Messi suspended for one match after skipping MLS All-Star game
MLS said in a statement Messi and Alba would be unavailable for Saturday's clash against FC Cincinnati "due to their absence" at this week's All-Star showpiece.
"Per league rules, any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to compete in their club's next match," the league said in a brief statement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
5 hours ago
- The National
Best Photos of July 29: From fire-breathing stunts in Ajmer to migrants trying to cross The Channel
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round. 2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three. 3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd. 4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships. 5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie. 6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday. 7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2. 8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired. 9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995. 10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81. 11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192. 12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors. 13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th. 14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory. 15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major. 16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf. 17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow. 18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Ryder Cup countdown: Tension builds as teams take shape and key decisions loom
Let's take a look at some crucial timelines approaching faster than many of us realise, as the countdown is accelerating. In just 58 days, the 45th Ryder Cup will kick off at the iconic Bethpage Black in New York on 26th September 2025. The anticipation is mounting as players and fans alike await the final team line-ups and the dramatic battles that will unfold on the course. With so much still to be decided, now is a perfect time to highlight some key dates and developments that may have flown under the radar as excitement builds for this prestigious biennial contest. It is only 25 days before Team Europe Captain Luke Donald reveals his six automatic qualifiers, and just 18 days before Team USA's Keegan Bradley announces his seven automatic picks — a week earlier than Donald. The crucial Captain's Picks will follow shortly after, with Donald's selections due in the week commencing 1st September, and Bradley's the week of 25th Captain's Agreement Updated A notable recent change involves the Ryder Cup Captain's Agreement, a set of longstanding rules defining what captains, players, and officials can and cannot do during the event. The latest amendment, agreed by both captains, clarifies that only the Captain can give advice, not Vice-Captains—unless there is a Playing Captain actively competing. In that case, the Playing Captain may delegate advice-giving to a nominated Vice-Captain. This tweak has sparked further discussion around Bradley's role as a potential Playing Captain for Team USA, a debate that is expected to continue until the official teams are confirmed. Captain Donald has announced his fourth of five Vice-Captains, adding Francesco Molinari to Edoardo Molinari, Thomas Bjorn, and Jose Maria Olazabal—all veterans of the 2023 event in Rome. The fifth Vice-Captain will be revealed soon. On the U.S. side, the Vice-Captain roster is complete with Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, and Gary Woodland. 2031 Ryder Cup heads to Spain In other news, the 2031 Ryder Cup venue has been confirmed as Camiral Golf & Wellness Resort in Girona, Costa Brava, Spain. This will mark Spain's second time hosting the event, following the legendary 1997 competition at Valderrama, which Europe won under Seve Ballesteros. Currently, the European automatic qualifiers for 2025 include Ryder Cup veterans Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, and Sepp Straka. LIV Golf's Jon Rahm, currently 21st in the rankings, is also expected to make the team. Potential Captain's Picks include Rasmus Hojgaard, Justin Rose, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, and Matt Wallace. Other players who could feature in the mix are Matt Fitzpatrick, Thorbjorn Olesen, and Nicolai Hojgaard, with Donald likely favouring experienced Ryder Cup players over rookies. Only time will tell who makes the final cut—but with the key dates rapidly approaching, the answers are just around the corner. The countdown is truly on, and the excitement is palpable.
The National
a day ago
- The National
Manuel Ugarte excited for new season after tough start to Manchester United career
Manchester United's Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte had a chastening first term in the Premier League after his £42 million move from Paris Saint-Germain just after the 2024-25 season had started. He was hit and miss for a team which was more miss, yet he also adapted well to the world's toughest league in a difficult position, playing well in some games. Ugarte's attitude, work rate and determination were all reasons why he was signed for big money by Erik ten Hag. How his successor Ruben Amorim, who he thrived under at Sporting in Lisbon, views him is key. Ugarte, at 24, remains relatively young. He also played well against West Ham in Saturday's 2-1 pre-season friendly win in New Jersey. 'I think we did well today, we controlled most of the game and we won,' he told The National afterwards. 'We won, which was important, but we keep working, we have a lot to improve. We have more games to play, we are good. I think it is important to have humility. "We must work day in, day out. I think I did well. We played well in midfield, we controlled the ball, we had the ball, we scored, we recovered.' Amorim also spoke about Ugarte during his post-match press conference. 'The first thing is adaptation to a new team, a new country,' he said. 'Sometimes, you just look inside the pitch but, off the pitch, you can have some trouble sometimes. 'He is more adapted and then he needs more confidence, it's also my job. If you look last year, take Bruno [Fernandes], who is always confident and look at the team, and the performance of the team if he doesn't perform well. "We can see today, when they are confident in their play, it seems like everyone can touch the ball and have confidence. It is more a team thing than individual.' Ugarte said there were mitigating factors behind the club's 15th place league finish - not least that he and several other players needed to adapt to a new league and club. 'Last year we made some changes, we changed our coach, we changed our formation,' Ugarte added. 'We got to know the Premier League. This year I am good; I am very excited. It is important to perform well in this club. You must have responsibilities when you play for United. I am very happy – and we must keep going'. Ugarte's debut season ended in disappointment when he was poor in the Europa League semi-final away leg win at Athletic Club, yet he also made two assists in that very same game in Bilbao. It was a mild surprise that he didn't make the starting XI for the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur, but form dictated the decision. Two months on, he is happier and ready to go again in a huge season for him and his team. He is also confident of improving after a season of adjustment. 'Without a doubt,' he said. 'I know the rivals, I know the teammates. All of this is important. Sometimes the connections take time to get to know each other. I already know the league, the rivals, which is important. "So I'm very happy, but we must keep going. We must improve things. We are all very motivated, because we believe in the coach, we believe in what he wants and that is very important.' After United 's first pre-season friendly against Leeds United, Amorim said his team needed more speed in midfield. 'It was the first game of the pre-season,' said Ugarte. 'As time goes by, the intensity goes up. I think it is important to mark the rhythm of the game, the intensity.' He maintains that the atmosphere in the dressing room in Chicago, where United play Bournemouth on Wednesday, with the new players is 'very good" and that "all three players who came are very good, good people, good players. It is important that everyone is together in the dressing room and we must keep going'. Ugarte speaks daily to fellow midfielder Casemiro 'about everything, football less, but we talk about everything, life, day to day things'. He chats with Kobbie Mainoo too. 'We talk about younger things, compared to Casemiro, because Casemiro is older. But we all have a good relationship, there is a lot of optimism on the team," he said. Ugarte also gets on well with new signing Matheus Cunha. 'A very good relationship, he speaks perfect Spanish,' he said, smiling. 'He speaks a lot too, but in a good way'.
