World Cup 2022 updates: Argentina fans celebrate win
Australia no match for Argentina after the Netherlands beat USA in last-16 matches.
This blog is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates for World Cup 2022 on Saturday, December 3.
This blog is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates for World Cup 2022 on Saturday, December 3.
- Welcome to day 14 of the World Cup 2022 in Qatar and the first day of the Round of 16.
- USA lose to the Netherlands 3-1
- Argentina defeat Australia 2-1.
- On Friday, Cameroon became the first African nation to beat Brazil 1-0 in World Cup history.
- South Korea, Switzerland, and Portugal advanced on the final day of the group stage.
- Serbia, Uruguay, and Ghana are heading home.
- Find the schedule for the Round of 16 here.
Argentina beat Australia 2-1 in round of 16
Argentina have beaten Australia 2-1 in the round of 16 of the football World Cup in Qatar, setting up a quarter-final against the Netherlands.
Lionel Messi, playing in his 1000th game, opened the scoring in the 35th minute — one of few highlights in a lethargic first half at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Saturday — to reach nine World Cup career goals and best Argentinian legend Diego Maradona’s World Cup tally.
Read more here.
Australia gets on the scoresheet
An own goal from Enzo Fernandez after a huge deflection put Australia within one goal of Australia.
Follow updates here.
Pelé responding well to treatment for respiratory infection: Hospital
Brazilian football great Pelé remains in stable condition after being hospitalised earlier this week, and is responding well to treatment for a respiratory infection, the Albert Einstein hospital has said.
The 82-year-old Pelé has been at the hospital in Sao Paulo since Tuesday.
“He is still undergoing treatment and remains in stable condition,” the medical staff said.
The latest medical note came after newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, earlier in the day, reported that the football legend had been receiving palliative care after chemotherapy stopped having the expected results.
“Get well” messages have poured in from around the world for the three-time World Cup winner, who is also undergoing cancer treatment.
Kely Nascimento, Pelé’s daughter, posted several pictures on Instagram from Brazil fans in Qatar wishing her father well with flags and banners. Buildings in the Middle Eastern nation also displayed messages in support of the former football great.
The Albert Einstein hospital said Friday that Pelé is getting antibiotics to treat an infection at the same time he undergoes chemotherapy against cancer.
Pelé, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, had a colon tumour removed in September 2021.
Kane feels ‘as match fit as ever’ before England-Senegal game
Harry Kane feels “as match fit as I’m ever going to feel” as he prepares to lead England against Senegal at the World Cup on Sunday.
England captain Kane has yet to score in Qatar and has struggled to hit top form after sustaining an ankle injury in the opening 6-2 victory over Iran.
He concedes he would liked to have opened his account, but is not overly concerned and says it is all part of a plan to peak as the tournament develops.
Messi gives Argentina a 1-0 half-time lead over Australia
Lionel Messi has given Argentina a 1-0 half-time lead over Australia in their last-16 match on Saturday to give the twice World Cup winners the upper hand as they seek a quarter-final spot.
Messi slotted home from just inside the area beyond the reach of goalkeeper Mat Ryan after 35 minutes of a scrappy first half with the only shot on target in the game so far.
The goal from Messi, playing in the 1,000th match of his career, put Argentina on course for a clash with the Netherlands.
Follow our live blog here for updates.
Messi begins 1,000th game of his career
Lionel Messi has begun the 1,000th game of his remarkable career in Argentina’s final 16 clash with Australia as he seeks the only major trophy to elude him.
The 35-year-old is Argentina’s all-time top scorer with 93 goals and is making his 169th appearance for his nation.
Messi joined Barcelona’s youth system at 13 and also became their top scorer with 672 goals in 778 games before moving to Paris St Germain last year.
In total, he has scored 788 career goals.
Messi is playing at his fifth World Cup and has said it will be his last, making it all the more important for him to win the trophy if he is to match the legacy of his great predecessor in the number 10 shirt, Diego Maradona.
And they’re off
Argentina takes on Australia in the second round of 16 match.
It is the first World Cup match between the two sides.
Follow all the latest news and updates about the match here.
Qatar shows support for Brazil football star Pele
Support for Pele, the Brazilian football great, has erupted in World Cup host nation Qatar.
Buildings across Doha have been lit with a “Get well soon” message for the Brazil football great.
The Lusail Stadium, which will host the World Cup final on December 18, and the Aspire Tower next to the Khalifa Stadium, were adorned with pictures of Pele in his famous number 10 shirt.
On the Corniche, the Qatari capital’s seafront promenade, the dozens of drones that come alive each night drew a Brazil shirt with Pele’s name and number 10 on the back.
Pele was admitted to hospital in Sao Paulo earlier this week for what doctors said was a “re-evaluation” of the chemotherapy he has been undergoing since surgery to remove a colon tumour in September last year.
Pele has taken to Instagram to thank well-wishers for their show of support.
“It’s always nice to receive positive messages like this. Thanks to Qatar for this tribute, and to everyone who sends me good vibes!”
Angel Di Maria out of starting lineup for Lionel Messi’s side
Argentina and Australia have each made one change for their last-16 clash at the World Cup with Angel Di Maria out of the starting lineup for Lionel Messi’s side.
Messi will again captain an Argentina team that sees veteran attacking midfielder Alejandro Gomez come in for fellow 34-year-old Di Maria. Winger Di Maria had been an injury doubt.
Australia coach Graham Arnold also made one change from the side that beat Denmark 1-0 to secure their place in the knockout rounds for only the second time in their history.
Keanu Baccus, the 24-year-old midfielder who plays in Scotland, replaces winger Craig Goodwin.
The winner of the match plays the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
Australia fans outnumbered but optimistic before game with Argentina
Australian fans are hugely outnumbered here. But they are optimistic. Their team has won two successive World Cup matches for the first time.
The Socceroos have also kept two consecutive clean sheets for the first time in a World Cup.
“It’s going to be a draw, 0-0. Then we will get them on penalties. We know even Messi can miss a penalty as we have already seen at this World Cup,” said Frank Rosandic, who travelled from New South Wales for the games.
“Our team has performed above expectations. We are surprised we are this far. If we keep them from scoring early on, then we have a great chance,” he added.
Argentina fans outnumber Australians at stadium
Everywhere you look outside Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, there is a sea of Argentina fans in their team colours, blue and white.
It’s almost impossible to see any Australia supporters.
The Argentinians are hopeful their team will progress to the quarter-finals.
“We hope we will win today,” said Sebastian Marinelarena, who came from Buenos Aires to watch the game. “Australia will not be easy. No game is easy in the World Cup.”
“If we play our game, then we will win,” he said. “We hope to get to the final, but we go match by match. We need to get through this game first.”
Marinelarena has valid reasons to be cautious.The team’s first World Cup defeat in Qatar came in its opening match against Saudi Arabia.
Argentina are competing in the second round for the ninth time in the past 10 World Cups. Argentina have won six of the previous eight fixtures in this round.
In Russia 2018, Argentina lost 4-3 to France.
Record-breaking African teams assurgent
Four years ago, Africa was left without a representative in the World Cup’s last 16 for the first time since the round was introduced in 1986, but the response has been emphatic in Qatar.
The 2022 tournament has seen two teams from the continent reach the knockout phase for just the second time — after Algeria and Nigeria in 2014.
African nations have also taken a record-breaking 24 points in the group stage, smashing the previous best of 15 points in 1998.
Morocco beat the world’s second-ranked side Belgium and a hapless Canadian team, en route to the top of Group F, while Senegal bounced back from an opening defeat by the Netherlands to record wins over Qatar and Ecuador.
Brazil were beaten by an African team for the first time with a 1-0 defeat by Cameroon, who exited the tournament in glory.
For Morocco, their clash with Spain next Tuesday will be a first appearance in the knockout stage in 36 years.
Even the sides that went out in the group stage still made a mark on the tournament.
Tunisia claimed a famous 1-0 win over titleholders France, and Cameroon ended an eight-match losing streak at the World Cup with a thrilling comeback to draw 3-3 with Serbia before beating five-time winners Brazil.
Brazil hindered by injuries in run-up to Monday game with South Korea
World Cup favourites Brazil are racing to overcome injuries to key players as they prepare for their match against South Korea in the round of 16 on Monday.
Neymar is still recovering from an ankle injury he picked up in their debut win against Serbia, while Alex Telles suffered a knee injury in the Cameroon game.
Starting fullbacks Danilo and Alex Sandro are out after injuries suffered earlier in the competition and their availability is still unclear.
Telles and forward Gabriel Jesus, who also suffered a knee injury against Cameroon, were officially ruled out for the rest of the tournament by the Brazilian FA on Saturday.
GOAL! Netherlands 3-1 USA
Follow game updates here.
GOAL! Netherlands 2-1 USA
Get the latest updates on this game here.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 by the numbers
Important stats about the World Cup:
- 2.45 million spectators for the 48 matches in the tournament thus far.
- About 89,000 fans attended the Argentina vs Mexico game at the Lusail Stadium, the largest attendance since the 1994 FIFA World Cup final.
- 48 matches played, and 16 left (including Saturday’s).
- 120 goals scored.
- 16 teams remain, and for the first time, the round of 16 features teams from all continents.
- Read more interesting statistics about the World Cup here (PDF).
South American fans hopeful, jubilant before Argentina-Australia clash
More than three hours to the Argentina vs Australia clash and South American fans have already taken over Doha Metro.
Singing and dancing, they are confident of Argentina’s passage to the quarter-finals.
They think they can go all the way to finals. Perhaps wishing for a good send-off to the little magician, Messi.
Goal! Netherlands 2-0 USA
Follow the latest updates on this game here.
Senegal coach ill before game against England on Sunday
Senegal’s preparations for their World Cup last-16 clash against England have been hampered by an illness to coach Aliou Cisse but he is expected to recover in time for Sunday’s game.
Assistant coach Regis Bogaert told the media that Cisse could not train on Friday and may not be involved in Saturday’s final session.
“This afternoon [Saturday] we hope he will be on the field, but we are sure that tomorrow night at 10pm [19:00 GMT] it is him who will lead the team,” he added.
Bogaert did not specify Cisse’s illness, saying only that he had “a little fever, that’s why we are vigilant”.
‘Get well soon’: Pele on fans’ minds as he receives palliative care
Brazilian football legend Pele is receiving palliative care after chemotherapy stopped having the expected results as he battles colon cancer, Reuters reported citing newspaper Folha de S.Paulo.
Pele, 82, who is widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, was admitted to Albert Einstein Hospital, in Sao Paulo, on Tuesday to re-evaluate his cancer treatment and was later diagnosed with a respiratory infection, according to medical reports.
He had a tumour removed from his colon in September 2021 and has been receiving hospital treatment on a regular basis.
The former Brazil, Santos and New York Cosmos striker posted a picture of his face projected on a building in Qatar, where the World Cup is being held, next to a message saying “Get well soon”.
GOAL! Netherlands 1-0 USA
Follow live updates of the game here.
Netherlands vs USA kicks off!
Follow the game here.
How USA got here:
In the opener, the US played Wales and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
USA then faced England and the match ended in a 0-0 draw.
The US beat Iran in their final group game thanks to Christian Pulisic’s effort. The 1-0 victory sent the Americans onto the next stage.
How Netherlands got here:
The Dutch beat Senegal 2-0 and drew 1-1 in their match with Ecuador.
Netherlands coasted to a 2-0 win over the already-eliminated hosts in their victory against Qatar.
Football bringing different cultures together 🇶🇦🤝🇧🇷pic.twitter.com/S1lAsVzTKy
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 3, 2022
Penalty kicks: What, when, why and other rules
Your heart is in your throat. The bottom has dropped out of your stomach. Ordinarily calm and rational, you have become an electric bag of nerves held together by the finest thread of hope, slowly unravelled by despair. It’s a World Cup penalty shootout.
Do you want to know more? Read the full story: Penalty kicks: What, when, why and other rules.