Two strikes from captain Robert Lewandowski followed by goals from Dawid Kownacki and Jakub Blaszczykowski gave Poland a 4-0 victory over Lithuania in their final pre-World Cup friendly in Warsaw on Tuesday.

Poland took the lead after 19 minutes when Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski, preparing for his first appearance at a World Cup, finished a team move with a precise strike.

The 29-year-old doubled his tally after the half-hour mark from a free kick, following a foul on teammate Arkadiusz Milik. Lewandowski's strike cannoned off the bar and bounced out of the goal but the referee was informed by goal-line technology that the ball had indeed crossed the line.

Poland coach Adam Nawalka gave his talisman a rest at halftime, but the team continued to score in his absence. Sampdoria's Kownacki found the net after being set up by his club teammate Bartosz Bereszynski in the 71st minute.

Blaszczykowski completed the rout ten minutes later when he converted a penalty after the Video Assistant Referee signalled that Lithuania's Algis Jankauskas had handled the ball in the area.

Poland begins their World Cup Group H campaign in Moscow against Senegal on June 19, before facing Colombia and Japan.

Poland coach Adam Nawalka gave his talisman a rest at halftime, but the team continued to score in his absence

Two strikes from captain Robert Lewandowski followed by goals from Dawid Kownacki and Jakub Blaszczykowski gave Poland a 4-0 victory over Lithuania in their final pre-World Cup friendly in Warsaw on Tuesday. Poland took the lead after 19 minutes when Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski, preparing for his first appearance at a World Cup, finished a team move with a precise strike. The 29-year-old doubled his tally after the half-hour mark from a free kick, following a foul on teammate Arkadiusz Milik. Lewandowski's strike cannoned off the bar and bounced out of the goal but the referee was informed by goal-line technology that the ball had indeed crossed the line. Poland coach Adam Nawalka gave his talisman a rest at halftime, but the team continued to score in his absence. Sampdoria's Kownacki found the net after being set up by his club teammate Bartosz Bereszynski in the 71st minute. Blaszczykowski completed the rout ten minutes later when he converted a penalty after the Video Assistant Referee signalled that Lithuania's Algis Jankauskas had handled the ball in the area. Poland begins their World Cup Group H campaign in Moscow against Senegal on June 19, before facing Colombia and Japan.

Lithuania fall 4-1 to Poland in World Cup warm-up

Soccer fans worried about racism or homophobia should travel to Russia for the World Cup, but take precautions because the host country is a "difficult environment", the head of the European anti-racism watchdog FARE said on Tuesday.

The Russian Football Union's anti-discrimination inspector has said the World Cup is a chance for Russia to show how open it is.

Yet continuing cases of racist abuse in stadiums in the run-up to the tournament have put observers on alert.

"I think it is a difficult environment but the World Cup we are sure will pass peacefully, we hope," Piara Powar, the executive director of the FARE anti-discrimination network, told Reuters in an interview in Moscow.

Russia pledged to crack down on racism ahead of the World Cup, which kicks off in Moscow on Thursday with an opening ceremony followed by a match between the hosts and Saudi Arabia.

Incidents at matches, however, have continued.

Russia was fined last month after racist abuse was directed at French players during a friendly in March in St Petersburg, which is one of the World Cup's 11 host cities.

In April, fans with Russian premier league club CSKA Moscow chanted racist abuse at Arsenal's black players several times during a Europa League match, according to a Reuters witness.

UEFA, the governing body for European soccer, said no racist behaviour had been reported to it by match officials at that game.

Powar said Russian football clubs and the Russian Football Union have taken their anti-discrimination work more seriously ahead of the World Cup. He praised work carried out in the last year by Alexei Smertin, the Russian Football Union's anti-discrimination inspector.

"We've seen if not a reality change, then a better understanding and them beginning to meet the challenges that have been laid before them," Powar said.

"The spirit of openness, we hope, will prevail but at the same time: take precautions. Understand that the LGBT community are not accepted in the same way as they are in many Western European countries or in many parts of the global North," he said.

In April, Smertin said the World Cup is an opportunity for Russia to show how open it is.

"This is first of all a possibility to prove how friendly and organised we actually are... We can show how we treat everyone equally because football is - as I said - a unifying instrument."

Powar said he had been disappointed after Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was this week photographed with Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the southern Russian region of Chechnya where the Egyptian national team is based for the World Cup.

Kadyrov and his allies have been accused of widespread human rights abuses, including torturing and abducting homosexual men, allegations Chechen authorities have denied.

By being pictured with Kadyrov, Salah -- whether knowingly or not -- endorsed the Chechen leadership, said Powar.

"I think it will not overshadow the World Cup, but it's something that stands already a couple of days before kickoff as an unsavoury incident," said Powar.

The Russian Football Union's anti-discrimination inspector has said the World Cup is a chance for Russia to show how open it is.

Soccer fans worried about racism or homophobia should travel to Russia for the World Cup, but take precautions because the host country is a "difficult environment", the head of the European anti-racism watchdog FARE said on Tuesday. The Russian Football Union's anti-discrimination inspector has said the World Cup is a chance for Russia to show how open it is. Yet continuing cases of racist abuse in stadiums in the run-up to the tournament have put observers on alert. "I think it is a difficult environment but the World Cup we are sure will pass peacefully, we hope," Piara Powar, the executive director of the FARE anti-discrimination network, told Reuters in an interview in Moscow. Russia pledged to crack down on racism ahead of the World Cup, which kicks off in Moscow on Thursday with an opening ceremony followed by a match between the hosts and Saudi Arabia. Incidents at matches, however, have continued. Russia was fined last month after racist abuse was directed at French players during a friendly in March in St Petersburg, which is one of the World Cup's 11 host cities. In April, fans with Russian premier league club CSKA Moscow chanted racist abuse at Arsenal's black players several times during a Europa League match, according to a Reuters witness. UEFA, the governing body for European soccer, said no racist behaviour had been reported to it by match officials at that game. Powar said Russian football clubs and the Russian Football Union have taken their anti-discrimination work more seriously ahead of the World Cup. He praised work carried out in the last year by Alexei Smertin, the Russian Football Union's anti-discrimination inspector. "We've seen if not a reality change, then a better understanding and them beginning to meet the challenges that have been laid before them," Powar said. "The spirit of openness, we hope, will prevail but at the same time: take precautions. Understand that the LGBT community are not accepted in the same way as they are in many Western European countries or in many parts of the global North," he said. In April, Smertin said the World Cup is an opportunity for Russia to show how open it is. "This is first of all a possibility to prove how friendly and organised we actually are... We can show how we treat everyone equally because football is - as I said - a unifying instrument." Powar said he had been disappointed after Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was this week photographed with Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the southern Russian region of Chechnya where the Egyptian national team is based for the World Cup. Kadyrov and his allies have been accused of widespread human rights abuses, including torturing and abducting homosexual men, allegations Chechen authorities have denied. By being pictured with Kadyrov, Salah -- whether knowingly or not -- endorsed the Chechen leadership, said Powar. "I think it will not overshadow the World Cup, but it's something that stands already a couple of days before kickoff as an unsavoury incident," said Powar.

Visit Russia for World Cup, but be careful, says anti-racism watchdog

Spain coach Julen Lopetegui will take over as Real Madrid manager on a three-year contract after the World Cup, the European champions said on Tuesday.

Frenchman Zinedine Zidane stepped down two weeks ago, days after leading Real to a third consecutive Champions League title.

Lopetegui, who last month signed a new contract through to 2020 with Spain, spent three years with Real as a player, making a solitary first-team appearance in 1990.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said in a statement that it would receive “the full buy-out clause so the current national team boss can sign for Real Madrid”.

“The RFEF asks for maximum respect in order that normality is kept in the national team’s training camp just ahead of our first game at the World Cup against Portugal,” the statement added.

The 51-year-old took over as Spain coach in 2016 following the retirement of Vicente Del Bosque who led his country to victory in the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship.

Spain, unbeaten in 20 games under Lopetegui, play neighbours Portugal on Friday in their opening World Cup Group B match in Sochi, Russia before facing Iran and Morocco.

Former goalkeeper Lopetegui spent a season as coach of Real’s B-team Castilla from 2008-09 before taking over as Spain Under-19 manager in 2010.

He enjoyed success with the country’s youth sides, winning the 2012 Under-19 European Championship before repeating the feat as Under-21 boss 12 months later.

Lopetegui’s forays into club management have been less successful. He was sacked from a brief spell in charge of Rayo Vallecano in Spain’s second division in 2003 and left Portuguese club Porto after failing to win any silverware from 2014-16.

Frenchman Zinedine Zidane stepped down two weeks ago, days after leading Real to a third consecutive Champions League title

Spain coach Julen Lopetegui will take over as Real Madrid manager on a three-year contract after the World Cup, the European champions said on Tuesday. Frenchman Zinedine Zidane stepped down two weeks ago, days after leading Real to a third consecutive Champions League title. Lopetegui, who last month signed a new contract through to 2020 with Spain, spent three years with Real as a player, making a solitary first-team appearance in 1990. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said in a statement that it would receive “the full buy-out clause so the current national team boss can sign for Real Madrid”. “The RFEF asks for maximum respect in order that normality is kept in the national team’s training camp just ahead of our first game at the World Cup against Portugal,” the statement added. The 51-year-old took over as Spain coach in 2016 following the retirement of Vicente Del Bosque who led his country to victory in the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship. Spain, unbeaten in 20 games under Lopetegui, play neighbours Portugal on Friday in their opening World Cup Group B match in Sochi, Russia before facing Iran and Morocco. Former goalkeeper Lopetegui spent a season as coach of Real’s B-team Castilla from 2008-09 before taking over as Spain Under-19 manager in 2010. He enjoyed success with the country’s youth sides, winning the 2012 Under-19 European Championship before repeating the feat as Under-21 boss 12 months later. Lopetegui’s forays into club management have been less successful. He was sacked from a brief spell in charge of Rayo Vallecano in Spain’s second division in 2003 and left Portuguese club Porto after failing to win any silverware from 2014-16.

Real Madrid name Spain's Julen Lopetegui as new coach

On the eve of the football World Cup 2018, Spain encountered an unwanted chaos which might cost the "The Red Fury" in their opener match against arch-rival Portugal.

Just a day before the tournament, Spain's coach Julen Lopetegui was fired by Spanish football association. The association has appointed Fernando Hierro as the new coach.

The former coach Lopetegui has actively participated with team's training sessions and the team must have gotten into the comfort zone with him but this sudden change in leadership will have repercussions during football World Cup.

The sacking came a day after Julen Lopetegui was signed up as Real Madrid's coach. His record for Spanish national team has been outstanding as under his guidance Spain remained unbeaten in 20 games since 2016.

The signing seemed very unethical, resulted in Lopetegui ouster and now the impact of which will be seen in the World Cup opener against Portugal.

The Portugal - Spain football rivalry is one of the oldest in the game. It is also known as "The Iberian War" or "The Iberian Derby."&nbsp

Both teams have met on several occasions since their first match in 1921 and Spain have dominated Portugal on most times. Out of their 36 meetings (of which 8 matches were competitive), Spain and Portugal have won 18 and six matches respectively.

Spain and Portugal represent the strongest football nations in the world.

The history behind the Spain Portugal rivalry started in the 15th century and it continued when the Portuguese Restoration War was initiated against Spain, and Portugal regained its independence under the Braganza dynasty.&nbsp

In the 18th century (Napoleonic Era), wars were very often between the major kingdoms and Portugal and Spain.

Although, Spain have a better record in history against Portugal but with Cristiano Ronaldo leading from the front for Portugal and the ongoing mayhem in the Spanish team, Ronaldo's team have an upper hand in the crucial World Cup encounter which is scheduled to be played on June 15, Friday.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Although, Spain have a better record in history against Portugal but with Cristiano Ronaldo leading from the front for Portugal and the ongoing mayhem in the Spanish team, Ronaldo's team have an upper hand in the Spain-Portugal clash

On the eve of the football World Cup 2018, Spain encountered an unwanted chaos which might cost the "The Red Fury" in their opener match against arch-rival Portugal. Just a day before the tournament, Spain's coach Julen Lopetegui was fired by Spanish football association. The association has appointed Fernando Hierro as the new coach. The former coach Lopetegui has actively participated with team's training sessions and the team must have gotten into the comfort zone with him but this sudden change in leadership will have repercussions during football World Cup. The sacking came a day after Julen Lopetegui was signed up as Real Madrid's coach. His record for Spanish national team has been outstanding as under his guidance Spain remained unbeaten in 20 games since 2016. The signing seemed very unethical, resulted in Lopetegui ouster and now the impact of which will be seen in the World Cup opener against Portugal. The Portugal - Spain football rivalry is one of the oldest in the game. It is also known as "The Iberian War" or "The Iberian Derby." Both teams have met on several occasions since their first match in 1921 and Spain have dominated Portugal on most times. Out of their 36 meetings (of which 8 matches were competitive), Spain and Portugal have won 18 and six matches respectively. Spain and Portugal represent the strongest football nations in the world. The history behind the Spain Portugal rivalry started in the 15th century and it continued when the Portuguese Restoration War was initiated against Spain, and Portugal regained its independence under the Braganza dynasty. In the 18th century (Napoleonic Era), wars were very often between the major kingdoms and Portugal and Spain. Although, Spain have a better record in history against Portugal but with Cristiano Ronaldo leading from the front for Portugal and the ongoing mayhem in the Spanish team, Ronaldo's team have an upper hand in the crucial World Cup encounter which is scheduled to be played on June 15, Friday. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Unwanted chaos ahead of World Cup may mar Spain's chances against Ronaldo's Portugal

Brazil's reputation as a&nbsp;soccer-mad country has been dented by a report which found that only 60 per cent of those interviewed said they were interested in the sport.

The United Arab Emirates came top of a table compiled by global information, data and measurement company Nielsen Sports which ranked 30 countries according to the percentage of the population who described themselves as interested in football.

The UAE, where the figure was 80 per cent, was followed by Thailand (78 per cent) and Chile, Portugal and Turkey (all 75) while five-times world champions Brazil ranked a modest 13th.

The Brazilian figure had dropped from 72 per cent in 2013, the year before the country hosted the World Cup where the national team were humiliated 7-1 in the semi-finals by Germany.

Brazilians can be very fickle about football and attendances at games in the country fluctuate wildly, depending on the form of the teams involved, whether they are at a decisive stage of a competition, the kickoff time of the match and even the weather.

Last season's Brazilian championship had a modest average attendance of 16,418.

The report said that the figure for China increased from 27 per cent in 2013 to 32 per cent in 2017, in India from 30 per cent to 45 per cent and in the U.S. from 28 per cent to 32 per cent.

The United Kingdom, despite boasting the English Premier League, was a modest 17th in the rankings with 51 per cent.

The report also said that Portugal and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo dominated the use of social media by players, well ahead of his rival Lionel Messi.

His 570 million engagements across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in the first five months of this year were well ahead of Neymar, with 294 million, and Messi with 201 million.

The report pointed out that engagements, rather than number of followers, were the key to understanding the value of a social media account, as they showed how many people interacted with the account and gave a better idea of impact and influence.

Social media success was not always linked to success on the pitch, the report added.

"A broader range of factors comes into play, such as the ability to project a likeable personality or enviable lifestyle," it said.

Controversial Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos was fourth with 158 million engagements and Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah fifth with 105.3 million.

In terms of social media followers, Ronaldo also led with 322.8 million across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook combined while Neymar had 194.2 million and Messi 181.9 million

The Brazilian figure had dropped from 72 per cent in 2013, the year before the country hosted the World Cup where the national team were humiliated 7-1 in the semi-finals by Germany

Brazil's reputation as a soccer-mad country has been dented by a report which found that only 60 per cent of those interviewed said they were interested in the sport. The United Arab Emirates came top of a table compiled by global information, data and measurement company Nielsen Sports which ranked 30 countries according to the percentage of the population who described themselves as interested in football. The UAE, where the figure was 80 per cent, was followed by Thailand (78 per cent) and Chile, Portugal and Turkey (all 75) while five-times world champions Brazil ranked a modest 13th. The Brazilian figure had dropped from 72 per cent in 2013, the year before the country hosted the World Cup where the national team were humiliated 7-1 in the semi-finals by Germany. Brazilians can be very fickle about football and attendances at games in the country fluctuate wildly, depending on the form of the teams involved, whether they are at a decisive stage of a competition, the kickoff time of the match and even the weather. Last season's Brazilian championship had a modest average attendance of 16,418. The report said that the figure for China increased from 27 per cent in 2013 to 32 per cent in 2017, in India from 30 per cent to 45 per cent and in the U.S. from 28 per cent to 32 per cent. The United Kingdom, despite boasting the English Premier League, was a modest 17th in the rankings with 51 per cent. The report also said that Portugal and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo dominated the use of social media by players, well ahead of his rival Lionel Messi. His 570 million engagements across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in the first five months of this year were well ahead of Neymar, with 294 million, and Messi with 201 million. The report pointed out that engagements, rather than number of followers, were the key to understanding the value of a social media account, as they showed how many people interacted with the account and gave a better idea of impact and influence. Social media success was not always linked to success on the pitch, the report added. "A broader range of factors comes into play, such as the ability to project a likeable personality or enviable lifestyle," it said. Controversial Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos was fourth with 158 million engagements and Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah fifth with 105.3 million. In terms of social media followers, Ronaldo also led with 322.8 million across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook combined while Neymar had 194.2 million and Messi 181.9 million

FIFA World Cup: Football craze in Brazil drops to 60 per cent

Costa Rica got the first goal here Monday against Belgium only to end up losing 4-1 in the final friendly for both teams ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The potent Belgian attack was in evidence from the start and the first of what would turn out to be numerous tests for Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas came in the 5th minute on a strike by Eden Hazard.

At the other end of the pitch, Belgian keeper Thibault Courtois had nothing to do until the 13th minute, when he easily turned aside an effort by Marco Ureña.

Yet the visitors drew first blood, on a play that began with yet another great stop by Navas and ended with Bryan Ruiz's pouncing on a loose ball and knocking it past Courtois to make it 1-0 for Costa Rica in the 24th minute.

The advantage lasted just seven minutes, as Hazard exploited a defensive error to set up a one-touch strike by Dries Mertens just after the half-hour mark.

Energized by the goal, the hosts turned up the intensity and Navas was called upon for further heroics, including the use of his face to make a stop.

With three minutes left in the half, Romelu Lukaku took a pass from Mertens and let loose a volley that beat Navas to put Belgium up 2-1.

After the break, the hosts picked up where they left off and Lukaku needed just five minutes to get his second of the night, a thunderous header that increased the advantage to 3-1.

Michy Batshuayi added a fourth goal in the 64th minute, with help from both Hazard and Lukaku.

The Costa Ricans, who reached the quarterfinals in 2014, will begin their 2018 World Cup campaign on June 17 against Serbia in a group whose other members are Switzerland and five-time champions Brazil.

Belgium, meanwhile, are looking forward to their June 18 opener against Panama, to be followed by contests with England and Tunisia.

Costa Rica got the first goal against Belgium only to end up losing 4-1 in the final friendly for both teams ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia

Costa Rica got the first goal here Monday against Belgium only to end up losing 4-1 in the final friendly for both teams ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The potent Belgian attack was in evidence from the start and the first of what would turn out to be numerous tests for Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas came in the 5th minute on a strike by Eden Hazard. At the other end of the pitch, Belgian keeper Thibault Courtois had nothing to do until the 13th minute, when he easily turned aside an effort by Marco Ureña. Yet the visitors drew first blood, on a play that began with yet another great stop by Navas and ended with Bryan Ruiz's pouncing on a loose ball and knocking it past Courtois to make it 1-0 for Costa Rica in the 24th minute. The advantage lasted just seven minutes, as Hazard exploited a defensive error to set up a one-touch strike by Dries Mertens just after the half-hour mark. Energized by the goal, the hosts turned up the intensity and Navas was called upon for further heroics, including the use of his face to make a stop. With three minutes left in the half, Romelu Lukaku took a pass from Mertens and let loose a volley that beat Navas to put Belgium up 2-1. After the break, the hosts picked up where they left off and Lukaku needed just five minutes to get his second of the night, a thunderous header that increased the advantage to 3-1. Michy Batshuayi added a fourth goal in the 64th minute, with help from both Hazard and Lukaku. The Costa Ricans, who reached the quarterfinals in 2014, will begin their 2018 World Cup campaign on June 17 against Serbia in a group whose other members are Switzerland and five-time champions Brazil. Belgium, meanwhile, are looking forward to their June 18 opener against Panama, to be followed by contests with England and Tunisia.

Costa Rica fall 4-1 to Belgium in World Cup warm-up

By:&nbspDavid Rowe*

With the FIFA World Cup just days away, I have been chatting with people on my travels through central and northern Europe to gauge their opinions about Russia being the host.

Several people have simply sighed, resigned to the fact that nefarious FIFA politics won the day. One Prague taxi driver, remembering the Soviet-led invasion of his country in 1968, hated the idea, but another Czech shrugged and said that most people, especially those too young to remember the Communist rule, would just focus on the football.

Indeed, many football fans will be thinking only of stoppage-time goals, dubious penalties and defence-splitting passes when the tournament kicks off on Thursday. But it’s also worth reflecting on Russia and the ethics of selecting hosts for major events in today’s commercially driven and politicised sports world.

The case against Russia

Every time there is a contest to host a World Cup or Olympics, debate ensues about the criteria for selection. These include technical matters like the economic and infrastructural capacity to stage a massive spectacle, and an overarching belief in spreading sports like football to new corners of the world.

But non-sporting matters also come into consideration. Organisers always consider the potential that awarding hosting rights to the wrong country could bring a major sporting event into disrepute.

Cases have been made against a string of host cities and countries over the years. These include the 1978 Argentina World Cup (military coup), the 1968 Mexico City and 1988 Seoul Olympics (popular demonstrations and violence), the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics (bribery), the 2008 Beijing Olympics (human rights and crackdowns in Tibet) and the 2010 South Africa and 2014 Brazil World Cups (financial mismanagement and lack of preparedness).

So, Russia is by no means the first country to be faced with threats of boycotts or being stripped of its hosting rights. But it is something of a standout case, because of the spectrum of its egregious behaviour since being awarded the World Cup (and 2014 Winter Olympics). What’s remarkable is that Russia has stains on its record both in and outside the sporting world.

Inside sport, Russia is most notorious for its wide-ranging state-sponsored doping programme, which included swapping positive-testing urine samples for negative ones through a "mouse hole" in the wall of the anti-doping laboratory at the 2014 Sochi Games. Russian athletes were subsequently banned from flying their national flag and competing under the Team Russia name at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

For foreign football fans visiting Russia, there are additional concerns over hooliganism and the "racism, nationalism, homophobia and sexism" that has been well-documented in Russian football.

FIFA's culture of money and influence

Russia, of course, has furiously denied everything, making much-outraged noise while pointing out the hypocrisy of its most vocal detractors. The latter reaction has some legitimacy – Russia does not have a monopoly on external aggression, calculated corruption and internal repression.

And although the process by which Russia and Qatar won their World Cup bids was undeniably flawed, there is more than a whiff of hypocrisy among the losers who played their part in the whole charade. Few of the bidding countries for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments came out of American prosecutor Michael Garcia's lengthy but imperfect investigation of the decisions unscathed. This includes Australia, which burned a cool $AU45 million of public money on a futile attempt to work its levers of access and persuasion.

But Russia's sheer effrontery in recent years makes it an especially conspicuous target for those wondering what it would take for a country to be barred from hosting the world's largest sports party on ethical grounds.

That it hasn't been stripped of the World Cup says much about global sport's intensely commercial and political imperatives. Nothing exemplifies this state of affairs more than the emergence of FIFA as a machine of money, influence and subterfuge under the presidencies of João Havelange and Sepp Blatter from 1974 to 2015.

FIFA’s moment of truth came with the arrests of a coterie of top officials at its 2015 Zurich congress – a very different image of the organisation than the one propagated in FIFA's absurdly self-aggrandising 2014 docudrama film United Passions.

Blatter and many of his associates have since been swept away. But there's been little appetite for voiding the controversial Russia and Qatar victories and re-opening the bidding process, despite the efforts of politicians like former British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Nor have there been realistic calls for team boycotts of the 2018 World Cup. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop briefly flagged the idea of a World Cup-related action against Russia but said a boycott was not under consideration. So far only a few countries have confirmed boycotts by dignitaries, such as the UK, Poland and Iceland.

New standards for selecting hosts

Has FIFA reformed itself sufficiently under new President Gianni Infantino to ensure that a country like Russia will never again be rewarded after fuelling so much international condemnation with its actions?

We may soon get an idea. On June 13, the day before the opening match, the 68th FIFA Congress meets in Moscow to decide the 2026 World Cup host. There are new rules in place, including a more stringent bid appraisal process and an open ballot of all FIFA member associations.

There are only two bids for 2026 – Morocco and a North American joint bid submitted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. The former has its own human rights issues, while the latter has US President Donald Trump's proposed travel bans and implied threats to countries who do not support the bid.

Will the new process result in a fair, transparent outcome? Not according to Bonita Mersiades, the whistle-blowing former head of corporate and public affairs at Football Federation Australia and author of Whatever It Takes: The Inside Story of the FIFA Way, and her fellow campaigners at the reform advocacy group New FIFA Now.

New FIFA Now and the recently formed Foundation for Sports Integrity argue that a new FIFA governance model under the control of fans and players is required. Among New FIFA Now's guiding principles for FIFA reform is this recommendation on selecting future hosts:

Establish a one-off committee of relevant experts from around the world to investigate and recommend the staging of future men's World Cup tournaments. The objective would be to ameliorate the World Cup as a vehicle for geopolitical soft power and brand building of nation states, as well as the construction of 'white elephants' and the demands of government guarantees made by FIFA to host nations that compromise and jeopardise international and domestic law.

Reformist proposals like these are gaining traction as part of widespread push-back against the excessive demands and massive costs of hosting mega sports events. The questions posed by Russia's winning bid should only add to the calls for change.

It's expected that over 3 billion people will catch at least some of this year's World Cup over the next month. Let's hope they look beyond the spectacle to ponder how the beautiful game made its way to Russia at this point in its history and whether it was worth the ethical price.

David Rowe is an Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University.

(This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com/id">The Conversation</a>. Read the original <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-russia-worthy-of-hosting-the-world-cup-96917">article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

For foreign football fans visiting Russia, there are additional concerns over hooliganism and the 'racism, nationalism, homophobia and sexism' that has been well-documented in Russian football

By: David Rowe* With the FIFA World Cup just days away, I have been chatting with people on my travels through central and northern Europe to gauge their opinions about Russia being the host. Several people have simply sighed, resigned to the fact that nefarious FIFA politics won the day. One Prague taxi driver, remembering the Soviet-led invasion of his country in 1968, hated the idea, but another Czech shrugged and said that most people, especially those too young to remember the Communist rule, would just focus on the football. Indeed, many football fans will be thinking only of stoppage-time goals, dubious penalties and defence-splitting passes when the tournament kicks off on Thursday. But it’s also worth reflecting on Russia and the ethics of selecting hosts for major events in today’s commercially driven and politicised sports world. The case against Russia Every time there is a contest to host a World Cup or Olympics, debate ensues about the criteria for selection. These include technical matters like the economic and infrastructural capacity to stage a massive spectacle, and an overarching belief in spreading sports like football to new corners of the world. But non-sporting matters also come into consideration. Organisers always consider the potential that awarding hosting rights to the wrong country could bring a major sporting event into disrepute. Cases have been made against a string of host cities and countries over the years. These include the 1978 Argentina World Cup (military coup), the 1968 Mexico City and 1988 Seoul Olympics (popular demonstrations and violence), the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics (bribery), the 2008 Beijing Olympics (human rights and crackdowns in Tibet) and the 2010 South Africa and 2014 Brazil World Cups (financial mismanagement and lack of preparedness). So, Russia is by no means the first country to be faced with threats of boycotts or being stripped of its hosting rights. But it is something of a standout case, because of the spectrum of its egregious behaviour since being awarded the World Cup (and 2014 Winter Olympics). What’s remarkable is that Russia has stains on its record both in and outside the sporting world. Inside sport, Russia is most notorious for its wide-ranging state-sponsored doping programme, which included swapping positive-testing urine samples for negative ones through a "mouse hole" in the wall of the anti-doping laboratory at the 2014 Sochi Games. Russian athletes were subsequently banned from flying their national flag and competing under the Team Russia name at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and Paralympics. For foreign football fans visiting Russia, there are additional concerns over hooliganism and the "racism, nationalism, homophobia and sexism" that has been well-documented in Russian football. FIFA's culture of money and influence Russia, of course, has furiously denied everything, making much-outraged noise while pointing out the hypocrisy of its most vocal detractors. The latter reaction has some legitimacy – Russia does not have a monopoly on external aggression, calculated corruption and internal repression. And although the process by which Russia and Qatar won their World Cup bids was undeniably flawed, there is more than a whiff of hypocrisy among the losers who played their part in the whole charade. Few of the bidding countries for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments came out of American prosecutor Michael Garcia's lengthy but imperfect investigation of the decisions unscathed. This includes Australia, which burned a cool $AU45 million of public money on a futile attempt to work its levers of access and persuasion. But Russia's sheer effrontery in recent years makes it an especially conspicuous target for those wondering what it would take for a country to be barred from hosting the world's largest sports party on ethical grounds. That it hasn't been stripped of the World Cup says much about global sport's intensely commercial and political imperatives. Nothing exemplifies this state of affairs more than the emergence of FIFA as a machine of money, influence and subterfuge under the presidencies of João Havelange and Sepp Blatter from 1974 to 2015. FIFA’s moment of truth came with the arrests of a coterie of top officials at its 2015 Zurich congress – a very different image of the organisation than the one propagated in FIFA's absurdly self-aggrandising 2014 docudrama film United Passions. Blatter and many of his associates have since been swept away. But there's been little appetite for voiding the controversial Russia and Qatar victories and re-opening the bidding process, despite the efforts of politicians like former British Prime Minister David Cameron. Nor have there been realistic calls for team boycotts of the 2018 World Cup. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop briefly flagged the idea of a World Cup-related action against Russia but said a boycott was not under consideration. So far only a few countries have confirmed boycotts by dignitaries, such as the UK, Poland and Iceland. New standards for selecting hosts Has FIFA reformed itself sufficiently under new President Gianni Infantino to ensure that a country like Russia will never again be rewarded after fuelling so much international condemnation with its actions? We may soon get an idea. On June 13, the day before the opening match, the 68th FIFA Congress meets in Moscow to decide the 2026 World Cup host. There are new rules in place, including a more stringent bid appraisal process and an open ballot of all FIFA member associations. There are only two bids for 2026 – Morocco and a North American joint bid submitted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. The former has its own human rights issues, while the latter has US President Donald Trump's proposed travel bans and implied threats to countries who do not support the bid. Will the new process result in a fair, transparent outcome? Not according to Bonita Mersiades, the whistle-blowing former head of corporate and public affairs at Football Federation Australia and author of Whatever It Takes: The Inside Story of the FIFA Way, and her fellow campaigners at the reform advocacy group New FIFA Now. New FIFA Now and the recently formed Foundation for Sports Integrity argue that a new FIFA governance model under the control of fans and players is required. Among New FIFA Now's guiding principles for FIFA reform is this recommendation on selecting future hosts: Establish a one-off committee of relevant experts from around the world to investigate and recommend the staging of future men's World Cup tournaments. The objective would be to ameliorate the World Cup as a vehicle for geopolitical soft power and brand building of nation states, as well as the construction of 'white elephants' and the demands of government guarantees made by FIFA to host nations that compromise and jeopardise international and domestic law. Reformist proposals like these are gaining traction as part of widespread push-back against the excessive demands and massive costs of hosting mega sports events. The questions posed by Russia's winning bid should only add to the calls for change. It's expected that over 3 billion people will catch at least some of this year's World Cup over the next month. Let's hope they look beyond the spectacle to ponder how the beautiful game made its way to Russia at this point in its history and whether it was worth the ethical price. David Rowe is an Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University. (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Is Russia worthy of hosting the football World Cup?

Neymar Jr admitted that five-time champions Brazil are dreaming of winning the World Cup 2018 again as they arrived in Russia.&nbsp;

All in all, Brazil have a great team - Thiago Silva, Marcelo, Marquinhos, David Luiz, Paulinho, Fernaninho, Fernando, Firmino, Coutinho, Neymar - looks like a World Cup winning squad to me if they have the right mentality.

Brazil have been outstanding during the World Cup friendly matches. Although the defence has been fragile that reminds me of Brazil's previous World Cup campaign when the team faced a tragic 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semi-finals.

However, Brazil have improved its game plan and also the mid-fielders like Firmino, Coutinho, Fernandinho have been good in the recently concluded domestic games.

With lots of positives, why Brazilians are not excited not excited about the World Cup?

The trade group surveyed 18,000 people across Brazil, which suggests that there has been a drop in the craze which Brazilians used to have earlier.&nbsp;

Some 24 per cent of consumers plan to buy products over the next few weeks to celebrate the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, well below the 50.1 per cent who spent money on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, according to the results of a survey released Monday by the Brazilian Business Confederation.

"In addition to there naturally being less enthusiasm among the people for a World Cup played abroad, the situation among consumers is less favorable in 2018 than it was four years ago," Brazilian Business Confederation economic unit chief Fabio Bentes said in a statement.

Brazil's economy contracted 3.5 per cent in 2015, the worst performance in 25 years, and another 3.5 per cent in 2016, marking the first time since 1931 that the gross domestic product (GDP) fell for two consecutive years.

Even though Brazil has started recovering from the severe recession, households are still struggling with low purchasing power and high unemployment, Bentes said.

The trade group, however, said it was still a good sign for businesses that one in four Brazilian consumers planned to spend money on products linked to the World Cup.

"Despite the fact that the country already put the recession behind it, the recovery in the economy and consumer spending continues to be slow and subject to fluctuations," Bentes said.

Some 51.6 percent of respondents said they planned to spend a maximum of 200 reais (about $52.60) on World Cup merchandise, while 39.2 per cent of respondents said they would spend up to 300 reais (some $78.90).

The situation among consumers is less favorable in 2018 than it was four years ago, says Brazilian Business Confederation economic unit chief Fabio Bentes

Neymar Jr admitted that five-time champions Brazil are dreaming of winning the World Cup 2018 again as they arrived in Russia. All in all, Brazil have a great team - Thiago Silva, Marcelo, Marquinhos, David Luiz, Paulinho, Fernaninho, Fernando, Firmino, Coutinho, Neymar - looks like a World Cup winning squad to me if they have the right mentality. Brazil have been outstanding during the World Cup friendly matches. Although the defence has been fragile that reminds me of Brazil's previous World Cup campaign when the team faced a tragic 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semi-finals. However, Brazil have improved its game plan and also the mid-fielders like Firmino, Coutinho, Fernandinho have been good in the recently concluded domestic games. With lots of positives, why Brazilians are not excited not excited about the World Cup? The trade group surveyed 18,000 people across Brazil, which suggests that there has been a drop in the craze which Brazilians used to have earlier. Some 24 per cent of consumers plan to buy products over the next few weeks to celebrate the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, well below the 50.1 per cent who spent money on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, according to the results of a survey released Monday by the Brazilian Business Confederation. "In addition to there naturally being less enthusiasm among the people for a World Cup played abroad, the situation among consumers is less favorable in 2018 than it was four years ago," Brazilian Business Confederation economic unit chief Fabio Bentes said in a statement. Brazil's economy contracted 3.5 per cent in 2015, the worst performance in 25 years, and another 3.5 per cent in 2016, marking the first time since 1931 that the gross domestic product (GDP) fell for two consecutive years. Even though Brazil has started recovering from the severe recession, households are still struggling with low purchasing power and high unemployment, Bentes said. The trade group, however, said it was still a good sign for businesses that one in four Brazilian consumers planned to spend money on products linked to the World Cup. "Despite the fact that the country already put the recession behind it, the recovery in the economy and consumer spending continues to be slow and subject to fluctuations," Bentes said. Some 51.6 percent of respondents said they planned to spend a maximum of 200 reais (about $52.60) on World Cup merchandise, while 39.2 per cent of respondents said they would spend up to 300 reais (some $78.90).

Neymar hopes for positive World Cup but Brazilians not excited: Survey

Coach Roberto Martinez says there is "nothing to worry about" regarding playmaker Eden Hazard's fitness after the Belgium skipper limped out of their final World Cup warm-up match against Costa Rica.

Hazard was substituted with a dead leg in the 70th minute of Belgium's 4-1 win in Brussels on Monday but Martinez expects the player to be fit for the start of their campaign in Russia.

"Eden is okay, he had a little trouble, but it's nothing to worry about," the manager told reporters. "I really enjoyed his performance. He was sharp and strong, he was majestic.

"At the end, he just came off because he had a little bit of a dead leg, a little bit of a knock on his leg."

Belgium are heading into the tournament on a 19-match unbeaten run and will face Panama in their Group G opener on Monday. Tunisia and England are the other teams in the pool.

The Belgium skipper limped out of their final World Cup warm-up match against Costa Rica

Coach Roberto Martinez says there is "nothing to worry about" regarding playmaker Eden Hazard's fitness after the Belgium skipper limped out of their final World Cup warm-up match against Costa Rica. Hazard was substituted with a dead leg in the 70th minute of Belgium's 4-1 win in Brussels on Monday but Martinez expects the player to be fit for the start of their campaign in Russia. "Eden is okay, he had a little trouble, but it's nothing to worry about," the manager told reporters. "I really enjoyed his performance. He was sharp and strong, he was majestic. "At the end, he just came off because he had a little bit of a dead leg, a little bit of a knock on his leg." Belgium are heading into the tournament on a 19-match unbeaten run and will face Panama in their Group G opener on Monday. Tunisia and England are the other teams in the pool.

Belgium coach Martinez plays down Hazard injury scare ahead of World Cup

A die-hard Argentina fan in Kolkata has painted his house in the team's blue and white colours ahead of the football World Cup, saying his love for Lionel Messi's men knows no bounds. 
 
Shib Shankar Patra's passion for Argentina began during the 1986 World Cup when Diego Maradona helped the team win the coveted trophy. 
 
"For me Messi is an extension of Maradona. Everyone in my family loves Messi. We love his behaviour, we love everything about him," Patra told AFP. 
 
Patra who sells tea from a shop on the ground floor of his house wanted to travel to Russia to see his football heroes in person but ran short of money. 
 
"I had saved 60,000 rupees ($890) but it was not enough for the trip. I will now watch Argentina's games on TV and cheer for my favourite footballers."

The family has also made elaborate plans for Messi's birthday which will fall during the World Cup on June 24. 
 
"We will cut a cake and distribute T-shirts among kids with Messi's face embossed on them," said Patra, a father of two. 
 
Patra has even decorated the walls of each room in his house with life-size posters of Messi. 
 
India is currently ranked 97 in FIFA's rankings but that has not deterred football crazy fans from cheering for their favourite teams over the world. Especially, Kolkata which has an avid following of the sport.

Argentina launches their World Cup campaign against Iceland on Saturday in Moscow, with games to follow against Croatia and Nigeria in Group D. 
 
"I will be praying every day for Argentina's success. Nothing gives me more happiness than seeing them win on the field," said Patra.

Shib Shankar Patra's passion for Argentina began during the 1986 World Cup when Diego Maradona helped the team win the coveted trophy

A die-hard Argentina fan in Kolkata has painted his house in the team's blue and white colours ahead of the football World Cup, saying his love for Lionel Messi's men knows no bounds. Shib Shankar Patra's passion for Argentina began during the 1986 World Cup when Diego Maradona helped the team win the coveted trophy. "For me Messi is an extension of Maradona. Everyone in my family loves Messi. We love his behaviour, we love everything about him," Patra told AFP. Patra who sells tea from a shop on the ground floor of his house wanted to travel to Russia to see his football heroes in person but ran short of money. "I had saved 60,000 rupees ($890) but it was not enough for the trip. I will now watch Argentina's games on TV and cheer for my favourite footballers." The family has also made elaborate plans for Messi's birthday which will fall during the World Cup on June 24. "We will cut a cake and distribute T-shirts among kids with Messi's face embossed on them," said Patra, a father of two. Patra has even decorated the walls of each room in his house with life-size posters of Messi. India is currently ranked 97 in FIFA's rankings but that has not deterred football crazy fans from cheering for their favourite teams over the world. Especially, Kolkata which has an avid following of the sport. Argentina launches their World Cup campaign against Iceland on Saturday in Moscow, with games to follow against Croatia and Nigeria in Group D. "I will be praying every day for Argentina's success. Nothing gives me more happiness than seeing them win on the field," said Patra.

Messi's magic in India: Kolkata tea-seller paints home in Argentina colours

Croatia international Luka Modric says that after winning multiple titles with Real Madrid the last challenge he faces is to help his country make a good showing in the 2018 World Cup, Croatian news agency Hina reported Monday. 
 
"A great result with the national team is the only thing I still want to achieve," the midfielder said Sunday night as he accepted the award as best Croatian footballer for the sixth consecutive year, according to Hina. 
 
He said that the squad's first objective is to make it out of the group stage into the round of 16, "since we haven't achieved that since 1998," the Croatia captain said. 
 
"But I believe we will achieve it in Russia," Modric added. 
 
The team left Zagreb early Monday for the town that will be their home during the World Cup tournament in Russia: Zelenogorsk, some 60 km (36 mi) from St. Petersburg. 
 
Croatia are drawn in Group D, along with Argentina, Iceland, and Nigeria.

'A great result with the national team is the only thing I still want to achieve,' says Croatia midfielder Luka Modric

Croatia international Luka Modric says that after winning multiple titles with Real Madrid the last challenge he faces is to help his country make a good showing in the 2018 World Cup, Croatian news agency Hina reported Monday. "A great result with the national team is the only thing I still want to achieve," the midfielder said Sunday night as he accepted the award as best Croatian footballer for the sixth consecutive year, according to Hina. He said that the squad's first objective is to make it out of the group stage into the round of 16, "since we haven't achieved that since 1998," the Croatia captain said. "But I believe we will achieve it in Russia," Modric added. The team left Zagreb early Monday for the town that will be their home during the World Cup tournament in Russia: Zelenogorsk, some 60 km (36 mi) from St. Petersburg. Croatia are drawn in Group D, along with Argentina, Iceland, and Nigeria.

World Cup success would crown my career: Croatia's Luka Modric

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;is appearing at their first World Cup finals since 2006 when they exited at the end of the group phase of the competition for the third tournament in a row.

The country's high point remains their debut qualification for the World Cup, when they reached the round of 16 in the United States in 1994 after a memorable 1-0 win over Belgium, courtesy of Saeed Al Owairan's slaloming wonder goal.

<hr />
Coach:&nbsp;Juan Antonio Pizzi

Argentina-born former Spain international midfielder Pizzi took over as&nbsp;Saudi Arabia&nbsp;head coach in late November 2017 after Dutchman Bert van Marwijk, who qualified the country for the finals, did not have his contract renewed.

Van Marwijk was initially replaced by Edgardo Bauza but he was fired after just three friendlies to be replaced by Pizzi, who led Chile to the Copa America Centario and the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup.

<hr />
Key players:

Yahya Al Shehri: Diminutive in stature but an important player for&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;over the last five years, Al Shehri's trickery and eye for a pass make him one of&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia's more potent weapons. Al Shehri has spent several months on loan with La Liga side Leganes in the lead-up to the World Cup from his parent club Al Nassr.

Taisir Al Jassim: Veteran playmaker Al Jassim has been one of&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia's most gifted passers over the last decade and qualification for the World Cup is just reward for a fine player who has represented his country more than 120 times while also leading club side Al Ahli to the Saudi&nbsp;title in 2016.

Fahad Al Muwallad: A pacy winger who scored the goal against Japan that ensured&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time since 2006, Al Muwallad's direct running and eye for goal will be important for his country if they are to harbour ambitions of moving beyond the group stage.

<hr />
Form guide:

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia's results since securing qualification for the finals have been disappointing, with the country knocked out of the keenly contested Gulf Cup at the end of the group phase in December.

They have won only one of their four warm-up games ahead of Russia. While games against Moldova and Iraq were low key, second-string affairs, a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Belgium in late March suggests much work still needs to be done.

<hr />
How they qualified:

Victory over already-qualified Japan in their final qualifying match in Jeddah sealed progress to the World Cup finals for&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia, who finished ahead of Australia on goal difference after a demanding campaign.

<hr />
Prospects:

The coaching changes since qualification was confirmed mean&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia's preparations have been disjointed while a decision to send a number of key players to Spanish clubs in a bid to give them more experience has backfired.

The opening game against Russia will be vital for Pizzi and his team as they seek to set a positive tone for the rest of their campaign, while the meeting with Arab rivals Egypt will be among the most keenly followed matches in the Middle East.

But, with the team falling short of the standards achieved under Van Marwijk, a first-round exit is most likely.

<hr />
Saudi Arabia's Fixtures:

June 14

08:30 PM | Russia vs Saudi Arabia 8:30 PM Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

June 19

11:30 PM | Russia vs Egypt | Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg 

June 25

07:30 PM | Uruguay vs Russia | Cosmos Arena, Samara

<hr />
Squad:

Goalkeepers:&nbsp;Yasser Al Mosailem, Fawaz Al-Qarni, Abdullah Al-Mayouf, Waleed Abdullah

Defenders:&nbsp;Osama Hawsawi, Omar Hawsawi, Yasser Al-Shahrani, Hussein Abdulghani, Motaz Hawsawi, Ahmed Dokhi

Mid-fielders:&nbsp;Fahad Al-Muwallad, Yahya Al-Shehri, Taisir Al-Jassim, Salem Al-Dawsari, Nawaf Al Abed, Ibrahim Ghaleb, Mohammad Al-Shalhoub, Salman Al-Faraj, Housain Al-Moqahwi, Abdullah Otayf

Forwards:&nbsp;&nbsp;Fahad Al-Muwallad, Mohammad Al-Sahlawi, Naif Hazazi, Nasser Al-Shamrani, Mukhtar Fallatah, Salman Al-Moasher, Yousef Al-Salem

<img alt="fifa 2018 Russia.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/sports/fifa%202018%20Russia.jpg" width="770" />

Saudi Arabia is appearing at their first World Cup finals since 2006 when they exited at the end of the group phase of the competition for the third tournament in a row

Saudi Arabia is appearing at their first World Cup finals since 2006 when they exited at the end of the group phase of the competition for the third tournament in a row. The country's high point remains their debut qualification for the World Cup, when they reached the round of 16 in the United States in 1994 after a memorable 1-0 win over Belgium, courtesy of Saeed Al Owairan's slaloming wonder goal. Coach: Juan Antonio Pizzi Argentina-born former Spain international midfielder Pizzi took over as Saudi Arabia head coach in late November 2017 after Dutchman Bert van Marwijk, who qualified the country for the finals, did not have his contract renewed. Van Marwijk was initially replaced by Edgardo Bauza but he was fired after just three friendlies to be replaced by Pizzi, who led Chile to the Copa America Centario and the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup. Key players: Yahya Al Shehri: Diminutive in stature but an important player for Saudi Arabia over the last five years, Al Shehri's trickery and eye for a pass make him one of Saudi Arabia's more potent weapons. Al Shehri has spent several months on loan with La Liga side Leganes in the lead-up to the World Cup from his parent club Al Nassr. Taisir Al Jassim: Veteran playmaker Al Jassim has been one of Saudi Arabia's most gifted passers over the last decade and qualification for the World Cup is just reward for a fine player who has represented his country more than 120 times while also leading club side Al Ahli to the Saudi title in 2016. Fahad Al Muwallad: A pacy winger who scored the goal against Japan that ensured Saudi Arabia qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time since 2006, Al Muwallad's direct running and eye for goal will be important for his country if they are to harbour ambitions of moving beyond the group stage. Form guide: Saudi Arabia's results since securing qualification for the finals have been disappointing, with the country knocked out of the keenly contested Gulf Cup at the end of the group phase in December. They have won only one of their four warm-up games ahead of Russia. While games against Moldova and Iraq were low key, second-string affairs, a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Belgium in late March suggests much work still needs to be done. How they qualified: Victory over already-qualified Japan in their final qualifying match in Jeddah sealed progress to the World Cup finals for Saudi Arabia, who finished ahead of Australia on goal difference after a demanding campaign. Prospects: The coaching changes since qualification was confirmed mean Saudi Arabia's preparations have been disjointed while a decision to send a number of key players to Spanish clubs in a bid to give them more experience has backfired. The opening game against Russia will be vital for Pizzi and his team as they seek to set a positive tone for the rest of their campaign, while the meeting with Arab rivals Egypt will be among the most keenly followed matches in the Middle East. But, with the team falling short of the standards achieved under Van Marwijk, a first-round exit is most likely. Saudi Arabia's Fixtures: June 14 08:30 PM | Russia vs Saudi Arabia 8:30 PM Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow June 19 11:30 PM | Russia vs Egypt | Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg June 25 07:30 PM | Uruguay vs Russia | Cosmos Arena, Samara Squad: Goalkeepers: Yasser Al Mosailem, Fawaz Al-Qarni, Abdullah Al-Mayouf, Waleed Abdullah Defenders: Osama Hawsawi, Omar Hawsawi, Yasser Al-Shahrani, Hussein Abdulghani, Motaz Hawsawi, Ahmed Dokhi Mid-fielders: Fahad Al-Muwallad, Yahya Al-Shehri, Taisir Al-Jassim, Salem Al-Dawsari, Nawaf Al Abed, Ibrahim Ghaleb, Mohammad Al-Shalhoub, Salman Al-Faraj, Housain Al-Moqahwi, Abdullah Otayf Forwards: Fahad Al-Muwallad, Mohammad Al-Sahlawi, Naif Hazazi, Nasser Al-Shamrani, Mukhtar Fallatah, Salman Al-Moasher, Yousef Al-Salem

FIFA World Cup 2018: A complete profile of Saudi Arabia

Scotland's shock one-day international win over England has boosted their chances of securing test-playing status, the country's cricket board has said.

Scotland registered their first victory over their neighbours at Edinburgh on Sunday, bowling England out for 365 after posting their highest score of 371 for five.

"I can see us getting there in the next couple of years," Tony Brian, chairman of Cricket Scotland, told the BBC.

"We're so close to our goal of full member status now"

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has 12 full members, with Ireland and Afghanistan promoted in June last year.

The ICC has reduced the number of teams at the 2019 World Cup to 10 from 14, making it far more difficult for associate nations to qualify.

"The ICC set strict criteria for us to meet for full member status and we're only two away," Brian added. "We probably need one more win against a top nation and our women's team, who are also rapidly improving, need to do well at a World Cup qualifier."

Scotland registered their first victory over their neighbours at Edinburgh on Sunday, bowling England out for 365 after posting their highest score of 371 for five

Scotland's shock one-day international win over England has boosted their chances of securing test-playing status, the country's cricket board has said. Scotland registered their first victory over their neighbours at Edinburgh on Sunday, bowling England out for 365 after posting their highest score of 371 for five. "I can see us getting there in the next couple of years," Tony Brian, chairman of Cricket Scotland, told the BBC. "We're so close to our goal of full member status now" The International Cricket Council (ICC) has 12 full members, with Ireland and Afghanistan promoted in June last year. The ICC has reduced the number of teams at the 2019 World Cup to 10 from 14, making it far more difficult for associate nations to qualify. "The ICC set strict criteria for us to meet for full member status and we're only two away," Brian added. "We probably need one more win against a top nation and our women's team, who are also rapidly improving, need to do well at a World Cup qualifier."

Scotland hope ODI win over England boosts test status hopes

The chance to see Lionel Messi up close unleashed a certain madness Monday as the Argentine national team held their first open practice for the 2018 World Cup in this town roughly 60 km (30 mi) southeast of Moscow. 
 
Some 500 people packed the stands at the Bronnitsy training center on the banks of a river with sandy shores and just a short distance from a traditional Russian Orthodox Church with gilded domes. 
 
The fans never stopped chanting the name of FC Barcelona's star player, while waving both Argentine flags and Barca banners. 
 
"Argentina will win the World Cup. It doesn't matter that it's not the best team, it has Messi. With him, all is possible," Dima, a 10-year-old boy wearing a replica Barcelona shirt with the striker's name, told EFE. 
 
Added to the Argentina fans were more than 200 reporters covering the training session. 
 
Messi decided to thank the fans for their support and their patience by signing autographs and having photos taken with his countless admirers after the practice. 
 
While it wasn't sure that Paulo Dybala would make the starting lineup for the World Cup, the Juventus striker also attracted a lot of attention among the fans and, though Javier Mascherano has opted for a golden retirement in China, he was also very much sought after. 
 
Despite having a tough time qualifying for the World Cup and thanks to a sterling performance by Messi, the Argentines are once again one of the big favorites to win the championship. 
 
Argentina, which lost 1-0 in the 2014 World Cup against Germany, will debut on June 17 against Iceland before going up against Croatia on June 21 and will close the group stage against Nigeria on June 26.

The Argentine national team held their first open practice for the 2018 World Cup and the fans never stopped chanting Messi's name, while waving both Argentine flags and Barca banners

The chance to see Lionel Messi up close unleashed a certain madness Monday as the Argentine national team held their first open practice for the 2018 World Cup in this town roughly 60 km (30 mi) southeast of Moscow. Some 500 people packed the stands at the Bronnitsy training center on the banks of a river with sandy shores and just a short distance from a traditional Russian Orthodox Church with gilded domes. The fans never stopped chanting the name of FC Barcelona's star player, while waving both Argentine flags and Barca banners. "Argentina will win the World Cup. It doesn't matter that it's not the best team, it has Messi. With him, all is possible," Dima, a 10-year-old boy wearing a replica Barcelona shirt with the striker's name, told EFE. Added to the Argentina fans were more than 200 reporters covering the training session. Messi decided to thank the fans for their support and their patience by signing autographs and having photos taken with his countless admirers after the practice. While it wasn't sure that Paulo Dybala would make the starting lineup for the World Cup, the Juventus striker also attracted a lot of attention among the fans and, though Javier Mascherano has opted for a golden retirement in China, he was also very much sought after. Despite having a tough time qualifying for the World Cup and thanks to a sterling performance by Messi, the Argentines are once again one of the big favorites to win the championship. Argentina, which lost 1-0 in the 2014 World Cup against Germany, will debut on June 17 against Iceland before going up against Croatia on June 21 and will close the group stage against Nigeria on June 26.

Messi fans flock to Argentine open practice in Russia

Brazilian football icon Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known worldwide as Pele, on Sunday cancelled his scheduled trip to Russia to speak at a conference at the country's main university, thus leaving up in the air his presence at the inaugural World Cup match later this month. 
 
"Pele will not come (to the university), since he is feeling ill. He has problems in his legs. Before Tuesday, it will be decided if he will ultimately attend the inauguration of the World Cup," his spokesperson commented to the local press. 
 
The Brazilian (and world) soccer legend - who won the Jules Rimet Cup, used as the World Cup trophy from 1930-1970, three times - is one of the main invited guests at the opening ceremony of this year's tourney on June 14 in Moscow's national Luzhniki Stadium, where the Russian squad will go up against the Saudi Arabians. 
 
Pele, who is an admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, had cancelled a March visit to Russia, where he was due to be honored during the friendly match between the host nation and the Brazilian squad on the 60th anniversary of his World Cup debut. 
 
The Brazilian star first took part in a World Cup match in 1958, going up against the Russian squad in the 1958 Sweden tourney. 
 
At age 77, Pele in recent years has undergone several spinal, femur and cartilage operations which have forced him to curtail his public appearances. 
 
Recently, he expressed his concern about the Brazilian team and, although he praised its coach - Tite - he said that the squad had not come together yet as a unit and recalled that it was the teams that won the past World Cups, not individuals.

Pele in recent years has undergone several spinal, femur and cartilage operations which have forced him to curtail his public appearances

Brazilian football icon Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known worldwide as Pele, on Sunday cancelled his scheduled trip to Russia to speak at a conference at the country's main university, thus leaving up in the air his presence at the inaugural World Cup match later this month. "Pele will not come (to the university), since he is feeling ill. He has problems in his legs. Before Tuesday, it will be decided if he will ultimately attend the inauguration of the World Cup," his spokesperson commented to the local press. The Brazilian (and world) soccer legend - who won the Jules Rimet Cup, used as the World Cup trophy from 1930-1970, three times - is one of the main invited guests at the opening ceremony of this year's tourney on June 14 in Moscow's national Luzhniki Stadium, where the Russian squad will go up against the Saudi Arabians. Pele, who is an admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, had cancelled a March visit to Russia, where he was due to be honored during the friendly match between the host nation and the Brazilian squad on the 60th anniversary of his World Cup debut. The Brazilian star first took part in a World Cup match in 1958, going up against the Russian squad in the 1958 Sweden tourney. At age 77, Pele in recent years has undergone several spinal, femur and cartilage operations which have forced him to curtail his public appearances. Recently, he expressed his concern about the Brazilian team and, although he praised its coach - Tite - he said that the squad had not come together yet as a unit and recalled that it was the teams that won the past World Cups, not individuals.

Pele cancels visit to Russia and is doubtful for attending inaugural ceremony

We are just three days away from the football World Cup, a game which is all about a team effort but a hat-trick is more of a&nbsp;glorious individual achievement. When one player scores three goals in a single game than it is referred as "hat-trick" and when it comes to the world cup, the magnitude of hat-trick increases. There have been several occasions when a player has earned glory for scoring a hat-trick in the World Cup.

Ahead of the mega event, let us discuss the historic hat-tricks that have been scored in the history of FIFA World Cup

-The first hat-trick in World Cup was scored by Bert Patenaude of the United States while playing against Paraguay in 1930. However, the goal was a bit controversial. Until 10 November 2006, the first hat-trick that FIFA acknowledged had been scored by Argentine Guillermo Stabile but two days after, FIFA announced that Patenaude's claim to being the first hat-trick scorer was valid.

-Four players, &nbsp;Sandor Kocsis (both 1954) Just Fontaine (both 1958) Gerd Muller (both 1970) and Gabriel Batistuta (1994 and 1998) have scored the hat-trick twice.

-Oleg Salenko - a retired Russian-Ukrainian footballer - has scored five goals in a single match in 1994 World Cup playing against Cameroon.

-Geoff Hurst is the only player who has scored a hat-trick in a World Cup Final.

-Brazilian star player Pele is the youngest player to score a hat-trick. He scored the hat-trick in 1958 at 17 years and 244 days of age.

-There is one jinxed World Cup also where no hat-trick was scored. It was the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

-The record number of hat-tricks in a single World Cup tournament is eight, during the 1954 FIFA World Cup in Switzerland

-Inthe the previous tournament, On 16 June 2014, in Germany's opening match of the World Cup, Thomas Muller scored the first hat-trick of the tournament. He bagged the first World Cup hat-trick for Germany since Miroslav Klose in 2002.

Miroslav Klose, Germany vs. Saudi Arabia, 2002

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XG06Xi7WP88" width="420"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Gonzalo Higuaín, Argentina vs. South Korea, 2010

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hwbC-I0vwko" width="420"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Pele, Brazil vs. France, 1958

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eascV1S6bQE" width="420"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Geoff Hurst, England vs. West Germany, 1966

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aySAU6ptK7E" width="420"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Ahead of the mega event, let us discuss the historic hat-tricks that have been scored in the history of FIFA World Cup

We are just three days away from the football World Cup, a game which is all about a team effort but a hat-trick is more of a glorious individual achievement. When one player scores three goals in a single game than it is referred as "hat-trick" and when it comes to the world cup, the magnitude of hat-trick increases. There have been several occasions when a player has earned glory for scoring a hat-trick in the World Cup. Ahead of the mega event, let us discuss the historic hat-tricks that have been scored in the history of FIFA World Cup -The first hat-trick in World Cup was scored by Bert Patenaude of the United States while playing against Paraguay in 1930. However, the goal was a bit controversial. Until 10 November 2006, the first hat-trick that FIFA acknowledged had been scored by Argentine Guillermo Stabile but two days after, FIFA announced that Patenaude's claim to being the first hat-trick scorer was valid. -Four players, Sandor Kocsis (both 1954) Just Fontaine (both 1958) Gerd Muller (both 1970) and Gabriel Batistuta (1994 and 1998) have scored the hat-trick twice. -Oleg Salenko - a retired Russian-Ukrainian footballer - has scored five goals in a single match in 1994 World Cup playing against Cameroon. -Geoff Hurst is the only player who has scored a hat-trick in a World Cup Final. -Brazilian star player Pele is the youngest player to score a hat-trick. He scored the hat-trick in 1958 at 17 years and 244 days of age. -There is one jinxed World Cup also where no hat-trick was scored. It was the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. -The record number of hat-tricks in a single World Cup tournament is eight, during the 1954 FIFA World Cup in Switzerland -Inthe the previous tournament, On 16 June 2014, in Germany's opening match of the World Cup, Thomas Muller scored the first hat-trick of the tournament. He bagged the first World Cup hat-trick for Germany since Miroslav Klose in 2002. Miroslav Klose, Germany vs. Saudi Arabia, 2002 × Gonzalo Higuaín, Argentina vs. South Korea, 2010 × Pele, Brazil vs. France, 1958 × Geoff Hurst, England vs. West Germany, 1966 ×

Heroic hat-tricks in the history of football World Cup

For football fans, the World Cup should be a time of fun with family and friends. But beware, experts say, it can also sicken or even kill you.&nbsp;

Research has pointed to a long list of hazards ranging from heart attacks and strokes, to unsafe sex, accidents, suicides, and a spike in domestic abuse.

"It is not just a game," warned a 2010 study in the American Journal of Medicine which said major sporting events "can acutely increase cardiovascular event and death rates."

Most at risk are patients with known coronary artery disease, it said, or those who find themselves in particularly stressful circumstances: "a passionate fan, a high-stakes game, a high-intensity game, a loss, and a loss played at home."

Many a football fan may have shouted at the TV that they "nearly had a heart attack" when their team missed a shot at goal or let an opposing player through to score.

But this is not something to joke about.

Research has repeatedly shown that psychological triggers such as stress, anxiety, and anger -- emotions any sports fan can relate to -- can bring on a heart attack.

"We know that this is an exciting time but don’t forget about your heart health," advises Julie Ward, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation.

Measures to reduce risk include using blood-thinning aspirin, meditation, and avoiding activities such as smoking, eating artery-clogging, fatty foods, or binging on alcohol or drugs.

Eye strokes

Though not within the control of fans, winning or losing makes a difference too, according to one study in New Zealand.

It found a 50 percent increase in hospital admissions for heart failure, particularly among women, after a semi-final loss in the 2003 rugby World Cup.

By contrast, hospitalisations were lower after the country's 2011 semi-final win.

It is not only our hearts we should watch.

One study noted an explosion during the 2014 World Cup in cases of "retinal vein occlusion" -- a blockage of small veins in the eye that is also known as an "eye stroke".

A common cause of vision loss, it is more common in people with cardiovascular disease.

Researchers compared the number of cases treated at a German university eye clinic during and four weeks after the 2014 World Cup with the same period in 2013.

It found a definite increase, and said "it can be assumed that the emotional strain caused by a World Cup is a risk factor."

Why does the beautiful game stir up such dangerous passions?

Psychologists have suggested that sporting events can give people a sense of group belonging and shared identity.

There is also the sense of hope they provide, even for fans of teams that never win... Maybe this time!

With such a deep emotional investment and high expectations, failure can lead to crushing disappointment. And it can drive some to more than just tears.

Several studies have found suicides rocketing after a World Cup defeat.&nbsp;

A study last year found "a significant increase" in hospital admissions of young women in Tehran who drank poison during the four weeks of the 2014 World Cup.

Iran was eliminated in the knockout stages.

Conversely, in 2012, a study reported a "significant decline" in suicides in France during the four weeks of the 1998 football World Cup the country hosted and won.

Drink water, move around

A further threat to fans, experts warn, is risky behaviour driven by drinking too much alcohol, leading to road accidents, unsafe sex, and violence.

A 2013 study, looking at trends during 2002, 2006, and 2010 World Cups, found the risk of domestic abuse in England rose by 26 percent when the national team won or drew, and 38 percent when it lost.&nbsp;

Keeping an eye on alcohol intake is high on the list of "simple steps to stay healthy" compiled by Ward.

"Make sure you drink plenty of water to keep hydrated during the match," she added.

"Also cut back on the drinks high in sugar or caffeine as these can affect your heart rate and rhythm," she told AFP.

No need to cut out snacking altogether.

"But try and have some healthy choices in the house too -– try hummus and carrot sticks, a variety of colourful fruit and some popcorn, either plain or spiced with paprika, chili or rosemary, for a lower-fat, lower calorie alternative to crisps and roasted nuts," Ward recommended.

And don't sit down for too long, she added. Get up and move around at least every 30 minutes for the sake of our heart.

Research has pointed to a long list of hazards ranging from heart attacks and strokes, to unsafe sex, accidents, suicides, and a spike in domestic abuse

For football fans, the World Cup should be a time of fun with family and friends. But beware, experts say, it can also sicken or even kill you. Research has pointed to a long list of hazards ranging from heart attacks and strokes, to unsafe sex, accidents, suicides, and a spike in domestic abuse. "It is not just a game," warned a 2010 study in the American Journal of Medicine which said major sporting events "can acutely increase cardiovascular event and death rates." Most at risk are patients with known coronary artery disease, it said, or those who find themselves in particularly stressful circumstances: "a passionate fan, a high-stakes game, a high-intensity game, a loss, and a loss played at home." Many a football fan may have shouted at the TV that they "nearly had a heart attack" when their team missed a shot at goal or let an opposing player through to score. But this is not something to joke about. Research has repeatedly shown that psychological triggers such as stress, anxiety, and anger -- emotions any sports fan can relate to -- can bring on a heart attack. "We know that this is an exciting time but don’t forget about your heart health," advises Julie Ward, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation. Measures to reduce risk include using blood-thinning aspirin, meditation, and avoiding activities such as smoking, eating artery-clogging, fatty foods, or binging on alcohol or drugs. Eye strokes Though not within the control of fans, winning or losing makes a difference too, according to one study in New Zealand. It found a 50 percent increase in hospital admissions for heart failure, particularly among women, after a semi-final loss in the 2003 rugby World Cup. By contrast, hospitalisations were lower after the country's 2011 semi-final win. It is not only our hearts we should watch. One study noted an explosion during the 2014 World Cup in cases of "retinal vein occlusion" -- a blockage of small veins in the eye that is also known as an "eye stroke". A common cause of vision loss, it is more common in people with cardiovascular disease. Researchers compared the number of cases treated at a German university eye clinic during and four weeks after the 2014 World Cup with the same period in 2013. It found a definite increase, and said "it can be assumed that the emotional strain caused by a World Cup is a risk factor." Why does the beautiful game stir up such dangerous passions? Psychologists have suggested that sporting events can give people a sense of group belonging and shared identity. There is also the sense of hope they provide, even for fans of teams that never win... Maybe this time! With such a deep emotional investment and high expectations, failure can lead to crushing disappointment. And it can drive some to more than just tears. Several studies have found suicides rocketing after a World Cup defeat. A study last year found "a significant increase" in hospital admissions of young women in Tehran who drank poison during the four weeks of the 2014 World Cup. Iran was eliminated in the knockout stages. Conversely, in 2012, a study reported a "significant decline" in suicides in France during the four weeks of the 1998 football World Cup the country hosted and won. Drink water, move around A further threat to fans, experts warn, is risky behaviour driven by drinking too much alcohol, leading to road accidents, unsafe sex, and violence. A 2013 study, looking at trends during 2002, 2006, and 2010 World Cups, found the risk of domestic abuse in England rose by 26 percent when the national team won or drew, and 38 percent when it lost. Keeping an eye on alcohol intake is high on the list of "simple steps to stay healthy" compiled by Ward. "Make sure you drink plenty of water to keep hydrated during the match," she added. "Also cut back on the drinks high in sugar or caffeine as these can affect your heart rate and rhythm," she told AFP. No need to cut out snacking altogether. "But try and have some healthy choices in the house too -– try hummus and carrot sticks, a variety of colourful fruit and some popcorn, either plain or spiced with paprika, chili or rosemary, for a lower-fat, lower calorie alternative to crisps and roasted nuts," Ward recommended. And don't sit down for too long, she added. Get up and move around at least every 30 minutes for the sake of our heart.

Football World Cup can kill fans: Research

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday it was too early to discuss in detail a possible prisoner exchange with Ukraine, amid hopes for the release of film director Oleg Sentsov and others during the World Cup.

But the Kremlin leader indicated that backdoor negotiations were apparently underway, raising hopes for the release of dozens of prisoners including Sentsov, who is undertaking a high-profile hunger strike at a prison in Russia's far north.

"It's so far premature to say how this issue will be solved," Putin told reporters at a security summit in the Chinese city of Qingdao, adding he would not want to comment for now "so as not to violate anything here and not to disrupt anything."

Putin and Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko discussed a possible exchange of prisoners in a rare phone call Saturday and agreed that officials from the two countries would visit their prisoners "in the near future".

Putin said it was Poroshenko who initiated the discussion.

Fears have grown in recent weeks that Sentsov, a 41-year-old Ukrainian director and author who is serving a 20-year prison sentence on terrorism charges in Russia, could die behind bars.

He went on hunger strike on May 14 to demand Russia release dozens of Ukrainian political prisoners, timing his protest to coincide with the month-long football extravaganza that begins on Thursday.

The father of two said he was ready to die in prison, drawing comparisons with Soviet-era dissident Anatoly Marchenko, who starved himself to death in prison in 1986 after he demanded Moscow release its prisoners of conscience.

Sentsov, who is also a pro-Ukrainian activist, was detained in Crimea in 2014 after Russia annexed the peninsula and moved to support pro-Moscow separatists in the east of Ukraine, in a conflict that has since claimed more than 10,000 lives.

According to Kiev's estimates, Moscow is currently holding around 70 Ukrainian political prisoners.

Kiev said it was ready to exchange "23 Russians who were conducting spying activities in Ukraine".

Putin and Poroshenko spoke on the phone ahead of key talks Monday in Berlin between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers that will also include German and French representatives.

The talks are aimed at reviving a stalled peace process in eastern Ukraine and putting an end to lingering clashes between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian rebels.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday it was too early to discuss in detail a possible prisoner exchange with Ukraine, amid hopes for the release of film director Oleg Sentsov and others during the World Cup.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday it was too early to discuss in detail a possible prisoner exchange with Ukraine, amid hopes for the release of film director Oleg Sentsov and others during the World Cup. But the Kremlin leader indicated that backdoor negotiations were apparently underway, raising hopes for the release of dozens of prisoners including Sentsov, who is undertaking a high-profile hunger strike at a prison in Russia's far north. "It's so far premature to say how this issue will be solved," Putin told reporters at a security summit in the Chinese city of Qingdao, adding he would not want to comment for now "so as not to violate anything here and not to disrupt anything." Putin and Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko discussed a possible exchange of prisoners in a rare phone call Saturday and agreed that officials from the two countries would visit their prisoners "in the near future". Putin said it was Poroshenko who initiated the discussion. Fears have grown in recent weeks that Sentsov, a 41-year-old Ukrainian director and author who is serving a 20-year prison sentence on terrorism charges in Russia, could die behind bars. He went on hunger strike on May 14 to demand Russia release dozens of Ukrainian political prisoners, timing his protest to coincide with the month-long football extravaganza that begins on Thursday. The father of two said he was ready to die in prison, drawing comparisons with Soviet-era dissident Anatoly Marchenko, who starved himself to death in prison in 1986 after he demanded Moscow release its prisoners of conscience. Sentsov, who is also a pro-Ukrainian activist, was detained in Crimea in 2014 after Russia annexed the peninsula and moved to support pro-Moscow separatists in the east of Ukraine, in a conflict that has since claimed more than 10,000 lives. According to Kiev's estimates, Moscow is currently holding around 70 Ukrainian political prisoners. Kiev said it was ready to exchange "23 Russians who were conducting spying activities in Ukraine". Putin and Poroshenko spoke on the phone ahead of key talks Monday in Berlin between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers that will also include German and French representatives. The talks are aimed at reviving a stalled peace process in eastern Ukraine and putting an end to lingering clashes between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian rebels.

Putin says 'premature' to divulge details of Ukraine prisoner exchange

The 21st edition of football World Cup is about to start and the madness among fans has already begun. For all football fanatics, this absolutely crazy month arrives once in four years but apart from bitter-sweet memories, World Cup also leaves some totally bizarre moments.

Keeping all the seriousness apart, here are some insane incidents that have been embarrassing for the involved players even after many years.

Whether you love football or not, this list will surely make you giggle, so here are the videos, watch them:

Singer&nbsp;Diana Ross' epic fail in 1994 World Cup, a must watch:

The spectacular opening ceremony of football Wolrd Cup 1994 will be remembered for the blooper that American singer Diana Ross made while performing.

Seriously can't explain it in words, watch the video:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BAKsGT9-XB0" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

I guess Brazil were desperate for the free-kick, watch the clever snatch:

What was that?

Angry? Or you did not understand the free-kick rules.

Jokes apart!&nbsp;Joseph Mwepu Ilunga came running out of his team's defensive wall and kicking the ball away. Although, he was subsequently cautioned for the same but the real reason is still unknown.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s247cS3-iKQ" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

'The Garry Lineker'&nbsp;wipes his arse on the field:

The former English footballer and the present stunning sports pundit, Garry Linker once pooped while playing during 1990 Wolrd Cup and got his arse wiped on the field and caught on camera so that the fans can relive the insane moment again and forever.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2R1QABw5v_w" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

An Oscar-winning performance by legendary Rivaldo, watch and rate his acting skills:

Please, Rivaldo, you must have tried Hollywood&nbsp;when you pulled the amazing stunt during&nbsp;World Cup 2002. You would have got Oscar for your performance.

Let us know, how many bones were broken?

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OiW0IPrv1Ro" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Keeping all the seriousness apart, here are some insane incidents that have been embarrassing for the involved players even after many years

The 21st edition of football World Cup is about to start and the madness among fans has already begun. For all football fanatics, this absolutely crazy month arrives once in four years but apart from bitter-sweet memories, World Cup also leaves some totally bizarre moments. Keeping all the seriousness apart, here are some insane incidents that have been embarrassing for the involved players even after many years. Whether you love football or not, this list will surely make you giggle, so here are the videos, watch them: Singer Diana Ross' epic fail in 1994 World Cup, a must watch: The spectacular opening ceremony of football Wolrd Cup 1994 will be remembered for the blooper that American singer Diana Ross made while performing. Seriously can't explain it in words, watch the video: × I guess Brazil were desperate for the free-kick, watch the clever snatch: What was that? Angry? Or you did not understand the free-kick rules. Jokes apart! Joseph Mwepu Ilunga came running out of his team's defensive wall and kicking the ball away. Although, he was subsequently cautioned for the same but the real reason is still unknown. × 'The Garry Lineker' wipes his arse on the field: The former English footballer and the present stunning sports pundit, Garry Linker once pooped while playing during 1990 Wolrd Cup and got his arse wiped on the field and caught on camera so that the fans can relive the insane moment again and forever. × An Oscar-winning performance by legendary Rivaldo, watch and rate his acting skills: Please, Rivaldo, you must have tried Hollywood when you pulled the amazing stunt during World Cup 2002. You would have got Oscar for your performance. Let us know, how many bones were broken? ×

Why so serious? 4 hilarious incidents from the football World Cup

Mohamed Salah is confident that he will be fit enough to take part in Egypt's World Cup opener against Uruguay next Friday.&nbsp;

The 25-year-old went off with a shoulder problem in the first half of Liverpool's 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in last month's Champions League final.&nbsp;

"Now I'm feeling better," Salah told reporters. "I'm hopeful of being able to play in our first game, but this will depend on how I feel when the day comes around."

Salah, who laughed off Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos's claim that he would have been able to continue in Kiev had he taken a pain-killing injection, scored the penalty that sealed Egypt's place at a first World Cup in 28 years and insists they are not in Russia to make up the numbers.

"We've got a great team and a great coach. We want to get into the next round and do things well there," he added.

"We're strong as a group, we all have the same objective, which is to win and that's the most important thing. We don't just have one strong point, but the main thing is we play together as a group.

"The pressure was to qualify for the World Cup. Of course, you can then say 'right, we've got there, that's that', but for me it's not like that. We want to make history and achieve something different.

"It's not a simple case of going, playing three games and thank you very much. That's not going through my head."

Saudi Arabia and hosts Russia are the other teams in Egypt's group.

The 25-year-old went off with a shoulder problem in the first half of Liverpool's 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid

Mohamed Salah is confident that he will be fit enough to take part in Egypt's World Cup opener against Uruguay next Friday. The 25-year-old went off with a shoulder problem in the first half of Liverpool's 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in last month's Champions League final. "Now I'm feeling better," Salah told reporters. "I'm hopeful of being able to play in our first game, but this will depend on how I feel when the day comes around." Salah, who laughed off Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos's claim that he would have been able to continue in Kiev had he taken a pain-killing injection, scored the penalty that sealed Egypt's place at a first World Cup in 28 years and insists they are not in Russia to make up the numbers. "We've got a great team and a great coach. We want to get into the next round and do things well there," he added. "We're strong as a group, we all have the same objective, which is to win and that's the most important thing. We don't just have one strong point, but the main thing is we play together as a group. "The pressure was to qualify for the World Cup. Of course, you can then say 'right, we've got there, that's that', but for me it's not like that. We want to make history and achieve something different. "It's not a simple case of going, playing three games and thank you very much. That's not going through my head." Saudi Arabia and hosts Russia are the other teams in Egypt's group.

Mohamed Salah hopeful of making FIFA World Cup opener for Egypt

Portugal registered a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their final World Cup friendly, making a perfect return for Cristiano Ronaldo to the national squad after a two-game absence.

The Madrid forward took a break after the Blancos’ victory over Liverpool in the May 26 Champions League final.

During the game, Portugal forward Goncalo Guedes made the score 1-0 when he scored in the area off a headed pass by Bernardo Silva, who had received a long ball from William Carvalho.

The game also marked Ronaldo’s 150th appearance for his nation. The 5-time Ballon’Dor winner has scored 81 goals and provided 28 assists for his country.

As it stands, Ronaldo is the highest international goalscorer in football history, followed by rival Lionel Messi and Indian international Sunil Chhetri at 3rd.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Highlights from Portugal's 3-0 win over Algeria this evening: <a href="https://t.co/6AgnhduDcR">pic.twitter.com/6AgnhduDcR</a>
— Marino Peixoto (@Marinovpeixoto) <a href="https://twitter.com/Marinovpeixoto/status/1004876737543659520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Earlier, Portugal stumbled to a 2-2 tie against Tunisia and a scoreless draw versus Belgium without the Real Madrid forward. &nbsp

The country's defence which looked ponderous in the previous matches coped well with Algeria's attack and goalkeeper Rui Patricio had to make only one save, from substitute Baghdad Bounedjah.

The Madrid forward took a break after the Blancos’ victory over Liverpool

Portugal registered a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their final World Cup friendly, making a perfect return for Cristiano Ronaldo to the national squad after a two-game absence. The Madrid forward took a break after the Blancos’ victory over Liverpool in the May 26 Champions League final. During the game, Portugal forward Goncalo Guedes made the score 1-0 when he scored in the area off a headed pass by Bernardo Silva, who had received a long ball from William Carvalho. The game also marked Ronaldo’s 150th appearance for his nation. The 5-time Ballon’Dor winner has scored 81 goals and provided 28 assists for his country. As it stands, Ronaldo is the highest international goalscorer in football history, followed by rival Lionel Messi and Indian international Sunil Chhetri at 3rd. Highlights from Portugal's 3-0 win over Algeria this evening: pic.twitter.com/6AgnhduDcR — Marino Peixoto (@Marinovpeixoto) June 8, 2018 × Earlier, Portugal stumbled to a 2-2 tie against Tunisia and a scoreless draw versus Belgium without the Real Madrid forward. The country's defence which looked ponderous in the previous matches coped well with Algeria's attack and goalkeeper Rui Patricio had to make only one save, from substitute Baghdad Bounedjah.

World Cup friendly: Portugal routs Algeria as Cristiano Ronaldo returns

Mike&nbsp;Hesson&nbsp;stunned New Zealand cricket on Thursday by announcing he will step down as coach at the end of next month, less than a year out from the World Cup.

The 43-year-old, who was appointed to the role in 2012, is to leave the job on July 31.

He said in a statement he wanted to spend more time with his family and felt he could not commit to the job for another 12 months.

"This job requires 100 per cent commitment and is all-consuming,"&nbsp;Hesson&nbsp;said. "I know what's required over the next 12 months, but if I'm honest, I don't feel I have the capacity to give the job what it deserves.

"The idea of missing a match, a tour or a format, as has been proposed at different times, has never sat well with me."

Hesson, who was a surprise choice for the role in 2012, had a rocky start when he dumped Ross Taylor as captain but turned the team around, guiding them to the 2015 World Cup final and the world's top ranking in Twenty20 cricket.

New Zealand was also ranked as high as second for one-day internationals and third for tests during his tenure, which would have officially ended after the May 30-July 14 World Cup in England and Wales next year.

NZC Chief Executive David White said in a statement he was reluctant to see&nbsp;Hesson&nbsp;leave.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
New Zealand head coach Mike Hesson is stepping down from his position to spend more time with his family, effective 31st July.<a href="https://t.co/8Wyc62atcz">https://t.co/8Wyc62atcz</a> <a href="https://t.co/uETIjajkil">pic.twitter.com/uETIjajkil</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1004608821984202752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"Mike&nbsp;has overseen one of NZC's most successful periods of international cricket, he's more than realised the potential we saw in him back in 2012 and has grown into one of the most respected coaches on the international circuit.

"I tried to persuade him to stay on for another 12 months but his mind was made up."

New Zealand's next cricket series is against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in October and November, and White said the recruitment process for the new coach would begin shortly.

NZC Chief Executive David White said in a statement he was reluctant to see Hesson leave

Mike Hesson stunned New Zealand cricket on Thursday by announcing he will step down as coach at the end of next month, less than a year out from the World Cup. The 43-year-old, who was appointed to the role in 2012, is to leave the job on July 31. He said in a statement he wanted to spend more time with his family and felt he could not commit to the job for another 12 months. "This job requires 100 per cent commitment and is all-consuming," Hesson said. "I know what's required over the next 12 months, but if I'm honest, I don't feel I have the capacity to give the job what it deserves. "The idea of missing a match, a tour or a format, as has been proposed at different times, has never sat well with me." Hesson, who was a surprise choice for the role in 2012, had a rocky start when he dumped Ross Taylor as captain but turned the team around, guiding them to the 2015 World Cup final and the world's top ranking in Twenty20 cricket. New Zealand was also ranked as high as second for one-day internationals and third for tests during his tenure, which would have officially ended after the May 30-July 14 World Cup in England and Wales next year. NZC Chief Executive David White said in a statement he was reluctant to see Hesson leave. New Zealand head coach Mike Hesson is stepping down from his position to spend more time with his family, effective 31st July.https://t.co/8Wyc62atcz pic.twitter.com/uETIjajkil — ICC (@ICC) June 7, 2018 × "Mike has overseen one of NZC's most successful periods of international cricket, he's more than realised the potential we saw in him back in 2012 and has grown into one of the most respected coaches on the international circuit. "I tried to persuade him to stay on for another 12 months but his mind was made up." New Zealand's next cricket series is against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in October and November, and White said the recruitment process for the new coach would begin shortly.

Mike Hesson to step down as the head coach of New Zealand

Britain's Prince William visited the England soccer team on Thursday (June 7) ahead of the Three Lions' final World Cup warm-up match.

England face Costa Rica in Leeds on Thursday evening and the Duke of Cambridge - who is also President of the English FA - travelled to Yorkshire's West Riding Football Association to watch the team train.

Among those training was defender Danny Rose, who hit the headlines on Wednesday (June 6) after revealing his recent battle with depression.

Along with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, and brother Prince Harry, William is spearheading Heads Together - a campaign to end the stigma surrounding mental health.

Britain's Prince William visited the England soccer team ahead of the Three Lions' final World Cup warm-up match

Britain's Prince William visited the England soccer team on Thursday (June 7) ahead of the Three Lions' final World Cup warm-up match. England face Costa Rica in Leeds on Thursday evening and the Duke of Cambridge - who is also President of the English FA - travelled to Yorkshire's West Riding Football Association to watch the team train. Among those training was defender Danny Rose, who hit the headlines on Wednesday (June 6) after revealing his recent battle with depression. Along with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, and brother Prince Harry, William is spearheading Heads Together - a campaign to end the stigma surrounding mental health.

Watch: Prince William meets England's World Cup squad

At around the time that World Cup minnows Panama were playing Norway this week, thieves were busy rifling their Oslo hotel rooms, police told AFP on Thursday.

The Panamanian football federation tweeted: "Three #Panamayor hotel rooms were robbed in Oslo, Norway. Norwegian police are at the scene looking for clues."

Police say objects worth around 53,000 euros ($62,000) were taken from three rooms in a downtown Oslo hotel, explaining thieves are thought to have used an old magnetic room key or a stolen one and that video footage would be examined.

Police spokeswoman Aslaug Rohne told AFP the robbery probably took place at the same time as Panama were being beaten by Norway on Wednesday in a match that ended 1-0.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Jugadores de <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Panam%C3%A1Mayor?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PanamáMayor</a> (tres habitaciones) fueron víctima de hurto en el hotel de concentración en Oslo, Noruega. La policía noruega se apersonó al lugar para recabar información. <a href="https://t.co/0Dfv38q6iq">pic.twitter.com/0Dfv38q6iq</a>
— FEPAFUT (@fepafut) <a href="https://twitter.com/fepafut/status/1004483284921913345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Panama will make their World Cup debut in Russia, where the central Americans will face England, Belgium and Tunisia in Group G.

Panama kick off their campaign against Belgium in Sochi on June 18, the same day group G opponents Tunisia host England

&nbsp

At around the time that World Cup minnows Panama were playing Norway this week, thieves were busy rifling their Oslo hotel rooms

At around the time that World Cup minnows Panama were playing Norway this week, thieves were busy rifling their Oslo hotel rooms, police told AFP on Thursday. The Panamanian football federation tweeted: "Three #Panamayor hotel rooms were robbed in Oslo, Norway. Norwegian police are at the scene looking for clues." Police say objects worth around 53,000 euros ($62,000) were taken from three rooms in a downtown Oslo hotel, explaining thieves are thought to have used an old magnetic room key or a stolen one and that video footage would be examined. Police spokeswoman Aslaug Rohne told AFP the robbery probably took place at the same time as Panama were being beaten by Norway on Wednesday in a match that ended 1-0. Jugadores de #PanamáMayor (tres habitaciones) fueron víctima de hurto en el hotel de concentración en Oslo, Noruega. La policía noruega se apersonó al lugar para recabar información. pic.twitter.com/0Dfv38q6iq — FEPAFUT (@fepafut) June 6, 2018 × Panama will make their World Cup debut in Russia, where the central Americans will face England, Belgium and Tunisia in Group G. Panama kick off their campaign against Belgium in Sochi on June 18, the same day group G opponents Tunisia host England

Panama World Cup team hotel raided during Oslo match

The Israel embassy said today the much-awaited Argentina-Israel World Cup friendly due to be played in a west Jerusalem stadium on Saturday has been cancelled.

The match had created great hype with Argentina star Lionel Messi likely to play, however, it took a political turn after Palestinian FA chief Jibril Rajoub wrote to Claudio Tapia, the head of the Argentinian FA, last week accusing Israel of using the match as a "political tool".

Jerusalem's Teddy Kollek Stadium was due to host Messi's all-star line-up just days ahead of the World Cup but Palestinian FA chief in an angry reaction accused the Israeli government of turning football into a "political tool".

Rajoub later went on to declare that Messi would be personally targetted and called on Palestinian football fans to "burn his picture and his shirt and to abandon him."&nbsp;

Although Argentina has played in Israel earlier but circumstances have changed considerably after the US moved its embassy to &nbsp;Jerusalem last month and recognised the holy city as the official capital of Israel leading to widespread protests in West Bank which led to several deaths as Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces.

Later, Guatemala and Honduras also opened their embassy in Jerusalem leading to further discontentment among the Palestinians.

Argentina has been drawn in World Cup Group D and will open their campaign against Iceland in Moscow on June 16. &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Rajoub later went on to declare that Messi will be personally targetted

The Israel embassy said today the much-awaited Argentina-Israel World Cup friendly due to be played in a west Jerusalem stadium on Saturday has been cancelled. The match had created great hype with Argentina star Lionel Messi likely to play, however, it took a political turn after Palestinian FA chief Jibril Rajoub wrote to Claudio Tapia, the head of the Argentinian FA, last week accusing Israel of using the match as a "political tool". Jerusalem's Teddy Kollek Stadium was due to host Messi's all-star line-up just days ahead of the World Cup but Palestinian FA chief in an angry reaction accused the Israeli government of turning football into a "political tool". Rajoub later went on to declare that Messi would be personally targetted and called on Palestinian football fans to "burn his picture and his shirt and to abandon him." Although Argentina has played in Israel earlier but circumstances have changed considerably after the US moved its embassy to Jerusalem last month and recognised the holy city as the official capital of Israel leading to widespread protests in West Bank which led to several deaths as Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces. Later, Guatemala and Honduras also opened their embassy in Jerusalem leading to further discontentment among the Palestinians. Argentina has been drawn in World Cup Group D and will open their campaign against Iceland in Moscow on June 16.

Jerusalem row: Israel calls off Argentina World Cup friendly

The president of the Palestinian Football Association on Wednesday accused Israel of trying to use superstar Lionel Messi and the Argentinian national soccer team as political tools, following the cancellation of the Argentina-Israeli friendly. 
 
Speaking at a press conference, Jibril Rajoub accused Israel mixing sports with politics, alluding to the fact that the game was to be held in Jerusalem, the eastern half of which is considered occupied by Israel under international law. 
 
"Israel sought to use the game to send a political message that has nothing to do with sports," Rajoub was quoted as saying in the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. 
 
"It wanted to use Messi to 'sport-wash' its crimes against the Palestinian people and Palestinian sports."

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/israeli-minister-slams-argentina-team-over-football-cancellation-142582">Israeli minister slams Argentina team over football cancellation</a> 
 
Rajoub stressed that moving the match to Jerusalem, after it was originally planned to take place in the city of Haifa on the Mediterranean coast, was a violation of United Nations resolutions and international law. 
 
"We took the initiative right from day one and exerted all efforts to work according to FIFA rules in order to prevent the game from taking place in Jerusalem," he said. 
 
The change in venue was promoted by the Israeli minister of culture and sports, Miri Regev, who announced that the Argentinean team would tour the Old City of Jerusalem and that Messi would kiss the Wailing Wall, the most important place of prayer in Judaism, which is considered Israeli-occupied territory. 
 
After the press conference, Rajoub went to the Consulate of Argentina in Ramallah, where dozens of Palestinians gathered to thank the national team for their decision not to play the game in Jerusalem. 
 
Palestinians see East Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed in 1980, as the capital of their future state.

The president of the Palestinian Football Association accused Israel of trying to use superstar Lionel Messi and the Argentinian national soccer team as political tools

The president of the Palestinian Football Association on Wednesday accused Israel of trying to use superstar Lionel Messi and the Argentinian national soccer team as political tools, following the cancellation of the Argentina-Israeli friendly. Speaking at a press conference, Jibril Rajoub accused Israel mixing sports with politics, alluding to the fact that the game was to be held in Jerusalem, the eastern half of which is considered occupied by Israel under international law. "Israel sought to use the game to send a political message that has nothing to do with sports," Rajoub was quoted as saying in the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. "It wanted to use Messi to 'sport-wash' its crimes against the Palestinian people and Palestinian sports." Israeli minister slams Argentina team over football cancellation Rajoub stressed that moving the match to Jerusalem, after it was originally planned to take place in the city of Haifa on the Mediterranean coast, was a violation of United Nations resolutions and international law. "We took the initiative right from day one and exerted all efforts to work according to FIFA rules in order to prevent the game from taking place in Jerusalem," he said. The change in venue was promoted by the Israeli minister of culture and sports, Miri Regev, who announced that the Argentinean team would tour the Old City of Jerusalem and that Messi would kiss the Wailing Wall, the most important place of prayer in Judaism, which is considered Israeli-occupied territory. After the press conference, Rajoub went to the Consulate of Argentina in Ramallah, where dozens of Palestinians gathered to thank the national team for their decision not to play the game in Jerusalem. Palestinians see East Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed in 1980, as the capital of their future state.

Palestinian football chief accuses Israel of using Messi as political tool

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday slammed the Argentina national football team over the cancellation of a planned friendly against Israel in Jerusalem, calling it a surrender to hate.

"It's a shame that Argentina's footballing nobility did not withstand the pressure from Israeli-hating inciters," he wrote on Twitter in the first response from an Israeli cabinet minister.

The Israeli embassy in Argentina earlier announced the "suspension" of Saturday's sold-out game because of what it called "threats and provocations" against Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.

The World Cup warm-up appearance in Jerusalem was hotly opposed by Palestinians, who claim the eastern part of the city, annexed by Israel, as the capital of their future state.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman slammed the Argentina national football team over the cancellation of a planned friendly against Israel

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday slammed the Argentina national football team over the cancellation of a planned friendly against Israel in Jerusalem, calling it a surrender to hate. "It's a shame that Argentina's footballing nobility did not withstand the pressure from Israeli-hating inciters," he wrote on Twitter in the first response from an Israeli cabinet minister. The Israeli embassy in Argentina earlier announced the "suspension" of Saturday's sold-out game because of what it called "threats and provocations" against Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi. The World Cup warm-up appearance in Jerusalem was hotly opposed by Palestinians, who claim the eastern part of the city, annexed by Israel, as the capital of their future state.

Israeli minister slams Argentina team over football cancellation

FC Barcelona's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez said Tuesday that everyone, including the Uruguayan national team, dreams of the World Cup and has high hopes to go as far as possible.

"Why don't dream? Everyone dreams of the World Cup, with all the expectations to go far. We have the capacity to go as far as possible," he said at a press conference.

He said many of his Barcelona teammates told him they did not want to face the Uruguayan team, which gave him satisfaction and, in his opinion, this showed their respect for his national team.

He explained that the players of "La Celeste" (The Sky Blue) are prepared to "be neat."

"As the days go by, we see some shortcomings that we may have and that we must try to correct," he admitted.

Suarez was emotional to talk with the three compatriots who had to leave the final 23-man squad that will play in the World Cup: Federico Valverde, Nicolas Lodeiro and Gaston Ramirez.

Suarez said Valverde, 19, who plays for Deportivo La Coruna, will get a "rematch and many more possibilities."

For Lodeiro, he said that his absence from the World Cup is difficult because he is a friend.

He also regretted the loss of Ramirez because of the experience he has accumulated in the previous World Cups.

Uruguay is in Group A with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Russia.&nbsp;

Suarez said that Egypt will be a tough rival, as it is Uruguay's first match in the World Cup and his opponent is armed with Liverpool's forward Mohamed Salah.

"Saudi Arabia might be a little more accessible than Egypt, but it is a World Cup and the national team will want to play a good role," he added.

Uruguay's first match in the World Cup is against Egypt and his opponent is armed with Liverpool's forward Mohamed Salah

FC Barcelona's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez said Tuesday that everyone, including the Uruguayan national team, dreams of the World Cup and has high hopes to go as far as possible. "Why don't dream? Everyone dreams of the World Cup, with all the expectations to go far. We have the capacity to go as far as possible," he said at a press conference. He said many of his Barcelona teammates told him they did not want to face the Uruguayan team, which gave him satisfaction and, in his opinion, this showed their respect for his national team. He explained that the players of "La Celeste" (The Sky Blue) are prepared to "be neat." "As the days go by, we see some shortcomings that we may have and that we must try to correct," he admitted. Suarez was emotional to talk with the three compatriots who had to leave the final 23-man squad that will play in the World Cup: Federico Valverde, Nicolas Lodeiro and Gaston Ramirez. Suarez said Valverde, 19, who plays for Deportivo La Coruna, will get a "rematch and many more possibilities." For Lodeiro, he said that his absence from the World Cup is difficult because he is a friend. He also regretted the loss of Ramirez because of the experience he has accumulated in the previous World Cups. Uruguay is in Group A with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Russia. Suarez said that Egypt will be a tough rival, as it is Uruguay's first match in the World Cup and his opponent is armed with Liverpool's forward Mohamed Salah. "Saudi Arabia might be a little more accessible than Egypt, but it is a World Cup and the national team will want to play a good role," he added.

FIFA World Cup 2018: Luis Suarez admits Egypt will be a tough rival

Brazil star Neymar made a stunning return from injury with a superb goal in their 2-0 friendly victory over Croatia on Sunday.

Just 98 days after suffering an injury he feared would keep him out of the upcoming World Cup in Russia, Neymar was back with a bang at Anfield.&nbsp

The Paris Saint-Germain forward appeared as a half-time replacement for Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho as the Selecao stepped up their World Cup preparations.

And Neymar needed just 23 minutes to prove how important he is to Brazil's hopes of a sixth world title.

Receiving a pass from Philippe Coutinho, Neymar cut into the area, beating Sime Vrsaljko and Duje Caleta-Car with impressive close control and dribbling, before burying a shot into the roof of the goal, via the crossbar, from the edge of the six-yard area.

Neymar ran behind the goal, in front of Anfield's legendary Kop End, and punched the air in obvious delight as he was mobbed by team-mates.

The sublime strike leaves Neymar on 54 goals for his national team, one behind Romario, who is third on the country's all-time list, and with only Pele and Ronaldo ahead of him in the Brazil record books.

Liverpool's Roberto Firmino, on his home ground, completed the victory in stoppage time when he controlled a through ball on his chest and calmly beat the advancing keeper with a delicate lob.

Neymar, the world's most expensive player following his blockbuster move from Barcelona last year, had been sidelined since the end of February when he fractured his foot playing for PSG in a league victory against Marseille.

He sprained his ankle and fractured his fifth metatarsal, requiring an operation which had left the 26-year-old facing a battle to be fit in time for Brazil's opening World Cup match with Switzerland in Rostov-on-Don on June 17.

Biggest challenge

Neymar had spoken last month of his concerns about winning that race and described his rehabilitation as the biggest challenge of his career.

He also sat out training with the national team at Tottenham's London base on Thursday as a precaution.

But Brazil coach Tite had announced his intention to use Neymar against Croatia, with the Brazilians having just one more warm-up game - against Austria in Vienna on June 10 - in which his asset can gain much-needed game-time.

True to his word, Tite brought on Neymar at the interval and he appeared comfortable, steering an early shot, from a wide angle on the edge of the area, directly at goalkeeper Danijel Subasic who saved well.

It was a notable afternoon also for former Liverpool striker Coutinho, who made his first appearance at Anfield since his transfer to Barcelona in January, and received a smattering of boos from some of his old club's supporters.

He formed part of a potent three-man forward line that also featured Chelsea's Willian and Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus, who was named captain for the day, the 15th player to wear the armband under the reign of manager Tite.

Despite the looming spectre of the World Cup, now less than two weeks away, the game proved a physical one.

Croatia's Andrej Kramaric and Ivan Perisic were both cautioned by English referee Michael Oliver in the first half, along with Brazilian Fernandinho whose high-footed challenge left Vrsaljko needing a large bandage to a head wound.

Neymar's introduction at the start of the second half drew an enthusiastic reaction, from the Anfield crowd and his team-mates alike.

He joined Jesus and Willian in attack, with Coutinho dropping into the midfield place vacated by Fernandinho.&nbsp

Brazil instantly appeared more threatening, with the PSG man linking up quickly with Jesus.&nbsp

Before Neymar's brilliant opener, Croatia might have struck first when Ante Rebic's header forced a fine save from Alisson.

Brazil star Neymar made a stunning return from injury with a superb goal in their 2-0 friendly victory over Croatia on Sunday

Brazil star Neymar made a stunning return from injury with a superb goal in their 2-0 friendly victory over Croatia on Sunday. Just 98 days after suffering an injury he feared would keep him out of the upcoming World Cup in Russia, Neymar was back with a bang at Anfield. The Paris Saint-Germain forward appeared as a half-time replacement for Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho as the Selecao stepped up their World Cup preparations. And Neymar needed just 23 minutes to prove how important he is to Brazil's hopes of a sixth world title. Receiving a pass from Philippe Coutinho, Neymar cut into the area, beating Sime Vrsaljko and Duje Caleta-Car with impressive close control and dribbling, before burying a shot into the roof of the goal, via the crossbar, from the edge of the six-yard area. Neymar ran behind the goal, in front of Anfield's legendary Kop End, and punched the air in obvious delight as he was mobbed by team-mates. The sublime strike leaves Neymar on 54 goals for his national team, one behind Romario, who is third on the country's all-time list, and with only Pele and Ronaldo ahead of him in the Brazil record books. Liverpool's Roberto Firmino, on his home ground, completed the victory in stoppage time when he controlled a through ball on his chest and calmly beat the advancing keeper with a delicate lob. Neymar, the world's most expensive player following his blockbuster move from Barcelona last year, had been sidelined since the end of February when he fractured his foot playing for PSG in a league victory against Marseille. He sprained his ankle and fractured his fifth metatarsal, requiring an operation which had left the 26-year-old facing a battle to be fit in time for Brazil's opening World Cup match with Switzerland in Rostov-on-Don on June 17. Biggest challenge Neymar had spoken last month of his concerns about winning that race and described his rehabilitation as the biggest challenge of his career. He also sat out training with the national team at Tottenham's London base on Thursday as a precaution. But Brazil coach Tite had announced his intention to use Neymar against Croatia, with the Brazilians having just one more warm-up game - against Austria in Vienna on June 10 - in which his asset can gain much-needed game-time. True to his word, Tite brought on Neymar at the interval and he appeared comfortable, steering an early shot, from a wide angle on the edge of the area, directly at goalkeeper Danijel Subasic who saved well. It was a notable afternoon also for former Liverpool striker Coutinho, who made his first appearance at Anfield since his transfer to Barcelona in January, and received a smattering of boos from some of his old club's supporters. He formed part of a potent three-man forward line that also featured Chelsea's Willian and Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus, who was named captain for the day, the 15th player to wear the armband under the reign of manager Tite. Despite the looming spectre of the World Cup, now less than two weeks away, the game proved a physical one. Croatia's Andrej Kramaric and Ivan Perisic were both cautioned by English referee Michael Oliver in the first half, along with Brazilian Fernandinho whose high-footed challenge left Vrsaljko needing a large bandage to a head wound. Neymar's introduction at the start of the second half drew an enthusiastic reaction, from the Anfield crowd and his team-mates alike. He joined Jesus and Willian in attack, with Coutinho dropping into the midfield place vacated by Fernandinho. Brazil instantly appeared more threatening, with the PSG man linking up quickly with Jesus. Before Neymar's brilliant opener, Croatia might have struck first when Ante Rebic's header forced a fine save from Alisson.

World Cup friendlies: Neymar scores after comeback from injury as Brazil beat Croatia 2-0

The 21st edition of football World Cup is set to start from June 14&nbsp;and the madness is already begun. With just 11 days remaining, we've collated the best XI from the tournament squads in a 4-3-3&nbsp;formation.&nbsp;

Coach: Joachim Low

Goalkeeper -

David De Gea: The Manchester United goalkeeper has been exceptionally well since the last September with some mind-blowing saves. This is the reason he is listed ahead of German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Defender -&nbsp;

Joshua Kimmich: Joshua Walter Kimmich is a German professional footballer who plays as a right back for Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. The 23-year-old ended the 2017/18 campaign with his third successive Bundesliga winner's medal. Being a defender, he also scored in the&nbsp;semi-finals (first Leg) of Champions League at a very crucial stage which is commendable.&nbsp;

Mats Hummels: Mats Julian Hummels is a German professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Bayern Munich and the Germany national team.

Sergio Ramos: Sergio Ramos is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for and captains both Real Madrid and the Spain national team. Although, he is a central defender but can play as a right back.

Marcelo Vieira da Silva Junior: Marcelo is a Brazilian professional footballer for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. He plays mainly at left-back but can also operate as a left winger. He has always played a vital role in Real's success and definitely a player to watch out for in Brazilian squad.

<img alt="De Gea.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="770" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/De%20Gea.jpg" width="430" />

Midfielders -&nbsp;

Toni Kroos: Toni Kroos is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Spanish club Real Madrid and the German national team. His&nbsp;campaign in&nbsp;the previous season at Bayern Munich has been a roaring success.

N'Golo Kante: N'Golo Kante is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for English club Chelsea and the France national team. His performance for Chelsea was outstanding&nbsp;in the previous season and he also won the club's Player of the Year prize for the 2017/18 campaign.

James Rodriguez: J. Rodriguez is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for German club Bayern Munich on loan from Real Madrid, and captains the Colombia national team.

Forwards -&nbsp;

Cristiano Ronaldo: Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Portugal national team. His recent performance in the recently concluded Champions League was&nbsp;remarkable. He took his country towards victory in last Euro Cup.

Harry Edward Kane: Harry Kane is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and captains the English national team.

Lionel Andres Messi: Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentine national team.

A collation of dream XI for the football World Cup which will kick off from June 14

The 21st edition of football World Cup is set to start from June 14 and the madness is already begun. With just 11 days remaining, we've collated the best XI from the tournament squads in a 4-3-3 formation. Coach: Joachim Low Goalkeeper - David De Gea: The Manchester United goalkeeper has been exceptionally well since the last September with some mind-blowing saves. This is the reason he is listed ahead of German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Defender - Joshua Kimmich: Joshua Walter Kimmich is a German professional footballer who plays as a right back for Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. The 23-year-old ended the 2017/18 campaign with his third successive Bundesliga winner's medal. Being a defender, he also scored in the semi-finals (first Leg) of Champions League at a very crucial stage which is commendable. Mats Hummels: Mats Julian Hummels is a German professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. Sergio Ramos: Sergio Ramos is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for and captains both Real Madrid and the Spain national team. Although, he is a central defender but can play as a right back. Marcelo Vieira da Silva Junior: Marcelo is a Brazilian professional footballer for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. He plays mainly at left-back but can also operate as a left winger. He has always played a vital role in Real's success and definitely a player to watch out for in Brazilian squad. Midfielders - Toni Kroos: Toni Kroos is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Spanish club Real Madrid and the German national team. His campaign in the previous season at Bayern Munich has been a roaring success. N'Golo Kante: N'Golo Kante is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for English club Chelsea and the France national team. His performance for Chelsea was outstanding in the previous season and he also won the club's Player of the Year prize for the 2017/18 campaign. James Rodriguez: J. Rodriguez is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for German club Bayern Munich on loan from Real Madrid, and captains the Colombia national team. Forwards - Cristiano Ronaldo: Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Portugal national team. His recent performance in the recently concluded Champions League was remarkable. He took his country towards victory in last Euro Cup. Harry Edward Kane: Harry Kane is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and captains the English national team. Lionel Andres Messi: Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentine national team.

With 11 days to go, here is WION's Dream XI for the World Cup

Peru captain Paolo Guerrero was cleared to play at the World Cup after a Swiss court agreed on Thursday to temporarily lift his doping suspension while it considered his appeal against a 14-month ban.

"As a consequence, Paolo Guerrero will be able to play at the World Cup in Russia," said the Swiss Federal Tribunal in a statement.

Earlier, Guerrero had&nbspcompleted a six-month ban from FIFA after testing positive for a byproduct of cocaine consumption when CAS extended the suspension, ruling him out of the World Cup.

Guerrero denied having used cocaine.

Guerrero has said that benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, was found in his system because of an herbal infusion he drank that was contaminated with coca leaf, an ingredient in cocaine which is also widely used as a non-narcotic traditional remedy in South America.

Guerrero, 34, unsuccessfully sought amnesty from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during a visit to Switzerland this week.

Guerrero had completed a six-month ban from FIFA after testing positive for a byproduct of cocaine consumption

Peru captain Paolo Guerrero was cleared to play at the World Cup after a Swiss court agreed on Thursday to temporarily lift his doping suspension while it considered his appeal against a 14-month ban. "As a consequence, Paolo Guerrero will be able to play at the World Cup in Russia," said the Swiss Federal Tribunal in a statement. Earlier, Guerrero had&nbspcompleted a six-month ban from FIFA after testing positive for a byproduct of cocaine consumption when CAS extended the suspension, ruling him out of the World Cup. Guerrero denied having used cocaine. Guerrero has said that benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, was found in his system because of an herbal infusion he drank that was contaminated with coca leaf, an ingredient in cocaine which is also widely used as a non-narcotic traditional remedy in South America. Guerrero, 34, unsuccessfully sought amnesty from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during a visit to Switzerland this week.

FIFA World Cup: Peru captain Paolo Guerrero free to play at World Cup after court ruling

world-cup

World Cup, News on World Cup, stories on World Cup, articles on World Cup, World Cup stories at Wion, World Cup news, World Cup latest news