The year 2021 is gradually winding down as we have less than 8 days to go as of the time of publishing this report. Hence, Futballnews has decided to take a look at the five biggest football stories that shock the world in 2021.
Below are the five biggest football stories in 2021
- FC Barcelona announced the departure of Lionel Messi and the player cried during his farewell press conference
Arguably, the story that FC Barcelona would not be able to extend Lionel Messi’s contract in August 2021 was the biggest in the world of football this year.
Though negotiations over a possible contract extension lasted longer than expected, many supporters of FC Barcelona expected that the club would extend Messi’s contract.
Recall that Messi started his professional football career in Barcelona. He was expected to retire at the club which he gave 17 years of his career.
Unfortunately, due to the financial crisis at the club, the Spanish La Liga giants could not extend Messi’s stay at Barca when his contract expired on June 30, 2021.
Due to the love he had for the club, Lionel Messi wept uncontrollably during his farewell press conference at the club.
Also read:
- Lionel Messi agrees 2-year deal with PSG, to undergo medical before the end of Monday
- Lionel Messi cries as he confirms his exit from FC Barcelona [Video]
- Barcelona has confirmed that Lionel Messi will not sign a new deal with the club… so what club will Messi sign with?
- Lionel Messi signs for PSG, wins Copa America, and 7th Ballon d’Or
Lionel is arguably the man of 2021 as far as football is concerned. From the news that FC Barcelona would not be able to extend his contract to agreeing to join Paris Saint Germain on a free transfer, there was always something big to report about Messi all year long.
Aside from the fact that he agreed to join PSG on a two-year deal after Barca failed to extend his stay, one of the news that came from Messi which the world could not stop talking about in 2021 was leading Argentina to win Copa America.
Recall that Lionel Messi has led Argentina to the semi-finals and final of the tournament a couple of times but it has been almost impossible for him to win it. He finally broke the jinx in July 2021.
Months after, he was named the winner of the 2021 Ballon d’Or ahead of Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich and his career rival, Cristiano Ronaldo. Hence, he finished the year with a record 7 Ballon d’Or.
Also read:
- Lionel Messi finally wins Copa America for Argentina
- Lionel Messi returns to Parc des Princes with his 7th Ballon d’Or trophy that some people say he stole… And Ronaldo thinks he stole it too
- Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Manchester United
Just like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed his share of media coverage but the one that stood out among them was his decision to leave Juventus for Manchester United.
At the point he made the decision, he was still having more than a season left on his contract with Juventus, hence he was not expected to leave.
To the dismay of Juventus fans, Cristiano Ronaldo left in August 2021 and returned to Manchester United, a club he played for between 2003 and 2009 before he joined Real Madrid in 2009, and then Juventus in 2018.
The 36-year-old Portuguese football icon who has won 5 Ballon d’Or in his career ended the year with the news that he and his lover, Georgina Rodriguez, are expecting a boy and a girl.
Also read:
- Cristiano Ronaldo signs for Manchester United, the Portuguese star reacts
- Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez used their four children to reveal the gender of their unborn twins
- Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch
Italy beat England to win the European Championship (Euro 2020) on July 12, 2021, but that was not the biggest news from the tournament which ought to hold in 2020 but postponed to 2021 due to Covid.
Arguably, the biggest news from the tournament was Christian Eriksen’s unfortunate collapse on the pitch during Denmark vs Finland opening group stage game in the tournament.
The Denish midfielder was taken to the hospital after he was given CPR on the pitch for a prolonged period. While at the hospital, it was confirmed that he suffered cardiac arrest and was operated upon so that a defibrillator device can be implanted in him.
Earlier this month, Inter Milan announced that Christian Eriksen’s contract has been terminated because laws in Italy do not permit players to play with devices implanted in them.
Also read:
- Christian Eriksen no longer have a club after his heart condition forced Inter Milan to let him go
- Christian Eriksen collapses during the Denmark v Finland Euro 2020 match… what happened to him?
- Christian Eriksen has been discharged after a successful operation
- Saudi Arabia backed consortium buys Newcastle United
After a series of back and forth, a Saudi Arabia-backed consortium bought Newcastle United for £300 million. This became very big news because those behind the consortium were worth at least £320 billion.
This makes Newcastle United the only club in the world to be owned by a group with so much money. Despite that, the Premier League club is still sitting in the relegation zone.
However, the fact that Newcastle United are still languishing in the relegation zone is excusable because the billionaires that bought the club are yet to have a transfer window to invest in the squad.
Hence, all eyes are on the January transfer window because football enthusiasts want to see how the club would spend on players without breaching the Premier League financial fair play rule.
Also read:
- Newcastle United new owners are the richest club owners in the world
- It’s a done deal… Newcastle united sold to Saudi wealth fund that is worth $320 billion
- Newcastle United are preparing for the January transfer window
These are the Futballnews’ five biggest football stories in 2021. In case we missed out on any, kindly let us know via the comment section.
