Magnus Carlsen beats Praggnanandhaa to secure first FIDE World Cup title. India's R Praggnanandhaa fell to an agonizing defeat against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the FIDE World Cup final at Baku on Thursday.

World Cup champion Messi decides to remain at PSG.

Lionel Messi will celebrate his World Cup win by deciding to stay at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), local media proclaimed on Wednesday, as he endeavors to guide the French flank to an elusive Champions League title which they are still to conquer.

The 35-year-old, who guided Argentina to win in the World Cup final against France in Qatar last weekend, will agree to an extension of another season to his existing contract in the French capital which would have expired in the summer.

Le Parisian and RMC Sport conveyed that Messi will sit down with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and other leading club officials when he returns after his World Cup leave.

Messi entered PSG in 2021 on a two-season contract with an option for another year after having spent his entire proficient career with Barcelona. The seven-time Ballon d'Or prizewinner collected four Champions League titles in 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015 in Spain as well as 10 La Liga peaks.

On Sunday, he uplifted Argentina to a penalty shootout triumph over France in the World Cup 2022 final after the epic battle had ended 3-3 in extra time.

Messi was crowned as the player of the tournament, winning the tournament's golden ball - scored two times in the match against PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe clutching a hat-trick for France.

FIFA investigating how ‘Salt BAE’ entered the World Cup final pitch.

FIFA has started an investigation into the fact of how some individuals attained “undue access” to the field in the World Cup 2022 final after photos and videos of Turkish celeb chef Nusret Gokce celebrating with Argentina’s players went viral on social media.

Nusret Gokce, a celeb who is the owner of a chain of restaurants and is known as ‘Salt Bae’ for his theatrical style of sprinkling salt on his steaks. Gokce has posted videos and images on his Instagram profile of himself with Argentine players after their triumph over France in the 2022 World Cup final.

Moreover, Gokce was also photographed carrying the World Cup trophy. As per FIFA’s website, the trophy can only be touched by a “very select group of people,” including ex-winners and heads of state. Videos were spreading on social media and also directed Gokce gripping for Lionel Messi’s arm in an endeavor to attract the Argentina captain’s attention.

“Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail Stadium on 18 December,” the world football’s governing body stated in a notice. “The appropriate internal action will be taken.” Gokce ran viral in 2017 after publishing videos of himself salting meat with a cobra-like maneuver.

He has almost 50 million followers on Instagram and has aided in launching Nusr-Et restaurants, which charge several hundred bucks for some stakes of meat, in a limited number of places across the globe. The restaurateur has been photographed with several footballers and other superstars at his restaurants, the list includes Polish footballer Robert Lewandowski and French young sensation Kylian Mbappe. He also published a video of an earlier meeting with Lionel Messi to his Instagram account earlier this week.

Croatia vs Brazil match preview: World Cup 2022 quarter-final

Who: Brazil vs Croatia
Where: Education City Stadium
When: Friday, December 9, 6 pm (15:00 GMT)

Brazil was at its brilliant stylish on Monday, putting four past South Korea in a ruinous first-half display. The South American platoon, which tops FIFA’s rankings, will head into Friday’s match against twelfth-placed Croatia on a surge of confidence and high morale.

Still, Croatia has proven delicate to beat and frustrated numerous opponents with their knack of dragging out every knockout game to the very end. And as World Cup finalists in 2018, they know how to play and perform in high-pressure matches. The Croats famously played out three rounds of redundant time over the knockout stages on their way to that World Cup final in Russia. This time, they crushed Japan on penalties in the round of 16.

Yet, they will need to be careful not to let complacency set in, or Croatia could discipline them, If Brazil enjoys another bright launch to this game.

Richarlison, Brazil’s top arranger in the event so far, enjoyed another fine game against South Korea, netting his third thing in as numerous games. Paris Saint- Germain’s Neymar returned from a group-stage injury to put in an emotional performance against South Korea and looks set to play on Saturday.

Indeed as Brazil look to overwhelm a disciplined Croatian backline with attacking faculty, they can also calculate on Liverpool’s Alisson in thing and Chelsea’s Thiago Silva at the center of defense to keep the peril of Croatia’s star playmaker Luka Modric at bay.

Croatia has only conceded two goals so far in this event, but it could fluently have been further if Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku had been suitable to finish any of his gilt-edged chances in their final group game. Brazil is undefeated against Croatia in their four former games.

Still, they will enter their third World Cup semi-final, If Croatia breaks that pattern on Friday. After finishing in third place in 1998, they were runners-up in 2018 and a palm over Brazil would allow them to dream of going all the way this time.

But they’re up against the most successful nation in the history of football. However, they will enter these finals for the ninth time, If Brazil wins. And if the five-time titleholders demanded any incitement to strive for a sixth world title, the hospitalization of Pele has served to bind their country, its suckers, and players in a single prayer to win the World Cup for the legend.

The winner of the Brazil- Croatia quarter-final will play the platoon that comes out on top in the game between Argentina and the Netherlands, also on Friday.