Goals from Theo Hernandez and substitute Randal Kolo Muani put the French into a fourth World Cup final and gave them the chance to become the first team to retain the title since Brazil 60 years ago.

Considered by many to be the world’s best, Messi now has a chance to put behind him defeat in the 2014 World Cup final and fill the only blank on his career resume.

In the 21 editions of the World Cup over 92 years featuring 79 nations, there have still been only eight winners and only 13 have made it to the final. Spain were the last to join the elite group of champions in 2010 after France in 1998 and Argentina in 1978. 

In the second semi-final on Wednesday, reigning champions France take on giant-killing Morocco, the first African team ever to reach the last four of a World Cup.

France, who defeated England on Saturday, are looking to become the first team in 60 years to retain the trophy but they can expect fierce resistance from the surprise package of the tournament.

Leading American sports reporter Grant Wahl, who last month had a run-in with Qatar's World Cup organizers over a rainbow lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) shirt, died while covering a tense quarterfinal match on Friday, his family said.

The story of the women’s U19 team making it into the International Cricket Council (ICC) U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023 is a flight of fancy.

As their national team made history, crowds gathered in Casablanca on Saturday evening and chanted "Qualified! Qualified!"

Elated French fans on both sides of the Channel roared with delight and threw dance moves after their team's dramatic World Cup quarter-final victory over old rivals England in Qatar on Saturday.

The north Africans' coach Walid Regragui said they would start as underdogs againstPortugal but had proved they were genuine challengers in Qatar and were hungry for more success.

Minutes from the semi-finals after Neymar had smashed the ball into the roof of the net at the end of a sublime move in extra-time, they allowed Croatia substitute Bruno Petkovic to fire home to level.

Long after the vanquished Dutch had left the field, the Argentinian players danced in front of their dancing, flag-waving fans, all ignited by the belief that maybe Messi's time has come at long last.

Morocco will bid to become the first African or Arab nation to ever reach the semi-finals but face a Portugal side who put six goals past Switzerland in the last 16 after dropping Cristiano Ronaldo.

An unforgivable tactical and mental breakdown ended up costing Brazil the win that they had fought resiliently to achieve throughout the match.

The 37-year-old striker was dropped for the last-16 clash earlier this week, with his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, netting a hat-trick in a scintillating 6-1 victory against Switzerland.

On a pitch beneath the Amsterdam tower blocks where they grew up, two young friends of Surinamese origin practise free kicks and dream of wearing the Netherlands' famed orange jersey.

Argentina have the pride that comes from being two-times world champions while the Netherlands carry the baggage of being three-times beaten finalists.

La Roja last lifted a major trophy a decade ago at Euro 2012, while they have not won a single knockout game at the World Cup since triumphing in South Africa in 2010.

Victory took the African side into the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, trumping their performance in 1986, when they reached the last 16.

Santos had expressed his unhappiness with Ronaldo's reaction to being suspended in the final group stage game against South Korea but he said that matter had no impact.

Goncalo Ramos justified the shock decision to drop Cristiano Ronaldo by scoring a hat-trick on his full debut as Portugal demolished Switzerland 6-1 on Tuesday to power into the World Cup quarter-finals.

Achraf Hakimi struck the decisive penalty in a shootout to send Morocco into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time on Tuesday as the African side stunned Spain after a goalless draw.

"Now I need to think about the future, but I will not be with the Korea team. I am going to rest and then see," the 53-year-old former Portugal coach said after the loss in the last 16. 

Brazil hit top gear with Neymar back in the line-up to brush aside South Korea 4-1 on Monday and ease into the quarter-finals of the World Cup where they will face Croatia

Cristiano Ronaldo will aim to fire Portugal past Switzerland and into the World Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday as Morocco bid to derail Spain's bid for a second global crown.

The government suspended competitive football matches following a deadly stampede in the city of Malang that killed 135 people, including more than 40 children.

Giroud, at 36, brings experience and guile to France's attack, while Mbappe, 23, is blessed with pace so explosive that the screens at the Al Thumama Stadium showed him hitting a top of speed of 35 kph (22 mph) as he tormented Poland's defence.