Figo cleared for England showdown

Luis Figo can play in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final against England after Fifa ruled out further action for a headbutt on Holland's Mark van Bommel.
The Portuguese skipper was booked and because referee Valentin Ivanov took action, Fifa will not intervene.

Fifa communications director Markus Siegler said: "He was sanctioned immediately by the referee at the time.

"The referee's report is being analysed but it is very unlikely anything will happen as he has been sanctioned."

It had been suggested Fifa could upgrade the yellow card to a red, potentially leading to a one-match ban that would have ruled him out of the game in Gelsenkirchen.

Van Bommel said: "Figo headbutted me and that is not a yellow card. I blame the referee, it was a clear red card."

But Siegler said: "It is only where there is a clear disciplinary issue, which has not been acted upon by the referee, that the disciplinary committee can look at it."

Portugal will be without influential midfielders Deco and Costinha, who were two of four players sent off in a stormy 1-0 win over Holland in Stuttgart.

Replays appeared to show Figo made some contact with Van Bommel and had he been dismissed, Portugal would have been reduced to nine men against a full-strength Dutch team at the time.

Figo was later involved in more controversy when his tangle with Khalid Boulahrouz led to the Holland defender being dismissed for a second yellow card.

However, Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari defended Figo.

He said: "Jesus said we should turn the other cheek, unfortunately, Figo is not Jesus Christ."