football
Lionel Messi’s Charity Work: Exemplary philanthropy of legendary Argentine Footballer
Lionel Messi is widely considered one of the greatest football players of all time. With the exception of the World Cup, this Argentine maestro has almost accomplished everything with his club and country. He has a long list of records under his belt, as well as an illustrious and groundbreaking career. Lionel Messi is one of the world's wealthiest athletes, with plenty of cash to spend on various things. However, what is Lionel Messi's contribution to the underprivileged in society? Messi does make donations, and his initiatives deserve to be recognized. Let's take a look at Lionel Messi's charity work.
Lionel Messi’s Background
Lionel Messi was born in 1987 in Rosario, Argentina and he comes from a poor family. Messi has been a gifted footballer since he was a child. He joined the Rosario club when he was six years old, and scored over 500 goals as a part of "The Machine of 87”.
However, his professional career was jeopardized when he was ten years old. A growth hormone deficit was diagnosed in him, which treatment costs were at least $1,000 each month. Newell's Old Boys pledged to help but afterward backtracked.
Read: Lionel Messi signs 2-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain
Messi's family had relatives in Barcelona and they attempted to set up a trial with Barcelona. The 13-year-old Lionel Messi eventually signed a contract with FC Barcelona on a napkin on December 14th.
Lionel Messi’s Football Career at a Glance
At top level, Lionel Messi had spent 17 years at FC Barcelona before moving to Paris-Saint Germain in the Summer transfer window 2021.
Lionel Messi broke many records and reached new heights while playing for FC Barcelona from 2004-2021.
Messi won 10 La Liga, 7 Copa Del Rey, 8 Super Copa de Espana, 4 Champions League, 3 UEFA Super Cup, 3 FIFA Club World Cup with Barcelona.
Read Record-Breaker Lionel Messi Can Guide PSG to Champions League Crown
Messi became the all-time La Liga top scorer with 474 goals and also amassed 120 Champions League goals (most for a single club) for Barcelona. On 23rd December 2020, Messi scored 644th La Liga goal for FC Barcelona and surpassed Pele with the most goals for a single club.
Lionel Messi also has the most career La Liga assists (192), most La Liga braces (93), and most La Liga hat-tricks.
On international level, Lionel Messi surpassed pele to become South America’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals after scoring a hat-trick against Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier match on 9 September 2021.
Read: Messi breaks down, says he wasn't ready to leave Barcelona
At the age level, Lionel Messi won the FIFA U20 World Cup in 2005 and Summer Olympics 2008. Before winning the Copa America 2021 in July, Lionel Messi played three Copa America finals in 2007, 2015, and 2016 respectively. He also played the FIFA World Cup 2014 final, where Argentina lost the final 1-0 to Germany.
Notable Lionel Messi’s Charity Work
Lionel Messi has been involved in charitable activities since the start of his career. Messi has been working with UNICEF since 2004 and he was announced as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in the year 2010. He has worked in education, health, society's neglected children, earthquake awareness, and AIDS public awareness initiatives as per his responsibilities as an Ambassador.
In addition to working with UNICEF, this talented footballer has established the Lionel Messi Foundation in 2007. The primary goal of this organization is to promote health care education and children's sports.
Read Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar: Who Has Acquired Most International Achievements?
Lionel Messi recently contributed one million euros to help combat the spread of the coronavirus, which was shared between Barcelona hospital in Spain, and some clinics in Argentina.
The Leo Messi Foundation gave €200,000 to UNICEF Kenya programs in February 2019. The Lionel Messi philanthropic project aims to provide 2,000 children in Kenya with free drinking water and nutritious meals.
Messi hasn't lost connection with his roots. He helped to fund the construction of a facility for his childhood club Newell's Old Boys. Furthermore, he provided financial assistance to the local Rosario youth team Sarmiento.
Read Copa America 2021: Lionel Messi vs Neymar da Silva
What is more? The Leo Messi Foundation has aided the Special Olympics in Catalunya as well as the staging of athletic events for disabled youngsters. His organization partnered with the Josep Carreras Leukemia Foundation to aid in the advancement of leukemia therapy in the year 2019.
Bottom Line
Any young star's dream is to be a great footballer like Lionel Messi. This great Argentine footballer possesses a God-gifted talent. However, he has pushed the talent to new heights through his own efforts. Messi has a long list of achievements for his country and club. In addition to being a successful professional footballer, this philanthropic athlete has gained a huge reputation as a role model in society by standing by the side of underprivileged people. The Lionel Messi Foundation focuses on health, education, and sports. Messi's popularity has supported numerous humanitarian projects of UNICEF. It is expected that Lionel Messi’s charity work and commitment to the wellbeing of society would inspire the world's richest players.
Read How the European Super League could have ruled Messi and Ronaldo out of the FIFA World Cup 2022?
BPL Football: Bashundhara Kings beat Saif SC 3-0
League champions Bashundhara Kings beat Saif Sporting Club by 3-0 goal in one of the three remaining matches of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football at the Bangabandhu National Stadium here on Tuesday.
Nigerian booter Eleta Kingsley, who got the Bangladesh citizenship recently, scored twice for star studded Kings in the 54th and 63rd minutes of the day's match while Brazilian footballer Robson Robinho netted other goal in the 80th minute.
With the day's well merited victory, Bashundhara Kings further improved their points tally to 61 points from 22 league encounters while Saif SC remained at 4th slot in the 13-team league with 44 points from all 24 matches.
READ: BPL Football:Sheikh Russel KC crush Uttar Baridhara Club 5-1
The Kings, which assured the league crown earlier with three matches to spare securing 58 points from 21 outings, left for the Maldives last month to play the Group D matches of the AFC Cup, leaving their BPL matches against Saif SC, Sheikh Russel KC and Dhaka Abahani.
In the remaining league matches, Kings will play Sheikh Russel KC on Sept 17 and Dhaka Abahani on Sept 20.
Bangladesh envoy in Nepal hosts lunch for women booters
Bangladesh Ambassador to Nepal Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury hosted a lunch in honour of the Bangladesh National Women's Football team at his residence in Kathmandu on Monday.
The Bangladesh women's team, which played two FIFA Tier-1 Women's International Friendlies against their Nepalese counterparts as part of their preparations for this month's AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers in Uzbekistan, scheduled to leave Nepal for Uzbekistan Monday night at 11.05 pm.
Bangladesh Ambassador in Nepal went to Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu on Sunday to witness the Bangladesh 2nd match against Nepal and met with the Bangladesh players and officials after the match and invited them for lunch.With the matches, Bangladesh national women's team returned to international football after more than two and half years since playing the semifinal of SAFF Championship with India in March 2019.
READ: Bangladesh fail to end winless run, loses to 2-3 Kyrgyzstan U-23
In two preparatory matches in Kathmandu, touring Bangladesh conceded 1-2 goals defeat against Himalayan nation Nepal in the first match last Thursday and played to a goalless draw in the 2nd match on Sunday.Bangladesh, placed in Group G of the Asian meet with stronger Jordan and Iran, will play Jordan on Sept 19 and IR Iran on Sept 22, both in Tashkent.
READ: JFA U-14 Football: Magura clinch title, beat Rajshahi 2-0 The group champions will qualify for the final round of the AFC Women's Asian Cup in India next year.
FIFA Women's Friendly Football: Bangladesh, Nepal play out goalless 2nd match
Bangladesh women's team played out a goalless draw with Nepal in the last match of the two-match FIFA Tier-1 Women's International friendly series at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Sunday.
Both Bangladesh and Nepal played the matches as a part of their preparations for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 Qualifiers in Uzbekistan and made good practices through the matches.
Touring Bangladesh conceded a 2-1 defeat against Himalayan nation Nepal in the first leg at the same venue in Kathmandu last Thursday.
Sabita Rana and Preeti Rai scored for Nepal in a span of nine minutes in the first half (14th and 23rd minutes) while substitute Tohura Khatun netted the lone goal for Bangladesh in the 2nd half (83rd minute).
Bangladesh national women's team returned to international football with the matches after more than two and half years since playing the semifinal of the SAFF Championship against India in March 2019.
In today's match, Bangladesh played comparatively better football than they did previous one although giving some wrong passes.
Bangladesh winger Krishna Rani Sarkar made some good attacks down the right flank and narrowly missed scoring in the 30th minute when her attempt from a difficult angle crashed against the bar and out. . Bimala Chaudhury of Nepal also managed a good chance in the 37th minute but she too failed to finish from close range.
Bangladesh custodian Rupna Chakma displayed her brilliance under the bar foiling a series of opponent attempts.
Maria Manda of Bangladesh and Hira Kumari of Nepal were cautioned with yellow cards in the match.
Not home yet
Bangladesh team will next fly directly to Uzbekistan on Tuesday (Sept 14) to participate in the AFC Women's Asian Cup India '2022 Qualifiers. The competition will take place from September 19-24.
Bangladesh women booters have been placed in Group G of the competition, alongside Jordan and Iran. In both countries, women's football enjoys stronger foundations than in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh first game against Jordan, Sept 19, in Tashkent.
Second game against Iran, Sept. 22, again in Tashkent.Only the group champions will qualify for the next round of the AFC Women's Asian Cup in India next year.
Ronaldo scores 2 goals on glorious United return
This was always going to be Ronaldo's day.
Two goals, two chances to stage his trademark celebration in a 4-1 victory over Newcastle, ensured the performance matched the club hype that fans young and old embraced with their "Viva Ronaldo" chants and willingness to hand over cash for new jerseys.
Less than five months ago the fans were storming the stadium in a rage against the owners. Now the green-and-gold anti-Glazer protest scarves were hanging over the No. 7 Ronaldo shirts the megastore is struggling to match the demand for in the two weeks since he joined from Juventus.
The only "Get out of our club" chants were aimed by the Newcastle supporters at their owner, not Avram Glazer in the home directors' seats.
For Old Trafford's second capacity crowd since the start of the pandemic 18 months ago, the "Welcome home" announcements left no doubt they were for the superstar on the field.
He left United a year after winning his first Ballon D'Or accolade in 2008. The Portugal captain returns a five-time winner, with the chiselled, lean body ensuring not just playing longevity at 36 but a status that transcends not just United but the sport.
Ronaldo even laughed at himself. Like after the early miss when he swung at the ball from a tight angle right in front of the Newcastle fans.
He had to wait until the second minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half to restart the goal count left at 118 in 2009.
Few goals will be easier, tapping into an empty net after goalkeeper Freddie Woodman fumbled Mason Greenwood.
It was a goal United fans had not seen in 12 years and feared would never happen, especially when he came close to signing for Manchester City when he unexpectedly came on the market in the final days of the summer transfer window.
Yet it was a goal only the crowd of around 74,000 could legally watch in the UK.
The rest of the world – apart from Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea and Turkmenistan – could view it live on television.
The peculiarity of broadcasting rules meant this game was blacked out from television and digital platforms in the UK until after the game. Yet, illicit Twitter clips of it were showing more than a million views within half an hour of it being scored.
There was a moment of unease when United's need for a new defensive midfielder was highlighted by the failings that led to Newcastle's Javier Manquillo being able to equalise in the second half.
But Ronaldo had the lead restored in the 62nd. All the running in the buildup was from Luke Shaw before slipping the ball through for Ronaldo to effortlessly put the ball between Woodman's legs.
And there it was again, the signature celebration finessed during his time at Real Madrid, this time in front of the Stretford End, where Ronaldo shouted "Siuuu."
The win was secure. It just needed compatriot Bruno Fernandes with a fine rising, curling shot and Jesse Lingard's stoppage-time strike to add to the party atmosphere.
Tougher assignments will come for Ronaldo and United. The celebrations on Saturday were around Ronaldo's return. But the homecoming will be deemed a success only if he brings the Premier League trophy back to United for the first time since the final days of Alex Ferguson's reign in 2013.
Bangladesh fail to end winless run, lose 2-3 to Kyrgyzstan U-23
Bangladesh national football team completed their Kyrgyzstan tour with losses in all three matches, including a 2-3 defeat against Kyrgyzstan U-23 team at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek Thursday.
In the day's match, Zhanybek, Borubaev and Alygulov scored one goal each for Kyrgyzstan U-23 in the 24th, 28th and 58th minutes. Sumon Reza netted two goals for Bangladesh in the 11th and 64th minutes.
Earlier, Bangladesh national side completed their Three Nations Cup Football 2021 campaign in Kyrgyzstan without picking up a single win.
Hosts Kyrgyzstan clinched the Three Nations Cup title after crushing Bangladesh 4-1 Tuesday and outplaying Palestine 1-0 in the tournament opener.
Bangladesh conceded a 0-2 defeat against Palestine in their first match on September 5.
The players flew to Kyrgyzstan to play three matches – two in the Three Nations Cup 2021 and one friendly match against the Kyrgyz U-23 team – as part of their preparation for the SAFF Championship in the Maldives in October.
JFA U-14 Football: Magura clinch title, beat Rajshahi 2-0
Magura won the JFA U-14 National Women's Football Championship 2021 title with an unbeaten run, beating hosts Rajshahi 2-0 in the final Thursday at Shahid Muktijoddha Smriti Stadium.
It was the second successive victory for Magura against Rajshahi in the tournament. Earlier, they beat the hosts 2-1 in the group match.
Rajshahi finished runners-up in the competition while Brahmanbaria received the fair play trophy.
After a scoreless first half in Thursday's final, Esheta struck first for Magura in the 44th minute (1-0), and Rima added another, a minute before the final whistle (2-0).
Magura's Arpita was adjudged the player of the tournament, and Rima was named the highest scorer of the competition for netting seven goals.
Also, the champion team's goalkeeper Mili was named the most valuable player of the tournament and Joyanti Mondol the most promising one.
Earlier in the semifinals, Rajshahi knocked Brahmanbaria out of the tournament with a 1-0 win. Magura eliminated Panchagarh with a 2-0 win.
FIFA women's friendlies: Bangladesh lose 1-2 to Nepal
The national women's football team conceded a 1-2 defeat against hosts Nepal in the first match of the two FIFA tier-1 international football friendlies at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu Thursday.
The match was the first international fixture for the national women's team in more than two and a half years after playing the semifinal of the SAFF Championship against India in March 2019.
In the day's match, Sabita Rana scored first for Nepal in the 14th minute (1-0) and Preeti Rai added another in the 23rd minute (2-0), much to the delight of the home crowd.
Read: FIFA Tier-1 friendly series:Women's team to play against Nepal Thursday
In the second half, substitute Tohura Khatun pulled one back for Bangladesh in the 83rd minute (2-1).
After playing another match against Nepal on September 12, Bangladesh women's team will directly fly to Uzbekistan on September 14 to play the qualifying round of the AFC Women's Asian Cup there from September 19-24.
In Group G, Bangladesh will face Jordan on September 19 and Iran on September 22 in the Uzbek capital Tashkent.
Bangladesh to play Kyrgyzstan U-23 football team in Bishkek on Thursday
Bangladesh national football team will play a friendly match against hosts Kyrgyzstan U-23 side on Thursday at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.
The match will kicks-off at 8:3O pm ( BST).
Bangladesh team will play the match as part of their preparation for the SAFF Championship to be held in the Maldives next month.
Ahead of the Thursday's match, Bangladesh completed their practices at the Sports City Field in Bishkek Wednesday morning.
Read: Expatriate booters Rahbar, Tahmid join practice session in Kyrgyzstan
All Bangladeshi players are physically sound and fit and the team have no injury problems.
Earlier, Bangladesh national side completed their Three Nations Cup Football' 2021 engagement in Kyrgyzstan losing both the matches.
Hosts Kyrgyzstan clinched Three Nations Cup title with an all-win record outplaying Bangladesh by 4-1 goals on Tuesday after beating Palestine by 1-0.
Bangladesh conceded 0-2 goals defeat against Palestine in their first match last Sunday.
FIFA Tier-1 friendly series:Women's team to play against Nepal Thursday
Bangladesh National Women's Football team will play the first of the two- match FIFA Tier-1 International friendly series against Nepal National Women's team on Thursday.
The match will kick-off at 5:15 pm (Bangladesh time) at the Dasharath Stadium in Nepalese capital Kathmandu.
It will be the first international match for Bangladesh national women's booters after more than two and a half years since playing the semifinal of SAFF Championship against India in March 2019.
Ahead of the Thursday's match, Bangladesh team made their conditioning, gym and pool session at the team hotel Wednesday morning.
READ: Bangladesh women's football team reach Nepal
All the players of Bangladesh team are in sound health and fully fit ahead of their first match.
In a pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Bangladesh captain Sabina Khatun said, "We are working hard for the last few months and we want to give something to the country through tomorrow’s match (against Nepal), and to maintain our position in the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers"
Head Coach of Bangladesh team Golam Rabbani Chotan said, "Our girls are playing together for the last few years in different levels and age groups, they have a good relation and understanding ,if they are able to give their best, then we expect a good result tomorrow".
Bangladesh team will play the 2nd friendly match against their Nepalese counterpart on Sunday (Sept 12) before flying for Uzbekistan on Tuesday (Sept 14) to participate in the AFC Women's Asian Cup India '2022 Qualifiers there from Sept 19-24.
Bangladesh Women's, which was placed in Group G of the Asian meet with stronger Jordan and IR Iran, will play Jordan on Sept 19 and IR Iran on Sept 22, both in Tashkent.