Brazil coach Dunga is coming under increasing pressure to include Santos youngsters Neymar and Paulo Henrique Ganso in his World Cup squad after the pair's electrifying performances for Santos this season. With Brazil heavily dependent on out-of-form Kaka for creativity, many feel the pair should be given a chance by Dunga after scoring 10 goals apiece in helping Santos top the Paulista championship.
Defender Gerard Pique grabbed a rare winner and Lionel Messi scored yet another beauty as Barcelona came from behind to beat Sevilla 2-1 at the Nou Camp on Sunday and reclaim an eight-point lead at the top of La Liga.
Barcelona's attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were all on target as the champions roared back into life in La Liga with a dominant 5-1 victory at promoted Leganes on Saturday. Messi sidefooted in a simple cross from Suarez to strike the opening goal after 15 minutes and returned the favour for the Uruguayan to nudge in the second in the 31st.
Messi, who scored 37 times in La Liga last season, has been at Barcelona since the age of 13, rising through their youth system to become one of the most successful and recognisable footballers in the world.
Here are some special moments from the gala night in Zurich on Monday...
Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona overwhelmed Manchester City as Ivan Rakitic's strike secured a 1-0 win.
Andres Iniesta will always be a hero to Barcelona.
Belgium used a combination of daring, intelligence, resilience and not a little luck to oust World Cup favourites Brazil 2-1 in a memorable quarter-final tie on Friday that would have made a worthy final.
Quaison fires Sweden to extra-time World Cup playoff win over Czechs
'I hope Brazil can win. It's a long time since 2002, and I think it's time'
Angel Correa saw La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid snatch a 2-1 victory away to Granada on Saturday
Brazil have conceded only one goal in this World Cup, the equal most stingy rearguard along with Uruguay, and allowed only five shots on target in four games, the fewest of any side.
A Ghanaian professional footballer who plays for a Kerala-based club has been stuck for the last 54 days at Mumbai International Airport due to lockdown and unavailability of flights back home. Juan Muller, 23, has been stuck at the departure area of Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. He spends his time at the airport's fancy artificial gardens and somehow buys food from stalls and passes his time with the airport staff.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was ruled out of their Club World Cup semi-final on Thursday after suffering from abdominal pain, the European champions said.
Barcelona have agreed a fee for the transfer of Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele to Spain, ending a saga that led to the talented 20-year-old winger being suspended by the Bundesliga club, Germany's Bild newspaper said on Thursday.
Finances aside, though, there is an even bigger question mark hanging over Lionel Messi. Is he a fading force?
A true global superstar, the depth of Kobe Bryant's popularity quickly surfaced as reports were confirmed that the Los Angeles Lakers great had been killed along with his daughter Gianna and seven others when his helicopter crashed in a remote field near the city of Calabasas.
A Neymar double and a clinical finish from Luis Suarez handed Barcelona a comfortable 3-0 victory over BATE Borisov that put them on the verge of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League for the 12th consecutive season.
Luis Suarez trained with his new Barcelona team mates for the first time on Friday.
Barcelona will not be complacent in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Arsenal despite leading 2-0 from the first game in London.
Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi still remains the world's highest earning footballer with an annual income of 74 million euros.
Lionel Messi struck a spectacular free kick, scored another goal and set up two more in a 4-1 victory for Barcelona over nine-man city rivals Espanyol in the first leg of their King's Cup last-16 clash on Wednesday.
Earlier in the night, Bolivia were denied their first win when Kaku scored with 18 minutes remaining to rescue a 2-2 draw for home side Paraguay in Asuncion.
Barcelona blew the La Liga title race wide open when Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4-3 comeback win for the champions at 10-man Real Madrid in an action-packed 'Clasico' on Sunday.
Substitute Sergio Araujo struck a late equaliser as Las Palmas held Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw and left them with a one-point lead over Barcelona at the top of La Liga on Saturday.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field
Barcelona completed one of the most extraordinary comebacks in European football history to knock Paris St Germain out of the Champions League on Wednesday with a 6-1 victory that rewrote the record books.
Lionel Messi broke the deadlock and Luis Suarez scored twice in the second half to give Barcelona a typically emphatic 3-0 win over River Plate in the Club World Cup final on Sunday.
Rediff.com gives you a glimpse of the celebrations.
Promoted Alaves dealt champions Barcelona a shock 2-1 defeat at the Nou Camp on Saturday while Cristiano Ronaldo returned from injury to help Real Madrid thrash Osasuna 5-2 and go two points clear at the top of La Liga. With Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta on the bench, Barcelona went behind to the visitors in the 39th minute before Frenchman Jeremy Mathieu equalised in the 46th. Ibai Gomez then scored the winner in the 64th.
Karim Benzema fired Real Madrid to a 1-0 win in the city derby against Atletico Madrid on Saturday which underlined Real's La Liga title credentials. Bayern Munich scored three goals in the opening 26 minutes to defeat Mainz 05 3-1 away on Saturday and go two points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with their sixth straight win.
Barca had the chance to go top after Real drew a fourth consecutive game in all competitions for the first time in over a decade but they were rattled by rampant Celta
France international Dembele scored 10 goals and provided 20 assists in all competitions to help Dortmund finish third in the Bundesliga last season. The team also won the German Cup.
Portugal football team captain Cristiano Ronaldo might have some competition in the run for the Ballon d'Or award this year but the forward has no competition when it comes to having the best hair in the game as he won the Salon d'Or for the best hair in the game.
Spanish media have reported that Real president Florentino Perez would be keen to recruit former coach Mourinho, currently without a club, should Zidane be relieved of his duties.
Lionel Messi had a penalty saved as Brazil continued their defensive rehabilitation under returning coach Dunga with a morale-boosting 2-0 win over old adversaries Argentina in a feisty friendly in Beijing, on Saturday.
Lionel Messi completed a sparkling performance by chipping the goalkeeper from the edge of the area as Barcelona swept aside ten-man Levante 5-0 away on Sunday to continue their winning start at the top of La Liga.
Toni Kroos netted his first for Real Madrid and was hailed as the best player on the pitch by his coach as the hosts tore apart Rayo Vallecano 5-1 in La Liga on Saturday to extend their winning streak to 13 games.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James were among seven sports figures named to Time Magazine's annual list of the world's most influential people, which was announced Thursday.
Barcelona rarely looked capable of repeating their heroic comeback in the last 16 against Paris St Germain.
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