Kaka is keen to see compatriot Neymar establish himself as the "heir" to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as he backed Brazil as favourites for the World Cup.

The South American giants head to Qatar in search of their first crown since victory in 2002, when Kaka was part of the squad, following 20 years of European dominance on the world stage.

Brazil are seen as leading contenders at Qatar 2022, alongside arch-rivals Argentina, with Kaka highlighting the fact that it is likely to be Messi and Ronaldo's last tournament.

Neymar, now 30, could have at least one more World Cup appearance in his locker before he hangs up his boots, and Kaka is keen for the Paris Saint-Germain forward to follow Messi and Ronaldo's lead at the pinnacle of the game.

"The different time in the calendar, the temperature, the lack of travel and the possibility to start recovering right away are all factors that will play a role. The champions will be in top shape in my mind," he told Gazzetta Dello Sport.

"In theory, it will be the last one for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. I'm curious to see their impact. They will try to prove that they are still leaders.

"I'd like for Neymar to be anointed as their heir in this occasion considering his talent, and the person and player he has become."

Kaka also explained why he feels Brazil are confident of victory, while adding that he fancies Serbia to cause a stir.

"Brazil is the favourite because they have been working in on it for a long time. It was right to appoint Tite, and the group has the correct mix of youth and experience," he added.

"The other top contenders are Argentina and France, while Serbia might be a surprise."

Brazil begin their campaign against Serbia on November 24, before then tackling Switzerland and Cameroon in their other Group G contests.

Paris Saint-Germain moved five points clear at the top of Ligue 1 as Danilo Pereira's late header gave the champions a 2-1 win over Lorient.

Neymar continued his stellar campaign with the opening goal inside nine minutes, but PSG were unable to extend their lead at the Stade du Moustoir.

Lorient's equalised eight minutes into the second half, with Terem Moffi firing home his ninth goal of the league campaign and then promptly hitting the bar.

It seemed that would be the closest either side came to a decisive second until Danilo rose highest from an 81st-minute Neymar corner to nod the winner.

Lionel Messi, Neymar and Paul Pogba have been confirmed to appear in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as part of a future update.

The trio of footballers were teased by developers Activision to be "suiting up" for appearances for Modern Warfare II, Warzone 2.0 and Call of Duty Mobile – displaying some teaser art in a social media post.

Characters for Pogba and Neymar have already been leaked on social media by dataminers, though Messi's look is yet to be shown. It is expected their introduction will coincide with the World Cup in Qatar.

Neymar and Messi are no strangers to the world of video games, with the Paris Saint-Germain duo introduced to PUBG earlier this year, while Neymar was featured in Fortnite back in 2021.

Modern Warfare II was officially released on October 28 and quickly broke records for the fastest start for the franchise in terms of revenue, with a further boost expected later this month when Warzone 2.0 is released.

Messi and Neymar will star for Argentina and Brazil respectively in the World Cup in Qatar, though France will be without Pogba due to injury.

Flamengo president Rodolfo Landim admits it would be a "dream" to sign Neymar but doubts his club's chances, while claiming Cristiano Ronaldo would be a bench player for the Brazilian side.

Neymar is set to star for Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar, where the South American giants are seeking to end a 20-year wait to win the tournament for a sixth time.

The 30-year-old, who has spent nine years in Europe since leaving Santos for Barcelona in 2013, has an uncertain future with Paris Saint-Germain, who were reportedly open to letting him leave prior to this season.

Flamengo have been linked with a sensational move to bring Neymar back to South America, with Manchester United's Ronaldo also linked, but Landim believes such moves are highly unlikely.

"I don't know how much Neymar earns – I've heard that it will be close to €4million per month," he said.

"If we consider that amount, he will not want to come to Flamengo given what I will be able to offer him, within the wage structure.

"He will have a better proposal from outside. It's natural, it's the market.

"There are clubs with much bigger budgets than Flamengo that will be interested in an exceptional player like Neymar.

"Having Neymar would be a dream for any club in Brazil, I have no doubts, but I think he will play outside of Brazil for some time because he is exceptional.

"The clubs that can pay salaries of exceptional players like him are abroad."

The Flamengo president was also asked about potentially signing Ronaldo, but he declared he would only get a spot on the bench.

He added: "I don't know where people get this from. They have a lot of creativity.

"We would hire him in substitution to whom? I want to ask you all: who would you take out of our team for him to play?

"I saw online, I am not sure if that is true, he would have received an offer of $242m for a two-year contract. If you take $242m and divide it by 24 months, it is around $10m per month.

"This is way over all Flamengo's pay cheque just for Cristiano Ronaldo to be on the bench waiting for Pedro and Gabigol."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes French football is "collapsing" without him, declaring the presence of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi as "not enough".

Ibrahimovic enjoyed a trophy-laden spell with Paris Saint-Germain between 2012 and 2016, winning 12 domestic honours including four consecutive Ligue 1 titles.

The Sweden striker's tally of 156 goals for PSG, meanwhile, is only bettered by Edinson Cavani (200) and Mbappe (188) in the club's history, although his return of 0.87 goals per game is better than both of those players.

Ibrahimovic, who is expected to return for Milan in 2023 after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the end of last season, claims Ligue 1 has suffered for his absence.

Speaking to Canal+, Ibrahimovic said: "Since I left France, everything is collapsing. 

"There is no longer any interesting subject. France needs me, but I don't need France. 

"Even if you have Mbappe, Neymar and Messi, it's not enough, because you don't have God."

Mbappe (11), Neymar (10) and Messi (seven) have scored a combined 28 league goals for PSG this season after all three men netted in Saturday's dramatic 4-3 victory over Troyes.

Christophe Galtier admits Paris Saint-Germain are lacking balance and cannot rely on their superstar forwards to bail them out after scraping a 4-3 victory over Troyes.

The reigning Ligue 1 champions twice trailed to goals from Mama Balde, either side of Carlos Soler's leveller, in Saturday's clash at the Parc des Princes.

But Lionel Messi scored a superb equaliser and then played in Neymar to put PSG ahead for the first time, before Kylian Mbappe emphatically converted from the penalty spot.

There was still time for Ante Palaversa to pull one back, making Troyes the first side to score three or more goals at PSG in the league since Bordeaux in February 2020.

Rather than showing pride in PSG's ability to fight back and move five points clear at the summit, Galtier criticised the defensive performance of his side.

"The team was very unbalanced from the start," Galtier told Amazon Prime. "Some players had trouble finding their levels.

"We won very few balls high up the pitch and lost too many duels. On a defensive level, we made far too many mistakes and again conceded from a set-piece.

"This is something we have to spend time on to fix, something we have to make work. If we have to score four goals to win each time, it's going to be complicated.

"We got ahead of ourselves because we succeeded on the offensive level, but we left ourselves completely open."

PSG have scored 54 goals in 19 games in all competitions this season, a tally only Bayern Munich (69 in 20) can better among teams across Europe's top five leagues.

However, having defeated Maccabi Haifa 7-2 in the Champions League in midweek, they have now conceded five goals in their past two matches.

Midfielder Marco Verratti accepts the Parisians have to tighten up at the back if they are to challenge for trophies on multiple fronts this season.

"We didn't defend well today. We cannot concede three goals at home," he said. "We have to find a better balance to our game."

The past 25 goals netted by PSG in all competitions have been either scored or assisted by Messi, Neymar and Mbappe in a run stretching back to September 3.

Galtier fielded all three of his superstar trio for the full match against Troyes – a decision the Frenchman defended after his side's 19th game without defeat since he took over.

"They had to stay on until the end if we were going to get the win," he said. "If the score had been different, with the team a few goals ahead, we could have managed it more.

"Plus, we know Neymar will not play on Wednesday [against Juventus] because of suspension. We knew today we would have to keep our attacking power to score goals."

Neymar has jumped to the defence of Manchester United winger Antony and told his fellow Brazilian to ignore critics of his showboating.

Former Ajax star Antony faced scrutiny after performing a double spin on the right wing during United's Europa League game against Sheriff on Thursday.

Former United midfielder Paul Scholes said it was an example of Antony "being a clown", given the pass he subsequently played to Casemiro had too much weight and ran out of play for a goal kick.

An alternative take might be that Antony disorientated the Sheriff players and almost delivered a killer ball behind the opposition defence as they stopped and stared.

Antony justified his piece of close-control skill by stating it was in his Brazilian nature, saying: "We are known for our art and I will not stop doing what brought me to where I am."

The clever dragging of the ball was not effective on this occasion, but Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar wants to see Antony continue to showcase his flair on the field.

There could be more of it to come on a bigger stage when Antony and Neymar head to the World Cup with Brazil in November.

Neymar wrote in an Instagram message: "Keep it up, don't change anything. Go for it kid, daring and joy."

United manager Erik ten Hag substituted Antony at half-time in the Sheriff game, with his team 1-0 ahead.

When asked if Antony was replaced because of his antics, Ten Hag said: "No. It was more or less planned if we were up. I wanted to see Marcus and Cristiano close together, and the dynamic on the right side."

Antony became United's most expensive signing of the last transfer window when he arrived from Dutch champions Ajax in a deal worth around £85million.

Prosecutors in Spain have dropped corruption and fraud charges against Neymar.

The Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil star was one of several people accused of the charges in a trial relating to his move from Santos to Barcelona in 2013.

Other defendants in the case included Neymar's parents, the two clubs involved in the deal, former Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, along with ex-Santos president Odilio Rodrigues.

The prosecution had been seeking jail time of two years for Neymar, in addition to a fine of €10million, but withdrew all charges on Friday.

Investment firm DIS, which owned 40 per cent of the Brazilian's rights when he was still at Santos, alleged it had missed out on money from the deal as the value had been understated.

Barcelona agreed a deal with Neymar in 2011 to sign him two years later for an overall fee of €57.1m, with €40m of that going to the player and his family, meaning DIS only received a percentage of the remaining €17.1m that went to Santos as the selling club.

DIS argued the deal was undervalued, with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez appearing as a witness in court via videolink and revealing Madrid had made offers of €45m in 2011 and €36m in 2013 to sign Neymar, but he chose to join Barca.

The alleged offence which Neymar and his family was accused of is not punishable in Brazil.

Neymar had always denied the allegations, stating last week he had not been a part of negotiations regarding his transfer to the LaLiga giants.

Christophe Galtier says Paris Saint-Germain will not "break" their front three of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi if they do not have to.

The trio have helped fire the Ligue 1 champions to a superb start to the season despite continued noise around Mbappe's future.

Former Barcelona duo Neymar and Messi have both returned to top form, with 22 and 23 goal involvements respectively.

Ahead of this weekend's encounter with Troyes, Galtier acknowledged a hectic schedule could force a reshuffle in attack, but he hopes all three superstars will be fit to feature again.

"It's their state of fatigue that will judge whether they play," the coach said. "They have scored 40 goals out of 50 for us this season, so it won't be based on their state of form.

"When we have this dynamic, we don't break it, we maintain it. The medical staff have done an excellent job in recent weeks. They are fine. When there is this dynamic, it is maintained."

A midweek Champions League rout against Maccabi Haifa, where the Mbappe, Neymar and Messi netted a combined five goals in a 7-2 win, ensured PSG head into next week's final Group H fixture guaranteed of progression to the knockout stages.

But whether they are seeded or not depends on their result with Juventus, with Galtier recognising the need to strike a balance between domestic and European commitments.

"We have an obligation to win against Troyes," he added. "There will also be a lot at stake in the middle of the week in Turin. Over the duration of the match, there is the possibility of involving other players."

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Christophe Galtier has explained his tactical changes in recent matches, making clear a return to a three-man defence is not off the table.

PSG switched approaches for their last two Ligue 1 games, playing with a four-man backline and securing victories against Marseille and Ajaccio.

The move impacts Neymar, who has been in outstanding form this season, as he was moved inside against Marseille having previously played from the wing.

Galtier accepts there is now a different demand defensively of the Brazil forward – or anyone else in that position – although he wants his players to work as a team "whatever the formation".

"We changed the system for different reasons," he said ahead of Tuesday's game against Maccabi Haifa. "We played two games in this formation.

"Whatever the formation, you always have to run, and even if tomorrow [Tuesday] we have to evolve in this formation, we need the efforts of each other.

"But it is true that it is more precise defensively for the player who plays under both strikers."

This is not necessarily a long-term switch, however, as Galtier added: "Do not think that the three centre-back system has been abandoned. It is an advantage to have two formations, two systems.

Neymar hailed the "deserved" choice of Karim Benzema as Ballon d'Or winner, after the Real Madrid star claimed the prestigious honour for the first time on Monday.

But the Paris Saint-Germain attacker criticised the eighth-place finish for Benzema's Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior, with the Brazil international declaring his fellow Selecao star should have finished in the top three at a "minimum".

Benzema was crowned the world's greatest player for the 2021-22 season at a ceremony earlier this week, succeeding Neymar's PSG club-mate Lionel Messi while beating out Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane to top spot.

It came after a campaign that saw him lead Carlo Ancelotti's side to success in LaLiga and the Champions League, scoring 44 goals and adding 15 assists.

Neymar, who was not nominated this year, took to social media a day after the presentation to hail Benzema's victory, but added that Vinicius, another key Madrid star last term, deserved greater recognition.

"Benzema deserved [it - he's the] crack!" the attacker wrote on Twitter. "Now, for Vini Jr to be eighth - it's not possible! Minimum top three!"

After arguably the toughest domestic season of his career to date last term, Neymar looks to be back to his best this season, with nine goals and seven assists in Ligue 1 so far.

Benzema meanwhile has struggled with fitness issues, restricting the 34-year-old to just four goals and one assist in LaLiga.

Neymar hailed the "deserved" choice of Karim Benzema as Ballon d'Or winner, after the Real Madrid star claimed the prestigious honour for the first time on Monday.

But the Paris Saint-Germain attacker criticised the eighth-place finish for Benzema's Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior, with the Brazil international declaring his fellow Selecao star should have finished in the top three at a "minimum".

Benzema was crowned the world's greatest player for the 2021-22 season at a ceremony earlier this week, succeeding Neymar's PSG club-mate Lionel Messi while beating out Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane to top spot.

It came after a campaign that saw him lead Carlo Ancelotti's side to success in LaLiga and the Champions League, scoring 44 goals and adding 15 assists.

Neymar, who was not nominated this year, took to social media a day after the presentation to hail Benzema's victory, but added that Vinicius, another key Madrid star last term, deserved greater recognition.

"Benzema deserved [it - he's the] crack!" the attacker wrote on Twitter. "Now, for Vini Jr to be eighth - it's not possible! Minimum top three!"

After arguably the toughest domestic season of his career to date last term, Neymar looks to be back to his best this season, with nine goals and seven assists in Ligue 1 so far.

Benzema meanwhile has struggled with fitness issues, restricting the 34-year-old to just four goals and one assist in LaLiga.

Neymar's ninth goal of the season moved Paris Saint-Germain three points clear at the Ligue 1 summit following a 1-0 victory over 10-man Marseille.

The Brazil international's strike in first-half stoppage time was enough to settle the Classique as PSG registered 23 shots on goal in a deserved triumph at Parc des Princes.

Marseille had Samuel Gigot sent off for a dangerous challenge on Neymar as the visitors suffered their first away defeat of the season.

Meanwhile, Christophe Galtier's side stretched their unbeaten league run to 20 matches – their longest streak in the French top flight since going 21 games without defeat between May 2018 and January 2019.

Marseille had Pau Lopez to thank for keeping PSG at bay early in the first half as he denied Lionel Messi twice inside the opening four minutes, while also blocking Achraf Hakimi after Kylian Mbappe picked out the full-back less than 60 seconds later.

Lopez then demonstrated wonderful reflexes to tip over Mbappe's deflected 25-yard effort, before Messi's fierce free-kick rattled the crossbar.

But the hosts broke the deadlock just before the break. Marco Verratti robbed Amine Harit of possession before Vitinha and Mbappe combined to set up Neymar, whose first-time shot went in off the post.

Marseille came close to equalising early in the second half, with Jonathan Clauss latching onto Alexis Sanchez’s lofted throughball before drawing smart reflexes out of Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Verratti and Mbappe almost doubled the lead at the other end, but the visitors' hopes of salvaging a point were effectively dashed 18 minutes from time when Gigot was shown a straight red card for rashly taking out Neymar.

Messi was marginally off target with an attempted dink from Mbappe's throughball later on, but PSG held out to pull clear at the top of Ligue 1. 

Kylian Mbappe has been named football's highest earner in the world by Forbes magazine, overtaking Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi and Ronaldo had locked out the top spot since 2014, but Mbappe's new deal with Paris Saint-Germain has seen him overtake his PSG team-mate and the Manchester United star.

The France international had been linked with a move to Real Madrid as his previous deal in Paris was set to expire at the end of last season, only for him to sensationally agree to a three-year extension in May to stay at his hometown club.

Forbes' highest earners in football list also takes into account a player's earnings off the field, and Mbappe is not short of significant sponsorship deals, while also starting his own production company in the last year, Zebra Valley.

Messi and Ronaldo are in second and third place as they continue to earn plenty in the autumn years of their careers, while a third PSG player, Neymar, completes the top four.

As well as Ronaldo, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (fifth) and Manchester City duo Erling Haaland (sixth) and Kevin De Bruyne (10th) are the three other Premier League representatives on the list.

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski (seventh) and Madrid's Eden Hazard (eighth) are the only two players from LaLiga.

Former Barca star Andres Iniesta is in ninth, despite leaving Europe to play in Japan in 2018.

2022 Forbes highest earners in football top 10 list

1. Kylian Mbappe - PSG: $128m (£115.2m/€130.9m)

2. Lionel Messi - PSG: $120m (£108.0m/€122.7m)

3. Cristiano Ronaldo - Man Utd: $100m (£90.0m/€102.3m)

4. Neymar - PSG: $87m (£78.3m/€88.9m)

5. Mohamed Salah - Liverpool: $53m (£47.7m/€54.2m)

6. Erling Haaland - Man City: $39m (£35.1m/€39.9m)

7. Robert Lewandowski - Barcelona: $35m (£31.5m/€35.8m)

8. Eden Hazard - Real Madrid: $31m (£27.9m/€31.7m)

9. Andres Iniesta - Vissel Kobe: $30m (£27.0m/€30.7m)

10. Kevin De Bruyne - Man City: $29m (£26.1m/€29.7m)

Neymar declared "I don't think there is a new Neymar" but the in-form Paris Saint-Germain forward feels like he is "a more complete player".

The Brazil international has made a great start to the season, scoring 11 goals in 13 games for PSG.

Neymar has also provided nine assists for the Ligue 1 champions, who are reaping the rewards of having the former Barcelona man fully fit after he spent a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to injury last season.

The 30-year-old's impressive performances bode well for Brazil ahead of the World Cup in Qatar and he thinks his all-round game is better than it has ever been.

He told PSG TV: "I don't think there is a new Neymar. I think just that things have dropped into place. I'm having a very good start to the season, like when I came here and in my first two or three years.

"I feel a more complete player now, because I can defend, attack or score goals, make assists, whatever you like. I think I'm now more complete than before.

"I think everyone helps. Of course, I know I'm not an extraordinary defender, but I at least try to help my team-mates however I can."

Neymar is dreaming of a World Cup and Champions League double.

He said: "I'm very happy to have started my season well, whether it be with Paris Saint-Germain or the Brazil national team.

"The aim this year is to win with both teams, to win everything with Paris and Brazil. We have a World Cup coming up and we know just how difficult that competition is.

"But I have a dream of winning it, just like the Champions League will be soon in Paris, I'm sure of that."