Qatar Hero - The World Cup 2022 thread

[Sanguine]

Mexico have gone out at the round of 16 at the last seven World Cups. In chronological order - Bulgaria, Germany, USA, Argentina, Argentina, Netherlands and Brazil have prevented Mexico reaching the QFs at every World Cup back to and including USA '94. Likely that France or Denmark will await this time around, if they can get out of Group C ahead of Tunisia or Poland.

[Sutekh]

Mexico have gone out at the round of 16 at the last seven World Cups. In chronological order - Bulgaria, Germany, USA, Argentina, Argentina, Netherlands and Brazil have prevented Mexico reaching the QFs at every World Cup back to and including USA '94. Likely that France or Denmark will await this time around, if they can get out of Group C ahead of Tunisia or Poland.

Sadly I don’t think they’ll have to worry about it this time round given they’re in the same group as Argentina and Poland. That said, would love to see them progress through to the later rounds.

[Ascotexgunner]

Hislop Pwning Gary Neville!! Lovely stuff! We had years to talk about Qatar, why is it only gaining ground a few months before SMH

Neville didn't have the wit to answer Hislop properly, by saying "If I don't go then I don't have the platform to call out the abuses..."

Noone ever challenges Neville on Sky about this, or his podcasts, and yet a professional political satirist dismantles him in a couple of minutes. Just shows what a rank amateur he is. And it's even more ironic that he is going to work for BEIN, who for years literally stole millions off Sky with their illegal football streaming. The irony.

[Hendo]

Yeah, no shit. Idiotic, corrupt prick.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63554507

World Cup 2022: Awarding Qatar the tournament was a mistake, says former Fifa president Sepp Blatter

[Sutekh]

Yeah, no shit. Idiotic, corrupt prick.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63554507

World Cup 2022: Awarding Qatar the tournament was a mistake, says former Fifa president Sepp Blatter

Absolutely hilarious! Like any authorities for any of the wrongs in the world they’ll just keep on trying to move any blame or any responsibility somewhere else. Seem to remember a BBC journalist digging deep into all this and the other things that went on before and raised quite a few questions surrounding the whole motley bunch.

And of course the whole football world just runs with it instead of saying “no, this just isn’t right” and kicking up a stink about it. But no they’ll all be there with hypocrite knee bends and thinking that their captain wearing a little armband is a sufficient demonstration of opprobrium.

Still hope noises will continue to be made over the whole sorry affair that will continue to put the FIFA nose out of joint in the hope the message gets through to them and other sporting organisations that taking flagship sporting events to countries that “have issues” is just not on.

[fartdad]

So when will BBC start referring to the Qatar World Cup as the “controversial Qatar World Cup” the same way they can’t mention the LIV without calling it the “controversial Saudi backed LIV tournament”

[Loafer]

Buzzing now for the world cup, will try watch every game if possible.

[Sanguine]

Pretty sure Blatter is just trolling us all with these comments.

Reece James confirmed out of the England squad due to injury, shame for the lad. That probably confirms TAA's place, although I'd be amazed if Trippier doesn't start against Iran.

[Hendo]

Pretty sure Blatter is just trolling us all with these comments.

Reece James confirmed out of the England squad due to injury, shame for the lad. That probably confirms TAA's place, although I'd be amazed if Trippier doesn't start against Iran.

Trippier is certainly the man in the best form for his club. Would imagine he starts most, if not all games at the tournament.

[Winston Biscuit]

Not sure why nations feel the need to do these dramatic video reveals of squad announcements nowadays, but Uruguay have at least done a very nice one

https://twitter.com/Uruguay/status/1590839075736813569?t=7euKiSqPbC3-rkhWzJ597w&s=19

[Mr Angry]

This weekends Premier League fixtures will be a bit strange, with 116 players from the League selected for the World Cup (the most from any League in the World) and with most of those players flying out on Tuesday, even a minor knock for a player could have a major impact on their participation.

[genome]

Qatar hiring fake fans to build up atmosphere before the WC
https://twitter.com/FBAwayDays/status/1 ... 0349708288

[Sutekh]

Qatar hiring fake fans to build up atmosphere before the WC
https://twitter.com/FBAwayDays/status/1 ... 0349708288

[Loafer]

Anybody got any WC bets ,?

[Sanguine]

Qatar v Ecuador only the second opening fixture at a World Cup to feature two teams ranked outside of the top 20 in the world. The first being Russia v Saudi Arabia. This is of course in no way related to FIFA's recent 'strange' decisions on host nations.

Also, I wonder how teams will find the challenge of kick-off times at this World Cup. When England play the US next Friday, the nice evening kick-off for European viewers will be 10pm local time.

[Loafer]

Qatar v Ecuador only the second opening fixture at a World Cup to feature two teams ranked outside of the top 20 in the world. The first being Russia v Saudi Arabia. This is of course in no way related to FIFA's recent 'strange' decisions on host nations.

Also, I wonder how teams will find the challenge of kick-off times at this World Cup. When England play the US next Friday, the nice evening kick-off for European viewers will be 10pm local time.

I really hope that Qatar get completely and utterly dicked by Ecaudor

[Winston Biscuit]

Was listening to a Guardian Football Weekly podcast yesterday on the WC and they basically said that while Qatar are obviously not great, they are better than most people assume. They have spent 12 years trying to get non Qatari's to play for them, and have succeeded with quite a number of overseas born players now in their squad. They played in the Copa America as guests, they played in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, took part in WC qualifying group matches and played a number of friendlies against reasonable nations, recently drawing 2-2 with Chile.

In a later conversation, they said that Ecuador really are very sh*t. Their last 3 results are 0-0 against Iraq, 0-0 against Japan and 0-0 against Saudi Arabia

[Sanguine]

Was listening to a Guardian Football Weekly podcast yesterday on the WC and they basically said that while Qatar are obviously not great, they are better than most people assume. They have spent 12 years trying to get non Qatari's to play for them, and have succeeded with quite a number of overseas born players now in their squad. They played in the Copa America as guests, they played in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, took part in WC qualifying group matches and played a number of friendlies against reasonable nations, recently drawing 2-2 with Chile.

In a later conversation, they said that Ecuador really are very sh*t. Their last 3 results are 0-0 against Iraq, 0-0 against Japan and 0-0 against Saudi Arabia

Ecaudor shouldn't really be at the World Cup at all, having fielded a (apparent) Colombian in qualifying. Weird ruling by CAS, which has formalised a fine against the Ecuadorian FA for use of false documentation, pertaining to Castillo's birth records, but determined anyway that he was eligible to play for Ecuador.

On the team, they might make R16. Recent draws have been poor, but they have only lost once in the last 12 months, to Paraguay, and can list draws with Brazil, Argentina and Mexico amongst their results, as well as a win over Nigeria.

Qatar's naturalised players - once of their most 'famous' is Sebastian Soria, born in Uruguay but moved to Qatar aged 21 in 2004, he would eventually play 123 times for the national side, but is now retired from internationals.

Fwiw only nine of their 26-man squad were born overseas, and most of those from near neighbours Bahrain, Iraq and Sudan.

[Sutekh]

Also, I wonder how teams will find the challenge of kick-off times at this World Cup. When England play the US next Friday, the nice evening kick-off for European viewers will be 10pm local time.

Don’t think it is, the BBC and SKY are both showing England v USA as a 7pm kick off so presume your source of data was showing local Qatari time.

[Winston Biscuit]

16 of 22 FIFA voting people on the night where Qatar were awarded the WC have since been banned for life

lol