Goals. We've not been short of them in 2012. Between Leo Messi's 76 strikes to date this year and a frenzied 88-goal  European Championship it's been a vintage year for goalscorers. But which one of 2012's many glorious strikes should be named Goal of the Year in FIFA's annual Puskas prize on January 7?

The nominees have been announced - now let the Icons team guide you through who they each think deserves to win..

Ben Soley - Neymar (Santos vs. Internacional)

"His pace looks blistering and he shows great control at that speed. Falcao is a close second just because he looked like he meant it and it was on his laces."

Javier Urrutia - Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid vs. America de Cali)

"It's amazing skill. I think he deserves the recognition because he's having an exceptional season. But Zlatan Ibrahimovic's goal against England should be in the list - it's maybe the best overhead kick in history!"

Al Horner - Leo Messi (Argentina vs. Brazil)

"The most amazing thing about the nominated Messi strike is it's the sort of thing he pulls off week in week out. Otherwise, I love Neymar but Hatem Ben Arfa's goal pips the Brazilian's for me - he travels further and beats more players."

Margaret Plunkett - Santi Cazorla (Arsenal vs. West Ham)

"Call me biased but I can't believe no Arsenal goals have been nominated. Santi Cazorla's goal against West Ham was something special. From the list, I'd pick Neymar or Falcao."

Dan Jamieson - Neymar (Santos vs. Internacional)

"I love it when people dribble the length of the field. Diego Maradona, George Weah... and Bruno off my Sunday League team of course."

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Icons Press Release: July 2, 2012

UK Football Fans Fall In Love With Leo Messi

Signed Leo Messi products from Icons.com outselling the rest by 4 to 1

FORMER Manchester United Merchandising Director, Edward Freedman, says sales figures for Icons.com’s Leo Messi signed memorabilia prove the Argentinian maestro is now the UK’s best-loved player.

Freedman chairs Icons.com - the most trusted football memorabilia supplier in the game, providing sought-after signed shirts, photos and other products to fans and gift buyers throughout the world.

The former Managing Director of Tottenham Hotspur, hailed by The Economist as “football’s merchandising guru”, says Messi memorabilia now outsells Ronaldo, the next best selling player, by a factor of 4 to 1 and leaves Rooney and Gerrard trailing in his wake.

The Icons Chairman said:

“UK football fans love Spanish football and Messi in particular. He’s the neutral’s favourite with most football lovers now agreeing he is the best in the world, if not the best ever. The UK public has fallen in love with him.”

“Everyone wants to be close to greatness and by owning a signed Messi shirt then you’ve got the world’s very best. When Icons.com says ‘signed by the world’s best’, we mean it.”

Icons also sell its memorabilia in Harrods where the Argentinian legend outsells otherplayers by 5 to 1. Icons.com now sell his shirts to 78 countries around the world.

The company stocks ten Messi products including a signed and framed Barcelona 2011/12 home shirt; a dual signed Barcelona 2011/12 home shirt with Andrés Iniesta; a signed Adidas boot and a selection of signed iconic photographs of the great man in action.

Messi’s range of signed memorabilia outsold Icons range of other products - signed by the likes of Kaka, Robin Van Persie, Luis Saurez, Andres Iniesta and even Diego Maradona - by the bucket load between April 2011 and April 2012.

Freedman added:

“Does this mean UK football fans are getting less tribal and more sophisticated? That remains to be seen. But it does show how strong the Barcelona and Messi brands have become. They are setting new standards for the game and, in turn, reinventing the football memorabilia market.”

You can view and buy Icons’ range of signed products at www.icons.com.

For more information on this product, or Icons.com, or for interviews with Edward Freedman, please contact Ben Lee on blee@hardhat.co.uk or 07961 820 579.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. Sales figures through Icons.com from April 2011 and April 2012:

Player - Team / Nation = Units sold

Leo Messi - Barcelona, Argentina = 2021

Cristiano Ronald - Real Madrid, Portugal = 496

Robin Van Persie - Arsenal, Holland = 481

Kaka - AC Milan, Brazil = 477

Luis Suarez - Liverpool, Uruguay = 409

Andrés Iniesta - Barcelona, Spain = 386

Steven Gerrard - Liverpool, England = 365

Wayne Rooney - Man Utd, England = 274

Diego Maradona - Argentina = 261

Fernando Torres - Chelsea, Spain = 254

2. Icons has been in business since 1999. Icons is one of the oldest memorabilia operators in the country, if not the world.
3. Edward Freedman has over 40 years experience in the retail industry and in the late 80s was Managing Director of Tottenham Hotspur. He then moved to Manchester United and became Managing Director ofManchester United Merchandising from 1992 onwards. Over the next six years he transformed the commercial side of the club's operation and built Manchester United into the biggest brand in world football. He was also a key player in the formation of the Premier League and was hailed by The Economist as "football's merchandising guru".
4. Icons.com are an international brand and supply to well over 70 countries each year and haverepresentatives in North America and regularly supply customers in Japan, Australia and the Middle East.
5. Icons.com employs the highest standards in the signed football merchandise industry to assure customers of the authenticity of its products. At each event, photographs document each signature and Icons creates a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) for each item including the date and venue and a picture of the product and the signing image. Each product carries a uniquely coded Icons hologram whose identical twin is added to the COA which is signed by the Icons Managing Director.
6. Icons were awarded the world's first ever signed football memorabilia license by FIFA in 2010. This summer Icons has been awarded the first ever official license for the UEFA Champions League.
7. Icons have partnered with Sky Sports’ Revista De La Liga programme for years now. They are also now the official partner of the Abu Dhabi Media Company who own the rights to the Premier League throughout the Middle East.
8. Icons also run regular promotions with the likes of Sky Sports, The Blizzard, 442 and GuillemBalague.com.
9. A Spanish version of the Icons website is available for Spanish fans.
ENDS

Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona lock horns in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final this Wednesday at the Bernabeu. La Liga leaders Madrid have won 22 of their last 23 games, but Barcelona have a psychological advantage over their arch-rivals having lost only one Clásico in eight since José Mourinho took over. The tie will be settled next week at the Camp Nou, and to mark this momentous occasion we have dug out five classic Clásicos from recent years for your viewing pleasure.

*Remember to open video links in a new tab.

Leo Messi hat-trick

It was on the night of 11th March, 2007 that a 19-year-old Leo Messi became football’s hottest property. Three times Fabio Capello’s Real Madrid took the lead in this pulsating encounter at the Camp Nou, and three times they were pegged back by Messi. The Argentinian’s virtuoso performance overshadowed superstar teammates Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o, and in a thrilling finale he sealed his hat-trick with a stunning stoppage time equaliser. Collecting a Ronaldinho pass 30 yards from goal, Messi accelerated away from two defenders and coolly steered the ball past Iker Casillas to level it up at 3-3.

Real Madrid demolish the 'Dream Team'

Messi’s treble in 2007 was the first in a Clásico since 1995, when Real Madrid’s Chilean striker Ivan Zamorano was the hat-trick hero as they demolished Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona ‘Dream Team’ 5-0 at the Bernabeu. 364 days previously, Barcelona had thrashed Madrid by the same scoreline at the Camp Nou, but the crucial difference this time around was that Danish midfielder Michael Laudrup had since switched clubs. The Dane was influential in both fixtures, and it was no coincidence that he won La Liga with each club consecutively. The 1994/95 La Liga title with Madrid was his fifth in a row.

'Match of the Century'

In 2002 Real Madrid proved their dominance over Barcelona with this impressive Champions League semi-final triumph. In a contest billed ‘Match of the Century’ by the Spanish media, Zinedine Zidane inspired Madrid’s Galacticos to a crucial 2-0 win in the first leg at the Camp Nou. The Frenchman gave Madrid the lead with a glorious chip before England winger Steve McManaman added a second late on with another superb lofted finish. The return leg at the Bernabeu finished 1-1 and Real Madrid safely booked their place in the final. With his unforgettable volleyed winner, Zidane would play a pretty crucial role in that game too.

Ronaldinho's standing ovation

A standing ovation from your own fans is one thing, but to receive one from your most hated rivals as Ronaldinho did in November 2005 is practically unheard of. In his glorious pomp, the buck-toothed Brazilian was almost unplayable. Samuel Eto’o opened the scoring for Barcelona in this magnificent 3-0 victory after a probing run from one Leo Messi, but the brilliant Ronaldinho stole the show with two stunning individual goals cutting in from the left hand side. Barca romped to the title that year, finishing 12 points clear of their arch-rivals.

The guard of honour

Barcelona's turn to be humbled here, as they are forced to give newly crowned La Liga champions Madrid a guard of honour before this meeting at the Bernabeu in May 2008. As if that wasn't humiliating enough, Madrid went on to thrash the visitors 4-1 with goals from Raúl, Robben, Higuaín and van Nistelrooy. The day after this dismal defeat, Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard was sacked. In came Pep Guardiola, and, well, you know the rest.

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To view our amazing range of signed Barcelona products click here

For the Real Madrid range click here

Follow Icons on Twitter @icons_football

For Barcelona and Argentina's Leo Messi, life at the pinnacle of his profession is becoming routine. Winner of the Ballon d'Or for the third year in a row, there is no questioning his status as the world's best player. The 24-year-old has signed exclusively for Icons since 2006, and our relationship has gone from strength to strength ever since. The world's best player and the home of signed football memorabilia. It makes for a dream partnership.

We first met with Leo Messi as an 18-year-old on May 5^th, 2006. The little Argentinian made his debut for both Barcelona and his country the previous season, but had made fewer than 30 first-team appearances in total. It was still more than enough to convince us he had a huge future. Below is a photo of Leo at that first ever signing in Barcelona. Since that day we have conducted six more exclusive signing sessions together. (We have also improved our photography skills considerably!)

Messi's footballing brilliance is not easy to put into words, suffice to say he is beyond hyperbole. A devastating combination of breathtaking speed and power, close control, and extraordinary technical ability lands him in a league of his own. For all his talent, even the outstanding Cristiano Ronaldo cannot get close. So inevitable was Messi's Ballon d'Or triumph that the Portuguese didn't even bother to attend at the ceremony in Zurich.

Messi's hat-trick of Ballon d'Or awards coincides with three consecutive La Liga wins for Barcelona. It's no coincidence. Since the beginning of the 2008/09 season, Messi has fired a remarkable 169 goals in 187 Barcelona appearances, with dozens of assists to boot. Never before has a player dominated world football quite like this at the tender age of 24. He has become only the fourth player to win the Ballon d'Or three times, alongside legends Marco van Basten, Michel Platini and Johan Cruyff. Messi will eclipse them all.

Along with dozens of individual accolades, Messi has accumulated five La Liga titles, three Champions League wins and a Copa del Rey. Indeed, the only piece of silverware missing from his sparkling CV is a World Cup with Argentina. At 24, however, he has time on his side. He will get further chances to emulate the feats of Pele and Diego Maradona at international level. In terms of pure ability though, he is more than a match for the pair of them already.

"Off the pitch I am just normal," said Messi in Zurich. And he's right. Humble, unassuming and polite, he is a pleasure to work with. On the pitch, however, he is unlike any footballer the world has ever seen.

Our most recent meeting with Leo came on December 5th of last year, just over a month ago (pictured below). You can view our fantastic range of personally signed Messi products - including home and away shirts, boots and photos - here.

Follow Icons on Twitter and Facebook for news on our signings, and a chance to win amazing signed football memorabilia!

We are delighted to congratulate Icon Leo Messi on winning his third consecutive Ballon d'Or award. The 24-year-old Barcelona and Argentina superstar beat team-mate Xavi and Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo to land the prestigious title of world's best player. 

After legends Marco van Basten, Michel Platini and Johan Cruyff, Messi becomes the fourth player to win the award three times. And at such a young age, he is perfectly placed to smash the record set by his predeccesors in years to come. 

Messi played the starring role in Barcelona's Champions League triumph last season, and was named man of the match in the final against Manchester United. He also won the Primera División with Barcelona, as well as the the UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup and Spanish Super Cup. 

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Brazil legend Pele and UEFA president Michel Platini were among a host of leading football figures to lavish praise on Messi at the awards ceremony in Zurich. 

At Icons we have enjoyed an excellent relationship with Leo, having conducted our first signing with him when he was just 18. We met up with him for our sixth signing session together in December 2011. You can see our full range of signed Messi products here.

We are also proud to say that six of the FIFA 2011 World XI are on the Icons roster. Iker Casillas; Xabi Alonso; Andres Iniesta; Wayne Rooney; Cristiano Ronaldo; Leo Messi - the world's best six-a-side team?!

The rest of the World XI is made up of Sergio Ramos; Gerard Pique; Dani Alves; Nemanja Vidic and Xavi. We are working on adding more of those names to our list, so sign up to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter for the latest news!

We are delighted to see our Icons making up nine of the 23-man shortlist for the prestigious Ballon d'Or. Barcelona and Argentina's Leo Messi is the overwhelming favourite, and will match Michel Platini's record of three consecutive Ballon d'Ors if he is triumphant. Last year there were five Icons on the shortlist. This year we have grown. Let us know who you would like to see next on the site by getting in touch on Twitter or Facebook.

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney is the only Englishman to have been nominated, and is one of only five players connected to the Premier League on the shortlist. Of those five, Manchester City's Sergio Aguero only played half of 2011 in England, while ex-Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas now plays for Barcelona. In Spain, Barcelona lead the way with an incredible eight nominees, while rivals Real Madrid boast five.

Which Icon will be crowned World Player of the Year? Here is the complete shortlist:

Eric Abidal (France), Barcelona

Sergio Aguero (Argentina), Manchester City

Karim Benzema (France), Real Madrid

Iker Casillas (Spain), Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Real Madrid

Dani Alves (Brazil), Barcelona

Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Anzhi Makhachkala

Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Barcelona

Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Inter Milan

Andres Iniesta (Spain), Barcelona

Leo Messi (Argentina), Barcelona

Thomas Muller (Germany), Bayern Munich

Nani (Portugal), Manchester United

Neymar (Brazil), Santos

Mesut Ozil (Germany), Real Madrid

Gerard Pique (Spain), Barcelona

Wayne Rooney (England), Manchester United

Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Bayern Munich

Wesley Sneijder (Holland), Inter Milan

Luis Suarez (Uruguay), Liverpool

David Villa (Spain), Barcelona

Xabi Alonso (Spain), Real Madrid

Xavi (Spain), Barcelona

Love him or loathe him, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo looks like £80m well spent. Since his record-breaking move from Manchester United, the world's most expensive player has justified his astronomical transfer fee in emphatic fashion.

Ronaldo's arrival in Madrid in June 2009 came just days after the £57m signing of Kaka from AC Milan. It was the dawning of a new Galactico era. After all, it was the now reinstated Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez who oversaw the club's exorbitant spending between 2000 and 2007, during which time Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, the Brazilian Ronaldo and David Beckham arrived at the Bernabeu for fees totaling in excess of £140m.

In terms of an individual contribution to Real Madrid, however, Cristiano Ronaldo can claim precedence over all of the above. The Portuguese specializes in goals, and his record at Real is staggering. In 68 La Liga appearances, he has hit 74. In total he has 94 in 97 games. During his most prolific season in England (2007-08), he scored 42 goals in 49 games, but it was not until his move to Spain that he was able to hit those phenomenal heights on a consistent basis.

Ronaldo is a complete forward. He is a remarkable athlete, and his incredible pace and strength are absolutely key to his game. Precision shooting, devastating free-kicks and an unparalleled box of tricks combined with aerial prowess and steely determination put him at the very top of his profession.

Ronaldo earnt a reputation for showmanship during his formative years, but he matured considerably under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, and now couples his precocious talent with a strong work ethic. He still plays the pantomime villain, but it is a role he relishes, and he thrives under scrutiny. After receiving a particularly hostile reception from Dinamo Zagreb fans in a recent Champions League tie, Ronaldo – current captain of the Portugal national side - responded with typical swagger. "I think that because I am rich, handsome and a great player people are envious of me," he said.

In La Liga and in Europe, Ronaldo - FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or winner in 2008 - vies with Barcelona's Leo Messi to top the scoring charts. Last term in La Liga he managed it, becoming the first player to score 40 goals in a single season in Spain. He smashed a host of records in the process, and usurped Ferenc Puskas as the fastest Real Madrid player to reach 50 goals. He also became the first player to win the European Golden Shoe in two different leagues, having previously won it in the Premier League with United.

Despite Ronaldo's phenomenal efforts, Real have been unable to supplant Barca in La Liga since the 2007/08 season. His only trophy with Real to date is a Copa del Rey, but having won three Premier League titles and a Champions League with United, Ronaldo is no stranger to success. And with fellow Portuguese Jose Mourinho at the helm, it's surely only a matter of time before he adds more silverware to his CV.

Since his £12.2m transfer from Sporting Lisbon to United in 2003, Ronaldo's career has been on a steep upward trajectory, and at just 26 years old, it looks like he has a long way to go yet.

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Click here to view Icons' exclusive range of personally signed Cristiano Ronaldo photos.

Having just completed our sixth signing session with Leo Messi, the Argentinean was an obvious choice for this week's Forward Friday. Messi signs exclusively with Icons, and you can check out his amazing new range here.

"I've run out of adjectives to describe him," confessed Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola back in March 2010. Indeed, the brilliance of Leo Messi is not easy to put into words. With every season that passes, the best player of his generation strengthens claims that he is the best of all-time, and the eulogies that cascade his way are wholly justified.

Messi is beyond hyperbole. Combining sensational speed and close control with phenomenal balance and power, he is an utterly devastating force. His technical prowess is almost superhuman. The ball can appear glued to his feet as he glides effortlessly past defenders, and when he's not smashing the ball into the net, he's expertly carving out chances for his teammates to do it for him.

FIFA Ballon d'Or winner in 2010, Messi, 24, has already helped Barcelona to five La Liga titles and three Champions League wins, including a double last season. Since he was handed the departing Ronaldinho's iconic number 10 shirt at the start of the 2008/09 season, Messi has scored an incredible 141 goals in 161 games. During that time Barcelona have claimed a hat-trick of La Liga titles.

Messi was born in the Argentinian city of Rosario on 24^th June 1987 to a factory steel worker and a part-time cleaner. His life-changing move to Barcelona came in 2000 at the age of 13. Astonished by the level of ability he demonstrated on trial in Catalonia, Barcelona's sporting director Carles Rexach hurriedly scribbled out a contract on a napkin and - several signatures later - Messi was enrolled at Barcelona's renowned La Masia youth academy.

His first-team breakthrough came under Frank Rijkaard. Having already featured in friendlies as a 16-year-old, Messi made his league debut on 16 October 2004 against RCD Espanyol. At 17 years and 114 days he became the youngest player ever to appear in a La Liga match.

It didn't take him long to break into the Argentina set up either. At the 2005 under-20 World Cup the explosive Messi fired six goals and was named the winner of the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe as Argentina emerged triumphant. That August, Argentina manager José Pékerman handed the young prodigy his senior debut in a friendly against Hungary, but within a minute of coming on as a substitute in the 63^rd minute, Messi swung an arm at a defender tugging his shirt and was sent off. It was an acrimonious start to an international career that has yet to scale the great heights he is accustomed to at club level, but at 24, Messi has time on his side.

Picking out highlights from a career bursting with glorious moments is not easy, but amid comparisons to the great Diego Maradona, April 2007 seems a good time to start. Up against Getafe in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey, Messi picked up the ball just inside his own half, and with his mop of long hair streaming behind him, he produced a carbon copy of Maradona's legendary solo goal against England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. A few weeks later he even reproduced Maradona's infamous 'hand of God' moment when his blatant handball past Espanyol goalkeeper Carlos Kameni was allowed to stand.

"He is my Maradona", says Diego of his heir apparent. But the 'new Maradona' looks destined to overtake his idol.

Congratulations to the young winner of our Copa America competition!

Ryan Allison, 13, correctly predicted that Uruguay would win the Copa America before the group stages had even kicked off. Ryan is now the proud owner of a Leo Messi signed Adidas F50 boot. Here he is with his prize!

With Liverpool Icon Luis Suarez on fire throughout the tournament, Uruguay claimed their first Copa America title since 1995 after defeating Paraguay 3-0 in the final in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Thank you to everyone who entered. With more giveaways and competitions to follow, make sure you keep your eyes peeled and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

We predicted that Sergio Aguero was going to be one of the biggest names in world football when we did a signing with him way back in April 2010. Icons, as ever, was first, undertaking signings with the best players in the world.

We did Lionel Messi when he was 18 before he'd play 30 times for Barcelona...

...we did Cristiano Ronaldo when he was 20 and had just arrived from Portugal...

..and we did the first signing with Fernando Torres as soon as he arrived in England.

As each of these players has grown into a global superstar they've regularly signed with Icons, partly out of a sense of loyalty to a company that showed faith in them from an early age.

As for Sergio and his arrival in England, probably the best parallel we can draw is with his predecessor at Atletico, Fernando Torres. Before El Nino arrived, he was well-known in Spanish football but not that well-known in world terms. Within a year or so he was biggest Premier League shirt seller in the world. Aguero has the package to do the same: he plays the beautiful game in his own unique way - think Zola, mixed with Dalglish and a hint of Romario - and with his movie-star looks, Japanese nickname and Diego Maradona as a father-in-law, he is going to be a sensation over here.

We have Argentina and Atletico shirts and photos as well as Nike boots which can be framed with a Manchester City background for any fan of the Citizens. Sign up to the icons newsletter too as we're sure to make an announcement of his first UK signing soon.

Icons, signed by the world's best, spotted early by the world's best signed football site.