Argentina lose to Brazil in Copa America semis
Friday's game marked Messi's return to the national side after being rested for Argentina's previous two World Cup qualifiers
Lionel Messi will not chase a second Olympic football gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Games in August, Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said on Monday.
When Barcelona lost to Chelsea in pre season friendly, Neymar was busy holidaying in Ibiza, Spain.
Brazil's disappointingly one-sided win over Argentina in the Copa America final was a victory for muscle over finesse and could prompt the losers to revert to a more physical, less entertaining, style.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique expects Lionel Messi to bounce back from a difficult summer with his usual enthusiasm -- and does not rule out a return to international football.
Argentina won the 2021 Copa America but despite always being one of the World Cup favourites they have not lifted football's most precious trophy in the last 36 years.
Brazil coach Dunga apologised after his comments about people of African descent sparked criticism ahead of the team's Copa America quarter-final against Paraguay.
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Ronaldo's 130 goals for his country is also way out on its own at the head of most scored in international football
Brazil return to winning ways with dreary win over Ecuador in their World Cup qualifiers.
Jorge Valdivia steered home a cross from Jean Beausejour in the 13th minute to give the Chileans the victory in a match in Rancagua that they dominated throughout.
Neymar will play in the Olympics in August and will miss the Centenary Copa America in the United States in June, his club Barcelona said on Wednesday to end months of speculation.
Chile have never beaten Argentina in open play in 27 Copa America meetings in 100 years yet have twice in 12 months dashed the hopes of Lionel Messi's team of lifting a major trophy.
Lionel Messi stepped out of Diego Maradona's shadow by leading Argentina to World Cup victory last year and a statue of the diminutive forward will stand alongside those of his predecessor and Brazil great Pele at the South American federation's museum.
Diego Forlan, whose fine performances and five goals helped Uruguay finish fourth in the 2010 World Cup, announced his retirement.
Messi's Instagram post with the Copa America trophy has become the platform's most-liked sports photograph.
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Sergio Aguero and other Argentina players could follow the lead of captain Lionel Messi and retire from international football after losing the final of the Copa America on penalties to Chile for the second straight year.
A fan invasion in the opening match of the Olympic football tournament between Argentina and Morocco on Wednesday caused chaos, with Argentina eventually beaten 2-1 following a VAR review after play was suspended with the score tied at 2-2.
Corinthians manager Tite has accepted an offer to coach Brazil but his appointment was met with fury at his former club, who accused the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) of underhand tactics and unethical behaviour.
Messi and his Argentina teammates are currently participating the Copa America in Brazil where he is hoping to lead his team to the title, having finished runners-up in the 2016 edition.
The defenders signed contracts on Tuesday from Bayern Munich making United their third team together, and they could both feature in the squad's season opener on Friday against Fulham at Old Trafford.
Jeison Murillo became Colombia's unlikely hero, scoring his first international goal to give his side a 1-0 victory over Brazil.
Miguel Herrera, Mexico's national soccer team coach, was fired on Tuesday, a day after he allegedly punched a reporter who had criticized his team's performance in the recent Copa America and Gold Cup tournaments.
Lionel Messi returned from international suspension to score the winner in Argentina's 1-0 victory over Brazil in Saudi Arabia on Friday.
"To say I'll be happy for Argentina (if they win), that will not be true, it would be a lie, I will not be a hypocrite," Ronaldo said in an interview with the Spanish daily Marca.
And, since, pictures speak more than words, Rediff.com brings you images from these sporting events and others that made headlines in the week gone by.
Former Argentina boss Marcelo Bielsa resigned as manager of Lazio after just two days in charge, the Italian Serie A club said in a statement on Friday.
Chile defender Gonzalo Jara's ban for provoking Edinson Cavani has been cut from three games to two, the governing body of South American football has said.
Queens Park Rangers striker Eduardo Vargas will be out of action for six weeks due to a knee ligament injury, the player's agent said on Monday.
Between trying to compose himself, wiping away tears and facing a long standing ovation, it took Lionel Messi more than a minute to start his farewell news conference on Sunday at FC Barcelona, where the Argentine has spent all of his playing career.
Brazil midfielder Fred, no relation to the veteran striker of the same name who used to play for the same country, has been suspended from South American football for a year for failing a drugs test.
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The vanishing spray used by referees to mark the 10 yards distance between a free kick and the defensive wall of players made its debut at World Cup level in Thursday's opening game between Brazil and Croatia.
Alexis Sanchez shrugged off an ankle injury and continued his resurgent form at the Copa America. The Chile striker fired his side to a 2-1 victory over Ecuador on Friday which took the holders into the quarter-finals of the competition.
A factbox on Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi
The 34-year-old Argentine joined PSG on a two-year contract with the option of extending it by another year after Barcelona made it clear they could not afford to keep him because of LaLiga's financial fair play rules.
Cristiano Ronaldo-led Euro 2016 champions, Portugal inched closer to the top-five after climbing two places to 6th in the FIFA world rankings released on Thursday.
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