On the soccer pitch, Lionel Messi is renowned for many things—his uncanny close control in tight spaces, his explosive bursts ...

This May 1st marks 20 years since Lionel Messi scored his first official goal wearing the FC Barcelona jersey—a moment that marked the beginning of a golden era for both the club and the Argentine ...

Robert Lewandowski capped off his spell at Barcelona by scoring the team’s only goal in the 3-1 defeat to Valencia at the Mestalla on Saturday.It was the final game for the Polish international in ...

Barcelona icon Lionel Messi on Friday took another step towards a historic goalscoring milestone. This came courtesy of his exploits in Argentina’s friendly meeting with Angola. The reigning world ...

Messi became an all-time great while on Barcelona’s books, with the bar of individual brilliance being raised to heights that have never been seen before. He plundered 672 goals for the club through ...

As part of our buildup to the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, we are publishing excerpted chapters from The Soccer 100, The Athletic’s definitive book on the 100 ...