Page 2 - Lionel Messi

Fifa World Cup 2022: A full house at bars, pubs in national capital

Given Messi's massive fan following in India, restaurant and pub owners are expecting a full house

Argentina vs France: An unpredictable classic you do not want to miss

On Sunday, La Albiceleste will fight for the title that eluded them in 2014, and Les Bleus will hope to rewrite history

Fifa World Cup ARG vs CRO Highlights: Alvarez, Messi get Argentina in final

Fifa World Cup, Argentina vs Croatia Highlights: The Albiceleste beat Vetreni 3-0 in a battle of Messi and Modric. Argentina reached a record sixth World Cup final. Croatia go home without the trophy

Fifa World Cup 2022: A tournament of underdogs and major upsets in Qatar

Fifa World Cup 2022, Qatar: The tournament has seen a lot of upsets, and Morocco has been the best team that has upset many big teams in the world.

Fifa World Cup 2022: Tonight's Messi vs Modric match goes beyond trophies

Messi-led Argentina will clash with Modric-led Croatia at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar in the Fifa World Cup 2022 semi-final today

Fifa World Cup 2022 semi-final: Argentina take on Croatia tonight

Fifa World Cup 2022, Argentina vs Croatia, semi-final preview: It will be a test of Messi and co's attacking prowess against the midfield dominance of Modric and company

Messi, Modric carry Argentina, Croatia into Fifa World Cup semis

Tears are flowing from soccer's biggest superstars as they make emotional exits from what might be their last World Cup. First it was Neymar. Then it was Cristiano Ronaldo. Could Lionel Messi be next? Momentum is building behind Messi's push to cap his career with the biggest prize in the game. The 35-year-old Argentina playmaker has carried his team to the semifinals, almost in the same way Diego Maradona the man with whom Messi is so often compared led the South American nation to its second and most recent World Cup title in 1986. Now in Argentina's way is Croatia, a country with a population of 4 million which is establishing a reputation as the most stubborn and durable of opponents while also boasting one of soccer's most graceful players in Luka Modric. The teams go head to head at Lusail Stadium also the venue for Sunday's final in a meeting between the last two runners-up at the tournament: Argentina in 2014 and Croatia in 2018. Argentina might have been expected to b

FIFA WC 2022: After Neymar, Croatia aims to end Messi's World Cup dream

Croatia has already ended Neymar's World Cup dream. Now it hopes to do the same to Lionel Messi. Croatia, runner-up in 2018, is the next obstacle for Argentina to overcome on Tuesday in the semifinals as Messi aims to win the one major trophy that has eluded him. But Croatia, which lost to France in the final in Russia, is on its own mission to go one step further this time around. "I don't think we need to fear anybody. We need to look at ourselves to play our best game," Croatia defender Josip Juranovic said Sunday. "I would say the secret of our success is our togetherness, our unity. The fact that we act and play as a family." Neymar was left in tears after Croatia beat Brazil 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw through extra time in their quarterfinal match. Messi has been in inspired form during Argentina's run to the semifinals, scoring four goals in five games. His assist for Nahuel Molina against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals was a moment of magic from the seven

Messi, Argentina beat Netherlands on penalties at FIFA World Cup 2022

Lionel Messi's quest to win the World Cup moves into the semifinals after Argentina beat the Netherlands 4-3 in a penalty shootout on Friday. Messi converted his penalty in the shootout and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martnez saved two attempts. Lautaro Martinez scored the clinching penalty. The match finished 2-2 after extra time, with Messi scoring one goal and setting up another. The Netherlands equalized in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time. Argentina will play Croatia in the semifinals on Tuesday.

Fifa World Cup, NED vs ARG Highlights: Argentina in semis, win shootout 4-3

Fifa World Cup, Netherlands vs Argentina Quarterfinal Highlights: Even after two great goals by the Dutch in the 81st and 101st minute to send the game into extra-time and then penalties, they lost it

Messi scores, Argentina beats Australia 2-1 at Fifa World Cup 2022

Lionel Messi marked his 1,000th professional game with his first goal in the knockout stage of a World Cup, leading Argentina into the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over Australia on Saturday. With a flourish of his famous left foot in the 34th minute, Messi put Argentina ahead with his third goal at this year's tournament and ninth in total at the World Cup one more than Diego Maradona. Julian Alvarez pounced on a heavy touch by Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan to tap into an empty net for the second goal as Argentina set up a meeting with the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. Australia scored a 77th-minute consolation goal when Craig Goodwin's shot deflected into the net off Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez. For Australia's squad of unheralded players, it was a match too far at a World Cup in which the team has exceeded expectations by reaching the knockout stage for only the second time. Australia also lost in the last 16 in 2006, to eventual champion Italy. Maybe it's an om

Lionel Messi and Argentina try to avoid World Cup upset vs Australia

Australia's players speak in glowing, almost reverential terms about Lionel Messi. "He just does things that, you know, no one else can do," forward Mathew Leckie said. Milos Degenek went even further. "Probably," the Socceroos defender said, "the best footballer ever to grace the game." Imagine, then, how they'll be feeling on Saturday when they share the same field as Messi and his Argentina team in the last 16 of the World Cup. These are pinch-yourself times for a group of unheralded players who were expected to be on their way home by this stage of the tournament. Yet here they are in Doha, looking to cause the latest upset in a World Cup that has been full of them right from the moment Saudi Arabia shocked Argentina in perhaps the most unlikely win in the tournament's 92-year history. That set the tone for the past two weeks, during which Japan has beaten both Germany and Spain, Morocco has defeated Belgium, Tunisia has beaten France and, let's not forget, Australia has stun

Messi and Argentina advance at Fifa World Cup 2022, beat Poland 2-0

Rest easy, soccer fans. Lionel Messi will grace the World Cup stage at least one more time. The Argentina great had a penalty saved but his team still beat Poland 2-0 Wednesday after second-half goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez and advanced to the last 16. Argentina finished in first place in Group C to set up a match against Australia, a surprise qualifier for the knockout stage. It's a strong position for Argentina to be in, especially considering the team opened the World Cup with a shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in one of biggest upsets in the tournament's history. Messi's likely final World Cup rolls onto Saturday. He will be relieved after failing to score a penalty for the second straight World Cup. It was awarded after being hit in the face by the flailing hand of Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who made amends by diving to his left to block Messi's kick. Mac Allister converted a cross from Nahuel Molina inside the first minute of the second half a

FIFA World Cup: Win over Mexico 'a weight off our shoulders', says Messi

Lionel Messi said Argentina are ready to "start over again" after resuscitating their FIFA World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Mexico

Biggest World Cup crowd in 28 years sees Messi play against Mexico

Lionel Messi played in front of 88,966 spectators on Sunday when Argentina beat Mexico 2-0, the largest attendance at a World Cup match in 28 years. The Lusail Stadium north of Doha, which will stage the final on December 18, hosted the most people at the World Cup since the 1994 final in the United States, according to FIFA. There were 91,194 people at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, to see Brazil beat Italy in that penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. Saturday's attendance was several hundred more than the figure for the two previous games at Lusail Stadium, when Brazil beat Serbia and Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia. Qatar's attendance figures do not rank in the top 30 of all-time World Cup matches. The largest crowd was 173,850 inside the Maracan Stadium in Rio de Janeiro in 1950 for Uruguay's 2-1 victory over host Brazil in the final game of that tournament. Other stadiums figuring in the top-30 list are the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Wembley Stadium in London and the

Messi leads Argentina to 2-0 win over Mexico at FIFA World Cup 2022

Lionel Messi came up with another crucial goal for Argentina in a 2-0 win over Mexico on Sunday that ignited the team's World Cup chances. Messi took a touch from Angel Di Maria's pass across the face of the area and drove a low shot from 25 metres into the bottom corner in the 64th minute. He ran towards Argentina's fans with his arms outstretched before getting mobbed by his jubilant teammates. He looked emotional as he grabbed and shook his jersey, then blew a kiss to the crowd. Substitute Enzo Fernandez added a second goal in the 87th minute. Argentina bounced back from a shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in its opening match. The team is in second place in Group C ahead of its last match against Poland on Wednesday. The 35-year-old Messi is likely playing in his last World Cup, which is the only major title missing from his collection.

After Saudi Arabia loss, Messi & Argentina under pressure for Mexico game

A chant has been doing the rounds among Saudi Arabia supporters and even some from Brazil in the fan parks and streets of Doha at the World Cup. Where is Messi? We broke his eye! they sing in Arabic, using a slang expression meaning to bring shame on a person. Messi and his Argentina team are being mocked after a humbling 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia that has left their presence at the tournament in big and completely unforeseen danger. Argentina needs to immediately bounce back against Mexico on Saturday, otherwise an embarrassing early exit awaits. We always said we were going to look to win every game, Messi said, and now more than ever. A compatriot indeed the team's former coach could mastermind the fatal blow to Argentina. Gerardo Martino led his native Argentina from 2014-16, losing the Copa America final in back-to-back years in that time before quitting. Now Martino is Mexico's coach and looking to guide the team into the last 16 perhaps at the expense of Argentina

FIFA: 5 mins of mistakes, we went down, says Messi after loss to S Arabia

Following the shocking defeat against Saudi Arabia, the Seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi admitted that he did not expect his team Argentina to start the FIFA World Cup in this fashion

S Arabia declares holiday after shock win over Argentina in FIFA World Cup

Saudi Arabia has declared a holiday on Wednesday after its football team's stunning victory over two-time champions Argentina in a Group C clash at Lusail stadium

Saudi Arabia stuns Argentina by 2-1; upsetting start for Messi's team

In the latest Fifa World Cup match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia, star footballer Lionel Messi's Argentina stumbled to a shocking defeat