Lionel Messi

When it comes to soccer, the words and opinions of Sir Alex Ferguson are nothing if not respected. The man guided Manchester United to a dynasty and developed numerous world-class talents along the way.

Arguably the best talent Ferguson ever managed was Cristiano Ronaldo. Ferguson took the young Portuguese from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United at the age of 18 and turned him into a star. You could even go so far as to say Ferguson laid the foundation that allowed Ronaldo to become what he is today: one of the greatest players of all time.

As Barcelona prepare for their Copa del Rey Final against Sevilla, the folks at FC Barcelona’s official YouTube channel have released a timely reminder for Sevillistas of their tormentor in chief, Lionel Messi.

Messi has scored 25 goals against Sevilla — 20 in La Liga, three in the Spanish Super Cup and two in the European Super Cup. However, Messi’s most domineering performance against the side from Andalusia came at the youth level. 

The 2015 Copa America in Chile had everything: great goals, unforgettable moments and infamous controversies. Now, thanks to the celebration of one century of CONMEBOL and the Copa, we get to do it all again. This time, the memories will be made in our own backyard.

For the most part YouTube footballer compilations are a dime a dozen, but what YouTube producer JavierNathaniel manages to do here is standout amid the white noise. Maybe I’m just a sucker for Messi, maybe I’m just a sucker for quotes laid over an inspirational sound track, but this the best Messi video out there.

Pablo Aimar is one of the greatest Argentine players of all time. The two time La Liga winner made his name at Valencia, Benfica, and River Plate with his brilliant dribbling and playmaking ability. Nicknamed El Payaso (the clown) he was idolized by children across Argentina, and one of those kids was Lionel Messi. 

In an interview with ESPN, Lionel Messi detailed his ambitions for the remainder of the club season. Messi and Barcelona will be looking to capture two titles in the space of a week — a victory over Granada on May 14 will see them capture the La Liga crown, while Sevilla await in the final of the Copa del Rey on May 22.

Barcelona is back on track to retain their La Liga crown after they handed out a 5-0 thrashing to city rival Espanyol in the Derbi Barceloni on Sunday. The victory was especially sweet for Barcelona, as during the last meeting between the two clubs, Espanyol keeper Pau Lopez stomped on Messi after the Barca star went down in front of the goal.

January 6, 2016 – Copa del Rey: Pau Lopez Stomps On Messi

Let’s just get this out of the way: it is unlikely that Lionel Messi will end his career in China. He has gone on record multiple times saying that he wants to end his career at Barcelona, with the only other possibility being a return to his native Argentina. But should the landscape of Lionel Messi’s life change enough, and not in unheard-of ways, it is possible for him to move to China at the end of his career.

Earlier this year many of us heard the heartwarming story of Murtaza Ahmadi – a 5 year old boy from Afghanistan who admires Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi. When pictures of little Murtaza in his homemade Messi “jersey,” made from a blue and white striped plastic bag, went viral Messi and his team took notice. Messi autographed an actual jersey for his young fan and had it delivered to the boy in eastern Afghanistan. A touching gesture that shows the global reach of the beautiful game.