Lionel Messi’s latest, and likely last, assault on the World Cup has garnered a Middle Eastern flavor. If the game’s greatest talent is to belatedly lift the sport’s grandest trophy this winter, he’ll do it in Qatar while employed by Qatar Sports Investments’ Paris Saint-Germain. The 35-year-old will take to the pitch in Doha on Nov. 22 for Argentina’s Group C clash with
The four Arab teams preparing for the 2022 FIFA World Cup had mixed results in the first round of games in this crucial international break. There were plenty of talking points around the games, and below are just five things to look forward to as the quartet wrap up the last official international get-together before the action starts in Qatar on Nov. 20. 1. Saudi Arabia need
Saudi Arabia had Mohammed Al-Owais to thank for avoiding defeat in their World Cup warm-up match against Ecuador in Spain on Friday, which ended in a goalless draw. The Al-Hilal goalkeeper was in sparkling form as he kept Herve Renard’s men from falling to a third consecutive loss at the hands of South American opposition, following defeats in June by Colombia and Venezuela.
Herve Renard has selected his Saudi Arabian squad for this month’s Spanish training camp that will include World Cup warm-ups against Ecuador on Sept. 23 and then the US four days later, and the Frenchman looks to have ended dreams of Qatar for some and given others a tantalizing hope. For those in the 26 who are not automatic starters, this is likely to be the last