Page 15 - Lionel Messi

No rest for Argentina's record-chasing Lionel Messi at Copa America

Record-chasing Lionel Messi doesn't want to rest at the Copa America despite Argentina already having secured its place in the quarterfinals

Argentina beats Paraguay, secures Copa America knockout spot

Papu Gmez scored in the 10th minute as Argentina beat Paraguay 1-0 and secured its place in the Copa America knockout stage. The result at the Man Garrincha stadium in Brasilia moved Argentina atop Group A with seven points from three matches. The game also gave Lionel Messi a record 147th cap for the national team, equalling the mark of retired defender Javier Mascherano. Chile, which also advanced to the quarterfinals, is second in the group with five points after the 1-1 draw with Uruguay. Paraguay has three points, followed by Uruguay (1) and Bolivia (0). Captain Messi, seeking his first major title with the national team, had to work with a team impacted by six changes in the starting lineup. Defenders Germn Pezzella and Nicols Tagliafico, midfielders Rodrigo de Paul and Leandro Paredes; and forwards Sergio Aguero and ngel di Maria started. Nicols Otamendi, Marcos Acua, Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso, Lautaro Martnez and Nico Gonzlez were left out of the starting lineup. T

Argentina counting on Messi - and history - against Paraguay

Argentina is looking to Lionel Messi to help it secure a spot in the Copa America knockout stages with a win against Paraguay on Monday. Argentina tops Group A with Chile and will hope for an inspired Messi at the Man Garrincha stadium in Brasilia as the 33-year-old soccer great seeks his first Copa America trophy with Argentina. Argentina and Chile have four points, one more than third-place Paraguay which has a game in hand. Uruguay and Bolivia have zero points. The top four teams in each group advance to the knockout stages. "We will play match after match, but it is clear we have a great team and where we can go depends only on ourselves," said Argentina defender Cristian Romero. Messi played a key role in Argentina's 1-1 draw with Chile and its 1-0 win against Uruguay. Against Paraguay, Messi will be making his 147th appearance for Argentina, equaling the record of Javier Mascherano. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni might not be able to count on midfielder Giovani Lo Celso and

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Argentina and Uruguay riddled with doubts for Copa America clash

Argentina and Uruguay go into Friday's Copa America encounter with neither team having won in three games since November. The two sides seem unsure about which players to select for the Group A game at the Man Garrincha stadium in Brasilia. The winner could ultimately go on to top the group and avoid an early knockout-stage meeting with defending champion Brazil, which is in Group B. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has received criticism since his team's opening 1-1 draw against Chile on Monday, a game that came a few days after a 2-2 draw with Colombia in World Cup qualifying. Scaloni appears unsure whether to use three or four defenders against Uruguay. He could also bring back Cristian Romero in the center of his rearguard in place of Lucas Martnez Quarta. If he opts for a line of three defenders, left-back Nicols Tagliafico may miss out. Scaloni is also undecided who should accompany Lionel Messi up front. Lautaro Martnez has been short of goals for Argentina while new Barcelo

Lionel Messi's Argentina draws 1-1 with Chile at Copa America

Lionel Messi scored a stunning free kick, repeatedly dribbled through the Chilean defense and created opportunities regularly for his Argentina teammates.

Copa America: Messi eyes Copa America for "biggest dream" with Argentina

Lionel Messi has won it all with Barcelona in a decorated career. Winning a title with Argentina remains one of his biggest ambitions. The 33-year-old Messi might have one of his final chances at the Copa America. Argentina's campaign will begin on Monday against Chile at the Nilton Santos stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Copa America opened Sunday in emergency mode in Brazil, where the tournament was shifted after Colombia and Argentina were dropped as co-hosts. "I am always available to my national team. My biggest dream is to win a title with this shirt," Messi told a news conference in Rio. "I was very close m "any times. It didn't happen, but I will keep trying. I will always fight for this dream." Messi said most of the group had played together for a while and "the way this Argentina plays is very clear." "That's why it is is time that we win this Copa," he said. "We know it will be a special one, different because of all that the world is going through." The Argentina captain

Copa America: My biggest dream is to get a title with Argentina, says Messi

Argentina football captain Messi has reiterated that his biggest dream is to win a title with the national team and feels the team is currently "on the right track" ahead of the opener against Chile

Chhetri overtakes Messi, one goal away from entering all-time top-10

Indian football talisman Sunil Chhetri has surpassed Argentina's global superstar Lionel Messi to become the second-highest active international goal-scorer with 74 strikes

Messi should not have doubts about this Barcelona team, says coach Koeman

After crashing out of the Champions League, coach Ronald Koeman said that Argentine striker Lionel Messi should not have any doubts about the quality of this Barcelona side.Messi missed the penalty against Paris Saint-Germain as the LaLiga giants played out a 1-1 draw in the Champions League second-leg clash of the round-of-16 fixture on Wednesday (local time).PSG had defeated Barcelona 4-1 in the first-leg and as a result, the French side progressed to the quarter-finals 5-2 on aggregate."Leo's seen for a while that the team is improving with the changes we've made. There are many youngsters with quality and a big future coming in, so it's not a question of having doubts about this team," Goal.com quoted Koeman as saying.French striker Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the second-leg fixture as he converted the penalty in the 30th minute of the game. The lead did not last long as Messi's 37th-minute strike squared-off things for the visitors at Parc des Princes. No further goals ...

PSG-Barcelona; Liverpool-Leipzig in UEFA Champions League

A look at what's happening in European soccer on Wednesday:

La Liga 2020-21: Lionel Messi registers his 650th goal for Barcelona

Argentine striker Lionel Messi registered his 650th goal for Barcelona during the 2-1 win over Athletic Club in La Liga

La Liga: Lionel Messi suspended 2 matches for hitting opponent

The Spanish soccer federation suspended Lionel Messi for two matches on Tuesday after he hit an opponent in an incident away from the ball in the Spanish Super Cup final. The Barcelona forward was facing a suspension of up to 12 matches for swinging his arm at an Athletic Bilbao player at the end of the team's 3-2 loss on Sunday. The federation's competition committee did not deem the incident to be severe and applied a less severe penalty against the player. After passing the ball out to the left flank, Messi swung his right arm at the head of Athletic forward Asier Villalibre as they ran toward the box. Villalibre immediately fell to the ground and after a video review, Messi was given his first red card in 753 appearances for Barcelona. Referee Gil Manzano said in his match report that Messi hit his opponent with excessive force while the ball was not near him. Messi will miss Barcelona's match against third-division club Cornell in the Copa del Rey and against Elche in the Spa

Messi facing lengthy suspension after lashing out in Super Cup defeat

Messi could be suspended for up to 12 games for the red card he received in the final minutes of his team's 3-2 loss to Athletic Bilbao in Seville on Sunday

Messi's stay will depend on future projects of the football club: Hierro

Former Real Madrid player Fernando Hierro feels that Lionel Messi's decision of whether to extend his stay at Barcelona or not will depend a lot on the club's upcoming presidential elections

Former FC Barcelona prez Laporta believes he can convince Messi to stay

Former Barcelona club president Joan Laporta has a simple pitch in his attempt to get reelected to the post

Lionel Messi to miss La Liga clash against Eibar, confirms Barcelona

Barcelona will be without their star player Lionel Messi during the La Liga clash against Eibar

Lionel Messi floats future US move, immediate Barcelona plans unclear

Messi won't make a decision on his long-term future at Barcelona until the season is over, with the soccer great also raising the possibility of playing in the US one day in a TV interview

Messi will finish as greatest footballer of all time: Spain legend Puyol

Spain and Barcelona legend Carles Puyol believes that Argentine striker Lionel Messi will be considered the best footballer of all time.

The greatest of all time: Why Maradona was better than Messi and Ronaldo

When Diego Maradona was staking his claim to the title of best ever, most of the world could only get a quadrennial glimpse of his genius