#world-cup

#world-cup

Today wasn't about me, it's about Kevin Drury. I'm pretty broke up by what happened yesterday. I would have loved to spend more time skiing with Kevin Drury. I feel so honoured to have been a teammate with Kevin, shared the podium with him, travelled the world, and got to learn from a guy like that. Whether it's stuff outside of skiing, when it comes to personal life and relationships, Kevin Drury has been a huge role model for me.

There are always rumours, I'm always linked [to clubs]. To Tottenham, just like at one time I was linked to Espanyol, or to other clubs. In the end, especially because of my past at those clubs, when things aren't going well, people tend to fall back on emotions and say, 'Well, with Mauricio we played good football,' or whatever it may be.

Fears are growing in Irish rugby circles that Andy Farrell could be set to return to England to coach his old club Saracens after the World Cup, with IRFU performance director David Humphreys meeting the Ireland head coach's representatives this week about his future plans.

Woltemade's campaign started with him playing the role of "rope" in a transfer tug-of-war between VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich. After VfB Stuttgart refused to accept Bayern Munich's terms, the player seemingly had made it clear that he wanted out of Stuttgart. Lo and behold, Newcastle United opened its coffers and paid VfB Stuttgart an absurd amount of money (€75 million) for the attacker and things seemed...great.

In a world where Troy Parrott does not make a perfectly-timed run into a Budapest penalty area, this evening's gathering in Brussels would be laying out the roadmap for the Irish international year.

In nearly a century of men's World Cup football, only four Caribbean nations have ever qualified. This year, more finally will, but many of their supporters, especially Haitians, will be unable to travel to cheer them on, blocked by immigration rules that sit uneasily beside sport's language of unity. It is a dissonance capturing a deeper truth: Caribbean athletes are welcome on the global stage but Caribbean people less so.

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has undergone surgery on a right foot injury sustained in January. The Spain international suffered a stress fracture on his foot during Arsenal's 3-2 league loss against Manchester United on Jan. 25. Arsenal expect Merino to be out for an extended period. Merino, 29, posted a photo on Instagram from his hospital bed giving a thumbs up and wrote: "Surgery done! Already closer to be back. Thank you so much to everyone for your messages and love. It really gives me even more energy to face the challenge. Vamos!"

India's form over the last two years has made them the most feared side in world cricket but for a while as they got their World Cup campaign under way the only dread was being experienced by their own fans as the USA threatened a humiliating upset. But for some missed chances, a hugely unfortunate injury and the brilliance of Suryakumar Yadav it might well have happened.

When Modric joined Milan, an insurance clause was inserted, where the Rossoneri would have the option of an extra year if all parties wanted to continue together. Within his first few games at the club, that option was being considered. However, the caveat has always been whether all parties want the same thing. No one is unhappy with the situation, but with Modric only getting older, his desire will be the most important thing.

She and her husband spent $55,000 over the past year to make their Kansas City-area home more appealing for short-term renters. The four-bedroom home features the kind of touches - cozy TV-watching areas, an outdoor fire pit, and newly purchased furniture - that should be catnip for visitors. Since the listing went live in December, however, the home has drawn only a handful of bookings. The first stay didn't offer much encouragement: the guests trashed the place, causing about $1,200 in damage.

Next weekend, the Super Bowl and opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics will kick off a packed season for live sports. Advertisers and media buyers have been investing in these big-ticket events since last summer. But some marketers are thinking beyond February, to June - and amending their contingency plans should political events in the U.S. derail this summer's soccer World Cup.

Leon Goretzka decided to stay at Bayern until the end of the season purely for sporting reasons, as Atlético Madrid were ready to match his Bayern salary for the rest of the season. Goretzka sees a big chance of winning his second Champions League title, 7th Bundesliga title and even a treble this season. He does not want to miss out on that and wants to leave on a high after 8 years at the club.

Referencing concerns about this year's World Cup in north America and criticism in the build-up to Qatar 2022, Infantino said: "For the first time in history, also, no Brit was arrested during a World Cup." To laughter at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, he added: "Imagine. This is something really, really special." Understandably the comments angered the Football Supporters' Association, which accused Infantino of making "cheap jokes" about England fans.

Tottenham are closing in on a January move for Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein. The 31-year-old has been a pivotal part of many of the Merseysiders' successes in recent years but has lost his place this season to Milos Kerkez. And with his contract expiring in the summer, the Scotland international said recently he was considering his options.

In Germany, fans watched the games on screens in crowded town squares, their roars careening off ancient buildings, or from the banks of rivers, peering at floating, double-sided big screens on barges. At the next World Cup, in South Africa in 2010, people gathered in parks and open-air markets and hotel lobbies and unlicensed, makeshift bars in people's garages. In Brazil, four years later, fans spilled from the bars on the Copacabana or watched in restaurants