Gareth Southgate will stay on as England manager following a valiant World Cup exit to holders France, with the Three Lions boss set to lead his side through Euro 2024.

The news will undoubtedly please many and frustrate a few others, as the most successful man to lead the men's national team since Alf Ramsey sets his sights on a fourth major tournament.

Despite lacking tangible silverware for his efforts, no manager has come closer to success with them than Southgate for generations, with his side serving up plenty of highs and a handful of lows.

Here, Stats Perform takes a look over some of the defining moments of his tenure in charge – from breaking long-standing national hoodoos, to falling just short of all-time greatness.

Breaking the penalty curse

Heading into their first major tournament under Southgate, expectations were low for England. Dismal campaigns at Brazil 2014 and Euro 2016 were not forgotten, after a placid loss to Belgium wiped out a rout against Panama.

When Colombia stuck late in regular time to force a penalty shoot-out in the last 16, fans were braced for the worst. But Southgate bucked the trend – and put his own demons to rest – as his side held their nerve with a cathartic win on penalties.

Missing the mark in Moscow

Reaching the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time since 1990, England had transformed the goodwill of a nation back home, and Kieran Trippier's early free-kick gave them the perfect start.

But with an early lead on the board, Southgate's side slipped into defensive inertia rather than chase a second goal – and Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic subsequently struck to deliver the first heartbreak of his tenure.

Nailing the Nations League 

Grouped again with Croatia and a highly fancied Spain side for the inaugural Nations League campaign, England made a rough start, with defeat to La Roja and a draw against their former semi-final foes in 2018.

But a Raheem Sterling double in Seville saw them stun their hosts, before Jesse Lingard and Harry Kane struck late to deliver bedlam at Wembley against Croatia and take the Three Lions to the Finals.

A Dutch downer

But once at the Finals in Portugal, England failed to heed the lessons of Russia, and surrendered an early lead once more against the Netherlands as they lost in the semi-finals.

Though they beat Switzerland on penalties to finish third – and claim their first medal result of Southgate's time in charge – it marked a bittersweet end to what could have been a serious silverware shot.

Euro fever hits

In a pan-continental edition of the delayed 2020 European Championship, England were blessed with home advantage for the majority of their games – and with each successive result, they delivered a shot to Southgate's tenure.

The defensively minded approach of the manager, with a double-pivot in Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips, proved the perfect counter, and helped them reach the final, with a major win over old enemies Germany on the way.

Heartbreak against Italy

Forever the great "what-if" of the Southgate era, England headed into the final of Euro 2020 as marginal favourites, boosted by home advantage at Wembley and a Luke Shaw goal two minutes only strengthened their belief.

But across an ill-tempered encounter, Leonardo Bonucci's squeaky equaliser forced a shoot-out where the old ghosts reared their heads, as Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all missed to hand Italy the crown.

Hungary like the wolf

On the back of a brilliant 2021, expectations were high as England entered a World Cup year, and they were favoured to do well in the latest Nations League iteration.

But a double loss to Hungary sunk their chances, and they were ultimately relegated from the top tier of the competition after struggles with Italy and Germany too – possibly the most humiliating moment of Southgate's tenure. 

An early bath in Qatar

With his reputation having been savaged in some quarters over 2022, it may seem weird to consider Qatar 2022 a high-water mark for Southgate – but the fact is it ranks among his most impressive tournament performances.

Incisive, attacking displays against Iran and Wales showcased his side's offensive nous, either side of a stalemate with the United States, as did a win over Senegal in the last 16.

While defeat to France in the quarter-finals was another great "what-if" moment, it marked the first England loss in a major tournament where they went down guns blazing. That points to a bright future – and Southgate may still be the man to harness it best.

Joel Matip has heaped praise on Liverpool team-mate Ibrahima Konate ahead of Sunday's World Cup final between France and Argentina.

Konate has featured in four of France's games en route to the final, earning plaudits for his display in the semi-final win against Morocco after replacing former RB Leipzig centre-back partner Dayot Upamecano.

The 23-year-old has started three games in Qatar and is averaging 6.9 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, the most of any player with three or more starts at the 2022 World Cup.

Speaking to Liverpool's official website, Matip added to the praise Konate has been receiving, with the Frenchman having played a big role in the Reds winning the EFL Cup and FA Cup last season after his move from Leipzig.

"He's so young and [he has] so much quality already," Matip said. "He's showed that now again with the national team – with an amazing team. 

"He's shown the class he's got. He's self-confident, nice, and a really kind person.

"Especially [at] this age, it's amazing what he can do. He's strong in challenges, in the air, on the ground, the pace, [he's] comfortable with the ball – it's everything you need [as a defender]."

Konate was among the France players to have suffered from illness in recent days, but reports suggest he has recovered in time to be available for the final against Lionel Messi's Argentina, and Matip said his club team-mates will be rooting for him as the only Liverpool representative involved.

"Of course, he is the only team-mate left, so there is no hard choice for us to make when he is the only one," he said.

"I hope he comes back with a big smile – this will be a win then!"

Gareth Southgate will stay on as England manager through Euro 2024, ending speculation over his future following the Three Lions' quarter-final exit from the World Cup.

Southgate, who took charge of England in 2016, saw his side eliminated at Qatar 2022 after a 2-1 loss to France in the last eight.

Having previously led England to a semi-final finish at Russia 2018 and the final of Euro 2020, speculation had been rife over whether Southgate would step away from the role.

The 52-year-old said immediately after the France game he would take some time to consider his future.

But the Football Association has now confirmed Southgate will remain in his post for the European Championship in Germany in 18 months' time.

"We are delighted to confirm that Gareth Southgate is continuing as England manager and will lead our Euro 2024 campaign," the FA said in a statement on Sunday.

"Gareth and [assistant manager] Steve Holland have always had our full support, and our planning for the Euros starts now."

Southgate's contract, which he signed last year, expires in December 2024.

England's next match is in Euro 2024 qualifying in March, facing Italy in a repeat of the previous European Championship final.

Although Southgate heads into that qualification campaign still without major silverware, he has overseen more tournament wins than any other England manager.

Gareth Southgate will stay on as England manager through Euro 2024, ending speculation over his future following the Three Lions' quarter-final exit from the World Cup.

Manchester United are set to be a prime mover in the January transfer window.

The Red Devils have parted ways with Cristiano Ronaldo following their falling-out, meaning they are likely to be eager for a new forward option.

United are also six months into manager Erik ten Hag's tenure, which has got off to a solid start, sitting fifth in the Premier League, but the Dutchman wants to keep building.

TOP STORY - MAN UTD SET TO REVIVE BID FOR DE JONG IN JANUARY

Manchester United will revive their interest in Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong in January after their failed pursuit of him prior to this season, according to the Manchester Evening News.

United manager Erik ten Hag was keen to land his fellow countryman following his arrival at Old Trafford.

The cultured midfielder's contract with the Blaugrana is complicated by the LaLiga club's financial situation but De Jong has so far remained committed to Barca despite the interest.

However, the report claims De Jong has privately told Ten Hag he would be happy to move to United.

ROUND-UP

– Fabrizio Romano claims Chelsea have completed a deal for RB Leipzig's French forward Christopher Nkunku, which will officially go through at the end of the season.

– Liverpool are interested in Milan's Algerian defensive midfielder Ismael Bennacer and are set to meet with him to open talks, claims Relevo.

– Sky Sports claims Chelsea and Liverpool will joust for the signature of Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, although neither club has opened talks yet.

– The Telegraph reports Gareth Southgate has decided he wants to remain as England manager despite their World Cup quarter-final exit to France.

Sunday's World Cup final will not be the first time Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi have met on this stage.

If the encounter at Lusail Stadium is half as good as the instant classic witnessed in Kazan four years ago, then we'll be in for a treat.

France won 4-3 in their last-16 duel, a game that was defined by Argentina's fragility and Les Bleus' ruthlessness.

Didier Deschamps' men of course went on to win the tournament; Argentina soon sacked Jorge Sampaoli and Lionel Messi went into a self-imposed international exile.

It was a seismic contest in a variety of ways.

Mbappe elevated to superstardom

The final of Qatar 2022 is of course being billed as Mbappe versus Messi. Ahead of their meeting in Kazan, this wasn't really the case, with the latter undoubtedly the focus for many.

But at full-time, there was almost a sense of this game being Mbappe's 'arrival' as a global superstar.

While his talent was already well known having joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, Mbappe's performance against Argentina brought his prodigious ability to a worldwide audience.

He was devastating.

Argentina couldn't handle his speed and ability on the ball, with Mbappe tearing the Albiceleste's slow – and high – back-line to shreds.

First, he darted through them, drawing a foul from Javier Mascherano that resulted in Antoine Griezmann striking the crossbar.

Then he just ran away from them, leaving Mascherano and company in his tracks before surging past Marcos Rojo and winning a penalty that Griezmann coolly slotted home.

It wasn't just about his speed, though. Twice he delivered the decisive touch.

Somehow making space for himself in the box, he slammed a left-footed strike through Franco Armani to open his account.

Then he rounded off one of the most memorable goals of the tournament. An intricate counter-attack led to Mbappe steaming up the right flank and latching on to Olivier Giroud's prodded pass before emphatically finding the bottom-left corner with a first-time effort.

It made him the first teenager to score twice in a World Cup match since Pele in 1958.

"When you are to meet a player like Kylian or Leo, of course you make a plan to control them," Sampaoli said. "But if they have a day like Mbappe did, it's very difficult to make the plan work."

Mbappe had truly arrived.

Messi engulfed by the gloom

Just as Mbappe provided an utterly terrifying glimpse of what he'd go on to become, it seemed Messi was on his way out.

Having recently turned 31, there was a perception this was Messi's last tango at the World Cup; after all, he had already retired from international football once before.

And, to be fair, his performance offered little in the way of a response to the idea that he was done.

He did get a couple of assists. The first wasn't exactly one for the highlights reel – it was a tame shot that hit Gabriel Mercado on its way in. Then, his deep cross found Sergio Aguero to head home late on, but Messi was missing the inner fire he's so clearly embraced in Qatar.

At the point of Mercado's fortunate goal, everything was looking quite positive for Argentina as it put them 2-1 up, but they simply weren't defensively sound enough to keep Les Bleus at bay.

Similarly, Messi was unable to shoulder the burden of individually inspiring a team that was essentially in crisis, with prominent reports of rifts and a player mutiny against the coaching staff.

Exile followed for Messi.

Lionel Scaloni was appointed – initially as caretaker head coach – in August 2018, with Messi's future unclear. He was left out of Scaloni's early squads, but after a nine-month absence he did eventually return.

He's not looked back. Messi led Argentina to their first major title in 28 years in 2021 as they won the Copa America, and he's been the key figure in the Albiceleste's route to the final of Qatar 2022.

But can he finally win the biggest title that's eluded him?

Eat my goal

There was more to the Kazan classic than just Mbappe and Messi, however.

A topsy-turvy encounter that encapsulated Argentina's roller-coaster campaign had almost everything: drama, engrossing wider narratives, incredible players and some outrageous goals.

Griezmann's penalty opened the scoring, but the match truly came alive with Angel Di Maria's equaliser.

Given space about 30 yards out, he unleashed an unstoppable piledriver out of Hugo Lloris' reach up to his left, sparking maniacal celebrations from Argentina.

Those celebrations were matched – and the goal arguably trumped – when France brought the game back to 2-2.

Lucas Hernandez's cross fell kindly to Benjamin Pavard just outside the box and the defender met it with one of the most satisfying half-volleys you're ever likely to see, slicing across the ball to send it spinning with venom into the top-left corner.

Mbappe's exceptional second had Argentina 4-2 up, and even Aguero's ultimate consolation was a goal of real quality, particularly Messi's pass.

But the legacy of this game was Mbappe's elevation to a new plain, and it's from there that he's plotting to deny Messi's bid for immortality this time.

Football Australia (FA) chief James Johnson was "horrified" at the scenes from Saturday's Melbourne derby pitch invasion and is ready to hand out the "harshest of punishments" for those involved.

Saturday's game at AAMI Park between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City saw flares thrown by both sets of fans during the first 22 minutes, before trouble escalated when a flare appeared to hit a pitch-side cameraman before exploding.

City goalkeeper Tom Glover threw another flare back into the crowd, inflaming the situation, before fans behind the goal stormed the pitch, with Glover being hit in the face with a metal bin that had been used for other flares. Referee Alex King was also caught up in the incident, before taking the two teams off the pitch, with the game later abandoned amid unruly scenes.

Glover was left bloodied with a cut to the right side of his face, with City stating he had been concussed from the incident.

"I'll start with saying that I'm horrified, I'm irritated, I'm angry at the scenes witnessed at AAMI Park last night," Johnson told reporters on Sunday. "A full investigation will take place and those responsible will face the harshest of punishments."

The ground invasion comes amid rising tensions between administrators and fans in Australian football following the Australian Premier Leagues' decision to sell the men's and women's A-Leagues grand finals the rights to their grand finals to the New South Wales government, having previously been hosted by the highest-ranked team.

Johnson said the fans who ran onto the AAMI Park pitch were an unwanted "element" in the game, insisting the code was "safe" in Australia.

The FA boss strongly condemned their behaviour and made clear that heavy sanctions would be forthcoming.

"We will be moving swiftly and we will be taking the strongest sanctions that are available," Johnson said. "This is an element that goes beyond football, it’s an element that infiltrates our game, and that really tried to ruin it for the two million people who love our sport. It's those people that we will be targeting in this investigation and who we will weed out of the sport.

"There is no justification for the behaviour we saw last night. I don't care about people that think the decision for the GF is wrong or right. Anyone who thinks that justifies behaviour is completely out of touch.

"People that behave like this, I don't call them fans and I won't call them fans. What is important is our response – that is simple, there is no place in our sport for that behaviour and people that act like that will be weeded out and weeded out quickly."

Several other fan groups held "peaceful protests" about the grand final decision at the 20th-minute mark at A-League games across the competition over the weekend.

Johnson added: "Football is very safe. Two million people play it week in, week out. We saw in all the other A-League games that were played over the weekend, peaceful protests, and that’s OK – fans have are OK to express their views in a peaceful way.

"The way that some individuals conducted themselves at the Melbourne Victory game is not acceptable, and I think that is specific to that match.

"I don’t think that it is a reflection on the broader game. We're the biggest sport country in terms of participants. This does not happen in local football. It doesn’t happen at national team level. It doesn’t happen at the NPL level, and it hasn’t happened in the other A-League games.

"I don't think though that a group of individuals that participated in unacceptable behaviour in one match is a reflection of how the broader sport is.

"The small group of people, the 100-150 odd people that invaded the pitch, they need to be the target, not the broader sport. We will be targeting those individuals and ensuring that they no longer participate in our sport."

Johnson said the FA would work with the Australian Premier Leagues (APL), who run the A-Leagues, on appropriate sanctions for Victory, whose fans flooded the pitch.

Victory managing director Caroline Carnegie also strongly condemned the fan behaviour when speaking to reporters on Sunday, insisting it "has no place at our club".

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri has admitted he is unsure when Paul Pogba will return from injury.

Pogba is yet to make his first appearance for the club after returning to Turin on a free transfer prior to the start of the campaign, suffering a knee injury in pre-season that also saw him unavailable for France's World Cup exploits.

The former Manchester United midfielder was initially expected to return for the tie against Serie A leaders Napoli on January 13, but that comeback is now reported to have been delayed.

Allegri, speaking after the 2-0 victory over Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, did not set a timeframe for Pogba's return and made it clear he is keen to avoid further questions on his recovery.

"Paul still hasn't been consistent in training, so I cannot say when he'll be back," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"This is the truth and it's important to say that, otherwise every day we'll get these questions on how Pogba's recovery is going. He hasn't yet started running in training."

Pogba is not the only injury concern for Juventus ahead of the resumption of the season, though Allegri expects the core of his squad to be ready for the clash against Cremonese on January 4.

"[Federico] Chiesa had a muscular issue, but that's normal when stepping up the intensity after such a long injury lay-off and we preferred not to risk him. He'll be ready for December 27," he added.

"[Leonardo] Bonucci won't be out for long, Juan Cuadrado will only be available after the Cremonese game and Mattia De Sciglio should be back from December 27 onwards.

"That is also when Danilo and Alex Sandro arrive, while [Adrien] Rabiot and the Argentineans will have a few more days to rest, as they are in the World Cup final tomorrow."

PSV head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy accepts in-demand forward Cody Gakpo may be on his way out of the club in the January transfer window.

Gakpo has been linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Liverpool after impressing at Qatar 2022 with the Netherlands.

The 23-year-old became only the second player in World Cup history, after Italy's Alessandro Altobelli in 1986, to open the scoring in all three games in the same group stage.

He failed to find the net in the knockout stages against the United States and Argentina, with the latter ending the Netherlands' run on penalties at the quarter-final stage.

PSV director of football Marcel Brands recently declared only a club-record fee would prise him away, and Van Nistelrooy will not stand in Gakpo's way should he wish to leave.

"I enjoyed watching him [in Qatar]. He deserves this because of how he has behaved, how he's continued to work and continued to perform," Van Nistelrooy told Voetbal International.

"I was able to help him from very close by and that makes me proud. And then I'll give him his path when it comes.

"If I have the choice, I prefer the summer [window], but it can also be now. You just know there comes a time when you can't say no."

Gakpo boasts 17 goals and eight assists in 31 games this season, including a division-leading nine goals in the Eredivisie.

Speaking during the Netherlands' World Cup campaign, Gakpo said he will "think about" any interest that arrives from Man Utd, who showed an interest earlier this year.

"I thought about Manchester United before, but when that didn't happen I didn't know anymore and started to doubt," Gakpo said.

"Then Leeds United came and I wondered if I should go there. Now I'll wait for everything. I haven't heard from Manchester United yet, but when they come, I'll think about it."

PSV are not back in league action until January 7 when hosting Sparta Rotterdam at Philips Stadium.

Luis Suarez is wanted by Liga MX side Cruz Azul, with the Mexican outfit's president confirming they have been in negotiations with the Uruguay international.

The veteran striker is a free agent, after his contract with boyhood club Nacional expired, leaving him in search of a new team for 2023 and beyond.

Having spent most of his career in Europe, Suarez's return to Uruguay – where he helped his new side to a first league championship in over a decade – suggests he could remain west of the Atlantic. 

Now Cruz Azul are looking to bring him on board for the Clausura 2023 campaign, starting January 6, with president Victor Velazquez confirming speculation they are pursuing a move.

"I don't have any news for you yet, but we've been in negotiations," he told AS. "Our intention is to bring Luis Suarez to Cruz Azul.

"We just need to be patient and look for one or two other reinforcements on top of that."

A move to Mexico for Suarez would make him one of the biggest names to cross into Liga MX, with other veterans having typically favoured a move to MLS.

A five-time LaLiga winner during his career – four with Barcelona and one with Atletico Madrid – Suarez has also collected club honours with Ajax and Liverpool.

He won the Copa America with Uruguay in 2011, and is their all-time top goalscorer, with 68 in 137 games, though he failed to net during their recent World Cup campaign at Qatar 2022.

Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic insisted his team's World Cup bronze medal did not mark the end of an era and declared there was "nothing to fear" about the future.

The head coach saw his team overcome Morocco 2-1 on Saturday to take third place at the Qatar 2022 finals, four years after they were runners-up when Russia hosted.

Croatia, a country with a population of around four million people, has produced remarkable football teams since gaining its independence from the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Dejan Lovren have been kingpins of the side for many years, and Modric and Lovren have already ruled out carrying on until the 2026 World Cup, while it would be a major surprise if Perisic remained on the team.

He would be 37, and given his role is a high-energy one that involves getting up and down the pitch, Perisic can probably be counted out of that tournament.

Modric intends to play on for now, certainly to the Nations League next year and perhaps through to the Euro 2024 finals, and Dalic believes the newest and next generations of Croatia internationals can thrive just like the current breed.

"Yes, this is the last World Cup for some of my players today, due to their age and some other aspects," Dalic said. "But we have young players too, there's a hopeful Croatia: Orsic, Stanisic, Sutalo."

Of those, defenders Josip Sutalo and Josip Stanisic are both 22 years old, while midfielder Mislav Orsic is 29, and should be good for another World Cup cycle.

It was Orsic who hit the winning goal against Morocco, a classy strike from a difficult angle that left goalkeeper Yassine Bounou grasping at air.

Dalic said of the rising stars in his ranks: "We have many of those players on the bench, but they'd not be able to have good performance without the older ones.

"The older players instil confidence, they allow them to grow and mature. We have a great football school for the future. Croatia has nothing to fear for its national team.

"Is this the end of an era or a generation? I think not. We have the Nations League and qualification for the Euros in 2024, that is what awaits us, but we have great talents.

"There are four players from the Croatian league in the team today and I believe Croatia has a fascinating future."

Morocco showed they can compete with international football's elite teams after finishing fourth at the World Cup, according to head coach Walid Regragui.

Goals from Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic gave Croatia a 2-1 victory in Saturday's third-place play-off, as Morocco's historic World Cup came to a conclusion.

They became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of international football's top tournament, overcoming giants such as Spain and Portugal before finally succumbing to France in the final four.

Despite the losing end to Morocco's campaign, Regragui believes the Atlas Lions exhibited their right to be considered one of the top footballing nations in the world.

"Tomorrow morning we will take stock, and realise we all made a fantastic achievement here," Regragui told reporters at his post-match news conference.

"We played Croatia twice, one of the top three teams in the world. We played against Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium and Canada, that’s wonderful.

"We have an objective of winning the World Cup one day. Morocco showed we can go toe to toe with these teams. We are now one of the top four teams in the world."

Asked if he would change anything about Morocco's tournament, Regragui replied: "Honestly I would say nothing.

"We had 0.01 per cent chance of winning the tournament at the outset. We managed to get to the last four.

"We played some of the powerhouses of football. If you told me we'd get this far, number four in the world, I'd have accepted that straight away.

"We deserve respect. They fought until the end, showed hard graft. That’s football, some nations are stronger than us. France were, Croatia were tonight, but only slightly stronger.

"For 2026, if I'm still in charge, I'll have more experience and maybe things will change, and in 2026 we will realise the achievement we've made in 2022."

Morocco's final match in Qatar saw a number of controversial officiating decisions, with the final whistle met by intense protests from Regragui's players towards the referee.

Achraf Hakimi, Morocco's star right-back, was reportedly involved in a row with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the tunnel after the match.

It comes after the Royal Morocco Football Federation lodged a complaint to FIFA over referee Cesar Ramos' performance during their semi-final defeat to France.

However, Regragui was keen not to focus too much on the referee's display, while he defended his players' behaviour after the game.

"When you lose you always get disappointed, upset," Regragui stated. "My players are great competitors, I don’t think there was a lack of respect.

"We sometimes overreact at the end of games, it happens. We just weren’t at the level we've set.

"We focus on what we were lacking. We can't hide behind the refereeing, that’s not the Moroccan way. We let the association deal with any official issues."

Luka Modric has decided to play on for Croatia after the veteran captain helped his team to bronze at the Qatar World Cup.

That could mean Modric remains at the heart of the Croatia midfield at Euro 2024, by which time he will be approaching his 39th birthday.

Real Madrid playmaker Modric is not looking quite that far ahead for now, but crucially he has not ruled out extending his career for his country through to that point.

The first step for Modric will be a tilt with his country at the Nations League Finals in the Netherlands next year, with Croatia joined in that four-team tournament by the hosts, plus Italy and Spain.

Thrilled with another World Cup medal, after a silver four years ago in Russia, Modric told beIN SPORTS: "This medal is very important for us, for me, for Croatia as a national team and as a country.

"We confirm with this medal that Croatia is playing an important role in the world of football, and we are leaving Qatar as winners.

"About my future, I don't know if I will be at the Euros in Germany. I need to go step by step.

"I'm enjoying the national team, I feel happy, I still think I can perform on a high level, and I want to continue at least until the Nations League, and then after there'll be more time to think about the Euros.

"But now it's go step by step and continue at least until the Nations League, and after we will see."

There had been concern in some quarters that Modric would retire from international football after this World Cup, but coach Zlatko Dalic expressed optimism he would play on through to the 2024 European finals in Germany.

Now, after Saturday's 2-1 win over Morocco in the third-place play-off, Dalic's wish is close to becoming a reality.

Croatia have Wales, Armenia, Turkey and Latvia in their Euro 2024 qualifying group, and they would be strongly favoured to come through that and reach the finals.

It remains to be seen whether Dejan Lovren plays on, with the 33-year-old centre-back left with some thinking to do about his own future.

Lovren said getting a World Cup bronze was "something special" and paid tribute to Modric, his long-time colleague in the national team.

"I get emotional, because it's for us the last World Cup, and I lived so many great memories with him," Lovren said.

He said it was "an honour" to play in the company of such a top performer, with Modric having won the Ballon d'Or award after Croatia's run to the 2018 World Cup final.

Lovren even said Modric had proven himself a superior performer to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the latter stages of World Cups.

Messi may have something to say about that after Sunday's final, when Argentina take on France.

"He's better than them in these moments," Lovren said of Modric. "There's not too many players who took the silver and the bronze.

"He can be proud and he knows that. He's a special guy."

As for his own future, with a view to the next Euros, former Liverpool defender Lovren said: "I wish I can tell you what will happen in two years. I'm just enjoying this moment, and we will see."

Gio Reyna's alleged fallout with United States head coach Gregg Berhalter at the World Cup was "a non-story", according to team-mate Tim Ream.

USA reached the knockout rounds on their return to the competition after eight years away, but saw their stay at Qatar 2022 curtailed after a last-16 loss to the Netherlands.

There was a limited role for Reyna, widely considered one of their best players, with just two appearances off the bench throughout the USMNT's run.

Reports pointed to a disagreement with Berhalter over a lack of effort in training, but Ream has moved to settle the story once and for all as the team continue to decompress.

"For us, it's a non-story," he said on his podcast Indirect. "We dealt with it in camp, things moved on, we moved past it and that's where we are. We can put that to bed.

"We addressed it in camp and [Reyna] did what he had to do, and obviously came on against the Netherlands and helped to drag us back into the game. For us, that's it. That's the end of it."

Meanwhile, USMNT team-mate Christian Pulisic also disclosed he has no current plans to leave Chelsea as it stands, though that could change further down the line.

A coaching turnover between Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter at Stamford Bridge is yet to improve Pulisic's playing time, but speaking on the podcast, the forward stated he is not plotting an exit.

"Right now, I'm absolutely back at Chelsea," he said. "That's where my mind is at, ready to finish the season. But you know in football, things change. Anything can happen."

Stefan de Vrij's agent believes a decision on the Inter centre-back's future will be made between February and March of next year.

De Vrij's contract with the Italian giants is set to expire at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, and the Netherlands international has been heavily linked with a move to Premier League side Tottenham.

With his deal at Inter due to expire, interested sides like Tottenham could agree a contract with De Vrij from January to sign him as a free transfer on a pre-contract agreement.

Inter are reportedly not prioritising tying De Vrij down, instead eyeing a new deal for fellow defender Milan Skriniar, whose contract is also due to expire at the end of this campaign.

However, Federico Pastorello, De Vrij's agent, feels Inter are keen on a fresh agreement, a feeling which is also held by the former Lazio man himself.

Pastorello also insists there is no need for the 30-year-old to rush a resolution on his future and should instead focus on helping Inter close the 11-point gap to Napoli in Serie A.

He told TuttoMercato: "He is very concentrated today on the possibility of catching up with leaders Napoli and wants to give his strong contribution also for the second part of the season.

"Then February to March will be a good time to make certain choices. 

"There will be no shortage of offers, but at his age and for a very thoughtful boy like him, who has basically played for two, three clubs in his career, all aspects will be important. 

"He will soon be a dad too and this will be another aspect he will take into consideration. The liking and the possibility to stay [at Inter] is strong."