Diego Maradona's Argentina were impressive 2-0 winners in France on Wednesday as two of world football's heavyweights squared up for a friendly in Marseille. On a hectic day of friendly internationals and a smattering of World Cup qualifiers, David Beckham equalled 1966 World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore's record of 108 caps for an outfield player when he came on for the second half of England's 2-0 friendly defeat in Spain.
As the mercurial Messi rings in his 28th birthday, Rediff.com brings you all the exciting moments from the ace footballer's life.
Lionel Messi returned from international suspension to score the winner in Argentina's 1-0 victory over Brazil in Saudi Arabia on Friday.
Argentina overcame its Copa America penalty shootout demons
Lionel Messi scored two wonder goals as European champions Barcelona thrashed Brazil's Santos 4-0 to win their second Club World Cup in two years on Sunday.
Reigning champions France take on Argentina in a showpiece final at Lusail Stadium with both teams looking to add a third star to their crest.
Liverpool took another step towards the Premier League title with a 2-0 win at Manchester City.
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup Group C match played between Argentina and Poland on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi's picture was on the front pages rather than the sports sections of the Spanish media on Thursday, after the World Player of the Year and his father were accused of tax fraud.
Lionel Messi will have another chance to match or surpass Telmo Zarra's six-decade-old La Liga scoring record of 251 goals when Barcelona host promoted Eibar on Saturday.
Two goals from Lionel Messi and a poacher's strike from Bojan Krkic gave Barcelona a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in their Spanish Super Cup second leg on Sunday for a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Lionel Messi does not need a Copa America win to feel like the king of the world. He captured that crown a long ago, says Dhruv Munjal.
Images from the Champions League second-leg match played on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi's ankle injury has ruled him out of Barcelona's league derby with Espanyol on Saturday, and makes him doubtful for their opening game of the Club World Cup, the European champions said on Thursday. The Argentina international twisted his right ankle in Barca's 2-1 Champions League victory away to Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi's goals have fired Argentina into the World Cup last 16 but they will look for a better all-round performance when they meet Switzerland.
Messi was Argentina's key man in their 1-0 win.
The 33-year-old Messi, who signed his last contract in 2017, has become more outspoken against the club's hierarchy in the last year and radio station Cadena Ser said last Thursday he is unhappy with how Barca is being run and wants to leave in 2021.
Cristiano Ronaldo will serve his suspension before making his league debut for his new Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr but he could play against Paris St Germain in a friendly this month.
Argentine prodigy Lionel Messi emulated Diego Maradona once again on Saturday when he scored a replica of the Argentine great's famous "hand of god" goal with a desperate equaliser against city rivals Espanyol on Saturday.
The referee said in his match report he showed the card because Messi "delayed his return to his half of the pitch after the goal was scored with the intention of wasting time".
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is hoping for an injury free 2014 as his recovery from a thigh injury nears completion, the World Player of the Year said on Monday.
That was also Messi's 500th goal for Barcelona.
Barcelona's serial hat-trick scorer Lionel Messi will be looking to take up where he last left off as Argentina captain when he leads his country against Ecuador in a 2014 World Cup qualifier on Saturday.
Lionel Messi scored in his 12th consecutive La Liga game to help leaders Barcelona earn a 1-1 draw at Valencia, allowing second-placed Atletico Madrid to close to within nine points after a 1-0 win over Real Betis on Sunday.
Barcelona pulled six points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga when Lionel Messi netted his seventh double of the campaign and set up Alex Song to open his account for the club in a 3-1 success at home to Real Zaragoza on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi produced moments of magic to earn victories for Real Madrid and Barcelona which kept Real 10 points clear at the top of La Liga on Sunday.
Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo was second, the third time the 2008 winner has finished runner-up, and Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta was third as Spain again missed out.
Barcelona great Lionel Messi's new mark of 86 goals in a calendar year could last another 40 years, previous record holder Gerd Mueller said on Monday.
Salah's strikes brought him to a remarkable 43 goals in all competitions this season, keeping him at the front of the list of top scorers in Europe
Lionel Messi scored twice and Luis Suarez struck his first La Liga goal as Barcelona crushed struggling Cordoba 5-0 on Saturday.
Lionel Messi was hailed by his coach as the world's best player after he scored Barcelona's second goal in their 2-0 Champions League final victory over Manchester United and ended as the competition's top scorer. The match in Rome had been hyped as a duel between the world's two best players, Argentine Messi and United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo was largely ineffective apart from an early flourish and it was Messi who came out on top.
Lionel Messi scored twice to help Barcelona shake off the disappointment of their midweek Champions League semi-final exit with a 4-1 victory at Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday.
Lionel Messi is on course for a record-equalling third consecutive Ballon d'Or, soccer's highest individual award, after the Argentine forward was among the three shortlisted nominees named on Monday.
It's good news for football-crazy fans of the city. Argentine superstar Lionel Messi and his teammates will play a FIFA official international friendly against Venezuela at Salt Lake's Yuba Bharati Krirangan on September 2.
Lionel Messi has clearly become disenchanted with life at Barcelona.
Lionel Messi scored two late goals on Saturday as leaders Barcelona won 3-0 away to Hercules, their 15th consecutive victory matching the La Liga record set by Real Madrid in the 1960-61 season.
A sense of euphoria was in the air in the country, particularly in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo, where thousands of jubilant fans crowded to watch the match on a giant screen in the park.
Substitute Lionel Messi scored his 38th goal for Argentina as they breezed past Slovenia 2-0 in their final World Cup warmup on Saturday.
A Chelsea deal for Barcelona forward Lionel Messi would be impossible under financial fair play rules, assistant coach Steve Holland said on Friday.
Lionel Messi became the first Argentine to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award on Monday. The 22-year-old forward, who also landed the European Footballer of the Year prize earlier this month, picked up the accolade after collecting four major titles with Barcelona -- the Champions League, the Club World Cup, La Liga and the King's Cup.
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