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Messi to Unveil 21-meter Statue of Himself on India 'GOAT' Tour

(FILES) Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates his team's fourth goal during the Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference final football match between Inter Miami and New York City FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 29, 2025. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
(FILES) Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates his team's fourth goal during the Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference final football match between Inter Miami and New York City FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 29, 2025. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
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Messi to Unveil 21-meter Statue of Himself on India 'GOAT' Tour

(FILES) Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates his team's fourth goal during the Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference final football match between Inter Miami and New York City FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 29, 2025. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
(FILES) Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates his team's fourth goal during the Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference final football match between Inter Miami and New York City FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 29, 2025. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)

Lionel Messi will unveil a 21-meter (70-foot) statue of himself in India on Saturday as he embarks on a three-day tour of the country that has sparked a fan frenzy.

The iron sculpture in Kolkata, which shows Messi holding aloft the World Cup, is part of a so-called GOAT Tour that will take in four Indian cities and a possible meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar will unveil the monument virtually rather than in person for security reasons, AFP said.

A "Hola Messi" fan zone has also been set up in Kolkata where on display is a life-sized replica of Messi sat on a throne.

The hall also recreates his Miami home, complete with mannequins of his family members.

Football fan Samir Nandy said it would be "a dream come true" to catch a glimpse of his idol.

"Legends are not made by success alone. It is his resilience that made me believe in him," Nandy, 64, said in Kolkata.

"The statue is a fitting tribute to him."

Monti Paul, the statue's main sculptor, told AFP the structure was built inside 40 days.

"It's a matter of pride to build the sculpture of Messi. It's the tallest statue I have made," he said.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner will also meet Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly during his whirlwind trip to Kolkata.

Ahead of his arrival, Messi said it was an honor to visit India and interact with the fans.

"India is a very special country and I have good memories from my time there 14 years ago -- the fans were fantastic," Messi said in a statement.

"India is a passionate football nation and I look forward to meeting a new generation of fans while sharing the love I have for this beautiful game."

After Kolkata, where Messi will play a short friendly match, he will head to Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

In Hyderabad he will attend a concert in his honor and play another friendly.

He is reportedly scheduled to meet Modi in the capital.

Messi won his second consecutive Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player award this week after propelling Inter Miami to the MLS title and leading the league in goals.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker will spearhead Argentina's defense of the World Cup in June-July in North America.

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Liverpool Boss Slot to Hold Talks with Unhappy Salah

(FILES) Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah warms up ahead of the English Premier League football match between Leeds United and Liverpool at Elland Road in Leeds, northern England on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
(FILES) Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah warms up ahead of the English Premier League football match between Leeds United and Liverpool at Elland Road in Leeds, northern England on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
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Liverpool Boss Slot to Hold Talks with Unhappy Salah

(FILES) Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah warms up ahead of the English Premier League football match between Leeds United and Liverpool at Elland Road in Leeds, northern England on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
(FILES) Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah warms up ahead of the English Premier League football match between Leeds United and Liverpool at Elland Road in Leeds, northern England on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

Liverpool boss Arne Slot said he would speak to Mohamed Salah on Friday morning before deciding on the forward's availability for this weekend's match against Brighton.

Salah accused Liverpool of throwing him "under the bus" and said he had no relationship with the Dutch manager after he was left on the bench for last week's 3-3 draw at Leeds -- the third match in a row that he did not start.

The 33-year-old did not travel for Tuesday's Champions League match at Inter Milan, which Liverpool won 1-0, posting a picture on social media of himself alone in a gym at the club's training ground.

"I will have a conversation with Mo this morning, the outcome of that conversation determines how things will look tomorrow," Slot told his pre-match press conference, according to AFP.

"I think the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here. You can keep on trying but there is not much more to say about it.

"After the Sunderland game (a 1-1 draw earlier this month in which Salah was a substitute) there were a lot of conversations between his representatives and ours, between him and me."

Slot batted away further questions from reporters about the forward but said: "I have no reasons not wanting him to stay, and that is a little bit of an answer to your question."

Salah is due to join the Egypt squad for the Africa Cup of Nations after the Brighton game at Anfield.

The forward, third in Liverpool's all-time scoring charts, has won two Premier League titles and one Champions League triumph during his spell on Merseyside.

But he has scored just four goals in 13 Premier League appearances this season.

Liverpool, who swept to a 20th English league title last season, are 10th in the table after a poor run of results.

Sports

Fan Group Urges FIFA to Halt World Cup Ticket Sales over 'Extortionate' Prices

A sign promoting the World Cup in 2026 is shown at a newly opened metro stop at Los Angeles International Airport on December 5th, in Los Angeles, California, US August 22, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson
A sign promoting the World Cup in 2026 is shown at a newly opened metro stop at Los Angeles International Airport on December 5th, in Los Angeles, California, US August 22, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson
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Fan Group Urges FIFA to Halt World Cup Ticket Sales over 'Extortionate' Prices

A sign promoting the World Cup in 2026 is shown at a newly opened metro stop at Los Angeles International Airport on December 5th, in Los Angeles, California, US August 22, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson
A sign promoting the World Cup in 2026 is shown at a newly opened metro stop at Los Angeles International Airport on December 5th, in Los Angeles, California, US August 22, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has called on FIFA to immediately halt sales of national team allocations for next year's World Cup, accusing football's governing body of imposing "extortionate" ticket prices that risk shutting ordinary fans out of the tournament.

In a statement on Thursday, the European fan umbrella group said prices for tickets allocated to Participating Member Associations (PMAs) – typically distributed via official supporters' clubs or loyalty schemes – had reached "astronomical" levels, Reuters reported.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FSE said based on price tables quietly circulated to national associations, a supporter following their team from the first group match through to the final via the PMA route would pay at least $6,900, almost five times the equivalent cost at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

FSE said national team supporters were being asked to pay the full amount in early 2026 in order to secure the right to buy tickets all the way to the final.

Adding to fans' frustration, FSE said the lowest price category – Category 4 – would not be made available to the most loyal supporters through their associations, with FIFA reserving those tickets for general public sales and subjecting them to dynamic pricing.

The group called that decision a "monumental betrayal" of World Cup tradition and of the contribution of traveling supporters to the tournament's atmosphere.

"For the prices that have been put up by FIFA, we're a bit stunned," FSE Executive Director Ronan Evain told Reuters.

"This is a handful of people who are trying to make as much money as possible from the tournament. And we believe this approach is putting the very nature of the tournament at risk."

"For the final, tickets are going up to about $4,000. You need fans, you need the life in the stands, you need the colour, you need the atmosphere. With these prices, none of this will happen," he said.

For the first time at a World Cup, FSE said, there will be no consistent prices across all group-stage games, with FIFA instead introducing variable pricing based on opaque notions such as the "attractiveness" of a fixture.

That means fans of different teams could pay different amounts for the same category of ticket at the same stage, with little transparency on how prices are set.

Evain said the new structure would push many ordinary fans beyond what they can afford, particularly families.

"A lot of people that were hesitating in travelling to the U.S. are now saying they need to take an extraordinary financial risk, especially if you're a family," he said.

"We are in the region of $30,000 for a family of four. The vast majority of football fans can't afford this. Even in Europe."

FSE urged FIFA to pause PMA ticket sales and open consultations with member associations, supporters' groups and other stakeholders "until a solution that respects the tradition, universality and cultural significance of the World Cup is found."

Sports

French Player Folliot Suspended for 20 Years over Match-fixing

Paris 2024 Olympics - Tennis Training - Roland Garros Stadium, Paris, France - July 24, 2024. General view of tennis balls during training REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Paris 2024 Olympics - Tennis Training - Roland Garros Stadium, Paris, France - July 24, 2024. General view of tennis balls during training REUTERS/Claudia Greco
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French Player Folliot Suspended for 20 Years over Match-fixing

Paris 2024 Olympics - Tennis Training - Roland Garros Stadium, Paris, France - July 24, 2024. General view of tennis balls during training REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Paris 2024 Olympics - Tennis Training - Roland Garros Stadium, Paris, France - July 24, 2024. General view of tennis balls during training REUTERS/Claudia Greco

French player Quentin Folliot has been suspended for 20 years for committing 27 breaches of tennis's anti-corruption program, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on Thursday.

Folliot was a central figure in a network of players operating on behalf of a match-fixing syndicate, an ITIA investigation found, and is the sixth player to be sanctioned as a result.

Folliot's career-high ranking was 488th, according to the ATP, and he earned prize money of $60,047 in singles and doubles.

The Frenchman denied 30 charges relating to 11 matches between 2022 and 2024, eight of which he played in, and an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer, Amani Khalifa, upheld 27 of the charges in October.

Khalifa's written decision said the 26-year-old Folliot was "a vector for a wider criminal syndicate, actively recruiting other players and attempting to embed corruption more deeply into the professional tours".

Folliot, who was provisionally suspended in May 2024, has also been fined $70,000 and ordered to repay corrupt payments totaling more than $44,000, Reuters reported.

Time served under the provisional suspension was credited against his period of ineligibility meaning Folliot's ban will end on May 16 2044, subject to repayment of outstanding fines.