Tag Archives: Lionel Messi

The Spanish conquistadors are back, baby! Spain confirmed Europe’s superiority in the football world at present, and, quite likely, served notice of a new era of dominance—as they clinched the 2026 World Cup title yesterday, with a 1-0 extra time win over defending champions, Argentina. At least Argentina left with …

“[…]  Footballers acknowledge that a coach’s tactical intelligence, technical knowledge, and interpersonal skills, are important BUT they know that they are the ones who get the job done. “Latest evidence of this is the polar views expressed by England coach Thomas Tuchel and England’s quarter-final hero Jude Bellingham, after their …

Well, that was cringe-worthy. It is never easy to see a major nation floundering as they try to balance the country’s goal for greatness with appeasing a giant, awkward, perma-tanned baby who keeps fluffing potential tap-ins, while critics flood the internet with memes poking fun at his unsuitability for his …

“[…] Critics will interpret and skew statistics to form all kinds of narratives… The question we ought to be asking is: in 2022, who was the best football player in the world? “All hail the king, the greatest player the sport has ever seen. When Messi decides to stop being …

“[…] North versus south, developed versus developing, small versus big, rich versus poor, colonists versus colonised. Matches were pregnant with meaning and resonance outside of football. “[…] The World Cup, Olympics and sports in general are proxies for fights over politics, history and geographical hegemony… Caribbean people in the UK …

“[…] Brazil’s substitutions were difficult to understand. Against Croatia’s compact block, surely the penetration of Gabriel Martinelli could have been an option. I also struggled with the question as to the role of Pedro. “[…] Argentina can be best described as pragmatic. In reality, they are a team based on …

“World Cup isn’t relevant anymore,” a 30-year-old sports editor colleague told me a few years ago. “[Uefa] Champions League is the most important event in football; it’s what everybody wants to see—where all the top players are.” That’s Bobby, pronouncing, now that the Qatar 2022 groups have been more or …

You asked for this… So don’t blame us! Burdie and Barney are back with Episode Two, as we speak to HFX Wanderers coach Stephen Hart on his career path in Canada, coaching the Trinidad and Tobago senior team, strained relations with ex-TTFA president David John-Williams, and the Soca Warriors’ recent …

Ex-Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team head coach Stephen Hart remembers an unusual thing that Argentine genius Lionel Messi did against the Soca Warriors on 4 June 2014 at a friendly in Buenos Aires. Look out for Hart’s full interview with the Burdie and Barney Show from Wednesday 10 February …

“[…] Diego was larger than life and he couldn’t go anywhere and relax. I’m sure it must be like that with Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Messi and Pelé. They have no lives. “You have to see it to believe it… It was unbelievable to think someone has to live like this, …

So, farewell to the G.O.A.T and the Goatee. The Russia 2018 World Cup will make do without football’s MVP trophy-grabbing duopoly of Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, after the pair were eliminated on the first day of the Round of 16 today. Messi’s return ticket was booked at …

Somewhere in St Petersburg tonight, a dazed looking Argentine in a number 14 shirt might be heard asking medical staff: Did we win? Did we win? On another electric evening in the Russia 2018 World Cup, La Albiceleste squeezed into the Round of 16 at the death as they narrowly …