Sports
Messi: Fallout With PSG Fans, My Story
Lionel Messi has spoken of a ‘break with the fans’ at the end of his time at Paris Saint-Germain after agreeing to join Inter Miami.
After leaving his boyhood club Barcelona in 2021, Messi scored 32 goals across two seasons at the Parc des Princes, winning two Ligue 1 titles.
He failed to bring European success to the side, though as the French giants were eliminated at the round of 16 of the Champions League in 2022 and 2023.
That, combined with his role in Argentina’s World Cup final win over France and an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia that saw him suspended for two weeks, meant the fans in Paris never took to Messi in the way they had in Barcelona.
The 36-year-old was booed by his own supporters after losing to Clermont in his final PSG game earlier this month.
Messi has now reflected on his decision to join the French giants two years ago. In an interview with beIN Sports, he said: ‘I came to Paris because I liked the club, because I had friends and a lot of people I knew in the dressing room, teammates from the national team or some I had been with before.’
‘It seemed to me that, beyond what the club was, I was going to have a much easier adaptation than in other teams I could have gone to, so that’s a little bit why I decided to go to the club.’
After a tearful goodbye in Barcelona, the forward found his new surroundings trickier than he had anticipated, as he explained: ‘The truth is that it was a very difficult adaptation, much more than I expected.
‘Apart from the fact that I had people I knew in the dressing room and I had relations with them, it was complicated to adapt to a new change. I arrived late, I didn’t have a pre-season. I had to adapt to a new city, which was difficult for my family and for me.’
Messi’s early struggles in Paris were reflected in his form, as he scored just six league goals in his first season after netting 30 in his last year at Barcelona.
Things picked up after the summer as the Argentine legend managed 16 league goals in 2022/23, but some fans were unconvinced.
‘People started to treat me differently,’ Messi continued. ‘Part of the PSG crowd, the rest and the majority still treated me as they did at the beginning, but there was a break with the PSG fans.
‘It wasn’t my intention, far from it, to generate that break. It also happened with Neymar or [Kylian] Mbappe before.’
Messi will now join Miami, who find themselves in need of his talent after slipping to the bottom of the MLS’ Eastern Conference.
They have won just five of their opening 17 games, and sacked manager Phil Neville earlier this month.
There is another Barca legend joining the club, as Inter announced the signing of Sergio Busquets on Friday.
The midfielder played over 700 games for the Catalan giants, and shared a dressing room with Messi for 13 years.
Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen is expected to wear an arm guard upon his return following surgery for a fracture.
The 27-year-old forward suffered a hand fracture following a collision with Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté during their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash last week.
Following the incident, Osimhen underwent surgery earlier this week, with his recovery projected to take about six weeks. While he is expected to return to the pitch towards the end of the season, he may need to wear special protective gear on the arm.
Turkish journalist Arda Özkurt revealed this via Winner Galatasary
“If Victor Osimhen’s treatment process progresses as planned, he can wear the jersey with a special protective splint if needed,” Özkurt was quoted.
The striker already wears a protective mask on his eyes, which has become symbolic following a cheekbone surgery in 2021. This specialised device is designed to immobilise the forearm and wrist to support the bone during the healing process. It reduces pain and prevents further damage by restricting unnecessary movement, typically featuring adjustable straps for compression and breathable padding for comfort.
Turkish media reports suggest the Super Eagles striker could return in time for the Istanbul derby against Fenerbahçe on April 26 at the earliest, depending on the progress of his rehabilitation. If he returns later than expected, he would likely feature only in the final two league matches—against Antalyaspor at home and Kasımpaşa away.
Osimhen will also hope the club progresses to the final of the Turkish Cup, where they are currently in the quarter-finals with a match-up against Gençlerbirliği.
The forward has tallied 19 goals and seven assists in 29 appearances this season, powering Galatasaray to a four-point advantage in the league, while also contributing seven goals and three assists in 10 UEFA Champions League games before their exit.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America draws closer, football’s ultimate evergreen superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, is set to etch his name among the oldest players ever to grace the tournament, continuing a legacy of age-defying performances that have defined the competition’s rich history.
Ronaldo, who turned 41 on 5 February 2026, has repeatedly confirmed that this summer’s tournament will be his sixth and final World Cup appearance. The Portugal captain, still playing club football for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, has made it clear he intends to lead his nation one last time on the global stage.
Here are some of the world’s oldest players in World Cup history who have graced the global showpiece:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Forward) — 41 years (2026)
Essam El Hadary (Egypt, Goalkeeper) — 45 years (2018 vs Saudi Arabia)
Faryd Mondragón (Colombia, Goalkeeper) — 43 years (2014 vs Japan)
Roger Milla (Cameroon, Forward) — 42 years (1994 vs Russia)
Pat Jennings (Northern Ireland, Goalkeeper) — 41 years (1986 vs Brazil)
Peter Shilton (England, Goalkeeper) — 40 years (1990 vs Italy)
Dino Zoff (Italy, Goalkeeper) — 40 years (1982 vs West Germany, final)
Ali Boumnijel (Tunisia, Goalkeeper) — 40 years (2006 vs Ukraine)
Jim Leighton (Scotland, Goalkeeper) — 39 years (1998 vs Morocco)
Ronaldo’s participation in the 2026 World Cup will not only underline his extraordinary longevity at the top of the game but also place him among an elite group of players whose careers have spanned multiple decades and multiple tournaments.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday it was reintroducing testing for gender to determine eligibility to compete in the female category, preventing transgender women from competing.
The screening will mean Olympic women’s sports at the 2028 Los Angeles Games will be limited to biological females, which would also rule out those with differences in sexual development (DSD) from competing.
The IOC is abandoning rules it brought in in 2021, which allowed individual federations to decide their own policy and implement a policy across all sports.
“Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one‑time SRY gene screening,” the IOC said in a statement.
The test will be carried out through a saliva sample, cheek swab or blood sample.
IOC president Kirsty Coventry said: “The policy we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts.
“At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat.
“So it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
The IOC is bringing in the new policy after the women’s boxing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics was rocked by a gender row involving Algerian fighter Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan.
Khelif and Lin were excluded from the International Boxing Association’s 2023 world championships after the IBA said they had failed eligibility tests.
However, the IOC allowed them both to compete at the Paris Games, saying they had been victims of “a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA”.
Both boxers went on to win gold medals.
Lin has since been cleared to compete in the female category at events run by World Boxing, the body that will oversee the sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Gender testing was first introduced at the 1968 Olympics and last used at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, but then scrapped after criticism from the scientific community
-
News3 years agoJust In: President Tinubu returns to Nigeria
-
News3 years ago2023 Elections: Outgoing Rwandan High Commissioner say s Nigeria, ‘ handle their destiny’ in a peaceful way.
-
Entertainment3 years agoSocial media cloth Vendor Found Dead In Ibadan Hotel.
-
News3 years agoOgun HoS Solicit Affordable Housing For Civil Servants
-
Trending News3 years agoFG begins 40% pay rise for workers.
-
Entertainment3 years ago9mobile Ambassadors Begin “Meet And Greet” Session With Staffs, Customers.
-
Sports3 years ago
CAF SALUTES RIVERS UNITED AFTER SEALING QUARTER-FINAL TICKET.
-
Health & Wellness3 years agoBreastfed babies have lower risks of diabetes – Nutritionist