Tag Archives: Lionel Messi

Madrid, Spain | AFP |  Lionel Messi returned without a beard and with a goal and two assists as Barcelona resumed their La Liga title challenge on Saturday with a thumping 4-0 victory over Real Mallorca. After three months away because of the coronavirus pandemic, Barca exploded into the lead with …

Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Lionel Messi has hit back at Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal after the Frenchman blamed slackness in the dressing room for the departure of recently-fired coach Ernesto Valverde. In an interview with Spanish daily Sport Abidal said that under Valverde, who was sacked in mid-January, many players had been unhappy, …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | Lionel Messi has admitted he wanted to leave Barcelona when he was under investigation from the Spanish tax authorities but insists now he intends to finish his career at the club. In an interview with Catalan radio station RAC1, Messi also said he had expected Neymar …

Milan, Italy | AFP | Lionel Messi won the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award on Monday with Megan Rapinoe bagging the women’s prize to cap a historic year for the United States’ World Cup icon. Barcelona striker Messi’s victory in Milan was a surprise as he edged out Virgil …

Manchester, United Kingdom | AFP | Pep Guardiola would love Raheem Sterling to reach the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but the Manchester City manager is not sure if any player will be able to equal the feats of that legendary pair. Others have recently been comparing Sterling …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said on Friday the Spanish giants are not worried about Lionel Messi’s future, despite the Argentinian star being able to leave the club at the end of the season. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner signed a new four-year deal with Barca in 2017, but Bartomeu …

Monaco, Principality of Monaco | AFP | Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk won the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award on Thursday, edging out Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, while Lucy Bronze took the women’s prize. Dutchman Van Dijk starred as Liverpool won their sixth European Cup last season with a 2-0 Champions League …

Madrid, Spain | AFP |  Lionel Messi could be ready to play against Real Betis on Sunday and Barcelona could do with him back. In other circumstances, Messi might have left it another week, having missed the whole of pre-season with a calf injury he sustained in his first training session …

Porto Alegre, Brazil | AFP | Argentina will start from afresh in the Copa America after averting disaster with Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Qatar that sent them into the knockout stages, star Lionel Messi said. Goals from the Barcelona icon’s forward partners Lautaro Martinez and Sergio Aguero were enough to propel …

New York, United States | AFP | Lionel Messi was the world’s highest paid athlete over the past year, Forbes reported on Tuesday in its annual sporting rich list. Barcelona and Argentina star Messi dethroned retired boxer Floyd Mayweather as the sports world’s highest earner, raking in $127 million via salary …