After leaving fans guessing about whether or not he would take to the pitch, Lionel Messi came on in the 60th minute in Inter Miami's friendly match against J-League side Vissel Kobe in Tokyo on Wednesday.
'I don't like people talking before matches. That's not part of football. I always respect everyone, but I like to be respected too.'
Spectators chanted "refund" after Messi stayed on the bench during the match.
Messi mania engulfs Miami over the Argentine soccer superstar's arrival.
Have you joined the rediff fan club to support your favourite football team in the World Cup 2006?
The couple wore their biggest smiles as they sat against the backdrop of the Parisian symbol of love.
Word spread that Leo was in the vicinity and hundreds of fans gathered outside the Don Julio restaurant for a glimpse of the man who brought the World Cup to Argentina in December.
After scoring, Messi stopped and pointed from the field at the team co-owner David Beckham, who was watching the game. The gesture was met with a wide smile from the former Manchester United great who helped lure Messi to the MLS despite a massive counter offer from Saudi Arabia.
Messi played a key role in guiding Argentina to their first World Cup title in 36 years when they beat defending champions France in the final in December last year.
Miami are set to take on Al-Hilal at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on January 29 before facing Al-Nassr at the same venue on February 1.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal in Portugal's home Nations League game against Croatia on Thursday.
World Cup-winning Captain Lionel Messi received a king's welcome in Paris on Wednesday.
'An evening in Riyadh... what an evening... Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Mbappe, Neymar all playing together... and yours truly invited guest to inaugurate the game .. PSG vs Riyadh Seasons... Incredible!!!'
Captain Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to an emphatic 3-0 victory against Italy in a heavyweight clash billed as the 'Finalissima' in London on Wednesday.
Messi hopes to play in Tokyo friendly after Hong Kong letdown
Lionel Messi will play his last game for Paris St Germain against Clermont on Saturday
Cirque du Soleil first premiered the show in 2019 in Barcelona, where Messi was playing at the time. In recent years the company has tried to broaden its appeal, moving outside circus acts to performances celebrating music icons and creating immersive experiences with video game partners.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking to American podcaster Lex Fridman, stated that India is a better cricket team than Pakistan, citing recent results.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the award five times, did not receive a nomination for the first time in 20 years.
Jude Bellingham topped the men's overall voting, with the Real Madrid and England midfielder receiving 11,176 selections from his peers.
A source close to Argentina's captain told Reuters that he received a formal offer to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal next season, with a contract renewal at PSG not on the cards for the World Cup winner who turns 36 next month.
Messi announced to take his talents to South Beach after his contract with PSG expires at the end of this month.
'Trust me, the comeback of Leo Messi only depends on him.'
Lionel Messi has already proved to be a team player at his new club Inter Miami as the Argentine forward surprised a team mate in the players' group chat.
Messi's future at PSG has been the subject of much speculation in recent days
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.
A threatening message was left for Lionel Messi at a supermarket belonging to the family of Antonela Roccuzzo, the Argentine captain's wife.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni would love to see the superstar -- who is one of only six players to compete in five World Cups -- suit up for the next World Cup.
Some mainland fans travelled 12 hours from Xinjiang to Hong Kong to see Messi, the Global Times wrote, with the disappointment of the government and fans "entirely understandable. The impact of this incident has far exceeded the realm of sports."
Google CEO Sundar Pichai hailed Lionel Messi as the 'best ever'
Lionel Messi notched his ninth goal in six matches as Inter Miami crushed Philadelphia Union 4-1 to reach the Leagues Cup final.
Lionel Messi and his family are celebrating the Christmas season at home in Argentina.
Vinicius Jr's remarkable performances at Real Madrid have put the 24-year-old forward as the odds-on favourite to claim his first Ballon d'Or when the award for the best player in the world is announced in Paris on Monday.
Argentine great Lionel Messi has completed his signing for Inter Miami on a deal that will keep him in Florida until 2025.
Messi and his national team will play a friendly match against Australia today, June 15, on Chinese Communist tyrant Xi Jinping's 70th birthday.
The duo were all smiles for the camera and Djokovic posted pictures of their epic meeting on his social media handles.
This is Argentina's 6th final and their second shot at the trophy in the last two attempts. They were beaten by Germany in the 2014 final.
Kohli posted some classy pictures from their date night with a heart emoji.
Erling Haaland helped Manchester City win three major trophies.
Cristiano Ronaldo has yet again left the competition behind as the five-time Ballon D'Or winner was named Instagram's top earner for the third year in a row.
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