Normal service is set to resume in France on Wednesday with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar both set to feature for leaders Paris Saint-German as they restart their Ligue 1 season, 45 days after it was popped on ice for the World Cup, with a home game against struggling Strasbourg.

Lionel Messi will celebrate his World Cup triumph by agreeing to stay at Paris Saint-Germain, local media claimed Wednesday, as he attempts to steer the French side to an elusive Champions League title.

Watching Sunday's World Cup final, Ahmed al-Salem was more emotional than most football fans when Qatar's emir placed a black and gold cloak over the shoulders of Argentina's victorious captain Lionel Messi.

Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi has been invited to "eternalize" his mark at Brazil's famous Maracana by leaving his footprints in the iconic stadium's Hall of Fame, the Rio de Janeiro State Sports Superintendence has said.

Lionel Messi broke the record for having the most liked post on Instagram, with over 60.3 million likes at the time of writing.

Drink it all in.

Lionel Messi and his teammates set off for Argentina with the most coveted prize in football as millions of compatriots waited to welcome them home on Monday and catch a glimpse of the World Cup trophy.

Lionel Messi, playing his last ever World Cup match is an everlasting inspiration with how he overcame repeated heartbreaks and obstacles to take the Argentine team to the path of their recent success. If there is one thing that we can learn from Messi, it is to tackle challenges head-on and come out as victors. His redemption story with the national team is a basis of how there is always a stage for a resurgence after you have been down with failures.

After a mesmerising month of upsets, when several brash outsiders threatened soccer's status quo, the World Cup final will have a familiar feel on Sunday when France and Argentina will go toe to toe, each seeking a third title.

Former World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsmann said the tournament in Qatar has shown the need for risk-taking players such as Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.

As French soccer star Kylian Mbappe gears up for the World Cup final on Sunday in Qatar, the striker's presence is also felt strongly in Bondy, the unassuming satellite city of Paris where he grew up.

In Rosario, the Argentine city where Lionel Messi grew up, hope and excitement are rising that their hometown star can guide the country to a first soccer World Cup since 1986, repeating a trick by one Diego Maradona 36 years ago.

Pre-tournament favourites Argentina stumbled at the first World Cup hurdle before getting their act together to storm into another final, led by their inspirational skipper Lionel Messi who has moved to the top of the tournament's scoring charts.

Here are the top 5 international football players with the most expensive cars in their possessions.

Lionel Messi will have the chance to crown his remarkable career by winning the World Cup after he inspired Argentina to a comfortable 3-0 win against Croatia in the semi-final on Tuesday.

Argentina’s story in this World Cup has been that of a transformation. From getting handed an unexpected defeat in the opening match against Saudi Arabia to being unbeaten and waltzing through opponents one after another, it feels like we are in for a grand finish! With Argentina running towards their elusive World Cup dream, let us look at the 5 ways Argentina has re-invented them in this world cup.

Neymar departed in tears. The Brazil No 10 cried inconsolably, only to be lifted off the pitch as the pre-tournament favourites were knocked out on penalties by Croatia in the quarterfinals at the Education City Stadium on Friday night.

Lionel Messi wasn’t available at the pre-match press conference for Argentina’s World Cup semifinal against Croatia on Monday. He wasn’t, in fact, expected to be; the PSG talisman hardly ever attends a press conference.

When Cristiano Ronaldo walked down the tunnel in tears at the Al Thumama Stadium on Saturday, it must have felt surreal for millions of his and Portugal fans around the globe.

Ever wonder how your favourite footballer rose to success? For many footballers, it was not as simple as being scouted or joining a football academy where their only concern was the sport. Many footballers have a life filled with harsh memories, losses, financial struggles, and displacement. Their stories are inspirational as they persevered and came out of their hardship for themselves and their families. Here are some of the inspirational stories which haunt some of our favourite footballers.