Iran fans did their best to ruin Cristiano Ronaldo and other Portuguese players sleep before the crucial third-round Group Stage match against Iran.

Two Swiss government ministers backs national team players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri after their controversial goal celebrations in Friday's 2-1 World Cup win over Serbia.

As England thrashed Panama 6-1 on Sunday Prince William, the president of the Football Association, was flying into Jordan for a historic Middle East tour.

After Argentina's terrible start to the World Cup, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has declared that he is ready to fight in order to qualify for the round of 16 and confirmed that he will not retire without having won the World Cup.

Iran were predicted to finish last in this group in some quarters. They could still end up winning it. The situation in Group B is so precarious that one of Spain or Portugal may even get knocked out of the tournament.

With the second series of World Cup group games completed on Sunday, qualification for the knockout rounds is now clearer.

Goals from Yerry Mina, Radamel Falcao and Juan Cuadrado give Colombia a convincing 3-0 win on Sunday against Poland.

The shadow of the dramatic sacking of coach Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the World Cup still hung over Spain as they set off for their final Group B game against Morocco in Kaliningrad after midfielder Saul Niguez openly criticised the decision.

A desperate Argentina will get one last chance to salvage their battered pride when they take on Nigeria in a do-or-die World Cup Group D match at the Saint Petersburg Stadium today. A win will keep their hopes alive but whether or not they will progress to the round of sixteen depends on the result of the night's other Group D encounter between Croatia and Iceland.

FIFA said late on Saturday it had fined the Polish Football Association 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,124) for what it said was an offensive banner displayed by Polish fans during their side's 2-1 World Cup defeat to Senegal on Tuesday.

When Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli hugged star forward Lionel Messi on his 31st birthday yesterday, understandably not one of the best of days for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner,

Gary Lineker updated his famous quote about the Germans always winning after Toni Kroos's dramatic late goal kept the holders' World Cup dreams alive with a 2-1 win over Sweden.

Former Manchester United duo Gary Neville and Roy Keane savaged Germany centre-back Jerome Boateng prior to his sending off against Sweden on Saturday.

Germany's matchwinner Toni Kroos has criticised former internationals and pundits for putting the boot into the defending champions after their shaky World Cup start.

Sweden coach Janne Andersson hit out at the German bench for "rubbing it in" as they celebrated Toni Kroos's stoppage-time winner in Germany's 2-1 World Cup Group F victory on Saturday.

As we walked along the Nevsky Prospect (an avenue in Saint Petersburg) at around 10pm on Saturday, we pondered on what the Scarlet Sails, one of Russia's biggest celebrations which has also been recognized on all European calendars, is all about.

Hattrick hero Harry Kane says "it's all coming together" for England at the World Cup after they sailed into the last 16 with a 6-1 rout of Panama on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt will try to avoid finishing last in Group A as they bow out of the World Cup on Monday, a disappointing end to the tournament in particular for Egypt and their usually prolific striker Mohamed Salah.

Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov was in bullish mood ahead of their final Group A showdown with Uruguay on Monday, dismissing suggestions his men under pressure because of their status as World Cup hosts.

Colombia's World Cup campaign roared back into life with a 3-0 win over Poland in Group H on a sweltering evening at the Kazan Arena which sent the Poles tumbling out of the tournament on Sunday.