Lionel Messi

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Lionel Messi is injured, much to the dismay of the greater soccer-following population.

Messi's teammates, though, are not fazed, and have rallied around their star right-winger in his hour of need.

Case in point: someone needed to drive Messi to the training facility (he's probably on pain meds or something). The good samaritan who ended up chauffering the hobbled Messi to and from practice: Luis Suarez.

Well Barcelona fans, the unthinkable has happened. OK, that’s a little over dramatic, but Lionel Messi is injured.

Messi has a tear in the internal collateral ligament of his left knee. He will be out for around 7-8 weeks pic.twitter.com/TLor97gmou

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 26, 2015

Well, the rivalry between the two best footballers in the world has taken a turn for the more intense. 

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had a heated confrontation on the pitch during a recent Classico. Harsh words were exchanged. Gestures were used in an angry manner. Not surprising from two of the most competitive people on the planet, but goodness guys there were children watching.

Lionel Messi is one of the richest athletes in the world in 2015. He may not be the richest soccer player – that honor goes to Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid – but he's certainly close. And, as of 2014, Lionel Messi had the highest salary (overall earnings) of any footballer.

So exactly how much is Messi worth, and how much does he get paid?

I am not one to say "I told you so."

That was a bold-faced lie. I am totally one to say "I told you so," and that's why I am saying "I told you so."

Or, rather, I almost told you so.

Some months ago I wrote an article that argued the merits of Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona and joining Liga MX side Queretaro.

It is incredibly hard for an individual player to have an affect on a soccer match. The game is comprised of 22 players that at any one time could be making more of an impact than any one player. There could be a defensive battle on the left side of the field that renders the right winger a spectator. The left-back in a defense could be such a defensive liability that the opposing attack choses to go nowhere else but through him, leaving the corresponding right back to do little more than mark space in solitude.

We all know that being voted homecoming king or queen is just a lame high school popularity contest with no implications for one’s future (say nerds like me). So which footballers in 2015 deserve a crown and the first slow dance?

Mexico tied Argentina Tuesday, 2-2, in a lively match that got more interesting as it went. Mexico took a 2-0 lead into the 85th minute via a Chicharito Hernandez penalty kick and a nice shot from Hector Herrera, but Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi proved too much for Mexico to contain near the end. Here are our takeaways.

It was mostly positive for Mexico, given they drew with one of the best teams in the world.

They played 85 minutes of solid soccer.

Carlo Ancelotti has seen it all. If you think that the Real Madrid team he coached last year was the most talented team he has ever managed, then you haven’t heard of the AC Milan sides of the mid 2000s. Yes, the 2014/15 version of Real Madrid had Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, and Toni Kroos; yes, all of those players could be the best player at a top club.

This is just too much soccer talent for one meeting. Lionel Messi, hands-down the best male soccer player in the world, was in Houston training with the Argentine national team. Carli Lloyd, hands-hown the best female soccer player in the world, was also in Houston, because she plays for the Houston Dash of the NWSL. A rendesvous seemed obvious. And it happened.