FIFA World Cup – Rob's blog https://www.topendsports.com/rob from Topend Sports Wed, 23 Nov 2022 03:30:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.6 39014565 How to watch the FIFA World Cup Live stream in the USA https://www.topendsports.com/rob/major-events/football-world-cup/how-to-watch-the-fifa-world-cup-live-stream-in-the-usa/ Thu, 10 Nov 2022 04:48:05 +0000 https://www.topendsports.com/rob/?p=2230 World Cup is the biggest and most-watched sports event in the world, and it’s the only showcase event, drawing massive global attention. No matter what everyone calls it, no other sporting event comes close to equating the extreme passion for the beautiful game.

Nothing beats the feeling of being the best in the most sought-after sport in the world, and getting crowned champion with a beautiful trophy! What else does a nation want, this tournament has a way of enabling people to puff out their chest by giving them license to say ‘this is our team’ and having some pride in their nation,

This time around, spectacular moments like these will be witnessed from the ‘Land of Arabs’ for the first time in the history of the world cup. The tournament commences on November 20 and will continue till December 18, 2022.

If you want to watch the FIFA World Cup live online and don’t know how to go about it, we have you covered. In this blog, we will teach you how to watch the FIFA world cup Qatar 2022 live stream from anywhere in the world:

football fans around the world are eagerly waiting for the next World Cup

Where to watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 live stream 

Sling TV

Sling TV is the best option to stream the FIFA world cup inside the US if you don’t have cable. The streaming service offers you the cheapest subscription with a 7 days free trial, so you can’t miss any moment of the exciting tournament live without worrying about the cable. The best part is you could even use Sling TV from outside UK, by using a VPN to connect to a US server and directly stream FIFA World Cup

BBCi iPlayer

BBC iPlayer is the official broadcaster in the UK for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and will broadcast every fixture from the tournament. However, the in-demand streaming service only works inside the UK due to certain geo-restrictions.

Fortunately, to access BBC iPlayer from anywhere, you need to have a UK IP address and this is where a high-speed VPN can help. Just follow these simple steps to stream the FIFA World Cup live on BBC iPlayer:

  1. Get a VPN subscription.
  2. Download the app for your device and connect to a UK server.
  3. Go to BBC iPlayer and log into your account or sign up.
  4. Enjoy live streaming the FIFA World Cup 2022 for free from anywhere!

FIFA World Cup 2022 – Groups

  • Group A. Qatar. Ecuador. Senegal. Netherlands
  • Group B. England, Iran, USA, Wales
  • Group C. Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
  • Group D. France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
  • Group E. Spain, New Zealand OR Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
  • Group F. Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
  • Group G. Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
  • Group H. Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

Final Words

Watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 live without any worry, no matter where you are in the world by accessing BBC iPlayer or SlingTV with the help of VPN. By switching your virtual location to the UK or US, you can access BBC iPlayer or SlingTV hassle-free to stream your favorite FIFA World Cup matches live online. Over 140+ broadcasters will cover the FIFA World Cup 2022 in different countries. For instance, BBC and ITV are going to show the tournament in the UK, while MatchTV and Channel One are the official broadcasters in Russia. However, the end goal is to enjoy and cherish the thrilling moments of the world cup by supporting your national team.

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Inspiring 2022 World Cup Team Nicknames https://www.topendsports.com/rob/major-events/football-world-cup/inspiring-2022-world-cup-team-nicknames/ Thu, 15 Sep 2022 00:18:49 +0000 https://www.topendsports.com/rob/?p=2187 I am loving seeing the Socceroos listed on the Team Nicknames of the teams for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, particularly as it is my national team, Australia. It’s a pretty unique name too, unlike some of the other national teams who will be competing at the Qatar World Cup.

There is a group of teams that basically don’t have a nickname, they just have a variation of the term ‘the national team‘ in their respective language (e.g. Germany, Iran, Switzerland). Equally uninspiring, many nicknames are derived from national colors – such as the Blues (France), Blue (Serbia), the Crimsons (Qatar), Orange (Netherlands) and the Tri-Colors (Ecuador, Mexico). At least some add a bit of spice to the color name game, such as the Red Fury (Spain), Red Devils (Belgium), and the Black Stars (Ghana).

football-world-cup-ball

Not all the names are so bland. If you could create a nickname, wouldn’t you want one that would strike fear in the opposition, like the Fiery Boys of Croatia, Danish Dynamite (Denmark) and Samurai Blues (Japan).

If animals strike fear in you, look out for the Eagles of Carthage from Tunisia, the Green Hawks of Saudi Arabia, the Asian Tigers of South Korea, and the Dragons of Wales.

There are also lions to contend with the Three Lions of England, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, the Lions of Teranga from Senegal, and the Atlas Lions of Morocco.

However, a fearsome team nickname does not necessarily equate to success, as one of the most successful teams is commonly known as the Little Canaries (Brazil). Watch out for them!

See our list of All National Football Team Nicknames.

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At the FIFA World Cup, Does Size Matter? https://www.topendsports.com/rob/fitness-testing/at-the-fifa-world-cup-does-size-matter/ Fri, 13 Jul 2018 13:13:53 +0000 https://www.topendsports.com/rob/?p=1393 The FIFA Football World Cup in Russia is coming to its conclusion in a couple of days with the final between France and Croatia. Many of the top teams have been surprisingly knocked out early or not even making the tournament. It is challenging predicting which team will be successful, with none of the top three teams who were predicted to win making the final. What makes a team successful? There is no one factor which determines success; factors such as player skill, speed, agility, game experience, teamwork, coaching, fatigue level and mental focus are just some of the elements. Another factor, body size, may have only a minor effect, but an effect nonetheless.

Prior to the tournament, FIFA released the anthropometric data of the 736 players (squads of 23 from the 32 nations), which gave us the opportunity to compare the body size of players from each team and playing position. We found that out of all the teams, the goalkeepers at the 2018 FIFA World Cup stood out – they tended to be older, taller and heavier than the field players. The youngest players were the forwards, the shortest the midfielders, and the leanest based on BMI were the midfielders. Now that the two teams that are to battle out the final on Sunday are known, we have pulled out their team data and had a look at how they match up.

silhouettes of soccer players

Squads Compared

We compared the body size data of the French and Croatian 23-man squads. The Croatians are on average older (27.9 v 26.0 years), a couple of centimetres (an inch) taller (185.3 v 183.3), but of similar average weight (79.3 v 80.0kg). If we just compare the expected starting 11 players (based on their semi-final match), the age difference is even greater (29.5 v 26.2 years). For both teams, the average weight of the players in the starting 11 is lower than the full squad average (Croatia 79.3 to 77.6kg, France 80.0 to 78.9kg), indicating the top players are leaner. The lower weight was not just because they are shorter, as the Body Mass Index was lower too (Croatia 23.1 to 22.8, France 23.8 to 23.5).

Players Compared

The two goalkeepers expected to play in the final are Danijel Subasic of Croatia and Hugo Lloris of France. The Croatian has a couple of years more experience (aged 33.7 versus 31.5 years), and also has an advantage in size: he is taller (191 v 188cm) and heavier (84 v 82 kg).

Of the starting four defenders, the noteworthy difference is their age. The Croatians are on average more than five years older (28.9 v 23.6 years). If this age difference translates to greater maturity and experience on the field, then they have a distinct advantage.

Comparing the midfielders, the French players are on average quite a bit heavier (76.7 v 70.7 kg) despite being of very similar height. At this level, we don’t expect players to be carrying much excess body fat, so the difference in weight would be mostly due to them being more solidly built, having more muscle and therefore being stronger. If this World Cup final becomes a physical encounter, the French midfield players are going to have a big advantage.

The Croatian forwards are also a couple of inches taller than their French counterparts (187.0 v 181.7cm), which may be an advantage around the goals, particularly for corners and other set pieces.

Conclusion

When it comes to the physical attributes of the two teams, in most cases it has been the Croatian team that has the advantage. Of course, body size is not the most important factor for successful performance in football, though, if all other things are equal then it may be the difference that could win a World Cup for Croatia. However, it may just come down to luck, particularly if it finishes with a penalty shootout.

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Bet on the Octopus – World Cup Predictions https://www.topendsports.com/rob/major-events/football-world-cup/bet-on-the-octopus/ Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:25:41 +0000 http://www.topendsports.com/rob/?p=418 Paul the ‘Psychic’ Octopus, also known as the ‘Oracle of Oberhausen’ and ‘Pulpo Paul’, is a resident of the Oberhausen Sea Life aquarium. He became a celebrity after a 100% success rate at predicting the winners of eight World Cup matches – all of Germany’s games and the final between Spain and The Netherlands.

paul-the-octopus

I want to go out on an (octopus) limb and say that it was all due to chance. I know it may sound far-fetched and very unlikely, but maybe he was just lucky and was able to select the winning teams through chance. No psychic abilities, no hand of God, and no conspiracies – just luck. A lot of luck.

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