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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Inter Miami vs Columbus Crew: How to watch Lionel Messi play tonight before Club World Cup
Inter Miami vs Columbus Crew: How to watch Lionel Messi play tonight before Club World Cup Show Caption Hide Caption Messi 'never imagined' he would achieve what he has Lionel Messi says his dream was only ever to be a professional, and thanked God for all his success Stats Perform Video FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will play their final match before the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday night against the Columbus Crew at Chase Stadium. Messi has scored three goals in his last two matches, and is expected to play against Columbus. His status will be confirmed when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup an hour before the match. Columbus Crew and Inter Miami have been two of the best clubs in Major League Soccer in recent years, but both are struggling in 2025. Inter Miami has just two wins in its last 10 games – They beat the Crew 1-0 in Cleveland on April 19, and beat CF Montreal 4-2 last Wednesday. Columbus has four wins, four draws and two losses in its last 10 matches. Columbus Crew won MLS Cup title in 2023, and Inter Miami beat Columbus to win the MLS Supporters' Shield in 2024. Both clubs also won the Leagues Cup tournaments – Inter Miami in 2023, and Columbus in 2024. After the Columbus match, Messi will re-join the Argentine national team for two World Cup qualifiers, before Inter Miami enters the Club World Cup. Here's everything you need to know about the Inter Miami vs. Columbus Crew match, and stay tuned here for live updates from USA TODAY Sports: When is the Inter Miami vs. Columbus Crew match? The match begins Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. in Argentina) inside Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The match is available to live stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. Messi is expected to play, but his status will be confirmed when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup an hour before the match. Inter Miami 2, Columbus 2: This match has the makings of a draw based on how both teams have struggled to score and defend during their recent stretches. It may come down to Messi needing to score a late goal to help Inter Miami salvage a draw. –Safid Deen Inter Miami vs. Columbus Crew betting odds Inter Miami is the favorite to win at home (+105), while Columbus Crew is an underdog on the road (+195), and a draw has longer odds (+290) than an outright victory. The over/under is set at 3.5 goals, according to BETMGM. Inter Miami has won three of its last four matches against Columbus Crew. April 19, 2025: Benjamin Cremaschi scored the only goal in Inter Miami's 1-0 victory in Cleveland. Benjamin Cremaschi scored the only goal in Inter Miami's 1-0 victory in Cleveland. Oct. 2, 2024: Messi scored two goals, and Luis Suarez added another as Inter Miami beat host Columbus 3-2 to clinch the MLS Supporters' Shield title. Messi scored two goals, and Luis Suarez added another as Inter Miami beat host Columbus 3-2 to clinch the MLS Supporters' Shield title. Aug. 13, 2024 : Columbus stormed back from a 2-0 deficit at home to beat Inter Miami 3-2 in the Leagues Cup Round of 16. Messi did not play in the match due to his Copa America ankle injury. Columbus stormed back from a 2-0 deficit at home to beat Inter Miami 3-2 in the Leagues Cup Round of 16. Messi did not play in the match due to his Copa America ankle injury. June 19, 2024: Inter Miami beat Columbus 2-1 at home while Messi was playing with Argentina during Copa America. Messi's upcoming schedule with Argentina, Inter Miami The match is an unofficial start to another busy summer for Messi – the Argentine World Cup champion and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner – in the twilight of his legendary career in the United States. Here's what's next for Messi after the Columbus match:
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Lionel Messi picks favorite career goal of 860 scored (so far). Which goal was the winner?
Lionel Messi picks favorite career goal of 860 scored (so far). Which goal was the winner? Show Caption Hide Caption Messi collects 46th trophy as Inter Miami wins MLS Supporters' Shield Lionel Messi won his second title with Inter Miami, and his 46th overall for club and country. Sports Seriously Global soccer icon Lionel Messi has revealed his favorite goal from more than 850 (and counting) that he's netted in his career. And the winner is: Messi's headed goal that sealed the 2009 UEFA Champions League European title for Spain's FC Barcelona, defeating Manchester United in Rome, according to a posting Thursday, May 22, on the Instagram of the foundation of Inter Miami CF, the Major League Soccer team Messi now plays for in the United States. Here's a look at Messi's favorite goal, from various angles. Lionel Messi's favorite goal to be turned into art piece An artist will turn the goal into digital art that will be unveiled on the website of Christie's, in New York City on June 11 as part of an auction that closes on July 25. (Public exhibition opens at Christie's New York on July 15). The artist, Refik Anadol, known for his "data-sculpted creations," will "turn it into a one-of-a-kind artwork," Inter Miami's website said. Anadol is "using millions of data points, angles, and sequences from that goal to create a masterpiece without precedent," Inter Miami said. "I've scored many goals that might have been even more beautiful and valuable — also because of their importance — but the header in the Champions League final against Manchester United has always been my favorite," Messi said in an Inter Miami news release. According to the release, sale proceeds will go to various nonprofits, including Inter Miami CF Foundation's global partnership with UNICEF. Beyond his staggering numbers, many of Messi's goals have inspired commentators' comparisons to works of art, to defying physics' laws, and magic. Some that have become online highlight reels range from the time he essentially dribbled through Real Madrid's defense to score in Spain's globally-watched El Clasico match, to a freekick he delivered against England's Liverpool. Messi played for many years at Spain's powerhouse FC Barcelona, winning national and European continental championships, as well as winning the 2022 World Cup for Argentina. Along with goals, he has amassed 380 career assists, eye-popping dribbling skills, and is known for ability to envision what will happen next in a match and supply precision passes that slice through other teams' defenses and lead to goals.
USA Today
15-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Inter Miami re-signs Jordi Alba. What does his new deal mean for Messi, Suarez, Busquets?
Inter Miami re-signs Jordi Alba. What does his new deal mean for Messi, Suarez, Busquets? Show Caption Hide Caption Lionel Messi and Inter Miami begin preseason preparations Soccer Inter Miami Traning SNTV Inter Miami and leftback Jordi Alba have agreed to a contract extension through 2027, the club announced Thursday. Alba, 36, has been an instrumental figure of the Lionel Messi era in Major League Soccer. The former Barcelona star joined longtime teammates Messi and Sergio Busquets with Inter Miami in July 2023. The team also features fellow Barcelona standouts Luis Suarez and Javier Mascherano, who is Miami's new coach. 'I'm happy to renew my contract because I have the desire to continue competing, and because of how I feel at the Club, with the affection I receive from fans at every match. I've been very comfortable these past two years at the Club, and I feel very loved by all the fans,' Alba said in a statement Thursday. 'We have that desire to continue competing, to continue winning, and, hopefully, win as many titles as possible.' Alba helped Inter Miami win the Leagues Cup tournament in 2023 and the MLS Supporters' Shield with a record-setting season (74 points) in 2024. He scored eight goals with 20 assists in 68 appearances across all competitions for Inter Miami. He helped Spain win the UEFA Euros in 2012, and the UEFA Nations League championship in 2023. He also helped Barcelona win LaLiga six times, the UEFA Champions League once, a FIFA Club World Cup title, and the Copa del Rey seven times. This is Alba's second contract extension with Inter Miami. Could his new deal indicate other contract extensions are on the horizon? Messi, 37, is signed with Inter Miami through 2025, while co-owner Jorge Mas has expressed significant interest in re-signing the Argentine World Cup champion at least through the 2026 season when the club will open its new stadium, Miami Freedom Park. Suarez – a 38-year-old Uruguayan standout and one of the best goal scorers in the sport's history – was an MLS MVP finalist during his first MLS season last year. He agreed in December to a contract extension through the 2025 season. Busquets, 36, is a 2010 World Cup winner with Spain and is considered one of the best midfielders to play soccer. He was also an MLS All-Star in 2024. He's still playing under his first MLS contract through 2025. Inter Miami is fifth in the MLS Eastern Conference with 22 points after a 3-3 draw on the road Wednesday against the San Jose Earthquakes. They trail FC Cincinnati (28), the Philadelphia Union (26), the Columbus Crew (26) and Nashville SC (23) in the standings. Inter Miami returns to action with MLS Sunday Night Soccer, hosting in-state rival Orlando City – sixth in the East with 21 points – Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.
New York Times
23-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
For sale and smooth sailing: How the Vancouver Whitecaps have improbably thrived
The announcement came six days after MLS Cup last season, a proverbial bomb dropped right as the offseason was beginning: the Vancouver Whitecaps were up for sale. The communiqué landed just a few weeks after the Whitecaps declared a shake-up on the sporting side, with coach Vanni Sartini having been ushered out. It was easy to start to put the picture together of what might come next: a directionless team with a 'for sale' sign in front languishing near the bottom of the standings. Predictably, that's where most MLS season previews estimated the club finishing. Advertisement Instead, the Whitecaps have become arguably the best story in MLS this season. Led by Jesper Sørensen, a Danish manager who had last coached Brøndby, the Whitecaps have lost just twice in their first 15 games in all competitions this season. They sit atop the MLS Supporters' Shield standings and have advanced to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals, where they will look to knock out Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, starting with Thursday night's first leg at home. The Whitecaps aren't just winning. They're doing so playing fun, attractive soccer. They have the second-most goals scored in MLS this season (17) and are tied for the fewest allowed (six). Their run to the Champions Cup semis has not been easy. They have advanced past traditional Costa Rican power Saprissa and Mexican clubs Monterrey and Pumas, the latter two on away goals with dramatic second-leg results in Mexico. Against Pumas in the quarterfinal, it was Tristan Blackmon's stunning stoppage-time finish that put them through after Pumas had seemingly knocked them out with an 88th-minute goal. OH MY GOODNESS@WhitecapsFC with a response in stoppage time! 😱 — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 10, 2025 Per Opta, the Whitecaps are just the second MLS team in 23 tries to advance against a Liga MX team in Concacaf's modern era of Champions League/Champions Cup play (since 2008) despite failing to win the first leg at home, joining the Columbus Crew, which beat Tigres in the 2024 quarterfinals. The success has driven interest, and that in turn has helped prop up the Whitecaps in their home market at a critical time for the club. 'Any time you start winning games and doing well, it just brings more attention, more excitement,' said Whitecaps forward Brian White, who leads the team in goals in both MLS (six) and the Champions Cup (four). 'People want to go see you play, they want to see their team win. For sure that there's been a surge in support and eyes and attention on the team in Vancouver.' Advertisement Putting the club up for sale could have had a hugely negative effect. Instead, ownership assured people both externally and internally that things would not change despite the sale process. In fact, Vancouver co-owner Jeff Mallett told The Athletic during a break in the MLS board of governors meeting earlier this month that the ownership group, led by Greg Kerfoot, became 'more engaged than ever.' 'We have so much at stake,' Mallett said. 'We want this to end up in great hands.' CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster had the toughest job. He had to assure his new coach that he still had the club's support — and the resources he needed — to put a competitive team together. He also had to convince the Vancouver community that the club was intent on staying in the market. 'It was almost more work,' Schuster said. 'Our day job was to continue to run the club. Our night job is actually to deal with all of this. And this was one of the most exhausting things to repeatedly say, 'No, it's not true. This club is not falling apart. No, this club is not moving.' '(People would say): 'The (NBA) Grizzlies owner, he was singing the anthem and said I will never move this team and six months later (it moved, in 2001).' But why are you bringing this up? That's not us. To have this conversation again and again and again. That was actually almost more exhausting than the actual work on the day-to-day business.' White and Sørensen said they haven't much discussed the team being up for sale within the locker room, but Schuster praised club employees for their belief even after the sale announcement. It became a sort of rallying cry internally. 'We have to make it the most attractive ride in North America, so that everyone wants to own it,' Schuster told the staff. '(So that) everyone wants to get this wonderful asset of having this club, because it's a great thing.' The team may not be letting the sale of the club weigh on them, but the on-field results have had an impact in those off-field discussions. The Whitecaps ownership group put out a statement on April 4 confirming that the club was 'in discussion with the City of Vancouver regarding the construction of a stadium at the PNE fairgrounds site.' A new venue would be a huge step forward for the club, and Mallett and Schuster were at the board meeting along with a representative from Goldman Sachs, which is leading the sale, to update the league. Advertisement 'This halo that's out there with the results and the season going well, it definitely has an impact,' Mallett said. 'There is a big funnel of interested people, we have a handful of people who want the team … (and) put it on a piece of paper. So it's at that stage. All of these groups are staying in Vancouver. So I'm super encouraged. I'm also practical, too. To get it from here to there, as we know, is hard. But yes, the process is going very well.' The sale process forced the ownership group to go through its entire history with the club and to account for its investment across the last two decades. The Whitecaps have never been among the highest-spending teams in MLS, but they also have one of the league's greatest success stories in homegrown star Alphonso Davies, who was sold to Bayern Munich and became one of the best left backs in the world. 'You self-reflect,' Mallett said. 'The mirror is right there. I think that was another lean-in moment where we say: We love this (club). Look at the dollars we put into this, look at the time we put into this. Then I go to the young players that we've developed over the years. I get super jacked over that. Kerfoot gets super jacked over that, too. … We had that moment. This is a great thing. We put in a good shift. We want to get it ready for the next chapter.' The start to this season is a reminder of what winning can do to enliven a market. Schuster obviously had belief that the Whitecaps were on the path toward building a winning team. If not, he wouldn't have made a coaching change at the end of the season. He pointed out that Vancouver actually outscored LAFC on aggregate in a three-game series they lost last year in the playoffs. 'It felt like inches,' he said. While the Whitecaps had performed admirably under Sartini, Schuster felt like 'fresh energy' was needed to take the team to the next level. In his exit interviews with players, he could sense excitement in the locker room about the foundation that had been built. Advertisement 'They also have been very clear what they thought they needed, aligned with what I thought it needed,' Schuster said. 'And this is also what our business sometimes is: bringing in some fresh air. Sometimes only because you say it a little bit in a different way, it gets more direction by the players.' Mallet said the coaching change was a sign that even amid a sale process, the ownership group was forward-looking. 'The easiest out would be to just sit on your hands and say, 'Axel, we'll just play through this next year and see how things go,' he said. Instead, they gave the green light for the change. The club parted ways with Sartini on Nov. 25, 2024. The announcement that the club was for sale was made Dec. 13. Sørensen was hired on Jan. 14. 'Bringing in Jesper is a great example of just continuation, looking forward,' Mallet said. Sørensen told the team from the start that he wanted them to control games and to be on the front foot with an attacking mindset, White said. It's about being structured and building a 'good base' in your identity as a group, Sørensen said. From the start, he saw a 'commitment to where we want to go as a team.' The decision to change coaches was put to the test immediately. Vancouver was in the Concacaf Champions Cup, which tests not just the quality of a team, but also its depth. 'We didn't just dive, we cannonballed into the season with games every couple of days with Concacaf and the regular season,' White said. 'And I think we just jumped into the deep end and figured out how to swim.' So far, the Whitecaps have answered every question asked of them — and then some. Statistically, the Whitecaps are an anomaly early in the regular season. According to American Soccer Analysis, their goals added on both the attacking end and defensive end vastly outrank their performance from last season. They own MLS's best expected goal differential (1.1; nobody else is above 0.7) and actual goal differential (1.2; only three others above 0.7), per TruMedia via StatsPerform (Opta). They've done it mostly without star Ryan Gauld, who had 22 goals and 24 assists across the past two regular seasons, who has been sidelined due to a knee injury since March 8. Advertisement For almost their entire MLS existence, the Whitecaps have been a mid-table team. They finished second in the West in 2015 and third in 2017. Outside of those two seasons and a 12th-place finish in the conference in 2019, they have finished somewhere between fifth and ninth in the West in their 11 other seasons in MLS. They have made it to the MLS Cup playoffs in seven of 14 seasons, including three of the past four years, but never advanced past the quarterfinals. But when Messi and Co. come to town on Thursday, it won't be a David vs. Goliath situation. It's very much a heavyweight showdown. The rosters are built entirely differently. Miami is a juggernaut with its quartet of former Barcelona legends. Vancouver has historically been a lower-spending team, and this group is filled with domestic standouts like White, a recent U.S. call-up under Mauricio Pochettino, and Canadian winger Jayden Nelson. Still, the semifinal will feature the league's top two teams by points per game, with Miami at 2.25 and Vancouver at 2.22. 'It's a big game for the club and for the team,' Sørensen told The Athletic in a phone interview on Tuesday. 'But I think that we are here for a reason. We've done well, but also we are up against a team where we know they have some special players, players that have been dominating this sport for many years, and maybe the best player ever to play is on that team. So of course, it's always special to play them. 'But we are here to take our chances. We're here to seize the moment. And that's what we'll try to do.'
New York Times
11-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Lionel Messi, Inter Miami close to agreement over contract extension
Inter Miami is close to an agreement with Lionel Messi over a contract extension, which would see the Argentina forward lead his side into their new home at Miami Freedom Park next year. Messi joined Miami as a free agent in July 2023 on a deal that expires at the end of 2025 but — according to sources in the United States with knowledge of the situation — talks to prolong his stay are at an advanced stage and the 37-year-old is now expected to sign, although work continues to finalise the terms. Advertisement If all goes to plan, Messi will put pen to paper soon in what would come as a huge boost to the franchise and Major League Soccer (MLS). Miami managing owner Jorge Mas has handled the negotiations and told FDP Radio Miami earlier this week that 'the stars are aligning for something great, for a beautiful future for the club and for Lionel. It's solely his decision. 'I expect that within 60-90 days we'll have to determine all of this. My hope has always been — and everything we're doing — is to see Messi play at our new stadium in 2026. Hopefully, that happens.' Messi scored twice on Wednesday as Miami overturned a first-leg loss and 1-0 deficit on the night to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory over Los Angeles FC and reach the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-finals, where they will face Vancouver Whitecaps later in April. It took his tally to 42 goals in 48 appearances since arriving, while he also has 21 assists. The eight-time Ballon d'Or and 2022 World Cup winner has helped turn Miami into a competitive force and will lead them at the revamped Club World Cup this summer. Miami secured its spot at the Club World Cup after winning the MLS Supporters' Shield in 2024. Last September, the club announced it will start playing home games at its new Miami Freedom Park stadium from the 2026 season. The 25,000-seat stadium is part of a wider 131-acre development which includes a public park, entertainment and hospitality venues. The arena, the park and initial entertainment and hospitality venues are due to open later this year. Miami previously said Miami Freedom Park would be ready for this season but that start date was later pushed back. The 2025 campaign will be Miami's last at the 21,550-seat Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Analysis by senior soccer writer Felipe Cardenas There are still doubts about whether Messi will play for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, but this extension should shift opinions towards a 'yes' that the Argentina captain will opt to feature in his sixth World Cup finals. Advertisement On the other hand, the Inter Miami-Messi project now appears it will carry on for the foreseeable future. As Mas noted, the club has dreamt of opening their new stadium in 2026 with Messi still wearing Miami's pink and black kit rather than the suit of a club executive. Messi cannot out-sprint every defender he faces at 37. His use of body feints are less frequent, but his gifted touch, knack for goals and surreal vision on the ball remain tools that he relies on. His mere presence on the pitch and within the Miami training facility raises the bar for teammates and opponents alike. His expected renewal to stay in America as a professional footballer will be well-received by league officials and his legions of fans around the world. ()
