The very notion that Lionel Messi needed to win a title with Argentina to justify his place in football’s pantheon was preposterous. But what is even more so is the idea that winning the Copa America with Argentina — in a final so low on quality and so high…

I was a fortnight away from my 11th birthday when I watched the Heysel Stadium tragedy unfold on television. In many ways, it marked the end of childhood, and triggered the bouts of melancholy that punctuate my life to this day. But I was too young then to feel a…

Months ago, my nephews asked me to name the greatest footballer I’d watched. Though the process of sifting through dozens of mental highlights reels was a pleasurable one, there was only going to be one answer. I suspect it will be that way for most of my generation. You…

“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” That line is usually attributed to Charles Baudelaire, though he almost certainly wasn’t the first to say something on those lines. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is no devil, but it’s hard to think of any marquee…

Mes Que Un Club. More than a club. That’s how FC Barcelona, and its supporters, has always viewed itself. “We are more than a team of great stars, we are more than a stadium full of dreams, we are more than the goals we’ve scored and more than the…

He may have been known for gamesmanship as a player, but Diego Simeone the coach is usually unfailingly honest in his assessment of situations. After a fortuitous away win over Liverpool in the previous round of the Champions League, he called Jurgen Klopp’s team “the best opponent that we’ve…

There’s no such thing as a fairy tale. Even if there is, it doesn’t come with a happy ending. There’s no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, only muddy puddles. Water doesn’t turn into wine. Atalanta are out of the Champions League. Just as there was…

In a little over a week, the UEFA Champions League, once known as the European Cup, will celebrate its 65th champion. With two past winners — Bayern Munich and Barcelona — facing each other in the last eight, there is a strong chance that Big Ears, as the famous…

Can you stake a claim to the top of the podium without beating the best? It’s an intriguing question. But when it comes to European football, there’s one easy litmus test. Not every team that beats Real Madrid is a great side, but to be considered one, you need…