The FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar is in the hot phase. What news is there about the early end of the German national team? How are the other teams doing? What happens off the pitch at the controversial desert tournament?
The most important news is here in the LIVE ticker sport.de.
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+++ December 14th, 2022, 6:54 a.m .: Messi announces farewell +++
Next Sunday, the football world will see Lionel Messi perform magic on the World Cup stage for the last time. “I’m very happy to end my trips to World Cup tournaments with my last game in a final,” announced the 35-year-old a few hours after the 3-0 (2-0) semi-final triumph over Croatia. Which doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s saying goodbye to the national team immediately.
But even before the final on Sunday in the Lusail Stadium in Qatar’s capital Doha, the six-time world footballer recognized: “It’s many years until the next World Cup and I don’t think I’ll make it until then. And to finish it like this, is the best.”
Of course, after losing the 2014 World Cup final against Germany, Messi hopes for a happy ending, to emulate his idol Diego Maradona (1986) or the World Cup scorer Mario Kempes (1978), and the trophy for the third time at the Rio de La Plata pick up.
+++ December 13th, 2022, 10:55 p.m .: Croatia coach wants to stay in office +++
Croatia’s national coach Zlatko Dalić plans after the defeat in the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar until after the EM 2024 in Germany.
“Yes, I will continue. My contract runs until 2024, until the European Championships,” said the 56-year-old after the 3-0 defeat against Argentina at the Lusail Stadium.
In the game for third place, the 2018 vice world champion will face France or Morocco. Dalić has been in office since 2017. “My plan and my goal is to lead Croatia to EM 2024,” said the former professional.
+++ December 13th, 2022, 7:56 p.m .: France mobilizes 10,000 police officers for the semi-finals +++
France mobilizes 10,000 police officers for the World Cup semi-final against Morocco. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced that half of these will be used in the greater Paris area. The boulevard Champs-Élysée, on which thousands of fans had previously celebrated the progress of both teams, should be freely accessible.
Basically, it’s about everyone being able to celebrate, he explained. The main focus of the police is security, also in the face of terrorist threats, and in many places in the country the onset of winter is imminent. There may be restrictions in Paris when accessing the city center from the city highway.
The transport companies are also looking to ensure that crowds of people in the capital are channeled, for example by closing individual stops.
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