#gareth-bale

#gareth-bale

Coverage: Live on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio 5 sports extra, the BBC Sport website & app; live text commentary on BBC Sport website & app.Aaron Ramsey says earning a last-gasp draw against World Cup semi-finalists Croatia has helped Wales to move on from their World Cup disappointment.

Coverage: Live on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio 5 sports extra, the BBC Sport website & app; live text commentary on BBC Sport website & app.Some of Wales' players have called it a "new era," while boss Robert Page has talked of "resetting and reframing".For Wales this is the new reality, life after Gareth Bale, life after the men's top goalscorer and greatest modern day footballer... life after their leader.

Coverage: Live on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio 5 sports extra, the BBC Sport website & app; live text commentary on BBC Sport website & app.Life without Gareth Bale and Joe Allen begins for Wales on Saturday when they kick off their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign against Croatia.

World Cup stars have been kept looking trim in Qatar thanks to a barber from Brighton.Rebin Rob, 28, has been cutting the hair of Brighton and Hove Albion players since 2015, with some of the club's current and former footballers in Qatar for the World Cup.Recommendations about his work have led to Mr Rob cutting the hair of many other players, including Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and the rest of the Wales squad.

Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November-18 December Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.Day-by-day TV listings  - Full coverage details  

Wales and England have met 103 times since 1879 but Tuesday's game is the first time they have played each other at a World Cup finals.

Carlo Ancelotti said referees have been too quick to book Vinicius Junior after the Brazil forward picked up his 10th yellow card of the league season in Real Madrid's 4-2 win over Almeria on Saturday.Karim Benzema scored a hat trick at the Santiago Bernabeu -- Vinicius providing the assist for his opener -- and Rodrygo Goes added a fourth as Madrid bounced back from their midweek defeat at Girona by the same scoreline.

Emiliano Martinez added to his impressive penalty record as Argentina won a World Cup final shootout against France on Sunday night.The Aston Villa keeper has won four successive shoot-outs with club and country, with his last defeat coming in 2019 when he was with Arsenal.Argentina beat both the Netherlands and France on penalties to seal their World Cup triumph, with Martinez to the fore.

Nov 23, 2022



Chris WrightToe Poke writer



There may be an unseasonal World Cup happening, but we can't obscure the fact that Thanksgiving and the Black Friday sales are upon us once again.That can only mean one thing: Football clubs around the world start filling their online stores with a tasteful selection of the branded merchandise with Christmas just a month away.

Wrexham FC fans have said what Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have done for their club means everything as they celebrated promotion to the English Football League.There were jubilant scenes in the Welsh city on Tuesday as the team returned for an open top bus parade, which the Hollywood stars attended.

It lasted just a few minutes, accounting for just a fraction of the playing time in John McCarthy 's seven-year professional soccer career.His performance in goal in the final moments of LAFC's MLS Cup win last November, however, has been life-changing."It's like a dream thing," he said."The way it happened, how it happened; I'm not changing that dream.

Wales' record goalscorer Helen Ward has announced her immediate retirement from international football.The 36-year old Watford striker will also bring her club career to a close at the end of this season.She played 105 games for Wales, scoring 44 goals."Thank you to every single person whose path I have crossed on and off the field and thank you football for making me who I am," Ward said in a statement on social media.

Real Madrid will be hoping to record their 115th win against city rivals Atletico Madrid when they meet in the Copa del Rey on Thursday.Los Rojiblancos make the short crosstown trip to the Santiago Bernabeu looking to reach the last four in the backyard of their greatest rivals.Carlo Ancelotti was still in his first spell as Real Madrid boss the last time they won this competition, with the now-retired Gareth Bale scoring the memorable clincher.

Real Madrid have paid tribute to former superstar Gareth Bale after the Wales international called an end to his playing career on Monday.Bale joined Madrid from Tottenham in 2013 and spent nine years in Spain, albeit he headed back to Spurs on loan in 2020-21.The 33-year-old won three LaLiga titles, a Copa dey Rey, five Champions League titles and three Club World Cups in his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It has been the busiest World Cup group stage ever.Forty eight group games have been packed into 13 hectic days at Qatar 2022, with the usual drama, spectacular goals and upsets aplenty.We have been asking you to rate the players in every game played so far and have now crunched the numbers to discover the hits and misses.

12:00 PM ET



Mark OgdenSenior Writer, ESPN FC



Loris Karius has said there is no "bad blood" between him and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp as he attempts to relaunch his career in English football with Newcastle United -- more than four years after playing his last game for Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final defeat against Real Madrid.

Arsenal target Mykhaylo Mudryk has dropped several hints in recent months that he is keen on a move to the Emirates.The Ukraine star is a top target for the Gunners ahead of the January transfer window.A winger is high on the agenda for Mikel Arteta.Nicolas Pepe was allowed to leave on loan in the summer but a replacement was not sourced in the final few weeks of the window.

Rishi Sunak was criticised after praising World Cup hosts Qatar for the quality of this year's tournament.Ahead of England's last-16 match against Senegal, the prime minister tweeted: Hats off to Qatar for hosting an incredible World Cup so far.The group stages will be remembered as one of the all-time greats.

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has condemned the removal of fans' rainbow bucket hats before their opening World Cup match against the United States, saying it was "extremely disappointed" by the reports.Supporter group The Red Wall created the hats in partnership with the FAW to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community during the tournament in Qatar.

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer wears the captain's armband with the inscription "One Love" during a pre-World Cup friendly against Oman.DPA via Europa Press (DPA via Europa Press) FIFA has managed to prevent Harry Kane, Virgil van Dijk and Gareth Bale from wearing the rainbow bracelets of the OneLove campaign they had pledged to display against all kinds of discrimination in their opening World Cup matches in Qatar.

4:21 PM ET



James OlleySenior Writer, ESPN FC



AL RAYYAN, Qatar -- England defeated Wales 3-0 at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Tuesday to top Group B, setting up a round of 16 tie next Sunday against Group A runners-up Senegal.Gareth Southgate's side scored twice in two minutes after a goalless first half as Marcus Rashford fired in a superb 50th-minute free-kick before Phil Foden slotted home from Harry Kane's pass.

By Phil McNulty Chief football writer at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan


Last updated on .From the section World Cup  
Marcus Rashford inspired England to the victory required to top Group B and ensure it was despair for Wales as they went out of the tournament after a bitterly disappointing World Cup campaign.

12:00 PM ET



Chris WrightToe Poke writer



We are now one full week into the 2022 World Cup and heading into the final set of group-stage games.We've also had the chance to witness an astounding array of traditional costumes and fancy dress worn by fans of each national team, with some truly sensational outfits spotted at the tournament's eight stadiums.

Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November-18 December Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.Day-by-day TV listings  - Full coverage details  

Belgium will not wear their white away shirts with the word "love" on the collar in the group stage of the World Cup in Qatar following a discussion with Fifa.

By Dan Roan BBC sports editor in Qatar


 Last updated on .From the section World Cup  

Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November-18 December Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.Day-by-day TV listings  - Full coverage details  

England, Wales and other European nations are in talks over whether to proceed with their plans for their captains to wear a OneLove armband at the World Cup in Qatar.

The World Cup kicked off in Qatar, after years of waiting, and ESPN has you covered for the world's biggest sporting event.We've seen the opening ceremony, the pre-game speeches and the musical acts (yes, that was BTS out there!).We've seen the first goal disallowed by VAR at the World Cup (well done, Enner Valencia, for being the answer to that trivia question) and we've seen the first goals allowed at the World Cup too (again, congrats to Enner Valencia, whose two goals gave Ecuador a win over host nation Qatar.)

By now, you might have seen SBNation's World Cup Rooting Quiz: a guide to help you decide which team to root for at the 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup, which kicks off on November 20.Given this is a Bayern Munich site, you might think a few of us got Germany.You would be wrong.Let's take a look at where some of our staffers landed:
I have no idea how I got Denmark, but now I am definitely going to root for them.

Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November-18 December Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.Day-by-day TV listings  - Full coverage details  

Harry Wilson says Wales will face an Iran side who are determined to deliver a response when they meet in World Cup Group B on Friday (10:00 GMT).

The chorus of the song comes crashing down in an irresistible wave.You may not have any clue what the words mean, but that's OK.Neither do many of the people singing it.The name of the tune is Yma o Hyd.It was released in 1983 by Dafydd Iwan, a Welsh nationalist folk singer.Its title translates to Still Here.

The chorus of the song comes crashing down in an irresistible wave.You may not have any clue what the words mean, but that's OK.Neither do many of the people singing it.The name of the tune is Yma o Hyd.It was released in 1983 by Dafydd Iwan, a Welsh nationalist folk singer.Its title translates to Still Here.

How to watch: 8 a.m.Eastern.FS1, Telemundo, Peacock (free).Few in England were intimidated by the group stage draw; the abiding sentiment ran that Gareth Southgate's team should make short of at least two of its opponents, starting with Iran.The fact that Iran, like Wales and the United States, is ranked by FIFA as one of the best 20 teams in the world; likewise that it led by a canny  if deeply cautious  coach and garlanded by two players, in Mehdi Taremi and Sardar Azmoun, of genuine Champions League quality, has not yet registered.

The England captain, Harry Kane, and his Wales counterpart, Gareth Bale, are to defy Fifa by wearing OneLove rainbow armbands in their World Cup matches, after the governing body launched its own social campaign on the eve of the tournament.Fifa has asked that all captains wear a different armband on each match day, promoting social messages such as Football unites the world, Share the meal and Bring the moves.

It's a video Dilys Rana has watched again and again: Welsh actor Michael Sheen, asked by a TV show host to give a mock pregame speech for the Wales-England World Cup soccer match, delivers a stemwinder for the ages."When the English come knocking on our door, let's give 'em some sugar, boys!" he bellows as the stage music swells.

Fifa has given a platform to hatred after fears there would be sanctions on players wearing anti-discrimination armbands during the World Cup, LGBT groups have said.A joint statement from seven European nations who had signed up to the One Love campaign  which included England and Wales  confirmed the armbands will no longer be worn due to fear of a yellow card being issued.

MPs have criticised both the FA and FIFA after England and Wales decided not to wear OneLove armbands at the World Cup 2022 in Qatar over the threat of sporting sanctions.Politicians and fans groups have also expressed contempt for FIFA after plans to wear the armbands were dropped under threat of yellow cards for captains Harry Kane and Gareth Bale.