Miguel Almiron's superb assist for Paraguay in their Copa America draw with Argentina has earned a tongue-in-cheek comparison to Lionel Messi from Newcastle.

For Lionel Messi, the present Copa America campaign with Argentina has, so far, been another bruising affair on the international stage. But he has still shown flashes of his sparkling best.

TOM SANDERSON: Nothing less than a win against Qatar will do for Lionel Scaloni's fragile side. Just like the World Cup last year, it has been yet another tournament of recriminations.

Despite knowing he can play no part in a potential trophy-winning tournament, the Paris Saint-Germain ace was all smiles as he reunited with players and staff at their base in Sao Paulo.

An impressive double from striker Darwin Machis helped Venezuela book their place in the Copa America quarter-finals with a comfortable 3-1 win over Bolivia on Saturday.

After picking up just one point from their opening two games, Argentina needed to win to progress and they managed to do so courtesy of goals from Lautaro Martinez and Sergio Aguero.

The South American side clinched second place in Group B after a 2-0 victory against Qatar, thanks to goals from Lautaro Martinez and Sergio Aguero. 'Now starts another Copa,' Messi said.

Real Madrid fans are relishing the prospect of watching 18-year-old Takefusa Kubo after his latest impressive display at the Copa America against Ecuador on Monday night.

Brazil coach Tite joined the chorus of players and officials complaining about Copa America pitches, saying it was 'absurd' to play on surfaces like the one on which the hosts beat Paraguay on.

Brazil star, who left for France for a world-record fee of £198m two years ago, has been linked with a return to La Liga giants. A possible summer move away does not look to be on the cards.

Everton striker Richarlison was left out of Brazil's Copa America quarter-final with Paraguay on Thursday amid concerns the attacker has contracted mumps.

His performances have caught the attention of the Catalan giants, who are now preparing to pay his £100m release cause to bring him to the Nou Camp, according to Corriere dello Sport.

TOM SANDERSON IN SAO PAULO: And so they meet again. On this occasion, for a place in the Copa America final. Yet far more than the chance to face either Chile or Peru will be at stake.

The Manchester United forward fired his country into the last four by netting the winning penalty in a shootout against Colombia on Saturday.

Arsenal have completed the signing of Brazilian 18-year-old Gabriel Martinelli. The youngster is one of the most promising talents in his homeland and bases his game on Cristiano Ronaldo.  

TOM SANDERSON AT MINEIRAO STADIUM: Here it was, the one they had all been waiting for. A semi-final showdown between the two biggest rivals in international football. 

Lionel Messi blasted 'bulls***' refereeing and accused officials of favouring Brazil after Argentina were dumped out of the Copa America at the semi-final stage on Tuesday night.

Philippe Coutinho was left red-faced on the big stage this week, after falling for a sumptuous piece of skill during Brazil's Copa America clash with rivals Argentina.

When five-time Ballon d'Or winner and Barcelona star Lionel Messi eventually hangs up his boots, he might just have one huge regret lingering in the back of his mind.

TOM SANDERSON IN BRAZIL: Naturally, the Argentine press dug its heels in over the hours that followed yet another big stage disappointment. Messi, they feel, can lead new generation to glory.

Edison Flores, Yoshimar Yotun and Paolo Guerrero all found the back of the net to put an end to Chile's dream of a third consecutive title and set up a final against hosts Brazil in Rio on Sunday.

Chile were knocked out of the Copa America in the semi-finals with a 3-0 defeat by Peru, and Eduardo Vargas' misery was compounded when he missed a late penalty.

The FIFA Women's World Cup Final between the US and the Netherlands takes place on Sunday - but the game may not make TV rating history on its own.

Everton forward Richarlison sent 200 million of his fellow countrymen into hysterics through a post-match interview recorded after his Copa America-sealing goal on Sunday evening.

TOM SANDERSON AT THE MARACANA: In front of 70,000 revellers at the Maracana, Brazil prolonged their record of having won the Copa America each time they have hosted.

Brazilian right-back Daniel Alves is on his way to Europe to listen to offers, according to globoesporte.globo.com. He willl consider his options after his contract with PSG expired.

Messi was left incandescent with the performance of referee Roddy Zambrano and the use of VAR and did not hold back in his post-match assessment after their defeat by Brazil.

According to Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte , Arsenal's new technical director Edu has held talks with Everton's agent Gilmar Veloz to assess whether a move to the Emirates is feasible.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has held talks with Fred over the last few weeks, and assured him he is part of Manchester United's first-team plans, according to The Sun. 

The 23-year-old played an integral role in Brazil's Copa America success this summer and has attracted interest from several clubs, including Everton.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has been banned for one game and fined £1,200 after being sent off against Chile in the Copa America third-place playoff earlier this month.

Lionel Messi will not feature for Argentina again this year after receiving a three-month suspension and a £41,000 fine following his controversial comments about Copa America.

The Brazilian sealed his country's Copa America triumph on home soil with the third goal in their 3-1 victory over Peru in the final at the Maracana Stadium in July.

Argentina and Chile renewed their combative rivalry in Los Angeles on Thursday in a game that was peppered with 10 yellow cards but ultimately ended as a goalless stalemate.

The Brazilian midfielder booked his wedding for July after expecting to be included in Brazil's Copa America squad. However, he was dropped by Brazil after a disappointing debut Premier League season.

Lionel Messi returns to action for Argentina on Friday against their arch rivals Brazil in what will be his first international since being banned for three months after claiming referees were 'corrupt'.

Bring an image of Brazil to your mind and it is almost certain you will think of free-flowing attacking moves, samba skills and jogo bonito. Not debates about defensive midfielders.

Lionel Messi has a chance to win the Copa America on his own turf next summer - but Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni says the competition will be about more than just the Barcelona star.

The goal-shy Toffees have identified the forward positions as an area of improvement, and boss Carlo Ancelotti has set his sights on the club's Brazilian namesake as a transfer target.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY IAN LADYMAN: For Richarlison it helped to have 2.1million Instagram followers when his dog escaped. After an appeal on social media, two Everton fans found his pet.

Prince Charles and Prince William have told Harry and Meghan that if they wanted to come back to Britain they could do so, without taking on any official duties, a source told The Sunday Times.

The Duke of Cambridge read out a letter sent by a friend of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice, who was famed for offering a Jewish family refuge at her Athens home after the Nazis invaded.

Manfred Goldberg, 89, born in Kassel, Germany, accompanied the Cambridges on their tour of the Stutthof concentration camp in July 2017, and told People Kate was emotional.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were seen awkwardly laughing during Sunday night's BAFTA ceremony after Margot Robbie joked about Megxit during an acceptance speech.

Prince William, 37, and Kate, 38, seemed to relax their 'hands-off' policy in public when visiting Mumbles in South Wales today, according to body language epxert and author Judi James.

Kate, 38, was in Mumbles, near Swansea, alongside her husband Prince William, 37, for a busy day of engagements which saw them visit the Tata Steel plant in Port Talbot and tour a lifeboat station.

Rhian Costello and her daughter Annabel, 3, had the memorable encounter when the Duchess of Cambridge visited the RNLI Mumbles Lifeboat Station near Swansea this afternoon.

The Duke of Cambridge, 37, showed her was a doting father and a loving husband in one sweet sentence yesterday as he responded to a member of the public in south Wales, People magazine reports.

Kate Middleton, 38, sported Beulah London's £95 pink and red Shibani scarf for her outing to South Wales with Prince William, 37, yesterday. It is once again available to buy online.

Prince William, 37, said he reads to Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, one, 'all the time' as he spoke to parents in South Wales yesterday.