Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary saved a penalty after becoming the oldest player ever to appear at the World Cup on Monday but it was not enough to stop the Pharaohs sliding to a 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia.... more »
No-one expected Egypt, Morocco or Saudi Arabia to win the World Cup but for all three to crash out on the same day was a disaster for Arab football.... more »
Uruguay booked their place in the World Cup knockout stage along with Russia on Wednesday, as Luis Suarez scored the winner on his 100th international appearance in a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Rostov-on-Don.... more »
Cristiano Ronaldo trained his sights on Morocco on Wednesday after his stunning hat-trick in Portugal's World Cup opener, while 2010 winners Spain play Iran with the host nation buzzing from Russia's unexpected success.... more »
Russia kicked off their World Cup in style on Thursday, thumping Saudi Arabia 5-0 in front of an ecstatic crowd in Moscow as President Vladimir Putin basked in the glow.... more »
Russia winger Denis Cheryshev said he "could never have dreamed" of his two-goal performance for the hosts in the opening match of the World Cup after a long struggle back from injury.... more »
Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov said he received a congratulatory call from President Vladimir Putin after the World Cup hosts pummelled Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the tournament's opening match on Thursday.... more »
Saudi Arabia may be World Cup minnows, but analysts say the kingdom's backing of North America's winning bid to host the 2026 tournament underscores a drive to become a football powerhouse in the face of regional rivalries.... more »
British pop star Robbie Williams caused a stir during his performance at the World Cup opening ceremony in Moscow on Thursday by making an obscene gesture to a camera.... more »
The World Cup kicks off in Russia Thursday as the host nation take on Saudi Arabia in front of 80,000 people in Moscow after President Vladimir Putin officially declares the tournament open.... more »
The World Cup trophy was displayed at Moscow's 80,000-seat Luzhniki Stadium on Thursday ahead of the tournament's opening match between host nation Russia and Saudi Arabia.... more »
Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov has told his team to ignore media criticism ahead of Thursday's World Cup kick-off against Saudi Arabia and focus on winning.... more »
Host nation Russia are under enormous pressure to perform as they head into Thursday's World Cup curtainraiser against Saudi Arabia in a contest between the two lowest-ranked nations in the tournament.... more »
Joachim Loew has slammed Germany fans who booed Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan during Friday's 2-1 World Cup warm-up victory over Saudi Arabia.... more »
Timo Werner impressed as Germany gave themselves a pre-World Cup boost on Friday by breaking their five-match winless streak with a nervy 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia in their final warm-up game.... more »
Qatar's beIN Media Group said Tuesday it has been unable to reach a deal with Saudi Arabia to show World Cup games, nine days before the kingdom plays Russia in the tournament's opening match.... more »
Mario Balotelli got new Italy coach Roberto Mancini off to a winning start by scoring the opener in a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in a pre-World Cup friendly in Saint Gallen on Monday.... more »
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that a two-year diplomatic rift between Saudi Arabia and Iran should not be allowed to get in the way of football.... more »
The Saudi football federation on Wednesday dismissed Argentinian head coach Edgardo Bauza, just two months after he was appointed to lead the team following their qualification to next year's World Cup in Russia.... more »
Omar Al Soma's stoppage-time equaliser took war-torn Syria into Asia's World Cup play-offs on Tuesday, as South Korea and Saudi Arabia both booked their spots at next year's tournament.... more »
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