Lionel Messi 'bemused' by criticism in media after tricky start to life at PSG

Chris Wallace spent nearly two decades at Fox News before shifting to the new streaming service, CNN+.

Sean Penn has vowed to bid farewell to his golden statues. While appearing remotely from Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday, the two-time Oscar winner did not mince words as he told CNN's Jim Acosta he would «smelt» his Academy Award statues in public if it turns out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not offered an opportunity to participate in the ceremony on Sunday. «There is nothing greater that the Academy Awards could do than to give him that opportunity to talk to all of us,» Penn said of Zelensky, a fellow former actor. «This is a man who understands movies and had his own very long and successful career in that.»Penn alleged, «It is my understanding that a decision has been made not to do it.

Related: Honouring the Irish: it’s the wildest Oscars party you’ve never heard of At Ireland’s own Oscar party, the Oscar Wilde awards, in Los Angeles on Thursday, the mood was optimistic, with Belfast cast members and other celebrities excited about the film’s nominations and the power of seeing broad recognition for an Irish story. With his critically lauded role as a Northern Irish father in Branagh’s film, actor Jamie Dornan is throwing off the shackles of the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, in which he played an insipid sex maniac who seduces a woman who wears cardigans. Dornan literally threw off those shackles as he accepted an Oscar Wilde award for his work on Thursday, producing a pair of handcuffs from inside his jacket and then casting them aside.

Emiliano Martinez has poked fun at Aston Villa teammate Matty Cash, calling him a 'poor man's Jack Grealish'.

Chelsea and their owner Roman Abramovich, with the Russian's sanctions preventing the Blues from currently being able to sign new players.However, back in 2014, Abramovich almost made the biggest signing of all, as Lionel Messi was on the brink of trading Barcelona for Chelsea.Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both made moves this summer, although for the Argentine it was his first transfer since turning pro, but both are very much coming to the end of their careers.However, when Chelsea were close to signing Messi he was in his prime, and it was almost a FaceTime call that sealed the deal for the former Barcelona star, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.After an astonishing 41 goals across all competitions in the 2013/14 season, Messi grew frustrated with the Spanish authorities as he was caught in a tax fraud probe, and the Argentine was tempted by a new life in London under Jose Mourinho, according to Di Marzio.After speaking with former Barcelona team-mate Deco, who also had played at Chelsea, a meeting was scheduled between Messi and Mourinho, but via a rather unconventional FaceTime call.But the call reportedly worked at the time, as Messi went to tell his camp afterwards: "With Mourinho, for how he's spoken to me, I can win whatever I want: he's a winner, go ahead and close the deal."HAVE YOUR SAY: Should Lionel Messi stay at Paris Saint Germain next summer? Comment below.Obviously a move never materialised and Chelsea ended up signing Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona instead, and according to Fabrizio Romano, after careful consideration Messi decided to continue his life in Spain.Romano said: "Everything collapsed because Barcelona was something special for Lionel Messi.

Barcelona rival Lionel Messi.The Croatia hero helped Real Madrid into the Champions League quarter-finals with a stunning comeback win over PSG on Wednesday - with Messi cutting a forlorn figure.Kylian Mbappe's opener on the night meant the home side would need to score twice to force extra-time - but Karim Benzema shouldered responsibility with a 17 minute hat-trick.Messi's night was summed up by the aforementioned clash with a man two years his senior in Modric, who yet again proved himself to be one of the best in Europe.Looking to break following Benzema's first goal, Messi was met side-by-side by Modric who looked to end the counter-attack before it posed real danger.Although many might've accepted a booking after seeing who it was bringing the ball upfield, the 36-year-old bided his time until there was an opportunity to pounce.The former Spurs man then expertly slid the ball into touch while sending Messi flying - with many viewers spotting the reaction of Messi.Having bounced back to his feet, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner made sure not to show any signs of stress, with commentator Glenn Hoddle branding it his best "poker face".

PSG's players have been branded "too powerful" after their Champions League collapse at Real Madrid.The French outfit were dumped out of the competition after throwing away a two-goal aggregate lead against the Spanish giants.Karim Benzema's 17-minute hat-trick condemned them to another season of failing to achieve their main target of glory in Europe.In fact, it has equalled their worst performance since Qatar Sports Investments took over the Ligue 1 club in 2011.Speaking on BT Sport post-match, pundit Steve McManaman slammed the attitude of their top stars, in particular the front three of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi.The former Real winger said: "The players are too powerful. When the going gets tough they do not care.

Lionel Messi has been slammed while Mauricio Pochettino has been labelled a "fraud" after yet another PSG collapse in the Champions League.The French powerhouse have once again failed to achieve their target of European glory after Real Madrid overcame a two-goal deficit to progress to the quarter-finals as 3-2 victors.It is a devastating result made all the more damning by the fact that they had one of the best transfer windows in football history last summer.But even the arrival of Messi has not changed their fortunes, and some fans accused him of being at fault.One tweeted: "Psg before signing Messi: 2020- Final, 2021- Semi final. Psg after signing Messi: 2022- R16.

Under pressure Mauricio Pochettino has been handed a mammoth boost with Kylian Mbappe set to start against Real Madrid.

Lionel Messi's personal well-being is behind his struggles at PSG and has urged fans to be patient.Messi sealed an emotional exit from Barcelona in the summer in the wake of the Catalan giants horrific financial problems.That opened the door for PSG to seal a sensational swoop for the 34-year-old superstar.But Messi has struggled to adapt to life in Paris and has looked a shell of his former self for the French giants.The attacker has managed just seven goals in 24 games this term; a far cry from the 38 goals he bagged in 47 games during his final year for Barca.However, Henry has defended Messi's dire start to life at the Parc des Princes.And he believes that the emotional trauma of having to quit his beloved Barca was always going to have a huge impact on his ability to hit the ground running in France.“You’d have to ask him, I can’t speak for him. But, when we talk about Messi or Neymar, who are exceptional players, we too often forget that [personal] aspect," Henry told L’Equipe.Do you think Messi will still come good in Paris? Let us know in the comments section“When Lionel cried on leaving Barcelona, that wasn’t part of the plan.

David Beckham revealed he was embarrassed into retiring after being dribbled by Lionel Messi on one occasion.The Manchester United and England hero, 46, called time on his glittering 21-year career after a brief stint at Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.Beckham was at the top of his game for United and Real Madrid, before moving to the United States for a five-year spell and eventually returning to Europe with Ligue 1 side PSG, where he won the league title.But Beckham once admitted it was there that he realised it was time to quit football after being run ragged by a rampant Messi.Messi, who now plays for PSG himself, starred for Barcelona during the 2012/13 season Champions League tie in question.The Argentine was instrumental as PSG were knocked out on away goals after a 3-3 stalemate, which made Beckham reconsider his future in the game.Beckham joked: “I probably decided to retire when Messi was running past me.”He added: “We were ahead. [Messi] came on and Barcelona scored.What year do you think we saw prime David Beckham? Let us know in the comments section."Despite my age, I enjoyed playing and the team was good in both games.

Manchester City's Jack Grealish has already chosen his side in the debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Neymar after Paris Saint-Germain tasted defeat for only the third time this season.Nice striker Andy Delort came off of the bench to score an 88th-minute winner for Christophe Galtier’s side, rifling home a fierce volley after some good work by Calvin Stengs out wide. PSG were without Kylian Mbappe for the match, who was suspended, but Manchester United target Mauricio Pochettino was still able to field a deadly strike force of Lionel Messi, Angel Di Mario and Neymar.

Manchester United, but he still ranks among the world’s best goalscorers.The Portuguese superstar remains the Red Devils top scorer this term, having also finished with the most goals in Serie A last year.Despite being 37-years-old, Ronaldo is still capable of performing at the highest level, with United’s interim boss Ralf Rangnick making him his first-choice striker at Old Trafford.A new list showing the highest scorers after turning 30 in the top five European leagues has also shown Ronaldo’s remarkable ability to continue to star in the Premier League.The top 10 of the list comprises players from across Europe, with the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga all featured.At number 10 on the list is Luis Suarez, who has scored 103 goals in the 168 games he has played since turning 30 in 2017, across spells at Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.The next man up also spent his seasons since turning 30 entirely in La Liga, with Artiz Aduriz having hit the back of the net 104 times in 269 games for Valencia and Athletic Bilbao.Italian icon Luca Toni comes in at eight, scoring 104 goals in 227 games for the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Hellas Verona.Who do you think is the best player of all time? Let us know in the comments section...Another Italian, Fabio Quagliarella, sits just above Toni, firing in 108 times in the 288 games and nine years since he turned 30,Roma legend Francesco Totti just misses out on a place in the top five, having hit 125 goals in the 279 games he played after turning 30 until his retirement.Robert Lewandowski should move higher than his current fifth place, having scored an astonishing 125 goals in the three years since his 30th birthday.Ronaldo’s fellow superstar Lionel Messi is

Liverpool fans have been left in awe of Luis Diaz's "FIFA Street" skills against West Ham on Saturday evening.Diaz has already been a revelation since he swapped Porto for Merseyside in January.And the Colombian trickster was up to his usual tricks against West Ham when he flicked the ball up over a defender before unleashing a shot at goal inside the box.But the best was still to come as Diaz danced his way through the Hammer's defence in a run that rivalled a peak Lionel Messi's mazy dribbles.The Colombian was almost on the scoresheet a couple of minutes later too, in a phenomenal first-half performance.One fan tweeted: "Luis Diaz playing FIFA street.

Chelsea have evolved into one of the most decorated football clubs in Europe over the past two decades.The Blues have become almost synonymous with success since Abramovich snapped the Londoners up in a £140million deal back in 2003.The Russian oligarch changed the game in the Premier League by splashing the cash to make the Blues a global force.While that approach has led the Blues to 21 trophies during his 19-year reign, there have still been signings that have evaded the Chelsea chief.Despite having a blank chequebook, Abramovich was left frustrated by a host of blockbuster names over the years.Daily Star Sport recalls six failed transfer moves from the Abramovich era...Lionel Messi finally left Barcelona last summer - seven years after Abramovich tried to strike a deal with the Catalan giants to bring the Argentine superstar to London.Messi was at the peak of his powers when the Chelsea chief tried to entice him into ditching his beloved Barca.However, the £225million mega-move fell flat at the eleventh hour over a transfer dispute, despite Messi reportedly being keen on the switch.Abramovich has seen Chelsea conquer Europe twice during his 19-year tenure - but Messi is the one true European superstar who truly got away during his historic reign.Who do you think was the best signing of the Abramovich era? Let us know in the comments section.Brazilian superstar Roberto Carlos was another galactico who came close to joining Abramovich's Chelsea revolution.The iconic left-back revealed that he was on the brink of quitting Real Madrid to join the Blues back in 2007 - before the move was killed by a legal wrangle.He told Goal: "I had two proposals, Fenerbahce and Chelsea.

Kylian Mbappe is set to be offered a new bumper deal at PSG, as the French side is desperate to keep their superstar.Mbappe is out of contract in the summer, and Real Madrid are reportedly ready to swoop in for the Frenchman.Los Blancos have been courting the Frenchman after they failed to land Mbappe last summer with a last-minute bid.According to French-outlet Le Parisian, PSG have offered Mbappe a contract rumoured to be worth around €50million-per-year (£41.7m).Should Mbappe accept the deal, he will earn €960,000-per-week, which is £799,000-per-week, rocketing him up the standings or football's highest earner.Currently, PSG house the highest-earning footballer on the planet: Lionel Messi.Messi left Barcelona last summer - despite offering to take a 50 per cent pay cut to remain in Catalonia - to land a mega pay rise at the French giants.The Argentine superstar earns a reported £960,000-per-week.Mbappe would comfortably slot in as the second highest-earning footballer on the planet, ahead of fellow PSG team-mate Neymar, who reportedly earns £606,000-per-week. What do you think of the amount PSG are paying their stars? Let us know in the comments section The rest of the top 10 is a who's who of football, with one notable exception.Oscar, who left Chelsea to earn millions in China, sits in fourth on £540,000-per-week, while Gareth Bale rounds out the top five.Mbappe himself is currently, fifth but will jump up to second if he accepts the deal.Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Philippe Coutinho, and David de Gea complete the top 10.Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!From the latest transfer news to the

Lionel Messi inspired Manchester City to a 2-0 FA Cup win at Peterborough.Pep Guardiola's men beat the Championship strugglers at London Road thanks to second half goals from Riyad Mahrez and Grealish to book their place in the quarter finals.Mahrez broke the deadlock on 60 minutes with his 19th goal of the season, before Grealish sealed the win seven minutes later with his first City goal since before Christmas.England ace Phil Foden set-up both goals - and Grealish admitted the City duo had been watching videos of Argentine icon Messi on the way to the game to get some inspiration.Grealish said: "What's funny is that before the game, while we were on the coach on the way to the game, I was sat next to Phil and we were scrolling through videos of [Lionel] Messi."After scoring he came up to me and said it was just like what we were watching." Grealish paid tribute to Ukrainian team-mate Oleksandr Zinchenko, who captained the side on his first appearance since Russia invaded his homeland. He added: "It's actually been quite emotional.

Lionel Messi and his wife Antonella Roccuzzo shared an Instagram post of the two engaging in a racy kiss on his yacht.The Paris Saint-Germain star posted a birthday message to his spouse on social media, saying: “Happy birthday to my life. Have a beautiful day.

David Beckham has refused to rule out the prospect of luring Lionel Messi to the MLS in the future.Messi left Barcelona last summer in dramatic circumstances after PSG took advantage of Barca's financial woes to swoop for the Argentine superstar.However, Messi has endured a fairly rotten time in Spain - and there is speculation that he could be set for a spell in America before he brings the curtain down on his illustrious career.Beckham's new MLS franchise have been linked with a move for the 34-year-old.And Beckham has done nothing to quash the noise surrounding Messi and Miami. Beckham told the Miami Herald: 'I've always said I want the best players in our club and playing in our shirt because there's a certain expectation.

Paris Saint-Germain training ground on Friday has set tongues wagging on social media. The former Manchester United defender revealed his location on Twitter, prompting speculation as to why he was taking a close look at Mauricio Pochettino’s side.