Latest news with #Lloris
Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Kylian Mbappe snubbed by former team-mate with Lionel Messi comparisons shut down
Kylian Mbappe may be one of the greatest forwards in the world of football at present, but one former team-mate says that he cannot be compared to Barcelona, PSG and Inter Miami great, Lionel Messi Hugo Lloris has shut down any comparisons between Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, insisting that the Argentine is "unique". Thanks to a trophy-laden career with the likes of AS Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid - as well as lifting the 2018 World Cup with France - Mbappe has already carved out an incredible name for himself despite his age. However, his compatriot and former national team-mate Lloris believes that he 26-year-old cannot be compared to footballing great, Messi, who shared the pitch with Mbappe for two seasons at PSG between 2021 and 2023. Speaking to La Nacion, the shot-stopper said: "Is Mbappé similar to Messi? No, Messi is unique. It's absolutely impossible to compare him to anyone. I don't see Argentina without Messi in the next World Cup. I think it will be with Messi. "He still plays and enjoys football. It's his decision, but we want to see him play. I have a lot of admiration for Leo. For me, he's at the top of the list of the best players, without a doubt. "I'm from the generation that was able to watch and play against Leo." Elsewhere, Lloris also praised the MLS for being able to draw in big-name stars like Messi - who joined Inter Miami after his sweet stint with PSG two years ago. The 38-year-old added: "I think the MLS is evolving year after year; it is improving and growing stronger. Obviously, since Messi's arrival in Miami, the league has started to get a lot more exposure all over the world, and that is incredible for its image. "Also, it is becoming more interesting to compete in the MLS because very important figures like [Luis] Suárez, Jordi Alba and many others bring their experience and quality with them. On the other hand, I want to say that I am impressed: there are many players who, when I arrived, I did not know, and they are really very good and talented. "Surely, in time, they will be able to play in Europe. So far, it has been a very good experience for me." Messi spent 17 years with Barcelona's first team between 2004 and 2021, racking up 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 games to become the club's all-time leading goalscorer, while lifting ten La Liga titles, 14 domestic trophies, and four Champions Leagues. He then moved on to PSG in a free transfer in 2021, scooping two Ligue 1 titles and a Trophee des Champions before landing at Inter Miami two years later. With eight Ballon d'Ors to his name, as well as a World Cup with his native Argentina, Messi will go down in the annals of history as potentially the greatest footballing talent of all time. And at the age of 37, he still continues to impress in the MLS while showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. It comes after Messi and Lloris were pitted off against one another in the quarter-finals of the Concacaf Champions Cup earlier this month. Lloris kept a clean sheet for Los Angeles FC in the maiden fixture as his side ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a 57th minute goal from Nathan Ordaz. However, Inter Miami turned it around on home soil in the second leg of the competition, running out 3-1 winners and advancing to the semi-finals thanks to a brace from Messi and a goal from Federico Redondo in response to Aaron Long taking the lead early for LA FC. Miami will need to once more turn around a deficit around should they hope to make it to the final of the tournament, given that their first leg of the semis resulted in a 2-0 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps on Friday. The two sides are set to meet again at the Chase Stadium on Thursday, with the winner facing either Cruz Azul or Tigres UANL in the final.
Nahar Net
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Nahar Net
Messi, Inter Miami pull off 3-goal rally to top LAFC and make CONCACAF Champions Cup semis
by Naharnet Newsdesk 10 April 2025, 16:56 Down 1-0 on the scoreboard, down 2-0 in total goals in the series and needing three goals to advance, Inter Miami needed a most unlikely rally. Lionel Messi made it happen. Inter Miami is headed to the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals for the first time, after Messi — the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner — led a dramatic three-goal comeback. He had two goals, including the clinching penalty kick in the 84th minute, to lift Inter Miami past LAFC 3-1 on Wednesday night and a 3-2 aggregate win in the two-leg series. "We gave it our all," Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. "We wanted it, we wanted to be in the semis, and I think it showed. ... Many times luck has to be on your side, and we had it." Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was Messi. Maybe it was both. For Messi, the series clincher was a bit reminiscent of how he led Argentina past France in the World Cup final in 2022. He scored two goals in that match, one on a penalty kick — then also converted in the penalty-shot shootout that decided the final after it ended in a 3-3 tie. Those goals came against France's Hugo Lloris, who was also in net for LAFC on Wednesday night. Lloris couldn't solve Messi in the World Cup final — and couldn't in this one, either. Messi simply waited for Lloris to move a bit on the penalty that put Inter Miami up 3-1, essentially freezing the keeper before gently sending the ball into the right side of the net. And when the final whistle sounded, Mascherano punched the air in celebration. "They believed," Mascherano said. Oscar Ustari made two huge stops in the final minutes for Inter Miami, which will face the Vancouver Whitecaps in the tournament's semifinals. The first leg of that two-leg matchup is set to start on either April 22, 23 or 24. Aaron Long scored in the ninth minute to give LAFC a 1-0 lead, but it put Inter Miami in a much deeper hole than that. Inter Miami lost the series opener at LAFC 1-0, so Long's goal not only gave LAFC a 2-0 aggregate lead — but it also gave his club control of the away-goals tiebreaker. That meant Inter Miami needed at least three goals from there to advance. It might have seemed unlikely. With Messi, all things are possible. Messi started the rally in the 35th, getting loose near the top of the 18-yard box and scoring with the left foot to tie the match at 1 — giving Inter Miami some hope. Inter Miami took a 2-1 lead in the 61st on a bit of a fluke; Noah Allen chipped a ball into the box, playing it toward Federico Redondo. Lloris came off his line, anticipating Redondo to play the ball — but it bounced off the grass, skipped past them and ended up in the side of the net. The goal was originally credited to Allen, with Messi getting an assist, but was changed later in the evening to Redondo scoring with Allen assisting. Either way, that knotted the aggregate at 2-2, but LAFC still held the away-goal tiebreaker. And in the 67th, Inter Miami thought it grabbed the lead in the series when Messi played a ball into the box that Luis Suarez appeared to flick into the net on a header — but the flag came up for offside, taking the goal off the board. Inter Miami kept the pressure on throughout, then argued successfully for a handball call that Messi turned into a 3-1 lead and a spot in the semifinals. It was his 42nd goal in 48 appearances across all competitions since joining Inter Miami. "This is the way," Mascherano said. "This is the way to play football. ... They gave everything. I'm very happy."
Asharq Al-Awsat
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Lionel Messi, Inter Miami Pull off 3-goal Rally to Top LAFC, Make CONCACAF Champions Cup Semis
Down 1-0 on the scoreboard, down 2-0 in total goals in the series and needing three goals to advance, Inter Miami needed a most unlikely rally. Lionel Messi made it happen. Inter Miami is headed to the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals for the first time, after Messi — the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner — led a dramatic three-goal comeback. He had two goals, including the clinching penalty kick in the 84th minute, to lift Inter Miami past LAFC 3-1 on Wednesday night and a 3-2 aggregate win in the two-leg series. 'We gave it our all,' Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. 'We wanted it, we wanted to be in the semis, and I think it showed. ... Many times luck has to be on your side, and we had it.' Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was Messi. Maybe it was both, The AP news reported. For Messi, the series clincher was a bit reminiscent of how he led Argentina past France in the World Cup final in 2022. He scored two goals in that match, one on a penalty kick — then also converted in the penalty-shot shootout that decided the final after it ended in a 3-3 tie. Those goals came against France's Hugo Lloris, who was also in net for LAFC on Wednesday night. Lloris couldn't solve Messi in the World Cup final — and couldn't in this one, either. Messi simply waited for Lloris to move a bit on the penalty that put Inter Miami up 3-1, essentially freezing the keeper before gently sending the ball into the right side of the net. And when the final whistle sounded, Mascherano punched the air in celebration. 'They believed,' Mascherano said. Oscar Ustari made two huge stops in the final minutes for Inter Miami, which will face the Vancouver Whitecaps in the tournament's semifinals. The first leg of that two-leg matchup is set to start on either April 22, 23 or 24. Aaron Long scored in the ninth minute to give LAFC a 1-0 lead, but it put Inter Miami in a much deeper hole than that. Inter Miami lost the series opener at LAFC 1-0, so Long's goal not only gave LAFC a 2-0 aggregate lead — but it also gave his club control of the away-goals tiebreaker. That meant Inter Miami needed at least three goals from there to advance. It might have seemed unlikely. With Messi, all things are possible. Messi started the rally in the 35th, getting loose near the top of the 18-yard box and scoring with the left foot to tie the match at 1 — giving Inter Miami some hope. Inter Miami took a 2-1 lead in the 61st on a bit of a fluke; Noah Allen chipped a ball into the box, playing it toward Federico Redondo. Lloris came off his line, anticipating Redondo to play the ball — but it bounced off the grass, skipped past them and ended up in the side of the net. The goal was originally credited to Allen, with Messi getting an assist, but was changed later in the evening to Redondo scoring with Allen assisting. Either way, that knotted the aggregate at 2-2, but LAFC still held the away-goal tiebreaker. And in the 67th, Inter Miami thought it grabbed the lead in the series when Messi played a ball into the box that Luis Suarez appeared to flick into the net on a header — but the flag came up for offside, taking the goal off the board. Inter Miami kept the pressure on throughout, then argued successfully for a handball call that Messi turned into a 3-1 lead and a spot in the semifinals. It was his 42nd goal in 48 appearances across all competitions since joining Inter Miami. 'This is the way,' Mascherano said. 'This is the way to play football. ... They gave everything. I'm very happy.'
Washington Post
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami pull off 3-goal rally to top LAFC and make CONCACAF Champions Cup semis
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Down 1-0 on the scoreboard, down 2-0 in total goals in the series and needing three goals to advance, Inter Miami needed a most unlikely rally. Lionel Messi made it happen. Inter Miami is headed to the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals for the first time, after Messi — the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner — led a dramatic three-goal comeback. He had two goals, including the clinching penalty kick in the 84th minute, to lift Inter Miami past LAFC 3-1 on Wednesday night and a 3-2 aggregate win in the two-leg series. 'We gave it our all,' Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. 'We wanted it, we wanted to be in the semis, and I think it showed. ... Many times luck has to be on your side, and we had it.' Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was Messi. Maybe it was both. For Messi, the series clincher was a bit reminiscent of how he led Argentina past France in the World Cup final in 2022. He scored two goals in that match, one on a penalty kick — then also converted in the penalty-shot shootout that decided the final after it ended in a 3-3 tie. Those goals came against France's Hugo Lloris, who was also in net for LAFC on Wednesday night. Lloris couldn't solve Messi in the World Cup final — and couldn't in this one, either. Messi simply waited for Lloris to move a bit on the penalty that put Inter Miami up 3-1, essentially freezing the keeper before gently sending the ball into the right side of the net. And when the final whistle sounded, Mascherano punched the air in celebration. 'They believed,' Mascherano said. Oscar Ustari made two huge stops in the final minutes for Inter Miami, which will face the Vancouver Whitecaps in the tournament's semifinals. The first leg of that two-leg matchup is set to start on either April 22, 23 or 24. Aaron Long scored in the ninth minute to give LAFC a 1-0 lead, but it put Inter Miami in a much deeper hole than that. Inter Miami lost the series opener at LAFC 1-0, so Long's goal not only gave LAFC a 2-0 aggregate lead — but it also gave his club control of the away-goals tiebreaker. That meant Inter Miami needed at least three goals from there to advance. It might have seemed unlikely. With Messi, all things are possible. Messi started the rally in the 35th, getting loose near the top of the 18-yard box and scoring with the left foot to tie the match at 1 — giving Inter Miami some hope. Inter Miami took a 2-1 lead in the 61st on a bit of a fluke; Noah Allen chipped a ball into the box, playing it toward Federico Redondo. Lloris came off his line, anticipating Redondo to play the ball — but it bounced off the grass, skipped past them and ended up in the side of the net. The goal was originally credited to Allen, with Messi getting an assist, but was changed later in the evening to Redondo scoring with Allen assisting. Either way, that knotted the aggregate at 2-2, but LAFC still held the away-goal tiebreaker. And in the 67th, Inter Miami thought it grabbed the lead in the series when Messi played a ball into the box that Luis Suarez appeared to flick into the net on a header — but the flag came up for offside, taking the goal off the board. Inter Miami kept the pressure on throughout, then argued successfully for a handball call that Messi turned into a 3-1 lead and a spot in the semifinals. It was his 42nd goal in 48 appearances across all competitions since joining Inter Miami. 'This is the way,' Mascherano said. 'This is the way to play football. ... They gave everything. I'm very happy.' ___ AP soccer:
Los Angeles Times
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami's rally, eliminating LAFC from CONCACAF Champions Cup
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are headed to the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals and it took a dramatic three-goal comeback to get there. Messi scored twice, including a penalty kick in the 84th minute, to lift Inter Miami past LAFC 3-1 on Wednesday night — good enough for a 3-2 aggregate win in the two-leg series. The Herons needed three unanswered goals to win the series and ensure that they wouldn't lose a tiebreaker. And for Messi, the series clincher was reminiscent of how he led Argentina past France in the World Cup final in 2022. He scored two goals in that match, one on a penalty kick — then another in the penalty-shot shootout that decided the final. And those goals came against France's Hugo Lloris, who was also in net for LAFC on Wednesday night. Lloris couldn't solve Messi in the World Cup final — and couldn't in this one, either. When the final whistle sounded, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano punched the air in celebration. Oscar Ustari made two huge stops in the final minutes for Inter Miami, who will face either the Mexican club Pumas or the Vancouver Whitecaps in the tournament's semifinals. The first leg of that two-leg matchup is set to start on either April 22, 23 or 24. Aaron Long scored in the ninth minute to give LAFC a 1-0 lead, but it put Inter Miami in a much deeper hole than that. Inter Miami lost the series opener at LAFC 1-0, so Long's goal not only gave LAFC a 2-0 aggregate lead — but it also gave his club control of the away-goals tiebreaker. That meant Inter Miami needed at least three goals from there to advance. It might have seemed unlikely. With Messi, all things are possible. Messi started the rally in the 35th minute, getting loose near the top of the 18-yard box and scoring with the left foot to tie the match at 1 — giving Inter Miami some hope. It was Messi's 41st goal in 48 appearances across all competitions with Inter Miami. Noah Allen gave Inter Miami a 2-1 lead in the 61st minute on a bit of a fluke; he chipped a ball into the box, playing it toward Federico Redondo. Lloris came off his line, anticipating Redondo to play the ball — but it bounced off the grass, skipped past both of them and ended up in the side of the net. That knotted the aggregate at 2-2, but LAFC still held the away-goal tiebreaker. And in the 67th minute, Inter Miami thought it grabbed the lead in the series when Messi played a ball into the box that Luis Suárez appeared to flick into the net on a header — but the flag came up for offside, taking the goal off the board. Inter Miami kept the pressure on throughout, then argued successfully for a handball call that Messi turned into a 3-1 lead and a spot in the semifinals.
