Stories By Graham Ruthven
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Sport
Kylian Mbappe is using the 2022 World Cup to show he’s the best player in the world
The way Kylian Mbappe scored his second, and France’s third, against Poland in Les Blues’ round of 16 match at the 2022 World Cup was reflective of a player operating at the peak of his powers. It all looked so easy for the 23-year-old is breaking records almost every time he steps on the pitch in Qatar.
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Sport
Gakpo, Kudus, Bellingham… which players will get big moves after the 2022 World Cup?
The World Cup is the biggest shop window in football and with the January transfer window just around the corner it’s likely clubs are looking at events in Qatar with a view to making some deals. Only two weeks will separate the World Cup final and the opening of the window, so any transfer preparation must be done hastily.
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Sport
2022 World Cup glory would be the crowning achievement of Lionel Messi’s career
Lionel Messi’s relationship with his own country has long been a difficult one. Argentina has never embraced the 35-year-old like they did Diego Maradona, the icon of La Albiceleste’s 1986 World Cup triumph.
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Sport
USA could be a nightmare opponent for England at the 2022 World Cup
England have good reason to feel good about their 2022 World Cup chances right now. Gareth Southgate’s side played a free-flowing game as they started their campaign in Qatar with an emphatic 6-2 win over Iran while rivals like Argentina and Germany have suffered shock defeats at the tournament.
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Sport
2022 will be Lionel Messi’s best chance to win the World Cup
Lionel Messi has won everything there is to win in football with one notable exception. The player seen by many as the greatest to have ever played the sport has never got his hands on the World Cup. Messi has played in a World Cup final, but the most prestigious prize in international football has thus far evaded him.
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Sport
France have no choice but to build a new-look team for the 2022 World Cup
France know how to win a World Cup. Indeed, Les Blues have been crowned world champions twice in the last 24 years with Didier Deschamps’ team lifting the trophy at the 2018 World Cup. France will once again be among the favourites in Qatar, but Deschamps will have to build a new team at the tournament.
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Sport
Julen Lopetegui is the ambitious appointment Wolves needed to mark the start of a new era
Wolves wanted Julen Lopetegui as their new manager even before they sacked Bruno Lage and they weren’t prepared to be denied in their pursuit of the Spaniard. At first, Lopetegui appeared unsure of the Molineux club’s offer, rejecting their first approach, but the former Sevilla manager will take charge in the West Midlands in the World Cup break.
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Sport
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Chelsea transfer now looking like a mistake for all parties
Eight touches is all Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could muster before he was hooked by Graham Potter after 64 minutes of Chelsea’s home defeat to Arsenal. The 33-year-old spent the rest of the match watching from the Stamford Bridge bench as his former club claimed another win to take them back to the top of the Premier League table.
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Sport
Gareth Bale’s MLS Cup final shows what he could still offer Wales at the World Cup
For the majority of the 32 minutes Gareth Bale played in Saturday’s MLS Cup final, the Welsh winger offered next to nothing. It was clear in the lack of movement from the 33-year-old that he was a long way short of full fitness, but the Los Angeles FC attacker still came up with a match-defining moment that ultimately sent his team to glory.
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Sport
Reiss Nelson can be secret weapon of Arsenal’s title challenge this season
Few expected Reiss Nelson to be Arsenal’s primary difference-maker against Nottingham Forest, but that’s the role he ended up playing as the Gunners claimed a 5-0 win to stay top of the Premier League table.
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Sport
Can Gareth Southgate really ignore the incredible form of James Maddison?
Only four players (Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ivan Toney) have scored more Premier League goals this season than James Maddison. The 25-year-old is arguably in better form than any other English player right now, but it’s far from certain he will be included in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the 2022 World Cup.
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