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Messi can be very harmful within 30 seconds of getting the ball: Gerardo Martino

LUSAIL, QATAR: Following his side’s loss to Argentina in their FIFA World Cup match, Mexico coach Gerardo Martino remarked that when star Argentina striker Lionel Messi gets the ball, he can be very harmful within 30 seconds. Lionel Messi’s superb long-range strike and Enzo Fernandez’s stunning goal guided Argentina to a dominating victory over Mexico […]

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Lionel Messi scores twice and assists once on first Inter Miami start in 4-0 win

MIAMI, July 26: Lionel Messi scored twice and assisted once on his first start for Inter Miami in a 4-0 win over Atlanta United. The Argentina star, 36, scored two inside the opening 22 minutes before setting up team-mate Robert Taylor in the second half.

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Why Argentina can be world champions

-This will be the sixth World Cup final in Argentina’s history -Messi the trump card in a group focused on playing as a team -Scaloni’s squad have overcome all the problems they have faced en route to the final Argentina have demonstrated a wide range of abilities and resources on their way to the final of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, with La Albiceleste meeting a variety of challenges over the course of the competition with belief, confidence and hope. Lionel Scaloni’s men have been able to overcome the most difficult moments by virtue of an enormous resistance to adversity and a surprising tactical versatility, which have left Argentina standing while others have fallen before Lionel Messi and company. Yet this Argentina team is much more than its No10. And perhaps this is the biggest difference between this side and those from the last few World Cups. Scaloni has a squad prepared to work with each other and with one of the biggest difference-makers in football history. The soloist applies the finer touches, but the chorus is vital to the finished piece. The coach’s willingness to make changes in-game, the importance of substitutes, plus emotional toughness and tactical diversity have been key factors carrying Argentina to their sixth World Cup final. Messi's presence Nothing and nobody is more decisive than Messi, however. When we analyse Argentina’s strengths, the No10 is top of the list. In Leo, La Albiceleste has something that no other team has, something difficult to counteract, a piece who will control the game in whichever way he chooses. And Messi has decided that this is his moment, the moment he has awaited for so long. When the spiritual heir of Diego Maradona takes control of the ball, everyone expects things to happen for Argentina. In possession, Messi leaves team-mates, opponents and fans throughout the world open-mouthed and rubbing their eyes in disbelief at what they just saw. Argentina begin to dream, while fear takes hold of their opponents. In the final World Cup of his legendary career, fate had dictated that Messi would have a final to play in, and he was not in the mood to pass up on the opportunity. The ‘Messi factor’ is reason enough to believe that Argentina can lift the Trophy at Qatar 2022. The diminutive genius feels at ease and has found the perfect strike partner in Julian Alvarez, who has nailed down his place in the team over the course of the tournament, owing to his opportunism, his goals and his ability to take advantage of the space generated by Messi drawing defenders away from his colleagues. The supporting cast and the changing system Leo decides, the others decide how. If Messi has the key, the rest will do everything possible to ensure it ends up turning in the lock and opening the door to success. Scaloni has been able to surround the main man with the perfect supporting cast. The Argentina team in Qatar have been a united and supportive group: great actors who have understood their roles at every stage. At different points of the tournament, La Albiceleste have found in Emiliano Martinez, Nicolas Otamendi, Nahuel Molina, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister or the aforementioned Julian Alvarez, players able to stand up and be counted when their team have needed them. Scaloni has been able to adapt to whatever situation he has faced, varying his formation and tactics according to the demands of the game. At times he has even started players who were expected to be little more than bit-part performers in the squad. When the opponents’ strengths meant he needed to play five at the back, the Argentina coach was able to change the formation while maintaining the team’s dynamism and movement, with and without the ball. When keeper Martinez had to be a giant, he was, and when Nahuel Molina had to finish with precision, he did. When Enzo Fernandez was required to give the midfield the quality it needed, Scaloni did not hesitate to name him in the starting line-up. Likewise when Mac Allister was the right man to bring more intensity to the team. Mental strength and crushing intensity The tournament did not begin in the best possible way for Argentina. The defeat against Saudi Arabia triggered some of La Albiceleste’s worst World Cup memories and the ghosts of previous editions. Nevertheless, Scaloni’s men have been able to face up to pressure and adversity, relying on their confidence, their character and their personality. Far from being downhearted, Argentina picked themselves up after every one of the setbacks that came their way, putting their mental strength on show once again. La Albiceleste have also stood out as a team with intensity, with high energy levels in all of their games, channelling their emotions positively and leaving their opponents reeling. Not giving balls up as lost, helping out their team-mates, exploiting space or doubling up in defence: these blue-collar characteristics are some of the key features of a squad that wears its Argentinian heart on its sleeve. Eight years have passed since Argentina’s last World Cup final. At Brazil 2014, Germany appeared in Argentina’s path and blocked them from sewing a third star onto their crest. That has been the dream since 1986 and Scaloni’s side now has the resources to succeed where their predecessors have failed.

Ratopati English मंसिर २०७९

Why Argentina can be world champions

-This will be the sixth World Cup final in Argentina’s history -Messi the trump card in a group focused on playing as a team -Scaloni’s squad have overcome all the problems they have faced en route to the final

Ratopati English मंसिर २०७९

Which new stars can replace Messi, Ronaldo after World Cup?

QATAR: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not ready to say goodbye to the World Cup just yet. But the clock is ticking on their careers, and Qatar could be the last time we see them on soccer’s biggest stage. With that in mind, thoughts naturally turn to a new generation and life beyond two […]

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Which new stars can replace Messi, Ronaldo after World Cup?

QATAR: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not ready to say goodbye to the World Cup just yet. But the clock is ticking on their careers, and Qatar could be the last time we see them on soccer’s biggest stage. With that in mind, thoughts naturally turn to a new generation and life beyond two […]

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Could a Messi v Ronaldo final really happen?

-Just two matches stand between us and a superlative World Cup Final -Lionel Messi and Argentina are really gaining momentum, with the enthusiastic backing of arguably the loudest fans at the tournament -While Cristiano Ronaldo may have lost his place in Portugal’s starting line-up, his relentless ambition will continue to drive the team forward A FIFA World Cup™ Final between Argentina and Portugal would be the Hollywood ending to one of the most compelling rivalries the footballing world has ever seen. Could we really see a grand finale with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as its main protagonists? The simple answer to this question is: yes. What needs to happen to set up a Final between Argentina and Portugal? Argentina first need to beat the Netherlands on Friday and would then face the winner of the match between Croatia and Brazil in the semi-finals. If they can pass that formidable test, the Albiceleste will reach the Final for the fourth time in the last 40 years.  Portugal have never gone beyond the last four at a World Cup, and their first challenge on the way to their maiden Final is to defeat Morocco. The winners of that encounter must then take on either France or England in the semi-finals on Wednesday 14 December.  While the hurdles between both teams and the final showdown are admittedly extremely high, nothing is impossible when you consider the standards they set for themselves.  What would be the significance of a Final featuring Messi and Ronaldo? Simply put, it would be a dream for many football fans. The volume levels in Qatar have gone through the roof whenever one of these two superstars step onto the pitch, and there are few sporting headlines anywhere in the world that could dislodge a showdown like this from the back pages.  A Final between Argentina and Portugal would also mean that one of the two players with the most individual accolades in the game would crown their glittering career with a World Cup winners medal, while the other would probably have to come to terms with the fact that the GOAT debate would be settled at last.

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Lionel Messi: Argentina forward says Qatar 2022 will 'surely' be his last World Cup

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Kylian Mbappe hat-trick for PSG upstages Lionel Messi on his own turf

Kylian Mbappe netted a sublime Champions League hat-trick for Paris St-Germain to upstage Barcelona's Lionel Messi on his own turf and draw comparisons with Brazilian Ronaldo. At the age of 22, Mbappe has already won the World Cup with France and his latest showing signalled his capabilities of being the heir to Messi's throne. A display of ice-cold finishing allowed PSG to take a commanding 4-1 lead into the last-16 second leg at Parc des Princes on 10 March. "It is clear that he is a great footballer, today he has shown it with this hat-trick," said PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino. "The great players are creating a path and these three goals put him in the media spotlight. "We had no doubts and we are happy for him, it's normal, there are going to be rumours [about him leaving]. What is clear is that he is happy in Paris and we all want to find the best way." 'The alpha dog in football' Mbappe had netted just one goal in nine previous knockout games in the competition with PSG but turned that statistic on its head in ruthless fashion. The night started with Messi opening the scoring from the penalty spot but he was left watching as his superiority slipped away. Mbappe, whose contract with PSG ends in 2022, danced past fellow Frenchman Clement Lenglet to smash in the equaliser, stroked home from 10 yards for the second and curled in a delightful third. "You say he's the future, but he is now," former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves said on BT Sport. "PSG have to lock him down real quick. Everyone will find enough money for Mbappe. "It was a performance like the old Brazilian Ronaldo. You're not signing anyone other than Mbappe at the moment. He ripped the life out of every Barca player. In that form at 22 with a year left on his contract, he is an absolute diamond." And the numbers make pleasant reading too. Mbappe became the first player in Champions League history to score a hat-trick against Barcelona in the knockout stages. He is only the third player to score a Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona, after Faustino Asprilla for Newcastle and Andriy Shevchenko for Dynamo Kiev (both in 1997). He has now scored 24 Champions League goals. Only Messi, with 25, has scored more before his 23rd birthday. Of players with 20 or more Champions League goals, Mbappe has netted the highest proportion in away matches (71% - 17/24). Ex-England midfielder Joe Cole added: "Mbappe is the best player in the world at the moment. His link-up play, his work-rate off the ball - he is the alpha dog in football. "If you want to build a team you go and get Mbappe. He is the most influential player on the planet. How good can he become? At 22 you compare his stats to the other greats and he has got 10 or 15 years ahead of him. "Any of the big clubs, he is my number one target." Antoine Griezmann was left disappointed at full-time but gave his French compatriot the biggest compliment by saying: "Kylian Mbappe had a great night. PSG has a great star for the future, who will be at the level of Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo." Barcelona 'a shadow of its former self' The future looks bright for Mbappe and PSG, but Messi and Barcelona are in a dark period. The Argentine is 33 and his future at the club is far from certain having requested a transfer last summer and coming to the end of his current deal this season. Manager Ronald Koeman has tried to mend an ageing squad but they look far from their imperious best with the league title looking lost too, eight points adrift of leaders Atletico Madrid who have a game in hand. The defeat against PSG meant they lost back-to-back home games in the European Cup for the first time in their illustrious history, while they were also defeated by a margin of three or more goals for only the sixth time in the competition. "We have to admit that they have been superior," said Koeman. "They have shown that they have a more complete team than us. We have to accept it, improve things." Hargreaves said: "Barca had no power, no togetherness. Messi looks disinterested, it's hard to criticise him but tonight he didn't look emotionally invested in the game. "You'd have to do your due diligence before signing Messi, whether he is carrying an injury or not feeling well. The 34-year-old Messi, if he plays like that, it will be a gamble." Barca can look to 2016-17 when they turned around a 4-0 first-leg deficit to stun PSG 6-1 in the second leg, but another turnaround looks almost impossible with no Neymar or Luis Suarez at their disposal any more. Cole added: "It is not his [Koeman's] fault, I don't think it's his fault at all. It's a thankless task. That was the best team in the world for a long time and it is now a shadow of its former self." BBC

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PSG close in on Messi as superstar prepares to break silence

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."

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Barcelona says Messi will not stay at club

BARCELONA, Aug 5: FC Barcelona announced on Thursday that star striker Leo Messi will not continue at the club. Barcelona confirmed the news with an announcement on their official website which brings to an end the 21-year relationship between the club and the Argentinean player. The brief statement explains that "despite having reached an agreement between FC Barcelona and Leo Messi and with the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, we have not been able to formalize the agreement due to economic and structural obstacles (Spanish LaLiga rules)," begins the statement. "In the face of this situation Leo Messi will not continue his relationship with FC Barcelona. The two parties deeply lament that in the end they have not been able to fulfil the desires of the player and the club." "Barca wishes with all of its heart to thank the contribution of the player in helping to make the institution greater and wishes him the best in his personal and professional life." The news comes as a bombshell in the Spanish game after Messi returned to Barcelona from Ibiza (where he had spent time on holiday with his family) on Wednesday evening and it was fully expected that Thursday would see the confirmation of him signing a new 5-year-contract keeping him at the Camp Nou until 2026, when he will be 39-years old. Instead, the news is that he is leaving. The news is a huge blow for Barca president, Joan Laporta, who returned to the club in March saying he would work to keep the striker at the Camp Nou. Laporta maintained his optimism through the weeks of negotiations over Messi's new contract, even saying on Monday that "Every night I have sweet dreams when I think of Messi," and adding that the "negotiation is progressing well and along the lines we are thinking of - we are working on it: Messi wants to continue and we must ensure that he continues." One of the main problems had been fitting Messi's contract into LaLiga's tough financial fair play regulations, but that issue looked to have been resolved on Wednesday when LaLiga announced an agreement with the investment fund, CVC Capital Partners, which will give Barca 270 million euros (40 million of which can be spent on signings and wages), enough to pay for Messi's new deal. Making his first team debut as a 16-year-old in November 2003, Messi went on to make 778 first team appearances in which he scored a record 672 goals, including an all-time record of 474 goals in LaLiga. He has helped Barca win 10 LaLiga titles, 7 Copas del Rey, the Champions League on 4 occasions, as well as 7 Spanish and 3 European Supercups and 3 FIFA World Club Cups, while winning the Balon d'Or six times. The news will now almost certainly start speculation that Messi will join either Manchester City or Paris Saint Germain. LATEST NEWS | Leo #Messi will not continue with FC Barcelona — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 5, 2021 (Xinhua)

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