La Liga

Barcelona reportedly hope to finalize Lionel Messi's new five-year contract this week after La Liga agreed to sell 10 percent of its business to CVC Capital Partners for €2.7 billion, which will include a payment of over €250 million to Barca and Real Madrid.

ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens reported Wednesday the cash infusion should help Barcelona and Messi wrap up contract talks that have been slowed by the league's financial rules. The Blaugrana want everything in place before they face Juventus for the Joan Gamper Trophy on Sunday.

Messi became a free agent after his previous contract expired June 30.

While he's been available to sign with any club for over a month, there's been no substantiated rumors suggesting he's sought out offers from other clubs. Instead, he helped guide Argentina to the 2021 Copa America title and has been awaiting the chance to sign his new deal with Barca.

The new contract, which will keep him at Camp Nou until he's 39 years old, includes a 50 percent salary reduction as Barcelona spread out the total value across five years to decrease the annual cost, per Sky Sports.

Messi's new deal comes after the club legend attempted to secure a transfer following the 2019-20 term.

In September, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner told Goal's Ruben Uria former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu informed him he'd missed a June 10 deadline for a free transfer and would need a club to trigger a €700 million release clause, which made a move impossible.

"I thought and was sure that I was free to leave, the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not," Messi said. "Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus and this disease altered all the season."

Bartomeu stepped down in October, and Joan Laporta, who previously served as president from 2003 through 2010, was elected back into the role in March and made re-signing Messi a top priority.

Barca have also signed Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay, Emerson and Eric Garcia as they attempt to reinvigorate the squad following a disappointing 2020-21 campaign that saw the club finish third in La Liga and get eliminated in the Champions League's round of 16.

The Blaugrana are scheduled to open the new La Liga season Aug. 15 when they host Real Sociedad.

A photo of Lionel Messi with the Copa America trophy is now the most-liked sports photo in Instagram history, per Adriana Garcia of ESPN.

The Barcelona star posted the photo on his account last Sunday after Argentina's victory over Brazil in the Copa American finals. It gave Messi the first major trophy of his international career.

"What a beautiful madness! This is unbelievable!" Messi wrote in the caption (translated by Garcia). "Thank you, God! We are the champions."

Fans have responded in a big way, with the post now topping 20 million likes.

It breaks the previous mark of most likes for an Instagram post, previously held by rival Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar has more than 19.8 million likes for his post honoring the late Diego Maradona in November 2020:

Ronaldo is the most popular individual account on Instagram with more than 315 million followers, but Messi's fans still showed their appreciation for a big moment in the player's career.

Barcelona and club legend Lionel Messi have reportedly finalized an agreement on a new five-year contract to bring him back to the Camp Nou after he became a free agent July 1, according to Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden of ESPN.

Llorens and Marsden noted the forward will take a "significant wage reduction," while Adam Shergold of the Daily Mail reported the pay cut could be up to 50 percent to remain at the club.

The new contract also reportedly has a termination clause of £320 million ($444 million).

Messi's historic Barca career nearly came to a close last year, as he told Goal's Ruben Uria in September he'd informed then-president Josep Maria Bartomeu of his intention to leave before the club decided to enforce a disputed contract clause and uphold a €700 million ($827 million) buyout fee, which made it "impossible."

"I thought and was sure that I was free to leave; the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not," Messi said. "Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus."

The 34-year-old continued to pace the Barcelona attack during the 2020-21 season, scoring 38 goals in 47 matches across all competitions, and Joan Laporta was elected as club's president for a second time, previously filling the role from 2003 through 2013.

Laporta's return was a "major factor" for the six-time Ballon d'Or winner, who became "more open to staying throughout the course of the last year," per Marsden and Llorens.

Along with the return of Messi, the Blaugrana have upgraded the squad during the summer transfer window with the arrivals of fellow Argentine Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay, among others.

The changes were necessary after Barcelona failed to reach their main goals last term, finishing third in La Liga and getting knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16.

Messi may still leave the club to finish his storied career elsewhere, but he continues to produce at an elite level and it makes sense for him to remain with Barca for as long as that remains the case.

Audio recordings of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez criticizing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in 2012 were released Wednesday.

"He is mad," Perez said of Ronaldo in audio released by El Confidencial (h/t Adriana Garcia of ESPN). "This chap is an imbecile, he is ill. Do you think this chap is normal? He is not normal, otherwise he wouldn't do the things he does."

Perez also criticized former manager Jose Mourinho, calling him and Ronaldo "abnormal."

"These are guys with huge egos, both of them spoiled," Perez said of the two.

Perez served as the club's president from 2000-06 before returning in 2009.

On Tuesday, El Confidencial (h/t Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens of ESPN) released another recording from when he had initially left the La Liga squad in 2006, in which he ripped former players Iker Casillas and Raul Gonzalez.

Each of those players are currently employees of Real Madrid, with Raul coaching the club's B team and Casillas working for the Real Madrid Foundation.

Perez released a statement on the first recordings, saying the publication of the audio was related to his involvement in the intended creation of the Super League. The 74-year-old has vowed to take legal action.

Wednesday's statement could create further embarrassment for Perez. Ronaldo led Real Madrid to four Champions League titles and was consistently one of the best scorers in the world during his nine seasons in Spain.

Mourinho also found success with the club from 2010-13, including winning the La Liga title in 2011-12.

Unlike the first recording of Perez, this one took place while he was running Real Madrid and discussing two of his most prominent employees. 

Barcelona stars Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele each apologized after videos recently surfaced of the two mocking Asian people during a 2019 preseason tour in Japan.

As The Athletic noted, one video took place as hotel staff members attempted to fix a television set while Dembele is heard questioning their "backward language" and asking, "Are you technologically advanced in your country or not?" A second video showed Griezmann shouting in an accent using the words "Ching chong."

"I have always engaged against all forms of discrimination," Griezmann said on Twitter (translated by The Athletic). "For a couple of days now some people want to pass me for a man that I am not. I completely refute the accusations against me and I am sorry if I have offended my Japanese friends."

Dembele also released a statement regarding the video:

Recently, a private video from 2019 has been circulating on social networks. The scene happens to be in Japan. It could have taken place anywhere on the planet, I would have used the same expressions.

So I wasn't targeting any community. I sometimes use these kinds of expressions in private, with friends, regardless of their origin. This video is now public. I can therefore imagine that it could have offended the people present in these images. Therefore, I offer them my most sincere apologies.

There has not yet been any announcement about potential punishment for either player, per ESPN.

Griezmann and Dembele are teammates both at Barcelona and for the France national team. The forwards were both on the Euro 2020 roster for France as the favorites suffered a disappointing early exit in the Round of 16. 

Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed Friday the La Liga club continues to work toward a resolution to keep superstar forward Lionel Messi at Camp Nou.

"Messi? It's progressing. He wants to stay, we want him to stay. We are on the way to finding a formula," Laporta told Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo (via Jamie Kemble of Football Espana).

The 34-year-old club legend became a free agent when his contract expired Thursday.

Messi nearly made a high-profile exit from Barca after last season, but he explained to Goal's Ruben Uria in September a disputed contract clause and a €700 million buyout fee made a departure "impossible."

"I thought and was sure that I was free to leave, the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not," Messi said. "Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus and this disease altered all the season."

Laporta, who previously served as the club's president from 2003 through 2010, was elected back into the role in March following the departure of Josep Maria Bartomeu.

ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens reported Wednesday the return of Laporta was a "major factor" in the change of heart from Messi, who's "grown more open to staying throughout the course of the last year."

So, while there's mutual interest in continuing a partnership that began when the Argentina international arrived at the club's La Masia youth academy in 2001, there are financial hurdles.

La Liga president Javier Tebas told Mundo Deportivo (via ESPN) in late June that Barcelona needed to reduce their wage bill for the 2021-22 term in order to fit in Messi's new contract.

"Barcelona have exceeded their wage cap," Tebas said. "I hope they can keep Messi, but to do so, they will have to make cuts elsewhere."

Meanwhile, Messi remained his typically dynamic self this past season with 30 goals and nine assists across 35 La Liga appearances. He added five goals in six Champions League matches.

The Argentina national team has reached this summer's 2021 Copa America quarterfinals thanks in part to the forward's tournament-high three goals in the group stage.

While La Albiceleste prepare to take on Ecuador in the quarters in Brazil on Saturday, work continues back in Spain as Barcelona look to finalize a contract for the face of the club.

Longtime Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is scheduled to become a free agent Thursday, but the Spanish club reportedly remains confident in its ability to retain the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens reported Wednesday there's a "loose agreement" in place between Messi and Barca, but the club is still working toward "squaring the numbers with La Liga and the tax office" to ensure it will remain financially compliant.

Pressure is on Barcelona president Joan Laporta to finalize a new contract for the legendary forward, who arrived to the club's famed La Masia youth academy in 2001 and quickly worked his way up the ranks to the first team.

Laporta, who previously served as Barca's president from 2003 through 2010, was reelected to the position in March after running a campaign heavily based on his prior relationship with Messi and his ability to re-sign the Argentine international.

"I am sure that if someone else wins the election [other than me], Messi won't stay at the club," Laporta said in a March debate. "I have a good relationship with him; there's a lot of respect. We'll make him an offer based on the club's situation. Maybe we can't compete financially, but Messi is not ruled by money. He wants to end his career at the highest level possible."

Messi, who sought an exit from Camp Nou last year before ultimately staying because of a disputed clause in his contract, has "grown more open to staying" at Barcelona, and the return of Laporta has been a "major factor" in that change of heart, per Marsden and Llorens.

It was reported the club has gotten "creative" with its contract offer to the six-time La Liga Best Player Award winner since it can't match his previous four-year, €500 million deal.

Barcelona formally declined comment to Reuters on Tuesday when asked for an update on the state of negotiations with Messi.

Meanwhile, Messi has been his usual dynamic self for the Argentine national team in the 2021 Copa America, leading all players with three goals at the conclusion of the group stage. His participation with La Albiceleste is another factor "delaying any announcement" with Barca, per ESPN.

Argentina's next match isn't until a quarterfinal fixture against Ecuador on Saturday, giving the club a few days to finalize the contract. The tournament runs through July 10.

Barcelona officials reportedly have a positive outlook regarding the possibility of signing superstar striker Lionel Messi to a new contract.

According to Goal's Ruben Uria, Barcelona is "optimistic" a deal will get done despite there being no agreement in place at the moment.

Messi, who has been with the club for the past 17 seasons, will see his current contract expire at the end of June.

Uria added that Barcelona have remained in "constant dialogue" with Messi's father and agent, Jorge Messi, although an official offer hasn't yet been made to the Argentine.

Last summer, there were rumors regarding Messi wanting to leave Barcelona, with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain reportedly making a push to sign him.

ESPN reported at the time that Messi had called Manchester City manager and former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola to tell him he wanted to leave Barca.

Despite the rumors, the 33-year-old Messi played out the 2020-21 La Liga season for Barcelona and remained dominant, leading La Liga with 30 league goals in 35 appearances.

As a club, Barcelona had a somewhat disappointing season, though, as it finished third in La Liga behind Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.

Messi isn't used to team failure at Barca, as the Blaugrana are 10-time La Liga champions, seven-time Copa del Rey winners and four-time UEFA Champions League champions during his tenure.

According to Uria, Messi is concerned more about Barcelona fielding a more competitive team than he is with his salary.

Messi, who is currently playing for Argentina at the Copa America, is one of the greatest soccer players of all time with six Ballon d'Or awards to his credit and 672 career goals with Barcelona on his resume as well.

Continuing to win trophies during the latter part of his career could help set him apart from the likes of Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo in the history of the game, and based on Uria's report, Messi may be awaiting assurances that Barcelona can provide him with a winning formula moving forward.

Barcelona bolstered its attack on Saturday. 

The Catalan giants announced the signing of former Lyon winger Memphis Depay as a free agent, inking him to a two-year deal. 

Depay will be reunited with his former Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman. Koeman tried to bring Depay to the Camp Nou last season, only for the move to fall apart because of La Liga's wage cap.

Instead, a year later he'll get his man on a free transfer. 

"Everyone knows I have been linked to Barca for a while now, and I want to play for Ronald Koeman," Depay told reporters this week during the Euros, where he's competing for the Dutch. "Just wait, and then the news will come."

Depay, 27, had a superb 2020-21 season for Lyon, scoring 20 goals and adding 12 assists in 37 Ligue 1 games (33 starts) while helping the club finish fourth in France's top league. He's continued his strong form at the Euros, with a goal in two games for the Netherlands. 

Barcelona will have an interesting and dangerous suite of attackers heading into the 2021-22 campaign, headlined by Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, Depay, Ousmane Dembele, Ansu Fati and Sergio Aguero. 

How Koeman utilizes that depth will be fascinating. There's little doubt that Messi will feature, and given Koeman's desire to bring Depay aboard over the past two years, he seems likely to play a major role as well. 

Real Madrid announced Wednesday that longtime defender Sergio Ramos will be leaving the club this summer.

The club said that "an institutional act of tribute and farewell to our captain" would be held on Thursday followed by a press conference with Ramos.

Ramos is a Los Blancos legend. His success at the club speaks for itself:

It's hard to imagine Real Madrid without Ramos patrolling the back. It's hard to imagine a different player donning the armband, or the rivalry between Los Blancos and Barcelona not featuring him trying to slow down Lionel Messi. 

Over the years, a number of excellent players have come and gone from the Bernabeu. Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Marcelo have been regular fixtures. Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil and Iker Casillas ultimately moved on. Through it all, there's been Ramos. 

His centre-back pairing with Raphael Varane over the past decade has played a huge role in Real Madrid's immense success, both domestically and in Europe. 

Granted, Ramos' reputation is not spotless. His detractors have long labeled him as one of the game's dirtiest players. 

"If you put all of the situations of Ramos together then you will see a lot of situations with Ramos," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told reporters in 2018 after accusing Ramos of a "ruthless and brutal" challenge on Mohamed Salah in the Champions League final that resulted in the star forward dislocating his shoulder. "The year before against Juve he was responsible for the red card for [Juan] Cuadrado. Nobody talks about that afterwards."

But there's no doubting his longevity, talent or success at Real Madrid. When you think Los Blancos, his name and face inevitably come to mind.