'I'm not worried but we know they beat big teams to get there and we're going to take it seriously. It's not a surprise to see them here anymore. They deserve to be here.'
Sasikumar Mukund will aim for a winning return to the Davis Cup fold as India faces Togo in the World Group I Play-off.
Referees will use the recently-developed vanishing spray at the World Cup next year to stop defensive walls creeping forward at free kicks, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Thursday.
The World Cup lost its headline acts on Saturday as the game's two biggest stars, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, readied to leave Russia after their teams were eliminated in the round of 16. Messi's Argentina lost 4-3 to France and hours later Ronaldo's Portugal went down 2-1 to Uruguay, leaving the tournament without its two best known and most loved players.
The 20-year old, who scored 13 goals for Manchester United in all competitions last season, will be hopeful of a starting spot in Southgate's team after impressing in the warm-up games, including a long-range goal against Costa Rica.
A draw in Kaliningrad would guarantee the 2010 winners safe passage into the last 16 but to be assured of winning the group they need to win a scoring contest with Portugal, who play Iran at the same time.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has asked FIFA why the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was not used to review two key decisions they believe hindered their side during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
The Spanish football federation (RFEF) said on Twitter that the news conference would take place at the team's World Cup base in Krasnodar at 0930 GMT (1230 local time).
Veteran striker Girelli, 33, replaced 16-year-old midfielder Giulia Dragoni in the 83rd minute and needed only four minutes to make an impact
European champions Portugal spurned a two-goal lead against Tunisia, stumbling to a 2-2 draw, as France, one of the World Cup favourites, flexed their muscles with a comfortable 2-0 win over Ireland in warm-up friendlies on Monday.
Rediff.com takes you back to the five own goals scored at the ongoing FIFA World Cup...
Video assistant referees (VARs) will be used at the World Cup for the first time in this year's finals in Russia, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Friday, and teams will be allowed a fourth substitute in matches that go to extra-time.
Asia's representatives are once again heading home before the business end of the World Cup gets going.
Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country's football confederation (CBF) said on Friday, after the five-times World champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
Images from the FIFA World Cup third place playoff match between Croatia and Morocco on Saturday.
In the 21 editions of the World Cup over 92 years featuring 79 nations, there have still been only eight winners and only 13 have made it to the final. Spain were the last to join the elite group of champions in 2010 after France in 1998 and Argentina in 1978.
Morocco winger Nordin Amrabat has been discharged from hospital but he will not play in the side's next World Cup Group B clash against Portugal on Wednesday after suffering concussion in the 1-0 loss to Iran, officials said.
A round-up of the World Cup qualifying matches played on Friday.
The midfield duo, who both have dual Moroccan-Belgian nationality, kept Belgium alive with their goals off the bench in the extraordinary round of 16 comeback against Japan and were handed starts in the 2-1 win over Brazil.
A former executive committee member of soccer's global governing body FIFA told a US judge in November 2013 that he and other officials took bribes in connection with the 1998 and 2010 World Cups.
Hundreds of thousands of ecstatic French fans celebrated the return of their World Cup winning football team on Monday, jumping and chanting "We Are The Champions" as their bus paraded down the Champs Elysees before a special presidential reception.
European champions Portugal were let off the hook by Morocco's wasteful finishing and another Cristiano Ronaldo moment as they notched up a fortuitous victory in the World Cup on Wednesday. Yet, the reactions of the respective coaches suggested a different result.
Morocco and Iran's hopes of making a mark at the World Cup before a ball has been kicked, and they head into their opening match in St Petersburg on Friday knowing defeat could likely mean an early exit.
Germany will retain their World Cup title in Moscow to equal Brazil's record of five wins in the tournament, according to a Reuters poll of financial specialists more used to predicting market moves.
Portugal inexplicably lost control of the game despite managing to beat Morocco 1-0 in the World Cup Group B match on Wednesday and were lucky not to get themselves in more trouble, coach Fernando Santos said.
Aziz Bouhaddouz headed an own goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Iran a stunning 1-0 victory over Morocco in the first Group B game of the World Cup on Friday.
England beat Nigeria 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday that provided some clues as to how coach Gareth Southgate will line up his still experimental side when the World Cup gets underway in two weeks' time.
Analysis of the eight groups for the 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia.
Bayern Munich made predictably light work of Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande, dispatching the Chinese side 3-0 in their Club World Cup semi-final and hitting the woodwork five times on Tuesday.
Spain snatched a 2-2 draw against Morocco on Monday to qualify for the World Cup last 16 and take top spot in Group B ahead of Portugal on goals scored.
Ivory Coast qualified for a third straight World Cup after weathering Senegal's late onslaught in a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their playoff on Saturday to progress 4-2 on aggregate.
'But this was our first match point, if we compare this to tennis, our second match point comes against Portugal. We're still alive and dreaming'
Buoyed after the country was awarded the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup'S hosting rights, the All India Football Federation is set to bid for the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Club World Championships.
Senegal, nicknamed the Lions, lost 1-0 to their South American opponents, despite being the better side in the first half and having a penalty decision overturned. Senegal lost out on a second spot in the group to Japan because of a worse disciplinary record.
Cristiano Ronaldo powered-home a fourth-minute header to give Portugal a 1-0 World Cup victory over Morocco that took them top of Group B on Wednesday and meant the unlucky North African side become the first to be eliminated from the tournament.
Hosts France reached the Olympic men's football semi-finals for the first time in 40 years with a 1-0 win over Argentina thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta's first-half goal in a grudge match in Bordeaux on Friday.
Sasikumar Mukund, who was banned by AITA on disciplinary grounds, is back as India's best-ranked player for the World Group I Play-off tie against Togo, starting on Saturday.
An inspired performance from Douglas Costa helped Brazil to a 3-0 win over Peru on Tuesday and lifted them into third place in the South American qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Morocco have been willed on by some of the most impassioned fans at the tournament who arrived at the Education City stadium with their ear-splitting volume turned up high even before kickoff.
He replaces sacked Frenchman Philippe Troussier, who coached South Africa and Japan at successive World Cups.
