عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Messi Honored with a Statue at South America’s Soccer HQ

Lionel Messi (L) from Argentina reacts in front of a statue of him during the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) Night of Stars celebration in Luque, Paraguay, 27 March 2023. (EPA)
Lionel Messi (L) from Argentina reacts in front of a statue of him during the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) Night of Stars celebration in Luque, Paraguay, 27 March 2023. (EPA)
TT
20
TT

Messi Honored with a Statue at South America’s Soccer HQ

Lionel Messi (L) from Argentina reacts in front of a statue of him during the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) Night of Stars celebration in Luque, Paraguay, 27 March 2023. (EPA)
Lionel Messi (L) from Argentina reacts in front of a statue of him during the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) Night of Stars celebration in Luque, Paraguay, 27 March 2023. (EPA)

The tributes continue to pour in for Lionel Messi following Argentina's World Cup triumph.

South American soccer's governing body on Monday presented the 35-year-old Argentine star a with statue, which will be placed in the CONMEBOL museum next to those of legendary players Pelé and Diego Maradona.

Messi also received replicas of the World Cup and the Finalissima trophy, which Argentina won against Italy, during the ceremony before the Copa Libertadores draw.

His teammates and coach Lionel Scaloni received miniature trophies as well, including that of the 2021 Copa America lifted in Brazil.

“We are living a very special and beautiful moment, getting a lot of love,” Messi said during the tribute. “It was time for a South American team to win the World Cup again.”

Argentina beat Panama 2-0 on Thursday in Buenos Aires in its first international friendly since winning the World Cup title in Qatar last December.

Scaloni's team will face Curacao on Tuesday to celebrate with its fans in the countryside city of Santiago del Estero.

Most Viewed

 
Sports

Guardiola: Winning Club World Cup Would Not Make Up for City's Disappointing Season

Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Manchester City Training - Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida, US - June 21, 2025 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during training REUTERS/Marco Bello
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Manchester City Training - Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida, US - June 21, 2025 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during training REUTERS/Marco Bello
TT
20
TT

Guardiola: Winning Club World Cup Would Not Make Up for City's Disappointing Season

Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Manchester City Training - Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida, US - June 21, 2025 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during training REUTERS/Marco Bello
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Manchester City Training - Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida, US - June 21, 2025 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during training REUTERS/Marco Bello

Winning the Club World Cup title again would not make up for the disappointing 2024-25 season that Manchester City have had, manager Pep Guardiola said ahead of Sunday's Group G clash with Emirati side Al-Ain in Atlanta.

Guardiola's City fell short of winning the Premier League for the fifth time in a row, finishing third in the English top-flight. They also failed to reach the Champions League's round of 16, being eliminated by Real Madrid in the knockout phase playoffs.

"I said many times, the season was not good," Guardiola told reporters on Saturday.

"Winning this competition is not going to change that, but my mindset at the moment is not about winning the competition. We can extend our time here, being here longer,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

Guardiola, who has won the Club World Cup four times as manager, guided City to their first world title in 2023, before the tournament was revamped as a 32-team competition to be held once every four years.

City, who beat Morocco's Wydad Casablanca 2-0 in their campaign opener, have a chance to qualify for the round of 16 with a win over Al-Ain, who suffered a 5-0 loss to Juventus in their first game.

"Now we're here, I want to do the best. I want to enjoy the moment here because you're here one time every four years... And I want to arrive in the latter stages," Guardiola added.