Ansu Fati wants to stay at Barcelona, but his father has other ideas.

The 20-year-old, who has been with the club for a decade, has made 38 appearances in all competitions this season but 27 of them have come as a substitute.

Bori Fati – who manages his son alongside agent Jorge Mendes – has been left angered by the situation and believes the winger deserves more minutes for Xavi's side.

"If it was up to me, I would take him [to another team] but [Ansu] wants to stay at Barcelona," Bori Fati told Spanish outlet Cope.

"He does not want to sign for another club, but I want to see him succeed. As a dad, I am angry.

"Seeing Ansu play so little winds you up a little bit, and sometimes I think as a father, not a coach."

Fati, who has scored six goals this season, is under a long-term contract with Barca, who are 12 points clear at the top of LaLiga. 

And despite his father's wish, Fati has previously stated his desire to remain with Barcelona, where he feels at home. 

"I'm under contract with Barcelona until June 2027, and I hope to stay here for many more years," he said in February.

"I feel grateful and lucky to play for Barca and I have to thank the people who support me daily for their backing."

The situation led to Bori calling a meeting with Barcelona sporting director Mateu Alemany, and agent Mendes.

Alemany reassured him of his son's role at the club, though Bori remains unconvinced the situation will change.

"I called Mateu," said Bori. "He told us that Ansu is part of the club's heritage, and they have bet big on him.

"As a dad, I think differently, maybe I am wrong. He is your franchise player, the number 10, he took [that number] on when no one was ready to take it from [Lionel] Messi.

"What annoys me is how they're treating him in terms of minutes. One minute, two, three.

"I am not asking for him to be a starter, because all the forwards at the club are phenomenal, but we are talking about Ansu Fati, of Spain and Barcelona, who came through La Masia."

It is now at the point where Bori no longer wants to visit Camp Nou to watch his son play.

"If it carries on like this, I will go [back] to [the family home in] Seville and that's that," said Bori.

"I didn't go to the game against [Real] Madrid. I won't go to the stadium anymore.

"The other day Ansu asked me why I didn't go, he thought I was there. I told him I didn't fancy it."

Tottenham should not have been surprised by how Antonio Conte's time at the club ended as he "goes into conflict with everyone", says Christian Vieri.

Conte joined Spurs in November 2021 after the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo and guided the north London club to a top-four Premier League finish at the end of his first season.

Despite sitting fourth again this season, performances under Conte were hugely inconsistent with Spurs falling to disappointing exits in the Champions League and FA Cup in recent weeks. 

Following an explosive press conference in which the Italian labelled his players "selfish", he left the club on Sunday.

However, the breakdown in relations between Conte and the club was something former Juventus, Inter and Italy striker Vieri was expecting. 

"Antonio goes into conflict with everyone, it's his character," he told Corriere della Sera.

"If you take him, you can't expect someone who shuts up and everything is fine with him. He is always on the edge, it's his way of being; you can like it or not, you know who you get.

"Every two years does he fight with everyone? Yes. Does he always leave with problems? Yes. 

"You know he's demanding, serious, and it's hard to have him in your club, he doesn't let you sleep peacefully. 

"They are choices. There are coaches like Conte and Mourinho who hammer at all hours, put pressure and always demand the best. 

"And then there are those who are fine with anything, they stay there. Everyone trains and sees football in their own way, and it doesn't mean that this or that coach is right."

Conte's former assistant Cristian Stellini is set to take charge of Tottenham alongside Ryan Mason until the end of the season. 

Mikel Arteta labelled Arsene Wenger as the most influential manager in Premier League history, after the former Arsenal boss was inducted into the competition's Hall of Fame.

On Wednesday, Wenger was inducted alongside Alex Ferguson, with the pair becoming the first managers to go into the Hall of Fame after 16 players had already been added.

Wenger won three Premier League titles – including with the 2003-04 'Invincibles' – and seven FA Cups during his long stint in charge of Arsenal.

He is renowned for introducing a revolutionary football philosophy, which included a commitment to attacking football.

"I don't think any other managers have had a more impact," Arteta said.

"Some managers have brought different ideas, different characters, different competitions. 

"He opened the Premier League to the world in a different way to other managers. He had a vision that was much wider than any other manager had at the time.

"England and the Premier League have to be very grateful forever to this man."

Arteta played under Wenger for five seasons between 2011 and 2016, before becoming Arsenal boss himself in 2019.

After winning the 2020 FA Cup, Arteta has the Gunners leading the Premier League by eight points with 10 games to go.

On track for Arsenal’s first title in 19 years, Arteta has credited Wenger for helping him as a player and then in the next step of his career.

"I had a dream to play for this club and that was because of the way Arsenal played," added Arteta.

"It was so attractive. I had a phenomenal time with him. He pushed me as well at the end of my career to become a coach.

"We had a conversation and I asked him what he would do in my position because I had doubts in my career over whether I wanted to continue my journey as a coach.

"He helped me at the club and at the academy to do my badges and again, he was an inspiration."

Christian Vieri believes criticism of Roberto Mancini's decision to call up Argentine-born Mateo Retegui to the Italy team is "dinosaur stuff".

Retegui was born and raised in Argentina, has spent his entire career in South America and cannot speak Italian, but he qualified for the Azzurri through a grandparent.

The striker, who counted Vieri as an idol, made his Italy bow this month, scoring against both England and Malta to prompt links to Inter.

There has still been scepticism around his role in the Italy side, with Mario Balotelli among those to suggest Mancini should be relying on players closer to home.

But that is not an assessment Vieri agrees with, having grown up in Australia before representing Italy at two World Cups.

"They are poor people," Vieri told Corriere della Sera of the critics. "It is an ancient mentality, dinosaur stuff.

"In Australia, I grew up with kids from all over the world."

He added of Retegui: "It is promising, a positive impact. A really nice goal against England, perfect control and immediate, precise shooting, and a pure centre-forward's goal in Malta.

"Mancio was right once again: if he sees a good player, he throws him in without much problem. In any case, Mateo has to play and still improve a lot."

Mancini has repeatedly pointed to the lack of Italian talent in forward positions in Serie A, perhaps best illustrated by runaway league leaders Napoli.

Georgia's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nigeria's Victor Osimhen have inspired their outstanding campaign and are counted among Vieri's stars of the season – all of whom play for the Partenopei and none of whom are Italian.

"In first place is Kim [Min-jae]," Vieri said. "Kim Kardashian, I say.

"Seriously, I didn't even know who he was. And here I think back to [the work of Napoli sporting director Cristiano] Giuntoli. I was very impressed by the personality of the Korean.

"Then, of course, there's Kvaratskhelia – he seems to me George Best for the way he walks, dribbles, even for his hair.

"I say Osimhen, devastating. Italy completed him from all points of view, and today he is among the three strongest strikers in the world.

"Finally, we mustn't overlook the 'old' [Stanislav] Lobotka, who reminds me of Xavi, someone who made a mistake every 10 to 12 months."

Can Napoli win the Champions League as well as the Scudetto then?

"It wouldn't be a surprise for me, even if they'll have to be very careful about Milan," Vieri said.

Kai Havertz hailed the impact Thomas Tuchel had on his career, with the new Bayern Munich boss having coached the Germany international at Chelsea.

Tuchel, who was announced as Bayern's coach following the shock sacking of Julian Nagelsmann last week, took charge of the Blues between January 2021 and September last year.

The German guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021, with Havertz scoring the first-half winner in a 1-0 victory over fellow Premier League side Manchester City.

Speaking to The Guardian on Tuchel's influence, he said: "Tuchel gave me a different idea of football. 

"Every detail counts, every centimetre, how you touch the ball, how you control, where you pass, which foot, movement, creating spaces: he's just top level. 

"To come and win the Champions League in six months says it all.

"My brother and I used to watch every Champions League game and to hold the trophy with your family on the pitch was such a relief. 

"I scored this goal, I can be happy. I made my childhood dream come true."

Chelsea remain in this year's competition after overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit to Borussia Dortmund with a 2-0 home win at Stamford Bridge. 

Havertz scored the crucial second goal from the penalty spot and his side now face reigning champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

"The ambition is still there," Havertz said about Chelsea's Champions League aspirations this campaign. 

"In the league, we are not very good and we feel for the fans but against Dortmund, the atmosphere was the best I have seen. You feel the excitement. 

"The Premier League is big and winning it may be even more difficult but the Champions League is different. Hearing that anthem, playing at night, it's special."

Despite progress in the Champions League, Tuchel's successor Graham Potter sees his side sit tenth in the Premier League and 11 points off a top-four position heading into the final stage of the season.

Regardless of the pressure on Potter and the new singings brought in as part of an ambitious January spending spree, Havertz believes all of them will thrive at the club given time to develop. 

"Potter is very good for Chelsea even though he gets criticism; in the changing room, everyone knows his qualities.

"Enzo [Fernandez] and [Mykhaylo] Mudryk have come for a lot of money and they're only 22, you know? You cannot expect them to be Neymar straight away. It's like me: it takes time."

Erik ten Hag hailed Alex Ferguson as the defining personality in Manchester United's recent history following his induction into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

The league confirmed on Wednesday that Ferguson and his former rival Arsene Wenger are the first two inductees of 2023.

During a remarkable 27-year managerial stint at Old Trafford, Ferguson took standards to an altogether different level and he arguably remains the benchmark.

He took charge in 1986, six years before the foundation of the Premier League, and went on to win the competition 13 times – that is nine more than any other coach or manager.

United are waiting for their first Premier League title since Ferguson's retirement in 2013, and Ferguson's legacy still lauds over every manager who arrives at the club.

Ten Hag is the latest to try his luck and recognises the influence held by Ferguson, which is acting as a guide for the Dutchman as he looks to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.

"You feel it every day because he left a legacy and Manchester United is Alex Ferguson," Ten Hag told the Premier League.

"He set the highest standards, the highest values, and brought the winning attitude. He built that in the club… and that is the standard that you must face if you want to play for Manchester United or work for Manchester United.

"First of all, he knew when to rebuild and reconstruct a new team because he did it over two decades and every time he was successful. He did it with a balance of homegrown players and bringing big stars in.

"He got the best out of it, like working with Eric Cantona, working with [Ruud] van Nistelrooy, [Robin] van Persie, Wayne Rooney.

"That is huge if you are able to handle those personalities, but also to let them play as a team. That was always one of his most important qualities – that the team is always above any individual. It's difficult to construct one winning team. He did it so many times!”

Ten Hag was spotted having dinner with Ferguson in February before United played host to Barcelona in the Europa League.

At the time he spoke of how "committed" Ferguson still was to the club with his desire to help those who came after him.

Now, he is hoping to make such meetings more of a regular occurrence, such is Ferguson's wealth of experience.

"His experience is huge, so with all the knowledge he can help you with, he can," Ten Hag added.

"I'm really pleased that he wants to share his knowledge with me. It's great to talk and learn from him, and I hope we can do it more often."

Having secured a spot in the CONCACAF Gold Cup preliminary round to be played in Miami later this year, St Kitts and Nevis national senior team, the Sugar Boyz are eagerly anticipating what comes next.

They earned their place in the preliminary round courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Aruba on Monday at the Warner Park Cricket Stadium in Concacaf Nations League action. Keithroy Freeman scored both goals for the Sugar Boyz to seal victory.

Though happy with the victory, Coach Austin Dico Huggins, believed the team should have scored more goals. “The opportunity was there for us to get more but that’s the nature of the game. We managed to get two goals and we are successful so we move on to the next leg in Miami, which will be in June. We have more time to prepare ourselves much better,” he said.

 Now just one step away from making history - qualification to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, should they win their Miami – Coach Huggins expressed confidence in his team’s ability to get the job done.

“We are confident and we are looking forward to the opportunity to go out and display our talent and to let people know what St. Kitts (and Nevis) has and we can once more compete with the big boys,” Huggins said.

Meanwhile, Aruba’s coach Marvic Bermudez, said they were unable to nullify the long ball threat from St. Kitts and Nevis.  “We saw the other teams in Group C and I told the guys the most difficult team in Group C is St. Kitts (and Nevis),” he said. “I told the guys we have a strong opponent so we have to be really prepared and I was right. St. Kitts is a real(ly) good team,” he said.

 A draw will be held on April 14 to determine the Sugar Boyz’s opponents for the preliminary round of the Concacaf Gold Cup.

Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

The great rivals are the first managers to enter the Hall of Fame, which was established in 2021.

Ferguson managed Manchester United from the start of the Premier League era until his retirement in 2013, winning a record 13 titles.

Wenger led Arsenal to three championships in the longest-serving reign in competition history – from 1996 until 2018.

Only Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (four) and Roma coach Jose Mourinho (three) have joined Ferguson and Wenger in winning multiple titles.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: "We are delighted to welcome our first two managers into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

"Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger both made a remarkable contribution to the history of football in this country.   

"They brought unparalleled levels of success to Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, raising standards and thrilling fans with a rivalry which resulted in an astonishing 16 title wins between them."

Ferguson added: "I'm truly delighted to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. It's an honour when you receive recognition like this.

"However, it's not just about me as a person. It's about the job at Manchester United and the bond we had over many years, so I'm also proud for the club, the staff and my players.

"My job was to send the fans home happy. United's history and my own expectations were the things that drove me, and I then had to try and develop all my players with the same expectations and make sure we could go out and achieve them."

Wenger said: "I am very grateful to have been selected for the Premier League Hall of Fame.

"We always wanted to give something special to the fans, and when you have players capable of remarkable things, the most important thing for me is the obligation of perfection.

"I'd like to be known as someone who loved Arsenal, who respected the values of the club and left it in a position where it can grow and become even bigger."

The pair join 16 players in the Hall of Fame, with three more to be voted in by fans from a 15-man shortlist announced on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia have announced the resignation of head coach Herve Renard, who is set to be confirmed as the head coach of France's women's team.

Renard, who had a contract as Saudi Arabia coach until 2027, will take charge of the French side ahead of the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand later this year.

The 54-year-old, who has won the Africa Cup of Nations twice as a coach, will replace Corinne Diacre as Les Bleues coach.

Diacre left her role amid a player exodus over her management style and treatment of the squad.

In a statement on social media, the Saudi national team said: "The Saudi Arabian Football Federation Board of Directors has agreed on the contract termination of the Head Coach of the Saudi National Team Mr Herve Renard upon his request.

"A legal settlement has been reached to end the contract between the two parties.

"The President and Board of Directors of SAFF wish for Mr Renard every success in his future career."

Renard took the post in 2019 and guided Saudi Arabia to their second successive World Cup finals, becoming the foreign-born manager with the most wins in the nation's history.

He led Saudi Arabia to a shock 2-1 win over eventual champions Argentina in their first group game in Qatar, but defeats to Poland and Mexico meant they failed to reach the knock-out rounds.

Renard oversaw a 2-1 friendly defeat to Bolivia on Tuesday and later posted on social media: "Having been the coach of the national team of Saudi Arabia is a great pride for me. 

"Since August 2019, I had the chance to be an integral part of the life of this beautiful country. I have seen this team grow alongside me and achieve a fabulous World Cup and this fantastic and unforgettable win against Argentina.

"Very proud to have been able to show to the world the progress and a good image of Saudi football. It's time for me to fly to another horizon but with these memories engraved in me."

Harry Kane's future at Tottenham remains in limbo, given his contract status and the departure of Antonio Conte.

The 29-year-old forward, who recently became Spurs' all-time leading scorer, is out of contract in 2024.

Kane has previously spoken about his desire to contend for silverware and almost joined Manchester City in 2021.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD SANCTION KANE MOVE

The Manchester United bosses have sanctioned a potential £80million deal for Tottenham striker Harry Kane, reports the Daily Star.

United are ready to ramp up their interest in the England captain, who has interest from Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Chelsea.

The report claims United hope to get the jump on their rivals and open up talks soon, with a view to having a deal agreed with Kane within weeks.

ROUND-UP

– The Times reports Bayern Munich want to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount who previously worked with the German champions' new boss Thomas Tuchel.

– Arsenal are circling for Eintracht Frankfurt's Danish midfielder Jesper Lindstrom who may be available for €30m, reports Sport1.

– The Mirror claims Liverpool have joined the battle to sign Evan Ndicka from Eintracht Frankfurt as a free agent in the off-season.

– Barcelona may cash in on Samuel Umtiti's revival on loan at Lecce and look to recoup a transfer fee this off-season according to SPORT.

– Sky Italy claims former Real Madrid boss and France World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane is on Tottenham's shortlist to replace Conte, along with Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique.

Lionel Messi hopes the "craziness never ends" after scoring his 100th goal and ninth hat-trick for his country amid Argentina's homecoming World Cup celebrations on Tuesday.

La Albiceleste routed Curacao 7-0 in Santiago del Estero, with Messi's 20th-minute opener bringing up his 100th international goal, joining only Cristiano Ronaldo (122) and Ali Daei (109) in achieving that feat.

Messi became the first world champion to score 100 international goals, and he showed no signs of stopping there with further first-half strikes for a treble, taking him to 102.

The milestone came as Argentina rounded out their first two games back in their homeland since December's World Cup triumph with wild celebrations, initially in Buenos Aires for Thursday's 2-0 win over Panama.

The players emulated their celebrations from Qatar after the Curacao game, hoisting the World Cup trophy again after it came down from the stadium roof and doing a lap of honour to greet the supporters.

Messi was also presented with a plaque by Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia to acknowledge his 100th goal.

"What a nice way to close these dates, impressive today all the people in Santiago del Estero," Messi wrote on Instagram.

"I wish we can continue to share together many moments like these and that this craziness never ends!!!"

Messi's achievement comes after netting 21 goals in his 14 games for Argentina, along with seven assists. That has taken him to 156 goal contributions, which is the most in international football.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni added: "As for Lionel Messi, what I want is for him to be on the pitch and be happy."

He added: "These days were different to the previous friendlies because the players were allowed to be with their people.

"We felt that they had that desire to go out to contact the outside, although that meant that it was difficult to prepare these two games. But in the end we got them through by playing with intensity."

Lionel Messi scored his 100th international goal before capping his performance with a first-half hat-trick as Argentina routed Curacao 7-0 during Tuesday's friendly in Santiago del Estero.

Messi came into the game on 99 international goals but did not need to wait long to bring up triple figures, netting a 20th-minute opener, in a lopsided match-up where the world champions raced to a 5-0 half-time lead.

The Argentinian captain played the entire 90 minutes, scoring three goals within 17 devastating first-half minutes, while he also laid off the assist for Enzo Fernandez's powerful strike among the flurry.

Messi was denied early on by Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room's sharp save, but soon after Giovani Lo Celso found him in space inside the box, setting him up to jink past two defenders and fire in a low right-foot shot for his 100th Argentina goal.

Nicolas Gonzalez added a second in the 23rd minute when he out-jumped Room to head home from a corner, before he played provider for Messi's second with a neat left-foot finish in the 33rd minute.

Two minutes later, Messi held up the ball and dished out a deft pass for Fernandez to lash home, with the Paris Saint-Germain star wrapping up his hat-trick when he raced on to Lo Celso's lofted pass and coolly converted after taking two touches.

Room brilliantly denied Lautaro Martinez twice early in the second half, while Leandro Bacuna fizzed Curacao's best chance over the bar from a 63rd-minute free-kick on the edge of the box.

Substitute Angel Di Maria added a sixth goal from the penalty spot in the 78th minute after Cuco Martina's handball, with Gonzalo Montiel side-footing home another from Paulo Dybala's cutback in the 88th minute.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Bukayo Saka for his consistency but claims the youg star still has room for improvement.

Saka has been a key pillar in Arsenal's Premier League success this term, with the side sitting eight points clear of second-placed Manchester City as they chase their first league title since 2003-04.

Only Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Tottenham's Harry Kane have more combined goals and assists in the league this season, with Saka having netted 12 goals with 10 assists. Saka has also started all 28 of Arsenal's league games this campaign.

"First of all, I think you have to recognise what he's been doing," Arteta told Sky Sports about 21-year-old Saka.

"The consistency he's shown at his age and at this level is something rare to see. He's taken it with normality.

"If you ask me if he has room for improvement, I would say: 'Yes - a lot.' He's never satisfied, he always wants more and he can still do a lot of things better and more efficiently, but we are really pleased to have him."

Talks are ongoing between Arsenal and Saka on a new deal, with his current contract due to expire in 2024.

Last week former Arsenal centre-back Kolo Toure urged the club to sign Saka on a 10-year deal to secure his long-term future.

Saka was outstanding for England at last year's World Cup and netted in Sunday's 2-0 win over Ukraine at Wembley.

With his strike against Curacao on Tuesday, Lionel Messi reached another landmark by scoring 100 goals for Argentina.

The 35-year-old brought up the milestone in style, receiving a 20th-minute pass from Giovani Lo Celso before jinking past two Curacao defenders and rifling in a low right-foot finish.

The man considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time had come in for some criticism over the years for his performances at international level.

That was until he led Argentina to Copa America success in 2021 and followed that up at last year's World Cup, starring as La Albiceleste recovered from a shock opening defeat to Saudi Arabia to beat defending champions France in the final on penalties.

Of course, the sheer volume of his goals has been breathtaking, with only Cristiano Ronaldo and Ali Daei scoring more in international men's football.

But Stats Perform picked out five individual strikes that were particularly memorable.

Argentina v Mexico (July 11, 2007)

Having only just turned 20, Messi was expected to win the Copa America for his country in 2007.

Ultimately, Argentina were beaten in the final by Brazil, but not before Messi had graced the stage with a sumptuous lob in their 3-0 win against Mexico in the semi-finals, being fed on the right of the penalty before an outrageous lob over Oswaldo Sanchez into the far corner.

Argentina v Brazil (June 9, 2012)

The two great rivals faced each other in New Jersey as they prepared for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and a topsy-turvy contest had already seen Messi score twice.

In the 84th minute and with the score tied at 3-3, Messi went as trademark as possible, picking up the ball on the right just into the Brazil half before dribbling for goal. He cut inside the nearest defender on the edge of the box and curled a shot into the top-left corner of the net.

Argentina v Paraguay (September 7, 2012)

Just a few months later, Messi was at it from distance again, this time even further out as he showed off his supreme free-kick taking ability.

With Argentina leading Paraguay 2-1 in their World Cup qualifier, Messi lined up a set-piece effort a little over 30 yards out, whipping the ball over the wall and in off the goalkeeper's left-hand post.

Argentina v Iran (June 21, 2014)

In their second group game of the 2014 World Cup, Argentina had struggled to break down a resolute Iran side who were on the verge of securing a famous 0-0 draw and valuable point.

That was until Messi picked up the ball on the right in the 91st minute in Belo Horizonte. He darted inside, as he so often does, and curled a sumptuous effort past Alireza Haghighi from some 25 yards, the ball nestling in the bottom-left corner.

Argentina v Mexico (November 26, 2022)

Having already lost to Saudi Arabia in their first game at the 2022 World Cup, Argentina could not find a way past Mexico in the first hour of their second encounter either.

Or, they couldn't until their captain stepped up.

With raucous fans urging them on at Lusail Stadium, Messi received a pass from Angel Di Maria before hitting a shot from outside the box low and hard to Guillermo Ochoa's left, lighting the touchpaper that would ultimately end with the trophy in his hands at the end of the campaign.

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal for Argentina in Tuesday's friendly with Curacao with a 20th-minute strike to open the scoring.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward's seven goals in Argentina's triumphant World Cup 2022 campaign took him two short of the milestone figure.

His free-kick against Panama on Thursday – which was also his 800th career goal at club and international level – was followed by a classy right-foot finish after jinking past two defenders inside the box to reach his century against Curacao.

Messi already holds the record for both the most goals of any Argentina player (200) and the most caps (173).

The 35-year-old's first senior international goal came against Croatia in a 3-2 friendly defeat in March 2006.

The eight goals he has scored against Bolivia make the South American nation his favourite opponent, followed by Ecuador and Uruguay (six against both).

Qatar, meanwhile, are the only side Messi has played against more than once without scoring (two games).

Outside of friendlies, 28 of Messi's goals have come in World Cup qualifiers and 13 each at both the Copa America and World Cup.

As well as leading Argentina to World Cup glory last year, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner also lifted the Copa America in 2021.

Messi surprised many by declaring his intention to continue playing for La Albiceleste after December's triumph, but he has already ruled out playing at the 2026 World Cup.