FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 (Promo)

Football is played in cycles, although they do not change often.

Every country plays the game, but you will see little change in the rankings. Dozens of countries qualify to the World Cup finals every four years, but only eight countries have won the 20 World Cups played so far.

But this World Cup in Russia appears delectably different and signals a change in the cycle. It's about time for world football to embrace many changes, with the emergence of new dominant forces and stars.

Favourites have been sent home in tears, superstars made spectators, champions preys of also-rans, and the olden not always golden. Reigning champions Germany were sent home with a shocker of a 2-0 win by world minnows South Korea, five-time champions Brazil bulldozed by Belgium, two-time champions Argentina made to head home early, hot favourites Spain forced to perish in the first phase, and Portugal pushed out from the round of 16.   

The media focus was mostly on three club kings -- Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar. And quite rightly so; since the trio shared almost all the major trophies, awards and most of the money their clubs spent on players between them for the last four years. Yet, on the world stage they failed to become world kings, with global media splashing more of their pictures in tears than in cheers. The reign of Messi and Ronaldo that many thought would never come to an end, and it's still premature to think it has, but this World Cup has shown there are players ready to take the mantle.

Expected to captivate the global audience, other star footballers themselves are being captivated and enthralled by the performances of the less famous, lower-paid footballers than them. Toni Kroos, Thomas Mueller, Andres Iniesta, Diego Costa, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Gabriel Jesus, Philippe Coutinho and many others are now watching the World Cup from home.

It is too bad for their fans that they could not be like a Romelu Lukaku, Kevin de Bruyne, Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Harry Kane, Paul Pogba or Kylian Mbappe in Russia.

The month-long football fiesta in Russia entered the last week and more surprises may spring up tonight when France take on Belgium in the first semifinal.

Of the four semifinalists, only England and France know what it is like to kiss the famous cup. For England, that glorious moment of 1966 has almost faded into oblivion. But this England side is young and eager, ready to repeat the feat. Croatia and Belgium, on the other hand, have never won the tournament, with their runs ending at the semifinal stage previously.

Among the favourites, France are the only exception, rising up to its tag every time so far. Didier Deschamps has possibly brought the most talented and balanced side among all 32 teams to Russia. Solid everywhere in the line-up, with equally qualified alternatives on the bench. But 'beware of Belgium' should be the caution from the coach to his charges.

Against Brazil, Belgium proved they are not only about Lukaku. They are tall, tough and, most importantly, a team. A very dangerous and attacking team, this side loves to play total football, and the Red Devil's success under Roberto Martinez is a little less surprising.

This Golden Generation has long been regarded as one of the most talented groups of footballers at international level in recent years, but they've never before hit their potential. At this World Cup, everything seems to be going in Belgium's favour, including Lady Luck.

Almost all of their footballers are seasoned in prominent leagues, and their wealth of experience is contributing to the game plan.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Eden Hazard is one of the best No 10s in the world. His pace, superb dribbling and long-range shooting make him a phenomenal player.

Lukaku on the other hand, is always the man capable of causing the most damage. With four goals in the tournament so far, the imposing striker will be the forward to tackle for France. The life of Lukaku has made him tough as teak. Growing up in extreme poverty, the son of Congolese descendants developed in himself an attitude to succeed. Every match he plays is a final to him. And he will be up against France in yet another final of his life.

Lukaku never says never. He will try his best to score. If he can't, he will get his mates to score with assists. And Brazil can vouch for how good Lukaku is with assists.

The writer is former Sports Editor of The Daily Star

The World Cup-winning French team returned home to a heroes' welcome yesterday, parading down the Champs-Elysees as hundreds of thousands of cheering fans gave a raucous welcome to the country's newest idols.

France overcame a determined Croatia to win 4-2 in Sunday's final in Russia, with teenager Kylian Mbappe applying the coup de grace and cementing his place as a new global superstar at the age of just 19.

Millions of fans in France then celebrated into the night, honking car horns and flying the tricolour flag while the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe were lit up in the national colours of blue, white and red.

Crowds began converging early Monday on the Champs-Elysees, the gathering point for all national celebrations, to catch a glimpse of a returning squad which has captured the country's imagination.

As the celebrating players descended on an open-air bus under heavy police guard -- some of the 2,000 officers deployed in the capital -- nine jets from the Patrouille de France, the air force's acrobatic unit, did an honorary flyover trailing blue, white and red smoke.

After leaving the Champs-Elysees, the players quickly changed into custom-made blue suits before being welcomed at the Elysee Palace by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, who were also decked out in blue for the occasion.

Macron previously promised the Legion of Honour for the victors' "exceptional services" to the country, an award already given to the legendary team which won France's first World Cup title in 1998.

The first couple then posed with the team as they sang the Marseillaise national anthem and waved scarves for a joyous group photo, before heading inside for a private meeting.

"Thanks to you all!" Macron told the team after gathering again outside. "This team is beautiful because you are united!"

Despite a voice nearly failing him, Pogba then proved himself a showman off the field as well as on by leading the guests in an impromptu celebratory rap punctuated by "Allez les Bleus!"

Nearly 3,000 guests were invited to the reception in the Elysee gardens, including around 1,000 youths from local football clubs such as Bondy, the gritty Paris suburb whose towering housing projects produced Mbappe.

Afterwards guests would be treated to the beats of DJ Snake, who has worked with pop stars including Lady Gaga and is part of the Pardon My French collective of French DJs.

Macron had already celebrated with the team on Sunday -- even doing "dab" dance moves with players in a video that has gone viral -- after attending the final in Moscow.

Later, the team were expected to attend a dinner in their honour at the posh Hotel du Crillon.

In Paris, the metro system has temporarily renamed six of its stations in honour of the key players, with the Victor Hugo stop -- named after the famed 19th-century writer -- becoming Victor Hugo Lloris after the team's goalkeeper.

Two stations were rebaptised in tribute to France coach Didier Deschamps, who captained the national side to its first World Cup victory, won on home soil in 1998.

"There are two things that matter -- one is that these 23 players are now together for life, whatever happens, and also that from now on they will not be the same again, because they are world champions," a champagne-soaked Deschamps said Sunday.

Macron will be relieved that joyous and occasionally chaotic celebrations across France on Sunday night passed off without any major incident following a string of terror attacks in France since 2015.

"The greatest stories are the ones we live in real life." Do you know who said that? It was JRR Tolkien.

I'm kidding guys, I just came up with it. But, you have to admit, I had you thinking that was deep and thought provoking for a second. 

But I still think there is something there, because where else would we draw inspiration for our best stories, if not from real life?

In the same way that our life experiences—the highs, the lows and the roadblocks—inspire us to sit down and write our stories, entertainment mediums like wrestling, football, basketball, etc. also have these raw and (sometimes) real storylines playing throughout. In fact, these storylines are what add this extra dimension of intrigue and anticipation that make these games so great to watch.

Sometimes, it's the generic age-old tale of David vs Goliath. Sometimes it's a story of two mortal enemies, destined to battle each other on the grandest stage, till the end of time. A team's history, their players—and their own individual stories—come together to form more layered and complex stories, all of it building up like a movie, until a tournament is finished.

While club football alone has enough stories and drama going on throughout just one season, international football is really where all of the different plot points converge together, forming one compelling narrative.

Think about one of the most memorable international tournaments in recent history, the Euro 2016. Eventual champions Portugal found themselves in an interesting position—at least in retrospect—at the start of the tournament. 

In terms of pure skill, their squad probably was not the best one in the tournament. Yes, they probably had the best European player in history as their captain, but they still lagged behind teams like France, Italy and Germany.

Portugal finished third in a group consisting of Hungary, Iceland and Austria—a group they should definitely have topped. However, after three consecutive draws, the last of which involved them coming back from being a goal down thrice, they finished third, earning a place in the knockout stages.

From there on, they would draw themselves to the final, mostly on the back of insane performances from Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani. Going into the finals, they were up against a France team that had topped their group and dominated most of the top teams they had faced on their way to the finals.

After just 25 minutes from the kick-off, Ronaldo found himself injured. Taken off the pitch, the captain who had inspired this team to the final found himself limping along the sideline, watching his team attempt to beat a France team that would go on to win the World Cup just two years later.

Ronaldo cheered his team from the sidelines, shouting and screaming to keep them motivated throughout. Going into extra-time, both teams looked to be struggling for stamina, with Portugal seemingly worse-off than the French. 

Somehow, through some moment of magic, where the universe willed Ronaldo's dream of an international trophy into reality, Portugal would score a goal at the 109th minute to take home the trophy.

If we are to talk about the World Cup, rather than the story of a run from start to finish, let's talk about some of the biggest moments, and the backstory to them. Think back to Mario Gotze's late winner against Argentina, in the 2014 World Cup finals. 

Throughout the tournament, Gotze only started three out of a possible seven matches. Many times, in the run to the final, Gotze had been criticised for not being up to the mark to start for Germany. His move to Bayern Munich, from rivals Borussia Dortmund, a year back was also a focal point in the discussion for why this man was just another overhyped and overpriced player.

Gotze's 113th minute goal against Argentina will still stand in history as one of the most memorable goals in a World Cup finals. At the same time, it truly is all the legacy a player needs, at least in terms of international competition.

While Gotze might never have lived up to the potential fans had seen of the player in Borussia Dortmund, it is safe to say that this player etched his name in history with a moment that many German fans will remember for the rest of their lives.

This year's World Cup has many interesting stories, whether in the foreground or lurking behind all the goalless draws we have had to watch so far. Possibly the biggest storyline is how this is likely the last ever World Cup where we will see Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, two of the greatest players of all time. 

Japan's win against Germany, in a hard fought battle to the death, has made us consider if the four time winners will be kicked out in the group stages, similar to their exit in the last World Cup.

Saudi's upset win over Argentina is a story that is building and it will be interesting to see what they do next.

All of these stories, whether in the realm of reality or on the field, play an important factor in shaping how we as humans see both sports and life. These stories inspire us, they give us hope and reaffirm our faith in the idea of the universe having its own plans for us.

So, I would suggest you sit back, relax, and watch the rest of this World Cup play out. See where the story goes. Who takes home the trophy? Which team experiences an upset defeat? Will one of the big European teams get knock-out of the World Cup in just the group stages? 

These are all questions that will be answered in time, but watching the story unfold right in front of us is probably the most fun one can have during World Cup season.

Aaqib Hasib is a sub-editor at The Daily Star. Reach him at [email protected]. 

Four years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo produced an emphatic performance as the forward bagged his maiden World Cup hattrick to help Portugal draw 3-3 against Spain in their Group B encounter of the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Sochi. 

With just two minutes left in the regulation time, Ronaldo swerved a sweetly-timed freekick past the Spanish wall and keeper David De Gea as Portugal roared to level terms. 

Ronaldo also made yet another record in that game as he became the first player to score in eight consecutive major international tournaments when he converted a fourth-minute penalty after drawing a faul from his then Real Madrid teammate Nacho Fernandez to put Portugal 1-0 ahead in the game. 

With that goal, the Portugal skipper extended an unprecedented streak of scoring at major tournaments. Since finding the net at Euro 2004, he has gone on to grab goals at three further European Championships and four successive World Cups. 

Thanks to the goal, Ronaldo also became the fourth player to score in four World Cups, following in the footsteps of Uwe Seeler, Pele and Miroslav Klose.

Ronaldo scored once again just before half-time to give Portugal the lead after Diego Costa equalised it for Spain. Portugal conceded two goals in the second half and it looked like Portugal would go on to start their 2018 World Cup campaign with a defeat. 

Ronaldo, however, had other ideas as he curled in a late freekick to ensure a point for Portugal.   
 

The 2018 World Cup draw took place Friday at the Kremlin, which seemed as good a place as any to unveil valuable information of vital global interest. Here’s our live coverage and analysis from Moscow.

Group A: Russia, Uruguay, Egypt, Saudi Arabia

Group B: Portugal, Spain, Iran, Morocco

Group C: France, Peru, Denmark, Australia

Group D: Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria

Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia

Group F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea

Group G: Belgium, England, Tunisia, Panama

Group H: Poland, Colombia, Senegal, Japan

Russia, England and France got favorable draws. Portugal will play its neighbor Spain in Group B, and Argentina drew one of the tougher first-round groups, as it was paired with Croatia, Iceland and Nigeria. Mexico, the Concacaf champion, will play Germany, Sweden and South Korea in Group F.

Group A analysis: balance, and two bad teams.

Teams: Russia, Uruguay, Egypt, Saudi Arabia

From Rory Smith in Moscow: The opening game of the World Cup will be Russia against Saudi Arabia: or, to put it another way, the two worst teams in the tournament, according to the FIFA rankings. The group is quite nicely balanced, though: Uruguay will expect to make the last 16, but both Russia and Egypt will have hopes of joining them.

Photo

Russia President Vladimir Putin, right, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino opened the draw. Putin, whose country is facing a doping ban from the Olympics, spoke about the spirit of “fair play” in welcoming all the entrants to Russia next summer. Credit Grigory Dukor/Reuters

Group B analysis: two favorites, and no guarantees.

Teams: Portugal, Spain, Iran, Morocco

From Rory Smith: Not as bad as it might have been for Portugal and Spain. Both will expect to make it through — though Morocco is not to be underestimated — in a group that also includes Iran. Finishing on top here might prove crucial as the tournament’s knockout round takes shape.

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Group C analysis: dream group for France.

Teams: France, Peru, Denmark, Australia

From Rory Smith: If France had imagined an ideal group, it would have been this. Peru was among the weakest of the second seeds, Australia does not have a coach, and Denmark should not trouble them too much. Second place could be intriguing, though.

Group D analysis: the most interesting group, for sure.

Teams: Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria

From Rory Smith: Probably the most delicately balanced, most interesting, and most competitive of all the groups. Argentina only just qualified, Croatia has an abundance of individual talent, Iceland a tremendous collective strength and Nigeria was, possibly, the toughest fourth seed to draw. Argentina will not be happy at all.

Group E analysis: a battle for second?

Teams: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia

From Rory Smith: Brazil will not be nearly as happy as France, however. Serbia, Switzerland and Costa Rica is a relatively kind section for Tite’s team. The battle to join them in the last 16 will be absolutely fascinating, however: there is not much between those three teams. And there may not be many goals between them, either.

Group F analysis: the champions should be happy.

Teams: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea

From Rory Smith: Like France and Brazil, Germany has nothing to complain about: Sweden is hard-working but limited, and neither South Korea nor Mexico have the quality to derail the reigning champion.

Group G analysis: Two favorites and two sleepers.

Teams: Belgium, England, Tunisia, Panama

From Rory Smith: It should be a straight shootout between England and Belgium to see who claims the top spot and, with it, a theoretically easier second-round fate. The main advantage Panama and Tunisia have is that both will, to some extent, be unknown quantities.

Group H analysis: the most open group of all?

Teams: Poland, Colombia, Senegal, Japan

From Rory Smith: Along with Group A, Group H seems the most evenly spread. Poland was among the weakest top seeds, and Colombia will harbor ambitions of finishing first. Japan and Senegal, though, will both see the Round of 16 as a real possibility now.

Germany and Brazil installed as the early betting favorites.

No United States, so no World Cup for you? Not so fast there — you can make your viewing experience more vital with a bet on who’s going to win it all. The rest of the world can’t wait to hustle to the betting windows on the beautiful game’s premier showcase.

Germany and Brazil are the current 5-1 co-favorites, according to the British bookmaker Paddy Power, which also rates France (6-1), Spain (13-2) and Argentina (8-1) as serious contenders. The home team, Russia, is 33-1.

Iceland was given a 100-1 chance immediately after the draw, while Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Panama were the longest shots on the board at 500-1.

Looking for a live longshot? How about our neighbor to the South: Mexico is 100-1.

The final pot as it was drawn.

Saudi Arabia (wow) goes in Russia’s group, which already looks to be the easiest.

Serbia completes Group E, with Brazil.

Morocco in with Portugal and Spain in Group B.

Australia goes in Group C with France, Peru and Denmark. France is thrilled, surely, and everyone else thinks they have a shot, too.

Nigeria in Group D with Argentina, Iceland and Croatia.

Panama (this could have been you, USMNT) goes into Group G, with Belgium, Tunisia and England. Not a terrible draw for their debut. Good draw for England, too.

Korea (in F) and Japan (in H) complete the field.

Let the second-guessing, predictions and analysis commence!

The field after three pots were emptied.

Group A: Russia, Uruguay, Egypt

Group B: Portugal, Spain, Iran

Group C: France, Peru, Denmark

Group D: Argentina, Croatia, Iceland

Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica

Group F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden

Group G: Belgium, England, Tunisia

Group H: Poland, Colombia, Senegal

Analysis from Rory Smith: Before the draw, Pot 3 looked slightly and counterintuitively less dangerous than Pot 4; that holds true. Argentina and Croatia will have been disappointed to have drawn Iceland, and Poland, Senegal and Colombia should be fascinating to watch. But most of the top seeds will have been pleased with what they will face: Spain and Portugal, who have Iran, in particular.

Photo

The former Brazil defender Cafu with Senegal’s slip. Senegal went into the final group, with Poland, Colombia and Japan. Credit Mladen Antonov/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

On to Pot 3 now.

Egypt goes in with Russia and Uruguay in Group A.

Denmark is drawn next, but can’t go in Group B, so it’s place in C instead, with France. Ugh.

Iran fills the Group B spot.

Iceland is next out, in Group D with Argentina and Croatia. Harsh draw.

Costa Rica gets Brazil in Group E. That could have been you, America.

Sweden into Group F.

Tunisia with England, then Senegal.

A glance at the groups after two pots.

Group A: Russia, Uruguay

Group B: Portugal, Spain

Group C: France, Peru

Group D: Argentina, Croatia

Group E: Brazil, Switzerland

Group F: Germany, Mexico

Group G: Belgium, England

Group H: Poland, Colombia

Analysis from Rory Smith in Moscow: By far the biggest reaction inside the hall was seeing Portugal grouped with Spain, and with good reason. The Portuguese, it’s fair to say, have drawn the short straw among the top seeds.

Most of the others will be relatively happy: Brazil, Germany and France, the other major contenders, have avoided the worst of the traps. Belgium and England makes for a finely poised group. And Uruguay will be absolutely delighted to have drawn Russia.

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On to Pot 2 now.

Uruguay is the first team out, and they get dropped in with Russia in Group A. (From Rory: So Russia get Uruguay from Pot 2. Or, more accurately, Uruguay get Russia, by far the easiest of the top seeds.)

Spain is next, and will play its neighbor Portugal in the first game in Group B.

Peru goes in Group C with France. Didier Deschamps is probably fine with that.

Croatia in with Argentina in Group D. That’s an unlucky draw for Messi and Co., made worse by Lineker cracking about Maradona being good with his hands as he pulls the team out. Ouch.

Switzerland into Group E with Brazil. Gulp.

Mexico thrown in with the Germans in Group F.

England in Group G with Belgium, and Colombia in H with Poland.

Here’s the field so far.

Group A: Russia

Group B: Portugal

Group C: France

Group D: Argentina

Group E: Brazil

Group F: Germany

Group G: Belgium

Group H: Poland

Pot 1 goes first.

Russia, as planned, is the first team out. It goes in Group A.

Portugal is next. The European champion goes in Group B.

France in Group C.

Argentina in Group D.

Brazil in Group E.

Germany, the World Cup and Confederations Cup champion, in Group F.

Belgium is in Group G.

Poland in Group H.

The hosts are on stage. Here we go.

Gary Lineker reads out the teams and explains the rules, extending the interminable wait a little longer.

Remember, Russia will be placed first, as team A1, and play in the opening game.

First singing, now dancing ....

We promise there will be a draw today.

Infantino passing out compliments.

Infantino, steps away from Putin, praises his host country, saying Russia is ”a welcoming country, a warm country.”

Though not today; it’s in the 30s and snowing outside the hall.

At long last, the draw is under way.

Not the picking of teams, mind you. That will still be about 20 minutes — after Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, and FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, come onstage for speeches.

“The teams, the coaches, are all our friends,” Putin says.

Before we begin, a quick look at all 32 teams.

Unlike many who consume soccer for fun or for a living, Rory Smith of The Times is a big fan of draws, as he wrote in our weekly newsletter Thursday. (Related: you should definitely sign up for our weekly sports newsletter.)

“I love a draw,” Rory said. “I love the word ‘permutations.’ I love the sense that anything is possible. I love seeing that blank slate fill up. I love trying to work out what the best games will be and whose path to the semifinals, to the final, to glory, might be easiest and which most strewn with complication.

“And I love the mystery of the World Cup draw. We are saturated with soccer now: We can watch all of the world’s best players every week. Only at the World Cup do players from nowhere suddenly burst to life, and teams — Tunisia, Iran, even Russia itself — from isolated soccer cultures join the party. The draw is the start of that adventure into the unknown.”

Even if you don’t share Rory’s delight in a good draw, he broke down all 32 teams, this week, looking at their pasts, their paths and at what would qualify as a successful trip to Russia.

Diego Maradona has arrived, and he looks amazing.

Photo

Diego Maradona, a World Cup winner in 1986, and his girlfriend, Rocío Oliva, arrive at the draw. Credit Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

With an hour to go, a word about seeds.

The seeding this year is based on the FIFA world rankings. That’s controversial, because the rankings are far from universally accepted as the most accurate ordering of teams. The most contentious issue is that friendly games count in the rankings, although they are worth fewer points. Because team’s positions are based on average points per match, teams that play a lot of friendlies are penalized. Several sides, including Poland, seem to have gamed the system by playing fewer friendlies, which helped their ranking.

So before you ask: That’s why Poland, a fine team but hardly a tournament favorite, is in Pot 1.

Here’s what to expect today.

The draw will take much longer than it needs to take. It always does. FIFA budgets about an hour for a mix of performances, speeches and, amid much social media grumbling, the draw itself.

This will be the first draw in a generation that will not take place under the usually benign (but not always) awkwardness of Sepp Blatter, who served as FIFA’s president from 1998 until he was ousted amid a corruption scandal two years ago. Gianni Infantino, who replaced Blatter as president in 2016, is FIFA’s top man now.

The World Cup kicks off June 14, with Russia’s first game, in Moscow. It concludes there on July 15. Germany is the defending champion. No team has repeated as world champion since Brazil, in 1958 and 1962.

The 32 teams who qualified for the World Cup already have been seeded according to the FIFA rankings (cue more grumbling) and divided into four pots. The breakdowns:

Pot 1: Russia, Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, France

Pot 2: Spain, Peru, Switzerland, England, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, Croatia

Pot 3: Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica, Sweden, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Iran

Pot 4: Serbia, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Panama, South Korea and Saudi Arabia

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Don’t follow the World Cup unless the United States is playing? Well, have we got a surprise for you ….

A news conference about the draw focused on Russian doping.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino held a pre-World Cup draw news conference Friday, but the topic of the draw barely came up. Instead, Infantino, appearing with Russia’s deputy prime minister, Vitaly Mutko, who leads the country’s World Cup organizing committee, spent more than an hour uncomfortably, and at times angrily, fending off questions about Russia’s doping scandal.

Infantino tried to distance FIFA, and the World Cup, from the accusations, which could see Russia banned from the Olympics next week — only months before the country hosts the World Cup. Mutko, formerly Russia’s sports minister and still the head of Russia’s soccer federation, was more combative.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, right, appeared with Russia's deputy prime minister, Vitaly Mutko, at a news conference ahead of Friday's World Cup draw in Moscow. But almost no one asked about the draw; instead, most of the questions were about Russia's doping scandal. Credit Sergei Chirikov/European Pressphoto Agency

Mutko has been implicated in what has been described by whistleblowers and investigators as a massive state-sponsored doping plan, but on Friday he angrily rebutted the accusations and vowed that Russia “will take a firm position and will defend its athletes until the bitter end.”

“There is no proof,” Mutko said at one point.

Infantino also was asked about the ongoing trial in Brooklyn of three former soccer officials who were charged in FIFA’s own broad corruption scandal in 2015, but said he would not comment on “things that are not proven.” Witnesses at the trial have testified about payments from Qatar to FIFA officials to win the rights to host the 2022 World Cup