FIFA President Gianni Infantino has acknowledged the possibility of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams, a move that could significantly alter the sport's economics and logistics, despite opposition from major confederations like UEFA and AFC.
Germany's players placed their hands over their mouths during a team photograph ahead of their game against Japan on Wednesday as the row over FIFA's threat of sanctions over the 'OneLove' armband continued.
Qatari Abdulrahman Al Jassim was appointed to referee the third-place match between Croatia and Morocco at the Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday.
How did Shah Rukh Khan spend his weekend?
Iran Goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand suffered a head injury after colliding with a team-mate during the first half of his nation's game against England in the FIFA World Cup at the Khalifa International stadium in Doha.
Many Iranian fans on Monday wore t-shirts or waved signs printed with the mantra of the uprising: 'Woman Life Freedom' in the colours of the Iranian national flag.
Iran's players did not sing the Iranian national anthem in an apparent show of support for anti-government protesters back home.
A worker has died in a "work-related fatality" at the site of a 2022 World Cup stadium in Qatar, the country's World Cup organizing body said late on Saturday.
Qatar inaugurated the fourth of eight 2022 World Cup venues, the Al Rayyan Stadium, when the country hosted the Amir Cup final between Al-Sadd and Al-Arabi on Friday.
Spectators have been urged to respect Qatar's legal and cultural norms, including its restrictions on drinking, drugs, sexual activity, and attire.
Fans watching the games at the stadium and on televisions the world over have made the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 even more memorable.
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Al Janoub, a 40,000-seat venue made to resemble the sail of a dhow, or traditional wooden sailboat, was opened last May and is the first to showcase the new cooling system.
The 20 league matches will be split between Dubai and Sharjah with the semi-finals slated for Dubai and Sharjah on October 17 and 18 respectively. The final will be played in Dubai.
World Cup 2022: start date, schedule, teams, venues and final
Pedro extended his recent purple patch for Spain when he struck twice to help the world and European champions to a 3-1 win over Uruguay in a friendly in Qatar on Wednesday.
According to AFP, although Doha hosts a Diamond League meeting, athletics has no real roots in Qatar and the decision to take the World Championships to the Gulf raised eyebrows.
The second-seeded mixed doubles combination of Mahesh Bhupathi and Shikha Uberoi were knocked out in the first round.
Organisers of Qatar's 2022 World Cup are considering a proposal to house football fans in Bedouin-style desert camps amid growing concerns about a potential shortage of accommodation during the tournament. Most of the 500,000 fans expected to descend on the tiny Gulf country will stay in hotels and apartments, but thousands could also camp under canvas in desert areas close to stadiums, a move organisers are holding up as a creative, and culturally authentic, way for Qatar to meet FIFA requirements. "At the heart of this World Cup is a commitment to showcase the hospitality and friendship of the Middle East. As a result, we are actively researching the concept of supporters sleeping under the stars," a spokesperson for Qatar's 2022 World Cup Supreme Committee told Reuters without giving further details.
Teams focused on World Cup, not politics, had easier passage to last 16, says Arsene Wenger
Ecuador are confident that Enner Valencia, who got both goals in their 2-0 win over hosts Qatar on Sunday, will be fit to play despite some concerns over a knee sprain.
A stampede at a soccer stadium in Indonesia has killed at least 125 people and injured 180 after police sought to quell violence on the pitch, authorities said on Sunday, in one of the world's worst stadium disasters.
Eight stadiums in Doha will host 64 matches at the World Cup.
"These things happen, that players ventilate their views, but whether it's sensible or not, that's another issue. Everybody has their own opinion, particularly in the Netherlands," the 71-year-old said.
While Canada may have been humbled, coach John Herdman remained unbowed making no apologies for his incendiary remarks - which caused a stir in Croatia.
Blind, 32, has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in his chest to detect an irregular heart beat and deliver a life-saving shock in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Although they won their first round group, there was little evidence to back up their self-confidence as they stuttered through
anada's hopes of getting back into the contest were dashed when a curling cross from Perisic on the left was controlled by Kramaric, who shifted the ball onto his left foot and dispatched it low into the bottom corner in the 70th minute.
Images from the FIFA World Cup Group E match between Germany and Japan on Wednesday.
'I was lucky enough to play with Wayne and he was a huge player who I looked up to. I watched him play in the major tournaments and it's a huge honour to be close to him.'
We haven't played the best coming into the tournament. There was a lot of talk and speculation about our form but we showed everyone how much quality we have and what we can do," said Saka, whose last major tournament ended with him missing a penalty in the Euro 2020 final shootout.
Jude Bellingham has become one of the most sought-after signatures in football
"They had a few biters, guys who are hot on your heels. Then you have to act quickly, and (we) could have dealt with that better. We should have done better in possession of the ball," said Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk.
News conferences with the combative 71-year-old in Qatar have consisted of Dutch journalists criticising him, and Van Gaal telling them he doesn't care. On Saturday he again let the result rather than the performance do the talking.
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Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi welcomed a decision from soccer's world governing body FIFA to lift a ban on hosting competitive international soccer matches at stadiums in three Iraqi cities.
The autopsy, which was based on blood and urine samples and released by the Buenos Aires Scientific Police, said Maradona had problems with his kidneys, heart and lungs.
'Historically, Qatar has done wonders as I don't think this will ever be possible with the new format of the World Cup.'
