World Cup

Children from American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga and Vanuatu are in Russia this week as part of the sixth annual Football For Friendship programme, which aims to promote essential values embodied by football with the younger generation.

Abraham Iniga from Solomon Islands began football at an early age.

"I started playing football when I was five. My dad is a national player for our country and with his help and encouragement, I dream that one day, I can follow my father's footsteps," he said.

Salah's participation at the tournament was plunged into uncertainty when he suffered a shoulder injury in a challenge with Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos during Liverpool's Champions League final defeat last month. 

The talismanic forward, who scored 44 goals in all competitions in an incredible debut season at Anfield, has insisted he will be fit for Friday's clash in Yekaterinburg.

However, head coach Hector Cuper, leading a side at a World Cup for the first time, says there is more to a team that reached the final of last year's Africa Cup of Nations than just Salah.

Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed on Wednesday that UK politicians and members of the royal family will boycott the World Cup in Russia.

The announcement came in the wake of the attempted murder of Russian former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, by use of a nerve agent in Salisbury.

Russia has denied all involvement in the incident, which has led to heightened political tensions, with both victims still critically ill in hospital.

And the FA has moved to clarify the organisation's stance on England travelling to the World Cup in a statement.

The 33-year-old was given a year-long suspension earlier this month after he tested positive for cocaine following a World Cup qualifier in October.

FIFA partially upheld his appeal against the sanction after the Appeal Committee of world football's governing body heard his case. His ban has been reduced to six months, meaning he will become eligible to play again in May next year.

After battling through qualifying, Jorge Sampaoli's men are not considered among the strong favourites for Russia 2018.

However, Riquelme – who was capped 51 times by the national team – believes Argentina could contend if Messi performs, having been drawn in Group D alongside Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria.

"We hope that we do well, that the players get well and above all Messi," the Argentinian told El Trece.

"If the latter happens, Argentina will have many chances to win. If Messi is good, nothing is complicated.

The suspension imposed by the Fifa disciplinary committee covers "all types of matches" and was backdated to start on November 3, football's governing body said on Friday (Saturday NZ Time).

The 33-year-old Guerrero tested positive for "cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine," a banned stimulant, after a World Cup qualifying game in Argentina on October 5.

He can appeal to Fifa to overturn the ban. If that fails, Guerrero and the Peruvian football federation have a further legal route at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

Not since the 1958 tournament, coincidentally held in Sweden, have the Azzurri not been at football's showpiece event, but defeat in Solna in the first leg proved their undoing and surely signals the end of Gian Piero Ventura's disappointing reign as coach.

It was a far more industrious effort from the four-time world champions at San Siro than the drab effort produced in the first leg, and visiting goalkeeper Robin Olsen was at his best to keep Italy at bay at the end of a busy first half.

In a winner-takes-all clash for the runners-up spot in Group D behind Serbia, McClean hammered home just after half-time as Ireland put on a defensive masterclass to deny the 2016 European Championship semi-finalists, who had not lost at home in four years.

The result means Gareth Bale, who was missing through injury, and his team-mates will spend a summer at home while Ireland can look forward to a two-legged play-off for a place in Russia.

Martin O'Neill's side find out their opponents next Tuesday.

Keeping the momentum going from its inspiring run to the 2016 European Championship quarterfinals, Iceland topped Europe Group I and advanced automatically to the finals in Russia next year at the expense of favourite Croatia.

Iceland is the smallest nation in terms of population - 330,000 - to make the World Cup. The previous smallest country to have reached the finals was Trinidad & Tobago in 2006, with 1.3 million people.

Gylfi Sigurdsson put the hosts ahead in in the first half and Johann Gudmundsson made it 2-0 in the second.

Leigh Griffiths had Scottish fans dreaming at half-time after his volley from a narrow angle fired in off the post (32) but substitute Roman Bezjak turned the game on its head with two goals (52, 72) as Slovenia grew stronger in the second half.

Robert Snodgrass' late equaliser (88) set up a tense finale, but Scotland could not find the all-important winner despite coming close twice in the dying minutes and seeing Bostjan Cesar sent off for the hosts (90+2).

The draw left Scotland on 18 points, with Slovakia finishing ahead of them on goal difference.