2014 WORLD CUP - ARGENTINA - KEY PLAYER - ‪LIONEL MESSI - PROFILE

Lionel Andrés Messi; born 24 June 1987, is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team.

By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. 

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - USA - KEY PLAYER - ‪JERMAINE JONES - PROFILE

Jermaine Junior Jones, born 3 November 1981, is a German-American footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Turkish club Beşiktaş. He has previously played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, Blackburn Rovers and Schalke 04. He was born in Germany and represented them at U21 and senior level.

1 Jul 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - NIGERIA - COACH - STEPHEN KESHI RESIGNS AFTER EXIT

He becomes the sixth manager to leave his job during the World Cup, following the departures of Honduras's Luis Suarez, Iran's Carlos Queiroz, Japan's Alberto Zaccheroni, Italy's Cesare Prandelli and Ivory Coast's Sabri Lamouchi.

Keshi, who captained Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup finals, was previously in charge of Mali and Togo.

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - FRANCE vs NIGERIA 2:0

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

France vs Nigeria 2:0

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - GERMANY vs ALGERIA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

Germany vs Algeria 2:1

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - GERMANY - KEY PLAYER - THOMAS MUELLER‬ - PROFILE

Müller's role can be described as an attacking all-rounder, a player able to play in a variety of forward positions. He can play in any of the attacking midfield roles but usually plays in the center for Bayern Munich, and on the right for Germany.

He has been used as an out-and-out striker on occasion. Müller has been praised for his maturity, pace, technique, awareness and positioning.

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - FRANCE - KEY PLAYER - ‪KARIM BENZEMA - PROFILE

He has been named French Player of the Year twice for his performances in 2011 and 2012. Benzema is a former French youth international and has represented his nation from under-17 level onwards. 

Benzema has earned over 65 caps and represented France at three major international tournaments; the 2008 and 2012 editions of the UEFA European Football Championship and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 17 - LAST SIXTEEN - NETHERLANDS VS MEXICO 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
29th June 2014

Netherlands vs Mexico 2:1

Lucky dutchmen!

29 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 17 - LAST SIXTEEN - COSTA RICA VS GREECE 5:4 - win on penalties

LAST SIXTEEN
29th June 2014

Costa Rica vs Greece 5:4

Costa Rica through on penalties.

29 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - MEXICO - KEY PLAYER - ‪Giovani dos Santos‬ - PROFILE

Giovani dos Santos‬ was born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Giovani joined FC Barcelona's academy of La Masia at the age of eleven and played for Barcelona's Juvenil A category where he helped his team to make a comeback in the league and win the regional title. 

This title allowed them to participate in the Youth Copa del Rey, where they faced other regional champions, among them their historic arch-rivals, Real Madrid. 

29 Jun 2014

STARS IN EUROPE - IVORY COAST - CLUB - Inter Milan keen to sign Yaya Toure

INTER MILAN YAYA TOURE

 

Man City and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure could move to Inter Milan this summer but the move has been described as '50-50.'

Yaya Toure could return to play for his former manager Roberto Mancini, who is now in charge of Inter Milan

Inter Milan are keen to sign Manchester City's veteran title-winning midfielder Yaya Toure.

The 33-year-old Ivorian has a year remaining on his contract at the Etihad.

He was sold to City, then managed by current Inter boss Roberto Mancini, for £24m by Pep Guardiola in 2010, when the pair were at Barcelona.
Terms are still to be agreed and a source said it was '50-50' whether the transfer would go through.

New City boss Guardiola is not due to be unveiled by the club for another fortnight.

He is working hard on reshaping his squad, though, with midfielder Ilkay Gundogan - a £20m capture from Borussia Dortmund - unlikely to be his last signing.

Speculation about Toure's future has been rife, given his previous discarding by Guardiola, although the Ivorian has indicated a willingness to work with the man who selected him in central defence for the 2009 Champions League final win over Manchester United.

Inter see Toure as the kind of big name that would push them back into Europe's elite.

The club have struggled since winning the 2010 Champions League final under Jose Mourinho and failed to qualify for this season's Champions League following a fourth-place finish in Serie A.

However, manager Mancini now has the extra financial backing supplied by Inter's new Chinese owners, the Suning Commerce Group.

The company has taken a 70% stake in Inter as part of an overall 750m-euro (£590m) deal.

 

20 Jun 2016
(BBC Sport by Simon Stone)

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