Barcelona star Lionel Messi ignoring Argentina criticism

A gripping LaLiga title race should be all Real Madrid need to pick themselves up from their Champions League semi-final loss to Chelsea, according to Zinedine Zidane.

Madrid head coach Zidane conceded his team were beaten by the better side after goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount gave Chelsea a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, sending them through 3-1 on aggregate to an all-English final against Manchester City at the end of this month.

Los Blancos looked a shadow of the side that won three consecutive European crowns under Zidane between 2016-2018, but the France great insisted he was proud of his players endeavours on Wednesday.

Now they face up to a LaLiga battle, where they are level on points with Barcelona and two points behind leaders Atletico Madrid with…

Nikola Vlasic scored a 95th-minute penalty to earn CSKA Moscow a dramatic 2-2 comeback draw with Viktoria Plzen, denying the Czech champions their first Champions League group stage victory in five years.

Michal Krmencik scored two first-half goals to put Viktoria Plzen on course for a famous night, but a late onslaught from Viktor Goncharenko s side who had two late goals disallowed eventually paid dividends.

Fedor Chalov pulled one back for the visitors three minutes into the second half and deep into stoppage-time the referee awarded a spot-kick that Vlasic gratefully buried.

While Plzen were left bitterly disappointed to see their lead vanish, Real Madrid s 3-0 win over Roma in Group G s other match will give them hope of picking up points when they travel…

West Ham United are weighing up a January move for Chelsea defender Gary Cahill, according to the Mirror.

The thirty-two-year old has made close to three hundred appearances for the Blues since signing from Bolton Wanderers in January 2012, clinching winners medals in all five of the major competitions he has played in during that time.

However, his only league football this season came as a substitute against West Ham last month and it is the Hammers who could well lead the chase for him when the transfer window reopens.

He has been capped sixty-one times for England and was part of the squad that went to the World Cup finals in Russia this summer though his only appearance came in the 1-0 defeat to Belgium – the final group game where qualification was al…

Newcastle United are interested in signing Aaron Ramsey from Juventus in the January transfer window, according to . It has been reported that Premier League club Newcastle have made contact with Serie A outfit Juventus over the signing of the former Arsenal midfielder in the January transfer window.

Juventus are reportedly ready to cash in on Ramsey in the middle of the season. The Italian and Juventus giants value the 30-year-old Wales international midfielder at €15 million. Ramsey joined the Bianconeri in the summer of 2019 on a free transfer after leaving Arsenal.

Ramsey has had injury problems at Juventus, and there is no surprise that the Serie A club are willing to sell him. However, it is unlikely that the Welshman would be keen on a move to Newcastle in the …

South Africa have filed a complaint to FIFA over perceived questionable decisions in Sunday s 1-0 loss to Ghana and have called for the game to be replayed.

Bafana Bafana required a point from the game in Cape Coast to reach the final round of CAF qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, but fell to a 33rd-minute Andrew Ayew penalty.

Ghana advanced to the next stage at South Africa s expense by finishing above their opponents in Group G on goals scored, with the teams level on both points and goal difference.

However, South Africa ​Football Association (SAFA) chief executive Tebogo Motlanthe felt a number of calls – including the penalty incident – went against his side.

The match officials have decided the game, which is not what is supposed to happen…

Nico Schulz scored a superb last-minute winner as Germany survived a Netherlands fightback in Amsterdam to earn a gripping 3-2 victory in Group C of Euro 2020 qualifying.

Germany coach Joachim Low named a side without a striker but goals from wingers Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane, symbols of their new generation, established a 2-0 half-time lead.

Memphis Depay recorded a goal and an assist as Netherlands came from behind after the interval to seemingly claim a point at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Sunday.

Germany, though, earned revenge for last year s 3-0 Nations League defeat against Ronald Koeman s side, when wide man Schulz got forward to finish brilliantly with his weaker right foot.

We grab all 3 points at the death! 2-3

— Germany (@DF…

Lucas Moura senses Tottenham are building a formidable mentality under Antonio Conte after recording their third straight Premier League win.

Spurs leapfrogged rivals Arsenal to move fifth in the table following a commanding 3-0 victory over bottom side Norwich City.

Lucas got the ball rolling with his first league goal of the season courtesy of a thunderous 25-yard strike, while Davinson Sanchez and Son Heung-min sealed the points.

Conte became only the third Tottenham boss to win each of his opening three home Premier League games in charge – after Harry Redknapp and Ryan Mason.

Brazilian Lucas, whose goal was only his second from outside the box in the league since arriving in 2018 from Paris Saint-Germain, believes the club’s upturn in fortunes …

When Cardiff City and Nantes debated over whether Emiliano Sala would be allowed to play one last match for the French club last month, nobody could have anticipated the desperate turn of events that would make such a matter feel so incredibly trivial.

During negotiations between the two clubs, Nantes had reportedly been keen for Sala to feature for them one last time against Angers, but it was Cardiff who eventually got their way and the Argentine striker s club-record move to the Welsh capital was confirmed on the eve of that match.

It was a story typical of the January transfer window – a buying club tenaciously chasing mid-season reinforcements but facing stubbornness from a selling club determined not to be left in the lurch by the loss of one of their key players…

Former Spain defender Carles Puyol has backed the country s emerging stars to take the team forward as many of its best players near the end of their careers.

Puyol was part of the Spain team that won the European Championship in 2008 and the World Cup in 2010, along with current players Andres Iniesta, Sergio Ramos and David Silva – all of whom have passed 30.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has the likes of 21-year-old defender Hector Bellerin and 24-year-old midfielder Koke at his disposal in France, and Puyol believes the blend of youth and experience will pay off.

The former Barcelona man told SoFoot.com: We have great players, some of whom are experienced and can handle this kind of tournament, but also young people who arrive with a great desire and who, …

Brazil will defend their men s Olympic football title in the final thanks to a classy display of penalty-taking in a 4-1 shoot-out defeat of Mexico following a 0-0 draw after extra time.

The 2016 champions were pushed all the way by Jaime Lozano s side in Kashima but ultimately got the job done on penalties, successfully converting all four of their attempts to reach the final where they will face either Spain or Japan.

Guilherme Arana spurned the best chance of the first half in the 13th minute when he was denied by Guillermo Ochoa with just the goalkeeper in his way.

An even better opportunity looked set to fall Brazil s way soon after as Douglas Luiz was sent tumbling in the box, but the initial penalty award was overturned following a VAR review, with the Ast…