Win a pair of golden Messi boots!

 

We have a new contest taking place this week with a very special prize. To celebrate Lionel Messi's third consecutive FIFA Ballon d'Or award, adidas and FIFA.com are giving away five pairs of custom-made, limited-edition adizero F50 boots*!

Take the Messi Golden Boot Challenge!

The boots are gold in colour and were designed by adidas to celebrate Messi’s incredible achievement. La Pulga – ‘The Flea’ - is only the second-player to have ever won three consecutive Ballon d’Or awards and he’s only 24 years old!

Messi debuted the golden version of his favourite boot – the adizero F50 – at the Camp Nou this past Sunday in Barcelona's 4-2 win over Real Betis. The FIFA Ballon d'Or 2011 winner netted a crucial double on the day to keep Barcelona in the title hunt.

How to win
All you have to do to stand a chance of winning a pair of golden adizero F50 boots is take our Messi Golden Boot Challenge. We have posted eight questions on Lionel Messi with five possible sets of answers. Locate the correct set of answers for the eight questions and submit your entry on FIFA.com before 23 January. All contestants who submit the correct set of answers will automatically be entered into our grand prize draw for the incredible limited-edition adizero boots!

You have to be a club member to participate, so if you haven’t signed up. Join the Club now! Registration is fast, free and easy. This contest runs until Monday 23 January.

Take the Messi Golden Boot Challenge now!

*Final prize may differ in detail from the boots displayed in the photo above.

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Messi: I will win the World Cup

Barcelona star Lionel Messi is convinced he can lift the FIFA World Cup™ with Argentina, the forward said in an interview with the Argentina Football Association.

Messi has won a host of top honours with Barça but has yet to taste major success with the Albiceleste, who are without a top title since 1993 and flopped at the Copa America on home soil in July, with many observers puzzled as to why his club form rarely appears at international level.

"I still have this dream and that is to be a world champion and lift the Copa America with the national side. And I know I'll do it, I am convinced I shall," insisted Messi.

"I don't have to demonstrate anything to anybody. I would love to win a title with the national team but I am just another one in the group who wants to do the best for Argentine football, nothing more," he added.

Under new coach Alejandro Sabella, Argentina got off to a mediocre start in their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with an embarrassing loss to Venezuela, but their recent win over Colombia put them on a more even keel and they are now level on points with regional group leaders Uruguay, albeit having played a game more, and Venezuela.

"The group are doing fine. But we needed a win like that to strengthen ourselves. It has revitalised us," Messi said, recognising that "sometimes we don't quite get up to the mark either in terms of performance or the result. We are aware of that."

On the difference between playing for his country and Barça, with whom he has just won the FIFA Club World Cup, Messi said: "They are two different things. Barcelona are the best team in the world, even non-fans admit as much. That is the result of years of hard work with the same team-mates.

"It's more difficult with the national side and we've been through a lot of chopping and changing of coaches in recent years," he said pointedly. "But we are growing and I know we are going to achieve a lot."

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Alves relishing derby, Xavi backs Messi

Barcelona and Real Madrid may have collided seven times last year, but that frequency has not quenched Dani Alves’s thirst to partake 2012's first instalment of the fixture.

The Spanish superpowers will encounter in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final at the Santiago Bernabeu tomorrow.

"We really enjoy playing against Real Madrid,” the 28-year-old wingback told Barça TV. “I have already featured in plenty of games like this.

"Now we meet again and that's only normal. Big teams that fight for the same trophies will meet more than once per season.

“There is always a certain balance between the two teams when we meet, regardless of the form in previous weeks. We will be well prepared and will see what happens.”

Barça won three, drew three and lost one of their seven matches against Real in 2011. However, the one they lost was in the Copa del Rey final, when Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal in extra time to clinch Los Merengues the trophy for the 18th time - only Barcelona (25) and Athletic Bilbao (23) have won the competition on more occasions.

In the latest El Cl?sico on 10 December, the Lionel Messi-inspired Catalans recovered an early deficit to emerge 3-1 victors in the Spanish capital. And Xavi believes the little Argentinian will prove decisive again this time round.

“Leo will make the difference,” the Spain midfielder said. “He's usually decisive, but he grows in these games and relishes playing in them.”

Real Madrid & Barcelona legends
Click this Classic Players link to read about the superb careers of former Barcelona and Real Madrid players including Johan Cruyff, Alfredo Di Stefano, Sandor Kocsis, Raymond Kopa, Michael Laudrup, Ferenc Puskas, Romario, Ricardo Zamora & Zinedine Zidane.

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Neymar talks 'king' Pele, Messi

Brazilian star Neymar admitted today that he could never reach Pele's level and described Lionel Messi as the best in the world.

The top-rated 19-year-old, who has been at the centre of a debate over whether he is better than Barcelona ace Messi, said the reigning FIFA Ballon d'Or winner was superior "at the moment".

"I do believe Messi is the best player at the moment," the talented Santos striker told a packed press conference in Japan after jetting in for the FIFA Club World Cup, where he could come face-to-face with Messi in the final.

And Neymar dismissed any comparisons with the iconic Pele, who remains idolised for his exploits with Santos and Brazil.

"He's the one and only, he's the king of football," said Neymar, sporting his trademark blond mohawk. "To reach his level is something I don't think I can do."

Neymar, who last month signed a two-year contract extension with the South American champions, said he had nothing to prove at this month's tournament.

"For me, I'm not trying to prove anything here," the Brazilian international said. "I'm here to contribute to the team and win the title."

He also admitted that he had been taken aback by the adulation he had received in Japan. "I'm on the other side of the globe but so many people seem to know me and love me," the striker added.

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