Lionel Messi

The Argentina national team's training facility has been renamed after talismanic captain Lionel Messi in recognition of his World Cup heroics and star-studded career, the country's football association (AFA) said on Saturday.

The Casa de Ezeiza in Buenos Aires, which houses the national team set-up, will now be known as Lionel Andrés Messi "in tribute to the best player in the world," AFA president Claudio Tapia wrote on Twitter.

"Welcome to the world champion's house," Tapia said at the unveiling ceremony attended by current and former Argentina players.

Argentina worships Leo Messi. It always has been the case, but after the World Cup title, the adoration only multiplied. The love, the obsession, it's so unleashed that when people found out he was eating at a steakhouse in Buenos Aires on Monday night, hundreds gathered around the restaurant to chant his name and police had to come to keep everybody safe.

After disappointingly crashing out of the UEFA Champions League earlier in the week, PSG bounced back to defeat a feisty Brest side 2-1 on Saturday.

PSG left it late as Lionel Messi found Kylian Mbappé with a perfect pass in the 90th minute to snatch the victory.

This was the 300th assist in Messi’s club career and boy was it a beauty.

Messi assist to Mbappé to win vs. Brest

¡MBAPPÉ SALVA AL PSG!

El capitán y máximo goleador en la historia del equipo le da el triunfo en el 90+2'

Cristiano Ronaldo was less than pleased after Al Nassr lost 1-0 to Al-Ittihad on Thursday. The result saw Al-Ittihad leapfrog Al Nassr to go top of the Saudi Pro League table and left Ronaldo in a sour mood.

The home crowd for Al-Ittihad found a way to get under Ronaldo’s skin as they repeatedly chanted “Messi” at him. The chant worked to great effect as the Portuguese star was kept off the score sheet and visibly annoyed.

At one point Ronaldo could be seen making hand gestures to the Al-Ittihad fans expressing his displeasure with their chants.

I've been there. Trying to silence a bunch of raucous kids in a classroom is a Herculean task. However, a teacher in Argentina might have found a perfect method to achieve it. And she was generous enough to share her secret with other colleagues on a TikTok video.

A hint? All she had to do was mention Lionel Messi.

BUENOS AIRES - Two people on motorcycles shot at a supermarket belonging to the family of Antonela Roccuzzo, wife of Lionel Messi, in Rosario, in Argentina's Santa Fe province early on Thursday morning, local media and the city's mayor reported.

A threatening hand-written message for 35-year-old Messi, Argentina's captain and seven-times World Player of the Year, was also left on the shop door.

"Messi, we are waiting for you, (Pablo) Javkin (the mayor) is also a narco, he is not going to take care of you," it read.

PARIS - Lionel Messi was named FIFA player of the year 2022 on Monday as Argentina scooped all major men's awards after winning a vintage World Cup final last December.

The 35-year-old forward scored two goals in the final against France, with the South Americans emerging triumphant on penalties following a 3-3 draw after extra time in Qatar.