Lionel Messi

Pepsi recently launched a new global marketing campaign to more than 100 countries. Its new "For The Love Of It" slogan reached both Argentina and Egypt's finest.

Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah showed off why they are two of the world’s best target strikers. They took Pepsi’s challenge with ease as Messi double dipped by kicking the ball through the target, while also hitting a perfect bottle flip.Talk about raising the standards for bottle flipping. 

On Wednesday, FC Barcelona will host Real Madrid in a Copa del Rey semifinal first leg at the Camp Nou. This will be the 239th competitive meeting of the sides — and the 34th in the Copa — but it’s one that many feared Lionel Messi would miss. The Barça captain suffered a thigh injury during last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Valencia, and he only just returned to training today.

In physics, quantum tunneling explains how particles can pass through otherwise impenetrable barriers. It’s how quantum computers work, how the sun produces energy and, most importantly, the only reasonable explanation for this Lionel Messi goal vs Valencia on Saturday. 

I’m no physicist, so here’s a proper explanation of quantum tunneling.

Now back to the football.

FC Barcelona’s No. 10 continues to prove his dominance in the world. His incredible career sparked interest for an unusual group of people. Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, Sony Music and Argentina’s PopArt Music are teaming up to premiere “Messi 10 by Cirque du Soleil” in Barcelona on October 10, 2019. 

FC Barcelona is calling it the goal of the season. Deadspin called it “the platonic ideal of a Barcelona goal.” Ray Hudson said it was “kaleidoscopic football of the highest order." It was the crowning achievement of the club’s remarkable turnaround against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals — shifting a 0-2 first leg deficit into a 6-3 aggregate victory. 

Barcelona maintained its five-point lead at the top of LaLiga with a 2-0 victory over Girona on Sunday. Nelson Semedo opened the scoring in the ninth minute with his first-ever goal for the club, and Messi completed the scoring in the 68th with a delicate finish. The goal was, of course, assisted by Jordi Alba. 

Messi now has 14 goals and nine assists in his last 13 games. He’s also scored in seven straight games in all competitions.