Portugal had to settle for a 0-0 draw at home to Spain in a heavyweight friendly on Wednesday after hammering the crossbar twice and missing a last-gasp open goal.
Chelsea made light of striker Diego Costa's absence to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points with a 3-0 win at champions Leicester City.
Stopping the stars won't be enough to win World Cup
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has blamed his side's poor finish as the reason behind their goalless draw against Southampton in their Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field on Thursday
Ukraine advanced to the Euro 2020 finals after an impressive first half helped them to a 2-1 home win over Portugal, whose talismanic captain Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 700th career goal.
Eden Hazard scored twice and created a third to steer Chelsea to a 4-1 victory over London rivals Arsenal in the Europa League final in what looks likely to be the Belgium winger's final game for the Blues.
Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey's injury could have been prevented, Wales manager Chris Coleman has said, adding he was surprised the Euro 2016 semi-finalist was rushed back for the opening Premier League game against Liverpool.
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup first semi-final played between France and Belgium on Tuesday
Images from football matches held across Europe on Saturday
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.
Lewandowski huffed and puffed, but he cut a lonely and frustrated figure
Kylian Mbappe became France's youngest scorer at a World Cup when he put Les Bleus 1-0 ahead at halftime against Peru in their second Group C game on Thursday.
Arsene Wenger reckoned that leaving his leading marksman Alexis Sanchez on the substitutes' bench had been a "debatable" decision but it was one that appeared to backfire on the Arsenal manager in the 3-1 defeat at Liverpool on Saturday.
Jamie Vardy's record scoring streak ended but LeicesterCity's improbable Premier League title challenge continued with Riyad Mahrez's hat-trick sealing a 3-0 win at SwanseaCity that put them top on Saturday.
Yann Sommer saved France striker Kylian Mbappe's spot kick to give Switzerland a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win, following a thrilling 3-3 draw after extra-time, on Monday as they advanced to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals where they will meet Spain.
A round-up of Friday's Euro 2020 qualifying matches.
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League on Sunday when they beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium with both goals scored by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Chelsea slipped up in their push for a Champions League spot when they lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday with Emile Smith Rowe's first-half goal settling the London derby after a defensive mix-up by the hosts.
Manchester United suffered a double blow on Thursday with Daley Blind ruled out for a 'long' spell due to a knee problem and Radamel Falcao receiving a "new injury" that will keep him out for at least two more weeks.
Dimitri Payet's spectacular late strike earned France a 2-1 win over Euro 2016 Group A rivals Romania on Friday, giving the host nation a flying start to their campaign.
Arsenal are still in contention for the English Premier League title and it is too soon to say that leaders Chelsea can go through the season undefeated, manager Arsene Wenger said.
Rediff.com encapsulates all the sporting action from the past week in this eye-catching photo feature.
Free-flowing France blew away in-form Switzerland with a three-goal first-half barrage en route to a thumping 5-2 World Cup Group E victory on Friday that virtually assures them qualification to the second round.
Losing a final to Cristiano Ronaldo has become an unfortunate habit for Antoine Griezmann and he is not happy about it.
Rediff.com presents a flashback of those moments at Euro 2016 that personify pure ecstasy...
Chelsea's slim hopes of winning the Premier League all but evaporated in the Stamford Bridge sunshine on Sunday as Norwich City ground out a 0-0 draw that left them hanging on to top- flight status by their fingernails.
France defender Benjamin Pavard made a spectacular comeback to the team as his superb second-half strike saw them beat Ireland 1-0 away in Euro 2024 qualifying Group B match.
Messi opened the scoring after two minutes and eight seconds, the quickest goal of his career, slipping the ball through Thibaut Courtois' legs from a tight angle.
A dispirited Arsene Wenger lamented his team's recent goal drought as Arsenal.
Barcelona clinched a 1-0 away win at Atletico Madrid, while AS Roma held AC Milan to a 2-2 draw.
After seven consecutive league defeats, and one point from the last 30 on offer, had plunged Villa into crisis and cost Tim Sherwood his job, the former European champions produced a gritty display to frustrate City.
FA Cup: Arsenal end Lincoln's adventure
France was always among the favourites but an underwhelming set of warm-ups plus a timid start suggested their reputation rang louder than reality
Raphael Varane's glancing header and a goalkeeping blunder that gifted Antoine Griezmann a soft goal gave France a 2-0 victory over Uruguay in the first World Cup quarter-final on Friday and a set up a last-four tie with Brazil or Belgium.
Third-placed Arsenal tightened their grip on a spot in the top four on the English Premier League table, continuing an impressive run of form at the Emirates with a 3-0 win over West Ham United on Saturday.
Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to secure Manchester City a 1-0 English Premier League victory at Leicester City after yet another penalty miss by Pep Guardiola's side on Saturday. Chelsea's Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso returned to the starting lineup to stunning effect by grabbing a goal apiece in a crucial 2-1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur in the battle between the London rivals for fourth place.
The presidential visit to Clairefontaine ahead of a World Cup has become a ritual for French leaders ever since Jacques Chirac visited the squad in the run-up to the 1998 tournament.
German national football team manager Joachim Low has admitted his side were 'scared' ahead of Friday night's friendly with France due to an earlier bomb threat in the capital.
Lukas Podolski's transfer to Inter Milan moved closer on Saturday when the Germany forward met coach Roberto Mancini.
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