All posts by h716a5.icu

Jude Bellingham has been compared to Kaka by Carlo Ancelotti as the manager lauded the midfielder as "humble and hard working".

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Bellingham in sublime form at Real MadridAncelotti compared him to Brazil legend KakaHailed the midfielder's work rateWHAT HAPPENED?

Bellingham, in just 16 games, has scored 15 goals and provided four assists, making him the fastest player to reach this milestone in the white shirt. His exploits in front of goal led the Italian manager to compare the English youngster to that of Kaka during his stint with AC Milan in the early 2000s.

AdvertisementWHAT ANCELOTTI SAID ABOUT BELLINGHAM

When Ancelotti was asked if he found Bellingham similar to Alfredo di Stefano, Zinedine Zidane and Johan Cruyff, the coach replied: "I have never seen Di Stefano play. In the previous press conference I made the comparison with Zidane… and… well, I am surprised by him, I would say the closest thing is like the first time I saw Kaka. I’m not saying that he is similar to him, but he has similarities to Kaka."

Getty ANCELOTTI HAILED BELLINGHAM'S WORK RATE

While most coaches would have been ecstatic with the goalscoring trait of Bellingham, Ancelotti revealed that he is more of an admirer of the midfielder's work rate.

When asked if the former Borussia Dortmund player is their main goalscorer, Ancelotti said: "No, I don’t think we have ever asked Bellingham to score goals. He is doing it because he has this fantastic ability to reach the opponent’s area at the right time. The respect we have for him is for the work he does… not for the goals. He is greatly respected for what he does on the field, which goes far beyond goals. He is a humble and hardworking boy. Entering the Madrid dressing room is easy.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BELLLINGHAM?

Alarm bells started ringing at Valdebebas when Bellingham was spotted walking out of the training earlier than usual on Friday. It is known that the midfielder is carrying a shoulder injury that will require surgery at some point in the future but Ancelotti dismissed speculations about a potential injury and confirmed that he is available for selection.

"Bellingham is ready to play tomorrow. He has no problem, he is a little tired. He has a slight discomfort in his ankle and we have preferred to avoid contact. He will play tomorrow," he said.

Real Madrid will host Granada in a La Liga fixture on Saturday afternoon at Santiago Bernabeu.

The occasion of international cricket’s return to Pakistan was made merrier by the opening pair of Mukhtar Ahmed and Ahmed Shehzad as they tore into and broke down Zimbabwe’s challenging 172 for 6, to ensure the side, playing at home after six years, won

The Report by Mohammad Isam22-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe occasion of international cricket’s return to Pakistan was made merrier by the opening pair of Mukhtar Ahmed and Ahmed Shehzad as they tore into and broke down Zimbabwe’s challenging 172 for 6, to ensure the side, playing at home after six years, won by five wickets.Their 142-run stand equalled the opening partnership between Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal against Bangladesh in the 2010 World T20 but the one at the Gaddafi Stadium will be counted as more special. The March 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team bus, outside this very cricket stadium, had taken international cricket away from them.The full house was fully entertained by the newcomer Mukhtar, who made 83 off 45 balls. His dozen boundaries were hit off a bowling attack which lacked a leader and a strong attacker but Mukhtar did what he had to do. He was severe on everything straight and on his legs, nine of his 12 fours coming through fine-leg, midwicket and long-on. He reached 50 off 34 balls and left the more recognised Shehzad far behind.Shehzad didn’t miss out though, getting to his fifty in the 12th over. He struck some brutal hits down the ground but was generous enough to let Mukhtar do all the hitting. The pair fell in consecutive overs – Shehzad gave a catch to point, while Mukhtar hit straight to long-on – but the crowd was fully entertained for one hour by the pair.After the Mukhtar-Shehzad partnership, Pakistan lost three more wickets before captain Shahid Afridi struck a straight boundary to complete the win with three balls to spare.The start of the evening, too, will remain memorable. The crowd started to enter the stadium more than two hours before the first ball and it was a full house when Shahid Afridi and Elton Chigumbura strode out to the toss, held seven minutes earlier as the Pakistan president Mamnoon Hussain met with both squads. Afridi gave one last pep talk before the hosts raced to the turf.The first ball was a fuller length delivery from Anwar Ali that crashed into Hamilton Masakadza’s pad. The pace bowler didn’t appeal, but an appeal wouldn’t have been out of place given the drama of the occasion. Masakadza then got to work with a string of boundaries but he failed to keep the crowd’s noise down. A gap of six years for an international game kept them animated even as they fanned themselves with the four and six placards.Masakadza got seven fours and a six in his 27-ball 43, cutting, lap-sweeping and forcing fours through point, midwicket, fine-leg and mid-off. His only six was a high pull off Bilawal Bhatti over square-leg in the third over. Vusi Sibanda was nondescript at the other end with 13 off 15 balls.Their 58-run stand ended in the seventh over when Sibanda top-edged Mohammad Sami for 13 and next ball, Pakistan’s comeback man – playing his first international match since July 2012 – got Masakadza to inside-edge on to the stumps. The noise was at a maximum but despite that, and the regular wickets, their fielding errors slightly blotted the occasion. A few outfielders dived over the ball, Sarfraz missed two stumpings, including that of Chigumbura when he was on eight, and Riaz dropping a skier off his own bowling.Charles Coventry, another comeback story of the day, was given caught-behind though TV replays showed the ball appeared to hit his bicep on the way to the wicketkeeper. Chigumbura, meanwhile, kept the pace set by Masakadza with timely boundaries. Zimbabwe’s tally of 58 in the last five overs was mostly his doing.Chigumbura’s late onslaught began with a top-edged four off Bhatti before fours were squeezed past point and inside-edged. He added blasts over point, midwicket and extra cover off Riaz’s third over before flicking Sami’s full-toss to reach his second T20 fifty, making 54 off 35 balls.Sikandar Raza struck a high six over midwicket before falling in the 17th over but he helped Chigumbura add 42 for the fifth wicket in just 4.2 overs.Malik was the most economical bowler with 1 for 12 from three overs while Sami took 3 for 36. Riaz finished with two wickets but he was too wayward for a bowler leading the attack.Zimbabwe’s bowlers too were poor for most of the Pakistan innings, though Cremer looked happy with his two wickets while Williams and Brian Vitori took one wicket apiece.For the fans and the team, it was a joyous occasion, a chance to cherish a match played in their home. International cricket in Pakistan came to a halt in Lahore and it is here that Zimbabwe’s tour got underway, with a win for the home team.

The future of the West Indies Test team will be mapped out early next year with the coach Ottis Gibson and the new director of cricket Richard Pybus set to meet to discuss how to respond to the recent slump in results

Andrew McGlashan 23-Dec-2013The future of the West Indies Test team will be mapped out early next year with the coach Ottis Gibson and the new director of cricket Richard Pybus set to meet to discuss how to respond to the recent slump in results.Four of West Indies’ last five Tests have been heavy defeats and without rain in Dunedin it would have been five losses on in a row, undoing the strides made over the previous year where the side had strung together six straight Test victories.Their next Test assignment is not until May when they host New Zealand in a return series, but although Gibson wants to use the gap to make a considered judgement on his team, it seems inconceivable that significant changes won’t take place. Pybus only joined the WICB in late October, shortly before West Indies went to India, so there has been limited opportunity for him to work with Gibson.”We’ve had some discussions already about where we are and my thoughts on what we need to do to move forward,” Gibson said. “There’s a meeting pencilled in for us when we get back, including the selectors, to try and plot the way forward. We have five months before the next Test series which gives us some time.”West Indies were hampered in New Zealand by the absence of Kemar Roach, due to a shoulder injury, and Chris Gayle, but the discussions between Gibson and Pybus will also need to focus on the status of players such as Ravi Rampaul and Fidel Edwards, who have doubts over their viability for Test cricket, and whether to recall other experienced figures such as Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo.In the aftermath of the 2-0 loss against New Zealand, which was sealed by a collapse for 103 in the second innings in Hamilton where all 10 wickets fell in a session, Darren Sammy spoke about careers being on the line but Gibson said there will be no hasty decisions.”When you’ve just lost a series, and the way we’ve lost, emotions run high and people start talking about careers being on the line and it’s a bit premature,” he said. “We can get home, let the dust settle and assess where we are. We can come up with a plan, but also decide who the right personnel are.”He did, though, concede that patience was wearing thin especially when it came to the batting performances. “Batting collapses happen. In our team they happen too often. It’s a sickening feeling when it happens to your team.”In the short term Gibson has the limited-overs leg of the New Zealand tour to focus on, which brings with it a change of captain – Dwayne Bravo replaces Sammy for the ODIs, but not the T20s – and Gibson hopes for a fresh approach.”Dwayne brings his own energies,” he said. “Sometimes what is going on in the Tests can drain the players, it can have a drain on the captain as well. Having a new figure head in the one-dayers, and some new players, means we aren’t taking too much baggage into the series.”There is also the chance that Gayle will be available for the two Twenty20s that round off the tour next month. Gayle picked up a hamstring injury during the one-day series in India and was ruled to have not recovered in time for the 50-overs segment of this trip. He is currently in Sydney, believed to be as part of his rehabilitation programme, and Gibson said the main target for him was the World Twenty20 defence in Bangladesh.”We’re in communication with him and the people he’s working with in Australia,” Gibson said. “He’s still injured so would be an unnecessary risk to fast track him with what lies ahead. The World T20 is coming up – a format where he is king. He should be available for the two T20s.”

Ireland are set to benefit from a new ICC support programme, receiving a funding boost of $1.5 million through to 2015.

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2012Ireland are set to benefit from a new ICC support programme, receiving a funding boost of $1.5 million through to 2015.The new Targeted Assistance and Performance Programme (TAPP) includes five ICC members and is designed to develop more competitive teams at international level.Ireland are the first cricket board to agree a TAPP deal will use the financial support to launch an elite domestic competition, create an academy and facilitate more fixtures against full member teams.”We are extremely grateful to the ICC for instituting such a forward-thinking programme of support,” Warren Deutrom, chief executive of Cricket Ireland, said. “We’re delighted to be the first member to get to this stage. We have no doubt the support will help us to be even more competitive on the world stage.”ICC President Alan Isaac added: “Ireland provided an excellent submission to the ICC Board and I am sure they will do their very best to deliver those plans now that the organisation has the funding in place.”Netherlands, Scotland, West Indies and Zimbabwe will also receive support.

A round-up of matches from the National Cricket League

Mohammad Isam24-Apr-2012Rajshahi Division rallied on the final day to beat Sylhet Division by 119 runs at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, and reached the National Cricket League final. They overtook Sylhet in the points table to finish second.A maiden five-wicket haul from part-timer Farhad Hossain in the post-tea session Sylhet ensured a Sylhet collapse in their pursuit of 330 for victory. Farhad, who bowls off-spin, removed Golam Mabud and Sylhet’s Indian recruit Rahul Dewan in the space of five overs before picking three more tail-end wickets. Abul Hasan, however, took advantage of the open swathes left by Rajshahi, who put as many as six fielders in catching positions during the last hour.Mizanur Rahman set the tone for Rajshahi with his 105 and shared a 186-run opening stand with Jahurul Islam on the first day. Mizanur scored his second first-class century. Sylhet fought back on the second day through Enamul Haque Jr’s six wickets, Rajshahi declaring their first innings on 387 for 9.Sylhet’s approach was predictable but their aim to grind out the bowlers backfired as skipper Farhad Reza and left-arm spinner Sanjamul Islam kept it tight and picked wickets regularly. Apart from Nadif Chowdhury’s 61, none of the Sylhet batsmen took advantage of their starts.Khulna Division, who will take on Rajshahi in the final, drew their final second phase game with Dhaka Metropolis at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium. Khulna, the table-toppers, took a more cautious approach as they had already qualified for the final.Anamul Haque, the opener, was the hero for Khulna, making 193 runs with the help of 27 boundaries and two sixes. He was trapped leg-before the next day, just short of a double-ton, by Tareq Aziz to end an innings that lasted more than five hours.Taposh Ghosh, the left-hand allrounder, also notched up an unbeaten 111 during Khulna’s 618 in the first innings and in Dhaka Metro’s reply, Tasamul Haque, too, struck a century. Both players recorded their second first-class centuries in first-class cricket.The match only had an academic interest when Khulna didn’t impose the follow-on despite leading by 330 runs. They batted again and Imrul Kayes struck 117 off 181 balls. There was one more century left to score and Shamsur Rahman duly picked up a ton off 88 balls in Dhaka Metro’s second innings.Both matches endured a day’s break due to a general strike across the country.

Usman Khawaja will be an Australian Test aspirant one day and a Twenty20 billboard the next after a compromise between Cricket Australia and the Sydney Thunder

Daniel Brettig05-Dec-2012Usman Khawaja will be an Australian Test aspirant one day and a Twenty20 billboard the next after a hurried compromise between Cricket Australia and the Sydney Thunder following Michael Clarke’s forced withdrawal from the opening round of the BBL.Named as captain of the CA Chairman’s XI to face the Sri Lankans in Canberra from Thursday, Khawaja will be withdrawn from the match on the Saturday morning and fly up to Sydney in time to take part in the Thunder’s opening match against the Sydney Sixers at the SCG.After Australia’s team physio Alex Kountouris strongly recommended that Clarke be ruled out of the opening round of the BBL – his one scheduled appearance for the Thunder before the start of the Test series against Sri Lanka – the BBL side immediately requested that Khawaja be withdrawn from the tour match at Manuka.A hasty round of negotiations followed between CA, the Thunder and Cricket NSW, resulting in a compromise whereby Khawaja will play for two days with the Chairman’s XI before also playing for the Thunder as their biggest local name in the absence of Clarke.Discussion of how Khawaja’s batting services would be spread across the weekend took place against the backdrop of selection talk about the make-up of the Australian Test side for the first match of the series against Sri Lanka in Hobart. The squad is due to be named on Thursday.Khawaja is part of a four-way battle to replace Ricky Ponting in Australia’s batting order, also including Phillip Hughes, Alex Doolan and Rob Quiney. Doolan is also taking part in the Chairman’s XI match, while Quiney and Hughes will be playing this weekend for the Melbourne Stars and the Adelaide Strikers, respectively.With 570 runs at 81.42 this summer including an unbeaten 161 for Australia A against the South Africans in Sydney, Doolan is second only to Clarke among Australia first-class run scorers this summer. Hughes is third with 524 runs at 47.63, while Khawaja’s 438 runs at 39.81 places him fifth. Doolan said Hughes and Quiney were both ahead of him in his own mind.”If I was picking the team I’d probably put Phil Hughes in there just simply through weight of runs,” Doolan told in Canberra. “It seems every time he steps onto the crease he’s hitting runs and hitting them at good pace and in a consistent way.”I’m not saying that I’d be happy to have someone picked ahead of me but I think Bobby [Quiney] deserves it as much as anyone. I really hope he gets another crack at it. He deserved his call-up to the national team and obviously results didn’t go his way but that just shows what the game is.”It’s a fickle game and sometimes results don’t go your way but I’ve no doubt he’s Test quality and I’m sure he’d show it if he got another go.”Injuries to Josh Hazlewood and John Hastings have reduced the selectors’ bowling options for the Hobart Test, leaving Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus to slot back into the squad alongside Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon.Possible Test squad: Michael Clarke (capt), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, Matthew Wade, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Lyon.

The ramparts of the Galle fort provided the backdrop for Pakistan’s 209-run defeat in the first Test, and their next venue, in Colombo, is as intimidating for visiting teams

Kanishkaa Balachandran in Colombo29-Jun-2012Pakistan have moved from one Sri Lankan fortress to another. The ramparts of the Galle fort provided the backdrop for the 209-run defeat in the first Test, and their next venue, in Colombo, is as intimidating for visiting teams because of Sri Lanka’s record there in recent years.If Pakistan are to level the series in the second Test, they will have do what no other team has done for eight years – win at the SSC. Since 1984, Sri Lanka have won 17 Tests and lost six here. Their last defeat was in 2004, when Ricky Ponting’s Australia won by 121 runs to complete a 3-0 cleansweep. Sri Lanka haven’t conceded a single Test since, winning six and drawing five.Pakistan’s record at the venue isn’t bad either – they undefeated here. In 1994, the Test was called off before a ball was bowled because of the threat of post-election civil unrest. Pakistan’s next match at the SSC was in 1997 – a high-scoring draw. Three years later, Sri Lanka were blown away by the pace of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, and the offspin of Arshad Khan. The 2006 contest had big centuries by Shoaib Malik and Kumar Sangakkara but there wasn’t enough time for a result. Three years later, with the series already lost, Pakistan salvaged a draw.Pakistan felt Misbah-ul-Haq’s absence in Galle, both as a batsman and captain. His stodginess in the middle order was missed, as was his presence in the field, for his spinners seem to respond better to his fields. It simply wasn’t Pakistan’s or Mohammad Hafeez’s match and it was made worse by the umpiring. Misbah, not the most expressive of captains, had simple advice for his side – wipe the slate clean.”We have to forget the past and be positive going into the match,” Misbah said. “This is how cricket goes, you just can’t afford to remember the games you have lost. You have to give 100% in the next game.”The batting was a problem in Galle, with Hafeez, Azhar Ali and Taufeeq Umar failing. Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq found form, but a bit too late. Misbah, however, said it was a combination of factors that let Pakistan down.”We let them [Sri Lanka] score nearly 500 and that put pressure on us. It’s not just our batting, we need to improve our bowling as well,” Misbah said. “It was Hafeez’s first [Test] as captain, we were playing a Test after a long time. It takes time for any captain to settle down. Sri Lanka batted well too in Galle, a good hunting ground for them.”Misbah said Pakistan’s second innings in Galle, which had 80s by Younis and Shafiq, was a sign that the batting was starting to click. “I am confident this batting line-up will come back hard,” he said. “They need to remind themselves about the team’s form over the last one and a half years and we will pull things back.”

A round-up of Saturday’s Group A games in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2013
ScorecardUAE’s bowlers restricted Namibia to a middling total, which their batsmen chased with an over to spare to record their second win of the competition. After winning the toss, UAE reduced to 81 for 9 before the last-wicket partnership propped up the score to 120. Opener Christi Viljoen top scored with 35, while JJ Smit made 23 at No. 9. No one between them reached double figures. Rohan Mustafa was the pick of UAE’s bowlers, taking 3 for 14 in four overs.Mohammad Azam led UAE’s chase with a half-century, making 51 off 56 balls. Though they lost wickets at regular intervals after a steady start, UAE had enough resources to fall back on. Their captain Khurram Khan contributed 23 to a victory that was sealed in 19 overs.
ScorecardIreland’s Alex Cusack held his nerve in the last over to hand Canada their second loss in the tournament. Cusack was defending 14 runs against two set batsmen and was hit for a six off the third delivery that brought down the equation to seven off three balls for Canada. But he gave away only four runs in the next three deliveries. Canada’s Ashish Bagai and Ruvindu Gunasekera both scored half-centuries and shared a 125-run partnership after they had lost two wickets off the first two balls of the innings, but ran out of steam. Ireland were put into bat and lost two early wicket, but Kevin O’Brien and Niall O’Brien resurrected the innings with a 58-run stand before Trent Johnston’s quick 39 pushed the total to 166.
ScorecardTanwir Afzal starred with both bat and ball to help Hong Kong edge past Uganda in a tight match in Abu Dhabi. Afzal smashed 26 off 12 balls from No 8 after Hong Kong had been reduced to 69 for 6 in chase of 106. He hit two sixes and two fours in the innings and shared an unbeaten 34-run stand for the seventh wicket with Nizakat Khan to help the team cross the target with 11 balls to spare. Earlier, Afzal bowled a tight spell of 4-1-12-3 to restrict Uganda to 105. His three wickets came in the space of seven deliveries early in the innings and Uganda never picked up momentum in the innings as they lost regular wickets.
ScorecardA rapid innings by Italy opener Gareth Berg laid the foundation of Italy’s solid win against USA in a Group A match in Abu Dhabi. Berg smashed 15 fours and one six in his 47-ball 90 and helped Italy race to 112 in the 13th over by the time he was dismissed. Italy were left with 49 to get from seven overs and Carl Sandri hit 27 off 16 balls to ensure they got to the target with four balls to spare. USA’s innings was symmetrical to Italy’s with Steven Taylor scoring 91 in 56 deliveries, that included five sixes, but the target proved to be just short.

Few teams have been able to keep the legendary attacker quiet, but his next opponent has been one of the best at doing so

Throughout his career, few teams have been able to really stop Lionel Messi. It's one of the reasons he's in this famous GOAT conversation, after all. No matter the level, no matter the competition, Messi's record speaks for itself. With the World Cup now in his back pocket, there isn't much left to hold against him.

Messi's record, however, isn't spectacular against everyone. A very small number of sides have been able to stop him, and one of them just so happens to be his next opponent in CONMEBOL's biggest game.

Fresh off a disappointing loss to one up-and-comer, Uruguay, Messi will lead Argentina against Brazil on Tuesday in a clash of South America's titans. Historically, Argentina are one of the few teams that can even compete with the famous Selecao. Brazil have more World Cups, but Argentina have more senior titles. It's a rivalry that's so good mostly because it has been so even.

It hasn't been for Messi, though. Brazil have largely been able to put a muzzle on the diminutive Argentine and, as they head into the next chapter of their historic rivalry, it may take the Messi magic that has often been missing for the world champions to escape the Maracana with a positive result.

GettyA historic rivalry

Few countries can put their resumes on the table against Brazil and Argentina, two of the premier national teams in the game since these sorts of competitions began.

On one side, you have Brazil, winners of five World Cups. They also have four Confederations Cups, two Olympic medals and nine U-20/U-17 World Cups to their name, as well as nine Copa America titles.

The one team with more Copas America? Argentina, who claimed their 15th title in 2021 with a famous victory in Brazil. That was Messi's first senior international trophy, and it paved the way for the success in Qatar one year later.

In terms of head-to-head, the two sides are relatively even. Brazil have won 43 of the 109 meetings between the two, with Argentina claiming 40. Until the Copa America final in 2021, though, Brazil reigned supreme when it mattered, winning six consecutive knockout clashes between the two dating back to 1995.

Argentina's win in the Copa America has only levelled up the rivalry, although it's one that has never really seen the best of Messi.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMessi's record vs Brazil

It doesn't need to be explained how good Messi's international record is, but we'll do it anyway: 106 goals in 125 caps, a World Cup, a Copa America, an Olympic Gold Medal, a World Youth Championship title. Messi's now done just about everything there is to do.

One of the few places he's struggled, though, is Brazil. It's not that his record is bad, because, realistically, it isn't. But, by his standards, Messi has struggled a bit when staring down the famous yellow shirts.

In 13 career games against Brazil, Messi has just five goals. An okay haul, sure, but not quite up to his usual standards. Argentina are just 6-6-1 in matches vs Brazil with Messi in the XI.

However, a look at those five goals offers a better glimpse into the real situation. Three of his five goals came in the same friendly: a June 2012 win in the U.S. Another came in a 2010 friendly in Qatar, an interesting preview of what was to come over a decade later. The last came in the 2019 Superclasico de los Americas, which was held in Saudi Arabia.

Messi has never scored against Brazil, either home or away, in South America. He's also never scored against Brazil in World Cup qualifying, and the Selecao is the only opponent he has not defeated in a World Cup qualifier.

Getty ImagesWhy Messi has struggled

There's a pretty easy answer to this question. It doesn't take much thought to figure out why Messi's goalscoring record isn't particularly great against Brazil, and that's because the Selecao are, in fact, very, very good.

There's never any sort of dropoff from Brazil, who have no rebuilding eras or generational shifts. It's a constant pipeline of talent flowing through the national team that keeps them permanently fixed to the top of the international game.

Defenders like Thiago Silva and Marquinhos would never have been too starstruck seeing Messi on the other side, nor is relative newcomer Eder Militao, a Real Madrid star. Legendary fullbacks like Dani Alves and Marcelo frequently made Argentina uncomfortable. A midfield shield like Casemiro, who has been at the top of that position for so long, is not one to be intimidated, either.

That's the easy answer: quality. From top to bottom, Brazil are always one of the most talented teams in the world. It hasn't been without controversy, though, with Messi once saying he believed there was something more foul going on.

After being eliminated at the hands of Brazil in the 2019 Copa America semifinals, Messi accused CONMBEOL of corruption in favor of Brazil. His accusation came after he was controversially sent off in Argentina's 2-1 win over Chile in the third place match, with Messi refusing to take part in the festivities after.

“We don’t have to be part of this corruption,” Messi said at the time. “They have showed us a lack of respect throughout this tournament. Sadly, the corruption, the referees, they don’t allow people to enjoy football, they ruined it a bit. I think the cup is fixed for Brazil. I hope that the VAR and the referees have nothing to do in this final and that Peru can compete because they have the team to do so although I think it’s difficult.”

Then-Brazil boss Tite hit back after Brazil's triumph.

"You have to have a little more respect and be careful," Tite said. "We played clean against Argentina. Messi was unfairly sent off against Chile. It was a yellow card. But be careful."

It only added a bit more spice to the rivalry, which remains as hot as any in South America due to the level on the field.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyA mixed history at the Maracana

Prior to the World Cup in Qatar, the Maracana was the site of Messi's greatest international triumph. It was also the site of his greatest career disappointment.

The famous venue was the host of the 2014 World Cup final, Messi's first crack at winning that golden trophy. We all know how it went: Messi and Argentina had their hearts broken at the death, with Mario Gotze etching his name in history as Germany lifted the trophy.

Seven years later, it was Messi's turn, as an Angel Di Maria goal led Argentina to a stunning win over Copa America hosts Brazil. The sight of Argentina lifting Messi into the air was a defining moment of his career, even if it was soon usurped by the images of him in Qatar.

That fact wasn't lost on Messi, who believed it was divine intervention that put Argentina in the Maracana that night.

"Coincidences don't exist," he said in his prematch speech ahead of the 2021 Copa America final. "This tournament had to be played in Argentina and do you know why? Because God brought it here so we win here in the Maracana for all of us. So let's go out there with confidence, with cool heads, and let's win this trophy. Come on boys!”

The stadium remains the site of one of Messi's greatest moments and the worst of his career as he prepares for what may just be his last ever match at the Maracana.

David Warner has admitted he needed the “kick up the bum” of being suspended and ultimately dropped from Australia’s Test side after his punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham pub

Brydon Coverdale in Hove25-Jul-2013David Warner has admitted he needed the “kick up the bum” of being suspended and ultimately dropped from Australia’s Test side after his punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham pub. Warner’s ban over the incident cost him his place in the first two Investec Tests at Trent Bridge and Lord’s but he is firmly back in contention for a recall in the third Test at Old Trafford after his 193 during the ongoing match against South Africa A in Pretoria.Warner was sent on the Australia A tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa after being left out of the Trent Bridge Test as the Australian camp sought a way to get him some game time following his suspension. His punch at Root on a night out during the Champions Trophy ultimately led to the sacking of coach Mickey Arthur, but for Warner personally, losing his place in the national side after playing 19 consecutive Tests was a wake-up call.”Sitting on the sidelines and copping that punishment and not being selected it was a thing that I needed,” Warner said from South Africa. “I definitely needed a kick up the bum. It was my own fault the incident that happened. My job was then to support our players, support the rest of the group and do everything I could to help them prepare for the games. I did that and I know the other guys on the tour did the same thing. We’ve all been working very hard.”Warner’s partnership with Ed Cowan at the top of Australia’s Test order appears to have been permanently split, with Cowan having been dropped after the loss in Nottingham. If Warner returns at Old Trafford it will likely be at No.6, although his heavy scoring against South Africa A – 193 from 226 deliveries – came at No.4.Although his scoring rate was typically quick, Warner impressed by surviving for more than five hours at the crease in Pretoria, against a South Africa A attack boasting the extremely promising pace pairing of Kyle Abbott and Marchant de Lange. His 193 was not his highest first-class score but it was his longest stay at the crease in quite some time, after a lean few months in all formats.”I set myself a goal of wanting to bat three hours out there,” Warner said. “I batted an hour in Zimbabwe and I decided here I’d just come in and be positive from the start and when the ball was there to hit, I hit it. That’s how I played and it came off.”I hadn’t really played for about 40 days so with no cricket under my belt I was fortunate enough to be sent here and get some game time in. I know I would have had to wait until after the first two Tests to get any game time over there otherwise.”Had he stayed in England, Warner’s first opportunity for some time in the middle would have come in the tour match against Sussex, which begins in Hove on Friday. Warner’s innings means that Phillip Hughes and Steven Smith especially will be under pressure to post decent scores against Sussex in the lead-up to the Manchester Test.One man who won’t be scoring any runs in Sussex is Shane Watson, who has stayed in London along with some other members of the squad to train ahead of the third Test. Watson was the subject of a Twitter rant from David Warner’s brother Steve during the Lord’s Test, but Warner said he had nothing but support for Watson.”A hundred percent. I get along with Shane very well,” he said. “I thoroughly enjoy batting with Shane, I know what he does for the team and I know what a team player he is, not just on the field but in and around the group how he supports the guys. He’s fantastic.”