Football players and coaches are superstitious people and believe in omens. Most of them relate to everyday things – places in the locker rooms and the club bus, equipment order, and access to the field. But there are phenomena in football that defy explanation.

Aaron Ramsey

This story began in 2011 when Osama bin Laden was killed the day after Ramsey’s goal against Manchester United. Then no one paid attention to this fact, but then the deaths of famous people after Ramsey’s goal (precisely the next day) began to occur with alarming frequency.

Among the” victims ” of the Welshman Muammar Gaddafi, Steve Jobs, Whitney Houston, Jorge Rafael Videl Redondo (former dictator of Argentina), actors Paul Walker and Alan Rickman, musician David Bowie, boxer Ken Norton.

The death of Boris Berezovsky does not fit into this framework. He died when Ramsey scored another goal. But the fact is that it was in a match for Wales, and all the previous deaths happened when Ramsey scored for Arsenal.

Arubigny’s Toad

Brazil, 1937. The bus “Vasco da Gama” before the match with “Andarai” was in an accident, and several people were injured. “Andara”, having the possibility of a technical victory, agrees to play later and gets a 0:12 defeat.

After that, one of the players of “Andarai” Arubinha buried a toad on the field of the stadium “San Januario” (the home arena of “Vasco”) and said a prayer that “Vasco” would not win a single title for twelve years.

In that season, “Vasco” missed out on what seemed to have already won the championship and could not win a single trophy for eight years. Of course, eight is not 12, but the fact remains.

Gipsy curses

Two English clubs: Birmingham City and Derby County-have suffered here, and their stories are as similar as two drops of water. Both clubs were going to build stadiums, having driven the Gypsy camps from the construction site.

The Gypsies put a curse (on each club separately) that for 100 years, the clubs will not win a single trophy (according to another version-not a single FA Cup).

Since then, Birmingham has won only two League Cups (1963 and 2011), but the Derby managers have been more proactive. On the eve of the 1946 FA Cup final, they met with the gipsies and asked for the curse to be lifted. Derby then defeated Charlton 4-1 in extra time. However, this trophy remained the only one in the history of the club.

Shamanic Curse

In the qualifying matches of the 1974 World Cup, the Australian national team, which had never participated in the final part, met with the team of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Both matches ended in a draw 1:1. Then the Australians resorted to the help of a shaman from Mozambique (the games were held in this country), who conjured them a victory in the third match (3: 1).

But the promised fee of 1000 pounds was not paid to the shaman, and he decided to take revenge. However, the Australians still qualified for the 1974 World Cup (apparently, the curse did not take effect immediately, but it did not go any further).

In 2004, the TV presenter John Safari became interested in this story. He read about it in a book by Gianni Warren, a player of that team. So Safari went to Mozambique, where he found a shaman who performed a ritual to summon the sorcerer’s spirit who cast the curse. From this spirit, Safari asked for a petition for his countrymen. And what would you think? In 2006, the Australians went to the World Cup, reached the playoffs, and then participated in three more World Championships in a row.

The Curse of Bela Guttmann

Perhaps the most famous football curse. The Hungarian (or Austrian) coach of Benfica, whose name is associated with the club’s rise, in 1962, after the second consecutive victory in the Champions Cup, asked the management for a salary increase but was refused and left the club.

At parting, Guttmann said that in the next 100 years, Benfica would not win a single trophy. Since then, the “eagles” 8 (!!!) once we reached the finals of European club tournaments, but each time we were defeated.

And in 1990, on the eve of the Champions Cup final against AC Milan, held in Vienna, the city where Bela Guttmann is buried, the great Eusebio even went to the grave of his coach. He asked for the curse to be lifted, but Guttmann was adamant.

Famous football Curses

 

He the best forward of his era and one of the best in the history of football. And many generally consider him the best player of all time. The opinion is controversial, but it also has the right to exist. In this article, we will take a detailed look at Ronaldo’s club career.

Ronaldo was born in Rio de Janeiro, the third child in a poor Brazilian family. However, poverty also has its criteria – the family of Nelio and Sonia Nazario never lived in the favelas. I also worked in a telephone company.

It was primarily thanks to him that Ronaldo became a football player since his mother did not encourage this hobby of his son, and his father, on the contrary, tried to support him in this.

At the age of 10, the boy began to study in a futsal club but then moved to a large field.

Cruzeiro 1993-1994

Ronaldo did not enter, and he broke into big football. Having signed his first professional contract in his first season, he scored 20 goals in 21 matches for Cruzeiro! And these are only official games, and in friendly matches, Ronaldo scored eight more goals.

“Phenomenon” – so the fans called him, and there was something for it. Excellent starting and distance speed, excellent technique, physical power, strong shots from both legs – there were no weak points in the forward’s game.

I always admired his passes, especially the way “Toothy” (another nickname of Ronaldo, associated with his appearance) could dramatically change directions at speed. Neither before nor after it, nothing like this was observed.

PSV 1994-1996

The Dutch ” PSV ” had a great experience of successfully acquiring Brazilian forwards because, before the arrival of Ronaldo, the club left Romario, who moved to Barcelona.

The “phenomenon” completely replaced the famous compatriot, already in the first season with 30 goals, becoming the top scorer of the Dutch championship, with the second-placed Patrick Kluivert trailing by 12 goals. Ronaldo started the 1995-1996 season with the same impact, scoring 19 goals in 21 official matches. But then a knee injury followed, and in February 1996, the striker underwent surgery, after which the season was virtually over for him.

Barcelona 1996-1997

Despite his health problems, Ronaldo moves to Barcelona, which paid PSV $ 20 million. In Catalonia, the Brazilian spent only a season, but this season was one of the best in the career of a football player.

In the Spanish league, Ronaldo scored 34 goals, becoming his top scorer, and his accurate shot from the 11-meter mark in the final of the Cup Winners ‘ Cup brought Barcelona this trophy.

And at the end of 1997, Ronaldo, being already a player of Inter, received his first “Golden Ball”.

Inter 1997-2002

Ronaldo could have been at Inter much earlier – back in early 1995, and the club signed a contract with PSV and the priority right to buy out the player. However, a year earlier, Massimo Moratti did not interrupt the price of “Barcelona”, considering it too high.

Indeed, a miser pays twice. Moratti gave Barca $ 25 million, which at that time was a football transfer record.

By and large, Ronaldo spent only one entire season at Inter, his first at this club. Then he scored 34 goals in all competitions, and “Nerazzurri” became the second in the championship and took the UEFA Cup.

But in the 1998-1999 season, the team began to feel feverish – during the season, Interchanged four coaches and took 9th place in the championship. And Ronaldo himself began to worry about his knee again. He missed many matches and was far from optimal shape. As a result, another knee operation and a long recovery followed.

Ronaldo entered the field on April 12 2000, in the first final match of the Italian Cup against Lazio, but after 20 minutes left the area on a stretcher. The photo of Ronaldo holding his knee with his face twisted in pain then went around the whole world and left few people indifferent.

2>Real Madrid 2002-2007

After the triumph of the Brazilians on the fields of Japan and South Korea, Ronaldo moves to Real Madrid, where the concept of “galacticos” by Florentino Perez was in full swing – Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane already played in the team.

In Madrid, Ronaldo finally becomes the champion, which he did not manage to do in previous clubs. In the goalscoring race, he is second only to Roy McKie from Deportivo. His goals that season included a goal scored at El Classico against his former team and a hat-trick at Old Trafford in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final. “Real” then lost 3:4, but thanks to the result of the first match (3:1) passed on.

In the following seasons, Ronaldo continued to delight the Madrid fans with his goals (in the 2003-2004 season, he became the top scorer of the championship) and his game. But the club was left without titles time after time. It was not Ronaldo’s fault. It was just that the Galacticos model did not justify itself – in the Real Madrid attack, there was an apparent overkill of the highest-level performers, with a relatively average selection of defensive performers.

This team could break anyone in a single match but at the same time lost a lot of” their ” points. As a result, the club’s president changes, and Fabio Capello comes to the coaching bridge – a well-known fan of tough tactical schemes, in which the” Phenomenon ” did not find a place. Ronaldo still received his second medal of the champion of Spain, but to call his contribution to its conquest, not something that would be decisive but simply significant, will not work.

2>AC Milan 2007-2008

Ronaldo moved to Milan in January 2007 and spent the second half of the season quite productively, having managed to score seven goals before the end of the championship, including against Inter, his former club.

Before starting the following season, Carlo Ancelotti expected the Brazilian to become the central forward of his team. However, at first, Ronaldo’s season was plagued by minor injuries. When it seemed that he had solved all his problems, it happened again.

On February 13, 2008, Ronaldo came on as a substitute in a match against Livorno, and 3 minutes after the collision with the defenders, he lay on the field, clutching his knee. The diagnosis-a of torn ligament of the left knee sounded like a verdict because “Zubastik” was already 31 years old.

In July 2008, his contract with AC Milan expired, and Ronaldo became a free agent while considering retirement.

Corinthians 2008-2011

And in December 2008, the football world sighed with joy – Ronaldo announced his return to big-time football. However, he signed a contract with another Brazilian club – Corinthians. A scandal broke out – the bosses of “Flamengo” said that they were disappointed with the decision of the player, he explained this by the fact that during four months of training at the club “Flamengo” did not offer him a contract.

But Ronaldo’s fans, of whom there are many worldwide, did not care much; most importantly, the “Phenomenon” was back on the field. Even if it was a different Ronaldo-plump, slow, trying once again not to go into the joints, the genius remained a genius – in two seasons in 65 matches for the club, Ronaldo scored 35 goals and finally won the titles of his homeland-the Sao Paulo state championship and the Brazilian Cup.

By the way, here the” Phenomenon ” was haunted by injuries – on July 26, 2009, in a match of the Brazilian championship, Ronaldo broke his arm, unsuccessfully landing on it during a fall.

And on February 14, 2011, at a specially assembled press conference, Ronaldo announced his retirement from football.

Looking back at Ronaldo’s career, it is unfortunate that he missed too much due to injuries. But when he was healthy, Ronaldo was the best in the world. After all, he is a phenomenon without any quotation marks.

Football legends: Ronaldo

 

George Best was one of the best players not only on the UK but also in the rest of the world. Many generations will remember his natural talent and superior skills he performed on the pitch. Apart from being a great player, Best was also a very charismatic player. He had natural strength and stamina, which made him a true both on the field. Born in 1946, George was spotted by MU managers and joined the team while being a teenager. That was the turning point in his career. Best changed a lot turning from a professional football player into an alcoholic and womanizer. Breaking bad has eventually resulted in his George Best death. Nevertheless, he will always be a legend for millions of fans and professional football experts.

The Reason of George Best Death

The player was known for his illness linked to alcohol. He died at the age of 59 in 2005. George suffered from several organs’ failure and died at Cromwell hospital in Chelsea. According to some insights, he was taking treatment for some time. However, it did not have a positive effect on his shape.

When getting to the hospital, Best was on the ventilator. Doctors were forced to stop his medication treatment as the only way to keep him alive. Fortunately for Best, he did not feel any pain, as he remained sedated. Footballer’s family was there to stay with him until the end. The son and father were behind during the final others. When George died, his son spoke in the interview that he lost not just a father but also a great man.

George Best Career and Stats

Best was an outstanding footballer and “the best player in the world” according to Pele. None of the modern strikers can boast the same praise from another football legend. Best won the European Cup in 1968 and was titled the Best European Player.

His fully revealed his talent when playing for Manchester United with overall 466 appearances and 178 goals. However, Best failed to cope with popularity and fame. He indulged in alcohol and womanizing. George started missing his training and eventually distracted his life. It all resulted in sacking him by Old Trafford at the age of 28. Till his last days, George was hoping people would remember him for his actions on the field but not for drinking and dating numerous women. His last words proved that he did not regret living his life though he did to wish anyone died like him.

The True Story behind George Best Death

 

The “Hand of God” and the living legend of Napoli and the Argentinian International football team is a football icon for millions of fans. The player boasts an astonishing career leading his international team to the FIFA World Cup victory in 1986. He played like for several top clubs including Barcelona.  However, Napoli appeared to be his home for many years. He led his team to numerous Seria A titles and scored 115 goals. Marek Hamsik is yet the only player who managed to equal the result of the glorious Diego. After so many years on and away from the pitch, (Maradona tried himself as the Argentinian international team manager) let’s have a short flashback. Who is Diego Maradona? What is Maradona age? How many children does he have? Is he married or not? There are so many questions still to answer. So, let’s get started!

How Old is Maradona?

Goal Hailing from Buenos Aires, Diego Armando was born on October 30, 1960. He is 58 years old. He managed to win numerous trophies throughout his long career. Maradona led several teams to the victory in local championships (Argentina and Italy). Moreover, he ensured the award-winning victory of the Argentinian international team in the FIFA 1968 final. Maradona was married once. He was accused of taking drugs during his career and after retiring. The player was forced to complete the rehab program. He has children and tries to stay involved in football as far as he can.

Diego Maradona Childhood

The future football icon was born 58 years ago in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He spent his childhood in the province of the capital called Villa Fiorito. He had seven brothers and sisters. Although the family was rather poor and actually lived from hand to mouth, it was close-knit household.

At the age of three, the Hand of God got his first ball and started playing on the streets with his mates from the borough. At the age of 10, Diego got his chance to join Los Cebollitas youth team. It was one of the most popular and recognizable Argentinian clubs by that time. Maradona overwhelmed spectators and coaches with his incredible skills from the start. It helped him make a professional debut in the senior team at the age of 16.

Diego Maradona Professional Career

The Argentinian football legend made a name for himself as a fearless and skillful midfielder. He was able to create a scoring opportunity from nothing. Diego has always been a team player able to assist if the partner was in a potentially better scoring situation. The FIFA World Cup 1986 appeared to be the turning point in his career. Maradona scored twice including his legendary goal in the quarterfinals against England. The Hand of God has turned into a signature and moniker for the award-winning player.

Diego Armando boasts a great record of accomplishment of playing in World Cups featuring 91 international appearances with 31 goals in four different world cups. He played for Barca but did not gain much success from there. Moving to Seria A was a wise decision for the Argentinian player. He scored 115 goals for his team and retired in 1997 at the age of 37. He suffered from multiple injuries and decreasing shape because of taking drugs.

Maradona Life off the Pitch

The player has always been quite a controversial figure. While performing amazing skills on the pitch, he was involved in numerous scandals for taking drugs. In 2000, he had his first heart attack and was forced to complete the treatment course. The same thing happened in 2004. Moreover, the player had to fight with obesity. For this reason, he was involved in the gastric surgery. Despite all conflicts and health problems, Maradona was about to win the title of the best player in the 20^th century. Unfortunately for his fans, Diego was forced to share the prize with Pele but refused to stay on stage with the legendary Brazilian. In the year 2008, Diego Armando tried himself as the Argentinian international team manager during the FIFA World Cup in 2010. However, the effort appeared to be an epic failure after the 4-0 defeat against Germany. Not even Messi could help his mates. Despite all rumors, scandals, health problems and failures, Maradona is still the living legend for millions of fans around the globe. He is the Argentinian hero.

Maradona Family, Wife and Children

The success on the pitch was replaced by failures in his personal life. Maradona was married once between 1986 and 2003. His ex-wife’s name is Claudia Villafane. Later Maradona proposed to a 23-year old model Rocio Olivia but was rejected. The player has five children. The last one whose name is Diego Sinagra was not recognized by Diego for a long time. However, the living legend accepted Sinagra as a son who was born by a woman from Naples. She was rumored to have some affairs with Maradona. His current family consists of two daughters from his first marriage as well as a young son Diego Fernando and a younger daughter Jana.

All You Need to Know about Diego Maradona Age, Bio and Facts

 

Also known as the absolute football Wizard, Ronaldinho has been a soccer icon for millions of fans around the world for many decades. He managed to win numerous trophies and prestigious titles in addition to his two Player of the Year awards. Despite years of playing for different clubs, he never seems to change or grow old.

What is current Ronaldinho age? Are there any new facts about Ronaldinho family? What is the last Ronaldinho team? Does his still play football? So many things we are to learn about one of the brightest Brazilian soccer stars of our age.

Ronaldinho date of birth and Early Life

Born on March 21, 1980, the future football pearl hailed from Porto Alegre. A young boy was encouraged to play football by his brother and dad who was also a popular player of his time. However, playing on the pitch was hardly a good source of income at that period. For this reason, Ronaldinho family was pretty poor. His father was forced to work at the shipyard dock to earn some extra money. Ronaldinho elder brother Roberto was also a promising player and managed to join the Gremio football club at his early age. Unfortunately for Roberto, he was severely injured and had nothing to do but to forget about a professional football career.

Considering the tragic situation with his brother, Ronaldinho got the inspiration from his father who was like an idle to a future Brazilian prodigious player. Despite father’s death when the player was only 8 years old, he remembers all the right things his dad taught him. They included honesty, sincerity and total devotion to the path Ronaldinho chose. From that time, Ronaldinho started playing organized youth football.

What Team Did Ronaldinho Play for at the Beginning of His Career?

We all know the name of the biggest Ronaldinho club. However, do you know what team is Ronaldinho on today? Is he still playing? His incredible football path started at the age of 7 when he joined local beach football team as a part of his organized youth soccer career. He also took part in futsal games where he actually picked up some of his popular tricks and skills. A young talent performed greatly and soon got spotted by the U-17 Brazilian International Team scouts. There Ronaldinho made a name for himself after scoring two unbelievable goals from the penalty.

Such performance ensured his way to Gremio team he joined in 1997. This was actually the first professional Ronaldinho club. One year after joining his first team, Ronaldinho made his first-ever appearance at Copa Libertadores. He showed great results, which made him a player of the starting lineup. The year 2001 appeared to be a turning point after he signed a contract with PSG featuring €5 million transfer cost.

Where is Ronaldinho Playing Now?

Although he was not as successful as expected during Liga 1 season 2002-2003, he managed to become one of the best and most talented players in the French championship. He scored 12 goals making 38 appearances. However, his team failed to qualify to other major tournaments. The player was craving for tournaments and achievements. This is how he actually joined FC Barcelona in 2003. The Spanish club paid €30 million for the future soccer superstar. It was a huge step forward for the club and Ronaldinho who scored 22 goals plus 14 assists during the season. It helped Barcelona take the 2^nd place in the final standings followed the winning of the league title in the next season. In 2005, he won his first prestigious title of “European Player of The Year”.

After winning several trophies with his club in addition to FIFA World Cup with the Brazilian international team, Ronaldinho faced some career problems and eventually had to leave Barcelona for AC Milan in 2008. He was put away from the Brazilian team due to the lack of goals and greater performances throughout the season in Seria A. Later he returned to his motherland where he played for Flamengo and Atlético Mineiro. Ronaldinho is currently not playing for any club.

Ronaldinho Age, Bio, Career, and Life

 

The time goes by. Players move from one club to another starting their new path on the way to new trophies and glory. For millions of CR7 fans across the globe, the news about Cristiano Ronaldo team changes appeared to be a sensation. Image by gazeta.uz Are you still not aware of what team is Cristiano Ronaldo on? Then this article will come in handy. We will speak of a new team Ronaldo plays for as well as discuss some of its former soccer teams where CR7 started his amazing career as an A-list striker and winner of most prestigious football trophies.

Where is Cristiano Ronaldo From?

A 33-year star striker was born in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. This is where he started playing football at the age of 7. His father used to be a manager of the local Andorinha soccer team. This is where a future forward started making his first steps towards the career of the most successful and recognizable player.

After first Ronaldo team, Cristiano moved to Clube Desportivo Nacional of Madeira. It was actually his first professional football club. The future football star was only 12 years old. One would hardly believe, but CR7 had not quite a huge success at the start of his way even after he moved to Sporting.

The Team Cristiano Ronaldo Plays for Now

The first professional season for the Sporting A team was far from a success. CR7 managed to score only three goals although Cristiano managed to establish his recognizable attacking style featuring high speed and fast dribbling. The tables were turned when Ronaldo turned 17. From this moment, he started hitting the headlines. It was time for him to move to a more developed league. Image by si.com In 2003, the emerging football stars moved to Manchester United scoring 42 goals during the 2007-2008 season in all tournaments. After winning the UEFA Champions Cup with M< Ronaldo decided to leave Manchester for Madrid. CR7 became the main signature of the Spanish football and Real Madrid in particular. After numerous successful seasons, Ronaldo is moving to Torino to Join Juventus for the record $132 million transfer deal.

 

The story of a poor Brazilian boy who eventually turned into the biggest soccer star is overwhelming. Pele biography keeps different facts that most of you have never heard about.

Who is Pele? How did he start playing football? What age is Pele and what teams did he play for? This time, we will dive deep into the bio of the legendary player from Brazil. Mostly known by the “Pele” nickname, he was also popular by his “Black Pearl” moniker. We will follow his entire path from poverty to the heights he achieved in sports scoring more league goals than any other player did. Pele stats are overwhelming with 1, 281 scorings during his long and bright career. Pele has won three FIFA World Cups.

Where is Pele from?

Hailing from Três Corações, Brazil, the future football superstar was born in 1940. Pele family lived in poverty. His father was a pretty famous footballer in the borough. Teammates used to call him “warrior” due to his courageous and brave gaming manner. A few people know that parents initially named Pele “Edison” after a world’s famous inventor Thomas Edison.

However, the situation changed once a future soccer star has entered the school. His classmates gave made up a new nickname for their buddy. It was the ”Pele”. The origins of this nickname come from Pele’s bad pronunciation and one of his favorite childhood payers Bile. He was a goalkeeper in Vasco de Gama at that time. The future player pronounced its “Pile” due to some spelling problems. For this reason, his classmates mocked at him. This is how the soccer legend got his world’s famous moniker. It should be noted that Pele has always been an easy-going person even at school. He never felt offended by such a treat by his friends although he didn’t like his new nickname at first. Once in his interview, Pele called it a childhood rubbish moniker. However, it has eventually turned into one of the most popular names around the globe.

Pele Footballer – the Rise of career

Pele always dreamt to become a pilot. However, he changed his mind after a tragic accident near their house. A plane crashed killing its pilot and some of its passengers. The father introduced the game to his son and he was actually Pele’s first professional coach. The Pele family lived from hand to mouth. Pocket money was not enough to by a ball. For this reason, a future superstar played with a stuffed sock. He tried several jobs to earn some extra cash.

However, Pele recognized his own talent very fast. He started playing indoor football that was gaining popularity at that time in Brazil. Pele turned into the most dominating player on the court performing amazing dribbling and passing skills. At his early age, Pele actually managed to establish his own unique and recognizable style that immediately hit the headlines.

What Team Did Pele Play for?

Pele left his home at the age of 15 to start a glorious career in his first professional club. Santos was the first team Pele played for and scored his first goal before turning 16. He started performing well from the very first season. Pele stats after the first year of playing were amazing. He took the lead in the list of top season scorers. The coaches of the International Brazilian team had nothing to do but to invite Pele. They hardly regret doing that, Pele scored six goals during the FIFA World cup in 1958 in addition to his two goals in the finals. His team one against hosts 5-2. In 1958, Pele won his first ever world cup. Two more were to go. The second World Cup trophy was one in Chile in 1962. Brazil played against Czechoslovakia in the finals and won 3-1. Pele has not scored in that match although he managed to score at least once during the tournament. The third one was in Mexico taking part in 1970. The football superstar scored 4 goals there including 1 goal in the final game against Italy.

When Did Pele Retire?

The first time Pele retired was four years after winning his second world cup trophy. Luckily for supporters and spectators, his retirement did not last too long. He returned to the big game in 1975 to bring his talent and brilliance to the American Soccer league. Pele played for NY Cosmo for some time. A friendly match between New York Cosmo and Santos appeared to be a good way to say “goodbye” to all Pele devoted fans and to the game in general. The game took place in 1977.

Here are some overall Pele stats throughout his career:

• Pele scored more league goals than any other striker – 1, 281 goals overall;
• Pele won three FIFA World Cup tournaments – none of today’s players can boast the same achievement;
• Pele was voted for the Best Player in the 20^th century;
• Pele was the first player to get Fifa Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur Award.

The king of soccer is an example for other generations of younger players. Pele has proved that everyone has a chance to get away from poverty and bring his dreams to life with the help of the talent, will and desire to win. Today, Pele continues to contribute to football. He is the ambassador of good will. He takes part in charitable events, supports football schools and provides funds to organizations that work with children.

A Full Pele Biography: Age, Pele facts, and Teams He Played for

 

Although one can hardly imagine a football fan who does not know Messi age, some less dedicated spectators still wonder how old is Lionel Messi.

This is mainly due to his drastic image change feature a beard and a tattoo. Both certainly make him look older. Despite that brutal look in addition to numerous trophies and awards, the A-star striker is 390 years old. Born in 1987, Barcelona superstar has already reached the highest career level any footballer could only imagine. While most of you are well aware of Messi goals and stats, this time we are going to dive deep into Messi family facts. We will find out some key facts about his career at the early childhood as well as drive you to the birth of striker’s kids.

When Is Lionel Messi Birthday?

Lionel Messi birthday is on July 24, 1987. That was the day when the biggest football star has been born. Hailing from Rosario, Argentine, a future super striker was born in a family of a coach and social worker. It may sound surprising, but the grandmother was the one to spot her grandchild’s talent. If it were not for her, Messi would never visit his first training. At that time, Lionel was only 5 years old. That was the first page of Lionel Messi biography as the A-list player.

Even after growth hormone deficiency, Messi never gave in and eventually grew into the world’s most awarded and successful footballer of modern times. His debut game for Barca was a huge success featuring 3 Messi goals at the age of 17. That was the turning point in his career followed by 2005 Golden Ball, the youngest player to hit the net 200 times in La Liga and more prestigious awards in addition to trophies both in the home and European championships.

Lionel Messi Biography

Hailing from Rosario, Argentina, Lionel is the son of Celia and Jorge Messi. A future football star grew up in a big family with three other siblings including Lionel’s sister Maria Sol and two of his elder brothers Matias and Rodrigo. The family was rather poor. Messi’s father was trying his best not to live from hand to mouth. He worked on a local factory as a steel worker. Lionel’s mother did not have a full-time job. She tried to earn some cash by offering part-time cleaning services. The year 1992 was the first time a future superstar tried football jersey and went on then pitch as the player of Grandoli team. By the way, his father was the coach of that local team. Three years passed. Messi proved to have a huge talent and potential. For this reason, he moved to Old Boys. That part of his career was far from a huge success. Although the striker did his best, the team actually lost in its every game.

After doctors diagnosed growth hormone deficiency when Messi was 11 years old, it was clear that he would not have the slightest chance to continue his career as a footballer. Local clubs refused to offer financial support, as his parents could not afford the treatment process. No one seemed to be willing to pay for Lionel’s cure. Luckily for the entire football world and Messi himself, the fate gave a pardon and brought the FC Barcelona sporting director Carles Rexach to solve Lionel’s health problems. He came to Messi’s aid and paid all his medical bills for one and only reason – to save the boy and get him to Barcelona football academy. That was the start of the long way and Lionel’s professional career as an A-star striker.

Messi Controversy Career Facts

Despite his current success, Messi was unintimidated by bigger boys in his childhood. His elder brothers loved playing football all the time. However, the future living legend was tagged alone. On the other hand, Lionel was the first from all his siblings to be recruited to the professional football club system. FIFA 2014 World Cup was another huge disappointment for the A-list football player. Despite his talent and scoring stats for Barcelona, Lionel was sharply blamed for inability to help Argentinian National Tea, during the mundial. Although he was extremely helpful for the team especially for leading it to the Tournament Finals, Messi still feels guilty of that crucial loss to Germany. On the other hand, Lionel was named the MVP of the Tournament.

Copa America 2016 was also far from a huge success. Once again, the Argentinian team found itself in the tournament’s finals against Chili. Unfortunately, another fail made Messi step away from his performance in the International Team.

Lionel Messi Family

After Dating Antonella Roccuzzo for several years, Barcelona forward eventually got married. She gave a birth to three of Lionel kids Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro who was born not so long ago. By the way, Messi family was the reason to miss one of his games for Barcelona, as Ciro was born on Friday night. The footballer had nothing to do but to stay with his wife instead of performing on the pitch. Is this actually the reason to blame him for? Certainly not.

the Hospital USP Dexeus was the place where all of Messi children were born. Lionel’s sister Carla was the first to hear the great news. She shared some photos on the Instagram with the whole Messi family that is becoming bigger and bigger. That does not seem to be a huge problem considering footballers current wage. It is approximately $44.68 million while Messi’s net worth is about $340 million. Although one will hardly believe that Barcelona will ever sell its prodigious player, a few clubs can really afford buying despite the fact all clubs want to see him in their lineup.

How Old Is Messi? Biography, Family, Facts

 

List of all winners of Copa America Football Competition in history

The Copa America is known as the main football competition of South America which is played between football teams of CONMEBOL. Its first competition was played in 1916 in Argentina that was played among four football teams. Uruguay National Football Team was the first and last champions of this campaign. Also, Uruguay is the most successful team of Copa America as they have won it fifteen times. Get ready to know about the all winners of CA. Given below is the list for which you are looking for.

Year	Host	Winners	Runners-up
1916	Argentina	Uruguay	Argentina
1917	Uruguay	Uruguay	Argentina
1919	Brazil	Brazil	Uruguay
1920	Chile	Uruguay	Argentina
1921	Argentina	Argentina	Brazil
1922	Brazil	Brazil	Paraguay
1923	Uruguay	Uruguay	Argentina
1924	Uruguay	Uruguay	Argentina
1925	Argentina	Argentina	Brazil
1926	Chile	Uruguay	Argentina
1927	Peru	Argentina	Uruguay
1929	Argentina	Argentina	Paraguay
1935	Peru	Uruguay	Argentina
1937	Argentina	Argentina	Brazil
1939	Peru	Peru	Uruguay
1941	Chile	Argentina	Uruguay
1942	Uruguay	Uruguay	Argentina
1945	Chile	Argentina	Brazil
1946	Argentina	Argentina	Brazil
1947	Ecuador	Argentina	Paraguay
1949	Brazil	Brazil	Paraguay
1953	Peru	Paraguay	Brazil
1955	Chile	Argentina	Chile
1956	Uruguay	Uruguay	Chile
1957	Peru	Argentina	Brazil
1959	Argentina	Argentina	Brazil
1959	Ecuador	Uruguay	Argentina
1963	Bolivia	Bolivia	Paraguay
1967	Uruguay	Uruguay	Argentina
1975	NA	Peru	Colombia
1979	NA	Paraguay	Chile
1983	NA	Uruguay	Brazil
1987	Argentina	Uruguay	Chile
1989	Brazil	Brazil	Uruguay
1991	Chile	Argentina	Brazil
1993	Ecuador	Argentina	Mexico
1995	Uruguay	Uruguay	Brazil
1997	Bolivia	Brazil	Bolivia
1999	Paraguay	Brazil	Uruguay
2001	Colombia	Colombia	Mexico
2004	Peru	Brazil	Argentina
2007	Venezuela	Brazil	Argentina
2011	Argentina	Uruguay	Paraguay
2015	Chile	–	–

Team with most number of titles: Uruguay have won it 15 times, more than any other team.

Most wins in Copa America: Argentina have won most number of matches. They have played 174 games out of which they won 111 matches, loss 31 and drew 31.

Most Losses in Copa America: Chile have suffered most losses in this competition. So far, they were defeated 81 times.

Most appearances in Copa America final: La Albiceleste [The white and sky blues, Argentina] have played most finals with total count of 26, won 14 times.

The 44th edition of Copa America will be held in Chile from 11th June to 4th July. Ten teams from South America and two invited teams [Jamaica and Mexico] will play this competition in Chile.

That’s all about all past winners of Copa America. Hope you like it.

 

Real Madrid is one of the top professional football club of Spain which plays in Domestic league La Liga. The club was founded in 1902 & is commonly known as Royal Madrid football club. In Spain, the name real redirects to Royal which was given by the King Alfonso 13 in the year of 1920. So far the club has won 32 times domestic league titles & 9 times the UEFA Champions league trophy. So here is the complete wiki with history, home ground & team squad of Real Madrid football club.

Real Madrid
	Full Name	Real Madrid Club de Futbol
	Date of Formation	6 March 1902 [Madrid Football club]
	Nicknames	Los Blancos [The Whites] Los Merengues [The Meringues] Los Vikingos [The Vikings]
	Home Stadium	Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
	Audience Capacity	85,454
	Current Manager	Carlo Ancelotti
	President	Florentino Perez

Real Madrid Football Club History

The game of football in Madrid was introduced in Madrid by the graduates of Oxford & Cambridge university. In the year of 1897, they founded a club which was called as Football Club Sky. Thereafter in the year of 1900, the founded club was divided into Club Espanol de Madrid & Foot-Ball de Madrid. Then on 6 March 1902, the Madrid FC was officially founded by the new president Juan Padros. In the year of 1905, the club won its first title of Spanish Cup after defeating Athletic Bilbao. Then the king of Spain, Alfonso 13 changed the name of the club to Real Madrid which is called as Royal Madrid. The domestic football league of the nation i.e. La Liga was formed in 1929, the club the first title of La Liga & in the season of 2012-13, they finished 2nd after the champions Barcelona. The club won by a huge margin against his biggest rivalry by 11-1 the second leg of Semi final of the competition Copa del Generalisimo. The tournament was then renamed to Copa del Rey.  

Real Madrid Home Stadium Details

The Estadio Santiago Bernabeu is the home ground of Real Madrid. The name of the ground is selected to honor the president Santiago Bernabeu Yeste. On 14 December 1947, the ground was opened for the national & international matches. Manuel Munoz Monasterio, Luis Alemany Soler, Antonio Lamela are the architect of Santiago Bernabeu. Right now, the home stadium has total capacity of 85,454 & dimensions of 107m x 72m. Real Madrid celebrated its first La Liga title in front of 22,500 audience. Santiago Bernabeu stated that the ground is not enough to manage the huge of amount audience gathering. Earlier it was designed with a capacity of 120,000 capacity, but it number reductions were made. The reduction was done due to regulation of UEFA to remove stands. The last change was made for increase in 5,000 audience & rose to 85,454. The home stadium has also hosted lots of big games. The final matches of 1964 UEFA Champions league, 1982 FIFA World Cup, 1957, 1969, 1980 European Cup & 2010 Champions league final. Santiago Bernabeu has its own railway station which is Madrid Metro.  

Most Popular Rival Teams of Real Madrid

El Clasico: The Spanish club has two most popular rivalries which are Barcelona & Atletico Madrid. The first rivalry against Barcelona is the El Clasico which is the most popular rivalry of Spain. So far, the Vikings has won 81 games in which the club faced 76 losses & 39 matches are draws. Almost in every season, the El Clasico records the highest audience attendance.     El Derbi Madrileno: Atletico Madrid is second most toughest rivalry of Real Madrid which is also most famous rivalry in Spain. Every match against Atletico Madrid is called as El Derbi Madrileno. Years between 1961 & 1989 are called as Madrid years in which Atletico Madrid was the only club which was the toughest opponent & won La Liga titles in 1966, 1970, 1973 & 1977.

Current Team Squad of The Vikings

Player	Nationality	Position
Iker Casillas [C]		Goalkeeper
Raphael Varane		Defender
Pepe [Vice Captain]		Defender
Sergio Ramos [V-C]		Defender
Fabio Coentrao		Defender
Sami Khedira		Midfielder
Cristiano Ronaldo		Forward
Karim Benzema		Forward
Gareth Bale		Midfielder
Marcelo [VC]		Defender
Jesus Fernandez		Goalkeeper
Xabi Alonso		Midfielder
Daniel Carvajal		Defender
Casemiro		Midfielder
Alvaro Arbeloa		Defender
Nacho Fernandez		Defender
Luka Modric		Midfielder
Jese		Forward
Alvaro Morata
Angel di maria		Midfielder
Isco		Midfielder
Asier Illarramendi		Midfielder
Diego Lopez		Goalkeeper

Titles, Awards & Honors of Real Madrid

Real Madrid is leading the domestic league competition La Liga with 32 total titles. Also, the club has won 9 times UEFA Champions League. The first 5 tournaments of Champions league were won by the Vikings. Given below is the list of titles won by Real Madrid

Domestic Tournaments 1st & 2nd Place

• La Liga 32 Times Champions & 21 times Runners up
• Copa Del Rey 18 Times Champions & 20 times Runners-up
• Supercopa de Espana 9 times winner & 4 times runner up
• Copa Eva Duarte 1 time winner
• Copa de La Liga 1 time winner & 1 time runner up

European Tournaments 1st & 2nd Place

• UEFA Champions League 9 times winner & 3 times Runner up
• UEFA Cup 2 times winner & 2 times Runner up
• UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup 2 times Runner up
• UEFA Super Cup 1 time winner & 2 times Runners up

Worldwide Tournaments 1st & 2nd Place

• Intercontinental Cup 3 times winner & 2 times Runner ups