Five strikers who surprised us in World Cup 2022.
Barcelona leapfrogged Atletico Madrid to go top of La Liga after Lionel Messi's acrobatic volley secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory against tenacious Malaga on Saturday.
Holders Barcelona cruised into the King's Cup quarter-finals when a side missing several regulars beat city rivals Espanyol 2-0, with Munir El Haddadi netting both goals in a thumping 6-1 aggregate success on Wednesday.
Champions Barcelona begin their bid for a sixth La Liga title in eight years at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday knowing that fellow heavyweights Real Madrid could, unusually, be just one of several challengers for their crown.
Unlike some young football players of his generation, Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is a complete family man.
"Mateo, Luka and Marcelo are the best Croatia midfield in history. I don't think it can be repeated. When you pass them the ball it is safer than having your money in the bank," the defender said.
More than 50 Africa-born or African-origin players are spread across 11 teams -- excluding sides from the continent -- that are part of the tournament in Qatar.
Not content with setting a record of 17 goals for one edition of the Champions League last season, Cristiano Ronaldo is already well on the way towards breaking Lionel Messi's La Liga best haul of 50 goals in one campaign.
The Qatar World Cup has delivered a rich feast of soccer for the past month
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.
The most impressive players at the FIFA World Cup 2022 after Round One.
Coach Santos said after the Morocco loss that he does not regret leaving Ronaldo on the bench and repeatedly explained that his decisions were tactical, raising questions about whether Ronaldo's brilliant career is nearing a bitter end.
All the latest news from the summer transfer window...
Cristiano Ronaldo backed himself to win the 2008 Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards after inspiring Manchester United double.
Modric beats Djokovic to win Balkan athlete of year
In other matches, super-sub Messi helped Barca romp past Atletico
Air travel by the top 20 footballers nominated for the 2019 Ballon d'Or was responsible for producing 505 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions this year alone, according to a climate change researcher.
"It is a story that I wanted to tell in my own words, about what happened. I feel it is the biggest story of my career and I thought that I held it for too long by myself and that I needed to share it with other people. The moment was now and (being in) Madrid, on the eve of El Clasico on Sunday, was the perfect occasion to make it happen," the former striker said.
Fernando Torres stole the show with a dramatic double as Atletico Madrid secured a battling 2-2 draw at Real Madrid on Thursday that dumped the holders out of the King's Cup 4-2 on aggregate.
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo opened a museum in his honour in his birthplace on Sunday, which he said had extra room for the Ballon d'Or and many other trophies to come.
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup semi-final between Argentina and Croatia played at Lusail Stadium on Tuesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo has patched up his rift with Sepp Blatter following the FIFA president's hairdresser jibe and apparent imitation of the Portuguese international.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema took Real Betis apart to give Real Madrid a resounding 5-0 win on Saturday that put them level on 50 points with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga.
Real Madrid closed to within three points of La Liga leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the halfway stage of the season when a Pepe header secured a laboured 1-0 win at mid-table Espanyol on Sunday.
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were being touted as the best strike force in soccer history a month ago as they spearheaded Barcelona's record unbeaten run but the tiring trio are now taking the blame as the club's season unravels.
Atletico Madrid maintained a two-point lead in La Liga with a 3-0 victory at Las Palmas and Barcelona and Real Madrid stayed hard on their heels with thumping wins over Athletic Bilbao and Sporting Gijon on Sunday.
The BCCI has retired the No 10 jersey in Tendulkar's honour. But in football, number 10 signifies the legend. After Pele and Diego Maradona, the two great strikers of the ball, Lionel Messi has made the number priceless, notes Veer Arjun Singh.
Barca overcome solid Bilbao challenge to scrape through 1-0.
Lionel Messi is still the best player in the world despite never winning a major international trophy for Argentina, former Barcelona team mate and Brazil great Ronaldinho said on Sunday. The 29-year-old Messi, who retired from internationals last month after Argentina lost to Chile in the Copa America final, is his country's top scorer with 55 goals. The five times World Player of the Year has played in three Copa America finals and the 2014 World Cup final, but lost them all.
Lionel Messi won the inaugural UEFA Best Player in Europe award on Thursday, finishing ahead of Barcelona teammate Xavi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo has suggested Real Madrid should offer him a 10-year contract to ensure he sees out his career at the Spanish club. "If I were the president of Real Madrid, I would give myself a 10-year contract," Real's all time top scorer, now 31, told reporters after scoring on his return from injury in a 5-2 La Liga win over promoted Osasuna. Ronaldo's current contract runs out in 2018.
Real Madrid ensured top spot in La Liga at the midway point of the season when Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice in a 3-0 win at Getafe on Sunday before Lionel Messi's hat-trick helped Barcelona to a 4-0 victory at Deportivo La Coruna.
On Saturday evening, Lionel Messi finally got what had eluded arguably the finest footballer of his generation throughout his glorious career -- a trophy playing for his country.
Zinedine Zidane has been reappointed as Real Madrid coach nine months after resigning, replacing Argentine Santiago Solari.
Real will play Japanese champions Kashima Antlers in Sunday's final in Yokohama, looking to become world champions for the second time in three years and earn a record 21st international title.
Some key facts about Zinedine Zidane, who stepped down as Real Madrid coach after leading the Spanish club to a third successive Champions League title.
AC Milan will find it hard to hold on to Kaka after Manchester City reportedly offered more than 100 million euros ($133 million) for the Brazil playmaker, the Italian club's owner Silvio Berlusconi said on Saturday.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Yeo Moriba laughed as she recalled her showdown with the fearsome Alex Ferguson, one of many confrontations with football authority over the future of her son Paul Pogba. Ferguson was notorious for his 'hairdryer' blasts at players in the Manchester United dressing room and the proud mother told AFP how the tough Scots manager had once left her son in tears in his office. And that may be why Pogba escaped the clutches of the Red Devils to join Juventus. The 23-year-old French midfielder will be one of the most watched players at the European Championship finals. After three years struggling for a first team place, Pogba refused to sign a new contract in 2012. Ferguson took matters into his own hands and decided to confront Moriba, who acts as her son's agent, manager and advisor as well as her two other twin sons Guinea internationals Florentin and Mathias. "I said: 'What? Ferguson coming to my house! He came alone'," said the mother, laughing heartily again. Ferguson left alone disappointed. "We had got together with his brothers and we decided: he won't re-sign," added Moriba.
Portugal football team captain Cristiano Ronaldo returned to his hometown Funchal in Madeira on Sunday in order to attend the unveiling of a statue that has been sculpted in his honour.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances