140-439: The United Football League Football Alliance Charity Cup was a Filipino association football competition. It was played on a knockout stage (single elimination). The only edition served as the last competition for the 2013–14 United Football League season which was participated by the top 6 clubs of UFL Division 1 . On 21 June 2012, UFL officials announced that it will introduce a new tournament to its calendar around May of
280-563: A club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues, among others. He signed for French club Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021, where he would win the Ligue 1 title during both of his seasons there. Messi joined American club Inter Miami in July 2023, and set a new mark for most goals scored for the club by his second season. An Argentine international, Messi
420-463: A European football club. He was signed at FC Barcelona as a defender, and soon made an impact helping Barcelona win the Spanish championship title in 1908. Four years later, Paulino Alcántara became the second Filipino footballer to play for a European club. Alcántara made his debut for Barcelona at the age of 15 against Català Sporting Club , where he scored his first hat-trick . Alcántara remains
560-526: A brace in a 3–2 win over Columbus Crew , clinching the Supporters' Shield , his 46th trophy. In the final game of the regular season on 19 October against New England Revolution , Messi scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 6–2 victory. Inter Miami's victory over the Revolution also allowed the club to finish with 74 points throughout the regular season, a league record for MLS. He would finish
700-706: A football school at the SM Mall of Asia . It is the third football school created by Chelsea in Asia, after two others in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur . The school is operated by Phil Younghusband and James Younghusband , brothers and former members of Chelsea's Reserves and Youth Team . After a year, Smart Communications sponsored the soccer school through its partnership with the Younghusband Football Academy (TYFA) to visit schools throughout
840-498: A four-year cycle of success. For the start of the 2012–13 season , Barcelona had virtually secured their La Liga title by the start of 2013. A double scored against Real Betis saw Messi becoming Barcelona's all-time top scorer in La Liga, and surpassed Gerd Müller 's record of most goals scored in a calendar year; Messi would score a record 91 goals in all competitions for Barcelona and Argentina throughout 2012. Messi again won
980-532: A hat-trick from Messi secured their entry. They would go on to lose to France in the Round of 16 during the World Cup, with Messi having one goal and two assists in the tournament. The next year, under new head coach Lionel Scaloni , Messi would again represent Argentina in the 2019 Copa América , where he registered only a single goal and assist. They would lose to hosts Brazil in the semi-final but ended with
1120-535: A hat-trick in eight minutes during a Copa del Rey match while man-marked by Sevilla 's Sergio Ramos . His progress was reflected in his first professional contract, signed on 4 February 2004, which lasted until 2012 and contained an initial buyout clause of €30 million. A month later, on 6 March, he made his debut for Barcelona B in the Segunda División B , and his buyout clause automatically increased to €80 million. He played five games with
1260-433: A home-and-away, double round-robin format, and the " Finals Series ", a play-off round where the top four teams of the regular season played each other to determine the champions of the league. The Finals Series was not held for the succeeding seasons. The league only had one division since its existence, but there are plans to introduce a second division as the league expands, with a system of promotion and relegation within
1400-544: A league format following the folding of the Pinay Futbol League in 2013 and became the first women's domestic league in the country. The league sanctioned by PFF as an amateur league as part of FIFA's Women's Development Project for the Philippines. The Philippine national men's football team represents the Philippines in men's international football. The national team is referred to as the " Azkals " ―
1540-511: A little bit about the game of football. Within a year, there were two or three football clubs established in Manila . While in Spain, Filipino sportsmen had played a significant role in the early development and success of Spanish football. In 1898, after a number of wars have broken out on the islands, all football organizations were briefly postponed. The United States had invaded Cuba and then
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#17327754844341680-520: A new deal complicated due to Barcelona's financial issues. Barcelona would eventually announce that Messi would not be staying at the club, citing financial and structural obstacles posed by La Liga regulations as a reason for Messi's departure. In a tearful press conference held at the Camp Nou, Messi confirmed that he would be leaving Barcelona. On 10 August 2021, Messi joined Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), reuniting him with Neymar, for
1820-532: A plastic protector; soon hindered by the mask, he took it off and scored two goals in 10 minutes before his substitution. At the close of the season, he received an offer to join Arsenal , his first from a foreign club, but while Fàbregas and Piqué soon left for England , he chose to remain in Barcelona. Messi continued to progress through the club's ranks at a rapid pace, debuting for four youth teams during
1960-465: A professional European club in Spain . Amechazurra was the first to achieve great heights at Spanish football, playing for FC Barcelona and he was followed by Alcántara later on, after also achieving success with the same football club. Alcántara went on to become the youngest Filipino footballer to play in Spain, where he made his professional debut as a striker at the age of 15 for Barcelona, which made him
2100-521: A record fifth time in his career. He would end the season by winning La Liga as well as the Copa del Rey again. In total, Messi scored 41 goals, and Barcelona's attacking trio of him, Neymar and Suárez managed a Spanish record of 131 combined goals throughout the season, breaking the record they had set the previous season. The 2016–17 season would end with Messi winning the Supercopa de España and
2240-450: A record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023 . A second Copa América victory with Messi as captain came in 2024 . Messi has endorsed sportswear company Adidas since 2006. According to France Football , he was the world's highest-paid footballer for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014, and was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019 and 2022. Messi was among Time ' s 100 most influential people in
2380-445: A result. During that season, Messi scored 38 total goals, and alongside Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry , contributed to a total of 100 goals in all competitions, a record at the time for the club. Messi played as a false nine for the first time in a Clásico against Real Madrid, setting up his side's first goal and scoring twice in the team's greatest-ever score at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium . He played his first final , winning
2520-415: A secured place in the knockout rounds, Messi would wear the captain's armband for the first time. Argentina were ultimately eliminated in the quarterfinals against Germany during that tournament, but Messi was identified as one of the tournament's 10 best players due to his pace and creativity, despite failing to register a single goal and only having one assist. The appointment of Sergio Batista ahead of
2660-399: A steel factory manager, and his wife Celia Cuccittini, who worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop. On his father's side, he is of Italian and Spanish descent, the great-grandson of immigrants from the north-central Adriatic Marche region of Italy, and on his mother's side, he has primarily Italian ancestry. Growing up in a tight-knit, football-loving family, "Leo" developed a passion for
2800-420: A third-place finish after defeating Chile. Messi would finally end Argentina's 28-year trophy drought in the 2021 Copa América , as they had not won an international tournament since 1993 . In the process, he surpassed Javier Mascherano to become Argentina's most-capped player during a group stage match against Bolivia . Argentina defeated Brazil in the final ; Messi was directly involved in nine out of
2940-640: A total budget of ₱ 458,046 (≈ € 7,500 or ≈ $ 10,000 ). The next project, in December 2006, constructed the headquarters of the PFF in Pasig . Its third project was to upgrade the pitch in the Rizal Memorial Stadium to an artificial turf from August to September 2012, but it was discontinued because Philippine Football Federation President Mariano Araneta said that conducting
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#17327754844343080-586: A total of 122 goals in all competitions that season, a record in Spanish football. Messi opened the 2015–16 season by helping Barcelona's win over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup . Messi capped off the year by winning the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final over River Plate in Yokohama , collecting his fifth club trophy of the calendar year. On 11 January 2016, Messi won the FIFA Ballon d'Or for
3220-519: A total of 36 goals in all official competitions. Messi would begin the 2004–05 season as a guaranteed starter for the Barcelona B team, but after some lobbying by the senior players, he would be promoted to the first team by manager Frank Rijkaard . He made his La Liga debut for Barcelona on 16 October 2004 against Espanyol , and scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005 against Albacete , from an assist by Ronaldinho , becoming at that time
3360-593: A word that is similar to Filipino term Askal meaning street dog. In addition, there are other youth national teams that represent the country in other competitions such as the Philippines national under-23 football team , also known as the Philippine Olympic team, the Philippines national under-19 football team , and the Philippines national under-17 football team . The Philippines national futsal team represents men's international futsal , and
3500-593: A year at Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia , Messi was finally enrolled in the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in February 2002. Now playing in all competitions, he befriended his teammates, among whom were Cesc Fàbregas and Gerard Piqué . After completing his growth hormone therapy aged 14, Messi became an integral part of the "Baby Dream Team", Barcelona's greatest-ever youth side. During his first full season (2002–03), he
3640-493: Is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team . Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi set numerous records for individual accolades won throughout his professional footballing career such as eight Ballon d'Or awards and eight times being named the world's best player by FIFA . He
3780-574: Is set to be the new facility for the school. Another Spanish club, Barcelona , conducted a camp in Muntinlupa named "Barcelona Escola Camp 2013". It began on 17 April and ended on 21 April 2013. Two coaches from Barcelona Escola, Joseph Moratalla and Jordi Blanco, came to the Philippines. The camp was organized by Team Socceroo . A second camp was scheduled on 18 to 22 December 2013, held in Emperador Stadium , Taguig . Coaches from
3920-541: Is the most decorated player in the history of professional football having won 45 team trophies , including twelve Big Five league titles, four UEFA Champions Leagues , two Copa Américas , and one FIFA World Cup . Messi holds the records for most European Golden Shoes (6), most goals for a single club (672, with Barcelona ), most goals (474), hat-tricks (36) and assists (192) in La Liga , most matches played (39), assists (18) and goal contributions (34) in
4060-518: Is the most-watched sport at 74.4%, and football is fourth at 17.9%. In the second survey, basketball was found to be the most-played sport during leisure time at 9.6%, while association football did not make the list. Football saw some rise in the fifties where the country saw enthusiasm for the sport built through the football teams of top educational institutions such as the Ateneo , Letran , La Salle , San Beda , San Carlos , UST , Silliman , and
4200-400: Is the national team's all-time leading goalscorer and most-capped player . His style of play as a diminutive, left-footed dribbler drew career-long comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona , who described Messi as his successor . At the youth level, he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship and gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics . After his senior debut in 2005, Messi became
4340-506: Is the representative of men's international football for the Philippines. They won the Far Eastern Games once (in 1913) and became a two-time Philippine Peace Cup champion (in 2012 and 2013 ). The Philippines women's national football team , representing women's international football in the Philippines , achieved a third-place (bronze) finish at the 1985 Southeast Asian Games . There are many stadiums that can be found in
UFL FA Charity Cup - Misplaced Pages Continue
4480-636: Is unique." – Pep Guardiola after Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer at the age of 24 in March 2012 Messi began the 2011–12 season winning both the Spanish and European Super Cups trophies. At the close of the year, he won the FIFA Club World Cup and earned the Golden Ball for a second time. For his efforts in 2011, he received the FIFA Ballon d'Or , becoming only
4620-485: The 2005–06 season by winning the Supercopa de España without Messi, who was not selected to participate in the competition. By the end of the season, the team would win La Liga again as well as the UEFA Champions League , although Messi would not play in the final for the latter due to injury. During the 2006–07 season , Messi scored his first hat-trick in a Clásico against Real Madrid ,
4760-570: The 2010–11 campaign , Messi won the Supercopa de España , Champions League , and a third consecutive La Liga title . His club performances in 2010 earned him his second consecutive Ballon d'Or . Messi was the top scorer in the Champions League, for the third consecutive year, and the league's top scorer and assist provider. He became Barcelona's all-time single-season top scorer with 53 goals. "I feel sorry for those who want to compete for Messi's throne – it's impossible, this kid
4900-592: The 2011 Copa America resulted in Argentina now building their team around Messi. However, Messi would again be goalless during the tournament but had three assists. The team would ultimately lose to Uruguay in penalties during the quarter-finals. Following their unsuccessful performance, Batista was replaced by Alejandro Sabella , who awarded 24-year-old Messi the captaincy of the squad. The next several years saw many frustrations for Messi due to his inability to captain Argentina to an international trophy. During
5040-621: The 2012 Philippine Peace Cup in Manila would lessen the expenses of the PFF in the event. FIFA's final project was to build a technical center in Bukidnon , which includes a natural grass pitch, dormitories, changing rooms, lecture rooms and offices. A number of foreign countries and clubs have offered to help promote and popularise the sport within the country. In 2010, the German Football Association (DFB) recommended
5180-523: The 2013 United Football League season . Originally, the UFL Super Cup was supposed to feature 10 teams from the UFL Division 1 and the top six clubs from its second division. A maximum of five foreign players would be allowed for each club during the inaugural tournament, and this number would be reduced to four players the succeeding years. On 22 April 2014, it was officially announced that
5320-402: The 2014 FIFA World Cup , Messi and Argentina lost to Germany in the final , though Messi was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament regardless due to his overall performance with four goals and an assist. Argentina would lose to Chile on penalties in the 2015 Copa América final the next year. At the close of the tournament, Messi, was reportedly selected to receive
5460-442: The 2018 FIFA World Cup , which they would again exit early. Messi and the national team finally broke Argentina's 28-year trophy drought with a victory in the 2021 Copa América , where he was named the tournament's best player and which later helped him win his seventh Ballon d'Or that year . He then led Argentina to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup , his country's third overall world championship and first in 36 years. This followed with
5600-425: The 2021–22 season on a two-year deal until June 2023 with an option for an extra year. Messi chose 30 as his squad number, the same he wore as a teenager when he made his senior debut for Barcelona. He would make his debut with the club against Reims , made his first start and Champions League debut for the club against Club Brugge , and made his home debut in a match against Lyon He scored his first goal for
5740-511: The 2022–23 season , Messi would win his second trophy with PSG in the Trophée des Champions . A goal against Nice resulted in him surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo as the all-time highest goalscorer in European club football with 702 goals; during the match, he also achieved 1,000 career direct goal contributions at club level. By the end of the season, he had 21 goals across all competitors and
UFL FA Charity Cup - Misplaced Pages Continue
5880-709: The Champions League top scorer , the youngest in the tournament's history. For his efforts in 2009, Messi won the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Messi scored a total of 47 goals in all competitions, equaling Ronaldo 's club record from the 1996–97 campaign . He finished the season as top scorer in the Champions League , and La Liga, winning his second consecutive league trophy and earned his first European Golden Shoe . In
6020-810: The Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) requested if the PFF can host the third staging of the Long Teng Cup in the Philippines. It was then accepted, the Philippines which has been a regular participant since its inception in 2010, renamed the tournament the Paulino Alcántara Cup, then renamed it once again to the Paulino Alcántara Peace Cup. The tournament was eventually renamed the Philippine Peace Cup because
6160-521: The Copa del Rey . He would finish the season with 54 goals, while his 37 goals in La Liga saw him claim both the Pichichi and European Golden Boot Awards for the fourth time in his career. Messi, Neymar and Suárez would combine for 110 goals by season's end. Neymar would depart for Paris Saint Germain the next year, leaving the attacking trio with a combined total of 363 goals over the course of three seasons. Luis Enrique would also leave Barcelona at
6300-403: The Copa del Rey . In addition, Barcelona won the La Liga title and later won the Champions League , thus achieving the first treble in the history of Spanish football. During the first half of the 2009–10 season , Barcelona would also win the Supercopa de España , UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup , resulting in becoming the first club to achieve the sextuple. Messi finished as
6440-514: The FIFA Ballon d'Or , becoming the first player in history to win the Ballon d'Or four times. He signed a new contract committing himself to the club through 2018, and wore the captain's armband for the first time in a league match against Rayo Vallecano . His input into the team's attack had increased; from 24% in their treble-winning campaign, his goal contribution rose to more than 40% that season. These statistics, as well as lopsided losses in
6580-625: The Filipino Premier League (FPL) was established as the top-flight competition in the Philippines. It featured eight clubs from the National Capital Region . The PFF also planned a Visayas and Mindanao FPL tournament in 2009, which never materialized. The first and only champion of the league, which was cancelled at the season's conclusion, was the Philippine Army . Shortly after the dissolution of
6720-505: The Golden Ball award, having scored one goal and provided three assists, but rejected the honour. In the 2016 Copa América Centenario semi-final against the United States , a goal from Messi would put him ahead of Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches. However, Argentina would again fall to Chile on penalties in the final . Messi would have five goals and four assists throughout
6860-424: The Golden Ball . Messi would make his debut with the senior national team in 2005, at age 18, coming off the bench in a friendly against Hungary . Messi would have his first start in 2006 against Peru , and would score his first international goal in a friendly against Croatia . His World Cup debut came in the 2006 FIFA World Cup as a substitute in the 74th minute against Serbia and Montenegro , scoring
7000-587: The Infantiles due to a transfer conflict with Newell's; as a foreigner, he could only be fielded in friendlies and the Catalan league. Without football, he struggled to integrate into the team; already reserved by nature, he was so quiet that his teammates initially believed he was mute. At home, he suffered from homesickness after his mother moved back to Rosario with his brothers and little sister, María Sol, while he stayed in Barcelona with his father. After
7140-459: The Olympic gold medal over Nigeria . Messi registered two goals and three assists throughout, and was singled out by FIFA as the stand-out player from the tournament's best team. With the international retirement of Juan Román Riquelme , Messi was given Argentina's number 10 shirt. During a 2010 FIFA World Cup group stage match against Greece , where a majority of the starters rested due to
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#17327754844347280-600: The Philippine Sports Commission , which operates the Rizal Memorial Stadium where the tournament was held, has a rule against events named after an individual. The tournament takes place in September to celebrate Peace Month in the Philippines. The inaugural season of the Far Eastern Games (FEG) in 1913 was the first championship held in Manila. The tournament provided the first matches in international football for all three nations, including
7420-812: The Philippines Football League (PFL) was launched as the first professional football league and the highest level of men's club football in the country. The league is sanctioned by the Philippine Football Federation , and replaced the United Football League which was previously the de facto top-tier league. Unlike the UFL, teams joining the PFL will be representing cities and provinces, as well as, have their own certified home stadiums and youth teams. Six of
7560-563: The Philippines national beach soccer team in men's international beach soccer . The women's team, also known as the " Filipinas (formerly Malditas) ", represents the country in women's international football. The Filipinas captured a third-place (bronze) finish in the 1985 Southeast Asian Games and has competed in the AFC Women's Asian Cup . The women's team also has qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup (first in 2023 ), while
7700-541: The Real Madrid Foundation visited the Philippines to sign an agreement with local non-governmental organizations (NGO) to open a social and sports academy for youths in Mindanao to 70 poor children with under age 14. On 15 May 2012, English club Chelsea was joined by international development manager Ian Woodroffe, and Adrian New, managing director for Asia, arrived in the country to formally launch
7840-639: The Republic of China and Japan . In the same season, the Philippines clinched their first championship title in international soccer when they defeated China 2–1. They also competed in 1915 in Shanghai , where the Chinese grabbed their first FEG title against the Filipinos. The Philippine team has competed in every Far Eastern Games, but has not yet won another tournament since 1913. In 1938 ,
7980-635: The Shangri-La at the Fort in Taguig. The PFL followed a traditional home-and-away double round-robin format from the 2018 to 2019 seasons, although some clubs did not have their home stadiums at the time. The 2020 season had all matches held in at a single venue due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines . In the inaugural season of 2017, the league had two phases, the regular season, which adopted
8120-533: The United Football League (UFL), a semi-professional league. After the league's second season, AKTV became its official TV broadcaster with the signing of a ₱ 150 million (~$ 3.3 million or ~€2.5 million), five-year deal, which ensures the airing of two live matches every week. The deal was further improved with a new TV arrangement in which four live matches would be aired every week on primetime television on AksyonTV . On 21 April 2017,
8260-487: The University of Visayas . The Philippine Football Association partnered with San Miguel Brewery to seek foreign assistance in developing football in the country. In the early sixties, British coaches Alan Rogers and Brian Birch were brought in and funded by San Miguel to train referees, coaches and players in the country. Due to lack of facilities, the two coaches organized a five-a-side football competition which
8400-602: The World Cup . However, the national team managed to qualify for the 2012 edition of the AFC Challenge Cup , the first time since qualifiers were introduced and also recorded their first ever victory in the FIFA World Cup qualification , beating Sri Lanka 4–0 in the second leg of the first preliminary round. Kuwait finished the Philippines' World Cup qualification campaign after winning over them twice in
8540-471: The final . He became the first player to score in every stage of the World Cup, having scored seven total with three assists, and also the first to win the Golden Ball for the tournament twice. With his appearance in the final, Messi set new records as the player with the most appearances at the World Cup (26) and most direct goal contributions at the World Cup (21 – 13 goals and 8 assists). He also set
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#17327754844348680-427: The 12 goals scored by Argentina, scoring four and assisting five, and was named the player of the tournament. He captained Argentina to win another international trophy in the 2022 Finalissima against UEFA Euro 2020 winners Italy , where he was named player of the match after providing three assists. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup , Messi led Argentina to its first World Cup victory in 36 years, defeating France during
8820-578: The 16-year-old would become an even better player than himself. Ronaldinho soon befriended Messi, whom he called "little brother", which greatly eased his transition into the first team. To gain further match experience, Messi joined Barcelona C in addition to the Juvenil A , playing his first game for the third team on 29 November. He helped save them from the relegation zone of the Tercera División , scoring five goals in ten games, including
8960-505: The 1930s, Gregorio Querejeta became the first Filipino to play in the La Liga in Spain, where he appeared in over 122 matches for Real Zaragoza , Atlético Madrid and Gimnàstic de Tarragona . The popularity of " The Beautiful Game " did not decrease in participation when the Americans founded basketball in the Philippines in 1910 as part of the physical education curriculum in Philippine schools. Two surveys were conducted in parts of Metro Manila in 2012—the first found that basketball
9100-449: The 2003–04 season. After being named player of the tournament in four international pre-season competitions with the Juvenil B , he played only one official match with the team before being promoted to the Juvenil A , where he scored 18 goals in 11 league games. Messi was then one of several youth players called up to strengthen a depleted first team during the international break. French winger Ludovic Giuly explained how Messi caught
9240-436: The 75th minute during a friendly against José Mourinho 's Porto on 16 November 2003. His performance, creating two chances and a shot on goal, impressed the technical staff, and he subsequently began training daily with the club's reserve side, Barcelona B , as well as weekly with the first team. After his first training session with the senior squad, Barça's new star player, Ronaldinho , told his teammates that he believed
9380-421: The B team that season but did not score. Physically he was weaker than his opponents, who were often much older and taller, and in training he worked on increasing his muscle mass and overall strength in order to be able to shake off defenders. Towards the end of the season, he returned to both youth teams, helping the Juvenil B win the league. He finished the campaign having scored for four of his five teams with
9520-411: The Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo , his perceived career rival , before regaining his best form during the 2014–15 campaign , where he became the all-time top scorer in La Liga, led Barcelona to a historic second treble, and won a fifth Ballon d'Or in 2015 . Messi assumed captaincy of Barcelona in 2018, and won a record sixth Ballon d'Or in 2019 . During his overall tenure at Barcelona, Messi won
9660-439: The Champions League where Messi was unfit, gave credence to the notion of Messidependencia , Barcelona's perceived tactical and psychological dependence on their star player. The team would win La Liga again that year, Messi's sixth, equalling Real Madrid's 100-point record of the previous season. With 60 goals in all competitions, including 46 goals in La Liga, he finished the campaign as league top scorer in Spain and Europe for
9800-553: The Copa América, most matches played (26) and goal contributions (21) in the World Cup, most international appearances (191) and international goals ( 112 ) by a South American male, and the second-most in the latter category outright. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi has scored over 850 senior career goals for club and country. Born in Rosario , Argentina, Messi relocated to Spain to join Barcelona at age 13, and made his competitive debut at age 17 in October 2004. He established himself as an integral player for
9940-408: The Elizalde Company. In 1971 Juan Cutillas, selected four Spanish players and one Chinese in an effort to boost the Philippine national team. The national team joined the tournaments such as the Pestabola Merdeka , Pesta Sukan, Jakarta Anniversary Tournament , and the President Park Tournament . The Philippines managed to cause upsets results against Thailand , Singapore , and South Korea . When
10080-802: The FEG was cancelled due to the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War . The Philippine team competed in the Asian Games numerous times, making their debut in 1954 when the Philippines hosted the tournament. The Filipinos were in Group A with South Vietnam and Chinese Taipei . All games was held in Rizal Memorial Stadium . Their matches were both losses, resulting in early elimination. They returned in 1958 in Tokyo , this time competing in Group C. The Azkals recorded their first win at
10220-663: The Filipino Premier League, the Football Alliance sought to renew the interest of Filipinos in football. The Alliance entered into discussions with the United Football Clubs Association for the possibility of establishing another top-flight football competition in the Philippines. Instead of creating a whole system and competition, the United Football Clubs Association agreed to partner with the Football Alliance in operating
10360-465: The PFF with an offer to finance a new local football cup competition, the PFF National Men's Club Championship . The proposed partnership was set to last 10 years, with Smart releasing ₱ 80 million in funds with the aim of providing more playing opportunities for football players, and the eventual creation of a national cup. In March 2011, the first season of the cup began. Since 2012,
10500-576: The PFL to be put in place. There was a proposal to convert the former UFL to a second division tournament or a reserve league to the PFL. The Copa Paulino Alcantara is the cup tournament of the PFL since the 2018 season. The Champions of the PFL automatically qualify to compete in the group stages of the AFC Champions League . Meanwhile, the winners of the Copa Paulino Alcantara automatically qualify to compete in
10640-502: The Philippine Peace Cup. Since winning the 2012 Peace Cup , for the first time in 99 years, the national team earned their first international title after winning all of their games. Also in 2013 , they retained the title after a win over Pakistan . In late 2016 the Philippines jointly hosted the group stage of the 2016 AFF Championship with Myanmar though they fail to progress from the group stage like they did in
10780-566: The Philippines Football in the Philippines is administered by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), the governing body of football in the country. Football is a popular sport in the Philippines played at professional and amateur levels across the country. Football has a long and rich history in the islands, dating back to the 1890s, when the British introduced the sport to the Spanish and European settlers living on
10920-591: The Philippines during that period. After the ship sank resulting in significant casualties, the Americans declared war against Spain which led to the Spanish–American War . This ended the Spanish governance in the Philippines and Cuba, and was replaced by the United States. When the war broke out, all football teams disbanded and abandoned the city, either to save themselves and their families from
11060-526: The Philippines faced U.S. club LA Galaxy as a part of their Asia-Pacific Tour in the Rizal Memorial Stadium, which Galaxy won 6–1. Manchester United with its sponsor, a shampoo brand Clear made a "multi-year partnership" as they will hold training camps facilitated by coaches in the sport. The Manchester United Soccer School will teach 32 amateur footballers in an "intense and rigorous" program. Tryouts were held in March 2014. In 2008,
11200-511: The Philippines in conjunction with Smart's program. Soon after its establishment, they built an artificial grass football field named as Gatorade -Chelsea Blue Pitch in Ayala Alabang . The opening ceremonies was joined with Ayala Corporation president, Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Makati mayor Jun Binay and Makati representative Monique Lagdameo last 15 January 2014. The venue has a dimension of 64.5 by 100 metres (212 by 328 ft) and it
11340-696: The Philippines, like the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila , which is the national stadium of the country. It is also the home stadium of the Philippine football team. Meanwhile, the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod is the secondary venue for the Philippines. In 1895, football was introduced in the Philippines by British sportsmen visiting the islands. In addition, some Filipinos sent to college in Hong Kong and China returned home and taught their friends
11480-655: The Spanish players, Tomas Lozano, Mannuel Cuenca, Juan Guitierrez, and Julio Roxas left the football team due to financial reasons, football in the country saw another decline and basketball gained foothold in the country. There have been four projects accepted by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association ( FIFA ), to build and upgrade football facilities in the Philippines. In the first project, approved in August 2000, FIFA built six technical centers on Iloilo , Laguna , Negros Occidental , Cagayan de Oro , Zamboanga , and Agusan del Sur , with
11620-650: The United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Australia, France, the United States, Argentina and Serbia. FIFA also assisted the country by building and upgrading facilities including the creation of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) headquarters in 2009. As well, the establishment of the United Football League (UFL) and the National Men's Club Championship to provide more local competitions. The Philippines national football team
11760-477: The board of directors hesitated; at the time it was highly unusual for European clubs to sign foreign players of such a young age. On 14 December, an ultimatum was issued for Barcelona to prove their commitment, and Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered a contract on a paper napkin . In February 2001, the family relocated to Barcelona, where they moved into an apartment near the club's stadium, Camp Nou . During his first year in Spain, Messi rarely played with
11900-483: The camp shared their training, philosophy, methodology, and values with the children. After the destruction of Typhoon Haiyan in the country, FIFA gave the PFF $ 1 million to rebuild and rehabilitate damaged football facilities. Leyte Football Association President Dan Palami and other football officials are planning to construct a training center in Tacloban from the grant FIFA gave. On 3 December 2011,
12040-676: The club in a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul , scoring with a free-kick in stoppage time for a victory. After scoring nine goals in his first six games for Miami, Messi led the team to the club's first-ever trophy by winning the Leagues Cup against Nashville SC . Messi made his MLS debut against New York Red Bulls . Miami would miss the playoffs, finish 14th in the Eastern Conference, having gone winless in their last seven games. On 30 October 2023, following his World Cup win with Argentina and Ligue 1 trophy with PSG, Messi
12180-445: The club in a Champions League group stage win over former manager Pep Guardiola's Manchester City . Having scored 40 goals at club and international level for the calendar year in addition to captaining Argentina to the 2021 Copa América , Messi received a record seventh Ballon d'Or . He finished his debut season with PSG with 11 goals and 14 assists across all competitions, helping the club win their 10th Ligue 1 title . Beginning
12320-478: The club within the next three years, and in his first uninterrupted season in 2008–09 helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football; that year, aged 22, Messi won the first of his four consecutive Ballons d'Or, the first player to win it four times. During the 2011–12 season , he set La Liga and European records for most goals in a season, while establishing himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer . The following two seasons, he finished second for
12460-723: The club's youngest and second highest goal scorer behind Argentinian footballer, Lionel Messi . Since then, the first football teams began to form, including the Manila Sporting Club in 1906, the Sandow Athletic Club in 1909, and the Bohemian Sporting Club in 1910. To promote and revive the sport, some European and American international football clubs and organizations have helped the Philippines progress through its development, they have included FC Barcelona and Real Madrid from Spain,
12600-586: The conflict. After the war, and the restoration of peace in the regions of Luzon, six football teams were formed, among them the Manila Sporting Club , the Paris Club , and the Manila Jockey Club . In 1906, the Sandow football team was established (further developed as Sandow Athletic Club in 1909). On 15 October 1907, the first official football match was held in Manila, with the celebration of
12740-422: The country and to train local players. The composition of the Spanish quarter were: Francisco Escarte, Enrique dela Mata, Claudio Sanchez, and Juan Cutillas , with the former two leaving after a year. The group was then followed by, Peter Leaver from the United Kingdom who focused on developing school football and assisted schools such as Ateneo and La Salle. Philippine football also received promotional support from
12880-527: The country where basketball is the more popular sport. In the knockout stage, they had to play both their designated home and away games against Indonesia in Jakarta due to the unavailability of a stadium that passes AFF standards. The Philippines lost both games to end their campaign. The following year, the Michael Weiß became the Philippines head coach. The Philippines has not made an appearance in
13020-433: The cup's semi-finals, while the other four clubs will compete in two-legged knockout games. The 2014 United Football League FA Charity Cup is the first and only edition of the tournament. The competition ran from July 12 to 26, 2014. Global defeated Kaya 3–1 on July 26, 2014, at Rizal Memorial Stadium to capture the first and only UFL FA Cup title. The top six clubs of the 2014 United Football League competed for
13160-446: The cup. Top six clubs of the recently concluded 2014 United Football League qualified in this tournament. All quarterfinal and semi-final matches will be played in two-legged contests, with scores carrying over from the first game into the second leg. Given that all matches will be held in one venue, there will be no away-goals rule. The quarterfinal round kicked off on July 12, 2014, at Rizal Memorial Stadium . Football in
13300-544: The departure of former captain Andrés Iniesta in May 2018, Messi was named the team's new captain for the 2018–19 season . He lifted his first trophy as Barcelona's captain, the Supercopa de España , following a 2–1 victory over Sevilla. He helped Barcelona clinch the La Liga title , his tenth but first as captain. With 36 goals in 34 appearances that season, he won his sixth league Golden Boot trophy, equalling Zarra as
13440-588: The eight teams joining the inaugural season came from the UFL, namely Ceres–Negros , Global Cebu , JPV Marikina , Kaya FC–Makati , Loyola Meralco Sparks , and Stallion Laguna . Two new teams Davao Aguilas , and Ilocos United were formed to join the new league. The Philippine Football Federation has not been able to organize a national tournament since 2007, when they staged the PFF Centennial Men's Open Championship due to "variety of reasons". In January 2011, Smart Communications approached
13580-533: The end of the season after managing the club to a total of nine trophies during his three-year tenure. Messi would sign a new deal with Barcelona on 25 November 2017, keeping him with the club through 2021. The 2017–18 season saw Messi achieving the domestic double, winning La Liga and the Copa Del Rey once again. He once again finished the season as the top scorer in La Liga, with 34 goals, which also saw him win his fifth European Golden Shoe award. With
13720-573: The eye in a training session with Frank Rijkaard 's first team: "He destroyed us all... They were kicking him all over the place to avoid being ridiculed by this kid, he just got up and kept on playing. He would dribble past four players and score a goal. Even the team's starting centre-backs were nervous. He was an alien." "It seemed as if he had been playing with us all his life." – Barcelona's then assistant coach Henk ten Cate on Messi's first-team debut. At 16 years, four months, and 23 days old, Messi made his first team debut when he came on in
13860-466: The final goal in their victory. This made him the youngest player to represent and score for Argentina in the World Cup. He would represent Argentina again for the 2007 Copa América , where they would ultimately lose in the final . Messi was named the best young player of the tournament, having scored two goals and provided one assist. The 2008 Summer Olympics would mark another major achievement with his country, as he led Argentina's U23 team to claim
14000-418: The final year of his contract. The 2020–21 season saw Messi surpass Xavi 's record to reach a club record of 768 appearances. He would lead the club to victory in the 2021 Copa del Rey final . His last two seasons with Barcelona saw him lead La Liga in goal scoring, giving him a record-breaking total of eight Pichichi trophies. Messi became a free agent after his contract expired, with negotiations on
14140-405: The first player to do so in 12 years. An incredibly finesse goal from Messi against Getafe and another goal scored by a handball against Espanyol gained notice for their similarities to the two famous goals scored by fellow Argentine Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup match against England , drawing comparisons between the two that Messi would face throughout his career. The team finished
14280-545: The first time in 2019 . They have also played at the AFC Challenge Cup , which formerly served as a qualifier for the Asian Cup prior to 2019. They have made three appearances; in 2006 , 2012 , and 2014 . The 2006 AFC Challenge Cup was the opening season of the competition, held in Bangladesh . The Philippines advanced automatically because there was no qualification stages. After competing in Group A, they concluded
14420-656: The first time in five years, Barcelona ended the season without a major trophy. Barcelona hired coach Luis Enrique before the 2014–15 season , and would continue to aid Messi in the attack by signing Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez , who had won the European Golden Shoe the year before at Liverpool . Luis Enrique's system would feature quick transitions from defense to attack, led by the front three of Messi, Suárez and Neymar. The attacking trio, which colloquially became known as 'MSN', would break goalscoring records. A hat-trick scored against Sevilla earlier in
14560-413: The first time in the history of the tournament. They did not concede a single defeat and their win against defending champions Vietnam in the group stage in particular was considered as one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament. The match, which would later be referred by local Filipino fans as the " Miracle of Hanoi ", is also considered as the match that started a football renaissance in
14700-473: The fourth player in history to win the Ballon d'Or three times, and the inaugural UEFA Best Player in Europe Award . During the year 2012, Messi became the second player to be top scorer in four Champions League campaigns. Messi became the top goalscorer in Barcelona's history at 24 years old, overtaking the 57-year record of César Rodríguez 's 232 goals with a hat-trick against Granada . He finished
14840-760: The games over Japan, but eventually lost to Hong Kong . In 1962 , the Asian Games were held in Jakarta . Chinese Taipei and Israel were excluded in the tournament when the Indonesian government refused to issue visas for the Israeli and Taiwanese delegations. Meanwhile, Burma withdrew from competition. The Philippine team finished last in the standings, behind South Vietnam, Indonesia , and Malaya . The team finished last again in 1974 after losing every game. Beginning in 2002 , an age division of under-23
14980-588: The group stages of the AFC Cup , though they also qualify for the preliminary round of the AFC Champions League play-offs. Likewise, the premier women's football league in the country is the PFF Women's League , which was launched on November 5, 2016 by the Philippine Football Federation, to follow up with the PFF Women's Cup that was launched in 2014. The competition became the first to follow
15120-472: The highest number of assists in the league with 16, which helped PSG clinch their 11th Ligue 1 title and his second in a row. Following the last game of the season, manager Christophe Galtier confirmed that it would be Messi's last for PSG, with the club confirming his departure two days later. Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami CF announced the signing of Messi on a two-and-a-half-year contract on 15 July 2023. Messi made his 2023 debut for
15260-451: The islands. The Philippine Football Federation was established in 1907 and it would soon feature several Hispanic Filipino sportsmen that included FC Barcelona , Real Madrid , Real Sociedad , Atlético Madrid and Real Zaragoza legends such as Manuel Amechazurra , Paulino Alcántara , Juan Torena , Eduardo Teus , Marcelino Gálatas and Gregorio Querejeta , who would eventually become the first Filipinos and Asian footballers to play for
15400-504: The largest win in Philippine international football history. Alcántara only played once for the Philippines that finished second in the tournament. He also made some appearances in other national teams, including Catalonia and Spain . In 1916, while continuing his studies in medicine, he played football for a local team, the Bohemian Sporting Club, whom he helped win two Philippine Championships in 1917 and 1918. In
15540-505: The love of the sport and to regulate soccer championship contests, all football teams within the city banded themselves together and organized the Philippine Amateur Football Association in 1907 (now the Philippine Football Federation ), and held its first championship in 1921 with Bohemian Sporting Club as champions. In 1906, Manuel Amechazurra became the first Filipino and Asian player to play for
15680-470: The men's and the youth teams have yet to qualify for their equivalent world cup tournaments. Philippines women's national futsal team represents the country in women's futsal. Lionel Messi Argentine professional footballer Eponyms and public art Media Family Related Lionel Andrés Messi ( Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi] ; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi ,
15820-707: The opening of the Philippine Assembly . The trophy, a silver cup donated by 27th President of the United States William Howard Taft , was won by the Sandow Athletic Club. Soon, more clubs were formed. In 1910, the Bohemian Sporting Club was organized and began to train football players. In 1920, the Circulo Social Deportivo was established and produced a football team. To further propagate
15960-488: The past three editions. Though the national team failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, they secured qualification for 2019 AFC Asian Cup after defeating Tajikistan, 2–1 at home in their final qualifier match. The premier men's football league in the country is the Philippines Football League , which replaced the previous United Football League in late 2016. It officially launched on April 21, 2017 at
16100-565: The planned UFL Super Cup will commence after the 2013 UFL season, and will be held annually after the end of each league competition . As for its participants, the top six clubs of the first division will compete in this knockout tournament . UFL president Randy Roxas said that the Super Cup was supposed to include foreign teams competing against the league and cup champions. However, he explained that inviting foreign teams became too expensive. The league champion and runner-up will receive byes to
16240-472: The player with the most top-scorer awards in La Liga. He also captured his sixth Golden Shoe award, and a record third consecutive award since the 2016–17 season. Messi would win his sixth Ballon d'Or , but the subsequent 2019–20 season saw Barcelona go trophyless for the first time since 2007–08. Following a disappointing season, Barcelona announced that Messi sent the club "a document expressing his desire to leave", but Messi ultimately decided to fulfill
16380-415: The regular season with 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 matches. In doing so, he became Inter Miami's all-time leading goalscorer . Miami made its first postseason appearance in the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs but were eliminated in the first round after losing two games against Atlanta United . Messi would have his first postseason goal in the third game, a 3–2 loss. As a dual Argentine-Spanish national, Messi
16520-400: The season as league top scorer in Spain and Europe for a second time, with 50 goals, a La Liga record, while his 73 goals in all competitions made him the single-season top scorer in the history of European club football excluding regional and local competitions. The team would also win the Copa Del Rey that season, their 14th trophy under Guardiola, who resigned following the season after
16660-512: The season with only one trophy – the 2006 Supercopa de España . Barcelona would finish the next 2007–08 season trophyless, leading to Rijkaard's departure. At the beginning of the 2008–09 season , his first under Barcelona's new manager, former captain Pep Guardiola , Messi was given the number 10 shirt. Over time, he effectively became the tactical focal point of Guardiola's possession-based system, increasing his goalscoring rate as
16800-414: The season would also make him the all-time top scorer in La Liga , as he surpassed the 59-year record of 251 league goals held by Telmo Zarra . After securing the La Liga title , the Copa Del Rey , and the Champions League that year, Messi helped Barcelona become the first club to win the continental treble twice. He would record 58 goals, but combined with Neymar and Suárez, the attacking trio scored
16940-520: The second consecutive year, becoming the first player in history to win the European Golden Shoe three times. To offset the load on Messi, Barcelona would sign Brazilian forward Neymar from Santos before the 2013–14 season . The team would win the Supercopa de España at the beginning of the season. Messi finished the campaign with his worst output in five seasons, though he still managed to score 41 goals in all competitions. For
17080-502: The second round. The Filipinos grabbed their best finish in the cup when they were ranked third in the 2012 edition , with a loss from Turkmenistan in the semi-finals, and a victory against Palestine in the third place playoff . In the national team's 2013 season, they capped off the year by finishing 127th in the FIFA World Rankings as their new all-time high. The Philippines won two minor competitions, both in
17220-554: The services of former Rwanda U-17 coach Michael Weiß as coach of the "Azkals", a nickname for the national team, after Dan Palami's three-day visit in Frankfurt . The DFB gave the Philippine Football Federation a grant of € 500,000 (≈₱ 31 million or ≈$ 11,000 ). However, after three years as a head coach, Weiß was no longer part of the Azkals after the PFF's year-end evaluation. On 18 October 2011, officials from
17360-416: The sport from an early age, playing constantly with his older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and his cousins, Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi , both of whom became professional footballers. At the age of four he joined local club Grandoli, where he was coached by his father, though his earliest influence as a player came from his maternal grandmother, Celia, who accompanied him to training and matches. He
17500-413: The standings with a loss over Chinese Taipei and two draws with India and Afghanistan . However, in the second season , they did not advance because of their performance at the qualification phase , finishing short at second place only by goal difference . Their first match was a victory over Brunei , followed by a goalless draw from Tajikistan and a 3–0 win against Bhutan . The conclusion
17640-409: The tournament. Losing three consecutive finals in three consecutive years caused Messi to briefly retire from international football, but a fan campaign in Argentina helped convince him to reverse his decision. He would return to the national team to lead them to the 2018 FIFA World Cup . Argentina were in jeopardy of missing the tournament on the last game of the qualifiers against Ecuador , but
17780-557: The world in 2011, 2012, and 2023. In 2020 and 2023, he was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year , the first team-sport athlete to win it. In 2020, Messi was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team and became the second footballer and second team-sport athlete to surpass $ 1 billion in career earnings. Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario , Santa Fe Province , the third of four children of Jorge Messi,
17920-585: The year of their birth, and regularly entertained crowds by performing ball tricks during half-time of the first team's home games. His goalscoring idol growing up was Brazilian striker Ronaldo , with Messi calling him "the best forward I've ever seen". However, his future as a professional player was threatened when, aged 10, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency . As his father's health insurance covered only two years of growth hormone therapy , which cost at least $ 1,000 per month, Newell's agreed to contribute, but later reneged on their promise. He
18060-477: The youngest Argentine to play and score in a World Cup in 2006 . He assumed the national team's captaincy in 2011, and then led Argentina to three consecutive finals: the 2014 FIFA World Cup , the 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario , all of which they would lose. After initially announcing his international retirement in 2016, he returned to help his country narrowly qualify for
18200-498: The youngest player to play or score for the club. He scored 395 goals in 399 matches, making him the second club's highest goalscorer (counting goals scored in both official games and friendlies) with Lionel Messi ranking first in the record. In 1917, he was selected by the Philippines to represent the country at the Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo , helping them defeat Japan 15–2, which remains
18340-422: The youngest-ever scorer for the club. At 17 years, three months, and 22 days old, he was at the time the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition, and the club would win the league title during that season. On his 18th birthday, he would sign his first contract as a senior team player, which would be updated three months later to keep him at the club until 2014. Barcelona would begin
18480-603: Was approved for men, which is the same as in football competitions in the Olympic Games . The Philippines U-23 has never yet made an appearance at the Asian Games since 2002. The Philippine team has participated in minor tournaments such as the Merdeka Tournament in 1962 , 1971 and 1972 , where each was finished in the group stages. The Philippines have qualified for the AFC Asian Cup for
18620-479: Was awarded a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or . He was also named Time Athlete of the Year , the first footballer to ever win the award. During the 2024 season , Messi broke the record for the most assists in a single MLS game with five assists and he also broke the record for the most goal contributions in an MLS game with six in a 6–2 win over the New York Red Bulls. On 2 October, Messi scored
18760-462: Was eligible to play for the national team of both countries. He debuted for Argentina in 2004 for Argentina's U20 team against Paraguay , and was subsequently included in the squad for the 2005 South American U-20 Championship , where they would finish third. Messi would then lead the team to victory in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship , his first success with Argentina. Finishing the tournament with six goals and two assists, he would also win
18900-457: Was going to be something impressive." – Newell's Old Boys youth coach Adrián Coria shares his first impression of the 12-year-old Messi. A lifelong supporter of Newell's Old Boys , Messi joined the Rosario club when he was six years old. During the six years he played for Newell's, he scored almost 500 goals as a member of "The Machine of '87", the near-unbeatable youth side named for
19040-408: Was greatly affected by her death, shortly before his eleventh birthday; since then, as a devout Catholic , he has celebrated his goals by looking up and pointing to the sky in tribute to his grandmother. "When you saw him you would think: this kid can't play ball. He's a dwarf, he's too fragile, too small. But immediately you'd realise that he was born different, that he was a phenomenon and that he
19180-555: Was played in a field with the same size of a basketball court. The two were later relieved and Danny McClellan and Graham Adams were tasked train national and youth players. San Miguel through the Philippine Football Association, brought in Spanish medical students who were knowledgeable in football in 1961. Association president, Felipe Monserrat, tasked the Spaniards to garner interest in football in
19320-616: Was scouted by Buenos Aires club River Plate , whose playmaker Pablo Aimar he idolised. It was speculated that he failed to be signed into River Plate due to his ill health, however in a 2019 interview, Messi revealed that the club had offered to pay for his medical treatment despite ultimately rejecting him. As the Messi family had relatives in Catalonia, they sought to arrange a trial with Barcelona in September 2000. First team director Charly Rexach immediately wanted to sign him, but
19460-411: Was the same in the 2010 qualification stage , where they ended their campaign by finishing third. The Philippine national team's campaign at the 2010 AFF Championship under head coach Simon McMenemy was seen as a success and played an important role in football in the country. The national team along with Laos had to qualify for the tournament . The Philippines advanced from the group stage for
19600-471: Was top scorer with 36 goals in 30 games for the Cadetes A, who won an unprecedented treble of the league and both the Spanish and Catalan cups. The Copa Catalunya final, a 4–1 victory over Espanyol , became known in club lore as the partido de la máscara , the final of the mask. A week after suffering a broken cheekbone during a league match, Messi was allowed to start the game on the condition that he wear
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