The thrashing saw them finish the season with 74 points – the most an MLS team has ever recorded, which ironically edged out New England’s total from 2021.
David Beckham’s side have smashed a number of records this season on their way to landing the Eastern Conference title.
They won 22 games of their 34, meaning they had the highest winning percentage of any team.
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Inter Miami also equalled eight other franchises in losing only four games during a regular MLS campaign.
Their talisman, without doubt, has been World Cup winner Messi – who managed 20 goals in 19 league games.
Not to be outdone, Suarez joined him on the same tally, but from 27 games.
Inter Miami have come a long way since they were founded in 2018, and are now followed by celebrities like Leo DiCaprio and Kim Kardashian.
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While there early seasons were a disaster, since signing Messi they have only looked up – recently adding the MLS Supporters’ Shield to their trophy cabinet that joined their Leagues Cup trophy from 2023.
Becks had to make some ruthless decision, like sacking his best mate as manager.
David Beckham rewarded as Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami to second trophy by knocking reigning champions off their perch
However, it was a move that paid off – with Argie boss Gerrardo Martino now turning the club into a powerhouse.
Ruthless ownership
With the club struggling in its infancy under Uruguay manager Diego Alonso, Beckham turned to an old pal.
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Phil Neville coached England Women during a three-year spell from 2018, until taking up Inter Miami’s offer.
Becks and Neville famously grew up together, from boys in Manchester United’s famed youth team and Class of ’92, to men in the first team scoring staggering success.
Neville’s first season was a difficult one. In his first 12 games, they won just two games and had the worst record in the MLS.
Feeling the pressure, he was then fined by the MLS after blasting the quality of referees and demanding an investigation into their decisions against his team.
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Inter Miami finished 11th out of 14 teams in his first season.
Things improved in his second season, as the club reached the MLS Cup’s play offs, before losing 3-0 to New York City FC.
But they couldn’t capitalise on those foundations, and after a horrific start in Neville’s third season saw Miami rock bottom of the Eastern Conference, Beckham had to do the unthinkable.
Neville was relieved of his duties, with the owner saying in a statement at the time: “Phil has made a real contribution to the culture of our club with his qualities as a leader and knowledge as a coach.
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“Sometimes in this game we have to make the toughest decisions and sadly we feel the time is right to make a change. I want to personally thank Phil for his hard work, his passion for our club and for his integrity as a person.”
Neville would later reveal in an episode of It’s Called Soccer! about the day he was sacked, and how it was probably harder for Beckham than him.
He said: “The day I actually got fired was probably actually harder for David than it was for me. He really didn’t want to do it, he was really emotional. I was emotional too but I knew it was coming so it was probably easier for me.”
Beckham, himself, recently relived that moment on podcast Rio Ferdinand Presents.
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He said: “I think it was one of the most difficult things I’d had to do, even though me and Phil had spoke about it when he first came on as Miami coach, I knew that if it came to this moment, it was going to be difficult no matter what time it happened and when it happened.
“I’d called him and said, ‘we’re going to meet,’ and he said “I know.”
“We walked in the room and we hugged. It was quite emotional on my side just purely because I didn’t want to sack a friend.”
The Messiah arrives
It’s no surprise that an upturn in Inter Miami’s fortune came when Messi arrived.
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Shortly after inking a contract reportedly worth £50million-per-year, the highest in MLS history, he was presented to fans in a damp squid of a unveiling ceremony interrupted by thunder and lightning.
Messi’s debut against Cruz Azul provided the Hollywood factor US football fans crave.
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The star attraction entered the fray in the second half, admittedly very short of match-fitness.
That didn’t matter. Not for a man of Messi’s class who had to entertain fans who had paid over £1,000 for a ticket to see him in action.
Deep into stoppage time, Inter Miami were awarded a free kick outside the area.
Up stepped Messi to whip the ball into the top corner and give his new side the win, sending fans delirious.
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It was a taste of what was to come.
A month later, the club lifted the Leagues Cup after beating Nashville on penalties. It gave them their first trophy and a winning feeling.
Joined by an old pal
This season, Messi has shared striking duties with former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez.
The two have been instrumental in leading Inter Miami to the top of the standings in the Eastern Conference.
For Messi’s goals against New England, Suarez was the foil providing his assists.
First, the two exchanged like they were Harlem Globetrotters, until Messi curled the ball from the edge of the area into the corner of the net.
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His hat-trick strike came from a volleyed pass from a stretching Suarez on the right was met by Messi to catch the ball on the volley, himself, and side foot home.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has selected Inter Miami to play in the Club World Cup in 2025, partly because of their success and the Messi factor.
Pakistan levelled the series 1-1 on a reused pitch in Multan, with spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan sharing all 20 wickets.
As England trained in Rawalpindi for the first time on this tour on Tuesday, the large fans employed in Multan were again at either end of the pitch but not turned on.
On Sunday, pictures emerged on social media of patio heaters and windbreaks being placed around the strip in an attempt to dry it. They were removed by Monday, leaving just the industrial-sized fans.
“It’s interesting and it’s unique,” said Brook. “I think everyone is just guessing. We’ll see in a couple of days.
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“I’d say it will be a good pitch for the first day, two days maybe, then it will start spinning.”
With left-armer Noman taking 11 wickets and off-spinner Sajid nine in the second Test, they became the first pair of bowlers to share all 20 wickets in a Test since 1972.
In the record-breaking win in the first Test Brook made England’s first triple-century in 34 years, then was out for nine and 16 in the second Test. Sajid revealed his plan for bowling at Brook, who was twice out trying to score off the back foot.
“We’ll still look to score against them and put them under the pump,” said 25-year-old Brook. “I’ll go about it a little bit differently, so we’ll see how we get on.
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“I do like to play spin off the back foot. It gives you a lot more time to play the spinning ball; it gives you different areas to play in. I’m not going to say I’m not going to do that. I’ll look to play off the back foot and look to put him under pressure.”
England are looking for a second successive series win in Pakistan, after a 3-0 victory here two years ago.
Their triumph on this ground in the first Test of that series, in fading light in the final session of the fifth day, is one of their greatest overseas wins.
“It’s very exciting,” said Brook, who scored his maiden Test century in Rawalpindi. “We want to play in the big matches. It’s like a final.
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“It was a very special moment in my career and for the team. Winning in the last few moments of the game was really good.
“There’s a really good photo of the final wicket. The memory will live with me forever. Hopefully we can perform well and get another win.”
Red Bull has hinted that Yuki Tsunoda could get his first test for the team after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Motorsport.com revealed over the Austin weekend that Japanese manufacturer Honda was pushing hard for Tsunoda to be given a run for Red Bull’s main squad.
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Up until now, he has tested and raced only for the junior AlphaTauri/RB operations, and his drives in a Red Bull car have been limited to demo events.
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But Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has suggested that the squad could give him that first opportunity at the end of the season.
Asked by Motorsport.com if there was a chance of Red Bull accepting Honda’s request for a Tsunoda test, Marko said: “We have some plans for Abu Dhabi, yes. But we have various drivers, you know. We have [Isack] Hadjar, for example, and now we have Liam [Lawson].”
Although the specifics of what Marko is referring to are not clear, the most likely scenario could be for Tsunoda to drive the Red Bull RB20 in the post-season tyre test.
This test takes place on the Tuesday after the season finale and teams are required to run two cars in it.
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One car must be piloted by a driver who holds an official F1 superlicence and is for tyre testing, while the other is for young drivers who have not competed in more than two grands prix in their career.
Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team, Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
If Red Bull’s current drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez elect to skip the test, then Red Bull could slot Tsunoda in its RB20, with Lawson driving for RB.
The team could then put a young driver like Hadjar in one of its cars, with other contenders being Honda junior Ayumu Iwasa or even simulator driver Jake Dennis, who got a run in a practice session last year.
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The final choice will likely be influenced by whether Red Bull feels that one of the current RB drivers should step up to the main squad next year if Perez does not perform well enough in the closing stages of this season.
Lawson has been drafted in for the final races as replacement for Daniel Ricciardo with a view to being evaluated by Red Bull. The New Zealander impressed over the Austin weekend – coming from the back of the grid thanks to an engine change penalty to finish ninth.
Speaking about Lawson’s weekend, Marko said: “Perfect! It was already when he was P3 in Q1, then they made their tactical games [to not set a competitive time in Q2].
“To go from P19 to P9, with all his lap times, and also his overtaking with [Fernando] Alonso, because [on Saturday] Alonso was complaining.
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“I think he was really surprised and all of a sudden he was there. He’s a very tough racer, and he showed that he has the speed.”
Speaking to Motorsport.com last weekend, Koji Watanabe, the president of Honda’s racing arm HRC, said he was pushing hard for Tsunoda to get a Red Bull run.
“We believe he has the talent. Of course, driver decisions are ultimately up to the team, but as a partner we’ve strongly requested that Tsunoda be given the chance to drive and test in a Red Bull car,” he said.
“We want to at least give him the opportunity to showcase his ability. I’ve also spoken directly with Christian about this. He hasn’t ruled it out. Nothing has been decided yet, but I think we need to proceed properly.”
The footballer has also called his close friend, Alex Nuccetelli, who is being sued for defamation by Ilary for attributing this latest relationship to her, which she categorically denies.
In Tennis terms the Central European Rally represented the first real match point moment for Thierry Neuville in his relentless 12-year quest to lift the World Rally Championship title.
The scene was set perfectly. An asphalt rally where being first on the road is advantage, featuring stages in Germany not a million miles from his and his Hyundai team’s home. But one thing that the WRC can guarantee in spades this season is unpredictability.
As has often been the case for Neuville – a five-time championship runner-up – the Belgian was made to wait for glory again as fate intervened while on course for a career defining moment. Neuville only needed to outscore team-mate Ott Tanak by two points to seal rallying’s ultimate prize. But after a wild Sunday, where even world champions made errors, it was his nearest rival that triumphed to take the title fight to next month’s Japan finale.
“Obviously we came here with the hopes of winning the drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles in Germany, and a lot of supporters came down to line the stages to live an incredible moment with us, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be,” said Neuville.
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The phrase “it wasn’t to be” was apt for several drivers as the Central European Rally was in the words of eventual winner Tanak a “very demanding rally.” It was demanding on several levels with crews completing stages in the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria. Throw in multiple surface changes, unpredictable weather and increasingly dirty roads and you have the perfect recipe for an unpredictable rally.
The start was however predictable as Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier ended Thursday’s two Czech stages following the ceremonial start in Prague with a 0.9s lead over Neuville, who was sporting some cosmetic damage to his right front wheel arch from hitting a bale in the super special. The surprise was the driver in third spot as Hyundai’s Andreas Mikkelsen, who had previously struggled to tame the i20 N on asphalt, come to the fore. A decision to go his own way on set up rather than following Neuville and Tanak helped the Norwegian, who is facing an uncertain future for 2025, come alive.
Mikkelsen’s bright start however faded by stage five (Sumavske Hostice 1 – 16.85 km). Having dropped to sixth overall, Mikkelsen drifted wide on the leaf covered road and clattered a fence that tore the front from his i20 N resulting in retirement. Mikkelsen did rejoin the rally on Saturday only for a puncture to end any hopes of Super Sunday points.
Andreas Mikkelsen had made a stunning start to the rally before dropping back
Photo by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport
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Hybrid power had been a talking point in the lead up to the event, with the WRC potentially set for another U-turn with its 2025 technical regulations by removing this element due to a recent change in the user guide issued by Compact Dynamics, the supplier of the control units. The new regulations came into force in Greece last month stating that on safety grounds hybrid units can no longer be reset and if they fail on event they must be replaced and sent to the manufacturer for a repair adding significant costs to the teams.
By stage four, nearly half of the Rally1 cars had suffered hybrid failures. Toyota’s rising star Sami Pajari, making his first Rally1 outing on asphalt driving a fourth GR Yaris was the first to lose the hybrid boost before Mikkelsen, and the M-Sport duo Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster lost the use of hybrid following a particularly hard landings from the same jump in the Strasin 1 – 26.69 km – the longest of the rally.
Although, the lack of hybrid was the least of Fourmaux’s concerns having been strangely 1m33.4s off the pace in seventh overall come the end of Friday. The frustrated Frenchman declared that he was struggling with “everything” on the car and that “something was wrong”, which required a thorough investigation.
“I’m happy to be at the end. It is easy to make a mistake and I knew that the only thing that was important was to make it to the end” Thierry Neuville, Friday
At the front though, Neuville, who has had to engage damage limitation mode starting first on the road for the last seven consecutive gravel rallies, was thriving with the road position advantage on asphalt. The Hyundai driver hauled himself into the rally lead by stage five before going on to extend his lead over Ogier to 6.4s on slippery roads that were hard to judge and made even worse by light drizzle. With Tanak a further 1.4s back in third and Toyota’s Elfyn Evans only 15.1s in arrears, the battle for victory was tight, but Neuville knew if he could maintain this display the world title would be his come Sunday.
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“I’m happy to be at the end. It is easy to make a mistake and I knew that the only thing that was important was to make it to the end,” said Neuville.
But the rally gods chose not to shine on Neuville on Saturday as fog made the morning stages that straddled the Germany/Austria border wet, and like driving on ice. The conditions were responsible for several drivers making unscheduled trips to the scenery, including Neuville.
Neuville’s lead had been reduced to 0.8s after Tanak produced a stunning time to win stage nine but according to the 2019 world champion “Cyril [Abiteboul, Hyundai team boss] didn’t like our first stage time and we started to get some messages”. Abiteboul clarified that these messages were made with the manufacturers title fight against Toyota in mind, reminding Tanak of the risks he should avoid taking.
Neuville took an advantage overnight into Saturday
Photo by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport
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Tanak’s effort briefly elevated his i20 N to second ahead of Ogier before the Estonian dropped his pace too much in stage 10 (Beyond Borders, 24.433km) and fell back behind the Toyota that was only two second behind leader Neuville.
Neuville this year has rarely made an error, a loss of concentration in Sardinia, being his only real mistake. It is why he is leading the championship having scored points in every round. However, in stage 12, the Belgian made two costly mistakes. A 360 degree spin after touching the wet grass was recovered quickly but moments later he careered off the road luckily onto a large grass run-off area. In an effort to return to the road, he became briefly stuck in a ditch. More than half a minute was lost as he dropped to fourth and effectively his hopes of sealing a world title had evaporated.
“It was two spins, I mean the first one was a basic spin and the second one the pacenote was too fast,” Neuville told Motorsport.com. “It was a long corner and you don’t see the exit very well because it is uphill and when I entered the corner, it turned more than my pacenotes told me.”
Neuville, now resigned to bringing the car home, wasn’t the only driver to be caught out. Ogier who inherited the lead survived a small moment, but admitted “it was easy to make a mistake” while M-Sport duo Fourmaux and Munster both enjoyed trips into fields, now with working hybrid units.
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Fourmaux’s was the most spectacular as he skidded onto the grass and brushed the trees. However, the mysterious issue with his car came to light. M-Sport had made wholesale changes overnight but didn’t change the front differential which had developed a fault leaving that effectively reduced the Puma to a rear wheel drive only version.
“As soon as there is dirt [on the road] it is hard to get it to go straight. It is undriveable,” said Fourmaux, whose day came to an end when he lost the rear of his Puma in stage 10 and the impact required a wheel change. Although damage to the hybrid cooling package put him out of the rally until Sunday where he produced much better speed.
The battle for the rally victory turned into a three-way fight. Tanak reduced Ogier’s advantage to 1.1s after stage 13 before Ogier reeled off two stages wins to end the day with a slender 5.2s margin, while an under the weather Evans was third, 14.0s in arrears. It was looking very good for Toyota in the manufacturers’ battle with Ogier picking up 18 provisional Saturday points and Evans 13.
Toyota was attempting to claw back ground in the manufacturer’s championship, with Ogier and Evans leading the charge
Photo by: Toyota Racing
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The WRC’s new points system is complex and divides opinion, but it has certainly ensured that Sundays are no longer sedate affairs – a conveyer belt of action and chaos is a better description as crews fight for 12 crucial Super Sunday points.
Hyundai has been the master of this new discipline while it has been a weakness for Toyota. The latter proved true as another ‘black Sunday’, as Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala calls them, unfolded.
First Toyota lost Pajari who had been highly impressive to head into Sunday sitting in fifth position. However, the young Finn came into left hander in stage 15 (Am Hochwald, 12.17km) too fast resulting in his GR Yaris finding a ditch and being pitched into a roll.
“I think it was a soft roll but I don’t know why it happened, in my opinion my pacenote was okay and there was nothing really surprising on that corner,” said Pajari.
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With every pass, the stage became increasingly dirty, aided by the placement of anti-cut devices or the lack thereof. Efforts to curb cutting this year had been praised by the drivers earlier in the event but conditions were evolving fast in the opposite direction for the leading runners.
“I feel angry with myself in the moment and I’m very sorry for the team” Sebastien Ogier after crashing
This would prove to be the downfall of rally leader Ogier as the eight-time world champion made costly mistakes for the third event in succession. Ogier lost the rally lead in the first pass through (Am Hochwald, 12.17km) where he misjudged the braking at a junction and ran onto the grass, handing a 1.9s advantage to Tanak.
This gap was reduced to 1.5s before the second pass that proved even more damaging. Six hundred metres into the penultimate stage of the rally Ogier was caught out on the dirt at a fast right and clattered into the trees. Normally a master of controlling his emotions the accident provoked screams of anger as he clambered out of the car. It was the only stage where route note crews were not allowed to pass to provide up to date road evolution information to the drivers.
“I feel angry with myself in the moment and I’m very sorry for the team, I tried my best,” said Ogier. “It was really my main target to help them achieve the manufacturers’ title. I think I was doing a good job so far but unfortunately it is a third weekend in a row that has not gone my way. It is a tough time.”
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Ogier’s rally came to an abrupt end with a crash on an unscouted stage
Photo by: Toyota Racing
With the shockwaves caused by Ogier’s accident, Abiteboul once again reminded Tanak of the risks at stake and his driver duly delivered a steady Power Stage time, missing out on the bonus points, to seal a 21st WRC victory and perhaps one of the toughest of his career.
“We have seen every day that so much is happening and in some stages it [drama[ is happening for many cars clearly it is very demanding rally. It is never easy but I’m happy to come out without mistakes,” said Tanak, who took the victory by seven seconds from Evans, with Neuville third.
The returning Takamoto Katsuta, benched for Rally Chile, finished fourth but impressed throughout and proved to be a life saver for Toyota after claiming the maximum 12 Super Sunday points. Despite Ogier’s late exit Toyota actually decreased Hyundai’s lead in the manufacturers’ title race to 15 ahead of the Japan finale but it could have been even closer.
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“For sure it was big big pressure before this rally and it was such a difficult moment I had last month, but I have had strong support from the team and the people around me,” said Katsuta, who finished ahead of M-Sport’s Munster, who recorded a career-best equalling fifth.
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For Neuville, it wasn’t the title coronation he’d dreamt but he will take a 25-point lead over Tanak into a Japan decider, adding “It wasn’t to be this weekend. Sorry for the team for a small mistake but even world champions make mistakes.”
The WRC title battle is most certainly not over but its very much a case of championship point to Neuville. One thing that is for certain a Hyundai driver will win the championship for the first time.
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“I guess it depends how much Thierry wants it,” said Tanak. “If he is smart in Japan and does a good job then nobody has a chance, but we also have a responsibility for the manufacturers championship it is still a big job ahead of us so we can’t really focus only on drivers title.”
Tanak emerged victorious as team-mate Neuville picked up crucial championship points
Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan will make his professional tennis debut in an ATP doubles event in his native Uruguay next month.
The 45-year-old, who retired from football in 2019, will play alongside Argentine Federico Coria in the Uruguay Open in Montevideo.
Forlan, who was a promising tennis player in his teens, has been playing in ITF Masters events – most recently in the 45 and over category.
But next month’s tournament is a recognised ATP event and sits on the second-tier Challenger Tour, requiring Forlan to get a wildcard.
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His partner Coria is the world number 101 in singles, having reached a career-high of 49 in 2023.
Forlan joined Manchester United in 2002 and made 98 appearances for the club before joining La Liga side Villarreal.
In Spain, Forlan won the European Golden Shoe – awarded to the top scorer in Europe – on two occasions.
The forward won the Golden Ball at the 2010 World Cup after Uruguay finished third in South Africa, and helped his country to the 2011 Copa America title.
Lionel Messi bags HAT-TRICK IN A SINGLE HALF & Should he be the MVP of MLS? | SOTU | FOX Sports
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Alexi Lalas and David Mosse broke down Lionel Messi’s amazing performance in his return from international play with Inter Miami. Messi bagged a hat-trick in the second half against the New England Revolution.
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