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Tag: Messi

  • 2018 is my last chance to win World Cup – Messi

    Argentina star Lionel Messi is aware time is fast running out on his international career and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia may be his last chance to win a senior international title.

    In an incredible career in which he’s won virtually every title including five Ballon d’Or gongs, a senior title with the Albiceleste is the only chink in his shining armour.

    Argentina have been three-time Copa America runners-up and also lost the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil in Messi’s 12 years with the senior team.

    The 30-year-old is now desperate to go one better in Russia, with his team having been beaten by Germany in extra time in Rio de Janeiro four years ago.

    “We feel that, if we won’t win the World Cup in Russia, the only way will be to give up the national team,” Messi told La Cornisa on Sunday.

    “I dream of winning the trophy in Russia. My wish is to live something similar to Brazil 2014.

    “You can do everything OK and fail, like Argentina in Brazil.”

    Argentina are considered favourites in a World Cup preliminary group which has Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria in Group D.

  • Players like Messi born once every 50 years — Conte

    Players like Messi born once every 50 years — Conte

    Antonio Conte hailed Lionel Messi as the kind of player born once every 50 years after the Barcelona superstar’s virtuoso performance eliminated Chelsea from the Champions League at Camp Nou, ESPN reports.

    Messi scored twice to take his tally to 100 goals in the competition and also set up Ousmane Dembele to open his Barcelona account, as Chelsea were made to pay for their lack of ruthlessness in the final third as well as defensive mistakes.

    At the final whistle Conte marched onto the pitch to congratulate Messi on his display, and the Chelsea coach had more kind words for the Argentine in his postmatch news conference.

    “We are talking about a player who can move the final result for every team, for any team he is playing in,” Conte said of Messi.

    “He started to play with Barcelona and for sure he will finish his career in Barcelona. Many teams can hope to have him in their team, but it won’t be possible.

    “This is a great story for Barcelona and Messi. This type of player is born (once) in 50 years. We are talking about one single player with this capacity, with this ability, with these skills.

    “He’s fantastic. We are talking about a player who is able to move the final result for the team for whom he is playing.”

    Asked what he said to Messi, Conte said, “When you have the opportunity to make a great compliment to Messi, I think it’s right.

    “It’s right to praise a super, super, super top player. A player who is able to score 60 goals in every season, not only for one season. I’m very pleased to have the opportunity at the end of the game to give him my compliments because we are talking about an extraordinary player, the best in the world.”

    Chelsea created a host of chances to change the course of the tie, hitting the post with a Marcos Alonso free kick in the first half and seeing Antonio Rudiger’s header crash off the crossbar late on, and Conte insisted that the 4-1 aggregate scoreline did not reflect his team’s performances across the two matches.

    “If you watched the game, you can see the final result is unfair,” he added. “Our start was terrible, to concede a goal after only two minutes. But, after this, we tried to play football for a long time and dominated the game, creating chances to score.”

  • BAR 3-0 CHE [4 -1]: Barcelona crush Chelsea as Messi scores 100th Champions League goal

    Lionel Messi scored two brilliant goals and created another for Ousmane Dembele as Barcelona thrashed Chelsea 3-0 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals 4-1 on aggregate.

    Messi scored twice in the 3-0 victory over Chelsea to hit triple figures, in what was his 123rd match in the tournament.

    Since scoring his first against Panathinaikos on November 2, 2005, he has put 99 more in the back of the net and has scored 81 of his 100 with his left foot, 15 with his right and four with his head.

    The Argentine forward created the second with a blistering run from the halfway line which left three Chelsea defenders stumbling in his wake, before squaring the ball for Ousmane Dembele to rifle home his first goal for the club.

    Marcos Alonso hit the post and Olivier Giroud was unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty for a tangle with Gerard Pique as Chelsea tried to launch a comeback, before Messi killed the tie with his 100th Champions League goal.

    “To have Messi in the team is a luxury, he’s such a good player that in any move he can create danger against you,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said.

    “Our attacking play goes through him and any move is improved by his touch.”

    Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said his side needed a perfect display to progress but they started disastrously at a packed Nou Camp when Luis Suarez teed up Messi, who squeezed a low strike through the legs of Courtois from a tight angle.

    The visitors responded well with Giroud and Willian, who scored in the 1-1 first-leg draw at Stamford Bridge, particularly bright in attack.

    But a mistake from Cesc Fabregas on the halfway line allowed Messi to break in again after 20 minutes and the number 10 left the Chelsea backline in tatters to set up the second goal, expertly finished by Dembele.

    The English side, now needing two goals, nearly got one before halftime. N’Golo Kante dragged a shot inches wide and Marcos Alonso crashed a free kick off the post.

    It was the third time across the two legs that Chelsea hit the woodwork and Antonio Rudiger did it again in the closing stages.

    Giroud appeared to be brought down by Pique in the area but referee Damir Skomina did not bow to Chelsea’s protests for a penalty, before Messi drove at the defence again and slotted home Barcelona’s third in the 62nd minute, shooting low between Courtois’ legs for the second time.

    “(For) the first goal, I did not expect Messi to shoot from that angle and I was too late in closing my legs, it was a mistake on my part,” Courtois told BT Sport.

  • Messi set Liga record, Suárez fired hat-trick as Barcelona beat Girona 6-1

    Messi set Liga record, Suárez fired hat-trick as Barcelona beat Girona 6-1

    Lionel Messi scored against the 36th different team he has faced in La Liga on Saturday to break the league record, while Barcelona also set a new club unbeaten league run as they beat Girona 6-1.

    By scoring in the first half, Messi broke the record he shared with Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz.

    Messi has found the net against all but three of the clubs he has faced in La Liga — only coming up empty against Cadiz (now in the second division), Real Murcia (now third division) and Xerez (now fourth division).

    Before scoring himself, Lionel Messi played a through ball to Luis Suarez to net an equaliser for Barcelona for what was the Argentine star’s 148th career assist in La Liga.

    The league tweeted that Messi’s assist set an all-time record for a player in the Primera Division, though that could not be confirmed with available data. Spanish news outlet Sport reported last week that Messi had been level with former Real Madrid player Michel on 147 career assists.

    Messi also added another goal — under the wall from a free kick — to move into the lead among Europe’s top five leagues for the most combined goals and assists this season. His 22 goals in La Liga lead the league.

    The game marked the 130th time that Messi has scored at home in La Liga — of those, Barcelona have lost only twice.

    The victory also allowed Barcelona to break the club milestone for longest unbeaten run in La Liga that had stood at 31 games since the 2010-11 season, under former coach Pep Guardiola.

    Barcelona have now gone 32 league games without a loss, after going undefeated through all 25 rounds this season under Ernesto Valverde, plus the last seven from the previous campaign under Luis Enrique.

    Real Sociedad still own the record of 38 games without a loss in La Liga, set in 1979-80.

     

  • La Liga: Messi, Suarez lead Barca’s 5-0 romp at Real Betis

    FC Barcelona rode further away from their crumbling title rivals on Sunday as Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored twice each in a 5-0 thrashing of Real Betis.

    The emphatic win opened up an 11-point gap at the top of the La Liga standings.

    A strike from Ivan Rakitic broke the home side’s resistance in the 58th minute.

    Top goalscorer Messi and the in-form Suarez took turns in adding to the scoring to cap a sixth successive league win for Ernesto Valverde’s imperious team.

    Barca, the only unbeaten side in Europe’s top five leagues, lead the way with 54 points.

    This was after capitalising on second-placed Atletico Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Girona on Saturday and third-placed Valencia’s 2-1 defeat at Las Palmas.

    Betis went into the game having scored eight goals in their last two league matches but had few opportunities against Barca.

    The league leaders turned on the style in the second half as they have done so often in this dominant campaign.

    It took a clever rolled pass from Suarez to release Rakitic for the opening goal, which the Croatian dispatched confidently.

    Messi then took full advantage of a slack Betis offside trap to slot the second.

    The Argentine’s second strike moved him on to 19 league goals while Suarez’s brace took him to 15, 10 of them coming in his last seven La Liga games.

  • Messi agreed to Barca exit clause in case of Catalan independence, media report says

    Messi agreed to Barca exit clause in case of Catalan independence, media report says

    Lionel Messi could leave FC Barcelona without a transfer fee if Catalonia ceded from Spain and the club did not compete in any of Europe’s top four leagues.

    El Mundo, a leading Spanish newspaper, on Friday reported this, citing a clause in his new contract.

    Barca’s all-time top goalscorer signed the contract in November, seven months before his old deal expired.

    It runs until June 2021 and contains a 700 million euro (£623 million) buy-out clause.

    But, according to the Spanish daily, it would also allow the five-times World Player of the Year to leave the club where he has spent his entire career for free.

    This will be if Catalonia’s independence push resulted in Barca exiting Spain’s top flight, and not joining either the English Premier League, the Bundesliga or Serie A.

    A Barca spokesman declined to comment directly on the report, but added: “In the interests of confidentiality, the club never comment on contracts signed with players and never will.’’

    Messi’s management team could not immediately be reached for comment.

    The political crisis triggered by Catalonia’s independence drive remains unresolved after separatists won a slim parliamentary majority in a regional election last month.

    Argentinian Messi’s latest contract was signed on Nov. 25, before that vote.

    But, after an autumn referendum on independence which authorities in Madrid declared illegal, it dissolved the region’s political institutions after they ratified it.

    The referendum had direct ramifications for FC Barcelona who, on the day that it was held, chose to play their La Liga game against Las Palmas behind closed doors.

    The decision was however in response to police violence against would-be voters.

    The president of La Liga, Javier Tebas, has repeatedly said FC Barcelona would be booted out of the Spanish league along with all other Catalan clubs in the event of independence.

    This is because only teams from Spain and Andorra are legally entitled to compete in the Spanish leagues.

    Barca, who have won 24 Liga titles and lead this season’s standings by nine points, said after the referendum they would not speculate on the future.

    However, they were “not planning for any other scenario than playing in the Spanish league. The club is competing in this competition and wants to win it.”

  • Ronaldo trailing in Messi’s wake after mimicking celebration

    The defining image of the previous “Clasico’’ in the league last April was the sight of Lionel Messi defiantly showing the back of his shirt to the baying Real Madrid crowd.

    This was after burying the winning goal to settle a thrilling contest 3-2 for FC Barcelona.

    The goal, also the Argentine’s 500th strike for his club, proved futile in Barca’s pursuit of Madrid.

    Real Madrid still won a first La Liga crown in five years, but the incident has had a surprising knock on effect on the current campaign.

    Cristiano Ronaldo, locked in a compelling battle with Messi for the title of being the best player in the world, replicated Messi’s celebration four months.

    That was when he scored for Real against Barca in the Nou Camp in the Spanish Super Cup, but his actions had unintended consequences.

    Ronaldo incurred an automatic booking for removing his shirt to celebrate the goal in Real’s 3-1 win.

    Two minutes later he was sent off for a second yellow card, this time for diving.

    Incredulous at the decision, he pushed referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea and was subsequently slapped with a five-game ban, missing Real’s opening four Liga games.

    By the time Ronaldo made his first league appearance of the season in an eventual 1-0 defeat by Real Betis on Sept. 20, Messi was already on a remarkable nine goals.

    Real Madrid were seven points adrift of Barca at that stage.

    The champions host their bitter rivals on Saturday sitting fourth in the Liga standings, 11 points behind Barca, although they have a game in hand.

    No side has ever won the Liga after falling eight points behind the leaders.

    Not helped by his lack of match practice, Ronaldo did not open his account in the league until his fourth league game, striking the winner against Getafe.

    His second goal did not come until his ninth appearance, against Malaga.

    His two goals in the last league outing against Sevilla took him to four for the season, his worst campaign so far in nine years in Spain.

    Twenty-one players have scored more than the usually prolific Portuguese in Spain’s top flight this season, with Messi leading the way with 14 goals.

    Ronaldo has compensated for his poor domestic form by maintaining his usual high standards in international competitions.

    He is the top scorer in this season’s UEFA Champions League with nine goals.

    Last weekend he struck the only goal in the Club World Cup final against Gremio to help Real sign off 2017 with a club record five trophies.

    His floundering league displays have not affected his self-confidence, either.

    “There is not a more complete player than me and I believe I am the best player in the history of football, in the good and the bad moments,” Ronaldo said this month after winning the Ballon d‘Or.

    The win ensured he is now level with Messi in being named world player of the year a record fifth time.

    With five goals in his last four games in all competitions, Ronaldo heads into the ‘Clasico’ in prolific form.

    It will be no big surprise if he inspired Madrid to victory over Barca.

    But even if he does, Real will still face a huge task in chasing down the Catalans.

    They had marched into an early lead while Ronaldo was shackled by his ban, partly due to mimicking Messi’s iconic celebration.

  • Lionel Messi statue in Buenos Aires vandalised again

    A statue of Argentine football star Lionel Messi has been vandalised in the capital, Buenos Aires.The bronze statue was chopped off just above the ankles, with the main “body” left lying on the pavement.

    It is the second time the statue, which was unveiled in June 2016, has been targeted by vandals. Police said the motive was unclear.

    Messi recently saved Argentina’s 2018 World Cup place when he scored a hat-trick against Ecuador in October.

    Argentine media tweeted pictures of the vandalised statue.

    The statue was unveiled in June 2016 on Paseo de la Gloria, where casts of other famous Argentine sports stars such as tennis player Gabriela Sabatini and basketball player Manuel Ginobili are also on display.

    The space was created in preparation for the Olympic Youth Games which will be held in Buenos Aires in 2018.

    It has attracted vandals and thieves before, such as in January of this year, when the Messi statue was cut in half at the waist.

    Messi, who left Argentina in 2000 to play for Barcelona, has in the past come under criticism for his performance in the national team.

    While he has won four European Cups, eight league titles, five Ballons d’Or and three Club World Cups, Messi has not won a World Cup.

    His only international honour has been an Olympic gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

    Argentine football fans were ruthless in their criticism when he missed in a penalty shootout against Chile in the Copa America final in June 2016.

    The statue was unveiled in June 2016 on Paseo de la Gloria, where casts of other famous Argentine sports stars such as tennis player Gabriela Sabatini and basketball player Manuel Ginobili are also on display.

    The space was created in preparation for the Olympic Youth Games which will be held in Buenos Aires in 2018.

    It has attracted vandals and thieves before, such as in January of this year, when the Messi statue was cut in half at the waist.

    Messi, who left Argentina in 2000 to play for Barcelona, has in the past come under criticism for his performance in the national team.

    While he has won four European Cups, eight league titles, five Ballons d’Or and three Club World Cups, Messi has not won a World Cup.

    His only international honour has been an Olympic gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

    Argentine football fans were ruthless in their criticism when he missed in a penalty shootout against Chile in the Copa America final in June 2016.

    Messi responded by announcing his retirement from international football, only to reverse that decision two months later citing his “love of the country”.

    BBC News

  • Barca held by Celta, Messi ends goal drought

    Barca held by Celta, Messi ends goal drought

    La Liga leaders FC Barcelona were held to a 2-2 home draw by Celta Vigo on Saturday as their former assistant coach Juan Carlos Unzue dented their title hopes.

    The Catalans dropped points for the second game in a row for the first time this campaign.

    Celta striker Iago Aspas silenced the Nou Camp by putting the visitors ahead in the 20th minute.

    He knocked in on the rebound after splitting the home defence with a darting run through the middle.

    Lionel Messi quickly replied at the other end, finishing off a sweeping team move two minutes later to score.

    He was scoring for the first time in six games in all competitions and was netting his 13th league goal of the season.

    Suarez had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside before the break, the second time Barca have cursed their luck with referees in a week.

    Messi had been denied a clear goal in the 1-1 draw at Valencia when his shot had clearly gone over the goal-line.

    The Argentine helped set up what looked to be the winning goal for Luis Suarez in the 62nd minute as the striker thrashed home a Jordi Alba cutback.

    But Barca were denied victory by another Uruguayan striker in Maxi Gomez.

    He slotted in from close range after another searing run by Aspas, who capitalised on defender Samuel Umtiti injuring his hamstring as he tried to keep up with the Spanish forward.

    The France international is in danger of missing the “Clasico” against champions Real Madrid on Dec. 23 after Valverde said he believed the player had torn the muscle.

    “The injury cost us the goal, it was an accumulation of catastrophes, because of the draw and the injury,” the coach told a news conference.

    “Losing Samuel right now is a big loss, he was in excellent form.”

    Gerard Pique missed a gilt-edged chance to hit the winner but struck the near post from close range.

    Messi, who also hit the woodwork earlier in the game, sent a free kick deep in stoppage time just wide of the post.

    “We kept trying to win the game and had chances to do that. We have dropped two points but this is nothing that hasn’t happened before,” Valverde added.

    Barca still lead the standings with 36 points but second-placed Valencia can cut their deficit on the leaders down to two if they beat Getafe on Sunday.

    Later on Saturday Atletico Madrid, third on 27 points, host Real Sociedad while champions Real Madrid, also on 27, visit struggling Athletic Bilbao.

  • Why I want to be better than Messi, Neymar, Lewandowski, others – Ronaldo

    Why I want to be better than Messi, Neymar, Lewandowski, others – Ronaldo

    Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo says he is driven to be the best player in the world by the fear of being surpassed by the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar.

    The 32-year-old Portugal international, who won the Ballon d’Or in January, is a firm favourite to be crowned the world’s finest footballer for the fifth time following Madrid’s triumphs in LaLiga and the Champions League in 2016-17.

    Ronaldo and long-time rival Messi have shared the Ballon d’Or and FIFA Ballon d’Or every year since 2008 and another triumph for the former Manchester United man would see him draw level with the Barcelona great on the all-time list.

    And Ronaldo admits that the “healthy” competition between the world’s finest forwards, among whom he includes Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski and Juventus’ Gonzalo Higuain, is what inspires him to strive for success.

    “To mention one [player] is hard, but the level that I am is like in other sports: Formula One, NBA…The best players always follow the best players,” he told ESPN.

    “They want to be in the top of the game because the other ones are there. You cannot rest, because the other ones will pass you.

    “Of course we fight with everyone, with Neymar, with Messi, Lewandowski, Higuain, with the best players in the world. This is not ‘fighting’ but it’s healthy. We fight to be the best.

    “It’s my motivation: to be better than them, year after year.”

    However, the Madeira-born forward says the welfare of his family remains the most important thing in his life.

    He explained: “I was with Peter Lim, the owner of Valencia, and he said to me: ‘Cristiano, we have money, fame, everything. I have millions and billions. But the most important thing is family. Keep your family healthy, good. Take care of them’.

    “You have your private life, your girlfriend, your cars, your houses, your fame, but in the beginning, your family is always with you, in good moments or bad moments.”