A summary of Tuesday's qualification matches next year's FIFA World Cup.
India's Raghu Prasad named FIH Male Umpire of the Year 2025
The number of assists is used as a tiebreaker to separate players who are level on goals scored. If they are tied on both counts, the winner is decided by who played the fewest minutes.
Reigning champions and World No. 2 Belgium, who won the title in the 2018 in Odisha, will take on South Korea in Bhubneswar.
Classy Croatia handed Argentina a 3-0 drubbing to claim a place in the World Cup knockout stage thanks to goals by Ante Rebic, Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic in their Group D match on Thursday.
Two of the most intimidating strikers in world football, Argentina's 35-year-old Lionel Messi and Poland's 34-year-old Robert Lewandowski, line up against each other on Wednesday with a last 16 place at stake in the World Cup.
Richard Giusti, who played with Maradona at the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, said it was impossible to compare him to Messi, who with his goal in the 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia became the first Argentine to score at four different World Cups.
Experienced Argentine official Nestor Pitana will referee the World Cup final between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday, an uncontroversial decision which rewards his authoritative performances in Russia.
The Indian women's hockey team is set to face Australia in a four-match series in Perth, aiming to build momentum for the upcoming FIH Nations Cup in Auckland.
Barcelona's serial hat-trick scorer Lionel Messi will be looking to take up where he last left off as Argentina captain when he leads his country against Ecuador in a 2014 World Cup qualifier on Saturday.
Brazil increased their lead at the top and Spain dropped below Italy.
Lionel Messi marked his first match as Argentina captain with a win as they beat an ultra defensive Greece side 2-0 and cruised into the World Cup second round as Group B winners putting the Greeks out on Tuesday.
Argentina's injured captain Lionel Messi has been named in a squad missing the suspended Javier Mascherano and Gonzalo Higuain for next month's World Cup qualifier against South America's bottom side Paraguay.
US President Donald Trump welcomed Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team to the White House on Thursday as he boasted about the United States' ongoing operation in Iran.
'I think obviously my choice would be England to win the competition, but that's me being biased and passionate about my country'
Argentina suffered a blow to their 2018 World Cup qualifying plans when Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero withdrew on Monday from their squad to face Uruguay and Venezuela. Aguero and Paris St-Germain midfielder Javier Pastore both have calf muscle injuries and will miss Thursday's home clash with Uruguay and the visit to Venezuela next Tuesday, the Argentine FA said.
New Zealand, Nepal, Namibia and Scotland from other qualifiers complete the line-up.
Lionel Messi marked his retirement about face with a goal to give 10-man Argentina a 1-0 win over Uruguay on Thursday that lifted them to the top of the South American qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia.
Hosts India drawn with England, Spain and Wales in Pool D of FIH World Cup
Messi or Suarez should win World Cup if not Spain, says Luis Enrique
Argentina captain Lionel Messi said defending champions France and Brazil are the favourites to win the World Cup in Qatar as they have a core group of players who have played together for a long time.
Bollywood star Deepika Padukone unveiled the FIFA World Cup trophy on Sunday ahead of the final between Argentina and France at the Lusail stadium in Doha.
Argentina's decision to play their four world class forwards was fully justified in a crushing 4-0 win over Ecuador that put them top of the South American World Cup qualifiers on Saturday.
Angel Di Maria unleashed a stunning long-range strike in the 41st minute to draw Argentina level at 1-1 against France at halftime of their round of 16 World Cup clash on Saturday.
Photos of the World Cup semi-final game between Argentina and Netherlands
Argentina and holders Brazil, who between them have 11 titles, will miss this year's Under-20 World Cup in Turkey after abysmal results in the South American qualifying tournament.
The Qatar World Cup has delivered a rich feast of soccer for the past month
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi on Saturday virtually unveiled his towering 70-foot statue at Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, Kolkata.
Asian champions India are placed in Pool C alongside Canada, South Korea and Spain. They start their tournament campaign against Korea on December 5.
Rediff.com's Norma Godinho captures classic moments from the planet's greatest sports competition: The FIFA World Cup.
Lionel Messi would trade all his Barcelona success for a World Cup winners' medal with Argentina to sit alongside the game's greats, according to compatriot Ossie Ardiles.
The 35-year-old forward confirmed this would be his last World Cup
As hosts Russia and Saudia Arabia kick off the extravaganza, Harish Kotian and Ashish Narsale assemble a fascinating FIFA World Cup quiz.
The collection included the shirt Messi wore during the first half of the final against France in Qatar.
The first edition of FIFA's new 32-team Club World Cup will be held in the United States in 2025, world soccer's governing body said on Friday.
Argentina lifted the gloom from a poor Copa America by routing Chile 4-1 in their opening 2014 World Cup qualifier on Friday, while Uruguay also scored four to get their campaign off to a good start.
Saudi Arabia announced it would bid only minutes after soccer's global governing body called for Asia and Oceania bids on October 4.
A Lionel Messi masterclass, netting a brilliant free kick before laying on two more goals, put Argentina's World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a resounding 3-0 win over Colombia in San Juan on Tuesday.
Mario Goetze of Germany slips the ball past Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero in the World Cup final on Sunday. Germany won the World Cup for the fourth time on Sunday after substitute Mario Goetze volleyed in a brilliant goal seven minutes from the end of extra-time to secure a 1-0 victory over Argentina at the Maracana.
