FIFA World Cup (Men's)

No Hard Feelings — Chiellini Says He Admires Luis Suarez For His Biting Antics

MILAN — Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini admires Uruguay forward Luis Suarez for biting him during a heated match at the 2014 World Cup, he said in his autobiography.

Suarez, who escaped punishment during the game, was later banned for four months plus nine internationals — but Chiellini said he bore no grudge towards him.

"Malice is part of football, I wouldn't call it illegitimate. To get past a rival you have to be smart," the Juventus captain said in the book "Io, Giorgio".

"I admire his cunning," he added. "If he lost it, he'd become an ordinary forward."

Qatar Claims It’ll Keep 2022 World Cup Affordable As COVID-19 Wreaks Havoc On Global Economy

MANCHESTER, England — The head of Qatar's 2022 World Cup organising committee has vowed to ensure the tournament remains affordable for fans despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy.

The gulf state will host the 32-nation tournament in November and December 2022 and while Hassan Al Thawadi, head of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, is hopeful the public health situation will be vastly improved he acknowledges the ripple-effects for the economy will be a challenge.

Happy Cinco De Mayo — Revisiting Mexico's Historic Victory Against France

The average, culturally unaware American sees Cinco de Mayo as Mexico’s version of July 4th and an excuse to eat tacos and burritos. The fact that this year’s Cinco de Mayo falls on “Taco Tuesday” isn’t helping either. To those unaware, the date actually celebrates the Mexican army’s victory at the Battle of Puebla over the French in 1862.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, let’s take a look back at the Mexican national team’s only victory against France, in the 2010 World Cup.

Germany Vs. Italy, 2006 World Cup: The Match That Sparked A Baby Boom

When the 2006 World Cup was over, eight of The Guardian’s 12 correspondents in Germany named it the match of the tournament. That sentiment has lasted 14 years as a recent poll on FIFA’s Twitter — with nearly 45K votes cast — declared it the one game from the 2006 competition that fans wanted to rewatch most. 

And all this fervent nostalgia for a match that remained 0-0 over the course of the first 118 minutes of action in Dortmund.

CONCACAF Confirms That 2022 World Cup Qualifying Format Needs Overhaul

The format and dates for CONCACAF's qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar are up in the air due to the sports shutdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, confederation president Victor Montagliani said Monday. 

Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Montagliani admitted that CONCACAF could wind up changing how it determines which three teams will earn direct berths in the World Cup and which one will head to an inter-continental playoff. 

Bond Set At $15 Million, Curfews Given To Former Fox Execs Who Plead Not Guilty In Corruption Probe

NEW YORK — Two former 21st Century Fox executives and a South American sports marketing company pleaded not guilty on Thursday to criminal charges in New York in the long-running corruption probe surrounding FIFA, the world governing body for soccer.

The former Fox executives, Hernan Lopez and Carlos Martinez, and Full Play Group SA entered their pleas to crimes including wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy at an arraignment before U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn.

U.S. DOJ Indicts FIFA Officials For Taking Bribes To Vote For Qatar World Cup

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has become the focus of fresh FIFA corruption allegations after the release of a new U.S. Department of Justice indictment which says bribes were paid to football officials to secure their votes for hosting rights.

Suspicion and rumours have long surrounded both the 2010 vote by FIFA's executive to hand the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar. But on Monday, for the first time, prosecutors set direct, formal allegations down in print.

Former FOX Marketing Execs Charged In FIFA Corruption Probe

U.S. prosecutors on Monday announced new criminal charges against two former executives of 21st Century Fox Inc and others stemming from a long-running investigation of corruption surrounding FIFA, soccer's world governing body.

The former Fox executives, Hernan Lopez and Carlos Martinez, were indicted in Brooklyn federal court on wire fraud and money laundering along with Gerard Romy, former co-CEO of Spanish media company Imagina Media Audiovisual SL, and Full Play Group SA, a Uruguayan sports marketing company. Lawyers for the defendants could not immediately be identified. 

Tim Cahill: Australia's World Cup Hero

The postponement of soccer around the world recently has left me, like many others, with no choice but to watch old highlights to get my fill. While watching clips from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil I came across a moment that instantly became an all-time classic: Tim Cahill's stunning volley against the Netherlands in a 3-2 group-stage defeat.

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