Lionel Messi is the leader and protector of Argentina, according to international team-mate Nicolas Tagliafico.
Messi, 32, has faced criticism for his performances for the national team as his wait for a first senior trophy at international level goes on.
But Ajax defender Tagliafico, a 25-time Argentina international, said the Barcelona star was key for his nation.
Messi was released from the pressure to get results [at the 2019 Copa America, where Argentina finished third], he told Ole.
He more than anyone gets angry when he loses, but Messi became more aware that he has to enjoy the national team.
I don t know until when he will play, but it is not that he will have too many cups with the national team. He is at a stage where he wants to enj…
Gianluigi Donnarumma stands by his decision to leave Milan for Paris Saint-Germain despite having to share goalkeeping duties with Keylor Navas since arriving in France.
Italy s Euro 2020 hero Donnarumma has only made 10 league starts since joining PSG on a free transfer last year, while Costa Rican competitor Keylor Navas has appeared between the sticks in 13 of the side s Ligue 1 outings.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Donnarumma, who made 215 Serie A appearances at Milan after coming through the Rossoneri s youth ranks, thanked his former club for their role in his development, but stressed that he was happy with life at PSG.
I can only thank the club for what they did for me , the 22-year-old said. I improved as a man and as a footballer in Milan.
LaLiga has spoken out against FIFA over plans to reshape the structure of the 2026 World Cup into four-team groups.
Football s governing body had originally intended to have 16 groups of three teams after expanding from 32 to 48 nations for the tournament jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
However, following the Qatar 2022 edition, plans to maintain the current four-team system resurfaced and have now been rubber-stamped at FIFA s annual congress.
The decision has enraged LaLiga however, with the competition set to expand to 104 games from 64.
LaLiga has also objected to plans for a new international club tournament, which will join an expanded Club World Cup on the football calendar. The latter is due to take place every four years s…
Arguably England s best player in their last three knockout fixtures at Euro 2020, Luke Shaw reportedly struggled through games against Ukraine, Denmark and Italy with broken ribs.
The left-back was part of Gareth Southgate s side that suffered shoot-out heartbreak against Italy in the final, but it has become apparent that Shaw was playing through the pain for his country, after suffering a blow to his ribs against Germany in the last 16.
According to the Telegraph, Manchester United will now wait to assess the left-back, whose sole goal at the European Championship represented the fastest to be scored in a final since 1964, ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
The former Southampton academy product was in scintillating form throughout Euro 2020 as he recorded three a…
Manchester City are interested in signing RB Leipzig midfielder Dani Olmo and are hoping one of his close friends will convince him to move to the Etihad, according to reports.
Joint with Paris Saint-Germain, is Olmo s most frequent opponent in the Champions League, facing the Premier League club four times.
Four appearances do not tell the whole story as the Spaniard has missed another four matches against the Citizens through injury.
He impressed as Dinamo Zagreb were brushed aside in the 2019/20 group stage and picked up an assist in the 6-3 defeat for Leipzig two years later.
City and Leipzig met in last season s last 16 and the German side were battered 8-1 on aggregate, with Olmo playing 18 minutes across both legs.
The 26-year-old is a hi…
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has revealed his personal opinion on Conor Gallagher s imminent move to Atletico Madrid as he demands a rule change .
has entered the final year of his contract and Chelsea were always likely to cash in on him this summer if they could not agree a new deal with their academy product.
Gallagher is set to leave Chelsea
The England international was a key player for last season under Mauricio Pochettino, but he was expected to drop down the pecking order in 2024/25 if he stuck around as new head coach Maresca is implementing a new style of play.
Amid interest from Premier League pair Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, Gallagher has turned down a couple of fresh contract offers with Chelsea only willing to give him a two-year contra…
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has reacted to Scott McTominay s imminent transfer to Serie A giants Napoli, saying he has mixed feelings.
The midfielder has travelled to Italy ahead of tonight’s 11pm deadline to finalise a move, which is understood to be worth around £25m.
McTominay’s exit has paved the way for the arrival of Uruguay international Manuel Ugarte from Paris St Germain and believes both deals are close to being conpleted.
He told a press conference: “I can’t tell you more than you already know, it’s not completed yet.
“We expect it (to be completed), but I can’t confirm it now.”
McTominay’s move to Napoli would end a 12-year association with United since joining in 2012.
He made his senior debut f…