Lionel Messi

Barcelona cruised into the winter break with a 4-1 win over Alavés, the club’s final match of 2019 on Saturday at the Camp Nou. Lionel Messi scored a stunning strike in the 69th minute (nice) to help the Blaugrana ensure their spot atop the LaLiga table heading into 2020 (unless Real Madrid wins by more than five goals on Sunday). 

With his goal Saturday, Messi finished 2019 with 50 goals in all competitions for club and country, the ninth time he’s done that this decade.

Lionel Messi broke Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most LaLiga hat tricks with three goals in a 5-2 win over Mallorca on Saturday at the Bernabeu, the same week Messi won his record sixth Ballon d’Or.

It's over — we can forget about gala award ceremonies and social media infighting for another year: Lionel Messi, at the age of 32, has captured a record sixth Ballon d’Or. That is, of course, one more than Cristiano Ronaldo, who finished third behind Virgil van Dijk. Sadio Mané finished fourth. 

Ronaldo did not make an appearance at the ceremony.

Barcelona returned to the top of the LaLiga following a crucial 1-0 victory over Atlético Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday, and it was a sensational Lionel Messi effort in 86th minute that secured all three points for the visitors.

Seeing Lionel Messi dive is about as rare as seeing the Argentine pick up a red card. It might happen from time to time, but not enough for anyone to legitimately call Messi a flopper.

Don’t tell that to 36-year-old referee Clement Turpin, who officiated Barcelona’s Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday at the Camp Nou.

Eternal South American rivals Argentina and Uruguay put on quite a show in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday night in a friendly match that featured fine performances from Luis Suárez, Edinson Cavani, Lucas Torreira, Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero and Paulo Dybala. 

Argentina’s 1-0 friendly victory over Brazil on Friday — thanks to Lionel Messi’s goal in the 13th minute — created quite the conversation on Twitter. From Messi telling Brazil manager Tite to shut up after he believed Messi should’ve been given a yellow card to penalty misses from both Gabriel Jesus and Messi, it was quite an entertaining match.

Gabriel Jesus and Lionel Messi both missed first-half penalty kicks. Only Messi followed it up with a goal.

The Brazilian hit his PK wide moments before Messi had his effort saved by Alisson, allowing the Argentine to poke home the rebound in the 13th minute. Messi notched his 69th career international goal for Argentina to propel his side to a narrow 1-0 win over rival Brazil in a friendly on Friday in Saudi Arabia. 

This is a public service announcement to all LaLiga clubs not named Barcelona: 

Do not foul Barcelona anywhere near the goal. Lionel Messi will take the ensuing kick and he will score on you.

That is all.