Pele congratulated Neymar on matching his long-standing goalscoring record for Brazil and urged the forward "to keep inspiring us" amid questions over his international future.

Neymar scored his 77th senior goal for Brazil midway through extra time to open the scoring in Friday's World Cup quarter-final with Croatia at Education City Stadium.

However, Bruno Petkovic equalised in the 117th minute and Croatia stunned Brazil 4-2 on penalties to advance to the semi-finals, where Argentina now await on Tuesday.

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar suggested after the match he may have played his final game for the Selecao, though he will hold off from making an official decision.

On what was a bittersweet occasion for the 30-year-old, Pele – who has been hospitalised with a respiratory infection – took to social media to hail his compatriot. 

"I saw you grow, I cheered for you every day and finally I can congratulate you for equalling my number of goals with the Brazilian national team," Pele posted on Instagram. 

"We both know this is so much more than a number. Our greatest duty as athletes is to inspire. 

"To inspire our professional colleagues of today, the next generations and, above all, to inspire everyone who loves our sport.

"Unfortunately, the day is not the happiest for us, but you will always be the source of inspiration that many aspire to become. 

"I've learned that the more time passes, the more our legacy grows. My record was set almost 50 years ago, and no one has been able to approach it until now. 

"You made it, boy. This enhances the greatness of your achievement. However, you know, as I do, that no number is greater than the joy of representing our country. 

"I'm 82 years old, and after all this time, I hope I've inspired you in some way to get this far. 

"More than that, I hope that your achievement spreads to the millions of people who follow you to challenge what seems impossible.

"Your legacy is far from over. Keep inspiring us. I will continue punching the air with happiness with every goal you score, as I have done in every game I've seen you."

Neymar is just the second Brazil player to score in extra time at a World Cup after Leonidas against Poland in the last-16 stage in 1938.

However, Brazil became the first team in the tournament's history to be eliminated from a knockout match in which they scored the opening goal during extra time.

It means the Selecao's wait for a record-extending sixth world crown will stretch to at least 24 years by the time the 2026 edition comes around.

Discussing his future following the loss to Croatia, in which he did not take a penalty in the shoot-out, Neymar said: "The feeling is really bad. 

"It's worse today than what happened in the past. Unfortunately, it's hard to find words to describe this moment. We tried, we fought, and I'm proud of all my team-mates.

"I'm proud of their personality, of taking the penalty, of their character, because it's not easy to assume that responsibility."

Neymar has made 124 Brazil appearances, whereas Pele reached his goals tally in 92 games.

Brazil have been eliminated from four of their past five World Cup quarter-finals, and from each of their past six knockout matches against European nations.

Football goes through phases and cycles where certain trends dictate the sport, whether that's specific formations and systems, or particular player styles.

The World Cup quarter-final between France and England will highlight one such feature of the modern game: the evolution of the striker.

What makes this clash so intriguing in that respect is the presence of three forwards who each represent a different era, with Olivier Giroud, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe likely to attract much of the pre-match focus.

And what's more, there's a strong possibility the game will be decided – or influenced at the very least – by this trio.

Giroud – The throwback

For years the narrative around Giroud has been the suggestion he's "underrated". That discussion has been exhausted to the extent we should all now agree he is simply "rated".

That shouldn't detract from how he's polarised opinion for much of his career, but for the most part this comes down to personal preferences about what a striker should offer or be.

Arsene Wenger, the man who signed Giroud for Arsenal, said it best in 2014 after the striker scored a powerful header in a 4-1 win over Newcastle United: "He is like an English [-style] centre-forward. His first goal he scored was a typical 1970s goal. You saw those headers in the seventies and eighties. You love it because you see it less now."

Fast-forward eight years and Giroud is now France's all-time leading scorer after usurping another former Arsenal star in Thierry Henry.

But as Wenger alluded to, he's almost part of a dying breed.

Since the start of Giroud's breakout season in 2011-12 when he led Montpellier to the Ligue 1 title, only five players have scored more headed goals than him (34) across the top five leagues – that accounts for 28.3 per cent of his non-penalty goals.

While 27 players (minimum 40 goals total) in that time have scored a greater proportion of their non-penalty goals with headers, only one of those – Anthony Modeste (61) – has also netted more than 50 non-headers. Giroud has 86.

This speaks to Giroud's quality as not only a seventies throwback who'll get his head on almost anything, but just generally a reliable penalty-box striker, with his exploits in Qatar a rather succinct summary.

All three of his goals have been scored in the area, and one of those – his second against Australia – was a towering header.

Let's not forget, he was maligned at Russia 2018 because some deemed him to not be a scoring threat. Granted, he ended the tournament with no goals, yet he was a regular throughout the champions' run because of the physical presence he brought working as a kind of attacking pivot.

Four years on, despite looking a likely exclusion this time around, he's thriving in the absence of Karim Benzema.

'Classic' number nines like Giroud aren't particularly fashionable these days. How many of the best developing forwards under the age of 25 come under this umbrella? Not many.

But Giroud proves this sub-genre of striker retains relevancy even if the production line is drying up.

Kane – The playmaker

Kane does share certain strengths with Giroud – after all, he is one of those five strikers to score more headers (35 to 34) in the top five leagues than Giroud over aforementioned period.

But it's fair to say he's a more rounded, refined striker, which of course tallies with the idea of he and Giroud being of different eras in essence.

Jose Mourinho may not have been hugely popular as Tottenham coach, but to his credit, he clearly played a part in Kane redefining himself somewhat.

In November 2020, Kane said: "I think [Mourinho] saw in my game that I like to drop deep so he made it clear to the others that if I do drop deep then they need to be the ones running in behind. I think that's been the real difference. It's allowed me to create space and get the ball but have an option going forward as well. But I think obviously I've still been playing as a nine as well, and I think that's the beauty of what's been working well."

Since Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino 12 months prior to those comments, Kane has averaged 0.24 assists per 90 minutes in the Premier League, double the frequency he had under the Argentinian.

His other creative metrics haven't improved quite as dramatically, with key passes only up from 1.2 to 1.4, for instance. However, his expected assists increase (0.08 per 90, to 0.13 p90) highlights how Kane's general creativity carries greater threat now. Sure, it would seem he's benefiting from good finishing by team-mates, but his playmaking influence has demonstrably grown.

Since the start of the 2019-20 season, only Mohamed Salah (747), Bruno Fernandes (641) and Jack Grealish (588) have been involved in more shot-ending sequences in the Premier League than Kane (585), with 289 of those not ending with him having the shot – no out-and-out striker has been more involved in build-up play than Kane.

He's translated that to the World Cup as well. Twelve Opta-defined "strikers" can better his 11 open-play shot-ending sequence involvements, but among them are the likes of Lionel Messi, Memphis Depay and Thomas Muller; players not always picked to lead the line.

No forwards have recorded more involvements in goal-ending sequences than Kane (four), however, with the Spurs star becoming the first England player since David Beckham in 2002 to have three assists at a single World Cup.

Another Golden Boot success might not be on the cards, but you could argue Kane is more integral to England than ever before.

Mbappe – The wide forward

While Kane and Giroud might almost be deemed old-fashioned in some regards, Mbappe represents the archetypal modern forward – and he's essentially the perfect embodiment.

While it's not just 'emerging' players who qualify here, there certainly appears to be a greater concentration of them among a particular age group. So many have similar key characteristics in that they're generally quick, good on the ball and often prefer to play off one of the flanks.

The 'wide forward' role is very much in vogue.

What makes this particularly interesting in relation to Mbappe is that his playing role was apparently a major contributing factor in his reported unhappiness at PSG earlier this season.

While he didn't explicitly confirm that, he outlined what was different between representing France and PSG, where Christophe Galtier has this season often used him as a central striker.

"I play differently for France. I am asked other things [with the national team] compared to my club," he said in September. "I have a lot more freedom here. The coach knows there is a number nine in the side like Olivier [Giroud] who can occupy defences while I walk around and go into space. In Paris, it's different – you don't have that. I am asked to play as a pivot, which is different."

That said, Mbappe's still been able to tally the seventh-most carries (259) across the top five leagues this term, and his total carry progress of 1,562.2 metres is bettered by only Gerard Deulofeu among wingers and forwards, highlighting the fact the France talisman continues to play a vital role in getting PSG up the pitch and on the front foot.

It's a similar story at the World Cup, with his 70 carries fourth behind Lionel Messi (104), Christian Pulisic and Jamal Musiala (both 75) among forwards and wingers.

Clearly, Mbappe's good enough to play either as wide forward or central striker and still thrive. But, as he said in September, it's the freedom offered by the former role that he appears to value, and it certainly doesn't seem to have diminished his effectiveness massively in the box given he's had a hand in seven goals – three more than anyone else – and leads the scoring charts with five.

Understandably, he'll be the one to watch on Saturday. But as Giroud and Kane have already shown at this tournament, you don't have to be explosive to be decisive.

Emiliano Martinez slammed "useless" referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz following Argentina's dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over the Netherlands.

The goalkeeper was the hero, saving from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis as La Albiceleste prevailed 4-3 on spot-kicks after a 2-2 draw, in which they surrendered a 2-0 lead.

The performance of referee Lahoz was a huge talking point at Lusail Stadium; the Spanish official issuing 15 yellow cards during the ill-tempered affair – the most in World Cup history.

He also added 10 minutes at the end of regulation time, in which the Netherlands scored a dramatic last-gasp equaliser through Wout Weghorst to force an additional 30 minutes.

"The referee is useless. Hopefully, we don't have that referee anymore," Martinez said, before dedicating the victory to his compatriots.

"The first thing that comes to mind is emotion," he added. "I do this for 45 million people. To give people such joy is the biggest thing right now. We are in the semi-final because we have passion and heart. We are excited, as are the people."

Namesake Lautaro, who netted the decisive spot-kick, added: "On that walk to the point of the penalty, I was very calm because I trust my work. When I caught the ball, I thought about my daughter. She changed my life."

Alexis Mac Allister is expecting a "very tough" semi-final clash with Croatia, who stunned Brazil on penalties earlier in the day, while Rodrigo de Paul is embracing the moment.

"I'm excited because I work hard to make these things happen," the midfielder said. "Playing a World Cup semi-final is not an everyday occurrence.

"The idea was to come the first day and leave on the last day. We rose from a defeat at the beginning. Hopefully, these moments that are incredible keep coming. I tell people to enjoy it because this belongs to everyone."

Luka Modric believes club team-mate Rodrygo "will get stronger" following his crucial penalty miss in Croatia's World Cup quarter-final victory over Brazil.

Rodrygo was one of two players to fail from 12 yards - along with Marquinhos - as the Selecao were beaten 4-2 in the shootout following a 1-1 draw at Education City Stadium.

Modric knows how his 21-year-old Real Madrid team-mate feels. The midfield maestro was only a year older when he missed his spot-kick in Croatia's quarter-final defeat by Turkey at Euro 2008. 

Despite the disappointment, the Vatreni captain is confident Rodrygo will benefit from the ordeal, telling reporters: "I'm sure he'll gain more experience and strength to continue. He will get stronger with all this.

"It can happen to anyone. We must congratulate Rodrygo for having the strength and mentality to take and shoot penalties. Everyone can fail. I have encouraged him. I get along very well with him, and it's a shame that it was him."

Croatia have now won all four of their World Cup penalty shootouts, having also defeated Japan on spot-kicks in the last 16, as the 2018 finalists sealed their second successive appearance in the last four.

Zlatko Dalic's side fell behind in extra time to Neymar's wonderful individual effort, but Bruno Petkovic struck a dramatic equaliser with three minutes remaining, and Modric saluted the character of his team-mates.

"Surely, nobody has given us anything before the World Cup, or they didn't see that we could get there so far," he added.

"The important thing is that between us, we have had faith, confidence, and we have a real team again with very good youngsters who have entered. Winning like this, I'm sure it gives more confidence for what follows.

"We have shown once again that we never gave up. Our faith is enormous. We tied and on penalties, we had confidence."

Harry Kane will change will nothing about his penalty routine if he has to take a spot-kick against Tottenham team-mate Hugo Lloris during England's World Cup quarter-final with France.

England captain Kane will lead the Three Lions against a Les Bleus team skippered by goalkeeper Lloris at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday.

Gareth Southgate's men will be underdogs against the defending world champions in a knockout game that predictably brings questions around penalties.

Though Kane and Lloris have played together at domestic level since 2011, when the England striker made his Spurs debut, lining up for a penalty against his club captain represents a largely unfamiliar experience for the 2018 Golden Boot winner.

"Surprisingly, I haven't practiced too much against Hugo, normally when I practice it's against the second or third-choice goalkeeper," Kane told a press conference. 

"The starting goalkeeper normally doesn't join in the practice the day before the game which is when I practice.

"Of course, we've taken them before, but I wouldn't say I've taken loads and loads against him.

"I have similar situations when I'm in the Premier League and I face England goalkeepers, I stick to my process and routine, go through the same training day before the game and hopefully try and deliver if called upon in the match.

"I'm someone who always backs myself in any situation against any goalkeeper, but I've seen Hugo pull off some fantastic saves.

"Hopefully I'll have some chances I'll be able to put away, but also I know I'll have to be at the top of my game to do that against one of the best goalkeepers there is."

Asked about his relationship with Lloris, Kane said: "I haven't spoken with Hugo before this match. Me and Hugo have a great relationship.

"We've been playing with each other a long, long time now. We spend some time away from football as well with our wives and families.

"He's a really good guy, one of the best goalkeepers in the world. For a game like this, we're not friends for that day for sure, we go to have a good battle against each other.

"It'll be two great teams going at it. I've known Hugo a long time, I can't speak highly enough of him. I'll enjoy playing against him if we win, but I know he'll be doing everything to make France win."

Southgate confirmed England have a plan for the shoot-out but is well aware of how quickly those preparations can be altered in the heat of the moment.

"We have a plan but when you get to the end of a game maybe some players don't feel as confident or feel more confident or have an injury," said the England boss. 

"All of those things have happened in the previous shoot-outs that we've had. We are as well prepared as we can be."

England will go into their World Cup quarter-final showdown with France boasting "more belief than in 2018", according to Harry Kane.

The Three Lions are aiming to dethrone the reigning champions at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday and clinch a second successive appearance in the last four.

Though boasting the second-youngest squad at the finals, Gareth Southgate guided England to the semi-finals in Russia four years ago, before eventually succumbing to an experienced Croatia.

The Three Lions then reached the Euro 2020 final, only to suffer a heartbreaking defeat by Italy on penalties at Wembley.

Kane acknowledges expectations are different in Qatar, but says he and his team-mates are determined to go the extra steps this time around.

Addressing the media at a pre-match conference, the captain said: "In 2018, we didn't really know what to expect from the group. It was a new experience for a lot of us. 

"We got to the semi-final - whether we had the full belief to go and win the tournament, I'm not quite sure.

"The belief has been building and building over four or five years now. We entered this tournament believing we can win it. We face a really tough game tomorrow, we'll go into that game with maybe more belief than in 2018.

"We're not here just to reach the quarter-finals, let's put it that way. We know there are some very good teams in this tournament, and we also know that we're a very good team as well. If we did lose tomorrow, we'd be as disappointed as anyone.

"Between us - the players, the staff, everyone involved - we have a real belief and a real determination to be successful as an England team. We can only prove that on the pitch, we can only prove that by winning games like tomorrow.

"Also, tomorrow isn't a World Cup final, tomorrow is another step to trying to win the World Cup, we have to be fully focused on that and trying to get through to the next round."

Gareth Southgate believes it will take a collective effort from England to stop Kylian Mbappe in Saturday's mouthwatering World Cup quarter-final against France.

Mbappe is the tournament's top scorer with five goals in four matches, including a double in the reigning champions' 3-1 victory over Poland in the round of 16.

Kyle 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.

The Three Lions boss does not think it will all be on Walker to stop the Paris Saint-Germain star, stating that every player will have to chip in.

"He’s [Walker] been a very important player for us over the last six years," Southgate said.

"Kyle is ready. We, of course, are talking about one of the opposition, but we play France who are a fantastic team.

"We're aware of the quality of the whole squad. He's [Didier Deschamps] created a team that is stronger than the individuals. That's great credit to him, we know we've got to be at our very best to win the game."

Asked how England will prepare for Mbappe, Southgate said: "Same as every position on the field, you have 10 one-v-one battles, but then everybody else round those battles has to support their team-mate.

"You've got to work collectively to stop any player like that. You’ve got to work the areas of the pitch zonally to make sure there's good coverage and support for every player on the pitch, simple as that."

France are unbeaten in the 13 games in which Mbappe has started in the World Cup and European Championship combined (W10 D3), winning all nine in which he has played from the beginning at the World Cup.

The 23-year-old has been directly involved in 12 goals in those 13 starts, scoring nine and making three assists.

England captain Harry Kane, though, believes Walker is in the form of his life and is more than capable of dealing with Mbappe.

"Kyle is a fantastic defender," Kane said. "He's been probably the most consistent right back there's been for the last 10 years or so.

"He's playing at the highest level I think he's ever played at. I know everyone's talking about Kyle and Kylian, but Kyle will be focused on doing his job for the team as he always does. He's one of the best defenders."

Gareth Southgate confirmed Raheem Sterling will be involved in England's World Cup quarter-final showdown with France, but the Three Lions will continue to assess the Chelsea forward's fitness.

Sterling returned home to be with his family after an apparent burglary at their house and missed the 3-0 win over Senegal in the round of 16 last Sunday.

An investigation has been launched by Surrey Police after the raid was reported on Saturday.

Sterling is now back with the squad in Qatar, and featured in a light training session on Friday ahead of the mouthwatering clash with the reigning champions on Saturday.

Southgate is delighted to have the former Manchester City player back at his disposal, but said the Three Lions will wait before deciding the role he will play at Al Bayt Stadium.

"I've spoken briefly with him at training, [I] need to pick up with him again later," Th England manager said. "It's great he’s back with us.

"He wanted to train today. Normally, we wouldn't do that having been on a long flight, but it was a lighter session.

"He'll be involved tomorrow, but what that looks like? Hard to tell what his level is. We'll just have to assess that, really pleased he's back, and he's an important player for us."

Spain's decision to part ways with Luis Enrique following their World Cup exit was "yet another mistake," according to former La Roja head coach Javier Clemente.

The former Barcelona boss' departure was confirmed on Thursday, two days after the 2010 world champions were eliminated by Morocco on penalties in the last 16.

Luis Enrique's contract was due to expire at the conclusion of the finals, and the Royal Football Federation (RFEF) opted not to renew his deal and announced current Under-21 boss Luis de la Fuente is set to take over.

Former Spain boss Clemente feels Luis Enrique, who he coached at the World Cup in 1994 and 1998, should not be blamed after overseeing a second successive last-16 exit, having fallen at the same stage to host nation Russia four years ago.

"I think it is not a success to have dispensed with Luis Enrique as coach," he told El Programa de Ortega. "This is yet another mistake.

"Luis Enrique is a very good coach, with his ideas, with his personality, friendly, pleasant, man of the house. The problem of the Spanish team is a problem of Spanish football.

"[Morocco] stood up and closed well behind, and the players did not have the temperament to overcome it.

"You always talk about the coaches, but when you play badly, you also have to talk about the players. Is Luis Enrique to blame [for the penalties]? Not really.

The RFEF is expected to officially announce De La Fuente as Luis Enrique's successor on Monday.

The 61-year-old has spent close to a decade coaching Spain's age-grade sides, winning the Under-19 European Championship in 2015 and the Under-21 equivalent in 2021.

He also took charge of the Under-23 side at the Beijing Olympics last year and won a silver medal following defeat to Brazil in the final.

"You don't imagine he'll end up as a coach," said Clemente, who coached De La Fuente at Athletic Bilbao during the early stages of his playing career.

"I think it's good, he's been in the Under-21s, and he's had good results. He's done well, he already knows the kids. I don't know how he coaches, but I tell you he's very good because he's a friend of mine."

Bruno Fernandes and Portugal are alert to the threat of an upset posed by Morocco in their World Cup quarter-final after the Atlas Lions stunned Spain and now eye tournament history.

Walid Regragui's side held La Roja to a 0-0 draw before beating them 3-0 on penalties, owing much to the saves of goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

Portugal had been effective if unspectacular in the group stage, but they released the handbrake in the last 16, demolishing Switzerland 6-1 in one of the finest performances by any team at Qatar 2022 after Goncalo Ramos came in for the benched Cristiano Ronaldo and scored a hat-trick.

With the out-of-form and maligned Ronaldo out of the team, there was a perception of Portugal suddenly realising their potential without the 37-year-old holding them back, and Ramos' performance – as he became the first player since 2002 to net a World Cup treble on his first start – was evidence of that.

But Fernandes – involved in more goals (five) than any of his team-mates in this tournament – insists Portugal will not be taking anything for granted.

"It's a difficult game," he told reporters. "Morocco are a really good team.

"They came first in the group, beat Spain, so we are aware of their qualities. We want to do the best game, as always, but we have to focus on ourselves and understand what we need to do to win our game.

"That's the most important thing: that we do our game, do our job to get through. We know it will be a really difficult game."

That is backed up by the fact Morocco have kept three clean sheets in four games at this World Cup, which is the most ever by an African side in a single edition of the tournament.

But the task facing Morocco is monumental.

If they do see off Portugal, Morocco will become the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.

Each of the previous three African teams to reach a quarter-final were all eliminated in the last eight, with Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) falling at this hurdle.

Additionally, only two of the previous 11 knockout meetings between European and African teams at the World Cup have seen CAF sides progress, and one of those was Morocco's shoot-out win over Spain.

Morocco have been one of the best-supported nations in Qatar, and Regragui is calling on the support of the rest of the Arab world to help bridge the gap in quality to Portugal.

"We cannot achieve anything without the Moroccan public," he said. "Four days ago, they came to the hotel to ask for tickets, and many of them came from all over to encourage us.

"We tell our supporters that we need them, especially in the quarter-finals, to write history. We also need Arab supporters; Algerians, Tunisians and Africans, and we know that many countries are behind us."
 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Portugal – Goncalo Ramos

Will Fernando Santos stick to his guns and keep Ronaldo on the bench? Judging by the team's performance against Switzerland, he should.

Ramos had a hand in four goals against the Swiss and his hat-trick in 74 minutes was more knockout goals than Ronaldo has ever managed in the knockout stages of the World Cup (none in 531 minutes).

Morocco – Yassine Bounou

He was the Atlas Lions' hero in the last 16, saving two penalties in the shoot-out – the other hit the post, but he seemed to have it covered anyway.

But even outside of penalty shoot-outs, Bounou is a key man for Morocco as a dependable goalkeeper who was even nominated for FIFA's Yashin Trophy – the prize given to the world's best keeper – earlier this year.

PREDICTION

Portugal are firm favourites here, with Santos' side having a 55.8 per cent chance of progressing to the semi-finals.

Morocco have an 18.8 per cent likelihood of winning in normal time, with the draw rated at 25.4 per cent.

Clearly then, while the Atlas Lions are the underdogs, they have a good opportunity of at least forcing extra-time, which did not work out too badly for them last time.

Mesut Ozil described Cristiano Ronaldo as "one of the greatest athletes in sports history" and does not believe his former Real Madrid team-mate is being shown sufficient respect in the twilight of his career.

Free agent Ronaldo has fallen out of favour at club and now international level, having been named among the substitutes for Portugal's 6-1 win over Switzerland on Tuesday.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is also currently without a club after his contract with Manchester United, where he struggled for playing time, was terminated by mutual consent.

Ronaldo's replacement on Tuesday, Benfica youngster Goncalo Ramos, scored a hat-trick against Switzerland and is now set to keep his place for Saturday's quarter-final tie with Morocco.

Istanbul Basaksehir midfielder Ozil played alongside Ronaldo in the Spanish capital between 2010 and 2013, and has taken to social media to launch a robust defence of his former team-mate.

"I really don't get where this constant negativity from the press about Cristiano comes from," he wrote on Twitter.

"The media is just trying to get clicks, and pundits who don't have a career anymore just want to get attention with his big name and try to make him look bad.

"He is soon 38 years old - so what's the surprise that he doesn't score 50 goals a season anymore? Every football fan out there should be happy to have seen him playing world-class football for 20 years.

"I don't think anyone from the new generation will be able to match his numbers again. He will forever be in his own category. Everyone should show more respect to one of the greatest athletes in sports history."

Former Germany head coach Berti Vogts hopes a new "healthy culture of debate" can help the national team return to its former glory.

Germany crashed out of the World Cup at the group stage, which led to team director Oliver Bierhoff leaving his role.

There was speculation boss Hansi Flick would follow him, but the former Bayern Munich coach has confirmed he will be staying on board.

Vogts, who led Germany between 1990 and 1998, believes the German Football Association (DFB) has paid the price for fostering a harmonious atmosphere and wants Matthias Sammer appointed to ruffle some feathers. 

"I was surprised that Oliver Bierhoff went so quickly," he wrote in the Rheinische Post. "But it speaks for his character that he is retiring and thus taking responsibility after the second preliminary round exit at a World Cup in a row.

"But the problems of German football are not solved with the departure of Bierhoff alone. There are too many theorists at the DFB who are far removed from football. You have to be close to the game again; in player training, but also in coaching.

"I hope that Matthias Sammer will work in the background and support Hans-Joachim Watzke [vice-chairman].

"Matthias is a child of football, he knows and loves it, and he is a critical spirit who also addresses unpleasant things.

"That was missing in the DFB for too long. That's certainly something that Oliver Bierhoff has been accused of. I often pointed this out to him, but criticism was not welcome in his environment.

"That's why I left the DFB advisory board years ago. I hope Watzke will re-establish a healthy culture of debate in the DFB with Sammer in the background.

"There has been too much harmony in the DFB in recent years. This has led to a standstill in many places. Hansi Flick will also benefit from more friction in his work.

"It's right to leave him in office. It's not just with a view to the European Championship, but he has the full confidence of the DFB to put our football back on the road to success."

France head coach Didier Deschamps suggested talking about the death of a World Cup migrant worker during the tournament is "disrespectful" to the deceased's family.

A report in The Athletic on Wednesday claimed a Filipino man thought to be in his early 40s died while working at the base of the Saudi Arabia team during the group stage.

Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser Al Khater extraordinarily responded to the news a day later by saying "death is a natural part of life" as he was left irritated by the topic being brought up during "a successful World Cup".

It was seen as particularly noteworthy in the media due to the broader context of worker deaths in the lead up to the World Cup.

Amnesty International in 2021 published a report citing official Qatari data in which the organisation claimed 15,021 migrants died in the country "in the past 10 years". There was no suggestion all were connected to the World Cup.

Such reports helped to shine a light on the conditions of migrant workers in Qatar, and some of the teams involved in the World Cup have been forthright on the matter, with England's Football Association applying pressure on FIFA on the eve of the tournament regarding the rights of labourers.

But Deschamps was uncomfortable with the subject being broached in his pre-match press conference ahead of France's quarter-final against England on Saturday, adamant players do not have the influence to help fix problems outside of the sport.

"Well, it's always a sensitive topic, it's not something I want to talk about at length. I just learned about [the latest death] and want to express my sincere condolences to the family," he said.

"It might be a priority for [the media], but my priority is the match; we're in a tournament. That doesn't mean we are insensitive to what goes on outside football, but we shouldn't mix everything up.

"The French players took certain decisions. What else would you like me to say? You asked a question but knew what I was going to reply.

"I'm not trying to avoid the question. I'm here with my team, we're footballers and here for a football tournament.

"Footballers unfortunately are not in a position to resolve problems outside football. This is more than a problem, it's someone who's lost their life.

"Maybe you think talking about this is respectful, but talking about him is not going to help. I think for his family, the pain and suffering they're going through, this could be disrespectful, too."

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has hailed England midfielder Jordan Henderson for his "immaculate" World Cup performances.

Henderson was not named in the starting line-up for the Three Lions' opening two group games, but has made a big impression after featuring from the outset in the Group B closer against Wales and the last-16 triumph over Senegal.

The Liverpool midfielder scored the opener against Senegal, becoming his country's second-oldest scorer in the finals aged 32 years and 170 days, after Tom Finney against USSR in 1958 - at 36 years and 64 days.

Gerrard has been impressed with his former Reds team-mate's leadership qualities and believes his contribution can sometimes be undervalued.

"Obviously being an England fan I'm following England and Jordan from a personal point of view. I think he's been immaculate, both on and off the pitch," Gerrard told Liverpoolfc.com.

"His last performance he was obviously man of the match, very well deserved, and he shut a few critics up that for some reason seem to point fingers at Jordan. 

"Being a midfielder, being around Jordan on the daily basis, to see the sacrifices, his dedication and what he puts into his own preparation, the hard work that he puts in, I'm not surprised that he's putting in this level of performance and I'm delighted for him. 

"But it seems as if a lot of people outside the LFC family don't need an invite to point a finger towards him so I'm delighted that he has shut a few up."

Asked what attributes Henderson brings to the England midfield, Gerrard added: "Experience would be the most important thing. 

"I think England have got a lot of young, exciting talent, but you need experienced players that positionally give these younger players licence to go and cause a lot of damage.

"I think Jordan, what he's found in that performance is a typical Jordan Henderson performance where he is solid, his A to Bs are all really good, positionally he is bang on, but at the right time he joins in and gets himself forward. 

"He's a really strong runner and his timing for the goal and his execution of the goal was world-class and it was the perfect all-round performance, so credit to him."

Henderson will be hoping to start again alongside Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice in midfield when England take on France in a mouthwatering quarter-final on Saturday.

Lionel Messi does not need to win a World Cup to cement his legacy, Adlene Guedioura told Stats Perform.

Seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi has landed eight league titles and four Champions League trophies during a glittering club career.

But international success with Argentina has largely eluded Messi, though he did lift the Copa America last year having finished a runner-up three times previously.

Messi came close to winning the World Cup in 2014, but La Albiceleste suffered final heartbreak as Mario Gotze scored an extra-time winner.

The 35-year-old's failure to bring home international football's top prize has been cited by some as harming his legacy in comparison to the likes of Pele and compatriot Diego Maradona.

The ongoing tournament in Qatar could represent Messi's final chance to win the World Cup, with his Argentina side set to face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Guedioura believes even if Argentina fail in their quest to win a third World Cup in Qatar, Messi's legacy will not be tainted.

Asked if he feels the potential gap in Messi's trophy cabinet will impact how he is remembered, the former Algeria midfielder told Stats Perform: "Not at all. We've enjoyed him for such a long time with [Cristiano] Ronaldo.

"I think, of course, a title with Argentina will put him on the top of everything. But watching him in Barcelona and with Paris Saint-Germain is something special."

Argentina came into the tournament on a run of 36 matches unbeaten, but that streak came to a stunning end when they were beaten 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in their World Cup opener.

La Albiceleste have steadied the ship, though, finishing top of Group C and beating Australia in the round of 16 to set up the meeting with the Netherlands.

Despite Argentina's improvement, Guedioura highlighted rivals Brazil as the team more likely to take the trophy back to South America, explaining: "Argentina started poorly with Saudi Arabia.

"Maybe, it was a little accident or a little warning for them. But compared to Brazil, I feel Brazil they are stronger than Argentina."

Guedioura played for Algeria at the 2010 World Cup, and though his nation failed to qualify this year, fellow African sides Senegal and Morocco made it to the knockout stages, with the latter set to face Portugal in the last eight.

The Al-Duhail midfielder thinks African nations pull together at tournaments in a way that is not replicated across other regions of the world. "This is maybe a difference when you have England or Scotland," he observed.

"When Scotland is not qualified, it's like they don't want England to do well. For us, I don't think it's like this. Any team that does well, all of Africa support them because they are the hope for the country and for the continent really."