Sport
“Never Settle for Second Place” – Messi Tells Barcelona Players
Former Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has sent a strong message to the current Barcelona squad, urging them never to settle for second place in the ongoing La Liga title race.
Messi, who spent over two decades at the club, emphasized the importance of fighting for the top spot, particularly for a club of Barcelona’s stature.
Last season, Barcelona finished second in La Liga, losing out on the title to their fierce rivals, Real Madrid.
Despite their strong performance, they were unable to clinch the championship, and this left a sense of disappointment among the fans and players alike.
This season, however, Barcelona is sitting at the top of the La Liga standings, holding a four-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid.
Yet, Real Madrid still has a game in hand, meaning the race for the title remains close and intense.
In an interview with Mundodeportivo, Messi, who is now playing for Inter Miami, spoke about what it means to represent Barcelona.
He made it clear that the club’s players must always aim for the top, no matter the circumstances.
“You can never accept to be second if you’re wearing a Barça shirt,” Messi stated.
“This means you’re part of the biggest club in the world.”
Messi went on to stress that, even if the team doesn’t win, they must remain committed to competing until the very last match of the season.
“Even if you don’t win, at least you must compete for the title till the very end,” he said.
Former footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
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