BUENOS AIRES, Dec 21 — Argentina's World Cup heroes had to abandon an open-top bus parade in Bueno Aires on Tuesday as millions of ecstatic fans flooded onto the streets and brought the city to a standstill, with Lionel Messi and his team mates whisked into helicopters to complete the planned celebrations.

ANKARA, Dec 20 — Lionel Messi's FIFA World Cup victory photo has received the most likes of any image posted by an athlete on Instagram.

DOHA, Dec 19 — Brazil great Pele sent congratulations to Argentina after their breathtaking World Cup final victory, describing Lionel Messi's success as the moment "his trajectory deserved".

LUSAIL, Qatar, Dec 19 — Argentina won their third World Cup in an extraordinary final on Sunday as they beat France 4-2 on penalties after Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3-3 draw and Kylian Mbappe grabbed a hat-trick to bring the holders back from 2-0 and 3-2 down.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has congratulated French President Emmanuel Macron on the success of the French football team in advancing to the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar.

RABAT, Dec 16 — The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has protested to FIFA over the performance of the Mexican referee, Cesar Arturo Ramos Palazuelos, during Wednesday's World Cup semifinal between Morocco and France.

DOHA/RABAT, Dec 15 — Moroccans slumped with disappointment on Wednesday after their team's semi-final defeat to France, but were still pumped with pride for a World Cup run that spurred tears of joy across Africa and the Arab world.

PARIS, Dec 15 — Supporters poured into Paris's freezing Champs-Elysees boulevard on Wednesday after a World Cup semi-final between France and Morocco which for millions tugged at the heartstrings, as "Les Bleus" won 2-0 to reach the final for a second time in a row.

AL KHOR, Qatar, Dec 15 — France held their nerve to overcome a gallant Moroccan effort and secure an opportunity to retain their World Cup crown, beating the north Africans 2-0 in Wednesday’s semi-final to set up a heavyweight showdown with Argentina.

BUENOS AIRES, Dec 14 — Thousands of Argentines filled the streets of central Buenos Aires with blue-and-white banners on Tuesday as they watched Lionel Messi lead their team to a 3-0 win over Croatia and a place in the World Cup final.

LUSAIL, Qatar, Dec 14 — The most clinical of smash-and-grabs kept Lionel Messi on track for his date with destiny and broke Croatian hearts as Argentina reached Sunday’s World Cup final with a 3-0 victory at the Lusail Stadium.

ANKARA, Dec 11 — Morocco beat Portugal 1-0 and became the first African nation to reach the FIFA World Cup semifinals in Qatar 2022 on Saturday, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

DOHA, Dec 9 — The jersey prices of Germany and Belgium have dropped by a big margin in Doha following their poor performances at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, reported Xinhua.

DOHA, Dec 8 — Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk warns that his side will have to beat more than just Leo Messi when they take on Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals on Friday night.

ANKARA, Dec 7 — Portugal hammered Switzerland 6-1 Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

AL WAKRAH, Qatar, Dec 6— Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved three spot-kicks as Croatia beat Japan 3-1 in a penalty shootout to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the third time after an enthralling 120-minute contest finished deadlocked at 1-1 on Monday.

PARIS, Dec 2 — When Stephanie Frappart stepped onto the Al Bayt stadium grass on Thursday, she became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup game to complete a journey that started almost 30 years ago in the outskirts of Paris.

AL KHOR, Qatar, Dec 2 — Four-time champions Germany sensationally crashed out of the World Cup despite a 4-2 victory over Costa Rica in their last Group E match on Thursday, tumbling out at the first hurdle for the second consecutive time.

DOHA, Dec 2 — Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu praised the perseverance of his players after they stunned a second World Cup-winning nation in almost identical circumstances in the space of little more than a week to secure passage to the last 16 on Thursday.

DOHA, Dec 2 — An impassioned Moroccan team clinched a spot in the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time since 1986 by defeating the already-eliminated Canadians 2-1 on Thursday, mercilessly capitalising on their opponents' blunders.