Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi has been accused of having a “different attitude” when representing Argentina, with Daniel Passarella not surprised by international struggles. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has offered plenty to the cause of his country down the years. At 31 years of age he has 129 caps to his name and 65 goals for the Albiceleste. He has helped Argentina to finals at the World Cup and Copa America, but is still waiting on a first piece of senior silverware. That frustration saw him walk away from the fold at one stage, while a self-imposed break was taken in on the back of a disappointing showing from Jorge Sampaoli’s side at the 2018 World Cup. Messi has since returned to the squad, but saw his first game back end in a humbling 3-1 defeat to Venezuela. His presence failed to inspire those around him, while he was unable to replicate the heroics which have delivered another 39 goals at club level this season. Former Argentina captain Passarella believes that is because Messi does not feel as comfortable or confident when representing his nation. The 1978 World Cup winner said of an iconic countryman: "He's a great player who can give a lot to any team. "But when he plays for Barcelona he has a different attitude. "He's better there. "Sometimes these things happen. "You play well for a team and they love you, but you don't feel at ease and something doesn't fit. "I don't know what it is, but it should be something you feel inside." While Messi suffered defeat on his first outing for Argentina in 2019, he also picked up a knock. A groin problem is now set to keep him out of a friendly clash with Morocco on Tuesday. That is not the pre-Copa America preparation that head coach Lionel Scaloni was hoping for. Messi will be able to slip seamlessly back into the side, but an underperforming team want positive minutes together. After facing Morocco, their next competitive action will come in the Copa. That tournament is heading to Brazil this summer, with Argentina placed in Group B alongside Colombia, Paraguay and Qatar.

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is now matching Manuel Neuer stride for stride in the race for Germany's number one jersey, according to legend Franz Beckenbauer. The Barcelona goalkeeper has played every minute of the La Liga champions' top-flight campaign, keeping 11 clean sheets in the process to help the club pull 10 points clear at the top. Neuer has displayed similar levels of consistency, missing just two of Bayern Munich's 26 Bundesliga games, but his displays haven't hit the levels he has shown in past years. That was evident as the 32-year-old committed a howler to allow Sadio Mane to open the scoring in Liverpool's Champions League last-16 second leg success at the Allianz Arena. Germany manager Joachim Low has hinted that he will keep faith with Neuer - who started the 1-1 friendly draw with Serbia - when Germany face the Netherlands in their Euro 2020 qualifying opener on Sunday. But Beckenbauer, who won over a century of caps for his country and claimed the World Cup as both a player and manager, does not expect Ter Stegen to give up in pursuit of replacing Neuer. "Ter Stegen has caught up a lot, but he has benefited from the injury of Manuel Neuer," he told Sky Sport Germany . "Manuel Neuer will pull together and continue to be the number one. I trust him. But Ter Stegen will not let up." While Neuer was able to retain his place in the squad for the latest bout of international fixtures, fellow old-stagers Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Thomas Mulller have seen their international careers ended by Low. The coach will not consider the trio for selection in the future, a move which comes after Germany endured a woeful World Cup and dropped out of the top tier of the Nations League. They join Mesut Ozil on the sidelines, after the Arsenal playmaker retired from Germany duty citing his treatment by the DFB . But despite Low's bold statement, 73-year-old Beckenbauer expects the trio to be reinstated sooner rather than later. "I understand that this is a temporary non-selection and you look at how the boys are developing and that they can be brought back if needed," he added.

Antoine Griezmann has shown no indication of being unhappy at Atletico Madrid and wanting to reignite a move to Barcelona, according to France and Blaugrana defender Samuel Umtiti. Following Diego Simeone's side's exit from the Champions League at the hands of Juventus, reports re-emerged linking the 28-year-old with a move away from the Spanish capital. Less than a year after rejecting a move to the Catalan giants and signing a new contract until 2023 with Atletico, speculation was rife that Griezmann was unsettled at Wanda Metropolitano. Umtiti has linked up with the forward for the start of France's Euro 2020 qualifying campaign, which began with a comfortable 4-1 win in Moldova, with Griezmann getting on the scoresheet. But the centre-back has sensed no signs that Griezmann is unsettled with his current club and warned him that he could live to regret leaving behind a side which is built to get the best out him. "I know Antoine is very happy in Madrid, it's going well for him, it's a team that plays for him, and after that, in a career there are choices that we can take and that we can regret," he explained to Telefoot. "But I know he feels good there. He could play in any club around the world because of his qualities, whether in Barcelona or elsewhere, and be happy and successful." Umtiti himself returned to the France team for the first time since September having missed swathes of the 2018-19 campaign with a knee problem. He was absent from the last three La Liga games of last season with the same problem but played through the pain barrier at the World Cup. In Russia, his partnership with Raphael Varane underpinned France's run to the final, where they overcame Croatia to lift the trophy for a second time in Moscow. The 25-year-old now admits he took a major risk playing with the fitness issue but feels justified in his decision, despite the problems which have followed. "Yes, I took a risk. It's every four years and you're never sure if you will play it many times," he added. "So it was a dream that I realised. I forced it on my left knee and it has made things a bit more complicated over this season. But I do not regret that choice. "I feel good. I'm trying to get back to the rhythm after several months of inactivity. It's pretty complicated. "Training and matches is the only way I'm going to find the rhythm and feel good."

Neymar is up there as one of the top three players in world football and Vinicius Junior's ability to showcase his talent at Real Madrid at just 18 years old is "not normal", according to Casemiro. As Brazil prepare for their friendly matches against Panama and Czech Republic, Casemiro expressed his admiration for the Paris Saint-Germain forward and his Madrid team-mate, both of whom are ruled out of international duty by injuries. While Neymar has made 96 appearances for the Selelcao in the nine years since making his bow, Vinicius has yet to be handed his full international debut. But Casemiro feels the 18-year-old's recent form for Madrid, where he has made eight La Liga starts and scored two goals in 2018-19, mean he is currently operating at a world-class level. "We started talking about Neymar here," Casemiro told reporters. "Let's spend the whole afternoon talking about him. "For me, Neymar's in the top three and has everything to be the best in the world. In the last two months Vinicius played at a high level, at a level of one of the best in the world. "What he's producing at Real was not normal, for someone who's 18 years old. Being bold in the shirt of Real Madrid is not easy." Tite has the likes of Everton forward Richarlison and West Ham winger Felipe Anderson in his squad to face Panama and Czech Republic, but Casemiro knows there will be some tough decisions to make when Neymar and Vinicius return to fitness. The PSG star is recovering from a fractured metatarsal after suffering injury in January while Vinicius has damaged ankle ligaments, and Casemiro backed the pair to flourish upon their comebacks. "We're talking about two great players, two players who are exceptional," said Casemiro. "It is up to the coach to talk about whether they can play together or not. There's no doubt they are great players. "Of course, they can play in any team in the world." Brazil's match against Panama takes place in Portugal on Saturday, while the clash with Czech Republic is on Tuesday in Prague.

Genetic scientists believe they could clone Lionel Messi in the future by using current scientific practices. Messi has spent his entire senior career at Barcelona to date, and has risen to global stardom after bagging 591 goals in 674 appearances. And with the 31-year-old's career now closing in on its final few years, questions have arisen as to whether the footballing world will ever see another player of Messi's quality again. However, scientists believe they could clone the Barcelona star to make another version of him in the future if they wish. According Arcadi Navarro, genetic specialist and Head of the European Genome-phenome Archive, producing a double of Messi is a possibility. "Yes, Messi could be cloned using current techniques," Navarro told Cadena SER programme Què t'hi jugues . "It would be very similar in appearance to Messi, it would look like his twin. "It would be like if two twins had been born and we froze one for 20 or 30 years. "This individual would have the same potential as Messi, but genetics is only one component. Others are educational, environmental. "Messi isn't just Messi because of his genetics, but because of everything he has lived through, his education, his time at La Masia, the treatment he received. "Genetics only gives us potential, it's up to us to complete the job." Messi has scored 39 goals this season and is on course to win his 10th La Liga title, with Barcelona currently holding a 10-point advantage over closest challengers Atletico Madrid. The Argentina international could also claim his fifth Champions League winner's medal this season, with Barca favourites to progress past Man Utd at the quarter-final stage. However, his first port of call is his return to the international set-up for Argentina's upcoming fixtures against Venezuela and Morocco. He has not played since his nation's exit from the World Cup last year in Russia, and there was speculation he could be set to retire from the national team.  Now, he's ready to return to the side ahead of this summer's Copa America where he will hope to inspire Argentina to their first continental triumph since 1993.