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You can't do it all alone, even if you're the best player in the world. This was the message Lionel Messi gave when interviewed after winning the UEFA Player of the Year award (again).

"What we all achieved is all thanks to this great team," Messi said. "When you manage to achieve all your objectives with the group, then your personal objectives can also be achieved."

Messi cements his reputation as a humble superstar here, knowing that even he can't win every game by himself (although in truth he could probably get close).

Stay classy, Messi.

Mario Balotelli is moving from Liverpool to AC Milan on a season-long loan. This seems like a good deal for the striker, who gets a chance to redeem himself after an awful year in the Premiership. 

Balotelli has a reputation for being a bit of a headcase, and AC Milan were well aware of this when they agreed to take him on. As such, they've included some extra special provisions in Balotelli's contract that probably won't be found anywhere else.

Everybody loves a good homecoming story, especially when it involves the world’s favorite Italian bad boy, Mario Balotelli. Following a lackluster season at Liverpool, in which Balotelli scored just four goals in all competitions and just one in the Premier League, Balotelli is going back to AC Milan where he enjoyed much goalscoring success.

Good God almighty, the unthinkable has happened in Ireland. Limerick FC have pulled off perhaps the greatest transfer coup in the history of soccer, signing electric Brazilian forward Neymar away from heavyweight Barcelona. 

How could this have happened? We haven't been able to pin down any details on the transfer, but it was reported earlier this week that Manchester United might bif 240 million pounds for Neymar, so that's the range we're talking here. 

Do you want to know what feels like it happened a long time ago? This, this feels like it happened a long time ago:

That was Javier Hernandez playing hero for Real Madrid in one of the biggest games of the year late last April, 4 months ago. 

Lionel Messi is good at soccer. UEFA has acknowledged Messi's goodness at soccer by giving him the UEFA Player of the Year award for the 2014-2015 season.

Presumably you already know who Messi is and why he won this prestigious award, but just in case you forgot or want to watch some cool goals, here's every goal from Messi this season.

Messi beat out fellow nominees Luis Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldinho brought unpredictability to back to the beautiful game. Because he did so, he singlehandedly defined an era for soccer fans. If you started watching soccer between the years of 2004 to 2006, Ronaldinho was IT. He made the English seem boring, the Germans predictable, the Italians rigid. HE MADE THIS COMMERCIAL. 

And today all that is gone. 

Prior to last weekend's La Liga opener, Gareth Bale was videotaped in slow motion scissor-kicking a soccer ball into a swimming pool.

This likely wasn't a Real Madrid-sanctioned practice activity, but it was still pretty cool. The fact that this is news serves as a reminder (like we needed one) that superstar footballers live wholly different lives than the rest of us.

Maybe he should have practiced scissor-kicking a ball into an actual soccer goal on an actual soccer field, given Real Madrid's 0-0 draw with newly-promoted Sporting Gijon to start the La Liga season.

Zlatan's full smartassery (a word we just made up) was on full display in this Bleacher Report video of Zlatan reading Zlatan facts.

For those unacquanited, Zlatan facts are akin to Chuck Norris facts (Zlatan beat the Mona Lisa in a staring competition, etc). Zlatan, it appears, is in on the joke, which makes the video even better.

The beginning of the video sets the tone: