Not long ago, Neymar admitted that he had rejected an approach from Paris Saint-Germain during the summer. Yesterday, The Sun revealed another inside story: Pep Guardiola, now in charge at Manchester City, had attempted to lure both Lionel Messi and Neymar, but the Barcelona duo declined the invitation. Guardiola shares a special bond with Messi, having transformed him from a right-wing dribbler into the dominant force in the center during their years together at Barcelona. While managing Bayern Munich, Guardiola had also tried to sign Neymar, though the Brazilian ultimately chose Camp Nou. Upon taking the reins at Manchester City…

In the second round of the AFC World Cup Qualifiers final stage, China will face Iran at home. After a shaky defensive performance in the opening match, the Chinese team will now come up against a powerful striker—Sardar Azmoun, the new spearhead of the Persian attack. At just 21, Azmoun has already made headlines by scoring against two European giants in this season’s Champions League play-offs. Standing at 1.86 meters, Azmoun is often called the “Iranian Messi,” though his playing style is more reminiscent of Iran’s legendary Ali Daei. He began his career at Sepahan in Iran before moving to…