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Kriralok Desk: Messi struck the crossbar but struggled to make a serious impact on his full debut and it was instead Ander Herrera who netted the opener after great work down the left from Kylian Mbappe. Hans Vanaken scored a deserved equaliser before the break to get the 29,000-seater Jan Breydel Stadium rocking. Messi was carded for a second-half foul ...

Kriralok Desk: The 80-year-old had surgery to remove a tumour from his colon at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo. The three-time World Cup winner has been having treatment at the hospital since 31 August after the tumour was detected in routine tests. “I have already left the ICU and I am in my room,” he said in a ...

Kriralok Desk: This summer has seen the big money arrivals of Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo bring renewed optimism that the club can end a trophy drought that has lasted more than four years. And with Manchester United preparing for their first Champions League game of the season at Swiss side Young Boys, the Manchester United boss insists ...

Kriralok Desk: Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has reflected on his dream return for the Red Devils on Saturday afternoon. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner bagged a brace as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s charges thrashed Newcastle United 4-1 at Old Trafford. The 36-year-old expressed his delight at being back at a packed Old Trafford once again after helping the team remain ...

Kriralok Desk: Ronaldo landing in the UK. Ronaldo turning up for training. Ronaldo talking to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. United’s media channels have squeezed every drop of content from the build-up to his second debut. The massive ‘Here We Belong’ poster on the front of the stadium has been changed to incorporate a prominent image of Ronaldo. The front cover ...

Kriralok Desk: With the Indian selectors slated to meet on Wednesday to pick the squad for the T20 World Cup, TOI presents the likely combination. Virat Kohli (captain): While there’s a growing pressure on him to win an ICC trophy, this tournament could well be his redemption song. He offers the option to bat in the middle order as well ...

Kriralok Desk: England will leave a decision over Ben Stokes’ involvement in the T20 World Cup as late as possible, says head coach Chris Silverwood. All-rounder Stokes has missed the Test series against India after announcing he would take an “indefinite break” from cricket for his mental wellbeing. England will name their squad for the World Cup on Thursday. “I’ll ...

Kriralok Desk: Gareth Bale says Wales believe they can topple the world’s highest-ranked team Belgium and qualify for their first World Cup since 1958. Belgium are top of Group E, seven points clear of third-placed Wales, but have played two games more. Victory over Estonia on Wednesday would see Wales leapfrog the Czech Republic into second, but Bale insists they ...

Kriralok Desk: Pilgrims have walked the Camino de Santiago since the ninth century, for most a spiritual journey leading to the tomb of St James in the city of Compostela in north-west Spain. Few, however, have enjoyed a footballing awakening as a result. Chris Pidgeon did. The 41-year-old fell madly in love with a club that was then playing in ...

Kriralok Desk: Scotland’s win at home against Moldova was their first in five games, taking them up to third in their World Cup qualifying group as rivals for second place Austria lost in Israel. Sounds like a good night’s work, so why all the pessimism? Pre-match, Scotland boss Steve Clarke asked for his side to “be on the front foot, ...