News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Here are five talking points from the weekend's action in Spain.
Lionel Messi was sent off before half-time and then angrily hit out at "corrupt" tournament organisers after Argentina beat Chile 2-1 to win a bad-tempered third-place playoff at the Copa America on Saturday.
Lionel Messi's father Jorge has sought to play down comments his son made this week which suggested the four-time World Player of the Year could consider leaving Barcelona.
The Barca coach said the squad is in a good place both mentally and physically and very motivated to take the field.
Messi's damning assessment of the team came home to roost when the season re-started after the coronavirus stoppage and Barca surrendered the league title to Real Madrid, prompting the captain to launch a new tirade against the team.
Virgil van Dijk joined Liverpool in January 2018, has helped the club win the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. Van Dijk wants to become a 'Liverpool legend' and says there is nothing stopping the Premier League club achieving 'incredible things'.
Spain's footballing giants, FC Barcelona won their 23rd La Liga crown after defeating Atletico Madrid 1-0 on Sunday. And after winning, what was their fifth title in seven years, the Barca players let their hair down and celebrated in style at the Vincent Calderon stadium. Rediff.com invites you a peek into their wild celebrations. Have a look...
It all ended in tears as Argentina and Colombia went out in the round of 16, the latter on penalties, while Uruguay and Brazil both lost their quarter-finals on Friday, to France and Belgium respectively.
Lionel Messi has identified Spain as the one country he hopes to avoid in the group stages of the World Cup finals next year.
Here are some special moments from the gala night in Zurich on Monday...
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday night.
'Every time he plays for us he is improving. He's a great athlete, wins his challenges and is quick on his feet. He started settling us to be fair'
As the curtains fall on another year, Rediff.com brings you all the action from the sports field that defined 2019.
Barca finished the season second in the standings on 82 points, four behind champions Real Madrid who visit Leganes later on Sunday. Alaves are 16th on 39.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field...
Real Madrid clinched a record-extending 34th La Liga title with one game to spare by beating Villarreal 2-1 at home on Thursday thanks to two goals from their leading scorer Karim Benzema. Real have 86 points after 37 games, seven more than deposed champions Barcelona who were beaten 2-1 at home to Osasuna.
Real Madrid's Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned the best soccer player in the world for the second year running at FIFA's The Best awards gala on Monday.
La Liga club Barcelona have expressed their support for Argentine striker Lionel Messi and his father after the Spanish Supreme Court upheld their prison sentences over tax fraud charges, although neither are expected to go to jail.
Lionel Messi scored twice to earn Barcelona a 2-0 derby win over Espanyol and send them 13 points clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday.
Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi still remains the world's highest earning footballer with an annual income of 74 million euros.
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 been frighteningly good at home this season, scoring 15 goals in three games at the Nou Camp.
Injured Lionel Messi will miss Argentina's 2018 World Cup qualifier away to Venezuela on Tuesday with a groin problem.
The Euro 2020 Championship is being held across Europe for the first time in the competition's 60-year history, with 11 host cities in total.
Ronaldo helped Real Madrid to a second consecutive Champions League title and finished as the tournament's top scorer with 12 goals earlier this year.
Spain striker Iago Aspas dealt a fresh blow to Barcelona's La Liga title hopes by striking a late free kick to snatch a 2-2 draw at home to the Catalans on Saturday as Quique Setien's side twice threw away the lead in a thrilling match. The draw put Barca back on top of the table on 69 points after 32 games but Real Madrid, on 68, can go two points clear at the summit if they beat Espanyol away from home on Sunday.
Images from the Champions League football matches played on Wednesday night.
Lionel Messi spoke for the great and the good of world soccer, not to mention millions of grassroots fans, when he acclaimed Leicester City's extraordinary Premier League triumph by tweeting: "The reason why we all love football. Congratulations"
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned from the club on Tuesday ahead of a vote of no confidence that was due to be held next month after some 20,000 fans signed a petition demanding that he step down.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Lionel Messi had two free-kick attempts while ex-Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitic narrowly missed the target from inside the area.
Packed soccer schedule is a major problem as players will struggle to deliver their best
World leaders thanked India for its help and support in combating the coronavirus pandemic through "early and meaningful" shipments of COVID-19 vaccine doses, as they addressed the high-level UN General Assembly session this year.
Lionel Messi won his 100th Argentina cap when he started the Copa America Group B match against Jamaica on Saturday.
Not even a lively performance from Lionel Messi - at least in the first half in St Petersburg - as they edged out Nigeria 2-1 to finish second in Group D will give their large travelling band of supporters in Russia much in the way of confidence.
Lionel Messi has become the first player to win Europe's Golden Shoe award for three straight years after his nearest challenger Kylian Mbappe failed to score the four goals he needed in Paris St Germain's final league match of the season on Friday.
'Betrayed by Ronaldo'
Cristiano Ronaldo's sister failed to see the funny side after Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk joked that the Portuguese forward is "not really a rival" in the Ballon D'Or award voting.
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