The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Messi

  • Ballon D’Or: Yobo votes Messi, Keshi picks Toure

    Ballon D’Or: Yobo votes Messi, Keshi picks Toure

    Super Eagles skipper, Joseph Yobo picked Lionel Messi as his world player of 2012, while coach Stephen Keshi voted Cote d’Ivoire’s Yaya Toure.

    Representing the Nigeria media, top journalist Samm Audu went for Messi, who on Monday won his fourth straight FIFA Ballon D’Or.

    MTNFootball.com reports that Messi has also won world football’s foremost individual accolade in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

    Yobo’s two other nominees were Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazil’s Neymar, while Keshi went for another Ivorian star Didier Drogba and then Netherlands striker Robin van Persie.

    Samm Audu’s other picks were Ronaldo and Colombia star Radamel Falcao.

    Messi was again a runaway winner for the best player in the world as he polled 41.60 per cent of the total votes, far ahead of second-placed Ronaldo, who recorded 23.68 per cent. Iniesta was third on 10.91 per cent.

    The three sections of the eligible voters – national team captains, national coaches and media – all placed the 25-year-old Argentina superstar top of a 23-man strong field.

     

  • Messi remains world’s best

    Messi remains world’s best

    Lionel Messi has won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for an unprecedented fourth time in a row after he beat Cristiano Ronaldo and Andrés Iniesta to the world crown.

    After a record-breaking 2012, the FC Barcelona forward set a new mark of world titles by finishing top of the three-man shortlist at the gala ceremony in Zurich. Messi was the top goalscorer in the Spanish Liga in the 2011/12 season with 50 goals. He also broke Gerd Muller’s long-standing record for goals in a calendar year, finding the net an incredible 91 times. Abby Wambach took the women’s award.

    On receiving the award, the 25-year-old Argentinian international said: “To tell you the truth, this is really quite unbelievable. The fourth award that I have had is just too great for words. I would like to recognise my other colleagues from Barcelona: Iniesta, it has been great to train and play alongside you. I would also like to recognise all of my friends in the Argentinian national team. Everyone that has worked with me – coaches and staff and my family and my friends. Also my wife and my son. Thank you.”

    Coach of Spain’s UEFA EURO 2012 victors, Vicente del Bosque won the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football 2012 seeing off competition from the two former winners, Madrid coach José Mourinho and former Barcelona boss Josep Guardiola. Current Sweden and former United States Pia Sundhage took the women’s equivalent.

    The FIFA Puskás Award for most beautiful goal of the year was won by Miroslav Stoch. His sensational volleyed effort for Fenerbahçe SK against Gençlerbirligi SK in the Turkish Super League took the prize. Club Atlético de Madrid forward Falcao and Santos FC’s Neymar were the other nominees.

    Former Germany captain and coach Franz Beckenbauer won the Presidential Award while the Uzbekistan Football Federation (UFF) were bestowed the FIFA Fair Play Award 2012.

    The FIFA/FIFPro World XI was also announced:

    Iker Casillas; Daniel Alves, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Piqué, Marcelo; Xabi Alonso, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernández; Lionel Messi, Falcao, Cristiano Ronaldo.

  • FIFA crowns Messi again

    FIFA crowns Messi again

    …Del Bosque, Wambach triumph too
    Argentina’s Lionel Messi collected a record-breaking fourth consecutive title of best player in the world when he was awarded the FIFA Ballon d’Or, while United States player Abby Wambach claimed her first FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award at the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala held at the Zurich Kongresshaus on Monday evening.

    Vicente Del Bosque, the Spanish national team coach, and Sweden’s new women’s national team coach Pia Sundhage (former USA coach) were the winners of the FIFA World Coach of the Year awards for men’s and women’s football, respectively, FIFA.com reports.

    Aged 25, Messi concluded 2012 by scoring over 90 goals. He also finished top scorer in the UEFA Champions League 2011-2012 season with 14 goals.

    Meanwhile, Del Bosque added the European title to his 2010 FIFA World Cup crown when leading Spain to victory at EURO 2012.

    In women’s football, 2012 was the U.S national team’s year. Sundhage and Wambach led the U.S to its fourth Olympic gold medal in London after defeating the Japanese team in the final and thus exacting revenge for their defeat in the FIFA Women’s World Cup final the previous year, which Japan won for the first time in their history.

    These awards were decided after a poll in which the captains and head coaches of the men’s (for the two men’s awards) and women’s (for the two women’s awards) national teams, as well as international media representatives selected by French football magazine France Football, voted for candidates in each of the four categories. Each group’s votes represented one third of the final result.

    It was an unforgettable night, with many former and current football stars on stage and on the red carpet. The international audience was entertained with a flavour of Brazil as we look to the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013, as well as by Scottish singer Amy MacDonald.

    The FIFA Ballon d’Or was awarded for the third time tonight following the amalgamation of the FIFA World Player of the Year award with the France Football Ballon d’Or in 2010.

     

     

    Caption: Messi after receiving his award on Monday.  Photo: Supersport.com

     

  • Messi, Falcao tear Nou Camp apart

    Barcelona star Lionel Messi will not be the only goalscoring sensation on Sunday when his side take on second-placed Atletico Madrid and Radamel Falcao in a La Liga cracker.

    Messi and Falcao have 39 league goals between them already this season with the former breaking Gerd Muller’s all-time record for the number of goals in a calendar year, previously 85, in Barcelona’s win at Real Betis last weekend.

    Meanwhile Falcao, who missed training with a muscle injury on Thursday but is expected to play from the start on Sunday, smashed five goals in Atletico’s 6-0 hammering of Deportivo on the same evening.

    But it is the continuing goalscoring exploits of Messi, who has moved three ahead of Muller after netting twice against Betis and twice again in the cup win over Cordoba, which set him apart from the rest according to Mascherano.

    “Messi is unique because he is already the best player in the history of this sport,” Mascherano said.

    “We are talking about 88 goals as if it were something normal but what he has done is incredible. This is a lad who has been touched by a magic wand.”

    But the top-of-the-table clash is not just about the two main goalscoring protagonists as Barcelona look to extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points with a win over Atletico.

    Arch rivals Real Madrid are already 11 points adrift but Barcelona midfielder Xavi is not ruling either of the Madrid giants out of the title hunt.

    “Atletico Madrid are rivals and have not given up after they lost to Madrid, far from it,” he said. “It is increasingly difficult to win – Madrid can overcome many things and it is far too early to predict anything and start speculating.