the countries assured of places in the 32-team field for next year's World Cup finals in Russia after Tuesday's qualifiers.

Chile conceded an own goal through substitute Diego Valencia in the 81st minute.

It was a feast for the eyes as 40,620 people turned out at the Saltlake Stadium and witnessed the five-goal thriller with England dominating the first one-hour, followed by Mexico's second-half resurgence.

A summary of Tuesday's qualification matches next year's FIFA World Cup.

Both sides will be high on confidence with an aim to come out all guns blazing.

'I am very proud of these Indian players. They have shown that India can compete against the best in the world. They have a fantastic future'

Fancied France kicked off their campaign on a rousing note, inflicting a 7-1 humiliation on debutants New Caledonia in a Group E match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Guwahati.

A star-studded England will take on unpredictable Chile in a Group F match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup at the refurbished Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, on Sunday.

The football fans in Kochi will get a chance to witness a fascinating contest between Brazilian attacking flare and Spanish 'tiki-taka' possession football in what could be a final before the final of this tournament.

Summary of the South American World Cup qualifiers played on Thursday

Summary of the South American World Cup qualifiers played on Thursday

A civil war and the menace of militancy has prevented them from playing many matches in run up to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup but then Iraq have proved that they can conquer odds and perform well.

Mali are the runners-up side in the last edition of the U-17 World Cup in 2015 and this time they would be aiming to move one step ahead by clinching the title

Unheralded New Zealand will have a tough job at hand when take on Turkey in the FIFA U-17 World Cup Group B opening match at the D Y Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.

Chile U-17 side is yet to come to terms with Kolkata's searing heat and humidity, which could pose a problem during their upcoming World Cup campaign.

How many of these have you tasted?

FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 Full Schedule, Venue Details, Time Table

The Chile national team has restricted the usage of smart phones to two hours per day in a bid to avoid distractions from social media in the run-up to FIFA Under-17 World Cup starting October 6.

Argentina have reached three major finals in three years but the team who came so close to winning the 2014 World Cup face crunch games against Peru and Ecuador that will determine if they miss out on the global showpiece event for the first time since 1970.

Little more than a year has gone by since Tite took over as coach of a Brazil side still reeling from embarrassing exits in the World Cup and Copa America but in that short time he has transformed the team into favourites for Russia 2018.

Adjudged the best goalkeeper at the South American U-17 Championship in March, Borquez had a clean slate in four games to help his side secure a FIFA U-17 World Cup qualification for the first time since 1997.

But after English FA's intervention, the Bundesliga giants have now allowed the 17-year-old to feature in Steve Cooper's side only for the group stages.

India, hosting its first ever FIFA tournament in the U-17 World Cup, will set the record of having the farthest distance between two venues in the event's history.

The All India Football Federation believes that the FIFA U-17 World Cup, beginning October 6, can be a catalyst for the sport.

From watching 'Chak De! India' to taking yoga classes and training in Kolkata-like sultry conditions, Chileans have not left any stone unturned in their bid for the maiden FIFA U-17 World Cup title.

'Our defence system starts with our first four and that's why we have a solid defence. People look to Brazil and always try to find players who score or dribble but we have many other qualities. With our goalkeeper and defenders, we have a solid defence' 'It's pretty exciting for us and we are looking to do something great here'

With exactly 10 days to go for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, Local Organising Committee chairman Praful Patel, on Tuesday, declared that India is "100 per cent ready" to host the event.

'Our plan is to put the best foot forward for the upcoming tournament and play good matches'

Brazil Under-17 football team coach Carlos Amadeu wants to reclaim the FIFA U-17 World Cup title after a hiatus of 14 years at the majestic Saltlake Stadium, Kolkata, on October 28.

New Zealand are placed in Group B along with Turkey, Paraguay and Mali.

India have been drawn in Group A alongside USA, Colombia and Ghana. The hosts face USA on October 6, followed by Colombia and Ghana on October 9 and October 12 respectively at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

News of all that's transpired on and off the football field

The FIFA legends, including World Cup winner Frenchman Marcel Desailly, Colombian great Carlos Valderrama, Spain's Fernando Morientes, Mexican Jorge Campos and Nigerian Emmanuel Amuneke, will roll back the years and turn out for a short match at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo struck his fifth international hat-trick, including a spectacular volleyed opener, to lead the European champions to a 5-1 win over the Faroe Islands in their World Cup qualifier on Thursday.

News of all that's transpired on and off the football field

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will again be duelling for the title of world's best footballer after their names once again headed the shortlist on Thursday for The Best FIFA Men's Player.

The bench said it can understand children getting influenced, but why were adults getting involved in it.

Following is a match by match look at the English Premier League's season-opening weekend fixtures:

This and more from the happenings in the world of football

A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday '