Robert Lewandowski says "it would be a dream to play" with Lionel Messi amid speculation the Argentina star could return to Barcelona.

The Poland striker will face Messi at the World Cup in Qatar in Group C, though rumours persist the pair could play on the same team as the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner eyes a return to Camp Nou.

Blaugrana president Joan Laporta reiterated the Paris Saint-Germain forward "always has his home" at Barca, who were unable to keep Messi in August 2021 due to well-documented financial struggles.

While Lewandowski claimed to have no knowledge surrounding the speculation, the former Bayern Munich striker would love to combine with Messi if the opportunity arises.

"Messi is absolutely brilliant with the amazing passes he plays to the striker," he told Marca. "If you think about Messi, he has this brilliant connection with strikers.

"He knows how to put the ball into the box, between the lines... he's the best in the world at that. I don't know what's going on right now, but for a striker it would be a dream to play with Lionel Messi for sure."

The mouth-watering prospect of two of world football's most exciting attackers aside, Lewandowski will consider Messi a rival as the 35-year-old leads one of the pre-World Cup favourites in the Middle East.

"I think Argentina with Messi are one of the favourites to win the World Cup," Lewandowski added. "They haven't lost in 30 games; they play well and you can see they are a really good team.

"If you look at football for the past 10, 15 years, the main two figures have been Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and, in the end, if you think about who deserves to win this World Cup, these two names always pop up.

"They are legends. But on the flip side, this is football and you can never say what is going to happen because it's a dramatic and unpredictable game.

"But in Messi's case, it's impossible for his achievements to be replicated as his amazing story continues. Now he's dreaming to win the World Cup.

"For him, that's the big challenge. He wants to now win the World Cup with Argentina, but this is a World Cup and you can never know what is going to happen."

As for Poland's chances in football's biggest tournament, Lewandowski acknowledged his side must be at their best to escape Group C, which also contains Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

"It's a huge challenge and it's a very tough group, each game will be difficult," he continued. "In the World Cup, it's important to know how you're going to play.

"For everyone playing in Qatar at this part if the season, it's a huge challenge.

"We have to be ready for this, we have to fight from the first minute and it doesn't matter how hard it's going to be, you have to show your best."

Paris Saint-Germain restored their five-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 ahead of the World Cup break with a routine 5-0 win over Auxerre at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.

Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring early on following some good build-up play from Lionel Messi, who returned from injury to join the France forward and Neymar in attack. 

A seventh win in a row for PSG in all competitions never looked in doubt when Carlos Soler added a second goal and then assisted Achraf Hakimi for the home side's third.

Christophe Galtier made full use of his squad depth and substitutes Renato Sanches and Hugo Ekitike added gloss to the scoreline with a couple of late goals.

The serene nature of the contest ensured Galtier could replace a number of PSG's Qatar-bound stars, with no players sustaining an injury problem of any sort.

Messi sent a delightful lofted ball over the Auxerre defence for Nuno Mendes to deliver a first-time pass towards Mbappe, who in turn helped it over the line with 11 minutes gone.

The goal stood following a VAR check for a possible handball against Neymar, but Auxerre nearly levelled as M'Baye Niang forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a fine save.

PSG toiled before Mendes took the ball past a couple of players and picked out Soler to glance a header away from Benoit Costil and in off the far post early in the second half.

Soler turned provider six minutes later when playing in Hakimi to coolly slot past Costil from a one-on-one position.

Messi hit the post but could not get his name on the scoresheet, though Sanches fired in off the post before fellow substitute Ekitike profited from some poor defending to coolly add a fifth.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reiterated Lionel Messi "always has his home" at the club.

The Argentina superstar left Camp Nou in August 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain, after financial issues left Barcelona unable to tie their academy graduate to a new contract.

Speculation of a return to Catalonia has been present ever since and have heated up ahead of 2023, when Messi is set to become a free agent unless he agrees to a fresh contract in the French capital.

Whether an emotional return materialises remains to be seen but Laporta is keen to stress that Messi will always be welcome.

"Leo knows that at Barca he always has his home," he told Sport.

"But let me not talk about Leo because he is a player of another team and we would enter again into a series of statements and counter-statements that would not benefit us at all. He has a current contract with a European club.

"I can only say that Leo has been the best player in the history of Barca."

Barcelona waved goodbye to another stalwart last week in Gerard Pique, who decided to retire, and Laporta made it clear the decision was solely down to the defender.

"Pique's departure has been decided by him. Motivated surely by a sports theme. If Gerard had had the confidence of the coach and played as an undisputed starter, he obviously would not have left," he added.

"Pique has decided what he wanted to do and we, from the board of directors, respect it.

"Xavi has been very honest with him. From the first moment the technician told him that he did not count on him and I also commented with him about his situation.

"But Gerard is a competitive man, a winner, and he still saw himself as a starter and wanted to continue. Although in the end he has seen reality and made a decision.

"He has had a way of saying goodbye to the club, given the haste, very nice. We always want our heroes to be eternal but it is impossible."

Barcelona head into the mid-season break for the World Cup top of LaLiga, two points ahead of Real Madrid, and return to action in late December against city rivals Espanyol.

Paris Saint-Germain are weighing up their forward options given the uncertainty around Lionel Messi once his contract expires at the end of this season.

Messi has deferred all talk around his future for both club and country until after the upcoming World Cup.

The French champions also have doubts around Kylian Mbappe, who has been the subject of constant speculation despite re-signing until 2025 at the start of the season.

TOP STORY – PSG WEIGH UP SON HEUNG-MIN MOVE

Paris Saint-Germain  are considering a move for Tottenham forward  Son Heung-min , reports El Nacional.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi will try to speak to Son during the World Cup, where he has been selected by his country despite a fractured eye socket sustained a fortnight ago.

The report claims  Real Madrid  had previous interest in Son, but president Florentino Perez has moved on given the €80million (£70m) asking price for a 30-year-old.

ROUND-UP

–  Chelsea  and  Manchester United  are both keeping a close eye on Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper  Robert Sanchez , according to the Sunday Mirror. That comes in light of a Daily Star report that claims David de Gea will need to accept a £100,000 pay cut to stay at United.

–  Chelsea are Palmeiras' 16-year-old  Endrick 's preferred destination amid interest from numerous clubs, reports ESPN Brazil. Palmeiras have declined an offer from  PSG already.

–  Juventus  held talks this week with Lazio midfielder  Sergej Milinkovic-Savic 's agent about a move to the Bianconeri, claims Calciomercato. The report claims Juve have made him a priority but will likely need to wait until the end of the season.

– L'Equipe reports talks between  Marco Verratti and  PSG  on a new deal are well advanced. The Italian midfielder is contracted until June 2024.

–  Villarreal  are ready to offer a deal to Blackburn's Chile international forward  Ben Brereton Diaz , claims The Sun. Brereton Diaz's contract expires at the end of this season.

Neymar is unsure whether he will get the opportunity to represent Brazil at another World Cup after this year's tournament in Qatar.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward will appear at his third World Cup later this month, where he will be looking to lead Brazil to their first triumph at the tournament for 20 years. 

Neymar will be 34 years old by the time the 2026 World Cup begins, and with little certainty whether he will feature in that tournament, he hopes to cement a place in football history by leading Brazil to glory in Qatar.

"I'll play like it's the last," Neymar told Globo. "I talk to my father, we always talk. [I'll] play each game as if it were the last because you don't know what will happen tomorrow.

"I can't guarantee that I'll play another [World] Cup. I honestly don't know. I'll play like it's the last. 

"Maybe I'll play another one, maybe not. It depends. There's going to be a coaching change [when Tite steps down after the World Cup] and I don't know if that coach will like me.

"I've already built a long history in the national team and, for sure, I want to finish it well.

"I'm happy. I like to play football and I like to win. I like to be better than I am every day. I like helping my team-mates, which is the main thing. I hope my name is engraved in football history."

Asked about Brazil's chances of glory in Qatar, Neymar added: "I want to play this cup, dedicate myself to it, because I'm sure we have the potential to go very far. 

"Although a lot of people don't believe in us, we will prove otherwise. I see that this national team has a lot of good things, and I see that we can go very far."

Since making his World Cup debut on home soil in 2014, Neymar has been directly involved in 42 per cent of Brazil's 19 goals in the tournament (six goals, two assists).

Meanwhile, the 30-year-old has scored 75 times in 121 appearances for Brazil, putting him just two goals short of Pele's Selecao record of 77.

While Neymar will be expected to trouble that record when Brazil face Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon in their Group G campaign in Qatar, he says he is not driven by the desire to better Pele's feats.

"It's more than I imagined, than I dreamed. I never thought about numbers, I never wanted to overtake anyone, to break a record. I always just wanted to play football," Neymar said.

"Pele is the reference. Pele is football. Pele is practically everything for our country. The respect and admiration I have for him is enormous."

Achraf Hakimi has described Sergio Ramos as the "best defender in the world" after the latter was left out of the Spain squad for the 2022 World Cup.

Spain head coach Luis Enrique announced his 26-man selection for the upcoming tournament in Qatar on Friday, with Ramos a notable absentee after being a part of the provisional 55-man list.

The former Real Madrid centre-back has 180 caps for Spain, and was a part of the team that won the 2010 World Cup, as well as the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.

After an injury-troubled debut season at Paris Saint-Germain following his move from the Santiago Bernabeu in 2021, Ramos has made 19 appearances this campaign already, and recently became the first PSG player to remain undefeated in his first 30 games for the club in all competitions.

However, following the news that the 36-year-old will not be heading to Qatar, his club team-mate Hakimi – who will be representing Morocco at the tournament – posted on Twitter: "Sergio Ramos. Best defend[er] in the world", with an applause emoji.

Ramos was previously left out of the Spain squad for Euro 2020 after an injury-hit final season in Madrid, with his most recent international cap coming against Kosovo in March 2021 in qualifying for Qatar 2022.

Other high-profile names left out of the squad included Manchester United's David De Gea, Athletic Bilbao defender Inigo Martinez and Thiago Alcantara of Liverpool.

At his squad announcement press conference on Friday, Luis Enrique explained: "I have a rule not to talk about absences. This happens to all coaches.

"I will not judge those who are not on the list. I thank all those who played. The most important are the 26 who are there. The absentees, I prefer not to comment. I leave it to you."

Lionel Messi returned to training ahead of Paris Saint-Germain's final Ligue 1 fixture before the World Cup, as Christophe Galtier insisted he will not rest players against Auxerre on Sunday.

Messi missed PSG's 2-1 win at Lorient as a precautionary measure after suffering from inflammation in his Achilles tendon last week, though Galtier maintained the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was likely to return before the tournament in Qatar.

Just 11 days before Argentina begin their Group C campaign against Saudi Arabia, Messi has handed the Albiceleste a boost by joining France's Presnel Kimpembe in returning to PSG training.

While Galtier reiterated his desire to treat the concerns of his players seriously ahead of the World Cup, he is not planning to use Sunday's match as an opportunity to make changes.

"All the players are available except Fabian Ruiz," Galtier said on Friday. "No player came to tell me that he did not want to play or that he was afraid of making this last match.

"My door is always open. They know they can come and talk all the time. I wouldn't be surprised if a player came to see me and told me that he was apprehensive about the last game. 

"I have an obligation to put up a very competitive team against Auxerre. If there is strong restraint, I will be attentive to the comments of my players."

Senegal and Bayern Munich attacker Sadio Mane became the latest big name to suffer an injury scare on the eve of the tournament this week, but Galtier is confident in his medical team's ability to manage players' fitness levels.

"When I see an injured player like Sadio Mane, I'm always sad for him," Galtier added. "The relationship is very direct between my medical staff and the medical staff of the national teams. 

"All the doctors of the teams are informed of the state of our players. Our selected players will be operational for Sunday's match. The most important thing is to train well. 

"These players who are going to the World Cup are very high-level athletes and competitors. There may be this fear, but it is more around the environment of the players than from themselves."

Joao Felix is angling for a way out of Atletico Madrid, having fallen out of favour in Spain.

The 22-year-old has started only eight of the 17 games he has played in this season, netting three goals.

The forward is contracted with Atletico until 2026, having signed a bumper seven-year deal when joining from Benfica in 2019.

TOP STORY – PSG PLOTTING JANUARY LOAN MOVE FOR JOAO FELIX

Paris Saint-Germain have joined the list of clubs interested in Atletico Madrid's wantaway forward Joao Felix, according to Le Parisien.

PSG may look to sign the Portuguese on loan in January, having been interested in a move for him during the last transfer window.

Joao Felix has also been linked with Bayern Munich and Manchester United, with both clubs reportedly bidding for him in the last transfer window.

ROUND-UP

– Borussia Dortmund are bullish they can ward off interest in their 19-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham and retain his services, reports 90min. Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are all keen on the England international.

– Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa may have penned a new contract last week, but Manchester United are still monitoring the 23-year-old, reports Nicolo Schira. United will keep an eye on him during the World Cup, although he has a €75million (£65m) release clause.

– Arsenal are willing to fork out £56m to land Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Mykhailo Mudryk, according to Dean Jones on GiveMeSport.

– Roma are interested in out-of-favour Barcelona full-back Hector Bellerin, having failed to lure Manchester United's Diogo Dalot, reports Calciomercato.

– West Ham have identified Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Kouadio Kone as their top transfer target, reports Bild.

Phil Neville says it is "hypothetical" to discuss the prospect of Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami.

Messi is only under contract with Paris Saint-Germain until the end of the season and the mercurial forward has been strongly linked with a move to Miami.

Barcelona are also said to be keen to bring Messi back to Camp Nou in what would be a sensational return to a club he made a tearful farewell to in August 2021.

Inter head coach Neville, who signed a new contract on Monday, spoke of his admiration for Messi but refused to be drawn on speculation that he could move to Major League Soccer.

Asked about the possibility of signing Messi, the former Manchester United defender said: "I think that's hypothetical really. The best player in the world, I'm looking forward to seeing him play at the World Cup, alongside other great players.

"We actually let him inside our house about five, six weeks ago, when Argentina were here. I watched all the sessions to see those great players on our pitch one and pitch two. It was something really special for the club.

"And I think when you talk about characters, when you talk about humility, when you talk about the right type of people, that Argentinian squad and staff were absolutely incredible. Incredible towards our football club.

"We had a little scrimmage against them, the MLS 2 [MLS Next Pro] side, you obviously saw the pictures of their players signing autographs; signing arms, signing legs, signing shoes. It was just the most incredible week.

"I think we're really lucky here. We've had Barcelona here, we've had Argentina here, we've got the US national women's team here now, some of the players are training out there now. It's brilliant for this football club, and it shows the level of facility that we've got.

"I'm not going to speculate on any kind of transfer activity, but what I would say is that is exactly the type of character that I saw in that week, that those Argentinian players were a credit to their country, and to their profession."

Inter sporting director Chris Henderson also gave little away when quizzed about potentially bringing Messi to Florida.

He said: "I knew Messi would come up. It's great to be connected with amazing players and our club connected with that. I don't want to comment on someone who's not on our roster and speculation and rumours.

"But obviously, one of the greatest players to ever play the game. As far as the roster and what we're looking to improve for going for next year. I think continuing to look for players who are good in possession under pressure in the final third."

Henderson added: "Messi on any team in the world is going to change that team. I don't want to speculate and talk about him on our team, but he changes every league, every team that he plays for."

Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain believes they face a difficult task in the last 16 of the Champions League after drawing RB Leipzig.

Pep Guardiola's men will take on the Bundesliga side in the knockout stages next February, having faced them twice in the group stages last term.

On that occasion, City opened their European campaign with a 6-3 rout at the Etihad Stadium, before losing the reverse fixture 2-1 at the Red Bull Arena.

Having dodged heavyweight foes such as Paris Saint-Germain and Milan, City have theoretically one of the easier ties on paper, but Begiristain says they will not take their opponent lightly.

"Leipzig are not new ones in this competition - they are doing an unbelievable job," he said. "They are in Europe, always, and they are fighting us in the last 16. They are growing as a club and growing as a project.

"This is German football - very open, box-to-box, which we don't like too much, because we like to have the control. It's going to be difficult, this kind of football.

“We are going to meet old friends - we played last season against them. They were very open games, and we can be sure they will be very attractive games."

In comparison to their rivals, City have indeed been handed a kind draw, with Liverpool facing Real Madrid and Bayern Munich squaring up with Paris Saint-Germain.

With possibly two of the last four tournament winners set to miss out on the quarter-finals, Begiristain feels it shows the increased competition within the Champions League.

"Some big names and big clubs are already out - some of them are now not playing in Europe because they were last in the group," he noted.

"It shows how difficult it is in this competition. Everyone has to respect their opponent in this competition and that is what we try to do.

"Liverpool and Real Madrid are two unbelievable clubs, and they were two of the candidates to win, but one will be out.

"But still the ones who are there in the quarter-finals are going to deserve to be there. We want to be one of them."

Real Madrid and Liverpool will contest a repeat of last season's Champions League final during the round of 16 following Monday's draw.

Madrid reached the knockout stages as Group F winners, an outcome they will have been hoping would secure them a favourable tie.

But by being paired with Liverpool, Carlo Ancelotti's men were given arguably the hardest draw possible in what will be a repeat of the 2021-22 and 2017-18 finals.

There will also be a replay of the 2019-20 showpiece between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

Die Roten prevented PSG from winning their first continental crown that year, with revenge on the cards for the Parisians early next year.

Chelsea, winners most recently in 2021, will go up against the youthful Borussia Dortmund, while Manchester City – beaten finalists last year – are also due to tussle with Bundesliga opposition in RB Leipzig.

Antonio Conte faces a return to his homeland and San Siro as Tottenham prepare to duel with Italian champions Milan, while Serie A leaders Napoli – who won their group ahead of Liverpool – will fancy their chances against Europa League holders Eintracht Frankfurt.

Last-16 draw in full:

RB Leipzig v Manchester City
Club Brugge v Benfica
Liverpool v Real Madrid
Milan v Tottenham
Eintracht Frankfurt v Napoli
Borussia Dortmund v Chelsea
Inter v Porto
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich

Real Madrid and Liverpool will contest a repeat of last season's Champions League final during the round of 16 following Monday's draw.

Madrid reached the knockout stages as Group F winners, an outcome they will have been hoping would secure them a favourable tie.

But by being paired with Liverpool, Carlo Ancelotti's men were given arguably the hardest draw possible in what will be a repeat of the 2021-22 and 2017-18 finals.

Kylian Mbappe suffered from muscle fatigue in Paris Saint-Germain's win at Lorient, says Christophe Galtier, who has eased fears over the attacker's fitness ahead of the World Cup.

Danilo Pereira's late header sent PSG five points clear at the top of Ligue 1 on Sunday, after in-form Terem Moffi had cancelled out Neymar's opener at the Stade du Moustoir.

However, Mbappe attracted attention by heading straight down the tunnel following his 85th-minute withdrawal.

France will already be without Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante for their World Cup defence, while Karim Benzema has missed several of Real Madrid's fixtures during an injury-hit season, including the upcoming meeting with Rayo Vallecano.

Galtier, however, quashed concerns over Mbappe's condition after the win, telling Amazon Prime Video: "[It's] nothing serious. We saw the news about Karim, but nothing serious for Kylian. 

"Kylian made an effort. It's much better to ask to go off than to take the risk of staying on the pitch, or being on the pitch and being totally absent."

In his post-match press conference, Galtier revealed Mbappe had been suffering from fatigue as a result of PSG's congested schedule. 

"There is no alert in a specific area, it's fatigue linked to the sequence of matches," Galtier said. "The playing conditions were difficult. 

"He also came out tired after Juventus on Wednesday. It's a very busy schedule, with a certain apprehension. Everyone is listening to their body in this pre-World Cup period. There can be a fear."

With PSG failing to meet their usual standards in their penultimate game before the World Cup break, Galtier believes the spectre of the tournament caused his side to play with "restraint".

"Automatically, the World Cup is in the minds of the players. It's hard for them to manage. There is always information that can make them doubt," Galtier said.

"You have the feeling of playing at 100 per cent, but today I saw a certain restraint, linked to fatigue, plus the announcement of the squads in a few days. 

"We did a little less, we were a little fearful in duels, but fatigue also made it difficult in the second half."

PSG were without Lionel Messi against Lorient, though he is expected to return before the World Cup break.

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

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

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

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

Milan forward Rafael Leao continues to be linked with a host of top European clubs who are plotting January moves.

Leao won last season's Serie A Footballer of the Year and has maintained his fine form this term.

The 23-year-old forward is contracted with Milan until mid-2024, prompting interest to prise him away from the Rossoneri.

TOP STORY – MILAN PREPARING FOR BUMPER JANUARY BIDS FOR RAFAEL LEAO

Milan are preparing for January bids from Chelsea and Manchester City of approximately £105 million for Rafael Leao, reports Tuttomercato.

Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have also shown an interest in the Portuguese attacker.

Milan are still working on a new deal with Leao before he departs for the World Cup, hoping to tie him down on a long-term contract.

ROUND-UP

– Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is considering trying to lure Dusan Vlahovic to Old Trafford as he prepares for life without Cristiano Ronaldo, reports The Sun on Sunday. Juventus forward Vlahovic moved to the Bianconeri from Fiorentina in January for £62million.

– Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has told the club to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans in the January transfer window, claims The Sun. Tielemans is valued at £40m and is out of contract at the end of this season.

– The Mirror reports Arsenal are also interested in a January move for Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Ibrahima Bamba, having sent scouts to watch him.

– Calciomercato claims Tottenham are looking into a swap deal involving Emerson Royal in order to bring Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries to the club from Inter.

– Serie A leaders Napoli are preparing an offer for Barcelona's Jordi Alba, who is looking for first-team football, according to El Nacional.