Pope Francis told the Italian and Argentine soccer teams on Tuesday that he could not decide who to back in their friendly match, but he urged them to set a good example in their behavior on and off the field.
Arsenal fielded a strong team with Ozil installed as captain and the Premier League side soon took control against weakened opposition, given the time and space they will not be afforded when the domestic campaign kicks off in August.
It was a remarkable achievement for 42-year-old Gattuso, who took over Napoli in December with the team in disarray after the players had rebelled against a week-long training camp imposed on them by De Laurentiis.
Lionel Messi has become the first player to win Europe's Golden Shoe award for three straight years after his nearest challenger Kylian Mbappe failed to score the four goals he needed in Paris St Germain's final league match of the season on Friday.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first Juventus goal since October to rescue a 2-2 Serie A draw against Sassuolo
Iran were banned from an Olympic football qualifying match against Jordan later that year after refusing to remove their hijabs before kick-off.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Real Madrid's Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned the best soccer player in the world for the second year running at FIFA's The Best awards gala on Monday.
Cristiano Ronaldo showed nerves of steel to score an injury-time penalty and send holders Real Madrid into the semi-finals of the Champions League in extraordinary circumstances as they lost 3-1 to Juventus on Wednesday but won a thrilling tie 4-3 on aggregate.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored with a bicycle kick which was outrageous even by his standards to lead Real Madrid to an emphatic 3-0 win away to Juventus in their Champions League quarter-final, first leg on Tuesday.
Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain struck twice as the Italian side produced a masterful all-round display to beat Monaco 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.
It was the Portuguese who emphatically came out on top, scoring two penalties as Juventus triumphed 3-0 to claim top spot in Group G.
Barcelona rarely looked capable of repeating their heroic comeback in the last 16 against Paris St Germain.
'To all of these heroic people: football thanks you, football remembers you and football supports you'
Here is a round-up of results from the European League matches played on Wednesday
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon had a solid game in his first appearance since the World Cup as his side eliminated Catania with a 2-0 home win in the Italian Cup last 16 on Thursday.
Despite going down to the fastest goal scored in Euro history in front of a packed Wembley stadium, the Italians held their nerve and worked their way back gradually into the game.
Barcelona beat Juventus 3-1 to claim the Champions League title on Saturday thanks to goals from Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez and Neymar in an entertaining final at the Olympic Stadium.
Goalkeeper and captain Gianluigi Buffon announced his retirement as the Azzurris unable to qualify for first time since 1958.
Manchester United pull off one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history.
La Liga players dominate this year's Best Player in Europe shortlist, announced by the continent's governing body UEFA on Monday, with seven of the top 10 contenders for the prestigious award currently plying their trade in Spain.
There is never a dearth of drama in European football and here is proof...
Images from the Serie A and La Liga matches played on Saturday.
Real Madrid's French duo Karim Benzema and Ferland Mendy struck in the second half as the Spanish champions overcame an injury crisis to beat Getafe 2-0 at home on Tuesday and close the gap to La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid to five points.
Champions Juventus lost for the third time in six Serie A matches this season after goals from Lorenzo Insigne and Gonzalo Higuain secured a 2-1 home win for Napoli on Saturday.
Liverpool signed Brazil international Alisson from AS Roma on Thursday, smashing the world record for a goalkeeper in a deal worth up to 72.5 million euros ($84 million).
The old guard, once again, came good for Italy, this time steering the Azzurri to Euro 2020 glory, but wily defensive stalwarts Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini cannot go on forever.
Ronaldo, who won the award last year, topped the scoring charts with 15 goals in the competition as Real Madrid won a third consecutive European crown.
They came to watch their men turn up the heat on Uruguay, but all that they got was boring football and a ticket back home. Italian WAGS were left dejected by their partners.
When Massimiliano Allegri arrived in Turin last July, Juventus ownership had set two goals for him - win a fourth straight "Scudetto" and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal smashed home a second-half penalty to earn a 1-0 win at home to Monaco in an absorbing Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday, leaving the tie on a knife-edge.
Two brilliant strikes from Isco and a late goal from Alvaro Morata gave Spain a spectacular 3-0 win over Italy, their nearest challengers in Group G, to move into the driving seat for automatic qualification to the 2018 World Cup.
The 'Pass the message to kick out coronavirus' campaign calls for people around the world to follow five key steps to protect their health in line with WHO's guidelines.
Paris St German threatened action against Joey Barton on Wednesday after the Olympique Marseille midfielder likened Brazilian defender Thiago Silva to a transsexual and called him an 'overweight ladyboy'.
World and European champions Spain overcame Italy 7-6 in a penalty shootout after surviving an energy-draining Confederations Cup semi-final that ended goalless after two hours in sapping heat and humidity on Thursday.
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo was named UEFA's Player of the Year, beating Lionel Messi and Gianluigi Buffon to the prize, European soccer's governing body announced during the Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on Thursday.
Barcelona star forward Lionel Messi and Read Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo have been named in the 40-man shortlist for the UEFA's Team of the Year.
Substitute Sebastian Giovinco tapped in a late goal to secure Italy a thrilling 4-3 win over Japan on Wednesday and a semi-final berth in the Confederations Cup.
Lionel Messi will miss this weekend's La Liga match at home to Real Mallorca with a right hamstring injury and will then return to action depending on the speed of his recovery, Barcelona said after tests on Wednesday.
Barcelona stayed on track for a sixth consecutive Champions League semi-final appearance despite conceding a last-gasp goal by Blaise Matuidi in a pulsating 2-2 first-leg draw at Paris St Germain on Tuesday.
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