Football

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has rated Brazil's organisation of the World Cup as 9.25 out of 10.

Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano said that the sadness caused by losing the World Cup final will last forever.

Argentina's 1-0 defeat by Germany in the final prevented Messi, who was named Player of the Tournament, from cementing his place in the pantheon of the truly great.

Catch all the updates from the third-place play-off match between Brazil and Netherlands at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia.

Germany expect the experience that runs through their team to give them the edge over Argentina in Sunday's World Cup final.

Third place would be scant consolation, Thiago Silva said the players would try to lift the spirits of a nation still in shock after the semis mauling.

After Brazil's 1-7 surrender against Germany in the semis, Argentina's win over the Netherlands in the second semi-final added salt to the hosts' wounds.

Fans, sportsmen and politicians said goodbye to Real Madrid legend Stefano at the Santiago Bernabeu, the stadium of Real Madrid.

The defeat at Belo Horizonte was Brazil's first competitive loss on home soil since stumbling 3-1 to Peru in the 1975 Copa America.

Klose put Germany ahead 2-0 for his 16th career World Cup goal in his fourth tournament to break the mark of 15 goals he shared with Brazil's retired star Ronaldo.

English winger Tom Ince has ended his public search for a new team by staying in the Premier League and joining Hull City.

Former Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano, 88, has died in a Madrid hospital two days after suffering a heart attack, the club said.

Schweinsteiger said he was saddened Neymar will not feature in their semi-final but believed the hosts may play above themselves with the whole nation behind them.

A combination of factors gelled to put Brazil on a trajectory to smash the record for most goals at any of the 20 World Cups.

This World Cup has been a tournament full of goals, surprise results and breath-taking skills, but also some of the wackiest hairstyles you'll find in sports.

German magazine Spiegel has claimed that Cameroon agreed with a betting ring before the match to lose 4-0.