Uruguay, with 3.3 million people, are into a quarter-final with Argentina's conquerors France after four straight wins including a stunning 2-1 knockout victory over Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.
Luis Figo and Carlos Puyol find it inexplicable, while Raul thinks it's a testament to the quality of Spanish football but all three La Liga legends are sure that Barcelona's astonishing slump would not last too long.
'So, clearly, getting out of the group and winning a knockout game would be a real sign of progress. And if you win one, you win more'
Liverpool's Matip did not want to play for Cameroon for the moment because of a 'bad experience' with the previous coaching staff
'People sitting in the stands need to know what the rules are. Who is refereeing the game? We need to know. People deserve to know what are the rules of the game and the game belongs to the people.'
The French champions blew a 2-0 advantage in their last-16 second leg match against Manchester United in Paris on Wednesday, crashing out on away goals after being beaten 3-1 at the Parc des Princes.
Argentina finished the group stages of the Copa America as the only team with a 100 percent record after a 1-0 win over Paraguay.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday.
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.
Goan football fans and Dempo players bid a tearful farewell to Cristiano Junior, whose body would be flown to Brazil.
The Indian cricketer also gave his thumbs up to ISL saying it could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the younger players in the country.
Factbox on Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who announced his retirement from international football on Friday.
Brazil will not release Robinho to play for Real Madrid in Sunday's Spanish League decider but have asked him instead to join their Copa America training camp immediately.
Chelsea have made a formal bid to sign Brazil striker Robinho from Real Madrid. Scolari, who took over as coach last month, is in desperate need of a striker as he prepares for the opening Premier League game of the season at home to Portsmouth on August 17.
The world's lowest ranked soccer team, Bhutan, will take on Sri Lanka next month, while sleeping giants India face Nepal in the first qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup.
Sixteen years after being an unused reserve at her home Sydney Olympics, Australian rider Sue Hearn will finally make her Games debut at the age of 60 in Rio.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday.
Germany coach Joachim Loew will stay in his post despite his team's group stage elimination at the World Cup in Russia.
Laggards in international rankings, India finally made their presence felt by pulling off an impressive under-17 World Cup that drew all-round praise even though the country was eliminated in the very first round.
Chelsea have signed Germany's highly-rated attacking midfielder Kai Havertz from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen on a five-year contract, the Premier League club announced on Friday.
A restaurant in St Petersburg has struck a chord with the hordes of soccer fans in town for the World Cup by serving up pizzas featuring the faces of some of the tournament's biggest stars.
With players such as Forlan, Recoba, Marcelo Zalayeta and Javier Chevanton at his disposal Uruguay's future looks as bright as one of coach Juan Ramon Carrasco's suits.
The draw for the eight groups for the final round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which will be played from June 12 to July 13 in Brazil, was just held in Costa do Saupe near Salvador de Bahia.
When Netherlands striker Robin van Persie put away a spectacular diving header against world champions Spain on a balmy afternoon at last year's World Cup it set them on the way to a 5-1 win and the promise of glory.
Allowing a lead to twice slip from their grasp in their last World Cup game could come back to haunt Senegal when they face Colombia in a decisive Group H clash in Samara on Thursday.
Brazil forward Ronaldinho has asked to be left out of the squad for the Copa America because he is tired, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Tuesday.
Richarlyson Felisbino struck the only goal of the game as FC Goa breathed new life into their Hero Indian Super League campaign with a gritty 1-0 victory over Mumbai City FC at Mumbai Football Arena, in Mumbai, on Friday.
The Brazilians maintained their unbeaten run in India, chalking their fourth straight victory.
Brazil's Sao Paulo Football Club crushed Mohammedan Sporting Club 6-0 in a Super Soccer exhibition series.
Brazil's Sao-Paulo blanked East Bengal 3-0 in the first Super Soccer match.
Jan-Fiete Arp (8th minute), Nicolas Kuehn (62nd) and Sahverdi Cetin (90+2) netted for the winners, while Ibrahima Soumah got the lone goal for Guinea in the 26th minute in the final Group C match at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium.
The Italian defender ended Ronaldinho's two-year reign as World Player of the Year after he also succeeded the Barcelona playmaker as European Footballer of the Year.
Injured David Beckham and Ronaldo have been left out of the Real Madrid squad for the match against Lyon.
As we prepare to cruise into the New Year, Rediff.com gives you a glance back, through photos, into all the sporting moments that made the last 12 months memorable.
Seat swap may have saved Chapecoense player's life in plane crash
Former Nigeria defender Stephen Keshi, who won the African Nations Cup as both a player and a coach, died of a suspected heart attack on Wednesday, the country's football association has confirmed. The 54-year-old coached Nigeria to the Nations Cup title in South Africa in 2013, 19 years after lifting the trophy as a player, only the second man after Egypt's Mahmoud El-Gohary to achieve the feat. Keshi is regarded an iconic figure in a golden generation of Nigerian players that includes Finidi George, Rashidi Yekini, Jay-Jay Okocha, Samson Siasia, Daniel Amokachi and Sunday Oliseh, captaining the team at the 1994 World Cup in the USA. During a 20-year playing career, Keshi had spells in France and Belgium, most notably for Anderlecht, and also in the U.S. during the Sacramento Scorpions' brief existence in the mid-1990s.
Football legend Pele tells defending Indian Super League champions Atletico de Kolkata to always respect the opponent.
Brazil playmaker Willian and has agreed terms to join Chelsea from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, the Premier League side said on Sunday.
Media reports suggest Sevilla's Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli, who has never disguised his ambition to take charge of the national team and steered neighbouring Chile to the Copa America title in 2015, will step into the vacancy.
