World Cup

SPAIN AND PORTUGAL IN JOINT BID FOR 2030 WORLD CUP

Published

5 years ago

June 9, 2019

Spain and Portugal have announced their bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, leaving Morocco out of the equation for now, reports Morocco World News.

“After holding several meetings, the football federations of Spain and Portugal can confirm that they are set to begin an in-depth analysis of the possibility of presenting a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup,” the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said in a statement.

RFEF tweeted this morning that both the Spanish and the Portuguese government will play a role in the bid for the World Cup.

Morocco has long been included in the talks of a possible bid alongside Spain and Portugal.

The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, in his visit to Morocco in November 2018, proposed a trio-bid between Morocco, Spain, and Portugal for the 2030 World Cup bid.

However, the idea was not welcomed by the president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Aleksander Ceferin, who said that he will not support an inter-continent bid to host the World Cup.

Great Britain and a coalition of South American countries (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile) are also in the race to win the bid to host the tournament in 2030.

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) will announce the host of the 2030 World Cup in 2022.

After losing to the North American World Cup bid for 2026 following a fierce campaign, Morocco announced its decision to bid again for the 2030 World Cup.

It remains to be seen whether the African country will bid alone or join the Portuguese-Spanish bid.

World Cup

Vinicius Jr to miss Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers after neck injury

Published

8 hours ago

October 7, 2024

Kunle Solaja

World Cup - South American Qualifiers - Brazil v Ecuador - Estadio Antonio Couto Pereira, Curitiba, Brazil - September 6, 2024 Brazil's Vinicius Jr during the warm up REUTERS/Rodolfo Buhrer/File Photo

Brazil forward Vinicius Jr will miss their World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Peru due to injury, the Brazilian FA (CBF) said on Sunday, making him the fourth player to be replaced in the squad.

Vinicius suffered a neck injury during Real Madrid’s 2-0 home win against Villarreal on Saturday, the club said.

Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira has been called up to replace him, the CBF said in a statement.

Vinicius’ injury adds to the woes of coach Dorival Jr as Brazil, fifth in CONMEBOL’s World Cup qualifying standings with 10 points after eight matches, face Chile in Santiago on Oct. 10 before hosting Peru in Brasilia five days later.

The top six of the 10 teams qualify directly for the World Cup.

Dorival had already been forced to call up Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Beraldo, Palmeiras’ Weverton and Botafogo’s Alex Telles to replace Juventus’ Bremer, Liverpool’s Alisson and Atletico Mineiro’s Guilherme Arana, all injured.

-Reuters

World Cup

We shall pick 2026 World Cup and 2025 AFCON tickets, NFF assures Nigerian government

Published

3 days ago

October 4, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Congress rose from its Annual General Meeting in Asaba on Friday and assured the Nigerian Government of its commitment to ensure that the Super Eagles qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The Nigerian team has had a poor head start in the series and has not won any of the four matches. There are six more matches to be played.

Only one of the the six teams will pick an automatic ticket even as Nigeria sat dangerously fifth in Group C. Their next match is away to group leaders, Rwanda on 17 March next year.

Another drop of points portends deep dangers as the Super Eagles have zero option other than to win all the remaining six matches. Two of those matches are potentially risky. These are the away duels with South Africa on 7 September and Lesotho on 5 October next year.

Both matches will be played in South Africa which also hosts Lesotho home games apart from the fact that Lesotho is geographically completely encircled by South Africa.

The quest to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is relatively easier as the Super Eagles are in the lead of the quartet that includes Benin Republic, Rwanda and Libya.

Two teams will qualify. Victory over Libya in the back-to-back clashes holding in the next few days will likely qualify Nigeria for Morocco 2025.

Nigeria’s World Cup Qualifying Fixtures

17 March 2025 – Rwanda v Nigeria
24 March 2025- Nigeria v Zimbabwe
1 Sept. 2025 – Nigeria v Rwanda
7 Sept. 2025 – South Africa v Nigeria
5 Oct. 2025 – Lesotho v Nigeria
12 Oct. 2025 – Nigeria v Benin Republic

Nigeria’s AFCON Cup Qualifying Fixtures

10 Oct. 2024 – Nigeria v Libya
15 Oct, 2024 – Libya v Nigeria
11 Nov. 2024 – Benin Republic v Nigeria
19 Nov. 2024 – Nigeria v Rwanda

World Cup

Messi returns to Argentina squad for World Cup qualifiers

Published

5 days ago

October 2, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Argentina have been boosted by the return of captain Lionel Messi for their CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia, the country’s football association said on Wednesday, after the 37-year-old recovered from an ankle injury.

Messi, who plays for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, was left out of Argentina’s squad for their World Cup Qualifiers against Chile and Colombia in August due to the injury which he sustained during the Copa America final.

Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 to win a record 16th Copa America title.

ARGENTINA SQUAD:

Goalkeepers – Geronimo Rulli, Walter Benitez, Juan Musso.

Defenders – Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Otamendi, German Pezzella, Leonardo Balerdi, Marcos Acuna, Nicolas Tagliafico.

Midfielders – Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Giovani Lo Celso, Thiago Almada, Guido Rodriguez, Nico Paz.

Forwards – Nicolas Gonzalez, Lautaro Martinez, Alejandro Garnacho, Julian Alvarez, Valentin Carboni, Valentin Carboni, Paulo Dybala and Lionel Messi.