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FIFA Series 2024 Friendly Matches to Kick Off Thursday in Jeddah

File photo/Saudi flag fluttering in the Jeddah
File photo/Saudi flag fluttering in the Jeddah
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FIFA Series 2024 Friendly Matches to Kick Off Thursday in Jeddah

File photo/Saudi flag fluttering in the Jeddah
File photo/Saudi flag fluttering in the Jeddah

The friendly matches of the FIFA Series 2024 experimental project will kick off Thursday, with the Kingdom hosting for the first time two groups aligning with the ongoing FIFA international match days.
FIFA has announced its support for its member federations in organizing a set of international friendly matches, including the participation of four national teams from diverse continental federations to be taken place in a single host country.
Jeddah Governorate hosts two groups at the reserve stadium of King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sport City Stadium, scheduled from March 21 to March 26, SPA reported.
The first group includes teams from Cape Verde (Confederation of African Football), Cambodia (Asian Football Confederation), Equatorial Guinea (Confederation of African Football), and Guyana (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football). The second group will host Bermuda (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football), Brunei Darussalam (Asian Football Confederation), Guinea (Confederation of African Football), and Vanuatu (Oceania Football Confederation).
The participating teams have all arrived at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah in preparation for the kickoff on Thursday. The teams are holding their practice sessions at the training facilities of King Abdullah Sports City.
The hosting of the intercontinental championship is part of the ongoing cooperation between the Saudi and international football federations, and it contributes to enhancing FIFA's developmental plans, mainly those related to developing national teams, as well as providing more opportunities for their technical growth.
The Kingdom is hosting two groups for this project, reinforcing its status as a prime destination for global mega sports events. The Kingdom has recently been the venue for a variety of major tournaments, including the FIFA Club World Cup, the Spanish and Italian Super Cups, and the West Asian Women's Championship. It has announced it will hold the Asian Cup 2027, leading up to its bid for the FIFA World Cup 2034.

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Liverpool Defender Alexander-Arnold to Return 'Soon'

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Aston Villa - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 9, 2024 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Molly Darlington
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Aston Villa - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 9, 2024 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Molly Darlington
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Liverpool Defender Alexander-Arnold to Return 'Soon'

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Aston Villa - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 9, 2024 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Molly Darlington
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Aston Villa - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 9, 2024 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Molly Darlington

Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn't returned to team training yet after of a hamstring injury and could miss next week's Champions League game against Real Madrid, manager Arne Slot said Friday.
The England international was ruled out for Sunday's Premier League match at last-place Southampton. He was substituted off in the 25th minute of Liverpool's 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Nov. 9.
Liverpool, which sits atop the standings in both competitions, expects to be without goalkeeper Alisson Becker and forward Diogo Jota at least through the Madrid game Wednesday at Anfield.
At a news conference, Slot was asked about the trio's availability for both midweek and next Sunday's showdown with title rival Manchester City, The Associated Press reported.
“The last few days of recovery are always the ones that are the most tricky because then they have to go from isolated training sessions to where it's a group training session, and that is always the most difficult one,” Slot said. “It's difficult to judge now and to tell you now it's going to be one, two, three days or a bit longer. The only thing I can say is that with Alisson and with Jota, I don't expect them to be available for that game. With Trent, it's going to be in between.”
Alexander-Arnold will be training with the full team “soon,” the manager said.
Alisson has a hamstring injury. Liverpool hasn't specified Jota's problem but the Portugal forward hasn't played since Oct. 20 when he left in the 30th minute of a 2-1 win over Chelsea. That was after a collision with a Chelsea defender.
Slot confirmed that Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is “completely OK.” The center back returned from international duty with the Netherlands after playing in a 4-0 win over Hungary that clinched a Nations League quarterfinals spot. The Dutch played Bosnia and Herzegovina a few days later.