Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup a "big opportunity for our younger generation" and said the event will increase the interest in football in the country.

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

The FIFA Under-17 World Cup Trophy arrived in Goa -- the land of beaches -- on Friday after mesmerising Mumbai last week.

Tiny Cape Verde Islands catapulted themselves into surprise World Cup contention with a 2-1 victory away to South Africa.

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

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.

National Geographic has announced the winners of its prestigious Travel Photographer of the Year photo contest for 2017. And the images are just breathtaking.

Pack your bags. Umbrellas and raincoats optional.

India were on Friday drawn with two-time champions Ghana, United States and Colombia in a tough Group A of the FIFA Under 17 World Cup.

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

A Internet sensation, she has over 2.1 million followers on Instagram.

China's hopes of qualifying for next year's World Cup finals hang by the thinnest of threads after an injury time goal from Ahmed Al Saleh saw Syria hold Marcello Lippi's team to a 2-2 draw on Tuesday evening.

Michael Hohl and Amber Maxwell were kicked off their United flight as they were headed from Houston to Costa Rica for their wedding.

Neymar shrugged off some rough tackling and a missed penalty to score a brilliant solo goal as he led Brazil to a 3-0 win over Paraguay that moved them within sight of the 2018 World Cup finals on Tuesday.

Spain strolled to a 4-1 win at home to Israel, while Italy survived some first-half scares on the way to a 2-0 win and Ukraine registered a 1-0 home win over Ukraine in an action-packed game.

Here are Aseem Chhabra's picks -- 'films that mattered to me, entertained me and will stay with me through the year.'

South American champions Chile have been handed a stadium ban for the third time in the 2018 World Cup qualifying competition because of homophobic chanting by their fans, FIFA said on Monday.

Juergen Klinsmann has been fired as head coach of the US men's national team in the wake of consecutive losses during the qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup.

A player from Chilean top flight side Audax Italiano has apologised after being arrested for climbing onto a fence and kicking a spectator following a match at the weekend.

France football legend Thierry Henry, who's on his maiden visit to India, has put Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo among the top contenders to win this year's Ballon d'Or trophy.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that proposals for a 32, 40 or 48-team World Cup in 2026 are still on the table and that a larger tournament would not mean a drop in quality.

Influential Spain defender Gerard Pique has said he will retire from international soccer after the 2018 World Cup, because he is "tired" of the criticism levelled at him from supporters. The Barcelona centre-back was the focus of attention in Sunday's World Cup qualifier with Albania after having cut off the sleeves from his shirt which bore Spain's colours of yellow and red. Pique, who has an awkward relationship with Spain fans for his repeated jibes at Real Madrid and his support for a referendum on Catalan independence, was heavily criticised on social media and in the sports press for the act.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane denied his side were facing a crisis after they drew 1-1 at home to La Liga minnows Eibar and racked up a fourth consecutive draw for the first time in more than 10 years.

Several defendants charged in a wide-ranging corruption case involving soccer's global governing body FIFA are in talks with US officials about possibly pleading guilty, a US prosecutor said on Monday.

Antonio Guterres, who had served as UN High Commissioner for Refugees for 10 years, has emerged as the front-runner in the first two rounds of informal voting.

Switzerland struck twice in quick succession to stun Euro 2016 champions Portugal 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday and hand them a first competitive defeat in two years under coach Fernando Santos.

Lewis Hamilton can become only the third driver to win 50 grands prix when Formula One returns from its month-long August break and gets back to business at Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.

Global health officials are racing to better understand the Zika virus behind a major outbreak that began in Brazil last year and has spread to many countries in the Americas.

Here's this week of photos that prove we live in a mad world.

England's 2-1 defeat by Iceland at Euro 2016 may have looked like one of the worst reverses in their history yet in many was it was a perfectly logical result.

Paraguay coach Ramon Diaz has resigned after the team's elimination in the group phase of the Copa America Centenario, Paraguayan FA (APF) sources said on Sunday.

The United States beat Paraguay 1-0 and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Copa America as Group A winners on Saturday after Costa Rica stunned already-qualified Colombia 3-2.

Colombia became the first side to book a spot in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals on Tuesday after beating Paraguay in Pasadena, while the United States kept their hopes of advancing alive by thrashing Costa Rica 4-0. Colombia's 2-1 win put them top of Group A on six points, with the United States on three and the other two teams on one point each. After losing their opener 2-0 to Colombia, the United States were in clinical form against the Costa Ricans in Chicago and scored three times in the first half through Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and Bobby Wood. Substitute Graham Zusi added a fourth in the 86th minute to cap the win and improve the hosts' goal difference.

Eight time champions Brazil were held 0-0 by Ecuador in the glamour game as the second day of the centenary Copa America tournament mustered up only one, albeit spectacular, goal from three matches on Saturday.

Colombia scored two first half goals to tame hosts the United States and open the Copa America tournament with a convincing 2-0 victory in front of a big crowd on Friday.

United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann has turned to experience for next month's Copa America Centenario on home soil, but said he had to make some "very close, tight decisions" before announcing his 23-player squad on Saturday.

Have a look at the best bird photos of the 2016 Audubon Photography Awards.

Former Costa Rican midfielder Alexandre Guimaraes has been named head coach of Mumbai City FC, for the third season of the Indian Super League.

Photos from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers played on Tuesday

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo was the scourge of AS Roma again as he inspired the hosts to a 2-0 win and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, scoring and setting up a goal Rodriguez to seal a 4-0 aggregate victory.