Spain

Barcelona salvaged a 1-1 draw against Athletic Club with a rather uninspiring performance on Saturday. A litany of injuries and the massive hole left behind with the departure of Lionel Messi had Barcelona looking like a shell of its former self.

The injuries for Barcelona include:

• Ansu Fati
• Dembele
• Aguero
• Coutinho
• Ter Stegen

Things only got worse for Barcelona when Gerard Pique was forced to leave the game early in the first half with an injury.

The Women’s International Champions Cup returns on Wednesday, giving us a rare glimpse of how the best club sides in Europe match-up with the NWSL elite. This year’s tournament boasts the defending UEFA Women’s Champions League winner, Barcelona, and the most recent NWSL champ, the Portland Thorns. 

There’s life without Lionel Messi in Barcelona, but if it continues in the same vein as Sunday’s 4-2 win over Real Sociedad, it’s going to be a batshit crazy existence. 

VIGO, Spain - Atlético Madrid began their LaLiga title defense with a 2-1 win away to Celta Vigo on Sunday thanks to two strikes from Argentine forward Ángel Correa although the game ended with a mass brawl and a player from each side was sent off.

Luis Suárez began the game on the bench and Correa took full responsibility for the team's attacking duties, firing Atlético ahead midway through the first half after a marauding run from Thomas Lemar.

The soccer world has been without its greatest villain, or hero depending on if he’s on your team. A new Diego Costa transfer could be announced soon and the 32-year-old plans on taking his talents to Brazil with Atlético Minerio.

Two years ago, Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga refused to be taken off in the closing minutes of a Carabao Cup match when coach Mauricio Sarri wanted to bring on Willy Caballero for penalty kicks before losing to Manchester City. On Wednesday, it was Kepa brought on in the closing minutes, and this time he came off as a winner. 

While Lionel Messi's departure marks the end of an era for Barcelona, there is plenty more to be resolved at the Nou Camp before the season gets under way:

MONEY ISSUES

Barcelona has a gross debt of over one billion euros ($1.17 billion) and years of profligate spending meant they flew too close to the sun once too often.

Even without the Argentine, their salary mass accounts for 95 percent of all income — in football, it is considered viable and healthy to have your wages to income at a maximum ratio of 70 percent.

Lionel Messi waved to the Parisian crowds on Tuesday after the news officially broke that he will be joining Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal with an option for a third. Messi landed at Le Bourget airport to finalize the greatest transfer in European soccer history. For those asking, “what did Messi’s shirt say?” his t-shirt read: This is Paris.

Messi waving to fans from Paris @ESPNFC