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The World Cup is right around the corner and is set to be the last chance for two of the greatest to shine on the biggest stage.

And considering neither Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi has ever lifted FIFAs most prestigious trophy, the 2022 tournament in Qatar could mean more to them than ever before.

Manchester United star Ronaldo will be in his forties by the time the 2026 World Cup comes around, while an appearance by Paris-Saint Germain ace Messi at 38 is unlikely as well.

If things both go to plan for Portugal and Argentina, the two legendary rivals could meet in the Qatar final in December.

Yet Brazil will be among the sides looking to put a stop to that, with Neymar out to make up for lost time in what will be his third World Cup.

The three players have widely been touted as the best of their generations but who has the best record at the World Cup?

Appearances: 17

Wins: 7

Goals: 7

Assists: 2

Man of the Match awards: 6

Best finish: Semi-finals 2006, 4th

Ronaldo has won both Euro 2016 and the Nations League with Portgual, but the World Cup has eluded him in his four attempts.

He made his World Cup debut in 2006 at the age of 21 and scored once against Iran as his country reached the semi-finals, ultimately finishing fourth.

But that tournament was headlined by his involvement in then-teammate Wayne Rooneys sending off in a quarter-final penalty shootout win over England, from which Ronaldo bagged the winning spot-kick.

His follow-up appearance in South Africa four years was even worse, with just one goal in four games an 87th-minute strike in a 7-0 win over minnows North Korea before a round of 16 defeat to eventual winners Spain.

Ronaldo looked to turn the tide at Brazil 2014 as the reigning Ballon dOr holder and a Champions League winner with Real Madrid.

Yet struggling for fitness, the then-29-year-old only managed one goal and was powerless to prevent a group-stage exit for Portugal.

Russia 2018 was much more like it from Ronaldo though, as he more than doubled his overall goal tally at the World Cup.

He scored four times including THAT hat-trick against Spain but again Portugal crashed out at the last-16 stage with a 2-1 loss to Uruguay.

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Getty

Appearances: 19

Wins: 13

Goals: 6

Assists: 5

Man of the Match awards: 6

Best finish: Final 2014, 2nd

Messi has two international trophies to his name like Ronaldo, but again has never seen his Argentina side get over the line in four previous attempts.

The comparisons between the two dont end there, with the 2006 World Cup also Messis first experience on footballs grandest stage.

The then-18-year-old came off the bench in Argentinas second game against Serbia and Montenegro and within 13 minutes had scored and assisted another in a 6-0 win.

That goal means Messi remains Argentinas youngest scorer at the World Cup but he was an unused substitute in their eventual quarter-final penalty shootout defeat to hosts Germany.

Messis explosion on the world scene meant he was his countrys main man four years later in 2010 yet things didnt go to plan.

The PSG star went goalless in five games before Argentina went out to Germany in the quarters, with just one solitary assist.

Messi came back with a vengeance on enemy soil in Brazil 2014, with four goals and one assists in seven matches before his side fell at the final hurdle to Germany for a third time despite him winning the the best player of the tournament.

Messi couldnt replicate that feat in Russia, with just one strike and a missed penalty before Argentinas round of 16 loss to eventual champions France, meaning the seven-time Ballon dOr winner has never scored in a knockout game at the World Cup.

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Appearances: 10

Wins: 7

Goals: 6

Assists: 3

Best finish: Semi-finals 2014, 4th

Messis PSG teammate has only appeared at two World Cups, first breaking into the international set-up after the 2010 edition.

All eyes were on Neymar as the marquee player on home soil for the Brazil World Cup but he started on fire, with four goals in his first four games.

Yet in the quarter-finals he was left with a fractured vertebrae after Juan Zuniga kneed him from behind in a win over Colombia.

As a result, Neymar missed Brazils 7-1 loss to Germany in the last four, with Brazil also suffering a 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands in his absence in the third-place playoff.

Following that disappointing end to the 2014 World Cup, Neymar came into Russia four years later with a point to prove.

But he was rushing back from a long term lay off and only managed one goal in Brazils three group games.

Neymar looked to be finding his form in a win over Mexico in the Round of 16 but his joy was cut short as he failed to prevent Brazils quarter-finals exit to Belgium.

Continued here:
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymars history at the World Cup: Goals, assists and awards as P... - talkSPORT

What do you get when you mix together the cutthroat competition of a battle royale, the fast-paced but casual antics of a party game, the hilarious hazards of a game show, and cosplay for good measure? Whatever it is, it's probably going to be pretty close to Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, a zany hybrid of games that's easy to pick up and nearly impossible to put down. Sixty players, represented as little customizable jellybean people, race through a handful of randomly selected stages that slowly whittle away the competition. But rather than dodging a hail of gunfire from opponents, players instead run, jump, and dive through various obstacle courses and mini-games. The only player-on-player violence occurs when one player accidentally (or maybe not-so-accidentally) bumps another off the track and into the abyss below.

The controls, while simple, aren't exactly razor sharp in their precision. Instead, Fall Guys sort of stumble and fumble their way through each labyrinth of obstacles. While this might seem like it would take away from the experience, since all players are on the same level, it's still an even playing field. Plus, it adds a lot to the charm of the game, much like a match of human bumper cars. Even though the goal is to try to beat the other 59 competitors, players earn rewards just for participating. And, once eliminated, a player can just dive right back into the lobby and get ready to try again. From the first dash out of the starting gate to the final battle to claim the top spot, and every chaotic moment in between, Fall Guy: Ultimate Knockout stays true to its name, delivering a leisurely knockout blow to its battle royale competition.

Link:
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Game Review | Common Sense Media

Padraig Doherty told how resilience was called for as Carndonagh defeated Inishowen neighbours Urris to book a place in the semi-finals of the junior championship.

An impressive cameo from the fit-again Conor ODonnell and a Ryan Kelly goal gave Carndonagh the little pocket of breathing space they needed.

Carndonaghs 1-10 to 1-8 win offered something of a rare knockout success for the Foden men.

Thats our first knockout win in so long, Doherty told Donegal Live.

I cant remember us winning a knockout game since we last won the junior (2008).

It was important for us to win at home too. If were playing chess at home, wed want to win that.

We showed a good bit of resilience. That has sort of typified our championship performances at home this year.

We keep going to the end. Thats going to be important no matter how far we get this year. Nobody remembers much beyond who wins a game.

It was all square, 0-5 apiece, at half-time. It had been cagey and remained so in the third quarter. ODonnells arrival added a new gear to the Carndonagh engine. Ultimately, it was his introduction that tipped the scales in Carns favour.

Doherty said: Conor brings that extra wee bit of a spark to us. He brings a bit more confidence to anyone.

Its no different to any club, in any standard, when a county player comes back in, its a case of: Right, we have to up it now too. The standards are set again.

A player who has played at that level coming in is an obvious lift for any club, even up at intermediate or senior championship levels.

Urris certainly didnt wilt, though.

When Dean Kelly netted for Urris, it threw a gauntlet down to Carndonagh, but the home side responded with ODonnell tacking on a point with the next attack, restoring a lead which they held to the finish.

Doherty said: We had to keep our shape. The last couple of times we played here against the wind, we started at 100 miles an hour. Urris wanted to bring it down the stretch and they did.

They got their goal and the next score was so important. We went back up the field and got a point. That broke their momentum after getting back into the game.

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'If we're playing chess at home, we'd want to win that' - Padraig Doherty - Donegal Live

EFL and NationalLeague clubs will be allowed to call off matches if they clash with England and Wales World Cup games.

A full schedule offixtures is planned over the weekend of December 3 when the Home Nations could be playing in the last 16 in Qatar.

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EFL and National League bosses bothsaid clubs can decide whether theyrearrange, though it is possible a collective decision could be made.

England and Wales are in Group B with Iran and the USA and feasibly both teams could progress.

The top two to qualify will face rivals from Group A.

That World Cup group is made up of hosts Qatar, Louis van Gaals Netherlands, Sadio Manes Senegal and Ecuador.

Wrexham are due to visit York in the National League on the Saturday.

But the Welsh side will likely postpone if Robert Pages Dragons are in a first World Cup knockout game for 64 years.

Then thenext Saturday night could also see England or Wales play in the quarter-finals hours after domestic games have finished.

Argentina and France are bothpossible opponents for that one.

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Although the leagues say they will expect teams to fulfil fixtures that day.

England kick off their campaign against Iran on the opening day of the tournament, while Wales face the USA on the same day.

The Three Lions take on the Dragons in their final group game.

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EFL and National League clubs to be allowed to call off matches if they clash with England or Wales World... - The US Sun

On the eve of EuroBasket 2022, the cover was all for them. The three NBA phenomena, coming from Europe and inextricably linked to the jersey of their national team, are ready to bring back to Ljubljana, Athens, or Belgrade that gold medal.

Instead, the stars have already returned home and are watching the final from their television set without even reaching the semifinals. Should they be blamed? Why the top players in the competitions couldnt get a medal?

Heres the answer.

The trio delivered

Nobody can really blame the players themselves for the failure. Speaking by the numbers, all three of them had a phenomenal tournament.

To be exact, according to the efficiency rating the Eurobasket way of taking account of all stats Giannis Antetokounmpo was first (32.7), Nikola Jokic second (31.7) and Luka Doncic fifth (27.1), behind two other players who practically carried their teams as far as they could. Bulgarias Sasha Vezenkoc is third (31.2) and Finlands Lauri Markkanen is fourth (30.4).

It has to be noted that the player following Doncic is Lithuanias Jonas Valanciunas, but with an average of 21.8 efficiency per game, a long gap from the top five.

Nobody can really say that the Joker, the Freak, and Magic Luka were not themselves. On the contrary, they pretty much dominated. Giannis is the top scorer of the tournament (29.3 ppg), with Doncic being the fourth best (26 ppg). Jokic is the fifth-best scorer (21.7 ppg) and also the fifth-best rebounder (10 rpg) with Giannis being sixth (8.8 rpg).

So what really happened?

Nikola Jokic: The Serbian question

While the leaders of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Dallas Mavericks saw their hopes of winning shattered in the quarterfinals, Nikola Jokic came out of EuroBasket 2022 in the Round of 16 against Italy.

He finished the tournament averaging 21.7 points, 10 rebounds, 4.3 assists, shooting 66.2% from the field, 46.2% from three points, and 90.9% from free throws. You can say that he was attacked on defense, but this is not news and nobody expected him to be a defensive stopper.

And in the crucial loss against Italy, the Joker returned home after his best performance statistically (32 p., 13 r., 41 EFF), while the rest of the team couldnt contribute as much.

The game turned upside down after the ejection and the reactions of coach Gianmarco Pozzecco, which, despite many Serbs stating the opposite, totally changed the momentum of the game. You can attribute to that at least the breakout night of Marco Spissu who scored 22 points after averaging five in the previous five contests.

Meanwhile, Serbia had no reaction from the bench, while Italy was making big shot after big shot, and things quickly went south.

The blame here went straight to coach Svetislav Pesic, who will remain in his position and already declared that he will not change his ways. And even if he didnt say that, what would you expect from a 73 years old coach who has already won the Eurobasket and the FIBA World Cup?

The truth is that Serbia dominated a relatively easy group phase and in the first sign of adversity, they seemed uncharacteristically shocked.

The future outlook for Serbia remains more than positive. The team is expected to present itself even stronger in the upcoming FIBA World Cup if they qualify having not only Jokic and Micic as their main stars but also Bogdan Bogdanovic who was injured this summer.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: a reliable three-point shot missing

Although Greece was eliminated in the quarterfinals, the Milwaukee Bucks star ended up challenging even the scoring numbers of Greek Eurobasket legend Nick Galis. Galis famously scored 30+ points in every game of the Eurobasket 1987, which ended up being the big bang of Greek basketball as the host Hellas won the tournament, beating the USSR in the final.

Giannis became the first Greek player since then to score at least 25+ in every game he played in the tournament.

However, it was evident since the first knockout game against the Czech Republic that things are not going to be easy for Greece, which survived the Round of 16, but couldnt make it past the hosts Germany.

With all the attention of the defense on Giannis and without a solid threat from the perimeter, Germany had a 20-1 run at the start of the second half that mentally destroyed the opponents.

On the offensive end, except for Giannoulis Larentzakis (4/4 3PTS), the three-pointers of Tyler Dorsey (2/7 3PTS), Kostas Sloukas (1/4 3PTS), Kostas Papanikolaou (1/4 3PTS) and Giannis (1/5 3PTS) didnt fall, despite many of them being open. Mind you that Greece finished the tournament shooting 34,9% on threes. Not exactly bad, however, its a number that gives hope to every opponent, guiding them to the risk of trying to contain Giannis, while leaving three-point shooters open.

On the defensive end, Greece let at the start of the game Germany get hot with 7/8 threes, and when in the second half the defense changed and the switches pushed Giannis in the perimeter, Germany took advantage of the mismatches in the paint for easy buckets and offensive rebounds, while continuing shooting excellently from the three-point line.

Greece finished the game shooting 31% in threes, while Germany had an admirable 55%, for a total average of 40% in the tournament up to this point.

Still, the progress made by Giannis compared to the stubborn, but inexperienced player in FIBA rules seen in the 2019 World Cup, has been widely witnessed.

But the lack of a solid outside threat is haunting the Greek national team, as it also haunted for years the Milwaukee Bucks. And it has to be noted that entering the tournament with the two centers of the team, George Papagiannis and Kostas Antetokounmpo, injured, didnt help either.

The positive outlook is that this was just the first tournament for coach Dimitris Itoudis with the national team a two-time EuroLeague winner, but a rookie in FIBA tournaments and also the fact that outside Tyler Dorsey, Greece may also have the option of adding Naz Mitrou-Long on their roster, if he gets a Greek passport, due to his Greek heritage.

The same happened with Dorsey, whose mother is half-Greek, but then the Greek national team, while having to use either Mitrou-Long or Dorsey for the sole, permitted naturalized spot on the roster.

Luka Doncic: Thats on me

Of the three main stars who came out of EuroBasket 2022 earlier, Luka Doncic was the only one to appear at the press conference alongside his coach after the decisive loss against Poland.

This can be considered first and foremost as a move that solidifies him as the leader of the future for the team on every level.

And although the defeat came not only because of his performance (14 p., 11 r., 7 a., but 5/15 FG and 6 turnovers), he did not want to find any excuses. On the other hand, he did play injured, getting an injection in order to stay on the court and fight after having back pains in the second quarter.

Contrary to Serbia and Greece, Slovenia was in the game until the last minutes. After a terrible first half in which Poland led by 19 (58-39), Slovenia came back with a 24-6 run. Ultimately with Doncic fouling out with two minutes left and Mateusz Ponitka registering just the fourth triple-double in Eurobasket history, Poland got the win.

The bad news for Doncic is that Goran Dragic who came back from national team retirement for this tournament will be missed. And while theres a solid core of Cancar, Blazic, Prepelic, Muric, and Tobey on the roster, the talent pool of Slovenia is not vast.

Thats why the team will focus on continuity with coach Aleksander Sekulic staying on his bench and Doncic having to push forward without hoping for a real talent boost in the near future.

On paper, Doncic without Goran Dragic onboard gets clearly less help from his teammates compared to Jokic and Giannis. That happened also in this tournament with Slovenia being in theory a team of good shooters, especially Prepelic and Blazic, which finished the Eurobasket with a 31% efficiency from the three-point line.

The nature of the tournament

In FIBA tournaments after the Round of 16, theres no room for mistakes. Thats part of the charm, but its also an opportunity for huge upsets. Think less on NBA terms and more on a March-Madness-like situation.

And when any team plays against Jokic, Doncic or Giannis has the biggest motivation ever to create such an upset. Theres also an old practical saying among coaches in those tournaments. Its always better to lose one game during the group stage, just for the team to get over the anxiety of defeat and be more ready when adversity comes in knock-out contests.

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Jokic, Doncic and Giannis delivered, but their teams didn't - Eurohoops