Barcelona
Four In A Row For Lionel Messi – Greatness Personified? Debatable!
He came, he saw and hell didn’t he conquer. He’d won it for the fourth time in a row, and to be honest, not many were surprised that he’d won it. Without a shadow of a doubt, it had been his year as an individual; just as it had been Cristiano’s the season before. 91 goals in a calendar year is no laughing matter and Lionel Messi’s name was right up there among the greats once he overtook Pele and Gerhard “Gerd” Müller. It’s great when you look at his tally of Ballon D’Or trophies. However, thinking about it in retrospect, one would probably have second thoughts about the credibility of the coveted prize.
/01/98/15/30/1981530_full-lnd.jpg "Lionel Messi with the Ballon D'Or")
The year was 2009, back when the FIFA Ballon D’Or wasn’t in existence. The FIFA World Player of The Year went to Lionel Messi ahead of the previous winner Cristiano Ronaldo and his Catalunian teammate Xavi Hernandez. The ‘Flea’ announced his arrival to the big stage by upsetting Cristiano and upstaging his teammate as he finished the year with about 38 goals compared to Cristiano and Xavi’s 26 and 10 respectively. It was just the beginning of the Cristiano-Messi rivalry.
Moving onto 2010, with the introduction of the Ballon D’Or came Lionel Messi yet again. However, the decision to present it to Messi came as a surprise to everyone with Wesley Sneijder being the favorite to win it that particular year. The dutch maestro was the key piece in Inter Milan and his country’s midfield. He led Inter through the season as they won the Champions League, Serie A, Coppa Italia, Italian Supercopa and the Club World Cup all in one seaon. To top it off, he also led Netherlands into the 2010 world cup final as they lost in a tight affair to Spain. On the flip side of the coin, Lionel Messi had only won the La Liga with Barcelona. He also had a rather quiet affair in the World Cup with Argentina as he failed to net a single goal in the tournament. To everyone’s surprise, Sneijder didn’t even feature in the top three nominees for the award. Highly puzzling as it was, FIFA’s defended their decision to present the award to Messi owing to his goal-scoring tally that particular season. Baffling I suppose.
Then 2011 presented itself to yet another Cristiano-Messi debate as the frontrunners for the coveted award. This year, without an inkling of a doubt, was Cristiano’s season to shine as he stepped up to be the highest scorer in the whole of Europe. He won the El Pichichi and proved to be the difference in the final of the Copa Del Rey as he scored the winning goal against Barcelona. He had scored 54 goals in the La Liga as compared to Messi’s tally of 53 and scored 10 international goals, overshadowing Messi’s tally of 2. Barcelona, however managed to garner more trophies as they won the Champions League and the La Liga. The award went to Messi again given the fact that he helped his team earn more trophies. Highly understandable given the circumstances, but it is ironical with what’s about to come.
This year, Messi won it the fourth time in a row, as mentioned earlier with Cristiano and Iniesta in contention. The irony of the fact remains however, that even though Messi created quite a few milestones in terms of his individual performances, Cristiano earned comparatively more for his team as he guided them to La Liga glory. He also led Madrid to the Semi-finals of the Champions League where they lost out to Bayern Munich in the ever-intense penalty shootout. He also proved to be the talisman for Portugal as he led them to the semifinals of the Euros where they lost out to Spain, yet again, in penalties. The irony of the situation is intriguing as it was again awarded to ‘The Flea’ for his incredible scoring tally while Cristiano was again left with being nothing more than a runner-up though his respective teams performed better, the reason for Messi winning it the previous year.
Given the circumstances, the Ballon D’Or is a puzzling subject. The world holds this award in high regard, but with the way things have been going, it becomes hard for one to imagine how things are going to turn out. It begs the question however: Is the Ballon D’Or credible anymore? Food for thought I guess.
Real Madrid Femenino hosts Barcelona Women at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on Wednesday evening in what promises to be a one sided Women’s Champions League quarter final first leg. Las Blancas have been utterly dominated by their Catalan rivals this season, losing all three competitive encounters by a staggering combined scoreline of 10-0.
Barcelona waltzed through the league phase unbeaten and are hell bent on reclaiming the European crown they lost to Arsenal in last season’s final. Pere Romeu’s side are chasing an unprecedented quadruple after already securing the Spanish Super Cup, building a commanding 10 point advantage at the summit of Liga F, and booking their spot in the Copa de la Reina final next month.
Kick-off: 17:45 GMT, Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Venue: Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, Madrid
TV: DAZN
Real Madrid Desperate to Avoid Another Hammering
Pau Quesada’s side have managed just one victory in 20 competitive Clasicos against Barcelona, recording that shock 3-1 triumph at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys last March. The nightmare memory of their 8-3 aggregate thrashing in the 2021-22 quarter finals still haunts Las Blancas, who must find a way to remain competitive across both legs.
Real Madrid enters this contest on a seven match winning streak. This includes five straight clean sheets, offering some encouragement despite the awful recent record against Barcelona. Teresa Abelleira and Signe Bruun both remain unavailable through injury.
Barcelona Unstoppable Since November Shock
The Catalan champions have not tasted defeat in 24 matches since losing 1-0 to Real Sociedad back in November. Racking up 22 victories and two draws during that extraordinary run. Saturday’s 7-1 demolition of Athletic Club demonstrated Barcelona remains in ruthless form heading into the business end of the season.
Aitana Bonmati continues recovering from her broken leg sustained in December. Laia Aleixandri and Mapi Leon remain long term casualties.
Predicted Lineups: Real Madrid (4-3-3): Misa; Navarro, Mendez, Lakrar, Holmgaard; Weir, Toletti, Dabritz; Del Castillo, Caicedo, Redondo
Barcelona (4-3-3): Coll; Battle, Paredes, Camara, Brugts; Lopez, Guijarro, Putellas; Graham Hansen, Pina, Pajor
Also read: Leah Williamson Will Miss Arsenal Match Against West Ham United – Here’s Why
Arsenal Dragon
Arsenal WFC Legend Anita Asante Reveals How She Found Her People at Gunners as 2007 Champions League Winner Opens Up on Career Journey
Anita Asante has opened up about her deep connection to Arsenal and how the club made her into the player she became during a glittering career that included winning the 2007 UEFA Women’s Cup. The former defender, now a prominent TV pundit covering the WSL, came through the Arsenal ranks as a teenager before becoming a key part of the 2006/07 quadruple winning team.
Asante’s love affair with football started on the estate where she grew up in Edgware, playing with boys of all ages on the green behind her flat. The local community accepted her without treating her differently because she was a girl, giving Asante the sense of belonging that would define her career path.
Fax Machine Changed Everything
At age 13, a fax came through to Asante’s school about local trials being held by Clare Wheatley and Rachel Yankey. Her father’s reaction when she mentioned Yankey’s name proved significant. “My parents are very familiar with common Ghanaian last names,” Asante explained. “We found out that Rachel was mixed heritage and partly Ghanaian, and that was when I realised this was a real opportunity to play for this team.”
Asante trained twice weekly at Hackney Leisure Centre and the JVC Centre behind Highbury’s Clock End, working her way into a star studded squad alongside legends like Kelly Smith, Jayne Ludlow, and Emma Byrne.
2007 Final Against Marta’s Umea Defined Career
The young defender got her big chance when captain Faye White ruptured her ACL, earning starts in both legs of the 2007 UEFA Cup final against Umea just before turning 22. “I relished the challenge of going up against Marta,” Asante admitted. “I knew she was the best player in the world and this was how I was going to measure myself.”
Arsenal were underdogs but had belief embedded in their DNA, a quality Asante saw repeated when watching the Gunners beat Barcelona in Lisbon last May.
Barcelona’s golden generation struck again at the Palacio Real de El Pardo. Aitana Bonmatí walked away with Spain’s National Prize for Sports on February 11, 2026, adding yet another accolade to her already overflowing trophy cabinet. The three time Ballon d’Or winner is collecting awards faster than most players collect caps.
Royal Treatment for Football Royalty
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia personally handed Bonmatí the Queen Letizia Award for Best Female Athlete of 2023. This wasn’t some corporate sponsorship gig or influencer photo op. The National Prize for Sports represents genuine athletic excellence, and having Spanish royalty present it makes the statement even louder. The Barça midfielder shared the stage with José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes and Minister Milagros Tolón, proving her impact extends beyond the pitch.
Yamal Gets His Trophy Without Showing Up
Lamine Yamal bagged the King Juan Carlos Prize for 2024 but couldn’t bother making the trip to Madrid. The teenage sensation had other priorities, so Bojan Krkić grabbed it for him. Vice president Josep Cubells also represented the club, ensuring Barcelona’s presence remained strong even with their star forward absent.
Dominance During Chaos
These honors arrive while Barcelona navigates presidential elections set for March 15, 2026. Joan Laporta and his board resigned to seek reelection, throwing the club into political uncertainty. Yet here are Bonmatí and Yamal, reminding everyone what actually matters: winning. The off field drama means nothing when your players keep stacking silverware and national recognition. Barcelona’s talent machine keeps churning out legends regardless of boardroom theatrics.
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