Germany expects 2.7 million people to attend matches in stadiums across the country and some 12 million in its fan zones for outdoor viewing, including on a long stretch of turf laid out in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
Arsenal struck two late goals to escape with a point in a pulsating 3-3 home draw with bottom club Southampton but their Premier League title hopes suffered another setback on a Friday night of frazzled nerves in north London.
Manchester United maintained their push for a top-four Premier League finish when they beat Everton 1-0 with a second-half goal by French striker Anthony Martial at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard and defender Branislav Ivanovic will be out of action until the end of January, the Chelsea website reported on Wednesday.
The abusive hand gesture Jack Wilshere directed at ManchesterCity fans this month was a reaction to jibes about his children, the Arsenal and England midfielder explained on Tuesday.
Wayne Rooney ended his eight-game Premier League scoring drought with a 2-0 victory against a dogged Sunderland.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been feeling the pressure in the race for a Champions League place but a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Thursday got his team back up to third spot.
The FIFA 2022 World Cup will kick-off in Qatar on Sunday, November 20. Here is a list of the 26-man squads playing in the quadrennial global football extravaganza.
Premier League champions Chelsea, beginning to find their form under Guus Hiddink after a shocking start to the season, will face Manchester City in the outstanding tie of the FA Cup fifth round following Sunday's draw.
Manchester City host Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday on the back of a record 15 successive English Premier League wins, and on the basis of their visitors' recent away form, a 16th victory appears to be the likely outcome.
Valencia, who was taken off for the last 15 minutes of Sunday's Group A game, has had a decade-long career in the Ecuador side, starting off as a winger but being converted to a striker in the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup.
Arsenal moved top of the Premier League table but were unconvincing in a 0-0 home draw with Middlesbrough who were well worth their point on Saturday.
Players who have been ruled out or are doubtful for the 2022 World Cup.
England football team manager Sam Allardyce has been caught up in a newspaper sting in which he is alleged to have met a bogus consortium of Far East businessmen seeking advice on the Premier League's billion pound transfer market.
Chelsea were given a stiff examination by Stoke City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday before extending their lead at the top of the Premier League.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Manchester United continued their perfect start to the Premier League season by crushing Swansea City 4-0 with three late goals in four minutes.
Spoils were shared in two huge Premier League derbies, Chelsea's cracking start continued with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa and Wayne Rooney produced a Jekyll and Hyde display in a nervy Manchester United victory on Saturday.
Spoils were shared in two huge Premier League derbies, Chelsea's cracking start continued with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa and Wayne Rooney produced a Jekyll and Hyde display in a nervy Manchester United victory on Saturday.
Manchester City's faltering attempts to retain their title suffered a huge blow on Saturday when they lost 1-0 at Burnley, giving Chelsea the chance to open an eight-point lead when they host Southampton on Sunday.
Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe was recalled to the England squad at the age of 34 on Thursday ahead of next week's friendly in Germany and a World Cup qualifier at home to Lithuania.
"When you see world-recognised figures like Juergen Klopp and Pep Guardiola behaving like that, it is then replicated by people in youth football and perpetuates the idea that it is OK to do it," Ref Support UK CEO Martin Cassidy said.
The points table of the English Premier League 2015-16 season.
Ronaldo answered his critics five minutes after halftime with a superb finish
West Bromwich Albion forward Nicolas Anelka has been banned for five matches and fined 80,000 for making an alleged anti-Semitic gesture in a match in December, the Football Association said on Thursday.
Harry Kane's superb scoring streak continued as Tottenham Hotspur survived some late nerves to beat Everton 3-2 at White Hart Lane on Sunday and cut Chelsea's lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points.
Chelsea have completed the transfer of defender Wesley Fofana from Leicester City, both Premier League sides said on Wednesday, with the Frenchman signing a seven-year contract with the west London club.
This and more from the happenings in the world of football
IMAGES from Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Irresistible Chelsea go into the Christmas round of fixtures knowing they can end the year by re-writing the record books.
Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy will serve a three-match suspension after the club's appeal against his dismissal during Saturday's 2-2 Premier League draw with Stoke City was rejected, the Football Association (FA) said on Tuesday.
Manchester City clinched the Champions League title to seal their treble in a sensational season.
Harry Redknapp resigned as manager of struggling Queens Park Rangers.
Bournemouth winger Jordan Ibe has suffered no ill-effects from being robbed of an expensive watch at knifepoint recently, according to manager Eddie Howe.
Manchester United will exercise their option to extend veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic's contract for a second season at Old Trafford, manager Jose Mourinho said on Wednesday. The 35-year-old Ibrahimovic, who joined on a free transfer in July, has had a mixed start to his United career despite scoring eight goals in 17 games in all competitions. "Zlatan's situation is simple: he has a one-plus-one contract with the club and we will execute the option of a second season," Mourinho told reporters.
Is VAR sucking the life out of the game?
A second-half penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai earned Hungary a shock 1-0 win over England in the Nations League on Saturday - their first victory against Gareth Southgate's side in 60 years.
