WK
The Football World Cup starts next Thursday in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Mexico and South Africa will play the first match on June 11. We will keep you informed of all the latest news via this live blog!
liveblog
Infantino: ‘World Cup is the biggest event in human history’
Gianni Infantino calls the World Cup ‘the greatest event in human history’. The FIFA president said this a day before the opening match of the 23rd World Cup at a press conference in the capital of Mexico. Tomorrow the final tournament in which 48 countries are participating starts in Mexico City.
Infantino said he would ‘try to make the best of it’ with FIFA. He mentioned three topics that have received a lot of attention in the media recently: “Iran, visas and tickets”. “These are matters that do not have much to do with football, but that we do have to deal with,” said Infantino. “Iran is participating. We are very happy with that. I am proud of my team. And grateful for the help of the organizing countries.”
According to Infantino there are more than six million tickets sold. “The demand has never been so high. Ten times as much as ever before,” said the FIFA president. “The lowest price for a ticket is $60, the average price is $500. That is lower than other sporting events in this part of the world.”
FIFA fan festival in Mexico City may be closed due to protests
The official FIFA fan festival in the heart of Mexico City at the Plaza de la Constitución may be closed due to ongoing protests by the teachers’ union. There are several on Wednesday at the end of the afternoon and on Thursday demonstrations on the program by teachers and mothers, among others, who are looking for missing children. About 130,000 people are missing in Mexico.
The Mexican government is doing everything it can to ensure that the World Cup goes ahead. Fans who wanted to watch football on big screens in the city may have suffered from the protests. “Well, let’s wait and see how the situation with teachers and other groups develops,” he said President Claudia Sheinbaum during a press conference. “There is a team that is constantly monitoring the situation, but we will see how it develops.”
In the run-up to the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, protests have taken place in various parts of the metropolis in recent weeks. For example, the teachers’ union demands better working conditions and higher pay for teachers.
On Wednesday there are at the end of the afternoon protests planned at the airport and near the Estadio Azteca. And on Thursday, several demonstrations have been announced in various places in the capital, with various groups drawing attention to their actions with the World Cup approaching. social problems.
KNVB hopes for 10,000 Oranje supporters at the fan walk to the stadium
The KNVB hopes that 10,000 Orange supporters will join the fan walk to the stadium on Sunday Dallas Stadium in Arlington for the Dutch national team’s first group match at the World Cup against Japan. About 5000 Dutch fans have a ticket before the duel. “We assume that Dutch people living in America will also join. It is difficult to estimate exactly, but we expect around 10,000 people,” said a spokesperson for the KNVB in Dallas.
Fans will gather at the Road to Six Flags Street at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington beginning at 10 a.m. local time. Take care there Yuki, FeestDJRuud and Yves Berendse until 11:15 a.m. the music and entertainment. The Dutch supporters then head to the Dallas Stadium, where the match takes place. The Oranjebus, which recently arrived in Texas after a long ocean voyage, is leading the way.
The match against Japan starts at 3 p.m. In the Netherlands it is then 10 p.m.
Thousands of activists block Aztec Stadium
Thousands of protesters have blocked the main access road to the Aztec Stadium, where the first match between Mexico and South Africa is on Thursday. However, there is no question of total chaos. The stadium is still accessible for media and volunteers, who have to collect their accreditations.
This concerns a group from the Mexican education association CNTE. Teachers have been taking to the streets since last week to demand a pay increase and the repeal of a new pension law.
“We want to reach the stadium”campaigner Angel Villalobos responded to the AFP news agency. A new call has also been launched for mass protests again next Thursday – during the opening match.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reassures football fans. “I guarantee that the opening ceremony of the World Cup will proceed well, in peace and tranquility.”
At Mexico City’s international airport, workers are working late into the night to get everything ready. That will clearly not be possible before the kick-off on Thursday at 1 p.m (9 p.m. Dutch time).
Iran travels to the United States the day before the first World Cup match
The Iranian football team travels a day before the first group match to the United States at the World Cup. The Iranian Football Association announced this on Tuesday.
“The team delegation travels with a charter flight a day before the match against New Zealand to host city Los Angeles. For the next two group matches, we will be there two days before kick-off,” said Mehdi Alavi, spokesperson for the Iranian Football Association, as quoted by Isna news agency.
Neuer resumes group training
Manuel Neuer has trained with the German selection again. The 40-year-old Bayern Munich goalkeeper has been suffering from a calf injury for the past three weeks.
Germany trained for the first time on Monday evening local time at the base camp in the city of Winston-Salem in the US state of North Carolina. for 3000 supporters. National coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team had already been in the United States for a while. On Saturday, they won 2-1 in a practice match against the US, one of the host countries of the World Cup, in Chicago.
Four-time world champion Germany starts the World Cup on Sunday, with a match against debutant Curaçao.