Playing in a "false nine" role, Messi capped a disappointing tournament with another subdued display at Kazan Arena as Argentina bowed out of the last 16 with a 4-3 defeat.
The footballers heading to Carnival capital will hope to make fate walk their path. But there are some big names who couldn't make the big trip for some reason or the other. Rediff.com presents the top 16 players you won't be seeing in Brazil.
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup Group B match played between Portugal and Iran in Saransk on Monday
Nasser Hussain, an astute reader of the game that he'd played for more than a decade internationally, expressed his amazement at Virat Kohli's intensity and his hunger to succeed. Kohli has been amassing big runs for the past few years but Hussain said the India captain is not worried about personal records.
FIFA launched proceedings against the players who angrily harangued the referee after crashing out of the tournament in Qatar, despite beating Ghana 2-0 in their final group match on December 2.
MLS begins a transformative season with Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min and record transfers as North America prepares to host the World Cup.
India's U20 women's team is set to face Australia in their second Group C match of the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup, aiming to improve upon their first-half performance against Japan. Coach Joakim Alexandersson emphasises mindset and bravery as key factors for success.
Former Italy international Pamela Conti was on Sunday named head coach of the Indian women's U-17 team to take charge of the country's AFC Asian Cup campaign later this year, second such appointment of a national side this month made by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
'Les Bleus' will be inspired by the two-decade anniversary of their only World Cup win in 1998, while double winners Uruguay's modern generation are desperate to recreate the black-and-white-era glories of their 1930 and 1950 trophies.
Qatar's construction industry is rife with abuse of migrant workers who are "treated like cattle" and live in squalid accommodation exposed to overflowing sewage, Amnesty International said in a report on Sunday.
Here are the list of awards handed out after the FIFA World Cup
The mysterious omissions of the talented Samson led to banners in the Kerala cricketer's support at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar no less.
Xavi, it is learnt, "sent an email from his own account" to apply for the post.
Images from the FIFA 2018 World Cup qualifiers played across the globe on Saturday
Bollywood star Deepika Padukone unveiled the FIFA World Cup trophy on Sunday ahead of the final between Argentina and France at the Lusail stadium in Doha.
FIFA will carry out a feasibility study on holding the World Cup and the women's World Cup every two years after backing a proposal at its annual congress on Friday.
Belgium have retained injured Vincent Kompany in their final World Cup squad but put fellow defender Laurent Ciman on standby in case the Manchester City skipper is not fit for their opening match in Russia.
'So being here means we deserve to be here, it's not a change or because we are women.'
It was perhaps fitting that the World Cup match between Senegal and Japan - whose fans have received international acclaim for their cleanliness in the stadium - ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw on Sunday in Yekaterinburg.
Lucas Hernandez's World Cup campaign is over after the France defender sustained a knee injury in the defending champions' 4-1 win over Australia in Group D on Tuesday.
Get into the FIFA groove with your phone Games, apps, score updates, statistics...there's something for everyone in the digital world around the World Cup.
The FIFA World Cup at Russia saw a variety of celebrations -- from the weird to some fancy dance moves -- Rediff.com has got it all covered here...
Russia was banned from the world's top sporting events for four years on Monday, a period that includes the next summer and winter Olympics and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, for tampering with doping-related laboratory data. The World Anti-Doping Agency concluded that Moscow had tampered with laboratory data by planting fake evidence and deleting files linked to positive doping tests that could have helped identify drug cheats.
Champions League winners Paris St Germain crushed fellow European heavyweights Atletico Madrid 4-0 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Sunday to get their Club World Cup campaign off to a winning start.
An overview of contenders in the race for top scorer at the 2022 World Cup.
Neymar and Marquinhos arrived late for the first day of World Cup training on Monday due to problems with their flight from Paris to Turin where Brazil are holding a five-day camp before flying to Doha.
The 'OneLove' armbands were originally launched in 2020 as part of an inclusiveness campaign by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB).
Clubbed in a veritable group of death for next year's World Cup, Australia believe they can spring a surprise while fellow Asian qualifiers Japan, South Korea and Iran were more cautious with their optimism despite being dealt kinder draws.
World football body FIFA, one of the most coveted clients of the beleaguered Satyam Computer, on Thursday said it was closely monitoring the developments.
Nita Ambani hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he has great vision to transform India into a global sporting powerhouse.
Frappart was also the first woman to officiate a men's Champions League game in 2020.
Brazilian striker Neymar should be fine to continue in the World Cup despite limping off with a swollen ankle during his team's 2-0 victory over Serbia on Thursday, coach Tite said.
Analysis of the eight groups for the 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia.
The tournament brings together the six continental champions from across the world, with European Champions League winners Bayern Munich the first to have qualified.
While Canada celebrated, Mexico and the United States will have to wait to learn their fate
Dembele was able to attend the ceremony, as he was already in Qatar for Wednesday's Intercontinental Cup final where PSG take on Flamengo.
Fans also unfurled a Free Palestine flag during the game.
Teams focused on World Cup, not politics, had easier passage to last 16, says Arsene Wenger
Real Madrid hit their stride at the Club World Cup on Tuesday, edging Juventus 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals thanks to a second-half strike from academy graduate Gonzalo Garcia.
With two wins from two games, Spain top Group E on six points, while Turkey and Georgia follow with three apiece.
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