MADRID: Spain`s King Juan Carlos on Monday thanked the country`s national team for winning the World Cup for the first time at a reception for the 23-man squad at his palace in Madrid."Thank you champions, in the name of all of Spain and all Spaniards," he said after personally greeting

AMSTERDAM: The Dutch football team returned home Monday after their 1-0 World Cup defeat at the hands of Spain, their plane escorted by two F-16 fighter jets.The team landed at 5.20 pm (1520 GMT) at Amsterdam`s Schiphol airport, where they were kept away from the public, an AFP journalist

sCOLOMBO: Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said on Monday he was disappointed that the umpire review system would not be used for the upcoming three Test series with India."As a player and a team, we are very much for the umpire decision review system," skipper Kumar Sangakkara told

MADRID: Spain gave its football team a heroes` welcome Monday as their World Cup triumph over the Netherlands inspired a red and gold fiesta after years of dashed hopes.As the South African hosts prided themselves for defying pessimistic predictions, up to a million people were expected

JOHANNESBURG: FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday said he was saddened by the Uganda bombings that killed 64 people while watching the World Cup final."I am very sad. I was really, really touched this morning when I heard about this news," the head of the football governing body told

LONDON: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has vowed to rid his squad of the disharmony that scarred their recent tour to Australia.Pakistan`s ill-fated trip to Australia earlier this year ended in a 3-0 Test whitewash and bans for four players - including former captain Younus Khan - amid

JOHANNESBURG: Spain believe international football is entering a bright new age, powered by the sleek, easy on the eye style which triumphed over Holland`s muscular harassment in the World Cup final.Vicente Del Bosque`s side added the world title to their European crown thanks to Andres

BIRMINGHAM: England, after losing the toss, made 347 for seven against Bangladesh in the third and final one-day international at Edgbaston here on Monday.England captain Andrew Strauss made 154, his best ODI score, and together with Jonathan Trott (110) shared an England record stand for

LONDON: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has vowed to rid his squad of the disharmony that scarred their recent tour to Australia.Pakistan`s ill-fated trip to Australia earlier this year ended in a 3-0 Test whitewash and bans for four players - including former captain Younus Khan - amid

JOHANNESBURG: Spain believe international football is entering a bright new age, powered by the sleek, easy on the eye style which triumphed over Holland`s muscular harassment in the World Cup final.Vicente Del Bosque`s side added the world title to their European crown thanks to Andres

JOHANNESBURG: Archbishop Desmond Tutu Monday encouraged South Africans to build on the infrastructure and social cohesion brought by hosting the World Cup to help the poor. "The challenge, now, is to ensure that the infrastructure that has been developed, particularly the transport

CAPE TOWN: South Africa`s government Monday ordered the police and army to take "harsh" action to stamp out anti-foreigner threats after immigrants fearing violence sought refuge in several police stations. Seven people were arrested for public violence in a Cape Town township after

JOHANNESBURG: Spain believe international football is entering a bright new age, powered by the sleek, easy on the eye style which triumphed over Holland`s muscular harassment in the World Cup final. Vicente Del Bosque`s side added the world title to their European crown thanks to Andres

AMSTERDAM: The Dutch football team, who were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the World Cup final, will return to a heroes welcome and a parade along the canals of Amsterdam on Tuesday afternoon, city officials confirmed. "The players will parade in a boat which will navigate the canals of

MADRID: Millions danced, cheered and set off fireworks in an all-night football induced delirium after Spain`s first World Cup triumph. The centre of Madrid became a sea of red and gold -- the national colours -- as huge crowds poured onto the streets to celebrate Spain`s nailbiting 1-0

MADRID: Spain revelled in World Cup glory Monday as its conquering football team headed home with the trophy having inspired a red and gold fiesta with their victory in the final over the Netherlands. As the South African hosts gave themselves a pat on the back for defying pessimistic

MADRID: Keeper Iker Casillas sealed Spain`s first ever World Cup win by kissing his TV reporter girlfriend, who had been accused of distracting him, before millions of viewers during a live on-air interview. The 29-year-old told Sara Carbonero, a journalist for Spain`s Telecinco channel,

THE HAGUE: Dutch fans reacted with disbelief to Sunday`s 1-0 World Cup final loss to Spain, as silence fell on an Amsterdam square where about 180,000 football fans saw the defeat on big TV screens.As the final whistle blew, some supporters on the capital`s Museumplein (Museum Square)

JOHANNESBURG: Uruguay striker Diego Forlan was on Sunday surprisingly awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the 2010 World Cup.Atletico Madrid striker Forlan grabbed five goals at the tournament as his country finished in fourth place after losing Saturday`s third-place play-off

JOHANNESBURG: There was bitter disppointment for Dutch captain Gionvanni van Bronckhorst on Sunday as he ended his 14-year Oranje career after the 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final.The injury-time goal by Spain`s Andres Iniesta in the 116th-minute was enough to give Vicente del