Finances aside, though, there is an even bigger question mark hanging over Lionel Messi. Is he a fading force?
Wayne Rooney let his feet do the talking with a superb first-half goal to give Manchester United a 1-0 first leg win at Chelsea and tip the balance of the Champions League quarter-final their way on Wednesday.
Midfielder Joe Cole was given the chance to rekindle his career on Monday when he joined Liverpool after being released by Chelsea in May.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The English Premier League boasts some of the top managers in the game but to see the best players in the world you have to watch Spanish soccer, Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu said.
Eden Hazard is admired for his attacking flair, ability to run at defences and finishing but it is his maverick genius that sets him apart.
The winner of Wednesday's Champions League final will earn more than 85 million pounds ($166 million) in sponsorship and TV deals, higher players' values and growth in ticket sales, a study has shown.
Real Madrid have endured a miserable season since Zinedine Zidane left in May, first sacking Julen Lopetegui and then Santiago Solari.
Midfielder Steven Gerrard will miss England's friendly against Germany in Berlin on Wednesday after picking up a groin strain in Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.
English football's biggest club seem to have secured the services of the sport's most colourful manager after Jose Mourinho, according to Sky TV reports, agreed personal terms with Manchester United on Tuesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will join a Major League Soccer team in the United States when he leaves Anfield at the end of the season, the former England captain told the English club's TV channel on Saturday.
Real Madrid top Forbes' most valuable soccer teams list, followed by their La Liga counterparts, FC Barcelona. Here is the list of the 10 most valuable soccer teams (in billions):
Jose Mourinho will forget what has gone on for the last three disappointing seasons at Manchester United, he said in his first interview after being installed as manager on Friday.
He does not fit the bill for a prototype Mourinho midfielder. He lacks defensive attributes because he has no pace, is weak in the air, cannot tackle and is heavily reliant on his left foot.
For all the controversy, the concept of prominent First Children is not novel in democracies. So why is Donald Trump's daughter different and discomfiting?
Mario Balotelli's misfiring career at Anfield took another turn for the worst against Real Madrid on Wednesday with a halftime shirt-swap that did not impress manager Brendan Rodgers.
Despite their first-leg advantage, Pochettino warned against complacency and said he wanted his team to play for another win, although they have had one day less to prepare than the Germans.
Ahmad Khan Rahami, the man suspected in bombings in New York and New Jersey, is now in custody after a shootout with police, CNN reported.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
While Kapil is an academy member of the Laureus World Sports Awards along with Australian cricket legend Steve Waugh, Yuvraj has been invited in role of an ambassador.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Inter will be his sixth club in a career which began when he made his debut for Anderlecht as a 16-year-old and has taken him to Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion and Everton.
A Sikh bar owner in the United States is being hailed as a hero for helping capture the 28-year old Afghan-American wanted for the weekend bombings in New York and New Jersey.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino echoed the most common and apt description of the "beautiful story" as a "fairytale" after the 5,000-1 outsiders, who performed a miraculous escape from relegation last season, were crowned champions on Monday.
The dynasty will only be built on European success, though, and after the quarter-final exit to Liverpool, Manchester City's owners, who want a gilded continental powerhouse to match United's global lustre, will demand it and back those demands with huge funding.
This and more from the happenings in the world of football
The English Premier League resumed on Wednesday, after the forced break due to COVID-19. Here are IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Wednesday.
Despite a splurge of summer spending of more than 500 million pounds and counting, it was a free transfer from France who provided one of the standout moments of the Premier League's big kickoff.
January transfer window failed to materialise as Europe's top clubs largely kept their powder dry.
The owners of English soccer champions Leicester City say they will resist attempts by more glamorous rivals to lure away their title-winning players, after an unlikely triumph that has captured the imagination of fans worldwide. Duty-free magnate Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha became the first Thai owner of an English Premier League title-winning team on Monday night, when the only club capable of catching them, Tottenham Hotspur, were held to a 2-2 draw by Chelsea. Leicester's journey from 5,000-1 outsiders to English champions has captivated soccer lovers everywhere, but also prompted predictions that the team could be broken up in the off-season as bigger clubs look to poach their best players. "We are not the team that will sell players for money," said Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, the club's vice chairman and Vichai's son, in comments reported by Thai website Manager. "So, I can confirm that we will keep all major players with the team, such as Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, N'Golo Kante or Kasper Schmeichel."
Indonesia president Joko Widodo declared the 18th Asian Games open in a glittering ceremony on Saturday, launching what promises to be a frenetic fortnight of breathless sporting action featuring the best of the continent's athletes.
In a TV interview before Tuesday's match between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford, Zlatan Ibrahimovic had been asked if he was the best striker in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Real Mallorca made a dream return to La Liga with a 2-1 victory over Eibar at the Estadi Son Moix on Saturday, less than two months after sealing back-to-back promotions to rejoin Spain's soccer elite.
The Africa United campaign (http://www.weareafricaunited.org), unveiled ahead of the African Cup of Nations draw in Equatorial Guinea's capital Malabo on Wednesday, broadcasts information on the disease and how to stop it spreading in French, English, Krio and other local languages.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The former Chelsea goalkeeper had to wait for 11 games to reach the landmark and produced an inspired performance that included a second-half penalty save from Watford striker Troy Deeney to help Arsenal seal the win.
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