Defending champions France are hoping Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane will be fit enough to feature in their opening World Cup match against Australia, with teammate Adrien Rabiot insisting both are "determined to play".

In a reversal, World Cup organisers will announce on Friday that no alcoholic beer will be sold to fans at Qatar's stadiums, a source with knowledge of the decision told Reuters.

Vinicius Jr. is the symbol of Brazil's outstanding new generation of talent that looks to be peaking at the perfect moment as they arrive in Qatar as favourites to lift a record sixth World Cup.

The Central Bank of Ecuador (CBE) has minted a commemorative coin to mark the South American country's participation in the World Cup in Qatar

Alphonso Davies is on his way to Qatar to join his Canada team mates for the World Cup, coach John Herdman said on Thursday, but may not be fit to play in the team's opener against Belgium.

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo believes his country has an excellent group of players and they are capable of doing well in the World Cup in Qatar.

Argentina's Joaquin Correa and Nicolas Gonzalez have been ruled out of the World Cup due to injuries, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) said on Thursday.

Bruno Fernandes scored twice in the first half and debutant Goncalo Ramos and Joao Mario added late goals as Portugal crushed Nigeria 4-0 in a World Cup warm-up in Lisbon on Thursday.

Senegal star Sadio Mane has lost his race to be fit for the 2022 World Cup and has been withdrawn from their squad, the country's football federation announced on Thursday.

Four-time winners Germany arrived at the World Cup in Qatar on Thursday after Argentina superstar Lionel Messi touched down to launch his final bid to win football's biggest prize.

For the past two decades, Bader Turkistani has criss-crossed the globe to cheer on the Saudi national football team, leading crowds in poetic chants that have made him a social media star.

Some of these took players and fans years to live down, others simply cannot be forgotten.

After much discussion and speculation, for the first time in history, the football World Cup is going to be held in November-December. In the third of four parts of 'Road to QATAR', The Daily Star discussed about the strength and potential of the Group  'E' and 'F' teams.

Get ready to see the flags of Argentina and Brazil, among others flying high on the rooftops of every building because it is the football World Cup time! Wearing your favourite jersey and going to your class proudly displaying your love for a team is now fashionable once again. Of course, flags and jerseys are not the only things you can buy; there are loads of other accessories/memorabilia for you to show off your passion for the game of football, so read on to get the complete shopping guide for World Cup memorabilia and fashion accessories.

FIFA 23, the widely popular video games franchise, claims to have simulated all 64 games and determine who will win in the Finals using the ground-breaking "HyperMotion2 Technology" and the specific FIFA World Cup 2022 ratings in FIFA World Cup kick-off and tournament modes. Once again, Argentina has been picked as the winner. However, one of the leading providers of sports data, OPTA, used artificial intelligence to forecast an alternative World Cup winner. This time Brazil was predicted to have the best chance of winning the World Cup with a 16.3 percent probability of winning the World Cup.

Nicknames of football teams give fans and players alike a unique sense of identity. The names can come from the team’s unique playing style or traits, the colours of their kits, and so on. With FIFA World Cup 2022 featuring top footballing nations worldwide, each with their unique nicknames, let’s take a look at 10 national teams with the most unique names.

Denmark might not be a World Cup favourite but young playmaker Mikkel Damsgaard feels few of the other 31 countries competing in Qatar are keen to take on his team.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday waded into the controversy around Qatar's hosting of the World Cup, insisting sport should not be politicised.

Indian drums drowned out Argentina's diehard fans as hundreds waited hours to get a glimpse of a bus carrying Lionel Messi outside his World Cup team base in Qatar.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos said Cristiano Ronaldo's explosive interview has not been a distraction in the changing room as they prepare for a friendly against Nigeria in Lisbon on Thursday, the team's last match before they travel to Qatar for the World Cup.