messiMessi, an Argentina native, has often being called the next Maradona. But he has never enjoyed comparisons to his countrymen. He stood up and faces comparisons, he didn’t shrunk form the pressures he’s facing.
In March, Maradona, a former player turned coach of the Argentine team awarded Messi, his former no.1 Jersey for a World Cup qualifying match, homeage to a familiar low center of gravity, ball control, change of direction and many more.
It was Messi’s passing of the ball to Iniesta that put Barcelona into the champion’s league of finals on the impossible fight against Chelsea. According to Messi, the most important and unexpected game of his life happened on Wednesday, May 27. His tremendous work is really unexpected because he has just recovered from a thigh injury 3 years ago. He was not included in the victory party of Barcelona over Arsenal Paris in year 2006 because of the said incident. Messi has delivered goals in various competitions this season has offered. Various opinions arise in relations to Barcelona’s attack in this season’s game. The whole world has seen that Messi is the boss in this season’s game, his control over Manchester’s defeat is simply remarkable. A sport analyst commented, that really, no one compares to Messi. Anyone who tries would always fail.
Everybody was so impressed on Messi’s attack that made Barcelona won in this season’s game. They were just amazed on how Messi managed to control the game over the equally good opponent Rolando. Barcelona’s coach recalls the days when Messi was just starting, they were also impressed with this 13 year old youngster, which made them sign him a contract on a paper napkin
messi picPhoto Credits: AP Photo/Manu Fernandez
Info: FC Barcelona player Lionel Messi, from Argentina, celebrates his goal after scoring against Recreativo Huelva during his Spanish league soccer match at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2007.
lionel messi european championMessi, 22, was already under contract until 2014. This latest extension will make him the highest-paid player at the Camp Nou, earning around 10.5 million euros (15.46 million dollars) per season, which is slightly more than new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Messi's buyout clause, which is required by Spanish law, has been set at a staggering 250 million euros. This is the price, far and way a world record, that another club would need to pay to take the little Argentine away from Camp Nou.
According to The Sun, Barca also wants a 255 million pound buy-out clause included in the 22-year-old football star''s contract.
However, according to another report appearing in the web site goal. com, Messi is to be handed a golden contract that will see him become the highest paid player at Barcelona, with a buy-out clause of 300 million Euros.
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I suppose most of you have watched Chelsea’s defeat against Barcelona yesterday. And you might have noticed this small 18-years old Argentinian playing on the right of Barcelona’s attack. What’s his name? Messiah? Messia? Messi? Yep! Let me introduce to the world Lionel Messi shown above with Diego Maradona. Mark my world, Lionel Messi will become the world’s best football player very quickly! Bienvenue Lionel.
(From Wikipedia: Lionel Messi was born in Rosario city on 24 June 1987. At the age of five, he started playing football for Grandoli, a club coached by his father. In 1995, Messi switched to Newell’s Old Boys. At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. River Plate showed interest in Messi’s progress, but did not have enough money to pay for the treatment of the illness that cost over £500 a month. Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, was made aware of Messi’s talent, and Barcelona signed him after watching him play, offering to pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to start a new life in Spain. His family moved with the young player to Europe and he started in the club’s youth teams. The rest is history.)
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The Latino Factor Best of the Best: Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Winger/Striker), Fernando Torres (Liverpool, Striker), Carlos Tevez (Man U, Striker), Ronaldinho (Barcelona, Midfielder), Carlos Vela (Arsenal, Striker), Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, Goalkeeper), Rafael Marquez (Barcelona, Midfielder).
Developing talent: Lionel Messi has since matured into one of the best players in the world
The Pride of Barca
World Player of the Year Ronaldinho
3rd placed World Player of the Year Eto'o
Best Young Player Messi
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He started his career at Newell's Old Boys youth club at 1995. He stayed there till 2000. Then he played in Barcelona's Youth Club. Messi made his debut at senior club in 2004 for FC Barcelona. He recently won a gold medal at Beijing Olympics 2008.
Lionel Messi biography- Name: Lionel Andrés Messi
- Position: forward
- Place of birth: Santa Fe (Argentina)
- Date: 24-06-1987
- Heignt: 1'69
- Weight: 67
This Argentinian striker's footballing career started in 1995 at Newell's Old Boys, where he played until the year 2000. At the age of 13, Lionel Messi crossed the Atlantic to try his luck in Barcelona, and joined the Under 14s.
Messi made spectacular progress at each of the different age levels, climbing through the ranks of the different youth teams and then Barça C, followed by Barça B and the first team in record time.
In the 2003-2004 season, when he was still only 16, Messi made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked the opening of the new Dragao stadium. The following championship-winning season, Messi made his first appearance in an official match on October 16, 2004, in Barcelona's derby win against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium (0-1).
With several first team players seriously injured, the services of several reserve team players were called upon, and Messi became a regular feature of Barça squads. On May 1, 2005, he became the youngest player ever to score a league goal for FC Barcelona - against Albacete when Messi was only 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old. That record would eventually be beaten by Bojan.
At the Under 20 World Cup in Holland, Messi not only won the title with Argentina, but was also the leading goalscorer and was voted best player in the tournament. Aged 18 years, he had become one of the hottest properties in the world game. Shortly after, he made his first full international appearance in a friendly against Hungary.
His breakthrough as a player came in the 2005-06 season, starting with an amazing performance in the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Juventus. He was also outstanding at the Santiago Bernabéu, in Barcelona's unforgettable 3-0 win, and also at Stamford Bridge, in the Champions League match against Chelsea. Injury kept him sidelined for much of the latter stage of the season. Messi played a total of 17 league games, 6 in the Champions League and 2 in the Copa del Rey. Messi scored eight goals.
CHARACTERISTICS
Messi is an unusual player. He is highly creative, and has the skills to take on defenders with ease. He is a versatile left-footed player who can play either in the middle or on either wing, or even as a centre forward.
Although he is quite short, he is so fast and physically strong that he can cope with larger opponents. He is incredibly powerful, and a specialist in such dead ball situations as corners, free kicks and penalties.
Leo Messi is cool-headed and able to assume several responsibilities in times of need. He is a player who is destined to have a very successful career in football.
HONOURS
FC Barcelona2006-07 Spanish Supercup
2005-06 Champions League
2005-06 League
2005-06 Spanish Supercup
2004-05 League
Argentinian National Team
2004-05 World Cup Under-20
Disregarding FIFA, Messi is the best player on EARTH (and probably Mars too)
Ok. I just thought I would write this so that may be, JUST MAY BE. Florentino Perez reads this and decideds to wait for Messi than to break the bank for Ronaldo (which seems immensely likely though).
There are many reasons why Messi is a better player and I say it again, PLAYER, not PERSONALITY than Ronaldo. Ronaldo is way better than Messi off the court but right now Real Madrid are in need of some serious silverware, Copa Del Rays will not do the job and in my opinion, neither will La Liga, we need Champions League crown. Real Madrid needs the Champions League crown to reclaim it’s status in Europe. Ok, so here we go.
- Messi is by far a better thinker than Ronaldo on the field. The plays he makes at Barrcelona are (as rightly said by Theirry Henry) unreal for a 21 year old. He knows how to unlock any defence with slick and fast passing (assuming that on the day, he can’t do it all by himself) and most of all, he anticipates where the defenders are and what are they going to do next. Ronaldo just comes onto the field and starts shooting the heck out of the ball. He wants to dribble defenders the way the coach told him too. I mean, that is by no means a bad thing but in matches like this year’s Champions League final or any tight game in the league where the coach’s tactics are not working, sometimes you have to think on your own like Zidane did and that is why he was able to split 10 men defences in mere seconds.
- Messi is simply better than Ronaldo technically. Messi dribbles instinctively unlike Ronaldo, who always tries different moves which he learns while training. Messi is always watching the defender, waiting patiently for any mistake, lapse in concentration or slight off balance. One mistake and boom, Messi skips past in a flash. This is I think the sole reason why Messi is able to perform where C.Ronaldo fails ie against the big sides with good defenders. World Class defenders are not fooled easily with fancy step overs and the like, they like to play hard and if one is playing like Ronaldo, they just go in and tackle the crap out of that player whereas in case of Messi, Messi’s feet are so quick that he is able to change his direction as soon as he sees the defender coming in with a challenge and he is able to pull it off, more frequently than any other player of the planet. In a nutshell, Ronaldo is a little bit predictable with his style of play whereas Messi adapts more easily and more quickly.
- Messi is short but still manages to tough it out when he needs to and I have watched both players since the last 4 years and Ronaldo dives like about, 5 times more than Messi. Just look at the goal Messi scored against Getafe (the Maradonna goal) in Copa Del Ray Semi Final in the season 2006-2007, I bet Ronaldo would have dived like thrice had he been subjected to the pushing and tackling that Messi was subjected to while he was on that magical surge into towards the Getage goal.
- Messi does not need his teammates to beat players and to perform at his best whereas Ronaldo does. Look at the goals that both have scored this season (2008-2009). Most, if not all, of Ronaldo’s goal are team goals. Like, Rooney sets him up or Giggs makes a run along the flank and takes a defender with him. Space opens up for Ronaldo and he then takes advantage. Not an easy thing to do but compared with Messi’s, it is. Messi just takes the ball and beats players and then sets up his teammates or mostly, scores himself. He does not need space (though obviously, would be more destructive in that situation) to be efficient on the field. Ronaldo was dead in the Semi Final against Barcelona in 2007-2008 when he was playing all on his own upfront. Barcelona also did a great job on him in this years final, you cannot do that against Messi. His quick feet and acceleration in changing direction is too much and hence makes him, UNMARKABLE. The best example where my point is prooved like a hundred times is when Ronaldo is playing for his national team. He was a complete zilt in the Euro’s and has never really performed for Portugal in any tournaments. Sure he always has done his tricks and flicks, but that does not neccessarily means, PERFORMANCE.
- Messi can and infact, has scored goals with the mere touch of his hands (lolz on that). Yeah, as silly as that sounds, that is a big advantage. Messi can pull of stunts like those, I have seen him try a few times and he has succeeded. But only once.
So there you go, 4 legit and 1 a bit peculiar reason, of why Messi is better than Ronaldo. To sum it up, Messi can inspire his teammates better than Ronaldo and Messi obviously has a better touch than Ronaldo, plus Messi knows his angles better than everyone else and that is why he can and does, use every inch of the football field.
enjoy Messi's goal against getafe / copycat of Maradona Argentina vs England
