Names In The News

NEYMAR will this week sign a five-year contract with Barcelona "that will keep the Brazil forward at the Camp Nou" until '21. Barcelona announced that the 24-year-old will sign his new deal on Friday. Meanwhile, JAVIER MASCHERANO has signed a contract extension through June '19 (London GUARDIAN, 10/17). ... SAM BURGESS has been named captain of England's rugby league team, "less than a year after switching codes from union." The 27-year-old forward, who has replaced the injured SEAN O'LOUGHLIN as skipper, will lead England during the Four Nations tournament starting later this month (REUTERS, 10/17). ... Former Liga MX side Toluca President FERNANDO CORONA, who was also a member of the Mexican Olympic Committee and Mexican Football Federation, died on Sunday at the age of 87. He led the club in the '70s and also in the '00s (NOTIMEX, 10/16).