Zidane blames Materazzi insults

"Zinedine Zidane's agent says the France star headbutted Marco Materazzi because the Italian said something "very serious"."

Italy awaits verdict on scandal

"A verdict into the Italian match-fixing scandal will be delivered this week."

Azzurri united

"How Lippi's Italy beat the odds to win their fourth World Cup"

Italy heroes set for homecoming

"Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Rome on Monday to welcome home World Cup winners Italy."

Fifa denies video evidence claims

"Fifa insists video replays played no part in the dismissal of Zinedine Zidane in the World Cup final."

World Cup quotes of the week

"Sven's tactical nous, plus Rio, Terry and Elton John"

Lippi hints he will stay in job

"Marcello Lippi hints he will not step down as Italy coach after leading the nation to World Cup glory."

Italy's celebrations in photos

"Pictures of Italian joy from around the world"

Italy follows Lippi's lead into final (AP)

"Marcello Lippi has been saying for the past month that Italy's strength is its teamwork. There are no individual stars on the field, just a huge amount of team spirit. With Italy's 11 tournament goals coming from 10 players, the Azzurri's biggest driving force may be Lippi...

Most 'injured' players not really hurt (AP)

"Now there's proof that players are regularly faking injuries at the World Cup. In more than half the cases when a player received treatment on the field, medical staff reported no injuries in their postmatch reports. Of the 156 on-pitch treatments in the first 62 matches, 88...

Over one billion to see World Cup final (AP)

"Sunday's World Cup final is expected to draw a worldwide audience of more than a billion, organizers said Friday. "The TV rights have been sold to 200 countries," said Wolfgang Niersbach, vice president of the local organizing committee. "I think 207 contracts have been...

France faces major upheaval after final (AP)

"France faces a major rebuilding program in the wake of Zinedine Zidane's retirement, whether or not the team wins the World Cup on Sunday. Zidane previously announced he will retire after the World Cup, while 34-year-old defender Lilian Thuram and 33-year-old midfielder...

Heated team arguments saved France (AP)

"Facing another embarrassing exit from the World Cup, France's players had a choice: Face up to the team's problems and get them out in the open, or go home early. Defender Willy Sagnol said only frank, heated, face-to-face discussions where everyone spoke, regardless of rank...

England's Rooney gets two-match ban (AP)

"Striker Wayne Rooney was suspended for two competitive international matches and fined $4,085 by a FIFA disciplinary panel that reviewed his ejection from England's World Cup quarterfinal loss to Portugal. Rooney was given a red card by referee Horacio Elizondo for stomping...

Kahn starts, wins his World Cup finale (AP)

"Oliver Kahn finally got the start, and Germany's goalkeeper nearly got a shutout in his last World Cup match. Once the face of the national team, Kahn is now a backup. On Saturday, he came within two minutes of keeping a clean sheet in Germany's 3-1 win over Portugal in the...