The team of defending champions Italy which crashed out in the first round of the World Cup produced the worst performance of any Italian lineup in the history of the competition, the country’s press said on Friday.

Slovak newspapers on Friday hailed the national team’s unexpected victory over defending champions Italy 3-2 to advance to the last 16 at the World Cup.
“Slovakia is having an unbelievable football orgasm,” said the daily Plus, in trademark tabloid style.

South Korea and Uruguay meet here on Saturday in a fascinating World Cup last 16 clash that few pundits would have predicted at the start of the tournament.
The Asian giants have earned a reputation as set piece masters in South Africa, with three of their five first round goals coming from freekicks, some feat given the unpredictability of the Jubalani ball.

The Netherlands reaffirmed their status as one of the World Cup favourites on Thursday by beating Cameroon 2-1 to set up a knockout round clash with Slovakia.
Bert van Marwijk’s team only needed a point to secure top spot in Group E but took all three with goals from Robin van Persie and substitute Klaas-Jan Huntelaar cancelling out a Samuel Eto’o penalty.

Thirty-three boys have died from botched circumcisions conducted in traditional initiation rites in South Africa, while scores more have ended up in hospital with mutilated penises, a health official

German football legend Franz Beckenbauer on Thursday backed Germany to beat old rivals England in Sunday’s round of 16 match with a World Cup quarterfinal place at stake.

Landon Donovan was moments from reliving his worst football heartache, a first-round World Cup exit, when he scored the most important goal of his life to send the United States into the knockout roun

Ivory Coast are hoping for another North Korean defensive meltdown in their final Group G match here on Friday if they are to avoid another early African exit at the World Cup.

The journalist girlfriend of Spain’s goalkeeper was accused of breaching professional ethics on Wednesday after she reported on live television from behind the net ahead of the country’s World Cup los

Vuvuzelas aren’t just loud but they can spread germs too, a South African clinic warned on Thursday, urging fans to keep their lips on their own horns to avoid catching colds.