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At 36, Lionel Messi finally set retirement date

Lionel Messi has said age will not play a factor in his decision to retire and that he will know when it is right to call time on his playing career as he will not be contributing as necessary to his team’s success.

The Argentina captain, 36, has not given an indication as to when he will retire, with his deal at Inter Miami ending in December 2025.

“I know that the moment that I know that I’m not performing, that I’m not enjoying myself, that I’m not helping my teammates,” Messi told MBC’s Big Time Podcast.

“I am very self-critical. I know when I am good, when I am bad, when I play well, when I play badly… And when I feel it is time to take that step, I will take it without thinking about age. If I feel good, I will always try to continue competing, because it is what I like and what I know how to do.”

An eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi, who captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022, is expected to lead his national team at this summer’s Copa América.

Messi suffered an injury during Inter Miami’s Concacaf Champions Cup match against Nashville. Photo by Brennan Asplen/Getty Images
“Had things not gone the way they did [in the tournament in Qatar], I would have left the national team,” Messi said.

Messi is sidelined with a hamstring injury and missed his national team’s two international friendly wins over El Salvador and Costa Rica.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said Messi is the only player to have a guaranteed place in his squad.

“I keep analysing everyone, but no one has a guaranteed place, except for the one who couldn’t be here,” Scaloni said in reference to Messi after Tuesday’s 3-1 win against Costa Rica in Los Angeles.

Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino recently said Messi has the same desire to win now as he had when he coached him at Barcelona.

Messi became the most decorated football player of all time when he won his 44th trophy after helping Inter Miami lift the 2023 Leagues Cup in August.

“On a sporting level I was lucky to be able to achieve everything in my career, to have achieved my dreams and the truth is that I couldn’t ask for more both from a professional and human level, as well as with my family, my friends. I try to enjoy everything that God has given me so far, which is a lot.”

Messi said he has not decided what he will do once he stops playing football.

“The truth is I haven’t thought about it yet,” he said. “Today I try to enjoy the day to day, the moments, without thinking about what comes after.

“I don’t have anything clear yet, I hope to continue playing for a while longer, which is what I like. When the time comes, I will surely find the way to what fulfills me, what I like and a new role.”

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King Ademola Lookman Brings Out His Love

Like his father opened up, Ademola Lookman is essentially a private person, who prefers to do his stuff without all the media blitz.

But on one of his biggest days, when he was crowned Africa’s best player, he could not but make the first public appearance with the woman in his life – Jayda Love.

‘Adebobo’ would even steal a moment on his big night to kiss his American beau.

The 27-year-old Super Eagles star is still single.

Rumours of this romance first surfaced in the summer when the couple appeared to have spent the holidays together.

This was after ‘Mola’ scored his unforgettable hat-trick for Atalanta to win the UEFA Europa League in super style.

Jayda, an Information Technology specialist is based in Dallas, Texas, graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2021 with a degree in public relations.

She follows Ademola Lookman and his foundation on social media.

She is also known to have visited him at his Italian base.

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FIFA Rankings: Nigeria’s Super Eagles End 2024 Ahead Of Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have ended 2024 ranked as Africa’s fifth-best team in FIFA’s latest global standings, released Thursday morning, Soccernet.ng reports.

Despite a challenging end to the year that saw the team drop eight places to 44th globally, the Super Eagles still managed to hold their own against eternal continental rivals like South Africa, Cameroon, and Ghana.

This year’s ranking represents a mixed bag for Nigeria. While the team retained its fifth spot in Africa, their decline in global rankings was driven by underwhelming performances in key fixtures.

Most notably, the Super Eagles struggled during the final rounds of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, securing just a solitary point in lackluster outings against the Benin Republic and Rwanda.

Nigeria were forced to a scored draw by the Cheetahs in Abidjan only for Samuel Chukwueze’s excellent strike to end up as consolation in a 2-1 home defeat to the Wasps.

Looking at year-to-year standings, at this time in 2023, Nigeria’s Super Eagles were ranked 42nd in the world but sixth on the continent.

Elsewhere, South Africa’s Bafana Bafana showed marked improvement, climbing th

Cameroon and Ghana, however, endured disappointing campaigns. Ghana’s Black Stars finished the year ranked 77th, a stark reminder of the ongoing struggles within the Black Stars setup.

At the continental summit, Morocco retained their status as the continent’s best, finishing as Africa’s top-ranked team in 14th place globally.

Senegal (17th), Egypt (33rd), and Algeria (37th) rounded out the top four, with Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, and South Africa completing the top 10.

Globally, Argentina retained their position as FIFA’s top-ranked team, followed by France, Spain, England, and Brazil.

With 1,181 international matches played across the calendar year, the rankings reflected consistent dominance from the world’s elite teams.

As Nigeria enter 2025, all eyes will be on the Super Eagles to reignite their competitive spark, with the World Cup qualifiers returning in the first quarter of the year.

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Mbappé: Would Have Been ‘Fun’ To Play With Cristiano Ronaldo

Kylian Mbappé has said he wishes he could have played with Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the club’s all-time leading scorer.

The France international has been a teammate of other football icons but would have relished playing alongside Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and Portugal captain.

“I’ve played with great players: Lionel Messi, Neymar, [Antoine] Griezmann, [Paul] Pogba, [Karim] Benzema…” Mbappé told BeINsports.

“It would have been fun to play with Cristiano Ronaldo — it’s going to be very difficult now — but I was lucky enough to play against him, a legend of the sport.”

Ronaldo, 39, left the Spanish giants in 2018 now plays for Saudi Pro-League side Al Nassr.

Mbappé helped Madrid win the Intercontinental Cup on Wednesday, his second title since joining the Spanish giants in the summer after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired.

Speaking to young people with disabilities as part of the BeUNITED program, Mbappe, 25, said he would have never left Paris Saint-Germain had it not been to join Madrid.

“I went to the biggest club in the world,” the 2018 World Cup winner said.

“I have always said that it was the only club I would have left PSG for. If I hadn’t been able to go to Madrid, I would have stayed at PSG all my life.”

Although Mbappé has been prolific for Madrid so far, he has faced criticism for his all-round performances with the team having suffered some high-profile defeats earlier in the season.

“Since I was 14, everyone told me I was going to be great,” Mbappé said.

“But when you’re big, sometimes you feel small…At first I was too hungry and it played tricks on me because I was impatient. But I have passion and this competitive side.

“My dream now is to win trophies with my team, not individual awards. What great title is left for me? The Champions League, but I’m in the best club in the world for that.”