Sports

Argentine star Lionel Messi said the national team was just "one small step away" from becoming the champions of the 2014 Brazil FIFA World Cup.

Dutch coach Louis van Gaal has criticized the match against host Brazil for the third-place as meaningless and "nothing whatsoever to do with sports."

The Netherlands went out as they lost 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw over 120 minutes in Sao Paulo.

Brazil have been blamed for not being attacking enough but it was their once admired defence that will carry the can for incredible loss.

Germany completed an extraordinary rout of Brazil by ending the host nation's campaign at the World Cup with a 7-1 victory in Belo Horizonte.

Van Gaal's uncompromising approach was felt all the way in England when he ordered United players to take part in an evening training session on on Tuesday.

Loew so far has one previous World Cup semi-final, the 2008 European Championship final and the Euro 2012 semi-final to show.

Catch all the live updates from the quarterfinal match between Brazil and Colombia at Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza.

The duo formed a key part of the side with Abidal making 26 league appearances and Carvalho missing just one of Monaco's top-flight matches.

The euphoria in soccer-mad Colombia is deafening, and wonderfully contagious, ahead of Friday's do-or-die World Cup match against host Brazil.

Diego Maradona has said he could be the next coach of Venezuela, the only South American country that has never made it to the World Cup.

Catch all the updates from the round of 16 match played between Belgium and USA at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador.

Schwarzer moved to Chelsea last year on a free transfer from Fulham and proved a reliable backup to Petr Cech.

Borges said the players were aware of the reaction back in Costa Rica to their win on penalties after the game against Greece finished in a 1-1 draw after extra time.

Inter Milan will retire the No. 4 jersey as a tribute to legendary former captain Javier Zanetti, who quit football at the end of last season.

He may not have been on the scoresheet, but once again it was Robben who won the match for the Netherlands with the tricky footwork.