Sweden beat Italy 1-0 to gain the upperhand after their World Cup playoff first leg on a chilly night, while a young England side held Germany goalless and Belgium drew 3-3 with Mexico despite Romelu Lukaku's double but France eased to a 2-0 victory against Wales.
Defending champion Germany suffered a shocking defeat, while Brazil, Spain and Argentina -- the other pre-tournament favourites -- managed just draws in their opening round matches.
It is important that these events do not remain one-offs. It is crucial that India sets long-term targets, and not solely depend on foreign coaches from regions that continue to produce some of the finest talents in the world, asserts Arindam Roy.
Manchester City's quadruple bid remained intact as Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne secured a 2-0 win at Everton in their FA Cup quarter-final clash
Germany coach Rudi Voeller found out on Thursday that his captain was one quarter Latvian.
Algeria reached the World Cup last 16 for the first time after fighting back for a 1-1 draw against Russia to clinch second place in Group H.
Schalke 04 goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was praised by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson despite conceding two goals in two minutes during Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League semi-final second leg defeat.
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup match between Sweden and South Korea, in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, on Monday.
Images from La Liga and German Cup matches played on the weekend.
A last minute goal by Gonzalo Peillat helped Uttar Pradesh Wizards hold Kalinga Lancers to a 2-2 draw in a thrilling match of the Hockey India League in Lucknow on Friday.
Champions Bayern Munich scored a goal late in each half to beat promoted Union Berlin 2-0 on their return to the Bundesliga on Sunday after more than two months out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and protect their four-point lead at the top. League top scorer Robert Lewandowski converted a 40th minute spot kick and Benjamin Pavard headed in a corner in the 80th in an empty stadium, to keep the Bavarians in the driving seat for a record-extending eighth successive league title.
Mourinho not concerned by Manchester United's slow pre-season
Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet saved an early penalty and James Milner's shot was deflected into his own net by Havard Nordtveit for the English Premier League side's second goal in an end-to-end match.
Adjudged the best goalkeeper at the South American U-17 Championship in March, Borquez had a clean slate in four games to help his side secure a FIFA U-17 World Cup qualification for the first time since 1997.
Defender Gurinder Singh, midfielders Sumit and Manpreet who were part of the Junior World Cup-winning squad are slated to make their debut at the tournament.
'The level we played in Champions Trophy will not be enough for the Olympics if we are vying for a medal'
The Netherlands Robert Van der Horst and Lidewij Welten won the men's and women's International Hockey Federation (FIH) Player of the Year awards, respectively, for their performances in 2015.
Sweden beat Brazil 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out after the teams were locked goalless following extra-time on Tuesday to reach the final of the women's football tournament at the Rio Olympics.
Images from Tuesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
Harry Kane's injury-time goal gave England a 2-2 draw after a crazy finish to their World Cup qualifier against Scotland on Saturday with Leigh Griffiths having struck twice for the home side in the final three minutes.
Summary of World Cup qualifiers played across the world on Thursday
England's Adam Lallana scored his first international goal with the last kick of the game as they beat 10-man Slovakia 1-0 in their World Cup Group F qualifier on Sunday to get new manager Sam Allardyce's reign off to a winning start.
Bayern come from behind to beat gutsy Mainz 2-1 and widen gap.
Polish fans had bittersweet feelings about their quarter-final exit from Euro 2016 on Friday, frustrated by the shootout loss to Portugal but still rejoicing in their team's best run in a major tournament for decades.
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak was the hero as the Spanish side reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the fourth year in a row after drawing 0-0 with Bayer Leverkusen in an open last-16 second leg.
United States captain Carli Lloyd capped her incredible performance in Sunday's women's World Cup final by winning the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament.
There are 28 sports at the Olympics but many home fans will be happy if the hosts win just one as their young soccer team seek to finally secure the only international title that has so far eluded Brazil.
England and France qualified in style for the last 16 of the women's World Cup.
The 32-year-old, who captained the Dutch to third place at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, has been overlooked by coach Danny Blind, who is not convinced about his form with Fenerbahce.
Netherlands Coach Marco Van Basten named a 23-men squad on Sunday for next month's World Cup finals in Germany.
The mesmerising moments that made the 2018 FIFA World Cup a blockbuster worldwide.
Images from football friendlies played on Wednesday.
Lorenzo Insigne curled a quite wonderful shot beyond the reach of Belgium goal-keeper Thibaut Courtois after jinking in from the left flank.
Chelsea have signed Germany's highly-rated attacking midfielder Kai Havertz from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen on a five-year contract, the Premier League club announced on Friday.
The Spanish media revelled in their side's impressive Euro 2008 final victory over Germany as the story dominated the front pages of every newspaper.
Images from the Nations League matches.
A round-up of Saturday's action in Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga.
IMAGES from the Europa League semifinal played between Manchester United and Sevilla in Cologne on Sunday.
Dominating the proceedings, Netherlands scored five field goals through Lars Balk (16th minute), Robert Kemperman (20th), Thijs van Dam (40th, 58th) and Thierry Brinkman (41st) to register the comfortable win at the Kalinga Stadium.
