Hansi Flick will remain in charge of Germany through Euro 2024 despite a disastrous World Cup campaign following discussions with the German Football Association (DFB).
The former Bayern Munich boss succeeded Joachim Low following Euro 2020, and was tasked with reviving the national team's prestige after back-to-back disappointing major tournaments
But, as at Russia 2018, Germany instead crashed out in the group stage at Qatar 2022, sparking serious questions about leadership at the top, and leading to the exit of technical director Oliver Bierhoff.
Flick's own future has been up in the air too, but after holding talks with DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and vice-president Hans-Joachim Watzke, he has now been confirmed to be staying on board.
"My coaching staff and I are optimistic about the European Championship in our own country," Flick said.
"As a team, we can achieve a lot more than we showed in Qatar. We missed a great opportunity there.
"We will learn our lessons from that. We all want the whole of Germany to gather behind the national team again at the home European Championship in 2024."
Neuendorf added Flick has the full backing of the DFB, while also revealing that a replacement for Bierhoff will not be explored until a potential leadership reshuffle.
"We are all convinced that the 2024 European Championship in our own country represents a great opportunity for football in Germany," he said.
"Our goal is to make this tournament a sporting success. We have full confidence in Hansi Flick. He will master this challenge together with his team.
"With regard to Oliver Bierhoff's successor, we have agreed that we will first discuss the future structure of this area of responsibility within the DFB and then make a personnel decision."
Dejan Lovren does not "see any disrespect" in Brazil's dancing goal celebrations as his Croatia team prepare to face off against the World Cup favourites in a huge quarter-final clash.
Brazil reached the last eight with an emphatic 4-1 thumping of South Korea in the round of 16 on Monday, garnering praise for their impressive attacking display.
However, Brazil's dancing celebrations after their goals were criticised by some, with pundit and former Manchester United captain Roy Keane saying Brazil were "disrespecting the opposition" with their behaviour.
Lovren disagrees with Keane though, and sees no ill intention with Brazil's post-goal antics, telling reporters: "Dancing after a goal? They can do whatever they want.
"I don't see any disrespect in that. Everything has its limit, but I know how Brazilians breathe and I don't see anything negative in that."
Croatia made it all the way to final at the 2018 World Cup, and they kept their hopes alive of repeating those heroics with a tense victory on penalties over tournament surprises Japan.
Zlatko Dalic's men found themselves behind at half-time, but Ivan Perisic nodded home an equaliser before Dominik Livakovic saved three penalties in the shoot-out to secure Croatia's place in the last eight.
While Lovren acknowledged the difficulty of Friday's match with Brazil, the former Liverpool defender feels his team will give a good account of themselves.
"Brazil is the favourite," Lovren added. "They have fantastic players and they are definitely the favourites. We have no problem with that.
"We appreciate everyone and respect everyone and we will prove it on the field."
Midfielder Mateo Kovacic cited Croatia's 1-0 Nations League victory over reigning world champions France in June as a blueprint for how they must perform against Brazil.
"The match against France in the Nations League was good from our side," the Chelsea midfielder explained.
"We were good, showed confidence in possession, we have to do it again on Friday. We must not struggle with possession and an early goal would help us a lot.
"Brazil is a top team, it is easy to say that the game needs to be repeated, but it is certainly the way to play."
Croatia have conceded just two goals at the tournament so far, with Lovren forming a solid partnership at the back with 20-year-old Josko Gvardiol.
Gvardiol's imposing performances have attracted interest from Europe's elite clubs, and Lovren understands why, declaring: "He has great quality, he's way ahead of me at 20-years-old.
"It's no wonder every club in the world is interested in his services."
Cristiano Ronaldo will still believe he will score the winning goal in the World Cup final, according to former Real Madrid full-back Michel Salgado.
Portugal head coach Fernando Santos started Ronaldo on the bench for their last-16 clash with Switzerland on Tuesday, which worked out well as his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win.
It came just two weeks after Ronaldo and Manchester United agreed to terminate his contract, with coach Erik ten Hag shaping his team largely without the 37-year-old, despite him being the Premier League side's top scorer last season.
Speaking to Stats Perform, Salgado explained how it can feel to go through a decline in importance near the end of a playing career, but added his belief that Ronaldo will still want to prove the doubters wrong.
"We all need to face changes, it's life, and he is being put under pressure constantly," he said. "But he needs to live with it, we all went through that, at one point we were super important in our career, and at some point there is a change.
"You can see that other guy is coming, that they can play without you, and you realise that they play without you and win without you. But, obviously, what Cristiano means for football is huge, we will miss him.
"I know him well and he is not going to put his head down. He is going to still be thinking today that he is going to score the World Cup winning goal and that Portugal are going to be champions with him, and no one will convince him otherwise."
Salgado left Madrid in 2009, shortly after Ronaldo had arrived from United, and thinks the five-time Ballon d'Or winner could still have an important part to play for his national side in Qatar, who face Morocco in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
"I think we need to leave him alone, Portugal won clearly with him, the alternative of using another player instead of him worked for the coach," he added. "He had the personality to look for solutions without Ronaldo, but if I were a manager, and I believe Fernando [Santos] knows it, you need to count on Ronaldo if you want to win this World Cup. That is clear.
"What is needed is Ronaldo mentally finding his place, and keeping focused on the national team, come what may. But it is very obviously a moment of change for him."
Kylian Mbappe is France's "main weapon" but Adrien Rabiot insists Les Bleus are not dependent on the forward in their quest to defend their World Cup crown.
The Paris Saint-Germain star leads the goalscoring charts at Qatar 2022 with five to date, and bagged a brace as Didier Deschamps' side progressed to the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Poland.
That has set up France's toughest test of the tournament on paper in the shape of Euro 2020 finalists England, where the attacker will be looking to make a difference once again.
Despite having needed Mbappe to fire them forward on several occasions so far, Rabiot says he is not the only member of their squad who can help win games.
"There is no dependency," Rabiot stated. "He is our main weapon, but we also have other players who can make a difference in other ways.
"We count on him as on all the players in the group. Everyone needs to be good health to face England.
Ibrahima Konate is relishing the chance to see Kylian Mbappe and Kyle Walker's battle up close and personal when France face England in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Les Bleus are into the last eight after victory over Poland, with Didier Deschamps' side now set to take on Gareth Southgate's Three Lions, one of the few unbeaten sides left at Qatar 2022.
Forward Mbappe, who sits atop the Golden Boot standings with five goals to his name, has been the form player at the tournament so far.
But he will face arguably his toughest test yet in England right-back Walker, with Konate looking forward to seeing the pair square off.
"Walker and Mbappe are two very great players," he said. "Walker is one of the best right-backs in the world, I cannot wait to see this battle.
"[But] it's complicated [to defend against Mbappe]. Kylian is impressive. Each year, he evolves and becomes even better.
"I don't know where he will stop. We are lucky to have him in our team and not against us."
Mbappe missed team training on Tuesday, instead completing routines inside away from the rest of the squad, sparking fears of a potential injury knock.
But Konate shut down such talk, suggesting instead it was a preordained decision as part of his post-match recovery process.
"It was a little recovery session, the day before we had a day off," he added. "I think he decided to stay indoors with the coach.
"There is nothing to worry about. We are counting on him as on all the players in the group. Everyone must be in good health to face England."
Vahid Halilhodzic feels he has been left "out in the rain" watching Morocco progress to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Halilhodzic secured Morocco's qualification for the finals in Qatar with a 5-2 aggregate win over DR Congo in the third round of CAF qualifying in March.
However, Halilhodzic was sacked in August, marking his third dismissal from a national team post before a World Cup having led a team to qualification.
The Bosnian suffered the same fate with Ivory Coast in 2010 and Japan in 2018, though he did lead Algeria to the last 16 in 2014.
Morocco have enjoyed a stunning World Cup without him, reaching the last eight for the first time by beating Spain on penalties on Tuesday.
Asked about the Morocco team by So Foot, Halilhodzic said: "Instead of being in Qatar, I am here in the rain.
"I had really invested myself in this project thoroughly for three years and it is still a World Cup that I will miss. Well, it's life."
Halilhodzic came under fire for not picking enough locally based players and leaving out Hakim Ziyech, who did not feature in the qualification campaign.
"When you arrive in a country, you don't know all the good players. So we have to look for them," Halilhodzic added.
"How many tapes I watched in Morocco! At least a thousand. I updated 80 per cent of the team. We have to find them, the players who can play for the national team.
"What makes a coach credible are the results. And never has the Moroccan team got better results than with me in the World Cup qualifiers. Seven wins, one draw having scored three goals per game on average.
"What I didn't appreciate were the smear campaigns, to create animosity between supporters of different clubs, between locals and Moroccans abroad, that locals would be prevented from playing for their country.
"This pressure from the federation had already been going on for a long time. They wanted me to take three-four players, while the team had achieved results without them. I did not give in, because you lose your credibility when the players feel that we decide for you.
"Some refused to play for Morocco because they had entourages who preferred them to play for Spain, Italy or France. And afterwards, they change their minds when there is a World Cup!
"I felt that with the Moroccan team that I had built, we could do something at the World Cup. I would have liked to end my career with a successful World Cup and say enough!"
Kyle Walker will not "roll out a red carpet" for Kylian Mbappe as England prepare to face France in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
Mbappe is the tournament's top scorer so far with five goals in four matches, including a double in the reigning champions' 3-1 victory over Poland in the round of 16.
That win set up a clash in the final eight with England, giving Three Lions' manager Gareth Southgate a headache on how to best counter the threat of Mbappe.
Walker is the player many believe will be chosen to deal with the power and pace of Mbappe, with the possibility that Southgate will opt to play with a back five.
While Walker lauded Mbappe's talents, the Manchester City defender feels he is well-equipped to cope with the Paris Saint-Germain star.
"Of course I understand the focus and I understand what I need to do to stop him," Walker told reporters. "It's easier said than done but I don't underestimate myself.
"I've come up against some of the best players in the world but I have to treat it just as another game. You have to give him respect but not too much.
"I'm not going to roll out a red carpet for him and tell him to score. It's a World Cup, it's do or die.
"I'm not going home so I'm not going to let him ruin that for my family."
Other France forwards have impressed alongside Mbappe, such as Ousmane Dembele and Olivier Giroud, the latter of whom became Les Bleus' all-time record goalscorer with his strike against Poland, with Walker stressing the focus is not just on the PSG forward.
Walker says it is important England pay due attention to all of France's attackers, and not just Mbappe, adding: "It will be a tough game but a team cannot just be about one person.
"When we've [City] played Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, we're not just thinking of Mbappe and it's the same on Saturday.
"He's a tool in their armoury - and a very good one - but you can't underestimate their other players.
"We know he's a great player and that's why he's the focus of all questions. But let's not forget Olivier Giroud who has scored lots of goals, Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann.
"For me all the questions shouldn't be about him [Mbappe]. I appreciate he's a great footballer, but there are others too."
At 32-years-old, Walker is one of the older members of England's squad, with young stars such as Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham playing a starring role in England's campaign so far.
Walker commended the Three Lions' new generation, reserving particular praise for Bellingham, who has lit up the tournament with his sparkling midfield displays at just 19-years-old.
"It is great for the English game," Walker declared. "As you mentioned, Jude [Bellingham] being one who has the courage to play for England that others didn't have when they were younger.
"They have no fear and they go in and express themselves. I feel the standard of players has gone up another level in this tournament."
Gianni Infantino believes the 2022 World Cup has been a "fantastic success", boosted by the best group stage in the history of the tournament.
FIFA president Infantino was under pressure as Qatar 2022 began following an extraordinary opening address in which he dismissed various criticisms and controversies around the finals.
Such episodes have continued throughout the tournament, notably with the dispute around the OneLove campaign, but Infantino believes the product on the pitch has scaled new heights.
No team achieved nine points from a possible nine in the group stage as there were a number of upsets, most notably Argentina's loss to Saudi Arabia and Germany's first-round elimination.
Those shocks have continued into the last 16, with Morocco dumping out Spain on penalties on Tuesday.
Speaking on the first rest day of the World Cup, Infantino said: "I have seen all the matches, indeed, and put very simply and very clearly, this has been the best group stage of a FIFA World Cup ever.
"So, it's very promising for the remainder of the FIFA World Cup.
"The matches have been of great, great quality in beautiful stadiums – we knew that already. However, as well, the public who was there was incredible. Over 51,000 on average.
"Record-breaking figures on TV – we already had over two billion viewers, which is really incredible.
"Two and a half million people in the streets of Doha and a few hundred thousand every day in the stadiums, all together, cheering together, supporting their teams, fantastic atmosphere, great goals, incredible excitement and surprises."
Discussing the surprise results, he added: "There are no more small teams and no more big teams. The level is very, very equal.
"For the first time as well, national teams from all continents going to the knock-out phase, for the first time in history. This shows that football is really becoming truly global."
Infantino expects the finals to conclude in a similarly entertaining manner.
"We hope that the FIFA World Cup continues and concludes as it has started – a fantastic success," he said. "I am sure that we will reach the five billion viewers around the world.
"When it comes to stadium attendances, the stadiums are sold out, full practically at every match. The fan festivals, the different fan zones, are also very crowded with people celebrating and enjoying [themselves].
"And at the end [of the day], we simply want to give some joy and some smiles to people all over the world. That's what football is about, that's what the FIFA World Cup is about, and that's what should also happen from now until the end."
Eden Hazard has announced his retirement from international football in the wake of Belgium's disappointing performance at the World Cup.
The Red Devils were underwhelming in an opening 1-0 win over Canada but defeat to Morocco and a draw with Croatia saw them exit Group F.
Head coach Roberto Martinez, who four years previously had led Belgium to the semi-finals in Russia, confirmed his departure after that game.
Real Madrid winger Hazard has now also called time on his spell with the national team, announcing his decision on Instagram.
"A page turns today… Thank you for your love. Thank you for your unparalleled support," he wrote.
"Thank you for all this happiness shared since 2008. I have decided to put an end to my international career. The succession is ready. I will miss you."
Hazard was part of a team dubbed Belgium's 'Golden Generation' alongside the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois.
The former Chelsea star racked up 126 caps for his country and scored 33 goals, making his debut as a substitute against Luxembourg back in 2008.
His first experience of an international tournament came at the 2014 World Cup where Belgium made the quarter-finals, and he skippered his country at Euro 2016 in the absence of Vincent Kompany where they again lost in the last eight – this time to Wales.
A 1-0 defeat to eventual champions France curtailed their run in Russia four years ago and more quarter-final pain was in store at the hands of Italy at last year's rescheduled Euro 2020.
Belgium's campaign in Qatar was beset by rumours of rifts in the camp, with Hazard himself suggesting the team's best chance of success was in 2018 – a suggestion echoed by De Bruyne, who said the age of the squad was too old to compete.
Cristiano Ronaldo hailed Portugal's "historic" World Cup win over Switzerland, a match in which he was dropped by head coach Fernando Santos.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos named his superstar forward on the bench having been left disappointed by his reaction to being substituted in their final group-stage game against South Korea.
It marked another chapter in a tumultuous period for Ronaldo, who departed Manchester United by mutual consent in the wake of an incendiary interview with Piers Morgan.
Santos later said the matter had been solved internally, but Ronaldo's replacement Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick and assisted another in the 6-1 rout of Switzerland that set up a quarter-final tie with Morocco.
Ronaldo did come off the bench and had a goal rightly ruled offside, before later hailing the performance of the team via an Instagram post.
"Amazing day for Portugal, with a historic result in the biggest contest in world soccer. Luxury display by a team full of talent and youth," he wrote.
"Congratulations to our national team. The dream is alive! To the very end! Come on, Portugal!"
Lionel Messi will be a danger to the Netherlands even when he is "chilling" and the Dutch must have a "good plan" to combat Argentina's superstar, says Virgil van Dijk.
The Dutch will renew hostilities with La Albiceleste in Friday's quarter-final contest in Qatar, in a fixture rich in World Cup history.
Argentina defeated the Netherlands in the 1978 final, while Louis van Gaal will get the chance at revenge having been in charge when his side lost to Messi and company on penalties in the semis eight years ago.
Van Dijk came up against Messi, who already has three goals in Qatar including in the 2-1 last-16 win over Australia, when Liverpool defeated Barcelona in the 2018-19 Champions League semi-finals.
So, naturally, he knows the Paris Saint-Germain star and seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is a player you can never take your eyes off.
"The difficult thing about him is when we are attacking, he is chilling somewhere in a corner or something," Van Dijk said.
"You have to be so very sharp in terms of defensive organisation. They always looked for him to try to make it difficult for us on the counter.
"It is an honour to play against him. It is not me against him, or the Netherlands against him, but the Netherlands against Argentina.
"No one can do it on his own, we will have to come up with a good plan."
Rafael Leao believes the hat-trick heroics of Goncalo Ramos in Portugal's 6-1 rout of Switzerland show what quality lurks in the squad's ranks as they chase a first World Cup triumph.
Even the president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, joined in the praise of Fernando Santos' team as they sped through to the quarter-finals in Qatar.
Ramos started Tuesday's game ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, with the 21-year-old Benfica forward proving far from unnerved by that prospect, hitting the first, third and fifth goals of Portugal's handsome win.
It may mean Ramos keeps his place for the clash with surprise quarter-finalists Morocco, who upset Spain with a penalty shoot-out victory.
Leao came off the bench in the late stages and struck the team's exquisite sixth goal, staking his own claim for place in the side to tackle the Atlas Lions.
Asked about Ramos, Leao told Sport TV: "We have a lot of players of great quality, and he is another young man who showed a lot of quality.
"Today he had the opportunity to be in the starting line-up, he helped the team and we are very happy for him."
Before Ramos, the last player to hit a hat-trick on his first World Cup start went on to become the tournament's 16-goal all-time record scorer: Germany's Miroslav Klose.
The Morocco game will take place on Saturday, so the imperative for Portugal is to move on as quickly as possible and prepare for that tussle.
"We're going to celebrate, but calm spirits, respecting the Moroccan team," Leao said. "Now it's time to prepare for that game and for sure we'll come in strong."
Leao has showed outstanding form for Milan in Serie A across the last 18 months, but such are the resources available to Santos he is not a certain starter for his country.
There will be games when the coach prefers other options, but Leao has a long-term future in the team.
"Even though I'm not the first option, when I come on I try to help the team," Leao said. "I have to respect the coach's decisions."
President Rebelo de Sousa told television broadcaster RTP3 it had been one of Portugal's finest nights.
There have been others that have topped it, notably their Euro 2016 title triumph, and there might yet be better days ahead in Qatar.
"I think the selector's choices in general worked well," said Rebelo de Sousa. "The team played well in the first half and also in the second half. The substitutions happened naturally and we still had more goals.
"It was one of the best nights in Portuguese football."
Jude Bellingham has a "match-winning ability" that is taking his game to another level, according to England assistant manager Steve Holland.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder has been one of the Three Lions' standout performers in their run to the World Cup quarter-finals, where they face reigning champions France on Saturday.
Bellingham launched England's campaign with the opening goal in the 6-2 thrashing of Iran, before assisting Jordan Henderson during another impressive display in the last-16 win over Senegal.
The 19-year-old leads his team-mates for dribbles completed (six) and possessions won (23) in Qatar, while only Luke Shaw (72) has bettered his tally of 48 passes ending in the final third.
Holland is well aware of the qualities and attributes possessed by top players following his time at Chelsea, where he served as assistant manager under the likes of Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Rafael Benitez and Guus Hiddink, and England's number two believes those traits are evident in Bellingham.
"He's unique. When you're categorising really top players – I was lucky enough in eight years at Chelsea to experience a few of those – there are the physical attributes, there are the technical attributes," Holland said.
"My experience would be that what makes the top, top ones is the mentality – the self-belief, the confidence, the drive, the ambition every day to push and be competitive.
"There were a few at Chelsea during my time that I felt were always there every time in training – [Ashley] Cole, [Frank] Lampard, [Didier] Drogba, [John] Terry.
"There were others: players who perhaps weren't super gifted physically or even super gifted technically – although on a high level – but the mental aspect of it took them to a different level of performance.
"Jude has those attributes. There has been an evolution physically over the last 12 months. We watch every match he plays, either live or by going over the footage.
"We know him really well, and there has definitely been an evolution physically because he is still developing. It has taken him to another level.
"There are only three things you can do in football: stop goals, make goals, score goals. That's how you contribute.
"Jude can do all of those things and, recently, he has begun to score goals, which is the bit that makes the biggest players big. It's a match-winning ability that he is adding to his game."
Portugal coach Fernando Santos insists his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo is unchanged despite dropping the captain for Tuesday's 6-1 win over Switzerland at the World Cup.
Ronaldo was benched after Santos expressed his disappointment with the striker's attitude following his substitution during last week's defeat to South Korea.
Santos said on Monday the matter had been resolved internally, but Ronaldo was then dropped to the bench for the clash at Lusail Stadium, starting a major-tournament match among the substitutes for the first time since 2008 (31 games).
A fan poll on the website of Portuguese newspaper A Bola suggested 70 per cent of Portugal fans wanted Ronaldo out of the team, and the Selecao went on to produce one of their best performances at a major tournament in years.
Goncalo Ramos replaced Ronaldo in the attack and had a hand in four goals, including a hat-trick, but Santos did not commit to keeping faith in the Benfica prospect for the quarter-final against Morocco.
Santos told reporters: "That's still something that has to be defined [who starts in the next game]. I already answered in yesterday's press conference [regarding Ronaldo]; there is no problem between us.
"I have a strong relationship with him, I always have. I have known him since he was young and at Sporting [CP], and then it started to develop in the national team.
"This relationship only developed. We've been friends for many years, things don't affect us.
"I already explained everything was resolved. I said that and I repeat that now. This is something that's finished and resolved.
"How he came in with a lot of will, he set an example as a great captain."
In scoring his hat-trick, Ramos became the first player to net three times on his first World Cup start since Miroslav Klose in 2002.
Similarly, it only took him 17 minutes to do what Ronaldo has never managed: score in a World Cup knockout game.
For most, Ramos starting the quarter-final clash would be a simple decision to make, but Santos intends to keep people guessing.
"Obviously I have my ways to observes things, I always have," he continued. "The players we have in this position obviously have many different characteristics.
"Andre [Silva] plays more advanced, Cristiano is more fixed, he plays in a determined area. Goncalo is dynamic.
"That's what he ended up showing us, but it was nothing new because he came on in two other games.
"I have three players I fully trust and for each match I will use what I think is the right strategy, as I have always done in my career."
Tuesday's success was Portugal's biggest ever victory in the knockout rounds of the World Cup, with it the first time they have scored six beyond the group stage.
It was a truly rampant performance, though Santos was particularly pleased that his team did not get carried away with the euphoria.
"It's exactly what I said [to the players]; when we are euphoric, I think we can go beyond what we should do in a match.
"We can end up having a bit too much fun, to use that expression, and football is not fun. Yes, you have to play, have fun in the field, but too much fun is not appropriate.
"In this aspect, in terms of how serious they were, they were fantastic."
Portugal will face Morocco in their quarter-final at Al Thumama Stadium on Saturday.
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