Lionel Messi was lauded by opposition supporters on Sunday after he scored an outstanding hat-trick in Barcelona's 4-1 win at Real Betis, which put the Catalans 10 points clear at the top of La Liga with 10 games remaining.
A draw in Kaliningrad would guarantee the 2010 winners safe passage into the last 16 but to be assured of winning the group they need to win a scoring contest with Portugal, who play Iran at the same time.
Barcelona have condemned FIFA's decision to impose a four-match international ban on striker Lionel Messi for verbally abusing a match official in Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Chile last week.
Football fans in England are reportedly being pulled into a 15 million euro World Cup ticket scam.
Goal-happy Manchester City continued where they left off at Manchester United on Sunday as they came from behind to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-2 on Wednesday to march into the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
A decision to include Japan and Qatar as the invited sides to this year's Copa has also done little to generate faith in the new leadership, with the tournament usually featuring the 10 South American nations plus two invited teams, although they are generally from elsewhere in the Americas.
South America's soccer hierarchy was hit by an Andean tremor as Venezuela stunned Chile 2-1 and Paraguay shocked holders Brazil by eliminating them from the Copa America on Sunday.
It is a mistake to compare Argentina with Barcelona as the Spanish club have been working as a unit for a lot longer, Lionel Messi said on Thursday.
Injured striker Robin van Persie is expected to miss Manchester United's Capital One Cup tie against Liverpool on Wednesday but could be fit for Saturday's Premier League clash with West Bromwich Albion.
Paraguay coach Ramon Diaz has resigned after the team's elimination in the group phase of the Copa America Centenario, Paraguayan FA (APF) sources said on Sunday.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger used to dream about Luis Suarez, the signing that got away, and he will be hoping the Uruguayan striker doesn't give him nightmares when holders Barcelona visit in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Striker Edinson Cavani scored a superb hat-trick to give Napoli a 3-1 home win over defending Serie A champions AC Milan on Sunday.
Images from football matches played in the La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga on Saturday.
India can now sign treaties with five more countries in its pursuit to bring back black money stashed abroad with the Cabinet on Friday approving such pacts.
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has been banned for three matches after being found guilty of violent conduct, the Football Association said on Friday.
The final line-up of teams for next year's World Cup in South Africa was settled on Wednesday after six drama-charged play-offs on three different continents.
Inspiration for the World Cup semi-finalists has come from the unfashionable, the forgotten, the overshadowed and the discarded -- a ragtag quartet putting the pre-tournament poster boys in their place.
Only four teams are left in the Copa America and whichever lifts the trophy next weekend, one thing is guaranteed -- the winning coach will be an Argentine.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino will watch the Copa America final from the stands after he was suspended for two games following a brawl at the end of their semi-final win over Venezuela.
Paraguay rode their luck to hold Venezuela to a goalless draw before prevailing 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out on Wednesday to reach the final of the Copa America for the first time since 1979.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Atletico Madrid's Argentina striker Sergio Aguero has been granted dual Spanish nationality, the La Liga side said on their website (www.clubatleticodemadrid.com) on Friday.
Costa Rica made it to the last 16 of the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over four-times winners Italy in their Group D clash on Friday. Captain Bryan Ruiz headed the team to victory with a 44th-minute goal.
Uruguay forward Luis Suarez completed his move to five-times European champions Liverpool from Ajax Amsterdam on Monday, the Premier League club said.
Former Uruguayan forward Diego Forlan's is widely speculated to become the marquee player of Atletico de Kolkata for the third season of ISL but the team owners remained tight-lipped on the subject. "We have not yet decided on our marquee player. We will announce the name before the (August 28) deadline and he will be befitting," co-owner Sanjiv Goenka told reporters on Friday.
Liverpool have turned down a transfer request from Fernando Torres hours after Kenny Dalglish made his first major transfer impact in his second spell as manager by agreeing to sign Uruguay forward Luis Suarez.
Lionel Messi announced on Friday that he wants to return to play for the national team, reversing his decision to retire earlier this year. Messi said in June that he would not play for Argentina again after the team lost to Chile in the final of the Copa America.
France meet Belgium in a World Cup semi-final on Tuesday. Here is a look at some of the key head-to-head duels which could prove decisive.
South Africa's dramatic improvement over the last six months, Mexico's new-found self belief and France's erratic build-up will make Group A one of the closest fought in the opening stage of the World Cup.
Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero proved too classy a double act for Fulham in Wednesday's Europa League final, the two South Americans combining to earn Atletico Madrid a 2-1 win and a first major European trophy in 38 years.
They can now dream of going one better than their third-place finish in 1998, which marked their first participation in the World Cup finals as an independent nation.
Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder and Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan can strengthen their cases to be World Player of the Year with more stellar performances in Friday's European Super Cup.
Prolific striker Luis Suarez has agreed a new contract with Barcelona until 2021, the Spanish champions announced on Thursday. The Uruguay international will sign the new deal, which will keep him at the club until he is 34 years old and contains a release clause of 200 million euros ($207 million), on Friday. Suarez has scored 97 goals in 116 games for Barcelona since signing from Liverpool in 2014 for a reported 81 million euros ($84 million), and has collected eight major trophies.
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup Group B match played between Portugal and Iran in Saransk on Monday
Edinson Cavani silenced his critics when he scored four goals in Paris St Germain's 6-0 victory at Caen in Ligue 1 on Friday.
Japan beat 10-man Colombia 2-1 in Group H on Tuesday to become the first Asian side to beat a South American one at the World Cup.
Defensive injury concerns for veteran squad leader Vincent Kompany and Barcelona's Thomas Vermaelen have eased and coach Roberto Martinez has sent standby defender Laurent Ciman home.
Luis Suarez took just 16 minutes to make his impact on Anfield as the 22.8 million pounds striker came off the bench to score Liverpool's second goal in a 2-0 Premier League win over Stoke City on Wednesday.
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