Tag: Lionel Messi

Major League Soccer (MLS) commissioner Don Garber refused to be drawn on whether the league planned to sanction Lionel Messi after the Inter Miami and Argentina superstar was a late withdrawal from Wednesday’s All-Star game.

Messi and Miami teammate Jordi Alba had both been due to start in Wednesday’s showpiece in Austin, where a combined MLS XI defeated a team representing Mexico’s Liga-MX 3-1.

However, news broke early Wednesday that Miami had informed MLS neither player would feature in the game, for reasons that were not immediately clear.

The 11th-hour snub has left Messi and Alba facing a one-game suspension from MLS. Under league rules, players selected for the All-Star game must participate unless they have a valid reason, such as an injury, not to do so.

Garber, however, was tight-lipped about a possible sanction for Messi following his controversial no-show, declining to say whether the league would proceed with issuing a ban against its biggest star, who could now miss Miami’s game against FC Cincinnati this weekend.

“Anything that’s going to happen as relates to next weekend, we’re not going to talk about today,” Garber told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s match.

“The game is not until this coming weekend, and we don’t need to answer that. We’re managing through this process as we speak.”

While Messi, 38, showed no sign of injury while scoring twice in Miami’s win over the New York Red Bulls last weekend, Garber did note that the Argentinian star has recently completed a punishing schedule of games.

Lionel Messi has played nine games in 35 days, four in the Club World Cup and five in domestic competitions, and played 90 minutes in each game.

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“Miami’s had a schedule that is unlike any other team,” Garber said. “Most of our teams had a 10-day break. Miami hasn’t. So we have to manage through that as a league.”

“At the same time, we do have rules. And we have to manage that as well. So we would have loved to have Leo here and to have every player that was selected here.”

Garber said the league should have been made aware earlier that Lionel Messi planned to skip Wednesday’s game.

“We should have known earlier,” Garber added. “We should have addressed it earlier. No doubt about that.”

Messi and Alba’s participation in the All-Star game had been under a cloud after Miami coach Javier Mascherano indicated at the weekend he wanted Messi and Alba to rest.

“The players are called up. I’d prefer they rest, but it’s not my decision,” Mascherano said.

“I know how important the All-Star Game is, and as far as I know, there’s no decision from the club — everything continues as normal.”

Lionel Messi joined MLS in 2023, just months after leading Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup.

The eight-time Ballon D’Or winner has had a transformative impact on the league since his arrival, boosting the global profile of MLS and sending ticket sales skyrocketing.

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Young Barcelona star Lamine Yamal inherited the club’s iconic number 10 shirt, previously worn by all-time great Lionel Messi, on Wednesday.

“Messi made his path and I will make mine,” Yamal told reporters at an event at the club shop at the Spotify Camp Nou stadium.

“I will work as hard as I can, give everything, and try to make those Barca fans who are there happy and those who are at home.”

The 18-year-old winger, often compared to the Argentine superstar who also came through the club’s La Masia youth academy, helped the Catalan giants win a domestic treble last season.

He signed a new contract with Barcelona until 2031 in May, becoming one of the best-paid players at the club.

“I hope to enjoy myself more than last year and make my dreams come true,” continued Yamal, who said he wanted to win the Champions League with the Catalan giants, and also the World Cup with Spain.

Lamine Yamal has scored 25 goals for the club in over 100 appearances, making his debut in 2023 at the age of 15 wearing the number 41 shirt.

“Barca is my life, I’ve been here since I was seven, for all kids from La Masia, their dream is to make it to the first team, and I’m doing it and I have to keep working,” said Yamal.

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“When I was little, I dreamed of being at Barca and having this number.”

After a season wearing the 27, last summer Yamal followed in Messi’s footsteps by taking the number 19, which the Argentine wore at the club between 2005 and 2008.

Ansu Fati inherited Messi’s number 10 shirt in 2021, when the legendary Argentinian left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Beset by a series of injuries, Fati was unable to fulfill his potential at Barca and signed on loan for Monaco earlier in July.

Other star names, including Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo, have worn the Barcelona number 10 shirt in the past.

“(Messi, Maradona, Ronaldinho) are three legends of football, three legends of this club,” said Yamal.

“I am grateful for what they gave the club, and I will try to continue this legacy.”

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Lionel Messi faces a reunion with his former club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after his Inter Miami side reached the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a 2-2 draw with Palmeiras.

The Brazilian side fought back from two goals down to draw at Hard Rock Stadium, a result which secured both teams a place in the knock-out stages.

Goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez had Miami on course for a second surprise victory in the tournament after their win over Porto.

But the Brazilian side struck twice in the last 10 minutes through Paulinho and Mauricio to make sure of their place in the next round.

Few expected Miami to make it out of the group, but they now face the European champions while Palmeiras will have an all-Brazilian encounter with Botafogo.

For Messi, who celebrates his 38th birthday on Tuesday, the tie in Atlanta will see him face his former club PSG for the first time since leaving them to join Inter Miami in 2023.

“It’s a historic night for the MLS because we are into the best 16 teams in the world, and all the MLS have to be proud of Inter Miami,” said Miami coach Javier Mascherano.

The result meant that Egyptian club Al Ahly and Porto were both eliminated despite producing a highly entertaining 4-4 draw at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

There were six Argentines in the Miami starting line-up, which took the field in front of a large Brazilian contingent in the 60,914 crowd.

The travelling fans were on their feet in the opening minutes when Gustavo Gomez powered a header goalwards from a corner, but Oscar Ustari was down well to save.

Inter Miami grabbed the lead in the 16th minute when Suarez brilliantly chested a long ball into the path of the on-rushing Allende, who showed pace to break clear of the Brazilian defence and then composure to fire past Weverton.

Palmeiras’s tactics of sitting off Miami were not working with Messi dropping deep and linking up with Sergio Busquets and Federico Redondo as the Major League Soccer side enjoyed plenty of possession.

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The only chance for Palmeiras before the break came when Facundo Torres found himself in a promising position after some sloppy Miami defending but he screwed his shot wide.

Messi’s first real effort on goal came four minutes after the restart when he eked out just enough room on the edge of the box for a low shot but Weverton was down well.

Allende threatened again when he broke down the right and flashed a shot just wide of the post and Messi drove a bouncing ball narrowly over the bar as Miami pushed for a second goal.

That came in the 65th minute with the 38-year-old former Barcelona striker Suarez rolling back the years as he dribbled past two defenders and then blasted into the top corner.

Top spot in the group mattered to Inter Miami as it would have avoided the clash with PSG, but it was not to be as Palmeiras earned themselves a crucial point with their late revival.

Substitute Paulinho fired home in the 80th minute after a lovely reverse pass from Allan Andrade.

Then, with three minutes left on the clock, Maxi Falcon’s header fell straight to Mauricio, who pounced on the opportunity, rifling into the far corner to make it 2-2.

“It was a great game from us, it’s difficult to play against one of the best teams in South America,” said Mascherano.

“Maybe at the end we had the game in our hands, so the feeling is strange, but before the start of the tournament, if someone told me we were going to have this kind of performance against these kind of teams, I would have signed for it.”

Abel Ferreira, the Palmeiras head coach, was highly critical of his team’s opening 45 minutes but pleased with their reaction.

“I told them at half-time that it was impossible to do worse than what we did in the first half. We were unable to contain our opponents or put pressure on them up front. But our spirit of fighting until the end was particularly important in the second half, and we were rewarded for that,” he said.

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Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were held to a 0-0 draw by Egyptian side Al Ahly on Saturday as the new 32-team Fifa Club World Cup tournament got off to a smooth start in front of 60,927 fans in Florida.

Lionel Mess was denied a storybook stoppage-time winner when he saw his curling shot from 20 yards out tipped on to the bar by Mohamed El Shenawy as Miami piled on the pressure in the final minutes of the game.

Al Ahly, who were cheered on by over 10,000 of their supporters, were left to rue a first-half penalty from Egypt international Trezeguet, which was saved by Miami’s Argentine keeper Oscar Ustari.

But the Egyptians also had El Shenawy to thank for another fine save in the dying seconds to keep out a header from Maxi Falcon as Miami pushed for three points in the Group A clash.

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For organisers FIFA, who have faced heavy skepticism over the necessity for the tournament, the absence of a goal was the only disappointment on a night that delivered everything else that their president Gianni Infantino had hoped for from the opening night.

Fears of a low crowd for the opener eased as the seats in the 64,000 venue began to fill up with the stadium almost full at kick-off time.

Thousands of fans of Al Ahly, record 12 times African Champions League winner and 45-time league champions of Egypt, arrived at Hard Rock Stadium well ahead of kick-off and made their presence felt with singing and chanting.

The stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, witnessed chaotic scenes last year at the final of the Copa America between Argentina and Colombia where fans broke into the ground after long delays to enter.

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Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez each scored two goals to spark Inter Miami to a 4-2 Major League Soccer (MLS) victory over visiting Montreal on Wednesday.

Argentine superstar Messi opened the scoring in the 27th minute and assisted on Suarez’s first goal in the 68th minute for a 2-0 edge.

Uruguayan star Suarez scored again in the 71st minute before Montreal’s Dante Sealy answered in the 74th minute.

Lionel Messi struck again in the 87th minute before Victor Loturi pulled one back from the Canadian club two minutes into stoppage time.

Miami jumped to sixth in the Eastern Conference with seven wins and five draws from 15 matches, while East doormat Montreal slid to 1-10 with five draws.

Inter Miami had lost twice and drawn twice in the past four matches.

“We had to take responsibility for the poor results. It’s a matter of correcting to regain confidence,” said Suarez, who added the victory “means a lot … We have to continue to gain confidence in this kind of game.”

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Inter coach Javier Mascherano was concerned about injuries to defenders Gonzalo Lujan, Tomas Aviles and Jordi Alba.

“We needed to cut the negative dynamic. I’m happy,” he said. “Unfortunately, the victory is tarnished by the departure of Gonzalo, Jordi and Toto.”

“In the case of Gonzalo and Jordi, it was something muscular, which tomorrow we will see how far it is. In the case of ‘Toto’, it was the ankle that swelled in a stomp. Maybe he could continue. He wanted to continue.”

Overall league leader Philadelphia won 2-1 at Toronto as the Union rallied late after Norway’s Ola Brynhildsen scored in the 75th minute.

Nathan Harriel netted the equaliser for the Union in the 86th minute, and Germany’s Kai Wagner scored the game winner two minutes into stoppage time.

The Union improved to 10-3-3 for a league-high 33 points while none of the three clubs just behind them on the table could manage full points, second-place Cincinnati drawing 3-3 with visiting Dallas and third-place Nashville drawing 2-2 at fourth-place Columbus.

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The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has paid homage to Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, placing him among football players Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and Luka Modrić.

FIFA shared the iconic number 10 jersey in a social media post, featuring global football icons.

“The iconic,” FIFA wrote in a caption alongside the jersey of Shaheen Afridi and football players.

FIFA’s gesture is reportedly part of a broader effort to increase fan engagement in Pakistan ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, set to take place in the United States of America (USA).

 

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Last year, Manchester United also honoured the pacer during his visit to Old Trafford, the iconic home of the football club.

At Old Trafford, Shaheen Afridi received a warm welcome. He was spotted in the dugout of the iconic stadium, posing with a personalized Manchester United jersey.

The jersey displayed his name, “Afridi,” along with the iconic No. 10, which has been worn by football legends such as David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Wayne Rooney, highlighting the significance of the visit.

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It is pertinent to mention that the honour came at a time when Lahore Qalandars triumphed for the third time in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10. Shaheen Afridi, the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, was pivotal to his team’s success.

With the win, the left-arm pacer also etched his name into the tournament’s history as the most successful captain. Shaheen Afridi has won three titles in PSL, making him the most successful captain.

Lahore Qalandars chased down 202 to defeat Quetta Gladiators in the final at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Sikandar Raza, who came 10 minutes before the toss, secured the emphatic win for his team, scoring 22 off seven balls.

Captains with most PSL titles:

Shaheen Afridi (Lahore Qalandars) – 3

Misbah-ul-Haq (Islamabad United) – 1

Darren Sammy (Peshawar Zalmi) – 1

JP Duminy (Islamabad United) – 1

Sarfaraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators) – 1

Imad Wasim (Karachi Kings) – 1

Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans) – 1

Shadab Khan (Islamabad United) – 1

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Inter Miami failed to score for the first time this season in Major League Soccer (MLS) as they were held to a goalless draw by the Chicago Fire on Sunday.

A club-record crowd of 62,358 packed into Soldier Field for the visit of Lionel Messi and his Inter team to witness a gutsy display from the home side.

Chicago, coached by former USA boss Gregg Berhalter, limited Messi and his former Barcelona strike partner Luis Suarez to just a handful of opportunities.

The best effort from Messi, who played the full game, came in the third minute when he unleashed a snap shot from outside the box, which was denied by a fine, diving save from Fire keeper Chris Brady.

There was no sense of Chicago being overawed by the big crowd at the stadium they share with the NFL’s Bears, and they went close twice in the opening half with Mauricio Pineda forcing Oscar Ustari into a full stretch save and then Philip Zinckernagel striking the outside of the post from a narrow angle.

Suarez had a great chance to put Miami ahead just before the break when Noah Allen floated a ball in, but the Uruguayan put his shot over the bar.

After the break, Chicago enjoyed plenty of pressure, with much of the creativity coming from former Lille winger Jonathan Bamba.

The Fire should have grabbed all three points in the 88th minute when Bamba’s shot was parried out by Ustari, but Maren Haile-Selassie put the follow-up shot wide.

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Bamba was denied again by Ustari moments later, but in a frantic finale, Miami also could have stolen a win, but from a promising position, Tadeo Allende dragged his shot wide.

Inter Miami had looked tired after their midweek exertions in their CONCACAF Champions Cup win over Los Angeles FC on Wednesday, and coach Javier Mascherano appeared relieved they had picked up a point.

“We came with a very, very big load not only physically, but also mentally. So not losing is always important, too,” he said.

“I’ll take the positives, which is that we didn’t concede a goal. We’d been conceding goals for three games, and today, we kept a clean sheet. … Now, luckily, we have a long week of work, which is a bit of a break for us, after the start of the season we’ve had,” he said.

Former Miami coach Phil Neville saw his improving Portland Timbers team enjoy a 4-2 win at Sporting Kansas City with Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy scoring twice.

Portland are unbeaten in five games and move up to fourth in the Western Conference. The Columbus Crew fought back from a goal down to enjoy a 2-1 win at St.Louis City.

Brazilian Joao Klauss opened the scoring for the home side before Crew defender Steven Moreira levelled with a side-footed volley.

Uruguayan Diego Rossi secured the win with a low drive from outside the box in the 55th minute.

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Lionel Messi watched from the bench as 10-man Inter Miami held on for a 1-0 win over Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer (MLS) on Sunday.

The Argentine was not used by coach Javier Mascherano in a game where Miami spent much of the time on the back foot after goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was sent off in the 38th minute.

It marked the third straight game that Lionel Messi failed to feature for Inter Miami after he did not travel to Houston for last week’s 4-1 win in MLS before watching the 2-0 victory over Jamaica’s Cavalier in the CONCACAF Champions Cup first-leg game on Thursday.

Mascherano has said he is managing the workload of the 37-year-old World Cup winner and while his absence has been a disappointment for fans, Miami have not paid a price on the field.

Charlotte FC, coached by Englishman Dean Smith, the former Aston Villa manager, were the better team throughout the encounter but proved unable to convert their plentiful possession into real goal chances.

The visitors offered early indicators of where their threats lay, with Wilfried Zaha, the former Crystal Palace winger, showing flashes of his skill on the left flank, while Israeli winger Liel Abada’s pace was evident on the opposite wing.

Miami were creating little, with Ashley Westwood dictating play in the centre of midfield for the North Carolina side, and they found themselves in trouble when Ustari received a straight red after he raced off his line and brought down Zaha.

The teams went in goalless at the break but it took just seconds for Miami to strike after the interval with a delightfully constructed goal.

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Tadeo Allende back-heeled to Luis Suarez, and the veteran returned the ball with a chip, which the Argentine chested down and then buried into the bottom corner.

It was the fourth goal this season in all competitions for Allende, who joined Miami on loan from Spanish club Celta Vigo.

Inter Miami opted to defend their lead, sitting deep and in numbers, frustrating Charlotte FC, who struggled to break through their defence despite 13 corners.

Their best chance came in the 65th minute when Zaha whipped in a wicked cross from the left, but Patrick Agyemang’s glancing header flashed wide of the post.

The crowd chanted for a Messi cameo, but Mascherano opted for defensive changes as the South Florida side held firm to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

“Well, the truth is that in the case of Leo, we had thought of giving him minutes at some point in the game, but when we went a men down and with him having been out for so long, we thought it was best to keep him (on the bench) and not take any risks in that case,” said Mascherano, who did not explain what would be ‘risked’ by Messi.

There has been no clear indication of any injury for Messi with medical staff understood to be concerned about ‘overload’ on his muscles from the intense start of the season, resulting in the cautious approach from his coach.

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Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has heaped praise on Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli, comparing his dedication and work ethic to football greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Speaking to an Indian journalist in Lahore on Thursday, Amir highlighted how Kohli’s commitment to fitness, discipline, and overall lifestyle makes him a role model beyond just his on-field performances.

“Why do people love Ronaldo? Why do they love Messi? If I talk about Ronaldo, especially, look at his lifestyle. Look at his work ethic and his fitness. He is a complete package. Likewise, Virat Kohli is a complete package,” Amir said.

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The former left-arm quick emphasized that admiration for athletes like Kohli transcends borders, pointing out that even in Pakistan, the Indian batter has a huge fan following.

“Why is he a role model for many, even in Pakistan? The country doesn’t matter. Whether he is from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, or England—a role model can be from anywhere,” he added.

Mohammad Amir went on to state that Kohli is the best batter of this generation and that every young batter should look up to him as a role model.

“For this generation, Virat Kohli is an inspiration. All those youngsters who want to be cricketers, who want to be batters, should follow Virat Kohli’s footsteps,” he further added.

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Amir also shared that he wasn’t surprised to learn that Kohli arrived for training a full 90 minutes before the rest of the squad ahead of the high-voltage India-Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash.

“Virat Kohli is a player for whom age doesn’t matter. His work ethic doesn’t change depending on his form,” Amir said.

“He came 90 minutes before training on the eve of the India vs Pakistan match. Virat Kohli has lived the best life. He might play two or more years in international cricket, but his work ethic is still top-notch. There’s no doubting his ability and work ethics,” he concluded.

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Lionel Messi was named Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Most Valuable Player on Friday after leading Inter Miami to a record-breaking regular season campaign.

The Argentine superstar was handed the accolade after his performances helped Miami to a record regular season points tally, earning the club its first-ever Supporters Shield.

The 37-year-old maestro finished the regular season with a league-leading 36 goal contributions after netting 20 goals and 16 assists.

Messi’s MVP award comes despite an injury-hit campaign in which he made only 19 appearances.

Miami and Messi’s season ultimately fizzled out, when the team suffered a shock first-round defeat in the MLS Cup playoffs.

Lionel Messi is the 10th South American to win the MVP, and the fifth from Argentina after Luciano Acosta, Diego Valeri, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, and Christian Gomez.

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Messi was presented with the Most Valuable Player award in a ceremony at Inter’s Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale alongside Miami Academy players.

“Truly, it is an honor for me to receive this award from all of you,” Messi told the Academy players in a video posted on the team’s website. “It’s a source of pride to watch you all train. I’m very happy to be here every day.”

“I’m happy to be in this city, in this club that is growing … I invite you to keep fighting and striving for your dreams.”

MLS commissioner Don Garber said Messi brought an unprecedented touch of football stardom to the league, which will conclude its season on Saturday with the MLS Cup final between LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls in Los Angeles.

“To have the best player in the world be the best player in Major League Soccer is something that dreams are made of for all of us,” Garber said.

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