Playing in a "false nine" role, Messi capped a disappointing tournament with another subdued display at Kazan Arena as Argentina bowed out of the last 16 with a 4-3 defeat.
Blackpool celebrated a first home win in the English top flight for nearly 40 years when they beat nine-man West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at Bloomfield Road on Monday.
Napoli squandered a two-goal halftime lead, then scored two late goals to beat nine-man AC Milan 4-2 in a stormy Serie A match which saw eight other players booked on Saturday.
Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has scored six goals in his last seven Premier League games but manager Craig Shakespeare wants more from the England international.
David Villa and Wesley Sneijder, with five goals each, head the list of the goal scorers at the 2010 World Cup.
David Villa and Wesley Sneijder, with five goals each, head the list of the goal scorers at the 2010 World Cup.
David Villa and Wesley Sneijder, with five goals each, head the list of the goal scorers at the 2010 World Cup.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Maradona had overlooked Higuain for a long time even when he was in brilliant form for Real Madrid. The coach was sceptical about the striker's commitment to Argentina after he turned down the chance to play for the under-20s at the 2007 Youth World Cup. However, with the noose around his neck as Argentina struggled in the qualifiers, the talismanic coach called up Higuain for the last two in October and 'Pipita' did not disappoint with two good performances and a goal.
A spot of fatherly advice could be just the thing to help Gonzalo Higuain overcome the jitters which marked his World Cup debut. The striker missed two chances he would have put away with his eyes closed in the Spanish league season, in Argentina's 1-0 win over Nigeria in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a penalty and created a goal for Gonzalo Higuain to inspire Real Madrid to a lethargic but ultimately comfortable 3-0 La Liga win over Espanyol on Tuesday.
World champions Australia defeated Olympic champions Argentina 2-1 in a hard-fought summit clash to defend the Hockey World League (HWL) Final crown.
She's nailed the pregnancy style perfectly and is soon turning into a fashion icon of sorts with her vintage dress and figure-hugging gowns!
Cristiano Ronaldo fired a hat-trick to keep Real Madrid's title challenge alive with a 4-1 comeback victory at Real Mallorca on Wednesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The Belgian wizard tormented West Ham throughout and scored both goals to move Chelsea above Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in the race for a top-four finish.
Tottenham Hotspur paid the highest price for two mistakes as their Champions League dream came to a bitter end against Juventus on Wednesday, manager Mauricio Pochettino said.
Real Madrid's appeal against a yellow card shown to forward Cristiano Ronaldo in Wednesday's 2-0 La Liga win at Rayo Vallecano has been granted by the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF), the club said on Friday.
The Frenchman, who won nine trophies in two-and-a-half years, suggested it is events off the pitch, rather than on it, that made him leave.
Investigators have ended their search for bodies in the Alps where a Germanwings passenger jet crashed last month, killing all 150 people on board, a local official said on Saturday.
Brazil midfielder Casemiro stretched Real's advantage right before halftime with a gut-busting run to meet a cross from compatriot Vinicius, but Levante hit back shortly after the interval through former Madrid forward Borja Mayoral.
Real Madrid climbed back above Barcelona to the top of La Liga when Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain both netted twice to seal a convincing 4-2 victory at city rivals Getafe on Thursday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Slovakia forward Robert Vittek admired the view from the top of the World Cup scoring table on Friday while his team-mates wondered how many more goals were up his sleeve after a barren spell in qualifying.
Love him or loathe him, there is no denying that Cristiano Ronaldo has had a profound effect on Portugal's national team since making his debut against Kazakhstan in August 2003.
World Cup title hopefuls Spain, England and Argentina seized morale-boosting victories in warm-up matches on Wednesday.
The first hat-trick of the World Cup finals from Gonzalo Higuain carried Argentina to a convincing 4-1 victory over South Korea on Thursday, putting the South Americans within touching distance of the last 16.
Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Real Madrid to an entertaining 6-2 victory over Villarreal that moved them two points behind leaders Barcelona in La Liga on Sunday.
Liverpool thrashed Atalanta 5-0, Real Madrid boosted their chances of reaching the Champions League knockout stages with a 3-2 home victory over Inter Milan and Bayern Munich came from behind to crush RB Salzburg 6-2.
Real Madrid maintained their pursuit for the title by defeating Malaga 3-1 late on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed an 89th minute winner for Real Madrid as they came from behind to beat Osasuna 3-2 at home to stay hot on the heels of leaders Barcelona in La Liga on Sunday.
Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has claimed that star forward Cristiano Ronaldo could make a return to Manchester United because he is disillusioned at the La Liga side.
Real Madrid made the most of Barcelona's slip-up to close to within one point of the La Liga leaders on Sunday with a 2-0 win over third-placed Valencia at the Bernabeu.
Portugal star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo's presence makes the team a potential target for terror attacks during Euro 2016, said coach Fernando Santos.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain scored in a 2-0 victory away to Racing Santander on Sunday to ensure Real Madrid hold top spot in La Liga before next weekend's visit of title rivals Barcelona.
Olympique de Marseille were the fall guys on a hectic opening night of Europa League group stage action as German club Eintracht Frankfurt returned from the south of France with a surprise 2-1 victory on Thursday.
Real Madrid's attacking trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema need to score twice in the Champions League final on May 28 against Atletico Madrid to hit the century mark for goals this season for the first time.
Belgium and France meet in the World Cup semi-final at the Saint Petersburg Stadium on Tuesday.
Barcelona restored their two-point lead at the top of La Liga when Lionel Messi finished a slick move to fire the champions to a hard-fought 2-1 home win over Malaga on Saturday.
He has three titles to his name this season, including winning a third Masters 1000 in Madrid, and on Saturday he will become the first German for 15 years to contest a semi-final match at the season-ending ATP Finals.
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