As India start their T20 World Cup title defence in less than 72 hours, one is tempted to look at Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir's working relationship which has been fantastic, at least so going by the results -- a whopping 31 wins in 39 games with a winning percentage of 79.48.
His Brazilian fans loved him for his idiosyncratic personality and unapologetic nationalism. He liked to say he was born with victory at his side and was rarely shy to challenge those who said his teams were too defensive.
Franz Beckenbauer who captained the team to World Cup victory in 1974 then won the tournament again as manager in 1990, has died at the age of 78, German news agency DPA reported on Monday.
Clowns on stilts, bongo-beating boys and flaming torches also greeted Ronaldo and his team mates in the southern city of Guangzhou as they arrived for Wednesday's friendly against China.
The 57 year-old coach, who led Brazil to a fourth World Cup title in 1994, will be in charge of the team till the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
The Brazilian, the only player to claim three World Cup winner's medals and a man often called the greatest footballer of all time, said all monies raised will help Brazil's fight against and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I'm very happy for my players, we showed character and the right mentality, it was very hard for us tonight. We worked hard defensively."
France coach Didier Deschamps heaped praise on his players after they reached the World Cup final with a 1-0 win over Belgium on Tuesday, saying the lost final at Euro 2016 was still on his mind.
Deschamps has proven both innovative and brave as coach, and is now one victory away from joining an elite club.
Deschamps said 14 of his players were World Cup newcomers but were ready to work towards a common goal and were mentally more mature than their age.
Brazil were winning 3-1 and the 1970 World Cup final against Italy was over as a contest when Carlos Alberto looked up to see the whole of the right wing open to him and started to motor. There were four minutes left on the clock at the Aztec stadium and Brazil's captain really just wanted the game to end. His team mates felt the same way and were knocking the ball about nonchalantly when the marauding full back spotted the chance of a fourth goal, even from way back in his own half.
France overwhelmed Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium on Sunday to lift the trophy for the second time in 20 years.
Reuters sports writers chose their team of the tournament.
From the debate-arousing introduction of VAR to maximum number of Penalties to the superb Ronaldo, here are the A to Z of the ongoing 2018 World Cup
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
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