A boy from Syria who told rescue workers after a devastating earthquake in February that he wanted to meet Cristiano Ronaldo came face to face with his idol on Friday after being invited to watch his club Al Nassr play in Saudi Arabia.

Nabil Saeed made the request to rescue workers in Syria in a video shared on social media last month following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6.

More than 50,000 people have died as a result of the quake. The death toll in Syria is more than 5,900, authorities said.

PARIS - Lionel Messi was named FIFA player of the year 2022 on Monday as Argentina scooped all major men's awards after winning a vintage World Cup final last December.

The 35-year-old forward scored two goals in the final against France, with the South Americans emerging triumphant on penalties following a 3-3 draw after extra time in Qatar.

ANKARA — Missing footballer Christian Atsu was scheduled to fly out of southern Turkey hours before last week's devastating earthquake, but Hatayspor's manager said the Ghanaian opted to stay with the club after scoring a winning goal in their Feb. 5 Super Lig match.

"Atsu wanted to play more and asked for permission from his coach to leave if he wasn't going to get it," Hatayspor manager Fatih Ilek told a radio channel on Friday.

"He bought a ticket to fly to Istanbul, and from there to France. He was going to look for a club to get more playing time."

Soccer in Turkey has been a distant afterthought after the Feb. 6 earthquake that's claimed the lives of over 42,000 people.

The domestic Süper Lig has been postponed while two clubs — Gaziantep and Hatayspor — have withdrawn from the league. Hatayspor's Christian Atsu is still missing while recovery efforts continue in both Turkey and Syria.

Czech Republic international Jakub Jankto announced on Monday that he is gay, saying he wants to live his life “in freedom.”

Jankto, who plays for Sparta Prague on loan from LaLiga side Getafe, made his international debut in 2017.

The 27-year-old, who has 45 caps, is the highest profile current male footballer to publicly come out as gay.

The combined death toll in Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 2,600 from two earthquakes that struck the countries within the space of 12 hours. That number is expected to increase rapidly with many people still missing and trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

One of those still unaccounted for is former Newcastle winger and Ghana international Christian Atsu after the collapse of an apartment building in Hatay, Turkey.

LONDON - Manchester City's bid to chop Arsenal's Premier League lead to two points was scuppered as Harry Kane's record-breaking goal earned Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win over the champions on Sunday.

Kane's 15th-minute effort punished some sloppy City passing and made him the north London club's all-time top goalscorer with 267, taking him past former great Jimmy Greaves whose record had stood since 1970.

France defender Raphaël Varane is retiring from international football, ending a 10-year career with Les Bleus in which he won the World Cup in 2018 and was a runner-up four years later.

The 29-year-old, who has 93 caps after making his debut in 2013, and also helped Didier Deschamps's side win the UEFA Nations League in the 2020-21 season.