Lionel Messi Named World Playmaker Of The Year

Barcelona star, Lionel Messi has been named the World Playmaker Of The Year by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS). The award was won by Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos in 2014.

Top 10 players 

1. Lionel  Messi – 168 points- Barcelona

2. Andres Iniesta – 91 points –  Barcelona

3. Andrea Pirlo – 54 points –  New York City

4. Eden Hazard – 22 points – Chelsea

4. Kevin de Bruyne – 22 points VFL Wolfsburg/Manchester City

5. Ivorian Yaya Toure – 13 points – Manchester City

6.Toni Kroos – 11 points – Real Madrid

7. Luka Modric – 11 points – Real Madrid

8. James Rodriguez – 10 points –  Real Madrid

9. Javier Pastore – 10 points –  PSG

Barcelona coach, Luis Enrique was named the World’s Best Club Coach in 2015.

Top coaches 

1. Luis Enrique – 165 points – Barcelona

2. Pep Guardiola – 86 points –  Bayern Munich

3. Massimiliano Allegro – 43 points- Juventus

4.  Unai Emery – 39 points –  Sevilla

5. Marcello Gallardo – 33 points –  River Plate

6. Carlo Ancelotti – 19  points

7. Diego Simeone – 12 points –  Atletico Madrid.

Messi, Suarez fire Barcelona to third Club World Cup victory

An opener from Lionel Messi and a brace from Luis Suarez was enough to seal Barcelona’s Club World Cup title. The Spanish giants defeated River Plate 3-0 today at Yokohama to claim their 3rd global crown.

Ex Liverpool star, Luis Suarez who has been nothing short of exceptional for the team, scoring four braces in all competitions,  this season was awarded the Golden Ball – the best player of the tournament.

He also broke another record today. His two goals took Barcelona’s goal total for the calendar year to 176 as against 175 recoded in 2012.

 “The most important thing was to take the trophy, that was the only objective we had” The Uruguayan said.

Messi nominated for 2015 Puskas Award

Barcelona talisman, Lionel Messi has bagged another major nomination. The 28 year-old Argentine has joined Roma’s Alessandro Florenzi  and Atletico GO’s Wendell Lira who were nominated for the 2015 edition of the Puskas Award.

Goals nominated;
Alessandro Florenzi – ROMA vs Barcelona (Champions League)
Sept 15 

Wendell Lira – Atletico-GO vs GOIANESIA (Brazilian Goiano) 11 March
2015

Lionel Messi – BARCELONA vs Athletic Bilbao (
Copa del Rey) 30 May 2015

Edgar Davids joins in the Messi Vs Ronaldo debate.

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The supremacy battle between soccer
greats, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rages on. ex Netherlands player
Edgar Davids  has also joined in the debate. Speaking after FIFA released
the top three nominees for the FIFA Ballon D’Or, the former Tottenham who
tipped the Argentine to win the prize also explained the difference between the
fierce rivals. 
The 42 year-old Dutch said: “Messi is just
an anomaly: he can dribble, he can score, he can pass, he has the vision, he
understands the game… Ronaldo is just an athlete. He works so hard and
back to back, he is always there. But if you work hard, can you be like
Messi? No, that’s impossible. Can you be like Ronaldo? Yes, to a certain
extent.”

Messi wins Best Forward & Best Player of 2014/2015 La Liga season.

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Barcelona star, Lionel
Messi has defeated Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to win the best player award
for the 2014/ 2015 La Liga season.

“It’s an honour to be
awarded The Best La Liga Player 2014/2015. This award is the result of the
hard work from the whole team. Hugs & thanks a lot for all the messages.”
The Argentine said after receiving the prize

The 28 year-old has won the La Liga best player award in 6 of the 7 seasons
since it’s inception
2008–09 2009–10 2010–11
2011–12 2012–13 2014–15. Messi won the Best Player and best Forward, Neymar –
Best South American player, Bravo – Best Goalkeeper and Luis Enrique- Best
Manager

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Lionel Messi named 2015 Goal 50 winner

Argentine forward, Lionel Messi has won the Goal 50 award for the fourth time. The Barcelona hitman who snatched the gong in 2009, 2011 and 2013 fought off competition from his Nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo who won it last year and teammates, Luis Suarez and Neymar who came third and fourth respectively.

“I always say that, for me, the most important awards are collective ones, the ones that recognise us as the best at the end of the season. But I am also happy when I receive individual awards like this one. I am very grateful. Thank you.” The 28 year-old told Goal.

The Goal 50 is an annual award that both recognises and ranks the world’s 50 best footballers of the past 12 months.

Chief editors and correspondents from Goal’s 37 editions around the world all cast their votes, with candidates judged on their level of consistency over the previous year of action, their big-game performances, footballing legacy and the success of their teams at both club and international level.

Top Ten Goal 50 2015 winners.

1) Lionel Messi
2) Cristiano Ronaldo
3) Luis Suarez
4) Neymar
5) Eden Hazard
6) Thomas Muller
7) Arturo Vidal
8) Carlos Tevez
9) Paul Pogba,
10) Kevin De Bruyne

Credit: Goal.com 

Carlo Ancelloti discusses Messi’s return to Barca squad.

Former Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelloti has countered insinuations emanating
from some circles that the duo of Neymar and Suarez will take the back seat
after Barcelona forward, Messi returns to the squad.
The Argentine made his long-awaited comeback last weekend after
suffering a knee injury in a Liga game against Las Palmas on September 26.  The duo have kept the throne clean in his
absence scoring 11 goals in 11 games.
Speaking to Goal ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash against Roma.
Ancelotti pointed out that: “Messi’s return is not good news for Roma. It’s
true that Suarez and Neymar are doing very well but clearly Barca with Messi
are something else. Messi brings goals, quality. He brings everything!
“He brings enthusiasm to his team-mates, who know that they have
by their side a player capable of unlocking any game at any moment.
“It’s obviously better to play a Barca without him. Messi’s presence will
only relegate Neymar and Suarez to the background in terms of media coverage,
because on the field they do certainly not reside in the background.”

Ancelotti also mentioned that the on and off field bond between the trio played a major
role in last season’s victory for the Blaugrana. The trident ended their last
campaign with a combined total of 122 goals, making them the highest scoring
attacking threesome in Spanish football history.

“I was afraid Messi would nutmeg me and embarrass me in front of my family” Yaya Toure on Barca/Man City UCL clash

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Hilarious! In a recent interview with Rio Ferdinand of BT
Sports, Manchester City midfielder,  Yaya
Toure revealed that he was desperate to avoid being nutmegged and embarrassed by
Barcelona star, Lionel Messi in the Champions League last season. The football
world will never forget how the Argentinian nutmegged City’s James Milner during
last season’s 1-0 win at the Nou Camp. The 4-time African footballer of the year revealed that he prayed he
wouldn’t be subjected to such humiliation by the 3-time Ballon d’or winner. 
 ‘Last year in the dressing room, he jokingly
said he will nutmeg me. I saw him nutmeg two of my team-mates and thought he’d
do it to me. Whenever he came near me I screamed inside ‘please not me, don’t
nutmeg me’, my family is watching. I was afraid he’d embarrass me infront of my
family.’
The Ivorian said.

Messi gets a 'grumpy' gift from Luis Suarez

‎One can tell that the duo of Lionel Messi and teammate, Luis Suarez are quite close. The injured Barcelona player, Lionel has posted a picture of a‎ weird gift he’s received from his Uruguayan friend.

‎”Thanks to my friend Luis for the
pyjamas! I don’t understand why I got the ‘Grumpy’ one :)”‎ He wrote
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