Chelsea's Spanish striker Diego Costa was named along with usual suspects Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 23- man FIFA Ballon D'Or short-list released on Tuesday.
Belgium go into Monday's World Cup last 16 match against Japan full of confidence but wary that relying on individual talent against similarly well-organised but less fancied teams has cost them dear in the past.
Japan twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Senegal in their World Cup Group H encounter on Sunday.
At the last two World Cups, Brazil have veered away from the great, attacking traditions that used to make them the team that everyone wanted to watch.
Manchester United will not be signing Colombia forward Radamel Falcao on a permanent basis, the Premier League club said on Sunday after the final game of the season.
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup match played between England and Tunisia in Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia on Monday
Argentina coach Diego Maradona will have to go back to the drawing board after his team's rudderless performance in their 1-0 win over Colombia.
A round-up of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers played on Thursday
Argentina remain winless in South American qualifying for the 2018 World Cup after struggling to a 0-0 in Paraguay on Tuesday, while Uruguay and Ecuador both made it two wins from two games to top the group.
Analysis of the eight groups for the 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia.
It would be unfair to expect India to bedazzle crowds with eye-catching football. This team is built around stability, writes Dhruv Munjal
'That's what we're trying to do, by creating a tournament that is much more attractive than the current one, with more quality among participants and more clubs. That will attract more sponsors and television companies from around the world'
A plane carrying 72 people, including football players from Brazil, has reportedly crashed in Colombia. Authorities are responding to an emergency after an airplane with 72 people on board has crashed on its way to Medellin's international airport.
Argentina are odds-on favourites to win the Copa America for the first time since 1993 by beating Chile in Saturday's final.
Brazil were jeered off the field after being held to their second successive home goalless draw in the World Cup qualifiers.
Ibrahimovic was forced off with a muscle problem with 11 minutes remaining, and the Swede was pictured sitting on the bench with an ice pack strapped to the back of his left leg.
Argentina will return to Olympic football next year after sealing victory in the South American under-20 qualifying tournament in Uruguay on Saturday.
Bopanna being the highest-ranked doubles player in the country is automatic choice for the doubles rubber.
Stones headed England in front in the eighth minute, losing his marker to angle home a Kieran Trippier corner before captain Kane made it 2-0 in the 22nd minute with his third goal of the tournament, an emphatically struck penalty after Jesse Lingard was pushed over in the box by Fidel Escobar.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Next year's Copa America in Chile will give Brazil the chance to bury the ghosts of their miserable World Cup, the president of the country's soccer federation said.
It will have made uneasy viewing for coach Jorge Sampaoli and emphasised more than ever how reliant his side are on their talisman Messi, who has been struggling with a muscle problem.
Brazil hammered Bolivia 5-0 in World Cup qualifiers on Thursday, giving coach Tite his third successive win in the most convincing performance from the five-time world champions for some time. Bolivia had not won a World Cup qualifier away from home since 1993 but Brazil were still excellent, particularly in the first half, when they scored four of their five goals.
Rampant Germany hammered Portugal 4-0, with four players sharing the goals, to progress to the semi-finals of the Rio Games football tournament on Saturday.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho also singled out Maguire, "normally a very honest guy...for diving in the box.
England manager Gareth Southgate says he is not about to change his team's approach for Wednesday's World Cup semi-final against Croatia, saying he wants the "same again" from his young side.
Five-times world champions Brazil plummeted further down the FIFA rankings as they hit a record low of 22nd place on Thursday, leaving them sandwiched between Ghana and Mali.
Unheralded New Zealand will have a tough job at hand when take on Turkey in the FIFA U-17 World Cup Group B opening match at the D Y Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.
Ronaldinho, who had a disappointing Club World Cup this month, has been elected South American footballer of the year in the annual poll conducted by the Uruguayan daily El Pais.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero will miss Argentina's final South American World Cup qualifier against Uruguay on Tuesday as the team who have already booked their place at next year's finals prepare to field yet more reserves.
There are 28 sports at the Olympics but many home fans will be happy if the hosts win just one as their young soccer team seek to finally secure the only international title that has so far eluded Brazil.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the use of the video assistant referee system at the ongoing Club World Cup in Japan after the technology sparked controversy on both instances it was used.
Germany's exit has no bearing on England preparations for the World Cup latter stages and they will be going all out to win their final Group G match against Belgium, coach Gareth Southgate said on Wednesday.
England and Belgium, already qualified from World Cup Group G, meet on Thursday in what Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini says could be a "strange match". Depending on the outcome of other games, it may not be an advantage to finish top of the group, but both sides insist they won't take such calculations into account.
The Indian football team continued to paint a grim picture as they are languishing down at 156th spot in the latest FIFA rankings.
Champions Manchester City have won their last 10 home league matches scoring a total of 36 goals.
Rajat Chauhan ensured India a medal by making the final in the compound section, while Laxmirani Majhi advanced to the bronze medal play-off in the women's recurve in the World Archery Championships, in Copenhagen, on Thursday.
But if the five-times World Player of the Year is feeling frustrated by his mini-drought -- and his reactions on the pitch suggest he is -- his worries pale in comparison to Dybala's unhappy start to the season.
Panama and Tunisia have been the fall-guys in the two top-scoring matches of World Cup 2018, but both teams will hope to show they have learnt some lessons from their efforts in Russia before they head home after their Group G match on Thursday.
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