The Argentina national football team will lock horns with Colombia in their upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers clash at the Estadio Metropolitano in Barranquilla, Colombia.

The Argentina vs Colombia, FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers will start at 2:00 AM IST on Wednesday, September 11.

Under head coach Lionel Scaloni, Argentina have been the most dominant team in international football in the last five years. 

Having claimed four trophies including the 2022 FIFA World Cup and back-to-back Copa America titles, Argentina have succumbed to just two losses in their last 64 matches.

Currently the number one team in the FIFA men’s rankings, Argentina will head into the game high on confidence after they beat Chile 3-0 in their previous FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers encounter at the Estadio Mâs Monumental in Buenos Aires.

La Albiceleste rode on goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Julián Alvarez and Paulo Dybala to register another comprehensive victory on home soil.

With six wins and one loss, Argentina are placed on top of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026 CONMEBOL standings with 18 points from seven points, four points clear of second-placed Uruguay.

While Argentina are unbeaten in 13 away qualifiers since their loss to Bolivia seven years back, they will once again miss the services of their captain Lionel Messi, who is yet to recover from the ankle injury that he sustained in the Copa America 2024 final in July.

The visitors will also be without Nicolas Tagliafico, Leonardo Balerdi and Exequiel Palacios due to their respective injuries.

On the other hand, the Colombia national football team will aim to bounce back after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Peru in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers clash on Saturday.

Alexander Callens gave Peru the lead in the second half before Luis Díaz’s strike in the 82nd minute helped Colombia salvage a crucial point from the game.

With 13 points from seven games, Colombia are currently placed third in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026 CONMEBOL standings.

Ahead of the crucial game, veteran goalkeeper David Ospina and defender Davinson Sanchez have been ruled out due to injuries.

Captain James Rodriguez is expected to start against Argentina after playing 45 minutes in their previous fixture.

Argentina vs Colombia football head-to-head

The Argentina vs Colombia football head-to-head favours La Albiceleste. Argentina have won 26 of the 43 matches that they have played against each other. Colombia have registered just nine victories while as many as eight matches have ended in draws.

The last time these two sides met, Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 in the Copa America 2024 final at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida in July. 

Star forward Lautaro Martínez netted the match-winning goal in extra time to guide Argentina to a record-extending 16th Copa America title.

Where to watch Argentina vs Colombia FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers live in India

Live streaming of the Argentina vs Colombia FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers will be available on the FanCode app and website in India.

There will be no live telecast of Argentina vs Colombia FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers on any TV channel in India.

Photo credit: Imago

On the verge of being sold to Manchester United last summer, Paulo Dybala is once again Juventus' talisman as the newly-crowned Italian champions race to get him ready for their Champions League showdown with Lyon.

This time last year Dybala, 26, looked to be the counterweight in Romelu Lukaku's transfer to Turin but has since re-established himself as the fulcrum of Juve's attack alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, scoring 16 goals in all competitions and setting up 14 more.

His form, after a slow start to the season, led to him being crowned Serie A's 'MVP' on Tuesday ahead of Ronaldo and European Golden Shoe winner Ciro Immobile.

And now Dybala is reportedly on the verge of a new five-year deal with Juve, a remarkable turnaround from what at one point seemed a near-certain departure to England.

Now the Italian champions are feverishly trying to help the Argentine recover from a thigh injury picked up the night they won their ninth straight 'Scudetto' in the hope he can start against Lyon on Friday night.

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Last week coach Maurizio Sarri said that Dybala's "recovery process is going well", but admitted he wasn't sure when Dybala would return to action.

However Italian media reported on Wednesday that there is some optimism that he will be back in time to play some part the clash at the Allianz Stadium.

Juve trail the Ligue 1 side, who lost on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in the French League Cup final at the weekend, following their 1-0 defeat in France six months ago.

Juve form fears

Despite winning the league with two matches to spare -- having restarted the 2019-20 campaign in June just a point ahead of nearest challengers Lazio -- their form at the end of the campaign has raised concerns that they might not make the final eight tournament in Lisbon later this month.

They finished the season with just two wins and four defeats in their final eight matches, with performances throughout the season rarely hitting the heights of the famed 'Sarriball' their coach achieved at Napoli.

In the 12 games between Serie A's return from the coronavirus lockdown and the end of the league campaign Juve conceded 19 goals, nearly half the overall tally of 43 in the 'goals against' column.

Sarri has accused the league of "creating problems" for his team with a packed schedule and had threatened to play Juve's under-23 side against Roma on the final weekend, a match which ended in a thumping 3-1 defeat.

"We've switched off in the last few matches, now we need to turn it back on again for Lyon," Sarri admitted after that loss, the first time Roma had ever earned points at the Allianz Stadium.

"Getting all the switches reconnected won't come automatically."

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His players may be tired but they will certainly have more match fitness than Lyon, whose shootout loss to PSG following a goalless draw was their first match since early March.

"It's true that a team playing every three days will be tired and have injuries but the fact that Juventus have won something before allows them to recover," Lyon coach Rudi Garcia said in an interview in Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport.

"To play 120 minutes against that PSG attack without conceding is a good sign. And it's not like we spent the whole game in our area -- we had the same possession and took more shots than them".

Former Roma coach Garcia, who will be able to count on key forward Memphis Depay after his return from a serious knee injury in Friday's final, told the Gazzetta that he is aiming for a similar display in Turin, saying that "we're not going to defend the whole match".

"We need to find a way to score a goal, if that happens it will be difficult to knock us out," he said.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Marco Bertorello

Argentina forward Paulo Dybala faces a race to be fit for Juventus's Champions League last 16 return-leg game against Lyon on August 7 after the Italian champions confirmed Monday he had suffered a thigh injury.

Both Dybala and Brazilian right-back Danilo were forced off as Juventus sealed a ninth consecutive league title with a 2-0 win over Sampdoria in Turin on Sunday night.

Juventus said that tests on Dybala "revealed an elongation of the rectus femoris muscle of the left thigh. His condition will be evaluated day by day."

That type of injury usually requires between 10 days and two weeks of recovery time.

Dybala will miss Juventus's final two league games against Cagliari and Roma this week, and is at risk for the match against Lyon in Turin, when they need to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first match in France.

The 26-year-old has been a key member of Maurizio Sarri's side this season with 17 goals in all competitions, including 11 in the league.

"Cristiano (Ronaldo) and Dybala made the difference," said Sarri on Sunday.

"This Scudetto is in large part thanks to them."

Right-back Danilo was, however, given the all-clear after taking a knock as his "tests were negative".

Douglas Costa is set to miss the last-16 decider after the Brazil forward picked up a right thigh injury last week.

Costa is an important member of Sarri's squad despite inconsistent displays and fitness issues, the 29-year-old has often been brought on as an impact substitute in the second half.

Juventus are targeting a third Champions League title and first since 1996, having finished runners-up seven times, most recently in 2015 and 2017.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Marco Bertorello

Italian giants Juventus claimed a ninth consecutive Serie A title on Sunday after a 2-0 win at home against Sampdoria.

Here, we look at five things that helped Maurizio Sarri guide the Turin giants to a 36th Scudetto with two matches to spare:

Inter double whammy

Juventus got the better of title rivals Inter Milan twice this season, winning 2-1 in the San Siro in October, and crucially 2-0 in Turin on March 8, the final game before the season was suspended for over three months amid the pandemic.

Read | Sarri defies sceptics to win first league title with Juventus

Aaron Ramsey and Paulo Dybala scored behind closed doors in the Allianz Stadium, with the Argentine also on target in the away game, as the champions took a one-point lead and the psychological edge over second-placed Lazio into the lockdown. 

Antonio Conte's Inter were nine points adrift in third at that stage with a game in hand.

Lazio implode

Lazio had been one of the most vocal teams pushing for a return to action as they had the best chance in years to lift a third league title in the club's 120-year history.

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We are #Stron9er and it’s time to celebrate it with @ferraritrento! #LiveAhead

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Simone Inzaghi's side eased past Juventus twice in December with a 3-1 scoreline, in the league and the Italian Super Cup, and were on a 21-match unbeaten run.

But their 'Scudetto' battle fizzled on the return to action on June 20, and hit with injuries and poor form they fell 2-1 at Juventus on July 20, ending their challenge.

Ronaldo, Dybala strike duo

Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala's goal-scoring prowess was central to Juventus' title surge.

Ronaldo, 35, now has 62 Serie A goals since arriving in Turin in July 2018, and 31 this season. He scored ten goals since the return from lockdown, more than any player in the top European leagues.

Italy's top scorer -- 'Capocannoniere' -- is up for grabs, as he battles Lazio's Ciro Immobile, who has scored 34 goals so far with two games left.

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Vamoooooooos

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Dybala, 26, who had looked set to exit Turin last season, has scored 11, including four goals in as many games after the return of football in Italy.

"Cristiano and Dybala made the difference," said Sarri on Sunday.

"This scudetto is in large part thanks to them."

De Ligt steps up

Dutch left-back Matthjis De Ligt came into his own during his first season at Juventus, stepping up in the absence of 35-year-old Giorgio Chiellini with long-term knee damage.

After a clumsy start to life in Turin with penalities conceded because of handballs the former Ajax player often saved the club, particularly in the title run-in after the lockdown.

At just 20 years old, one of Europe's most sought-after players proved he was worth the 75 million euros ($82 million) investment last summer, forming a solid back line with Leonardo Bonucci, 33, and even found the net four times.

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YOU CAN SHOUT IT OUT LOUD: WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS #Stron9er #LiveAhead

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Buffon in the wings

Gianluigi Buffon returned to Juventus after a season with Paris Saint-Germain, playing understudy to Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Buffon set a new Serie A appearances record on July 5 in a 4-1 win over Torino to overtake the previous record of 647 appearances he jointly held with AC Milan great Paolo Maldini.

Juventus were unbeaten in the eight games the 42-year-old stood between the posts.

The former World Cup winner needs to play 35 games to equal Alessandro Del Piero's overall record total of 705 Juventus appearances.

"I'll stop when the ability to play at the top is lacking, I myself will decide when to take a step back," he said.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Marco Bertorello

Manchester United’s pursuit of Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho has been the most obvious talk of the town of late. And with the number of potential suitors increasing followed by the imminent arrival of Jude Bellingham from Birmingham, Sancho’s exit from Germany seems like just a matter of time.

Dortmund had signed Sancho as a 17-year-old from Manchester City for a mere £8 million, and it didn’t take long for him to assert his claim in one of the toughest leagues of Europe. Three years on, the winger has now become one of the most wanted commodities, especially in England.

The situation, however, is tricky, with Sky Sports reporting Manchester United will not pay more than £50m for the 20-year-old, while Dortmund are hanging on to their £100m valuation of their player. And while Sancho himself is keen on moving back to England, with Manchester United tipped as favourites, failing to achieve a middle-ground in the negotiation would mean United will have to look for options.

That said, here are five players who might fit the bill for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United:

Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona)

Jadon Sancho’s game revolves around speed and flair coupled with an ability to take on defender after defender; a trait also matched by Philippe Coutinho. Having endured a tough time since moving to Barcelona from Liverpool in January 2018 for a fee reported to be around £142 million, the Brazilian has slowly become an unwanted commodity in Spain.

Coutinho put in a strong showing at Bayern Munich while on loan for the 2019/20 season, scoring eight goals and six assists in 23 league appearances, but the newly-crowned Bundesliga champions are adamant on not making his deal a permanent one, which is set to cost them a reported fee of �?20m. The situation is indeed tedious, but Manchester United can forge in between to take the Brazilian out of his misery.

However, if United are to consider a move, there are a couple of factors that might hinder their approach, with the first being his six years of history with Liverpool. That can well and truly be resolved, but the final thing they need to negotiate is the fee, with Barcelona looking to recoup as much as they can.

Ferran Torres (Valencia)

Statistics-wise, Valencia’s Ferran Torres hasn’t done much to be in the league of Sancho, having scored just four goals and four assists in 31 La Liga appearances, but it is his style of play which has garnered the attention of some of the top clubs of Europe.

If reports are to be believed, should Sancho exit, United will have to compete with the likes of Juventus and even Borussia Dortmund for Torres, who has excelled in becoming Valencia’s youngest Champions League goalscorer and youngest to play 50 La Liga games at 19 years and 324 days old.

Torres is usually deployed as a right-winger, but his versatility allows him to play on the left and as a centre-forward too. Known for playing some dangerous key passes into the final third, Torres�?game revolves around dribbling and taking on defenders on his own at times. He may well and truly not be a like-to-like replacement of Sancho, but given his age, there’s always a scope for improvement.

Adama Traore (Wolves)

"He is a motorcycle! It’s almost impossible. Nobody can handle this pace,�?Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had said ahead of his side’s clash against Wolves in December, and the Spaniard’s assessment turned out to be perfect, as the Wolves went on to clinch all three points, with Traore terrorising the City defence as if it was a piece of cake.

Traore, at times, may seem like an unfinished product, but at 24, he has all the time in the world.

Having scored six goals and nine assists in all competitions this season, Traore has established himself as one of the fastest players at present. The 24-year-old sure has some disciplinary issues, but there’s certainly no questioning his return on the field.

Traore has averaged a whopping 5.1 dribbles and 1.3 key passes per game and has established an exhilarating partnership with Raul Jimenez.  The duo has, in fact, combined for 10 Premier League goals this season, the most of any EPL duo, and just the seventh different partnership to manage at least 10 in a single campaign in the competition.

Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

United’s pursuit of Paulo Dybala has time and again manifested in the tabloids since the last summer transfer window. The Argentine attacker, however, has gone from being offered to a host of clubs last year to one of Juventus�?most important players this season.

Having scored 16 goals and seven assists in all competitions, Dybala would be an ideal candidate if United fail to land Sancho, with the 26-year-old sharing several common traits with the Dortmund winger.

Dybala, like Sancho, loves to bring his teammates into the game and plays several key passes in the final third. And while his defensive contribution has been questioned, the overall quality he brings into the game is almost unmatchable. The Argentine, this season, has averaged 3.1 shots, two key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game in Serie A; a statistic which is bound to excite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen)

Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz has caused a serious stir amongst some of the top European clubs, having scored 12 goals and six assists in 30 Bundesliga games this season. From the lot, Chelsea are expected to be the favourites, but an offer from Manchester United will be just as tempting for the 21-year-old.

Havertz is a tad different than Sancho as he loves to play centrally rather than on the wings. Make no mistake though, he is versatile enough to be deployed on the wings as well as a centre-forward. In fact, 10 of his 15 goals have come either from the centre-forward position or from the right-wing.

Ahead of the Bundesliga restart, Havertz was directly involved in 17 goals for Bayer Leverkusen in all competitions in 2020 (10 goals, seven assists); two more than any other player in the competition. A serious nominee for Solskjaer.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ronny Hartmann, Miguel Medina, Geoff Caddick

Juventus maintained their four-point lead at the top of Serie A on Tuesday after strolling to a 3-1 win at Genoa that keeps chasers, Lazio, at bay despite their comeback triumph at Torino.

Three stunning individual goals from Paulo Dybala, Cristiano Ronaldo and Douglas Costa downed relegation-threatened Genoa and kept Maurizio Sarri on course to deliver Juve's ninth straight league title in his first season as coach.

Andrea Pinamonti pulled one back with 14 minutes left for the struggling hosts, who stay just one point above the drop zone and third-from-bottom Lecce, who host Genoa's local rivals Sampdoria on Wednesday.

Pinamonti's strike was the first goal Juve have conceded since losing at Lyon in late February, but it wasn't enough to stop the champions from cruising to their sixth straight league win.

"It was a good team effort and we scored three brilliant goals," said Sarri.

"The team have recovered well after the disappointment of losing the Italian Cup final, it was only a matter of time."

The victory at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris showcased the firepower Sarri has at his disposal, with Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin making five saves in the goalless first half as Juve pushed early to win the match.

Dybala put his side in the lead in the 50th minute with a beautiful finish following a snaking dribble, a strike that set the tone for the rest of the match.

Ronaldo, who had looked off the pace following the league's restart from the coronavirus shutdown, showed that he was back to his best seven minutes later when he charged towards goal before letting off a rocket of a shot that Perin could only grasp at as it fired into the net.

That settled the result, but substitute Costa then made his own case for goal of the match when he collected the ball towards the right side of the area and unleashed a curling, dipping shot that again left Perin bewildered.

"They (Dybala and Ronaldo) have learned to look for each other more often," Sarri said of a blossoming partnership. 

They have realised that by benefitting from each other, both reap the rewards. It's something I have noticed in training too."

- Immobile launches Lazio comeback -

Lazio had done their part earlier on Tuesday when they came from behind again to win 2-1 against struggling Torino.

Ciro Immobile's 29th league goal of another remarkable season for the Italy forward and Marco Parolo's deflected strike in the 73rd minute completed a deserved second-half comeback for Lazio, who had clawed their way to a 2-1 win over Fiorentina in the similar fashion just two days earlier.

Andrea Belotti gave the hosts an early lead from the penalty spot after Immobile handled but spent the rest of the match on the back foot and are 14th on 31 points.

Moreno Longo's side have lost seven of their last nine league matches and although they are six points above the drop zone could find themselves dragged into a dogfight by the end of this round of fixtures.

Lazio meanwhile are still in the hunt for their first league title in 20 years and are also practically guaranteed Champions League football next season for the first time since 2007-08, as they are 20 points ahead of fifth-placed local rivals Roma.

Immobile's goal, a fine left-footed finish three minutes after the break, was another example of Luis Alberto's importance to Lazio, as it was a league-leading 13th assist of the season for the former Liverpool man.

His strike also meant the Italy forward equalled his own record for the highest number of goals scored by a Lazio player in a Serie A season.

However, Lazio will have to do without the 30-year-old against AC Milan on Saturday, as he will be suspended after being booked for the handball that gave his team another uphill struggle to overcome. 

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Miguel Medina

Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala scored early as Juventus put their Italian Cup final woes behind them with a 2-0 win over Bologna on Monday to move four points clear of Lazio on top of the Serie A table.

Portuguese star Ronaldo had missed a penalty in the Italian Cup semi-final against AC Milan, and drew a blank in the final which Juventus lost 4-2 on penalties to Napoli.

But the 35-year-old made no mistake in Juventus's first league game since beating Inter Milan 2-0 in Turin on March 8.

He converted a spot-kick earned by Matthijs de Ligt after 23 minutes for his 26th goal for the Turin giants in all competitions this season.

Dybala curled in the second on 36 minutes off a Federico Bernardeschi back-heel flick as Juventus, chasing a ninth consecutive Scudetto, opened up a four-point lead on second-placed Lazio.

"We need confidence and this victory will help us," said Dybala.

"It's not easy to be brilliant right now, we hadn't been playing for a long time.

"If we had won the (Italian Cup) final everyone would have complimented us, because on a tactical level we have had a great game, even if we were not brilliant, but we conceded little.

"Today we played a great game, even if after 2-0 we gave up a bit."

Lazio travel north to fourth-placed Atalanta in Bergamo on Wednesday, looking to keep their bid for a first Serie A title in two decades on track.

Inter Milan, in third, are nine points adrift of Juventus, and next host Sassuolo.

- 'Important victory' -

AC Milan shrugged off the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to sweep past Lecce 4-1 and keep their bid for European football next season alive as 10-man Fiorentina were held 1-1 by basement club Brescia.

Swedish star Ibrahimovic has yet to return from a calf injury but Milan put their exit in the Italian Cup semi-final behind them at relegation-threatened Lecce.

"It's an important victory," said Milan coach Stefano Pioli. 

"Roma (in fifth) are far away at the moment but we have to try to make as many points as possible.

"Ibra is a fundamental player for us, without him we had to find other solutions."

In Lecce, Samuel Castillejo opened the scoring after 26 minutes for the visitors, connecting with a Hakan Calhanoglu cross from the right to slot in his first goal this season.

Marco Mancosu pulled Lecce level from the penalty spot after 54 minutes, sparking an immediate Milan fightback with two goals in three minutes.

Lecce keeper Gabriel denied Calhanoglu with Giacomo Bonaventura on hand to finish off with Ante Rebic racing through the Lecce defence for a third -- and his seventh goal this season.

Rafael Leao got his head to an Andrea Conti cross with Calhanoglu again involved in the build-up after 72 minutes.

Milan move up to seventh equal on points with Napoli, who occupy the final Europa League berth before they play this week.

In Florence, Franck Ribery returned after nearly seven months out following an ankle injury but his side settled for a third consecutive stalemate against Brescia.

Alfredo Donnarumma put Brescia ahead after 17 minutes from the penalty spot but Fiorentina captain German Pezzella responded with a diving header after half an hour.

Fiorentina had two goals disallowed and played the final 20 minutes a man down when Martin Caceres was sent off for a second yellow card.

The Tuscany club are 13th with Brescia ending their three-match losing streak.

Juventus star Paulo Dybala revealed Wednesday that he has been given the all-clear six weeks after contracting the disease that has affected the world, but Serie A rivals Torino confirmed that one of their players had tested positive.

"Many people talked in the past weeks ... but I can finally confirm that I am healed. Thank you once again for your support and my thoughts on all who are still suffering from it. Take care," tweeted the 26-year-old Argentina forward.

But city rivals Torino revealed that an unnamed player had been diagnosed with the global pandemic during testing of players and staff as Serie A teams return to individual training this week.

"The football player, currently asymptomatic, was immediately placed in quarantine and will be constantly monitored."

Torino have been one of the clubs to express concerns about a return to competition as Italy grapples with a pandemic which has killed nearly 30,000 people in the country.

Torino president Urbano Cairo this week conceded there were "divergent opinions" even if officially all 20 Serie A teams have backed completing the season suspended since March 10.

Dybala was one of three Juventus players to test positive along with Italy defender Daniele Rugani and France's Blaise Matuidi.

Read | Bundesliga to resume on May 15

Rugani was the first Italian top-flight footballer diagnosed with the virus on March 11. Both he and World Cup winner Matuidi recovered mid-April.

Dybala, on the other hand, was diagnosed on March 22, along with his girlfriend Oriana, who recovered sooner from the disease. He posted a picture of himself on Instagram with his arms outstretched looking at the sky: "My face says it all, I'm finally cured from Covid-19."

Italian champions Juventus also confirmed that their Argentine star had recovered.

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Mi imagen lo dice todo, finalmente curado de Covid-19 ♥️. My face says it all, i’m finaly cured from Covid-19 ♥️ La mia faccia dice tutto: finalmente guarito dal Covid-19!

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"Dybala performed, as per protocol, a double check with diagnostic tests (swabs), which came back with negative results," Juventus said in a statement. 

"The player has, therefore, recovered and will no longer be subjected to the home isolation regime."

On Thursday, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) will meet the government's Technical Scientific Committee to discuss the medical protocol for group training scheduled on May 18.

But sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora warned that it was "impossible to set a date" for a return to Serie A action before seeing how the contagion evolves over the coming weeks.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Isabella Bonotto

A dead ball hit with a perfect technique swerving in the air before thumping into the back of the net, out of reach of a goalkeeper in dismay, is one of the most thrilling sights in the game of football.

Over the years, there have been many masters of the art of direct free-kicks. David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Shunsuke Nakamura and Juninho Pernambucano are some of the names widely regarded as the best set-piece specialists in the history of the game.

But who are the best free-kick takers in the game presently? 

Here we take a look at five of the best active dead-ball specialists, based on the number of goals scored and their conversion rate.

Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

One of the next-gen stars of world football, Paulo Dybala has developed quite a reputation as a dead-ball specialist, especially since arriving at Juventus. La Joya, with his wand of a left-footed, has left many fans enchanted and many goalkeepers spellbound. 

Till date, the Argentine international has scored 12 goals from set-piece situations in his club career, more than 50% of which have been match-winners. Two of these 12 strikes have come in the 2019-20 season, while six of them were scored in the last two years. The tally should only grow as his career progresses.

Neymar (PSG)

Some of the best dead-ball specialists in the game have been from Brazil. Ronaldinho, Rogerio Ceni along with the aforementioned Roberto Carlos and Juninho are some of the names that spring to mind immediately. And Neymar has continued that tradition, scoring some special free-kick goals in his career so far. 

The 28-year-old has netted 14 goals from direct free-kicks in his career spanning Santos, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and has been one of the most prolific set-pieces takers especially in the Champions League football in recent seasons.

Aleksandar Kolarov (AS Roma)

Known in some quarters as the Serbian Roberto Carlos, when the full-back strikes a dead ball with his hammer of a left-foot, more often than not, it ends up in the back of the net. Over the years, Kolarov has scored some special free-kick goals for Lazio, Manchester City and AS Roma. 

In total, the 34-year-old has netted 18 times from set-piece situations, including two in the 2019-20 season. Kolarov became the first and only defender to reach double figures for goals from direct free-kicks in the top five European leagues last season.

Miralem Pjanic (Juventus)

The Bosnian midfielder has been one of the top-notch set-piece takers across Europe in recent years. Miralem Pjanic may have had to share set-piece duties with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala in the past couple of campaigns, which has impacted his output, but there is no denying his quality from dead-ball situations.

Till date, Pjanic has scored 21 goals from free-kicks, 12 of which have come in the last five seasons. One-third of those strikes have come in the match-winning situations, highlighting his ability to deliver in key moments.

Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

The little magician from Argentina wasn’t as prolific from dead-ball situations early in his career, but that has certainly changed now. Each time Barcelona get a free-kick around the edge of the box, Messi, more often than not, caresses the ball into the back of the net. 

More reliant on finesse than brute force, the Barcelona skipper is one of the best active set-piece takers without a question. In his career so far, the 32-year-old has netted 46 goals from direct free-kicks, that have included 19 match-winning efforts. 

Juventus star Paulo Dybala revealed Friday how he "struggled to breathe" after contracting the infection which has killed over 9,000 people in Italy.

The Argentine international announced last Saturday he was one of three Juventus players to catch the virus along with Daniele Rugani and Blaise Matuidi, who both had no symptoms.

"I feel better now after some strong symptoms," the 26-year-old Dybala told JTV channel.

"A couple of days ago I was not well, I felt heavy and after five minutes of movement I had to stop because I was struggling to breathe.

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Hola a todos, quería comunicarles que acabamos de recibir los resultados del test del Covid-19 y tanto @orianasabatini como yo dimos positivo. Por fortuna nos encontramos en perfecto estado. Gracias por sus mensajes y un saludo a todos Ciao a tutti, volevo informarvi che abbiamo appena ricevuto i risultati del test Covid-19 e sia io che Oriana siamo risultati positivi. Fortunatamente siamo in perfette condizioni. Grazie per i vostri messaggi. Un saluto a tutti! Hi everyone, I just wanted to inform you that we have received the results for the Covid-19 test and both Oriana and I have tested positive. Luckily we are in perfect conditions. Thanks for your messages.

A post shared by Paulo Dybala (@paulodybala) on Mar 21, 2020 at 11:01am PDT

"Now I can move and walk to start trying to train, because when I tried in the past few days I started to shake too much.

"I gasped for air and as a result I couldn't do anything, after five minutes I was already very tired, I felt the body heavy and my muscles hurt.

"Now I'm fine. My fiancée Oriana (Sabatini) has also overcome the symptoms."

Dybala has scored 13 goals in all competitions this season, including in league leader's Juventus's last game against Inter Milan before Serie A and all sport in Italy was suspended.

"The goal against Inter was the greatest emotion, (Aaron) Ramsey provided the perfect assist - it's a pity that there was no public," added Dybala.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Isabella Bonotto