There was a time when a woman’s place on TV coverage of the World Cup was restricted to leering crowd shots of female fans.

So there we are last Sunday, Tim and Finn and Greg and Russ and Edward and Ken and the bloke next to Ken (more of whom anon) and meself, bubbles floating past us amid the arctic tundra of Stratford, writes Enda McEvoy

Daniel Storey looks at the five biggest takeaways from the weekend’s action.

If we’re second for a few hours, or even a few weeks, it doesn’t feel like a big deal.

West Ham have signed former Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra on a short-term contract.

Patrice Evra has thanked 'all real Marseille fans' for the support he has received in the wake of last week's incident which saw him suspended by the Ligue 1 side after aiming a kick at one of the club's supporters.

Ugly scenes marred the end of Lyon's 5-0 derby destruction of bitter rivals St Etienne as angry home fans temporarily delayed the match by invading the pitch.

Catch up on this morning's headlines...

Is Ligue 1 becoming fashionable again? France Football asked its readers in an internet poll last week.

Simon Collings compares the two sides before they clash in Euro 2016 final.

For France, this was about more than trying to win a football match. This glorious sporting occasion in Marseilles represented a chance to restore the pride and faith of a nation.

This was the night when France began to heal before our very eyes, a night when La Marseillaise was sung louder than it has ever been sung, a night when Antoine Griezmann became a national hero — and when Les Bleus dramatically and deservedly reached the final of Euro 2016.

France have pinpointed Wes Hoolahan as the Ireland player they need to thwart if they’re to prevail in today's Euro 2016 last-16 tie.

1) Granit Xhaka looks every bit a £30m player

Blaise Matuidi’s late strike steered France to a 3-2 victory over Holland on an emotional night at the Amsterdam Arena.

Luis Suarez made it a perfect ending to Barcelona’s astonishing season with the Champions League final winner against Juventus.

There is symmetry to Patrice Evra’s career. 

Massimiliano Allegri admits it can sometimes seem virtually impossible to combat Barcelona and their “stratospheric” all-star forward line, but the Juventus boss insists the Champions League final is no foregone conclusion.

The Old Lady of Italian football — not to mention one or two of its old men — is long overdue a European trophy; and after Carlos Tevez inspired Juventus to a 2-1 Champions League semi-final first leg victory over Real Madrid there is a growing feeling that this could finally be their year.

Monaco 0 Juventus 0: Juventus moved into the last four of the Champions League for the first time in 12 years after playing out a goalless draw with Monaco in the second leg of their quarter-final tie.

Barcelona’s big name attackers took much of the focus during the Catalan outfit’s Champions League last 16 first leg at Manchester City late last month.

Louis Saha thinks it could take a full year for Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao to adapt to the English game.

Open a Catalan sports newspaper, or turn on sports radio in Barcelona, and you will quite likely see or hear Luis Suarez talking about his new club or his past issues.

Real Madrid’s Fifa Club World Cup semi-final clash tomorrow with Mexico’s Cruz Azul has been switched to Marrakech from Rabat due to the waterlogged pitch at the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah.

The Football Association is awaiting Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli’s response to his

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The Football Association of England is investigating Mario Balotelli over a social media post which appeared to contain anti-Semitic and racist references.

The Football Association has contacted Mario Balotelli to ask for his observations on a social media post which appeared to contain anti-Semitic and racist references.

Manchester United’s income dropped by almost 10% in the first quarter of this financial year due to the club’s absence from the Champions League.

There is never a dull moment with Luis Suarez.

Luis Suarez says he is getting help in order to control his “impulse” to bite.

Barcelona forward Luis Suarez was reunited with his old boss Kenny Dalglish last night, as he received the Golden Shoe trophy at a ceremony in the Spanish city, with Dalglish declaring the striker unstoppable.

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has accepted responsibility for most of his past misdemeanours but is still "upset" over his punishment for racially abusing Patrice Evra.

David de Gea admits he considered leaving Manchester United a couple of years ago, but he is glad he opted to stay.

Analysing the quality and potential of Manchester United under Louis van Gaal is proving a complicated process, as his players come to terms with new tactics, new team-mates and new challenges; but it may well become a little easier after a fixture against Everton tomorrow that has been an interesting barometer of United’s health in recent years.

Louis van Gaal thinks he may have bamboozled his players with too much information in the opening two months of his reign as Manchester United manager.

Louis van Gaal thinks Manchester United should have no regrets about releasing Rio Ferdinand earlier this summer.

Manchester United’s scattergun approach to the transfer window, which has seen chief executive Ed Woodward widely lambasted, delivered an unexpected bullseye on deadline day with the arrival of Radamel Falcao, but also delivered a risky potential sale of Danny Welbeck to top-six rivals Arsenal that drew criticism from Old Trafford fans.

Ger McCarthy outlines where a selection of Premier League clubs need to strengthen ahead of the new season and before the transfer window slams shut.

Luke Shaw faces an extended wait to make his competitive debut for Manchester United after he was ruled out for up to four weeks with a hamstring injury.

Having been battered from pillar to post for his failures in last summer’s transfer window, Ed Woodward’s promise of a fluid budget for the new Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal represents a rigid dichotomy between the approach under David Moyes, even if such grand promises could easily become the sword Woodward falls upon.