President Xi is also skipping the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and East Asia summits in Jakarta this week.
Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal hailed the efforts of his squad in fighting back from two goals down to force their World Cup quarter-final against Argentina into a penalty shootout even though their ultimate exit proved to be painful.
Summary of the South American World Cup qualifiers played on Thursday
In the last two World Cup meetings between Argentina and the Netherlands, in the group stage in 2006 and a semi-final in 2014 which the Albiceleste won on penalties, neither side was able to score a goal in normal or extra time.
Diego Maradona hit out at critics of his coaching after his Argentina team qualified for the World Cup on Wednesday and said he has issues to discuss with his boss. Argentina secured their berth at the 2010 finals in South Africa with a 1-0 away win over arch-rivals Uruguay at the Centenario, scene of the first World Cup final in 1930.
Striker Carlos Tevez has been left out of the star-studded Argentina football squad led by Barcelona supertstar Lionel Messi for a friendly against Venezuela, to be played at the Salt Lake Stadium on September 2.
"We had a crazy coach who gave us instructions and motivated us strongly during halftime," Saudi Arabia midfielder Abdel-Ilah al-Maliki told Al-Kass TV station after the win over Argentina.
Argentina's friendly against Brazil was abandoned before kickoff due to a floodlight failure at the Centenario stadium in the northern city of Resistencia on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo turn heads with their stunning looks at the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards
Croatia's defeat meant this could be the end of the road for Luka Modric as far as his international career is concerned.
World Cup-winning Captain Lionel Messi received a king's welcome in Paris on Wednesday.
Israeli soldiers and tanks on the move in Gaza. Palestinians killed and wounded in Israeli strikes. When will it all end?
Thrilled at finally seeing his dream come true, Lionel Messi took the World Cup to bed the night Argentina won the final at the Lusail stadium on Sunday night to highlight that sometimes dreams do come true.
Not even a lively performance from Lionel Messi - at least in the first half in St Petersburg - as they edged out Nigeria 2-1 to finish second in Group D will give their large travelling band of supporters in Russia much in the way of confidence.
Defending champions Germany scraped past plucky Argentina 4-3 in a Pool A match of the men's hockey World Cup match at the Major Dhyan Chand National stadium in Delhi on Friday night.
'I thought of a suppressed country and a free world.' 'If we travel from one to another, what will that road look like?' 'What colours, music there will be? What kind of people would you see?'
Diego Maradona, unhappy with interference in his job as Argentina coach, will review his position after their final World Cup qualifier away to Uruguay in Montevideo next week, he said on Tuesday.
France's hopes of a winning start to their Women's World Cup campaign were thwarted by a hardworking Jamaican side in a 0-0 draw in the opening Group F clash at Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday.
In a highly ill-tempered game, players from both teams threw challenges, pushed and shoved each other, culminating in 48 fouls!
Messi said his team knew Saudi Arabia, despite being the team ranked second-lowest in the tournament, could hurt them.
A much-changed Sweden side reached the Women's World Cup last 16 with a perfect record
Beaten and bored by "ordinary" Argentina, Belgium coach Marc Wilmots said he was less than impressed by a team that ended his side's World Cup hopes on Saturday.
Belgium pointed to Eden Hazard as a potential match winner as they laid out a strategy to combat Lionel Messi and Argentina when they meet in their World Cup quarter-final in Brasilia on Saturday.
Images from Day 6 of the 2024 Australian Open in Melbourne on Friday.
Favourites Argentina, one game away from their first Olympic soccer title, are laying the foundations for a new era of international success in Greece.
Lionel Messi's Argentina brushed aside Paraguay 3-1 to go top of the South American 2014 World Cup qualifiers at the Mario Kempes stadium on Friday.
World Cup contenders Argentina arrived in Brazil with high hopes but Saturday's last-gasp win over underdogs Iran exposed deficiencies within the team that need rapid improvement if they are to mount a realistic title bid.
Nargis takes a break from work... Kareena's holiday finally comes to an end...Priya makes a splash in Thailand...
Argentina, who would have made sure of their place in Germany if they had won, lost 0-2.
India's Rohan Bopanna, partnering Australia's Matthew Ebden advanced to the semi-finals of the men's doubles at the US Open tennis tournament, at Flushing Meadows, New York, on Tuesday. The sixth seeds scored a 7-6(10), 6-1 victory over the 15th seeded American combination of Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow in the quarter-finals.
Stopping the stars won't be enough to win World Cup
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
India will open their campaign against Canada in the FIH Junior Women's Hockey World Cup
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
Aurelien Tchouameni were subjected to online racist abuse after missing their penalties in the final.
Argentina and holders Brazil, who between them have 11 titles, will miss this year's Under-20 World Cup in Turkey after abysmal results in the South American qualifying tournament.
Two of the most intimidating strikers in world football, Argentina's 35-year-old Lionel Messi and Poland's 34-year-old Robert Lewandowski, line up against each other on Wednesday with a last 16 place at stake in the World Cup.
A summary of Tuesday's qualification matches next year's FIFA World Cup.
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