Elite 2 Overview

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has opened up on his agonising battle with long-term injuries, admitting he considered retiring from professional football. The Argentina centre-back credited the timely birth of his daughter for providing the psychological strength needed to rescue his elite playing career.

Former England captain John Terry has questioned Thomas Tuchel's managerial approach following his intense touchline treatment of Djed Spence at the World Cup. The Chelsea legend suggested that the German tactician alters his confrontational behaviour depending on the stature of the player involved.

A monumental VAR controversy overshadowed Portugal’s dramatic 2-1 World Cup knockout victory over Croatia, sparking furious allegations of corruption from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The former striker, working as a media pundit, fiercely condemned the decision to disallow an injury-time Croatian equaliser, suggesting governing bodies engineered the outcome.

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that star forward Neymar is finally fit enough to feature for a full 90 minutes at the World Cup. The Italian tactician also candidly admitted that the country's all-time leading goalscorer is deeply unhappy with his restricted substitute role.