LOS ANGELES: Pretenders to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s dual throne have tried and failed to unseat the pair from world football’s high altar over the last 15 years.
The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry, Gareth Bale and Neymar have all approached the foot of the mountain, yet none have been able to consistently reach the staggeringly high standards set by the two El Clasico rivals.
Mohamed Salah’s goal-laden maiden season at Anfield has inevitably prompted debate over whether the Egyptian can unseat Messi and Ronaldo, or, given the age discrepancies, ultimately succeed the pair as football’s prime performer.
It is a water cooler debate that extends far beyond Anfield, the Nou Camp or the Bernabeu.
But as a regular in the stands of former clubs Liverpool and Barcelona, Champions League winner Luis Garcia is well-placed to make a judgment on whether Salah can rival Messi’s genius.
“There’s been a lot of talk comparing the two because Salah has scored so many goals,” Garcia told Arab News.
“But I think it’s too early. I’m sure Salah is happy to be compared to Messi, but on the other side of it, you’re putting a lot of pressure on him.
“Salah has done well for one season, whereas Messi has been doing it for almost 15 years and has scored more than 500 goals.
“Salah is on a fantastic wave, but we have to give him time. I can’t wait to see if he’s even better next season.”
As a former right winger himself though, Garcia admits he has been staggered by Salah becoming only the third player in Liverpool’s decorated history to have reached the landmark of 40 goals in all competitions in a solitary season.
It could get even better for the Arab Contractors’ youth product too.
Liverpool’s Champions League semifinal first leg against AS Roma on Tuesday is the first of at least five remaining games this season for Jurgen Klopp’s side. Salah needs seven goals from that run to reach the highest tally ever scored by a Reds player in a single campaign. The current record of 47 has stood for more than 30 years after being set by Ian Rush in 1983-84.
Garcia said: “Records are there to be broken, but you wouldn’t expect a player on the right wing to be scoring that many.
“We knew he was a very good player, but seeing what he’s done throughout the whole season has been incredible.
“When you’re in that position on the right wing, you’ll usually have periods when you don’t score many goals, but every single game he’s been there.”
Garcia’s former clubs could have been going head-to-head on Tuesday, yet Roma’s shock second-leg comeback in their quarterfinal win over Barcelona handed the Serie A outfit the chance to earn a spot in May’s Champions League final in Kiev.
With heavyweights Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the other semifinal, Garcia believes Liverpool got the best of the draw, but after seeing the way Roma performed in coming back from 4-1 down against Barca, he is under no illusions about the danger posed to Klopp’s side.
“Right now, Liverpool have got fantastic momentum and you have to take that into consideration,” said the former Spanish international.
“When you see Bayern and Real Madrid in the other semifinal, Liverpool will be quite happy that they were drawn against Roma.
“But I was surprised and impressed by the way that Roma played against Barcelona.”
If Liverpool need any extra motivation at Anfield, they only need to look back 13 years to the rich memories that Champions League success can bring.
Garcia was part of Rafa Benitez’s side who produced the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ after overcoming a 3-0 half-time deficit to beat AC Milan in arguably the most famous Champions League final in the competition’s history.
“That final changed my life,” added Garcia, speaking in Los Angeles at the launch event for this summer’s International Champions Cup pre-season tournament.
“It was the highlight of my career and it was so special with the way the game went. It linked me to Liverpool for the rest of my life.
“It’s all I ever talk about when I go back to Anfield, and I love talking about it!
“It’s been the main trophy from the last 15 years, but this year could be another massive year for the club.”
Too soon to compare Mohamed Salah with Lionel Messi, Liverpool legend Luis Garcia says
Too soon to compare Mohamed Salah with Lionel Messi, Liverpool legend Luis Garcia says
- Star man Salah has scored 41 goals in all competitions for Liverpool this season.
- Luis Garcia claims the Egyptian ace still has work to do to be on a par with Messi and Ronaldo
Queensberry sweep Matchroom in unique 5vs5 team boxing in Riyadh
RIYADH: Frank Warren’s Queensberry fighters accomplished a 10-0 clean sweep over Matchroom’s boxers in a team boxing format in Riyadh on Sunday.
Queensberry’s Daniel Dubois put on the performance of his career to stop Filip Hrgovic, after a nasty cut to the Croatian forced a stoppage.
Dubois, who continues to progress up the boxing ladder, took a number of heavy blows in the early rounds, but found his feet in the middle of the bout.
Afterward Dubois called out Antony Joshua, who was ringside, for a chance at a heavyweight clash in London in the fall.
Queensberry captain Hamzah Sheeraz added to victories by Nick Ball and Willy Hutchinson to give the team a massive lead in the opening fights.
Queensberry will collect $3m in prize money.
In the final fight, which started just after 3 a.m., Zhilei Zhang knocked out Deontay Wilder in a result that was largely inconsequential to the outcome of the event dubbed 5vs5.
Ahead of the event, Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom and Frank Warren’s Queensberry were both confident that their fighters could be victorious with this unique boxing format at the Kingdom Arena.
Nick Ball told Arab News Sport that his victory over Raymond Ford “means the world to me”.
“This is something that you work your whole life for and it means a lot for everyone around me,” the Liverpudlian said.
Separate from the team format, Dmitry Bivol defeated Malik Zinad, who was a last minute stand-in, for the WBA light-heavyweight title, forcing a stoppage in the sixth against the Libyan.
Talking to Arab News Sport after the bout, Bivol said the victory was important to show his children what their father does.
“I just wanted to show them how their father is working,” how people respect him, he said. “I am working for their future, also.”
Bivol praised Zinad’s bravery in the fight but said his own game still had room for improvement.
“I am happy for, maybe, 80 or 90 percent,” he said, adding if he was hitting his 100 percent target he’d have to “leave boxing”.
Champions League final: Real Madrid seals 15th European Cup after 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund
- Victory sealed a record-extending fifth Champions League title for coach Carlo Ancelotti, his third with Madrid
LONDON: Vinicius Junior scored and sealed a record-extending 15th European Cup for Real Madrid after a 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in the final on Saturday.
The Brazil forward doubled Madrid’s lead in the 83rd minute at Wembley Stadium, nine minutes after Dani Carvajal headed the Spanish giant in front.
Victory sealed a record-extending fifth Champions League title for coach Carlo Ancelotti, his third with Madrid.
Meanwhile Carvajal, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Nacho have won European club soccer’s biggest prize on six occasions to equal the benchmark set by Madrid icon Paco Gento.
Dortmund paid the price for not making the most of its first half dominance when Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois pulled off a series of saves and Niclas Fullkrug hit the post.
Madrid took full advantage after the break.
Carvajal met Kroos’ corner at the near post in the 74th to power a header past Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel.
Jude Bellingham nearly doubled the lead moments later, but then turned provider when slipping in Vinicius. With just Kobel to beat, the forward fired his shot into the far corner and raced off in celebration.
Rock star Lenny Kravitz got the crowd going before kickoff with a pre-game show that included fireworks and some of his biggest hits like “Are You Gonna Go My Way.”
It was Vinicius who was dancing after his goal effectively killed off Dortmund’s hopes of pulling off one of the biggest Champions League upsets in recent memory.
For a long time, the German side looked capable of halting Madrid after dominating the chances in the first half.
Coach Edin Terzic tactically outmaneuvered Ancelotti in every department, with Madrid’s stars subdued.
Only a combination of Courtois and the frame of the goal kept the scores level at the break after the keeper twice kept Karim Adeyemi from scoring and then watched as Fullkrug’s sliding effort came back off the post.
The break clearly helped Madrid and it slowly took control in the second half.
Carvajal’s goal came straight from the training ground, with the defender heading over from one corner before eventually converting, while Vinicius put the game beyond doubt.
Saudi’s Al-Rajhi sets his sights on victory at Desafio Ruta 40 Rally in Argentina
- The second edition of the rally will run until June 7
CORDOBA: Saudi World Champion Yazeed bin Mohammed Al-Rajhi is gearing up for the second edition of the Desafio Ruta 40 Rally in Argentina, the fourth round of the 2024 FIA World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC), set to take place in the northwestern region of the country.
The rally will traverse the provinces of Cordoba, San Juan and La Rioja over six days from June 1-7.
Navigating alongside him will be German navigator Timo Gottschalk, his partner since the Abu Dhabi Rally 2023, both competing aboard a Toyota Hilux EVO T1U from the Overdrive Racing team based in Belgium.
This year’s routes are entirely new, including passages through Cordoba and San Juan, which are new additions to the race.
Al-Rajhi is targeting victory in this year’s Argentine leg after finishing third in the previous edition despite the challenging terrains. These routes were previously used in Dakar Rally stages when Argentina hosted the competition from 2009-2018.
The Desafio Ruta 40 Rally, which first launched in 2010 and ran for nine years before resuming in Argentina last year as part of the World Long Distance Desert Rally Championship, consists of five stages, three circular, preceded by a 17-km qualifying stage. The rally then moves westward through La Rioja, concluding with a total distance of 3,045 km. Known for its rugged and challenging terrains, the Argentine rally resembles the Dakar Rally with its varied landscapes of gravel, open sand and high dunes.
Named after Argentina’s famous Route 40, the rally will traverse the iconic road, the longest in South America and one of the longest globally, alongside Route 66 in the US.
“I’m very excited to return for the second edition of Desafio Ruta 40,” said Al-Rajhi. “The first edition was tough and full of challenges, yet we managed to secure top positions. Let’s see what awaits us this season.
“Argentina is not unfamiliar to us; I first competed here in the Dakar Rally in 2015 aboard a Toyota Hilux, with Timo as my navigator at the time,” he added.
Al-Rajhi expressed his delight at racing in Argentina, saying: “I enjoy competing here; it feels like home. I have a great fan base supporting me since 2015. The fans here are amazing, always supporting us and loving motorsport. So, we’re always happy to come racing in Argentina.”
Al-Rajhi extended special thanks to his strategic partner, Jameel for Motorsport, for their support and sponsorship in his global and regional rally endeavors.
German navigator Timo Gottschalk also revealed his optimism about the championship season, noting the upcoming challenge with Al-Rajhi.
“We face a new challenge this year; the first edition was extremely tough, yet enjoyable. We need to be cautious and hope for success in this round,” Gottschalk said.
Saudi Football Federation and Saudi National Bank renew partnership
- The official partnership includes the NSB’s sponsorship of the activities and programs of the Saudi Football Federation
- Al-Misehil added that this step opened more prospects for cooperation and partnership with the banking sector
Jeddah: A new three-year partnership deal has been struck between the Saudi Football Federation and Saudi National Bank. The deal will begin from the 2024/25 season and run until 2027.
The renewal of the exclusive and official partnership agreement was signed by President of the Saudi Football Federation Yasser bin Hassan Al-Misehal and Chief Executive Officer of Saudi National Bank Tareq Abdulrahman Al-Sadhan.
The official partnership includes the NSB’s sponsorship of the activities and programs of the Saudi Football Federation, the national teams, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup, the Saudi Super Cup and the Saudi Women’s Football League.
Al-Misehil said: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with the SNB and extend our long-term commitment of support for a further three years.
“We look forward to our continued work with the SNB on a range of other important programs within Saudi football.”
Al-Misehil added that this step opened more prospects for cooperation and partnership with the banking sector, especially as the Saudi National Bank was a pioneer in the sector, and the continuation of this partnership would contribute to the development of football in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Al-Sadhan said: “We are all proud to be partners of the nation in its development journey, and the renewal of the bank’s exclusive partnership as an official sponsor of Saudi football confirms the important role that the bank plays in the growth of the sports sector and supporting Saudi football to contribute to achieving excellence at the local and global levels and reaching international ranks in order to achieve the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.”
Sabalenka reaches French Open last 16
- Sabalenka, a semifinalist in Paris in 2023, has made at least the last four at her past six Grand Slams
PARIS: Aryna Sabalenka overcame a sluggish start to defeat close friend Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-1 on Saturday to take her place in the last 16 of the French Open.
Former world number two Badosa led 5-3 in the first set but two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka reeled off 10 of the final 11 games to sweep into the second week for the second year in a row.
Sabalenka, a semifinalist in Paris in 2023, has made at least the last four at her past six Grand Slams and is expected to be Iga Swiatek’s chief rival in the Pole’s bid for a fourth French Open title.
