The US is reviewing the immigration status of Switzerland’s star player so he hasn’t travelled with the team. I wonder if this is the start of something for players and fans.
He’s been granted a visa as has the whole of the Iran squad.
Common sense seems to have prevailed in the end.
Going to the baseball game last summer, all ladies and gents who carried “stuff” had to do so using plastic clear shoulder bags only, anything else was not allowed into the stadium. Unfortunately with something. high profile like the WC, they want to make more money selling ripoff food and drink and souvenirs, like Eurodisney not letting anything in that you can buy on site.
FIFA have now “u-turned” and water bottles will now be allowed to be taken into stadiums.
I was once queing to get into Murryfield behind a young lad drinking from a small bottle of scotch. A policeman on a very large horse came over and and in no uncertain terms told him he could not bring whisky into the stadium.
The youngster took a deep breath then drank all the whisky and discarded the bottle.
"OK now pal?” he grinned
“No you’re pished” said the polis “you can’t come in. Bugger off”
Presume that’s as long as the top has not been broken from the seal on it
I think Stade de France is the opposite, you need to discard the top so that the full bottle can’t be used as a missile.
Indeed, but with severe restrictions such as having to enter and then exit the country on the same day as the match. Some other staff have also been refused visas although not essential staff I think.
Appalling. Either they host an international event or they shouldn’t do it at all. As it is the bits in the USA will pretty much be rigged and in any case it’ll be an exercise in pandering to the orange psychopath.
Isn’t it time FIFA gave him another Fake Nobel Prize? 
No need, he’s going to win the world cup
My goal (pun intended) for the next month is to avoid any contact with football.
Watching the opening game (Mexico/S Africa) is making me contemplate something similar - it’s dire!
Villa ! Villa ! Villa! Et voilà, ça c’est fait 
Previous post written during half-time, second half was worse.
Think the S Africans had met one another for the first time in their dressing room just before the match (and two of them returned there prematurely).
Made me reflect how the francophone African countries are so much better at football than the anglophone ones - culture, or genetics, or both?
Simple really, very few SA players play in Europe so have no access to world class coaching etc, just compare the SA and Senegal squads at the WC to see how stark the difference is.
I’m sure that’s a factor but doubt it’s just down to inferior training because:-
Certainly, although some European sides, such as Ajax have had SA feeder clubs for a long time. there a very few SA players in first division European teams and my United has only ever had one - Quinton Fortune, who arrived at OT from Atletico Madrid.
The reason I mentioned ‘genetics’ is that typical W African players tend to be much better physically suited to modern football than the smaller, slightly built S African Cape Coloureds and Xhosa who make up most of Bafana Bafana (larger S Africans tend to be Zulus who seem to prefer rugby). W African countries such as Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal are francophone - anglophone countries such as Ghana and Nigeria (remember Kanu?) are exceptions.
Although many francophone players have become stars of the Premier League, very few S Africans have become regular members of European first division teams
I’m relenting. Boredom has got the better of me as I hide indoors from the heat. I believe the games are shown on M6, Spain v Saudi soon I believe. That might be fun, I’ve no idea what to expect from Saudi. It’ll give you all a break from my wibbling at any rate.