Football: After first taste of glory, Messi's Miami target treble

NASHVILLE -- Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have their first silverware, barely a month after the Argentine’s move to the Florida club, and are now turning their aim on a unique treble.

Messi scored one of his trademark wonder goals, to put Miami 1-0 up in the Leagues Cup final at Nashville on Saturday but the Tennessee side fought back for a 1-1 draw, forcing penalties where Miami emerged victors for their first title in their three year history.

"Very happy to get the first title in this club's history. Everyone's hard work and commitment made it possible. Hopefully this is just the beginning," Messi posted on Instagram.

The Argentine World Cup winner has scored 10 goals in his seven games so far, finding the net in each match, and he left club owner Jorge Mas beaming in delight as his audacious move to bring in the game's top player delivered its first title.

"To see Lionel with that smile, all the guys how they are playing. This will be the first of many trophies for this team," he told reporters.

David Beckham, who created the club before bringing in Mas as the key investor, reflected on the years he spent trying to make the team a reality but even he appeared taken back by how quickly the team has gone from strugglers in MLS to a team being watched around the world.

"A lot can happen in five weeks, a lot has changed for us," he said.

"We will enjoy this but now we have to look to the future and continue to build because we have some of the best players in the world out their on the field wearing pink but also, more importantly we had a bunch of academy players out there with them and that is important for us as a club and indeed for the country," he added.

The jubilant players interrupted the press conference of victorious coach Gerardo Martino, spraying him with champagne, but they will have to sober up quickly because their next challenge comes in Ohio on Wednesday when they face FC Cincinnati in the semi-final of the US Open Cup.

Then Miami return to the main business of the Major League Soccer regular season, where the team will be looking to climb from bottom of the Eastern Conference into the playoff places to give themselves a chance of another trophy – with 12 games to go they have little room for error.

As the players chanted in the locker-room at the end of an entertaining, unbeaten seven games in Leagues Cup, Martino’s thoughts were turning to the next test.

"There's not a long time to celebrate. On Wednesday we have another game and we will continue playing and competing like this in the different tournaments," said Martino.

"This one is in the past. And now we are thinking about the match against Cincinnati."

Former Barcelona and Argentine coach Martino said the intense format of the month-long tournament had helped Miami gel together as a team after the arrival of Messi and Spanish pair Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

- Growing and dreaming -

“I remember the first days and I felt we needed to do more training sessions to give shape to the team and I was thinking, how convenient it is to have this tournament, because we can take advantage of this month to play more,” he said.

"And after this month, we are champions, so it feels great, and it helps us continue growing, keep dreaming. I think we clearly understand now what we can do looking forward. We better understand the future, and it's more clear," he said.

The Leagues Cup just concluded its first year as a competition bringing all top flight teams from Mexico and Major League Soccer together for a mid-season, World Cup-style tournament.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber said that the tournament had been a huge success with Messi's impact lifting it to unimagined heights.

Garber said the Argentine's arrival "accelerated the popularity and interest in the tournament. Our television ratings have been spectacular. Our Apple TV ratings have been, for us, dramatically more than we expected," he said.

Messi's presence and Miami's run to the title had been "the talk of the football world," said Garber.

DeAndre Yedlin, Miami's captain before handing over to Messi on his arrival, said the team had undergone a total change.

"We walk in to places now, we expect to win. I can't say that was a factor every time we played before," he said.

"It is our seventh game together as a group. It is strange, we are still kind of learning on the go," he said before he too focused on the next step.

"Now we have a semi-final. It's an opportunity for another trophy."

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi will need time to adapt to MLS, says Beckham

FORT LAUDERDALE, United States -- David Beckham believes Lionel Messi will need time to adapt to Major League Soccer, even though the standard of play is at a "different level" from the European game.

Inter Miami co-owner Beckham, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder, watched Messi take part in his first training session for the club on Tuesday after signing a two and a half year contract.

Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets, a former team-mate of Messi's from Barcelona, also trained at the club's complex, after signing on Saturday, with former Barcelona and Argentina coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino leading the session.

"Leo's still going to need, no matter how good he is, no matter what his stature is, he and Sergio are going to need time to adapt no matter," said the Englishman.

"They might surprise us, we might start winning every single game, but we have to be patient," he said.

Miami's fans may need to show that patience at Friday's Leagues Cup game against Mexicans Cruz Azul, with Beckham saying the Argentine may not necessarily start.

"Leo will play some part of the game but that will be down to the coach (and) it'll be down to Leo to decide if he's ready because we know that he's been away for a few weeks with his family but he looks sharp, he looks great but he's going to need time to adapt as well," said Beckham.

Beckham was the biggest name to have moved to MLS when he signed for the Galaxy in 2007 when the league had just 13 clubs, compared to 29 today and the standard of play was significantly lower.

But Beckham said that there was one area where nothing had changed.

"One of the similarities will be, when I came, all of a sudden, everyone thought: LA are going to win everything. LA are going to win every game, 7-0, 8-0, and that's it, nobody else is gonna win anything," he said.

But despite Beckham's arrival, the Galaxy weren't even able to make the playoffs in his first two seasons.

LA finished next to bottom of the Western Conference in 2007 and 2008 but then in 2009 were beaten finalists before winning MLS Cup in 2011 and 2012.

"Those first two years for me, it was a challenge, getting used to everything, bringing the club and the league to be a little bit more professional, but things changed very quickly," he said.

"I started enjoying the soccer a lot more, not just because we were winning (but) because I could see the change that was being made -- the academy stuff coming into each of the clubs... we're now at a stage where things are definitely different to how they were in 2007," he said.

While the standard of MLS is still well below that of the top leagues in Europe, where Messi has spent his entire club career, several foreign players who joined the league late in their career have found it difficult to thrive.

The frequent travel across time-zones, playing on artificial surfaces at some stadium, and having team-mates who might not be on the same wavelength or have the expected technical ability, are some of the challenges players have faced.

Beckham has no doubt that Messi will be a success but accepts his impact on the field might not be as instant as some may be anticipating.

"It's a different style of football, it's  a slightly different level to what obviously some of the players that are coming in are used to," he said.

"But at the end of the day, this level of football in this country now is a good level, it's a great level, so there are going to be moments where we have to be patient," he said.

Agence France-Presse

Messi scoops individual, team Laureus double, Fraser-Pryce honored

PARIS, France -- Argentina and Paris Saint Germain veteran star Lionel Messi on Monday scooped a unique double, landing individual and team Laureus awards for his exploits and those of his World-Cup winning nation.

Messi, 35, finally landed a first World Cup winners medal in Qatar last December after a thrilling penalty shootout final win over France -- enough to earn him an individual accolade while the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner also accepted the team award at a prestigious Paris ceremony.

The Argentine, who attended the ceremony with wife Antonela Roccuzzo, previously had won the award jointly with British Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton in 2020.

The accolade saw Messi, who earned a fine and suspension from PSG for making an unauthorized promotional visit to Saudi Arabia, see off competition notably from clubmate Kylian Mbappé, whose World Cup final hattrick was not enough to earn him glory in Qatar.

Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who last August earned a fifth world 100m crown at Eugene, Oregon, picked up the female athlete award while US Open tennis champion Carlos Alcaraz earned the World Breakthrough of the Year award.

Going back to football, Denmark and Manchester United star Christian Eriksen earned a Comeback Award for returning to the top of the European game after collapsing with cardiac arrest during the Euros two years ago.

Swiss para-athlete sensation Catherine Debrunner meanwhile picked up the Disability Award after triumphing in her opening two marathons

The Sport for Good Award was presented to TeamUp -– a program for children displaced by war -– by Barcelona and Poland star Robert Lewandowski.

Meanwhile, Chinese-American Olympic ski freestyle champion Eileen Gu won the World Action Sportsperson accolade.

The awards have been made annually since 2000 by a jury comprising 71 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, representing the past 50 years of athletic excellence.

This year's ceremony following two virtual editions owing to Covid restrictions.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi, Mbappe and Benzema up for FIFA Best award

PARIS, France -- Just like in the World Cup final, Paris Saint-Germain teammates Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe go up against one another for The Best FIFA Men's Player prize for 2022 on Monday, with Ballon d'Or Karim Benzema the other contender.

The ceremony takes place in Paris, and Messi appears as the favourite to add another individual gong to his collection after leading Argentina to glory over Mbappe's France in that epic encounter in Qatar.

Messi has won the Ballon d'Or seven times and claimed the FIFA award -– inaugurated in 2016 following FIFA's split with Ballon d'Or organisers France Football –- once in 2019.

In the last two years Messi has made the podium as Robert Lewandowski has won the title, but the 35-year-old's career-crowning World Cup triumph was the defining moment of 2022.

The winner is decided by a jury comprised of the coach and captain of every men's national team and one journalist from each country, but fans can also vote.

Mbappe became the first player to score a World Cup final hat-trick since Geoff Hurst in 1966 as he dragged France to a 3-3 draw after extra time –- despite two goals by Messi -- before they eventually succumbed in a shoot-out.

Mbappe, who turned 24 just after the final, was the tournament's top scorer with eight goals, one more than Messi, who claimed the Golden Ball for best player.

He was also comfortably PSG's most important player in the year leading up to the World Cup, despite being joined there by Messi -- he was Ligue 1's leading scorer and France's player of the year.

However, their World Cup achievements overshadow everything else.

"Because Messi won the World Cup he has the biggest chance of winning, that's a fact," admitted Ruud Gullit, himself a former Ballon d'Or winner.

Dutchman Gullit was speaking in his role as a member of the Laureus Academy, which recently included Mbappe and Messi among the nominees for their own awards.

"But I have so much respect for Mbappe. For me he is on the same level. What he did in the final, to take that responsibility was unbelievable," he added.

- Putellas up for women's gong -

Benzema's chances of winning another individual honor were hit after he missed the World Cup due to injury.

Exiled from the French team for five and a half years because of his involvement in a blackmail scandal over a sextape involving a former teammate, Benzema's Ballon d'Or win last October had completed his own career redemption.

The Real Madrid striker, now 35, scored 44 goals in 46 games for his club last season, inspiring them to glory in the Champions League and La Liga.

He has continued to bang in the goals this season.

"I am really, really proud of my journey," he declared after claiming the Ballon d'Or.

Current Ballon d'Or Alexia Putellas, who won the Best award last year, is again nominated for the women's prize, despite being out since July with a knee injury.

England forward Beth Mead and US star Alex Morgan are the other finalists.

Argentina's Lionel Scaloni is up for the men's coach's honour along with Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti and Manchester City's Pep Guardiola.

Sarina Wiegman, who won Euro 2022 with England, is up for the women's coach award with Sonia Bompastor of Lyon and Brazil's Pia Sundhage.

Brazil star Richarlison's World Cup strike against Serbia is one of three nominees for the Puskas Award for best goal, named after Hungary great Ferenc Puskas.

Marseille's Dimitri Payet and Polish amputee player Marcin Oleksy are also nominated, while there is also a category for the best male and female goalkeeper.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi snatches dramatic win for PSG after Neymar stretchered off

PARIS, France -- Lionel Messi scored a 95th-minute free-kick to give Paris Saint-Germain a 4-3 win over Lille in an extraordinary Ligue 1 game on Sunday in which Kylian Mbappe scored twice but Neymar was taken off on a stretcher with an ankle injury.

Messi's last-gasp winner came after PSG had squandered a two-goal lead and fallen 3-2 behind, with Mbappe grabbing a late equaliser before the Argentine's stunning strike.

The result ends a run of three straight defeats for PSG and ensures they end the weekend as they started it, five points clear of second-placed Marseille, who won 3-2 at Toulouse and host the Parisians next.

"We came through it. It wasn't a great performance," Mbappe told broadcaster Amazon Prime.

"We made lots of mistakes and lost concentration too often and against a quality side you pay dearly for that, but we showed that even when we are not at our best and the context is not exactly favourable we are a different team with different players and we can always find a way."

Of immediate concern to PSG is the injury to Neymar, who looked to be in tears as he was helped onto a stretcher early in the second half after turning his right ankle.

- No fracture -

PSG later confirmed a scan had shown no fracture, but said further tests would need to be carried out on the damage to the ligaments in the coming days, building fears the Brazilian could miss the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich on March 8.

"I hope 'Ney' is going to come back quickly because he is an important player for us," added Mbappe, as PSG also saw Nuno Mendes forced off with an ankle problem.

Christophe Galtier's team were looking to bounce back from a 1-0 home loss to Bayern in the first leg of that European tie, and they went ahead early on against Lille through Mbappe -- making his first start after returning from a recent thigh injury.

Neymar soon made it 2-0 against a side PSG beat 7-1 in their last meeting in August, but Bafode Diakite pulled one back for Lille midway through the first half.

The home side then saw Neymar carried off within five minutes of the second half starting, and Lille drew level when Jonathan David converted a penalty for his 17th goal this season following a Marco Verratti foul in the box.

Jonathan Bamba made it 3-2 to the away side with a superb finish and the hosts looked set for a fourth successive loss before Mbappe converted from a Juan Bernat assist with three minutes remaining.

That was his 27th goal this season in all competitions, but it was not the end of the drama as Messi won a free-kick when he was fouled just outside the area by Benjamin Andre.

The World Cup winner stepped up to dispatch the dead ball into the net off the post to round off a remarkable game.

- Marseille keep up pressure -

Marseille have now won nine and drawn one of 11 league games played since their elimination from the Champions League in early November, after they came from behind to win in Toulouse.

Dutch striker Thijs Dallinga gave mid-table Toulouse an early lead, but Marseille came roaring back in the second half at Le Stadium.

Chancel Mbemba equalized and Cengiz Under put Marseille in front before Nuno Tavares netted his sixth goal of the season on loan from Arsenal, with Ado Onaiwu pulling one back for the hosts.

Monaco followed up their 3-1 victory over PSG last weekend by winning 2-1 in Brest to sit two points behind Marseille in third.

Aleksandr Golovin and Myron Boadu scored for the principality side, with Jeremy Le Douaron pulling one back.

Fourth-placed Lens were 3-1 winners against Nantes, while Rennes moved back above Lille into fifth by beating Clermont 2-0, ex-PSG forward Arnaud Kalimuendo scoring both of their goals.

There were also wins for Lorient and Montpellier, while Strasbourg moved out of the relegation zone on Saturday by beating bottom side Angers 2-1 on new coach Frederic Antonetti's debut.

Fellow strugglers Auxerre beat Lyon 2-1 on Friday, while Nice and Reims drew 0-0.

Agence France-Presse

World Cup winners Argentina up to second in FIFA rankings

World Cup winners Argentina have risen to second in the FIFA rankings with quarter-finalists Brazil still top, the global governing body announced on Thursday.

Lionel Messi's side, who lifted the trophy in Qatar on Sunday, move up one place, as do runners-up France, who are now third, with Belgium dropping to fourth.

Last weekend's final was decided on penalties and if one side had won the match after 90 minutes then, according to FIFA regulations, they would have gone above Brazil.

Croatia have moved from 12th to 7th after finishing third in the tournament with fourth-placed Morocco now 11th as the highest positioned African nation.

FIFA rankings top 10:

1. Brazil 1840.77 points

2. Argentina 1838.38 

3. France 1823.39 

4. Belgium 1781.30 

5. England 1774.19 

6. Netherlands 1740.92 

7. Croatia 1727.62 

8. Italy 1723.56 

9. Portugal 1702.54 

10. Spain 1692.71 

Agence France-Presse

Argentina prepares for World Cup winners' welcome home party

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Argentines waited eagerly to welcome home their World Cup heroes on Monday as France's beaten stars arrived back in Paris following the remarkable final drama in Qatar.

The South American capital is preparing for a massive street party with the new world champions due to arrive late on Monday night.

"Crowned with glory," read a banner on a newspaper kiosk in Buenos Aires, while Clarin and La Prensa dailies both sent a huge "Thank you" to Lionel Messi and his team-mates for winning the country's third world title, and first in 36 years.

Argentina won the final in Qatar 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw over 120 minutes of unparalleled drama.

The party that began after Sunday's final was briefly on pause as local city workers continued to clean up the debris from the celebrations when millions took to the streets in jubilation.

The team is guaranteed a white-hot reception when they land at the Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires, at 2:25 am (0525 GMT) Tuesday.

"I'm going to greet them at the airport. Now that they have been crowned we have to greet them and thank them," Jose Luis Quinoga, 56, told AFP at the Obelisk memorial in central Buenos Aires, where the night before more than a million people celebrated.

A private reception at a VIP suite in the airport has been arranged to greet the returning players and the Argentine football association (AFA) said they will celebrate with fans at the Obelisk on Tuesday.

"I will leave work and the first thing I will do is come here," Julieta Rosel, 23, told AFP at the monument.

Before then they are due to rest at the AFA training complex near the airport where already in the early afternoon on Monday there was a huge police presence surrounding the facility as fans started to gather.

- Almost 'no incidents' -

Messi finally crowned his record-breaking career with football's biggest prize as he produced one of the greatest World Cup final performances, scoring a first-half penalty and netting again in extra time.

In doing so he emulated his predecessor as Argentina's idol, Diego Maradona who inspired the country to their second world title with a series of match-winning displays at Mexico 1986.

"I remember '86 but this victory yesterday was much more emotional and much more stressful," architect Ricardo Grunfeld, 65, told AFP.

"I don't know if there's any difference with '86 but this comes at a good time," added Zulema Guereri, 80. 

Argentina had led 2-0 with 10 minutes of normal time left and 3-2 with only two minutes of extra-time to go but Kylian Mbappe completed only the second World Cup final hat-trick in history to take the gripping final to penalties, before Gonzalo Montiel swept home the decisive spot kick.

Despite the huge numbers of revelers during Sunday's festivities "people acted in a very positive way," a spokesperson for the municipality said.

Fewer than 20 people were arrested for isolated incidents of violence or theft.

There were some signs of vandalism with smashed shop windows near the Obeslik, which also suffered some damage to cameras and an internal stairwell after people tore down protective barriers and broke open a door, a worker clearing debris told AFP on Monday.

Normal Monday morning life seemed to have resumed with street vendors selling their regular wares rather than football jerseys and flags.

- 'It warms the heart' -

France's players were given a rousing reception by fans in central Paris on Monday after their return from Qatar.

They appeared on the balcony of the Crillon Hotel overlooking the Place de la Concorde.

"Frankly, it's magnificent, it warms the heart, it's a great pleasure to see that we were able to make so many French people proud and happy," forward Marcus Thuram told TF1 TV.

They landed at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport just before 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) where a caravan of coaches took them straight to the center of Paris.

Goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris told TF1 that it was a chance to "greet them (the fans), to thank them for their support and, after yesterday's pain, to seek their consolation." 

The captivating final rounded off one of the most controversial World Cups in history.

Qatari organizers faced persistent questions about the country's treatment of migrant workers and its laws on homosexuality.

Football's world governing body FIFA said the cumulative stadium attendance was 3.4 million spectators and that more than one million visitors travelled to Qatar to watch the matches.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi echoes Maradona as Argentina win World Cup

Lionel Messi saved his best for last on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on his World Cup career by finally landing the one major title that has eluded him.

In the end, the greatest player of his generation, possibly of all time, bowed out with victory in arguably the greatest World Cup final of them all.

It was a perfectly scripted farewell for the 35-year-old Argentine captain, playing in what he has said will be his fifth and final World Cup tournament.

Messi was a beacon of calm amid frequent outbreaks of pandemonium at the Lusail Stadium as Argentina twice squandered winning positions, eventually taking the title on penalties after the game finished 3-3 in extra-time.

Before kick off, Argentina's raucous supporters had roared their appreciation as a giant television screen played a tribute to the late Diego Maradona, with clips of his legendary goal against England at the 1986 World Cup.

That was all the inspiration Messi needed as he set about delivering Argentina their first World Cup title in 36 years.

Maradona had also inspired that 1986 win, helping Argentina recover after they gave up a 2-0 lead before defeating West Germany 3-2.

Eight years ago, Messi had cut a forlorn figure, finishing on the losing side as Argentina slumped to a 1-0 extra-time loss to Germany at the Maracana Stadium in the 2014 World Cup final.

That defeat left Messi staring at the possibility of joining German legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as the only man to captain his country to defeat in two World Cup finals.

It soon became apparent on Sunday, however, that Messi had no intention of taking up membership of that unwanted club.

Within minutes of the kick off, Messi was into his rhythm, demanding possession and conducting traffic with his customary grace, picking up Angel Di Maria repeatedly down the left flank.

And when Di Maria drew a foul from Ousmane Dembele inside the area on 21 minutes, Messi stepped up to coolly fire his team into the lead with a nerveless penalty, his 97th international goal and his 12th in World Cups.

Extra-time drama

Messi was buried under a mountain of Argentine team-mates in the celebrations that followed but he was soon back on his feet tormenting France.

After a period of Argentine dominance, Messi produced a delightful flick to send Julian Alvarez racing into space down the right flank.

Alvarez found Alexis Mac Allister who in turn picked out Di Maria who made it 2-0.

It looked like the party was starting early as a subdued France struggled to get into the game.

Then suddenly out of nowhere Kylian Mbappe scored twice in a minute with less than 10 minutes remaining to turn the game on its head.

Still Messi would not be denied. In extra-time he tested France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris with a rasping shot as he attempted to drag Argentina to victory by sheer force of will.

Then in the second period of extra-time, the little magician struck again. Lautaro Martinez's shot was parried by Lloris and Messi, anticipating the rebound, jabbed home the finish from close range for 3-2.

Wild celebrations followed but still France were not beaten. 

Argentina substitute Gonzalo Montiel conceded a late penalty in extra-time and Mbappe stepped up to make it 3-3 from the spot.

Yet if there was any chance of Messi crumbling in the shoot-out -- he famously missed a penalty in the 2016 Copa America defeat to Chile -- he dispelled it immediately as he rolled home Argentina's opening kick.

From there his World Cup fate was left in the hands of his team-mates, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a huge save before Montiel made amends for his earlier penalty concession to seal Argentina's win.

Agence France-Presse

France train focus on Argentina as World Cup reaches climax

France and Argentina are gearing up for a heavyweight World Cup final that pits Kylian Mbappe against Lionel Messi in a hotly anticipated duel, with history on the line.

Defending champions France beat Morocco 2-0 on Wednesday without needing to find top gear and now stand 90 minutes away from becoming the first team for 60 years to defend their title.

Didier Deschamps' men will approach Sunday's final at the Lusail Stadium with confidence but Messi has his own date with destiny in his last match on the biggest stage.

Goals from Theo Hernandez and substitute Randal Kolo Muani at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday snuffed out the challenge of Morocco, the first African or Arab side ever to reach a World Cup semi-final.

France are into the final for the fourth time in seven editions and if they triumph on Sunday they will be the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the trophy.

They were congratulated in the dressing room by President Emmanuel Macron, while supporters erupted in jubilation around the Champs-Elysees in Paris, waving tricolour flags and setting off flares.

"We are in the final. We are in the final," hundreds of French supporters chanted as drivers sounded horns and anti-riot police lurked in vans lining the area.

Delighted France coach Deschamps, who led the nation to success in Russia in 2018, 20 years after captaining them to glory, said: "There is emotion and pride. 

"Obviously it was another important step today and now there will be another one.

"We've been together for a month. It's never easy, but here it is -- it's been a joy so far and my players have been rewarded."

Defeat for Morocco ended their fairytale run in Qatar that captured the imagination of Africa and the Arab world.

"We gave the maximum, that's the most important thing," said coach Walid Regragui. "The most important thing is to have given a good image, to have shown the world that Moroccan football exists and that we have beautiful supporters."

- Messi v Mbappe -

The final will inevitably be billed as a battle between Messi and his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Mbappe.

The two players are joint top of the World Cup goalscoring charts on five goals apiece, with Argentina's Julian Alvarez and France's Olivier Giroud just one behind.

The Copa America champions, who produced arguably their best performance of the tournament in beating Croatia 3-0 on Tuesday, will sense vulnerability in a France team that have not found top gear in Qatar.

Messi, playing in his fifth World Cup, has been a man on a mission, desperate to crown his career by leading Argentina to their first win at the tournament since Diego Maradona inspired the South Americans to the title in 1986.

On Tuesday he produced flashes of genius to help Argentina overcome 2018 finalists Croatia, confirming after the match that he expects Sunday's final to be his last appearance at a World Cup.

"Being able to achieve this, being able to finish my journey in the World Cups by playing my last game in a final, is something very exciting," said the 35-year-old Argentine captain.

Deschamps said he would come up with a plan to counter the threat of the "scintillating" Messi, who will seek to exploit France's vulnerability in the full-back positions.

"He looks in great shape and of course he is one of the best players in the world so we will try to counter Messi's threat as much as possible, just as Argentina will try to stop the influence of some of my players," he said.

Deschamps also has another headache in the form of an illness stalking the camp after midfielder Adrien Rabiot missed the Morocco game due to illness.

Defender Dayot Upamecano also dropped out of the line-up for the semi-final, although he was named among the substitutes.

"The air conditioning is on all the time and so we have had a few cases of flu-like symptoms but we will try to avoid it spreading," said Deschamps.

Agence France-Presse

World Cup: Messi magic reignites Argentina; France in last 16

DOHA -- Lionel Messi reignited Argentina's World Cup challenge with a superb goal in a 2-0 win over Mexico on Saturday as Kylian Mbappe's double fired France into the last 16.

Rocked by a stunning upset defeat against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Argentina faced Mexico knowing that a defeat would send them crashing out of the tournament.

But Messi breathed fresh life into Argentina's campaign with his eighth World Cup goal in his fifth appearance in the finals.

The 35-year-old maestro, desperate to crown his glittering career by lifting football's greatest prize, rifled home a low shot on 64 minutes to put Argentina en route to victory.

Rising star Enzo Fernandez made the game safe with a magical curling strike in the 87th minute, sparking wild celebrations amongst Argentina fans at the glittering Lusail Stadium.

An Argentinian victory on Wednesday against Poland -- who were 2-0 winners over Saudi Arabia earlier Saturday -- will carry the South American champions into the knockout rounds from Group C.

"We knew that today we had to win, that another World Cup was starting for us, and we knew how to do it," Messi said.

Mbappe double

Elsewhere on Saturday, France became the first team to reach the last 16 after two goals from star striker Mbappe secured a 2-1 victory over Denmark. 

Mbappe, one of the heroes of France's march to the 2018 World Cup title, ensured Les Bleus would be the first team into the knockout rounds after popping up with an 86th-minute winner to break Danish hearts at Stadium 974 in Doha.

The win all but guarantees France will enter the last 16 as winners of Group D heading into their final game against Tunisia on Wednesday.

"For us, it's ideal, we have six points so we're sure to qualify after two matches," France coach Didier Deschamps said.

"We'll appreciate that before the next match in four days. It brings tranquility and the assurance that we qualify."

Mbappe had fired France into the lead on 61 minutes after Denmark's defence finally buckled following wave after wave of French pressure.

However Andreas Christensen jolted France with a 68th minute equaliser before Mbappe's late show sealed all three points.

Earlier Saturday, Poland star Robert Lewandowski finally broke his World Cup scoring duck in a clinical win over Saudi Arabia.

It was a World Cup reality check for the Saudis following their stunning win over Argentina.

"The importance of the goal and how I scored it made all my dreams from childhood come true," said Lewandowski, who had missed a penalty in Poland's opening 0-0 draw with Mexico on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old was overcome with emotion having capitalised on a blunder by midfielder Abdulelah Al-Malki.

'Emotional' Lewandowski

"I think the older I get the more emotional I get," Lewandowski said. "I'm aware it might be my last World Cup and I wanted to be able to say that I've played and scored at World Cups. 

"The result is most important, but getting both is great."

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was the hero for Poland, however, producing a stunning double save in the first half.

He first denied Salem Al-Dawsari from the penalty spot, then made a stunning stop to keep out the rebound.

In other games on Saturday, Australia defeated Tunisia 1-0, recovering from a chastening opening defeat against champions France to keep their hopes alive.

Striker Mitch Duke scored the only goal of a tight game with a clever header in the first half and Australia desperately held on to silence Tunisia's vociferous fans.

The Socceroos sit second in Group D with three points from two games, with a game to come against Denmark.

With Messi throwing Argentina a lifeline on Saturday, all eyes on Sunday will now be on Germany in a must-win battle with Spain in Group E. 

Germany, beaten 2-1 by Japan in a remarkable opening upset, would be eliminated if they lose to the 2010 champions and Japan avoids defeat to Costa Rica.

Germany coach Hansi Flick described the game as his team's "first final of this World Cup."

"I am convinced of our ideas," Flick said. "We will approach the game with courage and belief in our quality."

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi determined to enjoy likely last World Cup hurrah

DOHA, Qatar -- Argentina superstar Lionel Messi insisted on Monday he is determined to make the most of what will likely be his fifth and final chance to win the World Cup.

At 35 years of age, the diminutive magician is close to winding down his remarkable trophy-laden career.

And after playing already in four World Cup tournaments, including suffering the heartache of losing the 2014 final in Brazil to Germany, Messi is adamant that he wants to make the most of what could be his last hurrah on the global stage in Qatar.

"It is probably my last World Cup, my last chance to land this great dream that we all have," Messi told reporters in Doha.

"I don't know if this is my happiest moment, but I feel great. I'm older, more mature, I want to make the most of everything, to live it with the maximum intensity and to enjoy every moment that I have.

"Today I'm enjoying everything much more. Before I didn't think about that.

"Age makes you see things differently and makes the little details more important: those that before you didn't give much importance to."

The seven-time winner of the Ballon d'Or is widely regarded as one of the two greatest players of his generation -- if not of all time -- alongside Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.

But after winning almost everything else in football, Messi is desperate to emulate fellow Argentina icon Diego Maradona, who inspired the South American giants to glory in Mexico 1986.

In recent days, Messi has twice trained apart from the rest of the squad but he moved to dispell any concerns amongst Argentines that he might not be fit for Tuesday's Group C opener against Saudi Arabia.

"I trained apart because I had a knock, it was precautionary, but nothing unusual," he said.

- 'Favorites don't usually win' -

Argentina head into the tournament as Copa America holders and unbeaten in 36 matches dating back to 2019.

But coach Lionel Scaloni is wary about too much expectation and being lauded as one of the title favorites.

"The big favorites usually don't win the World Cup. There are great teams, no less than eight or 10 that can win the World Cup, mostly Europeans.

"It's true that the South Americans haven't been able to reach the final recently, apart from Argentina in 2014. It is details that will decide the world champions and they don't have to be favorites."

Argentina's Copa America success last year -- defeating Brazil 1-0 at the Selecao's Maracana fortress -- lifted the weight of a painful 28-year barren spell without a major title for the Albiceleste.

Both Scaloni and Messi acknowledged that the victory had freed the team of intense pressure.

"Having won decompresses you a lot, it gives you peace of mind," said captain Messi.

"This allows the people to be less anxious and fretting over results."

Scaloni added: "Now the team goes out to play with much more tranquility, the external pressure isn't there."

Saudi Arabia's French coach Herve Renard is looking forward to testing his team against Messi having led Morocco against Portugal and Ronaldo at the last World Cup in Russia.

"It's an honor to come up against the best players on the planet. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are football legends and thanks to them, football has changed," said the much-travelled 54-year-old, an Africa Cup of Nations winner with both Zambia and Ivory Coast.

"It's an honor to be here and an honor to play against them but when you compete you have to put all your energy and motivation into trying to topple the best, that's what's beautiful about sport, sometimes you get surprises."

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi to headline Maradona 'match for peace' homage

ROME, Italy -- Lionel Messi will headline a star-studded lineup for a 'match for peace' in tribute to fellow Argentina soccer great Diego Maradona on November 14 in Rome, organizers announced on Monday. 

In addition to Messi, former Brazilian star Ronaldinho, Italian World Cup winner Gianluigi Buffon and Roma's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho confirmed their presence in a video published by the WEPLAYFORPEACE platform for the third edition of the "match for peace" organised by a Foundation created by Pope Francis. 

The video was uploaded on October 10, to signify 10/10, in tribute to the number 10 jersey worn by Maradona during his career. His nickname was 'el ultimo Diez' (the last 10). 

Former World Cup winner Maradona died aged 60 of heart failure in November 2020.

The match will take place on November 14 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, less than a week before the start of the World Cup in Qatar.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi strikes early to keep PSG top in Ligue 1

PARIS, France -- Lionel Messi struck after five minutes as Paris Saint-Germain edged Lyon 1-0 to regain top spot in the Ligue 1 table ahead of Marseille on Sunday.

Neymar set up the Argentinian with his seventh assist in eight Ligue 1 games. 

The victory pulled PSG two points clear of Marseille who had taken top spot earlier with a 1-1 draw at home against Rennes.

Lorient, 3-1 winners over Auxerre, are three points adrift of the leaders. 

Lens dropped to fourth after being held to a goalless draw in Nantes.

"PSG played a great game tonight, against a difficult team which was waiting for us," said PSG coach Christophe Galtier.

"We scored a good goal and could have scored others.

"We were much more balanced, Neymar in particular gave us a balance which was really necessary. Even if we were less mobile in the second half we still had a lot of chances."

PSG were imperious in the first half but did not finish off their opponent who woke up after the break with Johann Lepenant coming on in place of a tired Corentin Tolisso. 

But Galtier's side held on to inflict Lyon's third defeat of the season.

Galtier's "MNM" attack is firing on all cylinders, with eight goals in Ligue 1 for Neymar, seven for Kylian Mbappe and four for Messi. 

Earlier, Marseille midfielder Matteo Guendouzi scored both goals in a 1-1 draw at home against Rennes.

Guendouzi bundled past home keeper Pau Lopez to give Rennes the advantage after 26 minutes but the former Arsenal player redeemed himself with a header past ex-Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda seven minutes after the break.

Mandanda returned to a warm welcome for his first match back at the Velodrome where the former Marseille skipper spent 15 years before leaving for Brittany in the summer.

"He was very good, very calm, while it was very difficult for him emotionally," said Rennes coach Bruno Genesio of Mandanda who holds the record for the number of games played for Marseille with 613.

Nice fell 1-0 at home against Angers in a match in which defender Jean-Clair Todibo earned a red card after five seconds and both teams finished with 10 men.

Todibo was sent off after just nine seconds, and that includes the four seconds it took referee Bastien Dechepy to pull the card out of his pocket.

Sofiane Boufal kicked off for Angers and passed to Adrien Hunou. He found striker Abdallah Sima surging forward. Sima pushed the ball past Todibo who stuck out a leg and tripped the striker.

After a video review, the decision that Todibo was the last defender stood. 

Even though Boufal was later sent off, Angers won 1-0 with Nabil Bentaleb scoring just before the break.

"I don't think it was a red card," said Nice coach Lucien Favre saying Dante and Jordan Lotomba were covering. "It was not a scoring opportunity.

"We would have won this game if we had played with eleven players."

- 'Killed the game' -

There was also red card controversy in Reims who fell 3-0 to Monaco with defender Bradley Locko sent off after 22 minutes for leaving a boot in on Breel Embolo.

"The referee killed the game," lamented Reims coach Oscar Garcia, and "it's not the first time". 

Club president Jean-Pierre Caillot has been also suspended until December 31 for criticizing the refereeing in a draw against Lyon last month.

In a punishing game in Brittany, Ajaccio got their first win of the season 1-0 at Brest in a match where two players were stretched off.

Seconds after kick-off, Ajaccio goalkeeper Benjamin Leroy caught a team-mate's knee head-on as he tried to catch a ball.

"There was a loss of consciousness, he was hit in the neck," said Corsican coach Olivier Pantaloni.

An aerial duel also floored Noah Fadiga after half an hour, leaving the defender stunned in a head-to-head clash with Ismael Diallo. 

The 22-year-old Brest player also left the pitch on a stretcher, giving the thumbs up to try to reassure the fans. 

Ajaccio got their first success of the season thanks to Romain Hamouma's 65th-minute goal, to leave the Corsicans only one point behind Brest and Strasbourg.

Elsewhere Troyes won 3-1 at Clermont to move up to 10th after two defeats in a row.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi turns on the style as PSG begin Ligue 1 title defense

PARIS, France -- Lionel Messi scored twice in the second half, including with a stunning overhead kick, as Paris Saint-Germain began their defense of the Ligue 1 title with a 5-0 demolition of Clermont on Saturday.

Neymar was also in outstanding form for a PSG side who did not miss the injured Kylian Mbappe, with the Brazilian opening the scoring in Clermont before setting up Achraf Hakimi and Marquinhos for further goals before half-time.

Messi then exchanged passes with Neymar before sidefooting in the visitors' fourth goal with 10 minutes left.

Yet Messi saved the best for last, darting into the box four minutes from the end to control a Leandro Paredes pass on his chest with his back to goal, before converting with an acrobatic overhead kick.

That goal had the crowd at Clermont's Stade Gabriel-Montpied singing the name of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, who endured a difficult first season in Paris.

PSG's victory in new coach Christophe Galtier's first league game in charge was achieved despite Mbappe missing the trip due to an adductor injury.

Mbappe also missed last week's 4-0 defeat of Nantes in the season-opening Champions Trophy due to suspension.

Messi had opened the scoring in that game, while Neymar netted a brace.

The duo therefore already have six goals between them this season, with PSG looking in ominous form.

"There is no denying we have lots of talent but what I retain is the collective desire to win the ball back very early, to play with intensity, to never let up," Galtier, who replaced the sacked Mauricio Pochettino, told broadcaster Canal Plus.

"The squad have been very receptive since I arrived. They like to work hard together, have fun together. But the season is long. This was just the first game."

- 'No risks' for Mbappe -

Galtier said he would have no trouble finding a place in the line-up for Mbappe, who is expected to return next weekend and play his first competitive game since turning down a move to Real Madrid to sign a new three-year deal in Paris.

"Kylian is an essential part of this project. For a coach, it is not very difficult to integrate a player like him into the team," Galtier said.

"He had a little alert and so we didn't want to take any risk.

"Obviously if we had a difficult game, or a Champions League match, maybe Kylian would have played. We preferred to delay his comeback but he should be back against Montpellier."

Neymar fired in the opener in the ninth minute after Messi was unable to control Pablo Sarabia's cutback, and it was Neymar who set up Hakimi to blast in the second in the 26th minute.

The world's most expensive player was also the provider for the third goal in the 38th minute when his free-kick from the left was headed in by Marquinhos.

Messi then took over at the end, and it is likely to be a long season for Clermont given four teams will be relegated at the end of the campaign, when Ligue 1 will be reduced from 20 clubs to 18.

Earlier, Monaco benefited from a favorable late VAR call to claim a 2-1 win at Strasbourg.

The principality side were 2-0 up and cruising when Sofiane Diop struck early in the second half to add to Krepin Diatta's magnificent opener.

However, Habib Diallo pulled one back for Strasbourg and then appeared to have salvaged a draw when he nodded home in the second minute of added time, only for the referee to disallow the goal for a marginal offside after consulting with the VAR.

Monaco now travel to the Netherlands to face PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League third qualifying round, second leg in midweek. The first leg ended 1-1.

Lyon beat newly-promoted Ajaccio 2-1 on Friday in the season curtain-raiser, with Alexandre Lacazette scoring what proved to be the winner with a penalty.

Agence France-Presse

Football: PSG wrap up record-equaling 10th Ligue 1 title despite Lens draw

PARIS, France -- Paris Saint-Germain secured a record-equaling 10th Ligue 1 title on Saturday, moving level with Saint-Etienne, despite being held to a 1-1 home draw by 10-man Lens.

Lionel Messi looked to have curled in a fine winner in the 68th minute, but Lens dampened the already muted title party at the Parc des Princes through Corentin Jean with two minutes left.

PSG have an unassailable 16-point lead over second-placed Marseille with four matches remaining.

"The atmosphere is a shame," captain Marquinhos told Canal+.

"Football is our passion, we started very young. We'll try to have as much fun as possible. It's a shame that won't be with the supporters but we have to deal with it."

Mauricio Pochettino's men reclaim the crown from Lille, who were shock champions last season.

It is the capital giants' eighth Ligue 1 triumph in the last 10 seasons, powered by the investment of their Qatari owners.

This season will still be seen as a failure for PSG, though, after collapsing to a dramatic loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16, after also suffering a surprise French Cup loss to Nice.

On Saturday, an inevitable league title was confirmed in a strangely non-celebratory atmosphere in Paris, with some 'ultras' leaving early in protest after the Champions League exit.

"That's something I don't understand," said midfielder Marco Verratti. "I know that they were disappointed about Madrid, but at some point you have to move on."

Attention in the French capital will now turn to the future of Kylian Mbappe, with the star forward still to decide whether to stay at PSG or leave for Real Madrid before next season.

Lens started brightly, with Seko Fofana firing an early strike just over the crossbar.

PSG grew into the game, though, with visiting goalkeeper Jean-Louis Leca forced into smart saves from Achraf Hakimi and Messi.

The first big chance fell to Mbappe just after the half-hour mark, but the striker blazed wildly over after being played in on goal by Neymar's clever flick.

Lens continued to threaten on the break, though, and a well-worked move ended with Jonathan Clauss shooting too close to Keylor Navas.

Mbappe almost broke the deadlock early in the second half after a quick free-kick by Verratti, but his first effort was saved by Leca and his follow-up attempt was blocked on the line.

PSG's hopes of wrapping up the title with a win were given a boost in the 57th minute, as Danso was shown a second yellow card for a tackle on Neymar.

Messi almost found the corner of the net with the resulting free-kick, but Leca plunged to his right to make another good save.

Sergio Ramos should have scored midway through the second half, but the veteran centre-back scooped over from eight yards out.

- Messi strikes -

It was Messi who finally gave the match a moment to remember, bending a trademark finish over Leca from the edge of the box.

The Argentinian has now scored four Ligue 1 goals in a disappointing first season for PSG since leaving Barcelona.

But, perhaps fittingly, the hosts conceded a late equalizer as Jean slid in at the back post to divert home Deiver Machado's low cross.

European hopefuls Lens pushed for a winner which would have kept PSG waiting for at least another 24 hours, but the home side held on and almost won it themselves when Mbappe dragged horribly wide.

The final whistle brought bizarre scenes, with the Lens players celebrating and PSG's newly-crowned champions looking sheepish.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Monaco moved into third place above Rennes with a 4-1 victory at relegation-threatened Saint-Etienne.

The game was suspended for more than half an hour due to smoke from flares in the crowd.

Wissam Ben Yedder scored his 20th league goal of the season as Monaco's sixth straight league win lifted them above Rennes, who host Lorient on Sunday, on goal difference.

The third-placed side secures a place in Champions League qualifying.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Returning Messi scores as Argentina take unbeaten run to 30

Lionel Messi scored on his return to the national team as Argentina stretched their world-leading unbeaten run to 30 matches with a routine 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Venezuela on Friday.

Goals from Nicolas Gonzalez and Angel Di Maria, both created by Rodrigo De Paul, also kept a packed Bombonera stadium enthralled in Buenos Aires for a match that had nothing riding on it.

Argentina have long qualified for the World Cup in Qatar later this year, while Venezuela were the first team in South America's single 10-nation qualification group to be eliminated.

The victory kept Argentina just four points behind group leaders Brazil with two matches to go.

Venezuela are now guaranteed to finish bottom after a 13th defeat in 17 qualifiers so far.

All four automatic qualification spots have been decided ahead of next week's qualification finale, with Uruguay and Ecuador booking their tickets to Qatar on Thursday night.

The only thing that remains undecided is who will finish fifth and head into an intercontinental qualification play-off.

Peru lead that battle by a point from Colombia and two ahead of Chile.

Argentina dominated from the off and opened the scoring 10 minutes before half-time as Gonzalez managed to stay onside to slide in De Paul's precise right wing cross from six yards.

Messi was heavily involved on his return, having been rested for Argentina's previous two qualifiers.

The veteran seven-time Ballon d'Or winner had three shots at goal from direct free-kicks but was unable to even test goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez.

Substitute Di Maria finally secured the victory 11 minutes from time when he ran onto De Paul's inch perfect ball from deep, before cutting inside onto his left foot and chipping the ball over Farinez and a back-peddling defender on the line.

Moments later, Di Maria turned provider, dinking the ball into the area where Messi arrived unmarked with time to control the ball on his chest before scuffing a shot home from six yards out.

Agence France-Presse

Messi continues COVID recovery, misses Lyon trip

PARIS - Lionel Messi will miss Paris St Germain's Ligue 1 trip to Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday as he continues his recovery from COVID-19, the capital club said on Saturday.

The Argentine forward is back in Paris from his home country after testing negative but has not been cleared to play.

"Lionel Messi will continue his post-COVID individual protocol in the coming days," PSG said in a statement.

Messi, 34, was one of several players to return positive results during the Ligue 1 break.

PSG said that Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler, Danilo Pereira, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Layvin Kurzawa were still isolating after testing positive.

"It's always hard to pick the right team, COVID or no COVID," PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino told a news conference on Saturday.

His side lead the standings with 46 points from 19 games, 10 ahead of second-placed Olympique de Marseille ahead of the club's 2,500th game.

However, PSG will not be able to count on the support of their fans, who have been banned from travelling to Lyon amid fears they might clash with the OL supporters.

The banning order from the interior ministry said PSG's trips were "frequently a source of public disorder". (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ken Ferris)

-reuters-

Ronaldo leapfrogs Messi in Forbes list of top-earning soccer players

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has reclaimed top spot in the list of the world's highest-paid soccer players from Lionel Messi, according to Forbes.

Ronaldo, 36, rejoined United from Juventus in August after 12 years away, while Messi has swapped boyhood club Barcelona to join Paris St Germain.

Forbes said Ronaldo, among the world's most popular athletes with over 500 million followers across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, is set to make $125 million before taxes in the 2021-22 season, with $70 million coming from salary and bonuses at United.

The rest will come from endorsements and partnerships with brands including Nike, Herbalife, Clear and his CR7 brand.

Messi, who topped last year's list, will be paid a salary of $75 million with an additional $35 million from endorsements for total expected earnings of $110 million.

The Argentine's strike partner at PSG Neymar, who in May signed a new contract until 2025, is third on the list with total earnings of $95 million.

Another PSG player, Kylian Mbappe ($43 million), is fourth on the Forbes list while Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah ($41 million) is fifth.

Top 10 highest earners in soccer:

Cristiano Ronaldo - $125 million

Lionel Messi - $110 million

Neymar - $95 million

Kylian Mbappe - $43 million

Mohamed Salah - $41 million

Robert Lewandowski - $35 million

Andres Iniesta - $35 million

Paul Pogba - $34 million

Gareth Bale - $32 million

Eden Hazard - $29 million

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford )

-reuters-

Football: Barcelona continue post-Messi era after strong start

Barcelona face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday in their first away match since the departure of Lionel Messi, hoping to back up a promising La Liga opener last weekend, while Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid also look to notch second straight wins.

Ronald Koeman's Barca beat Real Sociedad 4-2 last weekend despite the shock of seeing Messi leave for Paris Saint-Germain.

The Catalan giants are also still without injured winger Ousmane Dembele and close-season arrival Sergio Aguero as they look to rebuild despite being saddled with debt and only finishing third last season.

Koeman did win his first major trophy as Barca boss last term, his side thrashing Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in a Copa del Rey final in which Messi scored twice.

Martin Braithwaite stepped into the six-time Ballon d'Or winner's shoes last Sunday by grabbing a brace, while Memphis Depay impressed on his debut after joining from Lyon.

Koeman admitted after the win over Sociedad that other players in his team need to step up without Messi -- who scored 38 goals in his final Barca season.

"We no longer have a player who can decide the fate of matches on his own -- now it will be a collective effort," said the Dutchman.

Instability at the Camp Nou is also rampant off the pitch, with president Joan Laporta on Monday saying the club's financial problems are "worrying".

He revealed that Barcelona's debts stand at 1.35 billion euros ($1.58 billion) and that their wage bill is at least 25 percent higher than their competitors at 617 million euros.

Philippe Coutinho, among those high earners, was not part of the matchday squad against Sociedad and has been linked with a return to the Premier League -- where he previously starred for Liverpool.

Veteran centre-back Gerard Pique, who scored last weekend, could miss out with a calf problem against Athletic.

- Champions Atletico face Elche -

Atletico Madrid took advantage of Barcelona and Real Madrid's on-pitch woes to win La Liga for the first time since 2014 last season and kicked off their title defence with a 2-1 victory at Celta Vigo.

Diego Simeone's Atletico on Sunday welcome Elche to the Wanda Metropolitano, where fans will be present to celebrate their 2021 title triumph.

Real have also seen plenty of change in the close-season, with coach Zinedine Zidane departing the club to be replaced by former boss Carlo Ancelotti.

The long-serving defensive duo of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane have also left, for PSG and Manchester United respectively, although David Alaba will be expected to plug one of those gaps after his move from Bayern Munich.

Ancelotti brought Gareth Bale back into the fold for a 4-1 thumping of Alaves last week when Karim Benzema, who is reportedly set to sign a new contract, netted a double.

All the focus at the Santiago Bernabeu remains on the chase of Kylian Mbappe, who is still yet to agree a new deal with PSG.

This Sunday, though, Los Blancos will be bidding to continue their strong start at Levante.

One to watch: Memphis Depay

The Netherlands international, alongside Antoine Griezmann, will have to shoulder plenty of responsibility at Barcelona in the absence of Messi, despite having only just arrived in Spain.

Depay's last move to a big European club ended in disaster as he left Manchester United in 2016 after scoring just two goals in 33 Premier League games.

But he has enjoyed a fine spell at Lyon, where he scored 20 times in Ligue 1 last season, and could be ready to step up at the age of 27.

Key stats

Three: Wins for Levante in their last six matches against Real Madrid.

Six: Consecutive La Liga victories for Atletico against Elche.

17: Years since a team other than Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid won the title.

Fixtures (all times GMT)

Friday

Real Betis v Cadiz (1900)

Saturday

Alaves v Real Mallorca (1500), Espanyol v Villarreal, Granada v Valencia (both 1730), Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona (2000)

Sunday

Real Sociedad v Rayo Vallecano (1500), Atletico Madrid v Elche (1730), Levante v Real Madrid (2000)

Monday

Getafe v Sevilla (1800), Osasuna v Celta Vigo (2000)

Agence France-Presse

Explained: Why Barcelona had to let Messi go

PARIS, France -- Barcelona were desperate to keep Lionel Messi and the Argentine wanted to stay at the Camp Nou -- as his tears at a farewell press conference on Sunday attested.

So why, then, is he leaving the only club he has ever represented in his 17-year professional career?

- La Liga salary cap -

Barcelona say they had no choice other than to offload the 34-year-old -- on a free transfer with his contract having ended in June -- as they battle to slash a 1.2 billion-euro ($1.4 billion) debt mountain.

Messi had agreed to take a 50 percent wage cut, and studies suggested his commercial value to the club far exceeded the astronomical cost of his salary.

However, those debts and the need to comply with a strict Spanish league salary cap have forced Messi out.

The Catalans squandered the 222 million euros they received from PSG in 2017 for Neymar by committing fees of over 100 million euros each on the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Antoine Griezmann and Ousname Dembele.

President Joan Laporta admitted that losses for last season alone totalled almost 500 million euros and insisted he could not "mortgage" the club's future for any player, Messi included.

Clubs in Spain's top two divisions suffered a loss of earnings totalling 2.013 billion euros ($2.43 billion) for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

La Liga rules say no Spanish club can go over a totally salary limit which the league itself has set: in Barca's case that was 348 million euros for last season, down from 671.4 million euros in the previous term.

Barca went over that reduced limit last season and now La Liga will not tolerate a further lapse.

Laporta admitted that Barca's wage bill with Messi would amount to 110 percent of income. Even with him it would have been too high, at an untenable 95 percent.

- No new signings allowed, including Messi -

Some have asked why Messi, if he loved the club so much, couldn't stay and play for free.

Ignoring the fact that it is ludicrous to think the best player in the world could or should agree to that, it would have been impossible.

Without being in line with the salary cap rules, Barcelona are not allowed to register any new signings. With Messi's previous deal having expired in June, he would have been considered a new signing.

That also raises questions about the summer signings the club had already announced, with Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia having already been recruited on free transfers and Emerson Royal arriving from Real Betis.

Some may ask why La Liga could not be more flexible, given the receipts Messi pulls in while he is a huge global draw for the Spanish game.

UEFA has already relaxed its own financial fair play rules to help clubs affected by the pandemic, but the Spanish league is standing its ground.

Agence France-Presse