Robert Lewandowski was voted the best men's player in the world, retaining the FIFA award he won last year despite being left off the ballot paper filed by runner-up Lionel Messi.

The Bayern Munich forward overturned the result last month of the Ballon d'Or prize where he placed second behind Messi, who finally led Argentina to a senior title at the 2021 Copa América. Mohamed Salah of Liverpool placed third.

Burkina Faso clinched a place in the last 16 at the African Cup of Nations behind host and group winner Cameroon on Monday, while Cape Verde must wait to see if it goes through as one of the four best third-place teams.

Meanwhile, Malawi's players have been given an unusual incentive to upset Senegal in their final group game on Tuesday: A year's supply of eggs for every member of the squad if Malawi wins and makes the knockout stages for the first time.

Defending champion Algeria lost 1-0 to Equatorial Guinea on Sunday in one of the biggest-ever upsets at the African Cup of Nations, with a defender who was playing in the fifth tier in Spain last year scoring the goal that beat Riyad Mahrez and his superstar teammates.

Esteban Obiang arrived at the back post to connect with a corner in the 70th minute for Equatorial Guinea's winner, ending a four-year unbeaten run for the African champion and leaving its title defense in Cameroon in pieces.

After years of disappointment, Hertha Berlin fans are bracing themselves for yet more ahead of a daunting week against city rival Union Berlin and Bavarian powerhouse Bayern Munich.

Hertha hosts in-form Union in the third round of the German Cup on Wednesday, then league leader Bayern in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Real Madrid won't be going a second consecutive season without a title.

After failing to lift a trophy under Zinedine Zidane last season, Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid secured the Spanish Super Cup with a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday in Saudi Arabia.

Novak Djokovic arrived in his native Serbia on Monday after being deported from Australia because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, ending his hopes of defending his Australian Open title.

The tennis star's exit from Australia closed at least the first chapter in a dizzying drama that has resonance in the world of elite sports, Australian pandemic politics and the polarized debate over the COVID-19 shots. But at the same time another chapter opened as questions arose over whether he would be barred from the next Grand Slam tournament, the French Open.

Mohamed Salah squeezed a volley under the goalkeeper to give a nervous Egypt a 1-0 win over tiny Guinea-Bissau, which was denied maybe its biggest result at the African Cup of Nations on Saturday when it had a brilliant late equalizer contentiously disallowed after a VAR check.

Salah's breakthrough came in the 69th minute after the record seven-time African champion labored to break down Guinea-Bissau.

Novak Djokovic lost his final bid to avoid deportation from Australia on Sunday, ending a sensational 11-day battle over his Covid-19 vaccination status and dashing his dream of a record 21st Grand Slam.

Brazil coach Tite has announced his squad for two upcoming World Cup qualifier matches, leaving out injured star Neymar and noting that defender Renan Lodi wasn't selected because he hasn't been vaccinated against COVID-19.

"Renan Lodi has jettisoned his opportunity to be called, because he's unvaccinated," Tite told reporters. "That was the information we got (from the Brazilian soccer confederation's medical staff). He lost the opportunity to become a candidate, because he's not vaccinated."

If Granit Xhaka getting sent off came as no real surprise, Arsenal holding out with 10 men at Anfield certainly was a shock.

Liverpool failed to take advantage of Xhaka's 24th-minute red card for a chest-high lunge on Diogo Jota and was held to a 0-0 draw by Arsenal in the first leg of the English League Cup semifinals on Thursday.