Belgium's Eden Hazard is making the strongest bid for that crown.
The World Anti-Doping Agency banned Russia from the world's top sporting events for four years, a period that includes the next summer and winter Olympics and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, for tampering with doping-related laboratory data. The sanctions against Russia, the host of last year's soccer World Cup, also bar it from hosting major sporting events for a four-year period or applying to host new events in that period.
Images from the Under-19 World Cup final between India and Bangladesh, at Potchefstroom, on Sunday
Defending champion Germany suffered a shocking defeat, while Brazil, Spain and Argentina -- the other pre-tournament favourites -- managed just draws in their opening round matches.
IMAGES from the Group A match played between the Netherlands and Qatar on Tuesday.
The United States closed in on their third world title by beating perennial rivals Norway 1-0 in the quarter-finals.
Stanislas Wawrinka will hang up his racquet at the end of 2026, the three-times Grand Slam champion announced on Friday, bringing down the curtain on a 24-year professional career that saw him gatecrash tennis's elite during the sport's golden era.
India made a shock exit from the FIH Men's World Cup after losing to New Zealand in sudden death in their must-win crossover match.
Belgium have retained injured Vincent Kompany in their final World Cup squad but put fellow defender Laurent Ciman on standby in case the Manchester City skipper is not fit for their opening match in Russia.
Moscow erupted in street celebrations on Sunday as the World Cup hosts booked a place in the quarter-finals, defeating Spain on penalties at Russia's flagship stadium.
From the debate-arousing introduction of VAR to maximum number of Penalties to the superb Ronaldo, here are the A to Z of the ongoing 2018 World Cup
India's top archer Deepika Kumari came tantalisingly close to winning the World Cup final before she went down to Olympic double gold medallist Bo Bae Ki to settle for a silver in the recurve women's individual event at Hibiya Park in Tokyo on Sunday.
A European nation is set to win the World Cup for the fourth time in a row this Sunday and in doing so confirm an unprecedented dominance for the Old World over their once mighty rivals in South America.
After being sacked by England, Kevin Pietersen will appear at the World Cup after all, although he will swap his bat for a microphone after being signed up as a BBC radio pundit.
Reigning champions Bangladesh bounce back against Canada.
The Aston Villa 'keeper saved three penalties in the 2021 Copa America semi-final and Argentina went on to lift the trophy. Now he's stopped two more in a World Cup quarter-final and this could just be a good omen for Messi!
The first Women's Cricket World Cup was held in England in 1973, two years before the first men's world cup in 1975.
From Brian Lara to Virat Kohli, Ben Stokes to Steve Smith, the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup has never fallen short of showcasing cricket's brightest young stars. More than 30 years have passed since the world's top talents first announced themselves on the big stage, with the 1988 Youth Cricket World Cup a ground-breaking step in bringing ability to the fore.
Hosts Bangladesh defeated a valiant Nepal by six wickets after a tense run-chase to storm into the semi-finals of the ICC under-19 World Cup on Friday, giving the nation its maiden appearance in the last four of a world event.
Hosts Japan sailed into the Davis Cup quarter-finals for the first time with a 3-1 victory against injury-plagued Canada on Sunday.
The 2-2 draw in Kaliningrad was thrilling for neutrals but exposed huge vulnerabilities in the 2010 world champions, who had to come from behind twice after careless mistakes gifted two goals to already-eliminated Morocco.
Croatia made heavy weather of beating Denmark in their worst performance of the tournament, but will seek to rediscover their fluency in a weekend showdown against Russia for a place in the World Cup semi-finals.
India will aim for their first podium finish in 48 years in the men's Hockey World Cup as they begin their campaign with a tricky match against Spain in Rourkela on Friday.
Beaten and bored by "ordinary" Argentina, Belgium coach Marc Wilmots said he was less than impressed by a team that ended his side's World Cup hopes on Saturday.
At least one person died on Thursday when an unfinished overpass collapsed in World Cup host city Belo Horizonte, overshadowing the buildup to the first quarter-finals in which France face Germany and Brazil take on Colombia.
Brazil and Argentina have ousted Spain as the top picks for World Cup champions, according to a global field of 100 football fan economists polled by Reuters.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his North Korean teammates as the national anthem echoed around Ellis Park, proud striker Jong Tae-se let the tears flow as it dawned on him his World Cup dreams had come true.
A promising start to their World Cup campaign will raise hopes of a quarter-final berth.
A brisk start marked Turn 1 as the Indian attackers took charge of the proceedings. Three batches in the Nepal women were out by simple touches on 7 occasions, putting 14 points to India's kitty.
Angel Di Maria has claimed his former club Real Madrid put pressure on Argentina not to play him in the World Cup final in another bitter chapter in his departure from the Spanish giants.
Paul, the Octopus, is not the only creature predicting World Cup results. A parakeet, a long tailed parrot, named 'Mani' has also been forecasting match results.
Holders India begin their Under-19 World Cup defence with a clash against Sri Lanka on January 19, at the Mangaung Oval, in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
India progressed to the Davis Cup Qualifiers for the first time ever after Sumit Nagal tamed aggressive teenager Henry Bernet in the first reverse singles to script the team's 3-1 win over Switzerland.
Besides the 90,000 plus fans lending their noisy support, most of the 22 players involved in the final of the World Cup 2015 will have support in the shape of their families and spouses.
Sri Lanka and South Africa progressed to the quarter-finals of the ICC Under 19 World Cup after recording contrasting victories in Dubai.
France is slowly but gaining momentum when it mattered most.
Lack of strategic thinking behind Pakistan's loss in World Cup.
Join Prem Panicker on the Rediff World Cup Chat on Monday, March 23, 2015, at 12 noon IST to discuss the final stages of cricket's finest championship.
When the defending champion India take on Pakistan in their potentially high-octane campaign opener of the ICC Cricket World Cup on February 15 at the Adelaide Oval, the awe-inspiring Sachin Tendulkar would be conspicuously absent for the first time in a match between the two arch-rivals in the showpiece event.
