the top performer for Manchester United in the current season.
Kylian Mbappe (PSG & France)
Mbappe played well for both club and country and deservedly earned a place in the top 30 list.
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich & Poland)
Bayern Munich striker broke several records in the 2020/2021 Bundesliga season.
Erling Haaland( (Borussia Dortmund & Norway)
Haaland was brilliant with Borussia Dortmund last season. He is an excellent finisher.
Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan & Argentina)
Martinez helped Inter Milan to win Serie A for the first time in 10 years. He also played an important role in Argentina’s Copa America 2021 victory.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Egypt)
Salah was the top performer for Liverpool in the 2020/2021 season.
Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea & Belgium)
Lukaku inspired Inter Milan to win Serie A last season.
Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City & Algeria)
The Algerian forward won the Premier League with Manchester City.
Harry Kane (Tottenham & England)
Kane was the top scorer in the 2020/2021 Premier League season.
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid & France)
Benzema was the most consistent performer for Real Madrid in the 2020/2021 season. Karim has been playing well for France since making his comeback earlier this year.
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City & England)
Sterling had a stellar tournament with England in EURO 2020. With Manchester City, he also won the Premier League.
Read: Ballon d'Or 2021 Predictions: Lionel Messi in Pole Position to win
Bottom Line
The Chatelet Theatre in Paris will host the Ballon d'Or 2021 award ceremony on November 29. This year, there is no obvious favorite because a notable number of players are deserving of the honor. Therefore, panelists will have to consider a variety of factors before voting for a nominee. Individual performance (goals and assists), as well as silverware, are two important factors to take into account. Even though Lionel Messi is often considered the favorite to win the 2021 edition, Jorginho, Lewandowski, Kante, or Benzema cannot be ruled out.
Premier League club Newcastle bought by Saudi sovereign fund
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund completed a buyout of Premier League club Newcastle on Thursday, giving hope to fans dreaming of a first title in almost a century but concerning human rights activists that the kingdom had gained a foothold in the world's richest soccer league.
Supporters descended on the club's St. James' Park stadium, some chanting "we are Saudis, we do what we want" and others singing "we've got our club back" amid the promise of long-desired investment.
The 300-million-pound ($409 million) takeover had been pursued since 2017 but stalled and then collapsed last year over concerns about how much control the Saudi state would have in the running of Newcastle amid scrutiny over piracy of sports broadcasts and human rights violations in the kingdom.
It led to a protracted legal fight that only ended this week when the Public Investment Fund offered assurances to the Premier League that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and in turn the state, would not have any say in the team.
PIF has bought 80% of the club — which is in the relegation zone after seven matches — with the wealthy British-based Reuben brothers and financier Amanda Staveley's PCP Capital Partners owning the rest.
"The big change was the control issue," Staveley told The Associated Press. "We needed to demonstrate there was sufficient separation between PIF and the Saudi state, and that has been determined that there is."
But while the crown prince will not have a place on Newcastle's board of directors, he remains chairman of the PIF. The fund's governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan will be on the board at the northeast English club as non-executive chairman.
"The crown prince is chairman of a lot of entities in Saudi," said Staveley, who will also be on the club's board. "PIF is very much an autonomous, commercially driven investment fund, and it does not operate as part of the wider state. So there is that separation."
The Premier League's approval of the new owners and directors means 15 of its clubs are either owned or part-owned by overseas investors.
"All parties have agreed the settlement is necessary to end the long uncertainty for fans over the club's ownership," the league said in a statement. "The Premier League has now received legally binding assurances that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control Newcastle United Football Club."
The takeover ends the 14-year ownership by British retail tycoon Mike Ashley, who has been widely viewed as a figure of scorn in the one-club city.
His ownership has been marked by chronic underinvestment in the playing squad, his use of Newcastle as a vehicle to promote his business interests, and of a general lack of ambition despite the club attracting regular home crowds of more than 50,000.
Newcastle has not won a major trophy since the 1955 FA Cup and its last league title was in 1927.
"Newcastle is like a magical, very beautiful, rough diamond," Staveley said in a telephone interview. "But it needs some nurturing and polishing. But it's a star."
With no wins and only three points from seven games, the poor start to the season means the future of manager Steve Bruce will be assessed before the next game next week — at home to Tottenham on Oct. 17 — after the international break.
The club will be seeking a transformation in the same manner enjoyed by Manchester City in 2008 after its takeover by another Middle Eastern entity — Abu Dhabi — that was also brokered by Staveley.
A key impediment to the Newcastle takeover was the pirating of sports broadcasts from Qatari-owned beIN — including of Premier League games — by an entity the World Trade Organization said was facilitated by the Saudi state. The Saudis declared beIN illegal in 2017 as they launched a wider economic and diplomatic boycott of Qatar alongside the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain over accusations Doha supports extremism. The tiny, super-rich nation of Qatar denied the charge and the boycott ended this year.
The Premier League was among the sports organizations that protested against the pirating of its games by the renegade beOutQ operation.
Saudi Arabia is expected to soon lift its ban on beIN, but Staveley said that wasn't what ended the impasse over the takeover.
"The piracy — those issues had been resolved," Staveley said. "This debate was just about control for us."
Newcastle was challenging the Premier League's decision not to approve the takeover at a Competition Appeals Tribunal whose latest hearing was last week.
But there was a lingering ethical dimension to whether PIF was approved as owners. Amnesty International wrote to league chief executive Richard Masters last year to say the takeover could be exploited by Saudi Arabia to cover up "deeply immoral" breaches of international law, citing human rights violations and the role of the crown prince.
Amnesty raised concerns with Masters about the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul after U.S. intelligence services said they believe the slaying came at the crown prince's orders. The kingdom has denied that.
"We can understand that this will be seen as a great day by many Newcastle United fans," Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, said Thursday. "But it's also a very worrying day for anyone who cares about the ownership of English football clubs and whether these great clubs are being used to sportswash human rights abuse.
"In our assessment, this deal was always more about sportswashing than it was about football, with Saudi Arabia's aggressive move into sport as a vehicle for image-management and PR plain for all to see."
Responding to Amnesty's complaints, Staveley again tried to create a distinction between PIF and the Saudi leadership despite the funding being from the state fund.
"We understand the concerns," Staveley said. "And that is why my partner is PIF."
Brazil wins and Argentina draws away in World Cup qualifiers
Leaders Brazil and second-place Argentina had uninspiring performances in their World Cup qualifying matches on Thursday, but gained key competition points as they try to secure their direct spots for Qatar next year.
Playing without Neymar, Brazil won 3-1 at Venezuela, and Argentina had a goal less draw at Paraguay.
Brazil trailed bottom-of-the-table Venezuela until the 71st minute, when Marquinhos leveled the match in Caracas. Gabriel Barbosa scored the second goal from the spot in the 85th minute and substitute Antony scored the third from close range in added time.
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Lionel Messi was not enough for Argentina to break Paraguay's powerful defensive line. The two goalkeepers, Argentina's Emiliano Martinez and Paraguay's Antony Silva, were the best on the pitch.
Brazil leads with 27 points and Argentina has 19. Uruguay has 16 in third place after a 0-0 draw with Colombia. Ecuador can also reach 16 points if it tops Bolivia at home.
The top four teams secure a spot at next year’s World Cup in Qatar. The fifth-place team will enter a playoff against a team from another confederation.
VENEZUELA 1, BRAZIL 3
Brazil coach Tite picked a starting lineup with many new players he wanted to test. But left-back Guilherme Arana and midfielders Fabinho and Gerson were below par for most of the match.
Venezuela's goal came in the 11th minute, when Yeferson Soteldo crossed from the right towards Eric Ramirez. Two Brazilian defenders, Fabinho and Marquinhos, slipped at the same time and gave the Venezuelan a clear chance to head the ball to the right of goalkeeper Alisson.
Brazil struggled in creation until the break, but things improved after Everton Ribeiro left for Raphinha. The winger was key for the Seleção to become more dynamic in the second half.
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Raphinha took the corner kick that landed on Marquinhos' head to level the scoring in the 71st minute. He then started the play that ended in Barborsa being fouled in the penalty box. And then he gave the low cross that allowed Antony to score near the final whistle.
“We started in much worse shape than we could,” Marquinhos said. “But as we can see set pieces can make all the difference in a match, and it did today.”
Brazil's next match will be at Colombia. Venezuela will face Ecuador.
PARAGUAY 0, ARGENTINA 0
Argentina had three opportunities in the first 12 minutes of the encounter in Asuncion, which indicated a win was on the way for the Copa America champions. But Paraguay's Silva made key saves to keep his team in contention.
The second half was very different, with both teams creating chances. Argentina had the best one from a long-distance shot by Papu Gomez, but it was stopped by Silva.
It was the 11th draw between the teams in South American World Cup qualifying history.
“We failed to score, especially in opportunities that were very clear,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said at a news conference. “What matters is that the team never relaxed and kept trying.”
Argentina will face rival Uruguay on Sunday. Paraguay, with 12 points and so far out of qualifying spots for the World Cup, will travel to Chile.
Ecuador will face Bolivia and Peru will host Chile later on Thursday