A brilliant solo goal in injury time by Lionel Messi earned Argentina a 1-0 victory over their arch-rivals Brazil in an international friendly here on Wednesday.

The Barcelona superstar picked up the ball midway inside the Brazil half and weaved past four defenders before firing a low shot into the bottom-right corner with just a minute of added time to play.

It was Messi s first ever goal against Brazil and allowed Argentina to record their first win against their old enemies since June 2005.

His strike also allowed coach Sergio Batista to celebrate victory in his first game in charge since he was confirmed as the long-term successor to Diego Maradona.

For Brazil it was a first defeat in four matches for new coach Mano Menezes, who had led his country t…

Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel is determined to end the first half of the season on a high note when they travel to Cologne on Saturday.

Dortmund sit second in the Bundesliga table heading into this weekend s encounter after a number of impressive performances in their first season under Tuchel.

The former Mainz coach saw his team lose to Hamburg and Bayern Munich, but they have won 12 out of 16 matches so far and trail reigning champions Bayern Munich by five points.

There is definitely a good feeling about our season so far. We are putting in good performances on a regular basis. The team has been showing character. We are focused and are on the right track, Tuchel told Ruhr Nachrichten.

But there is still one game to go. I will review the fir…

Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku plans to enjoy a short break before taking a decision on whether his future lies with Chelsea.

Lukaku has spent the last two seasons away from Stamford Bridge on loan, initially at West Brom and then with Everton.

The 21-year-old proved an unqualified success at both clubs, scoring 17 Premier League goals in his solitary campaign at The Hawthorns and 15 for Everton last term.

Yet it remains to be seen whether Lukaku has a realistic chance of breaking into Chelsea s first team, with manager Jose Mourinho having recently agreed a deal to sign Spain international Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid.

Lukaku acknowledges he has decisions to make ahead of the new domestic season, but remains relaxed.

I want to go on holiday f…

Saturday lunchtime, and the Gran Via and Plaza Mayor are teeming with Christmas shoppers in Madrid.

Cyclists, too, are out in force, gathering for a peaceful protest ride to make the case for leaving the car at home.

This is day one of a UN climate change convention being hosted by Spain s capital, and it is hard not to be conflicted by the collision of consumerism and conservationism.

We are living through times where we want to give, give, give to afford loved ones brief relief from cataclysmic reality, but at the same time we are warned the shop-around-the-clock culture is killing the planet.

At the nearby Santiago Bernabeu stadium, Real Madrid are wearing their mint-green third kit for a home league fixture against Espanyol.

 HALA MA…

Atletico Madrid are eager to bring in attacking reinforcements, despite spending a lot of money in the last 18 montjs on players in those positions. Only on Thomas Lemar, who joined in the summer of 2018, and Joao Felix, who came in 12 months later, Atletico Madrid have spend around 200 million euros. That is a lot of money, but it appears Cholo Simeone wants new players in attacking areas.

According to AS, Los Colchoneros want to sign Dinamo Zagreb winger Dani Olmo and they do not want to wait. They want to do it in the January transfer window. The Spanish giants are hopeful that the 21-year-old can be brought in for a fee within the region of 35 million euros, after Olmo impressed both for Dinamo and Spain Under-21 side last summer.

Olmo has been linked with a host of…

Ollie Watkins helped fire Aston Villa to a first European quarter-final since 1998 but gave his side and England an injury scare after limping off.

Watkins, named in Gareth Southgate’s latest squad earlier on Thursday, headed Villa in front in the first half of a 4-0 Europa Conference League second-leg win over 10-man Ajax which sends them through to the last eight.

But the striker limped off eight minutes later with a knee problem and had to watch his team-mates run riot in the second half with Leon Bailey, John Duran and Moussa Diaby goals killing off the tie after last week’s goalless draw in Amsterdam.

Villa and England will now wait anxiously to discover the extent of the problem, with the striker crucial to Villa’s Premier League top-four ambitions, w…

Ethan Ampadu has been described as a future Wales captain by national-team boss Rob Page.

Ampadu is set to win his 50th cap in Thursday’s Euro 2024 play-off semi-final against Finland at the tender age of 23.

Barring any future injury issues, the versatile Leeds player seems certain to break Gareth Bale’s record of 111 caps.

“He’s only 23 and it seems like he’s been around forever because of the age (17) when he got his debut,” Page said of Ampadu, who has started 42 of Leeds’ 43 games this term since making a £7million switch from Chelsea.

“He’s a future Wales captain 100 per cent because he’s already captained Leeds and that’s a big club.

“He’s a model pro on and off the pitch. He doesn’t get carried away with things…

FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce has left the door open for the 2022 World Cup host to be switched if corruption by Qatar can be proven.

Reports in the British media on Sunday claimed that former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) chief Mohammed bin Hammam paid up to $5million to football officials in order to gain support for Qatar s bid.

Bin Hammam was formerly a member of FIFA s Executive Committee until being banned from all football activity for life in July 2013 amid allegations of bribery.

Qatar were awarded the tournament in December 2010, beating off competition from the United States, South Korea, Japan and Australia.

However, the bid has since been shrouded in controversy with doubts over players ability to play in the Qatari summer heat expected to see t…

Napoli defender Hugo Campagnaro has been hospitalised after a car crash that left three people dead, including his best friend.

The accident occurred in Argentina on Thursday after the car he was reportedly driving, a Toyota SUV, was involved in a head-on collision with a Volkswagen Polo in the province of Cordoba.

Campagnaro and one of his passengers are recovering in hospital, while his best friend, Alvaro Castelli, died.

The two people in the Volkswagen both died following the accident in the early hours of the morning in fog and rain.

Campagnaro s uncle Sergio Castillo told Calcio Napoli 24 the 30-year-old has been admitted to a hospital in Rio Cuarto.

I want to reassure all the fans of Napoli Hugo s fine. The impact was devastating, Castill…

Luis Suarez makes his return to international football on Friday when he and his Uruguay team-mates travel to Recife for their World Cup qualifier against Brazil, with the hosts looking to spoil the party.

Suarez has not played a competitive game for Uruguay since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after he was found guilty of biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini. 

The 29-year-old was handed a nine-match international suspension, as well as a four-month ban from any football-related activity for his actions.

But as the Barcelona star prepares to step back into the fold and aid Uruguay s CONMEBOL qualifying bid, Brazil goalkeeper Alisson insists he and his defensive compatriots are looking forward to the challenge. 

For a goalkeeper, it is always im…