Factbox on former Brazil striker Romario, who officially announced his retirement at the age of 42 on Monday.
Maradona was a uniquely gifted player who rose from the tough streets of Buenos Aires to reach the pinnacle of his sport.
Inter Milan signed Ricardo Quaresma from Porto on a five-year deal on Monday after the Portugal winger passed a medical, the Serie A champions said on their website (www.inter.it).
At the end of a World Cup in which Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi headed home after the first knockout round and Brazilian Neymar failed to deliver, the game perhaps needed a new talent to excite the global public.
It's not only Ireland that showered unbridled love on its prodigal son George Best, the legend lives on at Old Trafford.
Brazil honoured the great Pele on Thursday and the other eight surviving players from its maiden World Cup triumph in 1958, a victory that put the nation on the soccer map and paved the way for four more titles. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gave the nine men medals of honour at a banquet dedicated to their 5-2 final victory over hosts Sweden 50 years ago.
Hundreds of thousands of ecstatic French fans celebrated the return of their World Cup winning football team on Monday, jumping and chanting "We Are The Champions" as their bus paraded down the Champs Elysees before a special presidential reception.
Olympique Lyon needed a late long-range Juninho free kick to beat second division Sedan 1-0 on Wednesday and advance to the French Cup final.
'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.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo curled in a sizzling late free kick to strike the first hat-trick of the 2018 World Cup and grab his side a point in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Spain on Friday as the Group B blockbuster lived up to the hype.
Ronaldinho scored his first international goals for nearly two years to help Brazil thrash Chile 4-0 in a friendly.
The Manchester United manager said he doubts whether David Beckham's arrival in the US will spark a surge of interest in football.
The BCCI has retired the No 10 jersey in Tendulkar's honour. But in football, number 10 signifies the legend. After Pele and Diego Maradona, the two great strikers of the ball, Lionel Messi has made the number priceless, notes Veer Arjun Singh.
Rediff.com recaptures these and other exciting sporting moments from the week gone by....
Wayne Rooney can single-handedly shape the fortunes of his team, the Argentine legend said
Officially timed at 52 seconds, Jose Batista remains the fastest sending off in World Cup history.
Monaco's firepower was far too hot to handle for Olympique de Marseille as the Principality side moved top of the French Ligue 1 standings with a 4-0 home win on Saturday.
Zinedine Zidane's successful seventh minute penalty for France against Italy on Sunday meant he became the fourth player to score three goals in the history of the World Cup final.
Tens of thousands turned out to pay their final respects to the football legend, who died last week after losing a battle with alcoholism.
Tunisia's 40-year-old goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel will be the oldest player at the tournament which starts on June 9.
'I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run-up to bowl. The perfect delivery stride is understandable because he is a world champion athlete,' Harbhajan Singh said.
The Cameroon striker won the award for the third year running, edging out Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba by two points.
Images from the football matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
The list of the greatest living footballers as nominated by Brazilian legend Pele to mark the 100th anniversary of the foundation of FIFA.
Belgium and France meet in the World Cup semi-final at the Saint Petersburg Stadium on Tuesday.
She retired as the most prolific scorer -- male or female -- in the history international soccer.
A puppet lion designed with the help of the Jim Henson Company and going by the name of Goleo VI will be the official mascot of the 2006 Football World Cup.
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.
Brazil scored three superbly-taken goals, including a stunning Neymar effort, to beat feisty Austria 3-0 in sweltering conditions on Sunday and put the finishing touches to their impressive World Cup preparation.
The soccer crazy Kolkatans are chasing the Brazilian legend, who is in the city as the coach of the Japanese team.
Brazilian great Pele will join FIFA president Sepp Blatter among the 3,500 spectators at the December 5 event.
