All posts by n8rngtd.top

Wrexham have been handed an audacious transfer boost as Tottenham star Ben Davies refused to commit his future to Spurs. The experienced Wales international, who has been a fixture at Spurs for over a decade, has acknowledged that decisions about his next move may soon be out of his hands.

• Son & Davies in final year of their contracts
• Defender has been linked with Wrexham
• Could also move to Elland Road

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Davies has been a stalwart at Tottenham since his arrival from Swansea City in 2014. Over the years, his dedication and adaptability have made him a trusted figure under several managerial regimes, from Mauricio Pochettino to Thomas Frank. Now in the twilight of his Spurs tenure, Davies finds himself in the final 11 months of his current deal. Although the club recently exercised their option to extend his contract for another season, the absence of long-term renewal talks suggests the possibility of a summer departure with Wrexham and Leeds United among the possible destinations. 

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham, currently on a rapid rise through the English football pyramid, are chasing a fourth consecutive promotion and are just a step away from realising their ultimate dream of playing in the English top flight. Backed by significant investment thanks to Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and global exposure through their Disney+ documentary series, the Welsh club has lofty ambitions and acquiring a Premier League-calibre defender like Davies would be a major coup.

• WHAT DAVIES SAID

  While on pre-season duty with Spurs in Hong Kong, Davies was asked whether he expected to see out the final year of his contract. The 32-year-old said his current priority was to help Tottenham this season, but remained non-committal when asked directly about seeing through the full term. 

  "That one is not necessarily under my control. I reported for pre-season and I’m excited to be here," he told

  "My focus is now on how I can help this club this year, and if something changes, I’m sure I will be picking up that phone call, but right now I don’t see anything else."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Adding to the intrigue at Spurs is the status of Davies’ closest friend at the club, Son Heung-min. The South Korean superstar, who recently completed ten seasons with Tottenham, is also entering the final year of his contract. Like Davies, Son had his deal extended by the club earlier this year, but his long-term future remains in flux.

With the summer transfer window well and truly back open, Aston Villa have a huge few weeks ahead.

After failing to qualify for the Champions League after defeat against Manchester United on the final day of the season, the West Midlands side find themselves in the Europa League.

That surely makes them less appealing to top players they are looking to sign, and also means they have less money, which could make it tough to turn the loan moves of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford into permanent deals. Spain international Asensio did not have a buy clause in his loan from Paris Saint-Germain, and it is unclear if he will come back.

Well, if it turns out that Asensio doesn’t re-sign for Villa, they seemingly have a replacement in mind.

Villa's potential Asensio replacement

It would certainly be a huge blow for Villa if they were to lose Asensio, who had a great impact and brought lots of technical quality in attacking areas to their squad. However, they seem to be targeting a fellow Spaniard to replace him.

According to a newspaper in Spain, via Caught Offside, Unai Emery and his side are seemingly targeting a move for Real Betis attacker Jesus Rodriguez. He reportedly has a release clause worth £30m in his current deal, but Betis are negotiating a new contract with the view of increasing the price of that release clause to around £43m.

Of course, the release clause makes this a complicated situation, and on top of that, Betis are thought to be set on keeping Rodriguez.

However, Villans’ sporting director Monchi ‘is determined to sign’ the attacker, and ‘will be leading negotiations to get the deal done’ this summer.

Why Rodríguez would be a good signing

Despite being just 19 years of age, Rodriguez had a strong second half of the campaign with Betis, after breaking into the first team under Manuel Pellegrini following a stint in the youth team until December.

The Seville-born sensation played in 32 senior games last season for the club, scoring three times and grabbing one assist. He played a lot of first-team football, too, notching up 1739 minutes, the equivalent of 19 full 90-minute games. If anything, that shows the trust Pellegrini has in him already.

The 19-year-old attacker performed well in the UEFA Conference League last season, too. Although Betis lost in the final to Chelsea, he had an important role in their quest to the final, playing eight games and scoring against Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok.

There is no doubt about it, Rodriguez stepping into Asensio’s shoes at Villa Park would be no mean feat. Not only is he ten years younger and therefore far less experienced, but the impact he had at Villa would be tough to recreate.

Even Asensio himself struggled to continue the form he showcased during the early part of his career in the West Midlands. He scored eight times and grabbed one assist in 21 games, but after a rapid start, couldn’t keep up his hot run of form past the start of April.

When looking at the underlying stats on FBref last season for both Rodriguez, a Spain U21 international, and Asensio, there are some numbers that stack up well against each other. One of those is goal-creating actions, in which the Betis man averaged 0.41 per game compared to the Villa loanee’s 0.66, showing they are both involved in their team’s goals regularly.

Described as an “explosive” player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Rodriguez will certainly bring dynamic ball-carrying to Villa Park, more so than Asensio of the stats are anything to go by. The 19-year-old averaged 4.31 progressive carries each game last season, compared to Asensio’s 2.72 per 90 minutes.

It is not hard to see why Rodriguez will be Emery’s new Asensio. Not only are they both Spanish attackers who can play across the frontline, but he has the technical quality of the former Real Madrid star, combined with the habit of being involved in goals, even if that is not directly.

This seems like a deal Monchi wants to get over the line, and for £30m, the value of his current release clause, it could be an excellent piece of business for the Villans.

He's scored at Villa Park: Aston Villa racing to sign "fantastic" £42m star

Only Jacob Murphy, Mohamed Salah and Anthony Elanga assisted more goals than him last season…

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By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 12, 2025

And how many players have outscored the opposition on their own in a Test innings?

Steven Lynch19-Oct-2021In a recent IPL game, Kieron Pollard was Player of the Match though he only meaningfully participated in 14 deliveries in the entire game. What’s the lowest number by someone who received the award in a T20 match? asked Nathan from Australia

You’re right that Kieron Pollard was only actively involved in 14 deliveries during Mumbai Indians’ IPL victory over Punjab Kings in Abu Dhabi on September 28 – he faced seven balls, bowled one over, and took one catch. Pollard was the third man to win the award having been involved in only 14 deliveries in an IPL game, after Nuwan Kulasekera, for Chennai Super Kings against Pune Warriors in Chennai in 2012, and Munaf Patel, for Mumbai Indians against Pune Warriors in Mumbai in 2011.But they’re not top: there are two cases of 13 by IPL match award-winners – Mark Boucher for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kolkata Knight Riders in Durban in 2009, and James Faulkner for Rajasthan Royals against KKR in Abu Dhabi in 2014. Boucher faced 13 balls and didn’t take a catch, but he was keeping wicket, so would undoubtedly have been actively involved in rather more deliveries.The record for all T20 matches, as far as we can establish, is active involvement in just eight deliveries before lifting the match award. This was achieved by the South African David Wiese, for Titans against Dolphins in Centurion in 2012-13, and Dinesh Karthik for India vs Bangladesh in the Nidahas Trophy final in Colombo in March 2018. The scorecard for Yorkshire against Leicestershire at Headingley in 2014 suggests that Adam Lyth was involved in only eight deliveries, but he shared the award in that match with Aaron Finch after a spectacular relayed boundary catch – and since Finch ended up with the ball, Lyth doesn’t feature on the scorecard. But he thus played a major role in at least one other ball in addition to the eight he faced while batting.There are a few caveats with these figures. First, we only have full statistics for around 70% of T20 games. Most significantly, we can only consider scorecard entries – so a player who, for example, received the award in part for outstanding fielding wouldn’t show up. We’ve also ignored matches reduced by rain or other reasons. So Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team had a fun time totting up the rest!What’s the highest Test score by a batter outside his home country? asked Kevin Millard from England

The highest individual score away from home in a Test remains Hanif Mohammad’s epic match-saving 337 – in a record 970 minutes – for Pakistan against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58. That just edged out Wally Hammond’s 336 not out for England against New Zealand in Auckland in 1932-33.In all, there have been 11 triple-centuries by batters in overseas Tests, two of them by Don Bradman at Headingley, in 1930 and in 1934. (There are 12 if you count Azhar Ali’s unbeaten 302 for Pakistan against West Indies in a “home” Test in Dubai in 2016-17.)How often has a player scored a hundred and a duck in the same Test? asked Bevan McAllister from New Zealand

In all, this has now happened 172 times in Test matches. The most recent instance involved Najmul Hossain of Bangladesh, against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in April. The first time it happened was in the first ever Test in England, at The Oval in 1880, when Australia’s captain, Billy Murdoch, made 0 and 153 not out.Two men have done it three times: Shivnarine Chanderpaul for West Indies, and England’s Andrew Strauss. A further 22 batters managed it on two occasions.Wisden records the 11 leaders given honorary MCC life membership in 1946•WisdenI noticed that Matthew Hayden outscored Pakistan’s match aggregate on his own in his only innings of a Test in 2002. Has anyone else done this? asked Abdul Shabeer from India

Matthew Hayden was the fifth man to exceed the opposition’s aggregate score on his own in his only innings of a Test with a definite result: Pakistan made 53 and 59, while Hayden hit 119 for Australia in Sharjah in 2002-03. The others to achieve this were Bobby Abel (120) for England against South Africa (43 and 47) in Cape Town in 1888-89, Len Hutton (364) for England vs Australia (123 and 201) at The Oval in 1938, Don Bradman (185) for Australia vs India (98 and 58) in Brisbane in 1947-48, and Inzamam-ul-Haq (329) for Pakistan vs New Zealand (73 and 246) in Lahore in 2002.For batters who went in twice, Justin Langer (191 and 97) outscored Pakistan (179 and 72) in Perth in 2004-05, while Gordon Greenidge (134 and 101) made more than England (71 and 126) managed at Old Trafford in 1976, as did Patsy Hendren (169 and 45) vs Australia (122 and 66) in Brisbane and Dimuth Karunaratne (158 not out and 60) vs South Africa (126 and 73) in Galle.I read that Dwight Eisenhower was the only American president to attend a Test match. But is it right that he was also a member of MCC? asked Syed Iliyas Hussain from England

President Eisenhower witnessed at least part of a somewhat somnolent day’s play in the third Test between Pakistan and Australia in Karachi in 1959-60. During the day, which was uninterrupted apart from a break while the teams were introduced to Eisenhower, Pakistan scored 104 for 5 in 65 overs, so it’s unlikely the distinguished visitor was terribly excited.This was the last Test played on a matting pitch. Australia’s captain in that match, Richie Benaud, in his book Willow Patterns, wrote that Eisenhower “made the remark that he thought this cricket game was supposed to be played on grass rather than mat. The Pakistan president [Mohammed Ayub Khan] then said, ‘This is the last time a Test match will be played on matting in this country’, and he gave orders to that effect.”It’s also true that Eisenhower was a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club, although it wasn’t because of any particular liking for the game. General Eisenhower, as he then was, was one of 11 leaders given honorary life membership of MCC in 1946, in recognition of their efforts in the Second World War. Eisenhower was the only American; the other ten were all British. Winston Churchill, the wartime prime minister, was one of those honoured, along with the top brass from the army, navy and air force. Arguably the most famous of the others were Field Marshal Montgomery of Alamein, and Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Queen’s second cousin and uncle of the Duke of Edinburgh.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Diogo Dalot has shared a heartfelt tribute to late Portugal and Liverpool star Diogo Jota, describing the loss as an "indescribable tragedy". The Manchester United full-back, who attended Jota’s funeral alongside Bruno Fernandes, spoke openly about the emotional impact and lasting memories of his national team-mate, and paid tribute to the Anfield favourite.

• Dalot speaks on emotional toll of Jota’s passing
• Calls him "role model" and "great man"
• Football world unites in paying tribute

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The football world was left stunned by the sudden passing of Jota last month in a tragic motor accident in Spain. Dalot joined fellow players and fans in mourning the loss of the 27-year-old forward and his brother Andre Silva. The Manchester United full-back has now paid tribute to the 'role model'.

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  WHAT DALOT SAID

  Speaking to the media, Dalot said: "It's tough to talk about it, but it was a tough week for me, for every teammate that played with him. I cannot imagine what the family went through. I had the opportunity to see them and it's just tough. There aren’t any words to describe it when such a tragedy happens like that. 

  "It hits you. I felt that everybody, the whole world felt it, even if they didn't know him personally. It's just a tragedy. Every time I go on the pitch, I think of it. Even today, I saw shirts with his name. He will be remembered forever, and he deserves that because he was a great man, a great teammate. 

  "Diogo was someone that I would say was a role model for me because I always like to see a player's behaviour when they play and when you don't play. He was always the guy that was thinking and putting the team first. So I will always remember him like that. Hopefully, he's at peace now and resting where he is."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Jota’s death brought the footballing community together in grief and remembrance. Supporters of rival clubs came together to honour his life and career. Dalot added that his influence went beyond football, leaving behind a legacy of character and camaraderie.

  Dalot continued: "He could have played for any team. When you're talking about the personal side, I don't look to the shirts that he represents. Obviously, I played a lot of years with him in the national team and I spent some time with him. So you create that connection, you create some memories. That's what I want to keep, the good memories. It's how I want to remember him."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Liverpool and Portugal are expected to honour Jota during the upcoming season with tributes and commemorations. Dalot and others who knew him will carry his memory forward on and off the pitch, while the wider football community continues to grieve a player gone far too soon.

Newcastle United have accepted that a move for long-time transfer target Bryan Mbeumo may not work out this summer, with the Brentford forward reportedly preferring to sign for Manchester United.

Whether that will happen is another matter, and no longer the Magpies’ concern, for Eddie Howe and the powers that be have turned their attention to alternative options, Anthony Elanga and Mohammed Kudus among the targeted.

While Newcastle are in talks with Callum Wilson for a new contract, the ageing striker failed to register a goal contribution in the Premier League last season as he battled through injury problems, and some extra firepower to complement Alexander Isak wouldn’t go amiss.

Newcastle plotting to sign new striker

Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro is right at the top of the shopping list, but Newcastle may well be plotting to sign an even more exciting centre-forward.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to Football Insider, Newcastle are considering an official move for Porto’s Samu Aghehowa in the coming months, having been keeping tabs on the prolific striker.

Though the 21-year-old has an £82.5m release clause in his contract, he could be sold for considerably less, with a fee of £63m mooted.

Manchester United are also interested as they search for an upgrade on Rasmus Hojlund, and the Premier League competitors may well battle it out for the number nine.

What Samu Omorodion would bring to Newcastle

Tall, powerful and blessed with swift pace, Aghehowa has the fundamental skills to become a fearsome marksman in the Premier League, more still a perfect counterpoint to ther breezy dynamism of Isak.

He might not be the finished article, but this wouldn’t actually be a negative: Aghehowa would join a Newcastle team blessed with “the best striker in the Premier League” in Isak, as has been said by pundit Jamie Carragher, and Wilson, an experienced poacher.

It’s a fantastic mix, and one which could see Aghehowa springboard into the ascendency. Who knows, he might even prove an even bigger star than Pedro with some careful man-management over the coming years.

Though Pedro has impressed since joining Brighton from Watford in a deal worth around £30m two years ago, scoring 30 goals and providing ten assists across 70 matches, 18 of those strikes have come from the penalty spot.

Aghehowa’s ceiling is higher.

Joining Porto from Atletico Madrid last summer just weeks after a move to Chelsea collapsed, Omorodion has thrived in Portugal, scoring 25 goals across 42 matches in all competitions, including a six-goal haul in the Europa League that saw him fire two past Man United.

Hailed as a “monster in the making” with a “complete profile” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Aghehowa has the mark of an elite-level goalscorer, and while Brighton’s Brazilian forward is more creative and dynamic, Newcastle must invest their chips in the man who could become one of the deadliest number nines in the business.

The dream XI Newcastle can build: No Gordon; Joao Pedro & £120m trio sign

Newcastle are looking to make sweeping changes as they step back into the Champions League.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 10, 2025

The batter, who averages nearly 70 in first-class cricket, has been picked in the Zimbabwe squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2025Batter Antum Naqvi is in line for a Zimbabwe debut in their upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan after being named in their 16-man squad. Fast bowler Tinotenda Maposa, who has played 14 white-ball internationals for Zimbabwe, is another potential debutant.Left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava and allrounder Brad Evans, both of whom were not part of Zimbabwe’s most recent Test series against New Zealand in July-August earlier this year, returned to the squad. Evans, 28, has played a solitary Test so far, which came in February 2023.Of Indian and Pakistani descent, Naqvi was born in Brussels, Belgium and moved to Australia when he was four, where he earned a commercial airline pilot’s license. He put his aviation career on hold, as per BBC Sport, to pursue cricket. He has recently qualified to represent Zimbabwe, according to a statement from Zimbabwe Cricket.Related

• Afghanistan return to Test cricket against familiar foes Zimbabwe

• Namibia, Zimbabwe qualify for 2026 men's T20 World Cup

• Archive: Naqvi breaks Zimbabwe cricket records with unbeaten 300

Naqvi is one of the brightest emerging talents in Zimbabwe, boasting an average of over 60 in both first-class and List A cricket. In January 2024, he became the the first player from a Zimbabwean team to hit a triple-century at any level of representative cricket. Overall, he has racked up 1626 runs in 26 first-class innings at an average of 67.75 and strike rate of 72.65.In his most recent first-class fixture, he scored 68 and 108, his sixth hundred in the format, for Zimbabwe A against MCC in Harare last week.Sean Williams, Trevor Gwandu, Newman Nyamhuri, Clive Madande and Vincent Masekesa all were left out from the previous Test squad. It is understood that Williams missed out due to personal reasons.Craig Ervine will captain the team, with Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza and Blessing Muzarabani lending more experience to the team.Harare will host the one-off Test against Afghanistan from October 20 to 24. This will be Zimbabwe’s first international assignment since they secured qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Zimbabwe squad

Craig Ervine (capt), Brian Bennett, Tanaka Chivanga, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Roy Kaia, Tanunurwa Makoni, Wellington Masakadza, Tinotenda Maposa, Blessing Muzarabani, Antum Naqvi, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Brendan Taylor, Nick Welch

Messi has undoubtedly raised the profile of MLS, but his decision to skip ASG could have lasting reverberations for the league

AUSTIN, Texas – Lionel Messi means the world to Jesus Rodriguez.

For the 22-year-old, who has Cerebral Palsy and developmental disabilities, the Argentine star is a light – a beacon of hope in an otherwise challenging life. Whether it's weaving through multiple defenders or beating goalkeepers with pinpoint precision on free kicks, Messi doesn’t let obstacles stand in his way, and that inspires Rodriguez to keep fighting. So much so that his mother, Tanya Jasso, wanted to find a way for her son to finally see Messi.

She originally tried last season and was ready to take her son, husband, and Jesus’ stepfather, Javier Partida, to see Messi in Columbus, Ohio, for the 2024 MLS All-Star Game. But in the 2024 Copa America Final, Messi injured his ankle. The plan was scrapped. Then, in March, Jasso got the exciting news that the 2025 MLS All-Star would be held in Austin.

For the family who lives in Alamo, New Mexico, the Texas capital was within driving distance. They wanted to give Jesus the experience of a lifetime, saving money and then spending thousands of dollars to get tickets in the VIP section 7, row 3, behind the MLS All-Star bench. Everything was in motion, and when Jesus heard the news, he was brimming with excitement.

Then Wednesday happened.

Messi and Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba had been no-shows for MLS All-Star training sessions earlier in the week, and on the morning of the All-Star Game, the league confirmed what had increasingly appeared inevitable – neither would play, both removed from the final MLS roster.

Jasso said that she and her family were devastated when they heard the news. Jesus sat motionless with his head drooping toward the concrete sidewalk, and Jasso was furious about the timing and the manner in which both MLS and Messi handled the situation.

“I’m very sad because I did everything I could so my son could come see Messi, especially since he has a disability,” Jasso told GOAL Wednesday before the All-Star Game. “I feel heartbroken for him. It’s always been his dream to meet Messi, but he’s not going to be here. I made a lot of sacrifices… We drove 10 hours from Alamo, New Mexico, to get here, and we’re very tired.”

Jasso was perplexed as to why MLS waited until the day of the game – at 11:15 a.m. Central Time, to be exact – to reveal that the face of their league would not be playing in its midseason showcase.

“I think they should be more honest and give fans a heads-up so we don’t go through so much for nothing,” she said. “I feel sad because [Messi] should think about his fans – and right now, he’s not. I believe Messi is partly to blame, as is the league, because he should’ve made an effort to be here.”

Jasso wasn’t alone in feeling let down by MLS and its Argentine superstar. Social media was flush with fans who said the league should have done more to hold Messi accountable, and some who cynically suggested the league was aware of Messi’s status ahead of the game, intentionally promoted his participation, and withheld the information to build buzz for the game.

Austin’s leading newspaper, , ripped Messi and MLS to shreds for the way the situation was handled, with Eric Goodman writing, “Messi’s decision not to show up for one night in Austin is a huge middle finger to MLS and its fans.”

Despite the very public angst, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, in his All-Star Game midseason address, declined to confirm whether the players would face discipline, saying only that the league should have been more proactive in determining Messi and Alba’s availability. In several unprompted moments, Garber appeared to gush over Messi’s positive impact on the league – noting his sizable social media presence and the credibility he brings to MLS.

Sports commissioners essentially work for team owners, which means occasionally having to tow the line. But considering the circumstances, Garber’s responses – and in some cases, lack thereof – seemed tone deaf. Failing to be firm and resolute could both set a precedent and have consequences, signaling to MLS fans that their role in All-Star voting effectively doesn’t matter.

On Friday, two days after the All-Star Game, MLS finally announced a decision, suspending both Messi and Alba for Inter Miami’s match against FC Cincinnati on Saturday. Garber praised Messi's overall contributions, but said the league had to follow its policies.

“The most important thing is I know Leo Messi loves this league, and MLS is an entirely different league because of the years he’s been here helping to show the world what MLS is and what it’s capable of being,” Garber told the Athletic. “Nobody has done more for Major League Soccer than Lionel Messi. Not just what he’s done off the field, but what he’s done on the field. Every game is a must-see match. I fully understand and respect and admire his commitment to Inter Miami.

"His decision is not one that I really can argue with whatsoever and I understand it. But unfortunately we have a longstanding policy relating to player participation in the All-Star Game and we had to enforce that policy. It was a very, very difficult decision, but one I hope both [Messi] and everyone else can understand and respect. He has shown up for his club, for his teammates, for our league time and time again and I respect his decision.”

Garber added that MLS plans to re-evaluate the policy.

“We are going to take a very hard look at the rule moving forward," he said. "It is important to all of our players and all of our fans that we have a policy that reflects and involves the realities of our league and its players going forward. I am committed to working with all of our players and to start working with Leo Messi to adapt this rule so it makes sense going forward.”

Calling MLS rules for sanctioning players who skip its All-Star game "draconian," Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas on Friday said that Messi was "extremely upset' by the suspension. Mas claimed it was the club's decision to let both Messi and Alba skip the ASG, keeping their long-term health and fitness in mind amid a congested schedule, and that the players' were upset by the league's actions.

"I believe it’s a bad rule, but it’s a rule nonetheless," he said. "And it’s a bad rule because I think it puts the players in an untenable position to have to choose between participating in an All-Star festivity, which is an exhibition match, or choosing a regular-season game that I think matters. And I admire both Lionel and Jordi for always thinking of club first.”

Messi is the first MLS starter in the past 30 years to skip an All-Star game for non-injury reasons – the first being Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In most other major U.S. sports – the NBA, MLB, NHL and NFL, leagues that represent the best of the best in their respective games – it would generally be unthinkable for a player equal to Messi’s stature to skip its marquee match for reasons other than injury.

So how did MLS get to this point with the face of the league?

GOAL spoke to MLS All-Stars, former executives, and insiders to assess the fallout from Messi’s no-show and what it signals about the league’s present and future.

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  Compare and contrast, Beckham and Messi

  Messi may be the most famous – and as an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, the most accomplished – player ever to join Major League Soccer, but the way he’s avoided an active ambassador role for the league stands in stark contrast to the global icon who preceded him: David Beckham.

  While Beckham was never as strong a footballer as Messi, he was arguably just as popular in the pre-social media era. From the moment Beckham joined MLS in a star-studded, Hollywood, celebrity-fueled arrival in 2007, he made it clear that his move to MLS was about more than just playing soccer – it was a mission.

  “I’m coming there to make a difference,” Beckham said at his introductory LA Galaxy news conference. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think I could make a difference.”

  Beckham didn’t just show up, he leaned into the responsibility of helping MLS grow – on and off the field. It wasn’t enough to attract 66,237 fans to Giants Stadium, as he did when the Galaxy traveled to face the New York Red Bulls in a 5-4 loss, or to amplify attendance for opposing clubs by more than 40 percent during his first two years in the league.

  He was also making media rounds, and serving as a highly visible face of American club soccer. Whether it was appearing on late-night talk shows, doing photo shoots for leading magazines, or surprising fans at sports bars, Beckham treated the league’s promotion as part of the job.

  “Of course, being an ambassador of the league, being an ambassador of the game here is obviously important,” he said at an appearance in 2012 at the ESPN Zone, meeting individually with a group of 70.

  Two former leading members of the LA Galaxy staff who worked closely with Beckham told GOAL that visibility was never optional for the England star, with one source saying, “I would say that media exposure and growth of the league was greatly important to Beckham and Ibrahimovic.”

  That went far beyond what was written in any contract. Yes, Beckham wasn’t initially as successful on the pitch as Messi – he didn’t make the playoffs until his third year in the league. But as USMNT icon and former Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas summed it up in 2011, Beckham’s arrival was monumental for MLS.

  “He brought relevancy and credibility,” Lalas said, “which is something that U.S. soccer – and maybe even more so Major League Soccer – has and continues to crave.”

  And Beckham went to extreme lengths to meet obligations. Former teammate Landon Donovan recalled a moment during the 2012 Olympics when Beckham juggled personal and league duties with incredible effort.

  “He flew out right after our game – maybe Saturday or Sunday night – to London,” Donovan said in reaction to the news that Messi had skipped Wednesday’s All-Star Game. “He had to do preparations for the opening ceremonies, then got back on a plane, flew to wherever the All-Star Game was, played the game on Wednesday, and flew back to London that night.”

  The irony is striking, considering Beckham is now a co-owner of Inter Miami. Messi, Beckham’s hand-picked superstar and so-called “gift” to elevate MLS into a new era, chose not to show up for the league’s marquee summer event.

  And while Messi’s global reach and on-field brilliance are unquestionable, his absence in Austin has pointed to what has become increasingly telegraphed over the past few months: There is a different set of rules for Messi.

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  The Messi Rules

  This wasn’t the first time Messi’s unique status bent the norms at MLS. There’s no denying Messi’s impact for Inter Miami. Since arriving in 2023, he’s tallied 64 goal contributions in 43 league matches (39 goals, 25 assists), led the Herons to the 2024 Supporters’ Shield with a record 74 points, and won league MVP.

  He’s also played the role of recruiter, helping bring former star teammates and friends Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba to MLS – and it appears Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul will be next.

  Off the field, Messi has transformed the club’s profile. Inter Miami’s valuation exploded from $585 million to more than $1.2 billion since his arrival. Attendance, too, has soared, nearly doubling from an average of 12,613 fans per game in 2022 to 21,245 in 2024 – second-best in MLS.

  But has Messi had the same impact on the league overall? He’s a guaranteed box office draw, selling out nearly every road match and helping teams such as Sporting KC move games to larger venues to capitalize on the draw and maximize attendance.

  Yet beyond the gate, the returns are mixed.

  MLS viewership, by most accounts, remains modest. Garber said this week that MLS games streaming on Apple TV average 120,000 unique viewers each, with about one million unique viewers tuning in across all matches on Saturdays. During Beckham’s first two years in the league, MLS averaged 241,000 viewers for games and had a single-match high of 650,000. Of course, in Beckham’s era, matches were broadcast on traditional cable TV, which has greatly declined over the past decade. Today, MLS’s matches are largely streamed via Apple TV.

  And Messi’s voice, publicly, has been largely absent. Unlike past MLS stars such as Beckham, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney, or Kaka, Messi has limited his media opportunities, outside of his introductory news conference.

  Yes, he’s done a smattering of one-on-one interviews, but they have generally been well-coordinated and structured – often lacking any real emotion. American sports fans are used to seeing passion. Due to the controlled nature of Messi’s limited interviews, fans have little insight into his thoughts on MLS, the competition level, or even life in the U.S. That might be normal for athletes in Europe, but in North America – where megastars such as LeBron James and Patrick Mahomes regularly speak to the media – it’s a missed opportunity.

  Historically, MLS has fined players who skip media duties. Henry often grumbled about the requirement but still fulfilled it. Ibrahimovic stirred headlines with brash, unfiltered takes that MLS likely didn’t always appreciate. Messi, by contrast, appears to operate under different rules.

  The Athletic reported that Messi struck a handshake deal to avoid regular media obligations. Some within MLS circles have contrasted Messi’s silence outside of a handful of preselected opportunities to Cristiano Ronaldo’s outspoken promotion of the Saudi Pro League.

  The question, ultimately, is how much impact Messi as a “brand” has lifted the league? MLS is now home to more of the highest valued soccer franchises than any other league in global soccer, according to Sportico's annual rankings. North America's top flight has 19 of the top 50, and five of the top 20, eclipsing every other top division in world football.

  The league’s average valuation is $700 million, with LAFC and Inter Miami – Messi’s club – sitting at the top, both valued north of $1.2B.

  “There’s no doubt that there’s a before and after Lionel Messi in this league,” Mas said. “Lionel Messi, he is different. He has completely changed the economics of this league, for every single club, every team, every sponsor, the league, media, etc… Lionel Messi has created, for the first time in the league history, $10 million gates where he goes. Clubs change stadiums so Lionel Messi can perform and play, and Inter Miami can play. And that’s an amazing asset and an amazing thing for the league."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Marquee event no-show

  What started as a question Monday became seemingly inevitable by Tuesday afternoon: Messi might skip All-Star week entirely. The league has generally accepted the “Messi rules” – flexibility in exchange for brilliance on the pitch. But this was uncharted territory, even by North American standards.

  All-Star events, while rarely competitive, are marketing engines built on fan participation. They're celebrations of a sport and a league, and there is generally a kind of unspoken pact with fans. You vote, they show up.

  The tradition runs deep. Babe Ruth was an All-Star. Michael Jordan was an All-Star. Even when selections spark debate, that debate fuels connection. Fans can’t control lineups or referee decisions – but All-Star votes are theirs.

  No story captures this better than John Scott’s in 2016. A journeyman NHL enforcer with just five career goals, Scott was voted by fans into the league’s All-Star game. The league reportedly tried to block him – even demoting him to the minors after a trade – but he played anyway, scored twice, and was named MVP. That’s the magic of sports: unpredictability and presence.

  For the 28 MLS All-Stars who did show up in Austin, that mattered.

  “When you have eyes on you, and to be able to have a voice and showcase yourself … it's very important,” said U.S. international Diego Luna. “MLS is in a big year leading up to the World Cup – this brings more focus and attention.”

  Chucky Lozano and Cristian Espinoza echoed that sentiment. Garber, meanwhile, downplayed Messi’s absence, citing Inter Miami’s packed schedule and Club World Cup obligations.

  "Miami has had a schedule that is unlike any other team," Garber said. "Most of our teams had a 10-day break. Miami hasn't. We had Leo playing 90 minutes in almost all the games that he's played."

  But the numbers tell a more nuanced story. Inter Miami and LAFC each played 16 matches between the league and Club World Cup; Seattle played just one fewer. And of those three, Miami actually had the longest break – 14 days – between league play and the Club World Cup.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Where MLS goes from here

  Now that the league has enforced its rules, suspending the two Miami players, the question remains: How can this be avoided next time?

  It starts with expectation and accountability. Did MLS and Miami adequately outline expectations for Messi when he arrived in the league, including responsibilities at tentpole events such as the All-Star game? Media responsibilities aren’t as critical as they were in the Beckham era, but skipping an MLS All-Star game both damages trust and could set a precedent for other stars in the league.

  Zlatan skipped an All-Star game. Now Messi has done the same. How can MLS discourage repeat offenses? How does the league impart the value of its marquee game to its top stars, especially those who have previously played in Europe, where All-Star games are literally foreign concepts?

  Does the league need harsher penalties? Neither Messi or Alba are likely to lose sleep because they didn’t have a chance to play with Brad Stuver or Sam Surridge in the ASG – no offense to either – or the fact they must sit out one match, even if it’s against a contending Cincinnati side. Or as Garber suggested Friday – the league "working with Leo Messi to adapt this rule" – could MLS go the opposite direction, and forego future sanctions, thus potentially risking more players skipping out?

  One suggestion that has gained traction within league circles is changing the scheduling for the ASG, or even canceling it in years in which there are other major tournaments, such as the Club World Cup or the World Cup. One insider suggested MLS follow the NHL’s lead and postpone All-Star the way the NHL did during the Olympics.

  While Garber has already gone on record that he wants the 2026 Charlotte All-Star Game to be the best ever, riding momentum from the World Cup, the league might be better served by pressing pause.

  "What I think is that if they want to do this type of event, it's great to do it, and the truth is that it's great for the league. There shouldn't be a date in the schedule. It's crazy,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said Friday before the league announced the suspensions. “We've been playing four of the last five games away. We've been playing four away. We've been playing practically every three days.”

  While a one-game suspension might seem like a slap on the wrist, Garber and MLS aren’t helped by Messi’s uncertain future in the league, a situation Donovan outlined.

  “From the League's perspective, this is really frustrating because you have your best player, your partners want him there, the owners want him there, the sponsors want him there, the fans want him there, the other guys on the MLS All-Star team want the chance to play with Messi – that's a dream for them," Donovan said. “So this becomes a really challenging situation, and from the league standpoint now, what do you do? … Inter Miami and the league are trying to renegotiate, so that he stays here – his contract is up at the end of the season."

  Messi’s contract with Inter Miami comes to an end in December 2025, meaning the team and league have less than five months to extend the face of the league. Messi’s impact on MLS is undeniable – record crowds, global attention, Apple TV subscribers, he checks all those boxes.

  But, make no mistake, Garber and MLS need to find answers to all of this soon. It can’t risk fan trust all for the sake of revenue or reputational gains. Or fans will look elsewhere. As the Jasso and Partida family noted.

  “Hey, we might have better luck seeing [Messi] at the World Cup,” Partida quipped.

  Moments like what happened – or didn’t happen – in Austin this week remind us that the league’s future won’t be built on star power alone.

  It’ll be built on trust. On showing up.

Champions Trophy match in Lahore on February 26 had been under threat after calls for boycott

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2025The ECB board has confirmed that England’s men will fulfil their fixture against Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy this month, despite describing the “appalling oppression” of women in the country as “gender apartheid”.Richard Thompson, the ECB’s chairman, said in a statement following a board meeting on Thursday that a “coordinated international response” would achieve more than unilateral action. The board has come under political pressure to boycott the fixture, with more than 160 British politicians calling for England to pull out of the match in Lahore on February 26.”What is happening in Afghanistan is nothing short of gender apartheid,” Thompson said. “At a cricketing level, when women’s and girls’ cricket is growing rapidly around the world it is heartbreaking that those growing up in Afghanistan are denied this opportunity, but the appalling oppression of women and girls by the Taliban goes so much further.”The Board recognises there are different views and opinions on the issue of boycotting the match and has listened carefully. We have been in close contact with the Government, the International Cricket Council (ICC), our England Men’s players and other stakeholders to discuss this matter, as well as considering how best the ECB can support those women cricketers who have fled Afghanistan.Related

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“Following this, we remain of the view that a coordinated international response by the cricketing community is the appropriate way forward, and will achieve more than any unilateral action by the ECB in boycotting this match, while we have also heard that for many ordinary Afghans, watching their cricket team is one of the few remaining sources of enjoyment. As such, we can confirm that we will play this fixture.”Thompson said that the ECB will press the ICC for further action, including ring-fencing funding to support female players from Afghanistan, and considering recognising an Afghanistan women’s refugee team. Last week, the board donated £100,000 to the MCC’s Global Refugee Cricket Fund.An Afghanistan women’s XI played an invitational T20 against a Cricket Without Borders XI in Melbourne last month, mounting pressure on the ICC to support their players.Afghanistan remain full ICC members – with full funding – despite no longer being able to fulfil the requirement to field a women’s team under its Taliban government. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo last month, two exiled players, Firooza Amiri and Benafsha Hashimi, called on Afghanistan’s men to be “the voice of the girls”, despite acknowledging that speaking out against the regime could come with its own risks.”The cricketing community cannot tackle all of Afghanistan’s problems,” Thompson added. “But we urge our international partners to stand together and demonstrate through our actions that we support the women and girls of Afghanistan, including those cricketers now in exile who just want to play and should be allowed to play the sport they love.”

For too long it’s appeared as if touring Pakistan is the last thing a Western cricketing nation wants to do; this series has the power to change all that

Danyal Rasool03-Mar-2022Take a stroll through the streets of Lahore, Islamabad or Karachi, and the eye test bears out what the numbers tell you. Young people throng the streets, choke roads, shops and public spaces in their thousands. There’s a vibrancy, but, inevitably, also a kind of chaos that can oscillate between uplifting and panic-inducing. Pakistan is, after all, one of the faster-growing countries of the world, the population rapidly approaching a quarter of a billion. It is also among the youngest, with the average age under 23.That may carry all sorts of demographic implications, but for cricket at this present moment, one of them is startling: most Pakistanis weren’t alive the last time an Australian cricket team arrived on these shores to play international cricket.Related

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That might explain the unique atmosphere the arrival of a side led by Pat Cummins in Islamabad appears to have generated. It was in 1998 that a Mark Taylor-led side last came to Pakistan to play a three-Test series, one that’s taken on a larger-than-life form in the imaginations of those old fogies – by Pakistan standards – who still recall that somewhat drab affair. By the end of that series, it felt like Pakistani spirits had been all but broken, even if Sir Donald Bradman’s record somehow wasn’t.The world has changed dramatically in the intervening 23 years, and Pakistan even more drastically so. The country’s population has grown by nearly 100 million people. A new format of cricket has been invented, and subsequently, become dominant. It is so long ago, for heavens sake, that Shoaib Malik hadn’t even made his debut then, and Shahid Afridi made his Test debut in the third of that series. It’s practically ancient.Cummins himself alluded to the notion that his side’s presence here was about a little more than just cricket. “The whole previous generation of Australian teams didn’t get to experience Pakistan so we feel really lucky and fortunate that we are the first team to be back playing in Pakistan,” he said in a candid, self-aware reflection to the media. “It’s great that we are playing over here. I think this will be a tour at the end of our career we’ll look back on and think that was really special. As much as anything the way we’ve been looked after with the security presence, we’ll probably never experience anything like that in our lives. Great life experience, really proud and happy to be experiencing Test cricket over here. Hopefully there’s plenty more of it in the future.”It is perhaps tedious to rehash the off-field significance of a touring side visiting Pakistan, but it remains pertinent because, frankly put, it’s appeared for too long as if that’s the last thing a Western cricketing nation wants to do. Less than six months earlier, New Zealand were here in this very same city to play a landmark tour of their own, only to pull out citing security concerns on the day of the first game. Australian cricketer Ashton Agar’s partner received a threat, ultimately dismissed as a hoax, in the last few days, and the security presence around the Australian team hotel is extensive.But all that only establishes the dazzling opportunity this is for Pakistan cricket to make the most powerful off-field statement since 2009. Australia were the only side to reject a tour to Pakistan even before the terror attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team.Mark Taylor scored 334 in the drawn Test in Peshawar in 1998•AFPIn 2002, war was raging in neighbouring Afghanistan and drawing ever closer in Iraq when Australia decided they didn’t want to tour Pakistan. It was Australia then who set the template for what would be Pakistan’s home post-2009, when they dragged Pakistan out to the UAE. For those young enough to remember the UAE as something of a Test fortress for Pakistan, that 2002-03 tour was a different world. The nadir of that truly dismal two-Test series was a two-day Test, its brevity failing to compensate for its horror as far as Pakistan were concerned. It would be immortalised in two numbers for a generation of Pakistani fans: 59 and 53.If the current incarnation of that Australian side now sits in the heart of Islamabad – replete with first-choice superstars – gearing up for a full, three-format series, Pakistan may genuinely begin to believe the low of 2009 and the war on terror may, at least, be consigned to the past as far as this nation’s cricket is concerned. This visit of Australia kickstarts what should be a bumper home year for cricket in Pakistan, with New Zealand and England, two sides who pulled out last year to much criticism, set to visit in the autumn. Pakistan has not seen a home year like this since the 1990s.The relatively unfamiliar Pakistani conditions for the visiting side add an extra layer of intrigue to a series Pakistan has been clamouring for since as long as they can remember. At a time when Test cricket repeatedly wrestles with existential crises every time there’s a dull session in England or a wicket turns too much on the first day in India, Rawalpindi is officially sold out for all five days. There’s a panoply of angles that should make this series particularly delicious viewing, and cricket afficionados may rightly point out the quality of the cricket should, stripped of all context, be enough to justify these levels of excitement.But, with the vague, unreliable memories of the five-year-old that I was in 1998, I can recall the stifling drudgery with which Mark Taylor plodded along towards his triple-century, and Australia racked up 599 for 4 in 174 overs sitting on a 1-0 lead in a series they would go on to win by that very margin (until that point, only Pakistan’s third home series loss since 1980). 1-0 scorelines can be just as dreary in cricket as they are in football sometimes, so I’d insist I have it on good authority that a visit of Australia doesn’t magically make for exciting cricket.But a lot of growing up can happen in 23 years, especially if you happen to spend them in Pakistan. That’s why, as the newly minted Benaud-Qadir trophy shimmers on the eve of the series, Pindi, in unison with Pakistan, pulses with cautious excitement. Who knows if the cricket will really be good, but Pakistan knows that the fact there’s any cricket at all is very good indeed.

Nigar Sultana and Nahida Akter headlined Bangladesh’s maiden win against West Indies in any format

Mohammad Isam22-Jan-2025Bangladesh are one win away from direct qualification for this year’s Women’s ODI World Cup after they beat West Indies by 60 runs in the second ODI in Basseterre on Tuesday. It was Bangladesh’s first win against West Indies in any format as they levelled the series 1-1 after West Indies had won the first game by nine wickets on Sunday.Bangladesh are now in seventh place in the ODI Women’s Championship points table with 21 points, the same as New Zealand who are placed sixth. The top five teams from that table and hosts India will gain direct entry into the ODI World Cup and the the third ODI between West Indies and Bangladesh will be the final game of this Women’s Championship cycle. If Bangladesh win the final game or there is a no result on Friday, they will overtake New Zealand and get direct qualification for the ODI World Cup for the first time.West Indies are languishing in ninth place with 16 points and are out of the race for direct qualification. The remaining four teams from the Women’s Championship table will play in the ODI World Cup qualifiers along with two more teams for the remaining two spots for the main event.On Tuesday, captain Nigar Sultana led the way with 68 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 184 in 48.5 overs. She struck five fours in her 120-ball stay, bringing up her fifth half-century in ODIs. Nigar was the anchor of the innings, adding a 51-run stand with Sobhana Mostary for the fourth wicket. Offspinner Karishma Ramharack took four wickets for the first time in ODIs, while fast bowler Aaliyah Alleyne picked up three wickets.Nahida Akter led the Bangladesh charge with the ball, taking three wickets, which included two of West Indies’ top three. Marufa Akter, Rabeya Khan and Fahima Khatun all took two wickets each as the hosts were bowled out for 124 in 35 overs. Shemaine Campbelle top scored with 28 while the big hitters Hayley Matthews (16) and Deandra Dottin (2) fell for low scores.After the match, Nigar said that she had the World Cup qualification in the back of her mind, but it was far more important to bounce back after the big defeat in the first ODI.”I think it was great to see how we bounced back in such a short turnaround time, especially after the nine-wicket defeat. We definitely wanted this momentum,” she said. “Of course, the two points are priceless but we really also want to achieve a series win by winning the next game. We haven’t won an overseas series before.”Nigar said that she took her time in building her half-century, but was pleased the runs came in a winning cause for her team.”I took a long time to settle down in the middle, [I] played out a lot of deliveries, but the runs turned out to be important,” she said. “I am really happy to contribute to the team’s cause. It was, however, a team performance. We gave an outstanding effort out there.”The team had belief. We didn’t score a lot of runs on this wicket where the bowlers have a tough life defending a low total. We just planned to bowl in the right areas, and wait for the batters to make mistakes.”