Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Italy to finish isolating
The Portuguese soccer federation says Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for the coronavirus. He has been dropped from the country's Nations League match against Sweden on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Ronaldo tested positive two days before the team’s Nations League match against Sweden in Lisbon. He had played in the Nations League match against France on Sunday, and against Spain in a friendly last week. Other soccer players who have tested positive for COVID-19 recently include Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Paul Pogba, Paulo Dybala, Ángel Di María, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa.
Revamped Barcelona starts new season with spotlight on Messi
Barcelona's Lionel Messi, centre, in action during the pre-season friendly soccer match between Barcelona and Girona at the Johan Cruyff Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)MADRID – Lionel Messi will be there when Barcelona starts its season on Sunday, just as he has been for the last two decades. After all, never before had Messi told the club that he wanted to leave, and never before had Messi been forced to stay. Some of those questions may start being answered on Sunday when Barcelona opens its Spanish league season against Villarreal at the Camp Nou. The result thrust Barcelona into one of its worst crises ever, and led Messi to make public his desire to leave.