Raissa's Blog - Best of Sports, Culture, and Entertainment

Lionel Messi finished third at The Best FIFA Men's player award this year - at the ceremony which took place earlier this month. This year's ceremony saw Robert Lewandowski winning, and Cristiano Ronaldo emerging second. According to Felix Kroos, brother of Real Madrid midfield veteran Toni Kroos, Messi didn't deserve a spot in the final three. "Lewandowski deserves it, absolutely," the 29-year-old, who plays for German second division outfit Eintracht Braunschweig, told his older brother's Einfach mal Luppen podcast. "But, for me, Messi doesn't belong in the top three, because I don't think he did well this year." He also lamented about the short-term thinking that dominates modern football. “You win the Champions League one, two, three times in a row and four weeks later you lose the first friendly, the first test match, and suddenly s*** smells again," he said.

Earlier this week, Lionel Messi became the all-time top scorer for a single club, breaking the record set by football legend Pele with Santos in his native Brazil (643 goals). To celebrate the new record, brewing giant Budweiser came up with a unique salute to the King of Goals - sending customized beer bottles for each of Messi's goals to the goalkeepers the Barcelona legend has scored against. On their Twitter handle, Budweiser Football posted a promotional video, with the tweet, "In this game, no goal is easy." “Which is why we’ve created a custom bottle for all 644 goals Leo Messi scored. Yes, that’s 644 unique bottles. Sent to all 160 goalkeepers Messi scored against to toast their part in making history,” the tweet read. In another tweet, they said: “644 goals = 644 moments of Messi magic. And yes, we’ve created a custom bottle for every single goal to send to the keepers to toast their part in history. Kings recognize Kings." The bottles are customized...

In a brilliant interview with Sky Sports, Slovenian shot-stopper Jan Oblak who happens to be one of football’s elite goalkeepers labelled Messi the best player in the world. He has been opportuned to face Messi severally as he joined Los Rojiblancos in 2014, in a transfer from Benfica. Since joining, he's been Atletico' premier choice of goalkeeper. "He watches my legs," The Atletico Madrid stopper said. "If I make one step, he will see it and shoot to the other side. This is why he is the best. This is why he is so difficult. He does not show it but he is always looking. He is always watching you. His eyes are on the ball but he sees you. "He sees everything, I think. He has scored many goals against me. Too many! But he is a great player, an amazing player, the best player. "There are many times that he scores a goal and you have this feeling that you cannot understand how he has scored so easily. You are not even close. Sometimes it feels like ...

Messi and team celebrate after his goal After two successive defeats - a 1-2 loss to Cadiz (in La Liga) last weekend, and a humiliating 0-3 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League, Barcelona defeated Levante at Camp Nou - a much needed 1-0 victory. Messi fired home a pass from Frenkie de Jong in the 76th minute - his fifth goal in 11 La Liga appearances this season. Barcelona are now 8th in La Liga.  La Liga leaders Real Sociedad only lead Atletico Madrid now on goal difference. Sociedad are to play Barcelona on Wednesday. Barcelona are nine points behind leaders Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid. Though many suggest that Barcelona will miss out on La Liga trophy for a second consecutive season, Barcelona Coach Ronald Koeman believes Barcelona can still win it. "Of course we can win [the title]," the 57-year-old told reporters. "If we improve and we have more confidence and we improve our effectiveness [in front of goal], there's a chance! "There are st...

On Sunday, Lionel Messi dedicated his goal vs Osasuna to Diego Maradona. After scoring a typically brilliant "Messiesque" goal, Messi took off his shirt to reveal a Newell's Old Boys shirt with a No. 10 on the back in honor of Maradona. The goal he scored closely resembled that which Maradona scored for Newell's Old Boys on October 7, 1993 vs Emelec. Barcelona paid tribute to Maradona before the game kicked off, with a minute of silence and the laying of a Maradona shirt in the center-circle and in the directors' box. The first goal of the game was scored by Martin Braithwaithe, then Griezmann scored a superb volley and set up Philippe Coutinho for Barcelona's third. Messi then scored the last in style to seal a 4-0 victory for Barcelona over Osasuna - a much needed 3 points to boost their La Liga ranking.  

The world has just lost one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Soccer legend Diego Maradona died of a heart attack at the age of 60, today, November 25, 2020. He died at home, in Argentina. Argentina President Fernandez has called for three days of national mourning. In response to news of his death, Europe's soccer governing body - UEFA - has announced there will be a minute of silence for Maradona before its Champions League and Europa league games this week.  "He will go down in history as someone who set football alight and thrilled fans young and old with his brilliance and skill," UEFA President Čeferin said in a statement. Earlier this month, Maradona underwent successful surgery for a subdural hematoma (blood clot on the brain). Tributes have been flowing in from past and present soccer stars like Pele, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and others. In a tweet, Pele said, I have lost a great friend and the world lost a legend. There is still much to be ...

Barcelona seem to be back to their winning ways barely a few hours after Josep maria Bartomeu resigned as president of the club. Barcelona were able to beat Juventus at Turin, thanks to a masterclass display from Messi and co. Messi assisted Ousmane Dembele's deflected opener with a stunning cross-field pass and sealed victory for Barcelona by converting a late penalty, which resulted in a 2-0 win over the Bianconeri in the Champions League on Wednesday. He also completed more take-ons (6) and created more chances (5) than any other player on the pitch. Barcelona top Group G with 6 points in two games played. Italian football legend Vieri was left dumbfounded by the Argentine's brilliance on the pitch and told CBS Sports:  "An amazing Barcelona, there was no game. They could've scored six, seven goals easy. They played fantastic. "Messi is a magician, he's the Harry Potter of soccer and when he stops playing, I'm throwing my TVs away. I'm not going...

Lionel Messi scored for Barcelona in their 5-1 win vs Hungarian side Ferencvaros in their first Champions League outing of the season. He scored his 116th Champions League goal - a first half penalty, becoming the first player to score in 16 consecutive Champions League seasons. So far, Manchester United great Ryan Giggs is the only player to have scored in 16 Champions League seasons, though not in consecutive years. Messi also extended his record of teams scored against in the Champions League to 36. He has now scored 69 goals in the Champions League group stage - more than any other player. 17-year-old Ansu Fati also scored, becoming the first player under the age of 18 to score two Champions League goals after scoring Barcelona's second goal for the night.

Former Real Madrid ace Hugo Sanchez blames Messi's father, Jorge Messi, for Messi's failed Barcelona exit. Last week, Lionel Messi informed Barcelona of his decision to leave, sending shockwaves throughout the football world. Messi was desperate to leave with things not moving well at Barcelona.  Alas, Jorge who serves as Messi's agent and representative was unable to reach an agreement with Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu, so Messi withdrew his request to leave.  Jorge coached Messi at his first club, Grandoli, in Rosario and has been in control of his son's off-field affairs for the past 20 years. On Friday, On Friday, Messi announced he would remain at Camp Nou because the financial demands made by the Barcelona board for a transfer to happen made his exit "impossible". Sanchez who scored 208 goals for Los Blancos during his career told ESPN:  "That untimely burofax only strengthened the image of the president of Barcelona and gave him time ...

Messi was once more sensational for Barcelona as they beat Napoli 3-1 in the second leg of the Champions League last 16 (4-2 on aggregate). Barcelona were already leading in the 10th minute at Camp Nou thanks to Clement Lenglet's header from an Ivan Rakitic corner. Messi then doubled the lead for Barcelona in style in the 23rd minute as he wriggled his way past three defenders, before bending a shot between a further two Napoli players, and into the far side of David Ospina's net. Messi scored another goal 7 minutes later, but it was ruled out by VAR. Luis Suarez scored Barcelona's third goal of the night - a penalty awarded after Kalidou Koulibaly felled Messi. This happened to be Suarez's 25th Champions League goal. Napoli scored their lone goal of the game at the end of the first half, through Lorenzo Insigne. Messi's performance for Barcelona earned him the Man of the Match (MOTM) award. Barcelona are set to play Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter...

The World Health Organization defines obesity and overweight as abnormal and excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. The most commonly index used in classifying overweight or obesity in adults is the body mass index (BMI). This is weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters (kg/m2). A BMI equal to or greater than 25 is classified overweight, and that which is equal to or greater than 30 is classified obese.  Obesity usually results from consuming more calories than the quantity spent. When a person consumes more energy dense foods without an equivalent increase in energy expenditure (physical activity), weight gain follows. Also, a decrease in the amount of physical activity without a decrease in calories consumed will result in weight gain. Here are some interesting facts about obesity: 1. Obesity and being overweight in general predisposes a person to noncommunicable diseases like type 2 diabetes; cancers like endometrial, colon, kidney,...

France Football has announced that there will be no Ballon d'Or awards or ceremony this year, due to the "lack of sufficient fair conditions". The prestigious award has been handed out to the best player in the world since 156, but the decision to cancel this year comes as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the detrimental effects it has had on football. In a statement in their official website, France Football said: “For the first time in its history, which began in 1956, the Ballon d'Or will not be awarded in 2020, due to the lack of sufficient fair conditions.  “Messi and Rapinoe (as well as [Mattijs] de Ligt and Alisson, winners of the Kopa and Yachine Trophies [for young player and goalkeeper]) will have to wait a year. The winners of the last edition will have no successors at the end of the year. Because there will be no Ballon d'Or 2020 edition. "Why? Because such a singular year cannot - and should not - be treated ...

Lionel Messi has not had his best season, but continues to make history in grand style. He scored two goals against Alaves in the ultimate La Liga game of the season, taking his total league goals tally to 25. He finished the season as the league's top scorer. This is his seventh La Liga golden boot, and fourth consecutive. Prior to this season, he and Telmo Zarra held the record for most La Liga golden boots (Pichichi Trophy). Now, he is the sole holder of the record. Messi also recorded 21 assists over the course of this campaign, breaking the record held by his former Barcelona teammate Xavi. Messi's closest challenger for league goals this season was Karim Benzema with 21. Worth noting is the fact that Messi has had his lowest goals tally in La Liga since 2008-09, despite being the league's top scorer this year. Barcelona lost their League title to Real Madrid this season. Real Madrid closed the season with 87 points and Barcelona, 82.

Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub, on Monday said Glee star Naya Rivera used the last of her strength to save her 4-year-old son before dying. "She mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself," Ayub said. During the news conference, the sheriff's office said her body was found on Monday, five days after Rivera's disappearance.  Sheriff Ayub said Rivera rented a pontoon boat on July 8 at a dock on the lake and left around 1 p.m. Her son, Josey, told the police that he and his mum had gone swimming while on the water. Josey was found asleep wearing a life jacket, on the rental pontoon boat after it was overdue for return. Another life jacket was found on the boat. “It was during that time that her son described being helped into the boat by Naya, who boosted him onto the deck from behind. He told investigators that he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water,” Ayub said. Naya's body was found fl...

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo rescued a draw for Juventus vs Atalanta yesterday after converting two penalties awarded for handball. Though the handballs were accidental, referee Pierro Giacomelli had to follow the new rules and award them. Atalanta who have scored the most goals in Serie A this season, would have climbed to second place and cut the gap between them and Juventus to six points had they won. They have scored 19 more goals than any Serie A side this season. Atalanta controlled long periods of the game, with two goals from Duvin Zapata and Ruslan Malinovskiy. Juventus savior Cristiano Ronaldo took his league goals tally to 28 goals in 28 league games with his two goals from the spot kick. Ronaldo has now concerted 11 of 11 penalty kicks in Serie A this season, a tie with Roberto Baggio's 1997/1998 record for most penalty goals scored without missing in a single Serie A season (assuming he doesn't miss any for the rest of the season). Ronaldo has scored 17.1%...

Lionel Messi continues to be of utmost importance to Barcelona in his thirties. He made more history yesterday as Barcelona played Real Valladolid. Messi provided the assist to Arturo Vidal's goal - the lone goal of the night and winner for Barcelona. This was Messi's 20th assist of the season. Only Xavi has achieved such a feat in the history of La Liga. Xavi achieved that in the 2008/2009 season.  Messi has scored 22 league goals this season in addition to his 20 assists. He is only the second player to achieve this feat in Europe's top five leagues this century. Thiery Henry was the first, scoring 24 goals and contributing 20 assists for Arsenal during the 2002/2003 Premier League season. So far, Messi is the highest goalscorer in La Liga this season, with Karim Benzema following with 18.

India has overtaken Russia as the country with the third highest number of coronavirus cases. Only the United States and Brazil have more. Today, Tuesday, 7th July, India's death toll from Covid-19 has crossed 20,000 and total number of cases has surpassed 700,000. Over the weekend, India reported its highest-ever single-day increase in new cases, with close to 25,000 new infections in 24 hours. Johns Hopkins University data shows that India ranks eighth in terms of fatalities despite ranking third in terms of total coronavirus cases. According to data from India's health ministry, more testing is going on, with close to 250,000 Covid-199 tests being administered on a daily basis. India imposed a nationwide lockdown in March when its total number of cases were relatively low, and eased it in early June in a bid to revive the economy. Nonetheless, schools remain shut. The Taj Mahal and other monuments were scheduled to reopen to tourists on Monday now remain closed indefinitel...

Lionel Messi has scored his third goal since the return of La Liga, the converted panenka spot-kick happens to be his 700th professional career goal - a rather late birthday gift for the Argentine who turned 33 on June 24. Messi has now scored 630 goals for Barcelona, and 70 for Argentina. Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo is the only current player other than Messi to have reached this landmark. Ronaldo boasts of 728 goals in 1005 professional appearances for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Portugal. Messi has however hit the 700 goals landmark in just 862 games for Barcelona and Argentina - in 111 games less than Ronaldo who reached the mark at the end of 2019. These are the top five highest active goal scorers: 1. Cristiano Ronaldo ( Portugal ,  Juventus ):  728 goals (1,005 games) 2. Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona):  700 (862 games) 3.  Zlatan Ibrahimovic  ( Sweden ,  AC Milan ):  540 (907 games) 4.  Luis...

Football icon Lionel Messi was born 33 years ago, in Rosario, Argentina. The football prodigy signed up with one of Spain’s top football clubs FC Barcelona at the age of 13 and has achieved a lot since then, setting new benchmarks for others to follow. He made his first-team debut with Barcelona at the age of 17. In his youth, he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency, but Barcelona agreed to pay for his treatment after signing him. Here are some of the records Lionel Messi holds: H e is a record six-time Ballon d’Or winner. A rgentina all-time top scorer: 70 goals . Argentina all-time most assists: 42 assists . Most European Golden Shoe awards: 6 . Most league goals scored in a season: 50 goals . Most trophies won in Spanish football: 33 trophies . All time Barcelona top scorer in all games: 658 goals . Youngest player to reach 100 appearances in the Champions League . Fastest player to reach 100 UEFA Champions League goals (123 game...

Ivan Rakitic scored the lone goal in Barcelona's win over Athletic Bilbao yesterday evening. Messi is still after his 700th career goal as he failed to find the back of the net during the game. He however provided the assist to Rakitic's goal - Rakitic's first goal of the season with 71 minutes on the clock. Messi has now provided 250 assists for Barcelona. Although Barcelona was the better team, they only had two shots on goal, with Athletic failing to record a single shot on goal. Barcelona also enjoyed the lion's share of ball possession - 73%, while Athletic had 27%. Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stergen enjoyed his fifth clean sheet in a row. Barcelona are now three points ahead of Real Madrid who host Real Mallorca today. The following Barcelona players received a 7/10 performance rating by ESPN: Lionel Messi, Ansu Fati, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Ricard Puig and Ivan Rakitic. Antoine Griezmann, Arturo Vidal, Jordi Alba, Clement Lenglet and Marc-Andr...

On Sunday, Brazil, the world's second coronavirus hot spot after the United States, surpassed 50,000 deaths. Brazil is the second country to cross the grim milestone, the first being the United States. The Latin American giant is also faced with political instability and a crippled economy. On Sunday, its total number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 1,085,038 cases (more than 17,000 new infections), while deaths rose to 50,617, up from 49,976 on Saturday. Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been heavily criticized for his response to the coronavirus outbreak in Brazil, given his opposition to lockdowns and refusal to heed to advice given by his own health ministry. His approach has led to the resignation of two doctors as health minister. 

It's June 21st. Happy International Yoga Day! The theme set by United Nations for this year is “Yoga for Health – Yoga at Home”. The coronavirus pandemic has more than ever before reinforced the need for home practice. Thanks to modern technology, platforms like YouTube and Zoom allow yogis to practice together online. Online yoga classes are also offered on dedicated yoga teaching platforms like AloYoga and Omstars. And like this year's theme says, practice yoga to boost your health and overall well-being. Like B.K.S. Iyengar said, "health is a state of complete harmony of body, mind, and spirit. When one is free of physical disabilities and mental distractions. The soul opens." Yoga makes us conscious of the duality in us; we are body and mind, never one or the other. We then begin to make choices that enhance our being holistically. Is this food, job, relationship, or lover good for me wholly? Yoga offers many mental and physical benefits. I'll discuss a num...