Rafael Nadal has revealed he had tears in his eyes as Lionel Messi led Argentina to World Cup final glory.

Even for Real Madrid fan Nadal, there was a joy in seeing former Barcelona talisman Messi achieve his greatest feat at an age when some doubted he would ever lift the trophy.

Now 35, Messi was the driving force behind Argentina's success in Qatar. He scored two goals as Sunday's final against France ended in a pulsating 3-3 draw, plus a penalty in the shoot-out that followed, clinching the Golden Ball as the tournament's outstanding player.

For Nadal, who won his 22nd grand slam two days after turning 36 in June, seeing another person achieving late-career success is something to which he can relate.

"Messi lifting the World Cup made me happy. That someone so great culminates with a title that was missing, of this calibre, with all that it means for Argentina, it seemed fair to me," Nadal said.

"I enjoyed it and I was moved. Without siding with Argentina, when Messi scored the third goal tears came to my eyes.

"It was because of the emotion of seeing someone so great achieve what was missing, having suffered so much to achieve it."

Nadal would also have taken a close interest in Kylian Mbappe hitting a hat-trick for France in the Lusail Stadium final, given the Paris Saint-Germain striker is a long-time Madrid target.

Mbappe snubbed Madrid to sign a new PSG contract in May, but it would be no surprise if eventually he ends up at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The matter of Mbappe came up in an interview with AS, who made Nadal their athlete of the year.

Nadal was asked if he would forgive Mbappe if he signed for Madrid.

"I don't have to forgive Mbappe for anything and as a Madrid fan, if he could, come tomorrow," Nadal said.

"In the end, things happen in sports and I suppose that such a young boy was overwhelmed by such tremendous pressure from all angles that in the end... I think he wanted to come to Madrid, but due to many factors, everything was very complicated for him. Hopefully we can see him in Madrid in the future."

Nadal said he would be leaving for Australia on December 26 and cautioned against expecting too much immediately at the start of the new tennis season, pointing to "very difficult" singles matches at the United Cup against Cameron Norrie and Nick Kyrgios.

The Australian Open, where Nadal is the defending men's singles champion, begins on January 16 in Melbourne, with all the focus on getting into prime shape by then.

"Let's see now how the year begins. I'm aware that I'm a little tight here, but I'm confident that I can get to the level I need to be competitive in Australia," Nadal said.

"We'll see what happens. Things change very quickly in sports. But I have the illusion of having a good year again and giving myself options to compete again at the highest level. I am aware that I am the age that I am, and that things happen. I will have to manage it in the best possible way and try to do my best to give myself real options."

Real Madrid will face fourth-tier club Cacereno in the Copa del Rey's round of 32 in early January.

Cacereno produced the biggest shock of the second round when beating LaLiga side Girona 2-1 on Thursday, with the Catalans becoming the first top-flight side to be knockout of this season's competition.

The Segunda Division RFEF side have been rewarded for that success with a dream duel with Real Madrid, who will travel to Caceres for the game.

For Cacereno, such a draw will provide a huge boost financially.

Club president Carlos Ordonez was quoted by AS as saying: "It is the maximum lottery that a man from Caceres could win. It has been a continuum of messages, calls, WhatsApps...

"It is the greatest prize that could be given to us. It is an economic boost that for a club like ours is super important. Real Madrid hasn't come to Extremadura for a long time and it's a prize for all Extremadurans."

Madrid only entered the competition in Friday's draw, with Barcelona joining them.

The Blaugrana are set to face third-tier side Intercity of San Juan de Alicante, who have had a fairly rapid ascension to the Primera Division RFEF since their 2017 foundation on the sixth level of the Spanish football ladder.

Atletico Madrid will go to Real Oviedo, while holders Real Betis begin their campaign at Ibiza Islas Pitiusas.

Real Sociedad and Sevilla were drawn with third-tier opponents in Logrones and Linares Deportivo, respectively.

Matches are due to take place between January 3 and 5, with exact kick-off dates and times to be confirmed in due course.

Full third-round draw:

Ibiza Islas Pitiusas v Real Betis

Cacereno v Real Madrid

Intercity v Barcelona

La Nucia v Valencia 

Logrones v Real Sociedad

Eldense v Athletic Bilbao

Pontevedra v Mallorca

Gimnastic Tarragona v Osasuna

Linares Deportivo v Sevilla

Ceuta v Elche

Deportivo Alaves v Real Valladolid

Levante v Getafe

Real Oviedo v Atletico Madrid

Cartagena v Villarreal

Sporting Gijon v Rayo Vallecano

Espanyol v Celta Vigo

Argentina's World Cup celebrations were "vulgar" and evidence of them being "inelegant winners", according to French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera.

It was confirmed on Thursday that French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet wrote to his Argentinian counterpart, Claudio Tapia, to complain about the "abnormal" and "shocking" taunts towards Kylian Mbappe.

Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties following an enthralling 3-3 draw after extra time in Sunday's World Cup final, sparking elaborate celebrations over the coming days in Buenos Aires.

Millions took to the streets of Argentina's capital, with Tuesday's victory parade ultimately cut short due to the huge crowds causing the team's bus to be held up.

During the celebrations, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was seen holding a doll bearing Mbappe's face.

The Aston Villa player also landed himself in hot water for comments about his efforts to put off Aurelien Tchouameni – who missed his penalty – in the shoot-out, and for social media footage that showed Martinez calling for a "moment of silence" for Mbappe in the dressing room after the final.

Several France players were also subject to racist messages from members of the public on social media, and the whole ordeal left a sour taste for Oudea-Castera.

Speaking to RTL, she said: "We have to ask the Argentine Football Association [AFA] for an explanation and moreover Noel Le Graet has done, he asked his counterpart Claudio Tapia.

"I find it pitiful. As much as our French team knew how to lose with panache, so much of how this Argentinian team acted following this victory is not worthy of the match we saw.

"There was still inappropriate mockery there against Tchouameni [by Martinez], it's just vulgar and inappropriate.

"They are inelegant winners. There is inappropriate mockery, and unacceptable racist acts [on social media].

"I am glad that Le Graet has filed a complaint and is taking this step with his counterpart. Emiliano Martinez does not distinguish himself, it's quite pathetic.

"I was able to speak with Kylian Mbappe on the plane back and he has a step back from that. The best answer to bring is to return to the field and make the football speak."

Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana has retired from international football at the age of 26 after being suspended by team management at the World Cup.

The Inter player was ousted from the Indomitable Lions squad during the tournament in Qatar for undisclosed disciplinary reasons.

At the time, Onana denied acting against the team's interests after reports of a disagreement with coach Rigobert Song, and said his punishment was hard to understand.

Now he has elected to quit Cameroon duty completely.

Onana wrote in a Twitter post that he had fulfilled his "great dream" of playing for his country.

In the message, he spoke of "endless hours of training, endless trips and a lot of perseverance".

"But every story, however beautiful it may be, has its end," he added. "And my story with the Cameroonian national team has come to an end.

"Players come and go, names are fleeting, but Cameroon comes before any person or player. Cameroon remains eternal and so does my love for the national team and for our people who have always supported us no matter how difficult the moment was."

It was November 28 when he was suspended from the national team, and Onana has decided to focus on club matters for now. Given his young age, a future U-turn would be no great surprise.

Onana's message contained no clear dissent towards those he felt did him a disservice at Qatar 2022, and he insisted he remained loyal to his home country.

"My feeling will never change," Onana said. "My Cameroonian heart will continue to beat and wherever I go I will always fight to lift the flag of Cameroon as high as possible. I will continue to support as a fan, just as the more than 27 million Cameroonians do at every match.

"I can only thank all those who trusted me and believed that I could add and contribute to this team."

Melbourne Victory have been hit with a range of attendance-related sanctions following their fans' pitch invasion during Saturday's Melbourne derby, though more penalties are to come.

Football Australia's (FA) sanctioning of the club began on Friday with the announcement of restrictions over attendances at all Victory games until January 15 inclusive.

The club will be unable to sell tickets, with only members able to attend the matches.

Additionally, the "active supporter bays" at both ends of AAMI Park are to be shut, and Victory fans will be unable to attend away games unless they appear on a pre-approved FA list of individuals who can qualify for complimentary tickets, though there will only be 1,000 of those available.

Even more significant punishments are still expected to be dished out to Victory, however, with FA adding "no determination regarding the final sanctions" had been made yet, with potential fines or points deductions reportedly on the table.

But FA hoped the imposition of initial punishments would give peace of mind to stakeholders in the short term.

A statement read: "As part of Football Australia's ongoing investigation into the events that unfolded during the A-League Men's match between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Saturday, December 17, the governing body has [Friday] confirmed that a number of sanctions are being imposed on Melbourne Victory FC for their continued participation in the A-League Men's competition whilst the show cause process continues.

"As the regulator of the A-Leagues, Football Australia considers these sanctions are necessary to give immediate confidence to the fans and participants in this interim period."

The A-League clash between Victory and Melbourne City saw flares thrown by both sets of fans during the opening quarter of the contest at AAMI Park.

Trouble escalated when a flare appeared to hit a pitchside cameraman before exploding, with City goalkeeper Tom Glover throwing another flare back into the crowd.

Fans behind the goal stormed the pitch and Glover was hit in the face with a metal bucket, while referee Alex King was also struck, leading to the game being brought to an end.

Three men were charged for attacking Glover, and FA chief James Johnson vowed to impose the "harshest of punishments" in response.

Johnson is confident FA's action on Friday will help to prevent a repeat ever occurring.

He added: "These sanctions come into immediate effect starting with Melbourne Victory's A-League Men's match on Boxing Day away to Western United, and follow the sanctions issued against individuals earlier this week as part of a package of sanctions in response to the incidents witnessed at the Melbourne derby last weekend.

"These measures are an essential step for Football Australia, as it considers further sporting and financial sanctions that may apply to Melbourne Victory in the show cause determination process.

"Football Australia does not wish to penalise football fans during this time; however, our priority is to ensure the safety and enjoyment of everyone within the venue on match days and that any unacceptable behaviour by spectators are not repeated at any football match or event ever again. We believe these measures will achieve this."

Benfica will reportedly hold out for Enzo Fernandez's full €120million release clause just six months after signing him for €10million from River Plate.

Fernandez, 21, has become one of the hottest names in football since arriving at Benfica, helping his side to an undefeated group stage in the Champions League before earning his place in Argentina's World Cup squad.

After starting the group stage on the bench, Fernandez worked his way into the starting XI for the final group match against Poland, before playing every minute of Argentina's run through the knockout stages.

His rapid rise saw Fernandez become a target of both Real Madrid and Liverpool, and despite earlier reports that he would be available for €100m, the Portuguese club will now seemingly not settle for anything less than his release clause.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL, MADRID TOLD TO MEET €120M RELEASE CLAUSE FOR FERNANDEZ

Portuguese publication Record is reporting the €100million bid Benfica rejected came from Liverpool, with an earlier Daily Mirror story claiming the Reds had reached a pre-agreement with Fernandez on personal terms.

Liverpool have made no secret of their desire for a new midfielder, but it remains to be seen if the extra €20million to meet the release clause will be a deal-breaker.

Meanwhile, Madrid appear to be looking elsewhere, with a fresh report from AS stating they are in the driver's seat in the chase for Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, and that they view 24-year-old Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli as a reliable back-up plan if they land neither Fernandez or Bellingham.

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea have agreed to a £10.5million signing of 20-year-old forward David Datro Fofana from Norwegian club Molde, per Fabrizio Romano.

– According to Repubblica, Arsenal are interested in signing 27-year-old Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot on a free transfer at the end of the season.

– The Evening Standard is reporting Fulham, Villarreal and Bayer Leverkusen are considering January moves for Arsenal full-back Cedric Soares.

– The Evening Standard is also reporting Crystal Palace would like to bring right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka back to the club, three years after selling him to Manchester United.

– According to Sport, Barcelona will look to move on from Raphinha at the end of the season if he does not make himself a key part of Xavi's plans.

Angel Di Maria has been "galvanised" by Argentina's World Cup success, which Massimiliano Allegri sees as good news for Juventus.

Di Maria played a starring role in his country's epic final triumph against France on Sunday.

The winger won the penalty for Lionel Messi's opener, then added a sublime second himself before being substituted with Argentina seemingly in control.

France rallied to reach a shoot-out following a 3-3 draw, but Messi and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez led Lionel Scaloni's side to a long-awaited victory.

Di Maria had returned to the Argentina line-up for the Lusail Stadium showpiece having lost his place in the XI following an injury in the group stage.

It has been a similar story for the 34-year-old at club level this season, joining Juve as a free agent but seeing only 246 minutes of Serie A action prior to Qatar 2022.

Bianconeri coach Allegri is optimistic now, however, with Di Maria joined in the Argentina squad by club-mate Leandro Paredes.

"For sure they are galvanised by this World Cup victory," Allegri said on Thursday.

"And they are well physically, which is the most important thing, especially for Di Maria, who had some problems in the first part of the season anyway."

Di Maria's fitness has been far from Juve's only problem, with Allegri's men eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage and 10 points off the pace in Serie A.

But the coach said: "We need to prepare well and get back into the championship atmosphere straight away, because then from January 4 until June 5, we're never going to stop.

"We need to be very good at trying to play 36 games, which would mean getting to the Europa League final and getting to the Coppa Italia final."

Kevin De Bruyne showed he is "unstoppable" when playing with "this fire inside" in Manchester City's 3-2 EFL Cup win over Liverpool, Pep Guardiola said.

De Bruyne was well below his brilliant best as Belgium were eliminated from the World Cup in the group stage earlier this month.

But his first match back in City colours on Thursday provided a reminder of the midfielder's remarkable talents.

De Bruyne supplied assists for Erling Haaland and Nathan Ake in a gripping cup tie, creating a game-high five chances in all as he ran the show at the Etihad Stadium.

As well as excelling with the ball, De Bruyne led the City press out of possession, winning four turnovers in the final third. Rico Lewis (two) was the only other player on the pitch to manage more than one.

"Kevin, when he plays with this fire inside of him, he finds himself this fire... what a player," manager Guardiola told Sky Sports.

"How many years is Kevin here? Seven, eight years? I think so. There's so many things. He's an absolute legend.

"Always I push him to find this fire. In important games, when he has this, he's unstoppable."

Guardiola reserved additional praise for Lewis, the 18-year-old right-back who took 89 touches and won five duels against the Reds – trailing only Rodri among City players in both metrics.

"In a long, long time, I didn't see a performance like Rico Lewis," Guardiola said of a teenager who debuted in August. 

"He's 18 years old, playing against Liverpool with big stars up front, and the way he played with the ball and without the ball...

"We are lucky, incredibly lucky to have this player for the next decade. Hopefully the club can keep him, because he was exceptional. The game he played was exceptional."

Jurgen Klopp was left to rue an opening 15 minutes that "killed our confidence" and conceding "completely unnecessary goals" after Manchester City knocked Liverpool out of the EFL Cup.

City beat the holders 3-2 in a thrilling tie at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday to secure their place in the quarter-finals.

Erling Haaland put the Premier League champions in front by volleying in Kevin De Bruyne's pinpoint cross, but Fabio Carvalho equalised against the run of play 20 minutes into both sides' first game after the World Cup break.

A sublime touch and finish from Riyad Mahrez restored City's lead right at the start of the second half, only for Mohamed Salah brought the Reds level again just 80 seconds later.

City were the better side, though, and Nathan Ake headed in a terrific cross from the outstanding De Bruyne to win it just before the hour-mark.

Liverpool manager Klopp told Sky Sports: "We played a formation that we haven't played for a long time, and we had to change in pretty much our last [training] session. You could see that, we needed time to adapt.

"In the first 15 minutes we had real problems and that killed our confidence and conviction a little bit."

Klopp was frustrated that De Bruyne was allowed too much time to whip in the cross for Haaland to open the scoring and switched off again to give the Belgium playmaker the chance to set up Ake following a short corner.

He added: "The goals we conceded were completely unnecessary. We had to be more switched on, especially for the third goal. Also the first goal, we should deny the cross.

"There are a lot of things we can build on and that's what we will do. It's a result we have to live with now."

James Milner was withdrawn in the first half due to a hamstring injury, but Klopp revealed he is hopeful he has not done any significant damage.

Trent Alexander-Arnold played no part due to a virus, while Virgil van Dijk is set to return to the squad for the Boxing Day fixture at Aston Villa after featuring for the Netherlands in the World Cup.

Manchester United will host third-tier Charlton Athletic in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, while Manchester City face Southampton after eliminating last season's winners Liverpool.

Goals from Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford saw United beat Championship leaders Burnley at Old Trafford on Wednesday, and another home tie will await the Red Devils in the last eight.

League One Charlton are the only non-Premier League side remaining in the competition after the Addicks won a penalty shoot-out to upset Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.

United boss Erik ten Hag is looking to end a five-year trophy drought for the club, who have not claimed any major silverware since Jose Mourinho led them to Europa League and EFL Cup glory in 2017.

Meanwhile, United's rivals City will visit Southampton after overcoming Liverpool in a thrilling fourth-round tie on Thursday, with Erling Haaland, Riyad Mahrez and Nathan Ake scoring in a 3-2 victory.

City have won the trophy in five of the past seven seasons and will equal Liverpool as the most successful club in EFL Cup history if they win their ninth title this term.

Newcastle United will host Leicester City in another all-Premier League tie after overcoming Eddie Howe's former club Bournemouth on Tuesday, while Wolves visit fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest. 

The ties will be played in the week commencing January 9, following the third round of the FA Cup. 

FIFA is investigating how celebrity chef Salt Bae gained "undue access" to Argentina's on-pitch celebrations after the World Cup final.

Salt Bae, the Turkish chef and social media presence whose real name is Nusret Gokce, posted several photos of himself with the World Cup trophy on social media after Sunday's game.

The chef, who owns a chain of luxury steakhouses and rose to fame through a series of viral internet videos in 2017, was also seen attempting to pose for a photo with Lionel Messi and several Argentina team-mates.

His presence in the immediate aftermath of the trophy presentation is now the subject of a FIFA investigation after attracting widespread criticism.

A widely reported statement from world football's governing body read: "Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail stadium on December 18.

"The appropriate internal action will be taken."

Earlier this month, Salt Bae posted an image on Instagram of himself at a World Cup match alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Brazil greats Ronaldo, Cafu and Roberto Carlos.

Erling Haaland scored his 24th goal of the season and Kevin De Bruyne delivered a masterclass as Manchester City beat holders Liverpool 3-2 to reach the EFL Cup quarter-finals.

The two heavyweights served up a thriller at the Etihad Stadium in their first game after the World Cup break, and it was the Premier League champions who deservedly came out on top.

Haaland opened the scoring, only for Fabio Carvalho to equalise in the first half of a pulsating tie on Thursday.

Riyad Mahrez restored City's lead right at the start of the season half, but Mohamed Salah soon levelled with his 15th goal of the campaign.

The outstanding De Bruyne then provided a second assist of the game for Nathan Ake, and Jurgen Klopp's men were unable to respond for a third time, suffering a first defeat to City in six matches.

Liverpool had been unable to cope with City's early intensity, and Haaland netted the opener 10 minutes in, getting in front of Joe Gomez to volley De Bruyne's pinpoint cross into the bottom-left corner.

The Reds were level from out of the blue 10 minutes later, Carvalho calmly stroking into the far corner after James Milner picked him out in the penalty area.

Caoimhin Kelleher denied Ilkay Gundogan and Ake after they were brilliantly set up by De Bruyne, before Darwin Nunez twice drilled wide.

Mahrez caught Liverpool out with a great touch from Rodri's pass before firing home just over a minute into the second half, yet City's lead only lasted 79 seconds as Nunez showed great pace to get away down the left and unselfishly laid an equaliser on a plate for Salah.

Liverpool were punished for another defensive lapse just before the hour-mark, though, switching off from a short corner and allowing De Bruyne to whip in an exquisite delivery for Ake to nod in.

Nunez spurned another great chance when he shot wide of the far post after bursting clear, with City this time holding on to advance.

Alton Crafton, Coach of St Lucia’s national U15 cricket team believes Theo Edward with the right guidance and work ethic has the potential to become a West Indies player in the next few years.

The 15-year-old student of the St Lucia Sports Academy, who in 2019 expressed his ambition to one day play for the West Indies, scored four consecutive centuries in the recent WINLOTT Windward Islands Cricket Board U15 Tournament that helped guide his side to the title playing undefeated.

Edward had scores of 198, 101, 137 and 104 for a total of 540 runs and average of 135.

“Even if you are playing in your backyard, you might score one 100, but four in a row?” said Crafton, who was impressed with Edward’s output during the tournament declaring that he is confident that the all-rounder can make it all the way to the top.

“Certainly. If he just follows the right pathway and have the correct influence around him, for sure.”

Speaking with Sportsmax.TV days after the conclusion of the tournament, the proud coach revealed that while it is still early days young Edward is always showing signs that already has many of the tools needed to become a successful international cricketer.

“He knows his game and he keeps his game very simple,” he said.

“You wouldn’t find him going over the top in the first five overs. He’ll get set and play each ball on its merit and he has high levels of concentration. He can focus for long periods of time and he did so exceptionally during the tournament.

“At that age, he is a work in progress, He knows the game. He has a very good pull shot. He drives off the back foot and front foot. There is always room for improvement but what he has now is enough to carry him through.”

Edward and his teammate Leon Alexander, who also enjoyed a successful tournament with both bat and ball practice with Crafton’s training group. The coach reveals that even though both spend time working on their physical skills, they also focus on other critical areas of development.

“We put a lot of emphasis on them (skills) and they get a chance to practice, practice, practice (but) there is a lot of emphasis on the mental space, keeping them in the right direction, letting them know what exactly they are about  and I have no doubt they will go all the way.”

 Crafton said it is essential that Edward keeps the right people around him to ensure that he maintains his discipline and focus and believes he always has that.

“I know for sure he has his dad in his corner. He just needs to keep it narrow and simple to people he can trust and just move on and keep with the hard work,” he said.

For now, he just needs to spend a little more time working on his game while finding a balance with his academics, Crafton said, the rest will take care of itself.

“We will give him all the support that we can give him,” he said.

FIFPRO has condemned Roma for a "mobbing campaign" of Rick Karsdorp after head coach Jose Mourinho labelled the defender a "traitor".

Mourinho made the comment following a 1-1 draw with Sassuolo in November, albeit without directly naming Karsdorp, though reports quickly identified the former Feyenoord man as his target.

Mourinho said there was one player who "betrayed his team-mates" and urged them to leave the club in January.

Karsdorp initially refused to train following his coach's comments, though he was later present as the club held a training camp in Portugal during the World Cup.

FIFPRO, the global union for professional football players, hit out at Roma's treatment of Karsdorp on Thursday.

FIFPRO said in a statement: "FIFPRO strongly condemns AS Roma's treatment of Rick Karsdorp, who in recent weeks has been the victim of a mobbing campaign.

"Karsdorp has been accused in public of being a 'traitor', a hurtful and baseless term that club management has failed to address or apologise for, and fans have repeatedly used to confront him and his family.

"Furthermore, he has been made the subject of an unjustified disciplinary case.

"These acts apparently are a way to deflect from the club's poor recent performances and are aimed to put unjustified pressure on the player.

"Such behaviour is incompatible with the FIFA regulations on the status and transfer of players.

"Rick Karsdorp has the full support of both FIFPRO and Dutch players' union VVCS."

Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, FIFPRO's general secretary, added: "It cannot be stressed enough that players are first and foremost employees of their clubs and that, as such, clubs have a duty of care towards them.

"We call on AS Roma to immediately comply with that duty of care and ensure that Rick Karsdorp is treated fairly, and that his rights are respected."

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.