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Brazil bids farewell to ‘king of soccer’ Pele with 24-hour wake

TUESDAY, JANUARY 03, 2023

The Brazilian coastal city of Santos, which sporting giant Pele turned into a byword for soccer brilliance during a glittering club career, started bidding goodbye to its hero on Monday with a 24-hour wake.

Mourners lined up to see Pele’s body in an open casket in the centre of the field at the Vila Belmiro stadium, home of the Santos Football Club. Pele died on Thursday at 82 after battling colon cancer.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino was among the first to arrive for the service and said he would ask every country to name a stadium after Pele, the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player.

Infantino told reporters. “FIFA will certainly honour the ‘king’ as he deserves. Additionally he had asked all football associations in the world to pay a minute of silence at every match worldwide.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento – Pele’s given name – was born in 1940 in the small country town of Tres Coracoes, but moved to Santos in 1956 and lived there for most of his life.

In the early hours of Monday, his body arrived under fireworks in the city of about 430,000 people from Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital.

Former Brazil midfielder Ze Roberto and Pele’s son Edinho helped placing his coffin in the field, TV footage showed. Floral wreaths were sent by the likes of Neymar, Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid.

On Tuesday, a procession carrying Pele’s coffin will pass through the streets of Santos, ending at the Ecumenical Memorial Necropolis cemetery, where he will be buried in a private ceremony.

Santos’ press office said some 5,000 journalists from all over the world had been accredited to cover the wake of Pele, who scored more than 1,000 goals for Santos.

Several government officials are expected to attend the memorial, including newly sworn-in Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, a longtime Santos supporter.

Sao Paulo state military police said in a statement they had prepared a special operation called the “King Pele Operation” to ensure public order.

Reuters

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Fans excited as Ronaldo signs for Al Nassr

MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023

Reuters

Al Nassr fans reacted with excitement on Saturday (December 31) after it was confirmed that Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has joined the Saudi Arabian side.

In a social media post the club said, “The world’s greatest athlete officially signed for Al Nassr”.
 

Speaking in the club shop where fans were already buying shirts with Ronaldo’s name and number on, Al Nassr fan Ashraf Allhammad said he hopes the signing will bring more recognition for the club.

“Hopefully this deal will be a success for Al Nassr and for the club’s future vision and marketing for the club with an international fame,” he said.

“Having Ronaldo will boost the value of the Saudi league, if you see the tweets and views for this matter, all foreigners talking about this deal,” said Khaled Almajed.

A fan holds up an Al Nassr soccer jersey with Cristiano Ronaldo
 

Ronaldo, 37, left Premier League giants Manchester United last month following an explosive television interview in which the forward said he felt betrayed by the club and did not respect their Dutch manager Erik ten Hag.

Fans visit the Al Nassr club store, after it was announced soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a contract with the club, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

He represented Portugal in Qatar, where he became the first player to score in five World Cups after netting a penalty in his side’s opening Group H game against Ghana. Portugal were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Morocco.

Ronaldo said Qatar would probably be his last World Cup as he plans to retire at 40, with the move to Saudi Arabia likely to mark the swansong in the career one of the game’s greatest current players alongside Lionel Messi.

A general view of an Al Nassr soccer jersey and Cristiano Ronaldo
 

Reuters

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Ronaldo poses with Al Nassr shirt after signing for Saudi club

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2022

THE NATION

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on a two-year contract, the club announced on Friday (December 30).

Ronaldo, 37, left Premier League giants Manchester United last month following an explosive television interview in which the forward said he felt betrayed by the Old Trafford club and did not respect their Dutch manager Erik ten Hag.
 

“I am eager to experience a new football league in a different country. Al Nassr Club’s vision is very inspiring,” the Saudi club quoted Ronaldo as saying.

He will arrive in Saudi Arabia with a vast collection of club honours after a glittering spell at Spanish giants Real Madrid from 2009-18 where he won two LaLiga titles, two Spanish Cups, four Champions League titles and three Club World Cups.

He went on to score a club record 451 times for Real and has more than 800 senior goals overall for club and country.

Ronaldo poses with Al Nassr shirt after signing for Saudi club

Ronaldo claimed two Serie A titles and a Copa Italia trophy in three years at Juventus before rejoining United with whom he had bagged three Premier League crowns, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the Champions League and Club World Cup.

He played for Portugal in Qatar, where he became the first player to score in five World Cups after netting a penalty in his side’s opening Group H game against Ghana. Portugal were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Morocco.

Ronaldo said Qatar would probably be his last World Cup as he plans to retire at 40, with a move to Saudi Arabia likely to mark the swansong in the career one of the game’s greatest current players alongside Lionel Messi.

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Ten-man Thailand salvage draw against Indonesia to stay top of group

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2022

Ten-man Thailand salvaged a 1-1 draw with Indonesia in the 2022 Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championship on Friday in Jakarta to stay top of Group A.

Marc Klok fired Indonesia into the lead in the 48th minute from the penalty spot after Theerathon Bunmathan’s handball earned a yellow card.

Things looked bleak for defending champions Thailand when Sanrawat Dechmitr was shown a straight red for hacking down a home player in the 63rd minute. But the depleted War Elephants roared back with Sarach Yooyen’s strike from the edge of the area with 11 minutes left in the match.

Thailand remain top of Group A with Indonesia in second on goal difference. Cambodia cemented their grip on third place in the group with a 5-1 thrashing of Brunei in Phnom Penh to keep alive hopes of a top-two finish and a place in the semi-finals.

Thailand next play Cambodia at Thammasat University on Monday (kick-off 7.30pm). Fans can watch the match live on MCOT HD30 and T-Sport 7 channels.

Thailand’s manager Mano Polking praised his players for salvaging a draw after going a goal behind and losing one man. He added that the referee had made the right decision in sending off Sanrawat as the tackle clearly deserved a red card.

Related Stories

Thailand crush Philippines 4-0 to close in on semi-finals

Every game Thailand plays at AFF Championship will be broadcast now

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Messi, Ronaldo share condolences after death of Brazil soccer great Pele

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2022

THE NATION

Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer player who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, died on Thursday (December 29) at the age of 82.

Tributes poured in from across the worlds of sport, politics and popular culture for a figure who epitomised Brazil’s dominance of the beautiful game.
 

“Rest in peace, @pele,” said Argentina captain Lionel Messi on Twitter.

Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo wrote: “The love you always showed me was reciprocated in every moment we shared even from distance. He will never be forgotten and his memory will live forever in each and every one of us football lovers. Rest in peace King Pelé”.

Pele, whose given name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, joined Santos in 1956 and turned the small coastal club into one of the most famous names in football. A wake is expected to be held at Santos’ Urbano Caldeira stadium, most commonly known as Vila Belmiro, on Monday (January 2), the club’s press officer said.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal receives the FIFA World Player 2008 award from soccer legend Pele during the FIFA World Player of the Year awards ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland, January 12, 2009.Lionel Messi of Argentina (L), FIFA World Player of the Year holds his FIFA Ballon d

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Brazil soccer great Pele dies after prolonged hospital stay

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2022

THE NATION

Pele, the magical Brazilian soccer star who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, died at the age of 82, his daughter said on Instagram on Thursday (December 29).

He had been in and out of hospital in recent months after a tumor was found on his colon.

Pele, whose given name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, scored a world record 1,281 goals, and is the only player ever to win the World Cup three times.
 

With sublime skills and a winning smile, he helped make soccer the world’s most popular sport and he charmed popes, presidents and Hollywood stars in a seven-decade career as player and ambassador for the sport.

Born on Oct. 23, 1940, in the small Minas Gerais town of Tres Corações, or “Three Hearts”, Edson Arantes do Nascimento learned the game from his father, a semi-professional player whose promising career was derailed by a knee injury.

Several aspects of his youth are obscured by myth, including the origin of his famous nickname. As Pele (sometimes) told it, he often played as goalkeeper in neighborhood games, and kids began comparing him to a local player named “Bile” – and the letters got twisted over the years.

Whatever the truth, he was soon dazzling scouts not as a goalkeeper but as an attacking forward – a prototype number 10.

He was respected for his range of talents, and more so than any player since, he could do it all: He was two-footed, had tremendous pace and stamina, he could head, pass, tackle – and of course, he could score goals.

He joined Santos at the age of 15 and turned the small coastal club into one of the most famous names in football.

Brazilian soccer legend Pele shows off his six domestic championship medals at a Brazilian soccer confederation event recognising the previous incarnations of the Brazilian soccer championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 22, 2010.
 

Over a glittering 18-year spell at the club he won every honor in Brazilian football as well as two Copa Libertadores – the South American equivalent of the Champions League – and two Intercontinental Cups, the annual tournament held between the best teams in Europe and South America.

His talent was soon recognized by the national team and he was chosen for the Brazil squad heading to the 1958 World Cup in Sweden – although a team psychologist called the 17-year-old “obviously infantile” and advised against playing him.

Pele went on to score a hat-trick within one half of the semi-final against France, and another two goals in the final against the host Swedish team – helping Brazil to its first-ever championship.

Brazil

Injuries kept him out of all but two games in the 1962 Cup, which Brazil won. At the 1970 tournament in Mexico, a now fully mature 29-year-old Pele won the title for a third time with a Brazil side that included other stars such as Carlos Alberto Torres and Tostão, and is considered by many to be the greatest team ever.

Pele initially retired in 1974 but after finding that ill-advised investments had left him broke he accepted an offer the following year to play in the fledgling North American Soccer League for the then-astonishing sum of about $1 million a year.

Pele’s charisma dazzled even hardened New Yorkers. He hobnobbed with celebrities and once shared a table at the famed Studio 54 nightclub with Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart and Andy Warhol – who called Pele the exception to his saying that everyone would have 15 minutes of fame.

Even in such company, Pele stayed away from alcohol and drugs, saying he needed to protect his body and serve as a role model for kids.

He admitted to other “weaknesses,” though. His two divorces, numerous affairs, and the two children he acknowledged fathering outside of marriage fueled perceptions of a gap between the squeaky-clean corporate pitchman and the elusive real-life person who preferred to be called Edson.

On the field, Pele led the New York Cosmos to the league championship in 1977 and attracted millions of fans to a sport that had previously seemed inaccessible and European.

Years later, when the United States won the right to host the 1994 World Cup, the head of the U.S. soccer federation called Pele the “most important” reason why.

Pele’s 1,281 goals in 1,366 games, as tabulated by FIFA’s website, came at a startling rate of 0.94 per match. Some of those were friendlies or came in games played as part of his military service, but he was just as prolific in official tournaments, with 757 goals in 812 games.

Pele had suffered from a series of health issues in recent years, including hip surgery that left him with recurring pain and trouble walking unaided. He reduced his public appearances, but remained active on social media.

Pele is survived by six known children. A seventh, whom he didn’t recognize as his own for years, died of cancer in 2006.

Brazilian soccer legend Pele tosses a ball with physical therapist Kamila in Sao Paulo, Brazil in this still image obtained via undated social media video released on Pele

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Thailand crush Philippines 4-0 to close in on semi-finals

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2022

Defending champions Thailand thrashed the Philippines 4-0 in the 2022 AFF Cup on Monday to move closer to a berth in the semi-finals.

Teerasil Dangda headed home the first goal from a free kick in the third minute at Thammasat University Rangsit Campus before bagging his second with a penalty at the end of the first half.

Adisak Kraisorn made it 3-0 in the 57th minute and Suphanan Bureerat scored another six minutes later.

Thailand have won both of their opening group A games and will play Indonesia on Thursday (December 29).

The War Elephants lead the group on goal difference ahead of Indonesia, with both teams on six points. Cambodia are third with three points, level with the Philippines who have played one game more.

Brunei were stomped 7-0 by Indonesia and remain bottom of the group with no points from three matches.

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Thailand’s Worawi explains why he backed Qatar’s bid to host World Cup

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022

The 2022 Fifa World Cup ended last week, hosted successfully by the tiny Gulf nation of Qatar. Despite many rights activists attacking the host country, the tournament went off smoothly.

Qatar was chosen by members of Fifa’s executive committee in 2010 — now known as Fifa Council — in a controversial and pathbreaking move. One of the members voting for Qatar’s bid in the executive committee was Worawi Makudi from Thailand.

The Nation spoke to Worawi, who remains an honorary member of football’s governing body, and continues to be invited to every major Fifa event.

The former president of the Football Association of Thailand explained to the Nation how Fifa members select the host of the World Cup.

Qatar was a unique case in the history of the World Cup 2022. The country became the first country from the Middle East to host football’s biggest event. There were two concessions made in the case of Qatar. The country has never qualified for the World Cup finals, and the competition was shifted to winter because the heat in Qatar’s summer would be unbearable for the players and spectators.

Worawi explained that there are no concrete conditions for choosing the host nation and it depended on the readiness of the applicant, so the World Cup could be held in every part of the world.

Speaking about Qatar’s case, Worawi argued:“These are not concrete conditions in selecting a host because going by those conditions, some countries might never get the right to bid to be World Cup host.”

“I have to thank every member for always choosing the right host, not only Qatar, but also South Korea and Japan in 2002, or Germany in 2006, as they were all great World Cups,” says Worawi.

“Do you know that before Germany was chosen, South Africa was the front-runner in 2006? Germany won a close race by only one vote (12-11),” he reveals.

“The reason that the members chose Germany was because it was perceived as more ready to stage the event, and Germany did host a great World Cup in 2006. We saw that South Africa was not ready at that point, so we chose them four years later after it was ready, and South Africa did organise a great World Cup,” says Worawi.

“After that, the World Cup moved to Brazil in 2014. It was already the country of football so it organised a great World Cup.”

“After that, we chose the hosts simultaneously for two World Cups — 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar — because we did not want the lobbying to be chaotic.

“I always praise members for choosing the right host, like 2018 was the correct moment for Russia.”

Explaining the choice of Qatar, he said, “Some people might have disagreed initially with choosing Qatar, but now everyone says, ‘Wow! Qatar did the best.’ When Fifa inspects a country’s readiness, it faces some problems but the World Cup in Qatar had no problems at all.”

When asked about the reason he voted for Qatar, Worawi said: “I, as a Fifa member and Asian person, must choose a country from Asia.”

“However, I always think that no matter what the size of a country, we must give them an equal chance and I was thinking at that moment that Qatar had the potential to organise the World Cup. They prepared stadiums and got everything ready for the 2022 World Cup within 12 years of being selected.

“We did not consider that it got rich from gas or oil, but it is passionate about every sport, especially football. Qatar built Aspire, which is the No. 1 sports institution and academy in the world.

“With the passion for football in Qatar, it was my duty as an Asian to support Qatar,” he added.

Argentina won the World Cup hosted by Qatar from November 20 to December 18, beating France on penalties in the final.

Related stories

• Ex-football chief Worawi ready to take the helm if his services are needed
• Messi’s image may adorn banknotes to mark Argentina’s World Cup victory
• World Cup fails to lift advertising industry as ad revenues plunge

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Every game Thailand plays at AFF Championship will be broadcast now

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2022

Lottery Online, the operator of the “Kong Salak Plus” lottery platform, has purchased the broadcasting rights of AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022, so all Thai football lovers can enjoy the games.

This comes after many people were forced to watch the December 20 Thailand-Brunei match via online streaming sources as no digital television operators had bought broadcasting rights for the tournament.

“I was frustrated that the match was not being broadcast even though the national football team had won 5-0 against Brunei,” Lottery Online CEO Panthawat Nakvisut said on Saturday.

Panthawat Nakvisut

He said his company had reached an agreement with the Sports Authority of Thailand to broadcast every match played by the Thai football team in the tournament.

He added that the next match, Thailand against the Philippines, will be broadcast live on the 9 MCOT HD channel on Monday.

“This move will help contribute to Thailand’s football industry,” he said.

AFF Championship has been held every two years since 1996, except the one in 2020, which was postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thailand has won the tournament six times, in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016 and 2021.

Apart from playing the Philippines on Monday, the Thai national team is scheduled to face off against Indonesia on December 29 and Cambodia on January 2.

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Messi’s image may adorn banknotes to mark Argentina’s World Cup victory

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2022

The face of Lionel Messi may be emblazoned on Argentine banknotes to celebrate the country’s World Cup win, according to reports.

The country’s central bank is considering honouring Messi’s success by putting his portrait on 1,000 peso bills, the Mexican newspaper El Financiero reported.

The reports follow Argentina’s win over defending champion France in the final match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Sunday.

The 1000 peso note is the preferred option because it begins with 10, Messi’s number, El according to the Financiero report.

“La Scaloneta” – the nickname of the team manager Lionel Scaloni – was suggested as the inscription on the back of the backnote, Financiero reported. The idea was first “jokingly” proposed by members of the Argentine central bank, but directors subsequently agreed that it would “awaken the spirit” of Argentine people.

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• Argentina’s team abandon bus for helicopter at celebration parade
• Crowd of 100,000 awaits Argentina’s World Cup winners in Buenos Aires city centre