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Football Scotland deputy editor Mark Hendry has provided an update on the Celtic pursuit of Lanus left-back Alexandro Bernabei. 

The lowdown: Celtic interested in Bernabei

Initially linked in a report from Football Scotland, speculation continues to surround the move as Ange Postecoglou attempts to strengthen the Hoops’ squad.

Having seemingly been on the brink of landing the 21-year-old from the outset, the deal is yet to materialise, and there has been concern following a rejected opening offer.

However, the reporter of the original links who broke the story has now acted to allay some of the worries as Celtic look to kickstart their summer business…

The latest: Ongoing talks

Taking to Twitter, Hendry confirmed that discussions are ongoing between the two clubs and a potential deal is still on the table to be completed.

The deal is now dependent on the Hoops hierarchy stumping up a figure that Lanus are happy with.

He said: “Things are now with the hierarchy to get a deal done. Celtic had an offer rejected but both clubs still willing to work on it.”

The verdict: Get it done

Finding additional left-back cover to supplement Greg Taylor continues to be a key area of recruitment strategy for the Bhoys, and in Bernabei, the club appear to have earmarked a top talent who fits the Postecoglou style of play.

To date, the Argentina under-23 international – who has reportedly already applied for EU citizenship with a view to a move to Europe – has made 84 senior appearances for Lanus, scoring four goals and supplying 10 assists during that time.

Predominantly operating as a natural left-back, Bernabei can also play in more advanced positions and was recently heralded as a ‘very complete winger’ and a ‘beast’ by Argentine reporter Ezequiel Liniado due to his versatility and a desire to work the entire left-hand side of the pitch.

Valued at £2.97m and under contract in Argentina until 2023 (Transfermarkt), the discrepancies over the transfer fee should be ironed out. Celtic must not dig their heels in and instead do all that they can to ensure that they can add the talented youngster to the Lennoxtown ranks this summer.

In other news… a Sky Sports reporter has delivered a huge update on Postecoglou’s Celtic future

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain recently and if he were to join Steven Gerrard’s side this summer he could prove to be his own version of Jude Bellingham.

According to Football Insider, Villa have turned their attentions towards signing the former Arsenal man ahead of next season, with the 28-year-old reportedly available for a cut-price of just £10m, as he seeks regular first-team football away from Anfield.

Since joining the Reds in a £35m deal in 2017, he has gone on to make 133 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side, in which he has contributed 17 goals and 15 assists.

The strength of the German’s midfield meant opportunities were hard to come by for Oxlade-Chamberlain last season and it is perhaps no surprise that he is seeking a move away, and Villa could be the ones to benefit.

Although Villa fans might not take too kindly to a potential signing being compared to Bellingham, given that he started his career at fierce rivals Birmingham City, there seems little doubt that he will become one of the best midfielders in world football.

At 18, he is already a fully-fledged England international and a regular for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga and the Champions League, with his performances in the German top-flight last season earning him an impressive 7.12 average rating from WhoScored.

FB Ref suggests that Oxlade-Chamberlain and Bellingham have very similar styles of play, with both excelling at progressive carries and dribbling, which suggests that the Liverpool man could add some real dynamism and counter-attacking threat to Gerrard’s side next season.

WhoScored also suggests that Oxlade-Chamberlain and Bellingham like to dribble, so it seems clear that both midfielders like to carry the ball and use their athleticism to go past opposition defenders.

Therefore, while the “fantastic” £16.2 million rated Liverpool man in the words of Gerrard, might have ten years on Bellingham, he could perform a similar role to the teenager in Gerrard’s squad next season for a much cheaper fee, so Villa should definitely consider bringing him in.

And, in other news… Gerrard already has his dream Watkins heir at AVFC in “bullish” rarely-seen 20 y/o

Bruno Lage has already confirmed there will be changes made for Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer, and with the transfer window fast approaching a reliable source has given an update on what lies ahead.

What’s the latest?

Wolves reporter for The Athletic Tim Spiers, has given an insight on what supporters of the club can expect from the summer transfer window.

Writing in an article for The Athletic based on Lage’s impact and vision for the squad, Spiers confirmed that the publication had been told that Wolves want a younger and fresher squad for 2022-23, something Lage instigated in his time at Benfica.

He cited the success of Joao Felix as potentially one of the reasons behind Lage’s new desire.

Supporters will be delighted

The Midlands club currently have the fourth oldest squad in the Premier League with an average age of 28.2 this season, so supporters will be delighted that there are steps being put into place to freshen up and add young players to the side this summer.

Wolves ended their campaign in disappointment after being in and around the European qualification spots in the league table for almost the entirety of the season, but the side failed to pick up a single win in their last seven fixtures of the season, leaving them five points off West Ham United in seventh and finishing tenth in the table.

In fact, despite their comfortable season in the top half of the table for the most part, Wolves had the lowest scoring top goal-scorer of all the clubs in the entire Premier League, with Raul Jiminez netting six goals in total.

As a result, Wolves have some work to do this summer to identify players who can come and make an instant impact when the season starts again in a few months’ time, and Lage has wasted no time in speaking out on his transfer window plans.

Lage admitted on the last day of the season (via Sky Sports): “Maybe we need two or three players to increase the quality and the number of players in the squad.

“It’s hard to replace Pedro [Neto], Max [Kilman], and in this moment we don’t know if [Romain] Saiss continues with us or not. He is still talking with the club. First, we need to bring two or three to increase, then if others go we need to replace them with the same quality.”

Saiss has indeed left the club now so that is certainly one gap that needs filling.

It’s clear that the manager has strong opinions and his mind set on what Wolves need to achieve this summer to compete at the level they want to by securing European football, but Fosun must now facilitate his vision by backing the manager in the transfer window if they want to see improvements next season.

That starts by handing a young squad who can help carve out a brighter future at Molineux.

AND in other news: Lage must brutally axe “poor” £20m Wolves flop who’s “gone backwards”, his time’s up

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent and reliable reporter Alasdair Gold has now shared a potentially big transfer boost for manager Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Conte summer in full swing…

Having already confirmed the signing of Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan on a Bosman deal, it appears Conte’s first summer window at Spurs is well and truly underway.

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After the Italian’s crunch transfer summit with club director Fabio Paratici in Turin last week, the Lilywhites are showing absolutely no sign of stopping there (The Telegraph).

The Premier League giants are said to be casting their eye towards Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan) and Gabriel Jesus (Man City) among other targets.

Another name in right-wing-back starlet Djed Spence is repeatedly being linked at the moment and Gold now has a very promising update concerning the defender.

The Latest: Gold shares very promising update…

According to the football.london journalist, Spence is now ‘definitely’ tempted by a move to Spurs.

He explained:

“The latest on Spurs and Djed Spence as I understand it. The young wing-back is definitely tempted by a move to work with Antonio Conte but Tottenham have some decent competition for his signature.”

The Verdict: Big boost for Conte…

Able to help solve a ‘looming problem’ at Spurs in their homegrown quota, Spence’s potential signing would come as a boost for the north Londoners in so many ways.

His age and quality are obvious pulls given his phenomenal season in the Championship and just how crucial he was under manager Steve Cooper.

The Middlesbrough loanee was a fixture in Forest’s promotion campaign, starting 41 second tier matches and featuring over the sixth-highest amount of minutes in Cooper’s squad.

As well as this, forward Keinan Davis was the only Forest regular to complete more successful take-ons than the 21-year-old over the past season (WhoScored).

Spence also delivered the second-most crosses per 90 on the road to promotion, leaving little wonder members of the media have branded him an ‘exciting player’ (Marc Williams, Basford United head of media).

In other news: Tottenham now hopeful of signing ‘technically brilliant’ star amid internal talks! Find out more here.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, following Conte’s meeting with Fabio Paratici this week, it has now been confirmed that the 52-year-old will remain as Spurs’ manager heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

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In his tweet, the transfer insider said: “Spurs sources have been confident for days and it’s now decided: Antonio Conte will be Tottenham manager for the next season.”

Supporters will be buzzing

With Conte having inspired a quite remarkable turnaround at Spurs following his appointment as Nuno Espirito Santo’s successor in the Tottenham dugout last November, Romano’s update revealing that the Italian will remain in charge of the club in 2022/23 will undoubtedly have left Lilywhites supporters buzzing.

After taking over a team sitting ninth in the Premier League at the time of his arrival, Conte’s Spurs secured 17 wins and five draws over his 28 league games at the helm, picking up an impressive 56 points on his watch and securing a top-four finish on the final day of the season.

Furthermore, since the turn of the year, Tottenham’s return of 41 points from 21 games played sees them rank as the third-best team in the top flight, behind only Liverpool (51) and Manchester City (43).

As such, with a summer transfer window and a full pre-season for the 52-year-old manager to prepare this summer, it would very much appear as if this form could improve even further heading into the upcoming campaign, with the news that Conte is happy to remain in north London for at least a further year certainly being fantastic for everyone involved with the club.

AND in other news: Conte now plotting Spurs bid for “perfect” £60m target, he’s Jorginho 2.0

Everton are plotting a move for Burnley centre-back James Tarkowski as Frank Lampard looks to strengthen his defence ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, Everton and Leicester City have joined the chase for the Burnley defender following their Premier League relegation.

The 29-year-old is out of contract this summer and will surely remain in the top flight following the events of Sunday which confirmed Burnley’s exit after seven years.

Everton could face a mighty battle to secure his signature, with the events that happened this season, the Englishman may fancy a side that has a greater chance of European football.

Tarkowski can be an upgrade on Michael Keane

Everton conceded 66 goals in the league this season, the fifth-worst total and this is something both Farhad Moshiri and Lampard urgently needs to address if they don’t want a repeat of this season’s relegation battle next year.

By signing Tarkowski, they could get an immediate upgrade on fellow Englishman Keane. The Burnley defender has made and won more tackles (71 and 42) compared to Keane (49 and 35), whilst also applying more pressures (261 to 228).

With almost double the numbers of blocks (92 to 51) and more interceptions (72 to 62) it’s clear to see why the 29-year-old would be a better option than Keane.

Keane has a WhoScored average rating of 6.72 and wins on average, three aerials per match. Tarkowski on the other hand is ranked first in the Burnley squad on the average rating (6.97) and wins a mammoth 4.4 aerials per match.

The stats prove that on a free transfer, Tarkowski would represent a wonderful piece of business, especially with Everton’s defensive woes this season.

He has been described as a “rock” by Alex James in the past and if he does want a move to Goodison, he could well ask for a pay rise on his current £70k-per-week deal he has at the moment.

AND in other news, Lampard plotting Everton bid for £158k-p/w dynamo, he’d be a “joy to watch”

Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino will be ‘dropped’ for the Reds’ Premier League clash against Wolves this afternoon, according to former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Liverpool face huge day

Jurgen Klopp’s side go into the final day of the league season knowing they must beat Bruno Lage’s visitors in order to realistically have any chance of winning the title.

Liverpool will also be relying on Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa doing them a huge favour, as they make the trip to the Etihad Stadium to face league leaders Manchester City.

Firmino started in Tuesday’s 2-1 win away to Southampton as Klopp rang the changes, but the 30-year-old could struggle to keep his place against Wolves.

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The Latest: Firmino backed to be dropped

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson claimed that the Brazilian would make way for others in the starting lineup for Liverpool today. The ex-Leeds goalkeeper stated:

“Firmino played against Southampton to give the others a rest. I think Salah, Mane and Diaz will come back in against Wolves.

“There is a squad for a reason. Yes, Firmino came in and did well and helped them get a massive three points but that is what was expected of him. That is what the manager wants and that is why he is part of the squad.

“It is a massive game at the weekend so I think Klopp will go full strength and Firmino is not part of Liverpool’s best XI anymore.

“We are in an era of football where you can put in a 10/10 performance on the weekend and be dropped a few days later. That is the way it is. Firmino will be part of the rotation.”

The Verdict: Firmino likely to be benched

Firmino has been a wonderful servant for Liverpool, scoring 98 goals in 325 appearances, leading the line in superb fashion for many years and being hailed as ‘world-class’ by Klopp.

The 30-year-old is no longer a guaranteed starter, though, and it would be a surprise if he didn’t make way for Sadio Mane this afternoon, with the Senegal star thriving in a new central role.

Firmino could still be a key figure from the substitutes’ bench, affecting the game in a positive manner in the second half if needed, but it feels as though he has made his last start of the season, especially with him not long back from a foot injury.

In other news, Liverpool are demanding £17million for one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

All the best-laid plans of England’s campaign couldn’t prepare them for a day in the blender

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Feb-20242:08

Did Kuldeep’s slower pace help him be more dangerous?

This was the sort of day that teams visiting India dread. The kind they warn you about before you even set foot in the country.It’s the kind England have experienced plenty times before, including many of these players under a previous regime back in 2021. When a game you seemed to be getting along with just fine suddenly turns around and punches you in the face and robs you of your possessions.It’s nothing personal – this is just how Test cricket in India goes sometimes. And this England side experienced that for the first time on this tour, at the worst possible time.On paper at least, they seemed well equipped to deal with it. You cannot necessarily ride out the storm of turn, variable bounce and relentless accuracy that surges towards you on such days. But if you have established a firm footing and are as proactive as reasonably possible – which this team are – you can ensure you come out the other side of the maelstrom relatively intact. Arriving on day three with a 134-run lead and just three Indian first-innings wickets left to take on a rapidly devolving pitch – the perfect surface for this kind of chaos – they seemed well insulated.By Sunday evening, that paper was lost beneath the debris. India have already chipped 40 runs off their 192 target, and now have the fourth Test and the series within their grasp. After a moment behind closed doors to consider the trauma that had just unfolded, England’s default optimism prevailed. The talk is that Monday has the potential to be another memorable day in this group’s short history. Belief, right now, is a must.England’s faces told a different story, however, as they were rag-dolled in their second innings for 145. Shoaib Bashir’s maiden five-wicket haul in professional cricket gave them a nice walk back into the dressing room earlier. Sure, Dhruv Jurel had almost single-handedly cut their lead down to 46, but that was still a decent buffer in these conditions.The capitulation within 53.5 overs across the second session and most of the third shifted the mood, and sucked out what had been a well-earned air of contentment as far as where this match was headed 24 hours previously. The away balcony was a sea of furrowed brows, fixed stares, and kissed teeth, particularly from those who had just returned to the pavilion from the eye of the storm.Dhruv Jurel’s catch to dismiss James Anderson wrapped up England’s innings•BCCIBen Duckett and Ollie Pope were taken out in successive balls – the latter, who flayed 196 on a similar surface in Hyderabad, nursing a pair across just three deliveries in the match. Joe Root, having finished a masterful 122 not out the previous morning, was done and dusted for 11.Zak Crawley, after a majestic 60, completely missed one from Kuldeep Yadav that turned through a vast gap between bat and pad. Ben Stokes, the talismanic leader of all this, was essentially LBW and bowled at the same time. Jonny Bairstow, chest out and up for a scrap, tamely lobbed the first ball after tea to short cover with what might rank as the worst shot of the tour. Just like that, a top six who have spent close to two months bracing themselves to fight against the tide in this manner found its magnitude too great to withstand.Related

• Ben Foakes targets top-six runs for Surrey despite England tail dilemma

• Ranchi's low bounce catches India off-guard

• 'To get Rohit as my first wicket was very, very special' – Shoaib Bashir

• Joe Root: 'It means the most when you really have to work for it'

• Spinners put England in sight of huge lead

The period that summed up the futility of England’s endeavour came in an 11-over stunting of the flow of this match. Ben Foakes and Bashir, like protagonists in a post-apocalyptic novel, were thrust together by circumstance. Tom Hartley and Ollie Robinson had gone in the space of four deliveries to close out the 41st over.England were eight down, the score (133) and lead (179) as it had been for the previous 22 balls. They had been brought to a standstill, their world itself, ironically, no longer spinning.Foakes and Bashir, by their very nature, are survivors. Their routes into the team and sport, respectively, are evidence of that. As they travailed through the barren wasteland of this innings, Foakes foraged for a single an over, while Bashir’s task was to keep out, at most, two out of every six deliveries.They were neither any closer to a safe place that did not exist, nor escaping the inevitable. And it was typical of this sub-genre that Foakes, the protector, fell first. Three balls later, England were all out.It is important to remember this was not simply a naturally occurring phenomenon. For the first time on this tour, England felt the full force of India’s spinners and their ability make it feel like you’re batting in a blender rather than on solid ground.Zak Crawley’s fifty kept England ticking but his dismissal opened the floodgates•Getty ImagesGo forward, go back, block, sweep, reverse-sweep, paddle or charge all you want. You’re still getting cut up into a thousand pieces. R Ashwin and Kuldeep, five and four wickets each once it was all said and done, were the ones spinning the blades.Ashwin, utilising what looks to be a more comfortable version of his action, finally posted his first masterclass of the series. The lesser-spotted carrom ball squared up Pope, and was used again to end Foakes’ 80-minute vigil on 17 when a leading edge led to a return catch. Prising out Root LBW from around the wicket, whatever the furore it elicited from DRS sceptics, was high class.Kuldeep, meanwhile, is bowling as well as he ever has done. Initially underused on a pitch both India and England thought would favour finger-spin, his left-arm wrist-spin from a shorter, flatter trajectory threatened all challengers. He seemed to be into the crease quicker, allowing greater purchase off the deck, which, combined with prodigious turn, did for Crawley when it looked like the opener was going to achieve his one-man mission of giving India a target beyond their reach. It ended Crawley’s productive stand of 45 with Bairstow and opened the floodgates.England can rue the moments they let slip. They were perhaps guilty of being too passive in the morning session, and if Robinson had caught Jurel on 59 – he went on to reach 90, with 41 added overall before the keeper-batter was the last man dismissed – they might well be favourites at this juncture.Whisper it … but could they have been more attacking? Easier said than done. Whatever your ethos, whatever your best-laid preparations, everyone has a plan until they find themselves on a challenging track against the best spinners in the game.What will sting is England did not see it coming. And despite going toe-to-toe with India during large parts of the series so far, they may be about to watch it slip away with a Test to spare.

Yet another day and yet another disappointing draw for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

On Sunday afternoon, Russell Martin’s Gers failed to leave their away clash with all three points, taking the lead on the cusp of half-time through Bojan Miovski, only for Henry Cartwright’s long-range strike to pinch a deserved point for lowly Falkirk.

This means the Ibrox side have still won only one of seven Premiership fixtures, this coming at Livingston last Sunday, drawing five, including a quartet of 1-1s, thereby leaving them 8th, a whopping 11 points adrift league leaders Hearts.

Amazingly, Rangers are now without a clean sheet in 23 away games across all competitions, breaking the unwanted club record set in 1897.

Thus, ahead of an international break, the spotlight will once again be pointed in Martin’s direction, but could he save his job by dropping a player labelled “one of the worst players to ever play” for the club?

Joe Rothwell: Yet to make much of an impression

The surprise team news ahead of Sunday’s clash with Falkirk was the return to midfield of Joe Rothwell, having begun the last six matches among the substitutes.

Well, his return didn’t last too long, hooked after 70 minutes, replaced by Mohamed Diomandé, having made little discernible impact on the game.

The Englishman touched the ball only 32 times, that’s five fewer than goalkeeper Jack Butland, while losing possession on five occasions, neither of which is ideal for a player at the base of midfield, supposedly there to control the tempo and dictate play.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, he was not the summer signing who caught the eye for the wrong reasons most in Falkirk.

Rangers forward was as bad as Rothwell

When Mikey Moore arrived at Rangers in the summer on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, he did so with sky-high expectations.

The 18-year-old is incredibly highly rated by Spurs supporters, with David Hytner of the Guardian outlining his ‘many qualities’, including dribbling and finishing, labelling him a ‘rare talent’ who is ready to make a massive impact on the Tottenham first team.

By scoring against Elfsborg in a Europa League tie back in January, Moore became Spurs’ youngest scorer in a European competition, breaking Jimmy Greaves’ record that had stood since 1957.

Well, so far, Rangers supporters have seen none of this.

To date, in ten appearances for the Gers, Moore is yet to score a goal, while his only assist came against third-tier Alloa Athletic in a League Cup clash in August and, as you can see, scorer Nedim Bajrami did do most of the work!

Having been on the bench against Sturm Graz on Thursday, Moore did come into the starting lineup on Sunday, but was replaced by Oliver Antman on the hour mark, and his statistics make for grim reading.

As the table documents, Moore registered zero shots and zero key passes, ranked lowly for passing, chance creation, duels and touches too, being generally anonymous throughout.

This led to the teenager being described as “one of the worst players to ever play for” the club by one Gers content creator on X, representative of the general sentiment from those in Govan.

Thus, when Martin is leaving out Oliver Antman, who has shown flashes of brilliance at times since arriving from Go Ahead Eagles, fans are very much not on board with Moore’s inclusion.

If he remains in charge for the visit of Dundee United in a fortnight, then perhaps leaving the Spurs loanee on the bench may be the way to go.

"To be honest" – Miovski explains why Rangers have better players than people realise

The Gers are still seeking their first away clean sheet of the season.

By
Ben Goodwin

Oct 4, 2025

Saudi Arabia's efforts to make waves in the sporting world look set to continue when the wealthy Gulf nation hosts the 2034 World Cup. But a football stadium 350 metres off the ground seems ambitious even for them following the viral emergence of concept designs for a brand new venue dubbed the NEOM Stadium. A list of 15 host stadia complete with concept art was first revealed in the summer of 2024.

• 'Most unique stadium in the world'

  It's certainly out there to want to construct a football stadium in the sky, but fans on social media can't get enough of the idea. The so-called NEOM Stadium could, one of 11 new venues planned for construction over the next eight years to complement four existing stadiums that will be renovated already has a big reputation to live up to.

  Saudi Arabia's bid book submitted to FIFA stated: "Neom Stadium will be the most unique stadium in the world. With a pitch situated more than 350m above ground, stunning vistas and a roof created from the city itself, the stadium will be an experience like no other.

  "Within The Line, mass transport and personal transport will be enabled by a network of tram-like Autonomous Rapid Transit vehicles and Personal Rapid Transit, operating on five primary horizontal transport corridors."

  'The Line', announced in 2021, is a proposed smart city in a single long building measuring 170km by 200 metres and up to 500 metres high, designed to have no cars, streets or carbon emissions, and be big enough to house nine millione people, a quarter of Saudi Arabia's existing population. Although already under construction, full completion of the city itself is not actually expected until 2045, 11 years after the World Cup.

  What isn't clear is if the new concept images doing the rounds are part of any official plans, as the stadium doesn't appear to be incorporated into what 'The Line' would look like.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  350m in the air

  NEOM Stadium proposes to accomodate 46,000 fans from is vantage point 350 metres above the ground. The other proposed venues for the World Cup will be spread across four existing cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar and Abha. But all are set to incorporate unique architecture and themes, including one dazzling with colour, another made up of crystal-like shards and another built specifically from locally-sourced materials.

• Saudi Arabia stood unopposed in bidding process

  Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host nation for the 2034 World Cup during an Extraordinary FIFA Congress on December 11, 2024. Despite FIFA lowering the existing stadium capacity requirements from seven with 40,000+ to just four, there were no other bidders. FIFA's rotation policy, which ensures that World Cup tournaments are spread evenly around the planet, meant that only bids from Asia or Oceania would be accepted anyway. Potential hosts were also given just 25 days to express an intent to host, which only Saudi Arabia did.

  It will be the third World Cup in Asia in the 21st century, following from South Korea and Japan's joint effort in 2002, and Gulf neighbour Qatar in 2022. Saudi Arabia will actually end up being the first single host nation since Qatar by the time 2034 rolls around, due to 2026 being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and 2030 being the shared responsibility of Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with games also being staged in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay as part of FIFA's World Cup centenary celebrations.

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• getty
  

  World Cup plans between now and 2034

  Saudi Arabia still has the best part of a decade to plan and build and/or renovate its venues for the World Cup. But the eyes of the world are unlikely to pay too much attention until much nearer the time. For now, the 2026 World Cup in North America is just over seven month away from its opening match on June 11. As many as 48 countries will compete for the first time following the tournament's expansion, including debutants Jordan, Uzbekistan and Cape Verde, but fans will need to wait another five weeks until December 5 for the group stage to take place and the fixture list be revealed.

  2026 could very likely be the last dance at the World Cup for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.