Marco Verratti was in line to make his 400th appearance for Paris Saint-Germain after being named in the starting XI to face Lens.

Italy playmaker Verratti signed fresh terms with PSG in December, tying him to the Ligue 1 champions until 2026.

Christophe Galtier selected the 30-year-old to take on Lens on Sunday, marking Verratti's 400th game for PSG.

Jean-Marc Pilorget, who played 436 times for PSG between 1975 and 1989, is the only other player to hit the 400 landmark for the club.

Kylian Mbappe, who scored a last-gasp winner against Strasbourg in PSG's first league match back after the World Cup, featured up front, with Neymar suspended due to the red card he received last time out.

Lionel Messi was already ruled out, with the 35-year-old having only been due to return from Argentina this weekend following his World Cup celebrations.

Thierry Henry should be the man to replace Roberto Martinez as Belgium head coach, according to striker Romelu Lukaku.

Belgium are seeking a new boss after Martinez stood down following a galling group-stage exit from the World Cup, having spent six years and four months in the role.

Former Arsenal, Barcelona and France striker Henry joined him as assistant for two stints, either side of spells in charge of Monaco and Montreal Impact.

If Belgium are seeking a clean break from the Martinez era, then Henry would not be an option, but Red Devils record goalscorer Lukaku believes there should be continuity.

Inter frontman Lukaku also says his country's so-called 'golden generation' deserve another chance to deliver on the big stage, although Eden Hazard has already retired from international football.

"For me, Henry is the next coach of Belgium. There are no doubts. I say it openly: he will be the next coach," Lukaku told Italian broadcaster Sky Sport.

"He has the respect of all the players, he has won everything. He knows how to coach, he knows what we have to do to get there.

"He knows the team, the league, the staff. For me, he is the ideal coach for our national team. Then I don't know who they will take. But I don't think Belgium should start from scratch.

"So far this generation hasn't won, but we have to keep trying to win. He wants to win, and I don't think the federation is going to get a coach who wants to change everything and start from scratch. It's not worth it to me."

Lukaku's comments may prove awkward if another coach is picked to lead Belgium.

Belgium struggled to beat Canada in their opening World Cup game before suffering a 2-0 defeat against Morocco, with their exit confirmed by a goalless stalemate with Croatia.

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has said it will look to hire "a serial winner with an experience in managing top players".

Belgium have slipped from second to fourth in the latest FIFA rankings after their dismal performance in Qatar, where they failed to reach the knockout stage for the first time since the 1998 finals in France.

The RBFA said, in advertising for Martinez's successor, that it was looking for applications to arrive by January 10.

Belgium have been drawn alongside Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan and Estonia in the qualification process for Euro 2024, with the first round of games coming up in March.

Former Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez told his players he would be leaving after the World Cup following their shock defeat by Morocco - a result he admits "will haunt for me a long time".

Semi-finalists in 2018, the world's second-ranked side suffered a surprise group-stage elimination in Qatar after finishing third in Group F.

The Red Devils struggled past Canada in their opening game before suffering a 2-0 defeat against Morocco, while their premature exit was confirmed by a goalless stalemate with Croatia.

It brought the curtain down on a poor tournament that also saw Martinez and several players forced to dismiss reports of a rift within the squad.

The Spaniard, who subsequently stepped down after six years in the role, also denied rumours of any friction within the camp in his first interview since departing.

"It's the match against Morocco that will haunt me for a long time," he said. "We weren't ourselves. A bit like against Canada by the way. We were not in the state to win these games.

"Against Croatia, it was different. We are probably the team that created the most chances against the Croatians. You won't find any tactical or technical expert who can explain to you why we didn't score in the last half hour. A matter of millimetres.

"I told the group after the defeat against Morocco that I would stop after the World Cup in Qatar. 

"In a way, everyone knew that the match against Croatia could be the last. I would have liked to say goodbye on December 19 [the day after the final].

"Fake news has grown in importance. When L'Equipe writes that Jan Vertonghen and Eden Hazard had fallen out, the group had the impression that all the media were jumping on the information.

"So, we decided to distance ourselves from the outside world. The core wanted to show that the group is solid. And from that moment on, you saw another team. It made us stronger. How many percent of what L'Equipe said was true? Zero, nothing, nada."

Martinez felt Belgium's lack of preparation was also a factor in their poor performance in Qatar, with a 2-1 defeat against Egypt representing the only friendly the Red Devils played before the tournament commenced.

But the 49-year-old has fond memories of their run to the semi-finals in Russia four years earlier, including the homecoming parade in Brussels.

"In 2018, we had three warm-up matches. Not this time," Martinez added. 

"Several countries used this group stage as preparation. That was the price to pay for a tournament in the winter. Unfortunately, we needed two games to be ready.

"In 2018, I already felt at the airport [before the finals] that the team was ready - emotionally and tactically.

"Here, I only felt that two days before the game against Croatia. After the match against Egypt, I felt that we were not ready. Nothing was rolling for us.

"On the Grand Place in Brussels. I cherish that image from 2018 for life, it is burned on my retina. It will encourage me to keep working in football."

Chelsea are working to reunite manager Graham Potter with Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister in a January move believed to be worth in the range of £60million.

Mac Allister, 24, has been with Brighton since 2019, and is coming off his most productive Premier League campaign after forcing his way into Potter's best XI to earn 11 consecutive starts to close last season.

His emergence, which was followed up by a fine start to 2022-23, did not go unnoticed, with Mac Allister earning a spot in Argentina's World Cup squad, where he would go on to start all four of his country's knockout games and contribute an assist in the final against France.

Chelsea have spent plenty of time scouting Argentina players in search of midfield reinforcements, having long been linked with Enzo Fernandez, but have reportedly landed on Potter's recent colleague as the best value of the bunch.
 

TOP STORY – CHELSEA LOOK TO BRIGHTON FOR SOLUTION TO MIDFIELD WOES

Chelsea's interest in fellow Argentina standout and Benfica midfielder Fernandez has also been well documented, but with his price tag exceeding £100m, Football Insider is reporting the Stamford Bridge club now view Mac Allister as a better value.

The report states Chelsea have "concrete" interest in making a January move a reality, and that £60m will likely be enough to pry him away from Brighton.

Meanwhile, Portuguese publication Relevo still claims Chelsea's move for Fernandez is only "one step away", confirming the 21-year-old has agreed to personal terms, but indicating Chelsea are hesitant about meeting his full release clause.

ROUND-UP

– According to the Star, Tottenham expect to complete a £35m move for Sporting right-back Pedro Porro by the end of the week.

– A Bola adds Tottenham are also investigating the possibility of bringing back 24-year-old English midfielder Marcus Edwards from Sporting, having initially left the club in 2019.

– Bild is reporting in-demand Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram, 25, will be available for as little as €12m.

– According to Foot Mercato, Morocco and Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou could depart for Bayern Munich or Manchester United in January. 

– Newcastle United have made an offer for 27-year-old Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy, per Foot Mercato.

Lionel Messi signed off for 2022 by hailing the year when he won the World Cup as one he "will never be able to forget".

The Argentina captain is due back at Paris Saint-Germain at the start of the coming week after being granted extended leave following his Qatar 2022 heroics.

His seven goals and three assists on Argentina's route to glory earned Messi the Golden Ball award, and at the age of 35 he finally got to lift the World Cup trophy, his career's crowning moment.

Messi posted to Instagram a series of pictures of himself with wife Antonela and their young family, marking the end of a transformative 12 months.

He wrote: "A year ends that I will never be able to forget. The dream that I always pursued finally came true.

"But that wouldn't be worth anything either if it weren't for the fact that I get to share it with a wonderful family, the best one can have, and some friends who always support me and didn't let me stay on the floor every time I fell."

Messi's magical moment will not have been met with great reverence in Paris, given it was France that Argentina beat on penalties in the final after a remarkable 3-3 draw.

Addressing supporters, Messi made a point of thanking those from Barcelona as well as Paris.

He scored a staggering 672 goals during a Barcelona career that ended with a shock move to PSG in August 2021.

"I also want to have a very special memory for all the people who follow me and support me," Messi wrote. "It is incredible to be able to share this path with all of you.

"It would be impossible to get to where I got without so much encouragement that I received from all the people of my country as well as from Paris, Barcelona and many other cities and countries from which I have been receiving affection.

"I hope that this year has also been wonderful for everyone and I wish you all the health and strength to continue being happy in 2023."

Messi has reportedly agreed in principle to extend his PSG contract, which expires at the end of this season, and putting the finishing touches to a deal will be a priority for the Ligue 1 club in the coming days and weeks.

He will miss Sunday's game against Lens, who sit second in the French top flight, seven points behind PSG after 16 rounds of games.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas labelled Vinicius Junior's criticism of the league's anti-racism work "unfair" after the Real Madrid winger vented his frustration on social media.

Madrid beat Real Valladolid 2-0 at the Jose Zorrilla on Friday, but the match was marred for Vinicius.

The Brazil international wrote on Instagram the following day that "racists continue to go to the stadiums and see the best club in the world up close, and LaLiga continues to do nothing".

Vinicius was substituted during the match and almost hit by several objects thrown from the stands as he walked behind one of the goals, with fans appearing to direct racist chants at him.

Tebas rejected Vinicius' claim that LaLiga is doing nothing to drive racists out of the sport, however.

"At LaLiga we have been fighting racism for years," Tebas tweeted. "Vinicius Junior, it is unfair and not true to publish that 'LaLiga does nothing against racism'.

"Find out more. We are at your disposal so that all together we can go in the same direction."

Also included in the tweet from Tebas was the link to a LaLiga statement that insisted the incidents in Valladolid will be reported to the hate crimes prosecutors' office; additionally, it documented previous instances of complaints being filed with legal authorities, in an attempt to disprove Vinicius' criticism.

"Before the publication of Vinicius Jr, a Real Madrid player, on his social networks making a comment in which he alludes to the lack of action measures by LaLiga in the fight against racism, LaLiga has detected racist insults from someone from the stands of the Zorrilla stadium, [which were] published on social networks," the statement began.

"These events will be reported to the anti-violence commission and the hate crimes prosecutor's office, as has been done on other occasions in which LaLiga, after investigating racist behaviour inside and outside the stadiums, has led the fight against this type of act."

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) released a statement on Saturday congratulating Khadija Shaw on her stellar year for Manchester City in the FA Women’s Super League (WSL) season.

Shaw scored 15 goals for City in the calendar year and is currently joint top of the goal-scoring charts for the 2022-23 season with eight.

“The JFF heartily congratulates national captain Khadija Shaw for ending the calendar year 2022 as the second highest scorer in the Barclays Women's Premier League with 15 goals.  You are indeed fabulous! Our hope is that you will remain healthy and be even more lethal in the new year. We wish you all the success in your endeavors in 2023!”

Shaw’s season will resume on January 15 when Manchester City takes on West Ham United.

Jordi Alba and referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz had both "forgotten" about the Barcelona defender's first yellow card prior to his dismissal against Espanyol on Saturday.

Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw by their Catalan rivals on what was a bittersweet day for Alba, who became only the 12th different player to make 300 LaLiga appearances for the club.

Alba's landmark outing was marred as the left-back received two yellow cards in the space of five minutes after Espanyol's leveller, with Lahoz losing control of the latter stages.

Lahoz, who was in charge of Argentina's fiery World Cup quarter-final clash with the Netherlands earlier this month, also sent off Vinicius Souza, while only a VAR review saved Leandro Cabrera after he was initially shown a red card for a stamp on Robert Lewandowski.

Alba will now serve a one-match suspension, meaning he will miss Barca's clash with Atletico Madrid at Civitas Metropolitano on January 8.

The Spain international revealed he received his second yellow card after voicing his frustration at a challenge involving Andreas Christensen and Joselu, whose penalty cancelled out Marcos Alonso's earlier header at Camp Nou. 

"I did not understand the expulsion and I told him so," Alba said, in quotes carried by Mundo Deportivo. "I went to Mateu to tell him that Joselu had made [Christensen's] bed, nothing more.

"He thought it was the first yellow, and he showed me the second. For me, it is not even a card.

"I am aware that sometimes I make mistakes and protest too much because I am very impulsive, and I have to correct this aspect, but this time, it was not the case."

Sergi Roberto, who wore the captain's armband during Saturday's derby, concurred, telling Movistar: "Alba had forgotten his first card. We were all a little surprised."

Although Barca returned to the top of LaLiga on goal difference, they were punished for not converting their superiority into maximum points, having enjoyed over three quarters of the possession and registered 21 shots on goal.

"In the second half, we wanted to go for the second goal and to have the game more controlled," Sergi Roberto added. 

"The game stopped a lot with the expulsions, the cards, and then we were not able to play our way anymore."

Luis Suarez has joined Brazilian club Gremio on a two-year deal.

The Uruguay striker was a free agent after leaving his boyhood club Nacional and will continue his career in Brazil.

Suarez was wanted by Mexican side Cruz Azul, but Gremio have won the race for his signature.

Porto Alegre-based club Gremio confirmed the signing of the 35-year-old on New Year's Eve.

Suarez helped Nacional to win the Primera Division title after returning to his homeland following his Atletico Madrid exit.

The veteran won four LaLiga titles during a hugely successful spell with Barcelona and claimed another with Atleti in the 2020-21 campaign.

He also lifted the Champions League trophy at Barca in 2015. 

Suarez won the Copa America with Uruguay in 2011, and is his country's all-time top goalscorer, with 68 in 137 games, though he failed to net during their recent World Cup campaign at Qatar 2022.

Xavi refused to blame referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz after Barcelona's 1-1 draw with Espanyol but acknowledged the feisty Catalan derby "totally got out of control."

The Blaugrana were forced to settle for a point on their return to action following the World Cup despite a dominant display at Camp Nou, where Joselu's penalty cancelled out a header from Marcos Alonso.

The contest descended into chaos as Lahoz, who was in charge of Argentina's fiery World Cup quarter-final clash with the Netherlands this month, prolifically handed out cards during the bruising final exchanges.

Jordi Alba was dismissed for two bookable offences on his 300th LaLiga appearance for the Barca, while Vinicius Souza  after, and Leandro Cabrera was fortunate to stay on the field having appeared to stamp on Robert Lewandowski.

But while Xavi, who was booked by Lahoz, was disappointed by the official's performance, the head coach insisted Barca only had themselves to blame for failing to convert their superiority into three points.

"Mateu is a referee who controls the matches, and today escaped him," he is quoted as saying by Marca. "Today, the match has totally got out of control.

"He is a referee who gives you the feeling that he dominates and controls the game. But today, it was not like that. I don't blame him for anything. The tie is our fault. I have to look for my own, for what I can control.

"I can't control the referee. I have said it many times. The referee would have to come out and speak and say what he has seen and what the players have told him. Jordi has told me that he has not said anything to him.

"We have created chances. From the 30th minute, we have slowed down, the intensity. We haven't attacked so well, perhaps. My feeling is that we should have won well. The penalty is an unfortunate move for us.

"We are angry with ourselves. In football, there are times when you are better, and you don't win. The team has generated a lot of danger in corners. It's a pity and we're upset."

Barca are level on points with Real Madrid at the top of the table but have a better goal difference.

Vinicius Junior has criticised LaLiga bosses for failing to effectively tackle racism after the Real Madrid forward was targeted at Real Valladolid.

The Brazilian had items thrown at him from the stands after he was substituted late on, and shocking footage of verbal abuse emerged after Friday's game.

Madrid sealed a 2-0 win in their first league game since the World Cup, with Karim Benzema getting both goals.

Vinicius posted a picture of himself with Benzema soon after the away victory, with the caption: "God bless us!"

Having considered the unsavoury events of the evening, Vinicius added on social media on Saturday: "Racists continue to go to stadiums and watch the biggest club in the world up close and @LaLiga continues to do nothing...

"I will continue with my head held high and celebrating my victories and those of Madrid. In the end it's MY fault."

Madrid are next in action against fourth-tier Cacereno in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday.

Joselu's late penalty denied Barcelona as Espanyol rescued a 1-1 draw during a Catalan derby that descended into chaos towards the end.

The Blaugrana replaced Real Madrid at LaLiga's summit on goal difference but were forced to settle for a point on their return to action despite dominating with over three-quarters of the possession and 21 shots.

Marcos Alonso broke the deadlock with an early header but then conceded the spot-kick that Joselu converted 17 minutes from time.

Both sides ended the game with 10 men after Jordi Alba and Vinicius Souza were dismissed for second bookings as referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz – the man in charge of Argentina's feisty World Cup quarter-final clash with the Netherlands earlier this month – prolifically handed out cards during the bruising final exchanges.

Rio Ferdinand is adamant there is nothing "sad" about Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr, insisting his former Manchester United team-mate is "finally happy".

Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, completed his move to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr on Friday.

The 37-year-old forward, one of the greats of the modern era, reportedly signed a two-and-a-half-year deal after joining on a free transfer following his departure from United in November.

Ferdinand, who played with Ronaldo at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009, accepts the manner of his exit from the Red Devils left a lot to be desired, but believes his move to Saudi Arabia should be celebrated.

"Obviously I speak to Cristiano and there's things you have to keep quiet and you can't talk about before it hits the news," he told BT Sport.

"I was kind of aware what was going on behind the scenes and I'm just pleased for him that he's finally happy.

"For any footballer at whatever level, happiness and the environment you're playing in is one of the most important things.

"He hasn't been happy for a while so I'm pleased he's on the verge of finding that happiness and going onto pastures news, albeit in a country that not many people expected him to go.

"But what an adventure, what a prospect that is, to go and play football in a brand new league, a competitive league by the way.

"I've been watching the media and people saying it's sad, a sad way for him to go out.

"There's only two sad things for me: the way it ended at Man Utd, I'm sad about that. In a couple of years, he'll look back and think it could've been handled differently from both himself and the club.

"That's one sadness because you want it to end in the best way possible and things be remembered positively but it won't be in some people's eyes, that's a tinge of sadness.

"The way the World Cup ended for him, a tinge of sadness, in terms of being on the bench, not having a huge impact in his last one, that's a tinge of sadness.

"But this next chapter going to Saudi Arabia, how do you look at that as a sadness? A sad way to end his career? I don't understand how people are saying that."

As well as bringing an end to a long-running transfer saga, Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr likely brings the curtain down on one of the greatest careers in elite European football history.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner will unquestionably become the highest-profile player to feature in the Saudi Pro League when he makes his debut, but he is by no means the first to make a move of that nature.

A tradition of elite players spending the twilight of their careers in an unfamiliar league – whether for one last payday or to raise the profile of the competition – is long-running.

Here, Stats Perform looks at how a series of other superstars fared after making comparable moves, including all-time greats Pele and Johan Cruyff, and a legendary Spanish midfield duo.
 

Pele (New York Cosmos)

When Pele joined the North American Soccer League (NASL)'s New York Cosmos in 1975, the Brazilian had already cemented his place among the very greatest to play the game by winning three World Cups – the first as a teenager and the last as part of one of the all-time great Selecao teams.

Despite his advancing years, Pele's class remained on display in the United States, where he scored 37 goals and registered 30 assists in three years with the Cosmos, who won the NASL's Soccer Bowl in 1977. 

Franz Beckenbauer (New York Cosmos)

Having signed one World Cup legend in Pele, the Cosmos repeated the trick in 1977 with the acquisition of Beckenbauer, who played four seasons for the club either side of a brief return to Germany with Hamburg.

The Bayern Munich great can certainly count his time in the NASL as a success, winning three Soccer Bowls – the latter two without Pele.

Johan Cruyff (Los Angeles Aztecs and Washington Diplomats)

As another highly decorated player moving to the NASL in the late 1970s, Cruyff represented both the Los Angeles Aztecs and the Washington Diplomats following his brief retirement in 1978.

The Dutch innovator complained of playing on artificial surfaces in the United States before bucking the trend of most players on this list – Cruyff returned to Europe in the twilight of his career, leading Ajax to two further Eredivisie titles as well as winning the division with their rivals Feyenoord. 

Samuel Eto'o (Anzhi Makhachkala)

While every transfer on this list was left-field, few created as much shock as Samuel Eto'o's 2011 move from Inter to big-spending Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala. 

Eto'o reportedly became the world's best-paid player with his move to Anzhi, for whom he scored 25 league goals before billionaire owner Suleyman Kerimov scaled back ambitions at the now-defunct club, leading the striker to head to Chelsea.

David Beckham (LA Galaxy)

The NASL established the tradition of footballing luminaries arriving in the United States, but Beckham's 2007 move to LA Galaxy helped Major League Soccer break new ground.

Beckham won two MLS Cups and two Supporters' Shields with the Galaxy, but the wider impact of his move – which inspired several other big names to head stateside and led the former England captain to found Inter Miami – was huge. 

Xavi (Al Sadd)

Xavi called time on his playing career with Barcelona as a Champions League winner in 2015, opting to spend four years representing Qatar Stars League side Al Sadd before cutting his managerial teeth at the same club.

The 2010 World Cup winner won the Qatari top-flight once as a player and once as a coach before returning to Camp Nou last year, having both played and managed over 100 games with Al Sadd. 

Andres Iniesta (Vissel Kobe)

The second of Barca's pass masters left the European game in 2018, when Iniesta joined J1 league side Vissel Kobe in a shock move.

Considering he still captains the side at the age of 38, Iniesta must have enjoyed his time in Japan, where he has since been joined by compatriots Bojan Krkic and Sergi Samper.

James Rodriguez (Al Rayyan)

Whenever the World Cup rolls around, the idea of breakout stars is discussed. Few players have been more deserving of that tag than Colombia's Rodriguez, who top-scored at the 2014 edition.

Having enjoyed title successes with European heavyweights Real Madrid and Bayern Munich and enjoyed a – rather less successful – spell at Everton, Rodriguez is now plying his trade with Al Rayyan, who are languishing in eighth place in the Qatar Stars League.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LA Galaxy)

Most of the players named on this list enjoyed some form of success – whether it be on or off the pitch – after making their surprise moves, but few can match the feats of Ibrahimovic.

Ibrahimovic was – like Ronaldo – 37 when he left Manchester United in 2018, scoring 53 MLS goals for the Galaxy in two hugely successful seasons before returning to Europe to help Milan win the Scudetto earlier this year.

While Ronaldo now looks unlikely to return to the pinnacle of European football, if Ibrahimovic can do it, few would bet against the Portugal great doing likewise. 

Benfica's Enzo Fernandez starred for Argentina during their triumphant World Cup campaign, prompting speculation of a January transfer.

The 21-year-old was rewarded for his efforts by being named as the Young Player of the Tournament.

Fernandez only joined Benfica from River Plate last year, signing on a five-year deal that expires in 2027.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA TO CONVINCE BENFICA ON FERNANDEZ DEAL

World Cup sensation Enzo Fernandez has agreed to join Chelsea, with the Premier League club's next step to convince Benfica to sell him, claims the Metro.

Fabrizio Romano reports the Blues have opened discussions with the Portuguese club about a transfer, with talk the move could be worth £105million due to a release clause.

Benfica have shown little intention of selling Fernandez and Chelsea already have a back-up plan should the move not materialise in the shape of another Argentinian, Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, according to the Times.

ROUND-UP

– ESPN claims Real Madrid are willing to splash out more than €100m to land Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, who is also being chased by Liverpool .

– Barcelona and Newcastle United are interested in Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, but he wants to re-join Napoli when his Blues contract concludes at the end of this season, claims La Repubblica. Chelsea have also reportedly offered him a new deal.

– Manchester City have beaten Newcastle to the signature of Velez Sarsfield's 19-year-old midfielder Maximo Perrone, reports Team Talk.

– Gianluca di Marzio claims Milan are interested in a short-term move for Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy amid ongoing injury issues for number one Mike Maignan.

– The Daily Mail claims Wolves will let Mexican forward Raul Jimenez exit in January if they manage to land another striker.

– Unai Emery's Aston Villa are keen on Udinese forward Gerard Deulofeu, according to 90min.