RIO DE JANEIRO: Fifa awarded Lionel Messi the 'Golden Ball' as the top player of the World Cup on Sunday after the Argentina captain led his side to the final at the Maracana where they lost to Germany 1-0 in extra-time.

RIO DE JANEIRO: Colombia's young striker James Rodriguez claimed the World Cup's top scorer honours with six goals.

RIO DE JANEIRO: Four Germans, three Argentines, and one player each from Brazil, Colombia and the Netherlands were short-listed for the "Golden Ball" award to the World Cup's best player.

RIO DE JANEIRO: Joachim Loew has again saved Germany's best until the World Cup finals with the 54-year-old poised to finally claim his first major title in Brazil.

TERESoPOLIS (Brazil): Brazilian superstar Neymar said on Thursday he wants teammate Lionel Messi to lead Argentina to victory in the World Cup final against Germany.

SAO PAULO: Having spent most of the last 12 months out of favour at club level, Sergio Romero has emerged from the shadows at the World Cup to star in Argentina's run to the final.

SAO PAULO: The Netherlands' heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Argentina in the World Cup semifinals looks to have definitively ended Arjen Robben's hopes of exorcising his ghosts from the 2010 final.

SAO PAULO: The Netherlands' penalty shootout loss to Argentina in the World Cup semifinals on Wednesday was an unjust way for them to exit the tournament, according to playmaker Wesley Sneijder.

SAO PAULO: It was perhaps ordained that Argentina had to wait for 28 years to come so close to repeating their 1986 World Cup triumph. Once the World Cup returned to the Americas with Lionel Messi in charge of Albiceleste, the stars seem to be plotting an encore.

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazilians cried, cursed their president and covered their faces in shame after their beloved football team's humiliating 7-1 thrashing by Germany in the World Cup semifinals on Tuesday.