All posts tagged: Lionel

Lionel Messi’s final World Cup miracle? He has the magic, Argentina the belief: Together, they dream again

Lionel Messi’s final World Cup miracle? He has the magic, Argentina the belief: Together, they dream again

Published by Parlour News

Lionel Messi continues to be the point of difference, and he is inevitable. At almost 39 years of age, Messi continues to leave opponents searching for answers. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is not just adding more records to his name; he is rewriting the history books and making sure the next generation of superstars, including Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, will have to work even harder to reach the heights he has already achieved. Records are meant to be broken in every sport, but sometimes it is about who breaks them and when they do it. For Messi to continue reaching these milestones at this stage of his career is a reflection of his greatness, his unbelievable longevity, and the unpredictable beauty of football, which makes it unlike any other sport. Lionel Messi is carrying the Argentina team once again on his back. (AP) With his brace against Austria, Messi took his World Cup goal tally to 18, becoming the highest scorer in the tournament’s history. The night began with a rare …

Lionel Messi’s brilliance makes Zlatan Ibrahimović mock his own World Cup record: ‘He has five goals, me zero’

Lionel Messi’s brilliance makes Zlatan Ibrahimović mock his own World Cup record: ‘He has five goals, me zero’

Published by Parlour News

There is just no stopping Lionel Messi, the Argentine superstar. It doesn’t seem like that the forward will turn 39 on June 24. He is still agile and continues to wreak havoc inside the opponents’ box, shattering their defence left, right and centre. If the hat-trick against Algeria wasn’t enough in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Messi followed this performance with another brace against Austria in the Group J match on Monday night at the Dallas Stadium. Lionel Messi scored a brace against Austria (REUTERS) Messi achieved yet another sensational record on Monday, becoming the highest goal-scorer in the FIFA World Cup, breaking the record of German icon Miroslav Klose. The striker achieved the feat with a 38th-minute strike. In the last match against Algeria, Messi drew level with Klose on 16 goals. Messi now has a total of 18 goals in the tournament, and the 2026 edition of the competition has seen Messi striking two goals in five matches. The match against Austria started on a bad note for Messi as he failed to …

Lionel Messi’s historic 17th World Cup goal leaves Ronaldo fan IShowSpeed in disbelief. Watch his reaction

Lionel Messi’s historic 17th World Cup goal leaves Ronaldo fan IShowSpeed in disbelief. Watch his reaction

Published by Parlour News

Lionel Messi made World Cup history with a record-breaking goal for Argentina. Lionel Messi broke the World Cup scoring record with his 17th goal and then added an 18th in stoppage time in defending champion Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria on Monday. Check out how IShowSpeed reacted to Messi’s goal. IShowSpeed’s reaction YouTuber IShowSpeed, who is famously one of the biggest and most vocal supporters of Cristiano Ronaldo, was present in the stands wearing an Austria jersey and streaming live during the match. When Messi scored the goal, he looked stunned and his face froze at the loud cheers around him. Check it out: Ronaldo has scored eight goals in 23 appearances across six different FIFA World Cup tournaments. More details A loud gasp was heard from the fans when Messi missed the penalty kick in the ninth minute. For a brief moment, it looked as though the record would have to wait. But in the 39th minute, the Argentina captain delivered. Messi had equaled Germany striker Miroslav Klose for the most goals in the …

Record-breaking Lionel Messi ‘s longevity is truly remarkable

Record-breaking Lionel Messi ‘s longevity is truly remarkable

Published by Webster

In the space of half an hour, Lionel Messi showed he is mortal yet immortal. Like Diego Maradona 40 years ago on the same day, with a goal scored by his hand and another with his imagination. Messi missed a spot kick, before he scored a belter and added one more late in the game in Argentina’s 2-0 win. In the ninth minute of the game, against Austria, an upgrade on Algeria, the team Messi eviscerated, he fluffed a penalty. Anticipation buzzed, the cameras converged to not Messi, but his priceless left leg. He measured his steps, kissed the ball and set off, the run-up intentionally stuttered. The world waited breathlessly for the historic moment when he could become the highest goal-scorer in the World Cup, another entry into his album of consummate greatness. The next moment, the arena shook in silence. The infallible failed to burst the nets, his shot weak and wayward. The audience might have rubbed their eyes to fathom if it were real or imagined. It was just the 33rd spot …

Lionel Messi becomes FIFA World Cup’s all-time highest goal-scorer, goes past Klose

Lionel Messi becomes FIFA World Cup’s all-time highest goal-scorer, goes past Klose

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: Jun 22, 2026 11:28 PM IST Lionel Messi shattered another record on Monday in the match against Austria when he eclipsed German icon Miroslav Klose and became the all-time highest goal-scorer in FIFA World Cup history with a 38th minute strike. In the last match against Algeria, Messi had drawn level with Klose with 16 goals when he had slammed a hattrick. On Monday, he went past the German and now has a tally of 17 strikes in World Cups. Earlier in the match, Messi had missed a chance in the 9th minute to seal the record but ended up missing a penalty which was given after a lengthy check after Lautaro Martinez was fouled in the Austria penalty box. Last week, exactly 20 years since making his World Cup debut where he became Argentina’s youngest-ever World Cup scorer, Messi dazzled in his 200th international appearance, setting up a fiery start for the reigning world champions. Messi’s first goal came in the 17th minute, curling a left-footed shot past Algeria goalkeeper Luca …

Lionel Messi’s team breaks silence on Kolkata chaos: Names ex-Bengal minister, alleges protocol breach, clears organiser

Lionel Messi’s team breaks silence on Kolkata chaos: Names ex-Bengal minister, alleges protocol breach, clears organiser

Published by Parlour News

Lionel Messi‘s communication team has finally broken its silence on the chaos that unfolded at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium during the opening day of the GOAT Tour last December. In an email sent to the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, Messi’s camp reportedly held former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas responsible for the fiasco while exonerating event organiser Satadru Dutta, who was arrested and jailed following the incident. Lionel Messi had visited Kolkata in December last year (Samir Jana/Hindustan Times) The development was confirmed by Dutta, although the Bidhannagar Police declined to comment. The email forms part of an ongoing investigation after Dutta filed a complaint alleging criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, cheating and extortion. “An email arrived today. The consultant and adviser associated with Messi’s India tour has written to the Commissioner of Police, Bidhannagar. Even on the day I was arrested, they repeatedly informed the police about the role of the then sports minister. But the police ignored it and made me a scapegoat because Aroop Biswas was a minister at that time,” Dutta told …

Lionel Messi escaped a red card before scoring a World Cup hat-trick | Football News

Lionel Messi escaped a red card before scoring a World Cup hat-trick | Football News

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: Jun 17, 2026 09:05 PM IST The 32nd minute. Argentina leading 1-0. Messi challenging for the ball, studs catching Algerian captain Aïssa Mandi on the right calf, Mandi going down in pain. Polish referee Szymon Marciniak awarded a foul. No card. VAR did not intervene. Messi apologised. Mandi received treatment and continued. Messi then scored twice more in the second half, completing his first hat-trick in six World Cup appearances and equalling Miroslav Klose’s all-time tournament record of 16 goals. The incident overshadowed the result before the night was over. On ESPN, former Venezuelan international Alejandro Moreno was unequivocal. “It’s a 100 per cent red card for Lionel Messi. It should have been,” he said. “We don’t even have to see the still. If you see the live video, it felt like a bad challenge. Then you see the replay — this is a bad challenge. Why was Marciniak not called over to review it? You’re raking the back of somebody’s calf all the way up from the knee down to the …

Top 10 Highest Goal Scorer in FIFA World Cup: Lionel Messi joins Klose at top | Football News

Top 10 Highest Goal Scorer in FIFA World Cup: Lionel Messi joins Klose at top | Football News

Published by Webster

3 min readJun 17, 2026 10:05 AM IST All Time Highest Goal Scorer in FIFA World Cup: On a record-setting night at the FIFA World Cup, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland raised the bar with two goals each before Lionel Messi defied expectations with his first-ever hat-trick at the FIFA World Cup. Three goals from Messi against Algeria in a Group J clash not only helped Argentina start their World Cup title defence with a 3-0 victory, but also helped Messi join Miroslav Klose as the highest goal-scorer at FIFA World Cup. How Messi scored a hatrick Messi’s first goal came in the 17th minute. He curled a left-footed shot past Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane (the son of French legend Zinedine Zidane) after being fed by Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul. The second goal came in much easier fashion, after a teammate took a shot at goal, Zidane could not collect it and ended up sending it back into to play where Messi, who had started the move on the left flank, was at …

Argentina look like 2022 again. Can Lionel Messi and the old guard win?

Argentina look like 2022 again. Can Lionel Messi and the old guard win?

Published by Webster

The 2022 World Cup triumph ended a 36-year wait for Argentina, so they would be forgiven if they were caught in a time warp. The squad assembled for their title defence bears an uncanny similarity to the one in Qatar. Same manager, the same talisman as captain, the same No.1 goalkeeper, the same central defensive pairing, largely the same midfield, and most likely the same support cast up front. The logic is understandable as the same group followed the World Cup win by winning the Copa America title in 2024. In fact, only nine players from the squad that won in Qatar have missed out. Of them, Angel di Maria retired from international duty after the 2024 Copa America title. One of the newcomers, defender Leonardo Balerdi, had to pull out on the eve of the 2026 edition due to a calf injury. While having the same core may have its benefits in terms of continuity and experience, the counterpoint could be that all key players are almost four years older. Only three players in …

Lionel Messi to play final warm-up game before 2026 FIFA World Cup

Lionel Messi to play final warm-up game before 2026 FIFA World Cup

Published by Webster

3 min readJun 9, 2026 03:45 PM IST Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni indicated that Lionel Messi would play when the reigning world champions face Iceland in their final warm-up match ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday in Auburn, Alabama. Addressing reporters on Monday, Scaloni said, “Leo is going to play. The only thing we haven’t finalised yet is exactly how long he’ll be on the field. I want to speak with him again during today’s session before making that decision. Our priority is making sure we don’t take unnecessary risks. Once we evaluate everything, we’ll determine the number of minutes, but the plan is for him to participate.” Messi was an unused substitute during Argentina’s victory over Honduras on June 6, though he took part in the pre-match warmup activities in College Station, Texas. The 38-year-old joined the national team’s camp after dealing with fatigue in his left hamstring. The Inter Miami captain was substituted in the second half of his club’s final MLS match before the World Cup pause against …