Brazil have recovered from their 7-1 shame in 2014, while Germany maintain their winners’ aura and Russia have to show they can lay on a world-class partyIt should not come as any surprise for Brazil and Germany to be earmarked as favourites for the World Cup in Russia. After all, they are the two most decorated countries in the tournament’s history (not forgetting absent friends Italy, who, like Germany, have four gold stars embroidered over their crest, one behind Brazil’s five).But when you add some context, some nuance, it reveals something about sport’s capacity to drag the badly defeated back up from the floor that most bookmakers are not willing to separate two heavyweights who flabbergasted the planet with the...
Brazil’s manager enjoys his visit to Wembley, ‘temple’ of football
Tite discusses Harry Kane and Gabriel Jesus comparisons
England remain a “big team” who have a chance of winning the World Cup with their combination of technical and physical attributes, according to the coach of Brazil.Speaking in a stadium he described as a “temple” of football, Tite talked up his opponent on the eve of the latest glamour friendly at Wembley. Related: Neymar leaves Brazil press conference in tears after friendly win over Japan Continue reading...
Twenty-three nations have booked their places for the World Cup in Russia, with the holders and Brazil looking in good shape but we rank England in 13th place, below IcelandIf the world champions were frustrated by their failure to win continental honours at Euro 2016 they have certainly taken it out on everyone else since. Germany won 10 qualifying games out of 10 and, even if San Marino’s presence in Group C needs taking into account, a record 43 goals scored suggests things are back in their old working order. So too did their Confederations Cup title in July, achieved with an experimental squad; Joachim Löw can select from an unrivalled depth of talent and, while winning back-to-back World Cups...
For more than two decades, Carlos Kaiser was one of the most famous footballers in Brazil – even though he had no intention of ever kicking a ballYou might know the voiceover at the start of The Big Lebowski. As tumbleweed meanders through Los Angeles, Sam Elliott introduces us to the film’s main character: “Goes by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least that was the handle his loving parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. See, this Lebowski, he called himself ‘The Dude’.” The Stranger rambles on about this and that until he gets somewhere near the point. “Sometimes, there’s a man. And I’m talkin’ about the Dude here - the Dude from Los...
Brazil’s young star has the world at his gifted feet and as such is highly unlikely to be playing in the Premier League any time soonWhen it comes to pure spectacle most people seem to have preferred the old pre-facelift model José Mourinho. Albeit it has been a few years since we saw that cheerfully acerbic entertainer, back in the days when Mourinho could be bothered to smile, play to the gallery, spook an opponent with his bastardish charm and generally floss, brush, pomade and change out of his pyjamas.Personally, I quite like the new version. Gloomy José, the shell-suited grinch, has his own appeal. Mourinho may be a more grizzled figure these days, resembling in his public appearances a...