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Mikel Arteta: tiki-taka is not dead and Arsenal are ready to kick on
Miroslav Klose: We enjoyed the game against Brazil but now the focus is on Argentina video
Javier Mascherano: Argentina reaching World Cup final lifted my soul
Argentinas Hands of God hero Sergio Romero thanks Holland coach Van Gaal
Brazilian police label Match executive Ray Whelan a fugitive
Arsenals signing of Alexis Sánchez shows they are finally ready to compete
Marouane Chamakh to sign two-year deal to stay at Crystal Palace
296. Joachim Löw
Arsenal confirm the signing of Alexis Sánchez from Barcelona
Fifa reject Luis Suárez's appeal against four month suspension video
World Cup 2014: Nelly the elephant backs Germany to win video
Louis van Gaal: lucky or brilliant? Manchester United wont mind either
World Cup 2014: Will Argentina win? Is the pope a Catholic?
Germany wary of Lionel Messi counter threat in World Cup final
Brazil deeply scarred after Germany defeat, sports minister Aldo Rebelo says
Samir Nasri signs new five-year contract with Manchester City
Let's get it rolling: watch World Cup footballs being customised for Argentina v Germany final video
World Cup 2014: day 29 as it happened
Sport picture of the day: emotional Argentina penalties
Manchester United job does not scare Louis van Gaal, says Ryan Giggs
World Cup Show 2014: day 29 news video
Luis Suárezs four-month biting ban upheld after Fifa rejects appeal
US Open Cup has all-MLS last four as Railhawks and Silverbacks fall
Brazil 1-7 Germany World Cup 2014 brick-by-brick video animation
Mario Mandzukic joins Atlético Madrid from Bayern Munich

Mikel Arteta: tiki-taka is not dead and Arsenal are ready to kick on

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 03:00 PM PDT

Spanish midfielder is confident of staying at Arsenal and says that philosophies for club and country are proven winners Continue reading...

Miroslav Klose: We enjoyed the game against Brazil but now the focus is on Argentina video

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 02:39 PM PDT

German striker Miroslav Klose says the team will have to put in everything to win the World Cup. After becoming the leading World Cup goal-scorer of all time, as he netted his 16th in Germany's semi-final with Brazil, Klose says everybody is invited to join him in 'club 16'. The 36 year old says he is undecided on his international future and that he will decide whether to continue after the final Continue reading...

Javier Mascherano: Argentina reaching World Cup final lifted my soul

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 02:30 PM PDT

Barcelona player had a key role in the semi-final win against Holland and hopes to do the same against Germany in the final Continue reading...

Argentinas Hands of God hero Sergio Romero thanks Holland coach Van Gaal

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 02:30 PM PDT

Argentinas goalkeeper thanked Louis van Gaal in the Dutch dressing room after the World Cup semi-final, for the help he gave him at AZ Alkmaar

Forget the Hand of God. The hordes of Argentinians expected to pour into Rio de Janeiro for Sundays final are hoping that the Hands of God will close around the World Cup.

He barely played any club football in France last season but Sergio Romero will line up against a fearsome German attack on Sunday as an integral part of a defence that will have to be fully on its mettle.

Brazilian police label Match executive Ray Whelan a fugitive

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 01:56 PM PDT

British director of ticketing firm accused of avoiding arrest
Whelan had been questioned over $100m touting investigation

The Brazilian police said they now consider Ray Whelan, the British senior director of Fifas official hospitality company arrested as part of a $100m ticket touting investigation, to be a fugitive.

Amid claim and counter-claim, his employee Match Services said that it was confident Whelan had done nothing wrong and said Rio police had failed to understand how their business worked.

Arsenals signing of Alexis Sánchez shows they are finally ready to compete

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 01:24 PM PDT

Having spent the last few years seeing their best players leave, the cheers that greeted the arrival of Chiles World Cup star shows Arsène Wenger has more silverware in his sights Continue reading...

Marouane Chamakh to sign two-year deal to stay at Crystal Palace

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 12:40 PM PDT

Moroccan scored five Premier League goals last season
Chamakh spent three years at Arsenal

Marouane Chamakh has agreed a two-year contract to remain at Crystal Palace, with the Morocco international effectively taking a significant pay cut to stay at Selhurst Park.

The former Bordeaux striker moved from Arsenal on a one-year deal at the start of last season, with his former club contributing a large proportion of his wages to cover the final 12 months of his contract at the Emirates Stadium.

296. Joachim Löw

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 12:20 PM PDT

Arsenal confirm the signing of Alexis Sánchez from Barcelona

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 12:15 PM PDT

Chilean forward joins for undisclosed fee on long-term contract
Arsène Wenger: Alexis will add power, creativity and quality

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Alexis Sánchez from Barcelona for a fee of around £30m in a move manager Arsène Wenger will hope gives them a real opportunity of capturing a first Premier League title for more than a decade.

The 25-year-old, who starred for Chile as they reached the last 16 of the World Cup before losing on penalties to hosts Brazil, has signed a long-term contract believed to be for five years, having completed his medical at the clubs London Colney training ground today.

Fifa reject Luis Suárez's appeal against four month suspension video

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 11:31 AM PDT

Fifa's head of media Delia Fischer says the Fifa Appeal Committee has rejected the appeals lodged by Luis Suárez and the Uruguayan Football Association. She says the decision to suspend Suárez for four months from all football activity, and to place a nine month competitive international ban on the player will be upheld in its entirety. Fischer says that Suárez and the Uruguayan FA were informed of the decision on Thursday morning Continue reading...

World Cup 2014: Nelly the elephant backs Germany to win video

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 11:27 AM PDT

Nelly the elephant makes her final prediction for the World Cup. After correctly predicting several matches during the tournament she now faces a choice between Germany and Argentina. After some scuffling she eventually picks Germany to walk away with the World Cup trophy Continue reading...

Louis van Gaal: lucky or brilliant? Manchester United wont mind either

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 11:15 AM PDT

Dutchmans already impressive CV has only been enhanced at World Cup with Holland and his arrival is eagerly anticipated

Louis van Gaals World Cup campaign has proved the perfect calling card as he prepares to officially start work as Manchester Uniteds manager. The Dutchman has made a convincing play to be considered the coach of the tournament through his impressive leading of an uneven Holland squad to the semi-finals, where they lost in the penalty shootout lottery to Argentina on Wednesday.

Back in Manchester, the watching United players will be desperate to find favour when Van Gaal rolls into the club next week, possibly as early as Tuesday. Wayne Rooney and the rest of those who left Brazil after the group stage last month are said to have no grumbles over joining up, after shorter than the customary four-week break, for the flight to Los Angeles on 18 July for their summer tour, so keen are they to start working with Old Traffords new Dutchman.

World Cup 2014: Will Argentina win? Is the pope a Catholic?

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 10:57 AM PDT

World Cup final between Argentina and Germany may strain relations between popes Francis and Benedict in the Vatican Continue reading...

Germany wary of Lionel Messi counter threat in World Cup final

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 10:25 AM PDT

Swashbuckling German performance against Brazil sure to be curbed to factor in Argentinas singularly minimalist enforcer

Nobody, Toni Kroos insisted on Tuesday night, wins the World Cup after a semi-final. Jogi Löw pursued the theme: there had been no exultation in the dressing room, he insisted; there was still one game to go. The response was sensible, admirable even, and it probably is true that there is no team so likely to be capable of moving on from a historic victory as Germany but, still, wins of that nature have their dangers.

Löw, even if he were minded to do so and one of the criticisms of him as a coach is that he so rarely pulls off plans to thwart the opposition cannot really change his side. To drop anybody or change the shape after such a win is to invite ridicule if it goes wrong. Löw, to his credit, has shown little indication of caring for public opinion: some would have resisted restoring Philipp Lahm to right-back when seemingly the whole of Germany had called for it for fear of seeming weak; Löw wasnt bothered.

Brazil deeply scarred after Germany defeat, sports minister Aldo Rebelo says

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 10:12 AM PDT

Sports minister calls for overhaul of domestic football
Rebelo says 7-1 defeat does not compare to Maracanazo

Brazils sports minister, Aldo Rebelo, has acknowledged that his countrys 7-1 loss to Germany would leave a deep scar on the nations football psyche but said it could not be compared to the 1950 Maracanazo.

Rebelo, who was a key driver behind a congressional inquiry into the Brazilian Football Confederation and the way the game is run in 2001, called for an overhaul of facilities and coaching to improve the development of young players.

Samir Nasri signs new five-year contract with Manchester City

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 09:52 AM PDT

French midfielder extends his stay until 2019
Nasri: I will give my best years to City

Samir Nasri has signed a new five-year contract with Manchester City, the Premier League champions have announced.

The 27-year-old France midfielder has committed his future to the club until 2019 after enjoying something of a renaissance under Manuel Pellegrini last season, when he scored 11 goals.

Let's get it rolling: watch World Cup footballs being customised for Argentina v Germany final video

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 09:17 AM PDT

With their flashes of gold, green and black, these 20 footballs will have the eyes of the world on them on Sunday when they are used in the World Cup final. Watch them being customised by Adidas at its Rio de Janeiro factory with the words: 13 July 2014, Germany-Argentina, Rio de Janeiro, Estádio do Maracanã. The balls, which are approved by Fifa in the final stage of production, are a variation on the official match ball used in the rest of the tournament Continue reading...

World Cup 2014: day 29 as it happened

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 09:06 AM PDT

Sport picture of the day: emotional Argentina penalties

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 08:05 AM PDT

A semi-final at the World Cup going to penalties can take years off a fan's life. Getty photographer Mario Tama shot one fan's emotional journey as Argentina went through to the finals, beating Holland 2-4 Continue reading...

Manchester United job does not scare Louis van Gaal, says Ryan Giggs

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 07:50 AM PDT

Dutchman expected at Old Trafford early next week
Assistant manager Giggs taking pre-season training
Mats Hummels would fit in at United Continue reading...

World Cup Show 2014: day 29 news video

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 07:45 AM PDT

Nat Coombs identifies five key talking points from Argentina's 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory over Holland. Is Alejandro Sabella more tactically astute than he is given credit for? Has Louis van Gaal's golden touched finally tarnished? And should Javier Mascherano have gone off, when clearly suffering from a serious bout of concussion?

Check out our new YouTube channel for plenty more World Cup content at www.youtube.com/GuardianFootball Continue reading...

Luis Suárezs four-month biting ban upheld after Fifa rejects appeal

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 07:08 AM PDT

Forward admitted guilt after clashing with Giorgio Chiellini
Uruguay striker still likely to seal Barcelona move

US Open Cup has all-MLS last four as Railhawks and Silverbacks fall

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 07:04 AM PDT

Carolina fall to Dallas, Atlanta beaten by Chicago
Union beat Revolution and dust storm to progress

Brazil 1-7 Germany World Cup 2014 brick-by-brick video animation

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 06:31 AM PDT

Watch the hosts humiliated in their own backyard. Germany's ruthless assault, which saw them score five goals in the opening 29 minutes, ended the dreams of a nation. A single goal from Oscar in the 90th minute was no consolation in one of the most extraordinary games in the history of the sport Continue reading...