Messi scores twice, assists once in Inter Miami’s 4-0 win – Newstrends
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Messi scores twice, assists once in Inter Miami’s 4-0 win

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Messi scores twice, assists once in Inter Miami’s 4-0 win

In his first start for Inter Miami, Lionel Messi not only scored twice but also provided an assist as Inter Miami defeated Atlanta United 4-0 in a purely one-sided encounter.

Before assisting teammate Robert Taylor in the second half, the 36-year-old Argentina star scored twice in the first 22 minutes.

Messi pointed at David Beckham, the owner of Inter Miami, after scoring his second goal.

His performance comes after a game-winning stoppage-time free kick on his debut last week.

“He can do everything on the ball. He can keep it in tight spaces, and he makes the right decision 100% of the time,” Taylor said in a post-match interview. “Most of the time he’ll find one of his team-mates.

“He brings so much quality to the team, so much. I mean, he’s the best player in the world.

“This is what he does – he scores two goals, he scored last game, gets another assist. It’s a dream come true to play with him.”

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Messi, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, joined the Major League Soccer team after his contract with Paris St. Germain expired and only began training with his teammates last week.

During a two-year stint with the French champions, the 2022 World Cup winner scored 32 goals in 75 games and declined lucrative offers from other nations to play in the US.

In the ninth minute, Messi scored the game’s first goal by converting a rebound of his own shot after controlling a pass over the top from fellow newcomer and former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets.

Thirteen minutes later, he doubled the advantage by teaming up with Finland midfielder Taylor to bury a low cross from close range.

Before the half, Taylor added a third, and Messi finished the scoring by putting the 28-year-old through on a break in the second period.

Messi was substituted in the 78th minute to a standing ovation, with a number of fans leaving the 20,000-seat DRV PNK Stadium shortly afterwards.

The win saw Inter Miami move into the knockout stages of the Leagues Cup.

The Leagues Cup is a tournament which brings together all the top-flight teams from MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX and with two wins Miami top their group and with their new arrival looking settled so quickly, they will surely believe they can get their first-ever trophy.

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BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025

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Super Eagles players

BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have secured their qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, following Libya’s 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali.

This result leaves Rwanda with five points from five matches, rendering them unable to surpass Nigeria in the standings, even if they win their upcoming match against the Super Eagles in Uyo.

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Currently, Nigeria leads Group D with 10 points, followed by Benin with six points, Rwanda with five, and Libya at the bottom with four points.

Benin remains in contention for the second qualification spot and will face Nigeria in a crucial match tonight.

Libya is set to host Benin in the final Group D game on Monday.

 

BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025

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Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul

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Mike Tyson and Jake Paul

Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul

Nearly 40 years after making his professional debut, and 19 years after being battered into retirement, a 58-year-old Mike Tyson will climb back into the ring on Friday for a Netflix-backed bout that has drawn widespread condemnation across the boxing world.

Tyson, who terrorised the heavyweight division during an imperious reign in the late 1980s, is lacing up the gloves once more to take on Youtuber Jake Paul, 27, in an officially sanctioned fight at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas.

The fight, which will be comprised of eight two-minute rounds, was initially due to take place in July but was postponed in May after Tyson required medical treatment on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles after vomiting blood due to a bleeding ulcer.

That gory mid-air emergency has provided another piece of ammunition for the numerous critics who have condemned Friday’s contest as a macabre circus act that poses an unacceptable level of risk for Tyson, who last graced a professional ring in 2005, when he was beaten via a technical knockout after quitting on his stool against Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.

– ‘It shouldn’t be happening’ –

“Twenty years ago, Mike Tyson retired from boxing, and was shot to pieces, right? I mean, completely shot,” the prominent British fight promoter Eddie Hearn said this week.

“If anyone thinks that Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no emotional feelings toward the man, or you’re an idiot. It shouldn’t be happening.”

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Hearn’s rival promoter Frank Warren echoed those sentiments.

“Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and he shouldn’t be fighting,” Warren said after the bout was announced. “It’s as simple as that.

“Anyone with an ounce of brains knows that it is ridiculous. You can be on a motorway stuck in a traffic jam and you get to the end of it and all it is is people who have stopped to look at a crash — and that’s what this is.”

Tyson, who US reports say is being paid around $20 million for Friday’s contest, has brushed off the concerns for his wellbeing, insisting when critics from the boxing world are motivated by jealousy.

“I’m beautiful, that’s all I can say,” he said earlier this year. “The people who said that wish they were up here. No-one else can do this.”

Mike Tyson back in ring to face Youtuber Paul

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Alleged fraud: South Africa FA President, Danny Jordaan, arrested

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South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan

Alleged fraud: South Africa FA President, Danny Jordaan, arrested

South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan was arrested on Wednesday amid allegations that he misused the organization’s funds for personal purposes, as reported by local media.

Jordaan, renowned for his pivotal role in securing South Africa as the host for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, sought to block his arrest on Tuesday by filing an urgent application.

However, the Johannesburg High Court is scheduled to hear his case only on Thursday, leaving him vulnerable to arrest.

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The arrest stems from a raid by police on the SAFA offices in March, after which police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said the allegations are that “between 2014 and 2018, the president of SAFA used the organisation’s resources for his personal gain, including hiring a private security company for his personal protection and a public relations company, without authorisation from the SAFA board.”

Jordaan, 73, and his reported co-accused, SAFA chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo and businessman Trevor Neethling, are due to appear in court later on Wednesday.

Neither Jordaan nor SAFA responded to a request for comment from Reuters, but in his affidavit to court seeking to block his arrest, he denies any wrongdoing.

Alleged fraud: South Africa FA President, Danny Jordaan, arrested

(Reuters)

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