Footballers are being "pushed past acceptable limits" by a saturated schedule to allow for a mid-season World Cup, players' union Fifpro said, warning that the unique circumstances of the Qatar World Cup have created an unprecedented risk of injury during the tournament.

Jos Buttler used to fantasise about captaining England to cricketing glory when he played with his siblings in their garden as a child. Now the dream is on the cusp of coming true.

No matter what happens when Pakistan face England in Sunday's final at the MCG, Shadab Khan has had a Twenty20 World Cup to remember.

England pace spearhead Mark Wood said he is unsure if he will recover from a hip injury in time to play in Sunday's Twenty20 World Cup final against Pakistan but could throw his name into the hat if skipper Jos Buttler desperately needs him.

Captain Babar Azam told his rejuvenated Pakistan side on Saturday to ride the wave of four consecutive victories and win the Twenty20 World Cup final.

Skipper Jos Buttler says the emphatic way England crushed India to reach Sunday's Twenty20 World Cup final "doesn't count for anything" as they bid to become champions in both white-ball formats.

Son Heung-min was named in South Korea's squad on Saturday for the Qatar World Cup starting next week but it remains to be seen if he will play after a serious facial injury.

Cameroon's image as World Cup gatecrashers, capable of taking down top contenders and wreaking havoc, has faded away after two decades of failure at the finals

Costa Rica will look to repeat history at the World Cup in Qatar when they bid to advance from the "Group of Death" to the knockout stages, defender Kendall Waston said.

Brazil are tipped to claim the World Cup for the sixth time in the tournament that kicks off Nov. 20 in Qatar, according to a Reuters poll that last successfully predicted the champions in 2010.

The pressure is on for "Captain America" Christian Pulisic to put on a superhero performance on his World Cup debut in Qatar, building on years of sky-high expectations from his U.S. fans.

Pakistan have soaked up stories from the landmark 1992 Cricket World Cup final win over England in the lead up to Sunday's Twenty20 decider and hope to share their own tales of triumph in years to come, team mentor Matthew Hayden said on Friday.

Qatar coach Felix Sanchez selected a 26-man squad World Cup on Friday exclusively made up of home-based players led by attacking trio Akram Afif, Almoez Ali and Hassan Al-Haydos.

US players on Thursday became the first from a World Cup team to arrive in Qatar, ten days before the tournament starts.

Injured forward Paulo Dybala made the cut as Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni named on Friday his 26-man squad for the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup in Qatar, where Lionel Messi will lead the side.

Spain included Barcelona's Ansu Fati but left out Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara and Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea from their 26-man World Cup squad on Friday.

Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal included injured Barcelona forward Memphis Depay and uncapped teenager Xavi Simons in his 26-man squad for the World Cup, but left out veteran goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen.

Sadio Mane has been named in Senegal's squad for the World Cup in Qatar despite suffering an injury playing for Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Former England star Michael Vaughan has lashed out at India after their disastrous semifinal loss to England at the T20 World Cup, labelling the powerhouse side the 'most underperforming white-ball team' in the history of the sport.

Skipper Jos Buttler believes an "incredibly dangerous" England will be hard to beat in Sunday's Twenty20 World Cup final, but Pakistan say they have "all bases covered" -- and then there's the threat of rain.