'We have some of the players that call the biggest media attention in the world so we take it naturally, it's our dream winning a World Cup. Pressure is inevitable.'
Jennifer Lopez, who along with Pitbull and Brazil's Claudia Leitte has sung the official FIFA World Cup song, will not perform at the tournament's opening ceremony, FIFA said in a statement on Monday.
Cristiano Ronaldo is all set for his second chance to shine in Brazil when pointless Portugal attempt to get their World Cup campaign back on track against Juergen Klinsmann's United States in sultry Manaus on Sunday.
A second-place finish in the group stages could prove to be a blessing in disguise for England who are on the relatively easier side of the draw in the knockout stages.
Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden struck twice as England came from behind to thrash European champions Spain 5-2 and clinch their maiden Under-17 World Cup title, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
Images from the FIFA World Cup Group G match between Brazil and Switzerland on Monday.
"It is a story that I wanted to tell in my own words, about what happened. I feel it is the biggest story of my career and I thought that I held it for too long by myself and that I needed to share it with other people. The moment was now and (being in) Madrid, on the eve of El Clasico on Sunday, was the perfect occasion to make it happen," the former striker said.
Ethiopia ended the hopes of 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa from making next year's finals in Brazil after a dramatic round of African group stage qualifying matches on Sunday.
The footballers heading to Carnival capital will hope to make fate walk their path. But there are some big names who couldn't make the big trip for some reason or the other. Rediff.com presents the top 16 players you won't be seeing in Brazil.
'It was not an agreement, this was his proposal and of course it (then) went to the vote at the (FIFA) executive committee'
Brazil's poster-boy striker Neymar flicked and tricked and along came the goals for Brazil.
Mexico got just rewards for their attacking intent when Oribe Peralta's 61st minute strike gave them a 1-0 win over Cameroon in their World Cup opener at a rain-saturated Dunas arena on Friday.
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.
Belgium became the first European team to qualify for next year's World Cup when a Romelu Lukaku header gave them a 2-1 win away to Greece on Sunday with the goals coming in a five-minute second-half spell.
With champions Germany out, Argentina only scraping through, and Spain in turmoil, many see Brazil as the clear favourites to lift the World Cup in Moscow on July 15.
Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari said his future had yet to be decided and urged optimism after the hosts crashed to another heavy defeat in their final match of the World Cup on Saturday.
is scheduled to host the Twenty20 World Cup in six months' time and Geoff Allardice, the acting chief executive of ICC, feels there is enough time before they need to hit the panic button.
Vinicius Jr, who joined Real in 2018, has won the Spanish top-flight league three times with the club, apart from two Champions League and two Club World Cup titles.
Argentina reached the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in 24 years on Saturday when an early goal by Gonzalo Higuain and a strong defensive display proved enough to beat a disappointing Belgium side 1-0.
France's World Cup chances suffered a severe blow when influential winger Franck Ribery was ruled out with lower back problems on Friday.
Germany should really not be surprised by their earliest World Cup exit in 80 years.
Javier Ceppi, Tournament Director of the 2017 Under-17 football World Cup, which India will host, says the success of the event depends on the country's fans. Laxmi Negi reports.
Tite was asked about reports that he was set to take charge of the Champions League winners during a news conference ahead of Sunday's friendly against Austria, although it was not clear where they had originated.
With one month to go until the start of the 2014 soccer World Cup in Brazil on June 12, we take a look at how things are shaping up on the playing side for 10 of the leading nations.
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.
World soccer body FIFA has revised kick-off times for seven group matches at next year's World Cup finals in Brazil, including four in the hottest venues.
Uruguay striker Luis Suarez is to have surgery on his knee on Thursday morning, just over three weeks before the start of the World Cup, according to local media reports.
Injured Brazil forward Neymar thanked fans for their support on Saturday and said his teammates will do everything to keep his dream of winning the World Cup alive.
Here are some of those players who have seized the opportunity in Brazil to put themselves firmly on the radar as transfer targets in the weeks and months ahead.
Bosnia beat Iran 3-1 in their Group F finale on Wednesday to record their first World Cup win and deny the West Asians any chance of reaching the knockout stage.
A part of the stadium which was scheduled to host the opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil had reportedly collapsed, killing three people and causing substantial damages.
Brazil defensive midfielder Casemiro took a break from putting out fires to score a scorching goal that sent his side into the last 16 of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Switzerland.
Brazil spread the ball beautifully with a plethora of one-touch passing combinations that cornered the South Koreans who had no plan to defend against so much talent.
Argentina will not hold back despite having already qualified for the World Cup finals or lost four top players including Lionel Messi to injury when they host Peru in a qualifier on Friday.
Japan basked in the glow of its World Cup soccer team's historic win over Colombia, a victory that has lifted the nation's mood after an earthquake struck its second-biggest metropolis Osaka.
After more goals came from set-pieces in this World Cup's group stage than any other, dead-ball strategy has continued to have a huge impact in the knockout phase, with five of the 11 goals scored in the quarter-finals coming from free kicks or corners.
Police raided the Frankfurt headquarters of Germany's football association (DFB) on Tuesday and searched the homes of officials to investigate suspected tax evasion linked to the awarding of the 2006 World Cup, prosecutors said.
France's Zinedine Zidane, Argentina's Diego Maradona, Brazil's Ronaldo and Italy's Fabio Cannavaro etched their names in football folklore by winning the game's biggest prize for their country. However, their return to the same stage four years later is best forgotten.
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.
Penalty-takers at the World Cup will not be able to feint as they are about to kick the ball after a change in rules was announced on Tuesday, just three weeks before the start of the sport's biggest event.
