If the 2013-14 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid is anything to go by, the rematch between the two teams this Saturday should be a spectacular affair. It's not just the meetings between these two Spanish rivals that have set pulses racing, the European Cup competition that was founded in 1955 has served up its fair share of spectacular finals.
Now that the pomp and circumstance of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey win over Sevilla has subsided, Lionel Messi has posted a message to Facebook that speaks to his appreciation of how he and his teammates suffered and persevered in order to accomplish their goals.
After Barcelona battled with 10 men for all but 36 minutes, two moments of brilliance from Lionel Messi led to two goals. The second coming from a through ball from Messi that Neymar calmly slotted into the opposite side netting to seal the deal at Vincente Calderon Stadium.
Neymar celebrating his goal which afterwards he said: "Se acabo!" (It's over!) #fcblive [efe] pic.twitter.com/IAsMqJ2mDH
Down a man after only 36 minutes and without Luis Suarez, their leading scorer, Barcelona were still able to overcome Sevilla after extra time in Sunday's Copa del Rey final thanks to a brilliant assist from Lionel Messi to Jordi Alba. Neymar added a second goal in the 122nd minute off of another great pass from Messi.
Barcelona, recently crowned La Liga champions, faced off against Sevilla, recent winners of the UEFA Europa League, at the Vicente Calderon Stadium in the Spanish capital of Madrid.
When Pep Guardiola moved Lionel Messi from the right wing to the middle of the park, he unleashed a monster. The fist instance of the move resulted in a 6-2 destruction of arch rivals Real Madrid. It took a bit of time for the position to become Messi’s primary one but, once it did, world-beating results followed. Have you ever heard of Lionel Messi’s 91 goal year in 2012? Yeah, that happened when he was playing striker.
Isco's dog is named Messi. The Spanish international confessed that before he joined Real Madrid in 2013 he named his dog after Barcelona star Lionel Messi, stating that "Messi is the best in the world and so is my dog." Isco's dog is pretty cute, we'll give him that.
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.