Reading Comprehension - Lionel Andrés Messi

Lionel Andrés Messi , born on 24 June 1987, is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Barcelona and the Argentine national team. He is one of the best football players of his generation and is frequently considered as the world's best contemporary player. Lionel Messi, whose playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21...

Read more...

Argentine-born football player

Alternative titles: Leo Messi; Lionel Andrés Messi Lionel MessiArgentine-born football player Lionel Messi, in full Lionel Andrés Messi, also called Leo Messi (born June 24, 1987, Rosario, Argentina) Argentine-born football (soccer) player who was named Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) world player of the year five times (2009–12 and 2015). Messi started playing...

Read more...

Sports digest: Lionel Messi nets two goals in Barcelona rout

Lionel Messi scored his first two goals after a two-month injury layoff, and Luis Suarez netted a brace in a 6-1 rout of Roma on Tuesday as host Barcelona advanced to the Champions League knockout rounds for a 12th consecutive season.  Suarez got Barcelona rolling at Camp Nou in the 15th minute. Three minutes later Messi scored his first goal in his second appearance since returning from a left-knee injury. With Roma in disarray, Messi netted the hosts' fifth after Suarez and Gerard Pique scored. Adriano capped the demolition before Edin Dzeko got Roma's consolation....

Read more...

Football: Lionel Messi wins record fifth Ballon d'Or

FC Barcelona and Argentina's forward Lionel Messi (R) holds his trophy as he shakes hands with FC Barcelona and Brazil’s forward Neymar after receiving the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or award for player of the year during the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or award ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on January 11, 2016. (AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI) (AFP) - Barcelona star Lionel Messi won a record fifth FIFA Ballon d'Or award for the world's best player at a ceremony...

Read more...

Barcelona back on top of La Liga as Lionel Messi hat-trick sees off Granada

Lionel Messi beats Granada’s goalkeeper Andrés Fernández on his way to a hat-trick for Barcelona. Photograph: Manu Fernandez/AP Lionel Messi’s first hat trick of the season helped Barcelona beat Granada 4-0 and take the top spot in the Spanish league on Saturday. Messi scored twice within the first 15 minutes at the Camp Nou, and added his third in the second half asBarcelona cruised to victory. Neymar completed the scoring with seven minutes...

Read more...

Lionel Messi set for Ballon d’Or but Neymar threatens the old duopoly

When Michael Owen won the Ballon d’Or in 2001, becoming the first and still the only Englishman to win European football’s player of the year award since Kevin Keegan, his manager had to take him aside and impress upon him just how important this was. “Gérard Houllier was surprised when he first told me,” Owen admitted. “I think he was a bit put out by me not punching the air and going hysterical. He was saying: ‘Do you realise what this means?’”Had...

Read more...

Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez fire Barcelona to Club World Cup title

A goal from Lionel Messi and a double from Luis Suárez helped Barcelona to beat River Plate 3-0 in Yokohama and win the Club World Cup, the club’s fifth trophy of 2015.Messi opened the scoring 10 minutes before the end of a difficult first half forBarcelona, who were tested by River’s intensity, but the European champions struck again early in the second period through Suárez and the Uruguayan sealed their third world title by heading home a cross from Neymar.Barcelona 3-0 River Plate: Club World Cup final –as it happenedBarcelona ended a stellar year by being crowned world club champions after...

Read more...