Now 60, the "Maradona of the Carpathians", or "the King" -- as he is fondly known in the eastern European nation -- dreams of leading his country back to the pinnacle of world football.

The win moved Napoli three points behind leaders Inter Milan, who beat Udinese 2-1, while third-placed Atalanta lost 1-0 at Fiorentina.

Manchester City came from behind to reach the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday, but victory came at a cost as Erling Haaland hobbled off injured.

Robert Lewandowski bagged a brace as Barcelona eased to a 4-1 victory over Girona to move three points clear at the top of La Liga on Sunday.

Marcus Rashford's first goals for Aston Villa inspired a 3-0 win against Preston that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years on Sunday.

Few would have guessed that it would be Sir Andy Murray who would be the one who finally asked Lionel Messi the old question about whether he could do it on a cold Tuesday night at Stoke City, nor the cheeky response.

Bayern Munich's defensive injury crisis deepened on Sunday as the Bundesliga leaders announced Hiroki Ito had fractured his metatarsal for a second time this season.

RB Leipzig have fired coach Marco Rose, days out from a German Cup semi-final clash at Stuttgart, the club said in a statement on Sunday.

Igor Tudor got off to a winning start in charge of Juventus, but he sees plenty of room for improvement from his new team.

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo said it was a big moment for the club to reach their first FA Cup semi-finals in 34 years after they beat fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties on Saturday.

Reigning champions City, who have won six Premier League crowns under Guardiola since the Spaniard joined in 2016, are fifth in the table 22 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

Mbappe's double took him to 33 strikes in 44 appearances across all competitions, the same number of goals as his idol managed in the 2009-10 campaign.

Carlo Ancelotti's side won an entertaining game at the Santiago Bernabeu to put pressure on their bitter rivals, who host Girona in a Catalan derby on Sunday.

Messi had missed Argentina's World Cup qualifiers in South America during the recent international window after picking up an adductor strain in Miami's most recent Major League Soccer game, a 2-1 win at Atlanta on March 16.

Following the successful introduction of Sheffield United midfielder Hamza Choudhury into the Bangladesh national team and the hype created by the England-based footballer’s arrival and performance against India, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is spreading out its search for more Bangladeshi-origin footballers from Europe and other parts of the world.

Atletico Madrid's slim Spanish title hopes faded further with a disappointing 1-1 draw at Espanyol on Saturday in La Liga.

Carlo Ancelotti had long been seen as the ideal candidate, but the Italian legend reaffirmed his commitment to Real Madrid until 2026. That opens the door to a new round of speculation. Al Hilal’s Jorge Jesus leads the shortlist, while Palmeiras’ Abel Ferreira, another Portuguese tactician with Brazilian experience, is also in contention.

Leading LaLiga with 63 points, Barca face Girona on Sunday after only two days rest following their 3-0 triumph over Osasuna and over the next 17 days they have six matches in all competitions.

Sven footballers of the Bangladesh women’s team are expected to leave for Bhutan to play in the Bhutan National Women’s League after the Eid-ul-Fitr break.

Barcelona's injured playmaker Dani Olmo is facing three weeks on the sidelines, ruling him out of the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Borussia Dortmund.