Barcelona have signed centre back Samuel Umtiti from Olympique Lyon for 25 million euros ($27.75 million), the La Liga winners said on Tuesday.
France coach Didier Deschamps confirmed his final Euro 2016 squad on Tuesday, including defenders Adil Rami and Samuel Umtiti in place of the injured Raphael Varane and Jeremy Mathieu. Liverpool centre back Mamadou Sakho was not included even though his 30-day provisional suspension for failing a drugs test expired last weekend. Hosts France geared up for the finals with a 3-2 victory over Cameroon in Nantes on Monday. They take on Scotland in Metz on Saturday.
France international Samuel Umtiti has completed a "dream move" to Barcelona knowing he is not guaranteed a first-team place but says he is willing to learn to prove his potential.
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup first semi-final played between France and Belgium on Tuesday
Barca face La Liga leaders Real Sociedad on Wednesday hoping to build on their slender 1-0 victory over Levante after suffering painful defeats by Cadiz and Juventus and making their worst start to a league season in 33 years.
The resumption of the German Bundesliga next weekend amid the COVID-19 crisis will give hope to other European leagues that they can also successfully return, according to Schalke 04 coach David Wagner.
Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Vinicius Jr have tested positive for COVID-19.
Armed robbers broke into the home of Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang early on Monday morning, police said, and physically assaulted the player and his wife as they forced them to open a safe to steal jewellery.
France's chance against Argentina in the World Cup last 16 might be that Lionel Messi does not benefit from the same support with the national team than at Barcelona, his club team mate Samuel Umtiti said on Thursday.
Atletico Madrid have recorded five COVID-19 positives, including manager Diego Simeone
The simplicity of football was again emphasised as France secured a place in the World Cup final from a basic set- piece.
Lionel Messi returned to training on Monday after recovering from a stomach bug that caused him to miss Barcelona's goalless draw against Malaga on Saturday.
Barcelona announced on Tuesday the signing of Spain forward Paco Alcacer from Valencia on a five-year contract. He moves to the Nou Camp on his 23rd birthday for a fee of 30 million euros ($33.5 million) and is likely to be the Spanish champions' last signing in the transfer window.
France striker Antoine Griezmann put his country 1-0 up in their World Cup opener against Australia early in the second half on Saturday after a penalty was awarded by the Video Assistant Referee system for the first-ever time.
Theo Hernandez's high hooked finish from a deflected Kylian Mbappe shot put the defending champions ahead and forced Walid Regragui's team to take the initiative, ending the game with more possession than Les Bleus.
Lukaku, who was signed for around 80 million euros (71.2 million pounds) from Manchester United in the close season, is the club's leading goalscorer in Serie A alongside midfielder Stefano Sensi, with three goals.
La Liga leaders Barcelona were held to a 2-2 home draw by Celta Vigo on Saturday as their former assistant coach Juan Carlos Unzue dented the title hopes of the Catalans, who dropped points for the second game in a row for the first time this campaign.
Having won eight of the past 12 league titles coming into this campaign, where has it gone so wrong for Barcelona?
'We want to play football and not roulette, which is what this type of refereeing provokes. The penalty claims by Neymar and me are clear but we already know how this works'
"I'm very happy for my players, we showed character and the right mentality, it was very hard for us tonight. We worked hard defensively."
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique believes his current squad is the strongest he has ever had and he is very confident of retaining the La Liga and King's Cup titles. The Spanish champions have recruited Andre Gomes, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne and Denis Suarez since the end of last season while Marc Bartra, Thomas Vermaelen, Adriano Correia and Sandro Ramirez have departed. "On paper, this is the best squad that I have had in my three years at Barca," Luis Enrique told the club's website. "We have a squad that has been strengthened brilliantly.
Lionel Messi scored a record eighth Champions League hat-trick as Barcelona kick-started their campaign with a 4-0 home win over PSV Eindhoven, although they had defender Samuel Umtiti sent off late in the second half on Tuesday.
Kylian Mbappe believes Les Bleus have what it takes to win the title in Russia if they all stick together.
Antoine Griezmann scored two goals and provided two assists as Barcelona staged a stunning last-gasp comeback before beating Granada 5-3
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Striker Antoine Griezmann lashed home the historic spot kick in the 58th minute but Australia hit back with a penalty of their own when Samuel Umtiti inexplicably handled the ball in the box four minutes later.
Barcelona beat third-placed Getafe 2-1 at home on Saturday to stay on the heels of La Liga title rivals Real Madrid but the champions were made to sweat for all three points by the impressive visitors. Antoine Griezmann sent the Catalans ahead in the 34th minute with a cool finish with the outside of his left foot after being played in by an outstanding pass from Lionel Messi, while Sergi Roberto doubled Barca's lead five minutes later.
La Liga champions Barcelona's domestic struggles continued as they dropped points for the third game in a row, drawing 1-1 at home to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday after Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets had begun the match on the substitutes' bench.
Luis Suarez had been told by new Barca coach Ronald Koeman that he was not in his plans for next season.
Kylian Mbappe became France's youngest scorer at a World Cup when he put Les Bleus 1-0 ahead at halftime against Peru in their second Group C game on Thursday.
France coach Didier Deschamps, who has kept tinkering with his squad since the start of the European Championship, will be forced to rejig once again when the hosts face Iceland for a place in the semi-finals. With centre back Adil Rami and holding midfielder N'Golo Kante suspended, Deschamps, who has been praised for shrewd tactical moves in the tournament, is looking for the best options for Sunday's game at the Stade de France.
After playing the most soporific game of the World Cup so far, France will feature in a seismic last-16 clash of former champions with a resurgent Argentina on Saturday, and they will have to drastically improve if they are to stop Lionel Messi.
France showed the full range of their attacking weapons as they continued their preparations for the World Cup in convincing fashion with a 3-1 win over Italy in a friendly on Friday.
The Argentine then lifted his shirt to reveal a red and black replica kit of his hometown club Newell's Old Boys bearing the number 10 which Maradona wore during his brief spell at the Rosario side in 1993.
Barcelona could be without captain Andres Iniesta for the rest of the year after the midfielder sustained a knee injury in an eventful 3-2 La Liga win for the leaders at Valencia on Saturday.
Luis Suarez grabbed a hat-trick and Lionel Messi bagged two goals as Barcelona began their quest for a third straight La Liga title with a 6-2 rout of Real Betis on Saturday. Arda Turan, whose two goals against Sevilla helped Barca lift the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday, gave them an early lead at the Nou Camp before Ruben Castro equalised in the 21st minute. Barca went back in front thanks to a trademark 37th-minute goal from Messi before Suarez, La Liga's top scorer last season, made it 3-1 before halftime.
World champions France had eight players, one less than former holders Spain, in international players' association FIFPro's 55-name shortlist for its World XI of 2018 award.
France meet Belgium in a World Cup semi-final on Tuesday. Here is a look at some of the key head-to-head duels which could prove decisive.
The VAR penalty that helped France defeat Australia in their World Cup opener was the 'strangest' moment of Mile Jedinak's career, the Socceroos captain said on Sunday.
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