Argentina's Lionel Messi is the bookmaker's favourite to win the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball at the World Cup while France, Brazil, Argentina and the Netherlands are favourites to win their matches in the quarter-finals which start on Friday.
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.
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.
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.
He will now clash with Switzerland's Stefan Reichmuth for a place in the gold medal match.
Here are six who could make the biggest impact in this season's English Premier League.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday '
Amazing holiday ideas from Bollywood!
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
India's Rohan Bopanna and his Slovakian partner Katarina Srebotnik faced stiff resistance from Marc Lopez and Andrea Hlavackova before prevailing in a tense first round contest in the mixed doubles event of the French Open.
Brazil will play Germany next week in what the hosts' players are calling the final before the final and manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is facing selection dilemmas four days ahead of the semi-final in Belo Horizonte.
Brazil striker Neymar's World Cup is over and the loss of their talisman and top goalscorer to injury leaves manager Luiz Felipe Scolari with a big headache ahead of their semi-final against Germany on Tuesday.
Images from the World Cup quarter-final game between Brazil and Colombia.
As much as I would love to witness a Brazil-Argentina final at the Copacabana beach, Colombia, Germany, Netherlands and Argentina look like the semi-finalists and, if Argentina peaks at the right time, Germany vs Argentina could be the title match, says Mauktik Kulkarni.
A superb second-half strike from Adnan Januzaj gave Belgium a 1-0 win over England on Thursday to see them top World Cup Group G with a perfect record and consign England to second place, with both sides already assured of going through to the last 16.
The World Cup group stages games are over and while European heavyweights Spain, Italy, England and Portugal are knocked out of the biggest sporting carnival, there is still plenty to look forward to.
India may be the underdogs in the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup but midfield-lynchpin Suresh Singh Wangjam is confident that playing on the home soil would help them do well in the prestigious tournament.
Uruguay forward Luis Suarez faces a lengthy ban after Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini accused him of biting during the South Americans' 1-0 Group D victory on Tuesday, overshadowing a day of emotional extremes at the World Cup.
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.
Images from the FIFA World Cup qualifiers matches.
Germany's surprise loss to Mexico could create a strange situation in Group G where England and Belgium may face a theoretically easier path to the last four if they finish second rather than top of the standings.
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.
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.
New Zealand are placed in Group B along with Turkey, Paraguay and Mali.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
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.
Although they registered contrasting wins, Serbian tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Jelena Jankovic marked a good day for Serbs at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Tuesday.
India's hopes in the Under-18 Open brightened as R Praggnanandhaa outclassed compatriot P Iniyan in the highly-anticipated battle between two Indian Grand Masters in the World Youth Chess Championship, in Mumbai.
Manchester Utd's Fred receives racist abuse after defeat by Liverpool.
Gold has been a valuable and highly sought-after precious metal for coinage, jewellery, and other arts since long before the beginning of recorded history.
India's Saurav Ghosal upset world number 8 Miguel Rodriguez of Colombia to advance to the quarter-finals of the PSA China Open in Shanghai.
The plane carrying Chapecoense to the Copa Sudamericana final, first leg against Atletico Nacional crashed into mountains outside Medellin, Colombia on November 28 after running out of fuel, killing 71 of the 77 people on board
United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann has turned to experience for next month's Copa America Centenario on home soil, but said he had to make some "very close, tight decisions" before announcing his 23-player squad on Saturday.
Mark, who said he had always wanted to travel the world, pitched the idea of doing so to his new wife in the shape of a 365-day honeymoon -- and after a year of convincing, she agreed.
Germany put the finishing touches to their World Cup preparations by beating Colombia 3-0 on Friday.
New Delhi is the only Asian city listed.
When Barcelona lost to Chelsea in pre season friendly, Neymar was busy holidaying in Ibiza, Spain.
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.
The Slovenian played it safe on the last climb of the day but it was enough for him to move to the top of the standings in a ninth stage won by Tour debutant Pogacar.
Seat swap may have saved Chapecoense player's life in plane crash
