Tag: Lionel Messi

Lewandowski Breaks Messi Record as Barcelona Smash Newcastle to Reach Quarter-Finals

Robert Lewandowski
March 2026

Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Barcelona thrashed Newcastle 7-2 at Spotify Camp Nou and advanced 8-3 on aggregate. His brace took him to goals against 41 different Champions League opponents, moving him past Lionel Messi for the all-time record.
How: Barcelona recovered from a chaotic first half in which Anthony Elanga scored twice for Newcastle. Raphinha, Marc Bernal and a Lamine Yamal penalty put the hosts ahead before the break, then Fermin Lopez, Lewandowski twice and another Raphinha goal completed the rout.

Laporta Re-Elected as Barcelona President and Opens Door to Messi Return Tribute

Joan Laporta
March 2026

Joan Laporta won re-election as Barcelona president in a landslide and immediately signalled that Lionel Messi will always have a place at the club. He said the former captain deserves both a tribute match and a statue at Spotify Camp Nou. Laporta defeated Victor Font with a strong majority of member votes, securing another term to oversee Barcelona’s next phase. After the result, he said Messi can remain linked to the club in any role he wishes and stressed that the club’s doors will always stay open to him.

Rakitic Says Messi Deserves Tribute From Barcelona and the Football World

Lionel Messi
March 2026

Ivan Rakitic said Lionel Messi deserves a tribute in Barcelona and beyond, arguing that the forward’s influence reaches far outside club loyalties. The former Barcelona midfielder also said he hopes Messi keeps playing for a few more years at the highest level. Speaking in an interview, Rakitic praised Messi as the best in history and said anyone who loves football should appreciate him, regardless of club allegiance. His comments reflected both their long shared history at Barcelona and Messi’s lasting impact on how the game is viewed.

Laporta disputes Xavi version of Messi return and questions Xavi’s focus

Joan Laporta
March 2026

Laporta rejected Xavi’s claim that the club blocked Messi’s return, saying a contract was sent to Jorge Messi but the player chose Miami due to pressure. Laporta also criticised Xavi’s professionalism and mindset while in the job. Tebas disputed that La Liga had approved the move. Laporta used the debate stage to shift responsibility to Messi’s camp and rebut Font’s attack, while framing Xavi’s exit as performance and attitude related rather than political.

Lewandowski Joins Messi and Ronaldo in 15-Season Elite Scoring Run

Robert Lewandowski
January 2026

Robert Lewandowski scored against Real Mallorca to extend a rare streak of 10-plus league goals across 15 consecutive seasons in Europe’s top five leagues, matching Lionel Messi’s run and placing him alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in a three-man modern-era club. With minutes managed and his contract nearing a decision point, Lewandowski still delivered a clinical opener from close range after the ball dropped to him in the box. The 15-season sequence began in 2011-12 at Dortmund and continued through Bayern to Barca.

De la Fuente Tells Messi “Never Retire” as 2026 World Cup Decision Stays Open

Lionel Messi
January 2026

pain coach Luis de la Fuente urged Lionel Messi to keep playing as the Argentina captain continues to weigh up whether he will feature at the 2026 World Cup. Messi has said he will decide based on fitness and not wanting to be a burden. Messi helped Argentina qualify by scoring eight goals in South American qualifying, but has repeatedly stressed he will assess his physical condition day by day. Argentina will attempt to defend the title they won in 2022, and Messi is still undecided about joining that run.

Leboeuf wants 2026 World Cup “dedicated to Cristiano Ronaldo”

Cristiano Ronaldo
December 2025

World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf hopes the 2026 tournament becomes Cristiano Ronaldo’s crowning moment, arguing that while the Portuguese icon’s legacy is already secure, lifting the trophy after Lionel Messi’s 2022 triumph would fundamentally change how his career is judged. Leboeuf admits he has criticised Ronaldo before but says a World Cup win is the one missing piece when compared with Messi. Seeing Portugal’s stacked squad, he believes they have the tools to emulate Argentina’s 2022 run and finally give Ronaldo the ultimate international prize.

Leboeuf says PSG needed Mbappe exit to finally win Champions League

Kylian Mbappe
December 2025

Frank Leboeuf argued that PSG’s long-awaited Champions League title only became possible once Mbappe, Messi and Neymar had departed, insisting the previous superstar trio lacked collective balance, with three forwards and “eight other guys” leaving the club more like an all-star showcase than a cohesive team. Praising Luis Enrique’s decision to rebuild around work rate and tactical discipline, Leboeuf said removing untouchable stars allowed a true system to emerge, turning PSG into “the best team in the world” within months, and compared the dangers of overloaded frontlines to Real Madrid’s early-2000s Galacticos era.

Messi’s Kolkata GOAT Tour stop descends into chaos after security meltdown

Lionel Messi
December 2025

Lionel Messi’s highly hyped appearance in Kolkata turned ugly as overcrowding, pitch invasions and political entourages restricted visibility, left fans furious and forced the Argentina icon to leave after barely twenty minutes, turning a showcase event into a public relations embarrassment. With more than eighty thousand fans inside Salt Lake Stadium, dozens of politicians, officials and celebrities swarmed Messi on the pitch, overwhelming security and triggering unrest in the stands, where angry supporters ripped seats and threw objects while organisers rushed the Inter Miami group away for safety.

Reguilon lined up as Alba successor as Inter Miami move into post-MLS Cup era

Jordi Alba
December 2025

Inter Miami are set to replace retiring left-back Jordi Alba with free agent Sergio Reguilon, with the Spaniard spotted in Miami and a deal described in Spain as close after Alba bowed out by lifting the MLS Cup alongside Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets. Reguilon has been without a club since leaving Tottenham in 2025, maintaining fitness through individual work ahead of an expected January return, and is seen by Inter Miami as an experienced, possession-friendly full-back who can slot straight into Alba’s role for the 2026 MLS season.

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