FIFA has whittled the field for the 2016 Puskas Award, awarded for the best goal of the year as voted online, down to 10. The nominees include Lionel Messi, who has yet to win the award, Neymar and 17-year-old Daniuska Rodríguez.
Check out all 10 of the nominees below. The winner will be decided on January 9 at the annual FIFA awards in Zurich.
There have been a litany of awesome players in the UEFA Champions League down the years, so much so that creating an Ultimate XI is a task that could, in theory, drive one to madness.
Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates have invoked the Geto Boys' "G-Code": they’re not going to talk to the press, they’re not going to make a peace bond, they don’t trust in the journalistic system — they'll just do battle in the streets and shoot 25-yard free kicks.
“We need to change this s---ty situation. We didn't expect this result. It could have even been worse. We weren't able to react,” Lionel Messi said after Thursday’s match, summing up their loss to Brazil as well as anyone could.
Judging by their recent form and the fact that Brazil never lost a World Cup Qualifiers match at home, it would be no stretch to predict a draw or a win against Argentina.
Messi used to have an intricate sleeve tattoo on his shin. Remember that?
Now, he has something very special and different: a black thing. We really can't think of a name for it. It is black. It is very black. It covers almost his entire lower leg (he kept the number 10 and some other stuff).
Messi changed his tattoo. pic.twitter.com/yVN9Eu2DOV
There is so much hype going into the Brazil versus Argentina match that it is tough to even decide where to begin. Arguably the most heated international derby on the planet, every time Brazil and Argentina meet it’s a special occasion. This Thursday’s match, however, has some extra plot elements that make this particular encounter a unique and spicy affair.