Messi wins World Player of the Year award; Ronaldo appeases Saudi Arabia fans
(Baonghean.vn) - Messi received a series of awards before the match against Angers in round 32 of Ligue 1; Ronaldo spoke out after the scandal in Al Nassr's loss to Al Hilal are outstanding sports news.
Messi wins World Player of the Year award
The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) has just awarded Lionel Messi 3 prestigious individual awards including "World's Best Player", "World's Best Assist Player" and "World's Best Goalscorer". The statistics are all based on "El Pulga's" achievements in the calendar year 2022.
This is the 5th time Messi has been honored as the Best Assist Player (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022) and the 3rd time the Argentine superstar has received the World's Best Goal Scorer award (2011, 2012, 2022).
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Messi had a successful year. Photo: AP |
In the category of World Player of the Year, Messi received the award for the first time. Previously, IFFHS ceded the right to organize the award to FIFA. It was not until 2020 that the Federation decided to organize the award again. Before Messi, Robert Lewandowski was honored for 2 consecutive years (2020 and 2021).
Ronaldo appeases Saudi Arabia fans
"Focusing on preparing for the semi-finals. Happy Muslim holiday," Cristiano Ronaldo shared on his personal page with pictures of him and his teammates beaming during the latest training session.
On April 21, Muslims in Saudi Arabia and around the world will end the fasting month of Ramadan with the Eid al-Fitr festival, a day when Muslims celebrate traditional feasts with family and friends.
Previously, many fans in the Islamic country were angry and demanded Ronaldo's deportation when they saw the player touching his sensitive area in front of a crowd.
Al Nassr has issued a statement explaining Ronaldo's actions. According to the Mrsool Park club, the striker born in 1985 suffered a groin injury after a collision.
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| Ronaldo wishes Muslim people a happy holiday. |
The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Arabian Football Association did not ban Ronaldo as the media speculated, but only fined Al Nassr nearly $4,000 for the players' delay before the second half of the Riyadh derby.
U22 Vietnam lost to Ho Chi Minh City Club
On the evening of April 21, the U22 Vietnam team lost to Ho Chi Minh City Club in a practice match in Ba Ria - Vung Tau to prepare for the 32nd SEA Games. Coach Philippe Troussier continued to let U22 Vietnam play with the familiar 3-4-3 formation from the beginning.
In the first half, the U22 Vietnam players played quite well pressing. In the fifth minute, Le Van Do took a beautiful free kick to put U22 Vietnam ahead. But in the 37th minute, Daniel Green scored a penalty to equalize 1-1 for Ho Chi Minh City Club.
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| Striker Nguyen Van Tung (11) - author of the equalizer 2-2 for U22 Vietnam - Photo: VFF |
In the second half, coach Philippe Troussier brought 11 new players onto the field to evaluate the entire squad. They were goalkeeper Cao Van Binh. Three central defenders Tran Van Thang, Duy Cuong, Tuan Duong.
In the 60th minute, midfielder Hoang Vinh Nguyen scored to put Ho Chi Minh City Club ahead 2-1. But 2 minutes later, striker Van Tung successfully kicked a penalty to equalize 2-2 for U22 Vietnam. But in the 85th minute, Hoang Vinh Nguyen once again scored to seal a 3-2 victory for Ho Chi Minh City.
Hoang Vinh Nguyen's good form may make coach Troussier reconsider after eliminating his student after the 2023 Doha Cup International Friendly Tournament last March.