2018 World Cup

Rescued Thai boys to miss World Cup final

Some of the Thai boys trapped inside the cave

Some of the Thai boys trapped inside the cave

Chiang Rai (Thailand) – The young Thai football club members who have been rescued from a cave will be unable to take up an invitation to attend the World Cup final in Moscow, their doctors said on Tuesday.

This undated handout photo taken recently and released by the Royal Thai Navy on July 7, 2018 shows a group of Thai Navy divers in Tham Luang cave during rescue operations for the 12 boys and their football team coach trapped in the cave at Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province. / AFP PHOTO / ROYAL THAI NAVY /


The eight members of the Wild Boar football team who have been rescued thus far need to stay for at least another week in hospital, doctors say, meaning that they have no chance of making Sunday’s match.

Rescue operations for the other four members, and their coach, are under way.

On Friday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino invited the 12 trapped boys to Russia at the cost of football’s world governing body.

Instead, doctors say that the boys will follow the game on TV from their hospital beds – if they manage to stay awake.

Kick-off is at 10 pm (1500 GMT) local time.

The ten rescued boys remain in quarantine.

The group got trapped in the cave on June 23. (dpa/NAN)