Brazil ended their home World Cup to a cacophony of boos on Saturday as the defensive errors that crushed their bid for a sixth title resurfaced in a shoddy 3-0 loss to the Netherlands in the third-place playoff match.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Brazil on Sunday for attending the five-nation summit of BRICS nations on July 14 and 15 which is expected to finalise the setting up of a development bank and seek reforms of the United Nations and international financial organisations.
Narendra Modi's engagement at the upcoming BRICS Summit in Brazil will be keenly watched as the prime minister will interact with some of the world's most powerful leaders. The summit to be held in Fortaleza will also see the launch of the significant BRICS bank whose idea was mooted by India. Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt gives a lowdown on Modi's first major international rendezvous.
The agenda is to give a concrete shape to a Development Bank and pitch for reforms of the UN Security Council.
Beaten and bored by "ordinary" Argentina, Belgium coach Marc Wilmots said he was less than impressed by a team that ended his side's World Cup hopes on Saturday.
Argentina reached the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in 24 years on Saturday when an early goal by Gonzalo Higuain and a strong defensive display proved enough to beat a disappointing Belgium side 1-0.
Belgium pointed to Eden Hazard as a potential match winner as they laid out a strategy to combat Lionel Messi and Argentina when they meet in their World Cup quarter-final in Brasilia on Saturday.
As much as I would love to witness a Brazil-Argentina final at the Copacabana beach, Colombia, Germany, Netherlands and Argentina look like the semi-finalists and, if Argentina peaks at the right time, Germany vs Argentina could be the title match, says Mauktik Kulkarni.
Belgium went straight back to work on Wednesday, given little time to celebrate their win over the United States at the World Cup as coach Marc Wilmots said he wanted to "raise the bar higher".
Two late goals helped 1998 champions France end Nigeria's hopes of a first World Cup quarter-final appearance in a rough second-round match in Brasilia.
France ended Nigeria's hopes of a first World Cup quarter-final appearance when they scored two late goals to beat the Super Eagles 2-0 in a rough second-round match on Monday.
France striker Karim Benzema came into the World Cup following a fine season with Real when he netted 24 goals in 52 games in all competitions and helped the world's richest club by income to win a 10th Champions League crown and the King's Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo hit his first goal of the 2014 World Cup to lift Portugal to a 2-1 victory over Ghana in Brasilia but both sides bowed out of the tournament as Germany and USA advanced to the last 16.
Midfielders Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari have been suspended from Ghana's World Cup team with immediate effect after they clashed with coach Kwesi Appiah and a soccer federation (GFA) official.
FIFA has charged Uruguay's Luis Suarez for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during their Group D World Cup match on Tuesday.
Hosts Brazil will look to clinch their berth in the last 16 of the World Cup as they host already-eliminated Cameroon in their final Group A match at the National Stadium in Brasilia.
Images from the football World Cup match between Colombia and Ivory Coast.
Colombia beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in yet another action-packed World Cup clash in Brasilia on Thursday to top Group C on six points and move within touching distance of making the knockout phase for the first time since 1990.
Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made two outstanding saves to deny Neymar as battling Mexico held Brazil to a 0-0 draw in their World Cup Group A match on Tuesday, ending the hosts' 10-game winning streak in the process.
Didier Drogba proved a talismanic influence in helping the Ivory Coast to win their opening World Cup encounter, but the ageing striker could be confined to a role as an impact player, coming off the bench at the tournament supposed to be his swansong.
A stoppage-time goal by substitute Haris Seferovic gave Switzerland a 2-1 World Cup Group E win over Ecuador on Sunday.
The Portugal is in New Jersey in preparation for the FIFA World Cup starting in about a week, but the country is facing problems over Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness.
Experienced Netherlands midfielder Rafael van der Vaart will miss the World Cup finals through injury, the Dutch football federation said on Wednesday.
Another man has died while helping to build the Sao Paulo stadium that will host the opening match at this year's World Cup in Brazil, a hospital spokesperson said on Saturday.
The Munduruku tribe in the Amazon searches for and expels illegal gold miners encroaching on their land.
Career diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri, who recently retired as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The most expensive of the 12 stadiums built or revamped for the 2014 World Cup has a leaking roof less than eight months after it was finished, the stadium's operators said on Tuesday.
A Brazilian labour court ordered a partial stop to construction on the Arena Amazonia in the jungle city of Manaus after the death of a worker who fell off the stadium's roof raised safety concerns ahead of the 2014 football World Cup.
A worker fell 115 feet to his death from the roof of the Arena Amazonia in Brazil on Saturday, the fifth fatal accident during construction of Brazil's 12 World Cup stadiums.
FIFA will go ahead with its controversial decision to stage World Cup matches at midday in tropical venues, president Sepp Blatter said on Tuesday as soccer's governing body announced a bafflingly complex procedure for Friday's draw.
Australia have concerns over security at next year's World Cup finals in Brazil because of the civil unrest in the South American country, Football Federation Australia chief David Gallop said on Tuesday.
Australia's Archie Thompson has made light of his comment that Brazilian Neymar, who recently moved to Barcelona for $74 million (47 million pounds), was overrated, putting the remark down to jetlag or mistranslation.
The early signs from the Confederations Cup are that Brazil's fans can help rather than hinder the team at home, reports of Spain's demise are premature and the heat is going to cause problems for everyone at the World Cup.
Rediff.com brings a selection of the week's best photographs from the sports world.
Brazil's gifted World Cup hope Neymar is moving to Spanish champions Barcelona, the striker said on Saturday, and will sign a five-year contract on Monday.
Brazil's Neymar is on the verge of choosing one of two offers from un-named clubs, reported to be Spanish suitors Barcelona and Real Madrid, after Santos agreed on Friday to transfer him.
The stadium where the Confederations Cup is due to kick off in two months will not be officially opened until May 18 because rain has delayed the laying of the pitch, officials in Brazil's capital said on Monday.
With just 500 days to go until the 2014 World Cup kicks off in Brazil, soccer's world governing body FIFA warned that the hosts cannot afford any further delays in getting their venues ready.
Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer was one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture.
The Castelao Arena in the northeastern Brazilian city of Fortaleza became the first stadium to be inaugurated for the 2014 World Cup finals on Sunday.
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