Costa Rica will look to repeat history at the World Cup in Qatar when they bid to advance from the "Group of Death" to the knockout stages, defender Kendall Waston said.

Brazil are tipped to claim the World Cup for the sixth time in the tournament that kicks off Nov. 20 in Qatar, according to a Reuters poll that last successfully predicted the champions in 2010.

Qatar coach Felix Sanchez selected a 26-man squad World Cup on Friday exclusively made up of home-based players led by attacking trio Akram Afif, Almoez Ali and Hassan Al-Haydos.

Injured forward Paulo Dybala made the cut as Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni named on Friday his 26-man squad for the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup in Qatar, where Lionel Messi will lead the side.

Argentina's Giovani Lo Celso has been ruled out of the World Cup with a hamstring injury for which the midfielder requires surgery, Argentine media reported on Tuesday.

Ecuador coach Gustavo Alfaro criticised the decision to change the date of the World Cup's opening match between his side and hosts Qatar for giving him one less day to prepare for the tournament.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter says the decision to award the 2022 World Cup finals to Qatar was a "mistake".

An advanced guard of Argentina football fans chanted their certainty that Lionel Messi's last World Cup will end in success Monday ahead of the Latin American side becoming the first to set up their base camp in Qatar.

Brazil's Neymar will be 31 years old in February and Qatar could be his final bid to help his nation win a record-extending sixth World Cup title.

Ghana captain Andre Ayew is heading to an extraordinary 10th major tournament and has won a record tally of caps for his country, yet he still lives in the shadow of his father.

England left back Ben Chilwell will miss the World Cup in Qatar after being ruled out for up to three months due to a hamstring injury, British media reported on Thursday, a week before Gareth Southgate is due to name his 26-man squad for the tournament.

Poland will look to their talisman Robert Lewandowski to score the goals to take them into the World Cup knockout round for the first time in more than 35 years but he will need support.

Germany forward Timo Werner has been ruled out of the World Cup in Qatar due to an ankle injury, his club RB Leipzig announced on Thursday.

Lionel Messi has won nearly 40 trophies for club and country in an illustrious career but the Argentine forward's glittering resume has one major omission -- a World Cup winner's medal.

One of the world’s most formidable defenders, a combination of circumstance and misfortune means only now is Virgil van Dijk set to appear at his first major international tournament.

Iran striker Mehdi Taremi's four years in Portuguese football have turned unquestioned potential into one of the most potent weapons at the disposal of national team coach Carlos Queiroz.

Sadio Mane is the embodiment of the dreams of millions of young Africans, emerging from a small village in Senegal to play at the highest level in Europe and become an international icon.

French World Cup-winning hero Zinedine Zidane said Monday it was "time to forget the controversies and focus on the football" at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, despite calls to boycott the tournament over the Gulf state's rights record and treatment of migrant workers.

Watching this year's World Cup on TV will be a different experience, Spanish football legend Andres Iniesta told AFP on Thursday, but he believes his compatriots can lift the trophy without him.

Qatar will permit ticketed fans to buy alcoholic beer at World Cup soccer matches starting three hours before kickoff and for one hour after the final whistle, but not during the match, a source with knowledge of plans for the tournament said.