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The battle to lead the scoring at the World Cup is set to heat up, as England’s Harry Kane attempts to retain his early advantage.

England’s Harry Kane leads the race for the World Cup Golden Boot going into the round of 16, hotly pursued by Romelu Lukaku of Belgium and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/30/who-is-in-the-race-for-the-golden-boot/#ixzz5JsjpdYjV

Never in history have an African team managed to progress past the quarter-finals in a World Cup. Once again, their bad luck struck again in Russia as all four African teams were sent crashing out at the group stage, including Senegal who lost out on a last 16 spot to Japan on FIFA’s fair play rules.

Football has consistently been unfair to Africa. Every four years they vow to compete amongst the world’s elite, but the same tragedy repeats itself each time. The 2018 World Cup in Russia has been no exception for the four African nations that competed: Senegal, Nigeria, Egypt and Tunisia.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/29/african-nations-world-cup-curse-struck-again/#ixzz5JrxgZgLK

In line with the Mail, the 29-year-old’s representatives have been in Barcelona and had discussions with Blaugrana chiefs.



However, Chelsea is understood to have no interest in letting him leave.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/29/chelsea-reportedly-reject-50m-barcelona-offer-for-star-winger-willian/#ixzz5JreiJRrA

In preparation for the 2014 World Cup, Brazil spent more than $3 billion on the stadiums. Today, however, not all stadiums are getting put to good use. Following is a transcript of the video.

The stadium took 4 years to build. It’s estimated to have cost the Brazilian government $220-$300 million. Three workers died during construction.
Watch the video below

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/27/brazils-empty-300-million-world-cup-stadium/#ixzz5JfHl20wi

Sportblitzz.com have put together a list of all incoming and outgoing transfers made by top-flight teams in the close season



The transfer window for England’s top flight opened in June, meaning clubs could start to buy and sell players in preparation for the new season early.

Some EPL clubs have already begun bolstering their squads, as you can see below.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/27/every-epl-confirmed-and-completed-transfer-in-2018-summer-window/#ixzz5JUWHWBAr

Sarri pictured on his way to London

Sportblitzz.com

Leo has admitted that his facet suffered so much during their late win over Argentina. The ‘Albiceleste’ was on the point of elimination from the tournament before Marcos Rojo scored the winner 4 minutes from time.



Leo Messi opened the scoring in the first half with an elegant effort, but Victor Moses dragged Nigeria back into the game from the penalty spot.

“We’ve suffered a lot,” Leo Messi said.

“It was a tough situation. There was a lot at stake. In fact, it was an enormous relief, a relief for all of us.

“It was a tough match. We knew it was going to be a troublesome afternoon, but thankfully we now have achieved our goal.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/27/lionel-messi-argentina-have-suffered/#ixzz5JTS3sase

Argentina takes on Nigeria on Tuesday in a game they must win if they are going to have any chance of remaining in this summer’s World Cup. Given the stakes, Jorge Sampaoli is expected to name several changes to his starting XI.
It means Argentina must defeat their opponents and hope Iceland lose to Croatia if they are to secure qualification to the Round of 16.

It is a crunch match. So, given its importance, Sampaoli will make numerous changes to his line-up, opting for a 4-4-2 formation.
Franco Armani will take over from Willy Caballero in goal after the Chelsea goalkeeper’s howler led to Croatia’s first goal.

In defence, they will swtich from a back three to a back four, with Eduardo Salvio, Gabriel Mercado, Nicolas Otamendi and Nicolas Tagliafico.

In midfield, Javier Mascherano will offer support to the defence while Ever Banega will be given a freer role.

Enzo Perez and Angel Di Maria will patrol the flanks for Argentina, while Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain will spearhead the attack.

It means Sergio Aguero will drop down to the bench, despite scoring his nation’s only goal in this summer’s tournament.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/25/argentinas-possible-xi-for-crunch-match-against-nigeria/#ixzz5JSgX1Tcb

Join us for live text updates of the Group B clash between Iran and Portugal, at the Mordovia Arena.
Iran's XI: Beiranvand, Safi, Ezatolahi, Pouraliganji, Omid, Amiri, Mehdi, Jahanbakhsh, Hosseini, Sardar, Ramin.
Prev.
Here's Portugal's lineup for tonight: Rui Patricio, Soares, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro, Carvalho, Adrien Silva, Mario, Quaresma, Ronaldo, Andre Silva.

Mohamed Salah is reportedly contemplating whether or not to quit international football after being publicly blasted for posing with Ramzan Kadyrov for a photo.

The Chechnya leader is a controversial figure at home and abroad, having been accused of human rights abuses and the murder of homosexuals in his homeland.

Human rights groups hit out at the Egyptian FA, Fifa and Salah for the picture opportunity and the Liverpool star feels he has been used as a political pawn, in line with the Independent.

There was a massive fall-out ever since the photos emerged and Kadyrov was accused of using Salah as a propaganda stunt.

‘Mohamed Salah is an honorary citizen of the Chechen Republic. That’s right,’ Kadyrov mentioned.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/24/mohamed-salah-considers-retirement-from-international-football/#ixzz5JNItbrvN

Jose Mourinho has long been an admirer of Brazilian talent and Fred, the 100th signing of his career, follows in the footsteps of a number of his countrymen by linking up with the Manchester United manager.

The boss appreciates the flair and creative influence players from the South American nation often have instilled in them from an early age. Maybe part of this affection stems from watching the World Cup as a child, as he did once suggest he "“ remembers little things from 1970”", when Pele and co illuminated the tournament in Mexico.""

In a recent interview with ESPN Brazil, Jose said: "“I think a team without a Brazilian isn’t a team. I think their talent is fantastic and the creativity of the Brazilian player cannot be measured. If a European team, like very much European, could have a Brazilian in their squad, it would bring a Brazilian ‘thing’ to the game and I think that’s very important.”"

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/22/jose-mourinho-loves-sign-brazilian-players/#ixzz5JBuJOdTE

Patrice Evra, who was a teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo’s some years in the past, has given some peculiar thoughts on the player whereas chatting with ‘ITV’ during their World Cup coverage.

At this point, no one can deny Ronaldo’s unimaginable work ethic. He puts in the effort day after day and it’s key to his success. Nevertheless, Evra recalled one time where he was shocked by the lengths at which Ronaldo would go.

“I’d give advice to anybody, when Cristiano invites you for lunch at his home, just say no,” the Frenchman mentioned.

“He mentioned, ‘Evra, come over after training.’ I went, you know I was really tired, [and] at the table there was only salad and plain white chicken so I was like, okay, and water, not any juice and we began eating and I was thinking some big meat would be coming after that however there was nothing.

“He just finished and he stood up and he started playing with a ball, doing some skills and he said, ‘Let’s do some two-touch.

“I was like, can I just finish eating?” he continued.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/22/if-cristiano-ronaldo-invites-you-for-dinner-just-say-no/#ixzz5JBHEYE5c

Reporter Julieth Gonzalez Theran is a correspondent for German news station Deutsche Welle. During her live report from a city square in Saransk, Russia, a man ran up to Gonzalez Thoran, groped her breast and kissed her on the cheek.

Gonzalez Theran continued talking to the camera and remained professional despite the man’s sudden attack.

Gonzalez Theran told Deutsche Welles that she looked for the man after she finished her report.

“I had been at the scene for two hours to prepare for the broadcast and there had been no interruptions,” she said. “When we went live, this fan took advantage of the situation. But afterwards, when I checked to see if he was still there, he was gone.”

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/21/female-reporter-gonzalez-sexually-assaulted-on-live-tv-at-world-cup/#ixzz5J1mrD3M3

England manager Gareth Southgate dislocated his right shoulder while running on Wednesday.

The players had a day off from training and Southgate suffered the injury near the squad’s World Cup base in Repino.

“The doc has made it clear punching the air isn’t an option,” said Gareth Southgate, who jumped in the air celebrating the injury-time winner in Monday’s 2-1 opening victory over Tunisia.

“I might not be celebrating any goals as athletically in future,” he added.

Gareth Southgate, who’s wearing a sling, was treated at a nearby hospital with the help of team physician Rob Chakraverty.

England face Panama in their second Group G game of Russia 2018 at 13:00 BST on Sunday in Nizhny Novgorod.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/21/england-manager-gareth-southgate-dislocates-right-shoulder-running/#ixzz5J1U3roTo

The Ghanaian actor who gained a lot of recognition in Nigeria by featuring in numerous Nollywood movies, John Dumelo went on Twitter to indirectly mock the Super Eagles of Nigeria for losing to Croatia without scoring even a single goal in their World Cup opening match.

This didn’t go down well with many Nigerians as they took to Twitter to insult him and his country, Ghana, for not qualifying for the World Cup tournament.

Here’s what he wrote;

Among the great teams that didn’t make it to the World Cup…italy, USA, Ghana and Netherlands. At the least, it’s better not to qualify than to be scored 2 in your first game.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/18/john-dumelo-mock-super-eagles-over-croatia-defeat-nigerians-react/#ixzz5Ip9TPt4Y

MEXICAN and Colombian fans showed the spirit of the World Cup as they lifted up A disabled Egyptian supporter so he could see the screen in the fan zone.

The Pharaohs are competing in their first World Cup since 1990 with fans desperate to get a glimpse of their side – although not everyone managed to get a ticket.

One said: “Colombian fans and Mexican fans lifting up an Egyptian fan in a wheelchair so he can watch his country play. THIS is the unity of the beautiful game.”

While another commented: “Mexicans and Colombians join forces to help an Egyptian fan in a wheelchair to watch Egypt-Uruguay in a fan zone. What the World Cup is all about.”

There had been fears that there would be violence in Russia at this World Cup, but there has been no signs of hostility.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/18/mexican-and-colombian-supporters-lift-egyptian-fan-in-wheelchair-so-he-can-see-screen-in-fanzone/#ixzz5IjmKOtbT

Harry Kane is keen to keep pace with Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the World Cup Golden Boot and says that the Portuguese forward‘s hat-trick has put him under pressure.



England captain Harry Kane is eager to stop Cristiano Ronaldo running away with the World Cup Golden Boot race.

Kane will lead England out as captain for their first action of the tournament against Tunisia on Monday in Volgograd, having already seen a supreme display of finishing at Russia 2018.

5-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo dragged Portugal to a breathless 3-3 draw with Spain on Friday, completing his hat-trick with an immaculately dispatched free-kick to crown an instant classic in Sochi.

Kane has put himself in the same bracket in terms of weight of goals – he outscored Ronaldo for club and country over the course of 2017 – and is thirsty for a similarly definitive performance on the biggest stage.

“Yeah, he’s put me under a little bit of pressure for sure,” Kane replied when asked about Ronaldo’s stunning exploits at a pre-match news conference.

“He is an incredible player and had an incredible game. However, as always, it is about concentrating on myself and the team.

“Hopefully I can score a hat-trick and we’ll both be level. But it‘s not something I’ll think about too much until, hopefully, the end of the tournament.”

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/18/kane-ronaldo-hat-trick-puts-me-under-pressure/#ixzz5IjdlOAl9

Raul de Tomas wasn’t short of offers but only had his sights set on one thing: to join Real Madrid’s first team. The striker confirmed his contract renewal, and how it had been brought about by new manager Julen Lopetegui.

23-year-old striker Raul de Tomas has to turn out to be Julen Lopetegui’s first signing. The player, who played for Rayo Vallecano in the second-tier of Spanish football final season, had a spectacular campaign and has been given the nod by Lopetegui to join the first team squad for the first time next season.

After his shock sacking as manager of the Spanish national team, Real Madrid moved Julen Lopetegui’s presentation forward and he got to work the following day. He first sorted out the pre-season preparations and then went on to look into transfers and also the contract situation of current players.

With the future of stars such as Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo unsure, Raul de Tomas has earned the right to have his likelihood and took to social media to confirm the news.

“All of us have dreams… Mine began at the age of eight when I first joined this club. I knew that each step ahead I’ve taken to this point in my profession would lead me to realise my dream: becoming a Real Madrid player. 5 more years at my dream club… THANK YOU. Hala Madrid” he wrote.

The striker scored 24 goals for the Segunda side last season and his contract extension with Real is set to expire in 5 years time.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/17/julen-lopetegui-makes-first-signing-as-real-madrid-manager/#ixzz5IjEuzAxP

Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has challenged his Nigerian teammate at Arsenal, Alex Iwobi, to prove him right for supporting the Super Eagles

by putting up a formidable performance against Croatia in Saturday’s Group B clash at the 2018 World Cup in Russia

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/16/aubameyang-to-iwobi-show-me-im-right-to-support-super-eagles/#ixzz5IXk06g3W

Portugal v Spain was highlighted by many as probably the greatest ties of the World Cup Group Stage and it certainly lived up to the hype on Friday night as Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick ensured the 2 sides finally shared the spoils in a six-goal thriller.



The pair had only met once before at the World Cup, however this came couldn’t have been more completely different from the cagey 1-0 Spain win back in 2010.

Following a torrid week off the pitch, all eyes were on Spain and that scrutiny would have solely increased as Portugal took an early lead.

With just three minutes gone, Ronaldo was felled by club team-mate Nacho as he appeared to burst into the box. The referee instantly pointed to the spot, with Ronaldo dusting himself down to send David de Gea the wrong way from the spot and score in his eighth consecutive major event.

That goal was just rewarded for a powerful start from the Seleçao, but that served only to poke the bear as Spain came out swinging in response.

Regardless of La Roja taking full control of the ball, Portugal continued to threaten on the break, with Gonçalo Guedes wasting a promising opening after being found by Ronaldo.

On the mid-way level in the first half, Portugal were made to regret that miss as Diego Costa levelled.

Preferred up front over Rodrigo and Iago Aspas for his bodily approach, Costa showed all his energy as he beat Pepe in a battle for a long ball. The Atletic Madrid man then squared up to defenders just inside the box before finding the yard of space he needed to flash an effort across Rui Particio and itno the corner of the net to restore parity.

Spain threatened to overwhelm Portugal for a period, with Isco rattling the bar with a thunderous effort from range simply 90 seconds after that equaliser.

Andres Iniesta saw an effort dribble wide of the far post after he met a cutback from Jordi Alba, but against the run of play, it was Portugal who would take the lead into the break.

Just 60 second before the half-time whistle, Guedes was given an excessive amount of space to control a long ball and find Ronaldo, whose tame effort somehow slipped through the grasp of De Gea and into the bottom nook.

It was a poor mistake from De Gea, who appeared crestfallen, having already made a mistake in the warm-up draw with Switzerland.

With that, Portugal took the lead into the break, however the second half continued where the first had left off, albeit at less of a brekaneck speed.

– Spain’s rapid tournaround –

Spain continued to monopolise the ball and two goals in three minutes saw them flip the game on its head.

Costa bundled home his second of the game 10 minutes after the restart after Sergio Busquets headed a free-kick into his path, while Nacho completed the turnaround with a rasping 25-yard drive that kissed the inside of the post on its way to finding the back of the net just minutes later.



Fernando Hierro’s side tried to strangle the life out of the game from that point, though they did still create an opportunity for Costa to seal his hat-trick as he scuffed an effort wide of the far post from another Alba cutback.

Nevertheless, Spain appeared to have done enough to deny a Portugal side that looked bereft of ideas going forward.

– Ronaldo made sure to have the final word –

Step forward Ronaldo. With just two minutes to play, he was tripped by Gerard Pique just outside of the box and responded by curling the perfect set-piece over the wall and into th top corner to complete his hat-trick, level the scores and earn his aspect a point.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/15/ronaldo-show-ensures-portugal-and-spain-share-the-spoils-in-six-goal-thriller/#ixzz5IWr6zz7D

Egypt 0 -1 Uruguay

89'
Carlos Sanchez provided the assist for the goal.
89'
G O O O A A A L - Jose Gimenez Uruguay scores with a header.

The World Cup is arousing high passions in Bangladesh, where machete-wielding fans of Brazil and Argentina have clashed in the streets and flags of the two countries are so ubiquitous that some people want to ban them.



Ignoring the lack of any obvious link to the South American giants, and the absence of their national team — which is ranked 194th out of 211 teams — World Cup fever has firmly taken hold among Bangladeshi fans.

Last week in the central town of Bandar, rival followers of Lionel Messi and Neymar fought with machetes, leaving a man and his son critically wounded, police said.

Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy died after being electrocuted while putting a Brazil flag on a roadside pole.

Argentina and Brazil flags have been dominating towns in the country of 160 million for weeks ahead of the start of the World Cup in Russia on Thursday.

Supporters of the two teams hold flag processions to show their loyalties. In the northern town of Madarganj, motorcycle rallies are staged by hundreds of rival supporters waving football banners.

“They hold meetings to plan further craziness. You can feel the tension and excitement all over town,” local police chief Mohammad Rafique told ‘AFP’.

Some Bangladeshis want to end the fervour, however.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/13/neymar-and-messi-fans-fight-with-machetes-in-bangladesh/#ixzz5IILokOiB

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has highlighted Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe as the 2 stars to watch at this yr’s World Cup.

Both Pogba and Mbappe are part of Didier Deschamp’s France squad and will make the starting XI for the nation’s first fixture against Australia on Saturday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic knows Pogba particularly well after profitable the Europa League and EFL Cup alongside him at Manchester United in the course of the 2016/17 season.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic at present plays for MLS facet LA Galaxy having left the Red Devils earlier this 12 months.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/13/zlatan-ibrahimovic-picks-out-two-stars-to-watch-at-the-world-cup/#ixzz5IGVyL9vT

Jose Mourinho has revealed the four teams he believes will reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.

In an interview with RT Sport, the Manchester United manager named Portugal, Brazil, Argentina and Germany as his World Cup semi-finalists.

The action gets underway on Thursday when hosts Russia face Saudi Arabia in Moscow. Holders Germany, Brazil and Spain are among the favourites to lift the World Cup come July 15.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/12/jose-mourinho-names-his-world-cup-semi-finalists/#ixzz5IFcxhQyB

Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann refused to comment on his future when quizzed as Tuesday’s press conference, leaving onlookers in the dark on the eve of the World Cup.

Griezmann has become a key member of the ‘Los Colchoneros’ facet since joining the club from Real Sociedad back in 2014.

Since making that switch, Griezmann has played over 200 games for Atleti, scoring 111 goals in the course of and writing himself into the club‘s folklore.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/12/ive-made-a-decision-but-today-is-not-the-day-to-talk-about-my-future/#ixzz5I7oyYPsP

Bacary Sagna has weighed in on the feud between Pep Guardiola and Yaya Touré after Touré accused Pep Guardiola of ‘having a problem with African players’.

Touré asserted that Guardiola’s treatment of him throughout their time together at Barcelona and Manchester City was bad, saying:

“It got to the point I asked myself if it was due to my colour.

“I am not the first, other Barca players asked the question too. Perhaps us Africans aren’t always treated the same by certain people.

“When you see the problems he [Pep] has often had with African players, everywhere he has been, I ask myself questions.”

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/12/bacary-sagna-has-his-say-on-the-feud-between-pep-guardiola-and-yaya-toure/#ixzz5I7fpI9K7

Lionel Messi has made it clear what next season’s objective for Barcelona will be: win the Champions League.

Messi is bored with seeing Barca’s eternal rivals Real Madrid lift the Champions League trophy and hopes to see ‘Los Cules’ winning Europe’s premier club competition next Could instead.

Not since 2015 has the Catalan club secured the trophy and last season saw them surprisingly eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Roma.

The Argentina international made his ambitions very clear during an interview with Spanish newspaper ‘Mundo Deportivo’.

They lead with the headline: “We can’t go another yr with out winning the Champions League”. It is simple but very effective.

Messi also spoke about that famous European exit and the current scenario of his club and La Liga. Talk even turned to his rivals Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Madrid.


Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/07/messi-we-cannot-go-another-year-without-winning-the-champions-league/#ixzz5HmRFWP00

Robert Fernandez, sporting director at Barcelona, is being replaced in the role by the club‘s former left-back Eric Abidal.

Eric Abidal will take over as Barcelona’s sporting director for the 2018-19 season, the club has confirmed, replacing Robert Fernandez in the position.

The club announced on Thursday that Fernandez will not extend his contract, which runs out on 30 June of this year.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/07/eric-abidall-announced-as-barcas-new-sporting-director/#ixzz5Hm04LFcF

yes because he is the best so far

Belgium attacker Eden Hazard praised Egypt’s performance in the absence of Mohamed Salah, who he hopes will take part at the World Cup.

Belgium star Eden Hazard mentioned he’ll help Egypt at the World Cup for his good friend Mohamed Salah following Wednesday’s international friendly.

Egyptian sensation Salah is recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in the Champions League final last month and the Liverpool forward missed Belgium’s dominant 3-0 victory in Brussels.

Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/07/hazard-ill-support-egypt-at-world-cup-for-salah/#ixzz5Hh6ACJNJ

Manchester United Coach Jose Mourinho has predicted how each World Cup group will finish, with the Portuguese coming up with some fascinating conclusions.

Mourinho was chatting with ‘Russia Today‘, for whom he will be working as a pundit during the event.

Curiously, he’s backing England to come out on top in Group G, at the expense of the heavily-backed Belgium.

However, he wasn’t so assured about his own nation, backing them only to advance to the knockout stages in second place behind fellow Iberians Spain in Group B.

“I’ll show later that I’m totally Portuguese but they will end second in the group,” he admitted.

In Group A, he threw his weight behind Uruguay, describing them as a team that has “experience, top players and the right mentality” to succeed. Behind them, he plumped for hosts Russia, rather than Mo Salah’s Egypt.

The 55-year-old opted for a surprise in Group C, claiming that Australia will advance behind France, with Denmark to finish bottom of the group.

Unsurprisingly, Germany, Argentina and Brazil were all backed to top their groups, with Mexico, Nigeria and Switzerland tipped to follow them.

There was more than a hint of emotion in Mourinho’s selections as he discussed Group E, with him saying: “I would like Matic to go on a vacation, so Switzerland to finish second. I am sorry Nemanja, but you need a holiday.”

Lastly, Senegal was given the nod in Group H, carefully followed by Poland.

Mourinho’s predictions in full:

Group A: 1. Uruguay, 2. Russia, 3. Egypt, 4. Saudi Arabia

Group B: 1. Spain, 2. Portugal, 3. Morocco, 4. Iran

Group C: 1. France, 2. Australia, 3. Peru, 4. Denmark

Group D: 1. Argentina, 2. Nigeria, 3. Iceland, 4. Croatia

Group E: 1. Brazil, 2. Switzerland, 3. Serbia, 4. Costa Rica

Group F: 1. Germany, 2. Mexico, 3. Sweden, 4. South Korea

Group G: 1. England, 2. Belgium, 3. Panama, 4. Tunisia

Group H: 1. Senegal, 2. Poland, 3. Colombia, 4. Japan


Read more: https://sportblitzz.com/2018/06/06/jose-mourinho-world-cup-prediction/#ixzz5HgWQpeVj