Brazil secured their place at the 2010 World Cup with an impressive 3-1 win over arch-rivals Argentina while South America's other candidates jockeyed for the region's other three automatic berths. The defeat left Diego Maradona's side contemplating the dreaded prospect of missing out on the finals but Argentina did cling on to the fourth and final qualifying place after Colombia beat Ecuador 2-0 in another of Saturday's five-match programme.
Five-time champions Brazil qualified for the World Cup finals on Saturday after beating arch-rivals Argentina 3-1. Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano scored twice after Benfica skipper Luisao opened the scoring for the Brazilians in a fast, hard-tackling match.
Argentina's hopes of reaching the 2010 finals in South Africa could be severely limited this weekend, should the results of the South American World Cup qualifiers go to form. Diego Maradona's Argentina face Dunga's South American group leaders Brazil (27 points), who added the Confederations Cup in late June to their 2007 Copa America title.
Arsenal coach Arteta has said that Granit Xhaka will stay at the London club while United have new headaches with injuries to Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Diego Forlan and Martin Palermo scored last-gasp goals as Argentina, Uruguay and Ecuador switched places on a dramatic Saturday of South American qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup. Diego Maradona's Argentina, having beaten Peru 2-1 at home in torrential rain, go to Montevideo on Wednesday to defend an automatic berth in the South Africa finals against a Uruguay side that turned the tables on Ecuador.
In the week of his 31st birthday, Messi was again a largely anonymous figure as they lost 4-3 to France in a thrilling last-16 match in Kazan.
A late goal by Marcos Rojo gave Argentina a dramatic 2-1 victory over Nigeria in Group D on Tuesday and sent the twice champions through to the knockout stages of the World Cup.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
>The World Cup captain was a remarkable species: Always trying, pushing, lifting, harassing, delivering; the kind who would unhesitatingly jump into the deep end to save the day. They're all gone now, says Dhruv Munjal.
Salah, 25, struck four goals in Liverpool's 5-0 thrashing of Watford that lifted them back into third place in the Premier League on Saturday.
The BCCI has retired the No 10 jersey in Tendulkar's honour. But in football, number 10 signifies the legend. After Pele and Diego Maradona, the two great strikers of the ball, Lionel Messi has made the number priceless, notes Veer Arjun Singh.
Lionel Messi will play against Greece in an Argentina team full of changes for their final World Cup Group B match on Tuesday, coach Diego Maradona said.
David Beckham will equal Bobby Moore's outfield record of 108 England caps if he plays in the friendly with Spain, one of a number of mouthwatering international clashes this week.
Argentina forward Lionel Messi acknowledged he was not at his best for Diego Maradona's side in their World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Uruguay. Argentina beat Peru 2-1 with a last-gasp goal on Saturday and then defeated Uruguay 1-0 in Montevideo on Wednesday to finish fourth and qualify for the South Africa tournament.
Carlos Tevez missed a first-half penalty as Argentina slumped to a 2-0 defeat away to Ecuador in their World Cup qualifier on Wednesday.
Officially timed at 52 seconds, Jose Batista remains the fastest sending off in World Cup history.
At Rs 81.2 lakh, the BMW 730Ld is the most sensible 7 Series around. Pity most of them will form part of expensive hotel and travel fleets than that of personal collections.
Embattled FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Thursday the corruption scandal surrounding the world soccer body had brought shame and humiliation to football.
South Africa have dismissed as 'baseless' allegations made in a US indictment that the country paid $10 million in bribes to host the 2010 World Cup.
Real Madrid's Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned the best soccer player in the world for the second year running at FIFA's The Best awards gala on Monday.
Belgium and France meet in the World Cup semi-final at the Saint Petersburg Stadium on Tuesday.
Football icon Diego Armando Maradona arrived to a rousing welcome by thousands of frenzied fans who remained awake till past mid night waving Argentina's national flag of white and sky blue for first glimpse of the legend at the city airport here.
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.
Lionel Messi scored a stunning first-half goal to help Argentina to a 4-1 demolition of Mexico in an international friendly.
The French coach, who took over Real Madrid following Rafael Benitez's sacking in January is in the city to promote a Mumbai-based real estate brand Kanakia Group, known for its themed residences.
Kapil assured that his panel will do their job to the best of their ability.
Aston Villa moved back to fifth in the English Premier League with an astonishing 3-2 win over Everton on Sunday after a goal in the first minute and one from each side in stoppage time. In the day's other match, West Bromwich Albion failed to win for the ninth successive match and stayed bottom after being held to a 1-1 draw by Portsmouth at The Hawthorns.
Brazil gave beleaguered coach Dunga some respite on Wednesday by thumping Portugal 6-2 in a friendly, helped by a hat-trick from striker Luis Fabiano. The five-times world champions had been held to 0-0 draws in their last three home games, against Argentina, Bolivia and Colombia, and had not scored in front of their own fans since last November.
The election to replace outgoing Sepp Blatter will take place at an extraordinary congress on February 26 in Zurich.
Thierry Henry came to Mumbai and left his fans in a daze as he showed off that famed, magical footwork while he trained budding talent from the city.
It's not only Ireland that showered unbridled love on its prodigal son George Best, the legend lives on at Old Trafford.
or every elite athlete at the business end of their careers, a situation comes where they have to take a hard call, believes former India captain Sourav Ganguly.
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?
Sampaoli looked morose after Argentina's heaviest defeat in a World Cup group stage since 1958 and appeared resigned to his side's fate.
A signed pair of Lionel Messi's boots have been sold for 4,000 euros (2,700 pounds) at an auction in Beijing on Barcelona's tour of Asia, Spanish media reported on Sunday.
Barcelona will meet Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals following the draw on Friday while Manchester City face Tottenham Hotspur in an all-Premier League clash.
According to Di Spiers, who ran the Benetton motorhome, a distraught Michael Schumacher blamed himself for Ayrton Senna's accident at the fateful San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.
Peru produced a shock 3-0 win over Uruguay while Bolivia twice fought back to draw 2-2 with hosts Venezuela in a dramatic opening to the Copa America on Tuesday.
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