Messi deserves Golden Ball this year: Pele

September 19th, 2009 ROME - Beleaguered football legend Diego Maradona had to hand over his diamond studs to police as part payment for the millions he owes the Italian tax authorities. Italian officials paid the holidaying Argentinean coach a visit at the luxury hotel he was staying in and seized the earrings worth nearly 4,000 pounds, Sky News reports.

September 4th, 2009 Kaka: Messi best soccer player in world right nowSAO PAULO — Brazilian star Kaka remains hopeful he will be crowned the best soccer player in the world again. For now, he acknowledges Lionel Messi deserves that title.

August 29th, 2009 Barcelona beats Shakhtar 1-0 in Super CupMONACO — Barcelona substitute Pedro Rodriguez scored the only goal deep into extra time to lead the European Cup champions to a 1-0 victory over UEFA Cup winner Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine in the European Super Cup on Friday. Rodriguez pounced onto a pass from Lionel Messi with five minutes of extra time remaining and prodded the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.

August 23rd, 2009 DHAKA - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina described the country's cricket team, which scored back-to-back series victory against West Indies and Zimbabwe, as "tigers" and promised measures to promote the game. Tiger is an allusion to the famed Royal Bengal tiger.

July 9th, 2009 LONDON - Barcelona star striker Leo Messi has urged his club's top brass to get Cesc Fabregas and Javier Mascherano to retain their European crown. Messi, who scored against Manchester United in the Champions League Final, believes Barcelona must draft in even more quality if they want to keep their position at the summit of club football.

June 29th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - Brazilian midfielder Kaka was awarded the Golden Ball as best player of the Confederations Cup tournament Sunday. Kaka garnered most votes in a poll of accredited journalists organized by world governing body FIFA.

June 7th, 2009 BUENOS AIRES/MONTEVIDEO - The South American World Cup qualifiers got very tight at the top, as Chile downed Paraguay, Brazil thrashed Uruguay, and Argentina got a difficult home win against Colombia. Brazil trounced Uruguay 4-0 in their first win in 33 years in Montevideo, and they benefited from Paraguay's 2-0 defeat to Chile in Asuncion to go top of the qualifiers table, Saturday.

May 28th, 2009 ROME - Manchester United came to Rome looking to become the first side to successfully defend a Champions League title and also lay the foundations for an era of domination of European football. Instead, Sir Alex Ferguson's side were handed a footballing lesson by Barcelona, who eased to a comfortable 2-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico thanks to goals in each half from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi.

May 28th, 2009 ROME - Pep Guardiola dedicated Barcelona's 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the final of the Champions League Wednesday to Italian football legend Paolo Maldini. Maldini played his last match Sunday at the San Siro for AC Milan against AS Roma, but the event was overshadowed by a section of fans who chanted against him.

May 28th, 2009 ROME - A goal in each half by Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi gave Barcelona a 2-0 victory in the Champions League final played in Rome's Stadio Olimpico Wednesday. Eto'o opened the scoring for the Spanish side in the 10th minute and Messi added a second, 20 minutes from the end, to give Barcelona their third Champions League triumph after success in 1992 and 2006.

May 28th, 2009 ROME - Barcelona's forensic dismantling of Manchester United in the Champions League final at Rome's Stadio Olimpico Wednesday night seemed familiar. Perhaps it was the long periods of complete dominance, of wearing the English Premier League champions down courtesy of a crisp passing game that bore all the hallmarks of Spain's victory over Germany a year ago at Euro 2008.

May 28th, 2009 ROME - Lionel Messi is the leading scorer of the Champions League football with nine goals followed by Liverpool's Steven Gerrad with seven and Miroslav Klose of Bayern Munich with six. The list of leading scorers: 9 Lionel Messi (Barcelona); 7 Steven Gerrard (Liverpool); Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich); 6 Lisandro Lopez (Porto); 5 Thierry Henry (Barcelona); Didier Drogba (Chelsea); Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal); Robin van Persie (Arsenal); Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus); Karim Benzema (Olympique Lyon); 4 Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona); Wayne Rooney (Manchester United); Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United); Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United); Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich); Jadson (Shakhtar Donetsk); Danny Koevermans (PSV Eindhoven); Joseba Llorente (Villarreal); Vangelis Mantzios (Panathinaikos); Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina).

May 28th, 2009 ROME - Barcelona players were on cloud nine Wednesday after winning the Champions League to seal a historic treble. "It has been the perfect end to an incredible season," said Barcelona player Andres Iniesta.

May 28th, 2009 ROME - Prior to Barcelona's Champions League final against Manchester United, Samuel Eto'o had vowed if necessary "to run 800 kilometres in Rome." The Cameroon striker didn't have nearly that far to go Wednesday in the Italian capital before delivering the winning goal after just 10 minutes in Barcelona's 2-0 victory. Eto'o is now the only man to equal Real Madrid's Raul Gonzalez with goals scored in two Champions League finals.

May 28th, 2009 ROME - Sir Alex Ferguson admitted his Manchester United side were comprehensively outplayed by Barcelona in their Champions League final Wednesday as goals in each half from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi secured a 2-0 win for the Catalan giants. "I knew before the game what a good football team they are," said Ferguson, who called Pep Guardiola's side one of the best he has come up against in Europe.