European Super Football

This article will preview the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final We'll also explore what has been a remarkable few The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has flown by. Wedged into the middle of the European club season, it has had to. It's hard to believe that the tournament began 26 days ago, yet so much has transpired in that time, including reducing down a field of 32 to just France and Argentina, who will meet in the final. Many would have expected France to be here. Argentina having suffered an upset to Saudi Arabia in their opening game so their rally to reach a second World Cup final in eight years is more of a surprise. However, when you have Lionel Messi, can you ever really be surprised to be in contention for a major trophy? Messi v Mbappe This is maybe the greatest individual matchup we have ever had in a World Cup final. Two world-class superstars. The fact they are club teammates at PSG as well only adds to the drama.  For Messi, it would be the perfect fairy-tale ending for a World ...

The United Kingdom is set to host the 2035 Women's World Cup  It has been reported via FIFA that the UK bid is the sole valid bidder for the tournament. Author - Craig H Will the UK World Cup build on the growing popularity within women's football Source | European Super Football Flickr England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland submitted a joint expression of interest in March to hold the World Cup across the home nations. Under Fifa rotation rules, the tournament must be in Europe or Africa. Straight away, this made the UK bid one of the favourites to win. The Spainish federation president Rafael Louzan had apparently said last week that they were working on a joint bid alongside Portugal and Morocco. However, the deadline for expressions of interest passed on Monday and FIFA officials have said the UK's bid is the only one received for 2035, while the United States are set to host the 2031 edition. Source | Daniel on Flickr Formal bids for the 2035 World Cup...

 England 1 - 2 France Football won't be coming home for Christmas England are out of a World Cup but, this time, it was in a desperately agonising quarter-final defeat. This time, more than any other time, and against the world champions France, it felt very different. They were not outplayed. They did not retreat. Instead they lost a tie which they should have won, which they deserved to win and which will sear into Harry Kane - Harry Kane of all people - who missed the penalty kick that would have forced extra-time; Kane missed the penalty that would have confirmed him as England’s all-time record scorer, with 54 goals, one ahead of Wayne Rooney.  History beckoned but for Kane but it wasn't to be. At the end Gareth Southgate wrapped his arms around Kane but he was in another place, staring into the distance. It felt incredibly sad after a fine performance laced with controversy. It was another player that was key for France The pre-match debate centred on how England could s...

England v Albania Preview Taking their first step towards qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, England get their campaign under way against Albania. Author - Georgia Baker New boss Thomas Tuchel will lead the Three Lions out at Wembley for his first fixture in charge of the runners up from Euro 2024. How are England shaping up ahead of their new era? After wrapping up their latest UEFA Nations League campaign in style, England kick off 2025 with their opening qualifier for the next World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The qualifiers take place over five international windows between now and November, with only the top team from each of the 12 groups securing automatic qualification. Meanwhile, the runners-up will have to go through the play-offs. This month, England will look to take charge of Group K as they begin their journey under Tuchel. One of the favourites for World Cup glory, they start with a home fixture against Albania on Friday be...

Let's have a look at all the reaction from a busy night of international football as England and Scotland both won Moldova 0 - 2 Scotland Scotland clinched a  play-off place with a match to spare thanks to a fairly comfortable win away in Moldova. Nathan Patterson calmed Scottish nerves with his first Scotland goal. He then teed up Che Adams to make it 2-0. Scotland head coach Steve Clarke told Sky Sports: "It was a good performance, aggressive going forward and trying to create chances. "A lot of shots but only two goals. The penalty could have made it nervy but when you need him, Craig [Gordon] is always there. All focus is Denmark now." England 5 - 0 Albania England now require only a point from their final match against minnows San Marino to confirm their place at the 2022 World Cup.  Harry Kane led the romp with a first-half hat-trick as England made light work of Albania. Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson scored the others. England's Kyle Walker tweeted:...

Gareth Southgate's England have arrived in Germany, facing a crucial test to determine if they are genuine contenders or simply a team that falters when it matters most. Southgate’s tenure – whether it concludes at the end of Euro 2024 or continues beyond – should always be assessed against the chaos he inherited.  Appointed permanently in November 2016, Southgate has since led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, the Euro 2020 final, and the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals. World Cup 2022: How England's journey came to an end  As the England players settle into their base in Germany, there is much to be hopeful about. Southgate has fostered a positive atmosphere within the squad, with players now enjoying representing their country without the heavy burden of expectations. He has also rekindled a sense of goodwill from the fans and the wider public towards the team and himself. This tournament carries a sense of urgency – a ‘now or never’ moment – following the World ...

 England 2 - 1 Colombia As they came from behind against a dangerous Colombia side, England set up a  Women's World Cup semi-final with co-hosts Australia. Despite not playing their best football in the tournament, the European champions showed a much more rounded performance in Sydney in front of a hostile crowd. After goalkeeper Mary Earps had been beaten by a quick-thinking lob in the first half, the Lionesses capitalised on two slices of luck after being composed in defence and hard-working in attack. After Colombia goalkeeper Catalina Perez spilled a routine gather in the six-yard area under pressure from Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp poked in the equalizer just seven minutes after Leicy Santos had caught out Earps. Russo, who had only scored once in four World Cup matches before Saturday's quarter-final, worked tirelessly out of possession, pounced on a kind deflection to score England's second goal. As Colombia's attacking line-up included Real Madrid's tee...

Various nations have discovered their opponents for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers following a draw in Zurich. Are you happy with the draw? Author - Mark Lee England, now led by new head coach Thomas Tuchel, will face Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra in their group. Wales find themselves up against familiar rivals Belgium, alongside North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein. Scotland’s group includes Greece, Belarus, and the loser of the Portugal v Denmark Nations League quarter-final, while Northern Ireland will take on Slovakia, Luxembourg, and the winner of the Germany v Italy Nations League clash. Matches will take place over five international breaks from March to November 2025. Group winners will secure automatic qualification for the World Cup, hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, with runners-up heading into play-offs. Scotland and Northern Ireland, drawn in smaller four-team groups, will start their campaigns in September. Meanwhile, Scotland also face Greece in ...

 Wales 0 - 2 Iran Wales' first World Cup for 64 years looks set to end at the first hurdle after a last-ditch defeat by Iran in Qatar. Roozbeh Cheshmi struck from 20 yards nine minutes into stoppage time, before Ramin Rezaeian finished off a counter-attack to seal victory for an Iran side that who have renewed hope of reaching the knockout stages for the first time in their history. More World Cup news can be found by clicking here>>> These were the decisive blows to Welsh prospects of victory. They had all but vanished when goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off with four minutes of normal time remaining.  As they did in their opening draw with the United States, Wales started poorly and had the video assistant referee (VAR) to thank for disallowing a goal from Iran's Ali Gholizadeh for offside. Highlights from  ITV Sport - YouTube Welsh reaction One Wales fan tweeted: "Doha, Qatar. World Cup 2022. What an experience. Back home now, and doubtful we’ll return....

England 6 - 2 Iran England's World Cup campaign opened in a thoroughly convincing fashion as they outclassed Iran during an incident-packed match in Doha. Brief match report Gareth Southgate's side strolled to victory, with Iran's hopeless plight made worse by the early loss of goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand to concussion after a clash of heads with team-mate Majid Hosseini. Jude Bellingham got England off the mark in this World Cup with a soaring header from Luke Shaw's cross 10 minutes before the break and the game was wrapped up before half-time thanks to Bukayo Saka's fine strike and Raheem Sterling's classy volley with the outside of his foot from Harry Kane's cross. A few weeks ago, we asked whether Jude Bellingham could shine for England? It's starting to look like he can. How far can he and England go in Qatar? World Cup preview: Could Jude Bellingham shine for England? (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Saka got his second before Iran's support...

Let's explore a World Cup icon.  Nobby Stiles played for England for five years, winning 28 caps and scoring one goal.  He played every minute of England's 1966 FIFA World Cup campaign.  The last and only time they won a major tournament. Can they repeat the fate in 2022? You certainly won't see any players like Stiles this winter. In the semi-final of the 1966 World Cup against Portugal, he was given the job of marking Eusébio. His incredible performance resulted in Eusébio being nullified for most of game. Stiles then played in the final, which England won 4–2 against West Germany.  His post-match jig and dance at Wembley, holding the famous World Cup trophy in one hand and his false teeth in the other, was widely broadcast. It has also been referenced in a fairly popular song. Stiles spent the majority of his club career for Manchester United , spending 11 years at Old Trafford, where he became renowned for his tough tackling and ball-winning qualities. He w...

England are off to next year's World Cup in Qatar. They have qualified for their seventh consecutive World Cup, their longest ever run of reaching successive World Cup tournaments.  Six goals in the first-half that included four from Harry Kane made the prospect of double figures possible and the England players obliged. One fan who was in San Marino for the match has just told us: "Job done. A lovely trip and nice to see score us a few goals. Is football coming home in time for Christmas 2022?" Watch below to see a video of the 10th goal that England scored on the night. Making it 🔟 @TrentAA 🤜🤛 @BukayoSaka87 pic.twitter.com/6eWRSuaZV0 — England (@England) November 15, 2021 Harry Kane told ITV Sport: "Fantastic. It came to the last game and we were expected to win tonight but we've done a good job. Fantastic to go through." "Every time I wear an England shirt I am proud and when I score goals it is one of the nicest feelings I can have in my ca...

 England 0 - 0 USA England edged closer to a place in the World Cup knockout rounds with a lacklustre draw with the USA. They will have to wait until their final group game with Wales on Tuesday to seal a last-16 spot. Only a defeat to Wales by four goals or more would prevent Group B leaders England from making the next stage. However, Southgate will have to field questions about the big drop-off in his team's performance and how they can rediscover form for the business phase of this competition. World Cup: England thrash Iran (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Christian Pulisic crashed a first-half shot against the bar. Harry Maguire then had to head away a series of corners as the Americans put the pressure on in the second half. USA did enough to recalibrate perceptions about England's prospects. They have also boosted their own chances of progressing. Picture credit -  Football Pictures | Flickr The concern about this England performance from the travelling support was c...

 Netherlands 2 - 0 Qatar How far can Netherlands go? In-form Cody Gakpo scored again as the Netherlands finished top of Group A, ending Qatar's involvement at their home World Cup with a third consecutive defeat. ▶ The Netherlands have never been eliminated from the group stages of a World Cup (nine tournaments and counting...) 🇳🇱 1974, 1978, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022... #Qatar2022 #FIFAWorldCup #QAT #NED pic.twitter.com/vYZcVKszvs — playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) November 29, 2022 Qatar's dismal showing means they became the first host nation to exit the tournament with three group-stage losses, finishing bottom with no points. PSV Eindhoven winger Gakpo has now scored the opening goal in all three of the Netherlands' group games, driving forward and rasping a finish into the bottom corner on this occasion. Highlights from  BBC Sport - YouTube Qatar looked to hit back immediately but Ismaeel Mohammad's shot on the stretch from outside the ...

Argentina  3 - 3 France (Argentina won 4-2 on penalties) Lionel Messi finally achieved his World Cup dream  Argentina won their third crown on penalties in one of the greatest finals in the tournament's history. Argentina won the shootout 4-2 after a spectacular game which developed into the much-anticipated confrontation between the 35-year-old maestro Messi and his France opposite number Kylian Mbappe. France's own superstar scored a hat-trick but still ended up on the losing side in Qatar. Photo credit -  Joseph Hollick | Flickr   Messi looked to be securing the one major honour missing from his glittering collection in comfort as Argentina were cruising with a two-goal lead. There was then an explosive intervention from Mbappe, who scored two goals inside two minutes late on. Messi had given Argentina the lead from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute following Ousmane Dembele's foul on Angel di Maria. It made him the first player in World Cup history to score...

England 0 - 0 Nigeria England won 4-2 on penalties Despite a red card from Lauren James, England made it to the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup. Georgia Stanway fired wide with the opening penalty but Nigeria missed their next two efforts and the European champions secured their spot in the last eight when Chloe Kelly smashed in the winning kick. After losing possession, James stamped on Michelle Alozie's back in the 87th minute and was rightfully shown a red card by the video assistant referee (VAR). England were given an almighty scare but face Colombia or Jamaica next on Saturday. England stumble over the line but ultimately succeed England stumbled to the end of normal time lacking the fluidity they showed in abundance in the impressive display against China and held on to seal the deal in a shootout. Only 24 hours earlier, back-to-back champions the USA were knocked out of the competition, and England were forced to show resilience to overcome arguably the most ...

 Lionel Messi has been named men's player of the year at the 2022 Best Fifa Awards. The World Cup winner beat French forwards Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to the prize. He captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, and scored 27 goals in 49 games for club and country in 2021-22. Liam, a Manchester United fan, told us: "You have to say, he deserves it. The World Cup was the crowning glory of this career." In a long statement, Messi told the media: "It's amazing. It's an honour for me to be here tonight and win this award. Without my team-mates I wouldn't be here. It was an amazing year and I achieved the dream that I've been hoping for so long and finally, I managed to achieve it." Manuel, a PSG fan, was delighted with Messi winning the award: "He deserves this award. However, more for his performances with Argentina then PSG sadly. I don't think we have seen the best of him in Paris." This is a full list of the other wi...

Is it coming home for England or will Qatar mean more years of hurt? They were so close in both World Cup 2018 and the Euro 2020/2021 tournaments. They lost out to Croatia in the last World Cup, this was followed by a devastating penalty loss to Italy last year in the Euro 2020 final. Their female counterparts brought football home this summer by beating Germany in the final of Euro 2022. A repeat of that success will be crucial for the men's team. There is no doubt that the squad is talented and motivated. They just need to make the final step and get the trophy. Read a report on how England's female football talent won a major trophy -  Women's Euro 2022: England win after dramatic final (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The final squad has been announced after a lot of debate. Do you agree with the England manager's picks? Video credit -  The Telegraph - YouTube Reaction to the squad announcement Before we explore England's chances, let's explore the reacti...

Let's have a look at the best social media reaction as Chelsea won the Club World Cup for the first time These were the best tweets One journalist tweeted: "Easy to write the Club World Cup off as a nothing trophy and it is a strange tournament. But winning every available trophy over a 19-year period is an incredible achievement for an English club. That's why Chelsea's success in Abu Dhabi was significant." One Chelsea fan posted: "There hasn’t been a more consistent player in the world than Antonio Rüdiger since Thomas Tuchel came in at Chelsea." There hasn’t been a more consistent player in the world than Antonio Rüdiger since Thomas Tuchel came in at Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/sqrjjzvwGG — Alex Goldberg (@AlexGoldberg_) February 13, 2022 Saúl Ñiguez posted: "Grateful for the opportunity I was given in this competition. @ChelseaFC come from being the best team in Europe, and today is the best in the world. Happy to become a part of this beautifu...