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MICAH RICHARDS
“Frank Lampard didn’t say hello, so I smashed him and said, ‘Who the f**k do you think you are?’ I played terribly in that game”
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MEANWHILE IN …
…New Zealand, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino picked the most unfortunate moment possible to drop his car keys
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THE ULTIMATE QUIZ
Test your World Cup knowledge with this array of posers from the history of the planet’s biggest competition
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MY FOOTBALL
The film producer and talkSPORT host couldn’t halt John Burridge’s Corfu sit-ups
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GERMANY: A WHOLE DIFFERENT ANIMAL
Miroslav Klose as a tiger and Toni Kroos as a snake (holding another snake) – the 2010 World Cup was just odd
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ROBERTO MARTINEZ
The Belgium manager is preparing for a third tournament in charge – with his contract up, it may well be his last
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THE LAST DANCE
For all their many achievements, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have never won the World Cup - in Qatar they've got one more shot at glory and sealing their status as the greatest of all time
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CLUB 30-37
Is this the veterans’ World Cup? Messi and Ronaldo are far from the only stars off to Qatar in their advancing years – these 10 are in their fourth decade, too
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NEYMAR NOW OR NEVER?
What happens to Brazil in Qatar could be crucial in defining the legacy of the Selecao’s biggest star. At the same age, Pele had three World Cup winners’ medals around his neck and was retired from international football – now, Neymar’s moment of truth has arrived
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WE’LL LEARN FROM 2018
Germany travelled to Russia as holders four years ago, but shockingly exited in the group stage. It wasn’t exactly the World Cup debut that Joshua Kimmich had dreamed of, but the Bayern Munich star is now 27 and determined to help his country go for glory once more this time around…
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THE WINNERS ’ CURSE
Every nation dreams of lifting the World Cup, but once they’ve finally done it, things can quickly unravel. Via jewellery scandals, war and Stefan Effenberg’s middle finger, the next tournament often falls flat…
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WORLD Kylian’s
Kylian Mbappe transitioned from wonderkid to world class in Russia 2018, but his ride since then hasn’t been completely bump-free. Many moan about a winter World Cup, but could the timing be perfect for France’s No.10?
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LE ROMANTIQUE
Saudi Arabia boss Herve Renard’s World Cup goal is to get the Green Falcons out of a group featuring Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski, but he has form for doing the impossible. Just ask Zambia and Cambridge…
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GIVE ’EM SOME WELSH SUGAR
Six months after ending Nottingham Forest’s 23-year top-tier exile, Brennan Johnson will venture to Wales’ first World Cup since 1958. He tells FFT why Michael Sheen has their backs…
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HEY, (DON’T FORGET) JUDE
Wales’ young dragon has plenty in common with England’s young lion Bellingham
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“WHEN I SCORED IN THE 119TH MINUTE AGAINST GERMANY, I WENT THROUGH SO MANY EMOTIONS – MY WHOLE LIFE PASSED IN FRONT OF MY EYES”
Fabio Grosso was a low-profile left-back for Palermo prior to the 2006 World Cup – by the end of it, he’d netted one of the tournament’s most iconic goals and scored the decisive penalty in the final shootout. The Italian talks FFT through his journey…
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THE IMMACULATE DECEPTION
At Mexico 86, El Diego’s trickery didn’t just make England’s players look foolish – FFT wanders down Memory Lane with Tunisian ‘Hand of God’ referee Ali Bin Nasser…
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NEXT GOAL WINS
The director was miserable, Francesco Totti couldn’t act and a future Reading winger quit because ‘who the f**k is Ronaldinho?’, but the result was football advert nirvana. Two decades on, FourFourTwo steps back into The Nike Cage
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THREE LIONS ON A SHIRT… APART FROM WHEN THEY’RE NOT
Tradition may dictate that England’s home kit is white and away red, though that’s not always been the case – with the help of an official new book featuring over 200 match worn shirts, FFT charts the history of the jersey
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AROUND THE GROUNDS EFL • NON-LEAGUE • SCOTLAND
The Everton legend’s career looked over when Sheffield United let him go in 2021, but he’s still going strong for Stoke at the ripe old age of 40
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WORLD CUP DREAMS ON ICE
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson starred at Russia 2018 yet he can’t even watch Qatar 2022
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OLEG SALENKO THE EX-RANGERS STRIKER WHO DISOWNED RUSSIA
After a mad goal spree, the forward claimed the Golden Boot at the 1994 World Cup – despite being Ukrainian
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BEST&WORST PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
Bastille drummer and Pilgrim Chris Wood looks back on Peter Reid’s sacrifice and mugging off the Kop
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THE GAME’S GONE CHARLTON 7-6 HUDDERSFIELD, 1957
Managed by Bill Shankly, the Terriers made history for all of the wrong reasons
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“I SCORED PENS WITH BOTH FEET I N SHOOTOUTS – IT DIDN’T MAKE A N Y DIFFERENCE”
The ambidextrous defender discusses that night in Turin, dealing with Diego and bagging the winner at Italia 90…
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“I STILL CAN’T FORGIVE DIEGO FOR THE WAY HE CHEATED US AT MEXICO 86”
England’s defensive linchpin on why losing to Argentina still rankles now and why he tossed his U2 records away
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“I COULDN’T SLEEP BEFORE THE 2014 FINAL. GERMANY BATTERED BRAZIL IN THEIR BACK GARDEN”
The Premier League-winning centre-back remembers Magath madness and the gut-wrenching defeat to Germany in Brazil
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“AFTER WE BEAT THE HOST NATION, HEADLIN ES SAID, ‘SPAIN BEATEN BY BUN CH OF DRUNKS’. WELL, THAT WAS O N LY HALF TRUE!”
The ex-Norn Iron man recalls upsetting La Roja and being ditched for Miss Great Britain
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MY PERFECT XI EDMILSON
Formerly of Barcelona, the 2002 Brazil hero picks nine more World Cup winners, a man who featured at five successive finals… oh, and Lionel Messi too
