Australia captain James Tedesco scored two tries as the Kangaroos cruised to their 12th Rugby League World Cup crown with a 30-10 victory over Samoa on Saturday.

The Australians had little difficulty in sweeping aside their opponents, who were playing in their first final after beating hosts England to reach the trophy match.

Latrell Mitchell crashed over after 14 minutes before Tedesco and Liam Martin – the latter after a video review – added tries in a prosperous first half for Australia at Old Trafford.

Nathan Cleary only added the extras to one of those first-half tries, though, before Angus Crichton was fortunate to only be sin-binned for a high tackle on Chanel Harris-Tavita after the interval.

Cleary found Cameron Murray to extend 12-man Australia's lead before a delicate Josh Addo-Carr kick teed up Crichton, though the video referee ruled out the try after the latter failed to ground the ball.

Brian To'o finally responded for Samoa with 20 minutes remaining, but any hopes of a fightback were stifled when Tedesco broke through for his second score.

Stephen Crichton managed a late consolation before Mitchell bundled over for his second try, as Australia eased to a 19th straight World Cup match win on English soil to secure more silverware.

Head coach John Herdman says Canada are "doing everything we can" to allow Alphonso Davies to feature in their World Cup opener against Belgium.

Davies has been recovering from a hamstring injury suffered with Bayern Munich earlier this month and jetted out to Qatar later than the rest of the squad, arriving on Friday evening.

The 22-year-old participated in training on Saturday, but it is not clear whether he will be cleared for involvement on Wednesday, when Canada play their first World Cup match since 1986.

Herdman acknowledged players of Davies' calibre are necessary against a top-tier team such as Belgium, though he will not rush the left-sided player.

"My mission is to make sure he plays at this World Cup, it's a childhood dream for him," Herdman said in Saturday's press conference.

"But I have to say Belgium's another level, we haven't faced a team of that level since we played against Brazil [a 3-2 friendly loss in 2008].

"You need players like Alphonso, whether that's starting, or off the bench. So, we're doing everything we can.

"He's still building towards hitting his top speed. He hasn't hit that top speed yet and when you have hamstring injuries that's always the key moment. That's when the hamstring is pushed to its limits."

Davies is not Canada's only injury concern heading into the tournament, with influential midfielder Stephen Eustaquio recovering from muscle soreness.

"It's another calculation. It's an algorithm we're trying to process now of is he hitting his markers?" Herdman said.

"It really is mathematics, of what he can tolerate now through these next three training days to show that he's ready to start.

"If there's not a starting position, I'm sure he'll be coming off the bench. But there's no guarantees Stephen Eustaquio will start against Belgium at this point."

Canada will also come up against Morocco and defeated 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia in Group F, giving Herdman's side a tough task to qualify for the knockout stages.

Christian Eriksen says Denmark captain Simon Kjaer will defy FIFA and wear a OneLove armband at the World Cup regardless of the consequences.

Captains of 10 European sides are expected to wear a distinctive heart-adorned armband in Qatar, promoting diversity and inclusion in a country where same-sex relationships are prohibited.

On Saturday, FIFA announced its own armbands will feature a different social campaign, including 'Save the Planet' and 'Bring the Moves', throughout each round of the tournament in the Middle East.

Eriksen confirmed Denmark will stick with the OneLove initiative as Kasper Hjulmand's side prepare for Tuesday's Group D opener against Tunisia.

"I think we as a country are wearing it, our captain will be wearing the OneLove armband and then what the consequences will be, I don't know but we'll see," said midfielder Eriksen.

"And apart from that, we are here as footballers and we are going to play football. Of course, we want to help what we can, but in the end I'm on this stage because I play football.

"That's really my focus, and it's our focus at this tournament."

Manchester United player Eriksen will appear on FIFA's global stage less than 18 months after suffering a cardiac arrest in Denmark's European Championship clash with Finland.

"I'm just happy to be back. Especially to be at the World Cup. I've been lucky to play in one or two before, but it's special," Eriksen said.

"It's a big tournament, it's very difficult to qualify. We are dreaming of something big, but in the end, we have to get there.

"In football terms, we'll take one game at a time, and we will see where we end up."

Hjulmand's side will aim to escape Group D, which also includes world champions France and Australia, though Eriksen acknowledged it will be a difficult challenge.

"We know it's a tough group. Some teams we played a lot and some teams like Tunisia, we haven't played before," he said.

"It's a World Cup, so it's fun to test ourselves against teams we haven't played before."

Denmark have beaten France twice already this year in the Nations League, and Eriksen said he did not know whether that would influence the upcoming encounter.

"Normally, France in a tournament is a different team compared to the rest of the year," he said. "We know what to do, and we look forward to it."

Cristiano Ronaldo's scathing interview on Manchester United, in which he criticised the club, senior figures and manager Erik ten Hag, remains a significant talking point in the build-up to the World Cup.

Portugal captain Ronaldo said he felt "betrayed" by United, claiming the Red Devils have made "zero progress" since Alex Ferguson departed as manager in 2013, though Eriksen showed little interest in his club-mate's comments.

He said: "No, it hasn't been any distraction for our focus on the World Cup or a personal focus. And no, I haven't spoken to him since at the club."

The Washington Commanders are placing running back JD McKissic on injured reserve due to a neck injury that rules him out for the remainder of the season.

In his third year in Washington, McKissic has seen his season draw to a premature close due to a neck problem for the second campaign in a row, NFL Network reported.

While not starting a match this season, McKissic has appeared eight times and secured 268 scrimmage yards – 95 on the ground and 173 from receiving.

The former Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions man has missed the last three weeks due to the injury, including the surprise win against the previously unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10.

Another win is expected for the currently 5-5 Commanders this week against the 1-7-1 Houston Texans.

The Commanders currently sit outside of the playoff places but remain in the hunt as they look to feature in the postseason for only the second time since 2016.

Belgium defender Timothy Castagne is confident Red Devils supporters will soon start to see Eden Hazard rekindle his best form.

The former Chelsea winger has endured a dismal, injury-hit three years since joining LaLiga giants Real Madrid.

Set to turn 32 in January, Hazard has managed only two goals and one assist in 15 games for Madrid in 2022, starting a mere four times and playing just 532 minutes in the first team. 

Now Hazard, who has a little over 18 months left on his contract, has a big chance to show what he can do on a different stage as he prepares to play a part for Belgium at the World Cup in Qatar.

Leicester City full-back Castagne says his team-mate will need time to get back to speed, but once he is there is no reason he cannot produce his best football again.

"Belgians would like to see again the Eden from a few years ago," he said at a news conference on Saturday.

"As players, we see during training he's still here. But we know very well that coming back without playing much is not easy.

"He needs some time and I think the 60 minutes he played [against Egypt on Friday] will be very good for him.

"And then he'll try to improve during the tournament. It won't happen immediately – he won't be incredible during the first game, but step by step, he can grow and improve."

Belgium start their campaign against Canada on Wednesday, before taking on Morocco and Croatia in Group F. 

Roger Federer believes the intense tennis tour schedule can have a negative impact on the mental health of players.

Federer, now retired, won 20 grand slam titles between 2003 and 2018 before stepping away from the sport in September of this year, and he is well aware of the challenges players face.

A number of big-name stars have spoken out about their mental health, including Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios, and Federer feels the packed tennis calendar does not help players.

"When players retire at a super young age, I totally understand it," Federer told a press conference in Tokyo. "The tour is tough... travel, practice, jetlag.

"Nobody is allowed to say, 'Oh, I'm tired today', because it looks like you're weak, and that's why players end up having sometimes mental problems.

"You're supposed to show strength. But we're also not machines, we’re also just human beings."

Federer played on the tour for 25 years before calling it a day, and he is making the most of being able to finally relax, saying: "As a tennis player you're always thinking about your next practice, your next match. It never lets you go.

"I don't think I was that much aware of it, how much that thought is always there, and it rides with you, until you retire and then you realise that stress all drops away."

He pointed to doping tests, and the fact players must constantly make authorities away of their whereabouts.

"We have to fill out the doping forms every single day, one hour during the day, where you are," Federer said. "You're always aware in the back of your head, they could be coming any moment, especially in that hour.

"Once that all drops away you actually feel quite lighter, relieved that you can actually live normally again after 25 years."

Bernardo Silva remains uninterested by Cristiano Ronaldo's scathing interview on Manchester United as Portugal aim to focus on the World Cup.

Portugal captain Ronaldo caused a stir this week in a wide-ranging interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV, criticising United, senior figures at the club and current manager Erik ten Hag.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner said he felt "betrayed" by United, who he claims have made "zero progress" since Alex Ferguson departed Old Trafford in 2013.

Portugal showed no signs of distraction with a 4-0 friendly victory over Nigeria in their sole World Cup warm-up game on Thursday, and Silva says he has no interest in the ongoings with Ronaldo at United.

"The news coming from England has nothing to do with Portugal," the Manchester City midfielder said on Saturday. 

"It concerns him, I don't have to comment, it has nothing to do with me. It's not about the Selecao but about Cristiano.

"It's still for Cristiano. I am not a Manchester United player. If I were, I wouldn't answer you. It's a rival club. I have nothing to do with it.

"We are with Portugal, focused on our matches, we are not focused on Cristiano's situation with his club. So I'll answer questions about the World Cup and our team."

Ronaldo missed the Nigeria triumph through "illness", with United team-mate Bruno Fernandes scoring twice before late goals for Goncalo Ramos and Joao Mario.

Silva acknowledged Portugal are somewhat reliant on the firepower of Ronaldo, but insisted Fernando Santos' side have the quality to compete without the 37-year-old.

He added: "Almost all our players play for big clubs in the best leagues. This is a team that relies on Cristiano, he's part of it of course, but when he's not here we know how to respond on the pitch as we have done lately.

"Not only in this game [against Nigeria], but also in the Nations League, in some of the qualifiers, where we responded well [to his absence]. That's what counts.

"There are 26 of us. When one is not here, another one replaces him. We will give our best to represent our country."

Fernandes appeared to give Ronaldo a frosty reception on arrival for Portugal duty before assuring there were no problems between the pair ahead of Thursday's World Cup opener against Ghana.

Silva reiterated Fernandes' viewpoint as he suggested the interview has not altered the harmony within the Portugal camp.

"I don't see any strange atmosphere between Cristiano or anyone else," he continued.

"Again, it's a matter for him and his club. I have nothing to do with it, I don't even play in it. It's a question he has to solve on his own. 

"I see him motivated for our team as we all are. One more to help our selection and help our team to achieve its goals. I don't see what the problem is. It's an individual matter that we have already talked about.

"We only talked about this in the last press conference, while Portugal has a World Cup to play that is more important.

"I understand your questions and your persistence in trying to pull out whatever it is because there is nothing."

Christopher Nkunku has torn the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee, according to RB Leipzig.

Nkunku was forced to withdraw from France's World Cup squad on Tuesday after getting injured in a training collision with Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

The 25-year-old was replaced in Didier Deschamps' selection by another player who plies his trade in the Bundesliga, Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani.

On Saturday, Leipzig confirmed the nature of Nkunku's injury, though were not able to put a timescale on his return.

A statement on the club's website read: "Christopher Nkunku tore the LCL in his left knee while training with the French national team on November 15 in Paris.

"It is not yet clear how long he will be out for and there are different treatment options for this injury. We will provide Christo with the best support so that he can return as soon as possible."

Nkunku has 16 goals in 22 games this season and Die Roten Bullen will be eager to have him back as soon as possible, with Leipzig currently third in the Bundesliga – six points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Leipzig also announced that Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol will not miss the World Cup despite suffering a broken nose in the recent win over Freiburg, while midfielder Konrad Laimer is back in training after sustaining an ankle injury in September.

Harry Kane pinpointed David Beckham as his inspiration as the England captain looks to deliver the "ultimate success" at the World Cup.

Tottenham talisman Kane heads to Qatar just three strikes away from breaking Wayne Rooney's 53-goal record for England, who will look to build on recent success in major tournaments by targeting the trophy.

Gareth Southgate's team reached the semi-finals at Russia 2018 before losing on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.

Kane played an integral role in both those campaigns, and former England star Beckham was the childhood hero who inspired him to achieve his dreams.

"I think I was about five or six years old when I started playing for Ridgeway Rovers, our local Sunday league team," Kane, 29, said in a letter posted on England's official website.

"We were pretty good at that age and it had a good set-up, with good coaches and plenty of good players.

"David Beckham had also played for Ridgeway Rovers growing up and with Beckham being Beckham, growing up he was my idol, and it was the same for a lot of young kids in that area.

"I knew he had played for the same team as me, went to the same local secondary school in Chingford Foundation School, and grew up in the area, so whilst Beckham was obviously a huge figure across the world, for those of us in Chingford, where he came from, that was all people used to speak about."

Kane said it was "an amazing achievement" for this childhood team and school to produce two England captains.

"Seeing Beckham go on to achieve what he did made it seem a little bit more real," Kane said.

Without that factor, Kane said his own career "might have felt it was out of reach or an impossible task".

Grassroots side Ridgeway Rovers have produced numerous English professional footballers alongside Beckham and Kane, including another international in Andros Townsend.

Kane eventually left Ridgeway Rovers to take up academy football with Tottenham. Now, he will hope to fire England to World Cup glory, and Kane says he can relate to supporters after being in their position earlier in his career.

"Before I became an England player, I was an England fan. During most major tournaments we would go to the pub to watch England," Kane said.

"We loved England, we loved watching England and we were big England fans. I remember many tears being shed after we went out on penalties and things like that."

He recalled the exuberant celebrations, too, and said it gave him huge satisfaction that recent England teams have been able to deliver more success than usual.

Kane added: "We have not quite had that ultimate success yet, but to give the young boys and girls, and the men and women, all around the country that happy feeling and those moments, where the beer goes everywhere and you are jumping on each other, is really special."

England start their World Cup campaign on Monday against Iran before also facing the United States and Wales in Group B.

Novak Djokovic sealed his place in the final of the ATP Finals after edging past Taylor Fritz 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (8-6) in Turin on Saturday.

The Serbian, who is bidding to equal Roger Federer's record of six ATP Finals titles, overcame Daniil Medvedev in a bruising three-hour contest on Friday, and he was again made to work hard for victory against spirited American Fritz.

Djokovic struck first in the opening set with a break to love in the fifth game, yet Fritz responded immediately to level at 3-3.

A tie-break was needed to separate them after that, with Djokovic's superb forehand winner sealing the first set in style.

Fritz broke Djokovic in the opening game of the second set, but a simple missed backhand from the American helped his opponent break back to make it 5-5.

That set the stage for a high-quality tie-break, which Djokovic ultimately won to claim victory in one hour and 54 minutes.

"I had to fight to survive," Djokovic said on court afterwards. "I didn't feel very reactive today or very comfortable.

"I knew coming into today's match from yesterday's gruelling battle against Medvedev it would take me some time to adjust and find the dynamic movement I need against Fritz, who is one of the best servers on the tour.

"I am very pleased to have overcome this one as I don't think it was one of my best days with my tennis, but I managed to hang in there."

Should Djokovic beat Casper Ruud or Andrey Rublev in Sunday's final, he will claim the largest payday in tennis history, with $4,740,300 up for grabs for sealing the trophy undefeated.

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Djokovic – 4/1
Medvedev – 15/1

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Djokovic – 21/19
Medvedev – 31/26

BREAK POINTS WON

Djokovic – 2/2
Medvedev – 2/2

Max Verstappen was thrilled to join team-mate Sergio Perez in locking out the front row at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for Red Bull, following a week of controversy.

Championship winner Verstappen attracted criticism in Sao Paulo last week after refusing a team order to let Perez pass on the final lap.

Lack of teamwork was not an issue in Saturday's Abu Dhabi qualifying, however, with Verstappen helping Perez to second place, while securing for himself a third consecutive Yas Marina circuit pole position.

"It was a bit up and down qualifying, started off quite well, Q2 was a little bit more messy, I don't know why. I couldn't quite get the grip together," Verstappen said.

"In Q3 it all felt a bit more normal, though we had a bit of a scare as the car turned off before the first run, so we had to reboot everything.

"We're very pleased and very happy that both cars are on the front row. Of course, we want to win the race, but we also want to finish second with Perez in the championship, so that's a great start for tomorrow.

"It always sounds great, today was amazing, I still expect it to be a good battle tomorrow but at least we have two cars there, so we can do what we want."

Perez specifically mentioned the teamwork conducted with Verstappen, who finished 0.228 seconds in front of the Mexican.

"I didn't make the final step in Q3, especially in the first run, so we were a bit behind, but it's good to lock out the front row tomorrow. Max did a great job for me, we worked as a team really strongly in that final run," Perez said.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was third quickest, clocking in just 0.04 seconds behind Perez, and team-mate Carlos Sainz took fourth on the grid.

"It's the place we deserve, Red Bull were stronger," said Leclerc. "We are still in quite a good position, it's going to be close to Perez for sure.

"I'm sure we can work with Carlos, I have no doubt in that, we'll try to maximise the team result. Red Bull is a bit stronger on a Sunday, so it's going to be tricky, but hopefully we can do it and get second place in the championships."

History will be made when hosts Qatar get the World Cup under way with a clash against Ecuador and head coach Felix Sanchez says "you never know what can happen".

Al Bayt Stadium will be the venue for the opening match of the tournament on Sunday and Qatar's first World Cup game.

The 2019 AFC Asian Cup champions are not expected to qualify from Group A, which also includes Netherlands and Senegal.

Sanchez is realistic over the host nation's prospects but is relishing the challenge of trying to defy expectations.

The Spaniard said: "Obviously, I'm not talking about Qatar winning the World Cup, but competing at a good level against those three teams is our challenge.

"Then this is football, and you never know what can happen."

Ecuador are 44th in the world rankings, only six places higher than Qatar as they prepare to lock horns in Al Khor.

Defender Byron Castillo was a late omission from Gustavo Alfaro's squad due to a dispute over his nationality this week.

Alfaro knows his Ecuador side are not well fancied to make their presence felt but expects them to make life difficult for their group rivals.

He said: "The World Cup is totally different from what the qualifiers are. If we are going to play the way we played the qualifiers, most likely we won't have a chance, because we are going to play against the Asian champions, against the African champions and against the Netherlands, who are in the final four in Europe. 

"They are teams that are superior to what we are, for a reason we were in pot number four in the draw, if we had been the best we would have been in pot one or two. We have to be make things difficult, we have to be the pebble in their shoe."

If history is anything to go by, there should be entertainment on Sunday, as the past four opening World Cup games have produced 17 goals at an average of 4.25 per match.

Al Bayt Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for Qatar, as they have won their three previous matches at the venue with an aggregate score of 9-0.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Qatar – Almoez Ali 

Striker Ali was the leading scorer when Qatar were crowned the champions of Asia three years ago, scoring nine goals in seven games.

That impressive tally was achieved from only 10 shots on target and was a record for a single edition of the tournament. Qatar will need him to be clinical on the biggest stage of all on home soil.

Ecuador - Pervis Estupinan 

Left-back Estupinan can make an impact at both ends of the field for Ecuador.

The Brighton and Hove Albion full-back created 22 chances during a successful World Cup qualifying campaign, more than any other defender.

PREDICTION

Ecuador are fancied to spoil the party and get off to a winning start. 

According to Stats Perform’s AI model, Alfaro's men have a 41.4 per cent chance of securing all three points, with the draw rated at 29 per cent.

Qatar have a 29.6 per cent chance of coming out on top, according to the model, in what looks like being their best opportunity to register a historic victory.

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto remains "pretty relaxed" after discussing his future with chairman John Elkann amid claims the Italian could be sacked.

Reports in Italy this week suggested Ferrari were moving to appoint Alfa Romeo's Frederic Vasseur to replace Binotto, who has been in the Formula One role for four seasons.

In that period, Ferrari have struggled to compete with dominant Mercedes and Red Bull teams, though Binotto's team could finish second in the constructors' championship this year.

Ferrari sit 19 points clear of third-placed Mercedes heading into Sunday's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Binotto far from fearing for his future with the Italian constructors.

"Obviously it's not down to me to decide, but I'm pretty relaxed," Binotto told reporters on Saturday after Ferrari talked down exit reports earlier in the week.

"The reason why I'm relaxed is that I always [have] open, frank and constructive discussions with my bosses, with my chairman, not only in the short term but the medium and the long term.

"When these speculations were out, I had a chat with my chairman John Elkann.

"We discussed openly what was the best way to move forward, and we decided to release a statement was maybe the best way to close any speculation and clearly show that speculation is totally with no foundation."

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have helped a resurgence this season for Ferrari, who went winless in 2020 and 2021 but have won four races in 2022.

Monegasque driver Leclerc appeared an early contender for the title before Max Verstappen and Red Bull ran away with the drivers' and constructors' championships.

Despite erroneous pit decisions, reliability issues with the car designs and mistakes from their drivers, Binotto offered a positive outlook on Ferrari's performance but said there was room to improve.

"Yes, there are still a lot of things that we need to progress, weaknesses have been shown," he said.

"But I'm pretty sure that as we did in the past, we will review, we will try to address them."