Messi
"I sincerely believed that I would have the day off after the game as had been happening in previous weeks. I had this trip organised and I couldn't cancel it, I had already cancelled it before," Messi said in a video on Instagram.
Diaz, however, stressed his sights are fixed on the meeting with Urawa at Saitama Stadium in the continental club final rather than the future of Argentina's World Cup-winning captain.
An Egyptian sitcom gathered look-alikes of international footballers who all happen to live in Egypt: Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Kylian Mbappé, and Lionel Messi.
Captain Messi finally got his 800th career goal and doubled the lead in the 89th minute with a brilliant free-kick that went into the top right corner to excite the more than 80,000 fans chanting his name at the Monumental Stadium.
More than 80,000 people will attend the Monumental Stadium in Argentina's capital for a friendly against Panama.
Messi could win his second The Best trophy after leading Argentina to their third World Cup title by beating Mbappe's France in last year's final in Qatar, scoring seven goals during the tournament and earning his second Golden ball.
Messi played the full 90 minutes of PSG's 2-1 defeat to Olympique Marseille in the French Cup on Wednesday but later felt pain in his hamstring, the report said.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni would love to see the superstar -- who is one of only six players to compete in five World Cups -- suit up for the next World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Saudi government's entertainment arm said on Twitter that Mushref Al-Ghamdi, general manager of real estate group AqarOne, was the highest bidder for a "Beyond Imagination" ticket.
In Argentina, where soccer generates something akin to a religious fervor, millions of men and women took to the streets on Tuesday to give the national team a hero's welcome as they toured the capital by bus after returning from Qatar.
After a mesmerising month of upsets, when several brash outsiders threatened soccer's status quo, the World Cup final will have a familiar feel on Sunday when two of the sport's super-heavyweights go toe to toe, each seeking a third title.
Lionel Messi said Argentina have felt the presence of the late, great Diego Maradona throughout their World Cup campaign, including on Friday when they beat the Netherlands on penalties to reach the semi-finals.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi and coach Lionel Scaloni predicted a tough but beautiful encounter with the Netherlands when the sides meet in Friday's World Cup quarter-final.
Lionel Messi scored his first goal in a World Cup knockout round in his 1,000th match to beat Diego Maradona's tournament tally, as Argentina beat off a frenzied Australia fightback to win 2-1 on Saturday and reach the quarter-finals.
Lionel Messi's passionate performances at the Qatar World Cup are earning him oodles of love from Argentines, but their old favouritism for Diego Maradona may resurface unless he brings home the trophy on his final attempt.
Argentines renewed their hopes in the country's national soccer team after it defeated Poland 2-0 on Wednesday, booking a place for the team led by star Lionel Messi in the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Lionel Messi has won nearly 40 trophies for club and country in an illustrious career but the Argentine forward's glittering resume has one major omission -- a World Cup winner's medal.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi has said he is counting the days until the World Cup and believes his team have a good chance of winning the tournament.
Lionel Messi scored twice and Argentina dominated Honduras 3-0 on Friday in Miami.
Seven times reigning winner Lionel Messi was not nominated for this year's Ballon d'Or for the first time since 2005.
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