Latest news with #freeKick
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Touched by God' - Messi shows he still has magic touch
Few things are as inevitable as the ball hitting the back of the net when Lionel Messi sizes up the target before executing a free-kick from 20 reminded world football - if we even needed a reminder - that he is still capable of delivering special moments during Inter Miami's 2-1 win over Porto at the Fifa Club World 37-year-old's free-kick was vintage, trademark, and there was nothing goalkeeper Claudio Ramos could do to save is, of course, a man who scored an eye-watering 73 goals in 60 appearances across all competitions during the 2011-12 season for centrally and on the edge of the D, the goal was at Messi's mercy, but he elected for the more difficult of the two options - going both over the wall and to the goalkeeper's that strike his 68th goal from direct free-kicks, Messi certainly has no shortage of experience and doesn't lack in anything when it comes to Juninho Pernambucano (77), who spent most of his career with Lyon and Pele (70) have scored more direct free-kicks than Messi."Touched by God, isn't he? Incredible. What a player," former Portugal defender Jose Fonte said on Dazn."If you get a chance to go see this guy live - you go and see him. This is what he does," ex-Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given added on Dazn."It's nearly like a penalty for him - he is so precise. He is a genius."You call him maestro, magician, the words run out."Messi's strike followed another stunning finish from team-mate Telasco Segovia and completed a comeback victory to put Inter Miami firmly in the running for a spot in the last 16 at the Club World is the first time the MLS franchise have won a game at the competition and means a draw in their final Group A game against Brazilian outfit Palmeiras, who sit top, would send both teams through. 'Still got those amazing feet' Just shy of two years on from swapping the shores of Europe and Paris St-Germain for the MLS, Messi maintains his position as one of the leading players in world took his tally to 50 goals in 61 games for Inter Miami and is the club's all-time leading goalscorer, albeit they were only founded in eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is no stranger to delivering in the Club World Cup, having scored six times in seven his time with Barcelona he scored five goals, including three in finals, and won the competition in 2009, 2011, 2015 - just three of the trophies collected in his illustrious has scored a remarkable 754 goals at club level and isn't showing any signs of slowing."He's the greatest player in the world," said Inter Miami team-mate Fafa sits joint-second in the rankings for all-time goalscorers at the Club World Cup alongside Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema with six, and is just one shy of the overall leader Cristiano Ronaldo (7).No player completed more than Messi's tally of two dribbles at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, while he ranked fifth for most passes attempted in the game (56)."You can have a high pass completion, but you're not affecting the game," ex-Scotland midfielder Don Hutchison said on Dazn."Lionel Messi does both, he is affecting the game, he is controlling the game. He is controlling his team-mates, he never gives the ball away."Lionel Messi has still got those amazing feet. At his age, 37, still dancing through."Messi also tallied third for touches against Porto with 70 - only Sergio Busquets (85) and Porto's Fabio Vieira (99) enjoyed more. 'Showed to the world we can compete' Messi could celebrate his 38th birthday on Tuesday by booking a spot in the next phase of the Club World a blend of some ageing players like Messi, Luis Suarez, Busquets and Jordi Alaba - who all gave their best years to Barcelona - and some younger players from the Americas, Inter Miami have set their sights victory over Porto marked the first time an MLS team has beaten a European side in an official competition."Today we showed to the world and ourselves that we can compete against any team," manager Javier Mascherano told Dazn."It is great for the people of the USA to see our team compete in this kind of tournament."Prior to this edition of the re-formatted Club World Cup, only one MLS side had competed in the competition. Seattle Sounders, who are also involved this year, reached the second round in Sounders, Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC are all bidding to impress on home soil over the next few weeks.
News.com.au
19 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Vintage Messi delivers ‘MAGICAL' moment
Football: Lionel Messi curled in a gorgeous free-kick to put Inter Miami ahead 2-1 against FC Porto!
New York Times
19 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Inter Miami 2 Porto 1: Messi's magical free kick lights up Club World Cup in comeback win
Lionel Messi lit up the Club World Cup with a vintage free-kick that sealed a 2-1 comeback win over Porto. In front of a 31,783-crowd at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium (not bad with the game kicking off at 3pm local time on a Thursday), Porto led through a penalty inside 10 minutes before Telasco Segovia drew Miami level with a thumping finish. But then up stepped Messi just before the hour mark to place a brilliant free kick into the top corner. Advertisement Messi's presence has been key to FIFA's attempt to promote the tournament to the U.S. public and so the world governing body will be delighted with his headline goal. The win puts Miami on four points, level with Palmeiras, with Porto and Al Ahly on one point. Miami face Palmeiras and Porto play Al Ahly on June 24 with the top two teams progressing to the knockout stages. Here, Felipe Cardenas and Conor O'Neill analyse the action from Atlanta. Messi and beautifully struck free-kicks remain one of football's most enduringly breathtaking spectacles, and his latest brilliant effort capped a spirited second-half revival from Miami. Anyone of a Porto persuasion would have drawn a sharp breath when Messi won the set piece himself, crashing into Ze Pedro on the edge of the area. The penalty was perfectly positioned centrally on the edge of the D, a nightmare for Porto shotstopper Claudio Ramos who knew Messi had a clear view of both corners. Messi chose the right, curling a precise left-footed strike into the top corner, beyond Ramos's despairing dive, the ball nestling into the side netting. Besides his magical free-kick, Messi — who was named Superior Player of the Match — sparkled throughout, with everything filtering through the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. Despite injury concerns coming into the game, he was sharp from the start. Within the first two minutes, he picked up the ball on the right, drove into the half-space and floated a great cross into an offside Luis Suarez. His former Barcelona team-mate's sluggishness repeatedly let Messi's brilliance go to waste in the first half. Moments later, he chested down a high ball to take two Porto defenders out of the game, only for Suarez to be caught flat-footed as Messi threaded another incisive pass his way. Once again, Messi was the creative hub at the heart of Miami's best attacking moves. Advertisement Relying so much on one player, even one as freakishly talented as Messi, has its downsides with Miami looking structurally all over the place as the Argentinian was given freedom to roam. (He was also quite comically nutmegged towards the end of the game.) Still, when he produces moments of magic like this, it's hard to argue with the simplicity of the 'get it to Messi' approach. Conor O'Neill Miami wasn't supposed to be here. They didn't win the MLS Cup final and their Concacaf ranking or any other parameters weren't good enough to warrant a Club World Cup berth. But FIFA always reserves a host slot, and when Miami won the MLS Supporters' Shield in 2024 (given to the team that earns the most regular season points), FIFA president Gianni Infantino had the loophole he needed. Miami and Messi are here and they may be around longer than many expected. Messi's clever free kick was a vintage strike. We've all seen the Argentine do that on numerous occasions. On Thursday in Atlanta, however, it sent shockwaves throughout the football world. Even with Messi, a five-year-old MLS club isn't supposed to take down a perennial UEFA Champions League club. Miami, with Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez, and despite all their squad limitations (depth the primary issue), are a story that the Club World Cup needs. Felipe Cardenas Atlanta United, the local MLS side that calls Mercedes-Benz Stadium home, averages over 40,000 fans a game. When Messi has come with Miami for a regular-season match, or a pivotal playoff clash, the 72,000-seat stadium nearly sells out. The 2024 Copa America opener between Argentina and Canada boasted 70,000 fans, so why did so many people stay home during the Club World Cup? Advertisement Messi remains a major draw in any city he visits in the U.S., but national pride isn't on the line this summer. People won't skip work for what still feels like a summer friendly. Plus, the 32-team team Club World Cup is a novel idea that many Americans don't understand or don't care about. There isn't a large community of Portuguese expats in Atlanta, either. But while the empty seats may be an eyesore on television, inside the stadium the vibe was much different. The fans who are here were wide-eyed at the sight of Messi and the dome-shaped nature of the stadium made a for a decent atmosphere considering the attendance of 31,783. Felipe Cardenas For all of Messi's magic, Porto were poor again tonight. Martin Anselmi's side, like in the game against Palmeiras, were painfully slow in possession and careless in the final third. One small consolation was the bright display of centre-forward Samu Aghehowa, who netted a first-half penalty and offered a rare spark. Aside from the penalty Samu began the game sluggishly but became a dangerous threat as the contest wore on. Early on, he frequently lost the ball with loose touches in tight spaces. Porto's slow build-up did him few favours, allowing Miami to settle into a compact low block that restricted Samu's space. After shaking off this rustiness, he started stretching the Miami defence with his purposeful running in behind. Miami centre backs Ian Fray and Maximiliano Falcon struggled to cope with his physicality on the rare occasions when Porto went long. His combination play, particularly with the lively Rodrigo Mora, stood out with a slick backheel to Mora inside the box a highlight, whose shot was scrambled off the line by Falcon. Just before half-time, Samu finally had a chance to stretch those powerful legs. Picking up the ball in the left channel in his own half, he drove rapidly past the Miami defence, shrugged off Fray, and hit a low driven effort on target. Advertisement As Porto pushed for an equaliser, Samu continued to offer a threat up top, but was frustrated by his teammates' predictable passing and limited movement. But Samu's driving runs, dynamic movement, and smart link-up reminded us why Chelsea were so keen on him last summer. Conor O'Neill Monday, June 23: Palmeiras, Club World Cup group stage (Miami), 9pm ET, 2am (Tuesday) UK Monday, June 23: Al Ahly, Club World Cup group stage (East Rutherford), 9pm ET, 2am (Tuesday) UK You can sign up to DAZN to watch every FIFA Club World Cup game for free
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Watch Thierry Henry score stunning free-kick for Arsene Wenger aged 47 as Arsenal fans demand Arteta sign him up
THIERRY HENRY netted a stunning free-kick while playing under Arsene Wenger at the age of 47. Arsenal fans demanded Mikel Arteta 'sign him up' as Henry rolled back the years with a sumptuous piece of play at Djibril Cisse's testimonial. 2 Legends from across the game turned out for the epic battle on Tuesday, which saw an Auxerre Legends side faces a Cisse's All Stars XI in France. The likes of Didier Drogba, Robert Pires, Claude Makelele and William Gallas all took part in the game. While former Arsenal manager Wenger stepped back into the dugout as he took charge of the All Stars. It didn't go to plan though, with the Auxerre Legends triumphing 8-4 on the night. But the All Stars opened the scoring with the goal of the game as Henry powered in a magnificent free-kick. The Premier League legend stood over the ball alongside Pires and Drogba, with the Chelsea icon appearing most likely to take the shot. But before he could run up to the ball, Henry cheekily stepped forward to jink the free-kick over the Auxerre wall and into the back of the net. There were no hard feelings though as teammates celebrated with Henry. And Arsenal fans were quick to react online as they demanded Arteta re-sign him this summer. One said: 'I'm deadly serious when I say he could still do a job.' Mikel Arteta will be sacked by Christmas if Arsenal are not in top two, warns former Gunners star Another declared: 'Still got it.' One noted: 'King of Arsenal, no player today can take a free-kick with such ease.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yildiz with two assists to beat Udinese
Julián Álvarez on his stunning free-kick goal and Club World Cup expectations The Argentinian striker spoke about the joy that the 4-1 victory over Real Betis produced on him, as well as the talks behind his great free-kick goal. 0:42 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
