Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo beats Lionel Messi to win Ballon d’Or 2016
Cristiano Ronaldo has beaten off competition from Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann to win the 2016 Ballon d’Or. The 31-year-old superstar won the award off the back of a sensational triumph at Euro 2016 after he captained Portugal in their victory over France in the final back in July. Chelsea encouraging John Terry to...
Lionel Messi handed jail term in Spain for tax fraud
Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud. His father, Jorge Messi, was also given a jail term for defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.5m; $4.5m) between 2007 and 2009. They also face millions of euros in fines for using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to...
Lionel Messi breaks record as Argentina reach Copa America final
Lionel Messi became his country's leading scorer with a superb free-kick as Argentina beat hosts the USA 4-0 reach Sunday's Copa America final. The Barcelona forward, 28, passed Gabriel Batistuta's 54-goal tally with a 25-yard strike. Messi provided the assist for Ezequiel Lavezzi's opener, then scored his...
Messi’s boots make Egyptians cry foul
The world's most famous footballer donates a pair of his boots to a charity auction, what's not to like? Plenty it seems, depending on the cultural context, as Barcelona star Lionel Messi has been discovering after his generous gesture managed to upset some Egyptians. It was only a few weeks ago that Messi was widely...
‘Biggest fan’: 5yo Afghan boy with plastic bag jersey may soon meet Lionel Messi (VIDEO)
A young Afghan boy, who captured hearts around the world when a picture of him wearing a makeshift Lionel Messi jersey went viral, could be about to meet his football idol. Five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi was snapped wearing a blue and white shopping bag with the Ballon d’Or winner’s name scrawled on the back. The...