We put the two biggest soccer stars in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, head to head.

Produced by Devan Joseph. Special thanks to Tony Manfred.

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Lionel Messi has dominated this season in the Champions League, scoring 10 goals with four assists to help Barcelona reach the final against Juventus.

At 27, Messi has had his best Champions League campaign since he scored 14 goals in 2011-12. While he's obviously a deadly finisher, Messi's ball control and touch may be his greatest skills.

In the semifinal against Bayern Munich, Messi scored a classic goal after dropping a defender with some slick footwork:

In a great profile on Messi, SI's Liviu Bird describes how Messi has become the world's best dribbler without using the flashy moves of other star players:

He rarely comes to a dead stop to dance on the ball. Instead of rabonas and elásticos, Messi relies on continual movement, body feints, agile touches and a quick change of pace to leave defenders in the dust.

Messi's deft footwork and omniscience on the field — he seems to know what defenders will do before even they do — often evades description as he evades opponents. He makes professionals look amateur, both those who are compared to him and those trying in vain to mark him.

Messi has his own gravitational pull, causing rational defenses to panic and individuals to stumble over themselves — a sensation Jérôme Boateng knows all too well — in an attempt to stifle him. As soon as they lunge, thinking the ball is within tackling distance, he taps it from left foot to right foot, and he’s gone.

As The Telegraph notes, Messi doesn't get caught up in flurries of step-overs or tricks — his attacking runs are direct. Perhaps it's this downhill style of attack that makes him so tough to defend. Defenses have to adjust to his speed, and if they miss the ball, they end up looking foolish.

In 2007, Messi produced perhaps the highlight goal of his career, sprinting through six Getafe defenders from beyond midfield:

His "gravitational pull" also allows him to set up teammates after he's sucked in defenses and blown by them:

As Juventus goalie Gianliugi Buffon recently said of Messi's otherworldly play: "Messi is an extra-terrestrial who plays with us humans. So we hope that on June 6 he returns to earth and becomes a human too."

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NOW WATCH: Here's how soccer superstars Ronaldo and Messi match up

Lionel Messi of Barcelona FC in Spain's La Liga is the most valuable soccer player in the world, according to the latest valuations released by Football-Observatory.com.

Messi was determined to have a transfer value of $287.6-315.5 million (€255.3-280.9 million). That's more than a $100 million greater than any other player in the world.

While fans will argue about whether Messi or Ronaldo is the best player in the world, the one huge advantage Messi has over Ronaldo in terms of value is age. Messi (27) is three years younger than his Real Madrid rival. Ronaldo is one of just seven of the top 100 players who has already celebrated his 30th birthday, and he fell to No. 3 on this year's list behind Chelsea's Eden Hazard.

In addition to age, the player values are determined based on a formula that considers a player's performance, position, contract status, and experience, as well as his current team's performance and competition level, while factoring recent trends in spending in the transfer market.

Here are the 20 most valuable:

1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) — $287.8-316.6 million
2. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)  — $152.7-167.9 million
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)  — $127.7-140.6 million
4. Neymar (Barcelona) — $101.0-111.0 million
5. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) — $88.2-97.0 million
6. Raheem Sterling (Liverpool) — $83.1-91.3 million
7. Paul Pogba (Juventus) — $79.3-87.2 million
8. Diego Costa (Chelsea) — $78.8-86.7 million
9. Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal)  — $76.4-84.1 million
10. James Rodríguez (Real Madrid)  — $70.5-77.6 million
11. Luis Suárez (Barcelona)  — $67.6-74.4 million
12. Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid)  — $66.5-73.2 million
13. Cesc Fàbregas (Chelsea)  — $66.2-72.7 million
14. Isco Alarcón (Real Madrid)  — $64.5-70.9 million
15. Harry Kane (Tottenham)  — $60.3-66.4 million
16. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)  — $57.8-63.6 million
17. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)  — $56.8-62.6 million
18. Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea)  — $56.7-62.4 million
19. Oscar dos Santos (Chelsea)  — $53.6-59.0 million
20. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)  — $50.3-55.4 million

See the full list at Football-Observatory.com

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In a move that was reminiscent of the famous Champions League semifinal run that left Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng on the ground, Lionel Messi embarrassed two Paraguay defenders in a 6-1 win at the Copa America.

His team up 3-1 in the second half, Messi won the ball near midfield and beat one Paraguay defender. With another Paraguay defender on his hip and a third defender coming toward him, Messi juked to his left; the defenders ran into each other, and Argentina had a wide-open goal.

Ridiculous:

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Lionel Messi is going to face trial over tax fraud charges with his father, Jorge.

On Tuesday, it was reported that Messi would not face trial for allegedly defrauding Spain's tax office of $4.5 million (€4 million) in unpaid taxes from 2007 to 2009.

However, according to Eurosport's Tom Adams, the judge in the case listened to the state attorney, who recommended Lionel stand trial with his father, despite the previous belief that Lionel had no knowledge of the alleged actions.

The state prosecutors originally wanted 18 months of prison time for Messi for the alleged offense.

According to Adams, state law calls for 22 and a half months in prison for the offense.

According to the Daily Mail, Messi and his father paid $5.6 million (€5 million) in 2013 as a "corrective payment" when they were formally charged.

The Daily Mail reports that the prosecutor's office claims revenue had been hidden using companies in Uuguay, Switzerland, Belize, and the United Kingdom.

Messi joined Barcelona FC in 2004, and  the Daily Mail says Messi became a Spanish citizen in 2005.

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One of the top soccer clubs in the world, Paris Saint-Germain of France's Ligue 1, has produced a tribute video in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks that killed 130 people.

The video includes many of the world's biggest sports stars with each taking turns saying "Je suis Paris," or "I am Paris."

The 52 stars in the video is a who's who of international sports, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Maria Sharapova, Mo Farrah, Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, just to name a few.

Here is the touching video.

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Good morning! Here are the plays everybody will be talking about Thursday.

Not Kristaps! The New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat 98-90, picking up their 18th win of the season and already surpassing their win total from last season. Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis showed once again that he won't shy away from any confrontation. That lack of fear, however, will lead to the occasional posterization, this one at the hands of Hassan Whiteside. Nooooooo!

Super Fleury! The Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1, but it would have been worse if not for the flying ability of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Less than a minute into the game, Fleury went airborne — which can't be easy with all that equipment — to stop this shot:

Lionel Messi's Golden Boot. Will Lionel Messi win his fifth Ballon d'Or? One report came out claiming the winner of this year's top footballer award had been leaked, something FIFA later denied. But either way, Messi showed once again why the report would be easy to believe, striking this gorgeous free kick against Espanyol on Wednesday.

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In a ceremony on Monday evening, Lionel Messi is one of the finalists to win the coveted Ballon d'Or award given to the top footballer in the world from the past year.

But while many wonder if Messi will win his record fifth trophy, there was nearly as much anticipation in seeing what Messi would wear to the ceremony, having donned some striking and non-traditional tuxedos in past years.

Unfortunately, Messi disappointed the masses, showing up to the ceremony in a traditional black tux.

This is in stark contrast to what Messi has worn previously.

In 2013, Messi wore a polka dot suit.

In 2014, Messi stood out in his red tuxedo.

In 2012, it was suede.

And in accepting the Gold Boot trophy in 2013, he wore a flower suit.

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Lionel Messi has won the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or. The award was announced Monday night in Zurich, and marks a record-setting fifth time that Messi has won the prestigious world player of the year award. 

Upon receiving the award, Messi said the following (via FIFA.com):

It is a very special moment for me to be back here on this stage, winning again another Ballon d’Or after being there in the audience watching Cristiano win. It’s incredible this is my fifth. It’s much more than anything I’ve dreamed of as a kid. I want to thank everyone who voted for me and I want to thank my team-mates. And lastly, I want to thank football in general for everything it has brought me. Both the bad and the good. Because it has made me learn and grow."

This past year, the Argentine sensation led Barcelona to a rare treble. They won the Copa del Rey, La Liga, and UEFA Champions League in the same season. 

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Murtaza Ahmadi, a five-year-old Afghan boy, is about to get the thrill of a lifetime. 

Ahmadi's family was too poor to get him a real Messi jersey, so his brother made one out of a blue and white grocery bag. Now — after a wide-ranging internet campaign — the Afghan Football Federation is setting up a meeting between the superstar athlete and the young superfan.

Story by Tony Manfred and editing by Chelsea Pineda

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Two weeks ago Murtaza Ahmadi was living in rural Afghanistan and wearing a Lionel Messi shirt made from a grocery bag. Now, after a brush with viral fame, he's headed to Spain to meet his idol.

Reuters reports that the dates for Murtaza's trip will be pinned down in the coming days, and his expenses will be paid by an Afghan telecommunications company.

Story by Tony Manfred and editing by Chelsea Pineda

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In what Barca TV is calling an "impossible" trick shot, Lionel Messi netted a goal from behind the actual goal in a recent training session. It may not be literally impossible, but the angle is ridiculous.

Story by Tony Manfred and editing by Kristen Griffin

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Good morning! Here are the plays everybody will be talking about Monday.

Lionel Messi free kicks are not fair. Barcelona beat Sevilla 2-1 in La Liga despite falling behind 1-0 early in the match. Of course, erasing a deficit in soccer is easier if you have Messi on your side and the other team gives up free kicks just outside the box. The keeper never had a chance.

Stephen Curry who? While everybody was still buzzing about Curry's shot from Saturday night, Real Madrid's hoops team did him one better. Real erased a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes, but Valencia seemingly laid in the winner with less than two seconds to go. But after a quick inbound and a shot from the other 3-point line by Sergio Llull, it was Real Madrid celebrating the win.

Who needs pants? Adam Scott won The Honda Classic — his first since the ban on belly putters! — but Gary Woodland had the shot of the final round, stripping down to his skivvies for a shot on No. 6. Woodland would finish 16 strokes behind Scott, but that doesn't mean he wants to walk around in wet pants for 12 holes.

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Spanish tax authorities said Monday they are investigating allegations of tax irregularities involving soccer player Lionel Messi after documents released by an international probe of offshore accounts.

Messi's family released a statement denying wrongdoing and threatened to sue media outlets that released the information linking the Argentine player to accounts in Panama.

Barcelona said it was supporting Messi and his family.

The soccer star was among those named in reports by international media who received a vast trove of data and documents leaked from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which specializes in creating offshore accounts which allegedly can be used to avoid tax.

Last year, Spanish authorities charged Messi and his father with three counts of tax fraud for allegedly defrauding Spain's tax office of 4.1 million euros ($4.6 million) in unpaid taxes from 2007-09. They will stand trial in late May and potentially face nearly two years in prison if found guilty.

The Spanish newspaper El Confidencial published a story based on the leaked documents, claiming that a company had been set up in Panama just a day after Spanish tax authorities unveiled the charges for the alleged irregularities committed from 2007-09. The newspaper published documents that appeared to contain the signatures of Messi and his father.

The Spanish tax agency said Monday it is "closely investigating the information that has been published."

The agency, which is also probing Spaniards mentioned in the documents, said it was already looking at the tax forms presented by all those involved, including companies possibly used by them.

The statement from Messi's family said it "never used the company" that has been linked to Messi in the so-called "Panama Papers."

"Lionel Messi has not carried out any of the acts of which he is accused in the stories," the statement said. "The allegations of him having designed a tax evasion project are false and injurious, as are those relating to the creation of a money laundering network."

The family said that the Panamanian company linked to Messi is inactive, "has never had any capital or active current accounts" and that it "dates from the old corporate structure set up by the Messi family's previous financial advisers, with the tax implications for Lionel Messi having been settled at the time."

It added that "all of the income from his image rights, including both earnings made prior to and following on from the case with the tax agency have been declared to the Spanish tax authorities." It said the information released now is linked to "totally unrelated events which are currently pending resolution or indeed have been dismissed" by the courts.

"In conclusion, the facts reported on are based on mere conjecture and emanate from partial and biased documentation, which has been disclosed using the lure of Messi's name and the player's reputation," the statement said. "This is particularly serious when accusations of criminal offenses as serious as tax evasion and money laundering are made, allegations which bring about irreparable damage to Lionel Messi."

Barcelona said it was fully behind its player.

"FC Barcelona has sent its affection and support to the player and to his whole family," the team said. "The Club makes all of its judicial means, fiscal and administrative, at the family's disposal in order to make his actions and honor clear in this case."

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Argentina and FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi is among the biggest international names linked to the massive data dump collectively known as the Panama Papers.

On Sunday, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) published more than 11 million documents from 2.6 terabytes of leaked data.

The documents revealed that Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca helped establish shell companies and offshore accounts for politicians, wealthy businessmen and, as CNN reported, other "global power players." 

The ICIJ, which included cooperation from Madrid-based newspaper El País, reported that Messi benefited from a "tax-fraud network" made up of offshore shell accounts established in order to evade paying taxes. Notably, Messi allegedly owned a 50% stake in a shell corporation called Mega Star Enterprises. According to the documents, Mega Star was temporarily overlooked by Mossack Fonseca.

The ICIJ also released signatures belonging to Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, that link them to the acquisition of Mega Star. The documents also named other FIFA officials and the suspended former chief of UEFA, Michel Platini.

Messi has vehemently denied the allegations and is reportedly considering suing over what he called "false and slanderous"claims.

FC Barcelona also said in a statement that it will support Messi however it can.

"Since the very first moment that the 'Panama Papers' which accuse Leo Messi were released, F.C. Barcelona has sent its affection and support to the player and to his whole family," the club said in a statement released Monday. "The club makes all of its judicial means, fiscal and administrative, at the family's disposal in order to make his actions and honor clear in this case."

For its part, Mossack Fonseca released a lengthy statement on the documents' release, saying media reports on the documents portrayed an "inaccurate view" of the services the firm provides.

On reports of tax evasion specifically, the firm said:

Our company does not advise clients on the structuring of corporate vehicles and the use they may make of them. We likewise do not offer solutions whose purpose is to hide unlawful acts such as tax evasion. Our clients request our services after being duly advised by qualified professionals in their places of business. Moreover, it should be made clear that tax avoidance and evasion are not the same thing. For example, a client can use the structures provided by us for tax optimization of his/her estate, such as taking advantage of provisions in treaties for avoiding international double taxation. Such behavior is perfectly legal.

Independently of the situation involving the Panama Papers, Messi and his father will appear in court later this year on separate charges of tax evasion of up to $4.5 million. A Spanish court claims that from 2007 to 2009, Messi and his father set up a series of companies in order to evade taxes on image rights.

Messi reportedly earned $74 million in 2015, according to Forbes.

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After photos of a five-year-old Afghan boy wearing a homemade Lionel Messi shirt went viral – subsequently earning him signed shirts from the football icon – the young fan and his family have been forced to flee to Pakistan due to repeated threats from local gangsters.

The picture of Murtaza Ahmadi, sporting a Messi Argentina shirt made from a striped plastic bag, led to the child receiving two signed shirts and a football from his idol. 

However, the boy's new-found fame also attracted the attention of local gangsters who, threatening to kidnap Murtaza, have demanded money from his family.

"A few days ago, I got a call from a local gangster. He thought that since my son had received these T-shirts from Messi that maybe he also got money and asked for his share," Arif Ahmadi told the BBC.

Arif told the Associated Press that life for the family had become a "misery" in Afghanistan and, although they did not want to leave, the situation was increasingly dangerous.

He said the family fled their home in Ghazni, central Afghanistan, and briefly stayed in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, but found it too expensive. They have now resettled in Quetta, an area of Pakistan popular with Pashtuns.

The Afghan football federation said in February that it had arranged a meeting between Murtaza and Messi, who is a Unicef goodwill ambassador. A spokesman for the federation said that either Messi would travel to Afghanistan to meet the boy, or Murtaza would travel to Spain, where Messi plays for Barcelona, or the two would meet in a third country.

So far though, the meeting has not materialised. "Still, Murtaza hopes that one day he would be able to meet his hero, Messi," the father added.

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It's no secret that a scorer and passer as good as Lionel Messi has a dazzling touch.

One Japanese game show seems to be out to test just how well Messi can control the ball. In 2015, the show had Messi kick a ball over a 60-foot bar, then control it on the other side.

This time, they pushed the limit, raising a banner to what appears to be over 66 feet, showing it next to the Great Sphinx.

Messi stepped up to the challenge, kicking the ball over on the second try and controlling it with just three touches.

 Messi makes it look too easy. Watch the entire video below (via Deadspin):

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The world's best soccer player has a man-crush on the world's best basketball player. 

Lionel Messi, Barcelona's five-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner, told Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl on Wednesday that when he arrives stateside for this summer's Copa América, he has two primary objectives: win the tournament for Argentina, and meet Stephen Curry. 

Luckily for Messi, Argentina's opening game of the tournament (against Chile on June 6) will be just down the road from Oracle Arena, in Santa Clara. 

"Soccer will be the main focus while I’m in the Bay Area, naturally, but part of me is also hoping to meet Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors," Messi said."Seeing him play is magical. Everyone loves what he does: basketball fans, teammates, rivals."

It's not hard to understand Messi's fondness for the NBA's two-time reigning MVP. Countless comparisons have been made between the Warriors' three-point machine and Barcelona's left-footed goal-scorer. Indeed, Messi himself sees similarities between their games.

"Our small sizes, and even our playing styles, are similar. In December he sent me his signed Warriors jersey. I sent back my signed shirt in April to return the favor,"Messi added.

Messi also said that his almost telepathic relationship with the soccer ball is similar to what he sees when he watches Curry.

"If you watch Curry play — or, just as revealing, warm up before the game — you notice his relationship with the ball. It’s like his body and mind are always on the same wavelength with el balón,"said Messi."I try to have that connection in my sport too."

At the moment, Curry does not appear to be on quite the same wavelength as the basketball. His Warriors find themselves down 3-1 to the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, and Curry has struggled. Perhaps a phone call from his pal Lionel might help him regain his form. 

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Lionel Messi, the highest paid footballer in the world, is going on trial in Barcelona today on charges of defrauding Spain of €4.1 million (£3 million; $4.6 million) in unpaid taxes, according to the Guardian.

The FC Barcelona striker and his father Jorge Horacio Messi, who manages his financial affairs, are alleged to have used shell companies in the tax havens of Belize and Uruguay to hide €10.1 million (£7.7 million; $11.3 million) earned in image rights from 2007 to 2009, a charge they deny.

Lionel Messi's name appeared in the Panama Papers, according to Forbes. He and his father face three counts of tax fraud, charges which could result in 22-and-a half months of jail if they are found guilty.

While the case will focus on the alleged activities of Jorge Horacio Messi, the Guardian says authorities believe Lionel Messi knew enough about his father's activity to be culpable too. Lionel Messi is expected to give testimony in court on Thursday in a trial that should last three days.

Similar charges were made against Messi over two years ago but were dropped when not enough evidence of his involvement was found.

He told a judge at the time: "I sign contracts but I never look at them. I don’t know what I’m signing. I trust my father who takes care of these things. I do what he tells me to do. I only look at the summary at the end of the year to see what I’ve made."

Messi earned over €74 million (£56 million; $82 million) last year, half of which was from endorsement deals. He is probably the best football player in the world, and has won the Fifa Ballon d’Or five times.

FC Barcelona is the third most valuable football club in the world according to accountancy firm KPMG, which says it is worth €2.75 billion (£2.1 billion; $3.1 billion)

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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi denied having knowledge of the tax issues that led to fraud charges against him, saying Thursday he signed documents without reading them because he trusted his father and the advisers responsible for managing his finances.

"I didn't know anything," Messi said while testifying in his tax fraud trial. "I only worried about playing football."

Wearing a dark suit and tie, Messi sat alongside his father in front of the judge and listened to other testimony for nearly four hours before being called to testify in the third day of the trial.

The Barcelona player looked impatient in court at times, looking down and trying to stretch his legs. The left foot that helps him thrive on the soccer fields kept bouncing impatiently underneath the chair.

Speaking for less than 15 minutes, he said he never suspected of any wrongdoing when his father would ask him to sign contracts or documents.

"I signed what he told me to sign because I trusted my father," Messi said. "I trusted my father, and the lawyers said that I could (sign the documents)."

He said he didn't know that part of his income was going through companies created in countries such as Uruguay, Switzerland and Belize, which authorities alleged was done to lower the player's tax burden in Spain.

"The only thing I knew is that we signed deals with different sponsors and they paid for me to do advertisements, photos and things like that," Messi said. "But I didn't know how this money arrived or where it was going."

Messi's father, Jorge Horacio Messi, had reiterated in his testimony that his son didn't know the details of his contracts or the structures created in other countries to handle his income from image rights.

"I didn't think it was necessary to inform him of everything," Messi's father said.

Messi and his father are facing three counts of tax fraud and could be sentenced to nearly two years in prison if found guilty of defrauding Spain's tax authority of 4.1 million euros ($4.5 million) from 2007-09. They are not likely to face any jail time but could be fined and made to forfeit possible future tax benefits. Both deny wrongdoing, and the money owed was already paid back.

The trial is expected to end Friday, and the verdict and sentencing are expected next week.

Hundreds of journalists and a few onlookers were in front of the Barcelona court house when Messi and his father arrived. Authorities had prepared a special operation to control the crowd and protect the player. Some people showed their support to Argentina star, while a few yelled words against him, including asking him to "give the money back" and telling him to "go play in Panama."

Messi was also being investigated by Spanish tax authorities after his name was among those released in the probe of international offshore accounts, known as the Panama Papers, although he was not charged for those allegations.

When the player left the court house, many fans applauded.

Because of the trial, the Barcelona player has missed part of Argentina's preparations for the Copa America, which starts Friday in the United States.

The trial is centered on alleged unlawful activities of Messi's father, but authorities said the player knew enough to also be named in the case. Officials said that although Messi was mostly unfamiliar with tax issues, there was sufficient evidence to believe he could have known and consented to the creation of a fictitious corporate structure to avoid paying some of his taxes in Spain.

On Wednesday, Messi's lawyers tried to show the court that the Barcelona forward was not familiar with the tax issues. Witnesses called to testify said Messi had little knowledge of the alleged corporate structures.

Tax inspectors earlier Thursday testified that they found evidence that the structures were used by Messi's father to avoid paying the taxes that the player supposedly owed in Spain. A witness on Wednesday said Messi's father knew they would avoid taxes by using companies in other countries, but contended that it was a legal practice.

Messi is the latest high-profile player to have to deal with Spain's tough tax system. Neymar, Javier Mascherano, Adriano and Xabi Alonso also were targeted by authorities recently.

Mascherano, Messi's teammate with Argentina and Barcelona, earlier this year was handed a suspended one-year prison sentence for not paying nearly 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) in taxes for 2011-12.

___

Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/tales-azzoni

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