ITV scores best Saturday night ever as record 23m Brits witness England getting trashed by France December 13, 2022 England’s World Cup Quarter Final match was watched by a peak audience of 23m across ITV and ITVX on Saturday evening as the Three Lions were narrowly defeated by France. The game drew the biggest audience of the tournament and the highest peak on any channel this year, the biggest since the final of last [...]
Lionel Messi should be regarded as the best ever whether he wins a World Cup or not December 12, 2022 It is the curse of every Argentinian No10 to be measured against Diego Maradona, but for Lionel Messi the comparison took on extra weight during the summer of 2005. Messi won the top scorer and player of the tournament prizes as he led his country to victory at the Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. [...]
Ranked: England’s five most painful defeats in major football tournaments December 11, 2022 England added another chapter to their history of World Cup heartbreak in Saturday’s quarter-final against France. But what were England’s most painful major tournament defeats, and does Harry Kane’s penalty miss even make it into the top five? 5. Argentina 1998 Michael Owen’s dazzling goal, David Beckham’s red card, Diego Simeone’s machiavellian antics, Sol Campbell’s [...]
Trevor Steven: England lacked belief of winners France – but we’re 95 per cent there December 11, 2022 England’s World Cup quarter-final with France was always going to be touch and go. There isn’t much above it for quality, pressure and match-ups. This was football at the highest level. But in games like that it is important to get into it as quickly as you can, and England were poor in the first [...]
EU lawmaker arrested in Qatar corruption probe December 11, 2022 A top-ranking member of the European Parliament has been suspended from her job after being arrested by Belgian police in a Qatar World Cup corruption probe. Greek MEP Eva Kaili was suspended from her job as one of the EU parliament’s fourteen vice-presidents after being detained in the investigation into potential bribes paid by [...]
Friendly competition: Macron and Sunak joke ahead of England-France game December 10, 2022 French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have shared a few jokes on Twitter ahead of tonight’s England-France game. Macron said he was looking forward to tonight’s game, asking the PM whether he would wish France good luck in the semi-final, if Les Bleus were to beat England later today. “Dear Rishi [...]
England v France TONIGHT: Why World Cup opponents’ rivalry lacks spice December 10, 2022 For two neighbouring countries with such a long history of conflict and mutual suspicion, England’s World Cup quarter-final with France tonight is curiously short on piquancy. There is no love lost when the nations’ rugby teams meet each year in Le Crunch, while recent political developments have soured more than a century of Entente Cordiale. [...]
Pubs optimistic ahead of England v France tonight as World Cup proves ‘shining light’ this winter December 10, 2022 Publicans will be eagerly hoping for extra time at the England v France match this evening, when venues will be hosting “one of the biggest nights of the year.” With the Three Lions set to take on the tournament’s quarter final this weekend, pub and bar bosses have said the game will draw in huge [...]
World Cup fans flock to shops to buy TV screens and football Christmas decor December 9, 2022 Football fans have upgraded their screening set-ups ahead of England v France this weekend, with sales for televisions and projectors surging. The Three Lions are set to take on their rivals on Saturday evening, with shoppers rushing to upgrade their TV sets after England made it through to the showdown. High street stalwart John Lewis [...]
Qatar World Cup in brief: Why you should watch today’s matches December 9, 2022 We’re down to the final eight and there’s a spot in the semi-finals of the Qatar World Cup within grasp. Brazil and Argentina will catch eyes but the resilient Europeans won’t let the South Americans have it all their own way. Croatia vs Brazil, 3pm, BBC The first of the Qatar World Cup quarter-finals will [...]