Colombian football star James Rodriguez, one of the best players in his country's history, ended his international career on Tuesday after 15 years and three World Cup appearances.
“I leave feeling reassured because I know I gave everything I had,” the 35-year-old leader said in a video clip on social media, his eyes filled with tears.
Rodriguez led himself and his country to the spotlight at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, when Los Cafeteros reached the quarter-finals for the first time. The playmaker was also crowned with the tournament's Golden Shoe as the best scorer and became a global star.
Although his career at the club level in recent years was marred by his transfer between many clubs and his influence declined significantly, he remained an essential element in the ranks of the Colombian national team that reached the Copa America final two years ago.
But he failed to score any goals in the World Cup this year, and his Bayern Munich teammate, Luis Diaz, caught the spotlight.
The former Real Madrid midfielder joined Atletico Nacional last week.
The Toronto Raptors have regained the services of their former star, Kawhi Leonard, from the Los Angeles Clippers, in a deal that was delayed due to an investigation conducted by the National Basketball Association (NBA) regarding major salary cap violations linked to the veteran star.
The Raptors confirmed in a statement the return of Leonard, who played for the Canadian team in the 2018-2019 season, after the league’s investigation ended earlier this month and the Clippers announced their commitment to the sanctions imposed on him.
“We are very pleased to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto,” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said in a statement issued late Monday evening. “His impact on our organization, our city and our country is undeniable, and he embodies the competitive spirit and heroic mentality that we hold dear.”
He added: “We believe that his leadership, experience and talent will help us as we continue to build towards achieving a new title.”
Leonard was contracted in exchange for giving up Brandon Ingram, Grady Dick, and future draft picks.
During his previous stint with the Raptors, Leonard helped lead Toronto to its first and last league title.
He later moved to the Clippers, where he found himself at the center of a major controversy.
Earlier this month, the Clippers were found to have helped Leonard circumvent salary cap rules through deals tied to club sponsors.
The Clippers were stripped of five picks in the first round of the draft, and a $30 million fine was imposed on them by the league.
Leonard was also fined $700,000.
The Clippers agreed to send Leonard to Toronto in July, but the latter announced that he would wait for the outcome of the investigation before completing the deal.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said on Sunday that he would abide by the league's punishment despite his objection to some aspects of the investigation, paving the way for the deal to be completed.
Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association, confirmed that Lionel Messi has been summoned to participate in a friendly match at home in Argentina next October for his farewell appearance after his retirement from international football.
Tapia said on social media on Tuesday: “We invited the best player in the world, and our captain Lionel Andres Messi, to participate in the match and give him a befitting farewell on October 6th here in Argentina.”
Argentina will play three friendly matches at home during the international break set by FIFA between September 21 and October 6, in the team's first appearance since the World Cup.
The Argentine national team will face Benin at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on October 6, where Messi, who announced his retirement from international football last month, was invited to play his farewell match.
Argentina will also meet Bolivia at the Mario Kempes Stadium in Cordoba on September 30, before moving to Buenos Aires to host Burkina Faso on October 3.
The Bolivia match will be held with a reduced audience attendance of 50 percent as part of the sanctions imposed by FIFA due to events witnessed at this year's World Cup.
Leandro Paredes, Nauel Molina and Thiago Almada will have to serve suspensions of ten, seven and one match, respectively, due to their roles in the altercation that occurred during the World Cup final against Spain.
