European stalwarts won title for the fourth time when substitute Mario Goetze volleyed in a brilliant goal seven minutes from the end of extra time.
MOSCOW - Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal will take on Spain in the standout match of the 2018 World Cup group stage, while England will face a dangerous Belgium.
Russia breathed a collective sigh of relief on Friday after avoiding Spain and looking like the favorite to make it out of Group A in its first home World Cup.
China's hope of qualifying for next year's World Cup in Russia was shattered in September, but Chinese companies are still hoping to use the global soccer showcase to spread their brands internationally.
Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years after being held to a 0-0 home draw on Monday by a defiant Sweden, who booked a place at next year's finals in Russia with a 1-0 aggregate win.
Russia's budget for the 2018 World Cup is being cut by 4 percent by scrapping 25 luxury hotels.
FIFA confirmed a 28-day tournament and the final match of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be played on Dec 18, the country's national holiday.
Spain's fall from the top of the soccer rankings took an even more humbling turn Thursday when the team dropped out of the top 10.
For hundreds of millions of Chinese soccer fans including President Xi Jinping, hosting a World Cup is the most common wish. But a consensus is yet to be reached on when to lodge a bid.
FIFA president to declare candidacy for re-election to 'finish mission'
Danny Welbeck scored twice as England launched its 2016 European Championship qualifying campaign with an encouraging 2-0 road win over chief Group E rival Switzerland in Basel on Monday.
Spain badly needed a convincing performance after its World Cup flop and coach Vicente del Bosque had plenty of positives to dwell on after Monday's 5-1 Euro 2016 qualifying victory over Macedonia.
UEFA president Michel Platini has warned Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery that he could be banned for three matches at club level under FIFA rules if he doesn't answer a call up for France.
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