Zlatan Ibrahimovic urges Barcelona star Lionel Messi to join PSG

Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes signing Lionel Messi would take Paris Saint-Germain to the next level and make them European title contenders.

Rumours in the French media have suggested the big-spending Paris side are preparing a record bid for Barcelona's Argentina playmaker.

Ibrahimovic played alongside Messi during his two-year spell at Camp Nou but struggled to forge a successful partnership with the diminutive forward.

However, the Sweden international believes the addition of his former team-mate and four-time Ballon d'Or winner would make PSG a force to be reckoned with in Europe.

"If he's up for sale then the whole world will be after him, not just PSG," Ibrahimovic said at a winter training camp in Doha.

Messi enters third stage of injury recovery as Barcelona return nears

The Argentine has begun work on his physical conditioning after tearing a thigh muscle in November as he attempts to be ready to return to action following the winter break.

Barcelona have received encouraging news ahead of 2014 after confirming Lionel Messi has entered the third and final stage of his injury rehabilitation.

Messi has been sidelined since the Liga clash with Real Betis on November 10 with a torn left femoral bicep, and has spent the past three weeks recuperating in his native Argentine at the headquarters of the Argentine Football Association.

FIFA change in World Cup draw may benefit France

FIFA gave France better odds of avoiding Brazil and Argentina with a new procedure for the World Cup draw.

As the lowest-ranked of nine unseeded European qualifiers, France was expected to go in the Africa-dominated pot — meaning it could not be placed in the same group as a top-seeded European team.

But instead of following its format from 2006, FIFA decided Tuesday that all nine European teams enter an open ballot to decide which can be drawn alongside the five African teams, plus Chile and Ecuador, in Pot 2.

Messi: Ronaldo will be good for World Cup

Lionel Messi says despite the current hype around Cristiano Ronaldo, he has been “playing well for years”.

Ronaldo was pivotal to Portugal’s qualification for Brazil 2014, scoring all four goals in a 4-2 aggregate victory over Sweden last week.

The two superstars are both in line for the Ballon d'Or, and have been pitted against each other in the media recently, after Fifa president Sepp Blatter revealed – supposedly as a joke – that he prefers the Argentine.

Sergio Aguero is “crazy about Barcelona’, Messi wants him to join

The diminutive duo enjoyed success at international level at both the Under 20 World Cup in 2005 and the 2008 Olympics for Argentina. Aguero was a target for Barcelona before the Catalan giants signed Neymar, and even held a series of “very serious” meetings with the Manchester City striker’s reps.

Lionel Messi's team have rubbished reports of spat between him and Barcelona

Lionel Messi's management team have rubbished reports of a rift between the player and Barcelona.

The four-time world player of the year is facing six to eight weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, the third such setback this season.

Argentine doctor Luis Garcia, who is not an employee of the Spanish champions, has been assigned to work with the 26-year-old on his recovery prompting speculation Messi was unhappy with the club's own medical staff, and in particular physiotherapist Juanjo Brau, over his recurring injury.

Diego Maradona: 'I want to coach Napoli after Rafa Benitez'

Diego Maradona would like to coach his former club Napoli.

The Argentina great was in Milan on Thursday to promote a video series on his life with the Gazzetta dello Sport.

He says ''when (Rafa) Benitez leaves I would like to coach Napoli.''

Paraguay 2-5 Argentina: Messi at the double as Argentina book their World Cup place

Two goals from Lionel Messi helped the travelling Albiceleste to secure what was in the end a comfortable win against Paraguay, seeing his nation top CONMEBOL qualifying

  Argentina have booked a place at the 2014 World Cup after a 5-2 win over Paraguay in Asuncion on Tuesday.

Alejandro Sabella's men were the dominant side at Estadio Defensores del Chaco, winning thanks to a brace of Lionel Messi penalties, plus goals from Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Maxi Rodriguez.

MATCH REPORT: Italy 1-2 Argentina: Higuain strikes as Albiceleste survive Azzurri fightback

Gonzalo Higuain inspired Argentina to a 2-1 win against Italy at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday.

The Napoli striker troubled the Italy defence on several occasions and deservedly finished the evening with a goal and an assist before being replaced after 60 minutes.

He grabbed the first goal of the night in the first half after a terrific pass from Erik Lamela before supplying an accurate pass into the path of Ever Banega to double the advantage just after half-time.

Lorenzo Insigne grabbed a consolation for Italy with a terrific curling effort with 15 minutes remaining, but the home side could not find an equaliser.

Messi has paid his taxes, claim lawyers

The Argentine will have to defend his case on September 17, but his representatives insist allegations of fraud are baseless and will be cleared "quickly"

The lawyers of Lionel Messi have insisted the Barcelona attacker has "scrupulously complied with Spanish legislation" in response to recent allegations of tax evasion.

Financial crime prosecutors summoned the 25-year-old, along with his father Jorge Messi, to a court hearing on September 17 after the pair were adjudged to have committed three offences against the Spanish tax authorities between 2006 and 2009.

According to the prosecutor's complaint filed at a court in Gava in northeastern Spain, Messi and his father avoided running up tax receipts of over €4 million by forwarding the four-time Ballon d'Or winner's image rights to overseas tax havens.

A statement released by Juarez Veciana Lawyers, the forward's representatives, read: "We firmly believe the innocence of our client. He complies scrupulously with Spanish legislation. He has paid what corresponds to him legally.

"We are confident the judicial investigation will be resolved in the minimum time possible [to end] this situation which has left our client in a situation of media defencelessness which we deeply regret."

Messi's father Jorge, meanwhile, assured that both him and his son were innocent of any wrong-doing, revealing that they pay their fair share of tax to the Spanish state.

"That there is a difference of opinion between our financial advisers and the Inland Revenue is perfectly normal in the case of people that pay a lot in tax," he told COPE.

"But I can assure you that what we pay annually is an eight figure number. We are confident an agreement will be reached."

According to reports in Spain, Messi and his father could face up to six years in prison, along with a hefty fine, if they are found guilty.

Extra Time: Messi tattoo revealed

The Barcelona star's brother posted an image of the bodyart on Twitter, which was inked just three days prior to Argentina's World Cup qualifier with Venezuela

Lionel Messi has revealed a brand new tattoo on his left calf, which has been created as a tribute to his young son.

The body art, which depicts a small pair of hands and the name Thiago in simple black ink, was photographed by the Barcelona star's brother Matias before being uploaded to Twitter.

Matias had revealed earlier this week the pair had planned to get new tattoos, and he released pictures of them both on social media networks on Wednesday evening.

Messi is currently on international duty with Argentina, and is set to captain the side in Friday's World Cup qualifier with Venezuela.

Regardless of the touching tribute to his young son, the 25-year-old has likely made national boss Alejandro Sabella a little nervous prior to the match, given that the rather large tattoo is periously close to the most magical of left feet.