Tag: Messi

Lionel Messi scored twice and had a hand in two others as Inter Miami fought back to beat FC Cincinnati 5-3 away in the Major League Soccer (MLS) on Wednesday.

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America less than a month away, Argentina captain Messi is in excellent form.

He has 11 goals in 12 MLS matches this season, Miami’s latest victory boosting them into second place in the Eastern Conference with 25 points.

Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a fortuitous rebound off a poor clearance by Matt Miazga.

It was 1-1 at half-time after Kevin Denkey’s 41st-minute penalty, then Pavel Bucha scored from close range to put the hosts 2-1 up soon after the break.

Messi struck again in the 55th minute, finishing off a flowing Miami attack with a left-footed shot from a cross by Rodrigo De Paul.

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Cincinnati’s Brazilian playmaker Evander put the hosts back in front again with a blast from outside the box in the 64th minute, his seventh goal in six matches.

But Messi set up a goal for young fellow Argentine Mateo Silvetti in the 79th minute, with Mexico international German Berterame scoring again for 4-3.

Messi scored the final goal in the 89th minute. The 38-year-old launched himself at a cross from Silvetti and struck it with his right foot, the ball crashing off the post and deflecting in off goalkeeper Roman Celentano for an own goal.

Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos was full of praise for his side.

“What they did today was brilliant, against a tough team and on a difficult pitch,” he said. “It’s very hard to play here. They’re not here to stroll around MLS.”

“They’re here to play, to give everything, and to show the world that football is played here too.”

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FC Barcelona legend Lionel Messi congratulated his former club on social media after the Catalans defeated arch-rivals Real Madrid 2-0 in El Clasico to secure the La Liga title at a packed Camp Nou.

Goals from Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres in the first half guided Hansi Flick’s side to their 29th league crown and a second consecutive La Liga triumph.

The victory moved Barcelona 14 points clear of second-placed Real Madrid with only three matches remaining, confirming the title and condemning Los Blancos to a trophyless campaign.

Shortly after the final whistle, Messi shared his reaction on Instagram, posting a story with the words “Champion” and “Visca Barca,” meaning “Long live Barcelona.”

The Argentine icon spent 18 remarkable years at Barcelona and remains the club’s all-time leading scorer with 672 goals in 778 appearances.

Messi won every major trophy during his legendary spell at Camp Nou before leaving the club in 2021 in emotional circumstances to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He later moved to Inter Miami, where he guided the MLS side to the 2025 MLS Cup title.

Barcelona entered the Clasico needing only to avoid defeat to secure the title, but the Catalans showed attacking intent from the start in front of a jubilant 62,000-strong crowd at Camp Nou.

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It marked the first Clasico at the stadium since its reopening, and the hosts responded with a dominant first-half display.

Rashford opened the scoring with a stunning free-kick from around 20 yards out, curling the ball into the top-left corner to spark wild celebrations.

Torres then doubled Barcelona’s advantage before halftime to put the champions firmly in control.

The match also carried historical significance as it was only the second time a La Liga title had been decided directly through the result of an El Clasico.

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Guillermo Hoyos said his long friendship with Lionel Messi will not stop him from working the Argentine superstar hard in training, as he was unveiled as the new coach of MLS side Inter Miami on Wednesday.

Hoyos, previously Miami’s sporting director, replaces Javier Mascherano, who departed the club for “personal reasons” on Tuesday, just four months after guiding the club to its first MLS Cup title.

The 62-year-old Hoyos was a key mentor of Messi’s in Barcelona’s youth team more than two decades ago, and the Argentine pair have remained close ever since.

“Friendship is non-negotiable. We share a friendship that spans many years,” said Hoyos, speaking in Spanish, at his first press conference.

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“However, that friendship does not mean that we will be constantly hovering over him or in his face every single day.”

A club statement initially said Hoyos will take charge of the team for the “upcoming matches,” but the team has since referred to him as head coach in social media posts.

Club sources told AFP that Hoyos is expected to remain at the helm only until the middle of the year, with a new coaching setup in place by the start of the Leagues Cup in August.

After seven rounds this season, Inter Miami sit third in the MLS Eastern Conference.

Messi, a 2022 World Cup winner and eight-time Ballon d’Or laureate, is the jewel in the crown of Miami’s squad.

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Lionel Messi scored one goal and set up another as Argentina thrashed Zambia 5-0 on Tuesday in the South Americans’ final game on home soil before launching the defence of their World Cup crown.

Messi, restored to the starting line-up by coach Lionel Scaloni after Argentina’s lacklustre win over Mauritania last Friday, made an immediate impact in Tuesday’s friendly at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires.

The 38-year-old superstar set up the opening goal for Julian Alvarez before bagging his 116th goal for Argentina with an individual strike just before half-time.

Tuesday’s game marked a World Cup send-off for the reigning world champions, who will face Algeria, Austria and Jordan in Group J of the finals in June.

Argentina will also play a friendly against Serbia in June, and are seeking to arrange another warm-up fixture before the tournament.

Messi is firmly expected to captain Argentina into what will be a record sixth World Cup finals as the South American giants target back-to-back titles.

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The Inter Miami playmaker once again demonstrated his enduring influence on the Albiceleste with a typically decisive contribution in a comfortable win.

Alvarez fired Argentina into the lead after just four minutes when Messi effortlessly controlled a lofted pass on the edge of the area and then threaded a pass into the feet of the Atletico Madrid striker to score.

Messi doubled Argentina’s lead with the 902nd goal of his career two minutes before half-time, working a clever one-two with Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister before tucking a low finish past Zambia goalkeeper Willard Mwanza.

Messi could have added to his goals tally just after half-time when Argentina were awarded a penalty following Albert Kangwanda’s foul on Thiago Almada.

But rather than take the spot kick himself, Messi handed the ball to veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi, and the 38-year-old made no mistake from the spot for a 3-0 lead.

An own goal from Dominic Chanda in the 68th minute put Argentina 4-0 up, before rising star Valentin Barco completed the scoring in stoppage time to make it 5-0.

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Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that captain Lionel Messi is yet to make a final call on his participation in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, with just over 80 days remaining before the defending champions begin their title defence.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Scaloni made it clear that while he is keen to have Messi lead the side once again, the ultimate decision rests solely with the player.

“As far as I’m concerned, you already know where I stand,” Scaloni said.

“I’ll do everything I can to make sure he’s there. I believe that, for the sake of football, he has to be there. It’s not me who decides. It’s up to him, his state of mind, his physical condition.”

The Argentina boss stressed that Messi has earned the right to take his time and decide his international future without external pressure, adding that the team will respect whatever choice he makes.

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Messi, who captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 and won the Golden Ball, remains the country’s all-time leading scorer with 115 international goals. His potential participation in the 2026 edition, set to be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, continues to be a major talking point in world football.

Scaloni also highlighted the global anticipation surrounding Messi’s decision, noting that fans across the world, not just in Argentina, are eager to see the iconic forward grace the tournament once again.

Despite the uncertainty over the World Cup, Messi is expected to feature in Argentina’s upcoming international friendlies against Mauritania and Zambia at the iconic La Bombonera, although it remains unclear whether he will start.

Meanwhile, a proposed Finalissima clash between Argentina and Spain in Qatar has been shelved due to the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East.

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Argentine superstar Lionel Messi bagged the 900th goal of his glittering career on Wednesday, but could not prevent Inter Miami from crashing out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on away goals after a 1-1 draw with Nashville.

Messi, 38, scored his milestone goal after just seven minutes to put Miami 1-0 up in the second leg of their last-16 clash in the regional club competition.

But Nashville’s Cristian Espinoza lashed in a 74th-minute equaliser to make it 1-1 on aggregate, and after holding Miami at bay for the remainder of the game, the visitors from Tennessee advanced to the quarter-finals on the away goals rule.

Miami’s exit was a bittersweet ending to what had promised to be a night of celebration after Messi’s early opener in what was the club’s final game at their Chase Stadium home in Fort Lauderdale.

Messi’s strike took the Argentine’s tally to 81 goals for the MLS champions following his move to Florida in 2023.

The eight-time Ballon D’Or winner previously scored 672 goals for Spanish giants Barcelona, 32 for France’s Paris Saint-Germain, and a further 115 international goals for Argentina.

Goal number 900 came some 21 years after Messi’s first goal in senior football, when he scored for Barcelona in a 2-0 win over Albacete in 2005 as a fresh-faced 17-year-old.

Messi, widely regarded as the greatest player in football history, still has some way to go before he catches his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old Portuguese superstar who is on 965 career goals.

Speaking ahead of Messi’s 900th goal, Miami manager and former Argentina and Barcelona team-mate Javier Mascherano described the star’s goals total as “insane.”

“I’ve been lucky enough to see most, or many, of the goals he’s scored, much closer than you all, and that’s a privilege,” Mascherano said.

“The number we’re talking about (900) is insane, and that’s why Leo is a one of a kind.”

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Wednesday’s match carried added significance for Inter Miami, marking a farewell to the team’s Chase Stadium.

The venue has served as Inter Miami’s home since the club entered Major League Soccer in 2020. The team will move into a new purpose-built 26,700-seat facility next month.

Messi is strongly expected to play in his sixth World Cup later this year, when Argentina defend their title in the 48-team tournament being staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Argentine star has already extended his Inter Miami contract through to the end of the 2028 season.

Messi’s prolific goal-scoring has been a hallmark of his career. His 672 goals for Barcelona came in just 778 games — an average of 0.86 per game — helping the Catalan club win 35 trophies before departure to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.

In France, he scored 32 goals in 75 matches, winning three trophies, including two league titles.

In Miami, his 81 goals have come in just 96 appearances, helping the team win the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2025 MLS Cup.

His 115 international goals have come in 196 matches, including two in the 2022 World Cup final victory over France.

Messi’s goals tally leaves him second only to Ronaldo, according to most recognised statistical records.

Brazilian legend Pele is often said to have scored more than 1,000 goals, but those numbers have been the subject of debate. Most statisticians put Pele’s total for Brazil, Santos and New York Cosmos at 762.

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KOLKATA: Angry spectators broke down barricades and stormed the pitch at a stadium here after football star Lionel Messi, who is on a three-day tour of India, abruptly left the arena.

As a part of a so-called GOAT Tour, the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar touched down in the eastern state of West Bengal early Saturday, greeted by a chorus of exuberant fans chanting his name.

Hours later, thousands of fans wearing Messi jerseys and waving the Argentine flag packed into Salt Lake stadium in the state capital Kolkata, but heavy security around the footballer left fans struggling to catch a glimpse of him.

Lionel Messi walked around the pitch waving to fans and left the stadium earlier than expected.

Frustrated fans, many having paid more than $100 for tickets, ripped out stadium seats and hurled water bottles onto the track.

Many others stormed the pitch and vandalised banners and tents.

“For me, to watch Messi is a pleasure, a dream. But I have missed the chance to have a glimpse because of the mismanagement in the stadium,” businessman Nabin Chatterjee, 37, told AFP.

Before the chaos erupted, Messi unveiled a 21-metre (70-foot) statue which shows him holding the World Cup. He was also expected to play a short exhibition game at the stadium.

Another angry fan told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that people had spent “a month’s salary” to see Messi.

“I paid Rs 5,000 ($55) for the ticket and came with my son to watch Messi, not politicians. The police and military personnel were taking selfies, and the management is to blame,” Ajay Shah told PTI.

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State chief minister Mamata Banerjee said she was “disturbed” and “shocked” at the mismanagement.

“I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident,” she said in a post on X, adding that she had ordered a probe into the incident.

Lionel Messi will now head to Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi as part of the four-city tour. His time in India also includes a possible meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Messi won his second consecutive Major League Soccer (MLS) Most Valuable Player award this week after propelling Inter Miami to the MLS title and leading the league in goals.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) attacker will spearhead Argentina’s defence of the World Cup in June-July in North America.

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Lionel Messi scored two goals and assisted on another as Inter Miami thumped New York City FC 4-0 on Wednesday to clinch an MLS Cup playoff berth.

Another classic performance from Messi propelled the Argentine superstar to the solo lead on Major League Soccer’s scoring list, taking him to 24 goals in 23 matches played, two more than LAFC’s Denis Bouanga.

Luis Suarez converted a penalty for Inter as he returned from a three-game ban for spitting on a Seattle staff member after Inter’s loss to the Sounders in the Leagues Cup final.

Baltazar Rodriguez also scored for Miami as they secured a playoff spot in convincing style.

Inter were clinging to a 1-0 lead at rainy City Field, home of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets, when Messi delivered a vintage goal in the 74th minute.

Put through by Sergio Busquets, Messi powered into the box, eluding one defender and neatly chipping a shot over Matt Freese as the New York goalkeeper dived at his feet.

After Suarez made it 3-0 from the spot, Messi struck again in the 86th with a precise, angled shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner.

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Inter were being outplayed early on in the awkward confines of the converted baseball field, but they seized the lead in the 43rd minute through Rodriguez.

Bousqets fed Messi, whose crisp through ball found the charging Rodriguez. The 22-year-old Argentine raced into the box and confidently slotted a low ball past Freese.

Until then, the best chances belonged to New York. Thiago Martins forced a save from Oscar Ustari with a header in the 21st minute.

One minute later, NYCFC were denied again when Aiden O’Neill’s long-range shot was blocked, and in the 29th minute, Nicolas Fernandez hit the right post.

Ten minutes into the game, Freese denied Messi, but eventually, Miami made New York pay for their inability to finish.

Inter Miami are in third place in the Eastern Conference, five points behind East leaders Philadelphia with two games in hand and still in with a chance to claim the Supporters’ Shield awarded to the team with the best overall regular-season record.

Messi, who will play the MLS Cup Playoffs for the second time, has three consecutive matches with at least one goal and one assist and has stamped himself a candidate for the 2025 Most Valuable Player award.

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Inter Miami and Lionel Messi have agreed to extend the Argentine star’s contract to remain in Major League Soccer (MLS) beyond the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to a source close to the matter.

The contract extension would ensure that 38-year-old Messi remains active through next year’s FIFA showpiece hosted by the United States of America (USA), Canada, and Mexico.

An official announcement is expected to take place within the next two weeks, said the source contacted by AFP late Wednesday.

Lionel Messi, 38, joined Inter Miami during the 2023 season, and his contract runs through the end of the 2025 campaign.

This season, he ranks second in MLS with 20 goals in 21 league games and is tied for sixth with 11 assists. Last season, he also scored 20 goals (tied for second in the league) and provided 16 assists (tied for third).

In a total of 46 league games for Inter Miami, Messi has recorded 41 goals and 27 assists. Across all competitions, he has scored 54 goals in 62 games.

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An eight-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, awarded to the world player of the year, Messi played for Barcelona from 2004 to 2021 and for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from 2021 to 2023.

During his career, he was part of 10 league-title-winning teams in Spain and two in France, and he helped Barcelona secure the UEFA Champions League trophy four times.

Upon joining MLS, Messi immediately contributed to Inter Miami’s victory in the 2023 Leagues Cup.

The team also won the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the club with the best regular-season record, although they lost in the first round of the playoffs.

As of now, Inter Miami (with a record of 14 wins, 6 losses, and 7 draws for a total of 49 points) is in sixth place in the MLS Eastern Conference, entering a Saturday home match against DC United.

Messi is currently Inter Miami’s leading goal scorer, ranking second in MLS with 20 goals. He is also the club’s all-time leader with 62 goals and 29 assists since joining in 2023.

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Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will feature in next year’s expanded FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced on Saturday.

Messi and his team-mates will kick off the tournament in the opening game at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, on Sunday, June 15, Infantino added.

The FIFA president was speaking on the field at Inter’s Chase Stadium moments after Messi scored a hat-trick as the team broke the MLS regular season points record with a 6-2 win over the New England Revolution.

Miami, who this month won Major League Soccer’s Supporters’ Shield for the best regular season record, will take the qualification slot designated for the host nation.

“Inter Miami qualifies as the host country representative team on the basis of the club’s outstanding and consistent 34-match campaign that saw them secure the shield with two MLS matches to play,” FIFA said in a statement.

The official champions of MLS are determined by the MLS Cup playoffs which begin next week and conclude with the final on December 7.

Inter Miami are the favourites to win the playoffs but the FIFA decision to select the regular season winners ensures the involvement of the Argentine superstar.

The participation of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is a much-needed boost to the profile of the new-look tournament, which FIFA hope will capture the imagination of the global television audience as well as fans in the United States ahead of the World Cup in 2026.

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The competition could pit Messi against top European club opposition for the first time since he left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last year to move to Miami.

The 32-team tournament will feature title-winning teams from each of FIFA’s continental confederations.

Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are among the 12 European teams who have qualified for the tournament while Argentina’s River Plate and Boca Juniors and Brazil’s Flamengo are among six South American teams.

FIFA has yet to announce any broadcast deals or sponsorship contracts for the tournament and the competition has faced some opposition within the game.

Players union FIFpro and the European Leagues body filed a joint complaint to the European Commission against FIFA over the introduction of the tournament into the international match calendar.

Opponents of the new tournament have said it adds further congestion to an already crowded schedule and increases the workload of players.

The last version of the Club World Cup featured seven teams in a knockout format and was won by Manchester City who beat Brazil’s Fluminense in the final in Saudi Arabia.

FIFA plan to hold the expanded tournament every four years although no host as yet to be chosen for the 2029 edition.

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