In the end, not even Saudi Arabia or Gianni Infantino could engineer a way to get Cristiano Ronaldo to the Club World Cup.

The midseason transfer window has closed with Manchester City and Aston Villa making big moves before the deadline.

A tearful Neymar was welcomed back to his boyhood club on Friday by thousands of Santos fans and a concert in the home stadium beneath an electronic sign saying, “The prince is back.”.

Neymar has agreed to return to Santos nearly 12 years after he left the Brazilian team.

Neymar picked up another injury on Monday in just his second game since returning from a 12-month absence as Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal defeated Esteghlal of Iran 3-0 in the AFC Champions League Elite.

Lionel Messi is undoubtedly the face of this year’s Copa America.

A fan at the Saudi Super Cup final lashed an Al-Ittihad player with a whip during a confrontation moments after the match Thursday night.

Saudi Arabia sees placing its soccer clubs in more international games including Super Leagues as key to achieving the kingdom’s ambitions in the sport.

The future looks much brighter for Kylian Mbappé than it does for Paris Saint-Germain.

It seems like there’s no keeping Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo apart.

Neymar left the soccer field in tears after yet another injury in what has become an all-too familiar sight.

Neymar was in tears as he left the field with a left knee injury at the end of the first half of Brazil’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying defeat at Uruguay.

Brazil great Neymar has received a plaque for becoming the team’s all-time top goal-scorer in official matches.

Neymar has scored his record 78th and 79th goals for Brazil in a 5-1 World Cup qualifying win over Bolivia.

Neymar has become the top goal scorer for Brazil’s national team after surpassing the total of three-time World Cup winner Pelé.

Paris Saint-Germain soccer superstar Neymar has reportedly agreed a two-year deal to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique still hopes Kylian Mbappé will stay at the club amid an ongoing transfer standoff.

Kylian Mbappé finds himself training alone at home while his Paris Saint-Germain teammates are playing abroad and speculation is mounting as to where the France great will play his first game this season.

Lionel Messi’s impending exit from Paris Saint-Germain could mark the beginning of the end of the French soccer club’s era of excess.

Lionel Messi is set to leave Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires at the end of the season after two years with the French soccer team a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

Lionel Messi was supposed to be training alongside his Paris Saint-Germain teammates at the start of the week with his club embroiled in a tight French league title race.

All Paris Saint-Germain can win this season is the French league title after being knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich.

Paris Saint-Germain says Brazilian soccer player Neymar will undergo season-ending surgery on his damaged right ankle and will be out for up to four months.

Brazilian soccer stars past and present are under fire from fans for skipping Pelé’s funeral and opting to pay their respects on social media.

Brazil said a final farewell to Pelé on Tuesday, burying the legend who unified the bitterly divided country.

Pelé was remembered for a life beyond the field, for transcending the sport of soccer and becoming perhaps the most well-known person on Earth.

From spearheading the “beautiful game” to helping Brazil win three World Cup titles, Pelé embodied greatness in the land of his sport.

Pelé won a record three World Cups and was widely regarded as one of his sport’s greatest players.

Family members of Brazilian soccer great Pelé are gathering at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo where the 82-year-old global icon has been since the end of November.

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé head the selections for the team of the tournament as chosen by writers covering the World Cup for The Associated Press.

A Spanish court has acquitted soccer star Neymar and his fellow defendants in a fraud and corruption trial related to the Brazilian’s 2013 transfer from Santos to Barcelona.

Brazil soccer fans have been shocked into silence back home after the national team was eliminated by Croatia from the World Cup.

Neymar has moved into a tie with Pelé as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals.

Croatia knocked Brazil out of the World Cup by beating the five-time champions 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals.

The superstar of South Korean soccer has made his exit from the World Cup.

Neymar scored a goal in his return from injury and Brazil beat South Korea 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

There were no signs of the limp or the swollen ankle that had sidelined Neymar at the World Cup.

Neymar is back training two days before Brazil’s match against South Korea in the round of 16 of the World Cup.

Brazil forward Neymar is undergoing ankle treatment in a swimming pool to try to recover in time to play again at the World Cup.

Brazil's team doctor says Neymar will miss the last group game at the World Cup because of a right ankle injury.

Brazil overcame the absence of Neymar to beat Switzerland 1-0 and advance to the round of the 16 of the World Cup.

Brazil defender Marquinhos says Neymar is working “24 hours a day” to try to recover from his ankle injury and play again at the World Cup.

Neymar is planning a World Cup comeback despite posting a photo of his ankle still looking very swollen.

Neymar is out for at least another match so Brazil coach Tite must now start thinking about a replacement.

Brazil star Neymar has undergone tests and is receiving treatment at the team’s hotel after injuring his right ankle in the team’s 2-0 defeat of Serbia in their World Cup opener.

Neymar sat crying on the bench and later left the stadium limping with a swollen right ankle after Brazil’s 2-0 victory over Serbia at the World Cup.

Neymar injured his right ankle but Richarlison scored two goals to help Brazil beat Serbia 2-0 at the World Cup.

Two of the best players in soccer start World Cup competition Thursday as Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar both seek history in Qatar.

Some are older and familiar names who might be in their last World Cup, while others will be names to get used to for future World Cups.

After casting his vote in Brazil’s presidential election in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, incumbent Jair Bolsonaro was hoisting a silver trophy into the air alongside newly crowned soccer champions.

Spain’s state prosecutor has dropped its charges against Neymar but a Brazilian company involved in the case will continue to fight the soccer player in court.

Neymar has appeared in court to face a trial for alleged irregularities involving his transfer to Barcelona in 2013.

Brazil coach Tite has plenty of attacking options for the World Cup next month, and he plans to use as many of them as he can in Qatar.

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi was omitted from the 30-man list of nominees for the prestigious award.

Paris Saint-Germain’s 13-point lead midway through the season is far less comfortable than it appears.

One of Brazil’s most popular singers and a Latin Grammy winner died on Friday in an airplane crash on her way to a concert.

Neymar's joy playing for Brazil has apparently returned.

The pitch intruders claimed to have very good reason to be confronting players only seven minutes into Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Argentina.

Brazil’s international players have been reluctant to play in the Copa America.

Nike has confirmed it ended its sponsorship agreement with Neymar last year after the Brazilian soccer player refused to collaborate in an investigation into an accusation that he sexually assaulted a female employee from the company.

It's shaping up as perhaps the most polarizing idea in European soccer for more than a generation.

SAO PAULO – Neymar will come to South America for World Cup qualifying matches despite a groin injury he picked up in a Champions League match for Paris Saint-Germain. Brazil coach Tite called Flamengo striker Pedro for the matches against Venezuela and Uruguay on Nov. 13 and 17, without removing Neymar from the squad. “We will follow his development closely.”PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said last week it would be “impossible” for Neymar to play for Brazil as he recovered from the injury. Brazil has already lost four players for the two clashes, including three due to injury — midfielders Philippe Coutinho and Fabinho, and defender Rodrigo Caio. Brazil and Argentina lead the South American qualifying group with two wins from two matches.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi leaves the pitch after the the Champions League quarterfinal soccer match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich in Lisbon, Portugal, Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. The Spanish league is about to see another top player leave one of its clubs, all within a four-year span. The league wasnt hugely affected financially after Neymar left Barcelona or Ronaldo left Real Madrid. The league still benefited from Messis presence after Ronaldo left, but now it wouldn't have that same star power anymore. Since Neymar left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, Spain gained few top-notch players.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)BARCELONA A Spanish court has ruled in favor of Barcelona in a dispute with former player Neymar over a signing bonus paid in part to the Brazil striker before he left for Paris Saint-Germain. The court on Friday rejected Neymars suit that Barcelona owed him 43 million euros ($48 million) from part of a signing bonus that it never paid the player. The court ruled instead that Neymar must pay Barcelona 6.7 million euros ($7.5 million), corresponding to part of the signing bonus it had already paid to the player. Barcelona and then player Neymar agreed to a new contact in 2016, which included a signing bonus of 64 million euros. The club paid the player 22.5 million euros in July 2016 and was supposed to pay him the remaining 43 million euros by July 2017.