BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Paulo Dybala posted a photo of himself on Instagram laughing along with his Argentina teammate Lionel Messi, with the accompanying words: "We carry on with a smile! Let's go."
Argentina might be getting ever closer to a place in the World Cup final but, on a purely personal level, the tournament has been nothing much to laugh about for Dybala.
The Roma playmaker hasn't played a minute in Qatar, despite the injuries afflicting Argentina on its turbulent run to the quarterfinals and the declining form of forward Lautaro Martinez.
So what's the deal with Dybala, a player affectionately known as La Joya (or "The Jewel") and a standout in Italian soccer at his best?
His biggest impediment is Lionel Messi himself. Dybala's preferred position is in the No. 10 position or the roving role off the striker -- which happens to be where Argentina's superstar is best deployed.
Given there's no way a healthy Messi is getting dropped, Dybala has to be moved into another position that doesn't necessarily suit his game.
Then there's the thigh injury that almost cost him a place in Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni's squad for the World Cup. It was sustained when he converted a late, winning penalty for Roma in early October and led to him missing eight games for his club.
Dybala returned for Roma's last game before the World Cup, convincing Scaloni that he was healthy enough to be included in the 26-man squad.
The coach insists that fitness problems aren't the reason why Dybala has yet to play at the World Cup.
"If he is out, it's only a tactical decision," Scaloni said during the group stage. "Paulo is fine, he is supporting the group from the outside. Obviously, he would like to play more."
That much can be said about his overall international career.
Dybala is 29 and has played 34 games -- often as a substitute -- for Argentina since his debut in 2015, which doesn't seem many for a player of his talent.
The last of his three goals for the Albiceleste came as a late substitute in the 3-0 win over Italy in the Finalissima -- a game between the European and South American champions -- in London in June.
And his only game time at a World Cup was in 2018, as a 68th-minute substitute in the 3-0 loss to Croatia in the group stage. Argentina eventually exited in the round of 16 against France.
There is a chance Dybala could see some action against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Friday, though.
Angel Di Maria was injured against Poland in the final group game and Papu Gomez, who replaced Di Maria in the 2-1 win over Australia in the round of 16, came off in that match with some discomfort in his ankle.
According to Argentine media, neither Di Maria nor Gomez trained with the rest of the squad on Monday, instead doing recovery work separately.
That might leave a place in the front three up for grabs against the Dutch.
Quoted in Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport on Monday, Dybala spoke of the "sacrifice" he made to get healthy again after the pre-tournament injury.
"I was scared because I knew that there was little time available to recover and the injury was serious," Dybala said. "They were days of great effort in which I was able to devote little time to my family and my girlfriend, but the dream of recovering was too big."
Collecting a World Cup winner's medal would make that sacrifice worthwhile. Dybala, one of three outfield players yet to feature so far in the tournament, would just like to play an active role along the way.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
The federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations is calling on Air Canada to 'make things right' with the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who said her headdress was removed from an airplane cabin during a flight this week.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Carl Nassib knows the power of opening up. In 2021, Nassib – then playing for the Las Vegas Raiders – became the first active NFL player in league history to publicly identify as gay.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.