Now is all.

That is the peculiar slogan at Qatar 2022. It is a phrase plastered around the streets of Doha, on banners at every stadium, hanging down from the ceiling at the huge media hub at Qatar National Convention Centre. Nobody seems to know who exactly came up with it or what exactly it means.

Nobody, perhaps, but Lionel Messi. Because for Lionel Messi, playing at his final World Cup at the age of 35, now really is all, and he is playing like it. Maybe those marketing gurus were onto something after all?

Messi and Argentina are into the final. They swatted aside Croatia – who themselves had scuppered the chance of an all-South American semi-final by beating Brazil on penalties – 3-0 at Lusail Stadium.

To say Argentina have been entirely convin…

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Zakaria Bakkali has been ruled out of contention for Belgium s Euro 2016 squad after Valencia confirmed he will miss the rest of the season following surgery.

The 20-year-old has been blighted by injury problems throughout much of his first season in La Liga and he has not played since the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg with Barcelona on February 10.

The former PSV winger is facing up to four months on the sidelines after an operation to fix a pubic complaint, meaning he is almost certain to be discounted from Marc Wilmots plans for the European Championship finals in France, which begin on June 10.

The player, accompanied in Belgium by the chief of the medical staff, Dr. Albors, was operated on on Monday, a Valencia statement confirmed.

After the p…

Philippe Coutinho scored a late equaliser on his debut as Aston Villa recovered from two down to draw 2-2 with Manchester United at Villa Park on Saturday.

United looked set to seal a morale-boosting and hard-fought victory thanks to Bruno Fernandes brace, but Villa fought back in the final 13 minutes to secure an unlikely point.

There was undoubtedly a hint of fortune about United s opener, an Emiliano Martinez howler allowing Fernandes to score for only the second time in the Premier League since September, but the Portugal star s second was an emphatic effort.

That looked as though it would be enough for United, but Jacob Ramsey scored and then teed up new loan signing Coutinho to rescue a draw with a dream debut goal.

2 Jacob Ramsey is Aston Villa s s…

Christian Pulisic was decisive as the United States beat Iran 1-0 to secure their place in the last 16 of the World Cup as geopolitics briefly took a back seat at Al Thumama Stadium.

Due to the long-strained relationship between the two countries politically and the ongoing civil unrest in Iran, the build-up to Tuesday s Group B clash was dominated by talk of almost anything but football.

Once the game settled, however, the USA s superiority was abundantly clear and Iran were fortunate to only trail by Pulisic s goal at the break, with Timothy Weah having one disallowed.

Carlos Queiroz s side did at least manage a shot after the break, but the USA had enough to see out a slender – albeit deserved – victory and set up a last-16 clash with Group A winners the N…

West Ham have confirmed captain Declan Rice will leave the club for a “British record fee” – with the midfielder expected to sign for Arsenal imminently.

The Hammers are understood to have been involved in discussions with the Gunners over the structure of a deal for the 24-year-old with the fee expected to be £105million.

“I am sorry to see Declan leave us but I believe that everyone at West Ham United should be very proud of the part we have played in his journey from the Academy of Football at Chadwell Heath to becoming the most valuable young player in English football,” joint-chair David Sullivan said in a statement.

Declan Rice has penned an open letter to West Ham fans.

— West Ham United (@WestHam)

“I would like to make it c…

James McClean is banking on the Republic of Ireland’s big-game mentality to force them back into Euro 2024 contention.

Ireland belatedly registered their first win of the qualifying campaign at the third time of asking when they beat Gibraltar 3-0 in Dublin on Monday evening.

Coming after a hard-fought 1-0 home defeat by France and a less-impressive display in a 2-1 reverse at the hands of Greece in Athens on Friday night, victory was the very least they needed ahead of September’s trip to Paris and the Netherlands’ visit to the Aviva Stadium three days later.

Asked about the Dutch in particular, McClean, who won his 100th senior cap against Gibraltar, said: “I don’t want to create headlines and be disrespectful, but they seem to have a lot of very good…

Valencia have hired club great Ruben Baraja as their new head coach following the dismissal of Gennaro Gattuso.

Former Milan and Napoli boss Gattuso was removed from his post on January 30 after presiding over just 18 LaLiga games with embattled Los Che.

Gattuso left with Valencia – who finished ninth last term – 14th in the table, and three successive defeats since under the guidance of regular caretaker coach Voro have seen them slide into the relegation zone.

Traditionally one of Spain s biggest clubs, Valencia are now potentially facing the prospect of dropping out of LaLiga for the first time since the 1980s – their single campaign in the Segunda during the 1986-87 season is the only year they have spent outside the top-flight since the early 1930s.