Lionel Messi is widely considered the number one football player in the world due to a combination of unparalleled career achievements, a distinctive and highly effective playing style, profound influence on the sport, and a record of success and consistency that sets him apart from other top footballers.

His journey from a young boy in Rosario, Argentina, to a global icon is marked by extraordinary dedication, technical mastery, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, making him an inspiring example for aspiring players .

**Career Achievements and Records** Messi’s career is defined by a record-breaking accumulation of trophies and individual accolades.

He has won a total of 44 major titles, making him the most decorated footballer in history.

These include 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 4 UEFA Champions League titles, 3 FIFA Club World Cups, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 2 Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain, 1 FIFA World Cup (2022), 1 Copa America (2021), 1 Olympic Gold Medal, and 1 U20 World Cup .

He holds the record for the most Ballon d'Or awards, having won it eight times, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s five .

Messi is also the all-time leading scorer for Barcelona with 672 goals, the most for a single club in football history .

In international football, he has scored 109 goals for Argentina, making him the second-highest scorer in men’s international soccer history, behind only Ronaldo .

His World Cup performances are historic: he has participated in five tournaments, scored 13 goals, and provided 8 assists, leading Argentina to victory in 2022 and earning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player .

**Playing Style and Skillset** Messi’s playing style is characterized by exceptional dribbling, close ball control, agility, and vision.

His low center of gravity allows him to change direction rapidly, making him extremely difficult to defend against .

He is renowned for his ability to navigate tight spaces, evade multiple defenders, and execute decisive plays under pressure .

Messi’s vision and passing accuracy enable him to create scoring opportunities for teammates, complementing his goal-scoring prowess with a remarkable playmaking ability .

He has registered 132 more assists than Ronaldo at the age of 36, highlighting his superior creativity and teamwork .

Coaches and trainers frequently use Messi’s techniques and decision-making as teaching tools for youth, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, creativity, and a strong work ethic .

**Tactical Evolution and Adaptability** Messi’s tactical evolution has been central to his sustained success.

At Barcelona, he began as a right winger but was soon deployed as a “false nine” under Pep Guardiola, a role that allowed him to drop deeper, facilitate ball distribution, and create space for other attackers .

This position showcased his versatility as both a prolific scorer and a playmaker.

At Paris Saint-Germain, Messi adapted to a new tactical system, initially facing challenges but eventually thriving in a deeper playmaking role, contributing significantly to the team’s success with 32 goals and 34 assists in 75 appearances .

At Inter Miami, Messi has been deployed as an inverted right winger in a 4-3-3 formation, where his vision and passing have been pivotal in transforming the team’s performance and leading them to their first trophy in the Leagues Cup .

His ability to adapt to different tactical systems and maintain high performance levels underscores his football intelligence and resilience .

**Comparative Analysis with Other Top Footballers** Messi’s records and statistics stand out even when compared to other football legends.

He has scored over 700 goals in official matches for club and country, and recently became the highest goalscorer in the history of Europe’s top five leagues with 496 goals, surpassing Ronaldo’s previous record .

He has also scored 89 goals from outside the penalty area, compared to Ronaldo’s 56, demonstrating his versatility .

In the UEFA Champions League, Messi has made 150 appearances and scored 120 goals, placing him among the top scorers in the competition’s history and being the first player to score five goals in a single match .

His average goals per season (37.9) surpasses Ronaldo’s (35), and his playmaking ability is reflected in his higher assist numbers .

In direct comparison, Messi’s style emphasizes dribbling, vision, and playmaking, while Ronaldo is known for his athleticism and goal-scoring prowess .

Messi’s ability to perform in high-stakes matches, such as scoring 26 goals and providing 14 assists in El Clasico encounters, further distinguishes him .

When compared to football legends like Pelé and Diego Maradona, Messi’s achievements are equally, if not more, impressive.

Pelé won three World Cups and scored over 1,000 goals (including unofficial matches), while Maradona is remembered for his extraordinary 1986 World Cup performance .

Messi’s recent World Cup victory in 2022, combined with his record number of Ballon d’Or awards and club successes, has solidified his place in the conversation about the greatest footballer of all time .

**Influence on the Sport and Legacy** Messi’s influence extends far beyond statistics.

His rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo has defined an era in football, pushing both players to unprecedented heights and captivating fans worldwide .

Messi’s humility, sportsmanship, and consistency have inspired countless young players globally .

His move to Major League Soccer with Inter Miami has significantly raised the profile of soccer in the United States, especially among Latino communities, and has led to increased ticket sales, fan engagement, and greater visibility for the sport .

Messi’s presence acts as a catalyst for change, inspiring a new generation of players in a country where soccer has traditionally been overshadowed by other sports .

**Impact on Youth and Soccer Academies** Messi’s journey from Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina to Barcelona’s La Masia academy exemplifies the potential of youth development programs .

His story serves as a powerful inspiration for young players, demonstrating how early commitment and quality training can lead to extraordinary achievements .

His professionalism and work ethic, described as “first in, last out, a true professional,” set a standard for young athletes .

Messi’s involvement in youth programs, including his son’s participation in Inter Miami’s U-12 team, further connects his legacy to the next generation .

**Cultural and Social Media Impact** Messi’s influence is also evident in the digital age.

His Instagram post celebrating Argentina’s World Cup victory became the most liked picture in Instagram history, with over 56.1 million likes .

His move to Inter Miami led to a surge in the club’s social media following, making it the most followed MLS team, and MLS Season Pass subscriptions increased by 1,690% after his debut .

Messi’s partnerships with major brands and his charitable actions, such as donating signed jerseys to support youth mental health and education, further enhance his reputation and inspire fans to engage with social causes .

**Performance in Major League Soccer (MLS)** Since joining Inter Miami, Messi has become the fastest player in MLS history to reach 25 goal contributions in a single season, achieving this in just

Lionel Messi is widely considered the number one football player in the world due to a combination of unparalleled career achievements, a distinctive and highly effective playing style, profound influence on the sport, and a record of success and consistency that sets him apart from other top footballers.

Lionel Messi is widely considered the number one football player in the world due to a combination of unparalleled career achievements, a distinctive and highly effective playing style, profound influence on the sport, and a record of success and consistency that sets him apart from other top footballers.

Lionel Messi is widely considered the number one football player in the world due to a combination of unparalleled career achievements, a distinctive and highly effective playing style, profound influence on the sport, and a record of success and consistency that sets him apart from other top footballers.

His journey from a young boy in Rosario, Argentina, to a global icon is marked by extraordinary dedication, technical mastery, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, making him an inspiring example for aspiring players .

Title:

Content: Messi agrees two-year contract with PSG and is travelling to Paris to undergo medical following Barcelona exit

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Lionel Messi has agreed a two-year contract to join Paris Saint-Germain and is expected to undergo his medical on Tuesday, Goal can confirm.

The Argentina international star spoke tearfully on Sunday as he confirmed his departure from the club where he has spent the last 21 years.

Messi is now set to arrive in Paris on Tuesday and, providing he passes the medical without a hitch, he will sign a two-year contract with PSG, which has the option of a further 12 months.

How much will Messi earn at PSG?

It is expected that Messi will receive in the region of €30 million-35 million (£25m-30m/$35m-$41m) per season during his time at PSG, while there will also be team and individual bonuses.

Did Messi have any other offers?

Messi did receive offers from two other clubs, but PSG was always the option that he liked the most.

Reports have claimed that Atletico Madrid were one of the clubs to make an approach, while he was also linked with the likes of Manchester City and Inter.

What has Messi said on PSG move?

Messi has not yet confirmed that he will move to PSG.

Speaking on Sunday, he stated: “Paris Saint-Germain is a possibility, yes.

“At the moment nothing is confirmed, I received a lot of calls after the Barcelona statement. We’re talking about it.”

Nevertheless, everything appears to be in place for Messi to join the Ligue 1 side, following stars such as Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi and Georginio Wijnaldum in making their way to Parc des Princes this summer.

Messi’s Barcelona record

Messi leaves Barcelona not only as one of the club’s greatest players of all time, but arguably the greatest player of all time.

He is both Barca’s top scorer and top appearance maker of all time, with 672 goals from 778 matches.

Article continues below

During his time at Camp Nou, where he made his professional debut in 2003 after joining the academy in 2000, he has won La Liga 10 times and four Champions Leagues.

Additionally, Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record six times, eclipsing his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who only has five to his name.

Further Reading

**Career Achievements and Records** Messi’s career is defined by a record-breaking accumulation of trophies and individual accolades.

**Career Achievements and Records** Messi’s career is defined by a record-breaking accumulation of trophies and individual accolades.

He has won a total of 44 major titles, making him the most decorated footballer in history.

He has won a total of 44 major titles, making him the most decorated footballer in history.

He has won a total of 44 major titles, making him the most decorated footballer in history.

These include 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 4 UEFA Champions League titles, 3 FIFA Club World Cups, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 2 Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain, 1 FIFA World Cup (2022), 1 Copa America (2021), 1 Olympic Gold Medal, and 1 U20 World Cup .

Title:

Content: JEFF POWELL: Forget the emotional outpouring, Lionel Messi still ISN'T the Greatest Of All Time... he's behind Pele and Maradona in third - and Cristiano Ronaldo is ninth in the list of football's GOATs

Lionel Messi has ascended at last to football's celestial rostrum, his elevation authenticated in the most scintillating of all World Cup Finals.

Amid the heart-stopping euphoria of Sunday night in Qatar, the emotional outpouring to acclaim him as the Greatest Of All Time was inevitable.

As the sands of that eye-scorching desert storm settle on Doha, time to calibrate the exact position the little maestro now occupies in that divine triumvirate. The crystal reality, for this genius of his generation, is third in history.

Lionel Messi has been widely named the greatest footballer ever after winning the World Cup

They ignore the brilliance of three-time World Cup winner and scorer of 1,000 goals: Pele

Greatest Of All Time

1) Pele

2) Diego Maradona

3) Lionel Messi

4) Garrincha

5) Alfredo Di Stefans

6) Johan Cruyff

7) John Charles

8) George Best

9) Cristiano Ronald

10) Ferenc Puskas

The greatest World Cup finals of all time

MOST SENSATIONAL: Qatar 2022 - THAT Final after all those astonishing upsets

MOST PERFECT PERFORMANCE: Mexico 1970 - Italy dazzled by Brazil, the greatest team ever to play football. Period.

MOST ATMOSPHERIC: Argentina 1978 - Football fever engulfing the entire country all the way to the host nation coming through a ticker-tape storm in the River Plate stadium to beat Holland in an extra time thriller.

The Chief of Police proudly announced the morning after: 'There were 12 million people in the streets of Buenos Aires last night and not a glass was broken.'

BEST REMEMBERED: England 1966 – and all that.

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One behind his iconic Argentine brother in golden boots Diego Maradona, who adorned similar artistry to Messi with dynamic after-burners of physical power and electrifying pace over long as well as short distances.

Still standing supreme over all is Pele.

The three World Cups – against one - and the thousand goals pre-eminent beyond rational dispute. Beyond that the god of the beautiful game, first Christened Edson Arantes do Nascimento, was the ultimate.

Just as magical as Messi on the ball, unstoppable strike force reinforced by raw courage, totally two-footed, phenomenal in the air, MENSA intelligence. In short, the complete footballer. Alone in his absolute perfection. The GOAT.

That judgement may sit easier on Messi now he has seen off beyond sensible argument the challenge of Cristiano Ronaldo as the finest player on the planet today.

As with the selection of all-time world and England teams, as well as the cataloguing of most exceptional Finals, these assessments are divined from more than half a century of reporting World Cups, Euros, European-Cups-cum-Champions Leagues and thousands upon thousands of FA Cup Finals and League games.

The magnificent elevens require some defensive balance along with finding places for as many of the individual wonders as possible.

There is no place in the best ever England line-up for any of the Qatar quarter-finalists.

Harry Kane was strongest in the reckoning but as his 2022 World Cup subsided beneath the political virtue signalling and captain's pastoral care for his team-mates, so the No 9 shirts rests on Wayne Rooney's broad shoulders.

For younger readers, herewith a few insights into some of the other immortal names.

Garrincha is regarded by millions of Brazilians as even greater than Pele and his mesmeric conjuring of a football did have the more direct impact on most of their World Cups.

The other great Argentinian number 10, Diego Maradona, also places above Messi all-time

All-time Dream Teams

All-time World XI (3-4-3): Gordon Banks; Bobby Moore, John Charles, Franz Beckenbauer; Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo di Stefano, Johan Cruyff, Lionel Messi; Garrincha, Pele, Diego Maradona.

All-time England XI (3-4-3): Gordon Banks; Bobby Moore, Duncan Edwards, Roy McFarland; Paul Gascoigne, Bryan Robson, Johnny Haynes, Bobby Charlton; Tom Finney, Wayne Rooney, Jimmy Greaves.

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Alfredo Di Stefano, the third almighty Argentine, orchestrated from midfield the greatest of all club teams. That first incarnation of Real Madrid. Scoring goals by the bundles into his brilliance.

Johan Cruyff was the embodiment of the Total Football played by Holland's golden generation.

John Charles was a colossus, as majestic at centre-forward as he was monumental at centre-half.

I was honoured by a close up view of his magnificence when playing with him in a testimonial match one wet night at Reading FC.

Towards the end Rod Stewart – yes, that Rod Stewart - went haring down the right wing. As his long, high cross came looping over I found myself in space at the far post, expecting the ball to clear the melee in the penalty area and fall to me as a chance at goal.

Through the gloom this giant figure soared above the crossbar and that anvil of a forehead thundered in the third goal of his hat-trick.

As he landed Big John turned, patted me on the head and said: 'Sorry, boyo. I couldn't resist it.'

Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured) is only good enough for ninth on this list of footballing GOATs

No more than opponents of Wales, Leeds and Juventus – where he was deified in Italy - could resist him.

George Best, the fifth Beatle of the Beatle age, was poetry in motion. Courageous to the point of luring the most fearsome defenders into lunges which he eluded as he darted away to take and make goals.

No slouch defensively, either. After he ran riot at Anfield one Saturday afternoon legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly ruminated: 'Aye, wee Georgie. All that and the deepest tackler in the game.'

Ferenc Puskas, check the near-goal-a-game career record. Di Stefano's henchman at Real Madrid. Leader of the first foreign storming of Fortress Wembley - 6-3 for Hungary's mighty Magyars – followed by a 7-1 slaughter of England six months later in Budapest.

So here are talent-rich lists. Let the tap-room debates begin.

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Forget the emotions, Lionel Messi isn't the Greatest Of All Time... he's behind Pele and Maradona

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He holds the record for the most Ballon d'Or awards, having won it eight times, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s five .

Title:

Content: Lionel Messi has done it again. The Argentine superstar recently surpassed Ali Daei to become the second all-time top scorer in men's international football, reported by B/R Football. With this achievement, Messi is now chasing his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds the top spot. This milestone has reignited the heated debate among football fans about who truly deserves the title of the greatest of all time (GOAT).

In a recent international match, Messi added another goal to his impressive tally, moving past Iranian legend Ali Daei. This goal placed him second on the all-time international goal-scoring list, a significant achievement in the world of football. Messi’s consistent performance at the international level continues to solidify his place among the greatest players in the sport's history.

The ongoing GOAT debate

With Messi now sitting just behind Ronaldo in the international scoring charts, fans and pundits have once again started debating who deserves the GOAT title. On social media, the arguments are as passionate as ever. One fan, h'bozz, commented, “This two goat gimmick might be the most cringe thing we’ve seen, we all know if you swapped Messi’s accolades with Ronaldo’s they wouldn’t keep the same energy. There is only one GOAT.”

On the other hand, Ronaldo supporters, like Freddy, congratulated Messi but took a playful dig, saying, “Congrats. 21 to go :)” This reflects the rivalry's light-hearted yet competitive nature, with each camp supporting their favorite with equal fervor.

Lionel Messi's edge

One of the main arguments in favor of Messi revolves around the quality and significance of his trophies compared to Ronaldo’s. Messi's fans argue that his achievements, including multiple Ballon d'Or awards, Champions League titles, and a Copa America win, make his case stronger. They believe that while Ronaldo may have more goals, Messi's overall contribution to the game is unparalleled.

Critics of Messi, however, point to moments like his recent goal, where some claimed he “robbed” Enzo Fernandez of a goal. One detractor stated, “Messi robbing Enzo goal. He can't be my goat never.” Such incidents fuel the ongoing debate, with each side finding reasons to elevate their preferred player while downplaying the other.

Despite the intense debates, there is a consensus that both Messi and Ronaldo are in a league of their own. Their dominance in the sport is unmatched, and they have set records that may stand for decades. Whether it’s Messi’s magical dribbling and playmaking or Ronaldo’s incredible athleticism and goal-scoring prowess, both players have brought unparalleled excitement to football fans worldwide.

The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo has transcended individual accolades and statistics. It’s a clash of styles, personalities, and legacies that has captivated the football world for over a decade. Each milestone one player reaches adds another chapter to this fascinating story.

Looking ahead for Lionel Messi

As Messi continues to chase Ronaldo’s goal-scoring record, the football world will be watching closely. Every match, every goal, and every performance will be scrutinized and compared. This rivalry has defined an era in football, and fans will continue to debate the GOAT question long after both players have retired.

In the end, whether you are Team Messi or Team Ronaldo, there is no denying the impact both players have had on the sport. They have pushed each other to new heights, inspired millions of fans, and created memories that will last a lifetime. As the debate rages on, one thing is certain: we are witnessing the careers of two of the greatest footballers ever to play the game.

Messi is also the all-time leading scorer for Barcelona with 672 goals, the most for a single club in football history .

Title:

Content: Ben Young has been a part of a World Cup, a Euros and is now helping the greatest player of all time.

Young, 37, is Inter Miami’s Head of Strength and Conditioning with the club boasting a stellar cast list including Lionel Messi plus the likes of Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. But Young - who graduated with a sport and exercise science degree from the University of Gloucestershire - started his career in rugby under Eddie Jones at Saracens before moving into football.

Young worked with the Lionesses at two World Cups, a Euros as the lead physical performance coach and was part of Gareth Southgate ’s set-up at the Qatar World Cup before moving to Miami in January 2023. His role in sport has become irreplaceable, a huge part of football and the likes of Messi - especially at the age of 36 - are benefitting from Young’s expertise as he looks after strength and conditioning, player loading and rehabilitation.

Young said: “Messi is first in, last out, a true professional. He does his own individual activation and strength sessions, he will even be in training the next day after being away in an international camp in Argentina.

"He’s in his rhythm, his routine and that is why he’s at the top and has stayed there. He ticks all the boxes, he pushes himself but also does all his recovery work.

“We always want to make sure that the players can thrive in the most intense parts of the game and you do that by the training we expose them to. We systematically expose the players to various training stimuli that mimic the demand of the game and when appropriate we exceed the game demands to ensure they are completely prepared for the toughest of moments.

“To offset this work we are also continually educating the players on the importance of recovery, nutrition and make sure your recovery is good and sleep in that process to make sure they can keep training and playing at that intensity. Messi is getting individual treatment, massage and recovery which shows the importance of having people close to you who you can rely on.”

Messi’s arrival has made Inter Miami the hottest ticket in town and the world ’s greatest player is helping transform the sport in a way that David Beckham did with La Galaxy. Young said “With the World Cup coming up in 2026, it’s really exciting to be a part of it. Football here is just incredible and the sport is growing so much.

"I personally love America, after the 2015 World Cup, I travelled around North America and always loved it for the show they put on around every sport. I love the country for its different states and different cultures in every state."

Young, a dad of two whose family now live in the States, has great experience having worked at the Football Association and with some of football’s biggest names. But within that comes one of the biggest qualities which is trust. Close relationships are vital for a coach in his field.

Young added: “Without trust, you can’t ask the player to buy in. It’s about meeting the player at the right level and then beginning that coaching relationship of both challenge and support.

“Some athletes want to do absolutely everything they can on and off the field, other players you have to slowly influence by supporting them and adding value into their routine. Once you have trust and buy-in you can start to influence their training to ensure they are achieving their targets.

“Football is getting more and more demanding. The game is getting faster, more intense and the players get through more work in every game.

“So I think all the guys now appreciate the importance of the physical training and unfortunately even the players that do not enjoy the physical work often might become believers after they have an injury. If you were working with only one player and you only had one game per week it would be a fairly simple role, but it can get quickly complex as you have up to 30 players which will be all in different physical states and have different needs.

“Some players will be playing regularly, some maybe regular players off the bench and some might not be playing regularly but need to be ready and 100% when they get called up. In addition, you then add multiple games per week, travel and injuries you can start to understand the complexity of getting and keep a squad fit throughout a gruelling season.

“That’s where it becomes difficult and a challenge, but it is a hugely enjoyable and rewarding one!”

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Title:

Content: Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player in history to score 700 club goals after netting the winner against Everton at Goodson Park on Sunday.

The Portuguese sensation’s 700th strike marks another chapter in the rivalry between himself and Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo and Messi are regarded as two of the greatest players to ever grace the game, with a fierce debating raging in football for years as to which of the pair deserves the top spot.

So, how many club goals does Messi actually have and how does his tally compare to his great rival Ronaldo? Read on to crunch the numbers.

How many club goals has Lionel Messi scored?

Lionel Messi has scored 691 goals in his senior club career, meaning he is currently just short of the historic 700 milestone and only 9 behind Ronaldo.

The Argentine scored the bulk of his goals at Barcelona whilst playing for the Spanish giants between 2003 and 2021.

Messi’s 672 goals for Barcelona is the most goals scored for a single club by a player in football history.

Messi has added to goal record since arriving at French champions PSG despite a largely underwhelming first season with the Parisians.

While Ronaldo has currently scored more club goals than Messi, the Portuguese has also played two more seasons of senior football than his South American counterpart.

Across their seasons in senior football, Messi actually averages more club goals a season (37.9) than Ronaldo (35).

Messi’s highest tally in a single season is the 73 goals he hit in the 2011-12 season, whilst Ronaldo’s best effort saw him score 61 in 2014-15.

Who has scored the most club and country goals of all time?

Ronaldo also holds the edge over Messi when it comes to international football, scoring 117 goals for Portugal compared to Messi’s 90 for Argentina.

This means that Ronaldo has scored 817 in 1,129 games goals for club and country in his senior career, with Messi not far behind on 781 having played 989 matches.

Ronaldo is the all-time top goalscorer in the history of football, ahead of Czech legend Josef Bican in second place with 805 goals with Messi in third.

Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal in 2003, while Messi started his international career two years later in 2005.

The United forward averages 0.61 goals per game for the national team compared to Messi at 0.55.

Ronaldo became the highest goalscorer in international football after surpassing Ali Daei’s 109 goals with two strikes against the Republic of Ireland in 2021.

Ronaldo has won Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League with Portugal, while Messi’s long and often painful wait for a major trophy with his country was ended last year when Argentina won the Copa America in Brazil.

MORE : Cristiano Ronaldo’s stance on Inter Miami transfer revealed as David Beckham sanctions stunning move

MORE : Erik ten Hag concerned Cristiano Ronaldo and Casemiro are ‘not on side’ at Man Utd, warns Tim Sherwood

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Share your views in the comments below

Title:

Content: As he turns 37, Lionel Messi is under no illusions about the amount of time he has left in his football career.

"Inter Miami will be my last club, yes," the Argentina star said a fortnight before his birthday. "As of today, it's gonna be my last one. I love playing football, I enjoy everything much more because I am aware that every time there's less and less."

The veteran is part of Argentina's Copa America squad this summer, though, looking to add another continental title. His great rival Cristiano Ronaldo is in a similar boat with Portugal at Euro 2024, despite both men being in the twilight of their careers.

For some time, Messi and Ronaldo were the pinnacle of club football as they traded Ballon d'Or wins. As Messi turns 37, Mirror Football takes a closer look at that rivalry... and everything the South American achieved before and since.

Ronaldo rivalry

Ronaldo and Messi weren't in the same league until 2009, but the rivalry between the pair - at least in the eyes of the media - came earlier. The Portugal star, then at Manchester United, beat Messi to the Ballon d'Or in 2008 to set off a decade-long run where no other player claimed the award.

For the bulk of that period, the pair were trading blows in La Liga. There was a sense each brought the best out of the other, bringing about goal tallies which are scarcely believable even for those who were there when it all happened.

474 goals in 520 La Liga appearances was Messi's final tally for Barcelona, with Ronaldo bagging 311 in 292 outings for Madrid, though take away Messi's teenage years (Ronaldo moved to La Liga aged 24) and the goal-per-game ratios are even closer. In the Champions League, the pair sit one and two in the all-time counts thanks to Ronaldo's 141 goals in 187 appearances and Messi's 129 in 161.

How will you remember Lionel Messi's career? Have your say in the comments section

Messi holds a record eight Ballon d'Or wins, with Ronaldo second with five, though four of those came in five years at Real Madrid between 2013 and 2017 during which he won three Champions League titles to Messi's one. Still, Ronaldo's reaction to Messi's eighth win in 2023 suggested the personal rivalry continues to play on his mind.

Since moving to Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo has been reminded of his rival even more. On one occasion, during a match against Al-Shabab, his reaction to opposition fans chanting the name of the Argentine was enough to earn him a domestic ban.

Despite that, though, there remains plenty of mutual respect when it comes to the pair's on-field achievements. "It is a good rivalry that exists in football, but this is no exception. Michael Jordan had rivals in basketball, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost were great rivals in Formula One." Ronaldo told RMC Sport in 2020.

Back in 2018, when Ronaldo left Madrid for Juventus, Messi said: "It was nice to play against Cristiano, he made Madrid a stronger side. I said at the beginning of the season that Madrid would miss him, as any team would.

"It made a lot of Madrid fans a bit angry but that is the reality. Any team would miss him. He scores 50 goals a season and he was the key player for them, of course, they were going to miss that."

Tearful Barcelona exit

Three years after Ronaldo departed Madrid, Messi said goodbye to Barcelona. It was a slightly different situation, though - while Ronaldo had spent close to a decade in the Spanish capital, his rival was leaving the only club he had known since the age of 13.

Messi scored 38 goals in all competitions in his final Barca season, helping the team score more than anyone else in La Liga, but they could only finish third behind the two Madrid clubs after a late-season collapse. He bowed out with a Copa del Rey triumph, but any hopes of a farewell Champions League victory ended in the round of 16 against a Kylian Mbappe-inspired Paris Saint-Germain.

The Catalan club's financial concerns were plain to see as Messi's contract was allowed to run down in the summer of 2021. Once it became clear he couldn't stick around - despite efforts to agree reduced terms - the gravity of the situation hit him.

"Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of both the player and the Club cannot finally be fulfilled," Barcelona said in a statement confirming 'economic and structural obstacles' stood in the way of a renewal. “Barça would like to thank with all its heart the player's contribution to the enhancement of the institution and wishes him the best in his personal and professional life.”

Messi confirmed the inevitable in a press conference of his own, breaking down in tears as he confirmed he was leaving Camp Nou after more than two decades. "I did everything to stay. I can't add anything else," he said.

"No doubt, this is the hardest moment [of my career]," Messi told reporters when confirming the exit. "We got hurtful defeats but football gives you a chance to revenge that. But there is no turning point to this”

“I feel very sad now as I have to leave a club that I love. I did not expect this. I always told the truth. Last year I wanted to leave, this year I did not want to leave”

Two years at Paris Saint-Germain followed, with Messi unable to add a Champions League title with the French club, before a move to Inter Miami in the summer of 2023. Speculation over a Barcelona return continued to follow him around during that period, and he would later reflect on how tough things were.

"My departure from Barcelona to Paris was not something I wanted," Messi admitted in the summer of 2023. I did not want to leave and it happened from one day to the next, it also took a while for me to quickly get used to a totally different place both in the city and in sports and made it difficult."

World Cup triumph

Despite his individual and club honours with Barcelona, international glory continued to evade him. There were plenty of painful moments, not least the 2014 World Cup final loss and defeats to Chile in the final of the Copa America.

It's easy to forget how well Messi played in that 2014 run, taking an often-ordinary Argentina side within touching distance of glory. The 2018 campaign was over before it really got started, with the Albiceleste scraping out of their group but losing to eventual champions France in the round of 16, but it was a different story in 2022.

Things started in the worst possible fashion, with Saudi Arabia stunning Argentina despite Messi scoring from the penalty spot. After the 2-1 loss, he was almost lost for words while recognising the size of the task ahead.

"I had never suffered such a hard blow with this group of players," he said. "Things happen for a reason. Now, obviously, we have to win or win."

Win and win is exactly what they did. A deadlock-breaking goal from Messi against Mexico set up a 2-0 win and brought back memories of his strikes in 2014, but it was team-mates Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez who came up with the goods after Messi saw a penalty saved by Poland's Wojciech Szczesny in the crucial final group game.

When it came to the knockouts, Messi stepped up in a big way. He scored in each of Argentina's matches as they overcame Australia, The Netherlands and Croatia to book their place in the final, also netting in the penalty shoot-out against the Dutch - just as he had done in the 2014 semis.

He was on target again in the final, but things were never going to be easy. A Messi penalty and a second goal from Angel Di Maria put the South Americans two goals to the good against France with 10 minutes remaining, only for a quickfire Kylian Mbappe brace to force extra-time.

Messi netted again in the extra period, only for Mbappe to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot, and only a big save from Emi Martinez stopped Randal Kolo Muani scoring a last-gasp winner for Les Bleus. Another Martinez save denied Kingsley Coman in the shoot-out, and Messi and Argentina could finally breathe a sigh of relief when Gonzalo Montiel put away the winning spot-kick.

Martinez would later lift the lid on the "amazing" speech from Messi which paved the way for that success. "[He was] talking about family and what it cost us to be at the World Cup," Martinez said during the 'Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend' Apple TV documentary.

"It made us cry to basically everyone. It was like a group of friends going on an adventure and reaching the end. He said, 'Whatever happens, thank you for everything you have done for me.' And he would say, 'This is it, this is the one. We have to hold it.'"

They did indeed hold it, delivering Messi the World Cup he was striving for ever since playing in the competition for the first time back in 2006. It came after a Copa America triumph in 2021 - almost unbelievably the first of his career.

Messi might not have long to go in his career, but he still has time to add to his achievements. Inter Miami are pushing for silverware after reuniting Messi with his former Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez, and he could yet celebrate another international title right at home in Florida as he aims to go back-to-back.

Argentina got off to a winning start in the 2024 Copa America, which is being held in the United States. Victory in the final at Miami Gardens would be the ideal way to cap off an international career which has - at last - delivered everything it promised.

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In international football, he has scored 109 goals for Argentina, making him the second-highest scorer in men’s international soccer history, behind only Ronaldo .

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Content: Lionel Messi has thanked the Argentinian Football Association after they renamed the national team's training centre after him.

Messi, 35, led his country to victory at last year's World Cup. The forward was outstanding in Qatar, as he scored seven goals - including two in the final against France - and provided three assists. He also received the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

Argentina played their first game since the World Cup final on Thursday night, when they defeated Panama 2-0 in Buenos Aires. The friendly was viewed as a homecoming for Lionel Scaloni's side, with each player receiving a replica of the World Cup trophy.

Thursday night's game was also Messi's first in Argentina since the tournament in Qatar, as he plays his club football for Paris Saint-Germain in France. As such, the Argentinian Football Association were keen to show their gratitude to their skipper.

Messi was informed of his latest honour on Saturday and was clearly overwhelmed by it. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner wrote on Instagram, "This recognition is one of the nicest I've ever received. A great honour, thank you very much."

Messi struggled to hold back the tears ahead of Argentina's game against Panama, as they were serenaded by thousands of fans inside El Monumental. The veteran responded by scoring a stunning free kick, with Thiago Almada also finding the net.

Is Lionel Messi the greatest footballer in history? Let us know in the comments below!

For a while, it seemed as if Messi was going to finish his career without a single international honour at senior level. The Paris Saint-Germain forward lost the 2007, 2015 and 2016 Copa America finals - as well as the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil.

Messi even retired from international football in 2016, such was his disappointment. Although he was persuaded to continue playing for Argentina later that year, a poor showing at the tournament in Russia in 2018 suggested his World Cup dream was over.

Yet the appointment of Scaloni as manager after that tournament, initially on an interim basis, brought new hope for Messi. Argentina won the Copa America in July 2021, the Finalissima in June 2022 and finally the World Cup five months later.

Argentina's World Cup triumph was dramatic. Messi's side stormed into a 2-0 lead before a late brace from Kylian Mbappe forced the game into extra time. After Messi restored Argentina's advantage, Mbappe scored from the spot to complete his hat-trick.

Thanks to the heroics of Emiliano Martinez, Argentina won on penalties to finally complete Messi's trophy cabinet. It also helped the skipper fulfil his prophecy as the rightful heir to Diego Maradona's throne in Argentina. Maradona sadly passed away in 2020.

Despite winning everything in the game, Messi is determined to continue playing for Argentina. Scaloni's side will defend their Copa America title in the summer of 2024, while Messi may even want to play in the next World Cup in three years' time. He will be 39 when the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico concludes.

His World Cup performances are historic: he has participated in five tournaments, scored 13 goals, and provided 8 assists, leading Argentina to victory in 2022 and earning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player .

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Top 5 players with the most UEFA Champions League appearances

Sharan Pillai
ANALYST

Over the course of years, many teams and players have amazed us with their performances in the most sought-after league. The UEFA Champions League delivers just as much as its reputation.

Ever since it was founded in 1955 as the European Cup, the UEFA Champions League (renamed in 1992), has housed the best of teams from all around the continent. Europe being football's powerhouse means the Champions League, by default, has become the most intense league at club level.

Every season brings us a handful of favorites, underdogs, goal riots, upsets and individual uprisings. Throughout the Champions League's history, numerous records have been re-written by teams and players. Today let's discuss one such record.

Without further ado, let's take a look at:

Top 5 players with the most UEFA Champions League appearances.

#5 Raúl González — 142

The Real Madrid legend held every title and record to his name with Los Blancos before Cristiano Ronaldo walked-in. However, till date, the Spaniard remains one of the most-decorated players within the ranks of mighty Real Madrid.

Ascending from the youth levels, Raúl González cemented his place with the senior side at the tender age of 16. He evolved not just to be a fine player but a fierce leader as well. Raúl González has featured in 130 games for Real Madrid and 12 for Bundesliga team Schalke, taking his tally to 142.

Raúl #UCL record for @realmadriden and @s04_en: 134 starts, 71 goals, 14 assists http://t.co/upftHKc7Bm

He experienced a very successful stint with the Galacticos and won three UEFA Champions League titles with them. With 66 goals, Raúl González is still the second most goal-getter for Real Madrid in the Champions League.

#4 Lionel Messi — 150*

Words would do no justice to this little magician's contribution towards Barcelona and football itself. Since his debut against Shakhtar Donetsk in 2004 and his last game versus Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, Leo Messi has played 149 games in the Blaugrana jersey.

He broke records for fun during his stint with the Catalan giants. Lionel Messi has won four UEFA Champions League titles and scored 120 goals for Barcelona. The Argentine joined the same side against whom he played and scored his last in a Barcelona jersey — PSG.

The former Barca captain marked his debut for his new club just last week against Club Brugge. The tally of 150 means Lionel Messi is the player with 4th most appearances in the UEFA Champions League.

Leo Messi turns 34 today.

34 moments of magic from the greatest 🐐 (THREAD)

(via @ChampionsLeague)
https://t.co/Yw2kXBDQYs

With a lot of youth and energy left in him, we can expect Leo to climb up the ranks.

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Content: The 5 records that Lionel Messi could break in the 2022 Qatar World Cup

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At this point in his career, Lionel Messi can be considered as a record man for the number of footprints he left in world football. However, the competitive appetite of the captain of the National Team never seems to be satiated. In Qatar 2022, Rosario will seek the glory that was denied him in previous World Cups, but he can also break several international records.

1. HE WILL BE ONE OF THE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WITH THE MOST PLAYED WORLD CUP

Until now, only four retired footballers participated in 5 World Cups. They are the Mexicans Antonio Carbajal (Brazil 1950, Switzerland 1954, Sweden 1958, Chile 1962 and England 1966) and Rafael Marquez (Korea-Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018), the German Lothar Matthäus (Spain 1982, Mexico 1986, Italy 1990, United States 1994 and France 1998) and the Italian Gianluigi Buffon (France 1998, Korea-Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014).

Messi, who has already attended Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018, will reach this select group although he will not be the only one: Cristiano Ronaldo will join Portugal, at the same time as the Mexicans Guillermo Memo Ochoa and Andres Guardado They will do the same with the Aztec cast. This way, Leo will surpass the line of his compatriots Diego Armando Maradona and Javier Mascheranowho played four World Cups.

Although he has not yet defined anything about his future, the man from Rosario could become the first and only player in history to participate in 6 World Cups, if he continues in the Albiceleste ahead of the event to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026, the year in which he will turn 39 (Cristiano and Ochoa will turn 41 and Guardado 40).

2. HIGHEST NUMBER OF MATCHES PLAYED

Again the names of Diego Armando Maradona and Javier Mascherano appear in this item. The Ten, with 21 appearances, is the Argentine who has worn the blue and white jersey the most times in World Cups. The little boss He follows him with 20. Messi completes the podium with 19, so if he acts in the three duels for the group stage, he will surpass the line of his compatriots and expand his spectrum (he is already the national man with the most games played in history general).

But beyond the domestic level, Messi aspires to stay with the mark of the German Lothar Matthäuswho throughout the five World Cups he played, participated in a total of 25 matches. If Lionel Scaloni’s team reaches the semifinals of Qatar 2022 and the flea He adds minutes in all the commitments, he will reach the champion in Italy 90. And if he disputes a hypothetical final or duel for third and fourth place, he will pass it with 26.

3. GREATER NUMBER OF MINUTES DISPUTED

Although he did not play five World Cups like the aforementioned quartet, the Italian Paolo Maldini Four World Cup appearances were enough for him to become the player with the most minutes on the pitch in the history of the competition. He played seven matches at Italy 90, seven at USA 94, five at France 98 and four at Korea-Japan 2002. In those 23 commitments, he harvested 2,217 minutes.

Lionel Messiwho participated in portions of three matches at Germany 2006, played all five of Argentina’s matches at South Africa 2010, witnessed all seven at Brazil 2014 (including three overtime) and completed all four at Russia 2018, has accumulated 1,624 minutes. And Leo plays complete -as usual- the three duels for the group stage will reach 1,894 World Cup minutes. To get past Italy’s Maldini (without the need to resort to overtime), Messi must play every minute with an Argentina that reaches the semi-finals and then contests the final or the match for third and fourth place. If Rosario completes 90 ‘in the seven games, he will reach 2,254 minutes.

4. THE PLAYER WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF MATCHES WON

The German Miroslav Klosewho has played 24 matches in his four World Cups (Korea-Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014) and is one behind his compatriot Matthäus, is the player with the most victories in World Cups. accumulated a total of 17 for the great performances of the Teutonic cast: he was runner-up in 2002, third in 2006 and 2010 and champion in 2014 (in the last three World Cups mentioned he was the executioner of Messi and Argentina).

The numbers of Lionel Messi They are not far behind in terms of victories throughout the four World Cup events they have played. Leo contributed in two celebrations albicelestes in 2006 (to Serbia and Montenegro and Mexico), four in 2010 (Nigeria, South Korea, Greece and Mexico), five in 2014 (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria, Switzerland and Belgium) and one in 2018 (Nigeria). The Argentine registers 12 victorias3 draws and 4 losses in World Cups.

It will not be easy for him to match Klose’s mark, although nothing is impossible: Argentina will have to reach the semifinals by winning all their matches. And, if he goes to the final playing and winning all the commitments, Messi will pass the German with 18.

5. THE FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO CAPTAINED HIS NATIONAL TEAM MOST TIMES

Since his expulsion from the World Cup in the United States in 1994, Diego Armando Maradona he set a record that no other international player could beat. He subscribed to the number of matches in which he captained his national team in a World Cup. They were a total of 16.

César Luis Menotti designated Daniel Passarella with the bracelet in Spain 82, but Carlos Salvador Bilardo placed the ribbon on him Ten in the seven meetings of Mexico 86 and the seven of Italy 90. Alfio Basile kept the Fluff the band with the C against Greece and Nigeria before testing positive in the anti-doping control. Oscar Ruggeri was the captain in the losses against Bulgaria and Romania.

Precisely Maradona was the coach of the group albiceleste in South Africa 2010. Javier Mascherano wore the belt in that competition, but since he rested in the third group stage match against Greece, Messi wore it on one occasion. Already in Brazil 2014, Alejandro Sabella gave him the bracelet in the seven presentations of Argentina. And the same thing happened with Jorge Sampaoli in the four match who played in Russia 2018. That is Leo he captained the National Team in 12 games.

If Messi does not miss the entire group stage and Argentina at least plays the round of 16 of Qatar 2022, on 10 albiceleste will match Maradona in number of World Cup captaincies.

LIONEL MESSI’S 19 MATCHES IN THE WORLD CUP

Germany 2006:

· Argentina 6-0 Serbia and Montenegro (entered 15 ‘and scored a goal)

· Argentina 0-0 Holland (played as a starter 70 ‘)

· Argentina 2-1 to Mexico (entered and played 36 ‘)

South Africa 2010:

· Argentina 1-0 Nigeria (played the 90′)

· Argentina 4-1 South Korea (played the 90′)

· Argentina 2-0 Greece (captain and played the 90′)

· Argentina 3-1 Mexico (played the 90′)

· Argentina 0-4 Germany (played the 90′)

Brazil 2014:

· Argentina 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina (captain, played the 90′ and scored a goal)

· Argentina 1-0 Iran (captain, played the 90′ and scored a goal)

· Argentina 3-2 Nigeria (captain, played the 90′ and scored two goals)

· Argentina 1-0 Switzerland (captain and played the 120′)

· Argentina 1-0 Belgium (captain and played the 90′)

· Argentina 0-0 Holland (captain and played the 120′)

· Argentina 0-1 Germany (captain and played the 120′)

Russia 2018:

· Argentina 1-1 Iceland (captain and played the 90′)

· Argentina 0-3 Croatia (captain and played the 90′)

· Argentina 2-1 Nigeria (captain, played the 90′ and scored a goal)

· Argentina 3-4 France (captain and played the 90′)

THE NUMBERS OF LIONEL MESSI

World Cups played: 4

Games played: 19

Minutes on the pitch: 1.624

Matches as captain: 12

Matches won: 12

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Content: In a heartwarming gesture, football legend Lionel Messi has made headlines for his on-field prowess and generosity off the pitch. The Argentine icon recently presented his autographed Argentina jersey to Selena Gomez's Rare Impact Fund Charity, a noble cause aimed at providing young people worldwide with access to mental health care and education.

The exciting news was unveiled on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Pop Base, who shared a screenshot of the cherished item. The gesture drew attention and appreciation from fans and supporters alike, as they marveled at the opportunity to “bring home a signed jersey of one of the world's best football players.”

Lionel Messi, a true maestro of the beautiful game, hails from Argentina and has earned a staggering seven Ballon d'Or trophies, solidifying his status as the planet's premier male player. His contribution to Argentina's victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup remains in football history.

Rumors are now swirling that Messi himself may grace Selena Gomez's upcoming benefit event, aptly titled “A Night of Radiance and Reflection,” scheduled for October 4th. The event promises an unforgettable evening filled with delectable food, refreshing drinks, captivating entertainment, and an engaging live auction, with all ticket proceeds channeling support to the Rare Impact Fund. This gathering of compassionate individuals aims to make a tangible impact on the lives of young people worldwide, fostering mental health awareness and educational opportunities.

Interestingly, Selena Gomez was recently spotted attending one of Messi's games in early September, creating a buzz among fans and media outlets alike. The pop sensation stopped at the BMO Stadium to witness the riveting clash between Los Angeles FC and Inter Miami. Seated alongside Xolo Mariduea and her sister Gracie, Gomez's reaction to a Messi shot during the game was captured on camera and swiftly went viral, further cementing the bond between the global superstar and the Argentina forward.

In Lionel Messi's gift to the Rare Impact Fund Charity, we see the power of sports transcending boundaries and positively impacting the world. As Messi continues to shine on the football field, his compassionate acts off the pitch remind us that true greatness extends beyond the confines of a soccer pitch, reaching the hearts and minds of those who need it most.

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Content: Lionel Messi, Neymar or Sergio Ramos? Who will take the standards at PSG

In football six-on-six, PSG would definitely take the Champions League. On August 17, Mauricio Pochettino mocked the reservists and brought together Kilian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi for a mini-two-sided. “Fire the person who shared the lineup. He’s too cruel, ”responded on Twitter.

It seems that Pochettino brought the stars together for a visual fight for standards. Who will take free kicks, corners and penalties is one of PSG’s main dilemmas after Messi’s transfer.

Since the 2018/19 season, Leo has delivered a wild 124 direct free kicks. The Argentine’s shots brought 14 goals. To them, Messi added 12 goals from the penalty spot from 15 attempts and 42 passes to the shot from corners. The volume is impressive: at Barcelona, the legend usurped the standards.

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Messi’s main competitor at PSG will be Neymar. Although the figures of the Brazilian pale in comparison with the newcomer from Catalonia. Since the 2018/2019 campaign, number 10 Parisians have scored a pitiful one goal after 37 free throws. Another star of the French capital lost to Leo in created kicks from corners (30). The only thing – Neymar more often cut through other people’s gates from the penalty spot (14 accurate, 16 attempts).

Who else can get involved in the battle for standards? Mbappé disappears: in four seasons at PSG, Kilian made only three direct shots from free throws, and on corners he opened more often than played (15 shots, 7 assists under attack). The Frenchman diluted the modest statistics with seven penalty balls, on which he spent eight attempts.

Angel Di Maria will be a real alternative for Messi and Neymar. Since the 2018/19 season, the station wagon has produced 23 direct free kicks (4 goals), 48 assists for shots from corners and 1 lucky penalty out of two.

Sergio Ramos bites for the 11-meter. Since the summer of 2018, the Spaniard has given Real Madrid 13 successful penalties out of 13 attempts. The conversion is wild, but even such a competitor, Messi and Neymar are unlikely to surrender the roles of basic performers.

Penalties (as well as standards in principle) will surely turn into Pochettino’s hidden weapon. In the 2021/22 season, Mauricio must unite two stars who are used to tinkering with the ball. The 11m can satisfy Messi’s ego as long as the positional attacks are tied to Neymar. Or vice versa.

In addition, penalty kicks can be a means to build a game tone. If any of the Leo-Nei pair surrenders due to injury, the 11m will regain a sense of goal upon return. At the same time, PSG will hardly lose its quality.

It is difficult to single out the base performer of the Parisians for penalties and other standards. Most likely, responsibility for the rallies will pass from Messi to Neymar and vice versa, less often to other players. But PSG bought almost a full five for the post-match series in the coveted Champions League.

All figures are from UnderStat and refer to championships.

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What Lionel Messi’s Arrival To Inter Miami Means To Latine Fans

Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images.
Last Friday, July 21, I was one of about 21,000 fans who filled the sold-out DRV Pnk Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. This wasn’t a regular weekend in South Florida, as Lionel Messi — the greatest fútbolista of all time — was making his U.S. debut on Inter Miami.
ESPN reported that the average listed price for Inter Miami’s season has increased by 716% since Messi announced back in June that he was joining Major League Soccer (MLS) while Forbes reported a 500% climb in ticket costs. Whatever the exact percentage may be, the truth is, whether you’re watching at home or in that stadium, this is more than a historical moment, it’s a historical movement — especially for Latine fans.
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Growing up Colombian-American, I knew what fútbol represented in my community: unity, joy, and even hope. I remember watching all the tournaments, not because I grew up playing the sport, but because of the energy that surrounded it, the tense wins and celebratory gatherings that filled those around me with pride.
From the internationally followed World Cup to the mostly Latine-viewed Copa América to the more local South American leagues where I’d follow Atlético Nacional (my family’s preferred Colombian team based in Medellín), I was always in close proximity to fútbol culture.
Now, with Messi’s Inter debut, I am confident that American sports culture will be changed forever. The three most popular sports in America have always been American football (not to be confused with fútbol), basketball, and baseball. With an internationally renowned super star like Messi joining Major League Soccer in America for the first time — our comunidades are set to change by captivating new audiences.

With Messi’s Inter debut, I am confident that American sports culture will be changed forever.

There are, after all, more than 60 million Latine people living in the U.S., quickly taking over as the largest demographic in younger age groups, and our culture is shifting rapidly. Latines are celebrating many first-time wins in American culture.
Latine musicians are largely responsible for our culture-shifting contributions, like Bad Bunny who set the world record for the highest grossing tour with “Un Verano Sin Ti,” and Karol G making history with her latest album, Mañana Será Bonito, the first all-Spanish-language album by a female artist to reach number one atop the Billboard charts. But outside of music, television, and film, there is a whole new opportunity for Latines to shift American culture: Sports!
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“Being a music journalist, I always understood fans that travel to see their favorite artists. But I realized that people also travel to see their teams and star players,” Grecia Lopez, Mexican-American and Miami-based music journalist, tells Refinery 29.
Lopez, who relocated to Miami three years ago from Los Angeles, has watched the revival of the Inter Miami fútbol team since it was purchased in part by David Beckham in 2021. “It was known as a losing team. I had friends who would drive to the stadium in Fort Lauderdale in traffic to go support their team, despite their losses. With Messi’s arrival, Inter Miami became a winning team overnight and that brings pride to its locals.”
Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.
She’s right. The days in Miami leading up to Messi’s debut game were any Latine person in the U.S’s dream-come-true. Adidas, one of the biggest sponsors of MLS, and who invited me to watch Messi’s debut, made sure that everyone knew Messi would be going from a beloved South American athlete, to an Argentine fútbolista representing Latines in and outside of the states.
“Impossible is Nothing,” is not a slogan Adidas takes lightly. The sports brand designed a custom cargo ship to sail from Guatemala to Miami with a snapshot of Messi, the famous three-stripe logo, and this slogan, a literal symbol that Latin American culture has made its way to America, and is ready to be felt and seen.
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Whether the red state of Florida likes it or not, it is home to some of the biggest immigrant communities in the states. Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed an inhumane immigration law restricting and penalizing the employment of undocumented workers in the state that has left these communities devastated. Yet, beyond these terrible laws, exist communities of people who are proud of where they come from. For Latines, soccer is more than a sport, it's an opportunity to come together and be proud of our culturas.
“I felt like I was closer to home,” says Camila Ramón, Argentinian athlete and Peloton instructor, after attending an Inter Miami game earlier this summer. Ramón, who was born in Argentina and migrated to Miami, explains that while Messi is everyone’s star player, at home he’s “like God.” Before Messi’s debut and after the announcement of his signing, she recalls benches of the DNV Pink Stadium packed with Argentinians already awaiting Messi’s arrival and the nostalgic feeling of being back home. With predominantly large groups of Cuban, Haitian, and Colombian migrants, as well as other groups from all across Latin American and the Caribbean — Florida’s anti-immigration government doesn’t stand a chance against our pride and presence.
“In Haitian culture, soccer is life,” says 21-year-old fútbol player Shanyder Borgelin, who also plays for Inter Miami and played his first professional fútbol game for the Haitian national team while he was barely a teenager. (He credits his Haitian culture for introducing him to fútbol and uses it to represent his country on a national level by participating in the Haitian league.) Born in Broward County, Fla to Haitian parents, Borgelin remembers sitting in front of the TV watching fútbol and learning from other Latine greats. “Growing up, Barcelona was my favorite team and my dad would have me watch Ronaldinho and Messi.” Now, he shares a locker room with one of his idols.
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Fans also hope Messi will elevate the play of MLS. At just a couple decades old, the newer sports league isn’t as well respected as other professional leagues in America. “It always had this reputation of being an easy league, but with Messi coming here it changes the whole perspective. It shows growth, and the beginning of a future where more big names will join the league,” says Borgelin.
And attract more audiences. “With Messi coming to Miami, there’s all this attention being brought to soccer. The celebrities that were there [at his opening match] like Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, Lebron James — even the people who don’t think about soccer are intrigued,” says Panamanian journalist Lissete Lanuza-Sáenz.
With the arrival of a star athlete in the league captivating the attention of some of the most influential American figures, Major League Soccer is set to rapidly change. Not only in America where sports fans who previously didn’t care for the soccer league are tuning in and paying close attention, but also outside of it. “I think no one in Latin America actually cared about American Major League Soccer,” says Lanuza-Sáenz. She adds that while they follow Brazilian, Argentinian, and even the Mexican fútbol leagues closely — Panamanians would previously prefer to watch American sports leagues only for basketball and football. “For the first time, I’m seeing restaurants in Panama streaming Major League Soccer.”
While fútbol in the U.S. was always an afterthought due to the popularity of other major sports leagues, Messi coming to Miami proves that Major League Soccer is on the rise. With fútbol on the rise, so are our public displays of Latine pride.

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**Playing Style and Skillset** Messi’s playing style is characterized by exceptional dribbling, close ball control, agility, and vision.

**Playing Style and Skillset** Messi’s playing style is characterized by exceptional dribbling, close ball control, agility, and vision.

His low center of gravity allows him to change direction rapidly, making him extremely difficult to defend against .

He is renowned for his ability to navigate tight spaces, evade multiple defenders, and execute decisive plays under pressure .

Messi’s vision and passing accuracy enable him to create scoring opportunities for teammates, complementing his goal-scoring prowess with a remarkable playmaking ability .

He has registered 132 more assists than Ronaldo at the age of 36, highlighting his superior creativity and teamwork .

Title:

Content: Inter Miami forward Robert Taylor has revealed how Lionel Messi has left teammates stunned during training.

Messi is still in the early weeks of being a Miami player after joining the Major League Soccer club as a free agent. The 35-year-old had spent the previous two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain before his contract with the French club expired on June 30.

The MLS club put in a great deal of effort and preparation in signing Messi. Miami installed bleachers in all four corners of the DRV PNK Stadium and added room for 3,000 extra fans.

Those fans got to witness Messi make his debut for Miami on Friday evening in the Leagues Cup against Cruz Azul. After being named on the bench, the Argentina legend was introduced early in the second half and scored a dramatic free-kick in stoppage time to win the game 2-1 for his new team.

Taylor scored the other goal for Miami on the night, and his career has certainly been different to Messi’s. The 28-year-old was signed by the MLS club in February 2022, and went from playing in non-league for Lincoln Moorlands Railway, to being on the same roster as Messi.

The winger, who has 29 caps for Finland to his name, has explained how it feels to be on the same team as Messi. And Taylor has revealed how he and his teammates have been left stunned during training sessions.

“It’s amazing, it’s great, of course I’m excited,” Taylor is quoted telling The Independent.

“He’s just come in and brought a lot of energy to the team. His play means he makes the right decisions all of the time in training and in the games which is why it’s so good.

“It’s a great feeling. The way to win it as well. To witness that free-kick and the quality he brings to the team, it’s unbelievable.”

It has also been quite the turnaround for Taylor who added: “If someone told me a few years ago when sitting on the bench for Lincoln Moorlands that I’m going to play with Busquets and Messi I would have just laughed in their face.

“I was sitting on the bench, I wasn’t able to get any minutes in non-league and the coach told me I’m not strong enough or basically good enough. I was just sitting on the bench watching.

“It tested me when I was younger. I was calling my parents back home in Finland and saying maybe I want to look for something, other options.”

Coaches and trainers frequently use Messi’s techniques and decision-making as teaching tools for youth, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, creativity, and a strong work ethic .

**Tactical Evolution and Adaptability** Messi’s tactical evolution has been central to his sustained success.

**Tactical Evolution and Adaptability** Messi’s tactical evolution has been central to his sustained success.

At Barcelona, he began as a right winger but was soon deployed as a “false nine” under Pep Guardiola, a role that allowed him to drop deeper, facilitate ball distribution, and create space for other attackers .

This position showcased his versatility as both a prolific scorer and a playmaker.

This position showcased his versatility as both a prolific scorer and a playmaker.

At Paris Saint-Germain, Messi adapted to a new tactical system, initially facing challenges but eventually thriving in a deeper playmaking role, contributing significantly to the team’s success with 32 goals and 34 assists in 75 appearances .

Title:

Content: World Cup 2022: Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona's World Cup records compared

By Gary RoseBBC Sport
Fifa World Cup
Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November-18 December Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app. Day-by-day TV listings - Full coverage details

It seems like it is written in the stars for Lionel Messi and Argentina.

The mercurial forward is regarded as one of the best players in the world over the last 15 or so years, having often done things few others can dream of on the pitch.

But while his trophy cabinet is filled with league titles and Champions League trophies, it is missing the grandest prize of all - the World Cup.

Now, in what is set to be his final appearance on football's biggest stage, Messi has the chance to emulate his late idol Diego Maradona.

Should Argentina beat France in Qatar on Sunday, they will lift their first World Cup since Maradona led the national team to success in 1986.

The question is often asked, who is better - Messi or Maradona?

Given both played in different eras, on different pitches and with different regulations in place, it feels impossible to answer.

But we can certainly compare their World Cup records and look at who was the most influential in their side's respective runs to the final.

Two geniuses guiding Argentina to glory?

Comparisons can certainly be drawn between this Argentina team and the one that last triumphed 36 years ago.

Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, in Qatar for the current tournament, was in the England side that lost 2-1 to Maradona's Argentina in that controversial quarter-final in Mexico that featured the 'Hand of God' goal.

"I look at this Argentina side and I see one very similar to the side that won the World Cup in 1986," he said.

"They are very aggressive, they have a lot of strong, powerful players, not hugely gifted talent all over the field but they had a really good centre forward in Jorge Valdano in 1986 and now Julian Alvarez. Then they give the ball to a genius - Maradona and now Messi.

"It is a similar approach, but will it be good enough?"

Maradona provided the assist for Jorge Burruchaga's late winner as Argentina edged West Germany 3-2 in the 1986 showpiece, adding to their previous title success in 1978.

Messi's story for the final will be written on Sunday.

But there is not much between them, certainly in terms of end product, of how they impacted their side's respective run to the final.

Maradona scored or assisted nine of Argentina's 11 goals by the end of the semi-finals back in 1986, while Messi has contributed to eight of this current Argentina side's 12 goals.

Messi, 35, has certainly had some memorable moments in this tournament - his stunning goal against Mexico in the group stage and the magical assist versus Croatia in the semi-finals the standouts - but he has had some quiet spells in some games too.

Maradona, meanwhile, was widely regarded as having almost single-handedly taken Argentina to World Cup victory.

He is, of course, also remembered for both the 'Hand of God' goal and the brilliant solo strike in the win against England. But in the other games he stood out above all others too.

In total, Maradona completed an incredible 53 dribbles at the 1986 tournament (compared to 15 at this World Cup for Messi), and created 27 chances in the seven games they played.

Former France midfielder Zinedine Zidane, himself one of the best players of his era, spoke in 2020 about how he was mesmerised by Maradona's performance at those finals in Mexico.

"I was 14 then, and when you're 14 you're aware of everything," Zidane said. "It's really at that moment that I became aware of the player he was, making differences as he did. He won games single-handedly.

"That's the extra thing he had over the other players. In 1986, he was on another level."

Messi's moment to emulate Maradona?

Maradona v Messi at World Cups
PlayerDiego MaradonaLionel Messi
Games Played2125
Minutes Played1,9402,194
Goals811
Assists88
Goals + Assists1619
Total shots (inc. blocks)6999
Chances Created (inc. assists)6772
Dribbles Completed105125

What about their overall World Cup record?

This is Messi's fifth appearance in football's crown jewel event, having first appeared at the tournament in 2006. That takes him past Maradona's record after he appeared at four World Cups from 1982 until 1994.

Messi also made his 25th tournament appearance in Qatar, which means he has now played four more World Cup matches than Maradona.

Sunday's final will be his 26th and, according to the diminutive Argentine, final appearance on football's biggest stage.

Overall, their stats are pretty similar, particularly when you account for Messi making more World Cup appearances.

Messi's number of goals and assists per 90 minutes averages 0.78, while it is slightly lower at 0.74 for Maradona.

They have both created a similar number of chances per 90 minutes (3.0 for Messi, 3.1 for Maradona) and completed a similar number of dribbles (5.1 for Maradona, 4.9 for Messi).

But all of the statistics will mean little to Messi if he is unable to guide his side to a World Cup final victory against France.

"The stars are aligned for Messi at this tournament," former England defender Rio Ferdinand said.

"When the question is asked who is the best, Maradona or Messi? - and people then say Messi has not won a World Cup. But this could be his moment."

Get the latest results and goal notifications for any team at the Fifa World Cup by downloading the BBC Sport app: Apple - Android - Amazon

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Title:

Content: Real Madrid fan Rafael Nadal emphatically settles Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate

Leading tennis figure and Real Madrid fan Rafael Nadal has dropped a verdict on the age-old Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate. While most might recognize him for his fierce battles on the tennis court, fewer might know of Nadal's affinity for football and, more precisely, his love for the Los Blancos.

His injury-induced hiatus from tennis has kept him sidelined for most of 2023, but the tennis legend was recognized by some fans while vacationing in Greece. Nadal graciously posed for a photograph before a fan asked an unexpected question:

"Who's the superior football maestro, Messi or Ronaldo?"

Both football legends have crossed paths with Nadal during their stints at FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively. However, with Nadal's love for Real Madrid, one could've anticipated a diplomatic evasion or a slight lean towards Cristiano Ronaldo.

But the Spaniard volleyed back with an astonishingly candid response:

"Messi is better, but I am a Real Madrid fan."

Watch the video below:

The Nadal family's football allegiance to Real Madrid paints an interesting backdrop to this declaration. According to GiveMeSport, the Nadals have cheered for the Los Blancos since Rafael was a child. However, his uncle, Miguel Angel Nadal, donned the colors of Barcelona in the late 90s, playing under the legendary Johan Cruyff.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have exited European football

The Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo duo have been synonymous with European football for over two decades. The two legends, entwined in fierce rivalry, have left indelible marks on the sport. However, the winds of change have come about, as Messi has now joined Ronaldo in a high-profile departure from Europe.

The Portugal superstar heralded the exit when he penned a lavish contract with Al-Nassr from the Saudi Pro League in January 2023. Just as the dust seemed to be settling, the Argentine wizard revealed he would be trading European arenas for the American shores, joining MLS side Inter Miami.

The lure of riches from overseas has become increasingly irresistible for many of football's elite in Europe. The cash-rich Middle Eastern nations, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have been casting their net, attracting some of the most iconic names in the game.

This summer alone has witnessed a staggering migration of talent. Notable European stars, including Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, Kalidou Koulibaly, and N'Golo Kante, have moved to Saudi Arabian clubs.

The collective departure of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from Europe feels almost surreal. For 21 uninterrupted years, these two titans have graced, and often dominated, the European football stage. Champions League nights will undoubtedly miss their playmaking and goalscoring abilities.

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At Inter Miami, Messi has been deployed as an inverted right winger in a 4-3-3 formation, where his vision and passing have been pivotal in transforming the team’s performance and leading them to their first trophy in the Leagues Cup .

Title:

Content: New York (CNN) — Soccer superstar Leo Messi’s arrival in America has sparked a surge in ticket prices, apparel and now, streaming subscriptions.

MLS Season Pass, which is Apple’s streaming package that broadcasts the soccer matches, experienced 1,690% growth in sign-ups the day Messi first played for his new team Inter Miami, according to analytics firm Antenna. Newly released data shows that the streaming package had about 6,000 subscription sign-ups the day before, but that soared to 110,000 sign-ups on his July 21 debut in the Leagues Cup.

In a blog post Tuesday, Antenna said that the “Messi Effect” on a year-old streaming package was “unique and profound.” Ordinarily, Antenna said that sport-specific streaming services experience a large portion of sign-ups at the beginning of the season with “gradual additions” as the season progresses because of big games or pricing promotions.

But nearly half of MLS Season Pass sign-ups to date happened in July after Messi joined the league, showing the surge in interest that Messi brought to Major League Soccer.

Antenna’s research also found that 15% of MLS Season Pass subscribers have also become Apple TV+ subscribers, the home of Apple’s largely scripted programming that includes relative hits like “The Morning Show” and “Ted Lasso.” And nearly half of new subscribers already had Apple TV+ before adding MLS Season Pass, which currently costs an additional $12.99 per month, to their subscription.

Notably, Antenna’s data only includes US sign-ups, so it’s not fully capturing the global appeal the international superstar likely has.

Apple has remained mum on how many subscribers the service has. Apple SVP of services Eddy Cue recently said it’s doing “much better than forecasted” for the number of subscriptions and viewers. CEO Tim Cook echoed that on an August earnings call, saying that the “fact that Messi went to Inter Miami helped us out there a bit.”

Messi regularly promotes the MLS Season Pass on match days by adding a link for signups on his Instagram stories. That isn’t a surprise since his deal with Inter Miami includes a cut of the revenue from new subscribers of MLS Season Pass, according to multiple reports.

Last summer, Apple signed the MLS to a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal to stream matches internationally, becoming the tech company’s first major sports deal.

Messi’s signing “makes Apple’s media rights deal more valuable than it could have ever imagined,” David Rumsey, reporter for Front Office Sports, previously told CNN. He said that he’s “confident the company would have had to pay a higher fee than the $250 million annual deal it agreed to last summer if Messi was already in the league.”

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Title:

Content: Lionel Messi's World Cup winning photo becomes the most popular Instagram picture EVER with 56.1million 'likes' - overtaking 'the egg' in top spot

  • Lionel Messi's 'world champions' post is the most popular Instagram post ever
  • It surged past the previous record of 56.1 million 'likes' set by an image of an egg
  • Argentina star Messi posted a set of pictures after Sunday's World Cup win
  • He thanks his family and those who'd supported him on his journey in football
  • The 2019 post of an egg by Chris Godfrey aimed to rack up the most likes

Lionel Messi's Argentina world champions post has become the most liked picture in the history of Instagram - overtaking an image of an egg.

That post got 56.1million likes but Messi's image of him lifting aloft the World Cup after Argentina beat France in Sunday's World Cup final has now raced past it.

In the aftermath of Argentina's thrilling penalty shootout win over France, the PSG star took to Instagram to post 10 pictures of the celebrations in Qatar.

Lionel Messi's picture of him lifting the World Cup trophy has become the most-liked Instagram image of all-time - overtaking an image of an egg

In the time since he uploaded it, Messi's post has racked up a staggering 56 million likes, with the forward also surpassing 402million followers on the social media platform.

Messi accompanied the post with a caption that read: 'WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!!! I dreamed it so many times, I wanted it so much that I still haven't fallen, I can't believe it......

'Thank you very much to my family, to all who support me and also to all who believed in us. We demonstrate once again that Argentines when we fight together and united we are capable of achieving what we set out to do.

'The merit belongs to this group, which is above individualities, it is the strength of all fighting for the same dream'.

Messi's Instagram profile also saw him eclipse 400million followers on the social media site

 Messi's post surpassed the number of likes received by Cristiano Ronaldo's upload last month

It surpassed Ronaldo's post from last month - an advert for Louis Vuitton ahead of the World Cup in which the Portuguese star and Messi were seen playing chess that had accumulated 41.9 million likes.

Ronaldo is still the most-followed person on Instagram though, with a staggering tally of 519 million.

Last month he became the first person ever to reach 500 million followers on the social media site.

The Portuguese star leads the way in terms of followers with Messi a clear distance behind in second - the two are the only athletes inside the top 10.

Kylie Jenner, Selena Gomez, Dwayne Johnson, Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, Khloe Kardashian and Justin Bieber complete the top 10.

Messi was jubilant after he helped Argentina to secure glory in the World Cup final  on Sunday

The record for 'likes' was previously held by Chris Godfrey, who uploaded a photo of an egg in January 2019.

The photo ended up getting 56.1 million likes, with the aim of surpassing the then-most liked Instagram post, a picture of Kylie Jenner's daughter which had 18.6 million likes.

Ronaldo got 32.6 million likes in October 2021 for the announcement that his partner Georgina Rodriguez was pregnant, while Messi's post of his advert with Ronaldo got 32.2 million likes.

Messi had a huge impact in the final in Qatar as he scored twice, while he also converted his penalty in the shootout.

Lionel Messi and teammates Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez celebrate on the open-top bus in Buenos Aires on Tuesday

The fans lined the streets in the middle of the night to try to get a glimpse of the victorious Argentina football team as they made their way through Buenos Aires on an open-top bus

It completed a fairytale final World Cup for the 35-year-old Paris Saint-Germain star, who won the one medal missing from his collection.

Messi and his team-mates flew from Qatar back to Argentina on Monday, where they celebrated their World Cup win with thousands of jubilant fans in Buenos Aires.

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Lionel Messi World Cup winning photo beats egg to take Instagram record

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MES-MERISING

Lionel Messi replicates exactly Diego Maradona pose as Argentina captain held aloft by hundreds after winning World Cup

LIONEL Messi replicated Diego Maradona's pose from 1986 as Argentina finally lifted the World Cup again after a 36-year wait.

Messi drove his country on throughout the tournament and was instrumental in the dramatic final win over France.

The victory sparked mass celebrations in which Messi was lifted above the rest of his team-mates while holding the trophy in the air.

Maradona, who was the star of the World Cup in Mexixo 36 years ago, also held the trophy aloft with the rest of the squad around him when he got his hands on the trophy.

Messi scored seven goals and assisted a further three on La Albiceleste's way to glory in Qatar.

Maradona was just as influential during Mexico '86, getting five goals and five assists.

Both, of course, won the player of the tournament accolade.

Messi was pipped to the Golden Boot by Kylian Mbappe, while Maradona was beaten to the individual trophy by England's Gary Lineker, who netted six.

Messi has long been compared with Maradona, with critics claiming the PSG star hadn't won the World Cup like the man who passed away aged 60 in 2020.

But now, Messi has achieved greatness and on his accomplishment he said: "It’s simply unbelievable. I knew that God was going to give me the Cup, I was sure — it was a big joy for us.

HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP

“I had this big dream for a long time, I wanted to close my career with the World Cup. I can’t ask for more than this."

Messi was expected to retire from international duty as he confirmed before the clash with France that it would be his last World Cup game, but he has now hinted at defending his crown in 2026.

He already has the record for most goals scored by one player at World Cups with 13, overtaking Brazil icon Pele.

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Title:

Content: Did Lionel Messi Go To College?

News

Did Lionel Messi Go To College?

In the world of professional sports, it is not uncommon for athletes to forgo higher education in pursuit of their dreams. Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, is no exception. Born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, Messi’s journey to stardom began at a young age, and his dedication to the sport led him down a different path than that of a traditional college education.

Early Life and Football Career
Messi’s passion for football was evident from a young age. At just six years old, he joined the youth team of his local club, Newell’s Old Boys. His exceptional skills quickly caught the attention of scouts, and at the age of 13, he moved to Barcelona, Spain, to join the prestigious La Masia academy. It was here that Messi’s talent flourished, and he rapidly rose through the ranks to become a key player for FC Barcelona.

Education and College
While Messi’s focus was primarily on his football career, he did receive a basic education during his time in Argentina. Like many young athletes, his commitment to training and matches left little time for formal education. However, it is important to note that in Argentina, primary and secondary education is compulsory, ensuring that Messi received a foundational education.

FAQ

1. Did Lionel Messi attend university?
No, Messi did not attend university. His dedication to football led him to pursue a professional career at a young age.

2. Did Messi complete high school?
While Messi did not complete high school in the traditional sense, he did receive a basic education in Argentina, as primary and secondary education is compulsory.

3. Does Messi regret not going to college?
There is no public information to suggest that Messi regrets not pursuing a college education. His incredible success in football speaks for itself.

In conclusion, Lionel Messi did not attend college. His exceptional talent and early dedication to football propelled him to the heights of the sport, leaving little room for a traditional college education. Nevertheless, Messi’s achievements on the field continue to inspire millions around the world, proving that success can be achieved through passion, hard work, and talent.

Title:

Content: 7 short stories about Lionel Messi from his childhood that you may not have known

#short #stories #Lionel #Messi #childhood
THE UNKNOWN ANECDOTES OF LIONEL MESSI

1. HE WON A BAREFOOT FOOTBALL-TENNIS TOURNAMENT

Fabián Soldini, the representative who brought Lionel Messi to Barcelona, said that for a Friends’ Day in Rosario, all the boys who were represented by the business group for which he worked met together and organized a soccer-tennis tournament. There were players like Renzo Ruggiero (Rosario Central), who were five years ahead of him. There was also Nacho Scocco, who was in the Newell’s youth team. The winner was Messi, with the particularity that he won it… playing barefoot!

2. “I WANT TO SEE RICHARD”

Diego Vallejos was a neighbor of the Messi family. Today he still lives a few meters from the house where Leo grew up in Rosario. And they shared a school, as well as a neighborhood. The teacher Andrea, from School No. 66 General Las Heras, was driven crazy: she was accused of having an alleged affair with the bus driver who took them to the carpentry shop. To the rhythm of the Queen song “We Will Rock You,” she was made to blush every time Richard arrived in the vehicle.

3. GAMES AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT

Bruno Milanesio threw walls with Messi in the children’s teams at Newell’s. He belonged to that famous Leprosy Category 87 that won every tournament they put in front of him. Off the court, they were also close. And one day when three or four boys met at the Milanesio house, they had no better idea than to have Leo play little games at the traffic light on the corner to ask for coins between the vehicles. Immediately Bruno’s mother saw them through the window and challenged them. The collection was so low that they didn’t even buy a soda for everyone.

Also Read:  A new drama rocked Levski - Gol

4. CHEATING IN VIDEO GAMES

If Leo didn’t walk with a ball, then he made it move with video games. It was another hobby that he had as a child and carried over into adulthood. One day at Bruno Milanesio’s house they put a football cartridge on the Sega console. Messi’s former teammate says that in a penalty shootout it was impossible to beat the computer. He then proposed changing the controls, that one of them would play for the other team and that way they could defeat the rival knowing which suit they were going to shoot each penalty for. In a moment of distraction, Leo appeared shouting that champions had emerged (in theory, he played alone against the machine), but that he had already turned off the console. To this day, Milanesio distrusts his ability to play video games: “he can’t lose at all.”

5. INTRUDERS IN THE REGIMENT

If the attack did not take place on the pavement of the streets of the block or in the garbage dump that today was transformed into a neighborhood club, Messi and his friend Diego would lead their gang to sneak into the Regiment property that was a few meters away. from their respective homes. Since at that time there was still military activity, the soldiers took them out every time they saw them from a distance, climbing a tree or playing ball with improvised goals.

6. CURED BY UNA MACUMBA

Newell’s Category 87 went to play a tournament in the Santa Fe town of El Trébol, where Bruno Milanesio’s grandmother was from. One day before the final, Leo sprained his ankle and was in doubt for the decisive match. His teammate’s grandmother asked some personal questions about Messi’s family, consulted the ankle of which leg he was damaged and assured that he would be cured by the next day. Believe it or burst: Leo was able to play in the final and they emerged champions.

Also Read:  Switzerland - Sweden 2:4, the Swedes won the EHT for the third time in a row and are second behind the Czech Republic

7. “IF YOU SCORE 5 GOALS, I WILL BUY YOU THE DIVER AND THE BACKPACK”

During the trial he did in Barcelona in 2000, Soldini challenged him to score five goals in practice to buy him a piece of clothing that he had seen in a shop window. Despite being shorter than his classmate, Leo dazzled. And in reduced football that day he scored four. At one point he kicked and the ball went all the way across the goal line. His representative denied that he had scored the ball into the goal to avoid paying the prize, although it was finally validated.

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His ability to adapt to different tactical systems and maintain high performance levels underscores his football intelligence and resilience .

Title:

Content: Is Pele the Greatest Of All Time? The case for three-time World Cup winner over Messi, Maradona and Ronaldo

For many, Messi’s World Cup triumph cemented his status as the greatest of all time – Pele’s contemporaries will never accept that

There is an oft-quoted TV segment between Pele and Diego Maradona in which the pair jostled over who was the rightful “Greatest of All Time”. The Brazilian reeled off his goals – by his count, 1,279 of them.

“Who did you score them against?” retorted Maradona. “Your nephews in the backyard?”

The dispute over Pele’s number of official career goals, his career taking place in Brazil and the USA rather than Europe, and the triumphs of Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo since have all been used to belittle his claim – but in the days following his death at the age of 82, the legendary forward’s influence has been reevaluated, and placed in the context which it is due.

We have GOATs for the ages, generational GOATs, a small pantheon full of GOATs – but there will never be total agreement on a singular greatest footballer. Fifa did not help, awarding a “Joint Player of the Century” to both Pele and Maradona in 2000, an act of fence-sitting which served only to enliven the debate rather than end it.

The reality is that legends are intertwined. Would Messi have enjoyed the career he did at Barcelona had Johan Cruyff not revolutionised the club and its way of playing? Would Ronaldo still have been relegated to this era’s supporting actor had Messi not just won the World Cup? Like Pele, was Maradona known for greatness alone, or a splash of notoriety? Only Cruyff comes close to Pele when it comes to invention and the mark he left on the game.

That is what makes Erling Haaland’s tribute more pertinent: “Everything you see any player doing, Pele did it first.” In many cases, he did it last too. No other 17-year-old has scored in a World Cup final. No 21-year-old has won two World Cups. No man in history has won three World Cups.

Others have scored more. The figure of 1,279 goals, which both Pele and Santos used to reflect an overall tally that included friendlies, tour matches, games played for the Brazilian army, and matches against under-23 national sides, is controversial – though in South American football at that time, those occasions held greater weight than they do now.

The real total, judged by Fifa’s normal measures of recognition, was 784 in 855 games for club and country. Ronaldo and Messi have beaten it, and Romario, Ferenc Puskas and Josef Bican came close, all registering over 700. Most statistics are hazy, though, with Fifa pointing out that record books from the 1950s and 1960s, particularly outside the European leagues, are a little thin on detail.

Pele was not captured in footage to the same degree as Ronaldo and Messi; both are very modern greats. Ronaldo epitomises the contemporary athlete, Messi an age of technical quality which, across the game, is greater than in Pele’s day. Then again, his contributions outside goalscoring predated the 21st century obsession with “the assist”. Some of his most famous goals were headers, despite standing at just 5ft 8in. He could even play in goal (and extremely well, by first-hand accounts).

Those who saw him up close, and who have witnessed every icon since, still consider Pele above them all. Franz Beckenbauer declared him “the best player in the history of football”; for Geoff Hurst he “remains the greatest of all time”. He even elevated those around him, producing from Gordon Banks the save widely hailed as the best ever.

Pele’s records

  • World Cups: 3 (highest)
  • Honours: 37
  • Brazil goals: 77 (joint-highest, alongside Neymar)
  • Games: 855 (1,363 including friendlies)
  • Total goals: 784 (his estimated total of 1,279 is disputed as it includes those scored in unofficial matches such as friendlies and tour games)
  • Brazilian league titles: 6
  • Copa Libertadores titles: 2
  • Intercontinental Cups: 2
  • NASL Soccer Bowls: 1

Other

  • Youngest player to score in a World Cup final (17 years, 239 days)
  • Youngest player to win two World Cups (aged 21)
  • Most goals in a calendar year (127, for Santos in 1959, accepted by Fifa though not in official records)

Yet it is perhaps because the game has changed so much that Pele will never be emulated. The international sphere has changed – the World Cup’s magic has dimmed now – the ones in which he operated were the true pinnacle. He was part of the greatest generation of the greatest nation, but he was the only one who spanned it all, the one 1958 World Cup winner still on the field when Brazil did it again in 1970. It is quite possible, likely even, that no country will ever enjoy a period like that again.

His longevity could not be matched by the gifted but hedonistic Maradona. His World Cup medals are lacked by Ronaldo. Even Messi, who many believe cemented his status as football’s greatest with his trophy lift in Qatar, has not enjoyed anything like the three decades of international supremacy attained by Pele.

And what of the view that all this was somehow dimmed by his rejection of offers from Manchester United, AC Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid? It is a deeply Eurocentric one, dismissive of his displays when he faced the great and the good of those sides with Brazil. Neymar tried it, treading the same path at Santos but moving to Europe at a young age – never to really emerge from the shadow of Messi.

More than that, Pele’s affinity with Brazil is as important today as it was then. In 1961, the country’s government declared him a “national treasure”; in 2022, his wake will be attended by millions a day after a new dawning of hope takes place with the inauguration of President Lula. If there was a sense Brazil had lost part of itself in the Bolsonaro years, the chasm has widened with the passing of Pele.

When this moment came for Maradona, he was ready to recognise greatness without the need for competition. “One day,” Pele wrote on his Instagram page, “I hope we can play ball together in the sky.” The rivalry put to one side, that game can finally begin.

**Comparative Analysis with Other Top Footballers** Messi’s records and statistics stand out even when compared to other football legends.

**Comparative Analysis with Other Top Footballers** Messi’s records and statistics stand out even when compared to other football legends.

**Comparative Analysis with Other Top Footballers** Messi’s records and statistics stand out even when compared to other football legends.

He has scored over 700 goals in official matches for club and country, and recently became the highest goalscorer in the history of Europe’s top five leagues with 496 goals, surpassing Ronaldo’s previous record .

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Content: Messi’s place in history assured regardless of outcome of final

What you need to know:

To some it’s not clear whether Messi landing a World Cup title on Sunday will settle this ‘greatest ever’ debate. Your columnist, however, reckons that not even a win for La Albiceleste on Sunday will sway things in Messi's favour. With all due respect, Pelé and Diego Maradona—in that order—are in their own orbit. And, from the looks of it, will be for a pretty long time.

The tone of most observers ahead of tomorrow's Fifa World Cup final is certain and prescriptive. The laboured attempt of Leo Messi's teammates at football stardom has been largely deemed a regrettable disaster.

Such observers clinch their argument by pointing out how decisive Messi has been in securing La Albiceleste a date with France's Les Bleus.

And, lest we forget, he has been; the penalty miss against Poland notwithstanding. By walking on water, Messi has invited comparisons; he with Jesus, his teammates with the disciples.

La Albiceleste’s demigod has gone about business in the Qatari Desert—much like Jesus did across 40 days in the Judaean Desert—with a wonderfully infectious enthusiasm and single-mindedness.

Messi has successfully fought battles and temptations in recent weeks. It didn’t seem to occur to him that other players in Argentina's squad were scarcely at ease with themselves (à la Lautaro Martínez).

After the shock loss that Saudi Arabia inflicted, there was reason to believe—or, at least, to hope—that the little Argentine's swansong World Cup would go down extremely badly. Now—with the finale upon us—observers sense, presumably, that even those whose faith wavers in Messi, will remain apostles of the messianic role of Messi.

There is a latent danger though in elevating a single match to the realm of that that is career defining. There are those who are desirous of using the 2022 World Cup final as a referendum on the long-running Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo showdown. Messi, they add, can only lay down the gauntlet if he ends up a World Cup winner.

This shouldn’t be the case. By now, it should be readily apparent to lovers of the beautiful game that Messi long established himself as the greatest player of his generation.

Not even Ronaldo can lace his boots. Heck, no living player can manage to take two different sets of Argentine outfits acutely aware of their own inadequacies to a World Cup final.

Yet that is a sliver of what makes Messi such a juggernaut. The question as to whether his guile and feats—both so sweeping in scope—are deserving of the GOAT (greatest of all time) acronym ought to be carefully weighed.

To some it’s not clear whether Messi landing a World Cup title on Sunday will settle this ‘greatest ever’ debate. Your columnist, however, reckons that not even a win for La Albiceleste on Sunday will sway things in Messi's favour. With all due respect, Pelé and Diego Maradona—in that order—are in their own orbit.

And, from the looks of it, will be for a pretty long time.
The feats both legends pulled off will quite honestly take a beating. Pelé in particular was such a colossus.

The first of his three world titles arrived in 1958 after the Brazilian—aged just 17–scored a hat-trick in the semifinal and a brace in the final for good measure. Pelé was not just a scorer of goals, but also a cerebral presence as his involvement in 53 percent of the 19 goals Seleção Canarinho scored en route to winning the 1970 World Cup title showed.

Elsewhere, the superlatives used to describe what Maradona produced on the pitch were richly merited. The 1986 World Cup feat was stratospheric in every sense of the word not least because Maradona pulled it off with an Argentina side shorn of star dust.

It's highly unlikely that a win for Messi on Sunday will be adequate to topple Maradona in the pantheon of the all-time greats.

Whatever the outcome (and it should not be forgotten that La Albiceleste comes up against a talented Les Bleus side, with Kylian Mbappé keen to stamp his mark), nothing should be taken away from Messi. What he has achieved on the international scene has been nothing short of extraordinary.

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Content: List of all 44 major trophies won by Lionel Messi since 2004

Lionel Messi

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Lionel Messi won his latest career trophy when he captained Inter Miami to cup glory over the weekend.

Messi officially has 44 titles in close to two decades, making him the most decorated footballer in history. His first trophy was back in 2004.

The Leagues Cup was his first trophy on American soil and comes just over a month since his arrival in South Florida.

Last year, the Argentine captain got his hands on the World Cup after several tries as his side defeated France in a tense final.

List of trophies Messi has won since 2004

a. 10 La Liga titles

b. Seven Copa Del Reys

c. Eight Spanish Super Cups

d. Three FIFA Club World Cups

e. Three UEFA Super Cups

f. The FIFA World Cup

g. The Finalissima

h. The Copa America

i. Olympic Gold

j. U20 World Cup

k. Two Ligue 1 titles and

l. One Trophée de Champions.

m. our Champions League wins

Goal.com report on Inter Miami final triumph

Inter Miami have added the first piece of silverware to their trophy cabinet. Just a few short weeks ago, that seemed almost unfathomable. The worst team in MLS taking down every opponent in their path on their way to a trophy? Come on!

A few short weeks ago, though, they didn't have Lionel Messi. They sure do now.

Messi was, unsurprisingly, the star of the show once again as Miami took down Nashville SC at Geodis Park, scoring a stunning goal to kickstart a match that finished 1-1 through 90 minutes. The goal was quintessential Messi: minimal space, a curling shot and no chance for the opposing goalkeeper.

A scrappy goal kept Nashville in the contest, but, even as the match went to penalties, there was no stopping Messi and co. It was a historically good shootout, too, as all 22 players took turns from the spot. Messi, of course, scored his as Miami's first taker, but it wasn't until Nashville SC goalkeeper Elliot Panicco saw his shot saved by Drake Callendar that Miami could celebrate their trophy.

Messi was once again the key to it all. There were few signature moments in the match, and Callendar will certainly go down as the hero, but Messi has done it again. New team, same result: trophy in hand.

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He has also scored 89 goals from outside the penalty area, compared to Ronaldo’s 56, demonstrating his versatility .

In the UEFA Champions League, Messi has made 150 appearances and scored 120 goals, placing him among the top scorers in the competition’s history and being the first player to score five goals in a single match .

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

Lionel Messi has won futbol’s biggest prize

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

MIAMI (AP) — Lionel Messi has won futbol’s biggest prize. He’ll now be part of 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 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.

His partnership with Michelob Ultra's parent company, Anheuser-Busch, began in 2020. The Super Bowl spot is part of the beer’s sizable investment in soccer. The ad follows the brand being revealed as the global beer sponsor of this summer’s Copa America.

It’s also expected that Ultra will partner with the men's World Cup when it comes to the U.S., Canada and Mexico in 2026 — when Messi and Argentina will aim to defend their title.

Messi is a marketing dream with giant brands such as Adidas, Gatorade, Hard Rock International, Royal Caribbean and Apple TV all involved with him. His social media footprint is enormous, with nearly 500 million followers on Instagram.

Anheuser-Busch routinely spends millions on Super Bowl ads; last year's game brought an asking price of as much as $7 million for a 30-second spot, with companies paying it to be on U.S. advertising's biggest stage and with hopes of reaching an expected audience of more than 100 million.

The beverage giant had a Michelob Ultra spot as part of last year's Super Bowl lineup, also with a sports theme — it was set at Bushwood Country Club, the fictional country club in “Caddyshack,” and starred tennis great Serena Williams, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current TV analyst Tony Romo, Miami Heat standout Jimmy Butler, golfer Rickie Fowler, soccer player Alex Morgan and boxer Canelo Alvarez.

Messi has more than 800 goals in his career for club and country, making him one of the greatest scorers in the sport’s history. He scored twice in the most recent World Cup final in 2022 that Argentina won against France on penalty kicks.

Messi is a four-time Champions League winner, an Olympic gold medalist and has been part of 44 trophy wins overall, considered the most in soccer history.

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Content: Are Roger Federer and Lionel Messi Similar? Rafael Nadal Ridicules Comparisons

Atharva Upasani
|Published September 18, 2023

In an old interview via the Rafael Nadal Fans page on YouTube, tennis great Rafael Nadal was asked about the comparisons between his rival, Roger Federer and soccer superstar, Lionel Messi. Nadal rubbished them categorically with an answer which sounds good objectively, but polarised opinion in the sports world. It also must have perhaps come from a place of Rafael Nadal preferring Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi.

The comparisons have gained significance again recently after Federer took to TIME Magazine to pen a heartfelt tribute to Leo Messi. Federer’s words, laden with praise, resonated with sports enthusiasts across the globe. In his tribute, Federer highlighted the profound impact Messi has had on soccer given the huge burden of expectations on his shoulder each time he enters the pitch.

Rafael Nadal on not believing in Federer-Messi comparisons

Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo have often been considered similar in the sense of their relentlessness and ability to dig deep in adversity even if it means not looking great while doing it. Their graft and hard work is evident and visible. On the other hand, Roger Federer and Lionel Messi are often compared for their elegance and effortless ease, making their sports look way more easier to play than they actually are.

But Rafael Nadal was quick to brush off any such suggestions in an interview with Marca. He was quoted as saying –

“There is no comparison possible. They are two completely different sports and the characteristics of Messi are not those of Federer nor those of Cristiano are mine.

In fact, this year, Rafael Nadal had reiterated that he still prefers Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi. His views angered Lionel Messi fans, who in turn called Roger Federer better than him.

Roger Federer pays touching tribute to Lionel Messi

In his touching tribute to the Argentine soccer superstar, Roger Federer, who knows a thing or two about winning, acknowledged his longevity and consistency. Messi has been dominating world soccer for well over 15 years now and has multiple Ballon D’or trophies to show for it. Federer hailed Messi’s ability to carry the hopes of an entire nation on his shoulder for so many years and still deliver clutch performances.

“What stands out to me about Messi, 35, is his consistent greatness over so many years. This is so difficult to achieve, and then maintain. My career has just come to an end and I have now realize how much weight we athletes carry. For a football player like Messi, that weight likely feels more massive, as he represents both a world-renowned club and a very passionate country.”

Federer also touched upon Argentina’s World Cup victory, describing it as a magnificent moment in sports history, witnessed by millions as jubilant fans took to the streets of Buenos Aires to celebrate. The Swiss legend then reminisced about his own sources of inspiration from Argentine soccer, citing Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta as his childhood favorites. Now, he believes that Messi can inspire future generations, much as Maradona and Batistuta had inspired him.

“Argentina’s World Cup victory was magnificent. Millions of fans’ taking to the streets of Buenos Aires to celebrate was an amazing moment in sports, witnessed around the world. Growing up, Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta were my favorite Argentine players. I was lucky enough to meet both of them. Now Messi can inspire future generations. I can only hope we get to see his unique creativity and artistry for a little bit longer. You may miss something incredible from the man of the moment. Thank you, Leo.”

Currently, Lionel Messi is plying his trade in Major League Soccer (MLS) with Inter Miami, a move that garnered significant attention and shifted the soccer landscape in America to greater heights.

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About the author

Atharva Upasani

A creative story teller with attention to detail and experience of working in sports industry, Atharva has over 3 years of experience in content writing. Being a Rafael Nadal fan himself, Atharva has included Rafas' work ethic and winning mentality in various aspects of his life. Atharva has completed his masters in sports journalism from Sheffield Hallam University and has expertise in tennis as well as other sports.

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His average goals per season (37.9) surpasses Ronaldo’s (35), and his playmaking ability is reflected in his higher assist numbers .

In direct comparison, Messi’s style emphasizes dribbling, vision, and playmaking, while Ronaldo is known for his athleticism and goal-scoring prowess .

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Lionel Messi Scores Brilliant Goal For PSG To Surpass Ronaldo's MASSIVE Record - WATCH

Lionel Messi's 16th goal for PSG in Ligue 1 turned out to be a record breaking one. The Argentine broke the goal-scoring record of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Football News

| Written By
Prateek Arya

Image: AP/Alnassrtwitter

Almost Two decades have passed but the race between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is still existent. While appearing for PSG in the final Ligue 1 game of the 2022/23 season on Saturday Messi scored a goal that took him past Ronaldo. Paris-Saint Germain drew with Strasbourg on Matchday 37 and were declared undisputed in the title race.

Lionel Messi's sublime left-footed strike opened the scoring for PSG on Saturday against Strasbourg. It was once again the familiar duo of Kylian Mbappe and Messi that produced the goal. However, the lead that came courtesy of the goal was short-lived as the home side soon brought the score to level terms. 1-1 was the score at full time, and with it, Parisians have taken an unassailable lead in the Ligue 1 table.

Also Read: Cristiano Ronaldo's First Season In Saudi Arabia Ends Without Title As Al-Ittihad Wins League

Lionel Messi scores brilliant goal for PSG to surpass Ronaldo's MASSIVE record

While the match turned out to be memorable for PSG, it proved to be monumental for Lionel Messi as well. The goal was Argentine's 496th in Europe's top 5 leagues, a tally which is one more than the Portuguese Superstar's 495. Moreover, as PSG won its 11th Ligue 1 title, it was Messi's 42nd, a number that puts him in a parallel position with former Barcelona teammate Davi Alves.  Here's the goal that is the bearer of all such developments.

The goal could be Messi's last in the PSG colors as the world cup winner is expected to leave the club this summer. However, nothing concrete can be stated about this subject at this point. There's interest from Saudi Arabia and a return to FC Barcelona is also highly probable. What do you think? Where is Lionel Messi headed this summer?

Also Read: 'Lionel Messi Is Coming To Al-Hilal, Accompanied By Angel Di Maria And Busquets': Report

As for Messi vs Ronaldo, the debate will continue to see the light of the day. It is a posibility that the fans' ambition of seeing the two GOATs play together could finally come to life. If it happens then it will be a spectacle to watch.

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Content: Thiago, Mateo Messi given jersey No.10 in respective teams as Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi and his two sons

Sat, 7 Oct 2023 Source: www.ghanaweb.com

The two sons of Argentine legend Thiago and Mateo Messi are gradually walking into the shoes of their dad as the duo have been handed the jersey no. 10 at their respective clubs.

Thiago, the eldest aged 10, plays for the Inter Miami's U-12 team. He is one of 150 players who will compete for Miami's different youth teams this season and one of 35 newcomers to the club's academy program.

Thiago Messi plays as a forward, having previously played for Barcelona youth team and Paris Saint-Germain youth teams.

Messi’s second son, Mateo Messi, age 8 also plays for Inter Miami's U-10 team. Just a replica of his dad, Mateo is very special, he's always doing new things, things that grab your attention as said by Lionel Messi.

In a post cited by GhanaWeb, Lionel Messi shared a picture with Thiago and Mateo, all in Argentine replica with the number 10 after he led Argentina to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

However, both Thiago and Mateo chose to wear the same number as their dad during the World Cup and also featured in the same number when he played for Barcelona.

Currently, Messi plays for Major League Side (MLS) Inter Miami CF and wears the same jersey number 10 he wore in his previous clubs, except Paris Saint-Germain where he wore 30.

Messi's third son, Ciro aged 5 is also blessed with mazing football skills.

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Big Brands Like Apple Buy The MLS Pitch: Our Soccer Is Calling

Following

Everything is looking up for Major League Soccer in 2024 including season ticket revenue (+25%), merchandise sales (+44%), web traffic (+102%), social mentions for MLS & clubs (+15%), and franchise values (7X over past decade). Sponsorship revenue is up 15% because brands follow fans who follow teams.

Major League Soccer is promoting “Our soccer is calling” in 2024.

When the world’s most valuable brand puts so much or so many Apples in the MLS basket, other brands take notice. In addition to MLS broadcasts, this year Apple will:

  1. Allow all Apple Vision Pro users to experience the best of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs with the first ever sports film captured in Apple Immersive Video.
  2. Run Apple Podcasts featuring Apple TV’s Offside With Taylor Twellman, with insider scoops on fans’ favorite American clubs.
  3. Offer an Messi app and Apple Music’s Messi: The Warm-Up with an exclusive playlist from Lionel Messi that he uses for pre-match focus. On the playlist, Messi says, “For as long as I can remember, music has played an important part in my life, especially on match days. Music quiets my mind, helps me stay calm and relaxed.”
  4. Provide an improved platform offering better search capabilities, and more interactive features, such as enhanced shareability and SharePlay.

Who else is in on the pitch?

Brands looking for creative activation strategies can learn from these MLS sponsors.

  • Adidas: Officially opens the adidas Fútbol Society in Miami, a premium retail experience and cultural hub to celebrate soccer culture. With athlete appearances, music, local legends, exclusive drops and local flavor, the adidas Fútbol Society will open other U.S cities.
  • Beats: Produces custom headphones for the Atlanta United, Columbus Crew, Inter Miami, LAFC, Nashville SC, NYCFC, St. Louis City SC, and Toronto FC. Players can wear Beats headphones and earphones before and after the match, but we we aren’t quite to the point of seeing any during the game as yet.
  • Captain Morgan: Dedicates social media posts featuring tune-in information for their six local partner clubs, Atlanta United, Austin FC, Inter Miami CF, LAFC, Nashville SC, and New York City FC. The social posts will link to a custom craft cocktail pairing that gives a nod to each club.
  • Caterpillar: Is sending two fans to the home opener of their favorite team. CAT ran an organic post on Facebook at the start of the month as well as paid ads for two weeks to drive excitement.
  • RBC Wealth Management: Look for ads showing fans enjoying a game featuring digital LED signage, soccer-themed cupcakes and a cameo from the 2024 MLS soccer ball.
  • Chevrolet in Canada: Developed a content series highlighting the journey of Canadian players in MLS. As an official partner of CF Montréal, Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Chevy will activate through innovative in-venue and digital advertising and retail displays at MLS Canada venues along with organizing special community events at MLS academy training facilities in Canada.
  • Campbell Snacks: Kicks off the season with an omni-channel retail program for fans to “Snack United.” With more than 15K cobranded POS displays across the U.S., the program kicked off February 12th and runs through mid-March.
  • DoorDash: Offers VIP ticket experience sweepstakes in key markets.
  • Avant: MLS Forward credit card holders will receive member benefits including special offers and promotions.
  • P&G: Kicks off the season with a retail program including Old Spice and Gillette.
  • IHG Hotels & Resorts: IHG One Rewards Access platform allows members to score tickets to hot matches including VIP Tickets, MLSstore.com gift cards, and premium experiences.

All about Gen Z/A

The MLS attracts the most adults under 49 years old with the most Gen Z (1995-2009) and Gen Alpha (2010+) kids still in the household.

Life-long consumption decisions begin among young parents with kids and with the children themselves. Compared to the past, research shows this generation of parents more heavily influence children’s decisions on brands and sport participation.

If your brand isn’t in on the pitch yet, our soccer is calling.

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Messi’s ability to perform in high-stakes matches, such as scoring 26 goals and providing 14 assists in El Clasico encounters, further distinguishes him .

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Content: Inter Miami have appointed Lionel Messi as their new captain following his sensational debut for the MLS club.

Messi, 36, came off the bench to debut during Friday's Leagues Cup opener against Mexican club Cruz Azul. He scored the winning goal with a last-minute free-kick to seal a 2-1 victory in front of their home fans at DRV PNK Stadium. The summer signing wore the captain's armband after entering the pitch during the second-half. Former Newcastle United defender DeAndre Yedlin handed it to him following the substitution that saw Sergio Busquets introduced for the first time.

Inter Miami 's current captain is Brazilian midfielder Gregore, who has held the role over the last two years. However, he underwent surgery on a Lisfranc injury earlier this season. He is out until around mid-September while rehabilitating his foot. And it seems that he will no longer be wearing the armband following the arrival of Messi. Head coach Tata Martino reportedly confirmed to The Athletic at a press conference on Monday that their match-winner is now the new captain.

Messi was Martino's captain while they were together with the Argentina national team, having assumed the position from Javier Mascherano in 2011. The forward also captained Barcelona following the departure of Andres Iniesta in 2018 for three years before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain.

At PSG, Marquinhos was captain upon Messi's arrival. Presnel Kimpembe, Marco Verratti, Kylian Mbappe and Sergio Ramos were all favoured over him by Christophe Galtier when the coach was naming vice-captains last season. While pursuing their former player this summer, Barcelona were reportedly ready to make Messi their captain again with Busquets leaving. And now Inter Miami are moving to make him the leader of their club.

The decision shows his immediate impact by instantly earning the respect of teammates to such an extent that the coach is comfortable with him captaining the squad. Fellow forward Robert Taylor has been speaking to the change Messi has already had in a matter of weeks. “It’s amazing, it’s great, of course I’m excited,” Taylor told the Independent.

“He’s just come in and brought a lot of energy to the team. His play means he makes the right decisions all of the time in training and in the games, which is why it’s so good. It’s a great feeling. The way to win it as well. To witness that free-kick and the quality he brings to the team, it’s unbelievable.” Messi has also shown strong leadership by dedicating Inter's win to teammate Ian Fray, who injured himself during the game, with the youngster since discovering he has torn his ACL for the third time.

Josef Martinez has also, admittedly jokingly, described Messi as his "new best friend". The striker was addressing footage of them talking together on the bench before entering the pitch together last week.

When compared to football legends like Pelé and Diego Maradona, Messi’s achievements are equally, if not more, impressive.

When compared to football legends like Pelé and Diego Maradona, Messi’s achievements are equally, if not more, impressive.

When compared to football legends like Pelé and Diego Maradona, Messi’s achievements are equally, if not more, impressive.

Pelé won three World Cups and scored over 1,000 goals (including unofficial matches), while Maradona is remembered for his extraordinary 1986 World Cup performance .

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5 times Lionel Messi outperformed Cristiano Ronaldo in El Clasico

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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo headlined almost all El Clasico matches between 2009 and 2018. The two greatest players of this generation put in exceptional performances, proving time and again why they are rated so highly by fans and critics alike.

Lionel Messi, who recently left for Paris Saint-Germain, featured in 45 El Clasicos for Barcelona, netting 26 goals and registering 14 assists. The Argentine went toe-to-toe with Cristiano Ronaldo on most of those occasions and often came out with a smile on his face. Today, we will take a look at five such instances where Lionel Messi bested Cristiano Ronaldo. So, without further ado, here are

5 times Lionel Messi got the better of Cristiano Ronaldo in El Clasico

#5 Real Madrid 0-3 Barcelona in La Liga 2017-18

Following a humiliating defeat in the 2017-18 Super Cup, Barcelona got the opportunity to make amends in La Liga, later in December 2017. Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were on the Santiago Bernabeu pitch that day, but it was Lionel Messi who made the scoreboard tick.

After a goal-less first half, Barcelona forward Luis Suarez hit the back of the net first in the second half. Then, in the 63rd minute, Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal saw red, which allowed Lionel Messi to convert from the spot and double Barcelona’s advantage. He then capped off the match with a cut-in for Aleix Vidal, who scored the Catalan team’s third on the night.

#4 Real Madrid 3-4 Barcelona in La Liga 2013-14

Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid were at each other’s throats when the final El Clasico of the 2013-14 season took place at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Of course, the eyes were firmly set on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi — the two cover stars of every Clasico since 2009.

After Andres Iniesta’s initial strike in the 7th minute — which was set up by Lionel Messi, helped Barcelona ahead — Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema scored a brace to give the hosts the edge. Lionel Messi hit the back of the net just before half-time to restore parity. Cristiano Ronaldo converted from the spot in the second half to restore Real Madrid’s advantage.

However, the Portuguese superstar’s attempt was soon undone after Sergio Ramos was sent off. Lionel Messi scored two penalties against a 10-man Real Madrid to bag all three points, which also made him the leading scorer in El Clasico with 21 goals.

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Content: What Was Lionel Messi Known For?

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What Was Lionel Messi Known For?

Lionel Messi, the Argentine football superstar, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. Known for his exceptional skills, agility, and goal-scoring ability, Messi has left an indelible mark on the world of football. From his early days at FC Barcelona to his international success with the Argentine national team, Messi’s career has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Early Career and Rise to Prominence
Born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina, Messi showed immense talent from a young age. He joined the Barcelona youth academy, La Masia, at the age of 13, where he honed his skills and developed his unique playing style. Messi made his first-team debut for Barcelona in 2004, at the age of 17, and quickly became a key player for the club.

Playing Style and Skills
Messi is known for his exceptional dribbling ability, close ball control, and lightning-fast speed. His low center of gravity allows him to change direction quickly, leaving defenders in his wake. His vision and passing accuracy are also remarkable, enabling him to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. However, it is his goal-scoring prowess that truly sets him apart. Messi has an incredible ability to find the back of the net, often with stunning precision and creativity.

Records and Achievements
Throughout his career, Messi has shattered numerous records and achieved countless milestones. He has won numerous individual awards, including the prestigious FIFA Ballon d’Or, which he has claimed a record-breaking seven times. Messi has also led Barcelona to numerous domestic and international titles, including ten La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles.

FAQ

Q: What is Messi’s playing position?
A: Messi primarily plays as a forward or attacking midfielder, but his versatility allows him to excel in various positions on the field.

Q: Has Messi ever won the FIFA World Cup?
A: Despite his immense success at the club level, Messi has yet to win the FIFA World Cup with the Argentine national team. However, he has led Argentina to the finals in 2014 and has won several other international tournaments, including the Copa America.

Q: How many goals has Messi scored in his career?
A: As of 2021, Messi has scored over 700 goals in official matches for both club and country.

In conclusion, Lionel Messi is known for his exceptional skills, agility, and goal-scoring ability. His playing style, records, and achievements have solidified his status as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Whether it is his mesmerizing dribbles or his ability to find the back of the net, Messi’s impact on the sport will be remembered for generations to come.

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Lionel Messi provides clear response when asked if breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's top 5 European scoring record mattered to him

Lionel Messi was recently quizzed about whether breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's record as the top scorer in top five European leagues mattered to him. Messi scored his 496th goal in top five European leagues, breaking Ronaldo's record.

As Messi's time at European football has come to an end with his impending move to Inter Miami, the Argentine was asked whether breaking Ronaldo's record mattered to him. He told beIN Sport:

"No, just a little bit. As I said before, at this stage of my career, I don't focus on that anymore. I focus on what I was able to achieve with Argentina and the club level where I was lucky enough to win important titles like the UCL or Club World Cup, leagues, cups.
"I was lucky enough to win everything, and that's really what will remain at the end of my career. Of course, you have the goals and records, but, I think, they are secondary apart from the fact that they are nice recognitions."

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated European football for years during their time in the continent. The rivalry between the duo peaked when they used to play in La Liga. Messi was in Barcelona while Ronaldo was in Real Madrid, giving fans countless memorable encounters in El Clasicos.

When Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to have dinner with Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi shared the honour of the best footballer of the modern era for more than 15 years. They were almost always among the contenders as the best player in the world and are multiple Ballon d'Or winners.

During one such occasion, Ronaldo spoke about his relationship with Messi. He said that while they pushed each other to get better, they have a good relationship. The Portuguese even expressed the desire to have dinner with Messi (via Sportsmanor):

“I don’t know if its ever happened in football, the same two guys, in the same stage, all the time. So … it’s not easy. Of course, we have good relationship. We not have dinner together yet, but I hope in the future.”

Both Ronaldo and Messi are no longer in European football. Ronaldo plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. He joined the club as a free agent in December last year.

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Edited by Bhargav

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Content: 'No words left to describe Messi'

MADRID • Just like how Rafael Nadal is peerless when it comes to the French Open, so is Lionel Messi, when he is on the football pitch for Argentina.

La Albiceleste coach Lionel Scaloni used that analogy as he waxed lyrical about his talisman, following his five-goal haul in a friendly against minnows Estonia on Sunday.

The crowd at the El Sadar Stadium in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona witnessed a Messi virtuoso display as the Copa America champions romped to a 5-0 victory.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward, who has now netted 86 times in 162 international games, opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the eighth minute as he waited for goalkeeper Matvei Igonen to commit before firing the ball into the bottom-right corner.

The 34-year-old doubled Argentina's lead just before half-time, adding another goal two minutes into the second half.

He sealed the thrashing with two more strikes in the 71st and 76th minutes.

The Argentina captain caught up and surpassed Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas (84 strikes) to move into fourth on the all-time list, three behind former Malaysia forward Mokhtar Dahari, in third.

Iran's Ali Daei (109) is second, while Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo remains first with 117 goals.

Messi also became the first player to have netted five times in both a single European Cup or Champions League clash - against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012 - and in an international match on a senior level.

On his star man, Scaloni said: "I don't know what else to say. It's very difficult; it's like Rafa Nadal, what are you going to say?

"It is preferable that the journalists speak, that they speak. You have no words left to describe it, and above all, for everything it generates.

"He is something unique, and it is a pleasure to have him in this group. It is a pleasure to train him, the entire coaching staff. And it's a pleasure his behaviour and how he toasts to his shirt.

"We only have words of thanks. I don't think he's just the heritage of Argentina; he's the heritage of the world, of world football. The day he doesn't play any more, we are going to miss him."

The rout saw Argentina extend their unbeaten run to 33 matches, ominous form just five months from the start of the World Cup in Qatar. Their last loss was a 2-0 defeat by Brazil in the semi-finals of the 2019 Copa America.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 07, 2022, with the headline 'No words left to describe Messi'. Subscribe

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Argentina's World Cup final win over France in all-time classic crowns Lionel Messi's glorious career

Argentina are World Cup winners for the third time, with Lionel Messi inspiring the Copa America champions to glory, following a penalty shootout win at the end of an incredible final against France in Qatar on Sunday.

- World Cup 2022: News and features | Bracket | Results

Kylian Mbappe became only the second player to score a World Cup final hat trick, eclipsing Messi's two strikes in the match, but despite his goals helping France to a 3-3 result after extra time, shootout misses by Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni meant Argentina celebrated victory in Lusail.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. Messi crowns incredible career with World Cup win

Lionel Messi's incredible career is now complete. The Argentina captain has finally added a World Cup winners' medal to all of the Champions Leagues, domestic championships and cups and the Copa America he won with Argentina in 2021.

And he did in in style. Two goals in a dramatic final, plus a successful penalty in the shootout, mean that Messi did everything possible to deliver long-awaited glory for Argentina. He also won the Golden Ball award as the best player of the tournament.

Will it end the GOAT debate? Probably not. There will always be those who favour Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona and Pele over the 35-year-old, but now that he has a World Cup win on his list of honours, you can bet that Messi won't care in the slightest about the endless debate over who really is the greatest of all time.

But the most important thing for Messi is that nobody can ever point to the one big trophy missing from his career. He has not only now lifted it, he drove and inspired Argentina to success, just as Maradona did in Mexico in 1986.

Qatar 2022 has been Messi's tournament. He has scored in every game bar one -- the group stage win against Poland when he had a penalty saved by Wojciech Szczesny -- and he has risen to the occasion every time Argentina has needed him to make a difference.

Big goals against Mexico and Australia, amazing assists for Nahuel Molina and Julian Alvarez against Netherlands and Croatia respectively and, in the final against France, he set Argentina on the way to victory by scoring a first-half penalty.

It has been the perfect tournament for Messi in every sense. The perfect embellishment to an unrivalled career.

2. Mbappe's brilliance was not enough for France

Kylian Mbappe has already won one World Cup for France, and he almost won a second single-handedly against Argentina.

His two goals in the space of 97 seconds in the final 10 minutes of the game gave France a lifeline after they had trailed 2-0 since the first half, and the Paris Saint-Germain star then added a third to claim his hat trick in extra time. But despite Mbappe's heroics -- he also netted his spot kick in the shootout -- France couldn't become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962.

With the France squad being hit by a virus in the buildup to the game, it was a remarkable achievement for Les Bleus to be able to fight back from two goals down to take the game to penalties. Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate, Dayot Upamecano, Adrien Rabiot and Kingsley Coman were all unable to train on Friday, and three of them -- Varane, Upamecano and Rabiot -- started the game.

The lack of energy was evident for most of the game until Mbappe gave them hope with an 80th-minute penalty. They were so bad in the first half that Deschamps substituted Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembele before the interval and it didn't get much better in the second half. Even Antoine Griezmann, one of the players of the tournament, failed to see out the game with Deschamps replacing him with 20 minutes to go.

A final is when the big players show up and make the difference, but France's top stars went missing until Mbappe exploded into life on 80 minutes. But despite almost carrying his team to glory, Mbappe couldn't take France all the way. He now has the unenviable distinction of scoring a hat trick in a World Cup final and still ending up on the losing side.

3. Argentina's triumph a win for a whole continent

Argentina ended South America's 20-year wait for a World Cup win by defeating reigning champions France in Qatar.

Not since Brazil won their fifth World Cup in 2002 has a South American team lifted the trophy, but by doing so, Argentina have brought an end to European dominance of the tournament. Italy, Spain, Germany and France have all won the World Cup since a South American nation and only Argentina -- in 2014 -- have made it to the final since 2002.

But with so many of the game's leading players coming from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia, it is a huge morale boost for the continent of South America to finally have a world champion again.

And with the hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup still to be decided, the impact made by Argentina on and off the field in Qatar should help the South American challenge to host the tournament in eight years' time.

South American fans have been the largest contingent by far in Qatar. It is a hugely passionate football region, and the prospect of Argentina and Uruguay co-hosting the centenary World Cup in 2030 -- 100 years after the latter beat the former 4-2 in the inaugural final as hosts in Montevideo -- can only have been helped by Messi's team winning this tournament.

Player ratings (1 = worst, 10 = best)

Argentina: Emiliano Martinez 8; Nahuel Molina 6, Cristian Romero 7, Nicolas Otamendi 6, Nicolas Tagliafico 7; Enzo Fernandez 8, Rodrigo De Paul 8, Alexis Mac Allister 8; Lionel Messi 8, Julian Alvarez 7, Angel Di Maria 8.

Subs: Marcos Acuna 6, Gonzalo Montiel 6, Leandro Paredes 6, Lautaro Martinez 6, German Pezzella 6, Paulo Dybala 6.

France: Hugo Lloris 7; Jules Kounde 4, Raphael Varane 6, Dayot Upamecano 5, Theo Hernandez 5; Aurelien Tchouameni 6, Adrien Rabiot 6; Ousmane Dembele 3, Antoine Griezmann 5, Kylian Mbappe 9; Olivier Giroud 4.

Subs: Marcus Thuram 7, Randal Kolo Muani 8, Kingsley Coman 6, Edouardo Camavinga 6, Youssouf Fofana 6, Ibrahima Konate 6, Axel Disasi 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Kylian Mbappe

He was quiet for the most of the game, but the big players deliver when it matters. Mbappe turned the World Cup final on its head by scoring twice in the space of 90 seconds in the closing stages before claiming a hat trick with his extra-time penalty.

WORST: Ousmane Dembele

Gave away the penalty for Argentina's opener with a clumsy challenge on Di Maria. Didn't contribute anything positive and was even worse than Jules Kounde on France's woeful right flank.

Highlights and notable moments

After his team went two goals down, France coach Didier Deschamps had seen enough. With four minutes until the end of the first half he made a double substitution. Dembele and Olivier Giroud were the ones hauled off, and the latter did not take it well.

Kylian Mbappe's second-half brace then forced the match into extra time, when he followed up his penalty with this goal just seconds later.

Messi and Mbappe both scored again in extra time, taking the match to a shootout, where Gonzalo Montiel was the unlikely hero.

After the match: What the players and managers said

Postmatch quotes will appear here...

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

Messi's opener was the first goal or assist he had recorded in a final in his senior Argentina career. His penalty was the sixth to be taken in a men's World Cup final (excluding shootouts). Only one of them was not converted -- Antonio Cabrini vs. West Germany in 1982, although Italy still won that match.

Of the 20 previous men's teams to score first in the World Cup final, 12 went on to lift the trophy. Only one team has trailed by two or more goals in the World Cup final and gone on to win it before the final in Qatar -- West Germany in 1954 vs. Hungary.

All three of Argentina's goals were scored by players aged 34 years or older (Di Maria 34, Messi 35). Prior to this, the only players of that age to score in a World Cup final had been Nils Liedholm for Sweden in 1958 (35) and Zinedine Zidane for France in 2006 (34). At 35 years and 177 days, Lionel is the second-oldest man to score in a World Cup final, after Liedholm (35 years, 264 days) in 1958 vs. Brazil.

France is the first team in men's World Cup history to make multiple first-half substitutions in the final. The only other first-half substitutes in World Cup finals were one in 1982 (Italy), two in 1994 (one each by Brazil and Italy) and one in 2014 (Germany).

With his first goal, Kylian Mbappe became only the second man to score in back-to-back World Cup finals, after Brazil's Vava in 1958 and 1962. With his second, Mbappe became the first to score seven goals at a World Cup since Ronaldo scored eight for Brazil in 2002.

There was a gap of just one minute and 37 seconds between Mbappe's two goals, the first time that goals had been scored in consecutive minutes in a men's World Cup final.

This was the eighth men's World Cup final to go to extra time, with only two of the previous seven going to penalties. However, it was the fourth World Cup final to require an additional 30 minutes in the 21st century (2006, 2010, 2014, 2022), as many times as in the 20th century.

With Lautaro Martínez's introduction from the bench, a player from Bayern Munich and a player from Inter Milan has featured in each of the last 11 World Cup finals. Bayern's Dayot Upamecano started the match for France.

Mbappe's third goal made him only the second man to score a hat trick in a World Cup final, after Geoff Hurst for England in 1966, and it secured him the World Cup Golden Boot award as top scorer with eight goals.

With 172 goals scored, this is the World Cup with the most goals ever. There were 171 scored in 1998 and 2014.

Messi has won every competition he's appeared in more than once. The only competition he has played in and not won is the Coupe de France, in which he has made one appearance.

Up next

Argentina: The new world champions get to party and celebrate their triumph with no upcoming matches on their schedule for 2023 just yet. However, most of them will soon be back in action for their clubs with the Premier League resuming on Dec. 26. The second halves of the LaLiga and Ligue 1 seasons will also begin before the end of the year, meaning it might not be long before we see Messi and Mbappe back together at Paris Saint-Germain.

France: They may feel like it right now, but France don't have long before they have to begin qualification for Euro 2024. The road to Germany begins on March 24 when Netherlands visit the Stade de France, before Les Bleus travel to face Republic of Ireland three days later.

Messi’s recent World Cup victory in 2022, combined with his record number of Ballon d’Or awards and club successes, has solidified his place in the conversation about the greatest footballer of all time .

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Content: Watch: Messi catches son's U12 Inter Miami football match, victory over rivals

Roughly three weeks after he joined the Inter Miami academy, Thiago was seen in action on Sunday in a friendly against Weston FC

Photo: AFP file
by

Trends Desk

Published: Mon 18 Sep 2023, 12:19 PM

Football legend Lionel Messi is currently living it up in the United States with Inter Miami. The 2022 World Cup winner moved to the US earlier this year, drawing curtains on his prolific 18-year-long career in European football, winning several titles.

His family has also moved to the US, and while the Argentina captain is said to be in the final stages of his career, his son, Thiago, is just starting out by joining Inter Miami's U12 team.

Roughly three weeks after he joined the Inter Miami academy, Thiago was seen in action on Sunday in a friendly against Weston FC.

Inter Miami CF Academy posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, showing Thiago helping his team register a 2-0 victory over their rivals.

Fans reacted to the clip, wishing Messi's son the best for his future.

"All the best for Thiago," read a comment.

In another video shared on X, Messi was seen relaxing with his two other sons — Mateo and Ciro — waiting for Thiago to take to the field.

This wasn't the first time Messi was seen spending quality time with his family near the field. Another short video showing Mateo and Ciro went viral a few days ago.

"Leo Messi with Mateo and future hurdles winner Ciro," read the post.

Watch it here:

The 36-year-old has had a brilliant start to his Major League Soccer (MLS) career in the US. Messi scored in his debut match against Cruz Azul FC in July. A match-winning freekick in the 94th minute saw his side reach the next stage.

Just last month, the 7-time Ballon d'Or winner led his side to a maiden Leagues Cup victory. He was recently part of the national side that took on Ecuador in a World Cup 2026 qualifier. Whether Messi will be a part of the La Albiceleste in 2026 when they go out to defend their title in the US, Canada and Mexico remains to be seen.

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“Messi was the superhero" - World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz hails PSG superstar Lionel Messi for incredible FIFA World Cup performances

Former World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz has hailed Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) attacker Lionel Messi as the superhero of Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph in Qatar. Alcaraz also compared Roger Federer with the Argentine icon.

Alcaraz, who will be competing at the Argentina Open on February 15, took the time to laud World Cup hero Messi, telling Ole:

“Messi was the superhero in the World Cup and practically put himself in the entire country so that Argentina would consecrate itself in Qatar.”

Messi won the FIFA World Cup for the first time in his career last December and did so in incredible fashion. The PSG forward scored seven goals and contributed three assists in seven games. He was awarded the Golden Ball award for his performances in the Middle East.

He scored a vital opener in La Abiceleste's 2-0 win over Mexico, which secured his side a place in the last 16. He then bagged another opener in Lionel Scaloni's side's 2-1 win over Australia in the Round of 16.

✅ 2006✅ 2014✅ 2018✅ 2022Messi becomes the first Argentinian to score in four World Cups! ✨#FIFAWorldCup | #Qatar2022 https://t.co/lKzewHhVkV

The heroics didn't stop there, as Messi bagged a penalty in an enthralling 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. Messi then showed nerves of steel to score a confident penalty in a 4-3 shootout win.

He added another from the spot in the 3-0 mauling of Croatia in the semifinals. However, the PSG attacker really came to the fore in his nation's FIFA World Cup final win over France. He scored two goals in 120 minutes before converting his penalty in the 4-2 shootout win over Les Bleus.

Many now deem Messi the greatest player of all time following his glorious World Cup campaign in Qatar. Alcaraz has compared him with tennis great Federer, who has won 103 ATP singles titles, the second most of all time:

“Yes, Federer is the Messi of tennis because of how easy he is to play."

Lionel Messi is close returning to Barcelona due to internal problems at PSG

Lionel Messi joined PSG in 2021 after Barcelona could not afford to offer their prolific attacker a new contract. He became a Blaugrana great during 16 seasons at the Camp Nou, scoring 672 goals and providing 303 assists in 778 appearances.

However, it appears that a similar issue has hit the Parisians, with Messi's contract set to expire at the end of the season. Reports claim that the Ligue 1 club need to reduce their wage bill by 30% to avoid FFP issues. They were €390 million over the limit for the last financial year.

Lionel Messi: "Barcelona is my life, Barça gave me everything. I've lived here for longer than in Argentina.” https://t.co/3kHxxaK9S4

Due to that reason, the Argentine is edging closer to rejoining Barcelona, although the Blaugrana are enduring financial complications themselves.

The Spanish club's president, Joan Laporta, has confirmed that they are looking to reduce their wage bill by another €70 million next summer. However, the lure of bringing one of their greatest players back to the Camp Nou is enticing.

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Content: What Happened During Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s First Meeting? A Manchester United legend reveals what happened during Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s first meeting.

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What Happened During Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s First Meeting? A Manchester United legend reveals what happened during Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s first meeting.

The first time Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo met is always a story to tell for a Manchester United icon.

Messi and Ronaldo, as expected, are putting up a strong case for winning the Ballon d’Or this year.

Wes Brown’s account of the inaugural Messi vs. Ronaldo encounter was disclosed in the extracts from Manchester United features editor Steve Bartram’s new book “Manchester United: Unscripted,” adding flavor to one of the greatest rivalries in sports history.

Brown, a former Red Devils defender, detailed the difficulties he had dealing with a 20-year-old Messi on the pitch.

When Brown’s Manchester United faced Messi and Barcelona in the 2008 UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time, the excitement was unsurpassed, according to Brown.

The major goal for Brown was to halt the Argentine magician. He felt the assignment would be simple because he had been practicing and playing against world-class players in England.

Brown, on the other hand, agreed that it wasn’t as simple as it sounds.

Brown explained, “My objective was to stay focused and keep upsetting him [Messi].” “Stop him from working his enchantment. That’s all you can do with great guys like that. Frustrate them, attempt to make them miserable, force them to do things they don’t want to do. Stop them from doing what they really want to do.” “However, that isn’t easy,” he added.

Pressure rose on Barcelona in the 14th minute after Manchester United’s Paul Scholes scored a spectacular goal that startled Messi, who was described as “standing watching” at the time.

Despite this, Brown admitted that the left-footed forward continued to do his thing, attempting to cause Manchester United defenders headaches with his “small” yet “quick” dribbles.

Finally, Brown boasted that they were fully aware of Messi’s “capabilities,” and that the “basic technique” of always having someone challenge the Barcelona star “got the job done.”

“You learn, even back then, when you’re watching Messi, that one thing you can’t do is dive in,” he reflected. “He has incredible ball control.” It’s a joke. We were well aware of his capabilities. It was a matter of not giving him time and instilling in him the knowledge that someone is constantly present. A very straightforward strategy. People assumed it was some elaborate scheme, but it wasn’t.” “We stayed together and managed to keep out whatever they threw at us,” says the narrator. The Washington Newsday Brief News is a daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C.

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Content: Matchday

Lionel Messi leaves Copa América final injured

Lionel Messi left the Copa AmÃ©rica Final with a non-contact injury Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

The Argentine legend was trying to chase down Colombia's Luis DÃaz when he fell to the turf in pain. The captain was subbed out in the 66th minute of a scoreless final, replaced by NicolÃ¡s GonzÃ¡lez. Messi slammed his right boot to the turf in frustration as he left the pitch.

The Inter Miami CF star, who shook off a possible ankle injury late in the first half, was in tears on the Argentina bench with his right ankle wrapped in ice.

Messi was trying to lead Argentina to its third consecutive major championship, after guiding La Albiceleste to the 2021 Copa AmÃ©rica title, followed by the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Thanks to Lautaro MartÃnez's 112th-minute goal, Argentina repeated as Copa AmÃ©rica champions, winning 1-0 in extra time, Messi celebrating with his teammates. It was their 16th all-time Copa AmÃ©rica title.

The 37-year-old had a goal and an assist in five appearances in this Copa AmÃ©rica. Messi scored his lone goal of the tournament in the 2-0 win over Canada in the semifinals. It was his 109th international goal, becoming the second-highest-scoring player in men's international soccer.

Before leaving for the Copa AmÃ©rica, Messi had 12g/13a in 12 games this season for Supporters' Shield contending Inter Miami, becoming the fastest player in MLS history to reach 25 goal contributions.

**Influence on the Sport and Legacy** Messi’s influence extends far beyond statistics.

**Influence on the Sport and Legacy** Messi’s influence extends far beyond statistics.

His rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo has defined an era in football, pushing both players to unprecedented heights and captivating fans worldwide .

Messi’s humility, sportsmanship, and consistency have inspired countless young players globally .

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Content: Armchair Analyst: Matt Doyle

What the 2023 MLS season meant for Inter Miami CF

“That’s what I try to teach my children is listen, believe and dream, believe and dream and work – and stay,” Jorge Mas said to The Athletic this summer.

“There’s so many things that deviate, and you can throw in the towel. There were so many times during this last year and a half or two years with the Messi thing that, ‘Ah, throw in the towel. It’s not going to happen.’ Et cetera, et cetera. Stay the course, stay the course, stay the course, stay the course.”

Lionel Messi announced he was leaving Paris to play for Inter Miami on June 7. On July 16 he – along with Sergio Busquets (Jordi Alba’s moment came shortly thereafter) – was officially unveiled. Five days later, Messi and Busquets made their debut in Leagues Cup vs. Cruz Azul. You all remember that free kick.

A month after that they lifted the club’s first trophy, topping Nashville SC in penalties after a 1-1 draw (courtesy, of course, of another Messi golazo).

There was still more of the season left to play and that period didn’t stick quite so closely to the magical script, but who cares? The greatest soccer player of all time signed with Inter Miami, brought a coach, a bunch of friends and a few kids with him, won a trophy, and set the stage for the next few years.

Miami were a last-place punchline before all this happened. Now, you know who the most popular MLS club in the world is, the one with the most fans and biggest expectations going into 2024?

It’s Inter Miami. Jorge Mas, David Beckham et al stayed the course.

Formation & Tactics

Once Tata Martino took over, Miami’s default formation (when first-choice players were available) included a possession-heavy 4-3-3 single-pivot with Busquets pulling the strings, two energetic ball-winners in front of him, Messi playmaking as an inverted right winger, and both fullbacks bombing forward.

That is a recipe for throwing caution to the wind, and yeah, that’s how it tended to play out. Miami actually won the ball much higher up the field, and did so more often, when Messi – who is not much of a defensive presence at this point in his career – was on the field than they did without him (I’m only talking under Tata here, as the data under previous manager Phil Neville doesn’t illustrate much for us).

Without Messi, they dropped their line deeper and actually played more often out of a 3-5-2. They still tried to be possession-heavy, but none of the other options particularly distinguished themselves when it comes to picking final-third locks in possession. They all seem better suited to run off of the GOAT than to try to replace him to any degree.

I mean, aren’t we all, though?

Highlight

What Messi did throughout Leagues Cup is the most magical thing I’ve ever seen happen in MLS. Even by his impossible standards, this should not have happened:

And yet there they were at the end of the first real Leagues Cup competition hoisting a trophy and just reveling in it, as they were right to.

Throughout it all, one of the most striking things was just how happy Messi looked. Those of us who’ve watched him closely over the years (and really, what soccer fan hasn’t?) hadn’t seen any of that from the past couple of seasons with PSG.

But those dark days were over.

Lowlight

Ok, maybe not entirely over. It took 13 games from Messi’s debut for Miami to lose their first contest, and when it came it was a 5-2 blowout loss to an Atlanta team they’d absolutely handled in the Leagues Cup. And then, three games later, they lost again – at home in the US Open Cup Final to Houston, which meant there’d be no double.

Two games after that they lost yet again, blown out 4-1 in front of a record crowd in Chicago, which pretty much closed the book on their playoff chances. It was officially, mathematically closed on October 7, when they lost 1-0 at home to Supporters' Shield champs FC Cincinnati.

The magic really did run out as the legs got more and more tired. Tata has to take some of the blame for that, though, as he needlessly rushed Messi back into the lineup on September 20 for a home game against Toronto, of all teams.

Messi was subbed off just past the half-hour (as was Alba) after re-aggravating an injury. Miami won 4-0 anyway.

They should’ve just rested him for that game.

Revelation

Homegrown central midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi had a big rep among USYNT sickos entering the season, but struggled badly before Messi’s arrival and in the Cruz Azul game. It sure looked like Diego Gómez, the U22 Initiative signing who’s already a full Paraguay international, was going to take all his minutes.

Nope. Cremaschi bounced back immediately and took to a role as a midfield runner off of the brilliance of Messi and Busquets like a duck to water. The kid’s never going to be the type to control a game, or open it up himself, but he knows how to use the space others create with the ball, and how to create space for them off of it.

Think of him as the largest of the Aaronson brothers.

Disappointment

Just an incredible list of injuries during the first half of the year – Gregore and Jean Mota first among them – left too tall a hill to climb for them to make the playoffs. If they’d been just a little bit healthier, and five points better, it would all have looked so much different down the stretch.

2024 Preview

Five Players to Build Around

  • Messi (RW/10): GOAT.
  • Busquets (DM): Still runs the show, but needs more runners around him than ever.
  • Alba (LB): Still looks like Jordi Alba out there.
  • DeAndre Yedlin (RB): Did so much work giving Messi an overlapping threat on one side, then busting it back to still be a defensive presence.
  • Kamal Miller (CB): Acquired in one of the most lopsided trades in recent MLS history; Miami did the right thing and signed him to a long-term deal.

Offseason Priority

This is the most talented roster in the league – I could easily have expanded the above list to 15 names – but there’s some surgery that can still be done. Josef Martínez, sadly, looks cooked, and with Gregore and Jean Mota both expected to be fully healthy, there are suddenly too many high-paid players for too few spots in midfield.

The good news is that whoever they decide to move on from in central midfield will have significant value in MLS, which could bring home a bunch of General Allocation Money (GAM). Same for LB/LCB Chris McVey, who about 20 MLS teams could use but who Tata didn’t seem to rate.

The real question ends up being the No. 9. Leo Campana was good this year, and like the midfield corps and McVey, he’d have a lot of intra-MLS value if Miami decided they wanted to bring in a different No. 9 (perhaps a buck-toothed Uruguayan one). I have no inside info on this one, but I tend to think something like that is going to happen.

The other factor at play: virtually everyone I’ve spoken with around the league expects some additional cap/roster flexibility to come this winter. If/when that happens, you know Miami will be first in line to bring some of the sport’s biggest names to South Florida.

His move to Major League Soccer with Inter Miami has significantly raised the profile of soccer in the United States, especially among Latino communities, and has led to increased ticket sales, fan engagement, and greater visibility for the sport .

Title:

Content: Create

"He is able to hit 15-20m" - French pundit heaps praise on 'impressive' PSG superstar Lionel Messi

French pundit Rio Mavuba has been impressed by Lionel Messi's form for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this season.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner scored from a direct free-kick in a 2-1 win for the Parisian giants over OGC Nice in Ligue 1 on Saturday (October 1).

Mavuba believes that Messi has finally found his feet in Ligue 1 after an underwhelming debut season in the French capital.

Speaking to Telefoot, Rio Mavuba was quoted as saying the following (via Telefoot on Twitter):

"This year, he is impressive. He has found his legs, he has found very strong support, he is able to hit 15-20m. (...) It's nice to see him at this level."
"Cette année, il est impressionnant. Il a retrouvé des jambes, il a retrouvé des appuis très forts, il est capable de percuter sur 15-20m. (...) Cela fait plaisir de le voir à ce niveau-là."@riomavuba sur Lionel Messi https://t.co/lvrFyKxQcG

PSG recorded their eighth win in the league by securing a narrow victory over Nice. Kylian Mbappe came off the bench to net the winner with just 17 minutes remaining on the clock to hand his side a 2-1 win.

Christophe Galtier's side are now two points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 charts, having amassed 25 points from their opening nine games of the new season.

Lionel Messi has been one of PSG's best players this season

Lionel Messi has made an incredible start to the 2022-23 season for PSG. The Argentine forward has consistently scored goals and provided assists for his fellow attackers and has played a crucial role in his side's unbeaten start to the season.

As things stand, Messi has scored seven goals and provided eight assists from 12 appearances across all competitions.

Lionel Messi's form in Ligue 1 has been exceptional. The former FC Barcelona skipper has only gone two games without making a goal contribution. He has now scored two goals in two consecutive games in the league.

Messi scored the only goal of the game against Olympique Lyonnais in a 1-0 win for PSG prior to the international break.

Lionel Messi also had a great outing against Maccabi Haifa in the UEFA Champions League. The Argentine skipper scored a goal and provided an assist in a 3-1 win for the Parisian giants in Group H of the tournament.

Lionel Messi has been used in a slightly deeper role by new PSG manager Christophe Galtier. This tactical tweak has seen Messi flourish alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr.

Both Neymar and Mbappe have scored 11 goals each this season. Neymar has also chipped in with eight assists.

Paul Merson predicts Man City vs Man Utd, Arsenal vs Tottenham and other GW 9 matches! Click here

Edited by Yasho Amonkar

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Content: "So fun to watch" - Inter Miami star explains why MLS defenders are finding it impossible to stop Lionel Messi

Inter Miami defender Julian Gressel was all praises for Argentine legend Lionel Messi. The forward has been in sumptuous form ever since his return from injury, propelling the Herons to the top of the Supporters' Shield standings.

Lionel Messi has been nothing short of exceptional for Inter Miami this season, emerging as the leading goalscorer and assist provider in MLS. His unparalleled skill set has left defenders across the league grappling with the challenge of containing him.

According to Miami defender Julian Gressel, MLS defenders are finding it increasingly difficult to thwart Messi's attacking prowess. The Argentine's ability to evade markers and anticipate his next move has rendered him virtually unstoppable, particularly with the Inter Miami squad now synchronizing with his playing style.

In a recent appearance on the Player/Manager podcast, Gressel shed light on the daunting task of defending against Messi. He said:

"As soon as he has that time and the edge and he runs at you and has players that understand where he is passing and, after that, he’s accelerating.
"In that moment, they’re just incredible plays and they’re so fun to watch. He’s done it so many times in his career and it’s just impossible to stop. Even when those balls aren’t 100% perfect, he’s still so hard to stop."

David Beckham explains the impact of signing Lionel Messi on MLS

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has emphasized the significance of Messi's arrival in MLS, both on and off the pitch. Beckham, who orchestrated Messi's signing with the Miami franchise until 2025, highlighted the transformative effect that the Argentine has had on the league.

Reflecting on Messi's influence while speaking to talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, Beckham remarked:

"It's just that effect that Leo has on the game and the world. One of the reasons we wanted to bring him to America was to inspire the next generation. That was my plan. I obviously wanted to bring him for the player he is and the person he is."
"I played against him numerous times, actually twice thankfully, but I've been a fan of him and watched him for many years. And I always had the plan to bring the greatest player to ever play the game, in my opinion, to our team. Luckily, it happened."

Lionel Messi has 10 goals and nine assists in the league this season in eight games for the Miami outfit.

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Messi’s presence acts as a catalyst for change, inspiring a new generation of players in a country where soccer has traditionally been overshadowed by other sports .

**Impact on Youth and Soccer Academies** Messi’s journey from Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina to Barcelona’s La Masia academy exemplifies the potential of youth development programs .

Title:

Content: Impact of Lionel Messi on the MLS will go far beyond the field. Ticket prices are already skyrocketing

Instead of having to travel thousands of kilometres, local soccer aficionados are gearing up to watch the international megastar much closer to home.

For a lifelong soccer fan from South America, Jorge Lipovetzky prides himself on having hit the dream trifecta: he saw the great Pelé play. He saw Diego Maradona play, a lot. And he travelled to Barcelona and back to Argentina to see Lionel Messi play.

“I am really fulfilled. It can’t get any better than that for a soccer fan,” said the Mississauga resident.

But it’s getting better — instead of having to travel thousands of kilometres, Lipovetzky and other local soccer aficionados are gearing up to watch Messi showcase his wizardry much closer to home.

The 35-year-old Argentinian international megastar shocked the world this week when he announced he’d be signing with Inter Miami of Major League Soccer — bypassing lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal and his former club, FC Barcelona.

“This is so unbelievably exciting,” said Lipovetzky, who came to Canada from Argentina in 1990. “I have family members who live in Miami and now they are struggling to get tickets to the soccer games because they are instantly too expensive.”

MLS ticket prices are one of the many things about to experience a sea change as a ripple effect of Messi’s arrival.

According to Agence France-Presse, the average price for an Inter Miami home ticket jumped from $31 to $152 within the first 24 hours of the Messi announcement. An average ticket for an away game went up from $94 to $207 in the same time period. (all prices in U.S. dollars)

The South Beach team also stands to reap handsomely in popularity. Prior to Wednesday’s news, the club counted around 900,000 followers on its Instagram account. By Friday morning, that number had shot up to 6.8 million followers, by far the most followed MLS team on the platform.

Lipovetzky, who is a season-ticket holder for Toronto FC, said he’s already dealing with a flurry of family and friends asking him for seats at BMO Field despite Inter Miami already playing its only game in Canada this season. The two teams will play again on Sept. 20 in Miami, and he’s hoping to go.

“It’s going to be almost impossible to get a ticket there now,” he said, noting he was pleasantly surprised to see many “Welcome to Miami Leo” signs at Wednesday’s NBA Finals game.

“You are going to see a lot of Argentina and Messi shirts all over North America now. It’s going to be tremendous.”

Messi’s move to MLS is also expected to impact people who don’t usually follow soccer. His mere presence will open the game up to people in North America who would not otherwise be interested, said Daniel Rubenson, professor of political science at Toronto Metropolitan University.

“He is an identity in and of himself,” he said, comparing this move to that of Pelé in the 1970s when he joined the New York Cosmos and transformed the landscape of the North American Soccer League.

Rubenson and his colleague Chris Dawes from New York University published an extensive study on soccer fans’ behaviour and group identity which found that sharing a national or social identity with a player brings out more support than team identity.

“People won’t care so much about Inter Miami, but they will care about Leo Messi and he will sell millions of shirts and sell out every stadium where he plays and, you know, more people will subscribe to this new Apple TV MLS service,” Rubenson said.

Gilbert Ngabo is a Toronto-based sports reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @dugilbo
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His story serves as a powerful inspiration for young players, demonstrating how early commitment and quality training can lead to extraordinary achievements .

His professionalism and work ethic, described as “first in, last out, a true professional,” set a standard for young athletes .

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Content: The Roar

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This is Messi's chance to win Argentina fans over

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Has there been anyone better who has laced up the boots and kicked a football like Lionel Messi in the history of the game?

There are many greats who are part of that discussion, but there is plenty of time to debate that.

What is certain though is that Messi will always be involved in the conversation, due to the incredible legacy he will eventually leave behind.

Developing through the ranks at Barcelona, the 35-year-old has contributed towards 35 trophies for the Spanish giants and created jaw-dropping performances that were not only impressive but also consistent.

However, the same legacy cannot be translated to his playing time so far with Argentina.

The boy who grew up in Rosario was always touted as the next big thing to happen to Argentinian football since Diego Maradona who fans consider a legend and a god.

Maradona was the catalyst in carrying his nation to their only two World Cup triumphs in 1978 and 1986 with the elegance and touch that players can only dream about.

(Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

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What captured Argentinian hearts the most though was his dedication, leadership, and passion that Maradona always demonstrated when wearing the blue and white stripes.

Who can ever forget his stare-down of the England squad while lining up for the national anthems at the 86’ World Cup quarter-final?

The anger and resentment were due to the Falklands War four years earlier between the two countries which tragically resulted in the death of 650 Argentine military personnel.

As far as diehard passion and devotion go for the game of football, it is difficult to look past supporters of Argentina who live and breathe it as a religion and remember moments such as that from Maradona.

Messi, on the other hand, has often been criticised for lacking those sorts of leadership qualities on the pitch while also being accused by some of not showing full commitment and effort to Argentina compared to club football.

The humiliating 3-0 defeat to Croatia at the 2018 World Cup is an example highlighting Messi strutting along the field and not seeming to take responsibility and push his team.

Were the signs there right from the beginning?

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Messi was sensationally sent off on his international debut, which paved the way for a poor beginning to his chapter.

In his first four finals for Argentina, he managed to lose all four, including three in the Copa America and one World Cup final.

“He is a loser. He doesn’t have the balls.”

“He is lazy. He is a lie.”

Those are just a couple of comments from supporters making their feelings truly known that they were nowhere near satisfied with his performances.

Especially the 2014 World Cup final against Germany, where he had the golden opportunity to carry his nation on his shoulders just like Maradona did all those years ago to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

A mission failed miserably in taking the game by the scruff of the neck.

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Despite winning the award for player of the tournament, no one in Argentina was celebrating it.

In saying that, he doesn’t deserve a lot of the abuse and negative comments that have been directed toward him for so many years.

The biggest problem is that Messi has produced ridiculous moments of magic so consistently that the expectations placed on his shoulders are not so feasible.

It is part of the reason why he called time on his international career back in 2016 when he lost the Copa America final to Chile.

Simply put, the Argentine squads assembled in years gone past with Messi in it have not been good enough as a collective, but rather a team plugged with talented individuals supported by inept coaches and federations.

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There is no doubt that Messi had the support crew around him to achieve what he did at Barca, but that same environment was not able to be implemented for Argentina.

(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

It wasn’t his fault that Gonzalo Higuain missed golden chances or that the rest of the squad failed to convert from the spot in penalty shootouts.

What’s different to this current squad competing in Qatar in comparison to previous sides?

This is still a group that has talent all over the pitch, but the big difference is the attractive football they are playing which is due to being connected more as a unified squad.

Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, and Rodrigo De Paul along with Messi provide the spark up front that will make any opponent shake with fear.

Argentina comfortably qualified from South America and are currently on an unbelievable 36-match unbeaten streak.

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Last year, they unexpectedly defeated Brazil in their own backyard to win the Copa America and hand Messi his first international trophy, ending a 28-year silverware drought for the country.

The defensive aspect is still a concern with the lack of pace, but there is a newfound grit about Argentina that can propel them to glory this time around.

The conditions in Qatar will provide an advantage for the two-time world champions, but it will ultimately be Lionel Messi who will have the final say in determining whether he can finally call himself a world champion.

In doing so, those passionate and emotional Argentine supporters will turn their hatred into love for their chosen one.

46 million Argentinians will be praying endlessly that Messi can end his international career in the best way possible.

This is his time.

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Messi’s involvement in youth programs, including his son’s participation in Inter Miami’s U-12 team, further connects his legacy to the next generation .

Title:

Content: Lionel Messi turns 36 today (June 24th).

Happy birthday to possibly the greatest player to have ever played the game.

The Argentine is still going strong - although will continue to do so outside of Europe with Inter Miami.

Who is better: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

Throughout his legendary career, Messi has always been compared to the equally legendary Cristiano Ronaldo.

Who is the GOAT? Who has scored the most goals? Who has the most assists? Who has won the most trophies? Who has won the most Ballons d'Or?

The comparison is only natural. After all, these two freaks of nature are playing in the same era - and were direct rivals at Barcelona and Real Madrid.

But comparing stats is always a little unfair on Messi.

Why? Because Ronaldo is more than two years older than Messi. How is it fair to compare goals scored and achievements gained when Ronaldo has had two extra seasons in his career?

Therefore, the only fair way to compare statistics is by creating a level playing field.

And that's exactly what we've done.

Messi's 36th birthday is the perfect opportunity for us to do that.

We headed to MessivsRonaldo to compare the stats between the two players on their 36th birthday - and there's a clear winner.

Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo on their 36th birthday

Messi is the clear winner

So, despite playing 15 fewer games than Ronaldo - and fewer minutes - Messi has scored 45 more goals. He's also registered 132 more assists during that time.

It means that Messi's goals per game, minutes per goal and minutes per goal/assist betters Ronaldo.

Messi has also scored one more hat-trick than Ronaldo.

When it comes to the types of goals scored, Ronaldo has 134 penalties to his name compared to Messi's 108. But Messi has scored five more free-kick (62 to 57).

Messi is also the king when it comes to goals from outside of the penalty area with 89. Ronaldo has 56 from 12 yards or more. Messi has also scored more from inside the box.

Unsurprisingly, Messi dominates with his left foot while Ronaldo dominates with his right foot.

And there's no competition when it comes to the heading department with Ronaldo scoring 130, compared to Messi's 26.

We're not entirely sure what 'other body part' means but Messi has three, compared to Ronaldo's two.

Surely that settles it. Messi clearly dominates Ronaldo when it comes to stats at their 36th birthday.

And that's before we even talk about trophies, Ballons d'Or and the World Cup...

Ronaldo had 36 trophies at the age of 36, while Messi has 38 to his name.

Messi's seven Ballons d'Or also beats the five Ronaldo had on his 36th birthday.

Title:

Content: Lionel Messi, Argentina

The number one player on this list is obvious: the world’s biggest star, the game’s best talent for over 15 years now, and top three among the all-time greats. Messi’s dazzling skill for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain has earned four Champions Leagues, 11 domestic league titles across Spain and France, and a record seven Ballon D’Or trophies — soccer’s most famous player of the year award.

Last year, he finally lifted silverware with Argentina, delivering the country’s record-tying 15th Copa América. It was the nation’s first continental crown since 1993, and Messi was runner-up in 2007, 2015 and 2016. The last two came after a runner-up finish at the 2014 World Cup.

At age 35, Messi doesn’t have the speed he used to, but he has as much skill and guile as ever. And he has a stacked squad of Argentina teammates that complement him and bring their own firepower: Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Ángel Di María (Juventus), Rodrigo De Paul (Atlético Madrid), and a crown-jewel young prospect in Julián Álvarez (Manchester City).

They’re fired up, they’re hungry, and they’re on a 35-game winning streak dating back to 2019. If Argentina win it all, the triumph will be celebrated across the globe, and Messi will be enshrined above Pelé and Diego Maradona as the greatest of all time.

» READ MORE: Lionel Messi's Argentina beat Andre Blake's Jamaica in a World Cup warmup game

Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal

He’s Messi’s longtime foil, among fans worldwide and for years in Spain. When Ronaldo was at Real Madrid and Messi was at Barcelona, the world stopped for two hours.

The debate was also fueled by their national team feats. Ronaldo has five European Cups to Messi’s four, and for five years he had the national team trophy that Messi didn’t: the 2016 European Championship.

As with any great sports rivalry, fans of one of the players often disdain the other. But Ronaldo, it must be said, is rather more disdainable. Yes, he’s got an outrageous career goals total, with 701 club goals in 949 games and 117 national team goals in 191 caps. And he’s got a body that seems to have been sculpted by the Greek gods, not just the soccer gods.

He’s also got an ego to match, and it rubs a lot of people the wrong way. He isn’t afraid to throw a public tantrum, as he did just a few days ago about his lack of playing time at Manchester United. And he stood accused for over a decade of committing a rape in 2009 in Las Vegas. A lawsuit about it was dismissed this past June.

Ronaldo is 37 now. This will be his last World Cup. Will he go out with a swan song, or with another combustion?

» READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo played against the Union with Real Madrid in 2011

Kylian Mbappé, France

France’s 2018 World Cup title launched a then-19-year-old Mbappé to superstardom. He’s still there, as the flagship player for his country and its biggest club, Paris Saint-Germain. In fact, he’s such a big deal that French president Emmanuel Macron reportedly asked Mbappé to turn down a move to Real Madrid this summer.

We’ll never know if it truly helped, because PSG -- which is owned by Qatari royals -- had the money to keep Mbappé. The club also gave Mbappé a lot of power off the field, and he has used it to build his business interests.

Now comes a new challenge: lifting his country to a second straight World Cup. There hasn’t been a repeat men’s champion since Pelé's Brazil in 1958 and 1962. France has the talent to do it, but also has locker-room friction that Mbappé has been part of. And history brings an omen: Les Bleus crashed out in 2002 after winning it all in 1998.

Sadio Mané, Senegal

Only three African teams in men’s World Cup history have reached the quarterfinals: Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in 2010. This year’s Senegal squad has the talent to match them, and potentially go a step farther.

Nine months after winning the Africa Cup of Nations, the Lions of Teranga arrive in Qatar full of talent and optimism. Chelsea goalkeeper Édouard Mendy and centerback Kalidou Koulibaly are defensive rocks, while Bayern Munich’s Mané leads the attack.

Mané suffered a right fibula injury playing for Bayern on Nov. 8. He was named to the World Cup team, but he’s racing the clock to be fit. Whether he makes it is one of the tournament’s biggest on-field questions this week.

Bukayo Saka, England

England has its best chance in decades to win its first World Cup since 1966, and Saka is a big reason why. The 21-year-old from London is an electric winger for the Three Lions and Arsenal, and has one of both teams’ most engaging personalities.

Gavi, Spain

Just 18 years old, the Barcelona midfielder has jumped up the line of the world’s top young prospects. This year, he won two of Europe’s top awards for players under age 21: France Football’s Kopa Trophy (the same publication runs the Ballon D’Or), and the Golden Boy trophy organized by newspapers across the continent.

Gavi is already a regular player for his club and has 12 senior Spain caps. This World Cup could be his global breakout.

Jamal Musiala, Germany

Another of this World Cup’s big-time youngsters will face Gavi in the group stage. Musiala, 19, has rocketed to prominence with Bayern Munich and Germany this year. In just the half-season so far with Bayern, he has 12 goals and 10 assists in 22 games.

Not much is expected in Qatar of a German squad whose mix of ages isn’t quite right. But if Musiala takes off, he could take Die Mannschaft on a big run.

Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium

If you watch the English Premier League, you know that De Bruyne is the midfield maestro for powerhouse Manchester City. There are few more technically-gifted players on the planet, especially in his part of the field.

Four years ago, he helped the Red Devils to fourth place, the nation’s best World Cup finish. This year’s team has lots of talent, but De Bruyne is one of 11 players among the squad of 26 who’s age 30 or older. That’s a warning sign that a repeat run might not happen.

Vinícius Jr.

We’ve saved the best national team for last, or at least the world’s most famous one. No team has more World Cups than Brazil’s five, and the Seleçao are a big betting favorite to make it six this year. They have immense talent at every position, from defense up to the front line.

If you were expecting to see Neymar’s name here, that’s understandable. He’s Brazil’s biggest star of all, But Vinícius is a player you want to know about. He’s been ticketed for stardom since his childhood days in Rio de Janeiro, and he has lived up to the hype at Real Madrid.

Now age 22, he has 10 goals and 5 assists in 22 games this season, after scoring the winner in last season’s Champions League final. Many of his plays have gone straight onto highlight reels, accompanied by great dancing celebrations.

**Cultural and Social Media Impact** Messi’s influence is also evident in the digital age.

**Cultural and Social Media Impact** Messi’s influence is also evident in the digital age.

His Instagram post celebrating Argentina’s World Cup victory became the most liked picture in Instagram history, with over 56.1 million likes .

Title:

Content: Pele: Goalscorer, World Cup winner, hero, icon and legend

By Phil McNultyChief football writer

Brazil legend Pele, who has died aged 82, is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, the iconic sporting figure for a country that regards itself as the game's spiritual home.

Pele's greatness can be measured by the simple fact that he could make football a spectacle of natural grace and beauty when he missed as much as when he scored.

One of the game's first global personalities, he scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 games and layered his brilliance across a career spanning from his start as a teenager with Santos to a finish as a money-spinner at New York Cosmos.

And wherever football is played, the name of Pele will synonymous with it.

Pele - the boy genius

Pele started out as a young boy at Bauru FC in Sao Paulo state under the guidance of former Brazil international Waldemar de Brito. When he came to the attention of Brazil's elite, he chose to join his mentor's former club Santos.

It was not long before he was making his senior debut, aged 15, on 7 September 1956, scoring the first of more than 1,000 career goals in a 7-1 win against Corinthians Santo Andre.

Pele ensured Santos dominated not only in Brazil but also further afield, winning the Copa Libertadores - South America's equivalent of the Champions League - in 1962 and 1963 with victories against Penarol of Uruguay in a play-off and then against Argentina's Boca Juniors, 5-3 on aggregate.

It was inevitable international honours would follow swiftly and he donned the famous Brazil shirt for the first time on 9 July 1957 against Argentina at the Maracana aged 16 years and nine months, scoring number one of 77 goals in 92 appearances for his country in a 2-1 defeat.

Pele's great rival of the age was Portugal's legend Eusebio, but when the pair were in opposition in the 1962 Intercontinental Cup, played between the winners of the Copa Libertadores and the European Cup, there was only one winner.

Pele was on target twice in Santos' 3-2 win against Benfica in the Maracana before scoring a hat-trick in a 5-2 victory in return at the Stadium of Light.

In Brazil, Pele will also be associated with the white shirt of Santos, for whom he scored 619 goals in 638 appearances which, coupled with his glorious deeds for his country, gave him - in his homeland at least - the undisputed title of the game's greatest player.

Brazil's World Cup hero

Pele charmed the globe as a 17-year-old when he scored twice as Brazil beat Sweden 5-2 in the 1958 World Cup final but shone brightest in the galaxy of stars assembled in their legendary 1970 World Cup team, scoring the opening goal in a 4-1 win against Italy in the final in Mexico's Aztec Stadium.

Pele's story bookended those two great Brazil sides and when, in the modern game, much is made of the "number 10" role and indeed the shirt itself, Edson Arantes do Nascimento will be regarded by many as the first and the greatest.

When the argument of who was the game's finest is conducted - almost always in a World Cup context - Brazil's great rivals Argentina will make the case for the late Diego Maradona, who almost single-handedly, literally according to England after his infamous "Hand Of God" quarter-final goal, took them to World Cup glory in 1986.

Argentines will even offer up Maradona's successor Lionel Messi as another rival to Pele's greatness in an argument that will never be fully settled to the satisfaction of either of these great South American adversaries.

Pele, though, did not have Maradona's dark side, one example of which saw the latter ejected from the 1994 World Cup in the United States after testing positive for the drug ephedrine. Messi, however, has since gone on to claim World Cup glory with Argentina at the 2022 tournament.

Pele suffered World Cup disappointments too, none more than when he was brutally kicked out of the competition in England in 1966.

He left the scene of the 3-1 defeat by Portugal at Goodison Park draped in a blanket after a succession of fouls that left him limping on one leg, with his right knee heavily bandaged. During the match, he had stayed on and continued throwing himself into the physical challenges to prove bravery accompanied brilliance as substitutes were not permitted.

That knee injury was caused by earlier savage challenges in Brazil's first game against Bulgaria and Pele was so disgusted by his treatment that he vowed never to play in another World Cup - a decision the game was grateful he later reversed.

Brazil's 1970 World Cup win was the pinnacle of Pele's career. He was the focal point of a dream team that has become enshrined in the game's history. Pele may have been the headline act but he was accompanied by names such as Rivelino, Jairzinho, Tostao and Gerson, as well as the great captain and leader Carlos Alberto.

The image of the shirtless Pele being carried aloft by team-mates and supporters after the World Cup was won in Mexico City is seared on the memory, along with that famous picture of another shirtless embrace with England captain Bobby Moore, a gesture packed with mutual respect, after Brazil's 1-0 group game victory in Guadalajara.

The magic misses

Testimony to Pele's brilliance are two occasions in the 1970 Mexico World Cup when he failed to score - and yet are used to this day as prime exhibits of the skill, power, elegance and mental speed and agility that mark him out as arguably the greatest to have ever graced the game.

The first came in Brazil's opening group game against Czechoslovakia when Pele, from several yards inside the centre circle in his own half, received the ball languidly then spotted keeper Ivo Viktor off his line.

In an elegant, instinctive swing of his right boot, he sent the ball in a high arc towards goal, landing inches wide, with the panicking Viktor making a scrambling retreat before the relief of realising he had not been embarrassed by Pele's genius.

Fast forward to the semi-final against Uruguay, again in Guadalajara, when Pele raced at full speed on to Tostao's pass, yet still had the presence of mind to run past keeper Ladislao Mazurkiewicz, also allowing the ball to run past the pair. The keeper had been sold perhaps the greatest dummy in World Cup history.

Sadly the angle was subsequently too tight for Pele to score but the moment is still replayed whenever World Cups are relived and as the late, great BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme, probably taken as much by surprise as Mazurkiewicz, said in that wonderful moment: "What genius. Incredible."

Pele the global icon

Pele's peak came before the days of transfers around the globe so the finest years of his club career were served out entirely in Brazil - but it is mind-boggling to even guess at the transfer fee he would have commanded in this era.

When the North America Soccer League was formed in an attempt to spread the football word to the United States, Pele became an inevitable target. The great German Franz Beckenbauer was also a focus of attention but Pele added status and glamour, heading Stateside in 1975 to close out his career at New York Cosmos.

Such was Pele's worldwide reputation that his name alone added instant credibility. The curtain came down on his career with an exhibition game between Cosmos and Santos at New York's Giants' Stadium in October 1977 after he had led them to the title in his third and final season at the club.

Pele was arguably football's first global superstar, a standing that lived on after he finished playing. The mere mention of his name conjures up images of Brazil's great teams and evokes memories from the Maracana to Mexico.

Life after football

Pele travelled the globe as an ambassador for the game, in demand around the world and also by large organisations desperate to bask in the wattage of his fame and standing.

He was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 BBC Sports Personality Of The Year ceremony.

Before receiving the award, recorded tributes were paid by Beckenbauer, Johann Cruyff and Sir Bobby Charlton. Beckenbauer said: "He was the best player in the history of football."

The great Brazilian was back in England in March 2015 on a promotional visit, appearing on the pitch at Anfield at half-time in Liverpool's defeat by Manchester United, receiving a prolonged standing ovation from all corners of the stadium.

He was also used prominently in an ambassadorial role for Brazil, appearing at the closing ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics before the handover to the next hosts Rio, who staged the games in 2016.

Pele, however, will always be associated with "The Beautiful Game" - and arguably no-one played it more beautifully.

His move to Inter Miami led to a surge in the club’s social media following, making it the most followed MLS team, and MLS Season Pass subscriptions increased by 1,690% after his debut .

Title:

Content: Inter Miami has shown impressive resilience in the absence of their key players, especially Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, over the past few weeks. The Herons have coped well without their superstar attacker and other important players, showcasing their depth and determination.

Lionel Messi, often referred to as Inter Miami's talisman, departed for the Copa America, leaving fans and the team anxious about how they would perform without him. Before his departure, Messi's contributions were nothing short of extraordinary. In just 15 games, he had scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists, including impressive performances against teams like Orlando City and New York Red Bulls.

Inter Miami's manager, Tata Martino, despite Messi's absence, remained cautiously optimistic. He acknowledged the challenges but believed in the team's ability to handle the pressure. This confidence was soon tested, and the Herons stepped up to the challenge.

Uruguay called Luis Suarez, another vital player, up for international duty. Suarez had formed a strong partnership with Messi, contributing significantly to the team's success. Before leaving for the tournament, Suarez had scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in 20 appearances. His departure and Messi's left a considerable void in the team's attacking lineup.

Rising to the challenge for Inter Miami

Despite these significant absences, Inter Miami managed to secure important victories. Their first game without Messi and Suarez was against Philadelphia, a match that tested their resolve. Reduced to nine men, with David Ruiz and Tomas Aviles both sent off, Miami still managed to clinch a 2-1 victory. Julian Gressel, who stepped up in Messi's absence, scored and played a crucial role in subsequent matches.

Martino's strategic masterstroke was moving Gressel from midfield to a more advanced right-wing position. Gressel assisted in the next three matches, all 2-1 wins against Columbus Crew, Nashville SC, and Charlotte FC. His performances proved the team could adapt and thrive without its star players.

Another key figure, Jordi Alba, also played a significant role during this period. He contributed both goals and assists, helping the team maintain its positive momentum. Alba's experience and versatility were invaluable as the team navigated these challenging weeks.

However, the team faced a setback against FC Cincinnati, suffering a 6-1 defeat. Defensive issues, which had been a concern earlier in the season, resurfaced. Despite this heavy loss, Martino focused on improving the team's defensive stability. He emphasized the need to learn from the defeat and continue working hard to maintain their position at the league's top.

Inter Miami's resilience was further tested when Messi suffered an injury during the Copa America final. His absence was expected to continue for a few more games, including the MLS All-Star Game and potentially the Leagues Cup. Despite this, the team bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Toronto FC, with Federico Redondo and Diego Gomez stepping up to secure the win.

Inter Miami's ability to cope without its star players is a testament to the squad's depth and character. With a healthy five-point lead at the top of the Eastern Conference, they have demonstrated their potential to be strong contenders for the MLS Cup. However, addressing their defensive vulnerabilities will be crucial as they aim to maintain their form and secure the title.

Inter Miami's recent performances have shown they can compete at the highest level, even without their key players. Their resilience and adaptability make them a formidable force in the MLS, and they remain strong contenders for the championship.

Messi’s partnerships with major brands and his charitable actions, such as donating signed jerseys to support youth mental health and education, further enhance his reputation and inspire fans to engage with social causes .

Title:

Content: Brazilian footballing icon Pele passed away at the age of 82 in his native country after a battle with cancer.

Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein hospital, where he was undergoing treatment, confirmed that he died “due to multiple organ failures resulting from the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous medical condition.”

Pele’s admission to the hospital raised alarm bells all over the world before his daughter assured the admirers that nothing was serious. However, over his moth long stay, his health worsened.

Considered to be one of the greatest players to ever touch a football, Pele, in many ways, represented a dream of every native Brazilian. He grew up in poverty but became a magician with the ball at his feet to put not only himself but his country on the footballing map of the world.

He set numerous records during his playing career, none more impressive than being the only player in the history of the sport to win three World Cups.

During a 21-year career, he scored between 1,281 and 1,283 goals, as his number of matches remains an issue of dispute.

Pele also won two Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the Champions League, and two Intercontinental Cups, the annual tournament held between the best teams in Europe and South America.

The World Pays tribute to the King:

The news of Pele’s death brought condolences from around the globe.

Tributes poured in from across the worlds of sport, politics and popular culture for the man who epitomized Brazil’s dominance of the beautiful game.

Outgoing president Jair Bolsonaro declared three days of mourning, and said in a statement that Pele was “a great citizen and patriot, raising the name of Brazil wherever he went.”

Brazil’s CBF federation issued a statement saying “Pele was much more than the greatest sportsman of all time… The King of Soccer was the ultimate exponent of a victorious Brazil.”

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappe were among the millions of fans and players who also sent prayers towards Pele’s family.

Pele and Maradona reunited:

For decades a debate raged on about who was the better player between the two. Diego Maradona passed away in 2020 and now his greatest rival/friend joins him two years later.

Their departure is a stark reminder to enjoy greatness while it lasts.

Messi and Ronaldo inherited their debate, but with both heading towards the end of their careers as well, we may never get to see another pair achieve such success in the game ever again.

The history of football will never be the same again after today.

Pele will be buried in Santos in a private ceremony.

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Title:

Content: Messi agrees two-year contract with PSG and is travelling to Paris to undergo medical following Barcelona exit

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Lionel Messi has agreed a two-year contract to join Paris Saint-Germain and is expected to undergo his medical on Tuesday, Goal can confirm.

The Argentina international star spoke tearfully on Sunday as he confirmed his departure from the club where he has spent the last 21 years.

Messi is now set to arrive in Paris on Tuesday and, providing he passes the medical without a hitch, he will sign a two-year contract with PSG, which has the option of a further 12 months.

How much will Messi earn at PSG?

It is expected that Messi will receive in the region of €30 million-35 million (£25m-30m/$35m-$41m) per season during his time at PSG, while there will also be team and individual bonuses.

Did Messi have any other offers?

Messi did receive offers from two other clubs, but PSG was always the option that he liked the most.

Reports have claimed that Atletico Madrid were one of the clubs to make an approach, while he was also linked with the likes of Manchester City and Inter.

What has Messi said on PSG move?

Messi has not yet confirmed that he will move to PSG.

Speaking on Sunday, he stated: “Paris Saint-Germain is a possibility, yes.

“At the moment nothing is confirmed, I received a lot of calls after the Barcelona statement. We’re talking about it.”

Nevertheless, everything appears to be in place for Messi to join the Ligue 1 side, following stars such as Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi and Georginio Wijnaldum in making their way to Parc des Princes this summer.

Messi’s Barcelona record

Messi leaves Barcelona not only as one of the club’s greatest players of all time, but arguably the greatest player of all time.

He is both Barca’s top scorer and top appearance maker of all time, with 672 goals from 778 matches.

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During his time at Camp Nou, where he made his professional debut in 2003 after joining the academy in 2000, he has won La Liga 10 times and four Champions Leagues.

Additionally, Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record six times, eclipsing his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who only has five to his name.

Further Reading

Title:

Content: “Maradona was like a dancer, whereas Messi is a machine” - Ex-Argentina star makes interesting claim on Lionel Messi vs Diego Maradona debate

Former Argentina international Diego Valeri has offered his verdict regarding the debate about who is better between Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. Along with the likes of Pele, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo Nazario, and a few others, the two Argentine greats are two of the most prominent names when we name the best players of all time.

Former Argentine attacking midfielder Diego Valeri, who earned three caps for La Albiceleste, has insisted that Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona cannot be compared. He labeled Maradona as a 'dancer with the ball' while hailed Messi as a 'machine'.

Valeri also highlighted the incredible longevity of Messi at the highest level which is almost unparalleled. However, he claimed that he keeps the two Argentine legends at the same level.

The former Portland Timbers star told Taylor Twellman’s Offside podcast as quoted by Goal:

“They’re different, it’s a matter of who you like better instead of who is the best. Maradona was like a dancer with the ball, whereas Messi is a machine. The generational difference also makes it hard to compare, but saying that, Messi has sustained a level that nobody has managed, it’s part of being the best. For me, they’re the same level.”

Lionel Messi has become the most decorated player with 44 trophies to his name following his Leagues Cup triumph with Inter Miami. The 36-year-old also boasts an exceptional individual award cabinet including eight Ballons d'Or.

Lionel Messi's former agent claims that the Argentine could have joined PL giants

Lionel Messi's former agent Fabian Soldini has claimed that the Argentine superstar could have had a very different career. Soldini has claimed that Messi was keen on joining Arsenal as a teenager in 2003 but eventually ended up staying at the Catalan club.

"[Messi] was tempted to go to Arsenal, but he didn't go. I remember the day that Cesc [Fabregas] asked to leave. Messi was also asked to go, but he didn't want to leave," he said.

Messi emerged through the ranks of the La Masia along with Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique, who both left Barcelona as teenagers. Fabregas joined Arsenal and Pique joined Manchester United but both eventually returned to their boyhood club later.

Poll : Who is the greatest Argentine player of all time?

Lionel Messi

Diego Maradona

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Edited by Samya Majumdar

**Performance in Major League Soccer (MLS)** Since joining Inter Miami, Messi has become the fastest player in MLS history to reach 25 goal contributions in a single season, achieving this in just

**Performance in Major League Soccer (MLS)** Since joining Inter Miami, Messi has become the fastest player in MLS history to reach 25 goal contributions in a single season, achieving this in just

**Performance in Major League Soccer (MLS)** Since joining Inter Miami, Messi has become the fastest player in MLS history to reach 25 goal contributions in a single season, achieving this in just