Chelsea pair Diego Costa and Eden Hazard were named on Thursday on the shortlist for the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year award.
France meet Belgium in a World Cup semi-final on Tuesday. Here is a look at some of the key head-to-head duels which could prove decisive.
Chelsea brushed aside London rivals West Ham United with a 2-1 away win that restored their 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Monday.
Belgium have the wealth of talent to come up with a variety of approaches to their Euro 2016 matches but still need to find the right formula, said captain Eden Hazard on Monday.
Images from the match played between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday
Rediff.com brings you the best quotes of the day from Brazil!
Two goals each for Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard and one for Michy Batshuayi swept Belgium to a 5-2 victory over Tunisia on Saturday that put them in command of World Cup Group G.
Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Axel Witsel werw hardly missed as Belgium looked a yard quicker, spread the ball around with ease and dealt competently with the occasional Russian threat.
Images from the EPL matches played across England on Saturday.
"The intention is to sell him, but there's no offers forthcoming," read the front page of Marca, accompanied by a picture of the 29-year-old Bale looking sullen.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Jose Mourinho dropped his main striker Diego Costa for Chelsea's Premier League visit to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday but the champions still proved toothless up front as they ground out an undistinguished goalless draw at White Hart Lane.
Kevin de Bruyne came off the bench to inspire Belgium to a 2-1 comeback win over Denmark
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is uncertain about the future of Diego Costa, as Spanish media reports have linked the striker with a possible return to Atletico Madrid. The 27-year-old, who joined the London club from Atletico in 2014, did not feature in Chelsea's 3-2 defeat by Real Madrid in a pre-season friendly on Saturday due to a back injury. The Spain international scored 12 times last season as the club finished 10th in the Premier League, with British media reports also linking Everton striker Romelu Lukaku with a potential move back to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea ripped apart Premier League title rivals Arsenal in a 6-0 mauling at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to ensure Arsene Wenger's 1,000th game turned sour and Liverpool and Manchester City kept up the pressure with big wins.
New signings Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas made an instant impact for Chelsea as they launched their Premier League title bid with a confident 3-1 win at promoted Burnley on Monday.
Eden Hazard scored from the spot in stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw for Chelsea against West Bromwich Albion, who were seconds away from inflicting a first Premier League home defeat on a Chelsea side managed by Jose Mourinho.
The United States' declaration of their attacking intentions may awaken the more thrill-seeking instincts of unbeaten but so far underwhelming Belgium as they prepare for "war" in Tuesday's last-16 World Cup clash.
Real Madrid players, on Monday, returned to training under 'strict health rules' amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Belgium's Eden Hazard is making the strongest bid for that crown.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
With a star-studded squad that makes a mockery of the old joke 'who can name a famous Belgian?', young and talented Belgium should breeze past Algeria in the Group H opener.
Chelsea forward Samuel Eto'o is out of Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg at Atletico Madrid because of injury.
Chelsea moved 12 points clear of Arsenal, who suffered their fourth defeat in nine league matches, while fourth-placed Liverpool fell 13 point adrift after their wretched 2017 continued with a shock 2-0 defeat at resurgent Hull City.
The day was brightened up by Divock Origi's late strike as he Belgium into the last 16 of the World Cup.
Chelsea's fading Premier League title hopes suffered another unexpected blow when Southampton fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with the European champions on Wednesday.
Chelsea has reportedly agreed to acquire Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa for a transfer fee of 80million pounds.
Chelsea routed title rivals Arsenal 6-0 in manager Arsene Wenger's 1,000th game in charge as blundering referee Andre Marriner was left red-faced after he sent off the wrong player in the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge, in London.
Chelsea surged seven points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 4-0 demolition of London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic has been suspended for three matches after his appeal for wrongful dismissal against Chelsea was rejected, the Football Association said on Tuesday.
Juan Mata could be on the way out at Chelsea and, despite Jose Mourinho saying earlier this season he preferred Oscar in the No. 10 role, it is the form of another player that has led to the Spaniard being ignored recently.
'Yesterday, he trained normally, and today he's taken this decision. We have accepted it. I spoke to him this morning, and he said he was leaving, and I understood.'
Lille signed Ivory Coast international Salomon Kalou on Saturday in a bid to bolster their depleted forward line having sold Eden Hazard to the European champions.
Midfielder Frank Lampard scored his 200th goal for Chelsea to give them the lead against his former club West Ham United in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
SwanseaCity reached their first major English final after holding Chelsea in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final to win 2-0 on aggregate on Wednesday but the match will be remembered more for the bizarre sending off of playmaker Eden Hazard.
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup first semi-final played between France and Belgium on Tuesday
Here are the list of awards handed out after the FIFA World Cup
League leaders Chelsea were made to battle for a narrow 2-1 win over strugglers Queens Park Rangers at Stamford Bridge as they maintained their unbeaten start in the Premier League on Saturday.
Chelsea kept up their 100 percent start to the English Premier League season by snatching a 2-1 win at a stubborn Newcastle United on Sunday, grabbing victory thanks to a late own goal by DeAndre Yedlin.
Five-times European champions Liverpool suffered a 1-0 defeat at Lille after a late goal by forward Eden Hazard while Juventus beat underdogs Fulham 3-1 in Europa League last 16 first leg matches on Thursday.
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