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Tag: Messi

  • Messi clinches 500 wins as FC Barcelona player

    Lionel Messi made it 500 victories as an FC Barcelona player in the 5-0 victory against Leganés in the Copa del Rey at Camp Nou on Thursday.

    Messi achieved his 500th victory after 710 games.

    The Barça number 10 sits at the head of the ranking of wins, ahead of second-placed Xavi Hernández (476) and Andrés Iniesta (459).

    On 16 October 2004, Leo Messi claimed his first win as a Barça player and against Espanyol and since then only one side has managed to avoid defeat against the Argentine – UDA Gramanet who won 1-0 in the Copa del Rey in 2004/05 in their only clash with the Barça number 10.

    The FC Barcelona striker has been on the winning side against 86 different teams.

  • Maradona snubs Messi, Pele, names greatest player ever

    Maradona snubs Messi, Pele, names greatest player ever

    Football legend, Diego Maradona has named Argentine legend, Alfredo Di Stefano as the greatest player ever in football history.

    Maradona, who is currently the manager of Gimnasia de La Plata, believes Di Stefano is superior to everyone including Brazil legend, Pele, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Juventus superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo.

    When asked to name the greatest player in football history, Maradona told AS Argentina: “I think the best was Di Stefano.

     

    He was superior to everyone, including me. Pele did not want to recognize Di Stefano.

    “Pele’s friends invented a trophy for him as the living legend of football. But even I have beaten him to become one of the best players in history.”

    Maradona added: “I think I’d have quite a few [Ballons d’Or]. But what Messi is doing is outstanding. I would never like to face Messi – not ever. The lad comes home, plays football, doesn’t sing the national anthem and they say he’s Catalan. I don’t criticize Messi [like some others do].”

    Di Stefano played for Real Madrid between 1953 and 1964.

    He scored 308 goals in 396 appearances for the Los Blancos and won two Ballon d’Or awards during his time at Santiago Bernabeu.

  • Messi won’t last forever, Rivaldo warns Barca

    Former Barcelona star, Rivaldo has warned the club to start preparing for life without their captain, Lionel Messi.

    The Brazilian legend said that Messi ‘won’t last forever’ at Barcelona, adding that one day the Argentine international will play his final match for the Blaugrana.

    Rivaldo said this ahead of Barcelona’s El Clásico La Liga clash against Real Madrid on Wednesday night at the Camp Nou Stadium.

    “Messi won’t last forever,” Rivaldo told Betfair.

    “One day his final match will arrive and he will leave football.
    “Now he is making the difference, scoring goals… but you have to have another player to play his actual role.”

    “It’s really difficult because he is always playing great and he’s been playing this level for a long time,” Rivaldo added.

    “A Clasico is a different match, but Messi is always calm in these matches.

    He’s always looking for a goal, scoring goals.

    “It’s difficult to stop Messi, but I’m sure Real Madrid will try their best, because if not, he will score goals.”

  • Messi scores first goal of season in Barcelona win

    Messi scores first goal of season in Barcelona win

    Lionel Messi scored his first goal of the season as Barcelona beat Sevilla 4-0 on Sunday to climb into second place in the La Liga standings behind Real Madrid.

    The Catalans however ended the game with nine men as Ousmane Dembele and debutant Ronald Araujo were sent off.

    The victory saw Barca leapfrog Atletico Madrid into second place on 16 points, two behind leaders Real who they meet in three weeks’ time at the Camp Nou.

    Atletico Madrid are third on 15 after drawing 0-0 at Real Valladolid on Sunday.

    Barcelona rode their luck in the early stages of the game as Julen Lopetegui’s Sevilla made an ambitious start but failed to take their chances.

    While the Catalans were ruthlessly efficient and scored three times in eight first-half minutes.

    Luis Suarez gave the champions the lead with an outstanding bicycle kick in the 27th minute and their Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal then got a crucial touch on a tame shot from Arthur Melo to double the lead in the 32nd.

    Frenchman Dembele, who started ahead of 120 million euro (107 million pounds) signing Antoine Griezmann, made it 3-0 in the 35th with a superb solo dribble and finish.

    Barca captain Messi scored from a free kick in the 78th to finally get off the mark in a season blighted by injuries but there was a sour end to the game for Ernesto Valverde’s side.

    Uruguayan defender Araujo had made his debut by replacing the injured Jean-Clair Todibo but was sent off 14 minutes later for a last-ditch challenge on Javier Hernandez, while Dembele was dismissed for protesting the decision.

    Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz explained in his report that he showed Dembele a straight red card for saying “very bad, you are very bad” and waving his arms at him.

    The forward will be suspended from Barca’s next La Liga game at Eibar and is in danger of missing the ‘Clasico’ against Real, as players who have said similar words to referees in recent seasons have been handed two-game bans.

    Barca’s scorer Vidal said they deserved the big victory.

    “We were superior to them the whole time, we were always putting them under pressure and we are worthy winners,” he told reporters.

    “We were up against a team who are good with the ball and on the wings but we dominated them in those areas.”

    Lopetegui’s last visit to the Camp Nou was a painful affair as his then Real Madrid side were hammered 5-1 by Barca in his final game in charge before being sacked, and this was a similarly galling experience for the former Spain coach.

    His Sevilla side created three clear chances to take the lead but missed them all as Dutch striker Luuk de Jong was thwarted by keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and then missed the target, as did Brazilian midfielder Fernando.

    The luckless De Jong then had a chance to strike back for his side early in the second half but hit the post, one of 16 attempts for Lopetegui’s side, who only found the target four times. Barca had 15 shots, with eight on target.

    “It’s a crushing and undeserved defeat,” said Lopetegui. “We played very well, we were brave and we tried to do what we had worked on in training but we couldn’t take our chances.”

    Sevilla midfielder Fernando added: “We had so many chances to score, but if you switch off for one second at the Camp Nou you get punished.”

  • Barcelona give update on Messi’s injury

    Barcelona give update on Messi’s injury

    La Liga champions Barcelona have issued an update on the status of the injured Lionel Messi, who picked up a knock against Villarreal.

    Messi was taken off at half-time of that meeting with Villarreal due to a groin injury, ending his first start of the season, and his 400th La Liga career La Liga start, prematurely.

    Argentine forward missed Barcelona’s first four league matches of the season with a separate calf problem, although he made his return via a 30-minute substitute appearance in a 0-0 draw with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

    He also came off the bench Barcelona’s 2-0 defeat in La Liga against Granada before suffering the injury on Tuesday.

    Goal reports that as a result Messi is a doubt for this weekend’s clash with Getafe while Barcelona also have a Champions League clash with Inter on the horizon.

    “First team player Leo Messi has an elongation at the adductor of the left thigh. It is low and its progression will determine his availability,” the statement said.

    Messi recently claimed FIFA’s award for Best Men’s Player, beating Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo to the award.

    The forward picked up the award for the first time in the fourth year of its history, with Ronaldo winning twice before Luka Modric claimed the crown last season.

    Messi fired 51 goals across 50 appearances for Barcelona last campaign, marking his 10th consecutive season with at least 40 finishes.

    After suffering the injury, Messi was replaced by the returning Ousmane Dembele, who recently recovered from an injury suffered in Barcelona’s season-opening loss to Athletic Bilbao in August.

    The Catalan side went on to win the match against Villarreal by a 2-1 scoreline, with an Antoine Griezmann header from a Messi corner beginning the scoring before Arthur’s spectacular wonder-strike sealed the win for Barca.

    Without Messi, Barcelona have struggled to start the Liga season, picking up just three wins, two defeats and one draw while also drawing their opening Champions League match against Dortmund.

    As a result, the club currently sits fifth in the table, one point behind fourth-place Real Madrid and three points behind league-leaders Atletico Madrid.

  • After night always comes dawn: Ronaldo speaks after FIFA snub

    Juventus and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo snubbed FIFA event at the Teatro all Scala in Milan, Italy on Monday night, during which FIFA crowned Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as the best player for 2019.

    The striker later uploaded on Instagram a photograph that shows him and his son engrossed with some reading.

    Along with the photograph came a motivational message in Portuguese, directed to his 184 million fans and most probably FIFA.

    “Patience and persistence are two characteristics that differentiate the professional from the amateur. Everything that is big today has started small.

    “You can’t do everything, but do everything you can to make your dreams come true. And keep in mind that after night always comes dawn. LR”.

    The message already attracted 4.5million likes by midnight, with some fans telling Ronaldo: ‘You are champ, “you are the greatest of all time”.

  • I deserve more Ballon d’Or awards than Messi – Ronaldo

    I deserve more Ballon d’Or awards than Messi – Ronaldo

    Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo said he deserves to end his soccer career with more Ballon d’Or awards than Barcelona counterpart Lionel Messi, and hopes to establish himself as the greatest player of all time.

    Ronaldo, 34, has won the renowned France Football magazine trophy for the world’s best player five times – as many as Messi – but is eager for more as he moves into the twilight of his career.

    “Messi’s in the history of football,” Ronaldo told broadcaster Piers Morgan in an interview with Britain’s ITV on Tuesday.

    “But I think I have to have six or seven or eight to be above him,” he said, referring to the Ballon d’Or awards.

    “I’d love it, I think I deserve it.”

    The Portugal captain said he was no friend of the Argentine, but credited his rival for helping push him further in his own career.

    “My relationship with him is, we are not friends, but we have shared this stage for 15 years,” Ronaldo said.

    “I know that he has pushed me to be a better player and I have pushed him to be a better player as well.”

    Ronaldo, who also played for Manchester United and Real Madrid, has five UEFA Champions League winners’ medals, and led Portugal to victory at the 2016 UEFA European Championship and 2019 UEFA Nations League tournaments.

    “I don’t follow the records, the records follow me. I’m addicted to the success, and I don’t think it’s something bad, I think it’s good,” Ronaldo said.

    “It motivates me. If you’re not motivated, it’s better to stop.”

  • Spain breaks up drugs ring run by ‘Messi’

    Spain breaks up drugs ring run by ‘Messi’

    Spanish police said Sunday they had broken up a major drug ring run by a Moroccan known as the “Messi of hashish”, who is now on the run.

    The operation began in February when police on the British territory of Gibraltar found a boat that was about to sink with its three crew on board — and 84 bales of hashish. Gibraltar sits off the south coast of Spain at one of the shortest crossing points to north Africa.

    Since then, Spanish police have arrested 45 people and issued warrants against another 16, including the leader, El Haj.

    Police had arrested Abdellah El Haj in November 2017 before releasing him on bail last March, since when he has been untraceable, said a spokesman for Spain’s Guardia Civil force.

    “‘Messi’ has been on the run for a long time and runs the network from the outside, but several of his lieutenants have fallen,” he added.

    A statement from the force said the arrests so far have effectively broken up one of the most active drug networks operating on the Guadalquivir river.

    The river, which comes out into the North Atlantic Ocean just north of Cadiz and not far from North Africa, is considered the main route for gangs smuggling Moroccan hashish into Spain.

    Police have seized five boats, 17 vehicles, more than half a million euros, and several weapons. They also dismantled a shipyard that was building the go-fast boats used to smuggle the drugs across from Morocco.

    Spain has over the last year stepped up its campaign against drug trafficking in southern Spain, having boosted police numbers there last year.

    Between July 2018 and July 2019 they have seized 143 tonnes of hashish and 5.4 tonnes of cocaine in and around Gibraltar, said the interior ministry.

  • Sterling should target Messi, Ronaldo level – Guardiola

    Sterling should target Messi, Ronaldo level – Guardiola

    Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Raheem Sterling could be capable of reaching the level of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

    After two fine displays for England this week, national boss Gareth Southgate said Sterling has the potential to become as good as the duo.

    Guardiola says “nobody can compare” with them currently but that Sterling should aspire to reach that level.

    “It would be a dream for him, for all of us,” said the Spaniard.

    “If Raheem can target that level – wow.

    “We will be here to help him and of course he can do it but I will not be the guy to put limits to cancel it, to say ‘don’t, don’t think about that’. No, absolutely not – I want it.

    “But right now, nobody in all the clubs in the world can compare with these two guys and what they have done every single week during 10 years.

    “They are absolute legends and nobody can compare, nobody.”

    Sterling has scored eight goals in eight appearances for club and country this season, including in both of England’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo.

    Guardiola says he hopes Sterling does not get distracted by the praise for his performances.

    “I’m so happy for him, for the way he’s playing here and with the national team, but hopefully he won’t read too much,” he said.

    “He cannot listen to these kind of things – that wouldn’t be good for him, because nobody can compare with Cristiano or Messi.

    “I’m so happy with what he’s done since we’ve been together, not just right now. Everything that has happened to him has been good because he has an incredible work ethic and is an incredibly nice guy. I’m delighted for him.”

    BBC

  • I would have loved Neymar return – Messi

    Barcelona forward Lionel Messi says he would have “loved” for Neymar to return to Camp Nou as his arrival would have “increased our chances of achieving our objectives.”

    Neymar, 27, joined Paris St-Germain from Barcelona in 2017 for a world record fee of 222m euros (£200m).

    “He was desperate to come back,” Messi told Spanish newspaper Sport. “I don’t know if the club really tried or not.”

    Neymar scored 105 goals in 186 games for the Catalan club between 2013-2017, and has 51 goals in 58 games for PSG.

    The Brazil international was repeatedly linked with a return to Barcelona during the transfer window, although it has been suggested that neither club was convinced that the other was committed to making a deal.

    “I would have loved to have Neymar back,” said Barcelona captain Messi, 32. “I understand those people who are against his return and it’s understandable for what happened with ‘Ney’ and the way that he left.

    “But thinking about it on a sporting level, I personally think Neymar is one of the best players in the world and having him in our squad would increase our chances of achieving our objectives.”