FIFA will choose the host nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on Thursday. Following is a Q+A examining how the process will work.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola refused to look for excuses after the La Liga champions were humbled 2-0 at home by promoted Hercules on Saturday.
Champions Barcelona suffered a humiliating 2-0 home defeat to Hercules on Saturday when Nelson Valdez struck twice to give the tiny promoted club a shock La Liga victory at a stunned Nou Camp stadium.
English champions Chelsea maintained their perfect start to the season but Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid were held 0-0 at Real Mallorca and German champions Bayern suffered a shock defeat to Kaiserslautern.
Liverpool diced with elimination before scoring two late goals to win 2-1 at Trabzonspor and squeeze into the Europa League on Thursday while Swiss second division side Lausanne came through with a shock win over Lokomotiv Moscow.
The World Cup has drawn to a close, but Larissa Riquelme's career is only just taking off. She has become Paraguay's highest-paid model as of this year and her name is among the most-searched on the Internet. She's gone from a nobody to a global pin-up overnight and here's why.
Spain's 1-0 extra time victory over Netherlands in the World Cup final on Sunday left them with a probably unwanted record of the fewest goals ever scored by the winners of the tournament.
David Villa and Wesley Sneijder, with five goals each, head the list of the goal scorers at the 2010 World Cup.
Not since Gianpiero Combi received the Jules Rimet from none other than Mussolini in 1934, and the 40 year old Dino Zoff hoisted the World Cup in 1982, has a goalkeeper had the pleasure of holding aloft the most coveted trophy in the world of sport.
Spain shook off the tag of perennial also-rans to storm to victory at Euro 2008 and they have gone from strength to strength since then to put themselves on the verge of a first World Cup triumph.
Lingerie model Larissa Riquelme, who became a worldwide sensation during the World Cup, will run naked through the streets of Asuncion despite Paraguay's exit in the quarter-finals after a 1-0 defeat against Spain.
David Villa and Wesley Sneijder, with five goals each, head the list of the goal scorers at the 2010 World Cup.
David Villa and Wesley Sneijder, with five goals each, head the list of the goal scorers at the 2010 World Cup.
Uruguay, the last team to qualify for the World Cup, carried the South American flag furthest at the tournament before bowing to European superiority in their 3-2 semi-final defeat by Netherlands on Tuesday.
A look at how the fans reacted after their team's crashed out of the World Cup.
Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas will probably be available for Wednesday's World Cup semi-final against Germany after a blow to the leg proved less serious than feared, coach Vicente del Bosque said on Tuesday.
So Germany and Spain made it to the World Cup semi-finals at the cost of a powerful Argentina and a fighting Paraguay respectively.
Paraguay left the World Cup with their heads held high on Saturday after giving European champions Spain a headache before succumbing to a 1-0 defeat, coach Gerardo Martino said.
France native Claude Arpi shares his thoughts on Saturday's quarter-finals at the World Cup.
All week Spanish fans have been debating which Fernando should lead their line -- the out-of-form Torres or the favoured Llorente.
Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas won praise from both winning and losing coaches on Saturday for saves that proved decisive in sending the European champions to the World Cup semi-finals.
Spain's irresistible striker David Villa grabbed a late winner for Spain as they beat Paraguay 1-0 in their World Cup quarter-final on Saturday.
Follow the quarter-final match between Spain and Paraguay.
Germany thrashed Argentina 4-0 with a sparkling display of attacking football on Saturday to book their spot in the World Cup last four.
Germany crushed Argentina 4-0 with a sparkling display of attacking football on Saturday to book their spot in the World Cup last four.
Millions of African fans mourned the agonising exit of Ghana, their last hope for World Cup glory, while four more nations stepped up to battle on Saturday for the remaining longed-for semi-final berths.
Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque is facing calls to replace striker Fernando Torres with Fernando Llorente for Saturday's quarter-final with Paraguay.
Argentina and Germany set off for the World Cup with huge doubts about their prospects but they meet in Saturday's quarter-final in hot form with a great chance for the winners to go all the way to the final.
Fernando Llorente has been surprised by the praise heaped on him after his match-turning performance in Spain's 1-0 second round victory over Portugal on Tuesday.
Images of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Samuel Eto'o are still festooned on posters all over South Africa -- but sadly for them that's their only involvement as the World Cup reaches its final stages.
The adventure is over for Carlos Queiroz's boys who had not lost 19 consecutive World Cup matches.
Spanish goal hero David Villa has rallied behind Fernando Torres after his strike partner turned in another disappointing World Cup performance in the European champions' 1-0 win over Portugal on Tuesday, saying he doesn't agree with those who say that the Liverpool ace's performances have been below par.
Paraguayans are in for a treat after lingerie model Larissa Riquelme promised to run naked through the streets if the team wins the World Cup.
In the search for tactical supremacy, soccer's big guns and some young pretenders have turned to the chapter marked 'counter-attack' to blast their way into the World Cup quarter-finals.
Disappointed Japan coach Takeshi Okada said he is likely to step down after his side lost their World Cup last 16 tie with Paraguay 5-3 on penalties following a dire 0-0 draw on Tuesday. Japan, bidding to reach their first ever quarter-final and carry the hopes of Asia, barely had a clearcut effort at goal in one of the worst matches of the tournament so far with Paraguay little better.
David Villa has found the rich vein of form that can win a World Cup and as long as he continues to mine it, Spain will be quietly confident of adding soccer's biggest prize to their European crown
Spain marched into the quarter-finals in their own inimitable style on Tuesday when another display of patient, precise passing let David Villa deliver a 1-0 win over a Portugal side left chasing shadows
Paraguay crossed a World Cup threshold when they beat Japan on 5-3 penalties to reach the quarter-finals for the first time on Tuesday.
A goal by striker David Villa earned Spain a 1-0 win over neighbours Portugal and a World Cup quarter-final place after an entertaining match on Tuesday in which the Portuguese also created several chances.
Updates from Tuesday's World Cup matches.
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