After Brazil’s draw last night, they can look ahead to 2010. Once they touch down in South Africa, there will only be one thing on their minds – progressing through to the final and lifting world football’s greatest prize. Think they can do it?

Tonight, Gabby gets his first competitive start for England. It’s his chance to prove his searing pace and clinical finishing can light up the biggest stage. To book a seat on the plane to South Africa next year. To transform potential into a first-team place. Time to believe.

In what was to be a routine match against Malawi, the Elephants left their biggest names on the bench and found themselves down 1-0 in the 63rd minute. Enter Didier Drogba. Two minutes on the pitch and the Ivorian superstar equalized, sending his homeland into the finals for the second suc ...

Strikers are judged on goals. But on Sunday, Drogba demonstrated the importance of every area of a centre forward’s game. His electric pace and storming power laid on the two goals that gave his team all three points and left them standing at the top of the league.

Didn’t take him long. After just four games in the white of Madrid, Cristiano has stamped his name in the club’s record books. Last night he became the first player ever to score in all of his first four games for the club. Who knows what he’ll do in the next 34.