Barcelona's interest in Lionel Messi back to the club is "obvious", president Joan Laporta has said.

Barca brought Messi to Europe as a youngster, and he entrenched himself as a Blaugrana legend becoming the club's all-time leading scorer and winning seven Ballons d'Or while at Camp Nou.

Messi also helped Barca win 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions League trophies during his time in Catalonia, in what was one of the club's most successful periods.

However, financial troubles meant the LaLiga giants did not renew Messi's contract when it expired in 2021, and Paris Saint-Germain swooped to bring him to the French capital on a two-year deal.

The 35-year-old lifted the World Cup with Argentina for the first time last weekend, and his impressive displays in Qatar earned him a second Golden Ball, the first man to ever achieve that feat.

With Messi showing he can still perform at the very top level, there is discussion over his future with his PSG contract coming to an end in June 2023.

PSG reportedly have a verbal agreement in place to extend his contract, but Laporta did not hide his desire to bring the forward back to the club, though he was keen to temper fans' excitement with financial issues still looming.

"It is obvious that I would like him to return one day," Laporta told BarcaTV. "I would love to, but we cannot generate expectations.

"He is a PSG player, who has a contract with them.

"What I don't want is to create expectations that have great difficulty. The [financial] levers were made to save the club because it was in a very difficult situation.

"We would like very much that he came back, but it is something that [we will have to see]."

Messi's World Cup win has seen him instilled as the favourite to win an eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023.

Laporta is one of many who believe Messi is the greatest player in football history, explaining: "For us, he is the best of all time.

"We have had him here and he has become a player here. He will always be linked to Barca."

A Messi return would see him play under a former team-mate in Xavi, who watched his team bounce back from a group-stage Champions League exit to head into the World Cup break top of LaLiga, two points above rivals Real Madrid.

Argentina's World Cup triumph has moved them up to second in FIFA's world rankings, but Lionel Messi's Golden Ball-winning exploits were not enough for top spot.

La Albiceleste defeated France on penalties in a thrilling final that ended 3-3 after extra time at Qatar 2022, ending their 36-year wait for the sport's biggest prize.

But despite it proving fifth time lucky for talisman Messi, it is Argentina's closest rivals Brazil who top the world rankings at the end of the year.

The Selecao were knocked out in the quarter-finals following a penalty shoot-out loss to Croatia, but Tite's side hold on to their place at the summit.

It ends a run of four consecutive years when Belgium have ended the calendar year as the world's top-ranked nation in men's international football, with the Red Devils dropping to fourth.

Their descent allows France to move a place up the ladder, to sit third behind Argentina, while England round out the top five in an unchanged position.

A shock loss to Morocco sees Spain slip down the list to 10th, with the African nation in 11th, while Croatia enjoy a major bump to go seventh at Denmark's expense.

Indeed, Denmark suffer one of the biggest drops, down to 18th, with the Netherlands, Italy and Portugal rounding out the rest of the upper echelons.

Other countries enduring slides down the rankings after poor World Cups include Germany, Uruguay and Wales, but there are boosts for Japan, Australia and Cameroon after impressive performances.

Lionel Messi is currently holidaying in his homeland after Argentina's World Cup victory.

But the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's club future is a hot topic, having put off any contract talks until after the event.

Messi is out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this season, with former club Barcelona consistently linked.

TOP STORY – MESSI AGREES TO STAY WITH PSG

Lionel Messi has agreed to a one-year contract extension with PSG, according to Le Parisien.

The 35-year-old had put off contract talks until after the World Cup, which concluded on Sunday with Messi lifting the title with Argentina.

The report claims Messi and PSG have reached an agreement in principle, with the deal to be sealed once the Argentine returns to France.

ROUND-UP

– CBS's Ben Jacobs claims PSG will not let Kylian Mbappe exit the club in January and any off-season move will only be permitted at the right price. Mbappe was heavily linked with Real Madrid previously, but the move did not materialise, as he ultimately re-signed in May with the Parisians until 2025.

– Barcelona have lost interest in Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, moving on from the idea of attempting to sign the 32-year-old on a free transfer in the off-season due to his age, claims SPORT.

– Manchester United are interested in Aston Villa's Argentina World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, claims Football Insider. That comes with David de Gea's future at Old Trafford unclear.

– Fabrizio Romano reports that Chelsea are on the verge of reaching agreement on a deal for Vasco da Gama's 18-year-old Andrey Santos. The Daily Mail claims the deal is worth £18m.

– Tottenham will rival Bayern Munich in pursuit of Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer, according to GiveMeSport. Spurs are looking for a successor to veteran Hugo Lloris, while Bayern have lost Manuel Neuer to injury.

Christophe Galtier believes Kylian Mbappe's return to Paris Saint-Germain training just three days after a World Cup final defeat is a "strong signal."

Mbappe scored a hat-trick in Sunday's final at Lusail Stadium, twice converting from the spot while also firing home a superb volley as the game ended 3-3 after extra time.

It was Mbappe's team-mate Lionel Messi who ultimately lifted the trophy, though, after Argentina won the penalty shoot-out 4-2.

While Messi returned to Argentina to celebrate, Mbappe was back in PSG training on Wednesday as he attempts to overcome his Qatar heartbreak.

The forward will turn his attention back to the remainder of the season, with PSG holding a five-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 and facing a huge Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich in the round of 16.

Galtier feels Mbappe's decision to get stuck back in with PSG instead of taking extra days off shows what he is made of. 

"I'm very happy to see him," Galtier told PSG TV. "Kylian had a great World Cup. This return is also a strong signal to everyone.

"A player who may have been disappointed not to lift the most beautiful of trophies, even if he was top scorer at this World Cup [with eight goals].

"He wanted to get back in contact with the group very quickly and prepare for the deadlines which are coming up very quickly. 

"We are very, very happy to see him."

Achraf Hakimi, who enjoyed an excellent World Cup as Morocco got further than any African nation in history, also returned to training with the Ligue 1 champions on Wednesday.

PSG return to competitive action against Strasbourg on December 28.

Pep Guardiola believes Lionel Messi is undoubtedly the greatest player of all time, describing arguments in favour of Pele or Diego Maradona as "sentimental".

Messi has long been considered among the best ever, but both he and Cristiano Ronaldo trailed Pele and Maradona in the eyes of some while neither had won the World Cup.

That changed on Sunday, when Messi led Argentina to glory at Qatar 2022, matching Maradona's achievement from 1986.

However, in the eyes of Manchester City manager Guardiola, who coached Messi at Barcelona, there was never any doubt.

"Everyone has their opinion, but nobody can doubt he's there with the greatest of all time," Guardiola said. "For me, I've said many times: he's the best.

"It's difficult to understand how a player can complete what he's done in the past 50 or 70 years.

"The people who saw Pele or [Alfredo] Di Stefano or Maradona, the people can say 'my favourite', but these opinions are sentimental.

"On the other side, if he wouldn't have won the World Cup, the opinion about what he has done for the whole of football and my opinion of how he is as a player wouldn't change absolutely anything.

"But it's normal that it depends if you win [how] you are evaluated. Of course, for him, it's the final cherries on his incredible career."

Messi was joined in the Argentina side by City striker Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Otamendi, who spent five years at the Etihad Stadium between 2015 and 2020.

"We are incredibly happy for him [Alvarez] – congratulations," Guardiola added. "For him, for Nico Otamendi, personally for Messi, for Argentina the country, for a well-deserved champion.

"For Julian, he is with us, and we are delighted. He played a lot, and his contribution was amazing to the team for the way we played. We have a world champion in our team."

Guardiola confirmed Alvarez would now enjoy "a break", but City's other World Cup stars have started to return ahead of Thursday's EFL Cup fourth-round tie against holders Liverpool.

"The players that were at the World Cup are in a better condition than the players who were here, that's for sure," Guardiola explained.

"Sergio [Gomez], Erling [Haaland], Riyad [Mahrez], Cole [Palmer]... the rhythm they miss a little bit compared, for example, to Manu Akanji and Rodri and Aymeric [Laporte] and Nathan [Ake].

"They came back and we saw them so good, perfectly. That's normal. They compete, they train every day, while we had holidays."

Kylian Mbappe returned to Paris Saint-Germain training on Wednesday, three days on from France's World Cup final defeat.

Mbappe scored a hat-trick in Sunday's showpiece match against Argentina, becoming only the second man to net a World Cup final treble.

But it was only enough to earn a 3-3 draw and take an out-of-sorts France team to a penalty shoot-out, where they lost 4-2 despite Mbappe again converting his spot-kick.

Mbappe now owns the record for the most World Cup final goals, having also netted once in France's 2018 success, and took home the Golden Boot ahead of PSG team-mate Lionel Messi.

Messi and Argentina were still celebrating their Qatar 2022 triumph back at home this week as Mbappe made a swift return to club duty, having celebrated his 24th birthday on Tuesday.

PSG are back in competitive action next Wednesday, taking on Strasbourg in Ligue 1 as they attempt to stretch a five-point lead at the top of the table.

Ethan Mbappe, Kylian's younger brother, has been involved with the PSG first team for their mid-season friendlies, appearing on the bench for Wednesday's game against Quevilly-Rouen.

Cristiano Ronaldo will look to resolve his club future following his World Cup disappointment with Portugal.

Ronaldo spent time training with his former team Real Madrid last week, having parted ways with Manchester United.

The 37-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or appears to have run out of options in Europe, and seemingly Saudi Arabia beckons.

TOP STORY – SAUDI GIANTS EXPECT RONALDO DEAL BY END OF 2022

Al Nassr are hoping to complete their move for Cristiano Ronaldo by the end of the year, reports Marca.

Ronaldo is said to be in Dubai and waiting to travel to Saudi Arabia, with a two-and-a-half-year contract offer on the table worth €200million.

The report claims Ronaldo will spend Christmas with family in Dubai, with Al Nassr awaiting his arrival before the close of the year.

ROUND-UP

– Paris Saint-Germain are eager to renew Lionel Messi's contract in the next few days, reports Goal. Messi's contract expires in mid-2023, and he is free to talk to clubs outside of France from January 1. Messi's former club Barcelona have shown tentative interest in the Argentina World Cup winner returning to Camp Nou, while Inter Miami have also been linked.

– Bild claims Newcastle United could be preparing a January bid for Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram. Gladbach reportedly want £10.5million (€12million) for the Frenchman, although the Magpies may offer below that.

– Atletico Madrid and Arsenal are targeting Brighton and Hove Albion's World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, according to AS.

– Mexico international goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is set to join Serie A club Salernitana as a free agent from America, according to Fabrizio Romano, who says Ochoa will fly to Italy on Thursday to complete the move.

– Chelsea are on the verge of winning the race for Vasco da Gama's 18-year-old Brazilian sensation Andrey Santos, reports talkSPORT.

Lionel Messi believes Diego Maradona "encouraged us from heaven" as Argentina beat France in Sunday's World Cup final.

La Albiceleste ended a 36-year wait to win their third World Cup with a penalty shoot-out victory over the reigning champions at Lusail Stadium.

The teams drew 3-3 after extra time, with a Messi double and Angel Di Maria strike cancelled out by a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick as a gripping tie went all the way to spot-kicks.

However, Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni failed to convert their penalties as Argentina won the shoot-out 4-2 to earn Messi his first World Cup in dramatic fashion.

The win was especially emotional with the World Cup in Qatar the first since Maradona, who famously led Argentina to glory at the 1986 World Cup, passed away in November 2020.

After losing the 2014 World Cup final to Germany because of a 113th-minute Mario Gotze winner, Messi was glad the same fate did not befall Argentina against France.

Messi released a message on Instagram, saying: "I always dreamed of being a world champion and I didn't want to stop trying, even knowing that maybe I would never give up.

"This cup we got is also from all those who did not make it in the previous World Cups we played, like in 2014 in Brazil, where they all deserved it for how they fought until the same final, worked hard and wanted it as much as I did.

"It's also from Diego who encouraged us from heaven.

"And of all those who spent the time always supporting the national team without looking so much at the result but the desire we always put into it, also when things didn't go as we wanted.

"Many times failure is part of the journey and learning and without the disappointments it is impossible for success to come.

"Thank you very much from my heart! Let's go Argentina!!!"

Messi's latest Instagram message came after his photo holding the World Cup trophy became the most popular post in the social media platform's history, amassing 65 million likes.

He followed that up by uploading a picture on Tuesday of him in bed holding the famous trophy, which was liked over 40 million times in the nine hours after it was posted.

After the country's government declared Tuesday a national holiday, Messi and his team-mates landed back in Argentina and were greeted by mass crowds of adoring fans.

Pele is the greatest of all time for Peter Reid, though the former England midfielder knows there is not much to choose between the Brazil legend, Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi.

Argentina's World Cup success in Qatar has surely cemented Messi's place as the greatest player of his generation, though whether the 35-year-old will go down as the best of ever is open for debate.

Messi has now matched his late compatriot Maradona in dragging Argentina to World Cup glory, with the late, great former captain lifting the trophy at Mexico 1986.

Reid played for England against Argentina in the famous 'Hand of God' game in that tournament and was left in Maradona's wake for the mercurial number 10's second goal of the match, which has been immortalised as 'The Goal of the Century'.

Reid, though, quipped Pele – a winner of three World Cups – was his pick.

"Erm, Pele," Reid joked when asked by Stats Perform who was the best out of Messi and Maradona. "They're all icons of the game."

Reid is pleased to see Messi finally get his hands on the only trophy that had been missing from his collection.

"Yeah, I think he's been an absolutely outstanding footballer and it was the one major trophy that he hadn't won, and I think he's a credit to himself on the park and off the park," he said.

He added of the tournament: "I thought there was some great games, I thought the best team won it and I still don't know the penalty rule. I haven't got a clue what a penalty is these days, but I did enjoy it, I've got to say."

It was a similar story for Liverpool great Ian Rush, who enjoyed his experience in Qatar supporting Wales.

"I was out there and from a Welsh point of view it was a privilege to be there, 1958 was last time we qualified so no matter where the World Cup was going to be, I was going to be there because it's the first time I have gotten the chance to see Wales playing at the World Cup," Rush told Stats Perform.

"But I enjoyed it and I really enjoyed the World Cup out there. The people were very friendly. It's the icing on the cake for Messi to get his hands on the World Cup."

Lionel Messi's Instagram message celebrating Argentina's World Cup win has become the most popular post in the social media platform's history, with 56 million likes.

Messi finally won international football's greatest prize after Argentine edged out France 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw in Sunday's final at Lusail Stadium.

For the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, it is the final rubber stamp on his status as the greatest footballer of his generation, and arguably the greatest of all time.

Now, Messi has another record to his name, with his post in the wake of Argentina's success surpassing the previous high-water mark held by the World Record Egg, which gained 55.9 million likes.

"Thank you very much to my family, to all who support me and also to all who believed in us," the 35-year-old wrote in his caption.

"We demonstrate once again that Argentines when we fight together and united we are capable of achieving what we set out to do.

"The merit belongs to this group, which is above individuals. It is the strength of all fighting for the same dream that was also the dream of all Argentines... We did it!!!"

Messi, who was named the World Cup Golden Ball recipient for the second time, scored twice in Sunday's final, and netted the first successful penalty of his side's shoot-out.

Xavi and Joan Laporta paid tribute to Lionel Messi following his long-awaited World Cup triumph, the latter stating "historical justice has been done."

The former Barcelona star led Argentina to glory in Qatar as La Albiceleste defeated reigning champions France 4-2 on penalties following an enthralling 3-3 draw at Lusail Stadium.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner finally added the sport's biggest prize to his collection following a glittering career that has also seen him win 11 league titles, four Champions Leagues, three Club World Cups and the Copa America.

And the Paris Saint-Germain forward's achievements were by saluted by Barca head coach Xavi with his former team-mate also empathising with Ousmane Dembele and Jules Kounde, who were on the losing French side.

"It was an extraordinary final for the spectator, one of the best matches I've seen in my life," he said at the premiere of a new Prime Video docuseries entitled 'FC Barcelona, A New Era.'

"I think Argentina were better and deserved it. I feel sorry for Dembele and Kounde. But we must congratulate Leo Messi, who now has his World Cup, something that could not be missing in his career."

Blaugrana president Laporta added: "He deserves it, he is the best of all time, historical justice has been done.

"We would have been happy if our Kounde and Dembele won it, but I think all of us who love and are grateful to Messi for what he has given us are happy for him."

Cristiano Ronaldo is "a big failure of the World Cup" and has "damaged his legacy", former Germany international Lothar Matthaus claims.

Ronaldo has endured a turbulent six weeks at club and international level, having been released from Manchester United prior to the start of the tournament in Qatar following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

After scoring in the opening game against Ghana, Ronaldo appeared furious when withdrawn during the final group-stage match against South Korea and was subsequently dropped to the bench for the following two matches in the knockout stage.

He would not be missed against Switzerland, Goncalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick as his replacement, then Ronaldo came off the bench in a fruitless effort to stave off defeat to Morocco.

With 37-year-old Ronaldo now on the hunt for a new club, German World Cup great Matthaus has conceded he is unsure who will make a move for his services, delivering a damning assessment of the five-time Ballon D'Or winner.

"With his ego trips, Ronaldo has damaged the team and himself," Matthaus told newspaper Bild.

"There is no doubt that he was a great player and an absolutely lethal finisher. But now he has damaged his legacy.

"I find it hard to think that he can find a place in a team. I kind of feel sorry for Ronaldo.

While Ronaldo and Portugal suffered a quarter-final exit, the fortunes of Lionel Messi and Argentina were vastly different – as they celebrated glory after a dramatic penalty shoot-out triumph against France in Sunday's final.

That affirmed Messi as the "player of the millennium" in the eyes of 1990 World Cup winner Matthaus, who had a further jibe for Ronaldo.

"Ronaldo is of course a big failure of the World Cup, the opposite of Messi," he said.

"[Messi is] the absolute winner. He deserves it because he has given me and all football fans great joy with his qualities and the way he plays over 17-18 years.

"For me, Messi is the player of the millennium."

Lionel Messi's World Cup triumph is not enough for him to surpass Diego Maradona as Argentina's greatest player, according to Javier Zanetti.

Messi finally got his hands on the World Cup on Sunday after a thrilling final against France was settled on penalties at Lusail Stadium.

The 35-year-old scored twice in a thrilling 3-3 draw, before converting his penalty in the shoot-out, which Argentina won 4-2.

It was Argentina's third World Cup and especially poignant considering this was the first edition since Maradona, who famously led his nation to glory at the 1986 tournament, died in November 2020.

While Messi's performances in Qatar have cemented his place as the best player in history in the eyes of many, Zanetti feels he is still yet to outdo Maradona as Argentina's greatest of all time.

Zanetti told Stats Perform: "No, not for me. I don't like [the] comparison.

"We have to be grateful that the two greatest [players] in history are Argentines.

"I don't think [Messi] has changed. I think he is more mature now and he was able to transmit his leadership to the rest of the group this time."

Argentina were pegged back twice by France, first surrendering a 2-0 lead as Kylian Mbappe struck twice before levelling again in extra time after Messi had put Lionel Scaloni's men back in front.

Argentina's 36-year wait to lift international football's top prize again is the longest gap between a nation winning World Cup titles, and Zanetti believes the dramatic nature of their success made the victory even sweeter.

"It's a great emotion that the lads gave us because we have been waiting for it for a long time," Zanetti added. 

"I think they made it happen, the dream of millions of Argentinian fans around the world.

"It was a great final for us Argentines because it seemed it was all going in our way but then France had a great reaction."

Andres Iniesta, Messi's former team-mate at Barcelona, was delighted the now Paris Saint-Germain forward finally got to lift the World Cup.

"Yesterday's final was something spectacular, and that he [Messi] had the opportunity now to lift the World Cup is inexplicable," Iniesta told reporters while visiting Barcelona's training ground.

"Leo has done everything possible to achieve it. He has had a spectacular World Cup and the icing on the cake was incredible.

"I'm sure he feels maximum happiness."

Leading documentary director Asif Kapadia wants to bring a Lionel Messi movie to life.

Messi won the World Cup with Argentina on Sunday, with La Albiceleste triumphing 4-2 over France on penalties following a thrilling 3-3 draw at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

The World Cup was the final trophy missing from Messi's vast collection, and now the 35-year-old has surely ended the debate as to who is the greatest player of his generation.

Messi scored seven goals and contributed three assists across his sensational campaign in Qatar, and there are sure to be no shortage of offers for his story to be taken to the silver screen.

But Kapadia perhaps has the edge, given his critically acclaimed previous documentaries - Senna, about the life and death of the Formula One driver Ayrton Senna, Amy (a film focusing on Amy Winehouse's rise to fame) and Diego Maradona.

The latter, released in 2019, told the story of Argentina's previous magical number 10, a player Messi has now matched in winning the World Cup, as Maradona did in 1986. 

"Pardon me, but I feel I should put this out there," tweeted Kapadia on Monday.

"Dear #LionelMessi, I know you're probably busy and need a holiday, but If you're interested in having your epic story told at some point, I'm definitely interested & available!"

Lionel Messi emerged from the shadow of his fellow Argentinian 'phenomenon' Diego Maradona by leading his country to World Cup glory, says 1994 runner-up Arrigo Sacchi.

Messi clinched the World Cup Golden Ball after producing a series of talismanic displays in Qatar, scoring seven goals and adding three assists during a dream campaign.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner scored twice in Sunday's thrilling final against France, also converting in the subsequent penalty shoot-out as he became the first Albiceleste captain to lift the trophy since Maradona in 1986.

Sacchi, whose great Milan side battled with Maradona's Napoli in the 1980s, refused to compare the two Argentina greats but was delighted to see Messi replicate his compatriot's success.

"When Messi raised the World Cup to the sky, his eyes were wet with tears," Sacchi, who led Italy to the 1994 final, wrote in La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I thought of Leo's entire journey, of what he won with Barcelona, of his dribbling, of his goals, of his acrobatics, of the many Ballon d'Ors he placed on the bulletin board. 

"Then, however, there was that sort of curse which he could not shrug off. Too often he was forced to play with the shadow of Maradona weighing on his shoulders.

"Too often they asked him what he could not give, and then he felt sad. He felt the responsibility to give happiness to an entire people and the fact of not succeeding in it pained him. 

"Now all of Argentina is at his feet. I don't feel like saying whether or not he has reached Maradona's level.

"I don't agree with these comparisons between champions who belong to different eras of football. 

"What I know is that Maradona was a phenomenon, and I knew him well, and I know that Messi is too, albeit in a different way."