Germany announced their arrival at the FIFA Women's World Cup on Sunday by handing out a near-record 10-0 thrashing to Ivory Coast.
A look at the coaches in charge of the teams at the FIFA World Cup, starting in South Africa, on Friday.
Stadiums are selling out, and TV broadcasters are bumping up the price of advertising slots as millions tune in.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) issued a statement clarifying that Lionel Messi's event in Kolkata was a private event organised by a PR agency and the federation was not involved in the "planning or execution" of the event at Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.
No one expects Nigeria to win, but by now everyone knows that shirt...
Images from the Copa America semi-final between Argentina and Canada at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Tuesday.
The victory lifted Brazil to second in South American qualifying with 21 points, four behind leaders Argentina and one ahead of Uruguay in third, both of whom have a game in hand and will clash on Friday.
Lionel Messi does not need a World Cup winners' medal to be considered among soccer's all-time greats, fellow Argentine Diego Maradona has said.
The three sides who have bossed the ball the most in Russia, Spain, Germany and Argentina have all said "do-svidaniya" before the quarter-finals.
The Argentines suffered one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history
More than one billion television viewers watched last year's World Cup soccer final between Germany and Argentina in Brazil although audience figures for the tournament were slightly down because of adverse kickoff times, according to a FIFA report.
Iceland's president Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson has told Reuters that he wants even more soccer fans from around the world to join "Team Iceland" and share the joy as his tiny nation makes its World Cup debut in Russia.
Argentina and Australia have only two full days to rest, a factor Argentine manager Lionel Scaloni called 'madness'.
Hosts France reached the Olympic men's football semi-finals for the first time in 40 years with a 1-0 win over Argentina thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta's first-half goal in a grudge match in Bordeaux on Friday.
The Nicosia tournament, follows two back-to-back combined (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) ISSF World Cups, the first two of the year, in Argentina and Peru respectively that will be held in April.
Martinez's team face the 1998 World Cup winners in St Petersburg on Tuesday for a place in the final
Defending Copa America champions Argentina and South American heavyweights Brazil were drawn in favourable groups for next year's edition on Thursday, while hosts the United States will come up against 15-time winners Uruguay.
Germany have four players and Argentina three in the 10-man FIFA shortlist for the adidas Golden Ball, which is awarded to the World Cup's most outstanding performer.
France are favourites as Moscow basked in sweltering summer sun
Spain midfielder Koke revealed he and his team mates have been unable to watch some World Cup games because it interferes with their 'siesta', the traditional afternoon nap.
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.
Argentine riot police fired tear gas and water cannon on Sunday to break up dozens of rock-hurling youths in central Buenos Aires after the nation's hopes of a first World Cup win in 28 years were dashed by Germany in the final.
World Cup final referee Howard Webb has been included among the 25 who were named by FIFA on Wednesday for this year's tournament in Brazil.
Barcelona forward Neymar has almost recovered from a foot injury and hopes to play in Saturday's Spanish league decider against Atletico Madrid, the Brazilian said in an internet chat with fans on Monday.
France, World Cup winners in 1998 and finalists in 2006, missed out on a place in the eight top seeds for Friday's draw, announced by FIFA on Wednesday.
The points table of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Reigning Asian Games champion Palak and Paris Olympics stars Manu Bhaker and Swapnil Kusale headline the 23-member Indian squad for the Munich leg of the Rifle/Pistol ISSF World Cup, beginning June 8.
The stadium erupted in cheers once more with Fernandez's late strike which sealed Argentina's first win in the tournament and rekindled Messi's hopes of a first-ever World Cup title.
Simranpreet Kaur Brar clinched her maiden senior international medal with a silver in the women's 25m pistol event.
FIFA slapped the Mexicans with a CHF 10,000 fine for what it called "discriminatory and insulting chants" during their surprise 1-0 win over Germany on Sunday.
Ramandeep Singh scored two field goals as India beat Argentina 4-2 and set up a mouth-watering clash against Pakistan in the 9th-10th place classification match at the Hero Junior Men's Hockey World Cup in Delhi, on Thursday.
Argentina's Lionel Messi continued his World Cup dual with Neymar by scoring twice in a 3-2 win over Nigeria while Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri got in on the act with a magnificent hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Honduras on Wednesday.
India will seek to end 43 years of hurt when they begin the Hockey World Cup campaign against South Africa on Wednesday.
Officiating at the World Cup hasn't been of the highest standard, and almost all teams have had something to complain about. We bring you the Top-10 disputed calls made by referees and linesman in the tournament, so far.
Winger Adam Ashley Cooper's hat-trick of tries sent Australia into a first World Cup final since 2003 after a 29-15 victory over Argentina on Sunday secured a showdown with holders New Zealand at Twickenham next weekend.
Neymar, who has scored twice so far to help Brazil into the World Cup quarter-finals in Russia where they will face Belgium on Friday, has been sharply criticised for a string of exaggerated reactions when clashing with an opponent.
India, hosting its first ever FIFA tournament in the U-17 World Cup, will set the record of having the farthest distance between two venues in the event's history.
The consequences of failure are nowhere more devastating than at a World Cup, where two previous finals and five semi-finals have been decided by the gut-wrenching lottery of penalties.
Colombian star Shakira wowed the crowd with her performance of "Dare (La,La,La)" during the World Cup closing ceremony at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday night.
40 years back, on 15 March 1975, the Indian Men Hockey team accomplished a historic feat against Pakistan in the finals of the 1975 Hockey World Cup wherein they beat the opponents 2-1 to earn the title of 'Champions'.
