Football

Valencia has joined West Ham United for an undisclosed fee from Mexican side Pachuca, the Premier League club said.

The 24-year-old Riviere, who scored 13 goals in 36 appearances last season, is Newcastle's fifth recruit in the summer transfer window.

Conte, who coached Juventus to three successive Italian league titles, has stunned Serie A by resigning two months after signing a deal for this season.

Liverpool signed versatile forward Lazar Markovic from Benfica as the Premier League club spends the windfall from Luis Suarez's sale.

Pistorius was involved in an argument at a night club over the weekend, local media reported on Tuesday, days after his lawyers wrapped up their defence in his murder trial.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff symbolically handed over the World Cup to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, whose country will host the 2018 tournament.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has rated Brazil's organisation of the World Cup as 9.25 out of 10.

Despite the 1-0 loss to Germany in the down-to-the-wire, young Argentines climbed onto traffic lights and bus stops, dancing and singing to the beat of drums.

The 30-year-old started alone up-front in all six of Brazil's matches in the tournament but scored just once against Cameroon in the group stage.

Mascherano's last-ditch tackle to prevent Robben from putting the Netherlands into the final at Argentina's expense has already become an internet sensation.

Lionel Messi is not only Argentina's key attacking threat but he is also instrumental in helping the defence.

When Messi's Argentina take on Germany in the final, it looks at first glance like a meeting between brilliant individual scoring talent and the tight discipline of a collective unit.

Messi could not contain his happiness following his side's 4-2 win in a penalty shootout over the Netherlands.

The Netherlands will need to do more than simply muzzle Argentina's Messi if they are to prevail in Wednesday's semi-final, according to van Gaal.

"If Brazil's not in the World Cup anymore, at least there's one team still in it that play like Brazil."

Scolari said watching his side being crushed 7-1 by Germany was the worst day of his life as they suffered the most humiliating result in their illustrious soccer history.