Full coverage: FIFA World Cup

FIFA's cynicism is relentless but Lionel Messi's journey to the final won't save the Qatar World Cup as much as underline football's power.

This week in Morocco people’s reaction was of complete and utter joy. Everywhere you went, people talked football, relishing what’s been achieved so far, writes Fintan Drury in Morocco.

If there was any danger to the hosting of the World Cup from the outbreaks of free speech that will be taking place in Qatar then they wouldn’t be happening.