Tag: Lionel Messi

  • Ronaldo a ‘gift from god’, Virat Kohli expresses love after football legend leaves in tears

    Ronaldo a ‘gift from god’, Virat Kohli expresses love after football legend leaves in tears

    Former India Cricket team captain Virat Kohli has come out in support of star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo after his Portugal side exited the ongoing FIFA World Cup on Saturday.

    Ronaldo is now more likely to complete his career without a World Cup trophy as a result of Portugal’s elimination from the competition. The popular Portuguese player, who is now 37, was seen crying on Saturday and was warmly embraced by the crowd.

    “No trophy or any title can take anything away from what you’ve done in this sport and for sports fans around the world. No title can explain the impact you’ve had on people and what I and so many around the world feel when we watch you play. That’s a gift from god. A real blessing to a man who plays his heart out every single time and is the epitome of hard work and dedication and a true inspiration for any sportsperson. You are for me the greatest of all time,” Virat posted on Twitter on Monday.

    According to India Times, Ronaldo’s elimination from the competition means that he will likely miss out on winning the World Cup because the following time it is held in the USA, in 2026, he would be 41. The five-time Champions League champion was a substitute in all of his team’s knockout stage games as Fernando Santos decided against starting him.

    While the great player has been struggling with his form, Virat has thrived in his position. On Saturday against Bangladesh, he was seen enjoying his 72nd ODI century. Virat moved up to second place in the list of players with the most hundreds at the international level with the tonne, passing Ricky Ponting, who had 71 hundred to his credit.

    Similar to Ronaldo, the former captain of India might play in his final World Cup in the ODI format the following year as India gets ready for the major tournament. Contrary to Ronaldo, Virat did win the World Cup in 2011 when India defeated Sri Lanka in the championship game.

    Lionel Messi is quietly going about his job as his Argentina team, who is in the final four and will play Croatia on Tuesday night, while all eyes are on Cristiano Ronaldo’s disappointment. Harry Kane, a close friend of Virat’s and the England captain, also experienced a disappointing departure when the English team fell to France.

  • FIFA World Cup 2022: Saudi Arabia defeats Argentina 2-1

    FIFA World Cup 2022: Saudi Arabia defeats Argentina 2-1

    Saudi Arabia shocked Argentina with two second-half goals to beat one of the pre-tournament favourites in their opening World Cup match on Tuesday, marking the first upset of the 2022 edition of the sport’s biggest event.

    The 35-year-old Messi converted a penalty in the 10th minute of his sixth and last attempt to win the one major title that has eluded him during a dominant first half in which he and Lautaro Martinez also had three goals disallowed for offside.

    However, at the start of the second half, Saudi Arabia, the tournament’s second-lowest-ranked squad after Ghana, threw caution to the wind and charged at Argentina’s defence in front of an enthused 88,012 spectators.

    Salem Al-Dawsari curled in a scorching rocket from the edge of the penalty box in the 53rd minute, leaving Argentina and Messi in the Group C opener looking completely shell-shocked. Saleh Al-Shehri sneaked in a low attempt in the 48th minute.

    After that, Saudi Arabia had lots of possession, but Argentina was unable to break them down. Saudi Arabia was playing in their sixth World Cup, but they had never won the opening match.

    The Lusail Stadium hosted the game in a remarkable atmosphere, with thousands of Saudis crossing the border to support their team joining Argentina’s customarily large and boisterous fan base.

    “Our team fulfils our dreams!” and “Where is Messi? We beat him!” the green-clad Saudis chanted over and over in the Lusail Stadium, on their feet and greeting every clearance from their defence with a deafening roar.

    Both teams still have Mexico and Poland to play, but Argentina needs to act quickly if Messi hopes to match Diego Maradona’s immortality in his native country by winning the World Cup.

    The outcome ended Argentina’s incredible 36-match winning streak and prevented them from breaking Italy’s previous mark of 37 games without a loss for an international team.

  • Messi wins record seventh Ballon d’Or, Ronaldo slams false claims

    Messi wins record seventh Ballon d’Or, Ronaldo slams false claims

    The Paris Saint Germain (PSG) star Lionell Messi has grabbed another record seventh Ballon d’Or on Monday night.

    Messi, 34, effectively retained the trophy he last won in 2019 — controversially, the award was not handed out by France Football last year because of the coronavirus pandemic — after a year in which he ended his long wait for an international honour, winning the Copa América with Argentina, and left Barcelona, the club where he had spent all of his career, for Paris St.-Germain.

    “It’s incredible to be here again,” Messi said. “Two years ago I thought it was the last time. Winning the Copa América was the key.”

    “I don’t know how many years I have left,” he added, “but I hope many more.”

    The Argentinian footballer also took to his Instagram to express his joy on winning the award again. He also thanked people who supported him.

    Messi finished with 613 points in the voting, only 33 more than the runner-up, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. In 2019, the last time the trophy was awarded, Messi beat Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk by only seven points.

    Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has hit back at the editor of France Football who claimed the Manchester United forward’s only ambition is to “retire with more Ballons d’Or than Lionel Messi”.

    Ferré told the New York Times: “Ronaldo has only one ambition and that is to retire with more Ballon d’Or [awards] than Messi. I know because he has told me.”

    However, Ronaldo has disputed that version of events and took to Instagram to claim that Ferré “lied” during the interview.

  • Super Sunday: Here is why October 24 will be a treat for sports fans

    Super Sunday: Here is why October 24 will be a treat for sports fans

    October 24, 2021, will be marked with a star by all sports fans. On this day, all sports fans, especially cricket and football fans, will be glued to their seats as they witness the sports’ biggest rivalries in just one day. There will be five biggest rivalries on the pitch that day.

    Pakistan vs India T20 World Cup Face-off

    So we will witness the biggest cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan on October 24, 2021. The cricket rivalry between Pakistan-India is one of the most intense in the world. The strained relationship, resulting from the bitter diplomatic relationship between the two countries resulting from the partition of the Subcontinent laid the groundwork for an intense sporting rivalry between the two nations, who share a cricket heritage.

    India and Pakistan are set to start their campaign in the T20 World Cup on October 24. International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that Group 2 will start the World Cup campaign with an intense showdown between India and Pakistan. Indian and Pakistani cricket fans are eagerly awaiting this clash.This match ignites a flame of rivalry between the two groups of players and fans.

    FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid

    The world’s greatest football rivalry between Spanish football titans FC Barcelona and Real Madrid can be seen on the same day. Few rivalries in sports can compare with the spectacle, the passion and the sheer football brilliance of Barcelona and Real Madrid.  The El Classico represents a clash of cultures between the Castilian Spanish and the Catalan. But for a true football fan, a match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid quite simply represents a great football match between two great clubs.

    Barcelona and Real Madrid enter the 2021-22 season with a point to prove after both the sides were to beaten to La Liga glory by Athletico Madrid last season. Athletico were crowned champions while Real Madrid finished second and Barcelona third. Many big names have exited from both the clubs like Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Lionel Messi, so many will look forward to the match as to see again who emerges victorious in the first El Classico of 2021-22 campaign.

    Manchester United vs Liverpool FC

    Another high profile inter-city rivalry and one of the biggest in the premier league is the match between Manchester United and Liverpool. This match will also be taking place on this Super Sunday. The North-West derby never fails to surprise the imagination of football fans all over the world. This intense rivalry between these two clubs does not stop in football but extends to their economic and cultural enmity.

    The raw passion involved in a football match between Manchester United and Liverpool is a symbol of inter-city contention for over two years. Like every year, this year also the match between Manchester United and Liverpool will spark a spirit of excitement and rivalry among the fans. Both the teams look strong and will be aiming this season to win the Premier League title after their defeat last Season to Manchester City.

    Juventus vs Inter Milan

    The Derby d’Italia is the match between Inter Milan and Juventus, two of the greatest clubs in Italian football. This match will also be played on October 24. This matchup between Inter Milan and Juventus is considered to be one of the greatest and the most intense in Italian football. The rivalry between Juventus and Inter became more bitter after the scandal of Calciopoli.

    Juventus lost the Serie A title last season after 9 years. Inter Milan dominated the Serie A and won the title breaking Juventus’s 9 consecutive title win streak. Both the teams will fight neck to neck in the Serie A. Juventus will be looking forward to winning the title again after their last season defeat while Inter Milan will be focusing on continuing their winning streak. This match between the Italian giants will be one of a kind to watch.

    Olympique de Marseille vs Paris Saint Germain

    One of the greatest rivalries in the world and the greatest in France is the Le Classique, the match between the two French Supergiants Marseille and Paris Saint Germain. Le Classique will also be played on this day. The animosity between Marseille and PSG extends far outside of Football. These two have been dominating French football from the very beginning and have also won a combine of 40 domestic trophies.

    The rivalry between Marseille and PSG is neither the oldest nor the most traditional in Ligue 1, but it is without doubt the most fiercely contested on and off the pitch dividing loyalties across the country. With the recent signings of PSG (Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi, Georgino Wijnaldum and Gianluigi Donnaruma), many football fans are looking forward to witness the greatest rivalry in France. PSG will definitely give a tough fight to Marseille and will definitely look to reclaim its title back in the French league this season.

  • Tears and standing ovation mark Messi’s farewell to Barcelona

    Tears and standing ovation mark Messi’s farewell to Barcelona

    Lionel Messi wept on Sunday as he bade farewell to his boyhood team FC Barcelona.

    The 34-year-old Argentine’s emotional news conference followed Barca’s announcement last week that it could no longer afford him after a glittering two decades.

    French newspaper L’Equipe reported on Sunday that Messi will travel to Paris either Sunday or Monday to undertake a medical and finalise a deal with the Qatar Sports Investment-owned club.

    Spanish newspaper Marca reported PSG formally sent their offer to Messi on Sunday morning, just as the football star held a news conference.

    While Messi did not confirm he would definitely join the Parisians, he said that his plans were to carry on playing as long as possible, adding he still harbours ambitions to win another Champions League trophy.

    “As long as I go on being competitive and as long as my body responds (I’ll carry on playing),” he told a news conference.

    “As long as I can, I will carry on competing.”

    “I tried to behave with humility and respect and I hope that is what remains of me when I leave the club,” said an emotional Messi as hundreds of fans, many wearing his No. 10 jersey, amassed outside Barca’s Camp Nou stadium to bid farewell to the player they called Messiah.

    Messi broke down as he walked onto the stage before conducting his news conference and was handed a tissue by his wife Antonella Roccuzzo as he fought back the tears.

    “This is the toughest moment of my career. When the club told me, I just froze. This is all like a bucket of cold water has been poured over me and we are still coming to terms with it,” he sobbed.

    “When I get home, I’m sure it’ll be even worse. But I’ll be surrounded by my loved ones and I’ll carry on playing football, and when I do so, I’m sure it’ll become a bit easier.”

    It had been widely reported by local media that Messi was set to stay at Camp Nou, with the player admitting he had agreed to a five-year deal involving a 50% pay-cut.

    The six-time Ballon D’or winner has been at Barcelona for 21 years and became its all-time top goalscorer with 682.

    Meanwhile, many notables wished him luck.

  • Ronaldo rejects Rs8 crores-a-month deal with Saudi Arabia ‘because it sportswashes human rights abuse’

    Footballing star Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly rejected a $6 million-a-year (Rs96 crores-a-year or Rs8 crores-a-month) offer to be the face of Saudi Arabian tourism.

    But the Middle Eastern country has not given up hope of attracting a world-class footballer to help them out, with Lionel Messi in their sights.

    According to The Telegraph, the deal on offer is understood to include the player making visits to the Kingdom and his image being used in all promotional material. But the 35-year-old Juventus striker has decided to “pass” on the offer.

    Concerns have been raised over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record as the country tries to attract world-class sport to its shores. Sports and entertainment have formed part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy and improve its international reputation.

    However, groups such as Amnesty International have long campaigned against what it says is the Kingdom’s use of such connections to distract from its human rights violations. 

    Meanwhile, Messi’s views on the deal are not yet known.

    Representatives of both Ronaldo and Messi, however, have refused to discuss the matter when approached by The Telegraph.

    Saudi Arabia staged the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah in 2020, with Messi’s Barcelona competing for the trophy alongside Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Valencia. 

    In October, a coalition of human rights groups called for a boycott of the first Ladies European Tour golf event being held in Saudi Arabia over concerns it would be used to “sportswash” Riyadh’s record on women’s rights.

    Also last year, Amnesty cautioned against Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s attempted takeover of Newcastle United FC of the English Premier League. 

    The takeover ultimately failed after several months of waiting to pass the league’s owners and directors test.
     
    Amnesty International has also raised concerns over this year’s Saudi Formula One race planned for Jeddah. 

  • Pirlo sees positives as Juventus miss Ronaldo before Barca clash

    Pirlo sees positives as Juventus miss Ronaldo before Barca clash

    Andrea Pirlo sees positives despite preparing for his biggest match since taking over as Juventus coach with Covid-19 -stricken Cristiano Ronaldo in doubt against Lionel Messi’s Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.

    Pirlo took over after Maurizio Sarri was sacked immediately after Juventus’ last 16 exit to Lyon in August, the veteran coach lamenting another failure in a “competition cursed for Juve”.

    The Turin side have won the tournament twice, but not since 1996. They have been runners-up seven times, including twice in the last five years.

    In fact, 41-year-old Pirlo’s last Juventus game as a player came in the 3-1 loss to Barcelona in the 2015 Champions League final.

    Juventus signed Portuguese star Ronaldo in 2018 with the aim of lifting the coveted European trophy, and his absence against Messi’s Barcelona could weigh heavy.

    The 35-year-old will need to test negative 24 hours before being allowed to feature in Turin. The return at the Camp Nou is on December 8.

    “We miss him right now, of course,” said Colombian teammate Juan Cuadrado. “He’s a champion. In these very difficult matches, his strength, his mentality and his desire shine through.”

    Ronaldo scored three goals for Juventus in their first two league games, before contracting the virus while on international duty.

    Even if Pirlo has yet to record a loss this season, Juventus are fifth in Serie A, with three draws in five games.

    “Barcelona? It doesn’t worry me, they are two different matches,” said Pirlo after Sunday’s 1-1 stalemate against Hellas Verona.

    “Verona play differently than Barcelona, against teams that play like this you have to prepare a certain type of match.

    “We’re in the construction phase,” continued the novice coach. 

    “We’re sorry to leave points on the road, but we are on the right path. We are building a long-term project. I only see positive things.”

    Pirlo’s main weapons in Ronaldo’s absence have been Spanish forward Alvaro Morata, who scored both goals against Dynamo Kiev, and Swedish striker Dejan Kulusevski, who rescued the point against Verona.

    Former Chelsea and Real Madrid player Morata returned to Juventus this season with Kulusevski signed from Atalanta in January before being loaned back immediately to Parma.

    The 20-year-old Swede was up and running immediately, scoring on his club debut in September and came off the bench to give Juventus the edge against Verona.

    Pirlo has also been impressed with how Paulo Dybala performed “well above expectations,” in his seasonal debut against Verona after over three months out.

    Captain Giorgio Chiellini’s presence is in doubt, with fellow defender Leonardo Bonucci’s thigh strain being monitored, although Gianluca Frabotta, 21, has stepped into the breach, with Alex Sandro also out.

    “Seeing how we started the other championships, this start has been a bit slow,” said Cuadrado of the nine-time reigning Italian champions.

    “But we haven’t lost yet.”

    Both teams won their Group G openers with Barcelona beating Hungarians Ferencvaros 5-1 and Juventus 2-0 at Dynamo Kiev.

    RONALDO VS MESSI:

    If Ronaldo misses his chance to line out on Wednesday he will have to wait until December to renew his rivalry with Argentine Messi.

    They are the two greatest players of their generation with 11 Ballons d’Or between them, and the two highest scorers in Champions League history.

    They have not faced off since the Portuguese superstar left Real Madrid for Juventus, and both are running out of time to win the Champions League again.

    Messi, now 33, has featured in four victorious campaigns, all with Barcelona, while Ronaldo has won it five times, four with Real Madrid and once with Manchester United.

    Ronaldo has 130 Champions league goals, of which ten have been for Juventus, to Messi’s 116.

    Messi has won 16 of their 35 encounters to Ronaldo’s 10, with the remaining nine ending in draws. Messi has also scored 22 goals in those games to Ronaldo’s 19.

    The pair have only met five times in Champions League games, most recently in the semi-final in 2011.

    Barcelona got the better of Real Madrid with a 3-1 aggregate win with Messi scoring twice in the first leg.

    Their most memorable clash was the 2009 Champions League final when Messi scored as Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0.

  • Messi has decided to leave Barcelona after 19 years but which teams could he join?

    Lionel Messi dropped a bombshell on Tuesday when he requested a transfer out of Barcelona, with the talk of the soccer world immediately turning to where the superstar will end up.

    Messi intends to activate a release clause that would allow him to join any club in the world without paying a transfer fee to Barca, although the Catalan club disputes the validity of the clause — meaning lawyers for both sides could get involved.

    Regardless of what happens, it appears that Messi’s exit from the club with which he’s spent his entire professional career is much closer than anyone could’ve anticipated, and although he’s now 33, he’ll still have suitors from around the world lined up for his services.

    Imagining Messi not wearing Barca’s iconic Blaugrana jersey is tough, but there are some teams that could be great fits should he ultimately leave Catalonia.

    Manchester City

    The English giants are the favourites to sign Messi for one reason: coach Pep Guardiola. OK, two reasons, Guardiola and the fact they are disgustingly rich. Backed by Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whose net worth is a nudge over $30 billion, the Citizens are one of the few clubs who could actually afford Messi’s wages. He is currently paid $1.8 million a week, according to Football Leaks. That’s just under $100 million a year, not including bonuses. So you can see why only a limited number of clubs in the world could afford to lure him.

    Inter Milan

    Another strong contender linked with Messi is Internazionale di Milano. In a sporting sense, this makes sense. Inter finished second in Italy’s Serie A behind Juventus, which has won the last nine titles and narrowly lost the Europa League final. The club has been building its squad in recent seasons and is hungry to knock Juventus off its perch domestically, and for success in Europe. The addition of Messi, joining an already exciting forward line of Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku, would almost guarantee this. And the club has a history of ambitious, big-money signings, including breaking the world-record transfer fee to bring in Brazilian superstar Ronaldo in 1997.

    Paris Saint-Germain

    It’s impossible to talk about ultra-wealthy clubs without mentioning arguably the wealthiest. PSG has shown willingness to use its financial might in order to lure high-profile stars to the French capital, and in Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria it currently boasts the most expensive attacking trio in the history of the sport.

    If money’s the deciding factor, then Messi’s chances of landing in Ligue 1 are extremely high. If it’s not, the opportunity to reunite with Neymar could still influence Messi’s decision — Barca’s recent efforts to reacquire the Brazilian after PSG spent a world-record fee to lure him away from Camp Nou have been in part to placate Messi, who was unhappy to lose Neymar as a teammate three years ago.

    Juventus

    This is much more of a Football Manager-style dream rather than a real possibility. For the better part of 15 years, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been considered 1 and 1A in terms of who’s the world’s best player — indeed, they’ve entered the realm of Greatest of All Time with their consistent attacking exploits — so even with both now in their mid-30s, the prospect of the two GOATs lining up as teammates is mouthwatering.

    Let’s file this one under “unlikely to happen, but would be amazing if it did”.

    Rumours of Messi’s unhappiness had been swirling since Bayern Munich humiliated Barcelona 8-2 in the Champions League quarter-final earlier in August, ending a season that saw the club fail to win any trophies. 

    Following that match, a source told Goal they had never seen Messi so dejected and frustrated, which the Argentine immediately communicated to several club executives.