Not when it comes to World Cup qualifying and the fevered dreams of Xi Jinping-era Chinese football. Fast forward another three and he could yet end up marking Kane at the Qatar World Cup. Gareth Southgate’s misfiring England lose control in haunting defeat | Barney Ronay Read moreWhen other forces start to blur these boundaries it can skew the picture. Xi wants China to win the World Cup. The employment of Marcello Lippi as national team manager on $28m a year was a bit of an eyeroll-emoji moment.

Source: The Guardian October 12, 2019 08:00 UTC