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.
The normally loyal Madrid-based sports papers rounded on Pepe on Thursday after the Real Madrid defender's stamp on Lionel Messi's hand during Wednesday's King's Cup quarter-final first leg defeat by Barcelona.
Argentina's Lionel Messi has unfinished business going into the Centenary Copa America that is being staged in the United States with the Barcelona star keen to help his nation capture a first major title in 23 years.
Barcelona hit out at the referee and his assistants for failing to award Lionel Messi's first half 'goal' in an action-packed 1-1 draw at Liga title rivals Valencia on Sunday.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi reached another milestone in his amazing career on Saturday when he became the first player to score 60 goals in a season in European top-flight soccer in almost 40 years.
Lionel Messi created two goals to inspire Argentina to a 3-1 international friendly win over Nigeria in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi scored a goal and played a role in the other as defending Olympic champions Argentina beat the Netherlands 2-1 in extra time on Saturday to reach the soccer semi-finals. Argentina will play Brazil in the semi-final in Beijing on Aug. 19. Nigeria will face Belgium in Shanghai in the other semi-final.
Lionel Messi had to wait 12 years and endure a goal drought of eight games against Chelsea but he finally broke his duck in Tuesday's 1-1 Champions League last 16, first leg draw.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi took their remarkable scoring achievements to new heights when they jointly set a record for La Liga goals in a season of 41 on Saturday.
Lionel Messi marked his first match as Argentina captain with a win as they beat an ultra defensive Greece side 2-0 and cruised into the World Cup second round as Group B winners putting the Greeks out on Tuesday.
Quicksilver Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona beat Getafe 2-0 and qualified 6-0 on aggregate for the King's Cup quarter-finals but they lost Neymar to injury midway through the first half.
After the disappointing show at the Copa America, Argentina's recently-appointed football coach Alejandro Sabella is keen to rebuild the team around Lionel Messi that will begin their campaign for the 2014 World Cup with Wednesday's FIFA international friendly against Venezuela.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi brought back memories of outstanding performances by his Argentine compatriots Diego Maradona and Ricky Villa at Wembley with his match-winning display in the Champions League final on Saturday.
Lionel Messi is like water in the desert, Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said after his team beat Belgium 1-0 to reach the World Cup semi-finals on Saturday.
Lionel Messi turned 26 on Monday having claimed every prize as a player bar the World Cup but facing new challenges that will test the Argentine's skills off the pitch as much as on it.
Lionel Messi scored four as Barcelona came from behind to thrash Valencia 5-1 at home, closing the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid back to 10 points on Sunday.
Lionel Messi scored twice to earn Barcelona a 2-0 derby win over Espanyol and send them 13 points clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday.
Lionel Messi broke the deadlock and Luis Suarez scored twice in the second half to give Barcelona a typically emphatic 3-0 win over River Plate in the Club World Cup final on Sunday.
Argentina's Lionel Messi continued his World Cup dual with Neymar by scoring twice in a 3-2 win over Nigeria while Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri got in on the act with a magnificent hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Honduras on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi and Alexis Sanchez, club mates at Barcelona, sparkled as Argentina and Chile put behind them a weekend to forget with victories in the South American 2014 World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi became the first player to notch 300 La Liga goals as his double blast powered Barcelona to a 3-1 win at Sporting Gijon that sent them six points clear at the top of the table on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi reclaimed the FIFA Ballon d'Or award for the world player of the year on Monday from his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo who had walked off with the award for the previous two years.
Lionel Messi's Argentina brushed aside Paraguay 3-1 to go top of the South American 2014 World Cup qualifiers at the Mario Kempes stadium on Friday.
Individual genius triumphed over collective organisation as Lionel Messi's magnificent stoppage time goal for Argentina cruelly left Iran with nothing after an outstanding defensive display from Carlos Queiroz's team.
A superb Lionel Messi hat-trick gave Barcelona a 3-1 win over 10-man Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their last 16 King's Cup tie on Tuesday. The Argentine forward, playing for the first time since the Christmas break, also hit the crossbar and many of the Atletico fans stood and applauded him when he was replaced near the end.
Celtic's bid to make the last 16 of the Champions League has been backed by Lionel Messi who believes the Scottish club's fans deserve to see their side progress.
Lionel Messi requires two more goals to reach 500 for Barcelona and will have his sights set on achieving the milestone against great rivals Real Madrid in Sunday's Clasico.
Barcelona's World Player of the Year Lionel Messi scored in a 19th successive La Liga match on Saturday, entering a new statistic in the record books by netting against every team in the league consecutively.
Lionel Messi produced another brilliant performance to lead Argentina to a 3-0 win over Venezuela in World Cup qualifying on Friday, but Colombia kept up the chase on the group leaders with a 5-0 demolition of Bolivia.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann appear among the 55 nominees for the FIFPro 2016 World 11 released on Friday but England forward Wayne Rooney failed to make the shortlist for the first time. Portugal captain Ronaldo, led his country to victory at Euro 2016, while France forward Griezmann was the top player at the tournament. It is the first time that 25-year-old Griezmann has made the cut, but England captain Rooney is absent for the first time in the competition's 12-year history, after England crashed out of Euro 2016 to lowly Iceland.
A signed pair of Lionel Messi's boots have been sold for 4,000 euros (2,700 pounds) at an auction in Beijing on Barcelona's tour of Asia, Spanish media reported on Sunday.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo stole the limelight as Barcelona and Real Madrid drew 2-2 in a thrilling La Liga 'El Clasico' at the Nou Camp on Sunday.
Spain's glorious third successive triumph in a major tournament and individual goal scoring brilliance from Argentine Lionel Messi will be remembered as soccer's golden hallmarks of 2012.
The list of candidates to win the 2009 Ballon d'Or award was reduced to 10 men on Sunday, with Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi the overwhelming favourite.
Cristiano Ronaldo said he has always got on well with Lionel Messi and never saw him as a rival.
Lionel Messi of European champions Barcelona was named the European Club Player of the Year on Thursday for helping his side lift the UEFA Champions League trophy last season. Argentine Messi was also named forward of the year with his club mate Xavi Hernandez, who also played a key role for Barca last season, named as midfielder of the year ahead of a third Barcelona club mate Andres Iniesta.
Barcelona have been very active in the transfer market in recent years, completing three of the top six most expensive transfers ever.
Seven times reigning winner Lionel Messi was not nominated for this year's Ballon d'Or for the first time since 2005 and nor was his Paris Saint-Germain team mate Neymar.
Lionel Messi became Argentina's youngest World Cup captain when he led his country for the first time two days before his 23rd birthday against Greece in Group B on Tuesday.
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