FIFA is pleased to announce the start of the post-2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Technical Conferences that will be jointly organised with the confederations and open to all 209 member associations. The events are meant to become key platforms in order for FIFA, the confederations and the member associations to focus on the technical and tactical analysis and findings of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The head coaches and technical directors of all FIFA member associations have been invited to attend the conferences, which will cover the following areas:

- Report from the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG)

- Technical and tactical analysis of the 2014 FIFA World Cup

- Coaching and football development trends following the 2014 FIFA World Cup

- Tribute to the FIFA World Cup champions

- Medical matters

- Refereeing

- Specific talking points

FIFA is pleased to announce the start of the post-2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Technical Conferences that will be jointly organised with the confederations and open to all 209 member associations. The events are meant to become key platforms in order for FIFA, the confederations and the member associations to focus on the technical and tactical analysis and findings of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The head coaches and technical directors of all FIFA member associations have been invited to attend the conferences, which will cover the following areas:

- Report from the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG)

- Technical and tactical analysis of the 2014 FIFA World Cup

- Coaching and football development trends following the 2014 FIFA World Cup

- Tribute to the FIFA World Cup champions

- Medical matters

- Refereeing

- Specific talking points

The post-2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ conferences will take place as follows:

·         CONCACAF/CONMEBOL, Panama City, Hotel Riu Plaza Panama, 11-12 September 2014

·         UEFA, Saint Petersburg, Corinthia Hotel, 16-17 September 2014

·         CAF, Cairo, Marriott Hotel, 30 September – 1 October 2014

·         AFC/OFC, Kuala Lumpur, Hotel Majestic, 29-31 October 2014

Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic has resigned following Les Fennecs (Desert Foxes) successful 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ campaign. The Bosnian saw Algeria into the knockout stages for the first time in their history in Brazil before an extra-time defeat to Germany in the Round of 16.

He announced his departure in a statement on the official website of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF), which read: "I am proud of my record after serving out my contract with the FAF. Having lived for three years in Algeria, my family obligations and the attraction of new sporting challenges weighed heavily on my decision."

The community of Caju in Rio de Janeiro never thought they would see a day like it. Two-time FIFA World Cup™ winner and joint-top scorer in the tournament’s history Ronaldo stepped out onto a stadium pitch in the heart of the favela, and welcomed young participants from all around the world.

“It’s great to be here in the community of Caju, celebrating the power of football through Football For Hope,” Il Fenomeno said. “Football really changed my life, it was very important for me as a child. I didn’t have a lot of time for formal education but the school of football taught me a lot. I’d like you all to make the most of this great opportunity. I wish the best of luck to all the participants in the festival.”

The Football For Hope Festival 2014 formally began today in Caju, Rio de Janeiro with FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter opening the carnival of football. FIFA President Blatter talked exclusively with FIFA.com at the ceremony where he spoke of his admiration for those taking part, the legacy of the FIFA World Cup™ and the next step for FIFA’s social projects.

How does it feel to be in Caju at the opening of the Football For Hope Festival 2014?
It is the third time that we organise such an event and I think it is great. Speaking now here in Caju, this is stadium number 13. This is a World Cup stadium and today we have the inauguration of venue number 13. We have people from all around the world playing football, a special type of football. It is played in the spirit of fair play with no referees so it means there are no discussions. What is also special is that we are in a favela. This is great to introduce this type of event and to have a nice stadium that will remain. It’s a legacy for the people of Caju.

Kyle Beckerman (RSL), Nick Rimando (RSL), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo) and Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City) all made appearances for their club teams upon their return from the World Cup in Brazil and more will return to their respective lineups in Week 18. Clint Dempsey and DeAndre Yedlin will return to Seattle Sounders FC as they host their fierce Cascadia rivals, the Portland Timbers in a nationally televised contest (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes at 10:00 p.m. ET). The teams battled to a thrilling 4-4 draw at Providence Park in their previous matchup this season, with two late goals from Clint Dempsey that brought the teams level before the final whistle. The two teams will square off on Wednesday night as well in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup action.

Nigeria’s soccer coach Stephen Keshi has reportedly quit his job as the Super Eagles mentor rising suspicion of his next destination.

Keshi called it time after the 2013 African Cup of Nations champions (AFCON) winners bowed out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of 1998 champions   France in the last round of 16.

On announcing his decision to quit, Keshi claimed that he needed to spend more time with his family.

Africa’s two remaining nations at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria and Algeria, bowed out unceremoniously last night after falling to European powerhouses France and Germany respectively. Both sides had advanced to the Round of 16 and expectations were high that at least one of them would progress to the quarter finals.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria were the first to pack their bags and head to Lagos after falling down 2-0 in a match coach Stephen Keshi stated that it was a painful knockout.

The U.S. men’s national team can punch their ticket to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2002 with a win against Belgium on Tuesday. The U.S. navigated their way through the “Group of Death” behind strong play from MLS players in all positions. Offensively, Seattle Sounders FC forward Clint Dempsey has lived up to the captain’s armband by leading the team with two goals while Sporting Kansas City’s Graham Zusi leads the team with two assists -- one on the go-ahead goal in the win against Ghana and the other in the draw against Portugal. In midfield, Real Salt Lake’s Kyle Beckerman has been a reliable force with Toronto FC’s Michael Bradley covering more ground in the group stage than any other player at the World Cup. Defensively, Sporting Kansas City’s Matt Besler and LA Galaxy’s Omar Gonzalez have seen significant playing time in central defense while making their World Cup debuts.

Algeria will be hoping to inflict revenge on Germany when the two sides meet in a FIFA World Cup Round Of 16 match this evening.

Algeria’s footballers have already made history in Brazil but they will want to avenge revenge over their much fancied opponents who knocked them out of the 1982 World Cup.

Germany have lost both of their previous meetings with Algeria in all competitions. Their most notable meeting came in the 1982 World Cup group stage when Algeria beat West Germany 2-1. However, the Desert Lions were eliminated by West Germany’s mutually beneficial 1-0 win over Austria that saw both teams advance to the next round.

Though the group phase at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ has now come to an end, the excitement is set to continue for many of the players in the running for the Hyundai Young Player Award. Three rising stars to make sure of their place in the Round of 16 on Thursday were Nabil Bentaleb, Adnan Januzaj and DeAndre Yedlin, who all had very good reason to celebrate on a day of high excitement.

One of the day’s opening two matches was the meeting between USA and Germany, with no fewer than five contenders for the award featuring in the two squads. Only one of them saw any action, however, with Yedlin once again being sent on as a substitute by Stars and Stripes coach Jurgen Klinsmann. And though his side went down to a 1-0 defeat, the defender once again showed his class as the Americans scraped through.

For Joseph Yobo, the pre-match ritual is as much a part of the game as the half-time team talk. In his 16 years as a professional, the Nigeria defender has always readied himself for action the same way, slipping on his shirt and then singing and praying before stepping on to the pitch. It is a routine he has gone through innumerable times – but on precisely 100 occasions for the Super Eagles. A sterling servant for his country, Yobo had the honour of bringing up his century of caps against Argentina in Nigeria's final Group F game at Brazil 2014.

Although his side slipped to a 3-2 loss in that match, the 33-year-old came away with almost entirely positive memories. After all, not only did he hit a significant personal milestone, Bosnia and Herzegovina's 3-1 victory against Iran ensured that Nigeria tied down a berth in the Round of 16. "Qualifying for the knockout phase was our first objective," the Super Eagles' captain told FIFA.com. "We're very happy because that hadn't happened to us since 1998. This time, we did it with pride, by finishing second and trying to win first place against Argentina."

The explosion of joy on the final whistle in the Arena da Baixada was a tangible display of how much a Round of 16 berth meant to everyone involved with Algeria, as well as the sense of unity in the camp.

“It was unbelievable, simply unbelievable,” Slimani said. “The fans have been following us all tournament and they spent the entire match cheering us on. We’re a very united squad, which is why this is just reward for a fantastic team. I’m delighted to be part of this national side.”

CAF president Issa Hayatou says Algeria and Nigeria have the capabilities to overcome their Round of 16 FIFA World Cup opponents and go as far as they possibly could at the ongoing championship in Brazil.

In hailing their qualification to the knock-out round, Hayatou said CAF and the African continent were solidly behind Africa's two representatives and reminded them of the support of the entire continent.

They came, they saw and they failed to conquered!

That sums up Africa’s big five at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil where they fell along the wayside like flies. First to board the plane back home was Cameroon who lost all their group matches.

Dubbed Africa’s golden generation - Ivory Coast, who needed just a draw to progress in their penultimate match against Greece, were next to follow after being narrowly piped 2-1. The win handed the Greeks the ticket to meet Costa Rica in the last 16.

Ghana were the latest casualty last night when a rejuvenated Portugal side side dismissed them 2-1 to book the passage for the United States, who progressed ahead of Portugal due to a superior goal difference.

While the 2014 FIFA World Cup will be reaching its final stage, Brazil will host from 2 to 10 July another major FIFA World Cup event. The community of Caju, in Rio de Janeiro, will stage the Football for Hope Festival 2014, an event which will bring together 32 delegations of young leaders from Football-for-Hope-supported social programmes from Brazil and around the world for a unique intercultural exchange and a football tournament.

The first part of the Festival (2-6 July) will include an array of educational and cultural activities for the delegations. The second part will then culminate with a football tournament (7-10 July), where mixed teams will compete without referees. The Festival will demonstrate the power that football has to bring people together, transform lives and inspire entire communities. It will be an exhibition of fair play, football passion and cultural diversity as reflected by the varied origins of the participating organisations and their delegations. For further details about the Festival’s programme and delegations, please check the below factsheet, match schedule and teaser video.

It is often said that there are no easy games in world football these days, that the gulf that once separated the big guns from the minnows has shrunk so much that no result can be taken for granted anymore.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ has proved that point time and again, throwing up a number of scorelines that have defied all expectations, with no-one doing more to redraw the global football map than the representatives of the CONCACAF and CAF zones.

Both regions have set new personal bests at Brazil 2014, respectively accounting for three and two of the teams in the Round of 16. Yet, for anyone who has been keeping close tabs on their sides over the last few years, their achievements are merely confirmation of trends that have their origins in world finals gone by.

Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed Portugal a 2-1 win over Ghana in Brasilia, but it was insufficient to keep them from crashing out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ on goal difference. Asamoah Gyan’s 57th-minute header had cancelled out John Boye’s first-half own-goal before the FIFA Ballon d’Or holder’s late settler, but Paulo’s Bento’s side would have required at least another three goals without reply to pip USA to second place in Group G.

A game both sides began with hope of reaching the knockout phase quickly got going. Ronaldo’s pace got him away down the right. A cross seemed inevitable, but the 29-year-old looked up, noticed the keeper slightly off his line and, from a seemingly impossible angle, struck an audacious, astonishing strike that looped over Fatau Dauda but came back off the crossbar.

Two of Ghana's star players have been suspended from the team just hours before their crucial World Cup match against Portugal. AC Milan's Sulley Muntari and Schalke's Kevin-Prince Boateng have both had their World Cup accreditation withdrawn, the Ghana FA (GFA) announced.

The two former Portsmouth players will play no part in Ghana's must-win last group match against Portugal in Brasilia on Thursday. Boateng "verbally abused" coach Kwesi Appiah, said the GFA.

Karim Benzema believes France are in for another thorough examination of their qualities against Nigeria in the Round of 16, after their rugged encounter with Ecuador.

Les Bleus had been free-scoring in their opening two games of the FIFA World Cup™ but had to settle for a 0-0 draw against Ecuador, a result that also guaranteed top spot in the group for Didier Deschamps' side.

Islam Slimani’s second-half header secured Algeria a 1-1 draw with Russia that sent them into the knockout phase of the FIFA World Cup™ for the first time. Fabio Capello’s side had been on course to seize the runners-up spot in Group H thanks to Alexander Kokorin’s early goal, but Vahid Halilhodzic’s men rallied to secure a trip to Porto Alegre to face Germany on Monday.

Parity lasted just six minutes in Curitiba, and it owed as much to a gorgeous cross as it did to an assured finish. Dmitry Kombarov collected the ball of the left flank and guided it on to the head of Kokorin, who combined power and accuracy to find the top corner from nine yards.

Midway through the half, Oleg Shatov burst purposefully through the midfield and unleashed a 25-yard strike that wasn’t far off target.

Argentina secured top spot in Group F and preserved their unblemished record at Brazil 2014 with a 3-2 win over Nigeria illuminated by braces for Lionel Messi and Ahmed Musa. Alejandro Sabella's side will be joined in the Round of 16 by the Super Eagles, who contributed greatly to this enthralling match and progress due to Iran's defeat to already-eliminated Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Even in a World Cup packed full of thrilling games, this was one of the best yet, and the tone was set as early as the third minute. That was when Messi opened the scoring in some style, crashing a first-time shot into the roof of the net from 12 yards after Vincent Enyeama had tipped Angel Di Maria's initial effort on to the post.

Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic hopes his side can better their country's "super" team of the 1982 FIFA World Cup™ by qualifying for the second round for the first time in their history when they face Russia on Thursday.

The Desert Foxes will seal their place in the Round of 16 with a win, but should just need a draw barring a heavy victory for South Korea over Belgium. Algeria missed out on the second round 32 years ago on goal difference after West Germany and Austria played out a 1-0 win for the Germans in the last group game seeing both sides progressing..

Algeria midfielder Abdelmoumene Djabou had to learn the value of hard graft and perseverance as he sought recognition for his talents. Far from a headline-maker when he started out with ES Setif, he then had to endure an aborted transfer to Swiss side Sion, before finally hitting his stride in his two seasons since a 2012 switch to Club Africain.

Despite sparkling performances for the Tunisian outfit, Djabou missed the cut as Algeria travelled to the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2013. Vahid Halilhodzic doubted the 27-year-old's capacity to influence a match for more than ten minutes, but Djabou stuck at his task, determined to change the Bosnian coach's mind. His reward duly came when Les Fennecs (Desert Foxes) unveiled their 23-man party for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.

Incredible drama unfolded in Fortaleza when Georgios Samaras converted a stoppage-time penalty to secure Greece a 2-1 victory over Côte d'Ivoire to set up a Round of 16 clash against Costa Rica at the FIFA World Cup™.

A truly topsy-turvy encounter appeared to be finishing in the African challengers’ favour until they conceded a crucial spot-kick in the closing seconds, providing their opponents with a chance to progress and maintaining their frustrating record of not qualifying from a group stage at the tournament.

Côte d'Ivoire duo Kolo and Yaya Toure were both named in the starting XI just days after the tragic passing of their brother, Ibrahim. Didier Drogba, meanwhile, was included from kick-off for the first time in the competition. From the opposition dugout, Fernando Santos opted for three changes in a must-win encounter.