Belgium have retained injured Vincent Kompany in their final World Cup squad but put fellow defender Laurent Ciman on standby in case the Manchester City skipper is not fit for their opening match in Russia.
Everton's Romelu Lukaku has described himself as one of the most gifted strikers in world football after scoring 25 goals in all competitions for his Premier League club last season. Despite his form in front of goal Everton finished 11th and sacked manager Roberto Martinez, although Lukaku still rates the season as his finest in terms of individual achievement. "I'm among the best. That's good. Personally I am happy," Lukaku said in an interview with the June edition of World Soccer magazine. "I did expect to produce a season of this calibre." The 23-year-old is part of Belgium's squad for this month's European Championship in France, where his team play Italy, Ireland and Sweden in Group E.
English FA Cup holders Wigan Athletic appointed former Manchester City and East Germany striker Uwe Rosler as manager of the Championship club on Saturday.
Belgium have scored 14 goals in five matches and were hugely impressive in their 2-1 quarter-final victory over Brazil, with Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne combining to devastating effect to oust the five-times world champions.
Three of the four managers leading their teams out at Wembley for this weekend's FA Cup semi-finals will do so knowing defeat could have serious ramifications for their short-term future.
Following is reaction to the 2022 FIFA World Cup draw, which was held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Qatar on Friday.
Aguero is expected to be the first of a number of arrivals at the Camp Nou this summer
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.
How they strategised, motivated and led their teams to victory.
Dries Mertens and Michy Batshuayi were also on target for Belgium while Eden Hazard impressed with creativity and speed for the hosts, who start their World Cup campaign on Monday against Panama in Sochi.
Arouna Kone grabbed a hat-trick as Everton piled on the Premier League relegation worries for Sam Allardyce's Sunderland with a 6-2 demolition job at Goodison Park on Sunday.
Manager Roberto Martinez described Romelu Lukaku as the perfect striker for Everton after the Belgian bagged his 19th goal of the season to secure a 2-1 win over Manchester City on Wednesday.
Arsene Wenger said staying as Arsenal manager for nearly 22 years may have been the biggest mistake of his career and that he regrets sacrificing 'everything' for the job.
"I'm very happy for my players, we showed character and the right mentality, it was very hard for us tonight. We worked hard defensively."
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.
Manchester United manager David Moyes, reeling from three defeats in a row in 2014, must think that every cloud has a silver lining after being nominated for the Premier League's Manager of the Month award for December.
Belgium's credentials as a genuine outside bet for World Cup success face a tougher examination against Tunisia on Saturday after a relatively sedate opening against Panama.
I don't think we can do a Leicester. I am realistic, says Everton manager
Lorenzo Insigne curled a quite wonderful shot beyond the reach of Belgium goal-keeper Thibaut Courtois after jinking in from the left flank.
Each Round of 16 game was entertaining. Laxmi Negi/Rediff.com picks the games to remember.
'We always knew it was going to be an important one playing against a quality side, but I think it affected us a little bit too much.
Bitter defeat for Belgium in the World Cup semi-final is tempered by the fact that influential squad members will likely still be around in two years' time for the European Championship where they will have another realistic chance at a major title.
France meet Belgium in a World Cup semi-final on Tuesday. Here is a look at some of the key head-to-head duels which could prove decisive.
'But he is someone I really appreciate, I'm happy for him.'
Injured Lukaku likely to sit out
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez declared himself delighted with a 3-0 win over World Cup debutants Panama but there were plenty of issues that will encourage England after their own winning start in Group G.
Alvaro Negredo and Sergio Aguero combined to help ManchesterCity bounce back from their Bayern Munich mauling by beating Everton 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday.
Belgium and England have already met during the World Cup in a match both teams seemed reluctant to win and on Saturday they will face each other again in a game they both seem reluctant to play. The two sides must pick themselves up and dust themselves down after suffering the crushing disappointment of semi-final defeats to play for the modest prize of third place in a fixture often criticised as pointless.
The simplicity of football was again emphasised as France secured a place in the World Cup final from a basic set- piece.
England and Belgium, already qualified from World Cup Group G, meet on Thursday in what Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini says could be a "strange match". Depending on the outcome of other games, it may not be an advantage to finish top of the group, but both sides insist they won't take such calculations into account.
Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard is in the best form of his life but Belgium need all their top players to be better than ever if they are to have any chance of winning the World Cup, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said.
Arsenal sent Liverpool crashing out of the FA Cup, avenging last weekend's rout at Anfield, when they beat Brendan Rodgers's high-flyers 2-1 in a full-bloodied fifth round tie at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Swansea City equalled their highest ever points tally in a Premier League season following a 1-1 draw with Everton in the early game at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.
Argentina got their World Cup qualifying campaign off to the perfect start on Thursday when Lionel Messi's early penalty gave them a 1-0 win over Ecuador in a lacklustre match in Buenos Aires.
Belgians tasted bitterness in their beer on Tuesday after their dreams of a first World Cup final were ended by the narrowest of margins by their bigger French neighbours.
The Chelsea playmaker gave Lukaku a piece of his mind in Sochi on Monday after Belgium had huffed and puffed but failed to blow Panama's modest defensive fortress down before the interval.
Manchester United's new winger Angel Di Maria will not change the course of their troubled season straight away following his British record transfer from Real Madrid, manager Louis van Gaal said on Tuesday.
France is slowly but gaining momentum when it mattered most.
Didier Deschamps is confident he has prepared his players for any tactical surprises his opposite number Roberto Martinez might spring
Belgium's Eden Hazard is making the strongest bid for that crown.
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