As PSG prepare for another showdown, against Arsenal at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, the Georgian has become one of the symbols of Luis Enrique's exhilarating side, adding improvisation and menace to a team already overflowing with attacking talent.
Coach Tite is sticking with his policy of rotating the captaincy and the 33-year old Inter Milan player will become the fourth man to wear the captain's armband in Russia.
Striker Antoine Griezmann lashed home the historic spot kick in the 58th minute but Australia hit back with a penalty of their own when Samuel Umtiti inexplicably handled the ball in the box four minutes later.
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup Group C match played between France and Australia at Kazan Stadium on Saturday
Portugal had an early effort controversially disallowed by the video referees but they eventually took the lead after 34 minutes through Ricardo Quaresma after a mistake by Carlos Salcedo let Cristiano Ronaldo through on goal.
'But this was our first match point, if we compare this to tennis, our second match point comes against Portugal. We're still alive and dreaming'
France head into their World Cup opener against Australia in Kazan on Saturday sweating on the fitness of fullback Djibril Sidibe and under pressure to deliver an emphatic win to erase doubts about the cohesion of a team of brilliant individuals.
Steve Finn helped England dominate Australia in another Ashes Test at Edgbaston on Friday to take a 2-1 series lead. A day later, there were celebrations across China as Beijing won the rights to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. And, on Sunday, Premier League club Arsenal finally won bragging rights after beating Chelsea 1-0 to clinch the Community Shield to kick-start their season on a positive note. Rediff.com has all this and a lot more action from the week gone by, snapped right here!
It's that time of the year when the FIFA lovers will be in full cheer to support their favorite teams in the World Cup 2018.
'We were not lying yesterday when we said in the press conference Iran is a tough team'
Spain squeezed past dogged Iran 1-0 in their World Cup Group B encounter on Wednesday, thanks to a fortuitous goal from Diego Costa, but the Europeans suffered a string of second-half scares.
France striker Antoine Griezmann put his country 1-0 up in their World Cup opener against Australia early in the second half on Saturday after a penalty was awarded by the Video Assistant Referee system for the first-ever time.
The midfield duo, who both have dual Moroccan-Belgian nationality, kept Belgium alive with their goals off the bench in the extraordinary round of 16 comeback against Japan and were handed starts in the 2-1 win over Brazil.
France's chance against Argentina in the World Cup last 16 might be that Lionel Messi does not benefit from the same support with the national team than at Barcelona, his club team mate Samuel Umtiti said on Thursday.
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.
Russia will host the 2018 World Cup finals in 12 venues spread across 11 cities.
The Arsenal forward broke the record just five minutes into the match, taking his tally to 38 with his national side at the Kazan Arena, Kazan.
While that may not differ too much from the scenario in many group stage matches pairing the big beasts of the game against those nations who occupy lower rungs of the FIFA rankings, the X-factor in Kazan could be Carlos Queiroz.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has asked FIFA why the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was not used to review two key decisions they believe hindered their side during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
He has been in a rich vein of form at international level too, leading Poland to the finals with 16 goals,
Tim Cahill would love nothing better than to join the select company of Pele, Uwe Seeler and Miroslav Klose by finding the net in a fourth World Cup over the next few weeks but first the Australian actually needs to get on the pitch.
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.
With no clear sense of direction being set by Deschamps' selections, it may be up to the players to find their own way to deal with Messi.
France will look to boss the midfield in a bid to limit supply to the lethal 31-year-old, who has struggled to impose himself in the tournament.
The VAR penalty that helped France defeat Australia in their World Cup opener was the 'strangest' moment of Mile Jedinak's career, the Socceroos captain said on Sunday.
Brazil have conceded only one goal in this World Cup, the equal most stingy rearguard along with Uruguay, and allowed only five shots on target in four games, the fewest of any side.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said he was the "proudest man on earth" and lavished praise on his "underdog" team for having the belief to upset five-times champions Brazil on Friday to reach the World Cup semi-finals for only the second time.
Colombia's World Cup campaign roared back into life with a 3-0 win over Poland in Group H on a sweltering evening at the Kazan Arena which sent the Poles tumbling out of the tournament on Sunday.
Belgium struck early and held off a late Brazil fightback to send the five-time champions tumbling out of the World Cup with a 2-1 victory in an end-to-end thriller on Friday that earned them a semi-final against France.
England forward Jamie Vardy is "looking doubtful" for the World Cup quarter-final against Sweden on Saturday after suffering a groin strain having come on as a late substitute in the last-16 win over Colombia, manager Gareth Southgate has said.
Mitchell Larkin completed a rare backstroke double and Bronte Campbell won the blue riband women's 100 metres freestyle title as Australia celebrated another golden night at the world swimming championships.
New Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp made it three wins from his last three matches with a 1-0 success at Rubin Kazan in Russia that left them second in Group B, two points behind Swiss club Sion on Thursday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Defending world champions Germany crashed out of the World Cup after a shock 2-0 loss to South Korea on Wednesday, courtesy of two stoppage-time goals.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The 2016 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards, the world's biggest photography competition, organised by the World Photography Organisation, announces the shortlists for its Professional, Open and Youth competitions.
South Korea's faint hopes of reaching the last 16 of the World Cup have faded further with news that captain Ki Sung-yueng will miss their final group game against Germany.
Russia introduced a raft of punitive economic measures and sports sanctions on Saturday after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane earlier in the week
The 26-year-old trained at the Mordovia Arena in Saransk on Monday but his state of fitness was still unclear.
Mexico, needing only a draw to reach the World Cup round of 16, were level 0-0 with Sweden at half-time in their Group F match on Wednesday, after surviving an aerial bombardment and a VAR review.
