El valor de los más grandes clubes de fútbol se ha disparado en los últimos cinco años, gracias en gran parte al crecimiento de los ingresos. Una gran parte de estos ingresos proviene de los contratos de patrocinio de camisetas más caros de todos los deportes, y no debe sorprender que los tres clubes con los mayores contratos de patrocinio de camisetas también constituyan los tres equipos de fútbol más valiosos del mundo.
Barcelona took full advantage of Atletico Madrid and Sevilla’s 1-1 draw earlier today (as well as Real Madrid’s shock defeat to Real Sociedad) to open up a five-point gap at the top of LaLiga. Goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez inside the first half — although the lead was cut by Jaime Mata shortly before the interval — proved enough for the Blaugrana.
As if you needed more proof, the left foot of Lionel Messi is an otherworldly thing. Even if Pele’s right (he’s not), and Messi only has one leg, one skill and doesn’t head the ball well, this clip from Barcelona’s recent open door training session at the Miniestadi just goes to show that who cares.
A 1-1 draw between Atletico Madrid (second in LaLiga) and Sevilla (third) saw Barcelona’s lead at the top of the table reduced to two points, but with the Blaugrana set to play Getafe later today, both contestants will rue the inability to take three points from the match.
When looking at some of the world’s best teams, football’s future looks very bright. Manchester City for example is a testament to modern progressive football: back-to-front play in quick succession and starting attacks from the goalkeeper. Many European sides have adopted the tactic, as it encourages more open play.
It begs the question: Where is football heading in the next decade?
According to the latest reports, 10-year-old Barcelona phenom Michal Zuk has signed a brand ambassador contract with adidas.
It’s hard to remember Lionel Messi sporting anything other than the famous No. 10 for Barcelona, but before he assumed the mark of the talisman, he made his debut in the No. 30 and then spent a few seasons sporting the No. 19.
It wasn’t until Ronaldinho left the club before the 2008-09 campaign — at which time Messi had already scored 42 goals for the senior side (including 31 in LaLiga and eight in the Champions League) — that Messi assumed his iconic number.
A Japanese club going on a preseason tour of California wouldn’t usually set the pulse racing, but Vissel Kobe is no ordinary J1 League side. After signing former NYCFC striker David Villa back on Dec. 1, the Ushi (Cows) now boast a lineup that also includes former Barcelona star Andres Iniesta and German legend Lukas Podolski.
After Real Madrid sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus in the summer, Karim Benzema’s role with Los Blancos became ever more important. The club needs him to score more to fill the void of one of the game’s most prolific strikers.
So far, Benzema has had a decent season; the Frenchman has 11 goals and six assists in 26 matches in all competitions. But Benzema, 31, has scored just twice in LaLiga since a brace on Sept. 1.
Perhaps with that in mind, the striker went to Miami, Florida, to practice his, uh, shooting.
In-depth interviews with Barcelona captain Lionel Messi are a rare thing, but they continuously reveal a humble, cerebral and analytical individual who refuses to be drawn into the trappings of fame and modern society. With LaLiga entering its winter break (Barcelona last played on Dec.