Page 2 - Messi

Messi says happy with Miami move during first public interaction in US

Fans line up outside Inter Miami's practice facility to watch Lionel Messi's car drive away after training sessions. Players from opposing teams wait after matches to get his signature or just a simple handshake. His No. 10 jersey is everywhere in South Florida. For Messi, these are reminders that he made the right choice. He could have continued his acclaimed career with another stint in Barcelona, where he rose to stardom. He could have signed a lucrative deal to play for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. He chose the unfamiliar to travel stateside and play soccer in the United States, and he's glad about it. "From the beginning, from my arrival, it's been an impressive welcome that we've received," Messi said through an interpreter. He spoke publicly Thursday for the first time since announcing on June 7 that he'd join Inter Miami of the MLS. "Today I can tell you that I am very happy with the decision we made," Messi said at Miami's DRV PNK Stadium in a room so full of reporters that

Uefa Best Player award: Messi makes the cut alongside De Bruyne and Haaland

Lionel Messi made the three-man shortlist announced Thursday for the UEFA award as the best player in Europe last season. The FIFA World Cup-winning captain from Argentina, who has left Europe to play for Inter Miami, is up against Manchester City teammates Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. Messi won the UEFA award twice in its 12-year history, both in years when Barcelona was the European champion. Man City won the UEFA Champions League title last season. Pep Guardiola is the favourite for the men's coaching award after leading Man City to the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup titles. Also nominated were Simone Inzaghi of Inter Milan, who led his team to the Champions League final, and Luciano Spalletti, who led Napoli to the Serie A title. The winners will be announced at the Champions League draw on August 31 in Monaco. The shortlists for the women's player and coaching awards will be announced next week after the FIFA Women's World Cup, UEFA said. England will face

Messi boosts Inter Miami to Leagues Cup final with 4-1 win vs Philadelphia

Lionel Messi keeps scoring goals, and Inter Miami keeps winning games. Messi ripped a shot from 30 yards past three Philadelphia defenders in the 20th minute that made fans who paid a record price for soccer tickets in the Philly area rejoice, and Inter Miami beat the Union 4-1 in a Leagues Cup semifinal on Tuesday night. Major League Soccer is Messi's league now. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner scored his ninth goal in six matches with his new team in front of a crowd that pushed 20,000 fans, with ticket prices soaring past USD 1,000 on the secondary market. There were few complaints. Certainly not from three Union season-ticket holders who ditched the home team's garb for a night and traded it for Messi gear. Or fans that lined up for Messi jerseys authenticity not guaranteed and the ones hungry at a food truck for Messi fries. And certainly not from the Union, who, of course wanted to win, but otherwise stuffed the coffers and received more worldwide attention on one night

Messi sparkles with free kick, Inter Miami beat FC Dallas 5-4 in shootout

Lionel Messi scored on another mesmerizing free kick in his third consecutive two-goal game for Inter Miami, a tying tally that led to a 5-4 victory over FC Dallas on penalty kicks in a Leagues Cup elimination game. Messi's goal in the 85th minute on Sunday night was reminiscent of the game-winner in his Inter Miami debut, both on free kicks from just outside the penalty box in the waning moments and sneaking past the goalkeeper into the upper corner of the net. This time, the left-footed superstar, was to the right of the net, and beat FC Dallas' Maarten Paes to the near post the same way he did from the left side in a 2-1 win over Mexican club Cruz Azul in his Inter Miami debut. The victory in the round of 16 sent Inter Miami into the Leagues Cup quarterfinals against the winner Monday night between Charlotte FC and Houston. Messi's first goal outside of Florida for his new U.S. club was another left-footed strike outside the penalty area in the sixth minute, on a pass from forme

Messi makes it official by signing with Inter Miami and Major League Soccer

Lionel Messi has finalised his deal to join Major League Soccer, and after years of planning and pursuing, Inter Miami has landed a global icon. Messi's contract became official Saturday, a little more than five weeks after he declared that he would be coming to Inter Miami. The team will introduce him Sunday night at its stadium in Fort Lauderdale, and the first home match of the Messi era could be as early as Friday in a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul. A formal news conference is scheduled for Monday, and his first training session with his new club is expected on Tuesday. The club previously announced that Messi's deal will be for 2 1/2 seasons and will pay him between $50 million and $60 million annually putting the total contract value between $125 million and $150 million in cash alone. "BIENVENIDO 10," the team posted Saturday on Twitter. Welcome, Messi, indeed. We are overjoyed that the greatest player in the world chose Inter Miami CF and Major League Soccer, and hi

Lionel Messi escapes accident after jumping red light in Miami, say reports

In a video shared by the Twitter account 'FCB Albiceleste', an Argentine TV channel is showing Lionel Messis' car jumping a red light and narrowly escaping an accident

Lionel Messi, Argentina set to pull huge crowd in Beijing exhibition game

Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentina teammates are expected to draw almost 70,000 fans to Beijing Worker's Stadium for an exhibition against Australia. With tickets starting at around $80 for Thursday's game, local supporters are excited to see Messi and continue the World Cup celebrations. Fans have flocked to all opportunities to see the Argentine star since the team arrived in China, with large crowds angling for photographs and chanting his name. Messi's move to continue my path in Miami last week made global headlines after he turned down extremely lucrative offers from Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia in favor of Major League Soccer. He said that after winning the World Cup, it was his time to go the United States and live football in another way. Before then, he's with the Argentina squad that is scheduled to play Australia in the Chinese capital and take on Indonesia in Jakarta four days later. Australia coach Graham Arnold said he was looking forward to giving a selec

Here's why Messi was detained by Chinese authorities at Beijing airport

A video shows Lionel Messi standing in the Beijing airport, holding his passport, surrounded by a group of police officers

Lionel Messi spurns $400 mn Saudi offer to join David Beckham's Inter Miami

Lionel Messi plans to join Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, turning down a deal from Saudi Arabia that would have paid him $400 million annually

Lionel Messi to play for Saudi Arabia in £522-million 'done deal'

According to AFP, a Saudi source close to the negotiations confirmed on Tuesday morning that Messi will be playing in Saudi next season, labelling the transfer 'huge'

Messi breaks Ronaldo's record, scores 702 goals in top 5 European Leagues

Lionel Messi has gone past Cristiano Ronaldo by scoring his 702nd goal in the top 5 European Leagues. He has also scored his 100th goal in PSG this season

Epochal football moments: Pele's passing, glory for Messi, India's FIFA ban

Pele's demise just two days before the world prepared to welcome the new year and Lionel Messi-led Argentina lifting the World Cup trophy were undoubtedly the two epochal moments, which will be remembered for decades to come even as Indian football made more noise for its administrative mess than the on-field achievements in 2022. If Messi worked his magic to guide Argentina to its third World Cup triumph on December 18, Pele's legion of fans kept praying as he battled cancer in a Sao Paulo hospital before he departed the world on December 29. Fans in India shed tears of joy when Messi lifted the World Cup trophy, and cried inconsolably when Pele left, given their connect with the 'Beautiful Game'. However, on the home front, things are far from hunky-dory even though global football icons are revered here and millions in the country tune in when the World Cup, Euros or the UEFA Champions League are beamed on the television screens. The year saw Indian football go into a downward .

From Commonwealth Games to Fifa WC, 2022 was a year of reset for sports

2022 was about one sporting great finally realising his dream and another bowing out after having done it all

Will continue to play, not retiring from international games: Lionel Messi

After helping Argentina win the 2022 World Cup in a stunning penalty shootout victory over France on Sunday, Lionel Messi has said he would not retire from international football

Congress MP Khaleque says Messi was born in Assam, gets trolled on Twitter

Congress Lok Sabha MP Abdul Khaleque was brutally trolled on social media after claiming in a tweet that Argentine football legend Lionel Messi was born in 'Assam'

'I am not going to retire': Leo Messi after Argentina's World Cup victory

Messi has been monumental in his team's success in the tournament, becoming the only player in World Cup history to score in every knockout game

All eyes on Lionel Messi as Argentina brace for Fifa World Cup 2022 final

As Lionel Messi approaches his second and likely last World Cup final, the stakes could hardly be higher. The same goes for Argentina after more than 30 years of disappointment since it last won soccer's ultimate prize. For Messi, victory against France at Lusail Stadium on Sunday is a chance to finally get his hands on the one major trophy that has eluded him in his storied career. In doing so, he would push ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has also never won a World Cup, in the long-running rivalry between the two greatest players of their generation. While 37-year-old Ronaldo exited the tournament at the quarterfinals stage, benched by Portugal and in tears in the likely recognition that his last chance had passed, Messi is summoning some of his finest moments in an Argentina shirt to inspire his country's run to the final. "Each time we see him play, he makes us and the players feel something special," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. "There's something about him that peop

Messi becomes highest goalscorer for Argentina in Fifa World Cup history

Lionel Messi broke Gabriel Batistuta's record to become the highest goalscorer for Argentina in the history of the Fifa World Cup. This was Messi's 11th goal

Alvarez, Messi help Argentina beat Croatia to enter Fifa World Cup final

Julian Alvarez's brace and Lionel Messi's goal help Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 here at Lusail Stadium to enter the final of the Fifa World Cup 2022

Messi will play for Argentina after Fifa World Cup, hopes coach Scaloni

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni is pinning hopes that Lionel Messi will continue to play for Argentina much after the FIFA World Cup is over