Lionel Messi won the men’s Ballon d’Or for a record-extending eighth time on Monday. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images PARIS — This list reads 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and now 2023. Lionel Messi won the men’s Ballon d’Or for a record-extending eighth time on Monday after fulfilling his life’s ambition by leading his country to the World Cup title in Qatar last year. Adding to his silverware the one major trophy that eluded him in his storied career was the decisive factor in an otherwise quite mundane season — for his standards — at Paris Saint-Germain. The 36-year-old Mes ..read more

After suffering a stroke at 11 years old, Ben Lindau sed soccer to motivate himself as he went through physical therapy Roy Miller/ISI Photos Ben Lindau owes it to himself to be the best soccer player he can be. He also owes it to a younger version of himself. When he was 11, Lindau woke up in the middle of the night and hit the back of his head on his bed’s headboard. The next day, Lindau went swimming and didn’t feel right.  It turned out he had suffered a stroke. One theory he shared is that hitting the headboard might have caused a bleed on the right size of his brain, and when i ..read more

With a win and some help, the Fire can make the playoffs for the first time in six years. Courtesy of the Fire Coach Frank Klopas sees a lot of growth around the Fire.  Before owner Joe Mansueto took over, they were lagging behind their peers. Since then, the Fire (10-13-10, 40 points) have invested heavily in the front office, and money hasn’t been much of an issue for the soccer side of the organization. There just hasn’t been a playoff berth yet, though that could arrive this weekend. “We are very close,’’ Klopas said. ‘‘The mission and the goal for the team is to be winning troph ..read more

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, right, is by far the highest paid player in MLS at just over $20.4 million. Wilfredo Lee/AP NEW YORK — Lionel Messi’s annualized compensation from his Major League Soccer contract with Inter Miami is just over $20.4 million, the MLS Players Association said Wednesday. Messi earns more than the entire payroll of all but three other MLS teams and twice as much as every player combined on Orlando City. The 36-year-old star has a $12 million base salary and total guaranteed compensation of $20,446,667, the players association said in its 2023 salary update. T ..read more

Fire midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri dominated against Inter Miami, but had little impact against Charlotte. Nam Y. Huh, AP Photos Entering this weekend’s limited slate of MLS matches, the Fire have a 23.8% chance to make the playoffs according to sportsclubstats.com. But even if the Fire overcome those long odds to reach the postseason, they shouldn’t celebrate and stand pat this winter. They need to make changes, and what happened in their most recent game is just more proof that continuity isn’t the answer for the club. Instead of building off their emphatic 4-1 victory against Inter Miami ..read more

FC Cincinnati forward Yuya Kubo, left, vies for the ball with Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi. Rebecca BlackwellAP FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi’s first season in Major League Soccer will end without a trip to the playoffs following Inter Miami’s 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati on Saturday night. Messi entered in the 55th minute and went scoreless for the fourth straight league game since getting a goal in the 89th minute of his MLS debut. The defeat eliminated Miami from contention with two games remaining. He had missed five of the team’s six previous games in all competitions because ..read more

The Fire drew a franchise-record 62,124 fans to Soldier Field on Wednesday night, and hope many of them return when they aren’t buying tickets to see Lionel Messi. Michael Reaves, Getty There was one thing Fire captain Rafael Czichos didn’t love about the record crowd of 62,124 on Wednesday night.  “Too many pink jerseys, actually,” Czichos said. Pink is the color of Inter Miami and now Lionel Messi, the soccer legend who was the event’s biggest draw but didn’t play due to injury. Hopefully for Czichos, they converted some of the pink-clad customers into Fire fans who will don the ho ..read more

Lionel Messi was ruled out of Wednesday’s match against the Fire. Getty About 50 minutes before Wednesday’s match against the Fire at Soldier Field, Inter Miami officially released its lineup. As expected, Lionel Messi was not listed, meaning a Fire-record announced crowd of 62,124 didn’t see the player widely considered the greatest in the history of soccer. The news, while expected, was still disappointing for fans such as Vianey Hernandez. Though Hernandez is a soccer fan living in Skokie who follows the Fire, she made it clear with her Argentina national team jersey who she was there ..read more

Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino wouldn’t say if Lionel Messi would play against the Fire at Soldier Field on Wednesday. Ryan Sun/AP Struggling with a leg injury, Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi is questionable for the game against the Fire on Wednesday night at Soldier Field. Still, even without Messi on the field, the occasion can be a big one for the Fire franchise. In a statement Tuesday, the Fire announced they have distributed more than 61,000 tickets for the game. If Messi does not suit up, it will be disappointing to many of the fans who paid increased prices in hopes o ..read more

Lionel Messi has already made a huge impact on MLS, which could eventually help the Fire. CHRIS ARJOON, Getty Whether or not he appears at Soldier Field, Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi will give the Fire a boost. What happens afterward will determine if it was a blip or a key point in the franchise’s rebirth. The game Wednesday night is one of the most anticipated regular-season events in Fire history. Even though it’s a midweek game — weekend games have better attendance — the matchup is expected to draw one of the biggest crowds in Fire and MLS history. The Fire hope the game can turn casua ..read more