Messi heads to Games after FIFA ruling

MADRID: Barcelona striker Lionel Messi will head to China early on Thursday to join the Argentina squad for the Olympics which get underway next week, the Spanish club said.

The 21-year-old will fly from Italy, where he took part in a 3-1 friendly win over Fiorentina in Florence on Wednesday night, in the company of Pepe Costa, a member of Barcelona's technical staff, the club said in a statement.

The Argentina international has been at the center of a tug of war between club and country with Barcelona trying to retain him for its Champions League qualifyier tie in August.