A six-year-old Afghan boy, who shot to Internet fame by sporting a Lionel Messi shirt made out of a plastic bag, fulfills his dreams by meeting the Argentine soccer great.

Arsenal will have another chance to beat Bayern Munich in a Champions League knockout tie after the sides were paired in the round of 16 following Monday's draw.

Seven former champions and nine dreaming of a first crown -- Monday's draw for the last 16 of the Champions League throws up a raft of fascinating permutations as the competition switches into knockout mode.

Come 1900 GMT on Monday, what looks to be a poorly kept secret will officially be out -- Cristiano Ronaldo will bag his fourth Ballon d'Or as the world's top footballer.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane paid tribute to his players' spirit after they battled back to beat Deportivo La Coruna 3-2 on Saturday and set a club record 35 games unbeaten in all competitions.

Real Madrid launched a staunch defence of star forward Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday, demanding respect for the three-time World Player of the Year amid allegations he hid millions of euros earned from image rights in tax havens.

Arda Turan grabs a hattrick and Lionel Messi his 10th Champions League goal of the season as a much-changed Barcelona cruises past Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-0.

Real Madrid remain six points clear at the top of La Liga after Sergio Ramos's late leveller earned a 1-1 draw at Barcelona in El Clasico on a weekend in which none of the top six won.

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos rescued a draw and maintained the European champions' six-point lead at the top of La Liga in a 1-1 draw at Barcelona on Saturday.

Barcelona's Nou Camp is the biggest soccer arena in Europe and has long been the home of the world's best players but visitors have often complained that it is lacking in atmosphere.

Despite being former midfield heroes for the clubs they now manage, Barcelona coach Luis Enrique and his Real Madrid counterpart Zinedine Zidane are afforded little credit for their achievements in management.

Barcelona were held 1-1 by lowly Hercules in their King's Cup last 32 first-leg match on Wednesday while Mariano scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid romped to a 6-1 second-leg victory over third-tier Cultural Leonesa and a 13-2 aggregate triumph.

A plane that crashed in the mountains of Colombia, killing 71 people, including members of a Brazilian football team, may have run out of fuel, a Colombian military source told AFP.

"This is a very, very sad day for football. At this difficult time our thoughts are with the victims, their families and friends.

A Spanish corruption case surrounding Neymar's transfer from Santos to Barcelona in 2013 is certain to influence the Brazil forward's form, national team coach Tite said on Monday.

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique lamented what he described as the worst display of his time in charge as the Catalan giants escaped with a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad on Sunday.

AFP Sports looks at what has gone wrong so far this season for the Spanish champions Barcelona.

Gerard Pique gives a scathing assessment of Barcelona's display after the champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Sociedad and casts doubt on his team's ability to retain the La Liga title unless their performances improve.

Barcelona's Brazilian star Neymar damaged his Ferrari Spider in a road accident but his club said he was ready to play against Real Sociedad on Sunday night.

Lionel Messi's prodigious talent is matched by his startling humility, which he displayed again on Thursday by denying that Barcelona's fate is determined by his presence in the team.