Lionel Messi desperate for Argentina to avoid Spain at World Cup

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi says the worst possible draw for his Argentina side at next year’s World Cup would be Spain in the first round.

“The worst that could happen to us would be to draw Spain at the group stages,” Messi told TyC Sports Wednesday from Moscow where Argentina play Russia in a friendly on Saturday.

“I would prefer to avoid them, they’d be tough opponents.”

In the interview with the Argentinian television station, Messi named Brazil, Germany and France alongside Spain as favourites to take the World Cup crown in Russia.

“I think that at the moment, they’re the strongest teams who give the best impressions, those who are playing best, with the best individuals.”

Messi also broached Argentina’s last-gasp qualification for the World Cup finals, which the Barcelona star sealed with a hat-trick in a rare 3-1 away victory over Ecuador.

“I always believed we’d get there, but I thought we would have tied up qualification before the Ecuador game,” said Messi, reiterating that he would like to end his career in his Argentinian birthplace of Rosario.

“I would love to play for Newell’s Old Boys, in the stadium where I’ve seen so many matches,” he said.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the coming years, how I’m going to feel. I live from day to day, I’m not focused on the future.”

Read More: http://www.thestatesman.com/sports/lionel-messi-desperate-argentina-avoid-spain-world-cup-1502525135.html

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi admits he still dreams of playing for Newell’s Old Boys

LIONEL Messi says he still harbours hopes of one day playing for boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys but admits he “does not know where I’m going to be” in the future.

Speculation around the Argentina captain’s future at Barcelona remains as Messi can start talking with other clubs in January with his current contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Barcelona CEO Oscar Grau said the club would offer Messi a lifetime contract last month after he agreed a four-year deal in July, but the 30-year-old still has not officially signed the contract.

Messi left Newell’s for the Nou Camp when he was 13 but has now revealed that he would like to return to hometown Rosario before his career ends.

“The desire is always playing for Newell’s, it is what I dreamed as a kid,” Messi told Argentine channel TyC Sports.

“When I went to the club I imagined playing in the Primera Division, but I do not know what’s going to happen in a few years.

“I cannot say I’m going back because I do not know where I’m going to be.”

Read More: https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/la-liga/barcelonas-lionel-messi-admits-he-still-dreams-of-playing-for-newells-old-boys/news-story/660eaa39e083a1a9b0aa62efd1c15648

Benzema, Ronaldo - The Fallen

As Real Madrid fans are wont to do when things go less than swimmingly, they have spent the last few weeks/months decrying the performances of Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Both, and arguably our only two real attackers since Gareth Bale has been out so much with injury, so far this season, have not delivered the goals and assists that we've come to expect, and so desperately need.

Poor Benzema - not only hasn't he been scoring goals, but his fail-safe 'link-up-play' uniqueness has even faded to oblivion doing nothing to salvage his attempt to counter Gary Lineker's comments.

And Ronaldo, quite literally the most prolific goal-scorer in history, while slow-to-warm-up most seasons, is in one heck a goal-scoring drought as we get closer to the mid-point of the season.

Couple all this with Real Madrid's less than stellar patch the last month, and well, fans and pundits alike are touting the end of the Zidane era already, and calling for the sale of these two “dinosaurs.”

But just how much of this is a Chicken Little scenario?

The Sky Isn't Falling as Fast as We Think
So Big Benz only has one goal this season in 480 mins… Not so shabby compared to last year's 3rd highest La Liga scorer, Luis Suarez.

Read More: https://www.managingmadrid.com/2017/11/8/16621702/benzema-ronaldo-the-fallen

Real Madrid favourite does not want club to sign Spurs star, says La Liga expert

Cristiano Ronaldo does not want Harry Kane to join Real Madrid, according to Spanish journalist Guillem Balague.



Kane has been linked with a move to the La Liga giants following his fine form in 2017.

But Balague, author of the new book about Mauricio Pochettino, claims Ronaldo doesn’t want to play next to anyone but Karim Benzema up front.

“If you beat Real Madrid the way Spurs did, if you play the way Spurs have been playing for the last two years and a half, it’s normal that they’re linked to top clubs,” Balague told Sky Sports. (Quotes via The Express.)

“Harry Kane is linked to Real Madrid because of his performances, which match by the way Cristiano Ronaldo’s in 2017, but also because Benzema is not scoring.

“Are Real Madrid keeping an eye on him? Of course they are. Dele Alli has to progress, are they keeping an eye on him? Yes, they are.

“But while Cristiano Ronaldo’s at Real Madrid first of all he prefers to have Benzema next to him, no other No 9.

“And secondly, I think they will want to give a chance, first to Zidane but also Benzema for a long while. They are both favourites of the president.”

The suggestion is that a better striker than Benzema has the potential to outshine Ronaldo, which would make Madrid’s single-minded talisman unhappy.

As long as it means Kane stays in North London, the Tottenham fans will be happy.

Read More: http://www.tottenhamblog.com/2017/11/08/real-madrid-favourite-does-not-want-club-to-sign-spurs-star-says-la-liga-expert/

RONALDO ALL SET TO LOSE BET WITH TEAMMATES

Cristiano Ronaldo has made a rather risky bet with his Real Madrid teammates, according to reports from Spain.

And it seems the Portuguese superstar is well on course to lose his money, following his side’s poor start to the new season.

It has been claimed that Ronaldo made a bet with two of his Los Blancos teammates that he would finish the campaign as the top goalscorer in La Liga. Well, Real Madrid have just won La Liga and the Champions League, and Ronaldo was in the form of his life. But so far things haven’t been going too well for Ronaldo, or Real Madrid for that matter, with the team languishing in third - eight points behind leaders Barcelona.

The Portuguese has notched just once this season – 11 less than his long-term rival Lionel Messi, who is the division’s current leading marksman.

Ronaldo does have 27 games left of the season to make up the deficit, but it seems he will have to work harder than he has ever done before if he is to do so. The report that Ronaldo had put his money on the line came from the Onda Cero programme El Transistor during the week.

Read More: https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/articleshow/61554578.cms

Ronaldo is FINISHED — Messi

Ronaldo has endured a nightmare start to the season, scoring just one La Liga goal for Real Madrid so far. There seems to be genuine concern at the Bernabeu that their talisman is finished, with the 32-year-old approaching the twilight years of his career.

And Spanish website Don Balon claims that Lionel Messi thinks Ronaldo will never rediscover the form that has made him such a formidable opponent of the years. Ronaldo won FIFA’s Player of the Year award last month for his exploits for Los Blancos last term, where he fired them to Spanish and European glory. But the brutal fact is he has looked unworthy of that award based on this season’s performances.

He has eight goals across all competitions but Madrid’s domestic plight has coupled with his own. Barcelona already sit eight points clear of Real Madrid at the summit, with Valencia sandwiched in between.


Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/11/ronaldo-finished-messi/

Harry Kane and Harry Winks out of England squad

Tottenham duo Harry Kane and Harry Winks have withdrawn from the England squad for the friendlies against Germany and Brazil due to injuries.

West Brom midfielder Jake Livermore has been called up as a replacement.

Striker Kane has a knee injury while midfielder Winks has an ankle problem. The pair had treatment during the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.

England host Germany at Wembley on Friday and then play Brazil at the same venue on 14 November.

Kane and Winks' Spurs team-mate Dele Alli had already withdrawn from the original squad and on Monday England called up Everton defender Michael Keane to replace him.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino said Winks, who went off at half-time in the Palace match, had twisted his ankle.

Read More: http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/41893269