Lionel Messi Rejoining Argentina for World Cup Qualifiers Has Social Media Buzzing
Lionel Messi Rejoining Argentina for World Cup Qualifiers Has Social Media Buzzing originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Lionel Messi has been dazzling in the MLS as of late for Inter Miami, but will have a chance to put on his nation's badge over the course of the next week or so.
Advertisement
The 37-year-old with over 500 appearances for the Argentina national team joined the squad on Monday as they prepare for a couple of qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup. Led by Messi, Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, defeating France 4-2 in penalty kicks after the two giants were deadlocked at 3-3.
The first qualifying match is set to take place on Thursday against Chile, and while Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has yet to confirm what Messi's role will be, fans online are absolutely pumped to see the team's captain back with the squad.
"GOAT and his family bravo," wrote one fan.
Advertisement
"The GOAT 🐐," commented a second.
"My goat greatest of all Lionel Messi 🐐❤️💙," replied another.
"Good and holy, my WORLD CHAMPION brothers," chimed in another.
"This is what Messi looks like before scoring a hat trick against Chile," predicted another.
Argentina forward Lionel Messi (10).Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
While Messi has long been a mainstay for Argentina, if he makes an appearance Thursday, it'll mark the first time since November in the team's 1-0 win over Peru.
When asked about Messi's role, Scaloni was quite cryptic about what to expect.
"We've been in contact (with Messi) recently. We haven't decided yet whether he'll play from the start or not. It would be good to know how he's feeling physically," Scaloni said via ESPN.
Advertisement
Messi is coming offa stretch with Inter Miami that has seen him score five goals in three games, while also dishing out three assists in that same stretch. If he is able to play on Thursday, fans across the world will be thrilled.
Related: Mauricio Pochettino Wants Christian Pulisic to Emulate Lionel Messi for USMNT
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Major Update Emerges on Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo Possibly Teaming Up
Major Update Emerges on Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo Possibly Teaming Up originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There likely isn't a rivalry across sports that was as iconic as Lionel Messi during his time with FC Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo during his tenure with Real Madrid. Advertisement Two of the best players in the world routinely competing against one another for clubs who happen to hated rivals. Between the two of them they have 13 Ballon d'Or awards, nine Champions League trophies, thousands of goals and a debate regarding who is better that may never be settled. While it's been multiple years since they have faced off against one another, the possibility surfaced as CBS Sports reported that there has been a push for Ronaldo to play in the Club World Cup. The 32-club tournament is set to take place in the United States from June 14-July 13, and is the first rendition of the FIFA tournament. With Ronaldo's contract at Al-Nassr expiring at the end of June and him cryptically writing, "This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all." on X, many have begun to wonder where he will end up. With CBS reporting that multiple Brazilian clubs could be an option, the MLS' Inter Miami is also partcipating. The thought of Ronaldo and Messi going from rivals to teammates as their careers wind down would be one of the biggest plot-twists in sports history. However, according to Mike Ryan of the "Le Batard Show," it's not likely. Leo Messi of Paris Saint-Germain and Cristiano Ronaldo of Riyadh XI fight for Meunier - PSG/PSG via Getty Images "The head of FIFA is kind of pressuring teams that are in this Club World Cup to sign Ronaldo," Ryan said. "They have this media rights package that's on DAZN here in this country, like 24 of the games on TNT. He wants this to be big this is the first Club World Cup and he wants the co-face of a generation Cristiano Ronaldo in it. Advertisement "So if he's pressuring all these clubs, one would wonder hey, Inter Miami is one of these clubs in the Club World Cup, might they have interest in potentially loaning Cristiano Ronaldo for just this tournament," Ryan said. "And perhaps form a super team of Messi and Cristiano." After teasing how monumental this would be, Ryan bluntly said "Inter Miami, no interest." While it would have been quite the spectacle, it's hard to imagine they'd put their rivalry aside. However, we may see them play against one another if Ronaldo does end up on one of the other 31 teams. Related: Lionel Messi Rejoining Argentina for World Cup Qualifiers Has Social Media Buzzing This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
WNBA Legend Lisa Leslie Had Strong Words for Coco Gauff Amid French Open
WNBA Legend Lisa Leslie Had Strong Words for Coco Gauff Amid French Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Coco Gauff delivered a commanding presence both on and off the court after securing her spot in the French Open final. Advertisement On Thursday, the American tennis star defeated Loïs Boisson with a dominant 6-1 6-2 victory. The win marked her second consecutive appearance in the French Open final, further cementing her status as one of the rising stars in tennis. To celebrate the moment, the 21-year-old shared her excitement on social media by showing the highlights from the thrilling showdown. As seen in her Instagram update, Gauff took the court in a midnight blue New Balance dress featuring tie-dye print accents, a stylish nod to her role as one of the brand's ambassadors. 'Finals,' she captioned her post along with snaps at the Roland Garros Stadium. Shortly after sharing her post online, she quickly drew a wave of support as fans and fellow athletes flooded the comments to celebrate her win. Advertisement Sports reporter Taylor Rooks was among the first to cheer her on, commenting, 'Letsgoooooooooooo.' New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu echoed the excitement, writing, 'LFGGGGGG.' 'Can't stop, won't stop,' sportscaster Adam Lefkoe chimed in. The same went for fans who were looking forward to Gauff's next win. 'Get it girl!!! Three straight finals on clay. Third time's a Charm! You've got this!' a user said. However, among the stream of responses, one reaction stood out the most. WNBA legend Lisa Leslie expressed her confidence in Gauff's ability to secure another victory, writing 'One more!!!!! Fight for your right to Partyyyyyy!!! You got this, champ!!!!!!' Coco Gauff of the United States reacts to a point during her match against Lois Boisson of France on day 12 at Roland Garros Mullane-Imagn Images The No. 2 seed is slated to face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday in the French Open final with the clay-court Grand Slam title on the line. Advertisement Related: Coco Gauff's Outfit Turns Heads at French Open After Hilarious Blunder This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The comeback kings strike again as the Pacers take Game 1 over OKC
Yahoo Sports AM is our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it every weekday morning. 🚨 Headlines 🥎 Texas Tech forces Game 3: The Red Raiders held off the Longhorns in a 4-3 victory, as star pitcher NiJaree Canady struck out the final batter with the tying run on third. They'll play a decisive Game 3 tonight. Advertisement 🏀 KD to NYC? The Knicks reportedly made an offer for Kevin Durant at the trade deadline, and there's some belief that they could revisit that deal this offseason as the Suns look to shed Durant's $54.7 million salary. 🎾 Women's final set: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka took down three-time defending champion Iga Świątek and No. 2 Coco Gauff dispatched tournament darling Loïs Boisson to set up a top-two clash in the French Open final. ⚾️ Ownership change imminent: Jerry Reinsdorf has agreed to sell his majority stake in the White Sox to current minority owner Justin Ishbia as soon as 2029. Ishbia is the brother of Suns owner, Mat Ishbia. ⚽️ Poch's picks: The USMNT's 26-man Gold Cup roster features seven players making their national team debut. Manager Mauricio Pochettino hopes to use these games as an extended tryout for next year's World Cup. 🏀 The comeback kings strike again () The Pacers will not die. The Knicks warned us. The Cavaliers warned us. The Bucks warned us. And now, the Thunder have learned their own lesson. Advertisement Oops, they did it again: Indiana staged yet another epic comeback in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, outscoring Oklahoma City 32-16 down the stretch and erasing a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes to pull off an unlikely 111-110 victory and steal a game for the fourth straight series. Round 1: Erased a seven-point deficit in the final 35 seconds of Game 5 Round 2: Erased another seven-point deficit in the final minute of Game 2 East Finals: Erased a 14-point deficit in the final three minutes of Game 1 NBA Finals: Erased a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes of Game 1 The comeback kings: The Thunder went up 94-79 with 9:42 remaining in the fourth quarter and victory seemed inevitable. Turns out, the Pacers had them right where they wanted them: They're now 5-3 this postseason when trailing by 15+ points. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) The game-winner: Tyrese Haliburton's last-second jump shot gave the Pacers their first and only lead of the game and left the capacity crowd at Paycom Center stunned. He's now 6-for-7 (85.7%) when taking a shot to tie or take the lead in the final 90 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime this postseason. He just keeps on doing it, man! Advertisement Go deeper: History repeats, and OKC stands stunned (Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports) 🏈 It's official: Rodgers is a Steeler (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) Aaron Rodgers is joining the Steelers on a one-year deal, the team announced Thursday. The future Hall of Famer plans to fly to Pittsburgh this week and participate in mandatory minicamp next week. From Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson: Like many others before Rodgers, this is a late-career embrace born out of necessity. Half need on the part of a team trying to capture one last gasp at whatever its current roster can be; and half need on the part of a fading QB trying to finish his career in flourish rather than frustration. Advertisement This is Brett Favre in Minneapolis, Warren Moon in Seattle, Carson Palmer in Arizona, Drew Bledsoe in Dallas. Or, well, Russell Wilson … in Pittsburgh. The results of those previous unions were mixed, but the connective tissue binding all of them is what waited on the other side of the alliance for each of the franchises: some element of change or transition, if not a full-blown rebuild. Fun fact: Rodgers, 41, will become the eighth QB among the NFL's top 20 all-time passing yardage leaders to take starting snaps for at least three different franchises, joining the five guys mentioned above (Favre, Moon, Palmer, Bledsoe, Wilson) plus Tom Brady and Joe Flacco. ⚾️ Sorting out MLB's buyers and sellers (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Summer is almost upon us, which means the MLB trade deadline (July 31) lurks in the distance. Where do teams stand as of today? Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz on the likely buyers and sellers: Advertisement Buyers: Yankees (38-23), Dodgers (38-25), Tigers (41-23), Mets (39-24), Phillies (37-25), Cubs (39-23), Padres (35-26), Astros (34-28), Mariners (32-29), Royals (33-30), Braves (27-34). Sellers: Rockies (12-50), White Sox (20-43), Marlins (23-37), Orioles (25-36), Pirates (23-40), Athletics (24-40), Nationals (29-33), Angels (28-33). The messy middle: The Twins (34-28), Blue Jays (33-29), Giants (35-28) and Guardians (33-28) aren't expected to make many moves, while the Rays (33-29), Brewers (34-29) and Red Sox (30-34) may thread the needle as buyers and sellers. It's hard to pin down exactly what the Reds (30-33), Diamondbacks (31-31), Cardinals (34-28) and Rangers (29-34) will do. 📺 Weekend Watchlist One more game in Edmonton before the series heads to Florida. () 🏒 Stanley Cup Final, Game 2 | Fri. 8pm ET, TNT The Oilers can put themselves in excellent position with a victory tonight: Teams who take a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final have gone on to win the title 91% of the time (50-5). 🏀 NBA Finals, Game 2 | Sun. 8pm, ABC After the Pacers pulled off yet another stunning postseason comeback, the Thunder will try to even the series at one game apiece before heading to Indy. 🎾 French Open, Semis and Finals | Fri-Sun, TNT Today's men's semifinals: No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti (8:30am) and No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 6 Novak Djokovic (1pm). Then it's No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 2 Coco Gauff in tomorrow's women's final (9am), followed by the men's final on Sunday (9am). 🥎 WCWS Final, Game 3 | Fri. 8pm, ESPN Texas and Texas Tech face off in a rubber match as both programs chase their first national championship. What more could you ask for? 🐎 The 157th Belmont Stakes | Sat. 7pm, Fox Preakness winner Journalism is currently favored (8-5) over Derby winner Sovereignty (2-1) to win the final leg of the Triple Crown. 🏈 UFL, Conference Finals | Sunday, ABC/Fox Michigan Panthers at Birmingham Stallions (3pm, ABC) and DC Defenders at St. Louis Battlehawks (6pm, Fox) for a trip to the championship. Advertisement More to watch: ⚾️ NCAA Baseball: Super Regionals (Fri-Sun, ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU) … Eight best-of-three series hosted by the higher seed begin today, with the winners moving on to the CWS. ⚾️ MLB: Cubs at Tigers (Fri. 7pm, Apple); Padres at Brewers (Sun. 1pm, Roku); Red Sox at Yankees (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) ⚽️ UEFA Nations League: Portugal vs. Spain (Sun. 3pm, Fox) … Final in Munich. ⛳️ PGA: Canadian Open (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/CBS) … Thorbjørn Olesen and Cristobal Del Solar (-9) are tied for the lead after Round 1. ⛳️ LIV: Virginia (Fri-Sun, Fox/FS1) … At Robert Trent Jones Golf Club near D.C. 🏀 WNBA: Aces at Valkyries (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Fever at Sky (Sat. 8pm, CBS) … Commissioner's Cup. ⚽️ Soccer: USMNT vs. Turkey (Sat. 3:30pm, TNT) … The first of two friendlies for the Americans before the Gold Cup kicks off next weekend. 🥍 PLL: Week 2 (Fri-Sat, ESPN+/ABC) … In Charlotte. 🏁 NASCAR: Michigan (Sun. 2pm, Prime) Full weekend slate. ⚾️ MLB trivia Kimbrel is back with the Braves after spending his first five seasons in Atlanta. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Former All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel is being called up by Atlanta, where he beat out a fellow Brave to win Rookie of the Year in 2011. Question: Who was that teammate? Hint: Still plays in the NL. Answer at the bottom. ⚾️ Fry vs. Fried (YES Network) How often do you see a batter facing a pitcher whose name is just the batter's name in the past tense? That was the situation on Thursday at Yankee Stadium, where Cleveland's David Fry stepped in against New York's Max Fried. Rare occurrence: Fried has faced another Fry in the big leagues (Jace Fry in 2019), but the only other matchup of different forms of a verb in MLB history appears to be Brown vs. Browning, which happened a few times. Trivia answer: Freddie Freeman We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
