Blasts Hit World Cup Watchers in Uganda-Bombs target World Cup fans as dozens killed in Uganda blasts-Al-Shabab 'hallmarks' in Uganda blasts-64 killed in Uganda bomb blast

Spain captain embraces TV reporter girlfriend live on air after World Cup win

Joy: Miss Carbonero asks Casillas how he feels about his World Cup triumph

That's my answer! The goalkeeper plants a kiss on his glamorous girlfriend

Gotcha! Iker Casillas surprises Sara Carbonero with a kiss during a live interview

What a difference a World Cup win makes.

At the beginning of the South Africa 2010 tournament – after Spain’s shock defeat by Switzerland – the Spanish captain Iker Casillas was berated by his TV reporter girlfriend Sara Carbonero.

But six games later, after lifting the trophy and being asked about the triumph, all was forgiven as the goalkeeper kissed and made up on live TV.

Fan punched to ground by security guard after storming pitch to cover World Cup trophy with a hat

Pitch invasion: 'Jimmy Jump' bursts on to the grass and attempts to throw a hat over the World Cup trophy

Lightning reaction: A security guard runs on to the pitch to stop Jaume Marquet Cot

Security alert: Jump is punched to the ground by a security guard

A serial pitch invader was punched to the ground by a security guard as he stormed the Soccer City ground and threw a hat over the solid gold World Cup trophy before last night's final.

Notorious Barcelona fan Jaume Marquet Cot - known as 'Jimmy Jump' - fell to the floor after being knocked out with one hit as he ran across the grass to the ceremonial stand 10 metres from the team dug-outs.

Best Player: Uruguay striker Diego Forlan

Factbox on Uruguay striker Diego Forlan, who won the best player of the World Cup award on Sunday:

Born: May 19, 1979 in Montevideo (Uruguay)


Early days and personal life

* Ditched a budding tennis career for football as a teenager, and made his mark with Argentina’s Independiente before sealing a 7.5 million-pound (RM36 million) move to Manchester United in January 2002.

Devastating bar bombings kill 64 football fans as they watch World Cup final in Uganda

Innocent victim: A football fan is treated at Mulago Hospital in Kampala for injuries he received in the attack

Scores of football fans watching the World Cup final were massacred when two suspected Al Qaeda linked bombs ripped apart a restaurant and sports club.

At least 64 people died in the simultaneous attacks in the Ugandan capital Kampala which were believed to be the work of Somalian Muslim extremists.

WORLD CUP 2010: Holland striker Dirk Kuyt blasts 'cheating Howard Webb' for handing World Cup to Spain

Dirk Kuyt pointed the finger of blame for Holland's World Cup final defeat by Spain at English referee Howard Webb.

Webb brandished 13 yellow cards and one red - a record for a final - in a fiery encounter which saw Andres Iniesta's extra-time goal secure a 1-0 win for Spain.

Fernando Torres dons Liverpool scarf in Spain's World Cup party amid fears he'll quit for Chelsea

Pure delight: Fernando Torres lifts the World Cup trophy in Johannesburg

Pain game: Torres is taken off the field on a stretcher after being injured

Liverpool received a huge boost in their bid to hold on to Fernando Torres after the striker was pictured with a Reds scarf draped around his neck in the World Cup celebrations.

WORLD CUP 2010: Champions Spain return to a hero's welcome in Madrid

Main men: Spain's players pose with the World Cup trophy on their flight

World champions Spain received a hero's welcome as they touched down in Madrid today.

After winning the World Cup by beating Holland 1-0 in Johannesburg on Sunday night, the jubilant players arrived to a rapturous reception at Barajas airport.
A big crowd roared with delight as the players - led by skipper Iker Casillas holding the trophy - walked down the steps on to the tarmac.

Germany 0 Spain 1: Head boy Carles Puyol thunders La Roja into first World Cup final

Floored genius: Carles Puyol (bottom right) thunders Spain into the ascendancy

Close run thing: David Villa (right) almost connects with Andres Iniesta's (unsighted) centre

Spain needed a 73rd minute goal from defender Carles Puyol to edge past Germany 1-0 on Wednesday and set up a World Cup final against Holland.

Puyol climbed above the defence to head the winner from a Xavi corner and send Spain to their first World Cup final.

Cesc Fabregas a doubt for Spain's semi-final against Germany after suffering leg injury in training

 Bench warmer: Cesc Fabregas, who has yet to start at the World Cup, could be out of contention for the semi-final

Cesc Fabregas is a doubt for Spain's World Cup semi-final against Germany on Wednesday after injuring his right leg in training, a Spanish team spokeswoman said.

She said in a short statement that an X-ray had shown no bone damage and 'his participation had not been ruled out' for the second semi in Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Joachim Low will tell Germany to stifle Spain duo Andres Iniesta and Xavi

Duelling pistons: Germany will look to deny Xavi and Iniesta space to dominate

Germany coach Joachim Low believes that neutralising Andres Iniesta and Xavi will be the key to his side's hopes of upsetting Spain in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final in Durban.

The Barcelona pair played major roles when Vicente del Bosque's team were crowned European champions two years ago and have again figured heavily in South
Africa.

WORLD CUP 2010: Uruguay - the enemies of football...but they don't like it when you tell them-Hand of the Devil

Low blow: Luis Suarez (top) is hailed by team-mates following Uruguay's shoot-out win over Ghana

Bad boys: Suarez's handball (above) upset fans who recalled past World Cup crimes.Ghana failed to enter top 8 .

Anything worth having is a thing worth cheating for, W C Fields once mischievously suggested, and the vast majority of professional footballers would have reacted much as Luis Suarez did when a header was about to eliminate his team from this World Cup.

WORLD CUP 2010: Uruguay 2 Holland 3 - Sneijder and Robben make final difference for Dutch

 
Sheer joy: Holland captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst celebrates his stunning opener as fellow goalscorers Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder look on

Back in the game: Diego Forlan unleashes his own thunderbolt to bring the scores level

 
All over: Arjen Robben rises to head home the killer third for the Dutch

Second-half goals from Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben swept Holland into the World Cup final in Cape Town on Tuesday night.

Uruguay had levelled Giovanni van Bronckhorst's brilliant opener through Diego Forlan just before the break.

So how has Fabio Capello managed to hang on to his job? By Pier Morgans.

Hot seat: Fabio Capello has kept his England job despite the poor showing at the World Cup

Dear lord, where do I start? Well, with a humble and sincere apology to Franz Beckenbauer, I guess. Turned out the old Kaiser was absolutely right. England were indeed a kick-and-rush, stupid, tired, burnt-out, paltry waste of space. Achtung! We surrendered.

Steven Gerrard determined not to make grisly Germany game his last England outing

Low point: Steven Gerrard (centre) battles with Germany's Miroslav Klose during the breakdown in Bloemfontain

Steven Gerrard has insisted he has no intention of quitting international football.

Celtic sign South Korea's 'human weapon' Cha Du-ri

Celtic-bound: South Korea's Cha Du-ri (front) gets the better of Uruguay's Alvaro Pereira in their last 16 World Cup clash


South Korean World Cup defender Cha Du-ri has signed for Celtic on a two-year deal, the Glasgow club said.
Manager Neil Lennon's second signing of the summer was subject to a work permit and has an option for a third year.

The 29-year-old Cha, who played in three of South Korea's World Cup games before they were knocked out by Uruguay in the last 16, has been dubbed 'human weapon' for his habit of injuring opponents, team mates and coaches in training sessions and games.

Recaps back at the most memorable World Cup quarter-finals

Now England are out we can actually relax and enjoy the rest of the World Cup.

Holland have already caused a quarter final shock by dumping Brazil out after Friday's 2-1 win.

And surely Uruguay's dramatic penalty shoot-out against Ghana last night will go down as one of the most memorable World Cup quarter finals ever?

But which other quarters have gone down in World Cup folkore?

Fabio Capello to keep his job as England manager despite World Cup debacle

Fabio Capello will continue as England manager after the Football Association brought a swift end to the circus surrounding his future on Friday.

Club England chairman Sir Dave Richards had said the governing body would need two weeks to reflect on the crushing disappointment of the World Cup campaign here in South Africa before deciding whether to stick with the Italian.

Netherlands hit back to shock Brazil

Netherlands' Wesley Sneijder and teammate John Heitinga celebrate after their 2010 World Cup quarter-final match against Brazil in Port Elizabeth July 2, 2010.

PORT ELIZABETH, July 2 — Wesley Sneijder headed a second-half winner as Netherlands came from behind to beat ten-man Brazil 2-1 today and book their place in the World Cup semi-finals.

Brazil, the five-times champions, took a 10th minute lead in the quarter-final clash through Robinho and dominated the first-half against a Dutch team which initially looked outclassed.

WORLD CUP 2010: Holland 2 Brazil 1: Dutch destroyers march on as Felipe Melo has a day to forget

Seeing red: Felipe Melo gets his marching orders for stamping on Robben

Seeing red with Robben: Brazil's Robinho is furious with a bemused Arjen Robben

It wasn't the beautiful game the world had longed for. Far from it. But it had drama, it had courage and it had resolve. Ultimately, it also had the right result.

At half-time in Port Elizabeth yesterday, there seemed little chance of Holland winning from a goal down. Their football in the first period had been poor. Where they had been assertive and aggressive in earlier matches, they seemed a little cowed.