The Brazilian superstar is having his legal team look at potential routes back to Camp Nou after he left the Catalan giants back in 2017.

IAN LADYMAN: In the Brazilian rainforest, the stadium used for England's first game of the 2014 World Cup cost £235million of public money to build.

IAN LADYMAN: Barely a month into football's current state of inertia and the head of FIFA has arrived with a basketful of meaningless platitudes to make us all feel better. 'Health must come better.'

For anyone who has played it, FIFA is serious business. Be it between friends or relatives, a bad result or dodgy decision can bring the worst out of people. And even for Mario Balotelli, this is no different.

With its orange rays and the unmistakable figure of Lev Yashin, Russia has produced a piece of artwork that lives up to a great tradition of World Cup posters. Here is every one, from 1930 onwards...

FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against two German team officials who stormed towards the Sweden bench gesticulating and clapping after a last-gasp victory on Saturday.

At each of the 48 matches played — and the 16 still scheduled between now and July 15 — four players have been tested, with each sample being sent to a World Anti-Doping Association.

Find out who made the cut for every team taking part in Russia. We've listed the 23-man squads for each of the 32 nations going for glory at the greatest tournament on the planet.

The hosts of the 2030 World Cup will only have six years to prepare for the tournament. The FIFA Council decided at a meeting Thursday that the bidding process will be launched in 2022.

MATT HUGHES - AHEAD OF THE GAME: The prospects for Saudi Arabia's proposed £340million takeover of Newcastle have not been helped by Mike Ashley receiving financial advice.

Just as he did for the Blues, Terry will captain a team of three players going head to head with seven other teams in a bid to generate funds in the ongoing fight against the coronavirus.

The NHS Charities Together Cup has been organised to raise money to fight against the outbreak of the coronavirus, with the eight teams named after figures in Greek mythology.

The Liverpool star, who finished fourth in the men's Best Player award, raised alarms of a possible withdrawal from Egypt's team after removing all references on his social media accounts.

The Egyptian FA are demanding an explanation from FIFA as to why their vote for Mo Salah as FIFA Men's Player of the Year was missing. 

MIKE KEEGAN: The global game's governing body has recognised the current coronavirus crisis as a 'force majeure' - an unforeseen circumstance that prevents a contract from being fulfilled.

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN: Instead of closing on September 1 officials want the window to remain open 'for as long as possible' according to a confidential memo obtained by Sportsmail.

The former Arsenal manager was recently reported to be a target for the vacant managerial role at Bayern Munich but they have instead put Hans Dieter Flick in charge.

Van Basten, 55, was working as an analyst for Fox Sports two weekends ago when he was caught on mic saying the German phrase for 'hail victory' that became notorious for its use at Nazi rallies.

Data from world governing body FIFA's International Transfer Matching System (ITMS) has shown that agents' fees have climbed above the half a billion pound mark for the first time this year.

Liverpool will play their first match at the FIFA Club World Cup at the Khalifa International Stadium instead of at the Education City Stadium, which is not yet ready to host matches.

The man who showed footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die from conditions linked to brain or nerve damage has slammed FIFA's rule-makers for failing to act sooner to protect players.

After being hit with a four-year blanket ban from international sporting competition, the door was left slightly ajar for a 'neutral' Russian team to play at the 2022 World Cup.

FIFA has been told to take legal action to claw back the two million Swiss francs that was 'unduly' paid by Sepp Blatter to Michel Platini in 2011, following a review by its Governance Committee.

FIFA has filed civil claims in Swiss courts against ex-president Sepp Blatter and ex-vice president Michel Platini as it pushes a bid to recover the two million Swiss francs 'unduly' paid to Platini in 2011.

Klopp has travelled to Qatar with his strongest squad possible ahead of the semi-final against Monterrey, while the club's youngsters will take to the pitch just 24 hours earlier in the Carabao Cup.

Liverpool have been handed a boost after star defender Virgil van Dijk returned to training on Tuesday evening in Qatar. After missing the first session to work alone in the gym, Van Dijk is back.

David Beckham was among the crowd watching Liverpool take on Monterrey at the FIFA World Cup semi-finals in Qatar on Wednesday.

Bento Miguel Martins, 14, thought he was just accompanying his dad, Eduardo Martins, 38, to the airport in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday to wave him off for his flight to Qatar to watch the FIFA World Cup.

The Liverpool centre back has recovered from an illness, which ruled him out of the Club World Cup semi-final against Monterrey on Wednesday evening.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has outlined the 'massive differences' between the South American and European outlook on winning the FIFA Club World Cup ahead of Saturday's final.

Liverpool clinched their first-ever FIFA Club World Cup title on Saturday after Roberto Firmino scored an extra-time winner to earn a 1-0 victory over Brazilian side Flamengo in Doha.

EXCLUSIVE BY DOMINIC KING IN DOHA: Liverpool were left dismayed by the over-zealous actions of FIFA officials who prevented their squad from celebrating with their fans in Doha.

Current rules state that only charitable messaging can be added to shirts in the middle of a Premier League season. But the Reds have asked if the badge can be worn in all top-flight matches.

Liverpool have been granted permission to wear their gold FIFA Club World Cup winners badge in the Premier League - but only for one game. They will wear it against Wolves on December 29.

Champions League holders Liverpool overcame Monterrey 2-1 on December 18 thanks to Roberto Firmino's injury-time winner, before they went on to beat Flamengo in the final.

The Welshman co-owns the eSports franchise along with 38 Entertainment Group, with the team founded by investor Jonathan Kark and former footballer Larry Cohen.

EXCLUSIVE BY CRAIG HOPE: Sportsmail can reveal the pair attended a training camp in Majorca recently but did not meet the physical standard required to proceed.

Wenger wants a player to be deemed onside if any part of the body which can legitimately score a goal is level or behind the last defender - even if other parts of their body are beyond it. 

Valcke has also been charged with accepting bribes over World Cup television rights. Al-Khelaifi is the chairman of beIN Media Group and also on the UEFA executive committee.

Premier League referees David Coote and Andy Madley have passed a fitness test at the second attempt to become members of the FIFA International List.

FIFA announced that its football stakeholders committee had endorsed new regulations which would place limits on the number of international loans permitted of players aged 22 and over.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has spoken in favour of introducing the 'daylight' principle to the offside law to bring extra clarity. There has been a lot of controversy over offsides this season.

It's the acrobatic volley that has left awe-struck football fans picking up their jaws from the floor. Jordan Flores' sublime strike for Dundalk has been given the nod for a FIFA Puskas award.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: UEFA will escalate their battle with FIFA for control of the international calendar by endorsing a new Champions League-style tournament in 2021.

With the suspension of the Premier League and EFL, Orient have taken it upon themselves to start a 128-team FIFA 20 tournament, with clubs including Man City, Brentford and Derby set to take part.

FIFA's competition was meant to be played in a new, expanded format between mid-June and the start of July of next summer, with 24 teams from six confederations taking part.

The group will look at issues related to the international fixture calendar, and amendments and special dispensations that might be required on contracts to protect players and clubs.

Times feel rather bleak right now, with life drastically altered due to the ongoing spread of coronavirus. Football fans are looking to fill the void in their lives, and FIFA are now providing the answer.

Gareth Bale is among a number of footballers hoping to raise funds to fight against coronavirus by playing a series of competitive matches in the video game FIFA 20.

Real Madrid continue to lift silverware even in the absence of La Liga action, after star Marco Asensio was crowned the winner of a FIFA 20 tournament between a number of the division's stars.