Hosts Russia have exceeded expectations after advancing to the World Cup quarter-finals with a win on penalties over Spain but they will need more firepower if they are to give Croatia a run for their money on Saturday.
Images from the FIFA World Cup match between France and Poland on Sunday.
"The people who have seen Pele, Alfredo Di Stefano or Diego Maradona. The opinions are sentimental, but the other side, if he (Messi) wouldn't have won the World Cup, the opinion and my opinion wouldn't change."
Real Madrid win UEFA Champions League
Argentina look set to keep Julian Alvarez in attack for Sunday's World Cup final
The title encounter seemed headed for the penalty shootout after Australia's two successive penalty corners in the last 25 seconds, the second of which Ciriello finally found the target by placing the shot wide of the Belgian goalkeeper's reach.
Here is a look at what happened in their previous Euro semis...
Coach Gerardo Martino believes Argentina can improve on Tuesday's 6-1 Copa America semi-final demolition of Paraguay, adding that aspects of the goalless draw against Colombia in the previous round had pleased him more.
Alexander Hendrickx struck a brace as Belgium notched up a thrilling 3-2 victory over India in the second match of the two-leg FIH Pro Hockey League tournament in Antwerp on Sunday.
Bayern Munich wasted a two-goal lead and needed a lucky 82nd- minute winner from Joshua Kimmich to beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in Germany's Super Cup on Wednesday and secure their fifth title of the year.
ManchesterCity beat Liverpool 3-1 on penalties to win the League Cup after Sunday's final finished 1-1 after extra time.
While convict Ariz Khan was awarded the death penalty by a trial court, Shahzad Ahmed was sentenced to life imprisonment in the case.
"It feels like a missed chance because I felt the performances were really good and the focus and the hunger was good every single day," said England midfielder Jordan Henderson.
If this sporting clash was, as English essayist, novelist and journalist George Orwell said, "war minus the shooting" both sets of players were more than ready, and set about each other with little restraint.
Images from action in the Spanish Super Cup and English Premier League
Defiant 10-man Porto upset Juventus to reach the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate draw despite losing 3-2 to the Italians following extra time in a thrilling clash that went to the wire on Tuesday.
Alessandro Diamanti scored the decisive spot kick as Italy beat England 4-2 on penalties after their action-packed Euro 2012 quarter-final finished goalless after extra-time on Sunday.
The Indian men's hockey coach Harendra Singh is determined to seal India's 2020 Olympic berth in the upcoming Asian Games as he feels it will give the eight-time winners ample time to become realistic medal contenders in Tokyo.
The three sides who have bossed the ball the most in Russia, Spain, Germany and Argentina have all said "do-svidaniya" before the quarter-finals.
"Since 2008 we have never gone beyond this first knockout game and it was very important for us to get that monkey off our back," Modric said.
In 2015 when Indian the women's team qualified for the Rio Olympics after a gap of 36 years, it was Rani who had played a key role in the decisive victory against Japan.
With Argentina looking dysfunctional and under-performing throughout the qualifiers, Messi's dream of matching Maradona in Russia always looked a tall order.
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.
Italy won the European Championship for the first time since 1968 as Gianluigi Donnarumma saved two England penalties en route to a 3-2 shootout win after the teams had fought out a 1-1 extra-time draw in Wembley on Sunday.
Carlos Sainz will start Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix from pole position after penalties reshuffled the grid
Suarez spurned the first penalty of the shootout, his effort bouncing off the chest of Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, to complete a frustrating evening for Uruguay's all-time top scorer, who also had a goal ruled out for offside.
Mihaila late show for Romania stuns Swiss in thrilling draw
We haven't played the best coming into the tournament. There was a lot of talk and speculation about our form but we showed everyone how much quality we have and what we can do," said Saka, whose last major tournament ended with him missing a penalty in the Euro 2020 final shootout.
Paris St Germain completed a domestic treble as they beat Olympique Lyonnais 6-5 on penalties to lift the French League Cup on Friday with the match ending in a 0-0 stalemate after regular and extra time. Second-half substitute Pablo Sarabia scored PSG's final penalty in the shootout after goalkeeper Keylor Navas had saved Bertrand Traore's spot kick to give the Ligue 1 champions and French Cup winners their ninth League Cup trophy.
I'm the little man who can, says Croatia's Modric
For Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic the final is a chance to settle the score 20 years after the bitter defeat
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo will play the full 90 minutes against boyhood club Sporting Lisbon as he steps up his return from injury in the Champions League on Wednesday, coach Zinedine Zidane said.
Justin Lee Price, 19, from Worcester, previously admitted to sending a grossly offensive message by public communication
Arsenal suffered a humiliating League Cup quarter-final exit to fourth tier Bradford City on Tuesday, losing 3-2 on penalties after an absorbing game finished 1-1 at the end of extra time at a packed Valley Parade.
'I have much more freedom here (than at PSG). The coach knows that there is a number nine like Olivier who occupies the defences. I can wander around, go into space, ask for balls.'
The family members of the two Haryana-based businessmen, killed in the Connaught Place shooting 10 years ago, today said death penalty would have been better to the poliemen who were handed out life sentence by a court in New Delhi. "I have lost my husband I can't get him back. Though I was hoping for death penalty to the convicts, still, I am happy with the judgement at the end of 10-year-long battle," Neema Goyal, wife of slain businessman, Pradeep Goyal said.
'Whenever I talk with Leo, we always say 'Pray that one day it happens for us'. It's what he wants and it's what we all want. I put myself in his shoes and I want to do the best'
The host nation's bulging euphoria over France's Euro 2016 semi-final qualification is added motivation for Germany as they prepare to face them on Thursday, coach Joachim Loew said on Monday. The Germans, who will need to shuffle their lineup due to injuries to Sami Khedira and Mario Gomez and the suspension of defender Mats Hummels, are preparing to face a team brimming with confidence. "Such games are just great," Loew, who led Germany to the 2014 World Cup title in Brazil, told reporters.
Manchester City produced a blistering first-half performance to win 4-1 at Sunderland in the League Cup third round on Tuesday, inflicting more misery on Dick Advocaat's struggling side.
