Pochettino picks Barcelona as favourites to win Champions League
Argentina lose to Brazil in Copa America semis
A young Afghan fan of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi has fled his home and gone to Pakistan because his family feared he could be kidnapped after he became an unlikely Internet sensation, the boy's uncle said on Tuesday. Five-year-old Murtaza Ahmedi grabbed world headlines after being photographed in a shirt improvised from a plastic bag in the colours of the Argentine national team bearing Messi's name and number 10 playing number. After pictures of Murtaza went viral on social media, his family feared that after becoming famous worldwide, he could be abducted by kidnappers for ransom. His home is in the central region of Ghazni where security has been fragile and where kidnappings are common.
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi were declared joint winners of the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award in Berlin on Monday, with the voting tied for the first time in the awards' 20-year history. Mercedes driver Hamilton won his sixth world championship in 2019, with 11 race wins and 17 podium finishes, while Messi was crowned the world's best player for a record sixth time when he won the Ballon d'Or. American gymnast Simone Biles, who became the most decorated gymnast in world championship history when she won her 25th medal last year, won her third Sportswoman of the Year gong after winning the award in 2017 and 2019.
India's most successful One-Day International captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has beaten football superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to secure ninth place in the list of the world's 'most marketable athletes', compiled by the London School of Marketing.
Lionel Messi was so distraught at Barcelona missing out on reaching the 2012 Champions League final that he was reduced to tears
Messi opened the scoring at the Nou Camp with an audacious chipped penalty then restored control in the tie after Lyon had pulled a goal back to make it 2-1, hitting a decisive third goal after a trademark dazzling run to shake off four defenders.
La Liga club Barcelona have expressed their support for Argentine striker Lionel Messi and his father after the Spanish Supreme Court upheld their prison sentences over tax fraud charges, although neither are expected to go to jail.
The man, who declined to be named, said he charges "the most dedicated supporters" a 1,000% markup for tickets to sought-after matches featuring stars like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lewandowski huffed and puffed, but he cut a lonely and frustrated figure
Images from the FIFA World Cup match between France and Poland on Sunday.
The club have been trying to rebuild the squad with Junior Firpo, Jean-Clair Todibo and Carles Alena being sold to make way for free signings Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia.
Japan's Naomi Osaka ($37.4 million), who was ranked 29th on the list, surpassed fellow tennis player Serena Williams ($36 million) as the world's highest-earning female athlete.
The Tango D10S - a 12-seater financed by an Argentine fintech company - is designed as a flying museum in tribute to the former World Cup winner, who died of a heart attack in November 2020.
Barcelona star forward Lionel Messi and Read Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo have been named in the 40-man shortlist for the UEFA's Team of the Year.
La Liga players dominate this year's Best Player in Europe shortlist, announced by the continent's governing body UEFA on Monday, with seven of the top 10 contenders for the prestigious award currently plying their trade in Spain.
Manuel Neuer remained Germany's number one and captain, even as they underperformed in the UEFA Nations League and Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Tata Motors might have to rethink its association with sportstar Lionel Messi.
Real Madrid's France forward Karim Benzema won the 2022 Ballon d'Or award for the best men's player in the world on Monday, while Barcelona's Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas won the women's award for a second time.
Barcelona sacked coach Ronald Koeman after Wednesday's 1-0 LaLiga defeat at Rayo Vallecano, the Catalan club said on Wednesday.
Barcelona's star striker Lionel Messi, who completed a decade at FC Barcelona on Thursday, used social media to reach out to his fans, thanking them for their support.
PSG have set their sights on Messi, with PSG's players, coaches talking of their excitement about the prospect of bringing the Argentine to the French capital
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.
Players from European champions Barcelona made up nearly half of UEFA's Team of the Year which was revealed on Friday, while Cristiano Ronaldo made the lineup for a record 10th time. Eight players from La Liga were included in the final XI, voted for by 7.2 million UEFA.com users from a 40-strong shortlist. Lionel Messi, Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta and Neymar were the Barcelona players included, while Real Madrid provided Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez.
India opened their Group D campaign with a 2-0 win over Cambodia where Sunil Chhetri scored a brace. Chhetri also scored the first goal against Afghanistan.
India head coach Igor Stimac feels this may be the final season of talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri's career.
An argument over whether Barcelona's Lionel Messi or Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's best footballer led to a Nigerian man being charged with the murder of his friend.
Former Real Madrid and England manager gives a clear explanation to the Messi vs Ronaldo debate
Sunil Chhetri's late goal earned India the 1-0 victory over Nepal in the SAFF Championship, at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives, on Sunday. The victory took India to third in the group standings with five points, just a behind Maldives and Nepal, both of whom have six points each.
Lionel Messi has identified Spain as the one country he hopes to avoid in the group stages of the World Cup finals next year.
The goal gave Argentina all three points and condemned their neighbors to a losing start to their Copa campaign.
Five strikers who surprised us in World Cup 2022.
A double by the mercurial Lionel Messi helped Barcelona reach the Champions League last eight by overhauling AC Milan's two-goal first-leg lead.
The team had arrived in the early hours of Tuesday at Ezeiza airport. Despite it being around 3am local time (0600 GMT), thousands were waiting with banners, flags and flares and howling with joy after Messi and his team mates ended the country's 36-year wait to win the World Cup.
Following are the teams in eight groups for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar from November 20-December 18.
Sunil Chhetri was once again the man of the moment as he struck a brace to inspire India to a 2-0 win over Cambodia in the third round of qualifying for next year's Asian Cup.
Barcelona and Bayern fought hard but failed to break the shackles until the 77th minute in the match when Messi struck the first and three minutes later struck his 77th Champions League goal to double Barca's advantage.
AC Milan entered the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in eleven years, with a draw in the round of 16 second leg against Tottenham Hotspurs.
'We want not only to defend it but also show that we are superior and we need to have a good game'
Real Madrid's Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned the best soccer player in the world for the second year running at FIFA's The Best awards gala on Monday.
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