Cristiano Ronaldo said he has always got on well with Lionel Messi and never saw him as a rival.
'We wanted to compensate for the defeat (against Saudi Arabia). Today it was a great game, we played very well collectively'
With the world watching him in a World Cup opener against Iceland, the normally brilliant Messi struck a weak spot-kick that was saved, leaving Argentina with a disappointing 1-1 draw.
Lionel Messi netted a brilliant first-half hat-trick and added a late fourth to fire holders Barcelona past Arsenal into the last four of the Champions League on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi would trade all his Barcelona success for a World Cup winners' medal with Argentina to sit alongside the game's greats, according to compatriot Ossie Ardiles.
A mesmeric Lionel Messi helped Barcelona to come from behind and beat Sevilla 2-1 in a thrilling encounter on Sunday as the champions kept the pressure on La Liga leaders Real Madrid, who saw off Leganes 3-0 thanks to a double from Gareth Bale.
Lionel Messi's corner was headed in by Nicolas Otamendi in the 67th minute as Argentina defeated Venezuela 1-0 in an international friendly in Kolkata.
Lionel Messi struck late to help Barcelona seal a place in the King's Cup final on Wednesday, a 1-1 draw at Real Mallorca completing a 3-1 aggregate victory for the Primera Liga leaders. Barcelona will play Athletic Bilbao in the May 13 final in Valencia after the Basque club beat Sevilla 3-0 at home to overturn a 2-1 defeat from last month's first leg.
Lionel Messi could miss the remainder of Barcelona's league campaign after suffering a relapse of his left hamstring injury during the team's 2-1 victory at Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Lionel Messi completed a hat-trick to earn 10-man Barcelona a 3-3 home draw with Real Madrid.
Lionel Messi will miss this weekend's La Liga match at home to Real Mallorca with a right hamstring injury and will then return to action depending on the speed of his recovery, Barcelona said after tests on Wednesday.
Messi memes quickly sprung up on the internet.
Lionel Messi's Barcelona gave an emphatic response to the doubters when they made Champions League history by overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit to oust seven-times European Cup winners AC Milan on Tuesday.
Another Lionel Messi hat-trick lit up the Champions League yet again as Barcelona and AC Milan qualified for the last 16 with time to spare on Tuesday although it is APOEL Nicosia who are fast becoming the talk of the group stages.
Recent episodes of vomiting suffered by Barcelona forward Lionel Messi are 'not normal' but they do not affect his performance and there is no cause for alarm, coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday.
Striker Carlos Tevez has been left out of the star-studded Argentina football squad led by Barcelona supertstar Lionel Messi for a friendly against Venezuela, to be played at the Salt Lake Stadium on September 2.
Gonzalo Higuain bagged a remarkable third hat-trick in two weeks to steer Real Madrid to a 4-1 win over Real Betis on Saturday while Lionel Messi's double kept Barcelona top of La Liga with a 3-0 victory over Racing Santander.
Lionel Messi is 34 goals short of becoming Barcelona's all-time top scorer after netting a hat-trick in the Champions League on Tuesday, and the only real question left is when he will achieve that accolade and not if.
Lionel Messi's magical left-foot produced another inspirational goal as Argentina managed 1-0 win over gritty Iran in a Group F game of the World Cup in Belo Horizonte, on Saturday.
Photos from the World Cup match between Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
With Samuel Eto'o on duty at the African Nations Cup, the youngster's electric pace and eye for goal will be crucial to the Catalan side's success.
Stating that Ronaldinho was responsible for a change in attitude at FC Barcelona, Lionel Messi said that the Brazilian made things easier for him at the club.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are both back for domestic duties as second-placed Barcelona resume their chase of La Liga leader Real Madrid with a tricky trip to red-hot Real Sociedad on Sunday. Barcelona, into the Champions League last 16 as Group C winners with a 2-0 win at Celtic on Wednesday, are four points behind Real Madrid who will host Sporting Gijon on Saturday without the injured Gareth Bale. "We have achieved our aim, which was to qualify as first of our group and now we need to turn our focus to La Liga," Barcelona centre back Javier Mascherano told www.fcbarcelona.com.
Champions Barcelona turned on the style to hammer Atletico Madrid 5-2 and consolidate their position at the top of the Spanish Primera Liga on Saturday. The visitors, who were thumped 6-1 in the same fixture last season, have yet to win a game in the new campaign but came out with an ambitious attacking lineup.
Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero struck two goals apiece in Argentina's 7-0 romp against an out-of-sorts Bolivia while Mexico were held 3-3 by Trinidad & Tobago in friendlies in the United States on Friday.
'He's an exceptional talent, him and Cristiano have been the best players in the world the last decade and he showed why we think that and why this team have won the Champions League so many times'
Lionel Messi's seemingly endless love affair with the Champions League continued with another virtuoso two-goal performance on Wednesday for Barcelona.
The apparently unstoppable Lionel Messi extended his record goals tally for 2012 to 88 when he scored twice to earn holders Barcelona a 2-0 win at second division Cordoba in their King's Cup last-16 first leg on Wednesday.
World Cup winner Argentina topped the FIFA rankings on Thursday for the first time in six years.
Lionel Messi has become the first player to win Europe's Golden Shoe award for three straight years after his nearest challenger Kylian Mbappe failed to score the four goals he needed in Paris St Germain's final league match of the season on Friday.
Barcelona talisman has become just as dangerous from dead ball situations too
Lionel Messi fired Barcelona into the last 16 of the Champions League with two goals in their 3-0 victory at Spartak Moscow on Tuesday but holders Chelsea are walking a tightrope after a crushing defeat by Juventus.
Fresh from propelling Barcelona to their fifth trophy of 2015, their prolific strikes are now seeking to break the Spanish record of goals in a calendar year when they play Real Betis on Wednesday.
How to clone Lionel Messi? Set up a Barcelona soccer school in Argentina.This was the thinking behind the Catalan club when they decided to look for more Argentine talent to nurture in their rich, world famous youth scheme.
Barcelona's reserves, bolstered by lengthy cameos from Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, rounded out their controversial Asian tour by beating Chinese champions Beijing Guoan 3-0 at the Bird's Nest on Sunday.
Unbeaten leaders Barcelona extended their near-perfect start but again suffered the defensive lapses that have plagued them this season when Lionel Messi netted twice in a 4-2 La Liga win at Real Mallorca on Sunday.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique expects Lionel Messi to bounce back from a difficult summer with his usual enthusiasm -- and does not rule out a return to international football.
The transfer of the title of European Player of the Year effectively took place in the Champions League final last May when Lionel Messi eclipsed the 2008 winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lionel Messi scored two wonder goals as European champions Barcelona ripped apart Brazil's Santos 4-0 to win their second Club World Cup in swashbuckling style on Sunday.
Lionel Messi wasted little time in finding his stride as he struck twice to lead 10-man Barcelona to a 3-0 home win over Elche and hand new coach Luis Enrique a happy start to the La Liga season on Sunday.
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