Lionel Messi is still the best player in the world despite never winning a major international trophy for Argentina, former Barcelona team mate and Brazil great Ronaldinho said on Sunday. The 29-year-old Messi, who retired from internationals last month after Argentina lost to Chile in the Copa America final, is his country's top scorer with 55 goals. The five times World Player of the Year has played in three Copa America finals and the 2014 World Cup final, but lost them all.
Arsenal trio Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky will miss next week's Premier League Asia Trophy.
Lionel Messi struggled in the thin air of La Paz, fluffing a gilt-edged chance to end his goal drought against Bolivia, while Colombia marksman Radamel Falcao was kept scoreless in Venezuela on Tuesday.
Brazil return to winning ways with dreary win over Ecuador in their World Cup qualifiers.
Brazil coach Dunga launched a stinging attack on referee Enrique Osses after the Chilean whistler sent Neymar off.
Argentina president Mauricio Macri has personally contacted star striker Lionel Messi and urged him not to call it quits to the national team.
PSG's big buy has been left out squad for the Ligue 1 match against Brest.
Brazil have decided not to appeal against the four-game ban that will keep Neymar out of the Copa America but the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) hit out at CONMEBOL for their harsh treatment of the forward.
Brazil's failure to claim an Olympic soccer gold medal, the one major tournament they have never won, is all because Pele never played in the competition, the soccer great joked on Thursday.
A week before they kick off their Copa America campaign against Peru, Brazil dominated a poor warm up match though there was a moment of brilliant by Philippe Coutino when they opened the scoring after 27 minutes.
Media reports suggest Sevilla's Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli, who has never disguised his ambition to take charge of the national team and steered neighbouring Chile to the Copa America title in 2015, will step into the vacancy.
Luis Suarez scored an equaliser and was just wide with what could have been a spectacular winner as Uruguay were held to a 3-3 draw by Costa Rica in a friendly.
'Trust me, the comeback of Leo Messi only depends on him.'
Argentina's new coach Edgardo Bauza has set his mind to wooing Lionel Messi back from international retirement as he ponders his squad for next month's South American 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Bauza was named on Monday to replace Gerardo Martino, who resigned a month ago after steering Messi's side to two successive Copa America finals which ended in penalty shootout defeats to Chile.
Kaka and Ronaldinho were included in the squad for Brazil's friendlies against England and Turkey next month even though they asked not to be picked for the Copa America.
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.
Argentina coach Gerardo Martino resigned on Tuesday citing a leadership vacuum at the Argentine FA (AFA) and problems trying to pick an 18-man squad for the Olympic soccer tournament in Rio de Janeiro in August, the AFA said.
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.
After the disappointing show at the Copa America, Argentina's recently-appointed football coach Alejandro Sabella is keen to rebuild the team around Lionel Messi that will begin their campaign for the 2014 World Cup with Wednesday's FIFA international friendly against Venezuela.
Alejandro Sabella has been confirmed as coach of Argentina until the 2014 World Cup finals after Sergio Batista had his contract rescinded following a disappointing Copa America.
Now, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo venturing into smaller leagues as they near the end of their brilliant careers, 2024 may finally be the year for the next in line in football royalty.
The first edition of FIFA's new 32-team Club World Cup will be held in the United States in 2025, world soccer's governing body said on Friday.
The AFA thanked 58-year-old Sampaoli and his assistants, who have also left their positions, for their services.
The win lifted Copa America holders Uruguay into second place in the South American group, a point behind leaders Chile and one ahead of Argentina, while Ecuador's win in Quito saw them climb to fourth.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Lionel Messi does not need a Copa America win to feel like the king of the world. He captured that crown a long ago, says Dhruv Munjal.
The current generation of Argentina players is one of the best ever even though the team have not won a major trophy in 22 years, coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday.
The gifted 23-year-old attacking midfielder is moving to Anfield from Germany's Hoffenheim, where he played since 2010, scoring 47 goals in 151 appearances.
Carlos Tevez has been included in the squad for the first time in three years for next month's friendlies in England against Croatia and Portugal.
Unsettled striker Carlos Tevez returned to Manchester City on Monday and the English city he had sworn he would never return to.
Brazil will play Argentina in two friendlies next month, one in each country, with teams picked from the domestic leagues, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi's passionate performances at the Qatar World Cup are earning him oodles of love from Argentines, but their old favouritism for Diego Maradona may resurface unless he brings home the trophy on his final attempt.
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.
Substitute Fred struck in a last-minute equaliser to give holders Brazil a 2-2 draw with Paraguay before unfancied Venezuela upset Ecuador 1-0 to go top of Group B at the Copa America on Saturday.
Gonzalo Higuain is training for a similar role to Lionel Messi's in the Argentina team in preparation for matches when the Barcelona forward is not playing, coach Sergio Batista said on Tuesday.
'But I think this is going to be cleared up as soon as possible and I believe in Neymar's innocence. We the players and the backroom staff are going to support him so that it doesn't have any effect on the field'
'It's useless trying to make a leader out of a man who goes to the toilet 20 times before a game'
Argentina lifted the gloom from a poor Copa America by routing Chile 4-1 in their opening 2014 World Cup qualifier on Friday, while Uruguay also scored four to get their campaign off to a good start.
Argentina's hopes of reaching the 2010 finals in South Africa could be severely limited this weekend, should the results of the South American World Cup qualifiers go to form. Diego Maradona's Argentina face Dunga's South American group leaders Brazil (27 points), who added the Confederations Cup in late June to their 2007 Copa America title.
Paris is, and will continue to be, dogged by the usual gripes about staging the greatest show on earth.
