The goal that all but settled the 2018 World Cup final, the fifth of the night, came from the boot of a teenager. Kylian Mbappe had already stamped his precocious authority on the tournament and in Moscow he emulated a legend. Before Mbappe, nobody under the age of 20 had scored in a World Cup final since 17-year-old Pele in 1958.
Sixty years is a long gap. It would be surprising if it takes six more decades for another teen prodigy to join Mbappe and Pele on their select list. Talent in the professional game is scouted and developed ever younger, the gifted promoted earlier and earlier. And World Cups are no longer deemed too daunting a stage for kids young enough to still be at school, as the 1978 World Cup was for a 17-year-old Argentine, one Diego Maradona; or the 1998 World Cup for Nicolas Anelka, left out of France’s squad to some disquiet, at the same age as Mbappe was in 2018.
Both countries went on to win those World Cups in front of home crowds. Maradona went on to play in four other tournaments, dominating in 1986, sent home in disgrace in 1994. Anelka, as it happens, would be sent home from a World Cup, too - in 2010, after falling out with France’s head coach. The grown-up versions of ex-prodigies are not always wiser versions.
At Qatar 2022 will be a number of outstanding teenagers. There are few more coveted midfielders in Europe right now than Jude Bellingham, galvaniser of Borussia Dortmund’s midfield. The arguments that England manager Gareth Southgate should give Bellingham, 19, senior responsibilities from early on at this World Cup are powerful.
Much is expected of Bellingham’s contemporary and friend, Jamal Musiala, formerly an England youth player, having spent his early years there, but now benefiting his native Germany with his confidence and thrilling close control. Like Bellingham, Musiala has a major tournament - last year’s European Championship - already on his resumé. He is Bayern Munich’s leading scorer so far this season, and a favourite of Hansi Flick, who became Germany’s head coach the summer after giving Musiala his debut as Bayern’s manager.
Flick has selected Youssoufa Moukoko, who turns 18 on Sunday, in his squad, a striker bettered on Dortmund’s list of goalscorers this term only by Bellingham. Moukoko was breaking records throughout his early teens, picked for Germany’s Under 16s when he was 13; the youngest ever Bundesliga debutant, and youngest goalscorer in Germany’s top division. There have been pauses in his sharp rise, but he has been far from overwhelmed, over the past three months, by the task of filling the vacancy left at his club by the departed Erling Haaland. Moukoko will be used from the substitutes’ bench - if at all - in Qatar, and has probably benefited from the increase in allowed squad rosters, up from 23 players to 26, and the fact Germany suffered pre-tournament injuries to strikers Timo Werner and Marco Reus.
Spain could field both Pedri, 19, and Gavi, 18, in their midfield, the Barcelona pair now well-established internationals. Fitness permitting, their club colleague Ansu Fati, who made a startling impact as a 16-year-old three autumns ago, might be lining up in front of them.
Xavi Simons, 19 and once a colleague of Ansu’s at Barcelona’s La Masia academy, is in the Netherlands squad. The midfielder is yet to win a senior cap but has been earmarked for stardom since his early teens. He left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain, and, in search of regular playing time, departed Paris for PSV Eindhoven in June.
It was a good move. Simons has benefited from this being a winter World Cup, his club performances since August pushing him into national team contention. So, too, Antonio Silva, 19 and only introduced to Benfica’s first team this season. He has looked so assured in central defence he is now in Portugal’s squad. The 19-year-old Belgium centre-back, Zeno Debast, has progressed just as fast.
But the real "bolter", a player picked suddenly on the basis of a flash of fine form, is Australia’s Garang Kuol. His career in the A-League so far consists only of substitute appearances. But so many of them have been match-changing that he will join Premier League Newcastle United in January.
Kuol has one cap - off the bench - so far. He only turned 18 in September. His first go at being the Socceroos’ World Cup supersub may well be on Tuesday, and he'd do it in distinguished company. Australia begin their tournament against France and Mbappe, who's now a lordly 23 years old.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Tom Fletcher on 'soft power'
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Read more about the coronavirus
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
