Tag: World Cup

Spain manager Lopetegui to take over in Real Madrid after World Cup

By Vivem Soriano Eagle News Service Spanish giant and recently-crowned European champions Real Madrid has announced that current Spain national team manager Julen Lopetegui will be the new manager of the capital club after the conclusion of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Lopetegui will be replacing legendary France midfielder Zinedine Zidane as Madrid’s manager after the latter suddenly resigned just days after guiding the club to a historic third straight Champions league crown. Lopetegui […]

Messi says Argentina future depends on World Cup

  BRONNITSY, Russia (AFP) — Argentina captain Lionel Messi said his international future will be determined by his country’s performance at the World Cup in Russia. “It will depend on how far we go, how we’re going to finish” at the finals, Messi said in an interview with Spanish daily Sport. “We’ve just lost three finals in a row, which has led to us going through some difficult moments with the press,” added the Barcelona forward. […]

2018 FIBA 3×3 World Cup kicks off today at the Philippine Arena

By Vivem Soriano Eagle News Service Thousands of basketball-crazy Pinoy fans are expected to witness the best and the brightest 3-on-3 ballers on the planet battle for supremacy as the 2018 FIBA 3×3 World Cup opens today at the massive Philippine Arena. Forty teams from 37 different countries will join and compete in the event, which runs from today up to the Philippine Independence Day on June 12. Serbia and Russia are expected to defend […]

Israeli minister slams Argentina team over football cancellation

  JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Israeli Defense 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 […]

Argentina-Israel friendly called off: Israel embassy

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AFP) — Argentina’s upcoming friendly with Israel in Jerusalem has been cancelled, the Israeli embassy confirmed on Tuesday, citing unspecified threats against Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi. The World Cup warmup match had been scheduled to take place on Saturday. But its status had been placed in doubt earlier, following protests by Palestinian football authorities who had urged Messi not to take part. “The Embassy of Israel regrets to communicate the suspension of the […]

Once taboo, Russian women’s football eyes World Cup boost

  by Dmitry Zaks © Agence France-Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — The sniggering kids kept pointing and staring at Margarita Chernomyrdina when she was small because she played football with the boys. She was the first girl brave enough to try and make the junior league. Now rapt crowds watch the 22-year-old lead the women’s national team in its quest to win acceptance and respect in Vladimir Putin’s socially conservative Russia. The technically-gifted midfielder with the […]

Cricket: South Africa, India battle for top spot again

by Colin BRYDEN Agence France-Presse DURBAN-CORBIÈRES, France (AFP) – South Africa and India will vie for the world number one ranking again when they meet in a six-match one-day international series, starting at Kingsmead on Thursday. The one-day games start just five days after India retained their top ranking in Tests, although second-placed South Africa closed the points gap by winning the series 2-1. South Africa are on top of the International Cricket Council one-day rankings by […]

PHL Arena to be the venue of 2023 FIBA World Cup, as PHL-Japan-Indonesia awarded hosting rights

  (Eagle News) — The Philippine Arena will be the site of the 2023 FIBA World Cup after the three-nation consortium of the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia was chosen to host the prestigious international basketball competition. The International Basketball Federation or FIBA on Saturday, December 9, awarded the hosting rights for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 to Philippines/Japan/Indonesia. “This marks the first time in the competition’s history that it is to be staged in […]

World Cup stadium rises from ashes of Battle of Stalingrad

by Dmitry Zaks © Agence France-Presse VOLGOGRAD, Russia (AFP) — First they dug up the bones and defused the bombs. Then Russia erected a light-as-air stadium for the 2018 World Cup that rises from the ground around which two million people died over 200 days in the Battle of Stalingrad — the tragic turning point of World War II. “Every millimetre of this soil is soaked in blood,” Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov said in an interview. “There […]

Football: Stindl denies France, Spain held by Russia

by Jed Court Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Lars Stindl scored a last-gasp equalizer as world champions Germany played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with France in Cologne on Tuesday, while Spain were held by Russia in a 3-3 friendly thriller. France and Germany are among the favorites for next year’s World Cup in Russia, and Stindl’s injury-time effort extended Joachim Loew’s side’s unbeaten run to 21 matches. “We conceded the goal from nothing to make […]

Football: Italy miss out on World Cup as Sweden qualify

by Emmeline Moore Agence France-Presse MILAN, Italy (AFP) — Italy failed to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1958 on Monday as they were held to a 0-0 draw in the second leg of their play-off at the San Siro by Sweden, who qualified with a 1-0 aggregate victory. The four-time champions dominated possession but struggled to create enough clear-cut chances, as Sweden secured a first appearance at the finals since 2006 courtesy of […]