Maradona apologises for outburst

Diego Maradona has apologised to FIFA and its referees for saying that England's last 16 win over Colombia in the World Cup was a robbery and that referee Mark Geiger was not up to the task.

Maradona said sorry after being rebuked by soccer's governing body following comments he made after England's hard-fought penalty shootout win in Tuesday's game.

"Overcome by emotion in cheering for Colombia the other day I said a couple of things and I admit, some of them were unacceptable," Maradona wrote on his Instagram account.

"My apologies to FIFA and its president [Gianni Infantino]; although I sometimes disagree with some refereeing decisions I have the utmost respect for the work - which isn't easy - that the referees do."

England won the match on penalties following 120 minutes marred by squabbling, protests to the referee, play-acting and feigning injury.

Maradona had said England's win was a "monumental robbery" and that Geiger "shouldn't be given a match of this magnitude."

He added: "Geiger, an American, what a coincidence."