Everything You Need To Know About Lionel Messi, The Best Soccer Player On Earth

“Leo” was born in Rosario, Argentina and is the son of Jorge Horacio Messi, a factory worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner. His father is of Italian descent. His ancestors immigrated to Argentina in the late 19th century.

He has two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matias, and a sister, Maria Sol.
Messi has been playing soccer since he was a little boy. He played on a team coached by his father and was soon recruited to join the Newell’s Old Boys soccer club.
However, he was noticeably smaller than the other boys his age and was eventually diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency.
His parents put him on a regiment of growth hormone injections, but it was very expensive and his parents could not afford to continue treatment.

                       

 By the time he was 13, Barcelona offered him a spot in its youth academy. They would also pay the bills for his growth-hormone treatment, but he would have to move from Argentina to Spain so the Messi family picked from Argentina and moved to Europe.
Messi made his official debut for Barcelona when he was just 17
After moving quickly through Barcelona’s C and B teams, Messi made his unofficial debut with the top team during a friendly match at the age of 16.
Messi made his official debut when he was 17, and at the age of 17 years, 10 months and seven days, he scored his first goal, becoming the youngest to ever score a goal for Barcelona (the record was recently broken by Bojan).

However, when it comes to the World Cup, Messi still plays for his home country.
Messi was granted Spanish citizenship in 2005, and many people thought he might play for Spain in the World Cup.

However, he still has a very strong connection with his home country, and decided to play for Argentina’s team in the World Cup.
At 5’7,” Messi’s stats stand out more than he does.
Messi scored 73 goals during his 2012 European club season, breaking a 39-year-old record.
He is also the only player to ever score five goals in a single Champions League match.
He is a natural lefty, but can score with either foot.

In January, he became the first player to ever wil the Ballon d’Or for four years straight.
The Ballon d’Or is the highest honor in soccer, and in January, Messi won the award for the best male soccer player.

                   
Soccer has made him a wealthy man.
In February he signed a contract extension for $21.2 million with Barcelona through 2018.
He earns millions more in endorsements from Adidas and other companies.
He recently starred in a Turkish Airlines commercial with Kobe Bryant.
Messi is passionate about giving back.
In 2007 he created the Fundacion Leo Messi, which has a mission to improve access to education and health care for children.
He has also donated to hospitals, both to improve facilities and to better train doctors.
He is also a UNICEF ambassador.

                  
Messi has been dating Antonella Rouccuzzo for years. Rouccuzzo and Messi met as young children in Argentina.
The couple welcomed their first son, Thiago, into the world in November 2012.
Messi was spotted wearing an engagement ring at the Champion’s League selection ceremony.

The tradition in Argentina is to wear a silver ring when you are engaged, and switch to a gold ring once you have been wed, so it looks like Messi and Rouccuzzo may be planning to tie the knot soon.

Messi has scored more than 300 goals for Barcelona. Here’s a beauty from a recent game versus AC Milan
Honours
Barcelona
La Liga (5): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
Copa del Rey (2): 2008–09, 2011–12
Supercopa de España (5): 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011
UEFA Champions League (3): 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11
UEFA Super Cup (2): 2009, 2011
FIFA Club World Cup (2): 2009, 2011
Argentina
Olympic Gold Medal: 2008
FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
Runner-up:
Copa America: 2007
Third place:
U20 South American Youth Championship: 2005
Individual
FIFA Ballon d’Or (3): 2010, 2011, 2012. Created in 2010.
Ballon d’Or (1): 2009. Ceased to exist in 2009.
FIFA World Player of the Year (1): 2009. Ceased to exist in 2009.
World Soccer Young Player of the Year (3): 2006, 2007, 2008.
World Soccer Player of the Year (3): 2009, 2011, 2012.
Onze d’Or (3): 2009, 2011, 2012. No winner in 2010.
IFFHS World’s Top Goal Scorer (2): 2011, 2012.[298]
IFFHS World’s best Top Division Goal Scorer (1): 2012.[299]
Goal.com Player of the Year (2): 2009, 2011.
El País King of European Soccer (4): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.[300]
ESPY Best International Athlete (1): 2012.
European Golden Shoe (2): 2010, 2012.
UEFA Best Player in Europe Award (1): 2011. Created in 2011.
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1): 2009. Ceased to exist in 2010.
UEFA Team of the Year (5): 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.
UEFA Champions League Top Goalscorer (4): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.
UEFA Champions League Forward of the Year (1): 2009. Ceased to exist in 2010.
UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match (1): 2011.
FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament (1): 2005.
FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Goalscorer (1): 2005.
FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball (2): 2009, 2011.
FIFA FIFPro World XI (6): 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.
FIFPro World Young Player of the Year (3): 2006, 2007, 2008.
ESM Team of the Year (6): 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11,2011–12.
Pichichi Trophy (2): 2010, 2012.
Copa del Rey Top Goalscorer (1): 2010–2011.
La Liga Player of the Year (3): 2009, 2010, 2011.
La Liga Foreign Player of the Year (3): 2007, 2009, 2010. Ceased to exist in 2010.
La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year (5): 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.
LFP Best Player (3): 2009, 2011, 2012. No winner in 2010.
LFP Best Forward (3): 2009, 2011, 2012. No winner in 2010.
Marca Leyenda (1): 2009.
Bravo Award (1): 2007.
Copa América Young Player of the Tournament (1): 2007.
European Golden Boy (1): 2005.
Olimpia de Oro (1): 2011.
Olimpia de Plata (7): 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.[301]
RecordsAs of 2 April 2013.[5][302][303][304][305][306][307][308]
World
Most FIFA Ballon d’Or awards: 4
Guinness World Records title for the most goals in a year: 91 goals
Most international goals in a year (club and national team): 25 goals (shared with Vivian Woodward)
Most goals scored in FIFA Club World Cup: 4 goals (held jointly with Denilsonand Mohamed Aboutrika)
Most consecutive league matches scored in: 19 matches (30 goals)
Europe
Most goals scored in a season (club): 73 goals
Most goals scored in a year (club): 79 goals
Most goals scored in a European Cup season: 14 goals (held jointly with José Altafini)
Most European Cup top scorer awards: 4 (shared with Gerd Müller)
Highest scorer in a European Cup game: 5 goals (held jointly with ten other players)
Argentina
Most goals scored in a year (national team): 12 goals (shared with Gabriel Batistuta)
Spain
Most goals scored in La Liga in a season: 50 goals
Most La Liga hat-tricks in a season: 8 hat-tricks
Most goals scored in the Supercopa de España: 10 goals
Most consecutive La Liga matches scored in: 20 matches, 31 goals
Most goals scored in El Clásico matches: 18 goals (shared with Alfredo Di Stéfano)
Barcelona
Top scorer in official competitions: 311 goals
Top scorer in La Liga: 213 goals
Top scorer in UEFA Champions League: 59 goals
Top scorer in European competitions: 60 goals
Top scorer in international competitions: 64 goals
Most all competitions hat-tricks overall: 22 hat-tricks
Most La Liga hat-tricks overall: 16 hat-tricks

Read More

Lecturers Threaten To Continue Strike If...

 
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka has voted to suspend the ongoing strike once the arrears of four months salaries are paid.
At a meeting on Monday as a prelude to Wednesday’s national congress in Kano, the branch said it was resolute about the issue of salaries which accumulated during the strike.
The branch president of the union, Dr Ifeanyichukwu Abada, told journalist in Nsukka, Enugu State, the decision to suspend the strike was to respect the person of “Mr President for stepping into the matter”.
Abada said, however, that the strike would only be called off in the university if the salaries from July to date were paid.
He said the lecturers were not expected to resume lectures without the salaries.
He said that if the national body failed to insist on the salary caveat, the UNN branch would continue with the strike until otherwise.
The lecturers embarked on the strike from July 1 citing the non-implementation of some agreement they allegedly reached with government in 2009.

Read More

Strike: Ex-ASUU leader, Iyayi, killed in gov’s convoy crash (Updates)

Union members in deep shock . May suspend action on Saturday
 
Former Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Prof. Festus Iyayi, yesterday died in an auto crash involving the convoy of Kogi State Governor Idris Wada along Lokoja-Abuja Road.
Iyayi and other members of ASUU, University of Benin branch, were on their way to Kano for a meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the union scheduled to hold today. The meeting is to enable the NEC receive reports of the congresses that held “simultaneously” in the universities across the country.
The accident occurred about noon at Banda village near Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, when an escort car in the convoy of the governor had a head-on collision with the bus in which Prof. Iyayi and the other members of ASUU were travelling. Eyewitnesses told National Mirror that the ASUU team was travelling to Kano in a Toyota bus with registration number ED 357 ASL.
The remains of the late professor were said to have been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, in Lokoja, while other injured victims, including the driver of the convoy’s Hilux pick-up van, were taken to the same hospital for medical attention.
Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Olakunle Motajo, who confirmed the accident, said preliminary investigation revealed that there was wrongful overtaking on the part of the governor’s vehicle. Wada later visited the emergency unit of the hospital to commiserate with the victims and also at the mortuary to see the remains of Iyayi.
The governor, who was shocked over the incident, however, told the management of the hospital to give the injured the best treatment. In a statement later, the state government confirmed that an escort vehicle in the convoy of the governor was involved in a fatal accident at Banda Village, while the governor was returning from an official engagement in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The statement, signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Mr. Jacob Edi, stated that the convoy was on a speed of 80 kilometres per hour when a bus collided with the escort van. “Sadly, in the storm, it was discovered that a renowned academic and respected human rights advocate, Prof. Festus Iyayi, who was in the other vehicle died in the accident.
There were other victims with varying degree of injuries from both sides,” the statement said. Born in 1947 in Ugbegun, Ishan in Edo, late Iyayi obtained a Masters Degree in Industrial Economics from the Kiev Institute of Economics in the former U.S.S.R.
He became a lecturer in 1980 at the Department of Business Administration, University of Benin. Iyayi, who was the ASUU president in 1986, was also a known author with four books to his credit. The late unionist won the Commonwealth Prize for Literature for one of his books “Heroes” in 1988.
The title of other books to his credit are: “Violence”, “The Contract” and “Awaiting Court Martial.”
Meanwhile, reactions have been pouring in on the death of Iyayi. President Goodluck Jonathan expressed sadness over the death of the former ASUU president.
A statement issued yesterday by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, commiserated with the leadership and members of ASUU on the tragic death. Jonathan also expressed condolences to Iyayi’s family, his colleagues, friends and associates.
Senate President David Mark also lamented the death of the frontline academic. Mark noted the giant strides of the university scholar, which had brought international fame and value to the nation.
He regretted that Iyayi was one of the leaders of ASUU dialoguing with the Federal Government on how to resolve the lingering strike by university teachers. Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan also expressed deep shock at the sudden death of Iyayi and called on players in the education sector, including the Federal Government and striking lecturers, to rededicate themselves to the pursuit of excellence at the tertiary level in honour of the deceased.
The governor in a statement by his Press Secretary, Felix Ofou, said the highest honour that the late Iyayi deserved was the return to the pursuit of academic excellence in our universities and other higher institutions. ASUU also mourned the death of its former President.
The President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge, said: “The sad news was broken to the union in the morning of November 12. I cannot say anything right now. We have just lost one of our own, Festus Iyayi, who was very dear to us.
I am mourning.” The immediate past President of the union, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, said the news came to him as a rude shock and was still in doubt if it was true. Awuzie, now the Vice- Chancellor, Imo State University, said: “I know the NEC executives of the union should be on their way to Kano, but I am still expecting the details of the death.
“Until I get full details on the circumstances of his death, I might not be able to say much,” Awuzie said. Prof. Ahunna Okerengwo, the Chairman, University of Port- Harcourt chapter of ASUU, says the death of Iyayi on Tuesday was shocking. Prof. Damian Opata, the Head, Department of English, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said Iyayi’s death was unfortunate. “It is very sad coming at this time,” he said.
The Kano meeting is to deliberate on whether to call off the strike as the NEC receives reports of the congresses that held “simultaneously” in all the universities across the country. Local chapters of ASUU had held their congresses on Monday to vote on the suspension or otherwise.
The said agreement, which necessitated the subsisting July 1 action, required that the Federal Government will, within a period of five years, release more than N1trn, to bridge the noticeable infrastructural deficits in the nation’s ivory towers. Also, the Federal Government would have released N92bn, for what the union christened, “earned allowance.”
However, ASUU seems to have a moral burden now as the Federal Government said it had released over N30bn as part of the contentious earned allowance. Last week’s meeting of the Fagge-led ASUU with President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, prompted positive steps by ASUU towards ending the strike.
At the meeting, President Jonathan was said to have pledged government’s readiness to release N220bn in next year’s budget and in subsequent appropriations.
Already, chairmen of local chapters of ASUU are converging on Kano, preparatory to the meeting, from where a positive resolution is being expected. Chairman of one of the federal universities in the South-South, who did not want his name mentioned, said the strike “may be suspended on Saturday.”
“Many of the chapters are disposed to ending this strike, which has cost us all a full semester. “As I speak with you, we (chairmen) are on our way to Kano for NEC meeting tomorrow (today).” Asked if the strike would be suspended, he said: “I think so, judging by reports from the Monday congresses we held simultaneously. We may suspend the strike on Saturday or Sunday.”
He, however, admonished government to ensure that it honoured its promise so as not to return the university system to this “sorry past”. This, of course, formed the basis for the Monday congresses and today’s “decider” NEC meeting.
Meanwhile, the University of Jos, UNIJOS, chapter of the union explained its support for the continuation of the ongoing strike. After considering the outcome of the meeting which the union’s national body had with President Jonathan, members of the branch had last Monday voted in favour of the continuation of the fourmonth- old strike.
The UNIJOS branch of ASUU said the meeting with the President achieved nothing, a position which had also been condemned by some stakeholders The Branch Chairman, Dr. David Jangkham, said yesterday in Jos, the Plateau State capital, that his members were compelled to take the stand because of the government’s insensitivity to their plight.

Read More

Vodafone half-year profits £1.5bn in 'tough' conditions

 

Vodafone said it has found trading conditions in Europe tough, but hopes for improvement

Vodafone has reported a half-year pre-tax profit of £1.5bn ($2.4bn) as it said trading in Europe remained "very tough at present".

Chief executive Vittorio Colao said he had seen "intense macroeconomic, regulatory and competitive pressures during the period" there.
But he was "encouraged" by forecasts that Europe would return to growth.
Mr Colao said the emerging markets businesses were doing well thanks to the smartphone.
He said he hoped for a shift in regulation to support industry investment and consolidation.
Mr Colao said mature markets were "challenging", but that focusing on cost efficiency was helping.
The figure marks a big fall from its £3.9bn half-year pre-tax profit in 2012.
Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said the fall in profits was mainly due to Vodafone's difficulties in Europe.
He said there were some "issues under the bonnet", such as regulatory concerns and Vodafone's performance in India, as well as the "famously" competitive mobile phone industry.
But he added: "Nonetheless, the outlook over the horizon is bright."
TalkTalk cheers investors Vodafone's results came at the same time as fellow UK telecoms firm TalkTalk revealed a £9m pre-tax loss for the six months to the end of September.
The drop compared with a £46m profit for the same period last year.
Despite the swing into loss, shares in TalkTalk rose over 10%, buoyed by the company's higher forecast for revenue growth.
It said this would be at least 3%, up from 2% for the full financial year.
Continue reading the main story[an error occurred while processing this directive]

TalkTalk, which offers broadband, fixed line and mobile telecoms and TV services, said the pre-tax loss reflected the investments it had made, mainly in its TV service, during the period.

The firm said it had signed up 167,000 new customers for its TV service in the three months to the end of September, putting it on track to have nearly a million viewers by the end of next year.
"We are delighted with the progress we have made in the first half," said Dido Harding, TalkTalk chief executive.
'Project Spring' Meanwhile, Vodafone, the world's second-largest mobile operator said it plans to spend £7bn on improving its networks by March 2016.
The move follows Vodafone's deal in September to sell its US business to Verizon Communications for $130bn.
The US arm made up 45% of Vodafone's business, and the deal marked one of the largest to date in corporate history.
As part of its growth plan, "Project Spring", the introduction of 4G networks, will be accelerated and investment for laying fibre optic cables increased, to allow Vodafone to offer faster broadband to its customers.

Read More