Paul Pogba showed off his skills by hitting a bulls eye

Messi's Argentina returns to Buenos Aires after their World Cup qualifying clash against Brazil in Sao Paulo was sensationally abandoned shortly after kick-off on Sunday as controversy over Covid-19 protocols erupted.

Argentina football fans share their excitement over watching their national team and star Lionel Messi play against Bolivia in the World Cup qualifiers. Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to overtake Pele as the top international goalscorer in South American football history on Thursday as Argentina cruised to a 3-0 victory over Bolivia in their 2022 World Cup qualifier.

Fans of European giants Real Madrid and Inter Milan will see their teams face unusual competition this autumn: a club from a tiny separatist region in one of Europe's least known countries, Moldova. After a couple of failed attempts, Sheriff FC is making its debut in the group stage of Europe's top football competition this year, becoming the first team ever from the ex-Soviet country to reach the Champions League itself. Sheriff FC hails from Transnistria, a Russian-speaking region which broke away from Moldova after a brief civil war following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Thursday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.⁣

Brazilian football legend Pele publishes a video on Instagram where he is seen working out in a hospital in Sao Paulo. The star had undergone surgery earlier in the month to remove a suspected colon tumor and was transferred back to an intensive care unit after suffering breathing difficulties. "By cycling like this, I'll be back at Santos (football club) soon, don't you think?" he wrote in the social media post.

This week at United Nations headquarters in New York, Joe Biden sat down with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The meeting came at a time when France, Washington's oldest ally, had recalled ambassadors to both countries – an unprecedented reaction to the blindside of a dropped submarine contract with Canberra and a surprise military alliance that brings in the UK and shuts out Paris.

Footballers in Australia and Venezuela have revealed harassment and sexual abuse within their respective countries. The new claims comes in the wake of a sexual misconduct case in the United States.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro says he was prevented from seeing a football match in the city of Peruibe when he could not provide a Covid pass. The mandate applies for access to popular tourist spots and other public spaces such as cinemas, theaters, gyms, museums, sports stadiums and conference venues -- but not restaurants, bars or shopping malls. Brazil had a late start with coronavirus vaccination but is now the country with the fourth-most doses administered.

Germany defender Niklas Süle is in quarantine after testing positive for COVID. Several of his teammates must now also isolate just days before an international game.

Manchester United Plc's first-quarter loss narrowed as the end of COVID-19 curbs in England allowed fans to return to its Old Trafford stadium at full capacity, offsetting a rise in salaries since the return of Cristiano Ronaldo in August. The club, owned by the American Glazer family, on Wednesday posted a loss of 15.5 million pounds ($20.85 million) for the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with a loss of 30.3 million pounds in the same period a year ago when COVID-19 disrupted sporting calendars and shuttered stadiums.

Crowd problems put future of French football at risk, says minister

Leading Gabon football coach accused of raping young players, president demands probe. A former coach for Gabon's under-17 football team, Patrick Assoumou Eyi, sexually abused young players in his care, according to a report on Thursday in British daily The Guardian.