When Lionel Messi runs with the ball the way he did in that minute, it just seems right, even if it ends in nothing. Like the dog that got its sponge, it's just a singular moment of pure happiness.

Messi does not sit in the area waiting for the ball to come to him. He can track back as far as the halfway line in search of possession, afforded time by Barcelona's patient passing game to find ...

sports FC Dallas. To Argentinians, Lionel Messi’s legacy goes far beyond running after a ball Messi is a global icon who has dedicated his life to his country’s national sport.

There are plenty of players who could outrun Messi in a 100-meter dash. But running with the ball is a different story. Messi can control the ball at close to top speed, making him an excellent ...

With Lionel Messi in the final year of his contract with Inter Miami, ESPN provides game-by-game analysis of the World Cup winner's performances.

Lionel Messi's mastery with the ball was on full display during his opening goal against Nigeria in Argentina's must-win final match of the group stage of the 2018 World Cup.

2' Argentina 0-0 ChileThe Messi show gets going early as he drops a shoulder to elude a pair of defenders in midfield before threading the ball out wide. Moments later he makes a nice turn to find ...

It was a brilliant ex-Barcelona build-up. Alba heads the ball to Sergio Busquets, who slides Messi through on goal, and he ...

For even the finest defences there are still very few workable solutions to the age-old problem of Lionel Messi running into space with the ball at his feet, and as Manchester City discovered anew ...

That may not be a surprise considering how much better they’ve been at getting Messi the ball than they were last season. At halftime, the Argentine has already logged 58 touches.

You cannot pretend that Maradona or Pele — along with Messi, the most important players in football — were focused on trying to win the ball back. He cannot be involved in that.

DOHA, Qatar -- The blue-and-white wall of Argentina fans launched into another rendition of their World Cup anthem as fulltime approached at Lusail Stadium.