Saudi Arabia's emergence as the sole bidder to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup is no surprise and could be part of a major power shift to affect football in the next few years.
That is the view of sports finance expert Dan Plumley, who also says FIFA will find it difficult to avoid political questions when Saudi oil company Aramco becomes the governing body's highest-paying sponsor.
FIFA confirmed in October that Saudi Arabia was the only country to submit a bid to host the 2034 World Cup before the deadline, making a second tournament in the Gulf a mere formality.
The announcement came less than a year after the 2022 tournament was held in Qatar, a decision which was roundly criticised due to the country's poor human rights record and criminalisation of same-sex relationships.
Saudi Arabia's bid to host football's most iconic tournament comes after the state's Public Investment Fund took direct control of four Saudi Pro League clubs, attracting big names including Karim Benzema, Neymar and Sadio Mane to a league which already contained Cristiano Ronaldo.
Plumley foresees the country emerging as a football powerhouse over the next decade, with the World Cup playing a major role in that vision.
"I don't think it's a surprise, I think that you can see the power shift, the dynamics changing in world football," he told Stats Perform of the 2034 bid.
"We've obviously seen it off the back of the recent Qatar World Cup, and you could see the narrative of Saudi Arabia's direction of travel with what they're doing with the Saudi Pro League.
"[It's] linked to their Vision 2030 project as a country and how they're trying to pivot away from oil and look at other ways to generate revenue in the future, on top of the World Cup being – alongside the Olympics – the biggest sporting event on the planet.
"It's quite clear that was always going to be in their sights. I don't see that as any real surprise.
"I think there's a long waiting time now: when you look at the plans they've got for the Saudi Pro League, and couple that with hosting a World Cup, there's a lot of ifs.
"But we could be looking at a significant power shift in world football in six to 10 years' time."
Just a few weeks after Saudi Arabia emerged as the sole 2034 bidder, it was reported that the nation's state-owned petroleum company Aramco was set to become FIFA's largest single sponsor, which critics have suggested amounts to a conflict of interest.
Asked about the prospective deal, Plumley said: "This is a much wider question around the governance of the sport, and I think you can draw some parallels to the situation in English football with the independent regulator.
"Part of the reason for the independent regulator is because people have not been happy with the Premier League being self-governing, being judge, jury and executioner.
"But that same kind of conversation is happening at UEFA levels, and it's been happening at FIFA levels for a number of years.
"They are the ultimate governing body of world football. In that regard, it's very difficult to do anything else within the governance framework, because that's where we stop.
"People will always draw parallels to the companies connected with that, and the way in which event hosting is done, where the World Cups are going and who the sponsors are.
"There's been numerous conversations about that throughout history, it's now just positioned in a slightly different way because we're in slightly different territory.
"You can't avoid the politics of it, whether we like to or not. It's much bigger now than football and I think that's what you keep coming back to, [the fact that] there's a lot going on in the market that transcends the game on the pitch."
A prospective Saudi Arabia World Cup is taking football back to a “dark time”, according to Human Rights Watch.
FIFA confirmed on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder for the 2034 tournament after a process lasting less than a month and with only interest from Asian and Oceanian federations permitted.
While it still needs to be rubber-stamped, probably at FIFA’s Congress late next year, this appears little more than a formality.
In a statement to the PA news agency, Minky Worden, director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said: “FIFA awarding the World Cup without any competition or transparent bidding and assessment process takes us back to the dark time for football that delivered the Qatar and Russia World Cups in a corrupt process that led to years of arrests.
“With more than 11 years until the 2034 World Cup, why were all other federations that had previously expressed an interest in bidding to host a World Cup discouraged or disallowed?”
In announcing the bids, FIFA stressed that its dialogue with Saudi Arabia prior to the Congress will include ensuring its human rights obligations are met, but Worden has low expectations.
“The previous due diligence process to assess bids and deal with predictable human rights problems wasn’t perfect – but it existed,” she said.
“FIFA’s human rights policy will be worth less than the paper it’s printed on if Saudi Arabia’s bid goes forward as planned.”
Saudi Arabia is set to stage the World Cup in 2034 after being confirmed as the sole bidder.
Australia was the only potential challenger but Football Australia announced hours before FIFA’s deadline on Tuesday that it would not be submitting a bid.
FIFA had already said the tournament would be held in Asia or Oceania, while Saudi Arabia had garnered immediate support from the Asian Football Confederation.
A Saudi World Cup, which may not be confirmed until a FIFA Congress late next year, is likely to be highly controversial given concerns over the country’s human rights record.
It would almost certainly mean another winter edition, as with last year’s tournament in Qatar, due to the extreme heat during the region’s summer.
A FIFA statement said: “The FIFA administration will conduct a targeted dialogue with bidders to ensure complete, comprehensive bids are received and evaluated against the minimum hosting requirements as also previously approved by the FIFA Council.
“This dialogue will focus on the defined priority areas of the event vision and key metrics, infrastructure, services, commercial, and sustainability and human rights.”
A statement from Football Australia said it had “explored the opportunity” of a bid but had decided against it.
“Having taken all factors into consideration, we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,” the statement said.
“Football Australia is ambitious to bring more major tournaments to our shores. We believe we are in a strong position to host the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 and then welcome the greatest teams in world football for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.”
It said hosting those events, in between the 2023 Women’s World Cup and 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, would complete a “truly golden decade for Australian football”.
CEO James Johnson added: “The reality is I don’t like to throw darts at a dartboard. When we weigh up these decisions, I like to bet on sure things. I realised we could have a shot but I think at the end the outcome was not going to be favourable to Australia.
“Saudi is a strong bid. They’ve got a lot of resources. They’re disrupting European club football at the moment. Their government are prioritising investment in football and I think that’s difficult to compete with.”
Saudi Arabia announced its declaration of interest within hours of FIFA outlining the process for hosting the 2034 tournament earlier this month.
With the 2026 finals heading to the United States, Canada and Mexico and the 2030 finals to Spain, Portugal and Morocco, including some matches in South America – subject to approval by FIFA’s congress – only bids from the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation were being considered.
Saudi Arabia confirmed on October 4 that it would bid for the showpiece tournament in 2034.
Saudi minister of sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said in a statement via the Saudi Press Agency: “Hosting a FIFA World Cup in 2034 would help us achieve our dream of becoming a leading nation in world sport and would mark a significant milestone in the country’s transformation.
“As an emerging and welcoming home for all sports, we believe that hosting a FIFA World Cup is a natural next step in our football journey.”
Last week Human Rights Watch complained that FIFA was failing to apply its own rules in regards to Saudi Arabia’s bid, specifically article seven of its human rights policy.
The article states: “FIFA will constructively engage with relevant authorities and other stakeholders and make every effort to uphold its international human rights responsibilities.”
Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said: “The possibility that FIFA could award Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup despite its appalling human rights record and closed door to any monitoring exposes FIFA’s commitments to human rights as a sham.”
On Tuesday, Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s head of economic and social justice, urged FIFA not to rush into a decision, saying: “With only a single bid for each tournament on the table, FIFA may have scored an own goal.
“FIFA must now make clear how it expects hosts to comply with its human rights policies. It must also be prepared to halt the bidding process if serious human rights risks are not credibly addressed.
“The best chance for FIFA to obtain binding guarantees to protect workers’ rights, ensure freedom of expression and prevent discrimination linked to the World Cup is during the host selection process – not after the hosts have been confirmed and tournament preparation has begun.”
Confronting accusations of “sportswashing” in an interview with Fox News last month, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said: “If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by way of one per cent, then I will continue doing sportwashing.
“I don’t care. One per cent growth of GDP from sport and I’m aiming for another one-and-a-half per cent. Call it whatever you want, we’re going to get that one-and-a-half per cent.”
Eddie Howe, manager of Saudi-backed Newcastle, was asked about the prospect of a Saudi Arabian World Cup at a press conference on Tuesday.
“Our trips out there to Riyadh and Jeddah were two different experiences,” Howe said. “Wherever we went was really well organised and we were well looked after. If that’s a sign of what a World Cup there might look like then you can rest assured that everything will be structurally really good.”
Jan Vertonghen does not believe there will be two players who dominate the Ballon d'Or during the next decade in the way Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have done.
Messi scooped his record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or on Monday in Paris.
The 36-year-old led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last year, and also enjoyed a fine individual season with Paris Saint-Germain.
This Ballon d'Or will almost certainly be Messi's last. Since 2008, he or Ronaldo have won every edition of the award bar two, with Luka Modric taking it in 2018 and Karim Benzema in 2022.
Messi finished ahead of Erling Haaland – who scored 52 goals in his first season at Manchester City – and his former club-mate Kylian Mbappe, who played a direct part in 50 goals in all competitions for PSG and was the World Cup's leading scorer.
While Haaland and Mbappe have been tipped to fight it out for the award over the next decade, former Tottenham and Ajax defender Vertonghen thinks the days of two players dominating are over.
"I don't think it's going to be two guys dominating for the next 15 years," Vertonghen, an Athlete Partner for APEX, told Stats Perform.
"There are a lot of massive talents. Obviously, you've got Haaland and Mbappe already there for a couple of years, but then if you look at [Jude] Bellingham, what he's doing now, [Jamal] Musiala, I love him, Phil Foden, Vinicius [Junior].
"Those are the young guys. I hope one day a defender or even a goalkeeper [can win]. Thibaut Courtois was very close the year [Real Madrid] won the Champions League.
"I'm probably forgetting 10 or 15 more names. With Belgium, we have a great couple of young guys. There's so many, and I hope one day it could go to a Belgian one."
Bellingham enjoyed a strong season with Borussia Dortmund, though has taken his play up to an elite level since his move to Real Madrid.
The England midfielder finished 18th in the overall voting, with Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala coming in 26th, 20 places behind Vinicius.
Kevin De Bruyne came fourth in the vote, and Vertonghen enthused over his compatriot's quality.
"Kevin, his passing ability is the one that stands out - you know that he is known for his assists and his vision, but he understands the game so well," he said.
"He knows how to use the space, where to run, he is very, very good in pressing which is something you don't really think of when you think of him, you think of assists, vision, scoring goals, but the way he is able to understand how a team builds up, he's just a genius of the pitch.
"Whenever I played against him with Tottenham, we would always try to build up on the other side because he's the one that will get the team going."
Lionel Messi's World Cup success with Argentina should be enough to win him the upcoming Ballon d'Or, says former England striker Jermain Defoe.
Messi finally achieved World Cup glory with La Albiceleste in Qatar last year as Argentina beat France on penalties in the final to win international football's top prize for a third time and the first since 1986.
Messi won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, finishing with seven goals and three assists from seven appearances, playing every single minute of Argentina's campaign to lead them to silverware.
Defoe believes Messi's talismanic displays in Qatar make him the rightful winner of the upcoming Ballon d'Or, having already claimed the coveted award seven times before, two more than any other player has managed.
Speaking to Stats Perform at the Legends of Football event, in aid of Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, Defoe said: "Messi won a World Cup, so it's difficult to see past that.
"I think what he's done for the game – him and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, and other players as well – but because he's won a World Cup, and not only winning the World Cup but the way he performed in the tournament.
"Because the pressure was on, and it's probably his last, so to do that, go out the way he has, in terms of World Cups – I think you just have to give it to him."
Messi's World Cup heroics cap glittering career
Many felt Messi needed to win the World Cup to confirm his place as the best football player of all time, and he responded with a magnificent campaign in Qatar before Argentina ultimately took the crown.
Messi scored twice in the final, finishing just one goal behind Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe, who netted a hat-trick on the losing side as his side finished runners-up.
His extraordinary tournament saw him score in the group stage, round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final, the first player to ever achieve that feat at a World Cup, while his 26 appearances at the tournament is also a record, after he surpassed Lothar Matthaus.
Messi's goals made him the first ever South American player to score in both the World Cup and Champions League final, and he joined his idol Diego Maradona as the only two players to score five or more goals and create 20 or more chances in a single World Cup tournament.
The now-Inter Miami forward became the first player to win the Golden Ball at two World Cup editions, while his 26 goals for Argentina at major tournaments is the most of any South American player in history.
Whether all that will be enough for Messi to win the Ballon d'Or will be revealed on October 30 at a ceremony in Paris, with the likes of Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior expected to challenge.
Neymar needs to lift the World Cup with Brazil to etch his name as a Selecao great, so says Mauro Silva, who referenced Lionel Messi's global success with Argentina.
Messi powered Lionel Scaloni's Argentina to their first World Cup triumph in 36 years after lifting the coveted Jules Rimet trophy at the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
Neymar and his Brazil team-mates were eliminated from that edition of the world's top international tournament in a quarter-final defeat to Croatia on penalties.
The Selecao forward equalled Pele's scoring record for Brazil in the Croatia loss, and subsequently broke the landmark with two goals against Bolivia in Friday's World Cup qualifier.
But former Brazil and Deportivo midfielder Silva believes Neymar must achieve glory in the United States and Canada at the 2028 World Cup to fully write his name into national folklore.
The 59-cap Brazil international Silva told Stats Perform at the Thinking Football Summit: "Neymar is among the best. I would say among the five or 10 best in Brazil.
"There are very good footballers in there. Pele, there is Ronaldo, Romario, Bebeto – some very important people. But Neymar is undoubtedly among the best too.
"There is the expectation in Brazil that a player with Neymar's talent is capable of leading Brazil to a World Cup, just as happened with Messi and the Argentina team after so many years.
"Here in Brazil, people hope that a player with Neymar's talent can lead us to this important achievement.
"He is among the most important players in the history of Brazilian football, without a doubt, because of his numbers, for breaking Pele's record, for example.
"But he still has a lot to do.
"I hope he can achieve a World Cup for Brazil and this will undoubtedly consolidate him as one of the greats in the history of Brazilian football."
Since the World Cup Neymar has left Paris Saint-Germain, who he joined from Barcelona, to move to Al Hilal on a lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia.
While the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have made similar transfers to the Saudi Pro League, Silva hopes Neymar can continue to play at his peak in what he feels is a less competitive competition.
Silva added: "It is a challenge because when you are in the best competitions, competing every day, every week with the best teams and players, the demands make you maintain a very high level of performance.
"Now as being in a competition of a level that is not so high, it is a challenge. But let's see what happens.
"Nor can it be said that he will not be able to maintain the level, but I am convinced that this will be a great challenge for Neymar.
"We are in 2023 and the World Cup is in 2026, so there are still three years ahead where despite his age, his years, [Neymar] is in a league that is not as competitive as the European leagues.
"So he will have to maintain this high level to lead Brazil to a conquest. Hopefully he will be able to maintain this level until 2026 at least."
Uruguay should be the front-runner to host the centennial World Cup in 2030, according to former Uruguayan international Gus Poyet.
The South American country hosted the inaugural edition of the tournament in 1930 and went on to win their first of two World Cups on that occasion.
In 2017, the Uruguayan and Argentine football associations announced their intentions to submit a joint bid to host the 2030 edition, with fellow South American countries Chile and Paraguay subsequently joining the proposal.
Spain, Portugal, Ukraine and Morocco have launched a rival bid to host the tournament but Poyet believes that the tournament’s history should be respected.
"I thought it was natural that Uruguay could be the perfect place to play the World Cup in 2030," Poyet told Stats Perform.
"Do we have the capacity as a country to hold the World Cup? No. So it needs to be shared with someone around – Argentina, Chile or Paraguay.
"The problem is, I used to remember a long time ago when somebody told me that football without politics has gone; it had died. We depend so much on the politics of the country.
"Until the politicians agree, football is not coming together. So I think it would be a shame if it is not in Uruguay, at least one group, maybe two groups."
A proposal has also been put forward by former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger for the World Cup to be hosted every two years. The plan – backed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino – has received widespread criticism, with Poyet also opposed to the suggestion.
"I would keep it [as four years], I don't want World Cups every two years," Poyet said.
"I think becoming a world champion is difficult, it takes four years and if you don't [win it], you need to wait another four years. It is like the Olympic Games, it is not like you can have another chance in two years' time."
On the pitch, Uruguay continued their unbeaten start under new coach Marcelo Bielsa. Having won two friendlies against Nicaragua and Cuba back in June, La Celeste got their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign up and running with a convincing 3-1 defeat of Chile.
Uruguay last won the World Cup in 1950, recording three fourth-place finishes since then, but Poyet is excited by Bielsa's start and the prospects of the national team under the tutelage of the 68-year-old Argentine.
"In the first game, people went, 'Wow what is going on without the old group of players' and the second game it was a little bit more natural," Poyet said.
"Everybody is desperate to know the 25 players he is going to pick. People think they know but they don't because Marcelo Bielsa is unique and he is different, he is totally a unique case and they're going to be surprises and some deceptions as well, so I think everybody's excited and looking forward to seeing what he's going to bring to the national team."
Lionel Messi heads the list of nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or after leading Argentina to World Cup glory.
Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka were also included on the 30-man shortlist for the prestigious prize published by organisers France Football on Wednesday.
Messi, already a record seven-time winner of the annual prize for world player of the year, is again the favourite.
The 36-year-old, who now plays his club football with Inter Miami, was his country’s chief inspiration as they triumphed in Qatar last winter, scoring seven goals in the tournament.
Haaland, who scored a remarkable 52 goals for treble-winning Manchester City last season, is one of seven players from the successful City side to make the list.
Former captain Ilkay Gundogan, who is now at Barcelona, another World Cup-winner in Julian Alvarez, Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and Bernardo Silva were the others.
England captain Harry Kane is rewarded after scoring 40 goals for club and country before switching Tottenham for Bayern Munich. England team-mates Bellingham, who is now at Real Madrid, and Saka, of Arsenal, also enjoyed strong campaigns.
Other notable Premier League inclusions are Aston Villa’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard.
Five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr, was not nominated for the first time since 2003.
England’s Rachel Daly, Georgia Stanway, Millie Bright and Mary Earps are on the shortlist for the women’s award following their run to the World Cup final.
Goalkeeper Earps won the Golden Glove after keeping four clean sheets in the tournament while Daly was also the top scorer in the Women’s Super League last season.
Aitana Bonmati of champions Spain is widely considered the favourite for the prize but team-mate Olga Carmona, scorer of the winning goal in the final, is also nominated.
Bellingham is also on the shortlist for the men’s young player of the year prize. New Manchester United signing Rasmus Hojlund, of Denmark, and Barcelona trio Gavi, Pedri and Alejandro Balde are also candidates.
Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale is nominated for goalkeeper of the year along with Martinez. They will face competition from Ederson of Manchester City and United’s former Inter Milan stopper Andre Onana, who is also on the list for the main award.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Paris on October 30.
Lionel Messi heads the list of nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or after leading Argentina to World Cup glory.
Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka were also included on the 30-man shortlist for the prestigious prize published by organisers France Football on Wednesday.
Messi, already a record seven-time winner of the annual prize for world player of the year, is again the favourite.
The 36-year-old, who now plays his club football with Inter Miami, was his country’s chief inspiration as they triumphed in Qatar last winter, scoring seven goals in the tournament.
Haaland, who scored a remarkable 52 goals for treble-winning Manchester City last season, is one of seven players from the successful City side to make the list.
Former captain Ilkay Gundogan, who is now at Barcelona, another World Cup-winner in Julian Alvarez, Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and Bernardo Silva were the others.
England captain Harry Kane is rewarded after scoring 40 goals for club and country before switching Tottenham for Bayern Munich. England team-mates Bellingham, who is now at Real Madrid, and Saka, of Arsenal, also enjoyed strong campaigns.
Other notable Premier League inclusions are Aston Villa’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard.
Five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr, was not nominated for the first time since 2003.
England’s Rachel Daly, Georgia Stanway, Millie Bright and Mary Earps are on the shortlist for the women’s award following their run to the World Cup final.
Goalkeeper Earps won the Golden Glove after keeping four clean sheets in the tournament while Daly was also the top scorer in the Women’s Super League last season.
Aitana Bonmati of champions Spain is widely considered the favourite for the prize but team-mate Olga Carmona, scorer of the winning goal in the final, is also nominated.
Bellingham is also on the shortlist for the men’s young player of the year prize. New Manchester United signing Rasmus Hojlund, of Denmark, and Barcelona trio Gavi, Pedri and Alejandro Balde are also candidates.
Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale is nominated for goalkeeper of the year along with Martinez. They will face competition from Ederson of Manchester City and United’s former Inter Milan stopper Andre Onana, who is also on the list for the main award.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Paris on October 30.
Football faces a conundrum as packed schedules impact the quality of play, and Gus Poyet believes the solution lies with players making decisions rather than organisations.
A new officiating directive in the Premier League has seen games regularly pass the 100-minute mark due to additional stoppage time this season, as was also the case at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Manchester United's Raphael Varane has voiced his concerns over the increased playing time adding to an already hectic schedule, while Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has outlined similar fears.
Former Chelsea and Tottenham midfielder Poyet acknowledges it is a difficult situation, with top leagues and governing bodies keen to maximise revenue, sometimes at the expense of quality.
Poyet told Stats Perform: "The matter with the games is simple. When you play too many games, you lose the quality, you can't maintain your quality at the same level for 60 or 70 games a season, no chance.
"If people want to see quality football, they need to reduce the number of games. If you reduce the number of games, there is less television and if there is less television, there is less money.
"Everyone who is involved in football, me included, needs to answer, do we agree to earn less and play less, or are we very selfish and want to keep earning more and more while playing fewer games?
"These things go together. I think we need to start from there because you're not going to be able to pay £100million for someone if you don't have the television [money] from playing 38-plus games.
"I think we are a little bit selfish and we only think about ourselves when the money that we are earning is coming because of the quantity of games that you can show on TV.
"That is the bottom line, I think it's common sense and if somebody doesn't agree, it is because they are only thinking about themselves."
Poyet's glittering playing career and coaching background, as well as his experience as a television pundit, means the Uruguayan is well-versed in this particular battle.
While organisations such as FIFA and UEFA dictate matters at football's top table, Poyet is eager to see power shifted to players and coaches.
"Until we start letting people who played football or who understand football at the highest level, top coaches, decide the rules of football, we're going to have problems," he continued.
"The people deciding these rules don't know [about the game]. They have never played most of the time and they think they know.
"Even if they say they have got a group of experts, the group of experts are people that work at UEFA and they get together and get paid.
"For proper rules ask the players, involve the players, get the Professional Football Association from every country and get them together.
"Ask the question, take it to your country and then bring it back. In that way, we have an agreement and then there are no complaints."
The introduction of video assistant referees (VAR) to review decisions has further frustrated some supporters, with crucial decisions often taking minutes rather than seconds.
Poyet believes the onus should be restored onto the referees on the pitch, rather than those in the stands or watching from remote VAR hubs.
He continued: "For me, I would like more responsibilities on the referee. Right now, the referees have got zero responsibility. With VAR, they decide nothing.
"Whatever happens on the pitch, if they make a mistake then somebody is there, having a coffee and telling them what to do, which is not what the referees are about.
"The referees are about being in charge of the games and they have to have responsibilities, and that responsibility is also checking, breathing and smelling people [who are wasting time].
"Are you going to say that a referee that has refereed 200 games doesn't know when a team is time-wasting and going too far? Let him manage the game.
"They waste more time with the VAR than the players do, so we are having extra time because of the VAR. Take it away, it is rubbish anyway. Absolutely rubbish.
"Are we taking away five jobs, four jobs or three jobs? I don't know how many there are in there, that is a problem so sort it out. But the most important thing for me is to let the referee take responsibility."
Sports minister Stuart Andrew says “it is a matter of when not whether” the UK will submit a bid to host the Women’s World Cup.
The 2023 World Cup is currently being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand and FIFA is scheduled to announce the hosts for the 2027 finals in May next year.
Andrew told the PA news agency: “I would really be looking forward to the day when we can host a World Cup. It’s a matter of when not whether.”
Four bids remain in the race to host the 2027 World Cup – a joint bid from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, a second joint bid from the USA and Mexico, plus separate bids from South Africa and Brazil.
When asked if the UK is considering to apply to host the tournament finals in 2031, Andrew said: “We’ll have to wait and see.
“We’ve got a lot of bids in for a lot of events at the moment. The thing I think that makes us a really good country at hosting these is we know that when we’ve got them we’ll do it right.
“The perfect timing is just as important as actually securing the bid. So that will be part of our considerations.”
England hosted a successful Euro 2022 last summer when the Lionesses captured the hearts of a nation by winning their first major trophy.
“I think we’ve got a great reputation of holding major events,” said Andrew in Sydney, where he is currently following the Lionesses.
“I’m open to thinking about all these sorts of things. What I’ve seen here is amazing. We obviously think about these things in the spending rounds, we’ll have to give that consideration.
“But of course it will be something that we would give careful consideration to.”
Following the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 triumph, the squad wrote an open letter to the government urging them to ensure “every young girl” can play football at school.
The government announced in March plans to invest £600million so that girls and boys in English schools will have equal access to sports.
Andrew said one of his “key jobs” was to work closely with the Department of Education “because making sure that sport and physical activity is available to everyone is really important”.
“Schools have an amazing role to play in that,” he said. “That’s why we’ve given the £600m, secured that for the next two years, that’s going to be really important. As we go forward we want to ensure that we’re delivering the best sport and PE.
“We’re announcing the school sports strategy that’s coming out and then we’ll have our own sports strategy as well. All of this is government working closely together with stakeholders and with other departments to ensure that we’ve got the best facilities for everybody who wants to be active.”
Andrew, openly gay, wore a OneLove armband at the men’s World Cup finals last winter in Qatar, but had no misgivings that it was not available at the women’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
“Here this is, you know, a different situation,” he said. “Australia has great legislation and laws for protection of the LGBT+ community.
“And I think what we need to do is continue that journey that is happening, so that actually all sport is open and inclusive for everyone because it benefits us all at the end of the day.”
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, a vocal figurehead on issues of diversity and the LGBTQ+ community, has faced criticism following his move to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, where being gay is illegal.
Andrew said he would continue in his role as sports minister to ensure British values and human rights were allowed to be expressed on and off the pitch.
He added: “We recognise that sport is independent. It has to be. Government shouldn’t be interfering, but yes, when we have those meetings, when we have those discussions, of course we will raise those issues. We want to ensure everything is being considered.
“I actually did, when I was in Qatar, that gave me a voice. That gave me an opportunity.
“And we have seen some progression. We see a whole host of armbands that are now available, and I think that is a good step forward. Let’s see if we can go all the way now.”
Carlo Ancelotti has the "experience and quality" needed to help Brazil win their sixth World Cup, according to former Selecao midfielder Lucas Leiva.
Ancelotti is reportedly set to become Brazil's new head coach at the end of the 2023-24 season when his contract expires at Real Madrid, where he has enjoyed a hugely successful association, winning a pair of Champions League titles over two spells with the club.
Brazil, meanwhile, are coming off the back of a disappointing World Cup that saw them crash out on penalties to Croatia in the quarter-finals, ending their hopes of lifting the famous trophy for a record-extending sixth time and leading to head coach Tite resigning from his post.
It has been 21 years since the Selecao last won the World Cup, but Lucas believes Ancelotti is the right appointment to bring international football's top prize back to Brazil at the next edition in 2026.
"It's the first time that a foreign manager takes over the national team," Lucas said. "It’s exciting because he's a winner, he’s won everything, wherever he went he was successful.
"We just hope that he can bring his experience and his qualities to the national team because we want to win the World Cup again.
"Now as a fan, I will be hoping that Ancelotti does a fantastic job, because at the end of the day, we want Brazil winning and if he can bring experience and quality and his knowledge about football to Brazil, not only the national team, but the country, I think it will be fantastic."
Ancelotti has won the title in all five of the major European leagues, while no manager has as many Champions League trophies as his four.
It is this status as a serial winner that makes Lucas so confident in Ancelotti's ability to lead Brazil to glory again.
Lucas, who played 24 times for his national team between 2007 and 2013, explained: "If you look at his career, he's won everywhere he went.
"I just hope that he can bring all his qualities here. He's experienced and he has talent to manage a national team like Brazil with so many players who didn't win the last four or five World Cups.
"If he's the right person, I think so and I think he showed in his career that he is able to do that. We could say many names here that could also be the right manager for the national team of Brazil. But I think he is one of the managers that is capable of bringing new ideas and new things for the team."
Chloe Kelly has stressed the importance of being “ready for your moment” at this summer’s World Cup whether starting in the England team or as a substitute.
The winger came off the bench and scored the extra-time winner against Germany in the Euros final at Wembley a year ago as the Lionesses secured the first major trophy in their history.
Going into that tournament having only recently returned to action after an ACL injury, she was utilised as a substitute throughout as boss Sarina Wiegman retained the same starting line-up.
Since then, Kelly has scored five goals and provided nine assists across the 2022-23 Women’s Super League season for Manchester City, and been on the scoresheet four times in 10 England appearances – the first five of which were starts, with three of the last five being off the bench.
Ahead of England opening their campaign at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand by playing Haiti in Brisbane a week on Saturday, the 25-year-old said: “I think it is just being ready for your moment.
“I think it is very important that the whole group is very supportive of each other. I think in tournament football everyone has to be ready for their moments. For me, it is about being ready when called upon – whether that’s as a starter or off the bench.
“I think it was really important that last year we were able to do that and this year we have got great depth in our squad. It’s so important that everyone is valued as a player – and that’s exactly what happened last year. That’s something I will definitely take into this summer.
“I’m not looking too far ahead. I think it is just being ready come July 22. Not thinking am I a starter or off the bench (but) how can I be the best version of me come the 22nd of July?”
Kelly has also spoken about being relaxed and composed and trying to enjoy every minute of the World Cup.
She said: “With a smile on my face that’s when I’m at my best. I feel like I have stayed true to myself and my personality.
“Maybe I was a little cheeky when I was younger! I just remember my Everton days and Andy Spence (who managed her at the club) getting me sometimes and being like: ‘You are a little bit cheeky!’ But I feel like I am just me. I just try to enjoy myself in every moment.
“I try to use the people around me to learn as much as I can, whether that be older players or staff members. That’s the maturity, as you grow older you realise how important everyone is and being able to use people to improve, ask questions. But for me it is just about enjoying every moment.
“I think I matured the most when I was injured (out for almost a year due to the ACL injury) because everything gets taken away so quickly. And then it’s like ‘why would you complain about such little things?’
“You just enjoy the moment so much more. That’s what it’s all about – enjoying these moments and the stories you tell your grandchildren and your children. Create memories that last a lifetime, that’s what it is all about.”
England were knocked out of the World Cup following a 2-1 extra-time defeat to Croatia in the semi-final on this day in 2018.
Gareth Southgate’s youthful squad had travelled to Russia without the weight of expectation on their shoulders, but ignited the nation with a remarkable run to the last four which sparked genuine hope of bringing an end to their wait for tangible success.
Not since Sir Alf Ramsey’s men had lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy at Wembley in 1966 had England got their hands on a major piece of silverware, and the near misses of Italy 90 and Euro 96 had simply increased the hunger.
Having emerged from Group G as runners-up to Belgium, England edged past Colombia on penalties in the last 16 and dispatched Sweden 2-0 in the quarter-finals to set up their showdown with Croatia at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.
England fans were dreaming of a possible final clash against France or Belgium when Kieran Trippier’s stunning free-kick gave his side a fifth-minute lead, and it was one they held until the 68th minute.
But it was then that the tide turned.
Ivan Perisic’s equaliser gave Croatia fresh impetus as they took the game into extra time, during which Mario Mandzukic blasted home what proved to be the winner.
Southgate’s disappointment after the final whistle was matched only by his pride at the efforts of a squad he freely admitted had exceeded its own expectations.
He said: “It’s too easy sometimes to move on quickly, but, certainly, I’m hugely proud of what they’ve done. I couldn’t have asked them to give any more for me or for the country.
“They have broken through a number of barriers over the last few weeks.”
England had the unenviable task of dusting themselves down for a third-fourth play-off reunion with the Belgians, who came out on top once again, while the Croatians went down 4-2 to France in the final.
Southgate’s men would go one better three years later at the delayed Euro 2020, where they were beaten by Italy on penalties in the final, and the wait for glory goes on.
Injured England captain Leah Williamson says she would give her other ACL for her team-mates to win the World Cup in her absence this summer.
The Lionesses travel to Australia and New Zealand next month aiming to build on their Euro 2022 success, but do so without Williamson after she suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament playing for Arsenal in April.
Williamson, who, in partnership with immersive football entertainment venue TOCA Social, is fronting the ‘Momentum’ campaign aimed at driving participation in the women’s game, is willing to go to extreme lengths to see Sarina Wiegman’s team claim glory Down Under.
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“I’d give my other ACL for England to win the World Cup,” she said. “That’s what I’ll believe in until it isn’t (possible).”
If the Lionesses can win the World Cup for the first time, they will build on the incredible legacy created by winning the European Championship last summer.
That victory on home soil has seen participation numbers of young girls playing the game rise, but there is still a way to go.
TOCA Social’s ‘Momentum’ campaign will see the venue – based at London’s O2 – allocate a set number of playing boxes for women to play as well as a dedicated ‘women’s hour’ in the hope of bringing a minimum of 50,000 women through the doors to participate in the game through both playing and watching football.
Williamson, 26, says she would have loved such access when she was growing up.
“If I’d have had something like this, it would have been better for me,” she added in her position as lead consultant for female participation at TOCA Social. “I didn’t want to go down to the park and get muddy if I was going to get muddy at the weekend, I just wasn’t that kid, I didn’t want to be out until all hours on the street.
“If I’d have had something like this, I’d have lapped it up.”
On the ‘women’s hour’ innovation, she said: “If I told my mates to come down they wouldn’t because they’d just get laughed at by men, or that’s what they would feel would happen.
“The conversations I have are more about the social perception of it rather than the actual access anymore. All the right things are in place, it’s that social conversation around the game and the normalisation.”
Williamson says that throughout the Lionesses’ journey over recent years, the number one priority has been to secure a legacy for the women’s game in this country.
She said: “Before every tournament you sit down as a team and you outline the goals and what you want to achieve. And different things have come up – be the number one team in the world, winning is obviously up there, but the thing that always comes up is to leave a legacy.
“We realised in the Euros we knew that the biggest impact we could have would be if we won, then it gets to us being in a position to win it and it was like, ‘What are we going to do now for the legacy?’ and that was more important to all of us.
“We’d opened all of these doors for young girls, they need to be able to walk through them and know that they can and those two things together are what we’ll look back on in 15 years’ time.
“I’ll remember those moments and remember the party we had after we won, but that is what will stick with me, that’s what we did and that’s what we left behind.”
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