Lionel Messi Notches 800th Career Goal in Argentina Win over Panama

Posted on March 23, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi continues his scoring ways…

The 35-year-old Argentine soccer star scored his 800th career goal for club and country in Argentina‘s 2-0 friendly win over Panama in Buenos Aires on Thursday night.

After twice hitting the post from free kicks, Messi curled his third try past Panama keeper Jose Carlos Guerra in the 89th minute to hit the 800 goal mark and send the sold-out crowd at Monumental Stadium into delirium.

“I want to thank you all for the love and recognition that you have been receiving, not only after the World Cup but also for the Copa America,” Messi told the crowd after the match. “We said that we were going to give it all for this trophy.”

Messi came into the game needing just one goal to reach the milestone after scoring his 799th goal in Paris Saint-Germain‘s Ligue 1 win over Nantes on Saturday.

Messi hit the 800 mark shortly after being named Best FIFA Men’s Player having led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar. He also celebrated scoring his 700th career club goal last month.

The win over Panama came in Argentina’s first match since beating France in Qatar last December. The team was roared on by the home supporters as Thiago Almada opened the scoring in the second half and Messi added his historic goal right before full-time.

The full squad from Qatar attended the match and took pictures in front of the World Cup trophy before kickoff, while Messi, manager Lionel Scaloni and others brought their families to the stadium.

A tearful Scaloni said after the match: “Eternal gratitude to these players. Football belongs to them, and without them we wouldn’t have won the World Cup.

“Everyone who wears this shirt gives their all and sometimes the results don’t come. But this time we got it and it’s incredible.”

According to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), Messi is just the second man ever to reach the 800 career-goal landmark, after Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese star, 38, scored his 800th goal in December 2021.

However, there is some dispute between other sources due to historical inconsistencies in the classification of “official” goals scored in “official” competitions. Brazilian great Pele claims to have scored more than 1,000 goals during his career.

Messi, 35, spent the first 17 years of his senior career with boyhood club Barcelona, where he went on to score an incredible club-record 672 goals in 778 appearances.

His 474 LaLiga goals remains a record for Spain’s top division.

Since leaving Barcelona due to the club’s financial problems and joining PSG in the summer of 2021, Messi has scored 30 goals for the French champions.

The Rosario star has scored a further 98 goals internationally for Argentina, including seven goals in Qatar as he lifted the World Cup for the first time.

He has been named FIFA‘s best men’s player a record seven times.

Alejandro Zendejas Commits to United States Men’s National Soccer Team

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Zendejas is picking sides…

The 25-year-old Mexican soccer star, a dual national, says he is committing to the United States national team over Mexico.

Zendejas, who plays forward, made his U.S. debut in a January 25 exhibition against Serbia but remained eligible to ask FIFA for a one-time switch of affiliation to Mexico.

“I am excited for this next chapter, and earning my place with the USMNT,” Zendejas said. “Thank you to everyone for the incredible support.”

The announcement concludes a bizarre tug-of-war between the U.S. and Mexico, one in which Zendejas initially played for the U.S. at the youth level, including at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he was a teammate of Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams.

But upon joining Liga MX side Chivas in 2016, Zendejas said he would reject future U.S. call-ups and would play for Mexico.

Zendejas went on to play for El Tri at the youth level, and later the full Mexico national team in a pair of friendlies against Ecuador in 2021 and Guatemala in 2022.

But Zendejas never filed the required one-time switch with FIFA to become eligible to play for Mexico, which was necessary because he had played for the U.S. in official competition.

Mexico was ordered to forfeit five matches (three at the youth level) and fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,900) by FIFA for using Zendejas while he was affiliated with the United States.

That development saw Zendejas return to the U.S. fold, and he played in the January friendly earlier this year against Serbia.

Now he will be available to play for the U.S. in the CONCACAF Nations League games later this month.

“I am very proud of being Mexican-American. Values from both cultures have made me the person I am today,” Zendejas said in a statement Tuesday. “Making a decision on your international career is very difficult, and I believe in following your heart. Mine tells me that my future lies representing the USA.”

Zendejas was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, but was raised in El Paso, Texas. He is a product of the FC Dallas Academy, and he made his team debut with the club in 2015.

He made his MLS debut against Houston on May 1, 2015, and transferred to Chivas in June 2016, then went on loan to Zacatepec in June 2017. Zendejas transferred to Necaxa in June 2020 and to Club America in January 2022.

His aforementioned move to Chivas saw him struggle for playing time, but the loan to Zacatepec saw Zendejas find his footing in the pro game, and he eventually moved to Necaxa on a free transfer.

After scoring 11 goals in 50 league matches, Zendejas moved to Club America in January 2022. He has been a steady and at times spectacular contributor for the Aguilas, scoring 13 goals in 43 league matches.

In terms of the USMNT, Zendejas will provide additional depth at the wing positions, but he faces stiff competition from the likes of Chelsea’s Pulisic, Borussia Dortmund’s Giovanni Reyna, Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson and Lille’s Timothy Weah.

Lionel Messi Named Best FIFA Men’s Player

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi is this year’s Best…

The 35-year-old Argentine professional footballer was named Best FIFA Men’s Player at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, beating Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid‘s Karim Benzema.

Messi won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina in December — the country’s first in 36 years — ending his wait for the only major honor to have eluded him in his career.

“It’s amazing. It was a tremendous year and it is an honor for me to be here tonight and win this award,” said Messi, who sat next to Mbappe throughout the ceremony at the Salle Pleyel.

Monday’s award was Messi’s second FIFA The Best title, his first coming in 2019. He has also won a record seven Ballon d’Or awards.

“I want to express my thanks to [coach Lionel] Scaloni and my teammates; without them I would not be here,” Messi added. “I achieved a dream I had been hoping for so long and finally I achieved it. It’s a dream for any player; very few people can achieve that and I was lucky enough to do so.”

Messi scored seven goals at the World Cup in Qatar — including a brace in the thrilling 3-3 final victory on penalties — finishing one behind Golden Boot winner Mbappe.

Messi has scored 16 goals in 27 games in all competitions this season, as well as registering 14 assists, as he chases his second Ligue 1 title in two years at PSG.

Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas won the Best FIFA Women’s award for the second year running, while Argentina’s Scaloni and Emiliano Martinez got the honors for top men’s coach and goalkeeper, respectively.

Alexia Putellas Crowned FIFA’s The Best Women’s Player for Second Year in a Row

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Alexia Putellas is celebrating a second consecutive honor…

The 29-year-old Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Barcelona has been crowned FIFA‘s The Best Women’s Player for the second year in a row, seeing off competition from Beth Mead and Alex Morgan for the award.

Putellas claimed the prize at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, with Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi taking the men’s award.

The Barca midfielder becomes the first woman to win the accolade twice since it launched in 2016, with Carli Lloyd, Lieke Martens, Marta, Megan Rapinoe and Lucy Bronze all one-time winners.

She also became the first woman to win the Ballon d’Or Feminin twice in October 2022, finishing ahead of Mead and Sam Kerr.

The Best Women’s Coach award went to Sarina Wiegman, who led England to the title at the Women’s European Championship, and Mary Earps, who played in net for the Lionesses at the tournament, picked up Best Goalkeeper honors.

Putellas has not played since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her knee while on Spain duty in July. FIFA’s award only takes into account last season.

“The accolade recognizes the most outstanding performers in the women’s game from the period of Aug. 7 2021 to July 31 2022,” the organization said.

During that time, Putellas captained Barca to a third successive Primera Division title. The Catalan side made history by winning all 30 of their league games throughout the 2021-22 campaign.

She also led the Blaugrana to success in the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa de la Reina to complete a domestic treble, although they came up short in the Champions League. Putellas’ goal in the final — her 11th in the competition last season — was not enough to stop French side Lyon from beating Barcelona 3-1 in Turin.

There was hope that success with Spain would follow at the European Championship in England, but she was ruled out of the tournament after injuring her ACL in training just days before La Roja‘s first game.

She has not played since, but Barca recently published a video of her doing some work with a ball on the training pitch, hinting that she could return to action before the end of the season.

Arsenal forward Mead, who starred as England won the Euros and is also sidelined with an ACL injury. She joined San Diego Wave‘s Morgan on the final shortlist and finished behind Putellas.

Mead won the Golden Boot and player of the tournament at Euro 2022 last summer, while Morgan was the National Women’s Soccer League‘s leading scorer with 15 goals in just 17 appearances.

Morgan also scored the winner as the United States beat Canada in the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship final — a competition in which she finished as joint-top scorer and player of the tournament — as she became the 13th USWNT player to pass 200 caps.

Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez Wins Golden Glove at FIFA World Cup

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Emiliano Martinez is having a golden moment…

The 30-year-old Argentine goalkeeper has been awarded the Golden Glove trophy following this year’s FIFA World Cup.

Martinez earned the prize, which is given to the most outstanding goalkeeper of the tournament, after Argentina won the shootout 4-2, to win the World Cup title at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

Martinez became the first player to represent Argentina to win the Golden Glove. He was joined at the trophy ceremony by teammate Lionel Messi, who won the Golden Ball, as well as Enzo Fernandez, the winner of the Best Young Player award.

Martinez played a key role in Argentina’s dramatic final to win the country’s first world championship in 36 years.

The Aston Villa goalie, who had three clean sheets in the tournament, carried his team through extra time and a penalty shootout following a 2-2 tie in regulation. He brilliantly denied France’s Kingsley Coman with a diving left save in the performance.

After Argentina’s historic win, an emotional Martinez said, “We suffered a lot. We thought we were in control but they managed to come back. It was a very complicated game. Our destiny was to suffer. They had one last chance to win, luckily I was able to stop it with my foot.

“This is a moment I’ve always dreamed of living, I have no words for it. I left very young for England and I would like to dedicate this victory to my family.”

Martinez has been the goalkeeper for Aston Villa since 2020.

Last year, he helped his country to its first Copa America trophy since 1991.

Ozuna to Perform at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ozuna is heading to Qatar…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican singer will perform at the 2022 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony, FIFA has announced.

The event, where Argentina and France will play for the trophy, will be held on Sunday, December 18, at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

Since August, Ozuna has been making the rounds with his track “Arhbo” alongside French-Congolese rapper Gims, which is part of the official FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 soundtrack.

The feel-good collaboration is named after the local slang word for “welcome” in Qatar, which “perfectly embodies the welcoming spirit” of the Arabian country that has been hosting the World Cup since November 20.

“Arhbo” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart dated December 17 after arriving in the top 10 last week. This marks Gims’ first No. 1 title on any U.S. chart.

“I think ‘Bienvenidos’, ‘welcome home’ says it all,” Ozuna previously said in a press statement. “Whatever journey everyone was on, it brought them here, to this moment, and for that moment they are home. They say that ‘home is where the heart is, right? El hogar está donde está el corazón. For all the people who are coming, and all the people who — with all their hearts — want to come, we are saying, ‘bienvenidos’, welcome home!”

Although Puerto Rico was not one of the 32 countries that played at the World Cup, Ozuna has been very much involved with the tournament.

In addition to being a part of the FIFA soundtrack, the “Hey Mor” singer teamed up with Coca-Cola Puerto Rico for limited-edition collectible cans, with 14 different designs representing some of the participating countries.

In addition, the initiative will promote the development of sports on the island by allocating a donation of $50,000 for the rehabilitation of soccer fields in San Juan.

Lionel Messi Becomes Argentina’s All-Time Leading World Cup Goal Scorer

Posted on December 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi is in company all his own…

The 35-year-old Argentine futbol star has become Argentina‘s all-time leading goal scorer, after scoring a penalty in the first half of Tuesday’s 3-0 victory in the semifinal against Croatia at this year’s FIFA World Cup.

Messi overtook Gabriel Batistuta‘s previous record of 10 goals, which he scored at the 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cups.

Messi put Argentina ahead in the 34th minute from the penalty spot following a foul on Julian Alvarez by Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.

Messi’s 11 goals also tie him for sixth for most goals in the history of the men’s World Cup, with Sandor Kocsis and Jürgen Klinsmann. Only Miroslav Klose (16), Brazil’s Ronaldo (15), Gerd Muller (14), Just Fontaine (13) and Pele (12) are now ahead of him.

He is the oldest man to score five goals at a single World Cup and level with France’s Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward’s opener in Argentina’s 2-1 win over Australia in the round of 16 meant he surpassed Diego Maradona and Guillermo Stabile‘s World Cup goal tally of eight.

He then equalled Batistuta’s mark of 10 when he scored from the penalty spot in his side’s fiery quarterfinal encounter with the Netherlands, which Argentina eventually won on penalties after a stirring Dutch fightback for a 2-2 draw.

In the match against Croatia, Messi also tied the record for most appearances at the World Cup when he played for the 25th time for Argentina at soccer’s biggest tournament.

Lothar Matthaus of Germany previously held the record outright. Messi is playing in his fifth World Cup and he will have a chance to break the record in Sunday’s final.

Messi’s first World Cup goal came on his debut in 2006, as he scored after being substituted on to help his side to a 6-0 victory over Serbia and Montenegro.

Four years later, Messi failed to score in the entirety of the World Cup tournament in South Africa as an Argentina side managed by Maradona reached the quarterfinals but lost 4-0 against Germany.

The forward enjoyed a more fruitful 2014 tournament, scoring four times in Argentina’s first three games as he helped them to the final — where they were again beaten by Germany.

Messi scored just once at the 2018 World Cup but has netted four times in his side’s five matches at the tournament in Qatar this year.

Messi is Argentina’s all-time top scorer with 94 goals in 169 appearances for the national team since making his debut in 2005. Batistuta scored 54 times in 78 matches for Argentina.

Ashley Sanchez & Niña Dioz Featured in Taco Bell’s New “Donde We All Play” Spot

Posted on December 4, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ashley Sanchez is feelin’ it…

The 23-year-old Mexican America soccer player, a member of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, has teamed up with Mexican rapper Niña Dioz for the new ‘Donde We All Play’ spot for Taco Bell.

The spot is airing now during the FIFA World Cup.

It features Diaz’s recently debuted track “Siéntelo,” which is about moving forward and pushing the boundaries.

“I’m so excited they gave me a platform to elevate my voice through one of the biggest stages in the world because I’m able to represent the Latinx community, being Mexico’s first openly queer rapper and showing the young Latin community that anything is possible,” Dioz said in a statement.

Sanchez added: “I’ve been playing soccer since I was young and to become one of the few Latinas to ever play for the U.S. women’s national team is a huge accomplishment, especially growing up and not seeing much Latin representation in sports. Working with Taco Bell on the campaign allowed me to fuse my cultural heritage and passion for soccer as well as love for the brand to reach a wider audience in hopes that it’ll inspire the younger Latin generation to do what they love.”

Lionel Messi Breaks Diego Maradona’s World Cup Goals Count

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s one down, one to go(al) for Lionel Messi.

The 35-year-old Argentine soccer star and national team captain broke Diego Maradona‘s World Cup goals tally in Argentina’s 2-1 round-of-16 win against Australia on Saturday.

Messi equaled Maradona’s eight World Cup goals in Argentina’s previous game against Mexico, scoring from distance to set the Albiceleste on their way to a 2-0 win.

He surpassed the 1986 World Cup winner — and Guillermo Stabile, who scored eight times at the 1930 World Cup — with his ninth goal at the tournament on Saturday.

The landmark effort came in the 35th minute, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead, after he collected a layoff and expertly side-footed the ball low into the net with his famed left foot.

The goal was Messi’s first in the World Cup knockout stages and came on the occasion of his 1,000th game for club and country.

Messi had a chance to overtake Maradona in Argentina’s final group stage game against Poland but missed a first-half penalty. Argentina went on to top the group after a 2-0 win.

Messi is now one goal away from Gabriel Batistuta‘s record of 10 goals for Argentina, scored at the 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cups.

Messi scored on his World Cup debut in 2006, coming off the bench against Serbia and Montenegro in the group stage before rounding off a 6-0 victory for his side.

He failed to score entirely in the 2010 World Cup, however, as an Argentina side managed by Maradona reached the quarterfinals but lost 4-0 against Germany.

The forward enjoyed a far more prolific 2014 tournament, scoring four times in Argentina’s first three games as he helped them to the final — where they were beaten by Germany.

He scored just once at the 2018 finals in Russia — against Nigeria in the group stage — and has now netted in all of Argentina’s group games in Qatar.

Maradona’s World Cup goals came in the 1982 (2), 1986 (5) and 1994 (1) tournaments. His finest moment came in the 1986 finals in Mexico, where he led Argentina to their last World Cup triumph.

Messi is Argentina’s all-time top scorer with 94 goals in 169 appearances for the national team since making his debut in 2005. Maradona scored 34 goals in 91 appearances for Argentina from 1977-1994.

Lionel Messi Helps Lead Argentina Into the World Cup Quarterfinals

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi has helped propel Argentina into the World Cup quarterfinals…

In his 1,000th career match, the 35-year-old Argentine professional footballer scored the opening goal with a sublime effort on Saturday before Julian Alvarez scored in the second half to secure a 2-1 victory against Australia.

The win sets up a quarterfinal against the Netherlands.

“I am very happy for taking another step forward, achieving another objective,” Messi said. “It was a very strong and difficult match — we knew it was going to be this way.

“We didn’t have much time to rest up and we were concerned as we knew it was going to be a physical match and they were very strong. Luckily we found the goal and we were one goal ahead, and then two goals ahead.

“And then we had a setback with the goal — but that’s the World Cup for you, the matches are difficult and we got the win.”

Despite Argentina’s firepower, Australia managed to limit the early proceedings, keeping them uneventful with neither side exerting any dominance.

But the Socceroos‘ defense was breached on 35 minutes as Messi showed his undeniable quality to score his first-ever goal in the World Cup knockout stage.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward started the move with a darting run inside from the right wing — a quick exchange of passes landed him inside the box before he unleashed a left-footed curling shot past Mat Ryan.

“He [Messi] is incredible. One of the greatest ever,” Australia boss Graham Arnold said. “We really worked hard not to be in awe of him, because of the great player he is.

“But wow, he’s remarkable. I had the privilege of playing against Diego Maradona, and now coaching against Messi — they’re both wonderful players and Argentina should be so proud and happy to have players of that calibre.”

Buoyed by rapturous support, Argentina tightened their grip on a quarterfinal spot 12 minutes after half-time as Rodrigo De Paul pounced on a slack touch by Australia goalkeeper Ryan, allowing Alvarez to slot into a vacated net, doubling his side’s lead.

A triple substitution for Australia on 72 minutes signified a desperate last roll of the dice by manager Arnold and they were handed a lifeline when an own goal by Enzo Fernandez halved their deficit 13 minutes from time.

Craig Goodwin latched onto a loose ball outside the box and struck a fierce effort first-time, which took a huge deflection off Fernandez, fooling goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and hitting the back of the net.

With renewed optimism, Aziz Behich came close to leveling the game three minutes later as he embarked on a fantastic darting run, beating four Argentina defenders before eventually being thwarted by Lisandro Martinez in the box.

Despite their desire, a comeback didn’t materialize for Australia and manager Arnold was full of praise for their impressive run in the tournament.

“They’re extremely disappointed — it’s not every day you get to play the third-best nation in the word and play those types of players,” he said.

“I felt we did a good job. I wanted to say how proud I am of them and the sacrifices they’ve made through the campaign. Everyone said before we came here we were the worst Socceroo team ever and to qualify for a World Cup — but that’s gone now — we’ve done exceptionally well.”

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