'The kids' happiness with the resemblance between me and Messi is indescribable. When you make someone happy, God rewards you. I wanted to share this happiness with them'.
Lionel Messi's father Jorge has sought to play down comments his son made this week which suggested the four-time World Player of the Year could consider leaving Barcelona.
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi sat out Friday's training session as he has a small thigh strain, the Spanish champions said. Barca returned to full training on Monday for the first time in three months ahead of the Spanish season re-starting on June 11 after being halted since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 27-year-old Argentine posted a selfie on Facebook featuring his girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo and 22-month old son Thiago.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored twice each as La Liga champions Barcelona turned on the style to hammer Huesca 8-2 on Sunday and join Real Madrid as the only teams in the league to win their opening three games.
Lionel Messi became the all-time top scorer for a single soccer club on Tuesday after scoring his 644th goal for Barcelona during their La Liga match against Real Valladolid, surpassing Pele's record goal haul for Brazilian side Santos.
Pele scored 643 goals in 19 seasons for Brazilian side Santos.
The Barca chief also said that the financial situation that he had inherited from former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu was "far, far worse" than anticipated.
Reigning world champions Argentina have kept top spot in the final FIFA men's world ranking of 2024 for a second consecutive year, with no changes in the top 10 of the latest list published on Thursday.
Argentina's Di Maria to quit internationals after Copa America
Two of the most intimidating strikers in world football, Argentina's 35-year-old Lionel Messi and Poland's 34-year-old Robert Lewandowski, line up against each other on Wednesday with a last 16 place at stake in the World Cup.
Lionel Messi lamented Argentina's shock second half capitulation against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday but said he was not surprised by the threat from opponents 48 places lower in the world rankings.
Messi agreed the new contract with Barcelona in July but the club did not release the usual photo of the player putting pen to paper, fuelling speculation he could depart in June 2018, when his previous deal ran out, for free.
Lionel Messi celebrated his sixth Ballon D'Or award with a brilliant hat-trick as Barcelona moved back top of La Liga with an emphatic 5-2 victory over Real Mallorca.
Barcelona striker Lionel Messi is expected to play in Wednesday's King's Cup semi-final against Valencia despite missing training on Monday to have tests on his kidneys, the La Liga club said.
Messi's lawyers informed Barcelona, on Tuesday, that the Argentine wanted to take up a release clause in his contract which could allow him to leave for nothing.
Argentina and Australia have only two full days to rest, a factor Argentine manager Lionel Scaloni called 'madness'.
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great's net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The Italian coach considers that having healthy players, such as striker Karim Benzema, will be the key to face the schedule that awaits the Madrid side, who will be looking to defend their LaLiga, Spanish Super Cup and Champions League titles.
Two of the greatest football players of the 21st century, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo broke the Internet by posting a picture as part of the promotional campaign for the FIFA World Cup, in which they were portrayed playing chess against each other.
Earlier, Messi's World Cup-winning team mate Emiliano Martinez won the Lev Yashin award for the world's best goalkeeper.
Messi, who failed to turn up for pre-season training on Monday, had previously labelled his side 'weak' and 'inconsistent' after surrendering the league title to rivals Real Madrid.
A double by the mercurial Lionel Messi helped Barcelona reach the Champions League last eight by overhauling AC Milan's two-goal first-leg lead.
The Argentine striker had hosted a team meeting on Monday to kick start preparations for the clash against Atletico Madrid.
Boxer Alvarez fumes at Messi celebration video after beating Mexico
France's chance against Argentina in the World Cup last 16 might be that Lionel Messi does not benefit from the same support with the national team than at Barcelona, his club team mate Samuel Umtiti said on Thursday.
The Aston Villa 'keeper saved three penalties in the 2021 Copa America semi-final and Argentina went on to lift the trophy. Now he's stopped two more in a World Cup quarter-final and this could just be a good omen for Messi!
Past and present Barcelona team mates Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano, Neymar and Luis Suarez were all there, as was Gerard Pique and his pop star wife Shakira.
With immense pressure on him to match the late great Diego Maradona and send the trophy back to Buenos Aires, Lionel Messi has lit up the Qatar tournament while others in the superstar stratum - Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo - have underwhelmed and gone home.
Lionel Messi said on Wednesday he was delighted to have signed for French club Paris St Germain and that he is ready to help the team clinch their first ever Champions League title.
Soccer's five-times World Player of the Year Lionel Messi should be acquitted on tax evasion charges against him, Spain's public prosecutors' office said on Friday as the trial drew to a close. Neither Messi nor his father Jorge Horacio Messi attended the hearing in a Barcelona court where closing arguments were given. Both are accused by the Spanish tax office of defrauding the government of 4.2 million euros ($4.8 million) between 2007 and 2009 but have denied any wrongdoing. Speaking on whether or not Lionel Messi was aware of the alleged fraud, state prosecutor Raquel Amado said: "There is no evidence that anyone explained it to him ... the prosecutor sustains that Lionel Andres Messi should be acquitted."
Sergio Ramos has responded to a putdown from Argentina great Diego Maradona
Between trying to compose himself, wiping away tears and facing a long standing ovation, it took Lionel Messi more than a minute to start his farewell news conference on Sunday at FC Barcelona, where the Argentine has spent all of his playing career.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi was at the centre of a headbutting controversy.
Brazil soccer great Pele paid tribute to Lionel Messi for equalling his goal-scoring record for a single club after the Argentine forward netted his 643rd goal for Barcelona in Saturday's 2-2 home draw with Valencia.
Messi, who scored 37 times in La Liga last season, has been at Barcelona since the age of 13, rising through their youth system to become one of the most successful and recognisable footballers in the world.
Indian fans wait for Messi's '2011 Tendulkar moment'
The 32-year-old Messi scored 24 goals this season in all competitions before the coronavirus pandemic brought the football season to a standstill.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking to American podcaster Lex Fridman, stated that India is a better cricket team than Pakistan, citing recent results.
