Wales completed qualification to the 2022 World Cup after defeating Ukraine 1-0 in the UEFA playoff final on June 5, sparking delirium in the stands in Cardiff.The only time that Wales have previously qualified for the World Cup was for the 1958 tournament, when they reached the quarterfinals.Having failed to qualify for the past 15 tournaments, Wales have secured a new World Cup Devin Mesoraco Jersey adventure, seeing Gareth Bale lead the nation to its first World Cup finals tournament in 64 years.Wales weren't eligible for the first three World Cups as they were not a FIFA member, first eligible in 1950.The Sporting News takes a look at how they've done in past World Cups ahead of Rob Page's team's visit to Qatar this winter.MORE: In their only FIFA World Cup appearance, Wales were drawn in Group 3 with host Sweden, Hungary and Mexico. Three group-stage draws lifted Wales level in second place with Hungary, and the two sides were forced into a playoff to determine who advanced to the quarterfinals (there was no Round Amed Rosario Jersey of 16). Wales won the playoff 2-1 thanks to a Terry Medwin goal 15 minutes from time.Wales then fell in the quarterfinals to eventual champions Brazil on a lone goal by legend Pele.The Dragons secured qualification to their first World Cup in 64 years by defeating Ukraine at home on June 5.YearStage reached1930Not a FIFA member1934Not a FIFA member1938Not a FIFA member1950Did not qualify1954Did not qualify1958Quarterfinals1962Did not qualify1966Did not qualify1970Did not qualify1974Did not qualify1978Did not qualify1982Did not qualify1986Did not qualify1990Did not qualify1994Did not qualify1998Did not David Wright Jersey qualify2002Did not qualify2006Did not qualify2010Did not qualify2014Did not qualify2018Did not qualify2022Qualified for 2022 Finals Wales qualified for its first Euros finals in 2016 and reached the semifinals of that edition.After topping Group B ahead of England, Slovakia and Ru sia, Wales knocked off Northern Ireland (Rd of 16) and Belgium (quarterfinals) before losing to Portugal 2-0 in the semifinals on goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani that were minutes apart. Portugal would go on to win the tournament.Wales reached the finals of the following Euros tournament which was pushed to 2021. They once again reached the knockouts after finishing second in Group A. But unlike in 2016, Wales fell at the first hurdle, 4-0 at the hands of Denmark.YearStage reached1960Did not enter1964Did not qualify1968Did Jose Reyes Jersey not qualify1972Did not qualify1976Did not qualify1980Did not qualify1984Did not qualify1988Did not qualify1992Did not qualify1996Did not qualify2000Did not qualify2004Did not qualify2008Did not qualify2012Did not qualify2016Semifinals2021Round of 16 Wales have been drawn in Group B for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar alongside England, USA and Iran.DateMatchTime (ET)StadiumMon, Nov. 21England vs. Iran8 a.m. / 1 p.m. BSTKhalifa Int'lMon, Nov. 21USA vs. Wales2 p.m. / 7 p.m. BSTAhmad Bin AliFri, Nov. 25Wales vs. Iran5 a.m. / 10 a.m. BSTAhmad Bin AliFri, Nov. 25England vs. USA2 p.m. / 7 p.m. BSTAl BaytTues, Nov. Jeurys Familia Jersey 29Wales vs. England2 p.m./ 7 p.m. BSTAhmad Bin AliTues, Nov. 29Iran vs. USA2 p.m./ 7 p.m. BSTAl Thumama

We began with 32, now we're left with one. Argentina beat France to the World Cup title, rounding-off an exhilarating tournament.Qatar has hosted the World Cup of shocks. To name a few, tournament , Cristiano , and and giving Lionel Me si a major scare.Morocco will go down as the 2022 Steven Matz Jersey edition's biggest shock, becoming and announcing themselves as a rising footballing force.It was another miserable World Cup for Germany, joining Belgium as the biggest underachievers. You'll find them low down the final rankings list, below.MORE: Below is the final ranking of all 32 teams at the 2022 FIFA World Cup based on: stage reached, final record, goal difference and goals scored.The current FIFA ranking for each team is also included in the table for reference.RankTeamStageReachedRecord(W-L-D)GoalDifferenceFor/AgainstFIFARank1.ArgentinaChampion4-1-2+715 GF/ GA 832.FranceRunner-up5-1-1+ 816 GF / 843.CroatiaThird Place2-1-4+18 GF / 7 GA124.MoroccoFourth Place3-2-2+16 GF / 5 GA225.NetherlandsQuarterfinals3-0-2+610 GF / 4 GA86.EnglandQuarterfinals3-1-1+913 GF / 4 GA57.BrazilQuarterfinals3-1-1+58 GF / 3 GA18.PortugalQuarterfinals3-2-0+612GF / 6GA99.JapanRd of 162-1-1+15 GF / 4 GA2410.SenegalRd of 162-2-0-25 GF / 7GA1811.AustraliaRd of 162-2-0-24 GF / 6 GA3812.SwitzerlandRd of 162-2-0-45 GF / 9 GA1513.SpainRd of 161-1-2+69 GF / 3 GA714.USARd of 161-1-2-13 GF / 4 GA1615.PolandRd of 161-2-1-23 GF Jason Vargas Jersey / 5 GA2616.South KoreaRd of 161-2-1-35 GF / 8 Pedro Martinez Jersey GA2817.GermanyGroups1-1-1+16 GF / 5 GA1118.EcuadorGroups1-1-1+14 GF / 3 GA4419.CameroonGroups1-1-104 GF / 4 GA4320.UruguayGroups1-1-102 GF / 2 GA1421.TunisiaGroups1-1-101 GF / 1 GA3022.MexicoGroups1-1-1-12 GF / 3 GA1323.BelgiumGroups1-1-1-11 GF / 2 GA224.GhanaGroups1-2-0-25 GF / 7GA6125.Saudi ArabiaGroups1-2-0-23 GF / 5 GA5126.IranGroups1-2-0-34 GF / 7 GA2027.Costa RicaGroups1-2-0-83 GF / 11 GA3128.DenmarkGroups0-2-1-21 GF / 3 GA1029.SerbiaGroups0-2-1-35 GF / 8 GA2130.WalesGroups0-2-1-51 GF / 6 GA1931.CanadaGroups0-3-0-52 GF / 7 GA4132.QatarGroups0-3-0-61 GF / 7 GA50MORE: The 2022 World Cup kicked off on November 20 with host nation Qatar facing Ecuador in Group A. For 10 glorious days afterwards Lenny Dykstra Jersey , four World Cup matches were broadcast to fans every day bar one.Once every team had played the other three in their group, the top two finishers advanced to the knockouts. The bottom two teams went home with some major casualties along the way.Then came the knockout phase: one match, one winner, no chance for redemption. Theywere fiercely contested, with four matches so tight they went to penalties. One more shootout would see Qatar 2022 become the most penalties-heavy World Cup ever.Counting down from the Round of 16, to the quarterfinals, to the semifinals and then The semifinal losers, Croatia and Morocco, met to .MORE: The 2022 World Cup was contested by 31 qualified teams, plus the host nation of Qatar.Teams from around the world had an opportunity to qualify with 206 teams from six regions. Most teams earned their place directly, while Costa Rica and Australia made it to Qatar via Noah Syndergaard Jersey inter-continental playoffs.The number of representatives from each confederation in Qatar were:Africa (CAF):5Asia (AFC):4(plus one playoff spot)Europe (UEFA):13North/Central America & Caribbean (CONCACAF):3 (plus one playoff spot)Oceania (OFC):0 (one playoff spot)South America (CONMEBOL):4 (plus one playoff spot)MORE: The next, with the final set to be held in the USA. In true American style, the plan is to make the next edition bigger and better than ever.An all-time high of 48 nations will contest the 2026 World Cup, after FIFA's decision to expand the tournament for the first time since 1998.MORE:

The 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage is down to the final matchday with only four spots in the knockout round left to be claimed between Tuesday and Wednesday two in Group D and one in each of Groups E and F.In addition to those final berths, several groups still need to determine the winner and runner-up. That final placement matters because group winners are seeded for the Round of 16 draw and should have a chance at a more favorable opponent (at least on paper).Third-place Champions League group finishers will gain a consolation prize: an invite to the Europa League knockout playoffs for the chance to make that tournament's Round of 16 field.Among the teams with aspirations to reach the 2023 final are Manchester Dee Gordon Jersey City and PSG, who are both seeking their first Champions League title, while clubs like AC Milan and Inter Milan are hoping to regain some of the luster from past glory years.The Sporting News brings you everything you need to know to watch the Champions League action throughout the 2022/23 campaign.MORE: The Champions League group stage moves into the finales to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday. Groups A-D will wrap up play on Tuesday with the rest closing out on Wednesday.Group D is still wide open, while AC Milan (Group E) and RB Leipzig (Group F) are in pole position to grab the final spot in their respective groups. PSG and Benfica (Group H), Ken Griffey Jersey and Club Brugge and Porto (Group B), are battling it out to win their group and move on as a top seed.When it comes to the Europa League consolation prize for third place, only Barcelona and Sevilla have locked in a spot in that second-tier tournament's playoffs after locking up third place.MORE: Tuesday, November 1 (Matchday 6)Time (ET)MatchTVStream1:45 p.m.Porto vs. Atletico MadridUniMas, TUDN , ViX+, Paramount+1:45 p Taylor Guilbeau Jersey .m.B. Leverkusen vs. Club BruggeViX.com, ViX+, Paramount+4 p.m.Liverpool vs. NapoliUniMas, TUDN , ViX+, Paramount+4 p.m.Rangers vs. AjaxViX+, Paramount+4 p.m.Bayern vs. Inter MilanViX.com, ViX+, Paramount+4 p.m.Viktoria Plzen vs. BarcelonaViX+, Paramount+4 p.m.Marseille vs. TottenhamViX+, Paramount+4 p.m.Sporting vs. Eintracht FrankfurtViX+, Paramount+Wednesday, November 2(Matchday 6)Time (ET)MatchTVStream1:45 p.m.Real Madrid vs. CelticUniMas, TUDN , ViX+, Paramount+1:45 p.m.Shakhtar Donetsk vs. RB LeipzigViX.com, ViX+, Paramount+4 p.m.Juventus vs. PSGUnivision, TUDN , ViX+, Paramount+4 p.m.Maccabi Haifa vs. BenficaViX+, Paramount+4 p.m.Manchester City vs. SevillaViX.com, ViX+, Paramount+4 p.m.FC Copenhagen vs. B. DortmundViX+, Paramount+4 p.m.Chelsea vs. Dinamo ZagrebViX+, Paramount+4 p.m.AC Milan vs. RB SalzburgViX+, Paramount+ In EnglishIn SpanishTV ChannelsCBS, CBS SportsNetwork (CBSSN)Univision, TUDN,Galavision, UniMasLive StreamsParamount+, ViX, ViX+, The exclusive broadcasters for Champions League soccer in the United States are CBS (English) and Univision (Spanish).English: CBS streams every match on Paramount+, with select matches televised on CBS or CBS Sports Network. Those televised matches are .Spanish: Univision places select matches acro s its TV networks (Univision, TUDN, UniMas, and Galavision) and also Kyle Lewis Jersey makes all matches from the group stage on available via its ViX streaming platform (ViX matches are free, while ViX+ is subscription-based). Televised matches .MORE: The 2022/23 Champions League features a 32-team group stage all the way through early November before the soccer world pauses for the 2022 World Cup Shed Long Jersey .Once the World Cup is complete and club soccer resumes, the knockout stage begins with the Round of 16 in February, moving all the way through to the final in Turkey on June 10.Group stage scheduleThe draw for the 2022/23 Champions League group stage took place onAug. 25, 2022in Istanbul, Turkey. All six rounds of matches will wrap up prior to the break for the 2022 World Cup.MatchdayDates1Sept. 6-7, 20222Sept. 13-14, 20223Oct. 4-5, 20224Oct. 11-12, 20225Oct. 25-26, 20226Nov. 1-2, 2022KnockoutscheduleThe . The draw for the rest of the knockout stage will take place onMarch 17, 2023.The final will be held at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on June 10, 2023.Round1st Leg2nd LegRound of 16Feb. 14-22, 2023Mar. 7-15, 2023QuarterfinalsApr. 11-12, 2023Apr. 18-19, 2023SemifinalsMay 9-10, 2023May 16-17, 2023FinalJune 10, 2023

Former star Alex Rodriguez has emerged as a potential buyer for the , . The Wilpon family is looking to sell the team after owning the Mets since 2002. They recently had an agreement in place to sell the team to hedge fund investor Steve Cohen while remaining in control of the club James Paxton Jersey for another five years, . The Wilpons are now reportedly willing to sell the team without any such restrictions.Rodriguez, 44, has been retired from baseball since 2016. Despite hitting 696 home runs; tallying 3,115 hits; and winning three MVPs and two Gold Gloves as a shortstop, he's considered a longshot for the Hall of Fame because of PED allegations and . went to great and even unseemly lengths to investigate Rodriguez, and that contentious relationship would seem to Edwin Diaz Jersey make it unlikely that A-Rod would ever be approved as part of any ownership group. However, Rodriguez has reconstructed his image quite succe sfully.As well, A-Rod and fiancee Jennifer Lopez, while quite wealthy, would no Marco Gonzales Jersey doubt be minority investors given that the Mets' eventual sale price at auction could approach or even exceed $3 billion. The arrangement would likely be similar to Derek Jeter's with the , in which the former star shortstop is the public Randy Johnson Jersey face of the ownership group while not being heavily invested in the monetary sense.Rodriguez also has strong connections to New York, as he spent 12 of his 22 seasons as a player with the Yankees. Lopez is a Bronx native, and as McEnery notes A-Rod grew up a Mets fan. The Mets were also heavily rumored to be close to signing Rodriguez before he inked a $252 million contract with the prior to the 2001 season. While the idea of A-Rod as an owner is tantalizing, especially Tom Murphy Jersey in the same division as Jeter and the Marlins, it's perhaps a longshot, especially given that a revised bid from Cohen, who already owns a stake in the team, is a po sibility.

If the are to live up to their promise of an American League East division title and a deep postseason run, the most aesthetically pleasing route would involve and trading feats of strength.The sluggers offered a sampling Monday night against the , with each launching his first Tim Anderson Jersey home run of the season. Judge Bo Jackson Jersey was first to strike, depositing a 2-0 fastball from into the right-field bleachers in the fourth inning. According to Statcast, the ball left Judge's bat at a speed of 104 mph and traveled 344 feet. Your first of the season New York Yankees (@Yankees) Stanton had the more substantive blast, in both value and distance. He teed off on a middle-middle fastball from in the fifth inning for a grand slam. Stanton's ball carried 471 feet at 115 mph. Ivan Nova Jersey That would've tied for the fourth-longest homer of the 2020 season. Giancarlo Slamton. 471 feet New York Nicky Delmonico Jersey Yankees (@Yankees) Judge and Stanton have struggled to stay healthy over their first three seasons together. Judge appeared in 242 (63 percent) of the Yankees' 384 games from 2018 through 2020, while Stanton played 199 (52 percent). Obviously New York is hoping for a much better attendance record from the two sluggers this year. If Judge and Stanton can deliver, then the Yankees will be well-positioned to compete Yermin Mercedes Jersey for a championship -- and fans will be in for a number of nights like Monday.

Sometimes, the future seems clear. Sometimes, the outcome seems obvious. Joe Maddon managing the Phillies in 2023 seems like Ron Santo Jersey one of those things.Maddon was fired by the Angels on Tuesday amid the team's 12-game losing streak that has seen it fall below .500. The skid has drained just about every drop of newfound hope that fans had accrued earlier in the season when it seemed like this year would finally be different.FAGAN: Maddon was in his third year at the helm of the Halos, but his term was largely three years of mediocrity (157-172 record), even with generational talents Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani Bruce Rondon Jersey doing a substantial number of impre sive things, injuries and recent struggles notwithstanding.But the Angels' failures do not lie solely at Maddons feet. Just as the Phillies, who also after a few disappointing seasons, have plenty of blame to go around, the Angels as an organization have left a lot to be desired, having consistently failed to addre s its pitching needs and to add the right other pieces to surround its marquee players. But, as was the case with Joe Girardi in Philadelphia, someone had to be the fall guy for front-office mi steps, and that someone was Maddon.MORE: Which brings us to what Chris Beck Jersey seems to be an obvious pairing for 2023. Maddon, Pennsylvania native, almost seems destined to end up as Philly skipper. It makes too much sense to not happen. He has earned a reputation as someone who can bring calm, focus and a fresh perspective to teams that have lacked it, and the Phillies have certainly lacked those things in recent years.But despite the appeal of the pairing on paper, a Joe Maddon Era in Philadelphia could very well feel frustratingly familiar. Until the Phillies' front office, led by team president Dave Dombrowski, makes better decisions with the team's budget and roster, it likely would be difficult for the manager to end the mediocrity that has plagued the Philadelphia nine. Just as Girardi , Maddon wouldnt be, either. So, while Maddon to Philly might have a certain storybook quality, the plot probably wouldn't change much without some significant new characters.To his credit, Maddon has found a way to win more often than not. Until arriving in Anaheim, his teams posted winning records in 11 of his previous 13 seasons as a full-time manager, including, of course, the 2016 World Miguel Gonzalez Jersey Series championship with the Cubs. But winning requires the right ingredients, which both the Phillies and Angels have consistently lacked in recent years. And as both teams have showed, "close enough" usually isnt good enough.When they fired Girardi, the Phillies named Rob Thomson interim manager for the rest of the season. They seem unlikely to make a move for a permanent manager until the offseason. If Philly comes calling for Maddon, he will need to a se Yermin Mercedes Jersey s whether the situation there is really that different from what he just left because there certainly seem to be a lot of similarities.Which is why, despite some obvious appeal, it could ultimately be a story with a familiar ending. Related Articles

The Padres are the big winners on MLB Deadline Day, Tom Bradys in the clear but Miamis in trouble over tampering and Kevin Durant to talk to the Nets about his future.Building on the award Brett Gardner Jersey -winning journalism of The Sporting News, youll get all you need to know in one handy, bite-sized podcast.The Sporting News 7 is a unique take on the days biggest talking points in sports, and you can find it on , or wherever you get Gleyber Torres Jersey your podcasts.Here are the seven stories you' Roger Maris Jersey ll hear about on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022:MLB: Juan Soto was the big prize on an ; Jacob de Grom makes his major league returnMLB: Legendary Dodgers broadcaster NFL: Tom Brady and Sean Payton escape punishment, but the for tamperingNBA: Kevin Durant Nets over his futureFORMULA ONE: Lewis Hamilton joins ownership group at the Denver Broncos; Alpine embarra sed after announcing the signing of Alex Rodriguez Jersey Oscar Piastri only for him to deny agreeing a contractTENNIS: Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios and US Open champion Emma Raducanu are both winners on their return to the US hardcourtsSOCCER: USWNT set to meet new European champions England at Wembley; new series of All or Nothing on Amazon DJ LeMahieu Jersey Prime features Arsenal

The Phillies haven't been to the MLB playoffs since 2011. The Cardinals have made it seven times since then, including a trip to the World Series. On Friday, they will begin a Wild Card Series against one another to see who will advance to face the Braves in the NL Division Series.The teams took different paths to the postseason. Philadelphia had the second-best from starting pitchers in 2022, led by Aaron Joe DiMaggio Jersey Nola and Zack Wheeler. The Cardinals ranked 16th. St. Louis had the third-best defense in MLB, per Fangraphs. Philadelphia ranked 27th.MORE: One area of unity between the teams: the long ball. Both teams have plenty of power. The Phillies trot out sluggers Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins, while the Cardinals boast Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and a resurgent Albert Pujols. Phil Rizzuto Jersey The teams were nearly evenly matched in the season series. Philadelphia won four of the seven games and outscored St. Louis 22-17. This matchup could take all three game to decide the Braves' opponent.MORE: Here's all the information you need to watch Cardinals vs. Phillies Wild Card Series. The Cardinals and Phillies played in a best-of-three series Austin Romine Jersey in St. Louis. The Phillies swept the series in two games.DateGameResultFriday, Oct. 7Game 1: Phillies at CardinalsPhillies 6, Cardinals 3Saturday, Oct. 8Game 2: Phillies at CardinalsPhillies 2, Cardinals 0 The entire MLB wild-card round will be carried by the ESPN family of networks, including ABC. The Cardinals-Phillies games will be on a different network each day: ABC for Game 1, ESPN2 for Game 2 and ESPN for Game 3, if nece sary.From there, several networks will carry the remainder of the postseason. Fox and FS1 will broadcast the remainder of the National League Derek Jeter Jersey postseason games, while TBS will handle the American League games. Fox will carry the World Series. All Cardinals vs. Phillies games will be on ESPN, which means they can be found on Watch ESPN, ESPN+ or , which offers a free trial. : $121 : $194 : $184Those interested in going to see Phillies vs. Cardinals at Busch Stadium can find tickets through TicketSmarter.The average ticket price for a ticket is $121 for Game 1, $194 for Game 2 and $184 for Game 3, if it runs the full series. Currently, the most expensive Jorge Posada Jersey ticket for the series is $2,223.---