Lionel Messi Earns Record-Extending Eighth Ballon d’Or

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi has extended his record…

The 36-year-old Argentine soccer star, who currently plays for Inter Miami CF, has won the Ballon d’Or for a record eighth time, after leading Argentina to the FIFA World Cup title last year.

Messi, who beat out Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, becomes the first Major League Soccer-based player to claim the coveted prize, although the triumph comes largely on the back of his exploits with his country in Qatar.

Former Manchester United player and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham handed his prize-signing Messi the award in Paris.

Haaland, who scored 52 goals last season as Manchester City won the Treble in 2022-23, finished second in the voting and won the Gerd Muller Trophy given to the best striker of the year.

“I couldn’t imagine having the career that I’ve had. Everything that I’ve achieved,” Messi said after getting his award. “The fortune I’ve had playing for the best team in the world, the best team in history. It’s nice to win these individual trophies.

“To win the Copa America and then the World Cup, to get it done is amazing. All of them [Ballon d’Or awards] are special for different reasons.”

Prior to Messi receiving his award, Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmatí won the Ballon d’Or Féminin after a record-breaking year with club and country. She helped Barça win Liga F and the Champions League last season, before leading Spain to World Cup glory in the summer.

In other awards handed out on Monday, Messi’s Argentina teammate Emiliano Martinez won the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper and England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham was handed the Kopa Trophy as the world’s top player under the age of 21.

During his acceptance speech, Messi made a point of wishing Argentina countryman Diego Maradona happy birthday. The 1986 World Cup winner, who died on November 22, 2020, would have been 63 on Monday.

“My last mention is for Diego [Maradona],” Messi said. “Today is his birthday. So I would like to remember him from here, surrounded by the best players, coaches and people who love football like he did.

“Wherever you are, Diego, happy birthday. This goes also to you.”

Even prior to Monday’s ceremony in Paris, no player had won the Ballon d’Or more times than Messi, who first won it in 2009 and then again in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021.

Cristiano Ronaldo has won it five times, while Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten are all three-time winners.

Messi scored 21 goals in 41 appearances last season as Paris Saint-Germain retained the Ligue 1 title before moving to Inter Miami earlier this year.

Since moving to the U.S., he has scored 11 goals in 14 games for Miami, helping the franchise win its first-ever piece of silverware, the Leagues Cup.

However, he missed several matches through injury at the end of the regular MLS season as Gerardo “Tata” Martino‘s side came up short in their late push for a playoff spot.

It is Messi’s performances at the World Cup at the end of 2022 which have earned him an eighth Ballon d’Or, though, as Argentina ended a 36-year wait to be crowned world champions for the third time.

Messi, as captain, was instrumental to Argentina’s success in Qatar, scoring seven goals and assisting three more as he was named as the Player of the Tournament.

He scored twice in the final and again in the penalty shootout against France as Lionel Scaloni‘s team edged one of the most memorable showpieces in the competition’s history.

Having come up short with Argentina at four previous World Cups, including losing the 2014 final to Germany, it was deemed by many to be his last chance to get his hands on football’s biggest prize.

At 36 years and four months old, he also becomes the second oldest player to ever win the Ballon d’Or, replacing last year’s winner Karim Benzema. Only the inaugural winner, Stanley Matthews in 1956, was older when he won it aged 41.

Messi’s first six Ballons d’Or were won while he played for Barcelona, where he is the club’s record goalscorer and appearance holder, while he won it for a seventh time shortly after joining PSG in 2021 following Copa America success with Argentina.

Lionel Messi Among Finalists for MLS’ Newcomer of the Year Award

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

He may have only played in six MLS matches, but Lionel Messi has certainly made an impression.

The 36-year-old Argentine soccer star has been named one of the three finalists for Major League Soccer’s Newcomer of the Year award following his debut season with Inter Miami.

Messi is nominated alongside Atlanta United striker Giorgos Giakoumakis and St. Louis City SC midfielder Eduard Löwen.

The World Cup winner had also been listed as one of 30 nominees for the league’s MVP award earlier this month as one of two players put forward by Miami during the club-nomination phase.

However, he didn’t make the cut for the top three shortlisted on Thursday, missing out to FC Cincinnati front-runner Luciano Acosta, Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga of LAFC and Messi’s young Argentina teammate Thiago Almada of Atlanta.

Following his signing on a free transfer, Messi enjoyed a dream start to life in Miami. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner scored 10 goals in seven games to lead the club to its first trophy with the lifting of the Leagues Cup. He also played in Miami’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal victory over Cincinnati.

However, Messi’s appearances in MLS league play were limited by a leg injury suffered while on duty with Argentina in September. He was able to play just 372 minutes in six appearances (four starts), scoring one goal and providing two assists as Miami missed out on a place in the MLS playoffs.

Fellow nominee Giakoumakis finished second in the Golden Boot race with 17 goals and three assists in his first MLS season, while former Germany youth international Löwen had six goals and 14 assists in 29 appearances.

While Messi had limited impact on the field in his first season in MLS play, his arrival in the United States caused a surge in ticket and merchandising sales.

Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said earlier this month that “everything has changed” since Messi’s arrival at the club. In a post on Instagram earlier this week, Messi said he was “proud of everything the team accomplished this season.”

The awards are voted on by current MLS players and coaches, technical directors/general managers and select media members. Winners will be announced throughout the MLS playoffs.

Here’s the full list of nominees:

Landon Donovan MLS MVP
Luciano Acosta, FC Cincinnati
Thiago Almada, Atlanta United
Denis Bouanga, LAFC

Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year
Bradley Carnell, St. Louis City SC
Wilfried Nancy, Columbus Crew
Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati

MLS Newcomer of the Year
Giorgos Giakoumakis, Atlanta United
Eduard Löwen, St. Louis City SC
Lionel Messi, Inter Miami CF

MLS Young Player of the Year
Thiago Almada, Atlanta United
Duncan McGuire, Orlando City SC
Aidan Morris, Columbus Crew

MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
Roman Burki, St. Louis City SC
Roman Celentano, FC Cincinnati
Pedro Gallese, Orlando City SC

MLS Defender of the Year
Yeimar Gomez Andrade, Seattle Sounders FC
Matt Miazga, FC Cincinnati
Tim Parker, St. Louis City SC

MLS Comeback Player of the Year
Joao Paulo, Seattle Sounders FC
Alan Pulido, Sporting Kansas City
Miles Robinson, Atlanta United

Lionel Messi Expected to Travel with Inter Miami for Team’s Final MLS Game Against Charlotte

Posted on October 20, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi could possibly appear in Inter Miami’s final game of the Major League Soccer season.

The 36-year-old Argentine soccer star will travel with Inter Miami CF to Charlotte for the team’s final game of the MLS season.

Miami assistant coach Javier Morales confirmed on Friday before Messi trained with the team that the Argentina star will be available to play on Saturday.

“He’s going to travel. We will decide tomorrow how much time he will play,” Morales said.

A muscle injury had limited Messi to only two appearances — and 72 total minutes played — for Miami since September 3. He had played 90 minutes for the first time in 6 weeks last Tuesday in Argentina’s win over Peru for the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers.

“Certainly, having Lionel [Messi] in the team is a motivation for everyone. We know what he means for football,” Morales said. “To have him in our team and available to play and compete is always good for us. We’re happy he’s returned and is 100% and we’ll see how he goes tomorrow in the game.”

Messi came as a substitute in the 1-0 home defeat to FC Cincinnati on October 7 that eliminated the Herons from playoff contention.

The last match in Messi’s first season in the MLS at BofA Stadium in Charlotte will be the first time he has played on artificial turf.

Following the Charlotte game, Inter Miami players will have a couple of weeks off before they get back together in November for a two-game-tour to China.

Charlotte is still in the race for the playoffs, in a must win situation to have any hope of grabbing one of the last Eastern Conference postseason spots.

“If he plays, he plays. And we have to deal with,” Charlotte coach Christian Lattanzio said about the possibility of facing Messi.

“We have to focus on ourselves and we have to play our game. And also, we have our supporters on our side and we hope that they will really be behind the guys like they always do.”

Lionel Messi: The MLS’ Highest-Paid Player

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi collects Major League Soccer’s biggest paycheck…

The 36-year-old Argentine soccer star and Inter Miami forward is MLS‘ highest-paid player, with a league-record annual guaranteed compensation of $20.4 million, according to the MLS Players Association.

That figure takes into account only Messi’s salary.

Earlier this year, Miami co-owner Jorge Mas revealed to Spanish outlet El País that Messi’s total compensation, which includes a cut from the league’s Apple TV deal, is in the $50 million to $60 million range.

Messi’s midseason arrival, along with that of teammates Sergio Busquets ($1.775 million) and Jordi Alba ($1.25 million), vaulted the Herons to the top of the MLS team salary rankings, with total guaranteed compensation of $39.419 million. That is more than double the $18.88 million the team was spending this time last year.

Messi’s guaranteed salary is the highest in the history of MLS, beating out Toronto FC‘s Lorenzo Insigne, who is second on Wednesday’s list at $15.4 million.

The Chicago Fire‘s Xherdan Shaqiri ($8.15 million), the LA Galaxy‘s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez ($7.44 million) and Toronto’s Federico Bernardeschi ($6.3 million) round out the top five.

All data is as of September 15, 2023. The salary data was annualized for players like Messi who joined the league during the summer transfer window.

The arrival of Messi helped push the average guaranteed base compensation for the entire MLS player pool to $543,207, up 5.5% from the September 2022 mark of $514,729. The salaries of players at the bottom of the wage scale continue to improve, as the league’s median guaranteed base compensation was $282,125, up 13.4% from the September 2022 mark of $248,688.

MLS and the MLSPA are in the third year of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that was agreed upon in February 2021. The current CBA runs through the end of the 2027 season.

In terms of team payroll based on guaranteed base compensation, Toronto FC ranked second behind Miami at $32.293 million, followed by the LA Galaxy ($25.039 million), reigning MLS Cup champions LAFC ($20.841 million) and the Chicago Fire ($20.416 million)

Orlando City had the lowest payroll at $9.643 million — in part because of the September transfer of forward Ercan Kara to Turkish side Samsunspor — followed by CF Montreal ($10.92 million), expansion side St. Louis City ($11.187 million), the New York Red Bulls ($11.331 million) and the Philadelphia Union ($13.291 million).

FC Cincinnati, the recently crowned Supporters’ Shield winners, checked in at 21st with a total guaranteed compensation of $14.349 million.

Based on current MLS standings heading into Decision Day, the three highest-spending teams — Miami, Toronto and the Galaxy — will all miss the playoffs. Austin FC, which ranked sixth at $19.166 million, is the other team among the top 10 spenders to miss out on the postseason.

Lionel Messi Picked for Argentina’s Next Two World Cup Qualifying Matches

Posted on October 8, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi is set to represent his country once again…

The 36-year-old Argentine soccer star has been picked for Argentina’s next two World Cup qualifying matches despite a leg injury that had kept him off the field for two weeks with MLS club team Inter Miami CF.

Messi returned to the field on Saturday night in his team’s 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati after missing five of Inter Miami‘s last six matches, including a 4-1 loss to Chicago Fire FC.

The Argentina captain also missed his national team’s 3-0 win at Bolívia on September 12.

Prior to Saturday’s game, Messi’s previous appearance was at his team’s match against Toronto on September 20, during which he was substituted at halftime because of the recurrence of a leg injury that initially resurfaced in a 1-0 win against Ecuador on September 7.

Argentina, who along with Brazil lead the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings with two wins from two matches, will face Paraguay in Buenos Aires on October 12 and then visit Peru five days later.

Messi has 11 goals in 12 matches with Inter Miami. The team is 8-1-4 when he plays; seven of those matches were on the team’s run to winning its first trophy by claiming the Leagues Cup championship, and another was in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal. Inter Miami is 1-3-2 in its six matches without Messi since he joined the club.

“Barcelona missed him, and the Argentine team missed him,” Miami coach Gerardo Martino said about Messi after the loss to Chicago. “Of course we’re going to miss the best player in the world.”

Full Argentina Squad:

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Franco Armani (River Plate), Juan Musso (Atalanta)

Defenders: Walter Benítez (PSV Eindhoven), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Gonzalo Montiel (Nottingham Forest), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Germán Pezzella (Real Betis), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Lucas Martínez Quarta (Fiorentina), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Marco Pellegrino (AC Milan), Marcos Acuña (Sporting Lisbon), Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon), Lucas Esquivel (Athletico Paranaense)

Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Roma), Guido Rodríguez (Real Betis), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Rodrigo de Paul (Atletico Madrid), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Carlos Alcaraz (Southampton), Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Thiago Almada (Atlanta United), Bruno Zapelli (Athletico Paranaense)

Forwards: Paulo Dybala (Roma), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Julián Alvarez (Manchester City), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Facundo Farías (Inter Miami), Lucas Beltrán (Fiorentina), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Nico González (Fiorentina), Lucas Ocampos (Sevilla)

Apple TV+ Releases Trailer for Lionel Messi Docuseries “Messi Meets America”

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi’s American story is headed to the small screen…

Apple TV+ has released the trailer for Messi Meets America, a new docuseries that follows the 36-year-old Argentine soccer star’s journey in Major League Soccer (MLS) as he joins Inter Miami CF.

The trailer gives a sneak peek of the six-part documentary event that will premiere on October 11 with three episodes. Additional episodes are currently in production and will premiere later in the season.

Messi has made a splash stateside taking his soccer team to the top of the Leagues Cup and winning the trophy.

Messi recently won the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 with the Argentina national football team and is now conquering America showcasing his abilities on the field and even sparking interest in Hollywood stars.

When the docuseries was announced earlier this year, Messi said, “I couldn’t be happier coming to Miami and joining such an amazing group of people and organization. I’m joining with the desire to compete, win and help the club continue to grow. I also think we’re going to really enjoy ourselves, have a good time and that very special things are going to happen.”

Messi Meets America is executive-produced by Tim Pastore, Patrick Milling Smith, Brian Carmody, Matt Renner and Scott Boggins. The series is produced for Apple by Smuggler Entertainment, and produced in association with Major League Soccer.

Luciano Acosta Helps Lead FC Cincinnati to Its First-Ever MLS Supporters’ Shield

Posted on October 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Luciano Acosta has helped FC Cincinnati make history….

With a league-leading 15 goals as well as 13 assists from the 29-year-old Argentine professional footballer to make him the clear front-runner for the Major League Soccer MVP award, FC Cincinnati won the MLS Supporters’ Shield for the first time in club history with a 3-2 win at Toronto FC on Saturday, completing a remarkable turnaround for the former perennial MLS basement dweller.

Cincinnati has led the MLS regular-season standings for the majority of the 2023 season before its win in Toronto gave the team an unassailable lead over its rivals with three games to play.

With 65 points from 31 matches, Cincinnati can no longer be caught by its nearest challengers St. Louis City SC, Orlando City and the New England Revolution.

Saturday’s win also ensures Cincinnati will take the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and will have home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup playoffs.

Cincinnati is the 16th different club in MLS’ 28 seasons to win the Supporters’ Shield and the fifth active team to do so in its first five seasons in the league.

The achievement is made all the more notable given that in its first three seasons in the league, between 2019 and 2021, Cincinnati finished as the worst team in MLS. The club’s first three seasons rank among the 10 worst in the history of MLS, with Cincinnati long seen as a symbol of dysfunction on and off the field.

But the tide began to turn last season with the appointment of former Philadelphia Union assistant Pat Noonan — the club’s fourth permanent head coach in MLS — and the arrival of Acosta.

A first playoff appearance followed at the end of 2022 before the team came storming out of the gates in 2023, losing just one of its first 18 matches.

Despite clinching the Supporters’ Shield, Cincinnati still has something to play for in the remainder of the regular season. Should the team win its final three games, it will eclipse the single-season MLS points record of 73 set by the New England Revolution in 2021.

Tab Ramos Named New England Revolution Assistant Coach

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a revolutionary time for Tab Ramos.

The 56-year-old Uruguayan American former soccer player, former Houston Dynamo FC and U.S. U-20 national team manager has signed with the New England Revolution as an assistant coach, according to ESPN.

Ramos will assist current interim manager Clint Peay until the end of the season.

The former U.S. international joins a coaching staff that has experienced significant upheaval in the last six weeks. Back in late July, then-manager and sporting director Bruce Arena was placed on administrative leave pending an MLS investigation into allegations of “insensitive and inappropriate remarks.”

While the precise results of the investigation haven’t been made public, Arena resigned from both positions on September 9, with the league stating that Arena must petition Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber in order to work in the league again.

Richie Williams was initially named interim manager, and recorded a 1-1-4 record in all competitions, but was relieved of his duties on September 12 amid reports of player complaints at the lack of transparency surrounding the investigation into Arena, and Williams reported role in facilitating it.

Peay, who had previously been the manager of the Revolution’s second team, was tasked with leading the first team through the end of this season, with former Revolution II assistant until the end of the season.

Revolution II assistant Marcelo Santos was also promoted to the first team. Peay’s first game in charge came last weekend, with the Revs falling on the road to the Colorado Rapids, 2-1.

Ramos’ presence is intended to provide Peay with an additional layer of MLS knowledge. Ramos managed the Dynamo from January of 2020 through November of 2021.

He oversaw two seasons in which Houston failed to make the postseason, compiling a regular season record of 10-26-21.

Ramos went on to manage USL Championship side Hartford Athletic from September of 2022 through July of 2023, with a record of 5-13-4 over two seasons.

Ramos had considerably more success managing the U.S. U-20 national team, a post he held from 2011-19. From 2015-19 he led the U-20s to three consecutive quarterfinal finishes at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

His spell with the U-20s also saw him serve as an assistant coach to the full national team under Jurgen Klinsmann as well as hold he youth technical director for the U.S. Soccer Federation.

As a player, Ramos spent time with clubs in Spain, Mexico and the U.S. and was the first signing in the history of MLS when he joined what was then known as the MetroStars, the forerunner of the New York Red Bulls.

At international level, Ramos made 81 appearances for the U.S., scoring eight goals. He was on the U.S. roster for the 1990, 1994, and 1998 FIFA World Cups.

Lionel Messi Leads Shortlist of Nominees for FIFA’s The Best Mens Player Honor

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi is hoping to best his fellow professional soccer players…

The 36-year-old Argentine soccer star leads the 12-player shortlist for FIFA’s The Best Mens Player nominees alongside Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé.

Messi, Haaland and Mbappé are joined by Declan Rice, who is nominated after captaining former club West Ham United to Europa Conference League success.

Argentina’s national team captain, Messi, now playing for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, is aiming to win the award for a record third time having been given the honor in 2019 and 2022.

But despite helping Argentina to World Cup glory at Qatar 2022, Messi faces stiff competition from Manchester City forward Haaland after the Norway international scored 52 goals as Pep Guardiola‘s side completed a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble last season.

Julián Álvarez, Marcelo Brozovic, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gündogan, Rodri, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Victor Osimhen and Bernardo Silva make up the shortlist alongside Messi, Haaland, Mbappe and Rice.

Voting for the eighth annual awards opened on Thursday on FIFA.com and closes in mid-October. National team coaches, captains, journalists and fans make up the list of voters.

Sergio Ramos In Advanced Talks to Return to Sevilla

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Sergio Ramos is thisclose to returning to the place where it all began…

The 37-year-old Spanish soccer player is in advanced talks over a return to Sevilla.

Ramos has been a free agent since his Paris Saint-Germain contract expired in July.

The former Real Madrid centre-back attracted interest from Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad, Galatasaray, FC Porto and MLS, sources said, but has opted for Sevilla as he prefers to stay closer to home.

Sevilla — whose LaLiga game at Atletico Madrid was postponed on Sunday on the advice of local authorities, due to a forecast of heavy rain — are hoping to close the deal in the coming hours.

Club president Pepe Castro appeared to rule out a move for Ramos last month, saying he had “never been an option” and said the defender had been offered to the club “directly and indirectly.”

Sevilla — who won the Europa League in May — have had a poor start to this LaLiga season, losing all three matches so far and are bottom of the table.

Ramos was born in Camas, a town just outside the city of Seville, and played for Sevilla as a teenager before joining Real Madrid in September 2005.

He spent 16 years at Real Madrid, becoming club captain and winning five LaLiga titles and four Champions Leagues — providing one of the most iconic moments in the club’s history with his goal in the 2014 Champions League final — before joining PSG on a free transfer in July 2021.

After an injury-hit first season in Paris and a more impressive second campaign, Ramos left PSG this summer and has since been considering his options.

The former Spain captain retired from international football in February — two years after his last appearance — when he was told he was not part of coach Luis de la Fuente‘s plans.

Ramos was a key part of the Spain teams that won three back-to-back international tournaments between 2008 and 2012, including the 2010 World Cup.

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