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.
Earlier in the night, Bolivia were denied their first win when Kaku scored with 18 minutes remaining to rescue a 2-2 draw for home side Paraguay in Asuncion.
Brazil have become the first team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, maintaining their proud record as the tournament's only ever-present side with a little help from Lionel Messi's foul mouth and lightly-regarded Peru.
Marta became the all-time leading scorer at the women's World Cup on Tuesday as Brazil vaulted to the top of Group E with a 2-0 win over South Korea, while Eugenie Le Sommer's superb long-range strike gave France victory over England.
Akira Nishino deployed a new formation but endured a disappointing first match in charge with a 2-0 defeat by Ghana
The senior recurve and compound teams could not board the flight to Medellin in Colombia and were forced to pull out of the season-opening stage one of the World Cup beginning on Monday.
Lionel Messi has identified Spain as the one country he hopes to avoid in the group stages of the World Cup finals next year.
Lionel Messi struggled in the thin air of La Paz, fluffing a gilt-edged chance to end his goal drought against Bolivia, while Colombia marksman Radamel Falcao was kept scoreless in Venezuela on Tuesday.
The Indian trio of Sarvesh Pareek, Sandeep Kumar and Isaiah Rajender Sanam, who were seeded sixth, beat a higher ranked Venezuela 231-222 in a one-sided bronze playoff.
Pop star Shakira will perform before the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro on July 13, headlining a closing ceremony that includes guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana and rapper Wyclef Jean.
Clubbed in a veritable group of death for next year's World Cup, Australia believe they can spring a surprise while fellow Asian qualifiers Japan, South Korea and Iran were more cautious with their optimism despite being dealt kinder draws.
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.
The fourth of a five-part history of the World Cup from Uruguay in 1930 up to the preparations for the 2014 finals in Brazil.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday graced Indian football's historic moment when he greeted players of both the teams ahead of India's opening FIFA U-17 World Cup match against USA, in New Delhi.
Brazil became the second team to qualify for the knockout round of the women's World Cup on Saturday and England picked up a big win, but France suffered a shock defeat that could make their life at the tournament tougher.
Ramon Jeserun, the federation president, and his son Ramon Jamil were charged after fighting security guards in a tunnel after the Copa America final.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the use of the video assistant referee system at the ongoing Club World Cup in Japan after the technology sparked controversy on both instances it was used.
Returning after a year away from international action and a draining battle with Hepatitis A, Preeti Pawar marked her comeback in style, securing a medal for India at the World Boxing Cup Finals in Greater Noida on Sunday.
Brazil, who are fifth in the CONMEBOL table with 18 points from 12 games, host Colombia on March 21 and visit Argentina five days later in a match that could see Neymar come up against former Barcelona and Paris St Germain teammate Lionel Messi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be a part of the FIFA U-17 World Cup's opening day proceedings, which will include a small ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Friday.
Powered by Deepika Kumari's gold and bronze medal performances on the concluding day, India finished fourth in the Archery World Cup Stage 3 in Medellin, Colombia.
James Rodriguez scored one goal and set up two more as Colombia thoroughly dismantled Panama in a 5-0 win at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday to march into the Copa America semi-finals.
'Les Bleus' will be inspired by the two-decade anniversary of their only World Cup win in 1998, while double winners Uruguay's modern generation are desperate to recreate the black-and-white-era glories of their 1930 and 1950 trophies.
Racing towards the camera after scoring direct from a corner at Colombia's top youth tournament in 2004, excited scouts could see James Rodriguez was a kid at ease in the limelight.
The United States' bid for a fourth consecutive CONCACAF Nations League title came to a stunning end
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.
England's World Cup victory over Sweden on Saturday was heard throughout the land.
Hosts Brazil suffered a huge blow when they lost leading forward Neymar for the rest of the World Cup through injury on Friday as they set up an epic-looking semi-final against Europe's biggest remaining team Germany.
Benjamin Pavard's swerving strike from the edge of the area in France's round of 16 win over Argentina in Kazan has been voted the best goal of the World Cup finals.
Asia's representatives are once again heading home before the business end of the World Cup gets going.
The hosts crashed out of the tournament at the group stage, losing all their three matches. They gave a tough fight to Colombia in their 1-2 defeat but suffered drubbings against the USA (0-3) and Ghana (0-4).
Summary of the South American World Cup qualifiers played on Thursday
Brazil missed a string of chances and were left to rue a lack of quality in the final third after they were held 0-0 by Costa Rica.
IMAGES from the South American World Cup qualifiers played on Tuesday.
Brazil were humiliated 4-1 by bitter rivals Argentina in South American World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday as the pressure mounted on manager Dorival Jr after his side were comprehensively outplayed and fortunate not to lose by more.
An independent inspector will look into possible structural damage caused by an October fire at a World Cup stadium in western Brazil, following a Reuters report that the blaze was far worse than government officials have previously said.
United States striker Abby Wambach has escaped with nothing more than a warning from FIFA after she said a referee at the women's World Cup had targeted two of her team mates on the verge of suspension.
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.
At the last two World Cups, Brazil have veered away from the great, attacking traditions that used to make them the team that everyone wanted to watch.
Brazil have appealed to FIFA World Cup authorities to withdraw the yellow card suspension imposed on their captain Thiago Silva so that he can turn out for Tuesday's semi-final clash against Germany.
