The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Messi

  • Messi defends Hong Kong absence after fans boo

    Messi defends Hong Kong absence after fans boo

    Forward Lionel Messi has defended himself after local fans booed Inter Miami because he missed a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong.

    Inter beat a League XI 4-1 in front of almost 40,000 fans on Sunday, with Argentina captain Messi left on the bench because of a hamstring problem.

    The Hong Kong government said Messi was contracted to play at least 45 minutes.

    “I always want to play, especially in these games where we travel so far and people want to see our games,” he said.

    “Unfortunately this happens in football. In any game it can happen that you can’t play.

    “I hope we can return and play a game in Hong Kong.”

    Supporters in a near-capacity crowd of 38,323 at Hong Kong Stadium each paid more then HK$1,000 (£101) for a ticket.

    There were chants of “We want Messi” in the second half as the World Cup winner remained sat among the substitutes.

    When he failed to make it on the pitch, there were then chants of “Refund”, before Inter co-owner David Beckham was drowned out by jeers as he tried to thank supporters during a speech after full-time.

    The Hong Kong government’s major sports events committee (MSEC) said it was “extremely disappointed” that Messi did not play, having provided grants of HK$16m (£1.5m) to organisers Tatler Asia for the event.

    Read Also: Messi match organisers to refund $2 million gov’t funding

    Tatler Asia said it will not ask for the money as Messi did not play.

    Messi came on as a substitute six minutes from the end of Miami’s previous match in Saudi Arabia last Thursday, but a scan after that game confirmed a swelling of the hamstring.

    The 36-year-old, who has won the Ballon d’Or eight times, said the injury is improving and he could feature against Japanese champions Vissel Kobe in Tokyo on Wednesday.

    “I don’t know if I can or not, but I feel a lot better and really want to do it,” he said.

    “This afternoon we’re going to practise; we’ll try again. I have a good feeling, compared to how I was.”

  • Messi match organisers to refund $2 million gov’t funding

    Messi match organisers to refund $2 million gov’t funding

    Organisers of a Hong Kong football match which drew boos after star man Lionel Messi failed to play they deeply regretted the no-show, and would withdraw a bid for a HK$16 million ($2 million) government grant.

    Tatler Asia’s CEO read out a statement yesterday  confirming Messi had been contracted to take the field, unless injured, in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong.

    Instead the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has a leg muscle strain, stayed on the bench throughout Inter Miami’s 4-1 win against a Hong Kong select XI.

    The match ended with Messi, his Inter Miami team and club co-owner David Beckham being booed off by nearly 40,000 irate fans who had shelled out large sums to see the World Cup-winning captain play.

    Fans who had paid upwards of 1,000 Hong Kong dollars ($125) to see Messi chanted “Refund!”, gave thumbs-down signs and drowned out Beckham with jeers as he tried to thank the crowd.

     “Tatler Asia deeply regrets the disappointing ending to what was an exciting occasion,” said Michel Lamuniere, chairman and CEO, in the statement.”(Tatler Asia) has decided to officially withdraw its application for… the HK$16 million government grant.”

    Lamuniere said the organisers were made aware that Messi would not play only at half-time, after he had been named among the substitutes, and “Tatler Asia immediately informed the government”.

    Read Also: Ronaldo ruled out of friendly against Messi’s Inter Miami

    That appeared to contradict Hong Kong’s sports minister who told reporters earlier that government officials had been repeatedly assured Messi would play, even after half-time.

    It was not until 10 minutes from the final whistle that secretary for culture, sports and tourism Kevin Yeung said he and officials were informed that Messi’s injury – inflammation of an abductor muscle – would keep him out.

    “We immediately requested (the organisers) to explore other remedies, such as Messi appearing on the field to interact with his fans and receiving the trophy,” Yeung said. “Unfortunately, as you all see, this did not work out.”

    Hong Kong’s consumer council said it had received 38 complaints from 29 residents and nine overseas visitors about the match by midday on Monday.

    They involved a total of HK$216,964 spent, with the largest individual complaint amounting to HK$22,338.

     “Most of the promotional materials were using photos of certain players… so it was reasonable for consumers to expect that player to participate,” the council said in a statement.

     “Consumers can also seek independent legal advice on whether the incident is suspected of breaching a contract or could be subject to civil lawsuits.”

  • Messi, Beckham booed for  sitting  out Hong Kong friendly

    Messi, Beckham booed for  sitting  out Hong Kong friendly

    Lionel Messi and Inter-Miami co-owner David Beckham were booed  yesterday and angry fans demanded refunds after the Argentina superstar sat out the team’s pre-season friendly in Hong Kong.

    The city government said organisers owed fans an explanation after the match, in which the visitors beat a Hong Kong select XI by four goals to one.

    The World Cup-winning captain, who has a hamstring strain, stayed rooted to the bench throughout.

    That brought a show of anger from the near-capacity crowd of 38,323, who had paid upwards of 1,000 Hong Kong dollars ($125) to see their hero, and in many cases five times that amount.

    Halfway through the second half, chants of “We want Messi” rose around the Hong Kong Stadium from fans desperate to see the greatest footballer of his generation in the much-hyped exhibition game.

    The booing became louder during the last 10 minutes when it became clear that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would not make even the briefest of cameos.

    The jeers rose to a crescendo at the final whistle, and Beckham was drowned out by booing as he tried to thank the crowd for “their incredible support” while fans signalled their anger with thumbs-down gestures.

    “I’m just really disappointed,” fan Jonathan Wong told AFP. “Everyone is here to see Messi, so I feel a bit cheated.

     “Without him it’s just like another regular Hong Kong Premier League match, where a ticket only costs HK$80. This time we paid HK$5,000.”

    Miami coach Gerardo Martino said the club’s medical team had taken the decision after an assessment on Sunday morning.

     “We understand the disappointment of the fans for the absence of Leo (Messi),” Martino told reporters. “We understand a lot of fans are very disappointed and we ask for their forgiveness.

     “We wish we could have sent Leo on for at least a while but the risk was too big.”

    The 36-year-old Messi played just six minutes in Miami’s last match, in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, and now faces a race against time to be fit for the new MLS season that starts on February 21.

    It was a bitter end to days of Hong Kong “Messi mania”.

    Tens of thousands turned up just to watch him train on Saturday, when he did little more than jog and stretch.

    The team hotel was besieged by hundreds of fans trying to glimpse their hero, and a traditional junk boat was cruising around Victoria harbour with Messi’s face plastered across its sails.

    Read Also: EPL: Arsenal beat Liverpool to close gap at the top

    Messi shirts had been flying off the shelves after tickets for the match sold out in an hour when they went on sale in December.

    Echoing the fans’ anger, the Hong Kong government said it could withdraw 16 million Hong Kong dollars ($2 million) of funding to the organisers that helped bring Inter Miami to the city.

     “The organiser owes all football fans an explanation,” it said.

    In a statement, organisers of the event – dubbed “Tatler XFEST” – expressed their “extreme disappointment” that neither Messi nor his Uruguayan teammate Luis Suarez took part in the match.

     “Despite some news reports, Tatler did not have any information about the non-participation of Messi or Suarez prior to kick off,” they said.

  • Messi wins The Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year

    Messi wins The Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year

    Inter Miami and Argentina forward Lionel Messi has been named The Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year for 2023.

    The 36-year-old fended off competition from Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe to retain the award he also claimed last year.

    In total, Messi has now won the award three times since it was introduced in 2016, moving out on his own above Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski as the player with the outright most The Best FIFA Men’s Player titles.

    The voting for the gong was split between fans, players, managers and journalists, with the period under consideration starting the day after the 2022 World Cup final, which saw Messi lift the trophy, and ending on August 20, 2023.

    During that time, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner helped PSG to win the Ligue 1 title, before moving to MLS side Inter Miami, where he quickly won the Leagues Cup to add to his trophy haul – the day before the voting period ended.

    The voting period also saw Messi score his 700th  career club goal, 800th  career goal in total and 100th international goal, as well as registering his 1,000th  direct club goal involvement.

    Read Also: Messi, Mbappe, Haaland finalists for FIFA Best award

    However, is The Best FIFA Men’s Player award came as some surprise considering he was up against Haaland, who scored 52 goals in 53 games to help Man City win the treble last season.

    The Norway international led the charge as Pep Guardiola’s men lifted the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

    Mbappe, meanwhile, netted 41 times in 43 games across all competitions in 2022-23, helping PSG to the Ligue 1 title alongside Messi.

    ALL THE WINNERS

    FIFA Best Men’s Player-Lionel Messi(Argentina)              

    FIFA Best  Women’s Player-Aitana Bonmati (Spain)

    FIFA Best Men’s Goalkeeper-Ederson (Manchester City ).

    FIFA Best Women’s Goalkeeper- Mary Earps(England).

    FIFA Best Women’s Coach- Sarina Wiegman  (England).

    FIFA Men’s Coach of the Year- Pep Guardiola (Man City)

    FIFA Fair Play Award –Brazil national team

    FIFA Puskas Award- Guilherme Madruga (Botafogo)

    FIFA Fan Award- Hugo Daniel Iniguez

    FIFA Special Award- Marta (Brazil)

  • PSG deny ‘fixing 2021 Ballon d’Or award for Messi

    PSG deny ‘fixing 2021 Ballon d’Or award for Messi

    Paris Saint-Germain have denied allegations they tried to pressure the organiser of the Ballon d’Or into giving Lionel Messi the prestigious honour in 2021.

    After his long reign of success in Barcelona, the Argentina star had joined PSG earlier that year – but was in a close-run contest for the top prize alongside Polish striker Robert Lewandowski.

    The French giants have been accused of trying to influence those at France Football magazine, who decide the winner of the Ballon d’Or, so that it would fall in the favour of their new signing Messi.

    Le Monde reports that an ongoing legal investigation claims PSG were lobbying for Messi to get the honour by offering gifts and other benefits to Pascal Ferre, who was then editor-in-chief of France Football and responsible for organising the Ballon d’Or.

    A probe from the General Inspectorate of the National Police claims that Ferre received match tickets and a business-class flight from the Parisian club in 2020 and 2021 when he was still in charge of France Football magazine.

    Read Also; Huge sporting expectations for Nigeria

    He denied the report, claiming that he voted for Lewandowski, who was at Bayern Munich at the time of the 2021 ballot.

    To further complicate matters, the 2020 edition of the award was scrapped due to the impact of Covid-19 on the football world, with Lewandowski a leading candidate if it was given out for his Bayern Munich performances. 

    However, Messi won the 2021 prize, the seventh of his eight Ballons d’Or to date, which would have been huge coup for PSG just months after acquiring him.

    On collecting the award, the Argentinian mentioned the Polish striker he pipped to the title by 33 points. Messi said: “I would like to mention Robert Lewandowski, it’s been a real honour to compete with you.

     “Everyone knows and we agree that you were the winner last year [2020]. I think France Football should award you your [trophy last year] – you deserve it and you should have it at home.”

    Speaking after the ceremony, Lewandowski said Messi’s words ‘really touched me’, and that it was ‘a nice moment in my career’, despite having to get PSG’s Kylian Mbappe to help translate conversations between them.

  • Messi, Mbappe, Haaland finalists for FIFA Best award

    Messi, Mbappe, Haaland finalists for FIFA Best award

    Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are the three finalists for the FIFA 2023 Best Men’s Player award, world soccer’s governing body has confirmed.

    Norwegian Haaland helped Manchester City win three major trophies, the Champions League, English Premier League and FA Cup last season.

    Read Also: FULL LIST: Commissioners who resigned from Gov Fubara’s cabinet

    Messi secured the award in 2022 after guiding Argentina to World Cup victory. Following that success, he clinched the Ligue 1 title with Paris St Germain alongside Mbappe before making a move to the Major League Soccer team Inter Miami.

    The shortlist for the women’s best player includes two 2023 World Cup champions, Aitana Bonmati and Jennifer Hermoso from Spain, alongside Linda Caicedo, who represents Colombia.

    The winners will be announced on Jan. 15 in London, England.

  • Messi named TIME Magazine’s “Athlete of the Year”

    Messi named TIME Magazine’s “Athlete of the Year”

    Lionel Messi has been named Time Magazine’s Athlete of the Year for 2023 following his move to the United States to join Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.

    The Argentine joins the likes of Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, LeBron James and the United States women’s national team to win the award.

    At 36, two decades into his unparalleled career, Messi provided a singular stimulus to soccer in America when he signed with Inter Miami earlier this year. Attendance, ticket prices, merchandise sales, and viewership soared. His games took on the feel of a religious revival.

    Former L.A Galaxy star and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham said he feared the franchise wouldn’t land their marquee player.

    “The one that really worried me was Barcelona,” Beckham told Time.

    Read Also: Rapper Odumodublvck picks Messi over Ronaldo

    “He never got to say goodbye to the fans, or say goodbye to the club. I explained to him, as a family, the six years we had in L.A. were the best six years that we had.

    “People welcomed us with open arms, not just in L.A., but the whole of America.”

    “This man is a culture shifter,” says Fat Joe. “He’s a GOAT.”

    With the most revered and influential athlete on the planet playing in Miami for at least the next two years, still performing at the top of his game, the U.S. is now a soccer nation. A fútbol nation.

    “What I would say to the fans is simply the same thing I said when I arrived,” Messi says. “We are going to have some very good times. We are going to compete to continue lifting trophies and enjoy ourselves.”

    Continue reading on TIME.

  • I don’t rule out playing 2026 World Cup – Messi

    I don’t rule out playing 2026 World Cup – Messi

    Argentine super star Lionel Messi is not ruling out another attempt to win a World Cup in 2026, though he admits that time is not on his side.

    Nearly a year ago, Messi—who recently won his eighth Ballon d’Or—lifted the World Cup after leading Argentina against France in the final in Doha.

    The 36-year-old stated at the time that the competition in Qatar would be his final one and that he wouldn’t be at the 2026 edition, which the US, Canada, and Mexico will co-host.

    But he maintains the door is still open, having gone to Inter Miami of Major League Soccer and continued to play for the national team in 2026 qualifying.

    “I’m not thinking about the World Cup and I’m not saying 100 percent that I won’t be there because anything can happen. Because of my age, the most normal thing is that I won’t be there. Then we’ll see,” Messi said in an interview with Argentina’s Star+.

    The Argentina captain stated that he is concentrating on the Copa America, which will take place in the US in June.

    “Maybe we’ll do well at the Copa America and everything will work out for us to continue. Maybe not.

    “Realistically it’s difficult,” he said regarding his sixth straight appearance in the World Cup.

    Read Also: Messi to tackle Ronaldo in epic friendly in Feb. 2024

    Messi said he would be “the first to know when I can be there and when I can’t. I’m also aware that I’ve gone to a lesser league. But it’s all about the personal side of things and the way you deal with it and how you compete.

    “As long as I feel I’m well and can continue to contribute, I’m going to do it. Today all I’m thinking about is getting to the Copa America. After that, time will tell if I’m there or not.

    “I’m going to arrive at an age that, normally, doesn’t allow me to play in the World Cup. I said I don’t think I’m going to be there. It looked like after the World Cup I was retiring and it was the opposite. Now I want to be there more than ever,” he added.

  • Messi to tackle Ronaldo in epic friendly in Feb. 2024

    Messi to tackle Ronaldo in epic friendly in Feb. 2024

    Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will play against Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia in a blockbuster friendly game in February.

    The game is being billed as ‘The Last Dance’ in what is likely the final match-up between two of the all-time greats of the sport. At present, no further date is given other than the game being held in February and is part of the Riyadh Season Cup, which also features fellow Saudi team Al Hilal.

    Messi, now 36, carved out the bulk of his legacy at Barcelona while Ronaldo, 38, hit similar heights at fierce rivals Real Madrid, after moving from Manchester United in 2009.

    The Inter Miami man was targeted by the Saudi league and widely expected to follow Ronaldo there this year before ultimately deciding to join David Beckham’s Major League Soccer team.

    Ronaldo signed for Al Nassr in December 2022 following a bitter split from United in his second spell at the club.

    The Portugal star is paid around $75million a year on a deal that runs until 2025. 

    Messi would have earned similar wages in the Saudi league – more than in the United States – but he still earns between $50-60million in Miami on a two-year contract with an option for a third season. 

    Read Also: Lionel Messi’s 2022 World Cup jerseys estimated to go for above $10m at auction

    His deal is bankrolled in part by adidas and Apple, with Messi getting a cut from shirt sales and Apple television subscriptions to watch MLS.

    Messi and his team failed to reach the MLS playoffs after a disastrous start to the season but they still won the Leagues Cup and made it to the final of the US Open Cup.

    The game will also see Ronaldo face two other Barcelona favourites in Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who followed Messi to Miami.

    And by the time the game comes around in February, Luis Suarez could be involved as well with the striker heavily linked with a move to the MLS side from Brazilian team Gremio. 

    Ronaldo’s Al Nassr team has ex-Liverpool and Bayern Munich attacker Sadio Mane, as well as former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte, Ronaldo’s ex-United teammate Alex Telles and ex-Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina.

    Al Hilal, the other team in the competition, have Brazil star Neymar but he will not feature due to his torn ACL. 

    Miami have long been mooted with playing some lucrative overseas friendlies ahead of next year’s MLS season.

  • Messi didn’t deserve to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or – Singer Bayanni

    Messi didn’t deserve to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or – Singer Bayanni

    Afrobeats singer, Oladokun Abimbola Elijah aka Bayanni, has stated that Argentine footballer, Lionel Messi wasn’t the deserving winner of the 2023 men’s Ballon d’Or.

    According to him, anyone else could have won it but not Messi.

    The Nation reported that Messi outshone competitors such as Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and others to secure his record-extending eighth award.

    Read Also: Tinubu launches digital population database system

    Reacting in a recent interview with Cool FM Nigeria, Lagos, Bayanni said the Inter Miami player didn’t do enough to win the award, arguing that a lot of other players have won the World Cup in the past and weren’t handed the Ballon d’Or.

    He said: “Based on what I’ve been hearing from people, Messi won the Ballon d’Or because he won the World Cup. But many people collected World Cup trophies in the past and they didn’t win the Ballon d’Or.

    “What I’m saying is that it should have been Haaland or somebody else but not Messi.”