The health of Brazilian soccer great Pele was improving but there was still no forecast for when he could be discharged from hospital after being admitted there late last month, according to a medical report released on Monday.

The World Cup isn't all about the festivity.

New Spain coach Luis de la Fuente defended his appointment after criticism he lacked experience at the top level, during his presentation on Monday.

Croatia and Morocco are the surprise guests in the World Cup's final four but, as the Croatians discovered in 2018 and many other long-shot semi-finalists have before them, the two remaining steps to become world champions can be the steepest.

The FIFA World Cup is undoubtedly one of the biggest sporting events in history and is currently the talk of the town. With so much glory surrounding this magnificent tournament, the iconic trophy that is football’s biggest mark of honour has a host of interesting stories captivated within it — most of which you probably never heard of.

In a matter of three days, five-time champions Brazil got to see both sides of the coin as they came into their quarter-final clash against Croatia on the back of a 4-1 mauling of South Korea but then had to taste a bitter defeat against the 2018 runners-up that put an end to their mission Hexa.

Football, as we know it, is quite possibly one of the most intense sports out there. The rivalry between athletes and the immense pressure of winning means that sportsmanship often takes a backseat while gamesmanship is all that matters. Despite the fierce competition, however, we have witnessed some truly amazing moments of generosity in football history. Here are some of the times when kind-hearted acts by the players left us in awe.

There have been five red cards at the Fifa World Cup 2022 in Qatar so far. The first sending-off came for Wales when they played Iran in their Group B clash. Wayne Hennessey was shown a red card for clobbering Mehdi Taremi in the last 10 minutes of their second game.

Every match has its moments. The rhythmic chants and enthusiasm bring the stadium to life and supporters play a big role in giving their team that extra push. Football being a worldwide sensation, it is no surprise that at times fans go above and beyond when necessary or use the field to make themselves heard. Sometimes, fans can be a little extra themselves and become the centre of attention.

African teams have claimed several giant-killing results at World Cups but nothing like the unprecedented run of Morocco in Qatar that will fuel hopes of more representation at future tournaments.

Legendary German footballer and a member of FIFA’s Technical Study Group (TSG), Jurgen Klinsmann, opined that Brazil made a mistake by not sending their best penalty takers in their quarterfinal defeat against Croatia. 

Real Madrid stalwart Luka Modric after yet another fine performance against Brazil in the quarter-final of FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar revealed that he sees glimpses of his club mentality in the Croatian side.

When Cristiano Ronaldo walked down the tunnel in tears at the Al Thumama Stadium on Saturday, it must have felt surreal for millions of his and Portugal fans around the globe.

Croatia will not attempt to stop Argentina superstar Lionel Messi by man-marking him but instead will focus on immobilising the entire team in their World Cup semi-final on Tuesday, they said.

What are the factors behind the endless enthusiasm of Bangladeshi people over the FIFA World Cup 2022?

Morocco’s unexpected march to the World Cup semi-finals can be attributed partly to a policy of deliberately seeking out talent in the Diaspora to strengthen the national team and give them a better chance of success.

World Football's governing body, FIFA, on Sunday introduced FIFA match ball Al Hilm, translated as The Dream from Arabic, for the semifinals and the final.

While I may have started watching football during the time of the great Zinedine Zidane, understanding teams -- their strategies, styles, stars, et al -- came to me much later.

England's wait for a second World Cup title extended for at least another four years as Harry Kane missed a late spot kick in a 2-1 defeat against defending champions France at the Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday night.

A brilliant Olivier Giroud header 12 minutes from time kept France on course to retain their World Cup title with a 2-1 win over England in a tight last quarter-final on Saturday.