Seville, January 18 (IANS): Star striker Lionel Messi was handed his first-ever red card of his Barcelona career during their 2-3 defeat against Athletic Club in the Spanish Super Cup final. The incident happened in extra time of Sunday's game when Messi was handed the red card for violent conduct against Athletic forward Asier Villalibre, reports goal.com. It was the first red card the Argentine has ever received as a Barcelona player, coming in his 753rd appearance for the

BARCELONA, November 29 (Reuters): Lionel Messi paid a personal tribute to the late Diego Maradona after scoring on Sunday as Barcelona returned to winning ways in La Liga with a resounding 4-0 home win over Osasuna. Messi adorned a brilliant team display with a thumping strike into the top corner in the second half, after Martin Braithwaite had broken the deadlock and Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho had scored either side of halftime. The Argentine then lifted his sh

November 24(Reuters) - Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann has dismissed talk of a rift with team mate Lionel Messi and said he had nothing to do with recent comments about the Argentine forward from his former agent and his uncle. Earlier this month, Griezmann's former agent Eric Olhats said Messi's "reign of terror" had made life difficult for Griezmann, while the French forward's uncle said it was not easy to play in the same club as the six-time Ballon d

(Reuters): Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he is unsure what the future holds for Lionel Messi but hopes as a Barcelona fan that the Argentine forward will remain at the La Liga club until the end of his career. Guardiola, who has guided City to two Premier League titles, three League Cups and the FA Cup following his arrival in 2016, signed a new two-year deal on Thursday that will keep him in charge until the end of the 2022-23 season. The former Barca manager&#

(Reuters): A frustrated Lionel Messi said he is tired of being blamed for problems at Barcelona after he was accused by Antoine Griezmann's former agent of making life difficult for the French striker at the La Liga club. Eric Olhats had accused Messi of having too much control at the club, saying his "reign of terror" had made life difficult for Griezmann to adapt since his arrival last year. Messi returned to Barcelona from international duty with Argentina o

BARCELONA, November 6 (Reuters): Lionel Messi is as big as his team Barcelona and deserves to have the club's Camp Nou stadium named after him, former team mate Dani Alves has said, adding that the Argentinian will never find a better home than the Catalan side. Alves said he shared Messi's concern over how Barca was being run under former president Josep Maria Bartomeu and said the club should have showed more respect to their all-time top scorer, who threatened to wal

(Reuters): Manchester City will be in a position to sign Lionel Messi if the opportunity presents itself next season, the Premier League club's chief operating officer said. City were the frontrunners to land Messi's services after the 33-year-old Argentine handed Barcelona an official notice in August of his desire to terminate his contract. However, the six-times world player of the year eventually decided to stay in Spain for the coming season, the last on his cur

BARCELONA, October 3 (Reuters): Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman says Lionel Messi has been the ideal captain and an example to the rest of the team for the way he has applied himself since deciding to stay at the club this season. Messi gave an outstanding performance in Barca's 3-0 win over Celta Vigo on Thursday after playing the whole second half with 10 men, crushing any fears that the Argentine might lack commitment after the club refused to let him leave. "From

VIGO, Spain, October 2 (Reuters) - Barcelona defender Sergi Roberto praised his captain Lionel Messi for a sensational display in his side's 3-0 win away to Celta Vigo in La Liga on Thursday, as the Argentinean further demonstrated he has put his troubles with the club behind him. After Ansu Fati had opened the scoring, Messi helped double Barca's advantage early in the second half with an unstoppable run down the right hand side of the area and a shot that bounced off

BARCELONA, September 30 (Reuters): Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has said he wishes to move on from his recent bid to walk out of the club and his recent attacks on the board of directors, calling for everyone to pull together to help the team have a successful season. Messi handed Barca an official notice in August of his desire to terminate his contract before eventually deciding to stay for the coming season, the last on his current deal, because he did not want to face a l

BARCELONA, September 28 (Reuters): Lionel Messi was back in scoring business for Barcelona on Sunday, leading them to a resounding 4-0 win at home against Villarreal in a near-perfect La Liga opener for the Catalans under new coach Ronald Koeman. Teenage forward Ansu Fati was in inspirational form for Barca, combining with Jordi Alba to side-foot home first time into the net in the 15th minute and then striking again four minutes later with another ice-cool finish. Fati, the

MADRID, September 28 (Reuters): Lionel Messi might have grabbed the headlines this summer for all the wrong reasons as he attempted to leave Barcelona, but on Monday morning they finally belonged to someone else. Despite being just 17, a lot is expected of Ansu Fati and he did not disappoint, putting in a magical display as Barca thrashed Villarreal 4-0 on Sunday. Many have pondered what life is going to be like at the Nou Camp once Messi finally leaves, and with the Argenti

BARCELONA, September 26 (Reuters): Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said he understood why Lionel Messi was upset about the departure of his long-time strike partner and friend Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid but did not believe it would affect him on the pitch. Messi blasted Barca on Friday for forcing Suarez out after six years of service in which he scored 198 goals, the Argentinean's latest attack on the club's hierarchy after he tried to force a move of his own last mo

BARCELONA, September 24 (Reuters): Luis Suarez highlighted his close friendship with Lionel Messi as he bid a teary farewell to Barcelona on Thursday ahead of his move to La Liga title rivals Atletico Madrid. Messi had failed to dovetail with other top strikers such as Samuel Eto'o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Villa but took no time at all to gel with Suarez, who became his best friend at the club as well as a prolific strike partner. "When I got to Barcelona every

BARCELONA, September 17 (Reuters): Barcelona and Argentina captain Lionel Messi has won a legal battle over trademark rights relating to his own logo after the European Union's top court on Thursday dismissed an appeal against the player from a Spanish cycling clothing brand. The EU's Court of Justice in Luxembourg said in a statement it had authorised the player to register the trademark Messi, dismissing an appeal from the EU's intellectual property office EUIPO a

LONDON, September 15 (Reuters): Lionel Messi was denied a potentially money-spinning move away from Barcelona this month after a contract-dispute but the Argentine maestro remains the world's richest soccer player. According to a list compiled by Forbes, Messi's total earnings this year are $126 million -- $92 million from his salary and $34 million in endorsements. Not surprisingly Cristiano Ronaldo comes in second although earnings of $117 million will soften the b

BARCELONA, September 9 (Reuters): Lionel Messi looked back in his comfort zone during training with his Barcelona team mates on Wednesday in preparation for the new La Liga season as he continued to move on from his aborted attempt to leave the club last month. Barca's all-time top scorer was seen smiling as he and his fellow players worked through persistent rain at the club's Joan Gamper training complex under the orders of new coach Ronald Koeman. Messi, who remai

BARCELONA, September 8 (Reuters) - With Lionel Messi's aborted bid to leave Barcelona still raw, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu may be counting his days after a campaign group announced they were racking up signatures in a bid to force a vote of no-confidence in him. 'Mes que una mocio' (More than a motion), the group supported by candidates for next year's presidential election, said they had reached 7,500 club member signatures of the required 16,520 by Sept.

(Reuters): Barcelona fans will be celebrating the fact they will get to watch their beloved Lionel Messi for another season after he announced he would be staying at the Nou Camp on Friday. But the result of the high-profile arm wrestle between the world's most iconic soccer player and one of its biggest clubs appears to have ended with neither camp able to claim victory. On the face of it, the 33-year-old six-time world player of the year appears to have backed down in

BARCELONA, Spain, September 4 (Reuters): Lionel Messi ended speculation about his future at Barcelona by announcing on Friday that he would reluctantly stay for another season rather than tackle his career-long club in court. A week after saying he wanted to leave the Liga side, and with a contract row still raging, the 33-year-old six-time player of the year gave the news Barca fans were hoping for. In doing so, however, the Argentine forward took a big swipe at the club