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People gather around the official countdown clock showing remaining time until the kick-off of the World Cup 2022, in Doha, Qatar, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.
THE 22nd Fifa World Cup kicks off this weekend in Qatar when the host nation meets Ecuador in Al Khor on Sunday.
It is a significant World Cup for a number of reasons. It will be the first to be hosted in an Arab country, and also the first not to be held in the northern hemisphere summer — ie not in May, June or July.
It is important for the World Cup to be global and to be held in a diverse range of host countries, but it is also important that it remains so for the right reasons.
ROGER McKENZIE explains why he can’t support this year’s World Cup
ROGER MCKENZIE argues that it was correct to ban the notorious Israeli side who were likely to cause trouble in Muslim areas of Birmingham, but asks, given the occupation and slaughter in Palestine, why any Israeli team is being hosted anywhere
JAMES NALTON writes on the bizarre Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv scandal
Joao Pedro’s emotional goals against Fluminense captured the magic of an international club competition. But even as fans bring colour and passion, the Club World Cup’s deeper issues loom large, writes JAMES NALTON