Images from Saturday's Nations League group matches.
Barca won their fifth European Cup in 2015 and the signs of decline have been evident over the past five years since -- but no-one envisaged a fall as great as this.
Germany's Lukas Podolski capped his international swansong with a sensational goal to give the world champions a 1-0 victory over England in a friendly on Wednesday.
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The expanded European soccer Championship format with 24 teams in the finals instead of 16 contributed to fairytale runs by so-called minnows at Euro 2016 but also helped Portugal lift their first major trophy. The new formula introduces an extra knockout stage, the round of 16, with the top two teams in each of the six groups going through as well as the four best third-placed sides. Portugal did just that, finishing third in their group and going on to win the tournament with a 1-0 victory in extra time over hosts France in Sunday's final.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will again be duelling for the title of world's best footballer after their names once again headed the shortlist on Thursday for The Best FIFA Men's Player.
Germany's Mario Gomez scored in the first half to secure a 1-0 win over a stubborn Northern Ireland side and a place in the last 16 of Euro 2016 as Group C winners on Tuesday.
Germany and Poland edged closer to the Euro 2016 knockout stage after playing out the first 0-0 draw of this year's tournament at the Stade de France on Thursday. The result means both teams have four points in Group C ahead of Northern Ireland, who have three after their 2-0 win against a Ukraine side who are still without a point and cannot now qualify for the last 16 at the finals.
Substitute Jamie Vardy scored with a stunning flick, his first international goal, and Eric Dier headed a last-gasp winner as England hit back from two goals down to beat old rivals Germany 3-2 in a friendly on Saturday. Germany appeared to be heading for a routine win when they led 2-0 through Toni Kroos and Mario Gomez, his first goal since Euro 2012, after an hour. But Harry Kane changed the course of the game with an opportunist goal before Vardy produced a moment of brilliance just three minutes after coming on as a substitute. Nathaniel Clyne crossed from the right and the Leicester City striker stuck his foot out behind his standing leg to flick the ball between Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and his near post. Then Dier rose above the Germany defence to score with a thumping downward header from Jordan Henderson's corner in the 91st minute.
Germany's players hailed their first victory against Italy in a major tournament as an exceptional moment in their history as they reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals by beating their old rivals 6-5 on penalties.
Germany will decide on the eve of their Euro 2016 round of 16 match against Slovakia on Sunday whether defender Jerome Boateng can help them to another clean sheet en route to what they hope is their fourth continental crown.
Czechs beat Slovaks 1-0 to ensure Nations League B survival
Images from the Nations League matches.
FIFA World Cup set pulses racing and ended with a young, exciting France team clinching the title.
The Germans will play their group matches in Munich
Former Bayern Munich coach Flick takes over Germany to 2024
Mats Hummels scored with a header in the 14th minute to give Germany a 1-0 victory over France in the first quarter-final of the World Cup at the Maracana, in Brazil, on Friday.
Germany will retain their World Cup title in Moscow to equal Brazil's record of five wins in the tournament, according to a Reuters poll of financial specialists more used to predicting market moves.
Images from matches played across top football leagues in Europe.
England have lost to Germany in their last three knockout meetings at major tournaments
England beat Nigeria 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday that provided some clues as to how coach Gareth Southgate will line up his still experimental side when the World Cup gets underway in two weeks' time.
Germany overcame an early red card to Emre Can and eventually eased to a 3-0 victory away to Estonia on Sunday in a Euro 2020 qualifier to go joint-top of Group C.
When UEFA decided eight years ago to expand the European Championship from 16 to 24 teams, its then president Michel Platini promised the standard of the tournament would not drop.
The favourites to win next year's World Cup in Russia were given navigable paths to the last 16 with the coaches of Germany, Brazil, Argentina and Spain having reason to feel reasonably optimistic after Friday's draw.
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How Real Madrid's players reacted to Zinedine Zidane's stepping down as Real Madrid coach.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Germany eased into the Confederations Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 win over Cameroon on Sunday as the VAR system was again thrust into the spotlight when the on-field official needed two reviews of an incident to reach the right verdict.
Harry Kane's injury-time goal gave England a 2-2 draw after a crazy finish to their World Cup qualifier against Scotland on Saturday with Leigh Griffiths having struck twice for the home side in the final three minutes.
Images from the World Cup qualifying matches played on Monday.
Gareth Southgate's plea for England to play with adventure and style was answered only fitfully as his reign as caretaker manager began with a 2-0 win over Malta in a World Cup Group F qualifier on Saturday.
England's Adam Lallana scored his first international goal with the last kick of the game as they beat 10-man Slovakia 1-0 in their World Cup Group F qualifier on Sunday to get new manager Sam Allardyce's reign off to a winning start.
Germany's Thomas Mueller struck twice as the nervy world champions kicked off their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Scotland on Sunday.
France striker Olivier Giroud ended a run of 10 international games without a goal by netting a stunning winner as the world champions claimed a deserved 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in their Nations League clash on Sunday.
France midfielder Dimitri Payet scored the winner after setting up the equaliser in a 2-1 victory over Sweden in a top-of-the-table clash as they opened up a three-point lead in World Cup qualifying Group A at the Stade de France on Friday.
Fees paid by Premier League clubs passed one billion pounds for the first time, according to financial analysts Deloitte. That was inflated by the world record 89 million pounds ($115.98 million) that Manchester United paid Juventus for France midfielder Paul Pogba.
Poland struck twice on the break to stun wasteful World Cup winners Germany 2-0 on Saturday, earning their first ever victory over their illustrious neighbours and taking control of Euro 2016 qualifying Group D.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
France's hopes of reaching the World Cup finals are hanging by a thread after a 2-0 first-leg defeat away to Ukraine in their playoff on Friday while Cristiano Ronaldo's late winner gave Portugal the edge against Sweden.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
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