A superb 83rd minute free-kick from captain Neymar gave Brazil a winning start under new coach Dunga as they beat Colombia 1-0 in a fiercely contested friendly on Friday.
A decision to include Japan and Qatar as the invited sides to this year's Copa has also done little to generate faith in the new leadership, with the tournament usually featuring the 10 South American nations plus two invited teams, although they are generally from elsewhere in the Americas.
Read on to find out who is the more popular team among the models.
Qatar will be the first team since Italy in the second World Cup in 1934 to participate in the finals for the first time as a host without having previously qualified for the tournament.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Brazil exited the World Cup on Wednesday hoping a new generational talent will emerge as Marta's sixth and final Women's World Cup ended with a 0-0 draw against Jamaica
Brazil return to winning ways with dreary win over Ecuador in their World Cup qualifiers.
Six people survived, including three members of the club, en route to the Copa Sudamericana final against local side Atletico Medellin, the biggest game in Chapecoense's history.
Manchester Utd's Fred receives racist abuse after defeat by Liverpool.
Chapecoense goalkeeper Danilo, who was killed in the Colombian air crash last month, was posthumously named Brazil's Player of the Year after a vote by fans.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
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.
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.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Striker Marcus Rashford scored a second-half winner as a young and much-changed England avoided an unprecedented fourth successive defeat by beating Switzerland 1-0 in a friendly on Tuesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Copa America kicks off in Chile on Thursday as a widening US-led investigation lifts the lid on rampant corruption among the sport's top officials.
Argentina are on a 36-match unbeaten run with top scorer and captain Messi playing his fifth and last World Cup in search of the elusive honour
India's FIFA U-17 World Cup team coach Luis Norton de Matos on Saturday refused to predict his side's chances in the upcoming tournament, saying that instead of thinking about the results the country should take it as "a first step for the future".
Colombian fans are paying tribute to defender Andres Escobar, gunned down 20 years ago after scoring an own goal in the World Cup, and hope his memory will inspire the current crop's hunt for glory.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Poland coach Adam Nawalka said his team had needed to beat Japan in their final World Cup match on Thursday to prove they were not quitters and bring some joy to their country's football fans after a miserable campaign in Russia.
The soccer world was in mourning on Tuesday as clubs, players and fans from around the globe sent tributes and support to Brazilian side Chapecoense following a deadly air crash in Colombia that killed 76 people, including several players.
Three South American sides have accounted for almost half of all World Cup titles but their worst overall performance since 2002 has raised the question: Is South American football on the wane?
Valencia sign Kondogbia on loan from Inter
It would be unfair to expect India to bedazzle crowds with eye-catching football. This team is built around stability, writes Dhruv Munjal
Images from the international friendly and Euro qualifying football matches played on Tuesday.
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.
England dumped Nigeria out of the Women's World Cup in a last-16 penalty shootout
It will have made uneasy viewing for coach Jorge Sampaoli and emphasised more than ever how reliant his side are on their talisman Messi, who has been struggling with a muscle problem.
Canadian football fans may be enjoying the ride but for the players, the grind of the Women's World Cup is no fun.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The plane that crashed in Colombia virtually wiping out an entire Brazilian football team was running out of fuel, had no electrical power, and was preparing for an emergency landing, according to the pilot's final words. The disaster on Monday night killed 71 people and sent shock waves round the global football world. Only six on board the LAMIA Bolivia charter flight survived, including three of the Chapecoense football squad en route to the biggest game in their history: the Copa Sudamericana final.
Chile face Argentina in Sunday's Copa America final for the right to call themselves South America's dominant team but perhaps an even bigger question for football fans the world over regards whether Lionel Messi can finally win a major international title. The Barcelona forward has won every trophy possible with the Spanish club but he has lost three finals with Argentina, including in 2014 World Cup Final in 2014 and the Copa America last year. Sunday's game against Chile in New Jersey gives Messi a chance to end both his personal hoodoo and that of Argentina, who have not won a major title since lifting the Copa America in Ecuador in 1993.
England's World Cup victory over Sweden on Saturday was heard throughout the land.
The small club from Chapeco in southern Brazil will be aided in their comeback by other senior teams, a group of whom called for the club to be exempt from relegation for three years.
British citizen detained in Russia after incident on World Cup train: Embassy
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The world's most-talented young players gave India a memorable show of high quality football on the field as the country showcased its organizational skills in a near-flawless and record-breaking FIFA Under-17 World Cup across six cities, which culminated with England clinching the title in Kolkata on Saturday.
