Lionel Messi has had a career most could barely even dream about, let alone achieve.
And yet, the greatest prize of all has continued to elude him – the closest he has come to being a World Cup champion was in 2014 when Argentina were beaten 1-0 by Germany in the final in Brazil.
The magician has one last chance to right that wrong when Argentina face off against France in Sunday s showpiece in Qatar, the perfect stage to put the cherry on top of the cake.
But standing in his way is another Paris Saint-Germain megastar in the form of Kylian Mbappe, whose Les Bleus side know how to get the job done having been crowned winners four years ago in Russia.
So, will it be Messi walking off into the World Cup sunset finally a champion on international football …
Gareth Bale will relish the responsibility of being Wales main man at their first major tournament in nearly 60 years, manager Chris Coleman believes.
Real Madrid star Bale was the driving force behind his country s successful qualifying campaign for Euro 2016, scoring seven goals in 10 appearances as Coleman s side finished second behind Belgium in their pool.
Wales have not competed at a major finals since the 1958 World Cup, and all eyes will be on Bale in France as they look to negotiate their way through a group also containing England, Russia and Slovakia.
But Coleman expects the 26-year-old to rise to the occasion and act as an inspiration to his team-mates once again.
Bale is integral, on and off the pitch, Coleman told Omnisport.
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Liverpool must be considered favourites for the Champions League last-16 tie with Inter, but the Nerazzurri deserve to be back in the latter stages of the competition, according to Simone Inzaghi.
Inter finished second behind Real Madrid in Group D, progressing to the last 16 of the competition for the first time since 2011-12.
This will be the fifth meeting between Inter and Liverpool. Each of the previous four have been in the knockout stages of the European Cup/Champions League, with the Serie A side progressing over two legs in the 1964-65 semi-finals – a year in which they went on to lift the trophy – and the Reds emerging from the last 16 in 2007-08.
Inzaghi knows his team cannot be considered favourites, given the strength of Liverpool, yet he wants…
Cesar Azpilicueta says he would not swap any of his Chelsea trophies for a World Cup title with Spain.
Azpilicueta has lifted nine trophies with Chelsea since signing for them in 2012, and the Blues Club World Cup win in February this year means the defender has won every club prize possible with the London outfit.
In contrast, the 33-year-old is yet to taste glory with his international side, having made his debut after their World Cup triumph in 2010 and the European Championship successes of 2008 and 2012.
Spain have not returned to a final since that 2012 victory, but Azpilicueta revealed he would not trade any of his club titles for a World Cup win, telling reporters: Why would I swap any trophies?
I want to get another one, this one [the World Cup]…
Andrea Pirlo believes playing in the MLS is the reason behind his omission from Italy s training camp ahead of Euro 2016.
The World Cup-winning playmaker won the last of his 116 caps in September s 1-0 win against Bulgaria in qualification for the upcoming tournament, and was left out of Antonio Conte s 28-man provisional party, despite the fact fellow midfielders Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio are injured.
And Pirlo feels that his move to New York City has damaged his chances of representing Italy at an eighth international finals although he has no regrets about crossing the Atlantic.
When someone decides to come to the US, he knows what he s getting into. I reflected on this and I knew what the risks were, the 37-year-old told Gazzetta dello Sport.…
Inter vice president Javier Zanetti is unsure whether Alexis Sanchez will remain a Nerazzurri player amid reports of interest from Saudi Arabia.
The Chilean 33-year-old arrived from Manchester United in 2019, initially joining on a season-long loan before signing a permanent deal in 2020.
He was part of the 2020-21 Inter side which delivered their first Serie A title since the 2009-10 season, while he also scored a 121st minute winner to help his team lift the 2022 Supercoppa Italiana in January.
Sanchez only scored five goals in 27 Serie A appearances for Inter last season, though he was either substituted on or off in 25 of those matches, and there has subsequently been talk of a move away from San Siro.
It has been reported that Saudi Arabian club Al…
Carlo Ancelotti felt Real Madrid played the perfect match after a 4-0 thumping of Barcelona at Camp Nou secured their place in the Copa del Rey final with a 4-1 aggregate win.
Madrid faced a daunting task heading to the home of their Clasico rivals, who hold a 12-point lead over Ancelotti s men at LaLiga s summit, facing a one-goal deficit after Eder Militao s own goal gave Barca a 1-0 first-leg victory at the Bernabeu.
But Vinicius Junior levelled the tie just before the break, before Karim Benzema fired in a second-half hat-trick to lead Madrid to a superb triumph and clinch their place in the final against Osasuna on May 6.
Ancelotti was delighted with his side s second-leg heroics, telling reporters at his post-match news conference: It was a complete game. W…
Manuel Neuer is working his way back to full fitness with Bayern following almost a year in recovery after breaking his leg while skiing.
Nagelsmann feels the 37-year-old should be allowed all the time he needs to get fully match fit and not face any extra pressure of a swift recall back to the national team.
“Anyone who listened to the reasons explaining the decision (not to call him up) can answer the question itself, why it has made sense not to nominate him (for the current squad),” Nagelsmann told a press conference.
“There are reasons that he has stayed at home and that is why a call-up now makes no sense.
“Manu has played a top role since his return and he should be allowed to continue.
“Afterwards, then at the Euros, the players …
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Desperate to make up some ground in the La Liga title chase, Barcelona will travel to the Mestalla on Saturday night when they meet Valencia.
Valencia
Starting with the hosts, while Valencia might have found themselves enjoying a major La Liga flurry prior to November’s international break, the Bats have come crashing back down to earth in a worrying fashion. Last seen putting in another downbeat display as they eventually slumped to a 1-0 loss away at Getafe, Ruben Baraja’s side have the feel of a squad seeking a recent boost. Continuing to slip down the standings and opening Saturday’s showdown in the bottom-half, Los Ches have collected just a single point from their previous four La Liga appearances. Marking their return fr…
With the Champions League qualifiers drawing to a close on Tuesday night, we are certainly treated to a stacked schedule from across Europe in midweek.
Watching the EFL Cup also make its return as the likes of Tottenham look to extend on their adventure, we have found a couple of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.
20:00 Galatasaray vs Molde
Making real Super Lig history last season as they got their hands on a first domestic crown since 2013, Galatasaray are certainly in the midst of what has quickly become an extended purple patch. Eventually snatching a remarkable last-gasp winner while out in Norway last week, Tuesday’s hosts know that they are now just 90 minutes away from booking their Champions League group stage ticket.
Only c…