BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Stymied in attack and without its top two scorers, Barcelona turned to Pedri to ensure they reach the Spanish league midway point ahead of Real Madrid in the title chase.
Pedri marked his 100th Barcelona appearance at the ripe age of 20 by scoring as a substitute to squeeze past Girona 1-0 on Saturday.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The lawyer who worked for Lionel Messi in his tax fraud case has been added to the defense team of former Barcelona defender Dani Alves, who is facing sexual assault charges.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid appeared on the verge of elimination from the Copa del Rey on Thursday, facing another demoralizing blow just days after losing the Spanish Super Cup final to rival Barcelona in Saudi Arabia.
Grimacing in pain from his bruised cheekbone, Cristiano Ronaldo steadied himself before scoring from the penalty spot for his first goal in Saudi Arabia against a Paris Saint-Germain team featuring old foe Lionel Messi.
One of the greatest rivalries in soccer history is set to resume at the unlikely venue of Riyadh's King Fahd International Stadium.
The stage is set Thursday for Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo when Messi's Paris Saint-Germain takes on a combined XI of Saudi Arabian teams Al Nassr and Al Hilal in an exhibition match.
MADRID (AP) — Maybe the tough times are finally over for Barcelona.
With a big victory over its main rival on Sunday, Barcelona got back to celebrating — and to feeling good about its future again.
PARIS (AP) — Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé couldn't stop Paris Saint-Germain losing 1-0 at Rennes for a second straight away defeat in the French league on Sunday as its lead over second-place Lens dropped to three points.
MADRID (AP) — Barcelona's title drought with coach Xavi — and without Lionel Messi — is finally over.
Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-1 on Sunday to win the Spanish Super Cup at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and give its fans reasons to celebrate again after a revamping process that began following Messi's departure for Paris Saint-Germain and the arrival of former player Xavi as coach in 2021.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:
ENGLAND
Arsenal takes on Tottenham in the north London derby in a latest test of its Premier League title credentials. Arsenal's draw with Newcastle in its last league match was the first time it dropped points since October.
ZURICH (AP) — FIFA opened a disciplinary case against the Argentine Football Association on Friday for alleged offensive player misconduct and violations of fair play at the World Cup final.
FIFA cited its media and marketing regulations for prosecuting the case, which appears to relate to a boisterous celebration by players running through the interview zone after the game on Dec.
ZURICH (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo was left off the the 14-player shortlist for the annual Best FIFA Men’s Player award for the first time, with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé among those selected.
Ronaldo, who was released by Manchester United and benched by Portugal during the World Cup, won the FIFA award the first two times it was handed out — in 2016 and 2017 — and was among the three finalists the following three years.
PARIS (AP) — Lionel Messi scored in his first game since leading Argentina to the World Cup title as French league leader Paris Saint-Germain beat Angers 2-0 on Wednesday.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Wednesday:
FRANCE
Lionel Messi is expected to play his first game for Paris Saint-Germain since his World Cup victory with Argentina. Messi has been training normally with his teamates and coach Christophe Galtier expressed hopes the forward will be ready to take on last-place Angers in a French league match.
PARIS (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo’s first game in Saudi Arabia is set to be against Paris Saint-Germain and a possible reunion with his career-long rival Lionel Messi.
PARIS (AP) — Lionel Messi finally has something Kylian Mbappé already had with a World Cup winners' medal. Now Mbappé wants what Messi has won many times: the Ballon d'Or.
PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier hopes World Cup winner Lionel Messi is ready to play in a French league game at home to Angers next Wednesday.
Less than two weeks after his great rival Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo has completed a move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr and likely signalled the end of his career in elite club soccer.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina has tattoo fever.
Sometimes it’s to fulfill a promise, other times as a way to say thank you or simply to immortalize on the skin what was by all accounts an unforgettable moment.
PARIS (AP) — French league leader Paris Saint-Germain faces its toughest test of the season Sunday when it travels to play a Lens side which has won all of its home games.
MADRID (AP) — Pelé or Diego Maradona? Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
Endless arguments over the greatest player in the history of men's soccer can often see cheap hits aimed at Pelé, who died Thursday at age 82, with the claim that he wasn't tested on the European stage against some of the best clubs in the world — unlike other soccer greats.
Nobody disputes Pelé’s greatness and his penchant for scoring. The exact number of goals in his career will forever be a topic for debate.
Pelé often said one of the reasons he should be considered the greatest player of all time was because of his feat of scoring more than 1,000 goals.
PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappé may always be haunted by France's loss in the World Cup final, but says he bears no bitterness over the way Argentina celebrated and won't let the defeat hold him back with Paris Saint-Germain.
PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain stars Kylian Mbappé and Neymar could take out their World Cup frustrations on struggling Strasbourg when the French league resumes on Wednesday.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s government on Wednesday defended the mammoth parade held to welcome home the World Cup winners even though the event was abruptly cut short amid organizational chaos.
Even before an epic final won by Lionel Messi and Argentina, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was calling it “the best World Cup ever” in Qatar.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — When it comes to soccer, money can buy the world.
It can pay for the World Cup. And the world’s best players. And it can bundle them all up into a perfect package and present it to a global audience of millions.
LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — France played its part in one of the most memorable finishes in World Cup history, even though the defending champions failed to retain the title.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — After 64 matches, 172 goals and one of the best finals in history, the 2022 World Cup is over.
Argentina is the champion for the third time after beating France in a penalty shootout.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi ended his long wait for the World Cup title in one of the most memorable finals in history.
Messi was at his most inspirational, scoring two goals to take his total for the tournament to seven and delivering his country's third World Cup triumph as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw through extra time.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentines let loose on Sunday and streets across the country became places of celebration after an epic World Cup final in which the national team beat France on penalties.
ROSARIO, Argentina (AP) — The streets of Lionel Messi’s hometown of Rosario erupted in celebration on Sunday after Argentina beat France to win its third World Cup title.
“We’re champions, which is all we wanted, more than anything for (Messi) and for the whole team,” Santiago Ferraris, 25, said.
Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi provided more drama leading up to Sunday's early NFL games on Fox than Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw.
Sunday's World Cup final in Qatar between Argentina and France went to extra time and penalty kicks, bumping Fox's “NFL Sunday” pregame show off the air.
LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — After finally winning the World Cup, Lionel Messi made his strongest case yet to be considered soccer’s greatest player of all time.
It will never be possible to say definitively, though, even after Argentina's 4-2 penalty shootout victory over France on Sunday in the final at Lusail Stadium.
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil great Pelé congratulated Lionel Messi and Argentina for winning the World Cup and Kylian Mbappé for his goal-scoring exploits in Sunday's final.
LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi, wearing a black Qatari robe over his blue-and-white Argentina shirt, kissed the World Cup, shuffled toward his teammates and hoisted the golden trophy high in the air.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi is not ready to walk away from Argentina yet, despite ending his pursuit of a World Cup winner's medal.
The soccer great secured the one major trophy that has eluded him in his storied career as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties in the final at Lusail Stadium on Sunday.
PARIS (AP) — In the pain, there also was consolation. Losing to Argentina in the World Cup final wasn't the ending that heart-broken France fans hoped for.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé head the selections for the team of the tournament as chosen by writers covering the World Cup for The Associated Press.
LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi is making a record 26th appearance at the World Cup, breaking a tie with Germany great Lothar Matthäus.
Messi’s games have been spread over five World Cups, starting in 2006.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — France coach Didier Deschamps knows most neutral fans want Argentina to win the World Cup final to give Lionel Messi the perfect send-off from soccer's biggest tournament.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Argentina’s gamble paid off.
Criticism came quickly when Lionel Scaloni was hired as the unqualified, somewhat accidental coach of Argentina’s national team in 2018.
How, the nay-sayers said, could someone with no club experience — in fact, no senior coaching experience at all — be expected to lead a squad containing the great Lionel Messi?
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — From a soccer-crazed country known for its world-class players and its repeated economic crises, Argentine fans are making great sacrifices to be in Qatar to see their team try to win the World Cup for the first time in 36 years.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — “Muchachos” has become a hugely popular unofficial anthem of Argentine fans at the World Cup.
The song, which was written by a fan, includes references to soccer greats Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi stands on the brink of a long-awaited World Cup winner's medal as Argentina faces defending champions France in Sunday's final.