Coach Marcello Lippi unveiled Italy's 23-man squad for the World Cup
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Images from the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday.
Spain defender Dani Carvajal spoke out on Thursday in favour of his side's interim coach Fernando Hierro
Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo are the three final contenders for the 2013 Ballon d'Or award.
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).
The captain of the Czech national team and 2003 European Footballer of the Year topped a poll of local sports journalists.
Cristiano Ronaldo thanked Juventus fans who applauded his stunning bicycle kick goal for Real Madrid against the Italian side on Tuesday and said he had been hoping for a long time to score in such spectacular fashion.
Figo, who retired from playing for Portugal after Euro 2004, has been called up for the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on June 4.
Balotelli was recalled after a four-year absence and given the captaincy for Mancini's first matches in charge in May but the 28-year-old has played only three times for his French club Nice this season and failed to score.
Holders France got their World Cup qualifying campaign off to a disappointing start with a 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine
It has been a busy World Cup for Kazan's mural artists and in the early hours of Thursday morning they were back at work again painting the face of Neymar on a wall behind the Brazil team hotel.
Sunil Chhetri's late goal earned India the 1-0 victory over Nepal in the SAFF Championship, at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives, on Sunday. The victory took India to third in the group standings with five points, just a behind Maldives and Nepal, both of whom have six points each.
"We are not going to deviate one iota from our footballing concepts," the distinguished former Spain defender Hierro said.
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo's knee problem is getting better but he still might have to sit out their Champions League match at home to Atletico Madrid, coach Maurizio Sarri said on Monday.
Germany are not used to being outsiders in major tournaments but that may not necessarily be a bad thing when the three-time European champions kick off their Euro 2020 campaign.
Five-times world champions Brazil have returned to what they will consider their rightful place at the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in seven years.
Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski was named The Best FIFA Men's Player 2020 on Thursday, beating off competition from last year's winner Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Football legend Pele has termed Argentine forward Lionel Messi as the "best in last 10 years", but also spoke highly of his fellow Brazilian Neymar and Portugal's Ronaldo.
Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni had hoped Paolo Maldini could be persuaded to come back.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
If history ultimately judges the finest talents by their achievements on the international stage, where neither player has tasted success, then the Portuguese captain could use Sunday's Euro 2016 final to land a haymaker blow in one of football's great rivalries.
German fans responded with shock and dismay after the national team suffered their first elimination in the first round of the World Cup for 80 years.
With supporters not allowed to attend matches and even the numbers of media tightly limited, there will be no boost in business for local bars and restaurants.
Benzema, who has scored 30 goals in all competitions for Real Madrid this season, has not played for France since 2015 after a blackmailing scandal over which he faces a trial in October.
Ronaldo's goal, when he met Dani Carvajal's cross with an incredible overhead kick, was the second in Real's 3-0 win.
A brief history of previous World Cup semi-final appearances by England and Croatia, ahead of their last four match at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday.
It is only the second time in almost 40 years that Iranian women have been able to watch football in Tehran's Azadi stadium, Iran's biggest with 120,000 seats.
A summary of Thursday's Euro 2020 qualifying matches.
This and more from the happenings in the world of football
China can challenge for World Cup glory by 2026 , says Eriksson.
In huge development in the I-League, India captain and striker Sunil Chhetri was snapped up by debutants JSW Sports on Friday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
She threw a distance of 63.72m in the women's discus throw at the National Inter-State #Athletics Championship to punch her ticket to the Games.
Iceland do not fear facing England at Euro 2016 joint coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said on Wednesday after his indefatigable players beat Austria 2-1 to book a place in the last 16.
Sporting Director of Spain's Football Federation (RFEF) Fernando Hierro has been named the national team's new coach for the duration of the World Cup in Russia, the Federation said in a tweet on Wednesday.
'This award is not just mine.' 'It is my team mates' from Real Madrid and Croatia.' 'Without my coaches, I would not have won this and without my family I would not be the player I am today.'
Paul Pogba could spearhead Manchester United's Premier League title challenge if the playmaker can be lured back to Old Trafford, the club's former midfielder Paul Ince has said.
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave the club and Spain after being accused of committing tax fraud in the country, a report in Portuguese sports daily A Bola said on Friday.
