Years after Beckham-mania, fan activism and changes in recruitment strategy secured club’s first MLS Cup since 2014 When the Major League Soccer champions were crowned last December, Lionel Messi was not on the podium. He, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and the rest of the Inter Miami galácticos had been dispatched in the playoffs. Instead, the new kings of US football were the old aristocrats of LA Galaxy, back on top after a 10-year absence, but without a household name in their ranks. The team that brought you Beckham-mania, staged the Captain America show and gave a number of people Zlatan-itis had retaken the summit of the US club game with a roster of unheralded talent. But the twist was more profound than that: this 180-degree turn on strategy was brought about by fan activism, after supporters went on strike to force the club to change their approach. Continue reading...

Late strike rescues much-needed 2-1 win for hosts in BrasiliaLuis Díaz earlier cancelled out Raphinha’s early opener for Brazil A last-gasp Vinícius Júnior strike earned Brazil a hard-fought 2-1 win over Colombia in the South American World Cup qualifiers on Thursday. Vinícius scored the winner nine minutes into added time to rescue a much-needed win for Brazil who appeared destined for a third consecutive 1-1 draw after Luis Díaz cancelled out Raphinha’s early opener for the hosts in capital Brasilia. The victory lifted Brazil to second in South American qualifying with 21 points, four behind leaders Argentina and one ahead of Uruguay in third, both of whom have a game in hand and will clash on Friday. The top six qualify directly for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, with the seventh place offering passage via further rounds of qualifiers. Continue reading...

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi is left out of Argentina's squad for their next two World Cup qualifiers.

The Inter Miami star reportedly has a thigh injuryGarnacho, Etcheverri also left off final squad Lionel Messi will miss Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to an apparent muscle injury. The 37-year-old was not included in the 25-man squad announced on Monday by coach Lionel Scaloni. Argentinian media reported Messi suffered a sore left thigh on Sunday during Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory over Atlanta United. However, the Argentinian Football Association did not disclose the reason for his absence. Continue reading...

Carabao Cup final offers Liverpool’s entertaining, endearing and erratic forward a chance to write himself into club folklore The prevailing sensation while watching El Chavo del Ocho is to wonder how this thing ever got made in the first place. It’s a low-budget Mexican sitcom that ran from the 70s to the 90s, centred on an eight-year-old orphan who lives in a barrel in an apartment complex. The boy is played by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, who was in his 40s when the series began and his 60s when it ended. Pretty much all the humour is derived from slapstick: situational farce, physical jokes, people getting their heads trapped in buckets. That kind of thing. Try to imagine ChuckleVision gone global, to the point where it was a genuine cultural touchstone for hundreds of millions, to the point where Paul and Barry Chuckle have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and are unable to walk through Manhattan without being mobbed. That’s El Chavo. Even today it remains one of the most famous comic creations in the history of television: syndicated across the Americas, enthralling successive generations long after it was decommissioned. Including – at some point in early 2000s Uruguay – a young Darwin Núñez. Continue reading...

Seven health professionals who worked with football legend in days before his death face trial in Argentina Seven medical professionals who tended to the Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona during his final days are going on trial accused of criminal negligence over his death. Maradona died on 25 November 2020 aged 60 while recovering from brain surgery for a blood clot, after decades battling cocaine and alcohol addictions. Continue reading...

Burnley romp past 10-man Luton 4-0; Blades 1-0 LutonCoventry beat Stoke 3-2 in thriller; West Brom 1-0 QPR Burnley and Sheffield United had contrasting days but both came up with victories to put pressure on the Championship leaders, Leeds, who visit Portsmouth at lunchtime on Sunday. The Blades were made to work for their 1-0 victory over Preston at Bramall Lane, with Tyrese Campbell scoring the only goal 11 minute after half-time. Campbell had a huge chance within the first 90 seconds when Harrison Burrows’ low cross fell to Campbell at the far post but he somehow missed the target, albeit from a tight angle. Moments later, Ryan Porteous nearly turned Ben Brereton Díaz’s cross into his own net before Gustavo Hamer had a go from distance but his curling shot sailed harmlessly over the bar. Continue reading...

There was much to encourage and concern Arne Slot – and Paris Saint-Germain for that matter – as the Liverpool head coach looked down from the Anfield directors’ box on another victorious step towards the Premier League title. The leaders toiled against Southampton until a triple half-time substitution ignited the spark that resulted in a 16-point lead at the summit. PSG may not be so forgiving. Two Mohamed Salah penalties secured Liverpool victory after Darwin Núñez had cancelled out Will Smallbone’s opener for the Ivan Juric’s struggling side. The result had appeared a forgone conclusion before kick off, it ended up one too, yet this was a fight for Liverpool as they geared up for Tuesday’s Champions League return against Luis Enrique’s side. Continue reading...

Visitors are encouraged to visit the training ground and first club of the Manchester City No 9 and can stay in the ‘Haaland suite’ at a local hotel “Farmers didn’t play football,” says the lifelong supporter Geir Magnus Sandve of the fact that his beloved Bryne FK were not founded until 1926. These are momentous times for the Norwegian football club in the agricultural south-western region of Jæren. Last season they were promoted back to the Eliteserien, the top division, for the first time in 22 years in front of a capacity crowd of 5,000 and excitement is building before the start of the season at the end of March. Fans hope they can return to heights not seen since they won the cup in Oslo in 1987 – which would have been considered the club’s crowning achievement were it not for the rise of Erling Haaland. In the brittle, banter-fuelled world of English football, it might feel as if Haaland’s star is waning this season. It is easy to forget he is second only to Mohamed Salah in the Premier League Golden Boot after winning it in the previous two seasons. At the age of 24 he is the all-time Norwegian national team top scorer (38 in 39 matches), and a Champions League, Premier League and Austrian league winner. The school playground of my six-year-old son, Ernest, is no longer consumed by the great Messi-Ronaldo debate but instead is alive to the shouts of “HAAAAARRR-LAND”. Continue reading...

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets are "always" trying to get David Beckham to take part in training sessions, the Inter Miami co-owner has revealed

The Bayern Munich striker has not been spoken about in terms of the game's biggest individual award but he could yet be a contender if his club goes all the way in the Champions League

Neymar has been recalled to the Brazil squad after a 17-month absence for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina.

Tottenham defender Cristiano Romero is named in Argentina's squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil, alongside Manchester City teenager Claudio Echeverri.

Houston made a generous offer to its own fans, while a DC United youngster stunned Chicago When the Houston Dynamo learned that Lionel Messi did not travel with Inter Miami ahead of the teams’ game on Sunday, they proceeded with a now-familiar playbook. Just like Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps did in similar Messi-less situations, the team apologized to their ticketholders, then bargained with them. Continue reading...