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  Can Harry Kane lead England to World Cup success? (REUTERS) Expectations are high, and hopes even higher, that England can pull off another superb run at a major tournament after reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the final of Euro 2020. Manager Gareth Southgate has instilled a confidence in his squad which has brought a belief that England can finally win the World Cup again. That confidence is also reflected in the betting markets with the Three Lions third favourites to lift the trophy behind Brazil and France. Yet faith in Southgate and his squad is not as strong as it was after England stumbled through this year’s Nations League campaign. No wins in six games with two defeats to Hungary and relegation from League A has put a sour note on Southgate’s time in charge and sends England heading into this important World Cup campaign on rocky footing. The pressure to perform well has increased and the manager’s decision-making, on and off the field, will be more firmly

  Cristiano Ronaldo trained alone on Friday. In a way it was the perfect image: a footballer who perhaps more than any other embodies the trope of the individual superstar, the idea that one man can do it on his own, doing it on his own. The television cameras were there to film his arrival and they were there a few hours later to film Erik ten Hag as he weathered a squall of Cristiano-related questions. The soap opera continues. But for now the football career is on hold. Ronaldo will not feature for Manchester United against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon. He has been suspended for storming down the tunnel after refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham on Wednesday. The word is that United will again try to move him on in the January transfer window, and may even pay him to leave. Perhaps we should have known that this was how it would end from the moment Ronaldo returned last autumn in a blizzard of ticker-tape and social media numbers. But nobody involved – not United,

  Real Madrid and France forward Karim Benzema has won the Ballon d'Or - awarded to the best footballer of the year - for the first time. Benzema scored 44 goals in 46 games as he helped Real win the Champions League and La Liga in 2021-22. Lionel Messi (seven) and Cristiano Ronaldo (five) had won the award on 12 of the previous 13 occasions. Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane, who was at Liverpool in 2021-22, was second ahead of Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne. Barcelona's Alexia Putellas retained the Women's Ballon d'Or, awarded to the best best female footballer of 2022. England Euro 2022 winner and Arsenal forward Beth Mead was second. Premier League champions Manchester City, who had six nominees at the ceremony, were awarded Club of the Year ahead of Liverpool. The Ballon d'Or is awarded to the best footballer of the year, based on performance over the 2021-22 season. Zinedine Zidane (right) was the last Frenchman to win the Ballon d'Or First Frenchman t

Barcelona coach Xavi said Real Madrid beat his team in the Clasico because they were more mature. Los Blancos earned a 3-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu to replace Barca at the top of La Liga on Sunday, moving three points clear of their Catalan rivals. The defeat came after a draw with Inter Milan in the Champions League which leaves Barcelona on the verge of a second successive group stage elimination. "They beat us on maturity, in knowing how to compete," Xavi told a press conference. "We competed worse than our opponents, that's why we lost the game. They are a team that's more mature than ours at this moment." Barcelona signed various players in the summer, including La Liga's top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha. Real Madrid's side is more settled, with the only player starting the Clasico not at the club last season being midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. Madrid moved ahead through Karim Benzema after Vinicius Junior got b