Sport
This has been the best World Cup group stage ever: FIFA president
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said this week he is thrilled with the opening round of matches in this World Cup which has thrown up some surprising results including some major upsets.
“I have seen all the matches, and this has been the best group stage of a World Cup ever. The matches have been of great quality in beautiful stadiums,” said Infantino.
“There are no more small teams and no more big teams. The level is very equal,” he said adding “this shows that football is really becoming truly global.”
According to him, the knockout stage matches had “over 51,000 on average [spectators]. Record-breaking figures on TV – we already had over two billion viewers.
In addition, he said FIFA expects “to reach the five billion [TV] viewers [mark] around the world,” before the tournament ends and is also hoping that the on-field action will continue to be as riveting as the first 56 games.
Down to the final 8
With the quarter-finals almost upon us, the 2022 World Cup has entered its crunch stage and a host of major nations have been sent packing and only eight teams are left.
Fans of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will meanwhile be pleased to see the two icons are still in it – meaning a showdown between the two greats is still a possibility.
The eight teams that are still in the running for this year’s title are England, France, Netherlands, Argentina, Croatia, Brazil, Morocco and Portugal.
England defeated Senegal to progress and set up a meeting with France, who beat Poland in the last 16. The Netherlands overcame the USA and will play Lionel Messi’s Argentina in their next match.
Croatia will face Brazil in the quarter-final while Morocco, who sprung an upset on Spain, will face Portugal, who coasted past Switzerland.
This next stage will be played on Friday and Saturday.
Croatia will take on Brazil in Friday’s early match, while Netherlands meets Argentina later in the day. On Saturday, it’s Morocco up against Portugal and then later that day England tackles France.
The groups and match-ups for the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to be the biggest sporting event in history, were unveiled on Friday during a high-profile Final Draw ceremony held in the United States capital, Washington DC.
In front of nearly 2,000 international guests and millions of viewers worldwide, FIFA revealed the 12 groups of four teams for the expanded 23rd edition of the tournament. The draw marks a major milestone as excitement continues to build across the three host nations — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — and the 16 host cities preparing for the event.
FIFA announced that the full schedule, including match venues and kick-off times for the tournament’s 104 games, will be released during a live global broadcast on Saturday, 6 December.
With nearly two million tickets already sold, FIFA says anticipation for the 2026 World Cup is rapidly rising.
There are 48 teams in next year’s World Cup — an expansion from the 32 teams of previous tournaments.
In the 25th match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Abu Muslim Farah secured a dominant 6-0 victory over Jawanan Perozi.
On Friday, in the 26th match, Istiqlal Kabul defeated Sarsabz Yashlar 3-1.
Tomorrow, in the 27th match, Arman FC will take on Sorkh Poshan Khafi at 10:00 AM, followed by the 28th match, where Sarafan Herat will face Ettifaq Khanzadah at 1:30 PM.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving football fans across the country the chance to experience the excitement and intensity of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
In the 23rd match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Arman FC put on a dominant and electrifying display, overpowering Aino Mina 6–0.
In Thursday’s 24th fixture, Khurasan Faryab took on Ettifaq Khanzadah and secured a solid 2–0 victory.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s games, Jawanan Perozi will face Abu Muslim Farah at 10:00 a.m. in the 25th match, while Istiqlal Kabul meets Sarsabz Yashlar at 1:30 p.m. in the 26th encounter.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving fans across the country the opportunity to follow the excitement and energy of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
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