When Shanghai Port paid almost $100 million to sign Oscar from Chelsea in 2016, the London club's coach Antonio Conte expressed concern over the rise of the Chinese league.

Now Oscar is one of the few big names left in the Chinese Super League, with Saudi Arabia surpassing it as the Asian competition attracting the ire of soccer figures in Europe.

Lionel Messi's arrival at Paris Saint-Germain has left the club with the most frightening front line in the sport, but now coach Mauricio Pochettino is under pressure to deliver the glory on the pitch that their Qatari owners covet more than anything.

That means winning the Champions League, a competition in which PSG have reached the final and then the semi-finals in the last two seasons.

Lionel Messi may have departed, Sergio Ramos too, but new faces have arrived in Spain in time for the start of the new season this weekend.

AFP Sport picks out five signings to watch in La Liga in 2021/22:

Japan held its first Paralympic flame-lighting ceremonies on Thursday, with athletes waiting to learn whether spectators will be in the stands as the country battles a spike in virus cases.

Fans were banned from almost all venues at the pandemic-postponed Tokyo Olympics, which ended Sunday, while athletes faced restrictions on movement and were tested daily.

Lionel Messi's father told Spanish media Tuesday that his son will join Paris Saint-Germain.

Asked by reporters at Barcelona's El Prat airport if the Argentine star would later on Tuesday sign with the French club, Jorge Messi, who is also the player's agent, said: "Yes".

The focus of the sporting world shifts to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar following the Tokyo Olympics, with lingering questions over Covid safety and human rights.

Unlike the Games, which played out to a backdrop of surging case numbers in Tokyo and without spectators to limit viral transmission, organizers of the November 18-December 21, 2022, football tournament insist it will be played in full stadiums.

Paris Saint-Germain supporters have been gathering in anticipation of the arrival of Argentina superstar Lionel Messi after his emotional Barcelona departure at the weekend.

Members of the PSG faithful assembled outside the club's Parc des Princes home and at an airport to the north of the French capital on Monday as the Qatari-owned outfit looked set to add the 34-year-old to a squad that already includes Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

Lionel Messi is expected to arrive in the French capital on Monday, lured by the limitless funds of Paris Saint-Germain, having said a tearful farewell to Barcelona after 21 years.

Juventus on Friday apologized after the Serie A club's women's team published a tweet depicting one of their players performing a slanty eyes gesture which stereotypes people from East Asia.

The tweet, published on Thursday night, featured Italy international Cecilia Salvai with a training cone on her head pulling her eyes with her fingers and was accompanied with emojis which also depicted the gesture.

Barcelona's negotiations with Lionel Messi are over and the striker is considering other offers, the club's president Joan Laporta said on Friday.

Laporta said in a press conference he was not prepared "to put the club at risk" by renewing Messi's contract, with Barca facing huge financial problems ahead of the start of La Liga.