Page 2 - Lionel Messi

Copa America 2024: Argentina beat Chile 1-0, seal quarterfinal place

Lautaro Martinez scored off a rebound in the 88th minute, giving defending champion Argentina and Lionel Messi a 1-0 victory over Chile that guaranteed them a berth in the Copa America quarterfinals. Messi's corner kick led to a shot blocked by goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, and Martnez scored his second goal of the tournament on Argentina's 21st shot of the match. Players stood and waited for three minutes while the goal, Martnez's 26th for the national team, was confirmed in a video review. Argentina leads Group A with six points, followed by Canada with six, and Chile and Peru with one each. The Albiceleste finishes the first round against Peru at Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, when Canada meets Chile in Orlando, Florida. Playing a day after his 37th birthday, Messi frequently flaunted his talent to spin around and slalom through defenders before an adoring sellout crowd of 81,106 at MetLife Stadium, site of the 2026 World Cup final. Argentina dominated 21-3 in shots and 11-0 i

Messi could be playing his final tournament with Argentina at Copa America

It's sad but true, Copa America could mark Lionel Messi's final chapter with Argentina's national soccer team. The World Cup winner will turn 37 during the tournament in the United States, which kicks off Thursday. He's clearly past his peak at Inter Miami after two decades of playing at the highest level in Europe. Messi has not set a date for his retirement and has kept the door open to playing in a sixth World Cup in 2026 to defend his title from Qatar. But he already recognizes his shortcomings. I don't think about that yet. The moment I feel that I am not going to help my team, I will retire, Messi said in March in an interview with Saudi broadcaster Riyad Season. I always ate well, trained. But as I grew I became aware that the physical effort we make is getting harder. As you grow old, things become more difficult. Last year, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner struggled with muscular injuries while playing in MLS and for Argentina. That didn't change much in 2024. Messi has

Kohli's social media presence on par with Ronaldo, Messi, says Ross Taylor

Over the past couple of years, Kohli's influence in the world of cricket as well as on social media has increased tremendously

Lionel Messi out of Argentina friendlies in the US due to muscle injury

Lionel Messi will not play in Argentina's two friendlies in the United States this month due to a right leg muscle injury, the Argentine Football Association said on Monday. The captain was injured last week while playing for his Inter Miami club in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The 36-year-old Messi will miss Argentina vs. El Salvador on Friday in Philadelphia and a friendly against Costa Rica four days later in Los Angeles, AFA said in a statement. Both games are warmups for Argentina for the Copa America in June-July, which will also be in the U.S. Argentina had already lost striker Paulo Dybala and midfielder Exequiel Palacios to injuries.

Messi's Argentina to play against Costa Rica in Los Angeles on March 26

Lionel Messi's Argentina will play Costa Rica rather than Nigeria in an exhibition on March 26 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the latest change for a match that has switched location and opponent. The World Cup champion originally was to face Nigeria at Hangzhou and Ivory Coast at Beijing during a tour of China from March 18-26. That tour was canceled after Lionel Messi didn't play at Inter Miami's preseason game in Hong Kong. Argentina last week announced matches against El Salvador on March 22 at Philadelphia's Lincoln Field and Nigeria four days later in Los Angeles. The Argentina Football Association said Tuesday the latest change was caused by administrative problems with visas. Messi said before Miami's friendly against a local all-star team in Hong Kong on Feb. 4 that he had a groin injury, and his absence sparked spectator anger. He played three days later in Tokyo in an exhibition against Vissel Kobe. Argentina also has friendlies against Ecuador on June 9 at Chicag

Lionel Messi nominated again for Laureus World Sportsman of Year Award

Superstar footballer Lionel Messi was on Monday nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award, as he returned to the shortlist after winning the coveted honour last year. The Argentine captain, who lifted the World Cup trophy in 2022, won his record eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023 and led Major League Soccer side Inter Miami to victory in the Leagues Cup for his 44th trophy, another record. The 25th Laureus World Sports Awards will be held here on April 22. Messi will face competition from Manchester City's prolific striker Erling Haaland (Norway), tennis superstar Novak Djokovic (Serbia), world record holder pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis (Sweden), world champion sprinter Noah Lyles (USA) and Formula One star Max Verstappen (Netherlands). Djokovic, who has won the Award four times earlier, clinched three Grand Slam titles -- Australian Open, French Open and US Open -- in 2023 to move to 24 major titles, matching Margaret Court for the all-time mark in tennis. Verstappen, w

Messi now has 500 million followers on Instagram; check who is ahead of him

Argentina footballer, Lionel Messi, now has more than 500 million followers on Instagram. He is only behind his arch rival Cristiano Ronaldo

Messi gets an assist, Inter Miami win MLS season opener vs Real Salt Lake

Lionel Messi had two Real Salt Lake defenders on either side of him, two more a few yards in front of him. He quickly tapped the ball away from them all with his left foot, to a spot where only teammate Robert Taylor could reach. Moments later, Inter Miami had the first goal of the Major League Soccer season. Taylor's goal in the 39th minute set the tone, Diego Gmez added an insurance score in the 83rd minute and Inter Miami to start Messi's first full season with the club opened the 29th season of MLS with a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night. Messi was in midseason form, darting through and around defenders, almost giving the sellout crowd what they wanted to see by nearly scoring on a free kick and then a corner kick midway through the first half. I think the eyes of the world are on Inter Miami, and I'm hoping that they're able to deliver on that and whatever expectations people have, said MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who was at Wednesday's match. Mostly, I'd just

Argentina friendly in mainland China cancelled over Messi's absence in HK

An Argentina soccer friendly in China next month was cancelled on Friday in more fallout from Lionel Messi failing to play in a club exhibition match in Hong Kong. World Cup champion Argentina, captained by Messi, last month scheduled a tour of China during the international break from March 18-26. Games were lined up against Nigeria in Hangzhou and Ivory Coast in Beijing. Both opponents are coincidentally meeting in the Africa Cup of Nations final this weekend. But Messi, on tour with his Inter Miami club, outraged fans in Hong Kong when he didn't play against a local selection last Sunday and remained on the bench. Messi said he had a groin injury. But his excuse didn't wash in Hong Kong after he played for 30 minutes on Wednesday in Tokyo against Vissel Kobe. On Friday, the sports bureau in Hangzhou canceled the Argentina-Nigeria friendly. "Because of the reasons known to all, we've learned from supervising authorities that the conditions are immature for the match to go forwa

Organizers offer refunds as fans get angry over Messi's absence in HK

The organizer of a much-hyped soccer match that intended to showcase Lionel Messi in Hong Kong said Friday it would offer a partial refund following days of backlash from angry fans and the government over the absence of the World Cup winner. The grievances from Hong Kong fans stemming from Messi staying on the bench for the full 90 minutes in the game against a local team due to a groin injury earlier this week has spread to mainland China after the Argentina star put in a 30-minute game appearance in Tokyo in Inter Miami's latest exhibition match in Asia on Wednesday. Over the past two days, many social media users in mainland China expressed their disappointment over Messi's no-show, with China's state-run newspaper, the Global Times, publishing an editorial that said the impact of the controversy surrounding the football star has far exceeded the realm of sports. In an Instagram post on Friday, local organizer Tatler Asia apologized to those who were disappointed by the match an

Messi's Inter Miami beaten by Japanese club Vissel Kobe 4-3 on penalties

After leaving fans disappointed in Hong Kong, Lionel Messi put in a 30-minute appearance in Tokyo on Wednesday in Inter Miami's latest exhibition match in Asia although he still left some supporters wanting more. Messi came off the bench for the final half hour, energized his teammates and probably had the best chance of the match in the 80th with two point-blank shots that were both stopped by the Vissel Kobe defence. After a 0-0 draw in regulation, the match went to penalty kicks and Vissel won the shootout 4-3. Messi did not take a penalty, however, which brought jeers from the crowd of 28,614 in Tokyo's National Stadium, which seats 68,000. But, it wasn't close to the level of booing that broke out in Hong Kong after Messi stayed on the bench for the entire game with a groin injury. Some fans demanded refunds. The Argentina star was contrite in a rare press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday as he addressed the public relations disaster. He had said he wasn't sure whether he would

Anger over Lionel Messi's behaviour grows in China before Japan game

Many commentators drew comparisons between Messi's behaviour in Hong Kong and his demeanor in Japan, where he is scheduled to play in a friendly on Wednesday evening.

Messi's first contract with Barca was signed on napkin, now up for auction

Lionel Messi's record-breaking career with Barcelona started with a contract written on a napkin. It's up for auction with a starting price of 300,000 pounds (USD 379,000). British auction house Bonhams is selling the napkin in an online auction from March 18-27 on behalf of Horacio Gaggioli, an agent from Messi's home country of Argentina who was part of the deal. The napkin, bearing the date December 14, 2000, bears the signatures of Gaggioli, another agent, Josep Maria Minguella and Barcelona's then-sporting director, Carles Rexach, who met at a tennis club in Barcelona. It outlines an agreement in principle to sign Messi and was intended to reassure his father, Jorge Messi, that the deal would go through. A more formal and detailed contract with the club followed soon after. "This is one of the most thrilling items I have ever handled. Yes, it's a paper napkin, but it's the famous napkin that was at the inception of Lionel Messi's career," Ian Ehling, the head of fine books and

Al-Nassr vs Inter Miami friendly: Ronaldo to miss reunion with Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the chance of a much anticipated reunion with Lionel Messi because of an injury, Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro said. Ronaldo is recovering from a reported calf injury and will not be fit in time to play in the exhibition match between Al-Nassr and Inter Miami in Riyadh on Thursday. "Cristiano is in the final stage of his recuperation before re-joining the team. We expect that in the next few days he will start working with the team. So, obviously, it will mean he is absent for the game (against Inter Miami)," Castro said at a news conference on Wednesday. Messi and Ronaldo were longtime rivals when they played in Spain for Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively and have combined to win 13 of the last 15 Ballon d'Or awards given to the world's best player. The latest installment of that rivalry was seen as the highlight of Miami's pre-season tour, which included two games in Saudi Arabia. But that was put in doubt when Ronaldo suffered an injury that ...

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in Saudi Arabia on their pre season tour

Inter Miami played six preseason matches last season. Most were behind closed doors with few people watching, all took place in Florida and the biggest news probably came when some fans prematurely set off fireworks and got ejected from the exhibition-season opener. It's wildly different this season. Such is life in Lionel Messi's world. The soccer icon and Inter Miami have a two-game tour of Saudi Arabia this week, the first match on Monday against Al-Hilal and the second match coming Thursday against Al Nassr one where Messi may share the pitch again with longtime rival and fellow great Cristiano Ronaldo, assuming the Portugal star has recovered enough from a calf injury to play. The club already has played two exhibitions this year one in El Salvador, one at Dallas' Cotton Bowl and has matches in Hong Kong and Japan still to come after the Saudi swing is complete. It's basically an around-the-world, big-crowd, big-money, bright-spotlight batch of preseason games for Inter Mia

Messi to make his Super Bowl debut, set to appear in Michelob Ultra ad

Lionel Messi has won global futbol's biggest prize. He'll now be part of American football's biggest day. The Inter Miami star, World Cup champion and global soccer icon will headline a Super Bowl ad for Michelob Ultra, the brand announced Thursday. A teaser to what will be a 60-second spot shows Messi ordering a beer as he walks up to a beachside bar, and his reaction when the tap stops pouring. It'll be Messi's first Super Bowl commercial and adds to his massive advertising reach in the U.S. and globally. The game is on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas. Having the GOAT himself, Lionel Messi, and the Super Bowl as a stage to kick it all off and start the year with a bang, that gets us incredibly fired up, Ricardo Marques, Ultra's vice president of marketing, said in an interview with The Associated Press. Messi needs no introduction. The power that he has, the impact that he had upon his arrival in Miami, in the world of soccer and beyond, he's clearly a cultural icon right now. Messi's ...

Messi edges Haaland in tiebreaker for FIFA's best men's player award

Lionel Messi landed another prestigious award in soccer barely. The Argentina star needed a tiebreaker with Erling Haaland to win FIFA's best men's player prize on Monday. He has national team captains to thank. The voting breakdown showed Messi and Haaland with 48 points each after voting by a global panel of national team coaches and captains, selected journalists, plus fans online. The tiebreaker was whoever had more first-place or 5-point scores from the votes of national team captains. That category was 107 to 64 for the Inter Miami forward. Neither player showed up at the awards ceremony at Hammersmith Apollo theater in west London. Kylian Mbapp, the third finalist, skipped it too. Messi had moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami and led the David Beckham-owned team to a little-known Leagues Cup title all while single-handedly elevating soccer's relevance in the United States. The 36-year-old Argentina star also topped Haaland and Mbapp for his eighth Ballon d'Or a

Luis Suarez training alongside Messi, Busquets and Alba with Inter Miami

There they all were, sitting next to each other on a couple of benches in their practice attire, all of them smiling. Lionel Messi was sipping on a drink at one end, Luis Surez next to him, then Sergio Busquets, then Jordi Alba on the other end. This wasn't Barcelona in 2014. This was Inter Miami on Saturday. It's official: Messi, Busquets, Alba and Surez are together again, this time in Major League Soccer. Preseason training for Inter Miami officially opened Saturday, with Surez being seen in his new colors for the first time after signing a one-year deal last month to join the trio of his former teammates who arrived last summer. To come help a team that has well-known players that everyone knows and (adjust) to the other players and what is a new club and do what the club wants which is to attempt to win an MLS Cup and do it with professionalism is what is wanted of me, Surez said. Surez and Messi spent six seasons together at Barcelona, winning four Spanish league titles a

Football Yearender 2023: Top 10 transfers from Ronaldo to Messi and Neymar

From Saudi clubs poaching Europe's biggest stars to English clubs running after freak strikers, here's how the football transfer market operated in 2023

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami to play Japan's Vissel Kobe in pre-season tour

The pre-season tour for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami keeps growing, with the team revealing Friday that a stop in Japan has now been added to the schedule. Inter Miami will face Japanese league champion Vissel Kobe at the Japan National Stadium on February 7. That will be the fourth match of a tour that includes games in Saudi Arabia including one pitting Messi against longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo on January 29 and February 1, and a game against a team of pro players from Hong Kong on February 4. Among those on the Vissel Kobe roster: Andrs Iniesta, who once teamed up with Messi and fellow Inter Miami players Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at Barcelona. Iniesta also was teammates with Busquets when Spain won the 2010 World Cup. Inter Miami now has five preseason matches announced; there are four on the Saudi Arabia-Hong Kong-Japan trip and another in El Salvador on January 19. The team will begin preseason training in early January and the Major League Soccer regular season i