Gary Meenaghan

Four teams, two games, one continent. The Round of 16 got off to an engrossing start and showed that sometimes parity in football can lead to seeming injustice too.

'Like a rare dimonad in an upmarket jewellers, James has been discovered,' writes Gary Meenaghan from Brazil, where Colombia coach Jose Pekerman told him he 'never had any doubts this was going to be James' World Cup'.

Villarreal player's starting place under scrutiny after performances that swing between invincible and invisible, writes Gary Meenaghan

A sea of Brazil fans in yellow, blue - and even a little black. But no sixth star just yet.

Nasty weather casts a cloud over World Cup venue.

Dante, Brazil’s “other” big-haired central defender, has changed considerably since the days when he played on the cobbled streets of Salvador’s Pelourinho district and attended league matches at the old, pre-renovated Arena Fonte Nova.

Gary Meenaghan talks with Carlos Queiroz after their World Cup exit, his last match as Iran coach, with the Portuguese saying 'thank you' for his time with the team.

'If fans can immediately watch the replays, then so must the referees' argues Gary Meenaghan, after seeing a Bosnia-Iran match that could have been so much more with earlier proper officiating.

Gary Meenaghan files from Brazil, where he finds the FIfa Fan Fest isn't a bad alternative to catch some World Cup atmosphere if you can't make it to a World Cup match.

Once again, the individual talents in the Ivory Coast squad have failed to play as a collective force.

Bosnia and Iran will meet in the same place where Muslims first arrived in Brazil during the 19th century, Gary Meenaghan writes from Salvador.

Samaras converted the penalty kick in the 91st minute, to give Greece a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast on Tuesday night at the 2014 World Cup and send them into the last-16,

United States 2-2 draw with Portugal at Arena da Amazonia means that, on Thursday, the Germans will play the USA knowing that a draw sees both teams through to the knockout stages.

Nobody is denying both are supreme talents, but in a Portugal shirt the signature of Ronaldo does not have the same flourish as we have grown accustomed to.