Two Swiss government ministers backs national team players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri after their controversial goal celebrations in Friday's 2-1 World Cup win over Serbia.

As England thrashed Panama 6-1 on Sunday Prince William, the president of the Football Association, was flying into Jordan for a historic Middle East tour.

After Argentina's terrible start to the World Cup, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has declared that he is ready to fight in order to qualify for the round of 16 and confirmed that he will not retire without having won the World Cup.

Iran were predicted to finish last in this group in some quarters. They could still end up winning it. The situation in Group B is so precarious that one of Spain or Portugal may even get knocked out of the tournament.

With the second series of World Cup group games completed on Sunday, qualification for the knockout rounds is now clearer.

Goals from Yerry Mina, Radamel Falcao and Juan Cuadrado give Colombia a convincing 3-0 win on Sunday against Poland.

Spain will be looking for their unlikely new World Cup figurehead Diego Costa to strike again against already eliminated Morocco on Monday as they bid to outscore Portugal and grab top spot in Group B.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored Portugal's all-four goals in the World Cup so far and the European Champions will be heavily dependent on the talismanic forward to see them through against a stoic Iran side in their final Group B match on Monday.

Colombia's World Cup campaign roared back into life with a 3-0 win over Poland in Group H on a sweltering evening at the Kazan Arena which sent the Poles tumbling out of the tournament on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty before Portugal conceded an injury-time spot-kick in a 1-1 draw with Iran at the World Cup yesterday as the European champions set up a last-16 clash with Uruguay.

The disciplinary records of Spain and Portugal could be used to decide the winners of the World Cup's Group B if they both win by the same scoreline in their final qualification matches on Monday.

The shadow of the dramatic sacking of coach Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the World Cup still hung over Spain as they set off for their final Group B game against Morocco in Kaliningrad after midfielder Saul Niguez openly criticised the decision.

FIFA said late on Saturday it had fined the Polish Football Association 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,124) for what it said was an offensive banner displayed by Polish fans during their side's 2-1 World Cup defeat to Senegal on Tuesday.

Iago Aspas scored a VAR-assisted equaliser in injury time as Spain scrambled a 2-2 draw with Morocco yesterday in a dramatic finale to their Group B campaign.

It was a typical German show of grit and guts: never-say-die till the long whistle.

A desperate Argentina will get one last chance to salvage their battered pride when they take on Nigeria in a do-or-die World Cup Group D match at the Saint Petersburg Stadium today. A win will keep their hopes alive but whether or not they will progress to the round of sixteen depends on the result of the night's other Group D encounter between Croatia and Iceland.

A football marathon in Russia over the past 10 days has given fans everything that they could have desired, from late winners and fantastical upsets to virtuoso solo performances and heartbreaks.

When Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli hugged star forward Lionel Messi on his 31st birthday yesterday, understandably not one of the best of days for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner,

England recorded their biggest ever World Cup finals win by thrashing an ill-disciplined Panama 6-1 on Sunday to breeze through to the knockout stage after two games.

Gary Lineker updated his famous quote about the Germans always winning after Toni Kroos's dramatic late goal kept the holders' World Cup dreams alive with a 2-1 win over Sweden.