The last two places at the World Cup finals will be decided this week, with Australia, New Zealand, Peru and Costa Rica digging into their stamina reserves for do-or-die battles.

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin once promised to see Bangladesh qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The promise did not age well, so to speak. However, the BFF boss would now probably be pleased to have ensured that the World Cup trophy gets to visit the country again as part of its global tour.

The original trophy of FIFA World Cup will arrive in Dhaka this morning for a 36-hour tour accompanied by a seven-member FIFA delegation including former French World Cup winner Christian Karembeu.

Neymar scored a pair of penalties to move to within four goals of Pele at the top of the country's all-time scoring list as Brazil cruised to a 5-1 win over fellow World Cup qualifiers South Korea at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Thursday.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni categorically denied that his team are the favourites to win the Qatar 2022 World Cup after beating Italy 3-0 in the Finalissima in London on Wednesday.

Global soccer heavyweights were pitted head-to-head as the schedule for the 2022 World Cup was completed at a glitzy ceremony in the Qatari capital on Friday.

FIFA is confident the diplomatic crisis sweeping Qatar will normalise and not threaten the 2022 World Cup, the organisation's president, Gianni Infantino, said in an interview.