BILLY BUNTER

Weblog: The football punter

Portugal may join my list of World Cup no-hopers

BREAKING news from the BBC; England can't win the 2014 World Cup!

I know, it's a shock to those of you thought we couldn't lose and a bummer for those of you currently chipping away at the 20-1 we do win it on the basis that the price is bound to collapse in the wake of the inevitable 1-0 away win in Moldova to kick off the qualifying campaign in September.

But no, according to Alan Shearer, England can't win the World Cup and, as someone who's never won a World Cup, obviously his is a view to be respected.

So I can now put a pen through Scotland, the Faroes, Jordan and England and I'm also tempted to write off Portugal.

That wry smile of Ronaldo's at the end of the shootout was less the look of a man saying ‘would you adam and eve it, I never got the opportunity to show my courage, bravery and accuracy' and more of something that said ‘cor, dodged a bullet there, happy days, I'm off to the beach'.

Portugal blew it, simple as, and Spain are in the final once again, conclusive proof that if you can pass a football to one of your team-mates and repeat that process, prospects are going to be bright.

I guess Emile Heskey's international days are over then.