The upcoming FIFA Under-17 World Cup to be held in the country next month could lead to a massive interest in football if the event gets good exposure in the media, said Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs.
The Real Madrid forward was superb in Portugal's 3-3 World Cup draw with Spain on Friday, giving his team the perfect start with a penalty, putting them 2-1 ahead and popping up at the death, cool as you like, to whip home a free-kick and complete a magnificent hat-trick.
'My team gave their best. They played a very good second half and missed qualifying by just a few minutes. These kind of matches build the character of the team.'
"We have food, wine, cheese from Portugal. We set up a table, share it with people, and talk about our cultures."
Sweden can beat England in Saturday's quarter-finals and eventually win the World Cup in Russia if they can handle the pressure, former captain and record goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic has said.
After scoring one of the goals of the tournament and upstaging Lionel Messi by leading his team to the top of their group, Croatia captain Luka Modric hopes to fulfil a dream that began when he watched his nation record a best ever World Cup showing.
A true global superstar, the depth of Kobe Bryant's popularity quickly surfaced as reports were confirmed that the Los Angeles Lakers great had been killed along with his daughter Gianna and seven others when his helicopter crashed in a remote field near the city of Calabasas.
Germany's surprise loss to Mexico could create a strange situation in Group G where England and Belgium may face a theoretically easier path to the last four if they finish second rather than top of the standings.
United States striker Tim Weah says his side felt like playing at home during their 5-0 thrashing of Paraguay in their FIFA U-17 World Cup pre-quarterfinal match, in New Delhi, on Monday.
India has a population of 1.3 billion but the nation's obsession with and success on the cricket pitch has left it a massive underachiever on the football field.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Summary of World Cup qualifiers played across the world on Thursday
Indian national footbal team coach Stephen Constantine has been offered a one-year extension by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) keeping in mind preparations for the 2019 Asian Cup.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
India captain Sunil Chhetri has urged fans to be patient with the team and coach Stephen Constantine after the national team's yet another shambolic qualification campaign for the 2018 soccer World Cup.
Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo was second, the third time the 2008 winner has finished runner-up, and Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta was third as Spain again missed out.
While the venue for the senior national team is fixed, a lot also depends on the state governments as far as organising the camps for the U-16 outfit and U-17 women's side are are concerned.
Jubilant fans thronged central Belgrade, bringing traffic at the main Republic Square to a halt as they waved Serbian flags and hooted their car horns.
With their own bitter memories of past semi-final defeats in the soccer tournament, England and Croatia will be competing for a spot in Sunday's final against France.
Some of soccer's biggest names are cheering the rescue of 12 Thai boys and their coach from a flooded cave
Ghana and the United States would look to seal a knockout berth when they face-off in their second group match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in New Delhi, on Monday.
Tehran's streets were filled with thousands of Iranians celebrating their men's national soccer team's qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, defying threats by Islamic State to launch more extremist attacks in the country.
Argentina may have been knocked out of the World Cup in Russia, but plenty of their frustrated fans remain, holding tickets to finals they expected their team to feature in - while hoping desperately that bitter rivals Brazil get eliminated.
Barely a game into the Indian Super League and Mumbai City FC have been dealt a massive blow with skipper Syed Rahim Nabi ruled out for upto three weeks due to an ankle injury sustained during the team's opening match against Atletico de Kolkata.
Jan-Fiete Arp (8th minute), Nicolas Kuehn (62nd) and Sahverdi Cetin (90+2) netted for the winners, while Ibrahima Soumah got the lone goal for Guinea in the 26th minute in the final Group C match at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium.
Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard is in the best form of his life but Belgium need all their top players to be better than ever if they are to have any chance of winning the World Cup, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said.
The Chile national team has restricted the usage of smart phones to two hours per day in a bid to avoid distractions from social media in the run-up to FIFA Under-17 World Cup starting October 6.
I am not the best person to judge, I cannot separate sentiment from my objective decision. Whatever season Messi has had on footballing grounds, I would still vote for him.
England midfielder David Beckham has said that visiting British troops fighting in Afghanistan was 'one of the best things' he has done in his career.
World champions France had eight players, one less than former holders Spain, in international players' association FIFPro's 55-name shortlist for its World XI of 2018 award.
With champions Germany out, Argentina only scraping through, and Spain in turmoil, many see Brazil as the clear favourites to lift the World Cup in Moscow on July 15.
Ellen White scored her fifth goal of the tournament in between Jill Scott's opener and a Lucy Bronze screamer from the edge of the area as Phil Neville's side set up a mouthwatering clash with either holders the United States or hosts France.
Russia's World Cup dream ended within agonising sight of the semi-finals as they went down 4-3 on penalties to Croatia on Saturday after another gallant performance in front of their fanatical fans which again belied their lowly ranking.
Rediff.com gives you a peek into these action-packed moments from the weekend, frozen in time...
Billed in Spain as the decisive showdown between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or award, Sunday's La Liga El Clasico gave plenty of ammunition to both camps as each player netted twice in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
Officials of IFAB, the International Football Association Board, made up of the four British home nations and FIFA, agreed to conduct a year-long review into the offside law, which is expected to end with a proposal for a new rule.
Increasingly isolated on the global stage, the World Cup has so far helped Vladimir Putin send a defiant message to his opponents that Russia is succeeding despite Western efforts to hold it back.
From watching 'Chak De! India' to taking yoga classes and training in Kolkata-like sultry conditions, Chileans have not left any stone unturned in their bid for the maiden FIFA U-17 World Cup title.
'If we are in the first 10, you are giving yourself a realistic chance to play against the best in Asia and then you always have the answer to how much you have to achieve more'
He was a pale shadow of the crowd-pleasing showman widely recognised as the heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest player in the world.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances