Brazil are going home empty handed after they suffered yet another heartbreaking World Cup exit to a European rival -- and the quarter-final defeat by Croatia will hurt as they let victory slip through their fingers just three minutes from the final whistle.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Atletico de Kolkata got their act right in the nick of time to humble crowd favourites FC Goa 4-2 in tie-breaker and advance to the final of the inaugural Indian Super League. Kolkata will lock horns with Kerala Blasters FC in the summit showdown at the D Y Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
England coach Gareth Southgate's last two tournament near misses were accompanied by criticism of his conservatism in selection but a relatively radical switch to bring in Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden paid off handsomely in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Wales.
Timo Werner scored his first goal of the season as a much-changed Chelsea side crept into the fourth round of the League Cup by beating Aston Villa 4-3 on penalties after the Stamford Bridge clash ended 1-1 on Wednesday.
Manchester United have signed Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero on a three-year deal, the club said on Sunday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Argentina's new coach Edgardo Bauza has set his mind to wooing Lionel Messi back from international retirement as he ponders his squad for next month's South American 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Bauza was named on Monday to replace Gerardo Martino, who resigned a month ago after steering Messi's side to two successive Copa America finals which ended in penalty shootout defeats to Chile.
Swiss qualifier Timea Bacsinszky continued to swipe past the seeds at the Wuhan Open on Wednesday by dumping World No 4 Maria Sharapova from the hard court tournament with a 7-6(3), 7-5 victory.
Having spent so long depending on the outrageous individual talent of striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Swedes have often wondered what the future holds after his retirement. Their UEFA Under-21 championship-winning side may just have provided the answer.
Manchester United's current malaise was laid bare as they struggled past third-tier Rochdale 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the League Cup third round.
Detective Inspector Matt Gregory of GMP's Trafford division said: "The actions of a small number of people overshadowed what was a hugely unifying event for our country on Sunday evening.
Factbox on Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi, who became his country's all-time top goalscorer on Tuesday when he scored his 55th international goal.
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.
England's World Cup 2018 team, and remarkable similarities emerge between the XI expected to start the semi-final against Croatia
Manchester City crushed Watford 6-0 in the FA Cup final on Saturday
Senegal's best World Cup performance was its debut in 2002 when it beat defending champion France in one of the tournament's great upsets and became only the second African team after Cameroon in 1990 to reach the quarterfinals.
Newcastle United put their faith in Rafa Benitez on Friday, hoping the Spaniard will keep them in the Premier League after they won only six of 28 league games under the sacked Steve McClaren.
Images from the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match played between Switzerland and Sweden in St Petersburg on Tuesday
As Jose Mourinho returns to his Portuguese footballing roots, the Chelsea manager may have to decide which back-up marksman he trusts most to shoot down his old employers at Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Kylian Mbappe missing the decisive kick in the shootout as world champions France were eliminated from Euro 2020 by Switzerland on Monday encapsulated the biggest lesson of an extraordinary night -- you cannot rely on individual brilliance alone.
Arsenal fought back from a goal down against old foes Chelsea to reach the League Cup final as Granit Xhaka poked home to complete a 2-1 second-leg win on Wednesday that set up a Wembley showdown with Manchester City.
Netherlands goalkeeper Tim Krul made a dramatic entrance off the bench to save two penalties in a shootout win over Costa Rica on Saturday following a 0-0 draw after extra time, sending the Dutch into a World Cup semi-final with Argentina.
A full-strength Arsenal added another piece of silverware to their recent FA Cup success by beating Everton 3-1 in the final of the Premier League's Asia Trophy on Saturday.
Antonio Conte far exceeded expectations with a limited Italy squad at Euro 2016 and the coach, who is heading for pastures new at English club Chelsea, is likely to prove a tough act for replacement Giampiero Ventura to follow.
As the mercurial Messi rings in his 28th birthday, Rediff.com brings you all the exciting moments from the ace footballer's life.
The stadiums at Qatar offer plenty of wisdom and chutzpah on how to take our own lives forward.
Gerard Moreno -- who scored against Manchester United before the Europa League final in Gdansk went to penalties -- rescued Unai Emery's side in the 73rd with a side-foot finish after a back-heel from Boulaye Dia.
'This was a game to win. We are super happy,' said the Portugal goalkeeper after saving three penalties in the shootout
The Indians were undone by a horrendous stopwatch faux pas by technical officials in the shoot-out against Australia
US gold medalist Ryan Lochte admitted to Brazil's largest broadcaster Saturday night that he had exaggerated his story about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio -- but insisted he did not lie.
Japan staged a spectacular regulation time comeback to draw 6-6 before edging out Malaysia 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out and claim the men's hockey gold at the Asian Games on Saturday. Trailing 4-1 in the second period and then 5-2 in the fourth, Japan pumped in three goals through Kentaro Fukuda, Kenta Tanaka and Koji Yamasaki in a seven-minute blitz to level the pulsating contest.
Real Madrid's French duo Karim Benzema and Ferland Mendy struck in the second half as the Spanish champions overcame an injury crisis to beat Getafe 2-0 at home on Tuesday and close the gap to La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid to five points.
Britain beat defending champions the Netherlands on Friday to take home their first Olympic gold medal in women's hockey, winning 2-0 in a tense shootout following a hardfought 3-3 draw.
Ajax, semi-finalists last season, came from behind to beat PAOK 3-2 for a 5-4 aggregate win over the Greeks while Red Star knocked out FC Copenhagen on penalties after a bizarre shootout involving 22 spot-kicks.
Bravo stopped Portugal's first three spot kicks from Ricardo Quaresma, Joao Moutinho and Nani while Chile converted their first three to win the clash of South American and European champions.
West Bromwich Albion have ruled out the prospect of Saido Berahino leaving the club during the current transfer window, leading Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino to compare his club's pursuit of the striker to a frustrated love affair.
How England and Italy arrived at the final at Wembley.
Portugal entered the Euro 2016 quarter-final after defeating Poland 5-3 on penalties in Marseille on Thursday.
Images and a round-up of all the World Cup qualifiers played across continents on Tuesday.
