World Cup 2022 LIVE: Qatar tournament bans alcohol sales around stadium sites

The BBC has announced that former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino has joined the broadcaster’s 2022 World Cup team.

Pochettino, who was sacked by PSG in July after spells with Spurs and Southampton, will join the likes of Didier Drogba, Jurgen Klinsmann, Vincent Kompany and Laura Georges in working for the BBC during this winter’s Qatar tournament.

Pochettino, 50, played at the 2002 World Cup as part of the Argentina team that were eliminated in the group stage.

The former defender has worked with a number of players who will feature at the Qatar World Cup, including England striker Harry Kane, Argentina forward Lionel Messi, Brazil winger Neymar, and France forward Kylian Mbappe.

“The World Cup is a special tournament, and it is a real pleasure to be a part of it with BBC Sport and some great names from world football,” Pochettino said.

“It is a new experience for me and an opportunity to see football from another perspective, before I return to coaching in future.”

And in the latest incident of that nature, Irish journalist Tony O’Donoghue told RTE how he was stopped by police while filming a piece to camera on Thursday (17 November).

During RTE’s coverage of the Republic of Ireland’s friendly fixture with Norway – a game Ireland lost 2-1 – O’Donoghue explained the moment to the broadcaster.

He did, however, say he believes that the incident had stemmed from poor communication between tournament organisers and security officials – rather than the episode serving as evidence of an ‘oppressive regime’.

“Of the many facts and figures circulated about Qatar’s problems, there is one realisation that should stand above everything. It is a disgrace that, in 2022, a country can host a World Cup where it has lured millions of people from the poorest countries on earth – often under false pretences – and then forced them into what many call ‘modern slavery’.

“And yet this has just been accepted. The World Cup carries on, an end product of a structure that is at once Orwellian and Kafkaesque. A huge underclass of people work in an autocratic surveillance state, amid an interconnected network of issues that make it almost impossible to escape.”

Here is Miguel Delaney on everything wrong with the Qatar World Cup.

Here is the story in more detail:

Sadio Mane will be out for up to three or four months, Bayern Munich have confirmed.

The Senegal forward will play no part at the World Cup and will miss the resumption of the Bundesliga season too, after an operation on his Achilles.

Here is the early team news ahead of England vs Iran:

James Maddison spent some of this week training alone, having been substituted in the first half of Leicester’s win against West Ham before the international break. Struggling with a knee issue, the midfielder could well miss out here.

Meanwhile, Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has confirmed that he will be absent for this match, but the right back expects to be fit in time for England’s next outing – against USA.

Kalvin Phillips was included in Southgate’s squad despite having barely taken to the pitch for Man City this season, so it would be surprising if he started in the Three Lions’ midfield here.

Meanwhile, Iran striker Sardar Azmoun was injured in the run-up to the tournament and has been trying to prove his fitness since, meaning his participation against England is up in the air.

Following Mane’s surgery on Thursday, which saw a tendon reattached to his right fibula, the Bayern Munich star could even miss his club’s clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16.

Following their 4-0 victory over Nigeria in a friendly fixture last night, the Portugal squad are now making their way from Lisbon to Qatar.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who missed the game with Nigeria, is en route to the World Cup with his teammates and their coaching staff.

The latest news around Ronaldo is that Manchester United have ‘initiated appropriate steps’ in response to the forward’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan this week.

Ronaldo, 37, hit out at the state of the club while criticising the owners, coach Erik ten Hag, and the mentality of his teammates.

Today marks the release of Indy Sport’s big World Cup predictions piece!

Our writers have made predictions on:

• who will win the World Cup

• who will claim the Golden Boot

• who will be the breakout star of the tournament

• how far England and Wales will go in the competition

Check out our picks here:

In more beverage-related news:

Lucozade, the energy soft-drink brand that has long been a sponsor of the England football team, has decided to pull its branding from the Qatar World Cup.

“We continue to support all England teams, who celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion,” Lucozade said.

“We will not have a brand presence at press conferences, training session or on pitches.”