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Part 1 is all about the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. Will the players of New Zealand outfit Auckland City get time off for the tournament? Why have LAFC replaced Club Leon at the last minute? How on earth did Red Bull Salzburg qualify? Why are the Seattle Sounders players protesting about the competition? And what should you know about Wydad Casablanca, Flamengo and Palmeiras?

World Cup qualifying action is the focal point in Part 2. Which petty measures did Albania resort to at their crunch clash against rivals Serbia? Why did Venezuela stop Bolivia from leaving the country on Friday? Will Curacao replace Iceland as the World Cup’s smallest-ever nation? Plus: Uzbekistan and Jordan achieve historic World Cup qualifications and Finland’s women accidentally call up a 51-year-old ex-player. 

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Editor: Ralph Foster

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