Argentina is confronting a once-unimaginable reality: a national team without soccer great Lionel Messi.

On Tuesday, 39-year-old Messi bid farewell to international soccer after 21 years, 126 goals, two Copa América titles and a World Cup championship, scoring a penalty and setting up Argentina's other two goals for a 3-0 victory over Benin. What was otherwise an unremarkable friendly against the West African nation became a moment that this soccer-crazed country had long dreaded.

So much for international football taking a breather after the World Cup.

In fact, the recently completed window of Nations League games in Europe could hardly have been more action-packed.

UEFA confirmed on Tuesday that it has opened an investigation into the tunnel bust-up during last weekend's Nations League game between the Republic of Ireland and Israel in Serbia.

The row took place at half-time in the 1-1 draw in Backa Topola, with media reports saying that a member of the Republic of Ireland coaching staff claimed he had been spat at by an Israel player.

Lionel Messi will bring the curtain down on his glittering Argentina career on Tuesday with a farewell friendly against Benin that marks the dawn of a new era for the South American champions.

Manchester City confirmed Friday they had launched an appeal against a damning judgement that found the club guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.

Cristiano Ronaldo walked out on Portugal's training camp on Wednesday, hours after coach Jorge Jesus said the star forward would not start the game against Denmark in the Nations League on Thursday.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo said that "in time" he would "tell the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons" behind his departure.

With the iconic No. 10 jersey unassigned, Argentina will face its first test of the post- Lionel Messi era when it hosts Bolivia in a friendly on Wednesday.

As the 39-year-old legend gets set for his farewell match with Argentina next week, coach Lionel Scaloni is already looking toward the future.

European football's search for a candidate to challenge Gianni Infantino in the FIFA presidential election will not land on clubs' leader Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, the Paris Saint-Germain boss insisted Tuesday.

Al-Khelaïfi also is chairman of the influential European Football Clubs group and so sits on the executive committee of UEFA, which is leading efforts to oust Infantino after his failed plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits to private investors.

Lamine Yamal led World Cup winner Spain on Tuesday as it defeated Croatia in the Nations League to add to its record unbeaten streak in its homecoming game, while England rebounded from its opening loss to the world champions with a victory over 10-man Czechia.

Yamal scored twice and set up another goal as Spain beat Croatia 4-1 at home to reach 40 matches unbeaten. It was Spain's first home game since it won its second world title in July.

France midfielder Manu Koné had to pinch himself when new coach Zinedine Zidane laced up his boots to take part in training.

Arguably the world's best playmaker during his heyday, the 54-year-old Zidane was in his element spraying passes around and whipping in crosses to his awe-struck players.