Italy is in a race against time to be ready to stage its first major tournament since the 1990 World Cup

Had qualification for the World Cup been decided by population, Spain would only just have made it for the past seven tournaments. Ranked 31st by that metric, they lag behind Myanmar, Sudan and Colomb

Simon Kuper World Cup Fever A footballing journey in nine tournaments 352pp. Profile. £20. Jonathan Wilson The Power and the Glory A new history of the World Cup 608pp. Abacus. £25. In 1994, a column

When Sir Alex Ferguson signed Nani for Manchester United in 2007, the first thing he wanted to know was whether the young Portuguese winger had the mentality required to succeed in the Premier League.

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