Barcelona manager, Hansi Flick, has praised Lionel Messi as the greatest footballer of all time, responding to the Inter Miami forward’s recent positive comments about his former club.

Messi, who left Barcelona in 2021 for Paris Saint-Germain before making the move to Inter Miami, recently spoke highly of Barcelona’s current squad under Flick’s leadership.

The 36-year-old Argentine legend referred to the team as “spectacular” and expressed his pride in how they have been representing the club in recent months.

In a pre-match interview ahead of Barcelona’s LaLiga clash with Celta Vigo, Flick reflected on Messi’s words with gratitude and admiration.

He said, “It’s an honor that Leo Messi, the greatest player of all time, says good things about Barça.” Flick went on to highlight how much it means to the club that Messi continues to follow Barcelona closely, despite his departure years ago.

Messi’s comments on the team have been well received by both players and staff, with the Argentine showing great respect for the younger talents now making their mark at the Catalan club.

Flick acknowledged how significant it is that Messi holds the current squad, many of whom are in their early 20s, in such high regard.

For Barcelona, Messi’s endorsement serves as a morale booster, especially as the club works to rebuild and restore its dominance in both La Liga and European football.

Neymar, the star forward for Al-Hilal, has responded sharply to recent remarks made by Manchester City midfielder Rodri about Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior.

Rodri, who clinched the 2024 Ballon d’Or last month after edging out Vinicius for the prestigious honor, offered some advice to the Brazilian winger earlier this week.

In his comments, Rodri suggested that Vinicius would benefit from focusing more on the game to improve as a player.

He remarked, “Vinicius is intelligent and will understand with time that paying more attention on the pitch will make him better.

He’s young and in a club like Madrid, which upholds strong values, he’ll receive good guidance.”

The comments were seen by some as constructive criticism but raised eyebrows among others, particularly Neymar, who jumped to defend his fellow Brazilian.

Taking to Instagram, Neymar wrote, “He [Rodri] became a talker now,” a pointed jab that suggests he felt Rodri’s advice was unnecessary or unwarranted.

Rodri’s words come during his recovery from a season-ending knee injury, which has kept him sidelined for Manchester City.

Despite his absence, the midfielder remains a central figure in football conversations following his stellar year that culminated in winning the Ballon d’Or.

Known for his composure and leadership on the field, Rodri’s Ballon d’Or victory is seen as a testament to his pivotal role in Manchester City’s treble-winning season, which included their first-ever Champions League triumph.

On the other hand, Vinicius Junior continues to be a key player for Real Madrid, dazzling fans with his flair and attacking prowess.

Despite narrowly missing out on the Ballon d’Or, the 23-year-old remains one of the brightest talents in football.

With the pressure of performing for one of the world’s most demanding clubs, Vinicius has faced his share of scrutiny but continues to thrive under the spotlight.

It has been announced that Enugu state will hold the 23rd edition of National Sports Festival in 2026. According to the National Sports Commission, they officially assigned the event to Enugu State. This was announced to the public by the Director-General of the commission, Bukola Olopade on Friday.

A thorough decision and evaluation was made before Enugu emerged at the best option for this event hosting. The National Sports Festival holds every 2 years and the 22nd edition will be hosted by Ogun State in January 2025. Thousand of athletes from all around Nigeria will attend the event to foster sportsmanship and national unity in country.