Tag: Lionel Messi

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LaLiga: Why Guardiola Once Told Messi To ‘Shut Up’ At Barcelona

Rafael Marquez, a former Barcelona defender, has recalled the time when the then-manager Pep Guardiola told Lionel Messi to “shut up”.

The incident happened after a five-a-side bust-up in training.

Marquez played for Barca between 2003 and 2010 and lined up alongside Messi during that stint.

On one occasion, the two players had an angry confrontation, after Marquez expressed his anger at Messi for holding onto the ball for too long.

It has now emerged that Guardiola stepped in to defend the Mexican and put Messi in his place.

Marquez said, as quoted by The Mirror: “Yes, in a five-a-side game [we clashed].

“He was on my team and of course, Messi had the ball. He had the goal to shoot and he didn’t shoot.

“We were losing and we said to him: ‘Messi, shoot, Messi, score a goal’. Nothing.

“Until I got p***ed off and told him: ‘Messi, let go of the ball, bro.’

“So he approached and answered me. Pep arrived and said: ‘Messi, shut up. You have to respect Rafa’s hierarchy.’”

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Lionel Messi Bangs In Another Hat-trick, Becomes Inter Miami’s All-Time Leading Scorer

On Saturday, the world-famous footballer, Lionel Messi became Inter Miami’s all-time leading scorer.

The 37-year-old scored a stunning hat-trick within 11 minutes to help the MLS side beat New England Revolution 6-2 at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Messi’s goals also helped Inter Miami break the MLS record for most points in a single season.

They finished the regular season with 74 points in 34 games and a 22-4-8 (W-L-D) record, narrowly besting the Revolution’s 2021 mark of 73 points.

Miami had gone two goals down, before Luis Suarez scored twice to level the scores.

But it was Messi who fittingly cemented the club’s name in league history.

Just one minute after coming on, he helped set up Benjamin Cremaschi to put Miami ahead for the first time in the 58th minute.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner then scored his first hat trick for Miami and in the process became the club’s all-time leading scorer with 33 goals.

Miami also became the first team in MLS history to have multiple players score at least 20 goals in a season.

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Ronaldo And Messi Lead Forbes’ Highest Paid Footballers (See Top 10)

The list of the highest paid footballers at the moment has been published by Forbes.

Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Inter Miami superstar, Lionel Messi, led the list.

Despite that Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are in the last days of their careers, they still enjoy superb financial benefits from the round-leather game.

Both players are widely regarded as the two greatest footballers in the history of the game.

Ronaldo is at the top of Forbes latest list, earning a whopping $285m per year.

The 39-year-old earns $220m per-year in wages from Al-Nassr, while the rest comes from sponsorship.

Messi, on the other hand, is the only MLS player in the top-ten list.

The Argentinean earns $135m in total, out of which $60m is from wages and $75m is earned from off-field sponsorships.

The list is heavily dominated by players in the Saudi Arabian league.

Others on the list, according to Sportskeeda.com, include Al-Hilal’s Neymar ($110m), Al-Ittihad’s Karim Benzema ($104m) and Al-Nassr’s Sadio Mane ($52m).

Real Madrid duo Kylian Mbappe ($90m) and Vinicius Junior ($55m) are the only representatives from LaLiga.

The Premier League trio of Erling Haaland ($60m), Mohamed Salah ($53m), and Kevin De Bruyne ($39m) complete the list of the ten best-paid players in the world.

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Ballon d’Or 2024: Lionel Messi Names Shock Candidate That Deserves To Win Award

Lionel Messi, the world-famous Argentina captain, has said his team-mate Lautaro Martinez deserves this year’s Ballon d’Or more than any other player.

Martinez is among the 30 nominees for the prize alongside Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Rodri and Dani Carvajal.

With the ceremony only 12 days away, Messi has shared his thoughts on who will replace him as the winner.

The Inter Miami superstar, who claimed a record-breaking eighth Ballon d’Or last year, won’t be defending his title this year.

Instead, Messi has backed Martinez, who finished 21st and 20th in the Ballon d’Or rankings in 2021 and 2023.

The 27-year-old scored 27 times and provided seven assists in 44 games across all competitions last season, which included 24 goals and six assists in the Serie A as Inter Milan won the Scudetto.

He also scored one and turned provider into another in Nerazzuri’s successful Supercoppa Italiana run.

“He had a spectacular year, he scored in the final, he was the top scorer in the Copa America.

“He deserves the Ballon d’Or more than anyone else,” Messi said via Goal.

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Lionel Messi Admits He Is Close To Retirement After Scoring Hat Trick In Argentina Win

The legendary Argentine footballer, Lionel Messi delivered a stellar performance, scoring a hat trick as Argentina secured a commanding 6-0 victory over Bolivia in the South American World Cup qualifiers.

The 37-year-old who had three goals and two assists for his side on Tuesday night said he just wanted to enjoy every moment while recognising the end of his career is close.

After the slaughtering of Bolivia, the fans at the Monumental de Nuñez Stadium were enjoying themselves as they chanted Messi’s name, making him emotional.

“It is very nice to play here feeling the affection of the Argentina fans,” the 2022 World Cup winner said.

“It makes me emotional to listen to how they shout my name.

“We all enjoy this connection with the fans and we love playing at home.”

When asked about a possible appearance at the 2026 World Cup in North America, he was discreet with his answer but just wants to enjoy his last days in football.

“I didn’t set any date or deadline about my future,”

“I’m just enjoying all this. I am more emotional than ever and taking all the love from the people because I know these can be my last games.”

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner finished the Tuesday game with his 10th hat trick equaling the record of his rival, Cristiano Ronaldo for the most hattrick at the international level.

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GOAT: Lewis Hamilton Picks Between Messi And Ronaldo

Lewis Hamilton, the Formula One legend, has disclosed who he prefers between football icons, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hamilton gave his opinion about the debate on football’s G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time).

In a recent interview, as posted by @AlbicelesteTalk on X, Hamilton admitted that he is a fan of Messi.

“Messi or Ronaldo? Messi! They are both amazing to be honest, but I’m a Messi fan in the end,” Hamilton said.

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated football headlines for the past 15 years.

The duo have won 13 Ballon d’Or awards among themselves in the past.

Messi currently plays for Inter Miami, while Ronaldo plays for Al Nassr.

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GOAT: Jay Jay Okocha Picks Between Ronaldo And Messi

Former Nigeria captain Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha has weighed in on the debate over the greatest footballer of all time, considering whether Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo deserves the GOAT title.

Messi and Ronaldo’s rivalry has dominated football conversations for almost two decades.

The two players have shared 13 Ballon d’Or awards between them, with Messi taking home eight of that number.

In a recent interview with Pulse Fun Facts, Okocha picked the Argentina captain over Ronaldo.

Okocha said, “They are both GOATs but my personal GOAT is Messi because he looks more natural to me.”

Both Messi and Ronaldo have been left out of this year’s nominations for the Ballon d’Or, in what could spell the end of an era.

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Olympics 2024: Messi Reacts As Morocco Beat Argentina 2-1

Argentina captain Lionel Messi expressed shock on social media following his country’s dramatic 2-1 defeat against Morocco in their opening clash at the 2024 Paris Olympics yesterday.

Argentina were down 2-1 when a massive 15-minute injury time was added at the end of 90 minutes.

Cristian Medina looked to have scored a late equalizer to secure a 2-2 draw for La Albiceleste.

The match was temporarily suspended and after almost two hours, a VAR check confirmed that the goal was ruled out because of offside.

The remaining three-plus minutes were played as players re-emerged in an empty stadium.

The match ended 2-1 win in favour of Morocco, sparking a reaction from Messi on social media.

The Inter Miami captain wrote on his Instagram story:

“Insolito (Spanish).” “Unbelievable (English).”

Messi is currently recovering from an ankle injury he sustained during Argentina’s Copa America triumph over Colombia.

The former Barcelona captain is not part of Argentina’s squad at Olympics.

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I Did Nothing to Become World’s Best Player, It’s a Gift From God – Lionel Messi

Football star, Lionel Messi has revealed that God is the one behind his success and talent.
The Inter Miami and the Argentine national team, spoke when he was asked the reason behind his successful football career.

The 37-year-old football legend, currently with Argentina at the Copa América in the United States, shared his perspective on the origins of his exceptional talent.

Reflecting on his journey during an interview with podcaster Juan Pablo Varsky, Messi shared that he believes his extraordinary talent is a gift bestowed upon him by God.
 
“It’s very clear to me that I was born like this because God chose me. It was a gift he gave me.” he told podcaster Juan Pablo Varsky
“I was always different. People came to watch me. I didn’t realize it, but I only began to understand that as I grew older.
 
“Of course, I tried to take advantage of it [talent], I tried to squeeze the most out of it, but the truth is, I did nothing to become the player that I already was when I was little.”
 
Yes, Leo’s got a gift—one in a billion, no doubt. But he’s not giving himself enough credit because he worked just as hard as any other footballer to become what he is today—the best player in the world.
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Transfer: It Will Be Difficult For Me To Play With Neymar Again – Messi Says

Lionel Messi, the world-famous Inter Miami superstar, has admitted that it will be “difficult” for him to line up alongside Neymar Jr again.

The two footballers first played together at Barcelona, before Neymar moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.

Messi and Neymar were then reunited at PSG, before the Brazilian left for Al-Hilal.

There have been recent speculations claiming they could play together again in the MLS, especially after Luis Saurez signed for Inter Miami.

But Messi said: “We talk often. We even have a group chat with the three of us, including Luis. Ney speaks perfect Spanish.

“A little message to recruit him? No, I don’t know. The truth is, it’s difficult now”.

“He’s in Saudi Arabia, and I think he has a year left on his contract. He had a tough year, where he was injured for a long time. So, it’s difficult now”.

“After that, I don’t know. Life takes so many turns that anything can happen, but I think, for now, no.”

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