Spanish legend Raul hopes Qatar qualify for Brazil 2014 and says improving the national team should be the priority for the 2022 World Cup hosts.
The 34-year-old former Real Madrid and Schalke striker penned a one-year contract with 2011 Asian champions Al Sadd earlier this month, becoming the biggest name to currently play in Qatar s Stars League (QSL).
Speaking to Doha Stadium Plus, Raul revealed he had no doubts Qatar could host a successful 2022 event and believed developing the current crop of youth for the future national team needs to be made a priority.
Qatar has everything in place to host a successful World Cup in 2022, Raul said.
The priority should be to improve its national team in 10 years time to first become the top side in Asia and th…
Ivan Toney remains confident of grasping his England opportunity at Euro 2024 when that arrives, though acknowledged the frustrations over a lack of minutes in Germany.
The Brentford striker came off the bench against Slovakia in the last 16 with a minute of normal time remaining, as Jude Bellingham s stunning overhead kick forced an additional 30 minutes in Gelsenkirchen.
Toney provided the assist for Harry Kane s winner just 50 seconds into extra time, the fastest such goal in Euros history, with a smart flick-on after Eberechi Eze s scuffed volley.
Yet that was Toney s first appearance at the competition, and a maiden outing of his career at a major tournament, with Gareth Southgate admitting the forward was disgusted with the late introduction.
It s …
Real Madrid s performance in the Supercopa de Espana confirms them as favourites to defend their LaLiga title this season.
Zinedine Zidane s men claimed a 5-1 aggregate victory over Barcelona, whose attempts to overcome the loss of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain for €222million look set to define their season.
Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid begin life at their new Wanda Metropolitano home, while two players arrive in the Spanish top flight looking to revive their careers.
Here we take a look at five men to watch out for during the coming season.
LIONEL MESSI
Barcelona face a transitional season following the break-up of the attacking trident formerly known as MSN.
Much of the responsibility for ensuring Barca do not feel the abs…
Champions League holders Barcelona are obviously the odds-on favourites to top Group E, but with Roma and Bayer Leverkusen also in the mix, chances are the Catalans will have to work hard in order to secure the top spot. And while BATE Borisov are unlikely to cause too many problems to any of the other three sides, the likes of Giallorossi and die Werkself are widely expected to be involved in a highly entertaining battle for the second place and opportunity to continue the campaign in the knockout stages.
Outright Tips
Market: Group Betting
Tip: Barcelona to Win Group E
Odds:
The reigning Champions League winners were always going to be tipped as the most likely team to go through from this group and we have no doubts whatsoever that Barcelona will deliver. The Cat…
National Team Shirts
Difference Between Replica and Official Shirts
Some people believe that “replica” shirts refer to cheap knock-offs or fake shirts that only resemble the official football shirts sold by the clubs and national teams, but that is not really the case. Replica shirts are actually official club merchandise sold in club shops and online stores that are only slightly different to football jerseys worn by high-profile players in actual matches. Since replica shirts are unlikely to be used in match conditions, these are usually characterised by looser fit and may lack a couple of performance enhancing features, but other than that are almost identical to shirts worn on match days.
Both official shirts and replica jerseys are produced by…
France s World Cup squad is calmer and more experienced than the one that won in Russia, according to Ousmane Dembele.
Didier Deschamps side will become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962 if they overcome Argentina in Sunday s final at Lusail Stadium.
Dembele was an unused substitute when France beat Croatia 4-2 in the 2018 final but the Barcelona man has emerged as a key part of the team in Qatar.
Despite injuries to Karim Benzema, N Golo Kante and Paul Pogba leaving France short of key players, Dembele feels the squad is more at ease this time around.
It s not a dream yet. We re calmer and have more experience. We want to prepare well for this final, he said at a press conference on Friday.
It will be a great day. We …
Fish and chips, the Queen, and soccer. Just three of things that you associate with the United Kingdom, but the Brits are getting more and more into their (American) football and the NFL has continued to grow its international series, with this game being the first of two in London this year.
It’s a morning kickoff for those watching on American shores, so make sure you read our NFL picks and predictions for the New York Jets vs. Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, October 10 early.
(Editor’s Note: This preview was published prior to Thursday afternoon’s news that Falcons WRs Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage are both out for Sunday’s game.)
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The complete 2022 NFL schedule, and NFL odds for each week, were released on Thursday, and we’ve dived into the schedule for each team and have identified the real winners of the schedule release: the Dallas Cowboys.
Mike McCarthy’s team will have every opportunity to succeed in 2022 as they face the easiest strength of schedule in the league. The Cowboys have routinely fallen short of expectations in recent years. Will they be able to turn things around in Jerry World by taking advantage of a favorable draw?
Check out our full analysis of the Cowboys’ 2022 schedule and NFL betting opportunities to find out.
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Kenneth Gainwell might not be a household name at Super Bowl 57 but few players have seen more up-and-down movement in their Super Bowl player props market than the Eagles’ backup running back.
The Over/Under on Gainwell’s rushing yards total opened at 16.5 and jumped up as high as 22.5 before sharp action dropped it back down to as low as 17.5 at most books.
I let you know where the betting value lies with the Eagles’ second-string running back with my Super Bowl picks for Kenneth Gainwell’s prop market for the Super Bowl tonight!
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Atlanta Falcons in a divisional battle on Sunday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium. It’s only Week 7 of the NFL season but the NFC South looks like it will be a dogfight between the Falcons, Saints, and Bucs, all of whom have three wins. These teams have all had a tough time scoring points but have been stingy on defense.
That’s reflected in the NFL odds for this clash, with the Over/Under at just 37.5 while the Bucs are installed as slim 2.5-point home favorites. Here are my best free Falcons vs. Buccaneers NFL picks for Sunday, October 21.
Falcons vs Buccaneers odds
Falcons vs Buccaneers predictions
The Atlanta Falcons are coming off a 24-16 loss to the Commanders where…