Messi has a 'minor' muscle injury, Inter Miami says timeline for return is unknown
Messi underwent tests on his right leg after experiencing discomfort following a play in which he fell while being challenged by a pair of Necaxa defenders, in a game Inter Miami won on penalty kicks.
His timeline for return isn't yet known, though it seems unlikely that he will be available for Miami's next Leagues Cup match against UNAM Pumas on Wednesday.
Inter Miami said in a release that Messi's medical clearance will depend on how he responds to treatment.
Messi slapped his hand against the ground in frustration after the fall, which happened in the first 10 minutes of Saturday's match. He walked slowly toward the Inter Miami bench before sitting down on the pitch. Trainers came out and worked on his right upper thigh area for a couple of minutes before he subbed out for Federico Redondo in the 11th. He then immediately walked to the locker room.
Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game that Messi wasn't in any pain.
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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
After FIDE Women's World Cup title, Divya Deshmukh learns to deal with overnight stardom
Divya Deshmukh starts chuckling as she talks about her 'Messi moment' in Batumi. In the heady hours after she became the FIDE Women's World Cup champion — simultaneously sealing her Grandmaster title in one shot and securing a spot at the Women's Candidates event — she was briefly confronted with a problem: how to pose with her trophy for Instagram. Then, Lionel Messi came up with an assist: Divya remembered three photos the Argentine legend had posted snuggling the World Cup Trophy in bed that garnered over 50 million likes. It's a photo that has been recreated by multiple athletes like Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso after winning the FIFA World Cup. 'I saw this picture long ago from Messi. So yeah, it was definitely inspired by Messi,' Divya tells The Indian Express. 'I also wanted to click one while I was sleeping next to the trophy (like the original photo from Messi). But unfortunately, I was so tired, I just fell asleep.' Remind her that the trophy is hers to keep so she can recreate it any day, and she smiles: 'I'm thinking maybe I'll do it with the next trophy.' Since that title in Batumi, the teenager's fame has shot through the roof. Everyone wants to be a part of her success: union ministers and state chief ministers have video-called her. She's been invited to the country's capital for an audience with the sports minister. There were so many messages on her phone across apps that she's lost count now. 'There were too many of them. Unfortunately, I still haven't gotten back to most of them. I'm just one person. It's taking me a lot of time. But I'm so grateful that there were a lot of messages,' she says. Divya's coronation as Indian chess' next big thing happened in Nagpur, complete with a road show in front of thousands of residents, just like Chennai welcomes its chess sons after world-conquering feats in distant lands. She's still as tired as she was in Batumi a week back; her time is at a premium now as wave after wave of felicitation events and well-wishers dropping by at her home keep her occupied. 'When I landed in Nagpur, seeing the crowd that showed up, particularly so many kids, that was very special for me,' she says before adding: 'But among all of that, the most enduring moment came on August 2 (at the event where she was felicitated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis). When I entered, I saw at least 50 percent of the crowd were kids and they were all cheering my name. It just felt like such a nice moment.' Amidst all the hype, Divya's been keen to share the spotlight. At the Nagpur roadshow, she held up a framed photo of her first coach Rahul Joshi, who passed away a few years back. She even dedicated her grandmaster title to him. Joshi was, after all, the first believer in Divya's talent, a man who convinced her parents and Divya herself that she could be one of the best. Divya reveals that she was just six or seven years old when Joshi had prophesied that she would become a grandmaster one day. So convinced was Joshi of his prediction that he made the then seven-year-old sign a declaration on a piece of paper that she would become a GM by the age of 14 or 15. 'He was the guiding force behind my career since I was too small to understand. He was guiding my parents too, telling them how things work in the chess world. He was the one who pushed me to play at the state championship and then the Nationals. When I won my first Nationals, both my parents and I were not even aware that the Nationals lead to the Asian Championships and World Championships; or that there were events like Asian Championships and World Championships in the sport. For my first age-group Championship, he came along with me and the experience was quite surreal. 'From my childhood, the grandmaster title was something that he knew I was eventually going to achieve. If he was here today, he would have been very happy,' Divya says. It was at those age-group tournaments, Divya says, that she picked up the attributes that make her among the best today. Like her ability to never agree to draws. Her aggression on the chessboard. The mentality of never being overawed by the occasion, no matter how big. 'What has helped me the most in my career was playing in age-category events. Usually in the last round of these events, it was quite crucial because either you get a medal or you just come fourth or something. So, it was in those events that I learned how to manage my nerves and I always wanted to aim for the gold. I think I got my fighting spirit to never give up from there. That is the one thing that has helped me a lot,' she adds. Ask her if there is one moment from her career — barring the FIDE World Cup title — that stands out for her and defines her career, and she replies: 'I don't think one moment would ever be enough, right?' The World Cup triumph was not just a crowning moment for Divya, it was a turn-of-the-page moment for Indian chess, particularly women's chess, perfectly captured by the sight of two Indian women, Divya and Koneru Humpy, fighting for the title while two Chinese players fought for third place on the next board. 'When I initially got to know that Humpy is the one who is in the final with me, I was very happy for India and Indian chess. Especially young girls who may be looking to take chess as a sport. I knew that either way, the trophy was coming to India. 'In the last two-three years, it has been quite an uprising for Indian chess. India — thanks to everything others like Gukesh, Pragg, Arjun (Erigaisi), Nihal (Sarin) have done — has definitely proven that we are here to stay,' she adds. Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
Sponsor mulls legal action if Argentina does not play in Kerala this year
The Reporter Broadcasting Company, the Kerala Government's commercial partner for bringing the Argentina football team and its star Lionel Messi to Kerala, has said that it might be forced to take legal recourse if the World Cup champion does not play in the State in October or November. Reporter, the sponsor for the team's visit to Kerala, said it had paid the full amount of ₹130 crore to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) on June 6 this year as per the agreement signed in December 2024. 'As per the agreement, we had sent the full amount and they (AFA) also acknowledged it. But after five days, we received an email asking whether we are okay with having the match in September 2026,' said Anto Augustine, managing director of Reporter, on Tuesday. 'That violates the terms of the agreement we have with the AFA. We are not okay with it. As per our agreement with the AFA, the deal was to have the match in October-November this year. They had even told us that the match can be held in October and we had fulfilled all the terms as per the agreement.' The next World Cup will be held in June-July 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the USA and Augustine feels the scene could be very different after the quadrennial event. 'We are interested in having the match only this year, as per the agreed terms. If the agreement is not honoured, there will be huge financial loss. So we may have to handle this legally,' he said. Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman, who had announced that Argentina would play in Kerala in October, had told the media in Kozhikode on Monday that that the team would not visit Kerala this year. The minister explained that the team had difficulties in visiting the State in October. However, Anto felt it was not proper to announce that Messi and Argentina would not be coming to Kerala till the AFA officially declares that the team would not playing in the State this year.
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
Sponsor claims Argentinian Football Association has not yet officially called off Kerala tour
The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) has not yet officially denied to tour Kerala during the October-November window this year and if the AFA violates the contract to that effect then it will amount to cheating, which will be dealt with legally, says Anto Augustine, managing director of the Kochi-based broadcasting company, which claims to be the sponsors of the proposed tour. He was addressing a press conference here on Tuesday after Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman said the previous day that the visit of the Argentina national team to Kerala was off. This had created much heartburn among football fans across the State. Mr. Augustine claimed that his company had already paid the AFA over ₹130 crore based on a contract that the same Argentina team, including Lionel Messi, that won the last World Cup would play two matches and participate in a fans meeting during the tour. 'But now the association has informed that the team will visit the State in September 2026 and sent a draft contract to sign if that is acceptable to us. It has also proposed to send a delegation to discuss the matter, both of which are not acceptable to us,' he said. He said that a contract already signed, based on which payment had been made after informing the State government, Centre, Finance Ministry, and the Reserve Bank of India, cannot be revised just like that. 'Our contract was that the same team that won the last World Cup will play in Kerala. By next September, the World Cup will be over and there is no guarantee that Argentina will win it again. We will wait for another 15 days for a confirmation since making the infrastructure arrangements will take time and cannot be done in short notice,' said Mr. Augustine, who wondered whether the AFA, having realised the potential of the tour, was trying to bargain. The Sports Minister had announced last November that the Argentina national football team featuring Messi would play two exhibition matches against Japan and Qatar in Kerala in 2025. However, when the itinerary was released by the AFA this May, there wasn't a stopover in Kerala. The blame was then put on the Kochi-based company as the Minister said it was for the company, which had an agreement with the AFA, to explain. However, in June, Mr. Abdurahiman raised fresh hopes through his social media post, 'Messi is coming.'
