Messi

Messi, C.Ronaldo, Xavi Finalists of FIFA Ballon d'Or award. Who should win the Award?

  • Lionel Messi

    Votes: 13 48.1%
  • Cristiano Ronaldo

    Votes: 6 22.2%
  • Xavi

    Votes: 8 29.6%

  • Total voters
    27
Aug 26, 2005
16,771
4
#21
Better than Walcott. :). Amazing vision, touch, and technique. He will definately be a star. It's a shame he isn't played more, he will be though.
 
Aug 26, 2005
16,771
4
#22
YaKooZa said:
Guiseppe Rossi from Manchester United. But he has to be kidding. I've seen a couple of clips with him and he is not anywhere near as good as Messi.
Clips aren't good enough but watch Man Utd vs. Burton Albion. Once you see that you will see what I am talking about.
 
Last edited:
Aug 26, 2005
16,771
4
#25
Arsenal said:
You're now comparing him to a sixteen-year old who hasn't played a single minute in the Prem....that's a great comparison. ;)
Haha, It was a sledge mate. Calm down...Walcott will grow up too. ;) Mind you, Rossi is only 19.
 

Arsenal

National Team Player
Apr 11, 2003
5,243
0
BWI/PHL
www.arsenalamerica.com
#26
Kaz said:
Haha, It was a sledge mate. Calm down...Walcott will grow up too. ;) Mind you, Rossi is only 19.

To be honest, I'm a bit annoyed at Rossi in general (other than him being a Manc ;)) because he's refuses to play for the US albeit it's rumored that it's more his dad than him making the decision.
 
Aug 26, 2005
16,771
4
#27
Arsenal said:
To be honest, I'm a bit annoyed at Rossi in general (other than him being a Manc ;)) because he's refuses to play for the US albeit it's rumored that it's more his dad than him making the decision.
I wondered about that too, but the commentator said that the reason Rossi was playing for Italy was because he only identifies himself as that. He moved from the USA when he was very small and started football over in Italy. That's where he was established and that's why he's said he wants to play for Italy. So in all, I think he's made the right choice, judging on that. I just can't wait to see him play more. Kid is a genius.
 

Alio

Ball Boy
Feb 22, 2006
223
0
#29
lionel messi is an amazing player. I saw him for the first time yesterday against barca and i love him

but i cant find and jerseys or t-shirts of him anywhere...:(
 
Aug 26, 2005
16,771
4
#35
He's not better I think. Messi has proven and is still proving himself. Rossi is a rough diamond. Both genius' when it comes to football, and so young.
 

Payam

News Team
Oct 18, 2002
9,358
9
34
Earth
www.iransportspress.com
#36
Alio said:
lionel messi is an amazing player. I saw him for the first time yesterday against barca and i love him

but i cant find and jerseys or t-shirts of him anywhere...:(
I've got his jersey. In fact, I am wearing it right now, I wore it to school today in honor of the victory yesterday :D
 

averageniceguy

National Team Player
Apr 14, 2003
4,873
0
north pole (almost)
#37
i hope messi will continue like this. i really enjoyed watching him and ronaldinho play around with chelseas defence.

maybe one day argentina can actually match up to brazil then :D

messi has got a lot of power and speed and hes very agile. robinho is not as fast and not nearly as strong, but he has got better control of the ball. they can both create dangerous moments by themselves, but messi can get through due to his strength more often than not, while robinho is usually fouled on and gets free-kicks, penalty kicks and cards for the opponent.

they are different, but i wouldnt say one is better than the other in every department.
 

westwienmaskulin

News Team, ISP Managers Team, ISP Podcast Team
Oct 18, 2002
36,645
1
41
Av. Aristide Maillol, BCN
#38
from my girl Amy Lawrence..

http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1718267,00.html
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The two amigos
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As the knockout stages of the Champions League burst into action in spectacular style last week with fantastic nights of football in Madrid and London, two teenagers who grew up together in Spain caught the eye. Amy Lawrence charts the rise and rise of Fabregas and Messi
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Sunday February 26, 2006

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In the business of grooming modern footballers, it must be an advantage to position an academy several distractions away from the heart of a chic, sun-kissed city. Barcelona's youth department lies off the beaten track, tucked away in the rural outskirts. Their base is called La Masia, which means 'the farmhouse'. It is clearly a fertile spot for breeding.
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Two boys who grew up together at La Masia commanded the Champions League stage on two sensational nights last week. They are aged 18 and they were brave enough to move to a new country to further their football careers before the hint of a teenage growth spurt. They have grasped their chance with eyecatching wit, character and maturity. And a few days ago they left a football stadium far more prominent players than when they arrived.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Although Francesc Fabregas waltzed out of the Bernabeu with praise ringing in his ears and Lionel Messi escaped Stamford Bridge with a minder watching his back, the consequences were the same: welcome to the seriously big time.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Cesc and Leo, whose friendship dates back to PlayStation sessions at the farmhouse, reached that moment when a budding career leaps into the deep end. They have gone beyond the compulsion to measure them by their youthfulness. They are that good already. That they proved it at the two richest clubs in Europe is particularly satisfying. These are players who cost their employers little more than the bills for scouting and development and the time they put into the pastoral care that has enabled them to blossom.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]It was comical to see Real Madrid take one close look at Fabregas before hurrying to fuel a bandwagon with speculation that he is a transfer target for president Florentino Perez. The next night it was fun imagining how Roman Abramovich might have assessed Messi's worth. But prising either prodigy from his club would be a tall order. Fabregas is contracted to Arsenal until 2011 and acts as if he cannot believe his luck. Messi's present deal takes him up to 2014 and contains a buyout clause as staggeringly prohibitive as Ronaldinho's - more than £100m. The vultures may as well swoop off.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]This is the fifth arrangement struck between Barcelona and Messi, so conscious are they of protecting their jewel. Five years ago, so the story goes, it was in the restaurant of a tennis club that Barcelona secured the signature of a tiny yet hugely beguiling Argentine boy on the back of a napkin. Charly Rexach, Barca's sporting director at the time, had sensed that the youngster's representative was having second thoughts. After all, Messi was only 13, and to uproot and cross the Atlantic was a life-changing decision. Rexach asked a waiter for something on which to scribble out a makeshift contract. As he recalls: 'I wrote something like, "As sporting director of the club, I guarantee that the club will assume all responsibility for the Messi family if they come to live in Barcelona and the kid joins the club." '[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]If Barcelona had shown half as much determination with one of his peers, they would have two of the most talented teenagers in world football. Fabregas is the one that got away.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Cesc and Leo complemented each other well. 'We won everything together in our age group and we used to love playing one-twos on the pitch. We had a great understanding,' recalls Fabregas. But local lads are sometimes overlooked compared to imports and while Barca attended to Messi, they took their time in offering Fabregas professional terms. Arsenal - who had admired the Catalan midfielder for some time - were ready with a big commitment. Their belief in his talent and the feeling that he would be promoted more quickly at Highbury, swung it.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Coming from a family of Nou Camp season-ticket holders, Fabregas did not find it easy to bid farewell to his friends at La Masia. But his bold choice was vindicated at the Bernabeu last week. In the grandest occasion of his career so far, the youngest player on the pitch conducted the game with the perception of an old master.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]As he trotted off when he was substituted in the dying seconds, a spontaneous ovation cascaded around the Bernabeu's four sides. What an accolade. In his first match as a professional footballer in his homeland he had earned the instant respect of his compatriots. The next day's newspapers were effusive.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]'Credit to the scouts who spirited Cesc away to English football. It ended up being humiliating to watch Gravesen struggling to control the midfield for Madrid, while Fabregas was doing it for Arsenal,' commented AS.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]'While the galacticos made complete fools of themselves, the whole of European football is in awe of Cesc,' wrote Sport, a Catalan paper that enjoyed sticking an extra needle in their rival's backside.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Local pride in Fabregas's development is one thing, but it is a sore point for Barcelona that he left to make the grade. The story exposes how difficult it is to balance developing youngsters with signing experienced players. Fabregas has already played almost 100 games for Arsenal and it is doubtful that he would have spent much time in a Barcelona first team with Xavi, Deco, Mark van Bommel, Andres Iniesta, Thiago Motta and Gabri ahead of him in the midfield pecking order. He appreciates the equality he enjoyed at Highbury from day one, saying: 'I never trained with the first team at Barcelona, but I've spoken to Messi. He says if you do something wrong, everyone says, "He's young, it's OK." It's not like that here. Here you're treated like all the other players.'[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]His accelerated experience at Arsenal makes Fabregas a contender for a place in Spain's World Cup squad. His selection for Wednesday's friendly against Ivory Coast is reward for his excellence at the Bernabeu. Playing at Real was an essential rite of passage for this determined and intelligent young man. 'I really wanted to show people that I could play here,' he said. 'I hope I'll be able to go to the World Cup. And the Champions League final.'[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Much of this season has been demoralising for him. Although he is exonerated from much of the criticism aimed at Arsenal - he has been one of their most consistent performers - he has had to take a string of defeats on the chin. It was impressive, therefore, to see how he kept his composure after the Bernabeu scalp. 'The tie is not over by any means,' he said. 'Real lost 6-1 against Zaragoza in the Spanish Cup and were able to score four in the second leg. There is a big battle ahead at Highbury.'[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Asked if Arsenal's 1-0 advantage was as much of a breeze as it looked, Fabregas chuckled. 'Do you think it was easy?' he said. 'I tell you it wasn't while I was running out there. We worked like never before. We are a really young side, but after this performance we are so proud of ourselves.'[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Afterwards, Fabregas had time for a short reunion with his family before flying back to his digs in London. A self-sufficient young man, he is ready for independence and is soon to move into his first home.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Protecting Messi has always been an issue. His Barcelona team-mates complained that he left Stamford Bridge covered in bruises. When he was at La Masia, his fellow players - including Manchester United's Gerard Pique, as well as Fabregas - used to pick up yellow cards for defending him from the treatment dished out by opponents.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]When Messi arrived in Spain he was 4ft 6in, and the fact that his feet did not reach the ground when he sat on the bench has become the stuff of legend, earning him the nickname 'The Flea'. His size was the result of a hormone deficiency that was extremely expensive to treat in Argentina during the economic crisis. His boyhood club, Newell's Old Boys, would not pay for the daily injections, but Barcelona would.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]The move from Argentina had positive and negative effects on Messi's footballing progress. The back-up, in terms of medical support and coaching facilities, was a plus. But on the downside, he was prevented from playing in tournaments reserved for Spanish boys and endured long periods when he was eligible only for friendlies. 'His behaviour was always 10 out of 10 in these hard times,' said the coach of Barcelona's Junior B team, Tito Vilanova.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]At first, speaking only Argentine slang - and not much of that - Messi struggled to mix. He would sit silently in the dressing room, change and leave. 'He made a big impression on me, but he was very shy and that complicated his integration,' said Fabregas. 'We thought he was dumb. Until, being kids and thanks to PlayStation, we discovered he could talk.'[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Fast-forward a few years and Messi is welcomed to the table of the Nou Camp's Brazilian clan, who banter that he is the only Argentine they will put up with. Ronaldinho calls him 'my little brother', Sylvinho looks after him like a second father and Deco takes him out shopping or to the hairdresser (perhaps as an elaborate joke, to judge from the boy's unruly mop). Messi has become an integral part of the Barca first-team unit and looks entirely at home, completing an attacking trident with two of the best players in the world in Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Messi was the talk of Argentina before he was a fixture for Barcelona. Since he was voted best player and finished top scorer at the under-20 World Cup in 2005 (feats that Fabregas achieved at the under-17 version in 2003), his homeland has been in thrall. 'Messi has awakened in us the same dreams that Maradona gave us when he started,' enthused Argentina FA president Julio Grondana.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]After Messi's heroics for the under-20s, when he scored twice in the final, a poll concluded that almost 90 per cent of Argentines wanted him in the senior team as quickly as possible. His dynamic bursts and creativity bring something new to the party. Once back in Barcelona, somebody handed him a phone.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]'They said that it was Diego Maradona on the other end,' Messi said. 'I thought they were joking with me, but I still took the phone and then someone at the other end said, "Hello, Leo, this is little Diego." I couldn't speak. I didn't know what to say. I was in shock. Him calling me? As I held the mobile I looked in the mirror on the wall and I could see that my eyes were full of tears, so it was hard to speak even when I regained my composure a little bit. What a fantastic moment.'[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Maradona invited him on to his television show, La Noche del Diez, and gave him a Davina-esque introduction. 'Everybody who loves Argentine football should be proud of him. He will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is MESSI!' He and another young gun, Carlos Tevez, then played head tennis against Maradona and fellow golden oldie Enzo Francescoli. And won.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Life has been moving fast enough for Messi that a few cross words from Jose Mourinho will not disturb him. 'I want to stay at Barcelona for the next 10 years and become an idol of the fans,' he said. 'This is the greatest club in Europe. It's time we won a lot more trophies.'[/FONT]
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[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]So, what is the defining image of Messi's performance at Stamford Bridge? Is it the barge he shouldered from a reckless Asier Del Horno? Is it the rolling around, for which he was vilified by eyes that risibly saw no wrong in Del Horno's own audition for the theatre? Or is it the electric footwork, the mesmerising technique to tame the ball at pace and that gorgeous chip that clipped Petr Cech's crossbar?[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]There's only one answer, surely.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006[/FONT]