Diego Forlan scored twice from the penalty spot to help Atletico Madrid to a 4-0 first-leg victory at home to Racing Santander in a King's Cup semi-final on Thursday.
Argentina are favourites to come out on top of Wednesday's three-way race for South America's remaining World Cup place and a playoff berth.
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.
Images from 2010 World Cup draw in Cape Town on Friday.
The 2010 football World Cup draw pits Brazil with Portugal, Ivory Coast and N Korea in the same group.
South Korea's Huh Jung-moo said on Friday he was stepping down as national coach after his side were knocked out of the World Cup in the second round.
Cristiano Ronaldo has received an offer to leave Real Madrid and join Italian champions Juventus, a source close to the player said.
Argentina coach Diego Maradona named a squad on Thursday for a friendly he is banned from taking part in.
Les Bleus' average age is 26 years old -- like England -- and Kylian Mbappe is 19, but it was he who ran riot after France fell 2-1 behind early in the second half.
Argentina coach Diego Maradona will appear before a FIFA disciplinary committee on Sunday over his foul-mouthed outburst last month, soccer's world governing body said on Tuesday. Maradona could be sidelined from matches in next year's World Cup if FIFA decide to hand him a stadium ban for his rant at the end of the 1-0 win in Uruguay that guaranteed his team a place at the finals in South Africa.
Irish female footballer Stephanie Roche, who currently plays for French division 1 Feminine club ASPTT Albi, has earned a unique distinction of being the only woman to have been shortlisted for FIFA's goal of the year alongside fellow strikers Robin van Persie and James Rodriguez.
La Liga players dominate this year's Best Player in Europe shortlist, announced by the continent's governing body UEFA on Monday, with seven of the top 10 contenders for the prestigious award currently plying their trade in Spain.
The uncertainty surrounding the Liverpool forward's participation after he suffered shoulder ligament damage in last month's Champions League final, had a huge impact on both preparations and team confidence coming into the tournament.
Argentina forward Lionel Messi acknowledged he was not at his best for Diego Maradona's side in their World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Uruguay. Argentina beat Peru 2-1 with a last-gasp goal on Saturday and then defeated Uruguay 1-0 in Montevideo on Wednesday to finish fourth and qualify for the South Africa tournament.
Diego Maradona fights for his future as Argentina's World Cup coach when he sends his team out against Peru on Saturday. Maradona, whose side are flirting with elimination in a playoff berth, believes his players will get the victories they need to remain on course for the 2010 finals in South Africa.
India will compete at home against Brazil in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie from September 17 to 19. After a long time, India have home advantage. They played all their matches outside the country in recent times.
Off-form Ronaldinho was left out of Brazil's squad on Thursday for next month's World Cup qualifiers and the Confederations Cup. Striker Ronaldo, who has not played for his country since the last World Cup, was also overlooked despite a promising start to his latest comeback with Corinthians. Brazil face Uruguay in Montevideo on June 6 and host South American group leaders Paraguay in Recife four days later.
Saudi Arabia coach Juan Antonio Pizzi described a "feeling of shame" after his side suffered a 5-0 hammering at the hands of hosts Russia in the World Cup's opening game at the Luzhniki Stadium on Thursday.
Martin Caceres scored on his Serie A debut to help Juventus win 2-0 at Lazio on Saturday and maintain their perfect start to the season.
Angel Di Maria's brief career at Manchester United came to an end as the winger will join Paris Saint-Germain on a four-year deal.
Mauritius, country from where large amounts of investments are routed to India, figures among the nations that have substantially implemented tax standards. Among the countries that have committed themselves to the internationally agreed tax standards but have not yet implemented them are Singapore, Switzerland, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, and Cayman islands.
India, Indonesia, China, Venezuela, Turkey and the Philippines have rejected a proposal by the United States and other farm exporting countries that aims to severely curtail the flexibility to designate certain farm tariff lines as special products in the Doha market access negotiations for farm products.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi returned to training with his team mates on Monday as he continues his recovery from a thigh strain sustained in a La Liga match at Almeria at the end of last month.
The 18 new members were elected by absolute majority through a secret ballot.
Paulo Dybala said his two-goal performance against Barcelona on Tuesday was the sort of night he had dreamed about since he used to play on the bumpy pitches of the Argentine second division as a slightly-built teenager.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo struck his fifth international hat-trick, including a spectacular volleyed opener, to lead the European champions to a 5-1 win over the Faroe Islands in their World Cup qualifier on Thursday.
Carlos Tevez has been included in the squad for the first time in three years for next month's friendlies in England against Croatia and Portugal.
Lionel Messi is back in the Argentina squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Colombia after missing the last three due to injury in which his team have dropped seven points. Messi was named on Friday in coach Edgardo Bauza's 26-man squad and will captain Argentina away to arch-rivals Brazil in Belo Horizonte on Nov. 10 and at home against Colombia in San Juan five days later. Argentina have slipped down the South American group standings to fifth after a shock 1-0 home defeat by Paraguay and 2-2 draws with Peru and Venezuela, all without Messi.
Diego Maradona enjoyed a winning start as Argentina coach with victory over Scotland on Wednesday while Marcello Lippi equalled a world record in charge of Italy. Among the pick of the other friendlies in Europe, a late header from captain John Terry earned England a 2-1 win against old foes Germany, European champions Spain swept Chile aside 3-0 and Robin van Persie's brace helped the Netherlands beat Sweden 3-1.
Rafael Nadal continued his quest for a maiden Paris Masters title when he survived a second set blip to beat Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas
Luis Suarez picked up a hamstring strain in Tuesday's Champions League match at Bayern Munich.
Manchester City's Premier League home match against Arsenal has been postponed because players from the London club have had contact with the owner of Greek side Olympiakos Piraeus, who has contracted the coronavirus. Meanwhile La Liga matches will be played without fans for at least the next two rounds of fixtures to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the Spanish league said.
"It would be a big deal, increasing the team's appeal and also because it would bigger business for Juve, through merchandising," a Milan-based trader said.
Croatia will be ready for both versions of Russia, says Perisic
A tax fraud case involving Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and his father Jorge should be dropped because of errors in the investigation and court proceedings, their lawyers said.
The 2-2 draw in Kaliningrad was thrilling for neutrals but exposed huge vulnerabilities in the 2010 world champions, who had to come from behind twice after careless mistakes gifted two goals to already-eliminated Morocco.
Brazil beat Chile 3-2 in a penalty shootout to reach the World Cup quarter-finals after their dramatic last-16 match in Belo Horizonte ended 1-1 after extra time on Saturday.
Mauritius singled out India for being the fit candidate to become a permanent member while calling for expansion of the 15-member Council which currently has five permanent members -- the US, Britain, Russia, France and China -- and ten non-permanent ones who are elected by the 192-member General Assembly for a two-year term.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi hit his 400th career goal for the La Liga leaders.
Sampaoli looked morose after Argentina's heaviest defeat in a World Cup group stage since 1958 and appeared resigned to his side's fate.
