Saudi Arabia ready to host 2034 World Cup: Sports minister

Saudi Arabia ready to host 2034 World Cup: Sports minister
Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal has talked up the sporting and economic opportunities of the Kingdom hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup, saying his country is ready to host the world’s biggest sporting event. (SAFF/File)
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Updated 08 December 2023
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Saudi Arabia ready to host 2034 World Cup: Sports minister

Saudi Arabia ready to host 2034 World Cup: Sports minister
  • Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal tells BBC Kingdom has proved itself able to host major events
  • Government has invested over $6.26bn in sports since 2021 as part of Vision 2030

LONDON: Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal has talked up the sporting and economic opportunities of the Kingdom hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup, saying his country is ready to host the world’s biggest sporting event.
In an interview with the BBC, he raised the prospect of the Kingdom hosting the competition in the summer rather than the winter, noted the importance of sport in a country where the majority of citizens are below the age of 30, and discussed the progress made by the Saudi Pro League.
The government has invested over £5 billion ($6.26 billion) in sports since 2021 as part of the Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy away from dependence on fossil fuels.
With the FIFA Club World Cup set to begin in the Kingdom next month, Prince Abdulaziz said Saudi Arabia is more than ready to host the biggest prize in football.
“We’ve showcased that — we’ve hosted more than 85 global events and we’ve delivered on the highest level,” he said.
“We want to attract the world through sports. Hopefully, by 2034, people will have an extraordinary World Cup.”
Since 2021, Saudi Arabia has hosted high-profile boxing matches, ATP tennis tournaments and Formula 1 racing.
The Public Investment Fund made waves when taking control of Premier League side Newcastle United and setting up the LIV Golf tour.
“Twenty million of our population are below the age of 30, so we need to get them engaged — we are playing our role to develop sports within the world and to be part of the international community,” Prince Abdulaziz said.
He added that lessons would be taken from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in neighboring Qatar, which had to be held in winter to avoid high temperatures.
He said Saudi Arabia is “definitely” looking into whether a summer contest would be feasible.
“Why not see what the possibilities are to do it in the summer? Whether it is summer or winter, it doesn’t matter for us, as long as we make sure that we (deliver) the right atmosphere to host such an event,” he added.
On the subject of the World Cup’s sustainability, Prince Abdulaziz said: “It’s a mandate on us in the Kingdom to make sure that we abide by the international regulations … to make sure that we play our role, to make sure that it’s eco-friendly.”
He addressed the progress of football in the Kingdom, which has taken on global significance since the £750 million influx of big names to the Saudi Pro League earlier this year, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar.
At grassroots, too, football is gaining in popularity, and the Kingdom even sees over 70,000 women and girls regularly taking part in the sport.
“All of our big matches have attracted record numbers so far … We’re broadcasting to 147 countries around the world,” Prince Abdulaziz said.
“When we planned to develop the league we never thought that we would do it with such pace, but to see that is actually refreshing and it actually showcases the importance of this. Our focus is to develop our league to attract the best in the world.”


France will host Israel in the Nations League ‘under usual conditions,’ French authorities say

France will host Israel in the Nations League ‘under usual conditions,’ French authorities say
Updated 15 October 2024
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France will host Israel in the Nations League ‘under usual conditions,’ French authorities say

France will host Israel in the Nations League ‘under usual conditions,’ French authorities say
  • The match at the Stade de France on Nov. 14 will be played “under the usual conditions for a Nations League match and will of course be open to the public”
  • Italy beat Israel 4-1 in the Nations League on Monday

PARIS: Israel’s Nations League soccer match against host France next month will take place in “usual conditions,” French authorities said Tuesday, a day after Italy hosted Israel in the same competition without incident despite security concerns.
Laurent Nuñez, the Paris police prefect, said in a statement that the match at the Stade de France on Nov. 14 will be played “under the usual conditions for a Nations League match and will of course be open to the public.”
Italy beat Israel 4-1 in the Nations League on Monday, with the game being played against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East which has spread to Lebanon after more than a year-long war in Gaza.
It was the first match Israel have played outside neutral Hungary this year. After the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7 last year, the national soccer team played in Kosovo and Andorra last November.
All Israel matches since then have been in Hungary, including last month’s game against Belgium in the Nations League after the Belgian Football Association refused to host the game for security reasons.


Tuchel ‘in talks with FA’ over England manager’s job

Tuchel ‘in talks with FA’ over England manager’s job
Updated 15 October 2024
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Tuchel ‘in talks with FA’ over England manager’s job

Tuchel ‘in talks with FA’ over England manager’s job
  • It follows reports that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has been asked about his interest in the role
  • Tuchel, 51, led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 but was sacked the following year

LONDON: Thomas Tuchel is in talks with the Football Association about becoming England’s next manager, according to reports on Tuesday.
It follows reports that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has been asked about his interest in the role.
Tuchel, 51, led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 but was sacked the following year.
He has been among the bookmakers’ favorites for the England job since Gareth Southgate stood down after England lost to Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
Sky Sports said the German, who left Bayern Munich at the end of last season, was in “pole position” to become Southgate’s long-term replacement.
The Football Association declined to comment on the reports.
Lee Carsley was appointed as Southgate’s successor on a temporary basis in August, initially for the Nations League campaign over three international windows.
However, the 50-year-old, who stepped up from his role as under-21s manager, has since given mixed messages about whether he wants the job on a permanent basis.
Carsley, who has overseen three wins and a defeat, believes the job should go to the best candidate, regardless of nationality.
England have twice before been managed by foreign coaches, with Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello taking charge.
Carsley’s own chances of landing the job full time were severely dented by a 2-1 defeat at home to Greece last week after he named an experimental line-up.
“We’ve seen in the past that we’ve had different nationalities coach the team. The best candidate should get the job,” said the interim boss.
“I think we’d be putting ourselves in a corner if we didn’t, and we didn’t open our minds a bit.”


Time for Mancini and Saudi Arabia to deliver in must-win World Cup qualifier clash against Bahrain

Time for Mancini and Saudi Arabia to deliver in must-win World Cup qualifier clash against Bahrain
Updated 15 October 2024
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Time for Mancini and Saudi Arabia to deliver in must-win World Cup qualifier clash against Bahrain

Time for Mancini and Saudi Arabia to deliver in must-win World Cup qualifier clash against Bahrain
  • After last week’s 2-0 loss to Japan, the Green Falcons cannot afford another slip as they sit third in Group C of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup

LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s World Cup qualifier with Bahrain in Jeddah on Tuesday is just one out of 10 games for Roberto Mancini’s team in Group C but there is already a feeling that this is a must-win clash in more ways than one.

The first and biggest is that the Green Falcons need the points after a mixed start in the first three games of the third round of qualification. A 1-1 draw against Indonesia was followed by a 2-1 win over China in September.

And then, last week, Japan came to King Abdullah Sports City and went home with a 2-0 victory. As things stand, Saudi Arabia are third, level on four points with Australia in second, and Bahrain in fourth.

Only the top two qualify automatically for the World Cup while third and fourth advance to the next stage. Japan have nine and are surely heading for first place. Mancini admitted as such.

“We knew Japan were strong contenders to top the group, and now we will focus on competing with Australia for second place,” he said.

At this stage, the Italian will probably feel that his team are three points short. Mancini would have wanted and expected a win against Indonesia and a draw against Japan.

Had that been the case then they would have been three points clear of Australia. With the Socceroos playing in Japan on Tuesday and likely to lose, a win against Bahrain would have put Saudi Arabia six clear.

That would have been a fantastic position to be in but there is no point thinking too much about that now. The focus has to be on beating their neighbors and hoping they end Tuesday three points clear in second.

Mancini also needs a win and solid performance to lift the mood. Losing to Japan is no disgrace. The Samurai Blue are the best team in Asia by some distance, but their clear cohesion, identity and playing style was in contrast to that of Saudi Arabia’s.

Mancini, at just over a year in the job, has still to stamp his identity on the team and there are doubts as to whether he has the players really believing in his methods. Any sign of progress in this regard against Bahrain would be welcome.

Ever since the start of the year and the Asian Cup, there has not been much to shout about.

Before the tournament started Mancini dropped a bombshell. Veteran Salman Al-Faraj and Sultan Al-Ghannam were left out of the preliminary list, then goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi was excluded from the final squad.

The coach accused them of not wanting to play in friendly games. The Asian Cup ended at the last-16 stage with the boss leaving the pitch and heading down the tunnel before the penalty shootout against South Korea had ended.

It is fair to say that there has yet to be a really exciting, impressive or surprising performance under Mancini, the former English Premier League-, Serie A- and European Championship-winning coach.

His willingness to look outside the big clubs for talent and also trust in youth has been refreshing but he has complained on multiple occasions about the lack of playing time that several players are getting at their clubs.

“The only problem we have, three years ago all the Saudi players played every game,” he said. “Today, 50, 60 percent don’t play in the game and this is the only problem that we have.”

The coach has a point. There are players who have found themselves down the pecking order as their clubs have signed world-class foreign talent. This is especially evident at both ends of the pitch: goalkeepers and attackers.

Firas Al-Buraikan has been a regular for Al-Ahli and Abdullah Radif has played a reasonable amount for Al-Hilal, but Saleh Al-Shehri has had little time with Ittihad and Mohammed Maran has barely featured.

It is not ideal but it is what it is and Mancini’s job is to get the best out of what is available to him.

It has not happened yet. In three games, there have been three goals: one own goal and two set pieces. Against Japan, they played with an unfamiliar four-man defense, did not look like scoring and there were issues at the back but they were against a very good team.

Now this is Bahrain and fans will be less accepting of excuses.

Even so, Bahrain won in Australia in the opening game, sitting back to frustrate the Socceroos and then hitting on the counter, and that may well be their approach in Jeddah.

They later lost 5-0 at home to Japan and then needed a 99th-minute equalizer to draw 2-2 with Indonesia.

Compared to the passing and movement of the Samurai Blue, this is going to be a more physical test for Saudi Arabia and it should be one they are more suited to.

It has to be because one thing is for sure, this is a must-win game not just for the hopes of a top-two finish but for Mancini’s future in the job.

A scrappy 1-0 victory would be enough but a free-flowing performance and a convincing win would go down as well as the sun over the Red Sea.


Leweling rockets Germany past Dutch and into Nations League quarterfinals

Leweling rockets Germany past Dutch and into Nations League quarterfinals
Updated 15 October 2024
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Leweling rockets Germany past Dutch and into Nations League quarterfinals

Leweling rockets Germany past Dutch and into Nations League quarterfinals
  • A beaming Leweling told Germany’s ZDF network “we won as a team, I scored the 1-0, we won 1-0, but we did well and I’m just happy I could help out

MUNICH, Germany: A 63-minute rocket from debutant Jamie Leweling gave Germany a 1-0 win over a limp Netherlands in Munich on Monday and a first appearance in the Nations League knockout rounds.
The Stuttgart forward was called off the bench after an injury to club teammate Deniz Undav in the warm-up.
Leweling had an early goal ruled out for the tightest of offsides before blasting in a loose ball from a Joshua Kimmich corner.
A beaming Leweling told Germany’s ZDF network “we won as a team, I scored the 1-0, we won 1-0, but we did well and I’m just happy I could help out.
“The Dutch are a top nation, but we played a good game nevertheless. We used the chances that we had well.”
Captain Kimmich told reporters the side were proud to overcome a long injury list.
“There were just three players on the field in comparison to five weeks ago against Holland (a 2-2 draw in the Netherlands), that’s why we are proud of what we did.
“You could see how happy we are, how proud we are of the performance today.
“We had lots of new players, some young players, unfortunately lots of injuries but you didnt notice much of a difference.
“Jamie had an outstanding debut — it’s not often the Allianz Arena gives you a reception like that — he did well.
Oliver Baumann, at 34 the oldest debutant goalie in Germany history, pulled off a spectacular save from Donyell Malen in the final minute to protect Germany’s victory.
The Netherlands, missing suspended captain Virgil van Dijk, were poor until the dying stages. They stayed second in the group but only on goal difference ahead of Hungary, who beat Bosnia 2-0.
Before the match, the hosts bid farewell to international veterans Manuel Neuer, Thomas Mueller, Ilkay Gundogan and Toni Kroos, who have all stepped down since the home Euros in the summer.
Since starting his reign one year ago to the day with a 3-1 away win over the United States, coach Julian Nagelsmann has been willing to ignore big names in favor of in-form players.
Injuries to key players including Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen forced Nagelsmann into seven changes, the injury to Undav, who scored both goals in Germany’s win over Bosnia on October 11, forced a last-minute reshuffle.
The coach gave Leweling and Oliver Baumann their first caps, while Aleksandar Pavlovic and Angelo Stiller started for the first time.
Leweling appeared to have started his Germany career perfectly when he gave the hosts the lead after just two minutes, but a lengthy video review found Serge Gnabry offside in the build-up.
Despite pressing the Dutch into a series of mistakes playing out from goal, Germany failed to carve another clear opportunity in the first half.
The visitors posed little threat to debutant Baumann’s goal, failing to register a shot in the first half.
Leweling’s stunning strike jolted the match into life with just under half an hour remaining.
Xavi Simons rattled the crossbar late as the Dutch hinted at a possible comeback, with Malen also going close but failing to break through.


Ronaldo scores in Portugal’s Nations League win as Spain sink Denmark

Ronaldo scores in Portugal’s Nations League win as Spain sink Denmark
Updated 13 October 2024
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Ronaldo scores in Portugal’s Nations League win as Spain sink Denmark

Ronaldo scores in Portugal’s Nations League win as Spain sink Denmark
  • The 39-year-old Ronaldo has now struck in all three games of this Nations League campaign for Portugal, taking his record men’s international goals tally to 133

PARIS: Cristiano Ronaldo scored as Portugal beat Poland 3-1 for their third straight Nations League win on Saturday, while European champions Spain put an end to Denmark’s perfect start in the competition.
Bernardo Silva volleyed Portugal ahead in the 26th minute in Warsaw as Bruno Fernandes cleverly nodded a cross from Ruben Neves back toward the Manchester City midfielder.
Ronaldo then found himself in the right place at the right time to turn in the rebound for Portugal’s second after Rafael Leao’s shot came back off the post following a brilliant surging run by the AC Milan winger.
The 39-year-old Ronaldo has now struck in all three games of this Nations League campaign for Portugal, taking his record men’s international goals tally to 133.
Piotr Zielinski cut the deficit for Poland but Jan Bednarek’s own goal sealed victory for Portugal, the lone remaining team in League A with a 100 percent record, and they could secure a place in the quarter-finals next week.
Roberto Martinez’s side have a maximum nine points in Group A1, three ahead of Croatia who beat Scotland 2-1 to condemn them to a third successive defeat in the section.
Ryan Christie’s first half-goal gave Scotland a shock lead in Zagreb, but Igor Matanovic equalized before the interval and Andrej Kramaric bagged the winner midway through the second half.
Che Adams thought he had salvaged a stoppage-time equalizer but VAR disallowed his effort for offside, with Scotland winless in nine competitive outings — the longest run in their history.
Spain needed a 79th-minute effort from Martin Zubimendi to shrug off Denmark 1-0 in Murcia and replace their opponents at the top of Group A4.
The hosts were without Rodri and Dani Carvajal, both sidelined by long-term injuries, with first-choice goalkeeper Unai Simon still recovering from wrist surgery, and Dani Olmo and Robin Le Normand also ruled out.
But Luis de la Fuente’s team grabbed the only goal when Zubimendi’s low drive from just outside the edge squirmed past Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who had earlier denied Lamine Yamal and Alvaro Morata.
Spain moved up to seven points, one above Denmark, with Serbia picking up their first win after beating Switzerland 2-0 in Leskovac.
Serbia led through Nico Elvedi’s own goal in first-half stoppage time and Aleksandar Mitrovic doubled the advantage before Predrag Rajkovic saved a penalty from Swiss striker Breel Embolo.
Both games in Group C3 finished goalless as Bulgaria were held at home by Luxembourg and Northern Ireland drew against Belarus on neutral ground in Hungary.
Romania eased to a 3-0 win away to Cyprus in Group C2, while Kosovo beat Lithuania 2-1.