Soccer star Neymar bolts Barcelona

Neymar is ready to leave Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain is ready to put up a record $262 million to make it happen.

The 25-year-old Brazil striker, widely considered to be among the best soccer players in the world alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, broke weeks of silence Wednesday when he told his Barcelona teammates he wants to move on after four trophy-laden seasons.

The cost of the player’s buyout clause is 222 million euros ($262 million), an astonishing price that Neymar’s representative said PSG is willing to pay.

“After Neymar gave me the green light on Aug. 1, I went to Paris and today I brought back PSG’s offer to pay the (buyout) clause, which will be done in the next hours,” Wagner Ribeiro said Wednesday at the airport in Barcelona.

Ribeiro, speaking at an airport entrance as Neymar headed toward a flight, said his client would be with the French team by this weekend. He refused to say where Neymar was flying.

The payment of the buyout clause would dwarf the previous world record transfer of 105 million euros (then $116 million) that Manchester United paid for France midfielder Paul Pogba last year.

After Neymar and his father met with Barcelona officials on Wednesday, club spokesman Josep Vives said the player was reminded of “the release clause in his current contract, which as of July 1 is 222 million euros, which must be paid in full.” REAL MADRID PREVAILS » If Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane makes his team write essays about they spent their summer vacation, at least the ending will be a happy one.

After a 1-1 tie to end regulation, the visitors finally shook free from a determined MLS AllStar side, 4-2, in a penalty shootout Wednesday night when Marcelo’s kick skidded low right and past diving goalkeeper Stefan Frei.

Real made all four of its tries in the round. Both Dom Dwyer and Giovani Do Santos, the first two shooters

MLB

PETE ROSE CEREMONY CANCELED » The Philadelphia Phillies have canceled plans to honor Pete Rose next week because of a woman’s claim she had a sexual relationship with baseball’s hit king when she was a minor.

The woman, identified as Jane Doe this week in a court filing, said Rose called her in 1973, when she was 14 or 15, and they began a sexual relationship in Cincinnati that lasted several years. She also alleges Rose met her in locations outside Ohio for sex.

Rose’s lawyer says the woman’s claims are unverified.

The Phillies were going to induct Rose into their Wall of Fame in an on-field ceremony on Aug. 12. Rose bobbleheads were going to be distributed on Aug. 11.

The Phillies will not give away the collectibles and said fans with tickets for either game can exchange them or get a refund.

“While I am truly honored that the Phillies fans voted for me to be this year’s Wall of Fame inductee, I am concerned that other matters will overshadow the goodwill associated with Alumni Weekend, and I agree with the decision not to participate,” Rose said.