Lionel Messi

Soccer 05/26/19, 14:21

Luis Suarez has defended himself from criticism for undergoing knee surgery that prevented him from playing for Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final.The Uruguayan released a statement Sunday saying he had no option despite the timing of the final, which Barcelona lost 2-1 to Valencia on Saturday.Suarez said he ...

Soccer 05/25/19, 16:06

Valencia beat Barcelona 2-1 in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday, denying Lionel Messi the chance to lead his team to a fifth consecutive domestic cup title.Strikers Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo Moreno scored after defensive errors by Barcelona in a first half dominated by Valencia.Other than the defending of ...

Soccer 05/24/19, 14:13

Barcelona must apologize for its "lamentable" Champions League semifinal exit at the hands of Liverpool earlier this month, according to Lionel Messi.In his first Barca news conference for four years, the Argentina great said on Friday: "We are still recovering from what happened in Liverpool. At least I am."Our performance ...

Sports 05/10/19, 09:23

Luis Suarez will miss the Copa del Rey final after undergoing knee surgery.Barcelona says the striker underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus injury in his right knee.The club plays Valencia on May 25 in the Copa del Rey final. It will be trying to win an unprecedented fifth straight ...

Soccer 05/08/19, 08:46

If Lionel Messi doesn't come to the rescue for Barcelona, no one will.The Argentina forward has saved Barcelona time and time again over his career, coming up with extraordinary goals and incredible assists that have led the club to dozens of titles over the years.And it was his remarkable performance ...

Sports 05/08/19, 06:39

Like the rest of the soccer world, Juergen Klopp had his doubts.Given the scenario — the big first-leg deficit, the presence of Lionel Messi on the other side, injuries to important players — the Liverpool manager just wasn't sure, deep down, that his team could come back from 3-0 down ...

Sports 05/07/19, 16:08

Liverpool delivered the greatest in a long line of famous comebacks to reach the Champions League final on Tuesday, beating Lionel Messi's Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield to overturn a three-goal deficit from the first leg.Divock Origi scored twice, either side of goals by halftime substitute Georginio Wijnaldum early in the ...

Sports 05/02/19, 06:28

The protagonist is the same as always, and much of the supporting players were there as usual.The main difference for Lionel Messi and his Barcelona teammates this time was the coach.Barcelona has reinvented itself under Ernesto Valverde, showing it can change its style when needed and still be successful.Barcelona's Lionel ...

Soccer 05/01/19, 16:03

Lionel Messi hit the 600-goal mark for Barcelona after scoring twice to lead the Spanish club to a 3-0 victory over Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Wednesday.Luis Suarez opened the scoring against his former club in the 26th minute against a Liverpool side that ...

Soccer 04/30/19, 08:51

For the biggest moments, there is always Lionel Messi.The 31-year-old Argentine has been the key to Barcelona's success ever since he made his debut, but more and more this season he has been rested.Wednesday won't be one of those days, because that will be the day when Barcelona faces Liverpool ...

Soccer 04/27/19, 16:25

Without Cristiano Ronaldo around to at least keep it interesting, a spectacular Lionel Messi had no rival to stop him from helping Barcelona successfully defend its Spanish league title.Barcelona clinched the crown with three rounds left on Saturday, after Messi scored to beat Levante 1-0 at Camp Nou.But this was ...

Soccer 04/27/19, 15:44

Lionel Messi scored to help Barcelona clinch the Spanish league title after beating Levante 1-0 at Camp Nou on Saturday, cementing its status as the dominant club in Spain for more than a decade.After resting until halftime, Messi went on and finally put a shot past Levante goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez ...

Sports 04/25/19, 11:43

What to watch in the leading soccer leagues in Europe this weekend:SPAINBarcelona can clinch its 26th Spanish league title on Saturday. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola celebrates his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, ...

Soccer 04/25/19, 11:36

The next weeks will decide if Kylian Mbappe can usher in a new era in European soccer by knocking Lionel Messi off his perch.The prolific Paris Saint-Germain striker is locked in a close tussle with the Barcelona star to win the Golden Shoe as the leading scorer in Europe's top ...

Sports 04/18/19, 12:48

They were the sort of momentous weeks that became so commonplace for Liverpool during its heyday in the late 1970s and early 1980s.Back then, when the team was virtually untouchable at home and on the continent, Liverpool would be challenging for both the European Cup — as it was called ...

Soccer 04/16/19, 16:13

Ajax eliminated another one of the favorites from the Champions League as it won 2-1 at Juventus on Tuesday to reach the semifinals for the first time since 1997 and end Cristiano Ronaldo's hopes of a fourth straight title. Having already seen off Real Madrid in the previous round, Ajax showed ...

Soccer 04/16/19, 15:58

Lionel Messi scored two early goals to send Barcelona into the Champions League semifinals for the first time in four seasons with a comfortable 3-0 win over Manchester United on Tuesday.After Barcelona withstood some early pressure from United, Messi ended any hopes of a comeback for the Premier League side ...

Soccer 04/16/19, 10:13

Winning the Champions League twice as a coach puts Pep Guardiola in a fairly elite company. After all, only three managers have won it more times.Yet, to some, Guardiola's record in soccer's grandest club competition is increasingly becoming a stain on his otherwise stacked resume, and the Manchester City manager ...

Soccer 04/15/19, 16:21

When Barcelona hosts Manchester United on Tuesday, it will field three players who helped the Spanish team beat the English side in the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals.Lionel Messi will again lead the attack for the quarterfinal second leg at Camp Nou, Sergio Busquets patrols the midfield and Gerard ...

Soccer 04/14/19, 18:15

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows all about overturning Champions League deficits at the Camp Nou.Twenty years after scoring a last-gasp winner there for Manchester United in the final against Bayern Munich, Solskjaer will be back in Barcelona's stadium on Tuesday looking to mastermind an unlikely comeback for the English team from ...