Lionel Messi's Last-Second Assist Lifts Inter Miami Over Atlas 2-1 In Leagues Cup
Rivaldo Lozano scored the equalizer for the Guadalajara club in the 82nd before Weigandt's goal in the 96th that had to be confirmed by VAR after he was originally ruled offside.
That meant five assists in July for Messi, who was named the Major League Soccer Player of the Month after netting eight goals and helping Miami go 4-1-1 in league play.
Both sides had their chances during a chippy first half, though neither was able to finish. Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo had three saves in the first half, including one in which he slid over to deny Eduardo Aguirre on a header to the back post. Luis Suárez blasted a shot off the crossbar on the final play of the first half.
Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul made his Inter Miami debut. De Paul, Messi's national team buddy, officially signed with the club last week.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Steven Kwan feeling the love as Guardians host Twins
Guardians fans made sure that Steven Kwan knew they were happy he was still in Cleveland after he was the subject of trade-deadline speculation. The All-Star left fielder was showered with cheers and chants of "Kwan, Kwan, Kwan" each time he batted Friday in a 3-2, 10-inning win over the visiting Minnesota Twins. More of the same should be in store Saturday, when Tanner Bibee (7-9, 4.39 ERA) of the Guardians starts the middle contest of the three-game set against fellow right-hander Bailey Ober (4-6, 5.28). Kwan should be in his usual spot atop the lineup, just where the franchise hopes he will remain for the long term after Cleveland team president Chris Antonetti turned down multiple strong trade offers for him. "It was super special with the fans and the chanting out in left field tonight," said Kwan, who went 2-for-5 with a run and his major-league-leading 10th outfield assist. "I don't know if I deserve it, but I'm super grateful for all of it." Negotiations on a contract extension between the sides ceased at the end of spring training, per Guardians owner Paul Dolan's long-standing policy. Kwan has expressed interest in reopening the talks, even though he is under club control through 2027. Antonetti also indicated that Dolan's policy is not set in stone, opening the door for in-season communication while Cleveland pursues an American League wild-card berth. "I'm hoping we can stay here a long time," said Kwan, who is batting .316 with three homers and six RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak and .287 for the season. "I love this city, love this organization. I just really want to win for them and get in the postseason." Bibee has been strong against Minnesota, posting a 2-0 record and 2.51 ERA over eight career starts. He also is turning around his season with three straight victories and has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 17-to-2 during the surge. Gavin Williams began the series on a great note for Cleveland, striking out eight over six scoreless innings but walked away with a no-decision. His 6-4 overall record should be much better, but the Guardians' bullpen has wasted all three of his six-plus-inning scoreless outings in 2025. "I think the confidence has always been there," said Williams, who has a 2.75 ERA in 16 starts since May 3. "Last year, I barely got into the fifth inning, so as much as I can go deeper in games, it helps the pen for the next day and saves those guys, too." The Twins should receive a psychological boost, along with a competitive lift, with Ober set to be activated from the 15-day injured list after missing a month with left hip impingement. The 6-foot-9 Ober was one of 10 Minnesota players who spent Thursday together in a room at their downtown Cleveland hotel, waiting for word about how many trades the Twins would make. The answer was nine in a 24-hour span. "A lot of guys who were on our '23 (playoff) run aren't here anymore because of the trades, so that hurt," Ober said. "The business side of baseball sometimes shows its ugly face. It was surreal watching what happened." Ober is 3-2 with a 2.10 ERA in 10 career starts against Cleveland but had a terrible June, losing all five outings while giving up 30 runs in 30 innings. All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton, the unquestioned leader of the Twins, could rejoin the active roster when eligible on Aug. 7. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Buxton's rib-cage inflammation is not severe. "We're here to win, let me be clear," Baldelli said. "The locker room looks different, the team looks different, the lineup is different, but let's go to work."
New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Messi set for India tour in December; Kolkata to host opening leg with statue unveiling, GOAT Cup
KOLKATA: If all the pieces fall in place, football devotees in Kolkata will have the first sighting of iconic Lionel Messi after a decade. The City of Joy will be the first stop in the Argentine's whirlwind journey across Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, culminating in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sources privy to the development informed PTI that all arrangements have been finalised, including booking the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. However, an official confirmation from Messi is still awaited. 'It's been finalised and we are waiting for an official announcement from Messi, maybe on his social media handle anytime soon,' said the source. 'As of now we have agreed on the proposed itinerary and we are just awaiting an official announcement from his social media, which would be in anytime soon,' the source added. Kolkata leg: 70-ft statue, GOAT Cup with Ganguly As per the itinerary, Messi will land in Kolkata on the night of December 12 around 10 pm and will stay for two days and one night — the longest stop on his tour. The Argentina captain's Kolkata schedule on December 13 will begin at 9 am with a meet-and-greet event, followed by the unveiling of a 70-feet statue of him at Lake Town Sribhumi on VIP Road. Organisers claim this will be the first-ever and tallest statue of the World Cup winner anywhere in the world. He will then head to Eden Gardens, where the GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup will be held from 12 noon to 1:30 pm. 'I don't want to mislead people. So basically, it will be a celebration of Messi — a masterclass with Messi,' said the source. 'He will play the GOAT Cup in a seven-a-side soft-ball, soft-touch game with Sourav Ganguly, Leander Paes, John Abraham, Bhaichung Bhutia among others. It will be a celebration play in respect of Messi,' the source explained. He hoped for a sellout crowd as it will be a fully ticketed event. 'This will be at Eden. It will be a ticketing event. Denominations are yet to be decided. It would be a little expensive — should not be less than Rs 3,500. Entire stadium will be open, so we can expect a full capacity of 68,000. For 1 hour 20 minutes Messi will be there with musical tribute, masterclass with kids,' he added. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to felicitate Messi during the Eden Gardens programme.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
Messi's India Tour: Kolkata to kick off, Delhi & Mumbai await the icon
If all the pieces fall in place, football devotees in Kolkata will have the first sighting of iconic Lionel Messi after a decade, and the City of Joy will be the first stop in the Argentine's whirlwind journey across Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, culminating in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The sources privy to the development informed PTI that all arrangements have been finalised including booking the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, but an official confirmation from Messi is still awaited. "It's been finalised and we are waiting for an official announcement from Messi, maybe on his social media handle anytime soon," said the source. "As of now we have agreed on the proposed itinerary and we are just awaiting an official announcement from his social media, which would be in anytime soon, the source added. As per the itinerary, Messi will land in Kolkata on the night of December 12 around 10pm and will stay for two days and one night -- the longest stop on his tour. Kolkata Leg: 70-ft statue, GOAT Cup with Ganguly The Argentina captain's Kolkata schedule on December 13 will begin at 9am with a meet-and-greet event, followed by the unveiling of a 70-feet statue of him at the Lake Town Sribhumi on VIP Road. Organisers claim this will be the first-ever and tallest statue of the World Cup winner anywhere in the world. He will then head to Eden Gardens, where the GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup will be held from 12 noon to 1.30pm. "I don't want to mislead people. So basically, it will be a celebration of Messi, a master class with Messi. "He will play the GOAT Cup in a seven-side soft-ball, soft-touch game with Sourav Ganguly, Leander Paes, John Abraham, Bhaichung Bhutia among others. It will be a celebration play in respect of Messi, the source explained. He hoped for a sellout crowd as it will be a fully ticketed event. This will be at Eden. It will be a ticketing event. Denominations are yet to be decided. It would be a little expensive -- should not be less than Rs 3,500. "Entire stadium will be open, so, we can expect a full capacity of 68,000. For 1 hour 20 minutes Messi will be there with musical tribute, masterclass with kids," he added. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to felicitate Messi during the Eden Gardens programme. Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi legs On the evening of December 13, Messi is slated to travel to Ahmedabad to attend a private event hosted by the Adani Foundation at their Shantigram headquarters. He will then reach Mumbai for events on December 14, including a meet-and-greet at CCI at 3.45pm, followed by the GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup at the Wankhede Stadium at 5.30pm. We've booked the Wankhede Stadium for the GOAT Cup at 5.45pm on December 14, the source said. There were media reports suggesting that Messi could participate in a seven-a-side cricket match with MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, but the source denied this. He is not going to play any cricket match in Mumbai. It will be only soft ball and soft touch with him. It will be a celebration of his journey with the presence of Indian celebrities. Plans are also in place for Messi to interact with the Indian football team in Mumbai. "At Mumbai, we have planned an interaction with the Indian football team. Obviously, Sunil Chhetri and the Indian team moment that we have planned in Mumbai as per their respective availabilities, the source said. Meeting with PM, Kotla celebration On December 15, Messi will be in New Delhi, where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, followed by a GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup at Feroz Shah Kotla at 2.15pm. At each city, Messi will be conducting a masterclass with children, aimed at inspiring the next generation of Indian footballers. "Messi will be imparting masterclass with kids at every centre. The main idea is to celebrate Messi's success, giving little bit, for instance 30 to 40 minutes to motivate the young generation of players. So, masterclass and interaction with Messi. No Kerala stop The source also dispelled rumours of a Kerala leg during Messi's visit. However, there will be no event in Kerala as earlier reported, the source said. Messi is also expected to travel with a large entourage including footballers, though details remain under wraps. Flashback 2011 In wee hours of August 31, 2011, Messi made his first appearance in India, landing in Kolkata as hysteric fans gathered at the airport to welcome him. He was here with his team to play an exhibition match against Venezuela at the Salt Lake Stadium a match they won 1-0. Messi's arrival sparked Messi fever in Kolkata, with thousands of fans lining the streets, donning Messi jerseys, and packing the 75,000-capacity stadium. MESSI MANIA 2.0 Proposed Itinerary: December 12: Arrival in Kolkata (10pm). December 13 (Kolkata): 9am -- Meet and greet event; Statue unveiling (70-feet) at Lake Town Sribhumi, VIP Road; 12 noon to 1.30pm -- GOAT Concert at Eden Gardens followed by GOAT Cup; December 13 (Evening): Adani Foundation private event at Shantigram, Ahmedabad. December 14 (Mumbai): Meet and greet at CCI (3.45pm); GOAT Concert at Wankhede Stadium (5.30pm). December 15 (New Delhi): Meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi; GOAT Concert at Feroz Shah Kotla (2.15pm).
