"He doesn't do that for his club." How many times have you heard someone shout that while watching an international match?
The enigma of how some footballers perform far better for their country than club has been going on for decades, and the World Cup in Russia has been no different.
Why does this happen? Perhaps it is the chemistry of the team working in their favour, or maybe they are playing for a manager who has more faith. Or it could be that they find greater inspiration when they pull on their national team jersey, rather than playing for a club to which they have little connection – except for the huge salary that drops into their bank account each month.
Here are 10 players who turn it on more often for their country than their club:
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Xherdan Shaqiri
The diminutive Swiss suffered the embarrassment of relegation from the Premier League with Stoke City at the end of the season. It is almost certain he will move to a new club in the summer, with Liverpool having been linked, but the previous eight months battling near the bottom of the table in a woeful team did no favours to his reputation. He was never a standout player at Bayern Munich or Inter Milan, but has been the leading light for Switzerland for eight years now, winning 72 caps and scoring 21 goals, including the late winner against Serbia last week.
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Javier Hernandez
Like Shaqiri, Hernandez endured a frustrating campaign in the Premier League, spending much of it on the bench at West Ham United. He was regarded mostly as a super-sub at Manchester United, played a bit-part role at Real Madrid, but did well at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga before his return to England. For Mexico however, he is their record goalscorer, having netted 50 times in 104 caps after his goal against South Korea, and has now scored in three World Cup finals.
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Keisuke Honda
An icon in his homeland, Honda became the highest-scoring Asian in World Cup finals after his goal for Japan against Senegal on Sunday, and was also the first Japanese player to score in three different World Cup finals. Much of his club career has been spent in Europe at VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands, CSKA Moscow and AC Milan, without having the same impact that he's enjoyed at international level. He's currently playing in the Mexican league for Pachuca.
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Aleksandar Mitrovic
The Serbian striker has, at times, caused chaos among defences at this World Cup. "He can occupy two centre halves with his presence and he can hold up the ball for others to come from behind him," former England defender Rio Ferdinand said. His international record is decent – 17 goals in 39 appearances, including six in his past six and an impressive header against Switzerland on Saturday. In contrast, his career at Newcastle United imploded. He scored just four goals in the second tier in 2016/17, and was overlooked last season until he was farmed out on loan to Championship side Fulham, where he regained his scoring touch as they won promotion via the play-offs.
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Granit Xhaka
Arsenal fans will tell you their club has needed a new midfield general for two season – and that's despite spending in the region of £30 million on Xhaka in 2016. He has shown occasional flashes of his thunderbolt shooting, but has been mainly in the headlines for ill discipline and going missing on the pitch when his team need him most. For Switzerland though he has bossed their midfield for years, winning 64 caps and scoring 10 goals, including a rocket against Serbia.
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Keylor Navas
A controversial selection, possibly, but Navas is the standout performer in Costa Rica's side and it was his heroics at the 2014 World Cup that helped them to the quarter-final stage – and him a transfer to Real Madrid. He has now won 82 caps, and has remained Madrid's No 1, but that will surely change soon as the club are forever linked with the likes of David de Gea and Thibaut Courtois. He hasn't done badly in club football, but doesn't stand out in the way he does for his country.
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Joel Campbell
If you had forgotten, Joel Campbell is still an Arsenal player. His club forgot after all, tweeting the other day that they had three players in action, when in fact they had four.
He has become a journeyman footballer, with six loan spells since 2011, and only 40 appearances for his parent club. For Costa Rica, he has scored 15 times in 78 games, and only turns 26 years old on June 26, so he should reach a century of international appearances before his career ends.
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David Ospina
Life as a goalkeeper can be frustrating. Ospina was signed by Arsenal in 2014 on the back of fine performances for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup, when they reached the quarter-finals. Since then, he has played more international matches than club games, as he sat on the bench watching Petr Cech keep goal, with varying degrees of success, at the Emirates Stadium. He is another closing in on a century of caps, reaching 86 so far.
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Sergio Romero
Ok, so he didn't make it to the World Cup, but Romero is an extraordinary case. He was set to be Argentina's No 1 in Russia until he was hit by an untimely injury. His numbers make for fascinating reading – 94 international appearances at the age of 31, yet only seven league games for Manchester United in the past three seasons and less than 200 league appearances in his entire career.
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Lukas Podolski
Here's a classic to add to the list. Hero-worshipped by many in his homeland having played 130 times for Germany, you would think he would be a Ballon d'Or contender year-in-year out. Instead, while enjoying a lengthy club career, he failed to reach the heights of his international achievements and has spent recent years playing in Turkey and Japan.
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Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
Anna and the Apocalypse
Director: John McPhail
Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton
Three stars
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club race card
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
6pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed; Dh180,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh100,000; 2,400m
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Esperance de Tunis 0
Al Ain 3 (Ahmed 02’, El Shahat 17’, Al Ahbabi 60’)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
ENGLAND TEAM
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
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Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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Squads
India: Kohli (c), Rahul, Shaw, Agarwal, Pujara, Rahane, Vihari, Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Shami, Umesh, Siraj, Thakur
West Indies: Holder (c), Ambris, Bishoo, Brathwaite, Chase, Dowrich (wk), Gabriel, Hamilton, Hetmyer, Hope, Lewis, Paul, Powell, Roach, Warrican, Joseph
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
Medicus AI
Started: 2016
Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh
Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai
Sector: Health Tech
Staff: 119
Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
