News about Lionel Messi

The Ballon d'Or award is commonly seen as the most prestigious prize that can be handed out in football.  However, there is an award which even tops that and has only been handed out to one player in the sport's history. The Super Ballon d'Or was introduced in 1989 by France Football, and to this day has still not been handed out again. 

Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer both agree on who they think should win this year's Ballon d'Or trophy - and their chosen man is a Premier League star. The nominations for the prestigious award, given to the world's best footballer, are set to be announced on Wednesday evening with the winner to be crowned in Paris on October 28. Last year Lionel Messi clinched a record eighth trophy after taking Argentina to an unlikely World Cup win in Qatar, with Erling Haaland in second for his glut of goals for Manchester City , and Kylian Mbappe coming third thanks to a World Cup final hat-trick. Premier League winners have been few and far between in recent years, with the last man from the English leagues to win the Ballon d'Or being Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008 when he was at Man United .

Construction of the 311-foot (95 metre) tall complex spanning 21 floors is scheduled to begin next year and completed by 2028, when well-heeled petrolhead customers are due to move in along with their car collections. The 22 units are a mix of duplex and quadplex 'Sky Villas' ranging from 525 to 1,135 square metres. The prices for these are staggering.

Liverpool and Barcelona icon Luis Suarez confirmed he will play his final match for Uruguay this week in a teary-eyed press conference on Monday. Suarez said he will step down from the international squad after Friday's World Cup qualifier against Paraguay and will approach the match with the same tenacity as he did in his first game back in 2007. 'I leave with the peace of mind that I gave everything for the national team until Friday. I have no regrets,' Suarez said.

Messi was in action at the Paralympics in Paris on Monday and, naturally, he was not short of support from the stands. But we are not talking about Lionel Messi, the former Paris Saint-Germain forward, now sunning himself in Miami.  This was French table tennis star Stephane Messi, who won gold at the Athens Games in September 2004 - a month before Leo made his senior debut for Barcelona.

He's known as the Nostradamus of football transfers and busiest at this time of the year with multi-million-pound deals balanced on a knife edge - meet social media sensation Fabrizio Romano. The 31-year-old Italian - known for his catchphrase 'Here We Go' - has amassed almost 32million followers on Instagram, 22million on Twitter, 19million on Facebook, 13.4 million on Tik Tok and 2.3million on YouTube. His huge social media reach is more than the population of the United Kingdom and is still growing.

David Beckham holds the belief that the United States men's national team will eventually, one day, win the World Cup. He also believes that his acquisition of Lionel Messi to Inter Miami will help inspire younger generations in order to achieve that goal. Speaking on an episode of First We Feast's 'Hot Ones', Beckham shared with host Sean Evans that he believes acquiring Messi will help the USMNT towards that ultimate goal. 

Kylian Mbappe's X account was hacked overnight as the Real Madrid star's page shared a series of bizarre posts. Mbappe, 25, has enjoyed a solid start to life in the Spanish capital since completing his blockbuster move to the Bernabeu this summer. The French forward has scored once in three games and already lifted his first piece of silverware with Carlo Ancelotti 's side after they beat Atalanta earlier this month to win the UEFA Super Cup.

David Beckham introduced football's two GOATs to each other on Saturday night, after welcoming Tom Brady to see Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in action. Argentina star Messi also had to watch from the stands as he recovers from an ankle issue but met Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl winner, to celebrate after Miami beat Cincinnati 2-0 to qualify for Major League Soccer's playoffs. And Brady joked that he was going to bring Messi to Birmingham after the game - the English team he owns a minority stake in. He wrote on Instagram: 'I'm bringing Leo Messi back to Birmingham with me. Sorry David Beckham.'

Tom Brady is in the house for Inter Miami's MLS clash with FC Cincinnati on Saturday night after joining David Beckham in the stands at Chase Stadium. Brady, the most decorated NFL quarterback of all time, was all smiles as he chatted with Beckham before kickoff in Fort Lauderdale, where he was seemingly invited as a special guest of the Miami co-founder. The pair weren't the only sporting icons in the crowd, however, as Miami superstar Lionel Messi is also watching on while still recovering from the horror ankle injury he sustained in last month's Copa America final.

Lionel Messi can lead Argentina to World Cup glory in two years even though he will turn 39 during the tournament, insists close friend Emi Martinez. Messi realised a lifelong ambition when he helped Argentina to their third title in Qatar in 2022 and was also part of the squads who won the Copa America in 2021 and earlier this year. After years of disappointment with the national side, Messi has found the golden touch and even though Qatar was widely assumed to have been his last World Cup, Martinez believes the Inter Miami star may have one more left in him.

Messi, 37, has been away from the team since he suffered a high-ankle injury while playing for Argentina against Colombia in the Copa America final on July 14. Inter Miami's head coach Tata Martino gave an update on his team's superstar on Friday, saying that Messi 'is feeling better and better. He has been working in the field.' Inter Miami holds a five-point lead at the top of the MLS' Eastern Conference standings, despite Messi's absence.

Lionel Messi has been set a target for his Inter Miami return as the injured No. 10 continues to work his way back from an ankle injury. The Argentina star suffered a ligament injury in his right ankle during the Copa America final on July 14 and hasn't played since. In fact, partly due to his national team commitments, he hasn't played for his club since June 1. Now, Argentine outlet Olé has tipped Messi for a 'dream' return against the Chicago Fire on August 31.

Lionel Messi's bodyguard, Yassine Chueko, is evidently staying in shape as he was seen breaking a wall during a grueling combat workout. The former US soldier has previously gone viral for following Messi during Inter Miami games from the sideline. And while Messi is currently recovering from an ankle injury, Chueko is keeping his skills sharp as he sparred with Luan Aguirre Elias in a video posted to Instagram.

SAMI MOKBEL AT STAMFORD BRIDGE: In the absence of club captain Reece James, the Blues head coach Maresca handed Fernandez the armband for his team's season opener against the Premier League champions. Fernandez was part of a group of players who were filmed singing a racist song towards black Frenchman after Argentina's Copa America final victory over Colombia earlier this summer. FIFA are currently investigating the video but Maresca said: 'I think Enzo is one of the captains of this team, not only one we have Reece and some more captains.

Al-Hilal captain Salem Al-Dawsari rubbed further salt into Cristiano Ronaldo's wounds as he copied Lionel Messi's celebration when he lifted the World Cup in 2022. Ronaldo's Al-Nassr were on the wrong side of a 4-1 battering in the Saudi Super Cup final as a brace from Aleksandar Mitrovic as well as goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Malcom wrapped up the win for Al-Hilal. Evidently not content with just beating Ronaldo in the final, Salem wanted to twist the knife even further when it came time to the trophy presentation.

After what feels like an eternity, the Premier League is finally back and regular football can once again reign supreme.  Yes, there was a whole European Championship - and even the Olympic competition - over what was in truth a jam-packed summer of sport, but the top-flight is a different beast entirely.  As such, with the season curtain-raiser between Manchester Untied and Fulham set for Friday night, which you can follow with Mail Sport's live coverage, it is time to get back into the Premier League mood ahead of the game. 

Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana, widely regarded as one of the most exciting young football talents in recent years, burst onto the scene as a gifted winger for Barcelona in his teenage years. The 17-year-old's rapid ascent to prominence in the football world is rooted in his upbringing, with his supportive parents playing a key role in nurturing his natural talent.

MARTI PERARNAU: It all starts with a WhatsApp sent by Sergio Aguero to the City squad. 'Something big might be happening. Leo's just asked me how long Pep has left on his contract.' Everyone back in Manchester is immediately buzzing but Pep, on a flight back from Lisbon, doesn't see the message for several hours. Pep reads the text: Leo's asked when my contract expires. It's not clear what's behind Messi's question. Perhaps Barca are hoping to lure Aguero away from City so the two friends can partner up? Pep decides not to waste any more time on it. Fifteen hours later he's back in the air. This time aboard the small private plane he uses for his trips to Barcelona. Coaches Juanma Lillo and Lorenzo Buenaventura are with him, en route to a well-earned break. As they touch down in Barcelona, Pep switches his phone back on. There's a message. Just five words: 'Hi Pep: how are you?' It's 4pm on August 17, 2020, and Pep's head is throbbing.

Lionel Messi is making the most of the summer with his stunning wife, Antonela.  The couple were seen posing for snaps with their three sons, Thiago, Matteo and Ciro, while kicking back on a luxurious boat. The 37-year-old rocked a pair of black swimming trunks as he cuddled up to his young family. 

SIMON JONES: We are used to Rodri making Premier League midfields play to his tune on the football pitch but the Manchester City and Spain star has been showing his proficiency to do the same from the DJ booth this summer. The 28-year-old has been celebrating Spain's European Championships win on the back of another Premier League title with City in recent weeks and took to the decks to entertain guests at the latest Bresh party in Amnesia nightclub in Ibiza. Bresh parties have become the latest trend for high profile footballers and Latin music stars across the globe since they hosted the Argentina team's World Cup winning event in 2022 with Spanish singer Rosalia.

Lionel Messi sparked backlash on Thursday after the Inter Miami star was photographed with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Gov. DeSantis was at the Inter Miami facility to announce an $8million injection into Miami-Dade County as the team builds its new stadium. And as part of the visit, the Florida Governor held a meeting with the Argentine superstar, who is Inter Miami's captain and MLS' biggest star.

Climate activists released footage showing two members of their group standing outside the front of the Argentinian star's Ibiza villa near the cove of Cala Tarida holding a banner that read: 'Help the Planet - Eat the Rich - Abolish the Police.' Campaigners from the group of Futuro Vegetal (Vegetable Future) sprayed the white facade of the building with red and black paint. In a statement on X, the group said: We inked Messi's mansion in Ibiza. The mansion is an illegal construction the footballer acquired for the exorbitant sum of EUROS 11 million.' The group went on to add: 'While the extreme right wing blames the crisis on immigrants and displays extreme violence towards them, people like us who fight for a better world clearly understand the problem is social inequality.'

He has also given an insight into the relationship he has with the Inter Miami and Argentina star. Yassine Cheuko has shot to public prominence for how effectively he defends Messi at football stadiums. The former US soldier, handpicked by David Beckham to be Messi's bodyguard, intervenes against pitch invaders with lightning speed and strength to prevent any untoward behaviour.