Brazil captain Cafu revealed his desire to match Pele’s three World Cup triumphs as he celebrated his country’s return to the ‘‘top of the world’’ thanks to the inspiration of Ronaldo.

The World Cup ball was billed as the world’s perfectly round football, made with thermally bonded, spherically moulded, 3D panels.

Defender Jerome Boateng has warned Germany are “a tournament team” and cannot be discounted as potential World Cup winners.

France have risen two places in the FIFA world rankings following their controversial World Cup play-off win over the Republic of Ireland.

Joe Cole admits it is important to keep football in perspective as he waits to hear whether he is part of the England squad for the 2010 World Cup finals.

Qatar World Cup organisers insist the crisis at FIFA will not affect their preparations for the tournament in 2022.

IRISH entrepreneurs helped Qatari football chiefs keep cool heads in their successful bid for World Cup 2022.

Blatter has revealed there was an agreement in place for the 2018 World Cup to go to Russia.

Spain’s World Cup preparations are in turmoil after the sacking of head coach Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the tournament.

BIRMINGHAM CITY’S new signing Aliou Cisse has rubbished claims that voodoo was responsible for Senegal’s success in the World Cup finals.

Mick McCarthy will have a first-hand view of the World Cup as a television pundit this summer, but the Wolves manager does not believe it is the ideal stage to spot potential new signings.

Former Ireland internationals, head coaches, a World Cup-winning captain will be among RTÉ's stable of pundits for the Rugby World Cup.

FIFA ethics investigator Michael Garcia has lost his appeal against the findings which cleared Qatar and Russia to host the 2022 and 2018 World Cups.

Football’s most powerful men were this morning preparing to begin the jousting to decide the number of World Cup berths for each continent.

The Brazilian Football Federation have confirmed Dunga has been dismissed following the country's elimination from the World Cup.

Fernando Torres handed Spain a lift on the eve of their departure for a World Cup training camp in Austria by working with the rest of the squad for the first time since knee surgery.

Brian Ashton has retained the team that sent Australia crashing out of the World Cup for Saturday’s semi-final against France.

THE International Rugby Board has been warned there is a “serious risk” of the global game “going backwards” if the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand is a commercial failure.

SOUTH AFRICA’S World Cup winning coach, Jake White, pictured, has ruled himself out of the running to succeed Eddie O’Sullivan as Ireland head coach.