Teresópolis, Brazil: Dani Alves is a former, and possible future, teammate of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the Brazil full-back is hoping to see the big striker at the World Cup despite Sweden’s failure to qualify for the finals. “Ibrahimovic is a special person, someone I like very much. It is a shame Sweden didn’t qualify but he is welcome to come here and watch the World Cup,” Alves said when asked by a Swedish journalist about a campaign to get the Paris Saint-Germain striker to attend the tournament in Brazil. The duo played together at Barcelona in the 2009-10 season and, although Alves refused to answer questions on the matter at the Brazil training camp, they could be re-united at PSG next season. Alves has been heavily linked with a close-season move to the French champions, where his national team colleagues Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Maxwell already ply their trade, and he did little to play down speculation in a recent interview with the French magazine Surface, saying: “If I have to leave Barcelona, they are a possible alternative for me.” The 31-year-old has one year remaining on his contract at the Camp Nou.

Sex? No thanks darling, the World Cup is on

Belgrade: Nine out of 10 married Croats would rather watch World Cup football on television than have sex with their wives and many would go celibate if that was the price to watch the finals, the Zagreb daily 24Sata reported yesterday. Quoting a poll carried out by the Ipsos Puls agency, the newspaper said in its online edition that 40 per cent of the 200 men aged 30-50 who took part in the survey were ready to give sex up for a month if that was the price to pay to watch the World Cup. Half of those polled said the best way to watch World Cup football was at home with friends visiting and one-third said that they own two television sets to avoid marital arguments over screen time. Croatia is in a frenzy ahead of their team’s World Cup opener against Brazil on June 12. By far the strongest of all former Yugoslav republics, the country has qualified for five out of five world championships since gaining independence in 1991. It’s best result was in the first outing: third in France 1998.

Kitesurfer gives Dutch players a fright at Ipanema

Rio de Janeiro: Netherlands players Robin van Persie and Daryl Janmaat were involved in a minor accident with a kitesurfer Monday on Rio de Janeiro’s popular Ipanema beach. “I almost got a kite on my head. There was a man kitesurfing and he fell on the place where I was standing. That was scary, but luckily nothing happened,” Janmaat told Dutch TV channel NOS. The Dutch football federation confirmed the incident but noted that it did not have any serious consequences: the players suffered minor injuries and a headache, but they are fit to continue their preparations for Friday’s match against world champions Spain in Salvador.

Chasing ‘Maracanazo’ Mark II, Uruguay arrive

Sete Lagoas, Brazil: Uruguay arrived in Brazil on Monday with their fans hoping their side can pull off Maracanazo Mark II—a putative sequel to their stunning 1950 World Cup success in Rio. Liverpool striker Luiz Suarez, nursing a knee injury, and his squadmates arrived late afternoon at Confins airport outside Belo Horizonte. They then transferred by bus to Sete Lagoas, 70km (45 mi) away where they will be based as they plot passage from a group containing Saturday’s opening opponents Costa Rica, England and Italy. A clutch of fans were waiting to greet the squad—including Beatriz Seco and her Brazilian husband Tadeo, who brandished a Uruguay scarf and banner. “We are happy the team is here. Uruguay are here to win,” said Beatriz, 20 years a resident of Belo Horizonte. Saying she is a big fan of Suarez, she said she was sad not to have tickets for any of her country’s games and added that, having already been, she would not return to visit Sete Lagoas “as they’ll not let us in.”