Barcelona's Spain playmaker Andres Iniesta has agreed a three-year contract extension with the La Liga champions until 2018 when he turns 34, club president Sandro Rosell said on Thursday.

Viswanathan Anand put behind the disappointment of the World Championship loss and started his campaign by first beating England's Luke McShane and later drawing with Michael Adams, another Englishman, in the preliminaries of the London Classic.

Football's world governing body FIFA named Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery as the three nominations from a 10-player shortlist for the Ballon d'Or award. The winner will be announced on January 13.

Football's world governing body FIFA named Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery as the three nominations from a 10-player shortlist for the Ballon d'Or award on Monday.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi will be out for between six and eight weeks with a hamstring injury, the La Liga leaders said on Monday.

Lionel Messi has set the bar so high for himself that when he does not score for a few games it prompts an outburst of speculation and head-scratching about what might be ailing the Argentine World Player of the Year.

A round-up of the soccer matches played accross Europe over the weekend.

Barcelona extended their near-perfect start to the season when Alexis Sanchez tapped in at the far post from Neymar's clever assist to secure a 1-0 win at home to city rivals Espanyol in La Liga on Friday.

Brazilian Kaka looked a player reborn while producing a superb display in AC Milan's 1-1 Champions League draw with Barcelona on Tuesday.

Manuel Pellegrini's record against Pep Guardiola is a sorry one but he gets another chance to finally put one over his tormentor when Manchester City host holders Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Barcelona want Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta to end his career at the Catalan club, coach Gerardo Martino said on the eve of Saturday's La Liga game at Almeria.

Seven-times champions AC Milan, knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona in the last two seasons, were drawn against the Catalans again in the group stage of this season's competition on Friday.

Israeli President Shimon Peres inadvertently kicked a ball straight into the midriff of startled Barcelona striker Lionel Messi as he launched a soccer event by the Spanish league champions in Tel Aviv on Sunday.

China's Li Shixin drew inspiration from the spectacular hilltop setting to help secure his second consecutive men's one-metre springboard title at the world championships in Barcelona on Monday.

American Haley Anderson claimed the first gold medal of the world swimming championships when she pipped Brazil's Poliana Okimoto to the line to win the women's open water 5km event on Saturday.

When the curtain falls in Barcelona and the world's best aquatic athletes would aim to climb the podium at the 15th FINA World Championships in the Catalan capital.

Barcelona are still trying to lure Paris St Germain centre back Thiago Silva to the Nou Camp but will look elsewhere if they fail to snare the Brazil international, coach Tito Vilanova said on Tuesday.

The search engine giant doodles for the man who designed several iconic buildings.

World champion Viswanathan Anand outclassed Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan to jump to joint-third after the seventh round of Norway chess 2013 super tournament, in Sor Hidle.

Factbox on Barcelona, who were crowned Spanish champions for the 22nd time after second-placed Real Madrid's 1-1 draw at Espanyol on Saturday left them with an unassailable lead.

Bayern Munich cruised into a first all-German Champions League final when they routed Barcelona 3-0 at the Nou Camp on Wednesday to secure a crushing 7-0 aggregate success.

Barcelona must wait at least another week to wrap up the title after they conceded a late goal in a 2-2 draw at Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Saturday.

Rafa Nadal moved to within one victory of an eighth Barcelona Open title in nine years when he thrashed Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-0 on Saturday to set up a final against fourth-seeded Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro.

Rafa Nadal overcame another hurdle on his way to a possible eighth Barcelona Open title in nine years when he recovered from a poor start to beat Benoit Paire 7-6, 6-2 in their delayed third-round match on Friday.

Images from the Champions League matches played between Bayern Munich and Barcelona in Munich on Wednesday.

The Catalans, winners of the trophy in 2009 and 2011, had no answer to Bayern's power, speed, pressing and resolute defence as they slumped to their heaviest defeat for almost six years and matched their worst result in European competition.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, who has been struggling with a hamstring strain, is likely to face Bayern Munich in Tuesday's Champions League tie but his participation will be decided after a final training session, the Catalans said on Monday.

Pep Guardiola is not the only connection between Bayern Munich and Barcelona, who meet in their Champions League semi-final, first leg at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.

In the footballing world, players are allowed to switch clubs and loyalties during the transfer windows -- at the end of the season and in January. As the Champions League quarter-finals between Barcelona and Paris St Germain kicks off tonight, Rediff.com showcases those players who've donned the colours of both these clubs.

Nervy Bayern were beaten 2-0 at home by Arsenal but progressed thanks to their 3-1 success in London in the first leg.

Barcelona waited and gave an apt reply to not only AC Milan, but also their critics.

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova may have finished his cancer treatment in New York and be back with the squad by the end of March, president Sandro Rosell said on Monday.

Stuttering La Liga leaders Barcelona suffered their second defeat by Real Madrid in five days when they went down 2-1 at the Bernabeu in Saturday's 'Clasico'.

World champion Viswanathan Anand capitalised on a blunder by Vladimir Kramnik of Russia to beat him in the final round and finish second in the Zurich Chess Challenge that concluded in Zurich.

Victory eluded world champion Viswanathan Anand yet again as he played out a fourth draw in five games, against Boris Gelfand of Israel, and remained at the bottom after the fifth and penultimate round of the Zurich Chess Challenge.

World champion Viswanathan Anand suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of young Fabiano Caruana of Italy in the fourth round of Zurich Chess Challenge in Zurich.

World champion Viswnathan Anand played out his second draw in the Zurich Chess Challenge, easily holding world number two Vladimir Kramnik of Russia to an easy draw in the second round in Zurich.

Images from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Wednesday.

AC Milan have been left dwelling on the past as they prepare to host Barcelona in a Champions League last-16 first leg tie on Wednesday when Lionel Messi will try to score for the Catalans for the 15th match in a row.

Lionel Messi helped Barcelona triumph at a venue where champions Real Madrid lost two weeks ago, scoring twice at Granada in La Liga on Saturday to pass 300 goals for the club and earn the leaders a 2-1 win.