Secret Revealed: Joachim Low lucky charm in South Africa

Memo to Fabio Capello - the secret behind Germany's success in South Africa is boss Joachim Low's lucky blue sweater.

Germany have taken the World Cup by storm, trouncing England and Argentina to set up a glitzy semi-final against Spain tomorrow.

Low insists he is not one to believe in lucky charms but he revealed people are begging him to keep wearing the same top.

He said: "I'm not driven by superstition but the coaching staff want me to wear the blue sweater because we always score four goals when I do. It is becoming almost a running gag. People keep going on about it.

"I'm not even allowed to wash it now even though I've worn it several times. I think I will wear it again against Spain."

The Germany chief has been wearing exactly the same outfit as his assistant Hansi Flick throughout the tournament. They started out with a cardigan and matching shirt for the opening win over Australia and the 1-0 defeat to Serbia, after which they switched to the blue jersey under a suit.

Fashion-conscious Low is famous for his metrosexual habits in his homeland. He has a penchant for turtle-neck sweaters and crisp, white shirts by one of Germany's most exclusive brands. His accessory of choice is a scarf, which has become famous as the "Jogi scarf".

Low is also the face of a moisturiser for men.

He is certain to be wearing the blue top when Germany take on the European champions in Durban.

The secret behind Wesley Sneijder's superb World Cup form in South Africa

This is the stunning WAG behind Wesley Sneijder's rise from Real Madrid flop to Holland's World Cup superstar.

Sneijder's career has soared so much since marrying gorgeous glamour model Yolanthe Cabau van Kasbergen in March that a cheeky TV presenter suggested she should score with the rest of the Dutch squad!

She did visit Holland's team hotel in Johannesburg just before the World Cup began - to celebrate her husband's 26th birthday.

And her present to Sneijder? A discreet tattoo of him.

No wonder their story has been the biggest subplot in Holland's run to Tuesday's semi-final against Uruguay.

Little more than year ago, Sneijder was the scapegoat for another bad season at Real Madrid.

But following his wedding, the little playmaker has won the Treble with Inter Milan and on Friday masterminded Holland's superb 2-1 quarter-final victory over hot favourites Brazil.

Larissa Riquelme, the unlikely superstar to emerge from South Africa

Apparently, one of the stars of the World Cup has been off the pitch during the Finals in South Africa.

Paraguayan model Larissa Riquelme can claim to be one of the most glamorous fans in South Africa and she's been attracting attention wherever she goes.

Make no mistake, Larissa Riquelme has nothing to do with Juan Román Riquelme, the Argentina midfield. She’s not her daughter or her WAG. Larissa belongs to Paraguay! A passionate Paraguay football fan.

In figure-hugging outfits, often displaying her nations colours proudly, she's also come up with a unique way of keeping her mobile phone safe, and I really mean SAFE.

First rising to global popularity as she cheered on Paraguay in the opening-match draw that shocked their Italian opponents, Riquelme intrigued viewers with the curious yet prominent way she carries her mobile phone. 

As Paraguay continued their improbable run, finishing atop their group and advancing to the knockout stage, the cameras continued to seek her out, even as she watched a continent away, back home in Asuncion.

Sitting front and center (even if she really wasn't) at a public viewing party for Paraguay's round of 16 match against Japan on Tuesday, the cameras just kept snapping as she urged her team to victory. 

Paraguay won on penalties, putting them in the quarterfinals for the first time ever, yet it was Larissa Riquelme's name near the top of Twitter's worldwide trending topics list and surging up as one of the top 2,000 Yahoo search terms.

There was rumour that Larissa was hired to publicly cheer Paraguay with the phone held firmly on display within her tank top. I don't think her new fans will feel at all betrayed by this sly marketing ploy.

She even motivates Paraguay players by pledging to run naked through the streets "with her body painted with the colors of Paraguay" if Paraguay wins the World Cup…

Well..David Villa doesn’t loves the idea..Paraguay just lost to Spain this morning. Screw David Villa ;p You are responsible for that!

Frank Lampard's girlfriend seems uncomfortable in her bikini top while in holiday

Friends of Frank Lampard have told how he will propose to his TV presenter love Christine Bleakley within the next six weeks – before the start of the new football season.

The couple have been dating for the past eight months, but the Chelsea midfielder, 32, is said to be planning his moment to pop the question, especially as Miss Bleakley, 31, has proved a hit with his father, Frank senior.

One source told the Mail: ‘Frank has told his closest friends that Christine is absolutely the girl for him.

‘The thing that has clinched it for him is that his dad, Frank Snr, loves Christine and has told Frank that his beloved mum Pat, who died two years ago, would have loved her too.

‘All bets are on that they will be engaged by the start of the football season, which kicks off properly in the second week of August.’

The friend added: ‘Frank will be thrown back into football, while Christine is going to be extremely busy as she will launch ITV’s new breakfast show in September– so expect a wedding next summer.’

Miss Bleakley has appeared to be tight-knight with the Lampard clan after joining her multi-millionaire lover on holiday with his cousin, former footballer Jamie Redknapp and his wife Louise.

However, the former One Show host managed to lure Lampard away yesterday as they hired a small boat to ferry them around the Costa Smeralda.

And passions were running high as Miss Bleakley, who flaunted her model figure in a small bandeau bikini, and Lampard could not stop kissing each other as they took a dip in the clear waters.

For Lampard, this is the first serious relationship he has had since a bitter break-up with Elen Rives, the mother of his two young daughters, Luna, four, and three-year-old Isla, in February 2009.

Lampard and Christine Bleakley confirm their relationship by kissing in public

They've been very careful not to be seen engaging in any public displays of affection, not even holding hands.

But Christine Bleakley and Frank Lampard threw caution to the wind today when they shared their very first public kiss.

The couple were snapped puckering up at a hotel in Sardinia where they have joined Jamie and Louise Redknapp on holiday.

If her status as Frank's girlfriend needed any more establishing, then this shot proves that Christine has more than secured her man.

The couple had a glass of wine and a spot of lunch at the plush resort on the island of Sardinia and were seen laughing and joking before they leaned in for a kiss.

Then it was off to meet the Redknapps, and judging by the warm greeting that Bleakley was given, she has been welcomed with open arms into the footballing family.

Frank, 32, is cousin to former Liverpool and Tottenham player Jamie Redknapp, 37, whose father is Harry, 63, Spurs's current boss.

Frank's father Frank Sr, 61, is Harry's brother-in-law, and was married to Harry's wife Sandra's sister Pat, who died aged 58 in April 2008 following a long battle with cancer.

They are a very close-knit family so it's good news for Christine that she has been accepted into the fold.

And it's just as well that she gets on with Louise as she may be in need of some female company.

If she's sick of hearing about football, then she may want to make a girlie escape with the former pop star.

Because being such a huge football family, no doubt Jamie and Frank may want to spend some time dissecting the World Cup - and the upcoming football season.

She already established herself as a proper WAG when she travelled to South Africa to support Frank and the England team in their game against Germany last Sunday.

And she was on board the official England plane that brought the dejected players back to Heathrow after they were knocked out.

Rumour of Lampard getting married>>.Fake

Christine Bleakley is a girl who always seems to have a permanent smile on her face.

But that toothy grin of hers seemed even wider today as she left boyfriend Frank Lampard's house - and showed off a huge ring on her wedding finger.

You'd have thought she would have little to smile about after watching her man get dumped out of the World Cup. But there was no mistaking her happy mood as she and Lampard dashed out of his London home.

The TV presenter, 31, blatantly held up her left hand as she and the 32-year-old footballer rushed passed the waiting photographers into a car.

Perhaps she wanted to make a not-so-subtle announcement about the next step in their relationship. But chances are she was just having a bit of fun teasing the paparazzi.

This afternoon, her spokesman denied that she and Lampard were getting married.

Speaking to Mail Online, he said: 'They are not engaged, I can tell you that for definite.

'It's a ring of hers that she has worn loads of times before - she wore it for the Glamour Awards and even at the England-Germany game on Sunday.

She's just shifted the ring around and put it on another finger.'

Christine did appear to be wearing the same ring as she cheered on Frank and the rest of the England squad during their match against Germany on Sunday.

She had flown out to South Africa for the game, but was back on the plane with Lampard and the rest of the team last night as they flew back into the UK this morning

Lampard celebrates with a German sportsman after coming back from South Africa

You'd think after England's World Cup defeat, Frank Lampard would be giving German sportsmen a wide berth - especially considering his disallowed goal.

But as he arrived back in the UK yesterday following Sunday's 4-1 thrashing by Germany, the midfielder's first celebrity outing was, rather ironically, to Boris Becker's 25th anniversary party celebrating the tennis star's first Wimbledon win.

Chelsea player Frank, 32, even posed for pictures alongside 42-year-old Becker at private members club Morton's in Mayfair, London, last night.

Frank looked relaxed as he chatted with the former World Number 1 tennis champ, suggesting Boris was perhaps politely refraining from any gloating.

England fans have also been left furious after a picture emerged of some of the England team relaxing with cigars and beers just hours after they went crashing out of the tournament.

The snap was taken by defender Ledley King on Sunday in the Hotel Marang in Rustenberg, where the England team was holed up.

Taken on his BlackBerry phone, it was apparently leaked by someone using a function which allows selected friends to share photos.

The image is low quality but Aaron Lennon can be seen puffing on a cigar, while fellow winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, striker Jermain Defoe, right back Glen Johnson and Michael Dawson are among the others chatting merrily around tables dotted with beer bottles and empty glasses.