The top two teams in each group go into the last 16. In the case of teams finishing level on points, FIFA has put in place seven tie-breakers starting with goal difference and then the number of goals scored in all group matches.
New Zealand are placed in Group B along with Turkey, Paraguay and Mali.
Argentina are on a 36-match unbeaten run with top scorer and captain Messi playing his fifth and last World Cup in search of the elusive honour
One could argue that his relationship with the World Cup over the last 12 years reflects his entire career -- a tale of hope, disappointment, controversy, pain and underachievement.
Australia and New Zealand were handed the right to host the 2023 Women's World Cup soccer tournament by a comfortable margin after a vote by the FIFA Council on Thursday. Their joint proposal beat a rival bid from Colombia to host the tournament which is being expanded to 32 teams.
Qatar will be the first team since Italy in the second World Cup in 1934 to participate in the finals for the first time as a host without having previously qualified for the tournament.
France, who were 2-0 up courtesy of Arthur Rinderknech and Adrian Mannarino, faced little resistance from Ecuador as wins for Benjamin Bonzi and the doubles pair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicholas Mahut secured victory for the 10-times champions.
Lionel Messi, so often the key man for Argentina, paid tribute to Martinez.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the India Under-17 football team in New Delhi on Friday as he encouraged the youngsters to stick together and represent the country at the highest level in the years to come.
Favourites Russia Tennis Federation opened their Davis Cup Finals campaign with a resounding victory over Ecuador, Britain began with a win against France and Italy eased into the quarter-finals with a win over Colombia on Saturday.
The team may be able to rely on Real Madrid's young trio of Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Eder Militao and Premier League rising stars Bruno Guimaraes, Antony and Gabriel Martinelli, among others.
A summary of Thursday's South American World Cup qualifiers.
Brazil assumed responsibility for hosting the Copa America, South America's equivalent of the European Championship, on May 31, less than two weeks before the tournament kicked off.
Brazil against Argentina is a true clasico. The teams first met in 1914 and in the years since have established themselves as two of the most storied sides in world soccer. Together they have won seven World Cups.
Colombian fans are paying tribute to defender Andres Escobar, gunned down 20 years ago after scoring an own goal in the World Cup, and hope his memory will inspire the current crop's hunt for glory.
Deepika Kumari and Laishram Bombayla Devi helped India finish second behind China in the recurve qualification round of the Archery World Cup Stage 3 being held in Medellin, Colombia.
The Indian women's recurve team earned Olympic quota for the 2016 Rio Games by entering the final, while the men's trio failed to advance after giving away a handsome lead, at the Archery World Championships, in Copenhagen, on Tuesda
While Africa, Asia and North America will not be represented, dashing any hope of a revolutionary breakthrough in the eventual destination of the trophy, at least one of this year's finalists will not have reached the title decider for half a century, if at all.
The lifters will work with Dr Aaron Horschig, a former weightlifter-turned-physical therapist and strength and conditioning coach.
Images from the international friendly and Euro qualifying football matches played on Tuesday.
Colombian soccer supporters brought a wave of tropical exuberance to the stolid citizens of Saransk
India's FIFA U-17 World Cup team coach Luis Norton de Matos on Saturday refused to predict his side's chances in the upcoming tournament, saying that instead of thinking about the results the country should take it as "a first step for the future".
England's World Cup victory over Sweden on Saturday was heard throughout the land.
Reuters sports writers chose their team of the tournament.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
India finally came good, assuring themselves at least a silver medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 3 being held in Medellin, Colombia.
The Brazilian town of Chapeco, its streets wet with drizzle and buildings draped in the green of its devastated soccer club, prepared Saturday to receive the bodies of victims of an air crash in Colombia that killed 71 people and wiped out the team.
Images from the FIFA World Cup group fixtures between Costa Rica and Uruguay and Colombia and Greece.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi pulled his side level in the 57th minute after a handball by Paraguay's Ivan Peris which no-one on the pitch appealed for but was spotted by a VAR review.
Jaishankar, who met Guterres at the UN headquarters in New York, also discussed other issues, including India's presidency of the G20 and the Ukraine conflict, with the UN chief.
Uruguay made light of the absence of striker Luis Suarez to recover from a goal down and beat 2015 Copa America hosts Chile 2-1 in a friendly in Santiago.
Giroud, at 36, brings experience and guile to France's attack, while Mbappe, 23, is blessed with pace
Costa Rica's domination of a group with three former champions and Chile and Colombia's triumphant march through their first two matches highlights the strength of the Latin American challenge at the World Cup.
England fans are dreaming of World Cup glory after their team banished a decades-long curse of flunking penalty shootouts thanks to a nail-biting win over Colombia.
Brazil fought back from a goal down to score three times in the second half and record a 3-1 win over Venezuela that maintained their 100 percent record in qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup.
"Dull, boring, lifeless -- nothing else to say really. But we're going to win the World Cup anyway so don't worry about us!" said Leighton from Liverpool.
Only four teams are left in the Copa America and whichever lifts the trophy next weekend, one thing is guaranteed -- the winning coach will be an Argentine.
The statement added that both players and the staff member were in good health and said the team had followed protocol and taken the appropriate measures following the results.
Anwar Ali, at the heart of India's defence, will once again play a pivotal role in the match
Blue Samurai will not think about playing for a draw to qualify for the World Cup's knockout rounds, according to captain Makoto Hasebe.
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