Injuries

RIO DE JANEIRO - Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni paid tribute to Lionel Messi on Saturday, praising his team captain and revealing he played in the Copa América win over Brazil with an injury.

"If you knew the way that he played in the Copa América you’d love him even more,” Scaloni told reporters after Argentina’s 1-0 win at the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro. “You can never do without a player like him, even when he is not fully fit like in this game and the previous one.”

Chucky Lozano was carted off on a stretcher early in Mexico’s Gold Cup opener against Trinidad and Tobago. Replays showed a horrific collision between Lozano and Trinidad keeper Marvin Phillip, leaving the Mexican winger face down, bloodied and motionless. The oblivious referee allowed play to continue, and El Tri players seemed more interested in getting a PK out of the collision than tending to their motionless teammate.

Bayern Munich speedster Alphonso Davies will miss the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup due to an ankle injury, Canada Soccer said on Friday.

Davies, who suffered the injury during training earlier this week, has returned to German champions Bayern Munich to begin his recovery ahead of the new Bundesliga season.

PARIS - A French woman arrested at the weekend for abducting a baby is also suspected to be the person who threw corrosive liquid in the eyes of FC Lorient's Congolese forward Yoane Wissa, media reported.

Investigators think the 32-year-old woman from the town of Vannes, near Lorient in western France, approached the footballer at his home on Thursday under pretense of seeking an autograph, the news site Le Telegramme reported late on Monday.

COPENHAGEN - European football governing body UEFA has invited Denmark international Christian Eriksen and the paramedics who helped save his life during an on-field cardiac arrest to attend the Euro 2020 final at Wembley on Sunday.

The brilliant Danish midfielder was resuscitated in front of shocked fans and a massive global TV audience during his nation's first match of the tournament.

MUNICH, Germany — Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne said he had played in Friday's Euro 2020 quarterfinal defeat to Italy with a tear in his ankle ligaments.

Manchester City's De Bruyne was a doubt for the game after picking up the injury in the last-16 win over Portugal but said he had been determined to play.

"For me personally it has been four or five weird weeks. But I especially want to thank the medical staff," he said.