News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Should the Portugal forward triumph, he will equal the record of his great rival and five-time winner Lionel Messi of Barcelona, who is also nominated.
It has been a tortuous journey for France's Patrice Evra, once blamed for playing a dark role in the worst scandal in the history of the national team but now in the limelight as the wise old man of a team with high hopes.
Zinedine Zidane will not be taking over as coach of the French national team any time soon as Didier Deschamps will remain in that job for the rest of his contract,
France, who have earned a reputation for leaving it late at this European Championship, would be well-advised to wake up early when they face Iceland for a place in the semi-finals, veteran defender Patrice Evra warned on Thursday.
A lot has changed for France goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris and defender Bacary Sagna since they were part of the team that left the 2010 World Cup in South Africa in disgrace.
Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was named African Footballer of the Year on Thursday, narrowly edging out Yaya Toure at the Confederation of African Football award ceremony.
A third place finish at the World Cup on Saturday leaves a strong legacy for Belgian football, coach Roberto Martinez said
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that transpired on and off the football field
France entered Euro 2016 supposedly as an attacking side with defensive weaknesses, yet Les Bleus have confounded that image by conceding only one goal while scoring four in the group phase.
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.
Karim Benzema, who is under investigation for alleged blackmailing, should not be called up to the France squad, French Prime minister Manuel Valls said on Tuesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was named French player of the year by France Football magazine on Tuesday.
France head into their World Cup opener against Australia in Kazan on Saturday sweating on the fitness of fullback Djibril Sidibe and under pressure to deliver an emphatic win to erase doubts about the cohesion of a team of brilliant individuals.
The precocious Kylian Mbappe could be one of the pillars of a French team with the potential to dominate the world game in the way Pele and his team mates did from the late 50s through to 1970.
Coach Enrique understands Mbappe's decision to leave PSG
A furious Mario Balotelli asked fans whether racism was "legal in France" after the Nice striker accused Bastia supporters of abusing him during his team's 1-1 Ligue 1 draw on Friday, prompting a French League investigation.
With the athletes bidding goodbye to Paris after another bone-tingling edition of the Olympics, Norma Astrid Godinho/Rediff.com, shares some interesting nuggets that made the Paris Olympics an event to remember!
"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.
'It's a problem not just in football -- it's a problem in society, but football now is at the forefront of everybody's minds in terms of, we've got the power to do something about it'
Les Bleus needed a penalty, given by the video assistant referee, and goal-line technology to beat Australia 2-1 in their opening game and they were shaken up by Peru on Thursday but won 1-0 thanks to a Kylian Mbappe goal.
England's attacking line has spluttered at Euro 2024, with Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden showing only flashes of their club form and their usual penetrating runs into the box have been lacking.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
France's players immediately turned their minds to a semi-final with Germany on Thursday after putting Iceland to the sword in a 5-2 win at Euro 2016.
'I asked the coach for an explanation. An explanation can be just two minutes long. It's not complicated ... But I am still at the coach's disposal. The coach knows this' 'I have the feeling that my name is being manipulated for reasons that have nothing to do with football'
'Generations of football fans will eternally be grateful to Johan Cruyff and what he did for the beautiful game,' says Aabhas Sharma.
This and more from the happenings in the world of football
Megan Rapinoe struck twice as the United States beat hosts France 2-1 in the women's World Cup quarter-finals at the Parc des Princes on Friday to set up a last-four clash with England.
Croatia's Football Federation (HNS) sacked Ognjen Vukojevic, a member of the national team's coaching staff, over a "glory to Ukraine" video posted after Croatia beat Russia in the World Cup quarter-finals, HNS said in a statement on Monday.
France defender William Gallas has been stripped of the Arsenal captaincy after criticising his team mates, French media reported on Friday. France Football magazine's website (www.francefootball.fr) said Gallas had also been left out of the squad for Saturday's Premier League match at Manchester City. Arsenal declined to comment on whether Gallas had been removed as club captain.
Following are comments, quotes and reactions from the French coach, players.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said on Saturday he is happy with how new signing Kylian Mbappe is settling into life with the Spanish soccer giants and he has no concerns about his team's slow start to the LaLiga season.
Former France defender Mikael Silvestre, who played for Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC in the inaugural edition in 2014, feels that football is growing fast in India.
Several players across the continent are poised to make a name for themselves on the international stage.
Germany expects 2.7 million people to attend matches in stadiums across the country and some 12 million in its fan zones for outdoor viewing, including on a long stretch of turf laid out in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
According to local media reports, Christopher was fatally shot and was hit in the abdomen by a suspect.
