Barcelona striker Luis Suarez thinks club-mate Lionel Messi will reconsider his decision to quit international football. Messi, 29, retired from Argentina duty after missing a penalty in the Copa America final shootout defeat by Chile. He has never won a major international trophy, losing four finals (one World Cup and three Copas). Suarez, who plays for Argentina’s rivals Uruguay, said: “As a friend and an admirer of football I’d like to see him stay with Argentina’s national team. “His love for country is not up for discussion, but you also have to understand him after losing the final. I think he’ll reconsider.”

England have finally confirmed Sam Allardyce as their new manager on a two-year deal. The 61-year-old Sunderland boss replaces Roy Hodgson, who left after their Euro 2016 last-16 exit to Iceland. The Football Association have issued a statement on Sam Allardyce being named England boss. “Allardyce arrives with a proven track record of getting the best results out of the teams he has managed and a strong reputation as a forward-thinker with progressive ideas. “Alongside his primary target of qualification for the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia, Allardyce has a mandate to shape a strong, purposeful team identity and maximise the performance potential of a young, talented England squad at a major tournament. “Allardyce is also charged with helping [technical director Dan] Ashworth integrate and strengthen the FA’s elite performance and coaching programme across the England senior and development teams at St. George’s Park.”

Mauricio Pochettino and Diego Simeone are among the managers Argentina want to talk to about the national team coach vacancy following last month’s shock resignation of Gerardo Martino. Armando Perez, head of an Argentine FA (AFA) Regularisation Committee, also plans to talk to Lionel Messi with a view to asking the team’s former captain to reverse his decision to quit international soccer. Perez plans to fly to Europe next month because he wants to hear personally from Atletico Madrid’s Simeone and former Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli, now at Sevilla, their views on the national team. Both have said their ambition is to coach Argentina and would be popular choices.