Senegal has been eliminated from the 2018 FIFA World Cup after losing 1-0 to Colombia in their last Group stage game.

The Teranga Lions went into the game needing just a draw to ensure progress, but their opponents had to register a victory to make it into the next round.

After an entertaining first half, the teams went into the break 0-0, at which point Senegal still had an upper hand.

In the second half however, Yerry Mina found the back of the net with a powerful header, and Colombia hand on to book their place in the Round of 16.

The result means the South Americans progresses as the group winners, and will be joined by Japan which finished as runner up.

Japan also went down to Poland 1-0, finishing same on points with Senegal, but stayed in second place as the African side raked in more Yellow cards.

The Teranga Lions were Africa’s last hope in the tournament, after the other four sides – Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria – had been eliminated.

Colombia and Japan will now face Belgium and England in the Round of 16, though the two still have to do battle later tonight to determine who finishes top of their group.

The endless debate between Real Madrid’s Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Messi rumbles on as both players try to etch their name into World Cup history. A rivalry that has haunted the strikers – arguably the best duo to come out of the 21st century – throughout their respective club careers and continues to follow them in Russia. But as we progress into the second round of fixtures, there’s no denying one is coming out on top.

The image of Messi furrowing his brow and rubbing his forehead intently during the national anthem before Argentina’s game against Croatia on Thursday may prove to be the defining one for a player who buckled under World Cup pressure.

And pressure there is with Messi carrying the hopes of 44 million people desperate for Argentina to relive the glories of 1978 and 1986. Unlike Portugal, who were not a football powerhouse before Ronaldo and won’t be after, Argentina have a rich history in the World Cup with two titles and two further appearances in the final under their belt. Few teams have made such an impact on the competition as the Albiceleste.

After losing three consecutive finals in international tournaments, Argentina expect a lot of their star man as they look for Messi to emulate the performances of what was arguably all-time great Diego Maradona, who played in four World Cups.

But the 3-0 defeat by Croatia means Argentina's fate in Group D is now out of their hands; they need results to go their way to stay in the competition. In a game that they were struggling to make a mark on, Argentina needed just one moment of inspiration and had the player capable of providing it.

However, Messi, who carried his nation to qualification for Russia almost single-handedly, has not shown the ability to do the same when it mattered most and after he saw his second-half penalty saved against Croatia, Argentina’s fate was sealed. At the final whistle, he could not get off the pitch quickly enough – appearing weighed down - his spirit crushed with the burden of expectation when playing for his nation.

It was much of the same story against Iceland, which saw Messi miss a penalty and the chance to give Argentina the edge, ultimately leading to a humiliating 1-1 draw against a side much their inferior. The Argentine skipper has a reputation for missing penalties. He now missed four of the last eight penalties for Club and country – the most notable during the defeat by Chile in the Copa America final in 2016 during a penalty shootout. After which he withdrew from international football only to be dragged back to the team after pleas during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

There is no denying Messi is one of the greatest footballers there has been or ever will be, but portrayed as a humble and at times reclusive character – does he have the force of personality to handle the pressure of an entire nation on his shoulder. His confidence does not seem quite as secure as his Portuguese equivalent.

In comparison rival Ronaldo has thrived under the weight of expectation to lift a team of mortals to greater heights and score four goals in two matches for Portugal, including a thrilling hat-trick against Spain. Perhaps he has more of a personality that suits - and even at times enjoys - this type of challenge. Even when Ronaldo’s form eludes him, as it certainly did at the previous two World Cups, his belief in his brilliance never waivers nor does his obsessive fixation on gaining a permanent place in football’s history.

Messi’s club form, in contrast, has never been under scrutiny, excelling for Barcelona in three different positions: outside-right, false nine withdrawn center-forwards and this season as No. 10 playmaker. His career-long allegiance to Barcelona has meant lifting every trophy available with his club, winning La Liga nine times and the Champions League on four occasions. While Ronaldo at Manchester United and then Real Madrid won five league titles (three in the English Premier League and two in La Liga) plus five Champions League titles.

It is a fight that has been played out since 2008 when Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or award, given to the world’s best player. In the years since he and Messi have lifted it five times each, and no one else has got close to standing in the way.

The battle on the pitch is matched by battles for followers on social media with the biggest stars have hundreds of millions potential customers that brands with little connection to football want to reach. Chinese dairy company Mengniu is one of a number hiring Messi to appear in World Cup adverts.

The superstar has currently six sponsorships with annual endorsement earnings up to 32.7 million US dollars that also includes Chinese smartphone maker Huawei Technologies. While Ronaldo annual endorsement earnings from 12 companies amount to over 36 million US dollars. The 33-year-old star has a three-year endorsement deal with Chinese emerging luxury SUV brand Wey.

Despite a trophy cabinet of silverware and multi-million US dollar sponsor deals, neither Messi nor Ronaldo have ever won a World Cup, and as both players edge towards the wrong side of 30, it could be one of their last chances. Although Argentina hasn't been performing to the standard football history dictates, it’s not too late for Messi at Russia and if the striker can replicate his club form on an international setting – there won’t be anyone stopping him – not even Ronaldo. 

Wojciech Bojanowski is the only journalist who, on the occasion of Poland's struggle with Senegal, reported on what is happening in the country of our first World Cup rival.

Several times, the network circulated short shots from its "adventures". For the first time, when at the time of live TV, he was suddenly surrounded by a group of children. The young Senegalese did not hide their excitement. They shouted, waved their hands and effectively prevented the reporter from working.

At some point, a young man came into the group and began to beat young football fans with his stick . The reporter was surprised by the man's intense intervention, but immediately continued the program.

It must be remembered that consent to such behavior at this end of the world, after all, is completely different to us.

- Senegal is a very hospitable country, but certainly educational methods are completely different and brutal here than in Europe - says Bojanowski in an interview with Wirtualna Polska.

He assures us that he did not feel dangerous there for a moment. It focuses on something else: "People in Senegal are totally in love with sports . They like it, but it is also a chance for them to have a better life."

Although the reporter has already visited more than one country on foreign continents, he admits that the visit in Senegal made a really big impression on him.

- This is the first country in the world where in the evenings I see hundreds of people going to the beach and practicing gyms, doing push-ups and crunches at open gyms. Maybe that is why, when going to the championships, they have such a large selection of players afterwards - he states in an interview with Wirtualna Polska.

Now the network, in turn, runs a screen shot, which shows that behind the TVN reporter is a man waving a gun.

- As for the gun, I did not see him in the whole situation. I do not even know if he was real. But of course, as in many countries of Africa or South America, weapons in the streets appear here more often than in our country - he admits.

Two different worlds

"Beating children to classes with reed and beating them on the calves is something completely normal there," says Jarosław Kociszewski, a reporter of Wirtualna Polska, who visited tens of schools in several countries during his travels around Africa. He viewed similar pictures, among others, in Ethiopia, Uganda or Kenya.

The long-standing correspondent adds that, moreover, teachers and educators also often wear special white smocks.

- The point is to stand out. This is an old, colonial approach to education, in which the teacher, even the weak one, is the authority, and the children only have to listen. Later, adults are supposed to listen to the power, i.e. simply a soldier with a Kalashnikov instead of a previous stick - he notes.

Cristiano Ronaldo has become Europe’s all-time leading scorer with 85 goals after he found the back of the net once again in the Portuguese’s 2018 FIFA World Cup clash against Morocco.

The prolific Real Madrid man scored early on in the game, to propel his side to the top of Group B, at least until Spain plays Iran later today.

The 33-year old is the 2018 World Cup’s top scorer so far with four goals in two games. He managed a hat-trick in Portugal’s opening game against Spain, which ended 3-3.

Portugal’s win also jeopardized Morocco’s chances of progression in the tournament, as they have no point from the two games they have played. The Atlas Lions lost their first game against Iran by a solitary goal.

They are the second African side to have lost both games played so far, after Egypt lost to host Russia on Tuesday after going down to Uruguay in their first game.

For Morocco, a win for Spain against Iran later today will effectively bundle them out of the competition. Egypt will also be eliminated if Uruguay win against Saudi Arabia.

Nigeria’s fashionable Super Eagles continue to hog all the headlines ahead of the World Cup, following the Sky Sports poll that voted their official Nike designed kit as the best jersey at this year’s tournament.

True to their form, the team made a colourful grand entrance to their training base in Russia, donning green and white attire that featured footballs below the collars. The attire, which has revived the hype around the Nigerian team, is complemented with matching shoes and hats.

The Nigerian team who pulled off a remarkable unbeaten qualification run to the World Cup in Russia, have arguably been the most hyped African nation going to Russia. Their jerseys sold out on the day they were released and they have recived endorsements from unlikely sources including Italian football club side AS Roma and Kenyan politician Raila Odinga.

The Super Eagles have however not returned impressive results in their warm up games, losing matches against Serbia, England and the Czech Republic.

That has however not weighed down the expectations of over 180 million Nigerians who are rooting for the three time African champions. Nigeria plays against Argentina, Iceland and Croatia in Group D.

Germany, the champion of the t-shirts
With these designs, Germany remembers the title won against Argentina, in 1990. The golden detail in the center, of the white one, that shouts to the universe that they are champions, is fantastic. The union of the three stripes of the shoulders with those of the chest is very well achieved. It's a winner's uniform.

Brazil ranks second
Simply beautiful. The second equipment of Brazil that commemorates the title in Sweden 1958 is of collection. The star that forms the different tones in the front is a message to his rivals: we lost 7-1 against Germany and we want revenge.

Colombia returns with the Ras-Tas-Tas
Colombia was the revelation team of Brazil 2014 and their celebrations of the goals, to the rhythm of a "salsa clash" called "Ras-Tas-Tas", gave flavor to the tournament. For Russia they maintain the flow  with this beautiful striped design on the sides that recalls that used by the generation of the "Pibe" Valderrama in 1990.

Mexico, a "10" shirt
In a World Cup dominated by white, red and blue, the green of Mexico impacts. The different shades of this color, which refers to the 1994 World Cup, stylize the torsos of the players and also give the team personality. Just look at it makes you want to visit Mexico and have a tequila.

Nigeria and the perfect way to reinterpret a classic
Inspired by the first World Cup qualification (1994), Nigeria will play at home with the only uniform that breaks the monotony of monochromatic designs or without external elements (on the right of the graph). As a visitor he also wears a beautiful shirt that honors the flag. These Eagles are ready to fly high.

Peru, a return to class
If you go back to a tournament after 36 years you have to show your best clothes and that's what Peru did with its second uniform. This shirt is full of details that make it attractive and elegant, like the golden edges. The generation of Teófilo Cubillas, last in attending a World Cup, has reasons to cheer up.

England, a cheerful version only of visitor
Well, we are clear that England is not the queen of the pachanga, but unlike the traditional white local uniform, this presentation is more striking, because it maintains the identity of the Three Lions, the rose and the cross of St. George combined in a lovely color. There is not the beauty of David Beckham, but the style.

Croatia does not let the classics die
The uniform of a team must have, first of all, personality. When you see the white and red squares you know that it is Croatia. But enter this ranking for his second kit. The blue with black (right) is fantastic. Intelligent way to reinterpret a classic, maintaining the essence.

Costa Rica, the perfection of simplicity
When the shirt is detailed the different lines that are found are conceived. It is a tribute to the flight of the hummingbird, typical bird of Costa Rica. It is a "sober" shirt, with many modern touches: it has printed the years of the World Cups that Costa Rica has attended and on the sides, near the waist, two blue trims that combine with the blue shorts .

Sweden carries the blue like the blue sea
It's a very relaxed uniform. It is likely that Sweden will not get very far in the World Cup, but surely their players will be followed by their appeal. The navy blue with yellow trim fits perfectly with the yellow hair and beards of lumberjacks.

The hosts in red
Bored! The retro uniform, reminiscent of the Soviet Union's selection at the 1988 Olympic Games (gold medal), seems to be taken from an abandoned object store. Russia has done very badly in the friendlies and could bid farewell in the first round against rivals like Uruguay and Egypt. If so, fortunately we will not have to see this design anymore.

Spain, not everything retro looks
As sad as Morata was, after having been chosen to parade the shirt and not be on the list of 23, is the model of Spain. It is not an ugly design, but everything seems bound by obligation. Also, remember the World Cup in 1994, when they fell to Italy. There is still talk of the failure of Julio Salinas against Pagliuca who sentenced the meeting.

Argentina, as sad as Messi's luck with the national team
Yes, the original shirt of Argentina is a classic and scares anyone, but the second ... It lacks emotion, it is black and despite the details that resemble that of Colombia, it says absolutely nothing. At least Messi combines with tattoos.

Egypt, a school breakdown
Do you remember when you made a team in the block of your corner and uniformed with the first thing they had at home? This is how the clothing of Egypt looks like. It could be the shirt of any eleventh first division in the world.

Portugal does not surprise anyone
We do not know why Nike left the black line, really innovative in 2015. But in a World Cup that is full of white, the second team in Portugal is very dull. For a Eurocup champion (2016), showing strength in uniforms should be a priority.

Australia: A uniform to go to the gym?
At some point we all buy a shirt for exercises and you end up using it to walk the dog. Well that happens with the visitor uniform of Australia. Yellow, although not beautiful, is recognizable. You turn on the television and you know it's Tim Cahill and 10 more, but with this it looks like you're in front of a fitness champion.

Iceland: If you are not told what equipment is you do not recognize it
Iceland is the hipster team . It's fashionable We all want him to do well, but his visitor's uniform looks like a spawn between the shirts of the United States, Chile and any league team. Without style or purpose, of the worst in the World.

Belgium and its half-diamonds
We could cut the design and make socks. It is necessary to repeat it until the fatigue: not everything retro is good. The shield on the chest looks like a device to call the Avengers and to top it off, this model recalls that in the 1984 European Championship Belgium did not pass the first round and ate 5 goals from France.

South Korea: No expectations
When you know that you face Germany, Mexico and Sweden in the first round, it is best not to invest a lot of money in uniforms. That conclusion came in the South Korean federation, so they did not burn their brains in search of a creative design.

Saudi Arabia: As if they represented a drink that gives "life"
After South Korea, Saudi Arabia presents the palest uniform, literally speaking, of the World Cup. The green details remind us of food advertising that promises to help you live better or the Wall-e plant.

The performance in the World Cup of the national team is unknown. His classification was very discreet and if not for Messi, would have been out of the tournament.

Argentina qualified in the last match of the South American eliminatory, when defeating Ecuador 1a 3 in Quito, with triplet of its star Lionel Messi. That match summarizes the tortuous path of the albiceleste that went through three technicians in the process: Gerardo Martino, Edgardo Bauza and the current one, Jorge Sampaoli.

In addition, Messi had to be persuaded to return to wearing the shirt after resigning in 2016, after failing from the 12 steps and losing the final of the Copa América on penalties against Chile.

But achieved the goal, these were the 23 that Sampaoli chose to play in Russia 2018. There was only one change for injury: Nahuel Guzman for Sergio Romero:

The 23 chosen from Argentina

Archers

Franco Armani (31 years old - River)
Wilfredo Caballero (36 - Chelsea)
Nahuel Guzmán (32 - Tigres UANL)

Defenders

Gabriel Mercado (31 - Seville)
Federico Fazio (31 - Rome)
Nicolás Otamendi (30 - Manchester City)
Cristian Ansaldi (31 - Torino)
Nicolás Tagliafico (25 - Ajax)
Marcos Rojo (28 - Manchester United)

Midfielders 

Ever Banega (29 - Seville)
Javier Mascherano (33 - Hebei Fortune)
Eduardo Salvio (27 - Benfica)
Lucas Biglia (32 - Milan)
Angel Di Maria (30 - PSG)
Giovani Lo Celso (22 - PSG)
Manuel Lanzini (25 - West Ham)
Maximiliano Meza (26 - Independent)
Marcos Acuña (26 - Sporting Lisbon)

Strikers 

Lionel Messi (30 - Barcelona)
Sergio Agüero (29 - Manchester City)
Gonzalo Higuaín (30 - Juventus)
Paulo Dybala (24 - Juventus)
Cristian Pavón (22 - Boca)

How does Argentina play?
Apparently, we should summarize the game of the national team with the joke that surrounded the Chicago Bulls in the 90s: "And then everyone passes it to Jordan." In this case it would be that everyone gives it to Messi. For some reason, neither Martino nor Bauza managed to get the great individuals to join in the benefit of an attractive and collective game.

With Sampaoli, there are still no clear traces of what we can see in the World Cup. The win that gave him Spain, 6 to 1, in one of the friendlies, generated many more doubts. But the elimination left two modifiable schemes: 3-4-2-1, when Argentina needs the victory (it was the drawing against Uruguay, Venezuela and Ecuador) and the 4-2-3-1, when the rival has height and arrival ( Peru).

The line of three in defense is formed by Mercado, Mascherano and Otamendi. From there the names are modified according to each rival. If we take into account the group to face: Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria , this formula is likely to be imposed, but to the extent that the competition demands, it must adjust in defense, because Argentina is a very short team in the last line . Here you can see the complete schedule of Russia 2018 with all the matches of Argentina in the first round.

Possible 11 of Argentina
With Romero's surprise injury, Armani assumes the ownership of the goal. From there he would align like this: Mercado, Mascherano, Otamendi; Banega and Biglia; Lo Celso, Messi, Pavón, Di María, and Agüero.

Despite having great goalscorers from all leagues (Messi, Agüero, Higuaín, Dybala), the runners-up of Brazil 2014 and the Copa América of 2015 and 2016, he had a dismal average of goals in the tie (he scored only 19). Then Sampaoli's "Bielsista" inheritance will be put to the test in this tournament that privileges the result over philosophy and a fan that always repeats: Of the second nobody remembers.

Egypt’s football star Mohamed Salah is set to travel to Spain this week for medical treatment as he seeks to recover in time for the FIFA World Cup.

The record-setting Liverpool forward was forced off in the half-hour mark of the Champions League final against Real Madrid, after he landed awkwardly under a challenge from Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos. Being unable to continue, the tearful Salah was replaced by Adam Lallana for the rest of the game.

Liverpool went on to lose the game 3-1, earning the Spanish giants their third consecutive Champions League title and their 13th overall.

The worrying injury prompted concerns, not just among Egyptians, but Africans at large. Salah however moved to Twitter to express his optimism that he will join his fellow Pharaohs to Russia.

He will now seek medical treatment in Spain, where he will be accompanied by Liverpool’s doctors.

The FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin on June 14, as 32 teams battle for honors in the World’s biggest football tournament.

Egypt is among five African teams that will also feature in the games. They are joined by Senegal, Tunisia, Nigeria and Morocco.

The Pharaohs are pooled alongside host Russia, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group A. They play their first game against the South Americans on 15 June.

Arsenal on Wednesday unveiled Unai Emery as the head coach, taking over from long-serving French tactician Arsene Wenger whose reign came to an end earlier this month.

Emery, 46, joins the North London side from Paris Saint Germain, whom he guided to five domestic cups in two years.

Arsenal had said they would move quick to appoint a replacement for Wenger after he announced in April that he would leave at the end of the season.

“Unai has an outstanding track record of success throughout his career, has developed some of the best young talent in Europe and plays an exciting, progressive style of football that fits Arsenal perfectly,” Arsenal’s chief executive Ivan Gazidis said of Emery.

“His hard-working and passionate approach and his sense of values on and off the pitch make him the ideal person to take us forward.”

Emery takes over at The Emirates at a time when there is growing pressure to win a Premier League title.

The Gunners last won the Premiership in 2004.

Generally, in Wenger’s 22 years in charge, the North Londoners won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, including the Double in 1998 and 2002.

Nigerian players selected for next month’s FIFA World Cup duty with the Super Eagles have started their training.

18 players reported to camp for the first session at the Uyo training camp, with 12 yet to report.

Among those in camp include Leicester City duo Ndidi Wilfred and Kelechi Iheanacho who ended their 2017/18 Premier League campaign on 13 May.

Among those who have’nt reported yet are captain Mikel John Obi and Odion Ighalo, who ply their trade in the Chinese Super League, with club Tianjin Teda and Changchun Yatai respectively.

Chelsea’s Victor Moses is also yet to report, having just played for the Londoners on Sunday.

Nigeria’s coach Gernot Rohr unveiled his provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup. A final 23-man list is expected to be published on 4 June.

The tournament is scheduled to begin on 14 June, though Nigeria will play their first game on 16 June.

The West Africans are pooled in Group D alongside Argentina, Croatia and Iceland.

“Live It Up,” the Official Song of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, will be released on multiple streaming platforms on Friday, and is performed by A-listers including Will Smith, Nicky Jam and Era Istrefi.

On Tuesday, world-renowned Grammy Award-winning actor, songwriter and artist posted a picture on Instagram with fellow American singer Jam with the caption, "One Life to Live. Live it Up. #2018FIFAWorldCup."

FIFA has confirmed that the three will team up to perform at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow before the final on July 15.

“It’s an honor to be asked to perform at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This global event brings people from all over the world together to cheer, laugh and experience magic,” said Smith.

Produced by American DJ Diplo, the song is a collaboration between FIFA and Sony Music. The official music video will be available as of June 7.

The tradition of an official song dates back to the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England with a song for the first Official Mascot, “World Cup Willie.”

Since then, official music and mascots of the World Cup have become a significant component of the event.

Australian authorities are in the hunt for 50 athletes and officials who disappeared during the Commonwealth games, some without even participating in the games held in the Gold Coast.

The country’s home affairs minister confirmed the search, saying officers had been deployed to find the missing athletes and “take them into immigration detention and eventually to deport them”.

He said that another 190 people had sought protection visas, a class of visa in Australia assigned to refugees. A further fifteen have applied for other types of visas.

While some participants at major international sporting events overstay their visas or seek asylum in the host countries, the number of claims in Australia following this year’s Commonwealth Games, held April 4-15, is high.

Participants who went missing or sought refuge at previous Commonwealth Games, such as those held in Melbourne in 2006 and Manchester in 2002 and Glasgow in 2014, typically numbered in the dozens, not hundreds, according to government statements at the time.

More than 6,600 athletes and officials attended the 2018 event held in April.

Some of the athletes, including those from Cameroon did not show up for their events.

Dutton said on Tuesday under immigration law, people who apply for temporary protections visas are given bridging visas, which allow them to stay in Australia while their claims are processed.

Asylum seekers are a highly contentious political issue in Australia, which has a policy of stopping the flow of such people before they land in the country. Its policy of sending asylum seekers for processing to camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru has drawn criticism from the United Nations and international rights groups.

Australia defends its tough laws by saying it deters people from making dangerous sea journeys to try to reach its shores after thousands drowned.

Former long-serving Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger says he could have signed both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi during his time in charge of the North Londoners.

Wenger – whose 22-year reign at Arsenal came to a close at the end of the 2017/18 season last week – revealed how he tried to sign both players for the Gunners.

The French tactician said he had entered negotiations with Ronaldo’s representatives while he was still in his home country with Sporting Lisbon, but lost out to Manchester United, who came with a much better offer.

“He was here with his mother and we were very close. Then Man United came in and they had Carlos Queiroz at the time, who was their coach. United played against Sporting Lisbon and Ronaldo was outstanding and they signed him,” Sky Sports quotes Wenger.

“Once we were at £4.5m, we were still in negotiations. David [Dein] met with [agent Jorge] Mendes in Paris and he was representing Sporting, so we were very close. But Man United went to £12m, which we could not afford at the time,” he added.

Ronaldo went on to spend six seasons at Old Trafford before moving to Real Madrid, a duration in which he won three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and one Champions League trophy. He won his first Ballon d’Or while still at United.

Wenger went on to state that he registered interest in Messi and defender Gerard Pique at the time he bid for Cesc Fabregas.

“I met Cesc’s [Fabregas] parents and at the time we were interested in Messi and [Gerard] Pique as well. We tried for the three but of course, it didn’t work out…because of the agents.

“With Messi, Barcelona didn’t want to lose him of course and they made [the offer] that was needed to keep the player at the club.”

Messi and Rolando have since gone on to become the world’s best duo in the football world, both winning five Ballon d’Ors so far.

Italy's famous football website calciomercato.com has released a ranking list of how much each of the 32 teams on the 2018 FIFA World Cup is worth based on the prices of their players on the transfer market.

France tops the list with about 1.23 billion US dollars, thanks to four of their high-priced players: Kylian Mbappé, 19, from PSG is worth about 145.53 million dollars and Antoine Griezmann from Club Atlético de Madrid is valued about 121.32 million dollars. Paul Pogba from Manchester United and Ousmane Dembélé from FC Barcelona come in third and fourth respectively at 109.19 million and 94.36 million dollars.

Defending champion Germany ranks second at 1.21 billion dollars but has no player above 100 million dollars. The country's midfield core player Toni Kroos from Real Madrid is worth about 97.14 million dollars while 22-year-old new star Leroy Sane from Manchester City is priced at 91.07 million dollars.

As the champion of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Spain is the third most expensive team in Russia with around 1.20 billion dollars in value. The country has multiple players worth about 65 million dollars. Two young stars from Real Madrid, Marco Asensio and Isco, have the team's highest price of 91.07 dollars.

Argentina ranks 5th on the list with about 1.07 billion dollars. Four-time Ballon d'Or winner, Lionel Messi of Barcelona, is quoted at the same price as Neymar of Brazil at 218.58 million dollars on the transfer market. Paulo Dybala from Juventus comes in second with around 83.63 million dollars.

Panama from the North, Central America and the Caribbean region ranks the last of all 32 teams at only 14.2 million dollars. Roberto Nurse from Mexico's Mineros de Zacatecas is the country's most valuable player with a price of a mere 0.97 million dollars.

Liverpool’s Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah was on Thursday crowned the club’s Player of the Season at a glittering awards ceremony, where he also won the Players’ Player award for the 2017/18 season.

The 25-year-old has already won the PFA Player of the Year award, the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, three Player of the Month Awards, and is well in contention to win both the English Golden Boot and European Golden Shoe.

The Egyptian’s incredible debut season with Liverpool has seen him lead his side to a first Champions League final in a decade, where they will face defending champions Real Madrid in Kiev later this month.

After picking up the club awards, Salah said he had no plans to leave for another club, news that will definitely get Liverpool fans across the world very excited.

“I’m very happy here and everything is fine,” he said. “I have got ambitions for the future, with ­Liverpool.

“We had a great season and now we are in the Champions League final, and everyone is excited. It is just the start. This is my first year here and it is the same for some other players. We have had an unbelievable year. It is just the beginning,” he added.

Following his latest trophy haul, Salah credited his great performance this season to the help he received from his teammates.

“I am very happy to win these awards. I had a good season but, without the help of my team-mates, it would have been very difficult,” he said. “We all try to help each other. We all try to give more and we all try to push each other.

Liverpool are set to end the season against Brighton & Hove Albion, hoping to secure their place in next season’s Champions League season.

Riders cling to camels during a race on Ascension in Bavaria, in Taufkirchen, Germany, on Thursday. A total of eight oxen and four camels joined in the race.
Ox racing is a sport in Bavaria. When a Taufkirchen fraternity sought to hold an ox race to celebrate its 125th anniversary, the organizers found that there were not enough male oxen trained for racing, so they broadened the parameters to include camels.
The combination of oxen and camels in the race is the first in its history.

Mohamed Salah has been named the Champions League player of the Week following his outing with Liverpool against Italian side AS Roma.

The Egyptian scored twice to help the Merseyside club thrash the visitors 5-2, boosting their chances of making it to the final for the first time since 2007.

Salah capped a wonderful display with two assists against the Italian club, from where Liverpool signed him in the summer.

The 25-year-old saw off competition from Real Madrid’s full back Marcelo, who equalized for the Spanish side after Bayern has taken the lead. Madrid went on to win the game 2-1.

Salah’s goals saw him climb to the top of Europe’s scoring charts, passing both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Barcelona’s midfield maestro Andrés Iniesta is set to leave the Spanish giants at the end of the season to join Chinese Super League club Chongqing Dangdai Lifan.

Iniesta announced his intentions to leave Barcelona on Friday, bringing an end to his 22-year stay at the club.

“It’s a very difficult day for me, to be here saying goodbye when I’ve spent my whole life here at Barcelona,” he said.

“For me, Barca is the best club in the world – this club has given me everything. A great deal of who I am, is down to Barca and La Masia – I am very thankful to them.”

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During his stay at Barcelona, the 33-year-old won eight La Liga titles (with a ninth set to be secured in the coming weeks), four Champions League titles, six Copa del Rey crowns, one World Cup and two European Championship titles.

Following his announcement, reactions from both footballers and fans flooded social media, most thanking him for his years of service at Barcelona.

South Africa’s ruling party, African National Congress (ANC), has called new regulations issued by athletics’ governing body IAAF a “blatant racist attempt” against South Africa’s Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya.

The new measures, which come into effect in November, state that female athletes with naturally high testosterone levels will have to race against men or change events unless they take medication.

“These laws target amongst others Caster Semenya who has been over the past decade constantly put under undue pressure” the ANC wrote in a statement.

The International Association of Athletics Federations new guidelines would apply to women who race in track events from 400m up to the mile.

The South African runner has previously been asked to undertake gender testing by athletics chiefs but no results have ever officially been made public.

The 27-year-old’s powerful physique and deep voice, followed by the revelations of her hyperandrogenism, left some rivals complaining that they faced an impossible and unfair challenge.

The IAAF’s previous attempts to regulate the issue fell foul of a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling in 2015 following an appeal on behalf of Indian athlete Dutee Chand, who had been banned from competing because of her testosterone levels.

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“The revised rules are not about cheating – they are about levelling the playing field to ensure fair and meaningful competition,” IAAF president Lord Coe said.

“We want athletes to be incentivised to make the huge commitment and sacrifice required to excel in the sport.”

The ANC has implored South Africa’s government to intervene on Semenya’s behalf.

“These new regulations infringe on the Human Rights of athletes, targeting mainly those in East Europe, Asia and the African continent,” the party wrote. “The racial undertones of this cannot go unnoticed.”

Media in the UK and South Africa on Wednesday published sections of the report ahead of its official release, revealing that the new hyperandrogenism regulations would include a separate female classification to be known as an Athlete with Differences of Sexual Development or DSD.

“The result is these new regulations, which seek to facilitate the participation in the sport of athletes with DSDs on terms that preserve fair and meaningful competition in the female classification.”



The IAAF’s medical advisors have suggested the advantage held by DSD athletes is far less pronounced in short sprints or longer distance endurance races, leaving the door open for Semenya to move up to 5,000 or 10,000 metres if she desires.

Ms. Semenya has been embroiled in a global debate about gender and athletics since winning the 800 meter gold medal at the 2009 World Championships.

She had previously been asked to undertake gender testing by athletics chiefs but the results have never been made public.

Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah scored twice on Tuesday to help Liverpool clinch an important win against Italian side AS Roma in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.

The two goals propelled Salah to the top of the scoring charts in Europe, with 43 goals in all competitions.

That tally is better than what both Cristiano Ronaldo (42) and Lionel Messi (40) have managed so far.

Having already broken a few records in the 2017/18 season, Salah last night wrote another piece of history by becoming Liverpool’s highest ever scorer in a single Champions League season, with 10 goals.

Salah also grabbed two assists against his former side, from where Liverpool signed him in the summer.

In total, the Merseyside club put five past Alisson Becker, but also conceded two late goals.

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The club will be hoping to avoid the same humiliation Roma put Spanish giants Barcelona through to eliminate them out of the elite European competition. Having lost 4-1 in the first leg, Roma beat the Catalans 3-0 in Rome to ensure they stayed on in the tournament at the expense of Messi’s side.

With three more Premier League games to go Salah also has the chance to write history by becoming the highest ever scorer in a single season. He currently has 31 goals, the joint record he now holds with Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Alan Shearer.