Spain

A few weeks ago, Lionel Messi reached the landmark of 100 goals in the UEFA Champions League, joining Cristiano Ronaldo as the only footballer to achieve the feat. The following comparisons between the two were inevitable, because for the last 10 years, it’s just been Ronaldo and Messi at the top of the world’s premier club competition.

In fact, you’d have to go back to the 2006-07 season and AC Milan’s Kaká to find the last Champions League top scorer by season not named Ronaldo or Messi. 

At around the same time that Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his MLS debut for the LA Galaxy on Saturday, scoring a late equalizer and then game-winner in dramatic fashion, another football icon made a late entrance and saved the day. In this case, the player was Lionel Messi and the circumstance was a two-goal deficit against Sevilla, an unbeaten season on the line.

Lionel Messi, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and odds-on best player of all time, used to have a bad habit of throwing up in the middle of matches.

Miguel Layún scored his first goal for Sevilla in his team's defeat against Leganés.

Questioned about his performances in recent weeks, Layún is finally showing signs of adaptation and getting back in form.

The Mexican international arrived in Sevilla a few months ago after he was transferred from Porto.

In Portugal, Layún had some excellent moments. For instance, he became one of Europe's players with most assists in 2016.

Lionel Messi interviews are an exceptionally rare thing, but the Barcelona star recently spoke on “La Cornisa,” an Argentine show on América TV. The 30-year-old, who’ll turn 31 during the summer’s World Cup, answered questions regarding the continuing evolution of his game. 

Add another zero to Antoine Griezmann’s transfer fee. After the Atletico Madrid forward leads France to 2018 World Cup glory while winning the tournament’s Golden Boot, he will now cost either Barcelona, Manchester United or PSG roughly sixty-eight trillion dollars. 

It’s a princely sum to pay, but as showcased here and on the evidence of last five years of European football, it’s totally worth it. The Greasy Spice is the man your club needs, the man your father wishes you were and the boyfriend everyone wishes they had. 

Between Spain’s run of back-to-back European Championships with the 2010 World Cup sandwiched in between, Cesc Fabregas and David Villa put La Furia in La Furia Roja. 

Fabregas was the top assist provider at Euro 2008; Villa won the Golden Boot. Fabregas assisted on Andres Iniesta’s match winner in the 2010 World Cup final; Villa won the Silver Boot. Fabregas was named to the Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament; Villa tragically missed the tournament with a broken tibia (although he finished top scorer in UEFA qualifying Group I with seven goals). 

Consider it karma for Jose Mourinho. The Special One used boring tactics to beat Liverpool on Saturday and tried similarly cynical tactics on Tuesday for Manchester United vs Sevilla. This time, the result was a stunning 2-1 defeat, the Red Devils going out in the Champions League Round of 16. 

Discerning viewers may have noticed Sergio Ramos disappeared for a bit near the end of Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Eibar Saturday. Madrid had used all their subs, so Ramos was not replaced when he came off. He simply vanished.

Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane offered some clarification after the game: Ramos pooped his pants a little bit and had to disappear to the dressing room to make sure he didn't finish the job out on the field.

“He s*** himself a bit!”

Lionel Messi pulled out of the Barcelona squad Saturday (it didn't matter, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho scored and Barcelona beat Malaga 2-0) in order to be present at the birth of his third child. He and his wife Antonella shared Instagram posts indicating everything had gone well.

Tiago and Mateo have a new baby brother named Ciro.