Fifa World Cup

England football fans started the day singing “It’s coming home”; but they will end it crooning “Closing Time.” A predatory finish by Croatian forward Mario Mandzukic in extra time separated the two nations in today’s semifinal and set up a World Cup final date with France on Sunday. The only …

In another topsy turvy duel, Belgium tried to continue their daring 2018 World Cup run in Saint Petersburg today; but, in the end, the “Red Devils” were left ashen-faced by a flash of Samuel Umtiti, as Les Bleus snatched a 1-0 win. Eh? If Mr Live Wire was a bit …

On Wednesday, England will contest a FIFA World Cup semifinal for the first time in 28 years. But should we be surprised by their success in Russia? In 2017, England secured a historic treble of international titles at youth level as they were crowned FIFA Under-20 and Under-17 World Youth …

Eh… It’s coming home? Barely two months ago, Russia president Vladimir Putin expelled nearly five dozen British diplomats, as the two countries bickered over the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in London. Who would have thought that the England football team would be more difficult to dislodge? For …

Mr Live Wire has not seen so many disappointed faces in yellow jerseys since the 2015 General Elections. For the fourth straight tournament, perennial World Cup favourites, Brazil, failed to navigate their way to the final, as the five-time champions tumbled out in the quarters after a 2-1 loss to …

Now that’s more like it! After Sunday’s forgettable fare, the Russia 2018 World Cup burst to life once more today as Brazil bested Mexico 2-0 while Belgium staged a monumental recovery to kayo Japan 3-2 in the Round of 16 competition. Brazil, the five-time World Cup champions, and Belgium, who …

Eh… well that was awkward. Two hundred and forty minutes of football for three scrappy goals and a load of penalties. If ever there was proof that God has an offbeat sense of humour, it may lie in the fact that today’s stodgy fare was played on the only Sunday …

So, farewell to the G.O.A.T and the Goatee. The Russia 2018 World Cup will make do without football’s MVP trophy-grabbing duopoly of Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, after the pair were eliminated on the first day of the Round of 16 today. Messi’s return ticket was booked at …

For the final minutes of Japan’s Group H contest, the “Samurai Blue”—despite trailing Poland 1-0—opted to play the ball around in their own defence with no attempt to enter into the opposing half of the field. In the other match being played simultaneously, Senegal, who were also down a solitary …

In the city of Brasilia, fireworks went off, residents jumped up and down at malls and drivers honked their car horns. And the Brazil team had not even stepped on to the field yet! The Germans call it schadenfreude, which roughly translates to the enjoyment of another’s misfortune. And not …

Somewhere in St Petersburg tonight, a dazed looking Argentine in a number 14 shirt might be heard asking medical staff: Did we win? Did we win? On another electric evening in the Russia 2018 World Cup, La Albiceleste squeezed into the Round of 16 at the death as they narrowly …

Argentina’s Diego Maradona put his stamp on the 1986 World Cup, the Brazil duo of Romario and Ronaldo had 1994 and 2002 respectively while France’s Zinedine Zidane cast a long shadow over 2006. But 2018? So far, it has been the tournament of VAR; and Morocco wing back Nordin Ambarat …