WC LIVE: Latest news ahead of Qatar 2022

Christian Eriksen has been named in Denmark’s preliminary World Cup squad.

Eriksen said it would be a “dream” to feature at the World Cup before returning to the pitch in January, following his cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark in the Euro 2020 finals.

Denmark have named 21 players and will add five more before next week’s deadline.

Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel (Nice), Oliver Christensen (Hertha Berlin).

Defender: Simon Kjaer (AC Milan), Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace), Joakim Maehle (Atalanta), Andreas Christensen (Barcelona), Rasmus Kristensen (Leeds United), Jens Stryger Larsen (Trabzonspor), Victor Nelsson (Galatasaray), Daniel Wass (Brondby ) ).

Midfielder: Thomas Delaney (Sevilla), Mathias Jensen (Brentford), Christian Eriksen (Manchester United), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham).

Forward: Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Bruges), Jesper Lindström (Eintracht Frankfurt), Andreas Cornelius (Copenhagen), Martin Braithwaite (Espanyol), Kasper Dolberg (Sevilla), Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford), Jonas Wind (VfL Wolfsburg).

The Australian Socceroos are the first team involved in the 2022 FIFA World Cup to speak out about the conditions, workers’ rights and treatment of LGBTQ+ people in Qatar and have called for the FIFA World Cup to bring lasting positive change to the host nation.

Check out their statement in this video:

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has named the 18-year-old striker in his World Cup squad in the hope he can be an “impact player” for the team when they need to inject some intensity and pace into matches.

Kuol is yet to start a league game at senior level and has made just 12 league appearances as a substitute but was called up to his first national squad in September before making his international debut in a friendly against New Zealand.

The teenager will join Newcastle United in January and has been rewarded with a squad place due to his performances off the bench for Australian A-League outfit Central Coast Mariners.

“We’ve seen this kind of thing happen many times before at World Cups and massive games where players who are unknown come out and shock the whole country,” Arnold said.

“He really is a player who has absolutely zero fear who just goes out and wants to entertain. He did that against New Zealand and he has shown from the start of the A-League this season that he is a player who can change a game.”

Australia have announced their squad for the World Cup in Qatar with 18-year-old Garang Kuol called up despite not having played a game at senior level.

The two big omissions are defender Trent Sainsbury and in-form goalkeeper Mitch Langerak who have both been left out.

Goalkeepers: Mathew Ryan (Cpt) (FC Copenhagen, Denmark), Andrew Redmayne (Sydney FC, Australia), Danny Vukovic (Central Coast Mariners, Australia)

Defender: Nathaniel Atkinson (Heart of Midlothian, Scotland), Aziz Behich (Dundee United, Scotland), Milos Degenek (Columbus Crew, USA), Thomas Deng (Albirex Niigata, Japan), Fran Karacic (Brescia Calcio, Italy), Joel King (Odense ) Boldklub, Denmark), Kye Rowles (Heart of Midlothian, Scotland), Harry Souttar (Stoke City, England), Bailey Wright (Sunderland AFC, England)

Midfielder: Aaron Mooy (Celtic FC, Scotland), Riley McGree (Middlesbrough FC, England), Ajdin Hrustic (Hellas Verona FC, Italy), Jackson Irvine (FC St. Pauli, Germany), Cameron Devlin (Heart of Midlothian, Scotland), Keanu Baccus (St. Mirren, Scotland)

Forward: Martin Boyle (Hibernian FC, Scotland), Jason Cummings (Central Coast Mariners, Australia), Mitchell Duke (Fagiano Okayama, Japan), Craig Goodwin (Adelaide United, Australia), Garang Kuol (Central Coast Mariners, Australia), Mathew Leckie ( Melbourne City FC, Australia), Awer Mabil (Cadiz CF, Spain), Jamie Maclaren (Melbourne City FC, Australia)

Blatter was Fifa president in 2010 when its executive committee controversially voted to award the hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar with respect.

Qatar has faced criticism for its treatment of migrant workers and discriminatory LGBT+ laws, while the tournament also had to be moved to November and December due to the heat.

Fifa’s decision to host the World Cup in Qatar has also been subject to skepticism after several members of the executive committee that voted in 2010 were later convicted or charged in criminal or ethics cases.

South American football confederation (Conmebol) echoed Fifa’s message to focus on football at the World Cup in Qatar, saying it was time for “disagreements to take a back seat” with the tournament starting in two weeks.

“Conmebol and its ten member associations call on the football world to support the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022,” Conmebol said in a statement on Monday.

A Qatar World Cup ambassador has told German broadcaster ZDF that homosexuality was “damage to the mind”, as the Gulf state prepares to host the global tournament in less than two weeks.

In an interview filmed in Doha and to be shown later on Tuesday, former Qatari international Khalid Salman raised the issue of homosexuality, which is illegal in the conservative Muslim country.

Some footballers have raised concerns about the rights of fans traveling to the event, particularly LGBT+ individuals and women, who rights groups say Qatar’s laws discriminate against.

The country expects more than one million visitors to the WC.

A Qatar World Cup ambassador has told German broadcaster ZDF that homosexuality was “damage to the mind”, as the Gulf state prepares to host the global tournament in less than two weeks.

In an interview filmed in Doha and to be shown later on Tuesday, former Qatari international Khalid Salman raised the issue of homosexuality, which is illegal in the conservative Muslim country.

Some footballers have raised concerns about the rights of fans traveling to the event, particularly LGBT+ individuals and women, who rights groups say Qatar’s laws discriminate against.

Eddie Howe has hailed Callum Wilson’s “brilliant mentality” as he waits to see if his latest battle to bounce back from adversity will be rewarded with a World Cup call-up.

The 30-year-old striker is back in the Newcastle team and among the goals after six weeks out with a hamstring injury, which came at the worst possible time as England boss Gareth Southgate assessed his options.

Wilson has previously battled back from two cruciate ligament tears and Magpies head coach Howe, who gave him his chance at Bournemouth, is confident his strength and positivity would serve his country well in Qatar if he makes Southgate’s 26-man squad on Thursday.

Gareth Southgate will announce his England squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Thursday.

Southgate faces several selection dilemmas across the field as well as questions over the fitness of right-backs Kyle Walker and Reece James, and Walker’s Manchester City team-mate Kalvin Phillips. Ben Chilwell’s hamstring injury leaves England short of left-sided defenders, while there is a growing clamor for James Maddison to be on the plane and a choice to be made ahead of Harry Kane’s deputy up front.

But the increased squad capacity of 26 – up from 23 at the last World Cup – at least gives Southgate some flexibility in making his final decision.

We asked 12 members of the Independent Sports teams to add their votes and come up with a joint 26-man selection. We split the squad by goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders (deep-lying or box-to-box players), forwards (attacking midfielders and wings) and strikers (No. 9s).