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.

Xavi believes Lionel Messi could finally get his hands on the World Cup in Qatar, tipping Argentina alongside Brazil as favourites to land the trophy.

The closest Messi has come to being a World Cup winner was when Argentina were beaten by Germany in the 2014 final.

His unprecedented seven Ballon d'Or successes underline Messi's individual greatness, but he is missing the most valued team prize of all.

Winning the Copa America with Argentina last year gave him a first major title in senior international football, with Argentina getting the better of Brazil at the Maracana in the final.

Now, at the age of 35, and in his final World Cup, Argentina captain Messi goes again, with former Barcelona team-mate Xavi strongly rating the Albiceleste's chances.

"Argentina and Brazil are a step ahead of everyone else," Xavi said on Friday.

"I see them very strong as a team, also with individual players, physical and in terms of tactics and strategy as well, they're two great teams.

"I think they're a step ahead of some of the best European teams right now. But in a World Cup you can never know. Everything can become complicated."

Xavi, a World Cup winner in 2010 with Spain and now head coach at Barcelona, added: "The European teams are very important: Spain, France, even England, have got very strong national sides, but I think Brazil and Argentina are a step stronger."

Brazil are five-time World Cup winners but have not triumphed since Ronaldo's eight goals drove them to 2002 glory, while Argentina have carried off the trophy twice, in 1978 and 1986.

Messi, surprisingly, has never scored in the knockout rounds and is four goals behind Gabriel Batistuta, Argentina's World Cup record scorer (10 goals).

European teams have dominated the World Cup in recent times, with Italy, Spain, Germany and France winning the last four editions.

Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is expected to cost €100million if the undefeated Serie A leaders choose to sell at the end of the season.

Kvaratskhelia, 21, was with Rubin Kazan for three seasons before the Russian invasion of Ukraine halted their 2021-22 campaign, allowing the Georgia-born player to sign with Georgian club Dinamo Batumi.

Napoli scooped him up from Batumi for around €10m, and he has been in fine form since arriving in Italy. In 12 Serie A games, Kvaratskhelia has six goals and seven assists, while adding two goals and three assists in five Champions League matches.

A January sale has been ruled out, but if the club decide to cash-in on their shrewd piece of business, they could reportedly multiply their investment 10-fold.

TOP STORY – BREAKOUT NAPOLI YOUNGSTER SET TO COMMAND NINE-FIGURE FEE

According to Kvaratskhelia's agent Christian Emile in an interview with Fabrizio Romano, the Georgian sensation affectionately referred to as 'Kvaradona' by Napoli fans is one of the hottest names on the transfer market.

In the interview, reported by the London Evening Standard, Emile said there is "a zero per cent chance" he is sold in January as Napoli push for their first title since the 1989-90 season. 

However, he said "people are talking about €100m" when discussing Kvaratskhelia's value now, and if his form continues in this fashion the rest of the season, Emile added "he will reach €100m for sure".

The report names Liverpool and Chelsea as two of the key clubs known to have interest at this point.

ROUND-UP

– Mundo Deportivo is reporting Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan – who is out of contract at the end of the season – is a target for Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid. 

– According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United have made Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham their top target.

– Eden Hazard could leave Real Madrid in January, per Mundo Deportivo, with Juventus named as a club interested in the 31-year-old.

– Media Foot is reporting United are "seriously considering" a move for 33-year-old Bayern Munich forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, but they will not be making any significant purchases in January.

– According to L'Equipe, Lionel Messi does not want to leave Paris Saint-Germain without winning "a major trophy", and is considering extending his contract beyond this season.

Lionel Messi is "missed by football" because at Paris Saint-Germain he does not have the same audience as at Barcelona, according to LaLiga president Javier Tebas.

Messi left Barca in 2020 after the club's financial issues led to a significantly reduced salary limit in LaLiga, thus preventing them re-signing him after his contract expired.

He moved to PSG and, after a somewhat underwhelming first season on an individual level, Messi is thriving again this season.

But Tebas' perception is Messi is wasted in Ligue 1 because it does not have the same global audience as LaLiga and Barcelona.

Speaking at the Sports Summits organised by Argentinian newspaper Ole, Tebas said: "I think Messi is not only missed in LaLiga, he is missed by football because the French league is what it is, right?

"I think that no matter how many [superstars] are at PSG, Messi is followed much less than when he was at Barcelona. Let's hope he has a great World Cup, because there we will all be able to see him again.

"I don't see all the fans watching PSG against Nantes, I don't see it. With Barca it's the opposite."

Messi's future has become a hot topic again in recent weeks, with speculation beginning to swirl regarding his next destination.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has been linked with a move to MLS side Inter Miami, PSG want to renew his contract, and Barcelona are reportedly aiming to bring him back to Camp Nou.

Tebas could not offer any insight, but he was unequivocal in what he thinks Messi should do.

"I don't know if Messi will have one last show at Barca, that will depend on him," he continued.

"Hopefully he will come back. Above all it would also be good for him to return to Spanish football, especially to the team that has always been the team that birthed him.

"I think [leaving] was a mistake even for him, in my opinion, breaking up a marriage that was a very beneficial long-term alliance for Messi and for Barca itself."

Tebas' critical Ligue 1 comments come at a time when LaLiga's own reputation is hardly sky-high.

For the first time this century, Spain will have only one representative in the knockout stages of the Champions League after Atletico Madrid, Barca and Sevilla were all eliminated in the groups.

LaLiga was once considered the Premier League's biggest rival, but the English top flight has since moved to a level of its own in economic terms.

However, Tebas feels LaLiga still holds its own compared to the Premier League in a sporting sense.

"It is difficult for us to reach the Premier League economically, due to a population issue, but at a technological and sporting level, we are competing," he said.

"It is not necessary to see what happened last season or what may happen in this one, you have to see the last 10 seasons or more.

"Since the beginning of the century, LaLiga has won 35 European titles between the Champions League and Europa League [and Super Cup], and the Premier has won 13.

"And in the last 10 seasons LaLiga has won 60 per cent of the titles. I think we are not bad and we can withstand the pull of the Premier League, despite the fact that economically they may be stronger.

"We must remember this and not only look at how the Champions League group stage has finished this season."

Sergio Ramos has described the prospect of returning to Luis Enrique's Spain squad for the World Cup as a "dream" after enjoying a strong start to the season with Paris Saint-Germain.

Ramos has won an incredible 180 caps for Spain – more than any other player in the country's history – and has played at each of the past four World Cups.

However, the defender was left out of Luis Enrique's squad for Euro 2020 after an injury-plagued final season with Real Madrid, and only made eight Ligue 1 starts in his first campaign with PSG.

Having already made 10 league starts this season, Ramos is targeting a first international appearance since March 2021 against Kosovo and believes he will play at the highest level for several more years.

"Everyone knows what it means to me to defend the colours of my country," Ramos said at a news conference ahead of PSG's Champions League fixture against Juventus on Wednesday.

"After a difficult season, I feel good again, I'm playing again and I'm available. I still hope to return to the selection, and I dream of the World Cup. 

"But we have to wait and continue to play at the best level to convince the coach. I hope I will have the chance to play in another World Cup.

"Last year was difficult. I was injured, I had to adapt after spending most of my career at Real. At no time did I think it was the end of my career. It was a challenge. 

"Last year is forgotten. There have been changes and I'm happy, I'm totally adapted to Paris and I'm hungry for titles. 

"If I think it is over, I will stay at home to take care of my children, but I think I can last a few more years at the best level in football."

Ramos became the first player in PSG's history to remain unbeaten through their first 30 appearances for the club with Saturday's 4-3 win over Troyes, a game in which Lionel Messi scored his seventh league goal of the season.

Like Ramos, Messi appears to have hit his stride at the perfect time with the World Cup just around the corner, and the defender says he is fortunate to have him as a team-mate.  

"My relationship with Messi is excellent," Ramos added. "We can see on the field. There is great respect between the players and a good state of mind.

"Messi is always at the top level. He continues to be one of the most decisive players in the world. It's a privilege to have him in our team. I see him very focused, like last year. 

"Maybe he has the World Cup in the back of his mind, but he's focused on being good on the pitch."

Lionel Messi's potential move to Inter Miami in MLS would be even more significant for US soccer than Pele playing for the New York Cosmos, former United States international Brad Friedel told Stats Perform.

MLS has long been considered a likely end-of-career destination for Messi, but the intensity of such links has ramped up considerably in recent days, with media reports suggesting David Beckham-backed Inter are increasingly confident of luring the Paris Saint-Germain forward to MLS as early as next year.

Beckham was of course seen as something of a pioneer when he made the switch to LA Galaxy in 2007, and stars such as Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Kaka, Andrea Pirlo and Didier Drogba all followed over the next decade.

But before MLS, the North American Soccer League (NASL) had served a similar purpose for ageing superstars in the 1970s and 80s, with Brazil legend Pele proving the trendsetter back then when he joined the Cosmos – Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Gerd Muller, Eusebio, Bobby Moore and George Best all went on to feature in the NASL before it collapsed after the 1984 season.

For all the history US soccer has with the biggest names in the sport, Friedel thinks nothing that has gone before could compare with the impact Messi's arrival would have.

"So, we had David Beckham over here, which was one of the best signings that MLS ever made for notoriety around the world," he told Stats Perform.

"And in today's day and age with social media, everyone's sort of a journalist with their phones these days, and how quickly media gets around the world.

"[Messi to MLS] would be unlike anything anyone's ever seen in this country, including when Pele was over here, just because of the way the media is.

"It would be incredible if Lionel Messi was playing in this league. The fans that he attracts, the global respect, how good he has been.

"If they can pull that off… I'm not generally [in favour of] the older player coming in [to MLS], but like [Giorgio] Chiellini and [Gareth] Bale were [signed] for a reason and [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic was for a reason, then work out that if you can get Messi, get him over here."

Although Messi's PSG contract expires next year, Inter should not expect a free run at the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

PSG are still reportedly confident of securing a contract extension, while officials from Messi's former club Barcelona have spoken openly about their desire to bring him back to Camp Nou.

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.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is known to be desperate for Lionel Messi to finish his career at his long-time club.

The 35-year-old Argentine forward departed Camp Nou hastily in August last year due to Barcelona's financial issues.

Messi joined the Blaugrana in 2000 and had an association with the club for more than two decades, scoring 672 goals across 778 first-team appearances.

TOP STORY – LAPORTA PLOTTING JANUARY MOVE FOR MESSI

Laporta is planning a move for Barcelona club legend Lionel Messi in the January transfer window, according to Sport.

The report states that Barcelona want to take advantage of the Fair Play situation in January, rather than wait for the off-season where the 1/4 rule will make any move more difficult.

However, Laporta's plan is full of obstacles for the Blaugrana to overcome, not least LaLiga's financial restraints, along with convincing Messi and his current club Paris Saint-Germain to part midway through the season.

Messi has publicly said he has deferred any decisions on his club or international future until after the World Cup.

ROUND-UP

– Sporting CP head coach Ruben Amorim may have distanced the club from links with Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo in midweek but The Mirror reports that the Portuguese club will make a bid for him in January.

– Brighton and Hove Albion are open to selling Moises Caicedo amid interest from Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United but have slapped a £85m price tag on the 20-year-old Ecuadorian midfielder, reports the Sunday Mirror.

– The Express claims that Arsenal are leading the race ahead of Manchester United to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans. The Belgian could move to the Gunners for free, as he is out of contract at the end of the season and unlikely to pen a new deal.

– Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante - whose contract is also up at the end of June 2023 - is a major target for Barcelona who are looking at replacements for veteran Sergio Busquets, reports Relevo.

– Sport claims Barcelona are looking to offload Memphis Depay in January, with Juventus interested in signing the Dutch attacker.

– Wolves are set to approach ex-Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui again, having failed to convince him previously to become their new manager, claims The Sun.

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."

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."

Harry Kane's importance to Tottenham is as significant as the impact Lionel Messi had during his career at Barcelona, according to Clement Lenglet.

France defender Lenglet is well known to Messi having played alongside him at Camp Nou and also against the Argentina great during his time at Sevilla.

Messi had been a one-club man until the start of the 2021-22 season when Barca's perilous financial situation saw him depart for Paris Saint-Germain.

The superstar forward became the club's all-time leading scorer and a record seven-time Ballon d'Or winner at Barca, while he counts 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions League medals among a plethora of honours won with Los Cules.

While Kane has yet to win a medal with Spurs, Lenglet – who joined Tottenham from Barca on loan in the last transfer window – talked up the impact he has on the club.

In quotes reported by the Daily Mail, Lenglet said: "When you stay a long time in the same place and you achieve so many good things with the club it means you become a part of this club. 

"Your face is connected to the club. For me, Messi is always a Barca player.

"For Harry it's the same. It's difficult to think of Harry in another country or playing for another team. Tottenham is a big club, Harry is a big player and Harry is a big part of Tottenham. 

"We speak a lot about the player and that's important because we are players but I give the same importance to what he is like as a guy. He is an amazing example for all his team-mates."

Describing what it is like to be play with and against Messi, Lenglet added: "You play with the greatest player in the world in my opinion. 

"He helps you improve every day. I played with him [for Barca] and against him for Sevilla – it's better with him!"

Lenglet has made just three Premier League starts for Spurs this season but said it only required a short conversation with boss Antonio Conte to persuade him to make the move to north London, where he is still adjusting to a new way of life.

"We spoke about a lot of things. He [Conte] told me if I came here I would improve because the league is so competitive, you have to be ready and focused every game," Lenglet said.

"He said if I came here I would be happy because I would progress as a football player and it has been a good decision.

"It's a different culture, a different way to work. I was in Spain for six years. You work one way, you think one way, the football is the same. Now, you come to England – a different league, different intensity, different way to work. It's a good way to improve."

Tottenham sit third in the Premier League and are out to rebound from defeat against Manchester United when they face Newcastle United on Sunday.

Ronaldo Nazario ranks himself alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona as part of a "very special group" of football's greatest ever players. 

Legendary forward Ronaldo led Brazil to their most recent World Cup triumph 20 years ago, scoring eight goals as Luiz Felipe Scolari's team sealed the country's fifth title in Japan and South Korea.

No Brazilian has ever bettered Ronaldo's tally at a single edition of the tournament, while his total return of 15 World Cup goals has only been beaten by Germany's Miroslav Klose (16).  

While Ronaldo believes his exploits put him in the pantheon of footballing greats, he told the Guardian it was difficult to compare his abilities to those of players from different generations.

Asked to choose between seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi and another Argentina icon in Maradona, Ronaldo said: "That's unfair! 

"I think there is a very, very special group where you have Diego, Messi, [Johan] Cruyff, [Franz] Beckenbauer, Pele, [Marco] Van Basten, Ronaldinho. I would include myself. 

"Let the fans say, let them debate it in the bars. But you can't rank them, can't compare generations. 

"People call me the 'original' Ronaldo but there were others – and they weren't false. 

"I'm not the only one, and more will come along and be better than me in everything. I did what I could, the best I could."

Brazil's hopes of repeating their 2002 World Cup win will depend largely on the form of Neymar, who has been involved in 42 per cent of the Selecao's World Cup goals since making his tournament debut in 2014 (8/19 – six goals, two assists).

Ronaldo compared the abilities of the Paris Saint-Germain forward to those of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, insisting no football fan could fail to enjoy watching him play. 

"People love him a lot," Ronaldo added of Neymar. "If we talk specifically about football, I doubt there's anyone who doesn't love him. His private life transcends football, but I'm not interested. 

"He's daring, has skill, variety, is quick, scores goals, has personality. You could compare him to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, even though they are from a different planet. 

"On the pitch Neymar is one [thing], then people mix in all the other stuff."

Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier was impressed by how his team played while utilising three central midfielders in their 3-0 victory against Ajaccio on Friday.

In the match, Galtier started Renato Sanches, Marco Verratti and Fabian Ruiz as the three midfielders in a 4-3-3 setup, after spending much of the season playing a 3-4-3 with two central midfielders.

The breakthrough came in the 24th minute when Lionel Messi assisted Kylian Mbappe for the opener, and that score would hold until Messi got on the end of a spectacular team move in the 78th minute, where Mbappe would return the favour with an assist for the second goal.

Mbappe then finished things off in the 82nd, again off an assist from Messi, and their chemistry drew praise from Galtier in his interview with PSGTV.

"We scored another two magnificent goals [in the second half]," he said. "Of course, the move from Leo [to] Kylian, [back to] Leo is an extraordinary goal on this difficult pitch, but it's also the third goal. 

"The link-up between Leo and Kylian really worked well – it's very good for the team and it's very good for them. They are players that need to score and that's very good for them. 

"It also allowed me to make changes to give certain players a break, and I liked the way that our midfield played too."

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe combined superbly to inspire Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-0 Ligue 1 win at Ajaccio on Friday.

The defending champions were without the suspended Neymar, leaving it up to the two other stars on their forward line to send PSG six points clear at the top. They did so in style.

Mbappe, who recently slammed reports of him wanting to leave the club as "completely false", cut a frustrated figure for much of the game even after breaking the deadlock in the 24th minute.

He was teed up by Messi for that opener before missing a series of chances to claim a hat-trick.

However, a commanding PSG display was eventually reflected by the scoreline as Mbappe and Messi linked up brilliantly for the latter to make it 2-0 before the long-time Real Madrid target added further gloss with his second.

Pedri says it is "not possible" to emulate Barcelona legend's Lionel Messi's achievements as he prepares to face fierce rivals Real Madrid in El Clasico.

Barca teenager Pedri has emerged as one of world football's most talented prospects, showing maturity way beyond his years with majestic performances in the middle of the park.

The 19-year-old Spain midfielder looks set for a long, successful career and Xavi will be expecting him to step up on the big stage again when the Blaugrana face LaLiga champions Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Pedri has high hopes for what he can achieve, but believes it is too much to ask that he will emulate the feats of the mercurial seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi.

"I hope so," Pedri replied when asked if he would like to be named the best player in the world as many times as Messi has. "I know how hard I need to work to try to do something like that.

"There is only one Messi, however, and I think to repeat what he did is not possible."

Pedri is relishing the challenge of facing Madrid, with Barca above Carlo Ancelotti's side on goal difference at the top of the table.

"It’s a match where a lot of people watch from around the world," he said. "It's a match that I always try to enjoy and hope all the people watching enjoy too. This is why we play football – to entertain everyone and to have fun.

"I used to go to watch the games [against Madrid] with my parents and a lot of Barcelona fans. We used to be very lucky in that we won a lot of times. That's why we enjoyed it even more with each other."

- Pedri was speaking as a global brand ambassador for TCL.