Lionel Messi had a brace here Wednesday as FC Barcelona inflicted a 3-0 defeat on Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal tie. The Reds were better than the score showed, but will need some magic next week at Anfield to give themselves a chance at victory in Europe's elite club competition a year after losing in the final to Real Madrid.

Lionel Messi leads Barcelona over Liverpool in Champions League semi-final first leg

FC Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic said on Tuesday that his captain Lionel Messi's enormous desire to win the Champions League has spread across the club. The Catalan side is set to host England's Liverpool at Camp Nou stadium in the first leg of the semi-finals on Wednesday.

Rakitic on Lionel Messi: 'Our captain takes the lead and we follow him'

From Barcelona's 26th title win to Real Madrid's shocking defeat, major takeaways from the weekend in La Liga

Barcelona closed in on the La Liga title on Saturday after earning a hard-fought 2-1 win over Real Sociedad at the Nou Camp, with goals from defenders Clement Lenglet and Jordi Alba restoring their nine-point lead at the top of the table.

Barcelona close to clinch La Liga title after defeating Sociedad

Barcelona cruise into the Champions League semi-finals as their 3-0 win against Manchester United seals a 4-0 aggregate victory.

Barcelona reach Champions League semis

An uncharacteristically angry Lionel Messi revealed on Friday how he struggles to deal with criticism of his performances for Argentina's national team, saying that even his six-year-old son was questioning why he was judged so harshly in his country.

Angry Lionel Messi says son questions why Argentines criticise him

Messi returns for Argentina's match against Venezuela

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick of the highest quality as Barcelona avenged their defeat by Real Betis earlier in the season to move 10 points clear at the top of La Liga.

Lionel Messi's hat-trick earns standing ovation from Betis fans, Barca captain says 'very grateful'

Lionel Messi lead the way with two goals and two assists as Barcelona reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in style by thrashing Olympique Lyonnais 5-1 at home on Wednesday and advancing by the same scoreline on aggregate.

Champions League: Messi's double strike crushes Olympique Lyonnais; Barcelona reach quarter-finals

Lionel Messi hit a sumptuous hat-trick, the 50th of his career, to inspire Barcelona to a 4-2 victory over Sevilla on Saturday and take them one step closer to winning La Liga.

Messi treble fires Barcelona to thrilling win over Sevilla

His left foot: Lionel Messi scores 50th hat-trick of career

Barcelona have extended coach Ernesto Valverde's contract by another year until the end of the 2019-20 season with an option for one more year, the La Liga champions said on Friday.

Barcelona extend Ernesto Valverde contract until 2020

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni is hopeful for Lionel Messi's possible return to international football after the Copa America 2019 group draw at Cidade das Artes in Rio de Janeiro.

'Hope Messi can play in Copa America,' says Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni

Barcelona overturned a first leg defeat to beat Levante in the Copa del Rey on Thursday but could yet be thrown out of the competition after being accused of fielding an ineligible player.

Copa del Rey: Barcelona outplay Levante but threat of disqualification looms

Murtaza Ahmadi moved the world with his love for footballer Lionel Messi in 2016. His dream of meeting the Argentinian came true, but now the seven-year-old boy is living a nightmare as one of thousands of Afghans displaced by war.

From dream to nightmare: Afghanistan's 'Little Messi' forced to flee

Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona said his country's national team was going nowhere under the guidance of current caretaker head coach Lionel Scaloni. Maradona, who has coached Mexican second-division club Dorados de Sonora to the semi-finals of the Apertura 2018 championship, the first of the 2018-2019 season, lamented that one Argentine manager he respects, Gerardo Martino, is expected to be signed by Mexico's national team.

Argentine national team going nowhere with Scaloni as head coach: Diego Maradona

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi on Monday received La Liga's top-scorer award, known as the "pichichi," for his 34 goals in the 2017-2018 season, and was also chosen by fans as the most valuable player in the Spanish league.

Lionel Messi receives La Liga top-scorer, MVP awards

While La Liga features the brightest stars from the world of football, El Clasico between two club footballing superpowers -- Barcelona and Real Madrid -- has always been reckoned unrivalled rivalry.

Can El Clasico sans Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo light up Camp Nou?

Barcelona defeated in-form Sevilla 4-2 on Saturday but the victory became insignificant as their star player Lionel Messi suffered an injury that will keep him out of the team for at least next three weeks.

Messi suffers fractured arm that rules him out of El Clasico

"Messi's Argentina absence a pity for football", "Messi needs to break, to breathe", "Messi to announce retirement from Argentina" and many other stories with similar headlines on several news channels and papers went viral after Lionel decided to not play for the country for some time.

'Absent' Lionel Messi aims to build Argentina football's present

Brazil's Neymar spoke about his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi's absence from the Argentina squad as the South American soccer rivals Argentina and Brazil are gearing up for Tuesday's friendly match at Jeddah's King Abdullah Sports City.

Brazil vs Argentina: South American football rivals gear up for friendly battle

Mourinho said favourites Brazil and Germany had the most balanced squads and he did not expect the World Cup to see a shock winner in Russia.

FIFA World Cup: Jose Mourinho confident England will impress in Russia

Named flag bearers as part of a programme run by Coca-Cola, the girls, aged 13 to 17, were supposed to lead the Saudi national team onto the pitch at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium ahead of their match against Russia

Female Saudi flag bearers to miss World Cup opener vs Russia

"Just enjoy. No pressure, because I'm not there," the larger-than-life character told reporters

FIFA World Cup: Just enjoy yourselves, Zlatan Ibrahimovic tells Swedes

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