Cristiano Ronaldo birthday special coverage: Check Cristiano Ronaldo age, stats, total goals, career records, trophies and net worth details.
Messi has no current contractual link with the Catalans after his deal expired on June 30
Lionel Messi became Barca's record appearance maker in the competition with 76 Copa matches.
Following are the award winners who were honoured by UEFA during the Champions League draw on Thursday in Monaco.
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has labelled Lionel Messi has the 'best' player he has seen after the Argentine forward spurred a 2-0 victory over Ajax Amsterdam that secured the Spanish side a place in the Champions League knockout stages.
The victory takes Barcelona up to fourth with 10 points after six games, one point behind surprise leaders Granada, Athletic Bilbao, who visit Leganes on Wednesday, and Real Madrid ahead of their game at home to Osasuna the same night.
Following are the betting odds for the winners of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the top goalscorer at the tournament, which will be held in Qatar from Nov. 20-Dec. 18.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah were named as the three finalists.
An Argentine football club has recreated the Sistine Chapel on the ceiling of its gymnasium, with Diego Maradona as God, Lionel Messi as Adam and a host of angels that include Mario Kempes, Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Batistuta.
Lionel Messi trained alongside his Argentina team-mates at the Copa America Centenario as he targets a return from injury in his team's second Group D game against Panama. Messi, who has been nursing a sore back after sustaining an injury in a friendly against Honduras last month, has trained separately under the supervision of team medical staff since arriving in the United States. However the 28-year-old Barcelona superstar took part in a full training session on Wednesday at the University of Illinois campus, two days after sitting out Argentina's opening 2-1 victory over Chile in Santa Clara on Monday.
Messi was three ahead of nearest rival Kylian Mbappe, who scored 33 times for Paris St Germain as they won France's Ligue 1.
Messi is idolised the world over but said he does not enjoy giving advice
Messi was named the top-earning footballer in the world by French newspaper L'Equipe earlier this year, claiming an estimated 8.2 million euros ($9.97 million) per month from Barca.
Lionel Messi returned to training on Monday after recovering from a stomach bug that caused him to miss Barcelona's goalless draw against Malaga on Saturday.
Barcelona have announced they will appeal the yellow card given to Lionel Messi during the team's 2-1 win over Sevilla on Sunday.
'I had a feeling from within that this tournament (Asia Cup) would be something special, but I did not think that I would become the player-of-the-tournament.'
Voting for the eighth annual awards opened on Thursday on FIFA.com and closes in mid-October. National team coaches, captains, journalists and fans make up the list of voters.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic says he will turn to his Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic for ideas on how to stop Argentina's Lionel Messi in Thursday's Group D match between the two teams.
Former India captain and current Under-19 coach Rahul Dravid visited Camp Nou to witness Barcelona playing against Athletico Madrid in the La Liga clash on Sunday.
Messi had failed to turn up to the club's tests for COVID-19 eight days ago and been absent from all subsequent sessions ahead of the new campaign after giving the club an official notice that he wished to leave.
Lionel Messi won his personal duel with his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo lighting up Argentina's 2-1 win over Portugal by making one goal and scoring the winner in a lively friendly international in Geneva on Wednesday.
Messi signed off for 2022 by hailing the year when he won the World Cup as one he "will never be able to forget".
Lionel Messi was so distraught at Barcelona missing out on reaching the 2012 Champions League final that he was reduced to tears
Travellers are turning concerts into full-fledged weekend getaways, giving rise to the 'gigcation' -- a short, experience-led micro-holiday.
Messi's donation will be split between Hospital Clinic in Barcelona and another medical centre in his home country. Former Barcelona player and manager Guardiola made his contribution to a campaign launched by the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation and Medical College of Barcelona.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts bought the first announced team in the WBL, which is yet to announce the franchises and schedule of the first event of the league featuring mixed-gender teams.
Barcelona star forward Lionel Messi has revealed that his former team-mate Ronaldinho had promised him to give his No 10 jersey months before the Brazilian's departure from the club in 2008.
'I take responsibility for my errors and if they existed, it was only to make Barcelona better and stronger'.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi was at the heart of another devastating attacking show.
Lionel Messi has passed a kidney stone which ruled him out of their Club World Cup semi-final and Barcelona will now decide whether he will be fit for the final, the Spanish sports daily AS said on Friday.
A frustrated Lionel Messi said he is tired of being blamed for problems at Barcelona after he was accused by Antoine Griezmann's former agent of making life difficult for the French striker at the La Liga club.
Now, through the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), Messi has kept his promise and gifted his five-year-old fan, Murtaza Ahmadi, two autographed jerseys and a signed football, CNN reported.
'I tried to behave with humility and respect and I hope that is what remains of me when I leave the club.'
Eight years is a long time in the life of an athlete. But just like Messi, Di Maria has preserved and persisted towards his childhood dream, points out Deepti Patwardhan.
Lionel Messi says he is retiring from international soccer after Argentina lost to Chile in Copa America final.
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who have won the award 10 times between them, are included
Lionel Messi will face trial for tax evasion after a Spanish high court rejected his latest appeal.
Defending Copa America champions Argentina beat Canada 2-0 in the opening match of the tournament on Thursday.
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has said he considered leaving the club when he was investigated for tax fraud in 2013, saying he felt "badly treated" by Spain.
Stopping the stars won't be enough to win World Cup
