Former French football star Zinedine Zidane on Monday denied media reports claiming he had been interfering with France’s game tactics at the 2010 World Cup.
“I have always respected the rules,” the 1998 world champion and 2006 runner-up Zidane told a press conference in South Africa.

One is a defender for Germany, the other a midfielder for Ghana. On Wednesday the two brothers meet in a match which will decide their teams’ 2010 World Cup future.
Born in Berlin, the Boateng brothers could come face to face on the Soccer City pitch in Johannesburg — making it a first World Cup match featuring brothers playing for opposing teams.

The French team has become the laughing stock of planet earth for its swearing, bickering and training boycott at the World Cup.
Assessments outside France range from “kindergarten” and “the incredible sulk” to “French Revolution” and “France: Les Bleus? Les Misrables!”

The England fan who barged into the team’s dressing room and berated players for their poor showing against Algeria was “only looking for the toilet,” he told a British Sunday newspaper.

France’s disastrous World Cup campaign was plunged into fresh chaos on Sunday when the players refused to train in protest at the decision to send home star striker Nicolas Anelka.

As the surprise leaders of Group H ahead of Spain, Chile and Switzerland share the same goal in their Monday clash in Port Elizabeth.

When Portugal and North Korea meet in Cape Town in Monday’s Group G duel, the world’s most publicity-hungry player will be pitted against the most private team of the tournament.

France’s loss to Mexico unleashed a storm of outrage in France as media, former France internationals and politicians on both sides of the ideological divide heaped criticism on the team and coach Raymond Domenech.

Hippo Betty has predicted a German victory over Serbia in the World Cup, which basically means the other teams can go home because the Germans will lift the trophy on July 11.

England go into Friday’s Group C qualifying match against Algeria with a point to prove — not just to their doubting supporters after an underwhelming 1-1 draw with the US, but to German legend Franz Beckenbauer.