AC Milan is aiming to strengthen its presence in the Middle East by signing a partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai.

Milan announced the deal on Wednesday and said it is part of its continued push to promote the club in what it sees as "a key market."

The deal that didn't happen best defines the landscape of European football after a summer transfer window that saw unexpected moves by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Kylian Mbappé will remain with Paris Saint-Germain this season, and the star French forward could leave for Real Madrid as a free agent at age 23 next summer for free rather than for a fee that could have exceeded $200 million now.

Cristiano Ronaldo said he has a "never ending love" for Manchester United after sealing his return to Old Trafford from Juventus on Tuesday.

Afghan athlete Hossain Rasouli finally got his chance Tuesday to participate in the Paralympics.

Rasouli and teammate Zakia Khudadadi got to Tokyo on Saturday after being evacuated from Kabul. They arrived a week late, and since then the two-person team have been sequestered in the Paralympic Village for privacy and safety reasons.

"He was good, from his first touches he gave the team peace of mind. It's good for him to start with a win. It was good to hear the crowd cheering for him, not just our supporters, it's something Leo has earned."

-- PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino on Lionel Messi's debut in the 2-0 win at Reims.

Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham both got off the mark in Serie A on Sunday as the former Chelsea men helped their new teams AC Milan and Roma to comfortable victories which gave them two wins from the season's opening two fixtures.

France forward Giroud, who has not been picked for Les Bleus' upcoming World Cup qualifiers, bagged a brace in a 4-1 win over Cagliari at the San Siro while Abraham scored in a 4-0 rout at promoted Salernitana.

Champions Atletico Madrid missed the chance to go clear at the top in Spain on Sunday but came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Villarreal thanks to a howler of a late own goal.

In the fifth minute of injury time, an horrific back-pass from Villarreal's Aissa Mandi left his 'keeper stranded and the ball rolled agonizingly into the goal to give Atletico a point.

Two-time African Footballer of the Year Mohamed Salah equalized from the penalty spot in a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at the weekend to reach 99 English Premier League goals.

The Egyptian is now set to become only the second African after Ivorian Didier Drogba to score 100 or more goals in the most-watched domestic league in the world.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah will be a notable absentee due to coronavirus travel restrictions when the group phase of qualifying in Africa for the 2022 World Cup finally kicks off on Wednesday. 

Salah plays for Egypt, who are on the United Kingdom travel 'red list', and he would have to quarantine for 10 days when he returns from his homeland, sidelining him for four fixtures. 

Lionel Messi could make his hotly anticipated debut for Paris Saint-Germain against Reims in Champagne country on Sunday but it is Kylian Mbappe who is the center of all the attention just now amid ongoing speculation about his future.

Messi has not featured in either of PSG's two Ligue 1 games since arriving in the French capital as he continues to work up his fitness having returned to training late after captaining Argentina to Copa America glory last month.