KATHMANDU, Jan. 2: Former champions Paris Saint-Germain lost 3-1 to Lens. It is the first time since last March that PSG has been defeated in League One. On March 20, PSG lost 3-0 to Monaco.
Lens has only lost once in a total of 17 games this season. With the win, it is only 4 points behind the leading team PSG. Lens took
KATHMANDU, Dec. 29: Paris Saint-Germain PSG won over Trasbourg in French League One football with a score of 2-1. Mbappe scored the winning goal to give PSG victory on Wednesday night. World champion Lionel Messi did not participate in the game. He remains in Argentina.
In the 62nd minute, Ney
RIO DE JANEIRO, September 10 : Paris Saint-Germain teammates Lionel Messi and Neymar both broke scoring records on Thursday as Argentina and Brazil continued their march toward next year's World Cup in Qatar.
Argentina's captain grabbed a brilliant hat-trick in his team's 30 defeat of Bolivia while Neymar scored one goal and set up another as Brazil overcame Peru 2-0.Messi was in sparkling form in front of 21,000 fans at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires as he equaled and then surpassed Brazil legend Pele as South America's highest scorer in international football.
The former Barcelona forward gave the hosts the lead in the 14th minute by nutmegging Luis Haquin and curling a sublime 25-yard effort into the top left corner.
Messi doubled his tally just after the hour, twice exchanging passes with Lautaro Martinez before dribbling around Jairo Quinteros and drilling an unstoppable shot past goalkeeper Carlos Lampe. The third goal came two minutes from time when the ball bounced fortuitously into his path after Lampe parried away Joaquin Correa's long-range attempt.
The Albiceleste No. 10 was on hand to duly send a first-time effort into an unguarded net.
Messi has now scored 79 times in 153 matches for Argentina, surpassing Pele's mark of 77 goals in 92 games.
"I was very anxious and I really wanted to enjoy it," Messi said of the partial reopening of Argentina's stadiums after an 18-month coronavirus ban on fans.
When asked about the scoring record, the 34-year-old politely pointed out that individual awards were "secondary" to him.
Argentina remain second in the 10-team South American group with 18 points from eight qualifiers while Bolivia have six points from nine outings.
In the northeastern Brazilian city of Recife, Neymar was in fine form as Brazil kept their perfect qualifying record intact.
Everton Ribeiro was on target for the second straight match, slotting home a first-time effort after Neymar dispossessed Anderson Santamaria and provided an inch-perfect cross from the left side of the penalty area.
The hosts' second goal came just before halftime, with Ribeiro and Neymar again the creators. The Flamengo midfielder's long-range shot rebounded off the hapless Santamaria and fell at the feet of the PSG attacker, who tapped in at the far post.
Neymar's strike saw him surpass Romario and Zico as Brazil's highest scorer in World Cup qualifiers with 12 goals.
"I'm happy to have this record. It's an honor, but the most important thing today was the win," Neymar told television reporters after the match.
The result at Pernambuco Arena means Brazil now have eight wins from as many qualifiers as they move to within touching distance of a place in football's showpiece tournament.
"It's another good result and our winning sequence continues but we haven't mathematically qualified yet," midfielder Casemiro said. "We have to continue to work hard but we know that we're on the right track."While Brazil lead the South American zone standings, Peru are seventh, five points shy of the qualification places.
In other qualifiers on Thursday, Colombia beat Chile 3-1 in Barranquilla, Paraguay overcome Venezuela 2-1 in Asuncion and Uruguay clinched a 1-0 home win over Ecuador.
PARIS, August 8: As Lionel Messi prepared to say farewell to Barcelona in a club press conference on Sunday, French fans and media alike were salivating over the impact the superstar's mooted arrival at Paris Saint-Germain would have on the club and the French league.
The 34-year-old will take questions from the press at noon (1000 GMT) on Sunday, Barcelona said in a statement. They will be his first public comments since his departure was announced.
Meanwhile PSG appeared to be closing in on a deal for the Argentinian superstar with Nasser al-Khelaifi, the president of the Qatar-owned club, and sporting director Leonardo both missing the team's 2-1 win at Troyes in their Ligue 1 season-opener on Saturday.
"There have been lots of rumours. Lots of things are being said," said PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino.
"I just hope we will be strong enough to try to win every competition we are involved in."
Messi had been expected to stay in Barcelona on a much reduced salary but president Joan Laporta said on Friday he was not prepared "to put the club at risk" by renewing Messi's contract, as they face up to huge financial problems.
Many in Catalonia are struggling to accept the departure of the 34-year-old who has been with the club since he signed a contract on a napkin at the age of 13.
"Still hard to understand that you will not play for @FCBarcelona anymore," tweeted coach Ronald Koeman, the man whose goal won Barca their first European Cup in 1992.
"Thanks for everything you have done for our club Leo. I really enjoyed the full season we worked together. I am impressed with your work ethic and desire to win."
Former teammate Cesc Fabregas, who first played against the 13-year-old Messi, also posted a warm tribute.
"You leave as the best player of all time. It will never be the same to see Barca without you. Thank you, thank you and thank you for everything you have given," he tweeted.
With Manchester City coach and former Messi mentor, Pep Guardiola, saying the Premier League champions are not in the market, that left Qatari-backed PSG as the only suitors with deep enough pockets -- in Spain he was reportedly earning over 70 million euros ($82.3m) a year net.
Barcelona-based daily Sport insisted on Saturday that "for the moment, Messi has no offer from any club."
Yet Laporta indicated on Friday that Messi "has other offers and there is a time limit because La Liga starts soon and he needs time to assess his other options."
Messi has lifted the Champions League four times with Barcelona and PSG are desperate for the final piece to take them to that honour.
- 'Marriage of love and reason' -
Former Barcelona teammate, Brazilian Neymar, has made no secret of his desire for a reunion.
He would also team up in attack with his Argentina colleague Angel di Maria as well as Kylian Mbappe, the 22-year-old tipped to succeed Messi as the leading player on the planet.
An added attraction could be Pochettino, who like Messi started his career at Newell's Old Boys in Rosario, Argentina.
"Messi to Paris, it's yes," read a headline in Le Parisien which described the sealing of a "marriage of love and reason".
Sports daily L'Equipe reported Messi will receive a three-year "record contract" with various reports saying he stands to earn 35 million euros a season -- but it appears nothing has been signed.
Other French clubs welcomed the idea of Messi lighting up Ligue 1.
"For me he is the best player in the world. If he comes to Ligue 1 anyone who likes football is going to enjoy it," said the Lyon coach, Peter Bosz.
Le Parisien reported that Messi's father and representative Jorge had reached out to PSG after it became clear the player would not be staying in Catalonia.
- Numbers point to exit -
Messi originally reached agreement with Barcelona to sign a five-year contract worth 50 percent less per year.
But La Liga's financial fair play rules, which are expected to reduce the amount Barca can spend on salaries this season by some 200 million euros ($235 million), led Laporta to conclude they were unable to complete the deal.
"We could not accommodate Messi's contract," said Laporta, who was re-elected as club president in March and said Friday he would not "mortgage" the club for anybody.
"The situation we have inherited is abominable and the sports salary bill represents 110 per cent of the club's income.
"La Liga's rules set limitations and we have no margin. We have known the situation since we arrived but the numbers we have seen are even worse than we thought."
Barcelona have total debts of almost 1.2 billion euros, with more than half of that needing to be repaid in the short term.
"Leo wanted to stay and he's not happy," Laporta admitted of a player who has broken a slew of records in his 17 years at the club, not least netting 672 goals to earn what Laporta termed the club's "eternal gratitude."
BRASILIA, July 6 :Lionel Messi said Tuesday that he is more "thrilled than ever" at the prospect of winning an elusive international trophy after helping Argentina beat Colombia on penalties to reach the Copa America final.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved three spot-kicks in the shootout as the Albiceleste set up a clash with hosts Brazil in Saturday's decider at the Maracana stadium.
"It was a tough game but we deserved it," Messi said in an interview with Argentine television after the match. "At times it became difficult because of the way they defended. But we have [Emiliano Martinez] who is a phenomenon. We knew he was going to make those saves. We know what he is capable of and we trusted him."
Messi set up Lautaro Martinez for Argentina's only goal in the allotted 90 minutes before converting the first penalty of the shootout.
The 34-year-old has been in unstoppable form in Brazil, racking up four goals and five assists in the tournament so far.
"Many times it's easier to play against European teams than this type of game because there are more spaces," he said. "We tried our best and luckily we were able to win."
Argentina's last major tournament triumph came at the 1993 Copa America in Ecuador, where Gabriel Batistuta led them to a 2-1 win over Mexico in the final.
The Albiceleste have come frustratingly close to ending the drought during Messi's time in the national team, finishing runners up at the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Copa America.
"We are very excited and happy," he said. "Irrespective of whether we win, I've really enjoyed these last 45 days with the team, despite not being able to see our families. It's been a big sacrifice for everyone to try to achieve our goal and now we are almost there."
He also did not hide his enthusiasm at facing his former Barcelona teammate and close friend Neymar in the final.
"We are friends and he wanted me to be there too. I'm sure it's going to be a very even and tough match. We achieved our first objective, which was to reach the final and now we are more thrilled than ever in search of a trophy," the forward added.
(Xinhua)
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