DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Two of one of the best gamers in soccer begin World Cup competitors Thursday as Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar each search historical past in Qatar.Ronaldo is making an attempt to develop into the primary male soccer participant to attain in 5 totally different World Cups when he leads Portugal towards Ghana. Marta of Brazil has scored in 5 Ladies’s World Cups.Neymar, in the meantime, is the chief of a Brazil workforce looking for a record-extending sixth World Cup title however first in 20 years. Brazil performs Serbia in its first match.All consideration is on Ronaldo, although, following his messy however mutual break up this week with Manchester United.The 37-year-old ahead, seemingly enjoying in his last World Cup, gave an explosive interview solely days earlier than touring to Qatar that criticized supervisor Erik ten Hag and United’s homeowners, triggering the break up. And on Wednesday, Ronaldo was banned for 2 Premier League matches and fined 50,000 kilos ($60,000) for hitting a cellphone out of a fan’s hand at Everton final season.The ban will comply with Ronaldo to no matter new membership he joins in any nation however doesn’t apply to the World Cup.Ghana captain Andre Ayew cautioned towards assuming Ronaldo’s headlines shall be a distraction for Portugal.“It’s not our drawback what is going on throughout the Portuguese workforce,” Ayew mentioned Wednesday. “They’re all nice professionals enjoying at high groups and they are going to be prepared for the World Cup, no matter else is going on.“We go into this sport with Portugal favorites on paper,” he added. “However we’ve got to point out that it’s extra essential what occurs on the pitch. We’re enjoying a giant aspect with high gamers, however we consider in ourselves and can make it very troublesome for them.”Ghana is the lowest-ranked workforce on the World Cup at No. 61 and is a large underdog in a gaggle that additionally contains Uruguay and South Korea.Ronaldo mentioned earlier than his Manchester United departure that the drama has nothing to do with the World Cup. Teammate Bruno Fernandes agreed.“Our focus is 100% on the nationwide workforce and we’re 100% centered on what we’ve got to do,” Fernandes mentioned.Neymar, in the meantime, has been intentionally quiet since arriving in Qatar together with his solely public assertion a social media put up with a sixth star photoshopped onto his shorts round Brazil’s brand — a transparent indicator his solely aim is one other World Cup title for his nation.“That is our dream,” Brazil ahead Richarlison mentioned. “Neymar posted that photograph as a result of it’s his dream, too. He needs to win that and we all know how keen he’s to win that. He can do no matter he needs. It’s his dream. If Neymar is comfortable right here, we shall be comfortable. That’s an important factor.”Neymar has 5 targets in six video games this yr for Brazil, all on penalty kicks.Serbia has but to advance out of the group stage in three earlier World Cup appearances as an unbiased nation. It has additionally did not qualify for the European Championship in 5 tries.MASKED MANSon Heung-min, who ended final season tied because the Premier League’s high scorer, will seemingly be a masked man when South Korea performs Uruguay in Group H.The ahead fractured his left eye socket in a collision whereas enjoying for Tottenham earlier this month in a Champions League match and hasn’t performed since Nov. 1. He’s worn a Batman-style protecting masks whereas coaching in Qatar and sure can have it on once more for the match.Son runs South Korea’s offense, which relies on his capacity to shoot with each toes and his accuracy on dead-ball performs.Uruguay is led by Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani, each enjoying of their fourth World Cup. Suárez’s seven World Cup targets is one in need of nationwide report holder Óscar Míguez, who performed on the 1950 workforce that received the title.SWITZERLAND-CAMEROONTwo groups meet for the primary time when Switzerland and Cameroon play, with the Swiss attempting to make it to the knockout spherical for the third consecutive World Cup.Xherdan Shaqiri, who performs for the Chicago Fireplace of Main League Soccer, is within the World Cup for the fourth time and is Switzerland’s offensive chief. He’s been instantly concerned in 48% of its 23 targets in its final 4 main tournaments, with eight targets and three assists.Cameroon completed third on the African Cup of Nations however has received solely one in every of its final 5 matches, and that victory was towards 141st-ranked Burundi. The Indomitable Lions are the fourth-lowest ranked workforce within the event, however after Saudi Arabia shocked Argentina earlier this week, the five-time African champions have hope.It’s Cameroon’s eighth World Cup, probably the most amongst African international locations, however the nationwide workforce has misplaced its final seven matches — a report solely overwhelmed by Mexico’s 9 consecutive losses between 1930 and 1958.GERMANY SHOCKGermany arrived in Qatar as one in every of seven European nations planning to protest the host nation’s discriminatory legal guidelines towards homosexuality and human rights violations.However soccer’s governing physique threatened to present a right away yellow card to any participant carrying the “One Love” rainbow-colored armband, so the Germans discovered one other option to protest: The 11 starters coated their mouths of their pre-game formation {photograph} as a rebuke to being silenced by FIFA.Then Germany was silenced on the sphere.Japan shocked the four-time champions with a come-from-behind 2-1 upset during which substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano, each of whom play for German golf equipment, scored late targets in Wednesday’s victory.That got here a day after Argentina’s 2-1 upset loss to Saudi Arabia.___
World Cup Viewer’s Information: Ronaldo and Neymar search historical past
