England World Cup news conference: Saka 'more than happy to take penalty'

1. England news conference under way with Bukayo Saka
2. Saka 'more than happy to take penalty'
3. England to face France in quarter-final on Saturday
4. 'He will be best midfielder in world' - 'breathtaking' Bellingham stars
5. Sterling back in UK to be with family after break-in at home
6. How 'incredible' Mbappe upstaged history-maker Giroud
7. Monday at the World Cup: Japan v Croatia (15:00 GMT); Brazil v South Korea (19:00)
8. Get involved: Tweet #bbcfootball, text 81111 (UK only - standard rates apply) or WhatsApp [phone]

Goodbye

Ring the school bell. It's time to go home.

Watch, listen and follow live text commentary of today's round of 16 matches between Japan and Croatia and Brazil and South Korea here.

If you have missed any of today's top stories then don't worry, have a read of the best ones below:

England are silencing the doubters - Rice

'Bellingham will be one of the best midfielders in the world'

Sterling returns to the UK after burglary at family home

France await 'explosive and tempting' England quarter-final

Southgate's critics must admit he got it spot on again'

Thanks for joining us and getting involved, folks.

See you again bright and early tomorrow!

'All the touches'

Before we wrap up another day of World Cup reaction, here are some video highlights to watch from Sunday's last-16 action.

Thank you very much, Bukayo. Go and get yourself back in the England camp and we'll see you again on Saturday.

'Keep believing in us'

England

England's Bukayo Saka on supporter reaction back home:

"I've seen a lot of videos from back home with fans celebrating and we all love to see that.

"We want to thank them for their support and asked them to keep supporting us, keep pushing us to the end and keep believing in the team."

'Three goals have helped me move on'

England

PA Media

Bukayo Saka on bouncing back from last summer's penalty miss with three goals thus far in Qatar:

"Personally I've tried to move on from that moment - obviously I know I can never really forget about that, it's there in history.

"But at the same time coming out here and scoring those three goals, of course, lifted me a lot - and the love from the fans that I keep receiving has lifted me a lot as well and gives me a lot of confidence."

'No words to describe Bellingham'

England

Bukayo Saka on Jude Bellingham:

"He's a special player - I don't really know the words to describe him.

"I just hope he can continue to keep progressing because, for sure, he has a massive, massive future."

Saka has messaged Sterling

England

Getty Images

Saka's asked now if his England team-mates have had any contact with Raheem Sterling since he flew back to the UK and what their message to him is.

Saka says Sterling "wished us the best yesterday" and says "I've messaged him".

He says he hopes Sterling and his family are OK.

'Only one Mbappe - and only one me'

England

Bukayo Saka could barely stifle a giggle when asked if he could be the breakout star of this World Cup, like Kylian Mbappe was in 2018:

"Thank you for the compliment but no!" he smiled.

"There's only one Kylian Mbappe but at the same time there's only one me. I just want to be myself and help my team in the best way I can.

"There's so many young players in this tournament and I can name so many, even in my own team - there's another young player alongside us doing unbelievably well in Jude Bellingham.

"I'm just happy that we're all here, all doing well and the priority is to try to win the tournament rather than be the Player of the Tournament or Young Player of the Tournament."

Can England cause as many problems as France?

England

Reuters

Next question Saka's is asked what it if England can cause France as many problems as they can cause England.

"We've had three clean sheets," Saka says, which he adds is credit to the defenders and Jordan Pickford.

Also Saka says England have scored the most goals so his team-mates just need to prepare their best gameplan.

"We are playing good right now," he adds.

'More than happy to take a penalty'

England

Saka on the prospect of penalties after missing the decisive spot-kick against Italy in the Euro 2020 final:

"I've obviously matured and progressed a lot as a person and as a player since that moment.

"I wouldn't have stepped up to take a penalty for Arsenal the times I've stepped up if I wasn't confident.

"If the moment comes and I'm selected to take one, I will be more than happy to."

'We have a lot of tournament experience now'

England

Reuters

England's Bukayo Saka is talking to the media ahead of Saturday's World Cup quarter-final against France:

"There's a lot of tournament experience [in the squad] now.

"If you look at the results from the last few tournaments we've been in, we've got to a semi-final, a final and a quarter-final.

"So when the big games come, we have a lot of players who know what they need to do."

Southgate is 'unrivalled now'

Jermaine Jenas

Former England midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

You’re starting to see some big performances, so there’s reason to start getting jolly about this team.

Kylian Mbappe is going to do what he is going to do and I think if we draw all of our focus to manage the game in and around him, then we lose too much of ourselves.

If we can focus on where their weaknesses are, at the full back, they are gettable.

Anyone that is in the game and understands football hugely respects what Gareth Southgate has been able to do as an England manager and what he has done at major tournaments, he’s unrivalled now.

He’s onto something really special here and I hope the fans say ‘we trust you Gareth for what you’ve done for us'.

Mind the (age) gap

Jordan Brian Henderson: 32

Jude Victor William Bellingham: 19

Saka news conference

Bukayo Saka has now joined the news conference for a little chat about last night's victory and a look ahead to the huge quarter-final with France on Saturday.

Quotes to come...

Reuters

‘I’ve never had such a chilled England World Cup game'

BBC Radio 5 Live

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Kirsty and Andy flew out to Qatar last week and watched England play Senegal last night.

Speaking to Radio 5 Live Kirsty recalls: "I turned around after the second goal to commiserate the Senegal fan behind me and he just shrugged and said ‘that’s ok I’m getting this flag out’ and got his England flag out."

Andy says, “I’m zen Andy today, I’ve never been so relaxed.

"Gareth Southgate has been building this squad of players and the fans always want more and more but freedom and love is what Mr Southgate has in that team, you can see it and you can feel it."

Looking ahead to England’s quarter-final game against France, Kirsty says "I’m cautious Kirsty, I’m always more positive than Andy is but I don’t know, I think Kylian Mbappe is going to get past out defence a little bit easier."

Andy adds: "France have impressed me from the beginning, they have an immense team but I think England will relish it…cometh the hour, cometh the boys.

"Trust the guy [Gareth Southgate], trust the team, trust the love, because you can see it, you can feel it, and it is coursing through us fans," he says.

'England offer threat from everywhere'

David James

Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

What I’ve seen of France, they have conceded in every game, there’s a lot of stuff that can lose France the game even if Kylian Mbappe scores.

What England offer is a threat from everywhere..they pose problems for every department.

Get Involved

Getty Images

We need to focus on our strengths - we’ve had 8 different scorers compared to France’s 3 in the tournament. Continue to support Kane with attack-minded players in a 4-3-3. Walker is arguably the best chance to nullify the threat of Mbappe without building our entire game plan and formation around it. Get Bellingham on the ball, with Saka and Foden’s pace and trickery out wide. Maguire can match up with Giroud’s aerial presence too. A great chance to go out there and take the scalp of a fantastic France side.

Kieran Owen, Brixton

Wilson sits out England training

So, the countdown to the quarter-final with France is officially under way and England's players have been put through their paces in training in Qatar.

Twelve players took part in today's session in Al Wakrah, with those who started Sunday's win over Senegal taking part in a recovery session.

Callum Wilson has a minor strain and sits out as a precaution, while Raheem Sterling is absent after travelling back to the UK after intruders broke into his home on Saturday.

Reuters

PA Media

PA Media

Good luck to all four teams today.

Whoever makes it through will be playing in the quarter-finals on Friday, 9 December at 15:00 GMT.

Right, time to jump back in the England pool. One of last night's goalscorers, Bukayo Saka, will be chatting to the media shortly.

Getty Images

'Brazil can still win without Neymar'

Getty Images

South Korea left it very late to get here, but the dramatic way they qualified from Group H means their World Cup has been memorable no matter what happens next.

They will give this a good go, and they showed against Portugal how well organised they are at the back, but I don't think they have got enough at the other end to bother Brazil.

How close this is might depend on how Neymar returns from injury, but I still think Brazil will win even if they have to do it without him.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0