On Tuesday's episode of U.S. TV program "The Late Late Show with James Corden," host Corden sat down with Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Jamie Vardy, Jesse Lingard, Kyle Walker and Eric Dier to pitch them a big idea: a campaign to recruit U.S. fans to support England in the World Cup (CBS).
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) will pay its players a total of €10M ($11.6M) if the team wins its sixth World Cup. The agreement on the sum was reached last week "but was not announced until Tuesday in Sochi." Each player would receive €432,000 ($500,000), while Manager Tite would "have the right to a similar amount" (AS, 6/19).
Oath announced Volkswagen is sponsoring The 32, Yahoo Sport's football video series that aims to bring football fans closer to the World Cup. Volkswagen will engage Yahoo Sport's online audience as part of its wider marketing activities. Presented by broadcasters Reshmin Chowdury and Toby Tarrant, The 32 is streaming live on the Yahoo Sport app and website every day of the tournament (MOBILE MARKETING, 6/19).
A conservative legislator in Russia wants to ban "mockery" of the national team because the players are "fighting for the honour of our country." Vitaly Milonov said that the Russian players, who won their first two games by a combined score of 8-1, and coach Stanislav Cherchesov should be considered like "our diplomats, our army." The team -- and especially Cherchesov -- "were the butt of widespread jokes and a popular parody song leading up to the tournament" (AP, 6/19).
Nigerian football supporters "have been left bemused" by reports of a request to Russian officials to have live chickens taken into the World Cup venues as "good luck charms." It was reported last week, on various platforms, that Nigerian fans "had been denied their requests to take chickens into the stadiums," but it is a request the supporters say "did not come from them." Nigeria Football Supporters Club President Rafiu Ladipo said, "That is ridiculous. I have been leading this group for decades, and we have never carried a live chicken into any stadium. The only things we carry are our musical instruments and we pray. Prayer is the only charm we have" (ESPN.com, 6/19).
Saudi Arabia's plane "landed safely despite a terrifying incident when it caught fire" during the flight to Rostov-on-Don for the team's game against Uruguay on Wednesday. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation posted a statement on Twitter saying that it "would like to reassure everyone that all the Saudi national team players are safe, after a technical failure in one of the airplane engines that has just landed in Rostov-on-Don airport, and now they’re heading to their residence safely" (AP, 6/18).
