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Posted: 2022-12-05 00:25:02

Australia is still wrapping its head around the Socceroos' dynamic exit, while the giants of the game are standing tall as we head towards the pointy end of the World Cup.

Here are five talking points from another day in Qatar.

Socceroos pose for photos with man who tore them apart

Lionel Messi is one of the most famous humans on the planet and is incredibly good at football.

Those two things combined on Sunday morning AEDT, as the Argentinian legend orchestrated the Socceroos' exit from the Qatar World Cup, then posed for photos with a bunch of the opponents he had so summarily destroyed on the pitch (plus a few who stayed on the bench).

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Videos hit social media showing Marco Tilio and Joel King sheepishly roaming the corridors before totally randomly bumping into Messi outside the dressing room and doing a, "Like, oh my God, while you're here, should we like, I don't know, take a photo or something?"

Tilio and King weren't alone, as Keanu Baccus, Miloš Degenek, Craig Goodwin, Jason Cummings and injured Roo Martin Boyle all got in shots with Messi.

But Cameron Devlin went one better, not just sneaking a pic with the GOAT but also jagging the famous blue and white number 10 after Messi's player-of-the-match presentation.

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Kane gets on the board

England striker hits a right-foot shot towards goal as a Senegal defender tries to block the ball.
Harry Kane could become the most prolific goalscorer in England's history at this World Cup.(AP: Frank Augstein)

Harry Kane got himself on the scorer's sheet in England's round-of-16 match against Senegal, scoring just before half-time for his first goal of the tournament.

Despite only netting once at this World Cup, Kane is on the brink of history as the England captain's 52nd goal for his country moved him one behind Wayne Rooney's national record.

He also overtook Gary Lineker as his country's leading scorer in major tournaments with 11 goals.

"The ball just sat up nicely and the connection was perfect," Kane said.

"I had one just before that I should have done better with, so it was nice to see that one go in."

Sterling heads home after reported armed robbery

Raheem Sterling did not play against Senegal and it's not clear if he'll play again in Qatar, having headed back to England to check on his family after his house was reportedly broken into by armed robbers.

The English team said before the game Sterling left to address a "family matter", with local media reporting the break-in.

"I've spent some time with him today. He's going to fly home. And obviously, family at these moments is the most important thing," England coach Gareth Southgate said.

"We want to give him that space, and we'll see over the next few days how that all develops."

England's quarterfinal against defending champions France will be played on Sunday morning at 6am AEDT.

Mbappé hiding sponsor's name

Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed something interesting in Kylian Mbappé's player-of-the-match presentations.

The French superstar won the award after Les Bleus' 4-1 win over the Socceroos and the 2-1 win over Denmark, meaning he posed with the really quite large trophy awarded to the best on ground.

The big red award is sponsored by Budweiser and has the American beer brand's name emblazoned around the bottom, but you wouldn't know it from Mbappé's photos. Both times he's twisted the trophy around and hidden the brand name.

Composite image of Kylian Mbappé with player of the match awards after Qatar World Cup games against Australia and Denmark.
"Budweiser" is written, in its traditional cursive font, at the bottom of the trophy awarded to the player of the match. But Mbappé has twisted the name to the back both times.

Mbappé has boycotted club and national team sponsorship deals related to things like alcohol, junk food and gambling. And he is also not doing any press conferences in Qatar.

Players from Muslim-majority countries like Morocco, Iran and Tunisia have also hidden the Bud name and logo in their presentations.

Alcohol has been a massive talking point leading up to and during the tournament in Qatar and this is the first officially "dry" World Cup.

Gold chains cause issue for French star

France's Jules Koundé has a necklace taken off from around his neck by an assistant coach while holding a ball at the World Cup.
France coach Didier Deschamps said he thought Koundé took the necklace off before the match.(AP: Martin Meissner)

France defender Jules Koundé was told by a match official to remove two gold chains he was wearing during the defending World Cup champions' win over Poland.

Koundé had the chains on until the 41st minute, when referee Jesus Valenzuela instructed him to take them off. A France assistant called Koundé to the sideline and unhooked the clasps from behind his neck before returning to the dugout.

France coach Didier Deschamps was asked if Koundé kept the chains on because they displayed a rainbow symbol, suggesting a quiet protest against Qatar's record on LGBTQIA+ rights.

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