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Eden Hazard believes he has a lot to offer Belgium at the World Cup and is confident he can prove his detractors wrong as the midfielder ruled out an imminent departure from Real Madrid.

Hazard, going to the global showpiece tournament for the third time, is Belgium captain but has barely played for Real this season after falling out of favor under coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The 31-year-old, however, is comparing the situation to the European Championship in 2020 when he also went into the competition lacking game time.

Wales captain Gareth Bale says he is 100% fit to play for his country at their first World Cup since 1958.

The 33-year-old is Wales' all-time top scorer with 40 goals in 108 games but has struggled with injuries this season.

Wales kick off their campaign against the United States next Monday and also face Iran and England in Group B.

QATAR - The U.S. men's World Cup squad are showing their support for the LGBTQ community by way of a rainbow-themed team logo inside their training facility and media workroom.

Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar which is hosting the tournament starting on Sunday.

The design features seven rainbow-colored vertical stripes below "USA" in dark blue letters and is part of the "Be the Change" initiative the team adopted in 2020 with the goal of inspiring action on social justice issues.

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo says that the club have betrayed him and that he is being actively forced out, while he has no respect for manager Erik ten Hag.

Ronaldo rejoined United from Juventus for a second spell at Old Trafford in August 2021 on a two-year deal, returning to the club where he won eight major trophies from 2003-2009.

"Yes I feel betrayed, and I feel some people don't want me here, not just this year, but last year too," Ronaldo said in an interview with Piers Morgan for TalkTV, released on Sunday.

Belgium coach Roberto Martínez has included injured striker Romelu Lukaku and playmaker Eden Hazard in his 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar, saying he will give the former "every second" to regain his fitness for the tournament.

Lukaku has been suffering with a hamstring injury which, coupled with a thigh problem earlier this season, means he has played just twice since August and is currently sidelined for his club Inter Milan.

FIFA has written to World Cup teams urging them to focus on the soccer in Qatar and not let the sport be dragged into ideological or political "battles".

The letter from FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the governing body's secretary general Fatma Samoura follows a number of protests made by World Cup teams, on issues ranging from LGBTIQ rights to concerns over the treatment of migrant workers.

"Please, let's now focus on the football!" Sky News quoted Infantino and Samoura as saying in the letter to the 32 nations contesting the World Cup.

The United States’ largest soccer supporters group, the American Outlaws, came under fire Thursday following a New York Times article claiming that a board member accepted a free trip to Qatar in exchange for reporting individuals who are critical of the host nation. The Outlaws have vehemently denied these allegations and issued a statement, saying the organization has never taken money from FIFA or Qatar and will never do so.