https://www.scmp.com/rss/517672/feed The latest stories and features on footballer Lionel Messi, including professional football news and updates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Lionel Messi “still loves” Hong Kong and China, and the world’s greatest footballer is likely to return to the region “in the near future”, according to a successful entrepreneur with close ties to Asia and the Argentine Football Association (AFA). Honoured this year for his sports marketing agency’s “outstanding contribution to the UK-China relationship through the promotion of sport in China”, Michael Rocha-Keys launched EMW Global in 2018 to bridge a sporting gap that existed between east and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3353115/lionel-messi-tipped-hong-kong-return-football-expert-rejects-fifa-overseas-games-idea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3353115/lionel-messi-tipped-hong-kong-return-football-expert-rejects-fifa-overseas-games-idea?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Manu Torres has played down the acrimonious departure of defender Dani Almazan and more imminent high-profile exits from Eastern, saying change is “pain in the process” of his quest to develop an all-conquering team. Announcing his contract was not being renewed after three years at the club, popular centre-half Almazan posted on Instagram that “some people had made it their mission to break apart … a real family in the changing room”. He also omitted head coach Torres from a list of six coaches... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3353024/eastern-boss-plotting-hong-kong-domination-acrimonious-exits-pain-process-progress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3353024/eastern-boss-plotting-hong-kong-domination-acrimonious-exits-pain-process-progress?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 04:21:36 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat On a Monday morning, Li Hangyan hurried through the doors of her shop, just as she does every day. Lately, however, the pace of work has picked up as a growing stream of customers arrives with questions about orders ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup. In Yiwu, a city in eastern China’s Zhejiang province about 300km (186 miles) from Shanghai and home to the world’s largest wholesale market for small commodities, foreign buyers from across the globe are once again gathering to source goods. At Li’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352306/how-chinese-city-netting-profits-amid-world-cup-fever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352306/how-chinese-city-netting-profits-amid-world-cup-fever?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle Hong Kong’s drive to become a leading host of “mega” sports events is keeping the football fans onside, with six top European teams to play high-profile pre-season friendly matches in the city this summer. The football festival, which set new attendance records when first staged at the new Kai Tak Stadium last year, will see top English and Italian teams compete in two matches in August. Manchester City will play Inter Milan four days before a clash between Chelsea and Juventus. And that is not... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3352234/world-cup-football-belongs-fans-not-trump-and-his-friend-fifa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3352234/world-cup-football-belongs-fans-not-trump-and-his-friend-fifa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 14:30:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The successful Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament last month, thrilling a record number of fans, is still fresh in the memory. The city’s drive to host an increasing number of top sporting events continues, signalled by the announcement of another landmark event in the summer. This time, the sport is football and the teams that will compete at Kai Tak Stadium in August are among the best Europe has to offer. The second edition of Hong Kong’s football festival, which was first staged at Kai Tak... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352116/hot-summer-football-festival-fever-ahead-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352116/hot-summer-football-festival-fever-ahead-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara After helping wash away the stain of the infamous Lionel Messi fiasco, the organisers of the returning Hong Kong Football Festival are aiming to establish the event as a permanent fixture on the city’s sporting calendar. Last year’s inaugural festival, staged 18 months after Argentine Messi skulked on the bench while his Inter Miami team played at Hong Kong Stadium, drew a pair of record crowds to Kai Tak Stadium. Ahead of Tuesday’s official launch of the 2026 edition, which will feature... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3350749/football-festival-boss-eyes-hong-kong-sevens-style-boom-dismisses-threat-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3350749/football-festival-boss-eyes-hong-kong-sevens-style-boom-dismisses-threat-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Around 80,000 fans were hoping to see Lionel Messi take on Lamine Yamal in Doha, while thousands more were gearing up for the F1 grands prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, but the war in the Middle East had other plans. The Gulf countries have invested vast sums of money in bringing global sporting events to their shores as they try to diversify their hydrocarbon-dependent economies and improve their images abroad. But weeks of repeated drone and missile attacks from Iran, in retaliation against... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347430/gulfs-decades-long-strategy-sporting-investment-rocked-us-israel-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347430/gulfs-decades-long-strategy-sporting-investment-rocked-us-israel-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters Lionel Messi scored his 900th career goal on ⁠Wednesday to become ⁠the second player to reach ⁠the mark in elite men’s football after Cristiano Ronaldo. The 38-year-old Argentine World Cup winner brought up the milestone with a left-footed strike in Inter Miami’s 1-1 draw with Nashville SC in ‌the Concacaf Champions Cup. The 900th goal came 21 years after Messi scored his first in senior football for Barcelona as a 17-year-old in 2005. Inter manager Javier Mascherano said Messi’s tally was... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347150/lionel-messi-scores-900th-career-goal-inter-milan-match-joins-ronaldo-elite-club?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3347150/lionel-messi-scores-900th-career-goal-inter-milan-match-joins-ronaldo-elite-club?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:00:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lewis Hamilton are among the sports stars whose schedules are in doubt because of the spreading war in the Middle East. Cancellations and travel shutdowns are already affecting events since the United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran on Saturday. Organisers of Formula 1 and major football games will face decisions soon on whether the competitions can go ahead as scheduled. Middle Eastern nations have become crucial to the world sports... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3345200/us-bombing-iran-disrupts-sports-doubt-over-messi-ronaldo-games-and-f1-races?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3345200/us-bombing-iran-disrupts-sports-doubt-over-messi-ronaldo-games-and-f1-races?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:22:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters In March 2024, retired Argentine football star Carlos Tevez published a tweet hinting at something suspicious going on in a Buenos Aires suburb. The treasurer of the Argentine Football Association, Tevez claimed, was making many trips to Pilar, where he implied the official had buried bags of money and kept a collection of antique cars. Coalicion Civica, a ‌progressive political party, began investigating after Tevez’s post and filed a criminal complaint centred on a mystery villa in Pilar. As... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3338432/argentina-fa-turmoil-ahead-world-cup-over-mystery-villa-and-dirty-money-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3338432/argentina-fa-turmoil-ahead-world-cup-over-mystery-villa-and-dirty-money-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 19:00:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Bigger does not always mean better but try telling that to those who govern the world’s most popular sport as they reflect on a jam-packed year and begin the countdown to a supersized World Cup that will dwarf previous tournaments. World football’s governing body, Fifa – not to mention continental confederations, national leagues and broadcasters – will argue that the appetite for the “beautiful game” is insatiable and will point to the past 12 months as evidence. Fifa described its expanded... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3337740/year-football-expansion-mismatches-point-direction-fifa-will-take-beautiful-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3337740/year-football-expansion-mismatches-point-direction-fifa-will-take-beautiful-game?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 08:00:42 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s ruling party has seized on the chaotic handling of football legend Lionel Messi’s appearance in Kolkata to attack the government in West Bengal, turning the Argentinian’s visit into an election-season test for one of the country’s most politically consequential states. The visit descended into chaos as crowd unrest prompted arrests and an apology from West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. West Bengal’s opposition leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which governs... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3336645/how-lionel-messi-was-dragged-indian-election-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3336645/how-lionel-messi-was-dragged-indian-election-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 10:02:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Reuters Angry spectators broke down barricades and stormed the pitch at a stadium in India after football star Lionel Messi, who is on a three-day tour of the country, abruptly left the arena. As part of a so-called GOAT Tour, the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar touched down in the eastern state of West Bengal early on Saturday, greeted by a chorus of exuberant fans chanting his name. Hours later, thousands of fans wearing Messi jerseys and waving the Argentine flag packed into Salt Lake... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336330/fans-vandalise-india-stadium-throw-objects-field-after-lionel-messis-abrupt-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3336330/fans-vandalise-india-stadium-throw-objects-field-after-lionel-messis-abrupt-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 09:51:52 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell Nine Asian and Pacific nations discovered their 2026 Fifa World Cup opponents when the tournament draw took place in Washington on Friday, while the Saudi-based Cristiano Ronaldo learned he could share a last dance of sorts with Lionel Messi. Japan, Asia’s highest-ranked team at world No 18, are expected to trouble the seeded Netherlands at the finals next June and July in the United States, Canada and Mexico. But the theoretically weaker sides joining them in Group F are Tunisia, who qualified... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3335450/fifa-world-cup-draw-sets-ronaldo-v-messi-japan-set-shared-goal-winning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3335450/fifa-world-cup-draw-sets-ronaldo-v-messi-japan-set-shared-goal-winning?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 07:50:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Argentina and Lionel Messi will play Algeria to open their World Cup title defence as part of a group that also includes Austria. The United States were drawn on Friday to start against Paraguay at Inglewood, California, on June 12, a day after Mexico host the opener against South Africa. The US reached the semi-finals at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and have got as far as the quarter-finals only one other time, in 2002. US President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3335426/fifa-2026-argentina-open-world-cup-against-algeria-us-starts-against-paraguay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3335426/fifa-2026-argentina-open-world-cup-against-algeria-us-starts-against-paraguay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 19:28:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The countdown to the first 48-team Fifa World Cup begins in earnest on Friday as the draw for the 2026 finals takes place in Washington, with Donald Trump set to dominate much of the attention. The most logistically complex World Cup in history will be held across North America from June 11 to July 19, with 16 more teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations involved in Qatar in 2022. Friday’s ceremony, at the Kennedy Centre on the banks of the Potomac River, will be a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3335161/donald-trump-looms-over-fifa-world-cup-draw-it-starts-countdown-2026-finals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3335161/donald-trump-looms-over-fifa-world-cup-draw-it-starts-countdown-2026-finals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 06:05:24 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Cristiano Ronaldo has broken through another barrier, becoming the first active footballer in history to be a billionaire, with a net worth of a staggering £1.045 billion (US$1.35 billion). The Portuguese star reportedly joined the ‘three comma club’ after signing another lucrative two-year deal with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, which the Bloomberg Billionaire Index placed at a tax-free £492 million. And despite putting a mammoth gap between himself and Lionel Messi, whose net worth is a paltry... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3328261/cristiano-ronaldo-makes-history-first-billionaire-footballer-after-hefty-saudi-payday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3328261/cristiano-ronaldo-makes-history-first-billionaire-footballer-after-hefty-saudi-payday?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:27:43 +0000 Carla Thomas Carla Thomas The world knows Lionel Messi for his goals, his mind-boggling skills, his mile-long list of honours and achievements, and his staggering wealth – he’s pulling in US$20 million a year playing for Inter Miami, according to The Guardian. He once earned up to US$165 million during his Barcelona days, and he is edging ever closer to billionaire status with a net worth of around US$850 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. But off the pitch – no doubt aided by all those millions in his accounts – the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3322209/lionel-messis-luxury-watch-collection-2025-rolex-and-patek-philippe-tudor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3322209/lionel-messis-luxury-watch-collection-2025-rolex-and-patek-philippe-tudor?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 22:00:13 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara For Roger Riera, the new Kitchee centre-back, it was both a blessing and a curse that his emergence at Barcelona coincided with the club’s greatest era. An awestruck Riera trained with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Andres Iniesta. On the flip side, he could see no way into the Catalans’ glittering squad, so he left for Nottingham Forest three months after captaining Barcelona to the 2014 Uefa Youth League title. “It was always my dream to reach the Barcelona first team, and when we won the youth... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3320522/messi-and-neymars-former-barcelona-colleague-bringing-winning-mentality-kitchee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3320522/messi-and-neymars-former-barcelona-colleague-bringing-winning-mentality-kitchee?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 03:16:13 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport The president of ambitious Serie A side Como has said signing Lionel Messi would be a “dream”. The Argentina captain’s contract with Inter Miami runs until the end of the 2025 Major League Soccer season and is reportedly in negotiations. Como have the richest owners in Italy in billionaire Indonesian brothers Robert and Michael Hartono, who have ambitious plans. With Cesc Fabregas as manager, they shocked many by finishing 10th following their promotion to the top flight. And club president... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3319735/could-lionel-messi-finish-career-italy-indonesian-billionaires-eye-dream-transfer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3319735/could-lionel-messi-finish-career-italy-indonesian-billionaires-eye-dream-transfer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press After more than a year of uncertainty and criticism, the Club World Cup kicked off in Miami on Saturday, and football may never be the same. At least that is what Fifa president Gianni Infantino has been telling anyone who would listen. “This tournament will be the start of something historic that will change our sport for the better,” he said this week as part of an exhausting schedule of public engagements to drum up interest in the month-long event staged across 11 cities in the United... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3314531/club-world-cup-fifa-presidents-baby-and-running-and-football-may-never-be-same?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3314531/club-world-cup-fifa-presidents-baby-and-running-and-football-may-never-be-same?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jun 2025 15:08:35 +0000 Associated Press,Reuters Associated Press,Reuters Lionel Messi was denied in stoppage time as Inter Miami and Egypt’s Al-Ahly settled for a scoreless draw in the opening game of the Club World Cup in the United States on Saturday night. Argentina’s eight-time Ballon d’Or winner aimed a long, curling shot from the right side that was tipped by diving goalkeeper Mohamed Elshenawy and brushed off the crossbar in the 96th minute in Miami Gardens, Florida. Messi, who also shaved a post with a free kick in the 60th minute, continues to draw massive... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3314492/club-world-cup-lionel-messi-denied-woodwork-inter-miami-draw-opener?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3314492/club-world-cup-lionel-messi-denied-woodwork-inter-miami-draw-opener?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jun 2025 04:06:46 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Fifa’s newly expanded Club World Cup kicks off in Miami next Saturday, featuring some of football’s biggest stars, such as Lionel Messi, and greatest teams, like Real Madrid. But the launch of the new-look tournament, staged in the United States, also comes with uncertainty over how it will be embraced in an already bloated calendar where football is played virtually year round. This is world governing body Fifa’s big play to get a stronghold in the club game. Until now, club football’s marquee... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3313478/fifa-club-world-cup-when-it-starts-which-teams-are-playing-footballs-new-look-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3313478/fifa-club-world-cup-when-it-starts-which-teams-are-playing-footballs-new-look-event?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jun 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle A famous English football club playing in Hong Kong is always a special occasion for the city’s fans, who rarely get to watch their heroes perform live. Manchester United, arguably the biggest team in the world, are usually one of the most eagerly anticipated visitors. But they arrived in the city last week under a cloud, at the end of their worst top-flight season in half a century, languishing in 15th place in the English Premier League. United secured victory on Friday, beating a battling... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3312605/top-football-clubs-need-repay-asian-fans-value-money?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3312605/top-football-clubs-need-repay-asian-fans-value-money?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 May 2025 13:15:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A dejected-looking Lionel Messi walked off the pitch in defeat on Wednesday after his Inter Miami team were exposed in emphatic fashion by a young Vancouver Whitecaps. The 3-1 loss in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup semi-final meant a 5-1 aggregate defeat to the Canadian side and no one who watched the games would question whether the scoreline was a fair reflection of the games. A Miami team built around Messi and ageing former teammates from his Barcelona heyday – Luis Suarez,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3308654/lionel-messis-inter-miami-risk-club-world-cup-humiliation-after-latest-failure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3308654/lionel-messis-inter-miami-risk-club-world-cup-humiliation-after-latest-failure?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 May 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Reuters,Andrew Cesare Richardson Reuters,Andrew Cesare Richardson Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr were dumped out of the Asian Champions League Elite as Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale spectacularly ripped up the script with a 3-2 semi-final victory on Wednesday to reach the continental final for the first time. And just hours later, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami were beaten in their Concacaf last-four clash with the Vancouver Whitecaps. Big-spending Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr succumbed in Jeddah when Yuto Ozeki and Akihiro Ienaga struck after Sadio Mane’s deflected... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3308614/cristiano-ronaldos-al-nassr-knocked-out-champions-league-semi-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3308614/cristiano-ronaldos-al-nassr-knocked-out-champions-league-semi-final?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 May 2025 01:20:49 +0000 His predecessor loved Mozart, but Pope Francis’ passion was football – for him “the most beautiful game” – and also a vehicle to educate and spread peace. From Argentine compatriots Lionel Messi and the late Diego Maradona to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gianluigi Buffon, Francis received the greatest stars of football at the Vatican, signing dozens of shirts and balls from around the world. And the admiration flowed both ways. Following news of the Pope’s death on Monday at the age of 88, Messi took... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3307372/pope-francis-was-pontiff-2-left-feet-who-loved-beautiful-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3307372/pope-francis-was-pontiff-2-left-feet-who-loved-beautiful-game?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Apr 2025 21:18:25 +0000 Hong Kong sports fans are being treated to an exciting schedule of top-level events following the opening of the city’s new 50,000-seat stadium last month. A “festival of football”, featuring four top European teams in July, was announced just a day after the conclusion of the celebrated Rugby Sevens. There is much to look forward to. Hopes were high that the new stadium would make it easier to attract football giants to Hong Kong. Local fans will not be disappointed. Liverpool, one of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3305742/hong-kong-cannot-afford-another-own-goal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3305742/hong-kong-cannot-afford-another-own-goal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Apr 2025 00:45:07 +0000 Novak Djokovic is used to being the star on the tennis court but having iconic footballer Lionel Messi in the stands to watch him reach the Miami Open final made him feel “a little pressure”. The former world No 1 beat 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3 in Friday’s semi-final and will meet 19-year-old Jakub Mensik in Sunday’s showpiece after the unseeded Czech shocked No 3 seed Taylor Fritz 7-6, 4-6, 7-6. In his on-court interview, Djokovic said Messi, who plays for Major League Soccer’s local... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3304399/lionel-messi-watching-novak-djokovic-reach-miami-open-final-made-serb-feel-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3304399/lionel-messi-watching-novak-djokovic-reach-miami-open-final-made-serb-feel-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 04:46:02 +0000 With the legendary football rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi winding down, fans are not quite ready to let go. For 20 years, the duo have been the top two in the men’s game and supporters are so desperate for their rivalry to continue that they are trying to get their sons to do battle. Social media was awash with reports Cristiano Jnr had given his father the perfect birthday present with 10 goals in a 10-9 victory for Al Nassr’s under-15s over Al Ittihad. This was reported to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3297722/cristiano-ronaldo-v-lionel-messi-sons-fake-record-goal-hauls-fool-social-media-users?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3297722/cristiano-ronaldo-v-lionel-messi-sons-fake-record-goal-hauls-fool-social-media-users?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2025 04:00:34 +0000 Brazilian striker Neymar said on Thursday that former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe became “jealous” of his relationship with Lionel Messi when the Argentine superstar joined the club in 2021. Speaking on a podcast hosted by former Brazil striker Romario, Neymar blamed a clash of egos for the failure of the three stars to gel during their spell together at the French club. The 32-year-old Neymar, who left PSG for Saudi club Al-Hilal in 2023, said he initially got on well with Mbappe... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3295157/neymar-says-ex-teammate-kylian-mbappe-jealous-over-lionel-messi-during-trios-psg-spell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3295157/neymar-says-ex-teammate-kylian-mbappe-jealous-over-lionel-messi-during-trios-psg-spell?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jan 2025 06:06:31 +0000 Sports journalist Sofi Martínez has shut down rumours that she’s having an affair with footballer Lionel Messi. “A lot of the time when your exposure increases, it brings things that aren’t so good and my family suffers a lot. This year, people began to talk more and more about, ‘What’s up with the way he looks at you?’ – things like this – and I was caught in the middle of something that made me feel ridiculous to have to clarify,” she explained on the PH: Podemos Hablar show on Buenos Aires... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3294276/who-sofi-martinez-and-she-secretly-dating-lionel-messi-espn-journalist-has-finally-commented-rumours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3294276/who-sofi-martinez-and-she-secretly-dating-lionel-messi-espn-journalist-has-finally-commented-rumours?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2025 20:00:15 +0000 Chinese electronics manufacturer Hisense has signed on as the first official partner for next year’s Fifa Club World Cup, global soccer’s governing body said on Wednesday. Financial details of the partnership were not disclosed but Hisense will receive Video Assistant Referee (VAR) branding during the expanded 32-team competition set to take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13. Though no previous Fifa tournament has had a sponsor for video reviews since the technology was approved... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3284509/chinese-electronics-company-hisense-becomes-first-sponsor-fifas-club-world-cup-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3284509/chinese-electronics-company-hisense-becomes-first-sponsor-fifas-club-world-cup-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:00:11 +0000 No Lionel Messi. No Cristiano Ronaldo. When the Ballon d’Or is presented at a gala ceremony in Paris on Monday, it will feel like the start of a new era in football. There is also a sense of a void now that one of sport’s most engrossing rivalries is probably over. “It’s interesting that as it starts to come to an end, we are sort of saying, what’s the next equivalent rivalry going to be?” said football writer Jonathan Wilson. “As if that kind of rivalry was a natural state. But there’s never... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3284071/ballon-dor-move-over-messi-and-ronaldo-new-generation-footballs-top-award?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3284071/ballon-dor-move-over-messi-and-ronaldo-new-generation-footballs-top-award?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 14:00:13 +0000 Pundits and football fans alike shook their heads in wonder as Lamine Yamal stood alongside his teammates on the winner’s podium on Sunday night’s Euro 2024 final in Berlin. Not only is he now the youngest ever Euro or World Cup finalist, but it was announced afterwards that Uefa had crowned him Young Player of the Tournament. And those records and accolades are just the latest in a string of achievements by the youngster since he burst onto the scene aged 15. Even former Barcelona coach Xavi... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3270645/meet-lamine-yamal-rising-football-talent-dubbed-mini-messi-adidas-sponsored-player-was-youngest-ever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3270645/meet-lamine-yamal-rising-football-talent-dubbed-mini-messi-adidas-sponsored-player-was-youngest-ever?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2024 22:00:09 +0000 Lionel Messi said he was enjoying his “last battles” with Argentina after finding the net in a 2-0 win over Canada on Tuesday to book a place in the Copa America final. After a lacklustre display against Ecuador in the quarter-finals at the MetLife Stadium, the 37-year-old looked back to himself again, connecting with Angel Di Maria and strike partner Julian Alvarez, who also scored. Now playing with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, Messi has yet to indicate whether he would continue to play... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3269873/lionel-messi-enjoying-last-battles-argentina-copa-america-final-beckons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3269873/lionel-messi-enjoying-last-battles-argentina-copa-america-final-beckons?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jul 2024 04:53:46 +0000 Hong Kong’s Consumer Council has said anyone who wants a refund over football superstar Lionel Messi’s no-show at a city friendly match last month can arrange to get their money back without dropping their complaints to the watchdog. But Gilly Wong Fung-han, the organisation’s chief executive, said on Tuesday that people who paid for their tickets using electronic payment systems might need to drop any complaints filed with their banks or credit card issuers as their transactions would be on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3255893/messi-fans-can-seek-refunds-without-dropping-complaints-hong-kong-consumer-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3255893/messi-fans-can-seek-refunds-without-dropping-complaints-hong-kong-consumer-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Mar 2024 04:42:41 +0000 Switzerland’s Omega, the only watchmaker certified by Nasa for all manned space missions, has raised more than US$600,000 through an online auction for the charity Orbis International as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative. The luxury brand, part of the Swatch Group, auctioned 11 suitcases, each containing 11 MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold Hong Kong edition watches via Sotheby’s, raising 534,670 Swiss francs (US$604,225) for Orbis. Swatch has been supporting Orbis, which... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3253976/omega-raises-us600000-eye-charity-orbis-through-auction-hong-kong-special-edition-watches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3253976/omega-raises-us600000-eye-charity-orbis-through-auction-hong-kong-special-edition-watches?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Mar 2024 06:14:29 +0000 Argentina are to play two friendly matches in the United States next month after a pair of fixtures in China were axed following Lionel Messi’s ill-starred visit to Hong Kong. The breadth and scale of the backlash against the Argentinian, following his non-participation when Inter Miami faced a local select this month, was underlined when Chinese officials called off matches his national team were scheduled to play in Hangzhou and Beijing between March 18 and 26. A well-placed source told the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3252912/messi-set-stateside-argentina-friendlies-world-champions-fill-gap-left-chinese-call-offs-after-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3252912/messi-set-stateside-argentina-friendlies-world-champions-fill-gap-left-chinese-call-offs-after-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Feb 2024 01:38:44 +0000 One of Hong Kong’s leading footballers says a gentleman’s agreement could have coaxed Lionel Messi on to the pitch during Inter Miami’s match in the city and averted the fury over the Argentinian’s no-show. Kitchee midfielder Charlie Scott played the second half for the local league XI against Inter at a packed Hong Kong Stadium, and insisted his team would have agreed to treat Messi with kid gloves if the 36-year-old had appeared for a late cameo to satisfy fans. Scott added that assembling a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3252723/lionel-messi-shambles-could-have-been-avoided-hong-kongs-former-manchester-united-player-charlie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3252723/lionel-messi-shambles-could-have-been-avoided-hong-kongs-former-manchester-united-player-charlie?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Feb 2024 10:57:49 +0000 A review of the system which gives private organisations public funds to support major sports events in Hong Kong will be completed by the third quarter of the year, the government’s culture chief has said. But Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, the culture, sports and tourism secretary, warned at a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday against tough contract terms which might deter promoters of prestigious money-spinners for the city. He emphasised the importance of a “balanced approach” to ensure... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3252710/review-hong-kong-government-handouts-support-major-sporting-events-wake-lionel-messi-row-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3252710/review-hong-kong-government-handouts-support-major-sporting-events-wake-lionel-messi-row-be?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Feb 2024 09:32:50 +0000 A video posted on Chinese social media by Lionel Messi to explain his infamous Hong Kong no-show has prompted speculation over whether he could yet play in China for Argentina next month as originally scheduled. With anger at boiling point in the days after Messi watched from the bench as Inter Miami beat a local select at Hong Kong Stadium this month, a pair of Argentina friendly matches due to take place in mainland China in March were cancelled by the host nation. There has been speculation... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3252581/could-lionel-messi-video-open-door-return-china-social-media-hostility-remains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3252581/could-lionel-messi-video-open-door-return-china-social-media-hostility-remains?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Feb 2024 09:57:22 +0000 Argentinian football star Lionel Messi has sought to tamp down the national outrage over his decision to sit out a match in Hong Kong, saying speculation that politics was involved was totally unfounded and that he hoped to meet his Chinese fans in person again. In a two-minute video released on the mainland Chinese social media platform Weibo at 9pm on Monday, Messi said he wanted to explain why he decided against joining his Inter Miami teammates on the pitch for the friendly against a local... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3252488/football-legend-lionel-messi-takes-aim-false-stories-about-hong-kong-no-show-dismisses-rumours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3252488/football-legend-lionel-messi-takes-aim-false-stories-about-hong-kong-no-show-dismisses-rumours?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Feb 2024 16:24:27 +0000 Lionel Messi appeared to be over the injury blamed for his Hong Kong no-show as he played for Inter Miami against Newell’s Old Boys, but his coach admitted their club’s eventful preseason had been “not the best”. Days after sparking anger and requests for refunds by sitting out Miami’s appearance in Hong Kong, the superstar – who had since had half an hour’s action as a substitute in Japan – was fit enough to start the friendly match in Florida on Thursday local time. He lasted until the 60th... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3252142/lionel-messi-hong-kong-chases-refunds-he-plays-60-minutes-inter-miami-against-newells-old-boys-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3252142/lionel-messi-hong-kong-chases-refunds-he-plays-60-minutes-inter-miami-against-newells-old-boys-his?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Feb 2024 03:56:31 +0000 Everybody hates Lionel Messi now but it’s not clear why China needed to cancel the Argentina games in Hangzhou and Beijing next month. For sure we should blame Inter Miami and match organiser Tatler Asia for the fiasco in Hong Kong, but his national team? At most, Messi should be declared persona non grata but his team from Argentina should be able to play on the mainland. The Hangzhou Sports Bureau said in an official statement that the conditions for hosting an international match were not met... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3251671/lionel-messi-has-only-added-beijings-displeasure-argentina?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3251671/lionel-messi-has-only-added-beijings-displeasure-argentina?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Feb 2024 13:00:10 +0000 Mainland China’s sports authorities appear to have ruled out an appearance by Lionel Messi next month after the Argentine football star’s earlier no-show for a Hong Kong friendly match with his club side Inter Miami. The Argentina national squad, captained by Messi, last month scheduled a tour of China during the international break from March 18-26, which included friendly matches with Nigeria in Hangzhou and against Ivory Coast in Beijing. But the Beijing Football Association, which oversees... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3251635/mainland-chinese-sports-authority-says-no-plans-host-football-matches-involving-lionel-messi-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3251635/mainland-chinese-sports-authority-says-no-plans-host-football-matches-involving-lionel-messi-after?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Feb 2024 11:15:18 +0000 Chinese officials in Hangzhou have cancelled a friendly international involving Lionel Messi’s Argentina football team and Nigeria that was scheduled to take place in the city next month, with organisers saying conditions are not yet ideal for the friendly game. The cancellation comes after Messi ignited widespread anger by sitting out a match in Hong Kong last Sunday citing a thigh injury and forcing the organiser Tatler Asia to offer refunds amid mounting public and official pressure. Fans... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3251516/disappointed-fans-could-be-given-partial-refund-over-lionel-messi-no-show-during-inter-miami?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3251516/disappointed-fans-could-be-given-partial-refund-over-lionel-messi-no-show-during-inter-miami?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Feb 2024 05:18:30 +0000 A leading sports injury specialist has said there was nothing strange about Lionel Messi being able to play in Japan just 72 hours after injury ruled him out of an exhibition game in Hong Kong. But a leading academic in the city said the inflammation the Argentinian experienced appeared to be a minor problem, and questioned whether it would have been bad enough to prevent him playing any part in the match last weekend. Messi’s absence, because of what his club, Inter Miami, said was an injury... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251484/lionel-messi-hong-kong-experts-divided-over-whether-argentinians-injury-was-serious-enough-stop-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251484/lionel-messi-hong-kong-experts-divided-over-whether-argentinians-injury-was-serious-enough-stop-him?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Feb 2024 03:11:52 +0000 One of my favourite pursuits after returning to England from Hong Kong has been to attend top flight football matches. Last Sunday, as Lionel Messi sat rooted to the bench at Hong Kong Stadium, I headed into London to join a vocal crowd of 60,000 at the top-of-the-table clash between Arsenal and Liverpool. When the teams were announced, several top players were missing. They were injured. Both teams were without their star strikers. No one thought there was anything unusual or improper about... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3251342/why-lionel-messi-not-blame-inter-miami-vs-hong-kong-exhibition-match-fiasco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3251342/why-lionel-messi-not-blame-inter-miami-vs-hong-kong-exhibition-match-fiasco?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Feb 2024 03:44:35 +0000 A makeshift Hong Kong team suffered penalty shoot-out disappointment against a Guangdong XI last night, after their two-goal first-leg advantage was wiped out inside 67 minutes at a sodden Yuexiushan Stadium in Guangzhou. Guangdong scored all four of their kicks, following a 3-1 victory on the night, and finished with a flourish when Liao Junjian floated a fabulous “Panenka” kick into the middle of the goal to win the 42nd edition of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup. Paco Chan Hoi-pak smacked the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251312/hong-kong-suffer-shoot-out-agony-makeshift-team-surrender-advantage-guangzhou?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251312/hong-kong-suffer-shoot-out-agony-makeshift-team-surrender-advantage-guangzhou?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Feb 2024 15:27:32 +0000