Messi Fires Stunning 75th Career Free-Kick to Reach 930 Goals in Inter Miami Draw

The Argentine maestro bags his 101st goal for the Herons alongside a Luis Suárez strike as San Diego FC snatches a 2-2 result.

Lionel Messi reached another historic milestone on Sunday night, curling home his 75th career direct free-kick to tally his 930th professional goal during Inter Miami’s pulsating 2-2 draw with San Diego FC.

The 39-year-old Argentine forward stepped up in the 24th minute after drawing a foul outside the penalty area, whipping a trademark left-footed strike off the post past goalkeeper CJ dos Santos to cancel out Anders Dreyer’s early chip for the visitors.

Consequently, the spectacular strike marked Messi’s 101st goal in an Inter Miami shirt, arriving just four days after he surpassed the century mark in a Campeones Cup victory over Mexico’s Cruz Azul and his 20th league goal of the 2026 Major League Soccer campaign.

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Building on that momentum, strike partner Luis Suárez found the net in the 74th minute to hand Miami a 2-1 lead. However, Dreyer struck back for San Diego eight minutes later, capitalizing on defensive space to slot home his second goal of the evening and silence the home crowd.

Ultimately, the late equalizer condemned Inter Miami to their fourth consecutive MLS stalemate, leaving the club on 46 points with a record of 12 wins, four defeats, and 10 draws.

While the shared points frustrated coach and squad alike in the playoff seeding race, Messi continues to defy age, anchoring Miami’s attack and pushing global scoring records to extraordinary heights.

Messi Fires Stunning 75th Career Free-Kick to Reach 930 Goals in Inter Miami Draw

Enough Is Enough: Muslim Supporters Demand Change of New Man United Owners

The Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club (MUMSC) has called for a change in the ownership of the English Premier League club, demanding that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family leave following fresh comments by the billionaire about immigration, welfare and the state of the United Kingdom.

The supporters’ group issued a strong statement of no confidence in the Manchester United ownership after Ratcliffe, the club’s co-owner and chairman of INEOS, said Britain was “on the slide” and argued that politicians were not being sufficiently tough on immigration and welfare.

Ratcliffe made the comments during a BBC interview in which he discussed Britain’s economic and political challenges. He attributed part of what he sees as the country’s decline to high taxes and immigration and called for politicians to take tougher decisions on immigration and benefits. (The Guardian)

The remarks triggered a fresh response from the Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club, which said it had previously hoped Ratcliffe’s apology over earlier immigration comments would mark a change in his approach.

The group said the latest remarks were “deeply disappointing” and “completely unacceptable”, arguing that they were inconsistent with the diverse character of Manchester United.

According to the supporters’ group, the club brings together players, staff, stewards, security personnel and supporters from different countries, cultures, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds.

It said that diversity is not separate from the identity of Manchester United, but is an important part of what the club represents.

The latest dispute follows comments Ratcliffe made earlier in 2026 in which he said Britain had been “colonised by immigrants”. He later apologised for his choice of language and for causing offence.

MUMSC said it had condemned those earlier comments and hoped the apology indicated that a lesson had been learned, but argued that Ratcliffe’s latest remarks showed otherwise.

The supporters’ group also expanded its criticism beyond the billionaire’s comments on immigration, pointing to concerns about Manchester United ticket prices, the condition of Old Trafford, the club’s performances and what it described as repeated unfulfilled promises.

MUMSC said many supporters had initially welcomed Ratcliffe’s arrival because they hoped his investment would bring meaningful change after years under the Glazer family’s ownership.

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However, the group said its confidence in the current ownership had now been exhausted.

“Enough is enough. It is time for change. The Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe must go,” the group said.

Ratcliffe became a major shareholder in Manchester United in 2024 after his INEOS group acquired a minority stake in the club. The agreement also gave INEOS significant responsibility for football operations, while the Glazer family retained control of the club.

The ownership dispute comes amid a difficult start to the 2026/27 Manchester United season, with results on the pitch adding to the frustration among sections of the supporters.

United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the third round after losing 3-2 to Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford despite taking a two-goal lead within the opening 10 minutes.

Teenager Shea Lacey opened the scoring before Mason Mount doubled United’s advantage, but Brighton responded through Charalampos Kostoulas, Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper to complete the comeback.

The defeat ended United’s Carabao Cup campaign at the first hurdle and marked the first time in 50 years that the club had lost at Old Trafford after taking a 2-0 lead. (The Guardian)

Manager Michael Carrick accepted responsibility for the collapse and said the team had to respond quickly by returning to winning football.

The cup defeat followed a 1-0 loss to Manchester City in the Premier League and contributed to a difficult opening period for Carrick’s side. Recent reporting put United 13th in the Premier League after collecting four points from their opening four league matches. (The Guardian)

The football struggles have therefore become another source of tension between sections of the fan base and the club’s leadership, although the MUMSC’s latest statement makes clear that its concerns are broader than results.

The supporters’ group has linked its demand for ownership change at Manchester United to questions about the club’s direction, supporter relations, commercial decisions and its treatment of the diverse community that follows the team.

Ratcliffe’s involvement has already produced significant changes at the club, including restructuring and job cuts, while his decisions on ticketing and other operations have generated criticism from some supporter groups.

His latest comments have now added an additional point of contention, particularly among the Muslim supporters’ group, which says Manchester United’s international and multicultural identity should be reflected in the conduct and public statements of those running the club.

Despite the demand from MUMSC, there has been no indication that Sir Jim Ratcliffe or the Glazer family is preparing to sell their respective interests in Manchester United.

The latest development nevertheless places renewed attention on the relationship between the club’s ownership and its supporters as Manchester United attempts to recover from a difficult start to the new season.

Enough Is Enough: Muslim Supporters Demand Change of New Man United Owners

Ronaldo Included in Portugal’s Nations League Squad as Jorge Jesus Begins New Era

Cristiano Ronaldo has been included in Portugal’s 25-man squad for the opening fixtures of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League, ending immediate uncertainty over the 41-year-old captain’s continued involvement with the national team.

New Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus named Ronaldo in his first squad on Friday, September 18, as the reigning Nations League champions prepare for four Group A4 matches between September 24 and October 4.

Ronaldo’s selection comes less than three months after the veteran forward confirmed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be his final appearance at the tournament.

He has also fuelled wider retirement speculation after saying in August that the coming year would probably be the final season of his professional football career.

However, Ronaldo has not announced his retirement from international football, and his inclusion in Jesus’ first squad confirms that he remains available for Portugal.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner remains the leading scorer in men’s international football, with 146 goals in 233 appearances for Portugal.

His international career has included victory at Euro 2016 and two UEFA Nations League titles, in 2019 and 2025.

Ronaldo was unable to add the FIFA World Cup trophy to his collection after Portugal were eliminated by Spain in the round of 16 at the 2026 tournament.

The defeat brought his World Cup career to an end after six appearances at the global tournament, but did not immediately mark the end of his Portugal career.

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Jesus, who was appointed after Roberto Martinez left the post following Portugal’s World Cup exit, has a previous working relationship with Ronaldo.

The 72-year-old coach managed Ronaldo at Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, where they won the Saudi Pro League title during the 2025/26 season.

Jesus, however, has made it clear that Ronaldo’s reputation will not guarantee him a starting place in the new Portugal team.

Discussing the veteran forward’s selection, the coach said performance would determine his decisions.

Jesus said Ronaldo would be treated like the other players when it came to selection, although he acknowledged that the Portugal captain has a different status because of his achievements.

The new coach’s comments underline his intention to maintain competition for places as he begins rebuilding the national team following the World Cup.

Jesus has retained most of the players who featured at the 2026 World Cup, with only a small number of changes to the squad.

Among the players returning to the national team are Joao Palhinha, Nuno Tavares and Fabio Silva, while Benfica goalkeeper Samuel Soares has also been included.

The squad features several of Portugal’s established stars, including Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes, Rafael Leao and Pedro Neto.

Ronaldo is joined in the forward line by Fabio Silva, Francisco Trincao, Francisco Conceicao, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, Pedro Neto and Rafael Leao.

Portugal will begin the new Nations League campaign at home against Wales on September 24 at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.

Jesus will then take his team to Oslo to face Norway on September 27 before Portugal travel to Copenhagen for a meeting with Denmark on October 1.

The four-match sequence will conclude with Portugal hosting Norway at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto on October 4.

The fixtures will provide Jesus with his first competitive tests since replacing Martinez and give him an opportunity to assess his squad ahead of the next phase of Portugal’s international programme.

Portugal enter the competition as the defending UEFA Nations League champions, having defeated Spain on penalties in the 2025 final to win the tournament for the second time.

The team’s previous Nations League triumph came in 2019, when Portugal defeated the Netherlands in the final.

Ronaldo’s selection also keeps alive the possibility of the veteran playing a role in Portugal’s preparations for future competitions, although his long-term international plans remain unclear.

The next major European international tournament will be Euro 2028, by which time Ronaldo will be 43.

For now, however, his immediate focus is the Nations League and the start of the Jorge Jesus era.

Ronaldo is also approaching another major personal milestone.

He has scored 979 official career goals for club and country, leaving him 21 goals short of the 1,000-goal mark.

Jesus was asked about the possibility of Ronaldo reaching the milestone with Portugal but suggested that he expected the forward to achieve it at club level rather than with the national team.

The comment adds another dimension to the relationship between the coach and Portugal’s most prolific international scorer.

Despite Ronaldo’s advancing age and retirement comments, his continued selection means he remains part of Portugal’s plans at the start of the new international cycle.

Jesus has nevertheless stressed that past achievements will not determine who plays, placing the emphasis on current performances.

Portugal’s first test under the new manager will therefore attract considerable attention, with Ronaldo expected to remain one of the central figures as the European champions begin their 2026/27 Nations League defence.

Portugal’s 25-Man Nations League Squad

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, Rui Silva, Samuel Soares.

Defenders: Goncalo Inacio, Joao Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Nuno Tavares, Nuno Mendes, Renato Veiga, Ruben Dias, Tomas Araujo.

Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, Joao Palhinha, Joao Neves, Ruben Neves, Vitinha, Bernardo Silva.

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Fabio Silva, Francisco Trincao, Francisco Conceicao, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, Pedro Neto, Rafael Leao.

Ronaldo Included in Portugal’s Nations League Squad as Jorge Jesus Begins New Era