Lionel Messi ended lingering speculation over his Barcelona future on Saturday by finally penning a long-mooted contract extension running until 2021.
Messi will be 34 when his new deal at Camp Nou expires, increasing the likelihood that he could join a select band of adored stars who have represented a solitary club for the duration of their professional careers.
Here we look at five of football s most celebrated one-club men.
Paolo Maldini (AC Milan)
Indisputably one of the greatest defenders of all-time, Maldini made his Milan debut as a 16-year-old in 1985 and spent the next quarter of a century at San Siro, winning seven Serie A titles and five Champions Leagues.
Paolo Maldini: the name says it all
Paolo Maldini: un nome, una le…
Jordi Alba says claiming the Supporters Shield would be a nice achievement for Inter Miami, but his main goal is the MLS Cup.
A run of three straight draws has seen Miami s bid to wrap up the Supporters Shield put on ice over recent weeks.
Miami face the Columbus Crew the reigning MLS Cup champions on Wednesday, knowing one more win would see them clinch the Shield.
It would also keep them on track to break the regular-season points record of 73, which was set by the New England Revolution in 2021. Miami must win all three of their remaining games before the playoffs in order to break that record.
But former Barcelona full-back Alba has one main goal in mind.
We hope to win against a great team like Columbus, and we will go in with a winning ment…
Alexia Putellas pipped Beth Mead to the Ballon d Or, and now the Women s Champions League is set to begin in earnest as the group stage gets under way.
This has already been a spectacular year for the women s game in Europe, with Euro 2022 a roaring success, but the club game is going from strength to strength, too.
The continent s biggest clubs are throwing their support behind women s teams, and although this means some early adopters are being squeezed out, the Champions League is growing in quality and professionalism year by year. This is the second year that has featured a group stage, another sign of progress.
Here, Stats Perform looks at the 2022-23 tournament and its rich promise, with 16 teams vying to reach the final at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven in …
Argentina captain Lionel Messi has confirmed Qatar 2022 will be his last World Cup.
The mercurial Paris Saint-Germain forward will attempt to lift the trophy for the first time after helping his country win the Copa America last year.
Messi, 35, says he will not play in another World Cup following the showpiece in Qatar, which starts on November 20.
He told Star+: This is my last World Cup, surely, yes.
The seven-time Ballon d Or winner does not believe Argentina go into the tournament as the favourites to be crowned champions.
He added: I don t know if we are the great favourites, but Argentina itself is always a candidate because of our history, because of what it means, and more so how we qualified.
But we are not the top favourites. …
Luis Suarez s controversial actions in Brazil four years ago have helped the Barcelona star mature as a player, according to Uruguay boss Oscar Tabarez.
Suarez was suspended from all football activities for four months following his actions in a clash against Italy in the group stages in Brazil, having bitten Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder.
That controversy did not prevent Barca signing Suarez from Liverpool, and the 31-year-old has gone on to enjoy a trophy-laden spell at Camp Nou.
The forward will lead the line along with Edinson Cavani for Uruguay and, speaking ahead of their opener against Egypt on Friday, veteran coach Tabarez insisted Suarez has matured since 2014.
Suarez comes to the tournament as a very mature player. I have known him a long t…
Darijo Srna still vividly remembers the pain of Croatia s Euro 2008 exit to Turkey with the two nations poised to resume their rivalry at Parc des Princes on Sunday.
A youthfully gifted Croatia side appeared set to go far in Austria and Switzerland and a late Ivan Klasnic goal had them in-front during extra-time of a tense quarter-final.
But Semih Senturk volleyed an equaliser in the final minute and Turkey prevailed 3-1 on penalties, before losing to eventual runners-up Germany in the semis.
Croatia gained a measure of revenge with a play-off win to deny Turkey a place at Euro 2012 and enter the latest meeting with bone-fide global stars such as Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic in their ranks.
Nevertheless, captain Srna a veteran of 130 caps is no fan of ref…
The touchdown market has become one of the most popular and potentially profitable props in the NFL betting world. Each week, we’re going to throw down three to four units as we try to uncover some of the best weekly NFL TD props and dig into the matchups that surround them.
It’s the Turkey leftover addition of the TD prop train. We had our eighth profitable go at it last week, and are looking at a couple of longshot TEs as well as a hopeful early-down RB and de facto No. 1 receiver in Week 12.
Without further ado:
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The Eagles and Dolphins impressed in Week 3 while some of the top dogs are slipping heading into Week 4. Can Tampa figure it out offensively under Todd Bowles? Are the Dolphins and Eagles contenders? Is Jacksonville ready to make the jump to a playoff team? Here are my NFL power rankings after three weeks of the 2022 NFL season.
In games on a neutral field, every higher-ranked team would be favored or, at least, a pick ’em on the moneyline in this format. For two teams ranked closely together, the difference in the spread would be a home-field advantage (if any), which varies slightly from team to team.
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With the increased popularity of betting touchdown props, it’s a little harder these days for bettors to find value in the market. However, because of price discrepancies across books, having multiple outs is the best way to be profitable with Week 3 NFL props.
Each week I’ll find my three best touchdown props for the Sunday slate. They might not be high-win probable plays, but if they aren’t, they’ll certainly be +EV. I’m up 8.7 units over two weeks and swept the NFL odds board last week.
When it comes to Week 3 odds, I’m looking at a trio of backs that all have great opportunities on Sunday for different reasons.
Here are my NFL picks for Week 3’s anytime touchdown market.
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Talk about two different trajectories for two of the premier teams in the NFC heading into Thursday Night Football’s Week 13 odds. The Dallas Cowboys are on a 5-1 run and looking like one of the most well-rounded teams in the league while the Seattle Seahawks just got pants’d on Thanksgiving by the San Francisco 49ers to put them on a 1-3 skid.
The TNF odds see this as a complete mismatch, with the Cowboys as 9-point home favorites, and the difference in quarterback play has got to be the main reason why. One of these passers has an appetizing matchup, but the other may be in for a long night.
Find out where the bets lie in our Seahawks vs. Cowboys picks for NFL player props on November 30. And for more TNF analysis, check out our Dak Prescott…