Messi bingo

In football terms, a 'bingo' would be the minutes in which a player has scored. When it comes to Messi and his 748 goals, he is no stranger to this phenomenon and has scored in nearly every minute except the 1st and 2nd (he's also scored in extra time).

This can be found in the MessiStats website as messi.starplayerstats.com/en/bingo.

It can also be filtered by season, team, ground he played, and competition. Here are some examples:

Argentina

2020/21 season for club and country

It is quite an interesting stat to look at, and there is much more to look at thanks to those filters. That is all for today, so I hope you liked this entry and I'll see you in the next blog.

Messi in June: Good performances with the national team

With another month gone, it's time to review Messi's performance in it. After ending the 2020/21 season with Barcelona, Messi has played his first games with Argentina this year starting at the World Cup qualifiers and then the current Copa America tournament.

He played 6 games, scored 4 goals, and gave 2 assists. Other stats include: 17 SoT (27 in total), 30 dribbles, 2 big chances created, 15 key passes, 59/94 duels won, 20 fouls won, 8 tackles, 2 interceptions, 17 recoveries, and 461 touches. Amazing stats.

These were his best moments in June:

If you want to see my entries game by game, here they are: Chile (qualifiers), Colombia, Chile (Copa America), Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia.

The goal for next month is to win the Copa America once and for all, after close calls in previous tournaments. There is a realistic chance of reaching the final, but we have to work step by step. Hopefully, the dream finally comes true for Messi and Argentina. That is all for today, so as always I hope you liked this entry and I'll see you in the next blog.

Messi's stats in knockout matches

Continuing with the argument that Messi is a big game player, and with the upcoming Copa America KO matches he'll be playing against Ecuador, it's a good time to look at Messi's stats in all knockout matches in his career.

In total, he has played 202 knockout matches, winning 120, tying 41, and losing 41. He has 131 goals and 65 assists in those games, which is a 0.97 G/A per game ratio, unimaginable for most players considering not only that these are knockout matches but also the sheer amount of these types of games he's played.

Going into more specifics, in 107 games he has the following stats: 488 shots, 207 on target, 563 dribbles, 243 key passes, 63 through-balls, 51 MoTM, and an average rating of 8.35, which further proves the point that Messi not only appears more often than not in these games but that he has a great performance on average. As a side note, he's created 30 big chances in 55 games.

And now I'll go stage for stage:

Round of 64: 1 game (against Gramenet in the 2004/05 Copa del Rey).

Round of 32: 3 games, 3 goals.

Round of 16: 56 games and 51 goals, and 20 assists - In ~29 games: 137 shots, 64 on target, 156 dribbles, 69 key passes, 18 through-balls, 19 MoTM, 8.75 average rating - 10 big chances created in 18 games.

Quarter-finals: 54 games, 25 goals, and 16 assists - In ~30 games: 147 shots, 59 on target, 149 dribbles, 64 key passes, 15 through-balls, 11 MoTM, and an 8.03 average rating - 6 big chances created in 16 games.

Semi-finals: 45 games, 21 goals, and 16 assists - In 28 games: 119 shots, 50 on target, 161 dribbles, 63 key passes, 17 through-balls, 12 MoTM, and 8.31 average rating - 6 big chances created in 11 games.

Finals: 43 games, 31 goals, and 13 assists - In 20 games: 85 shots, 34 on target, 97 dribbles, 47 key passes, 13 through-balls, 9 MoTM, and 8.3 average rating - 8 big chances created in 10 games.

Hopefully, Messi can further strengthen these numbers against Ecuador. That's all for today, so I hope you liked this entry and I'll see you in the next blog.

Argentina destroys Bolivia and finishes top of the group stage

Yesterday, Argentina beat Bolivia 4-1 with two goals from Messi, an assist from Messi to Agüero and a goal from Lautaro Martínez. Messi's stats were: 2 goals, 1 assist, 4 SoT (5 in total), 1.3 xG (FBref), 4/5 dribbles, 1 key pass, 2 chances created, 1GCA, 7 SCA, 9 long balls, 1 cross, 59/74 passes, 7/11 duels won, 2 fouls won, 1 tackle, 1 interception, 5 pressures (2 successful), 2 recoveries, and 94 touches.

These were his ratings:

SofaScore: 9.9

Fotmob: 9.4

FootballCritic: 9.4

AiScore: 8.88

Tigo Sports: 10

This was his heatmap:

This was his performance on video:

And this was his performance with an exclusive cam:

This was obviously enough to win him the official MoTM:

Here are some fun facts after the game:

• This was Messi's 148th match, breaking the record for most games played for the Albiceleste.
• With this game, Messi equaled his record of 3 MoTM awards in a single Copa América, which he did in 2015 and 2016.
• This was Messi's 590th goal in open play.
• It marked Messi's goal Nº 50 in neutral games.
• Messi's 10th brace in 2021.
• It was Messi's 1st match at the Pantanal Arena and in the city of Cuiabá.
• Messi played his 31st match in Copa América, leaving him as the only 3rd place in the historical table. He is 2 games behind 2nd place and 3 games behind 3rd place (if Messi reaches the final/match for 3rd and 4th place he would equal the record then).
• Messi now has 12 goals in the Copa América, leaving him in 12th place in the all-time table along with Angel Romano and Roberto Porta.
• Messi scored his 100th penalty.
• 50th game where Messi has scored 1+ left foot goals in group stage games.
• Messi now has 20 wins against teams ranked 85 and lower at the FIFA ranking in group stage games.
• 10th game where Messi scored against a team ranked 85 and lower at the FIFA ranking in group stage games.
• 140th game against teams ranked 90 and lower.
• 10th game where Messi has scored a brace against a team ranked 85 and lower at the FIFA ranking.
• 50th game where Messi has scored a left-foot goal against a team ranked 110 and lower.
• 10th game where Messi has scored two left-foot goals against a team ranked 110 and lower.

After the game, Messi was seen alongside Lampe (Bolivia's goalkeeper). This is how it went. Lampe later made a post on social media about the encounter, showing admiration and respect for Messi.

Argentina's rival in the quarter-finals will be Ecuador, 4th place in group B. The game will be on July 3rd at Goiãnia, the first time Messi will play in that city. Hopefully, Argentina get a good result and can advance through to the semi-finals. As always, I hope you liked this entry, and I'll see you in the next blog.

The king of panenkas

A 'Panenka' penalty or free kick is basically a chip shot, which takes courage as it is a bit, which risks the keeper saving it even if he chooses a side (in case of a penalty) or easily falls to the keeper's hands (in case of a free-kick). But for Messi, this isn't even a risk, as he has performed numerous panenka penalties and even free-kicks. So without further ado, let's look at those examples.

Messi's ability to make panenka penalties is excellent, and he has done so multiple times. In fact, after a panenka penalty against Getafe in 2015, Antonin Panenka, the inventor of the panenka penalty, said it was the best he had ever seen. Below is a video showing most of Messi's panenka penalties.

The next and last thing to see are Messi's panenka free-kicks. For some, this shot is simply too difficult to score, but for someone like Messi, no free-kick is out of his panenka range, even long ones. Below is a video showing a number of panenka free-kicks from Messi.

As we can see, Messi's chip shot ability expands to penalties and even free-kicks, and on an unprecedented amount. This shows how well he can control the power of his shot depending on the situation, an important finishing ability. I hope you liked this entry, and as always, I'll see you in the next blog.

Argentina beats Paraguay and qualifies through to the quarter-finals

Yesterday, Argentina got the win against Paraguay with a goal from 'Papu' Gómez and secured their spot in the quarter-finals. Messi's stats were: 2 SoT (3 in total), 5 dribbles, 1 key pass, 34/42 passes, 12/16 duels won, 5 fouls won, 1 interception, 2 tackles, 2 recoveries, and 73 touches.

These were his ratings:

SofaScore: 7.5

Fotmob: 7.9

FootballCritic: 7.1

AiScore: 6.35

Tigo Sports: 7.9

This was his performance on video:

This was his heatmap:

Some fun facts after the game:

• Messi is now 3rd in the table of most games in Copa América history, along with Víctor Ugarte (30). He is 3 behind 2nd place and 4 behind 1st place.
• This was Messi's 40th victory with Argentina in neutral stadium matches.
• Messi is now tied with Mascherano for the most games played with Argentina (147).
• This was his 20th game played against a team ranked 50 or lower in FIFA's ranking in a group stage game.
• This was his 10th game played against a team ranked 54 or lower in FIFA's ranking in a group stage game at Copa América.

Continuing with the fact that Messi now has the joint-most games played with the Argentine national team, both Messi and Mascherano made posts about it.

As previously mentioned, thanks to this win Argentina qualified through to the quarter-finals of the tournament. Their rival is still unknown since the positions of both groups are not yet known, with a round to go in each group. Argentina's next rival will be Bolivia, who's last in the group with no points won yet in three games. Hopefully, Argentina get the win and consolidate their 1st place position in the group. I hope you liked this entry, and as always, I'll see you in the next blog.

Messi's tourist circuit in Rosario

Having already been called Rosario's ambassador to the world, it is very clear that Messi is a popular figure in Rosario. So much so, that in November of 2019 a tourist circuit opened up detailing his childhood places when he was in Rosario.

It's made out of ten places where Messi used to spend his time, which go hand in hand with with stories, anecdotes, images and audiovisuals, where the Rosario Turismo app presents a journey through Messi's childhood neighborhood, his school, the 'potreros', his first clubs (Grandoli and Newell's) and even the place where he met Antonella Roccuzzo, his wife.

The places are the following:

Santa Fe Sports Museum: This museum is located where Battalion 121 used to operate. When he was a boy, Messi and his friends would outwit the soldiers guarding the place and sneak into the huge field that turned into a 'potrero' to emulate an eleven-a-side soccer field. Today, a large metal cube 40 meters high stands out in the Parque Héroes de Malvinas. It houses a museum that pays homage to athletes who made the national sport great and were born in the province of Santa Fe. On the second floor, at the end of the tour of the football area, there is an exclusive space about Messi.

Club Abanderado Grandoli: The little field where at the age of 4, when he was with his grandmother in the stands as a spectator, his brother's team lost a player and Leo replaced him, scoring the winning goal. I've done an entry on Messi's time at Grandoli.

School N° 66 "Gral. Las Heras": His elementary school, which today has a mural by the Brazilian artist Paulo Consentino showing him wearing the albiceleste jersey. I've already done an entry on this topic.

La Bajada neighborhood: The streets where La Pulga played soccer with his brothers and friends. The figure of the crack can also be seen in one of the 34 murals that decorate the neighborhood.

El Campito Club: The 'potrero' where Leo Messi began his relationship with the ball is now a neighborhood club. In this little field he made his first friends and spent long afternoons kicking the ball and riding his bike. In December 2018 these friends decided to transform the place into a space for recreational, artistic and sports meetings. Girls and boys from La Bajada neighborhood can now enjoy a place where they can practice different sports, get together with friends and dream like Leo did.

Central Córdoba: In 1995 Messi wore the blue and red shirt of the Charrúa in a children's tournament in which he was crowned champion.

Paseo de los Olímpicos: The star plaque of the promenade is located at the intersection of Av. Pellegrini and Entre Ríos, where Lionel Andrés Messi, who in 2008 won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China, is depicted.

Complejo Malvinas Newell's: This is the Newell's Old Boys children's soccer school where Messi began to approach his future as a professional.  You can check this entry for more information.

Coloso del Parque: Newell's stadium, where Messi used to go with his father and siblings as fans.

City Center Rosario: At the age of 9, Lucas Scaglia, a friend of Lionel's, invited his cousin Antonella to enjoy the Paraná River with them. It was there where their lives began to intertwine. They became good friends and even though Leo went to live in Barcelona, they never lost contact.

The page for the circuit can be found here. That is all for today, so as always, I hope you liked this entry and I'll see you in the next blog.

Argentina gets the win against Uruguay with an assist from Messi

Yesterday, Argentina beat Uruguay 1-0 after Messi made a cross to Rodríguez and scored. It's their first victory since the return of international football this year (4 consecutive games tied). It was also Argentina's 1000th game in their history. Messi's stats were: 1 assist, 1 SoT (2 in total), 4 key passes, 9 dribbles, 1 cross, 40/47 passes, 15/24 duels won, 5 fouls won, 1 tackle, 2 recoveries, 11 pressures (4 successful), and 78 touches. This won him the official MoTM, his 2nd in the tournament.

This was his heatmap:

This was his performance on video:

And this was his exclusive cam (also detailing his performance):

Here are some fun facts after the game:

• Messi is now in sole 4th place in the Copa America's most games played table, with 29. He is 1 game behind 3rd place, 4 behind 2nd place, and 5 behind 1st place.
• Messi gave his 10th assist this year.
• Messi got his 40th goal contribution this year.
• With today's assist, Messi has 30 assists in neutral game matches.
• Yesterday was Messi's 10th match against Uruguay.
• It is Messi's 20th victory in 2021.
• Argentina reached 1000 games played (the stats are in the link).

Another thing to note about the game were Messi's runs and Messi's ball control, which was phenomenal all throughout the match, even in the last minutes of the game, gaining precious time.

After the game, Messi posted on his Instagram: "Let's go !!! It was important to win today. This will give us peace of mind for what is to come, which will continue to be tough 💪💪🇦🇷🇦🇷"

Argentina is now placed 1st in the group alongside Chile (though Paraguay has 1 point less with 1 fewer game). Argentina's next opponent will be Paraguay on the 21st, so hopefully Argentina can get a decisive victory to secure a spot for the KO stage. But until then, I hope you liked this entry, and I'll see you in the next blog.

Most dates for the 2021-22 season are set

Yesterday, Barcelona announced the official dates for most tournaments in the 2021-22 season after confirmation from the RFEF and UEFA. All details aren't exactly known, but there's information about some important games, so without further ado, let's look at them.

The league will start on August 14th, though the rival is unknown. The dates for El Clásico and the Catalan derby are yet to be known. There are no details for the end of the season either, though it probably will be in May as it's been on other occasions. For holidays, there won't be any games on December 24th/2th/26th, but there will be on New Year's Eve (December 31st).

For the Copa del Rey, the final will be played on April 23rd of 2022. And for the Supercopa de España, there hasn't been a date, but it's speculated that it will be on January like the previous tournaments. The rival in the semi-finals will be Real Madrid, while Atlético Madrid and Athletic battle in the other semifinal matchup.

For the Champions League, the draw for the group stage will be made on August 26th. These will be the dates for the group stage games:

First game: September 14th/15h

Second game: September 28th/29th

Third game: October 19th/20th

Fourth game: November 2nd/3rd

Fifth game: Novmber 23rd/24th

Sixth game: December 7th/8th

Then for the knockout stage games, the dates will be the following:

R16 (1st leg): February 15th/16th/22nd/23rd, 2022

R16 (2nd leg): March 8th/9th/15th/16th, 2022

QF (1st leg): April 5th/6th, 2022

QF (2nd leg): April 12th/13th, 2022

Semifinals (1st leg): April 26th/27th, 2022

Semifinals (2nd leg): May 3rd/4th, 2022

Final: May 28th, at Saint Petersburg Stadium.

And finally, for international breaks in 2021, the dates will be September 1st-8th, October 8th-12th, and November 11th-16th. For Conmebol qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, the remaining dates are January 27th through February 1st and March 24-29th. The Inter-confederation play-offs will be June 2nd-7th.

That is all for today, so I hope you liked this entry, and as always, I'll see you in the next blog.

Messi's optimism for the future+ Messi training with Argentina

Yesterday, Messi posted on his social media a message of optimism and confidence for Argentina in the Copa América. His words were: "We are ready to compete and we will keep fighting to win every game. Let's go Argentina!🇦🇷". It got responded by a teammate (Di María) and an ex-teammate (Lavezzi), as well as popular Argentine tennis player Diego Schwartzman.

Also, he uploaded a video to his social media of him training with the national team. It was a 32 second long clip with Luz Delito from Wos playing in the background.

Hopefully, this confidence manifests on the pitch and Argentina manage some good performances. As the Copa América tournament plays out, this will be crucial. That is all for today, so as always, I hope you liked this entry and I'll see you in the next blog.

Argentina and Chile tie in the Copa América debut

Yesterday, Argentina tied 1-1 to Chile at the Olímpico Nilton Santos stadium, the first time Messi has played there. Messi opened the score with a fantastic free-kick to the top left corner, but Vargas equalized after a rebound from a penalty. Messi's stats were: 1 goal, 3 SoT (7 in total), 3 dribbles, 4 key passes, 3 crosses, 2 long balls, 6 SCA, 29/36 passes, 6/12 duels won, 2 fouls won, 1 tackle, 5 recoveries, 10 pressures (1 successful) and 66 touches. Winning him the official MoTM of the game.

His ratings were:

SofaScore: 8.4

Fotmob: 8.5

FootballCritic: 8.1

Infogol: 10

Tigo Sports: 9.5

This was his heat map:

This was his performance on video:

Here are some fun facts after the game:

• With this goal, he has become the top scorer of free kicks in the national team, with 7 goals, surpassing Riquelme who had 6.
• Messi has surpassed Ronaldo in free-kick goals (57).
• Messi has surpassed Batistuta in the most official goals with the national team (39).
• Messi is now in 4th place for most games played in the Copa America (28), tied with Máximo Mosquera.
• Messi has reached 10 goals in the Copa América, leaving him in 15th place (tied with 9 more).
• Messi has played his 6th Copa América, tying Tesoriere's record with 6 as well.
• Messi played his first game and scored his 1st goal at the Olímpico Nilton Santos stadium.
• Messi received his 10th official MoTM award for the Copa América (awarded since 2011).
• Messi has scored his 30th goal with Argentina in neutral games.
• Messi has reached 30 goals this year.

Argentina's next game will be against Uruguay, a tough challenge for the albiceleste. Messi will also face Suárez once again. I hope you liked this entry, and as always, I'll see you in the next blog.

The national team lands in Brazil + Messi's press conference

Yesterday, the Argentine national team landed on Brazil to play the Copa América. Specifically, they landed on Rio de Janeiro, and the team is now at the Hilton Barra hotel. After landing, Messi had a virtual press conference at 8 PM (Argentina time). The complete press conference can be seen here: Habló Messi, antes del debut de la Selección Argentina en la Copa América: "Es el momento de dar el golpe". Below is the English translation of what he said.

"We are worried about catching Covid-19. We try to take care of ourselves and keep doing everything they tell us, but it's not easy because then these things happen. We are playing against the other teams where there is also a risk of contagion. We will do everything we can to make sure it doesn't happen, but it doesn't always depend on us and it can happen".

"We came at a good moment, we had not been together for a long time and although it was difficult at the beginning, we played two good games. We were not able to get the victory but we kept growing. We are happy with the performance of the two matches but we have to win to keep growing".

"At no time did the national team depend on me. We always sought to build a strong group to achieve our goals. Little by little we became stronger as a team, we have been working for a long time with many of the same players and the same idea. We have already played in a Copa América and many of them already have the experience, we are still on the right path and we will try to achieve our goal".

"(About the upcoming game against Chile) We need an important victory. We have been doing things well, we have been growing but we need to win. Especially at the beginning of the Copa América, where it is important to start with three points because it gives you peace of mind for what is to come. We know it is going to be very difficult, that we are playing again against Chile, that we know each other very well. We know what a tough opponent we are going to face, but hopefully we can do it because it will be important for the whole group and it will give us peace of mind to start with the three points and then go on".

"Everything I get to play with the national team is always special, be it friendlies, Copa America or a World Cup. I never imagined I would play so many games with the national team. I try to live day by day, be present and give my best."

"(About De Paul) He has become very important since Scaloni's arrival, he is a very important player because of what he gives in the midfield, both with and without the ball. We always try to look for him, to be close to him because of my position, because of the way I play, because of the sector where I always move and he is the closest to me. Little by little we got to know each other and I feel very good playing with him".

"We already know what our idea is. Most of the team has been playing together for a long time now, although new players have arrived and are being incorporated, the idea and the way of playing of the National Team is quite clear and we already have it. It's time to make a big impact and this Cup could be the chance. We are ready. It is going to be a special Cup because of everything that is happening in the world, and soccer is not exempt, but we are ready to compete"

"I am always available to be with the national team and give my best. My biggest dream is to win a title with the national team. I was very close many times and unfortunately it didn't happen. I will try to keep looking for it until I can, until it happens, until the coach says that I can be there and contribute to the group and the team, I will always be there and fight for that dream. I was lucky enough to win everything at club and individual level, but it would be great to achieve something with the national team as well".

"We were left with a bitter taste because of the way the match with Colombia ended. I think that after the first half we played we deserved to take the three points, we had the chance to score the third on several occasions and to end up being tied in the last minute, it leaves you with an ugly feeling. We left a good image, although we have to correct many things to try to really fight because it is clear that this is not enough for us and we are willing and ready to keep growing and try to win tomorrow's match."

As a fun fact, Agüero sent a message in the live stream of Messi's press conference, saying "Greetings to all cracks! Except to the bobbins who insult🤪"

Today, Argentina will play against Chile for their debut at the Copa América. Messi will be playing his 6th Copa América, a record for Argentina alongside Tesoriere. That is all for today, I hope you liked this entry and I'll see you in the next blog.

Messi's photoshoot with the national team for the Copa América

Yesterday, Messi participated in Argentina's photoshoot for the Copa América. This was his photo:

And this was the video shown in the montage for the photoshoot:

Here's the Olé link for the backstage of the photoshoot: El divertido backstage de las fotos de la Selección

That is all for today, so I hope you liked this entry and I'll see you in the next blog.

Messi's stats in the Copa América

With the Copa América a few days away, it's time to look at Messi's stats in the competition.

He has scored 9 goals and given 12 assists (or 14 counting non-Opta) in 27 games, which equals 21 (or 23) G/A in total, a pretty good amount. As a fun fact, he's made both a goal hat-trick and an assists hat-trick in this competition.

With stats since the 2015 Copa América, he's made 61 shots (24 on target), 83 dribbles, 38 key passes, won 6 MoTM (according to WhoScored/SofaScore) and has an average rating of 8.05, which is pretty good.

And finally, in terms of awards, he's won the 2015 Copa América Golden Ball, the 2007 Best Young Player Award, 9 official MoTM awards since 2011, and he's been in three different ToTT.

As we can see, Messi has some pretty good stats in this competition, and hopefully he can expand them further in this Copa América. That is all for today, so I hope you liked this entry and I'll see you in the next blog.

Argentina lose points in the last minute to Colombia

Yesterday, Argentine tied 2-2 with Colombia in Barranquilla. What seemed like an easy game at first with goals from Romero and Paredes turned into a nightmare as Muriel got a goal back via penalty and Borja scored the equalizer in the last minute. Messi's stats were: 3 SoT, 1 woodwork (4 shots in total), 3/5 dribbles, 1 big chance created, 3 key passes, 6/14 duels won, 1 foul won, 2 tackles, 6 recoveries, 2 long balls, 1 cross, 36/37 passes, and 63 touches, which got him a 7.9 rating according to SofaScore.

This was his heatmap:

This was his performance on video:

Argentina's still placed 2nd in the qualifiers with 12 points, 5 points ahead of Paraguay in 6th place. Now, Argentina's next challenge will be the Copa América, which, if played, will start for Argentina on June 14th at 6 PM (Argentina time).

I will do an entry detailing Messi's stats in the Copa América and where he stands in some statistics, so look forward to it. As always, I hope you liked this entry and I'll see you in the next blog.