The World Cup is almost upon us, as footballers around the globe prepare to pit abilities against each other on the biggest stage. With big moves up for grabs, Sportsmail looks at those in the shop window.

Sweden could be missing a few players for Saturday's group match against defending champion Germany because of illness and injury.

Thunder rumbled as the players boarded the team buses but it would take more than another mighty storm crashing ashore from the Black Sea to clear the air.

Wales manager Ryan Giggs faces a dressing-room rebellion as his side struggles to qualify for Euro 2020. Defeats by Croatia and Hungary have left Wales fourth of five teams in Group E.

Sportsmail runs the rule over every player from the two sides after a brutal Six Nations encounter at Twickenham that gives England a chance of glory thanks to their 24-12 victory.

Italian media have widely reported that Napoli will fine the players between one quarter and one half of last month's wages after they rebelled against an order by club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Germany's players have taken to Twitter ahead of their second game of Euro 2016 Group C against Poland at the Stade de France. Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger both got involved.

Find out who made the cut for every team taking part in Russia. We've listed the 23-man squads for each of the 32 nations going for glory at the greatest tournament on the planet.

Roberto Moreno's final act as Spain boss saw him reportedly produce an emotional rant to his players in the dressing room with a dramatic u-turn seeing Luis Enrique return as manager.

Odion Ighalo is likely to make his Manchester United debut when they play Chelsea on Monday and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be hoping the striker makes as much impact as these loan stars.

Players who helped Australia qualify for the Olympics this year may not be able to play due to the age restriction.

Novak Djokovic, says the Australian Open in Melbourne may need to be postponed as players continue to struggle to compete due to the smoke-filled air.

Robbie Keane has challenged his Republic of Ireland. players to make themselves heroes as they look to seal Euro 2020 qualification with victory against Denmark on Monday night.

The Real Madrid man is in line to make his 95th international appearance after a muscle tear ruled him out of the friendly draw with Argentina and qualifying win over Estonia in September.

Newcastle's first team stars have launched a bid to save boss Steve Bruce with the club's prospective new owners keen to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as manager, according to The Sun.

Brendan Rodgers is making regular checks on the mental health of his Leicester players during the coronavirus crisis.

Smith, who has been in charge since 2018 and led Villa back to the top flight, has warned his squad may have to play the rest of the season without two players due to a medical issue and a high-risk family member.

Players have been given permission to wear shorts on competition days for the first time after forecasts showed temperatures at Leopard Creek were set to hit forty degrees celsius.

Tiger Woods' Masters preparation has suffered a setback as he is unable to return to action at next week's Players Championship in Florida due to a back issue, ESPN reported on Friday.

Rory McIlroy was still a teenager when he marked his first appearance at the Players Championship in 2009 by getting thrown out of bars along Jacksonville Beach for carrying a fake ID.

Now it is Reed’s turn to run the gauntlet, the arch-villain in so many golfing eyes following his actions in improving his lie while attempting a shot from the sand at the Hero Challenge in December. 

The PGA Tour will continue for the next four weeks without spectators, beginning at the Players Championship today, and begging the question: will the Masters follow suit next month?

DEREK LAWRENSON AT SAWGRASS: Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka took their cue from a subdued audience reeling from the news that this was the last action they will witness.

EXCLUSIVE BY DEREK LAWRENSON: Europe's captain Padraig Harrington could hardly be any clearer when it comes to the two schools of thought regarding this year's Ryder Cup.

The bewildered youngster was invited to join the squad for their pre-match photo after being left all alone on the pitch, leaving big smiles on the faces of several stars.

English rugby is in turmoil as players were being advised to consider strike action after Premiership clubs demanded swingeing pay cuts amid fears of impending financial disaster.

Multi-million pound losses are expected among the Home Nations if the autumn internationals cannot go ahead due to coronavirus - which could send rugby into financial meltdown.

EXCLUSIVE BY DAVID COVERDALE: Leicester Tigers face claims of unlawful deduction of wages after cutting players' pay without their consent. 

Leicester Tigers captain Tom Youngs has confirmed players are still in dispute with the club over pay cuts.

Genge insists his proposed organisation would complement rather than rival the Rugby Players' Association, which represents more than 1200 past and present players

Pichot has vowed to jolt World Rugby out of 'copy and paste mode' if he manages to unseat chairman Sir Bill Beaumont, with online video game Fortnite an unlikely pillar of his plan.

Oleksandr Zinchenko has criticised Britain's response to the coronavirus crisis and given an insight into how Manchester City players are shielding themselves from the pandemic.

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN: Top-flight stars can now access information via their mobile phones on a wide range of issues including doping regulations and plans for a life after football.

Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool are ready to 'strike back' on the road to Wembley and says he would be an 'idiot' if he doubted the character of his players.

Supporters were left bemused after watching Liverpool and Bournemouth's players eschew the traditional pre-game handshake following the Premier League ban,

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN : A presentation by the club's sports psychologist Lee Richardson also offers Jurgen Klopp's men tips on breathing to ease anxiety levels.

The inclusion of so many of Jurgen Klopp's men is hardly surprising given their domination in the top flight this season, with the Reds racing 25 points clear at the top before the season was suspended.

Kerre McIvor questioned the scandal surrounding Corey Harawira-Naera and Jayden Okunbor's sexual encounter with students in Port Macquarie in NSW after no crime was committed.

The Melbourne Storm are outlawing high-fives and selfies with fans as the NRL club braces for the possibility of playing in front of empty stadiums because of the coronavirus.

Rami Ykmour and his wife Shannon, who own the Rashays chain of family eateries and have four young children, were appalled when they learnt two Bulldogs players had gone 'hunting' schoolgirls.

Jayden Okunbor, 23, and Corey Harawira-Naera, 24, were stood down after they brought teenagers back to the club's hotel in Port Macquarie, NSW.

Two players from the Cronulla Sharks have been sent home from team training after falling ill with flu-like symptoms.

As fans gear up for a big season ahead, classic footage has emerged showing superstars as schoolboy prodigies dominating their opponents.

Cameron Smith has called for the NRL to be suspended for a few weeks, claiming he and his Melbourne teammates are concerned for their families' health.

Jayden Okunbor, 23, and Corey Harawira-Naera, 24, have been de-registered by the NRL and their team, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

NRL stars Nathan Cleary (pictured) along with Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr have been fined by the NRL for breaching social distancing rules and warned further breaches could affect the season.

Former Cronulla Sharks player Paul Gallen has been ruthlessly mocked on social media for a maths mistake he made on national television. 

Medical staff wearing masks were seen taking players' temperatures as they arrived at training grounds, with others noting down their results on clipboards ahead of their return to action.

South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett confirmed the four players were showing flu-like symptoms and were turned away from training in Redfern on Monday morning.

Gold Coast Titans star Bryce Cartwright has been one of the NRL's most prominent critics of vaccines, with his wife revealing last year the couple would not be vaccinating their children.