Celebregion

       Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola have each donated €1 million to help fight against coronavirus.      The money will be particularly useful in helping Spain's medical system, the second-most impacted European country behind Italy, that has been overwhelmed with cases of COVID-19.      The Argentinian winger's seven-figure donation will be split between two locations. One recipient of his money will be the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, while the other will be a medical center in his home town of Rosario, Argentina. ESPN reports that the total donation will be around €1 million. Messi has donated large sums to medical causes in the past, helping to fund a new cancer wing at the Sant Joan de Deu children's hospital in Barcelona.

      Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi will sign a new four-year deal with the club, keeping him with the Spanish giants until 2021, the side said on Wednesday. Five times a Ballon d'Or winner, the Argentinean forward was entering the final 12 months of his current deal before the new one was agreed. Messi, who scored 37 times in La Liga last season, has been at Barcelona since the age of 13, rising through their youth system to become one of the most successful and recognisable footballers in the world. The 30-year-old follows in the footsteps of teammates and fellow strikers Luis Suarez and Neymar, who signed new deals last season. Local media reports indicate the deal will see Messi remain as the club’s highest earner, while his buyout clause has been upped to 300 million euros.

Messi at the ceremony       Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi won the World Player of the Year award today for the third year running. Messi beat club mate Xavi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, the other finalists, to clinch FIFA’s Ballon D’Or. The 24-year-old Argentine also won the award last year when it was created by joining the previously separate annual honours handed out by soccer’s ruling body FIFA and France Football magazine. Messi won both 2009 awards. Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola was voted 2011 coach of the year.Guardio la took the coach’s award ahead of Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson and Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho.