The draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Women's League Cup have been announced, with all of the Women's Super League's top-four sides still in the competition. The draw offered good news for all of the quartet, who avoided each other in the last eight, but some intriguing semi-final clashes could lie in wait. The quarter-finals will take place between December 19-21, with the semis taking place a month later on 21-22 January.

WSL top four avoid each other in League Cup quarter-final draw

The draw for the last eight of the competition is as follows: Liverpool vs Chelsea, Crystal Palace vs Arsenal, Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United vs Manchester City.

Third-placed Man Utd vs fifth-placed Spurs stands out as a fixture to watch out for in the draw, while relegation strugglers Liverpool and West Ham will be underdogs alongside WSL2 side Crystal Palace, who were relegated from the top flight last season.

The draw for the final four has also been made, with the winners of Crystal Palace vs Arsenal set to host the victors of United vs Spurs in the semi-finals, whilst the winners of West Ham vs Man City will host the winners of Liverpool vs Chelsea.

AdvertisementIntriguing set of quarter-final and semi-final fixtures await

Six of the eight teams who made last year’s quarter-finals of the competition have reached the same stage once again, but last year’s quarter-final Manchester Derby meant that United missed out on a place in the last four. This time around, the four regular title challengers have all avoided each other at this stage.

Defending champions Chelsea won the League Cup in 2024-25, beating Man City 2-1 in the final at Derby’s Pride Park Stadium, in what was the first year since the competition was rebranded from being the FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup (often known as the Conti Cup) to its new official name of the Subway Women’s League Cup. It is now more commonly referred to as the League Cup alone.

The four quarter-final clashes will make intriguing viewing as the WSL’s top sides aim to avoid an upset on their way to challenging for the first major trophy up for grabs this campaign.

Bompastor's words after first trophy win in League Cup final

Though Chelsea would go on to win the domestic treble last season and were unbeaten in the process, the 2024-25 League Cup final in March became Sonia Bompastor’s first trophy in charge of the Blues since taking over from the legendary Emma Hayes.

Bompastor said of the victory over Man City in the final: "We are really happy for sure. You know when you're in a final, it's always the main thing is to win. The game was not easy, but I'm really happy with the win.

"The first trophy in the season, it's always important. I just told my players it's really important that today, we are about to turn the words into actions.

"We worked so hard every day from the beginning of the season and today was huge positivity from the players to perform and win a title.

"I'm really happy with that. I think it's really deserved for all of the work we have been doing.

"City had a good performance, it was a difficult game for us, we knew that. It was important again that we found a way to win. That's what I'm most of proud of."

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Chelsea remain the only unbeaten team in the WSL once again so far this season, but three draws have meant that Man City lead the way at the top of the table after nine matches played.

The League Cup represents the first opportunity for any of the eight sides remaining in the competition to get their hands on silverware for the first time in 2025-26.

With the top four all avoiding each other in the quarter-finals, we could be set for a blockbuster pair of semi-final clashes on January 21 and 22, if any major upsets can be avoided.

Curtis and Rocchiccioli shared a 52-run ninth-wicket stand for WA to get them within seven runs of victory before Meredith and Bird took the last two wickets to seal Tasmania’s win

AAP18-Oct-2025

Tasmania have pulled off one of the tightest wins in Sheffield Shield history, taking two late wickets to claim a remarkable three-run victory over Western Australia.On a brief but thrilling final morning in Hobart, Western Australia got the margin down within seven runs of their target of 259 with two wickets in hand.But after appearing as if he would be the hero for the visitors, left-hander Joel Curtis was adjudged lbw on 50 by a Riley Meredith ball that stayed low from around the wicket.Jackson Bird then trapped No.11 Liam Haskett lbw with an in-swinging yorker, ending Western Australia’s chase to have them all out for 255.Tasmania’s win is the equal-second closest margin in the Shield’s 134-season history in terms of runs, and comes after Western Australia held just a one-run advantage in the first innings.It also follows Tasmania’s narrow loss to South Australia last summer, when they were beaten by two runs in Hobart.The Bellerive Oval scoreboard after Tasmania’s three-run win•Getty Images

For much of Saturday morning it appeared as if Western Australia would pull off an unlikely victory. Needing 44 to win at the start of the day, Curtis and Corey Rocchiccioli appeared to have the game under control with a 52-run ninth-wicket stand.Curtis had done his best to shield Rocchiccioli from the strike for parts of Saturday morning, but when the No.10 was exposed he still managed to thrive.He clipped one Bird ball to the midwicket boundary off his pads and cut the first delivery of Meredith’s spell for four when Tasmania brought the quick on.Curtis did have one near-miss before his dismissal with a bottom-edge to a cut shot from Gabe Bell narrowly evading off stump and running away to the boundary.But just as the pair got the margin required to single figures and began to look confident of victory, it was Meredith and Bird who turned the game on its head.The result leaves Western Australia with two losses after the opening two rounds, while Tasmania’s win comes after they drew with Queensland in their season opener.

Rashid Khan has been rested for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe as a “precautionary measure to prioritise his well-being and sustained performance for upcoming international events,” according to an ACB statement. He will, however, return to lead the side in the three-match T20I series that follows.With Rashid sitting out of the Test, Afghanistan’s selectors turned to a mix of fresh and familiar names. Right-arm quick Ziaur Rahman, left-arm spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf, and legspinner Khalil Gurbaz, all of whom impressed in the domestic red-ball season, earned call-ups to the Test squad.Shahidullah, the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder, has been rewarded for consistent performances and was included in both the Test and T20I squads. Bashir Ahmad, the left-arm pacer who featured in recent white-ball matches against Bangladesh, retained his place in the Test side. Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead the Test team, which also included Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Bahir Shah, and wicketkeepers Afsar Zazai and Ikram Alikhil.In the T20I squad, Rashid returned as captain with Ibrahim his deputy. Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai made a comeback after debuting earlier in 2024. Experienced players Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Noor Ahmad were also part of the T20I side, along with pacers Fareed Malik and Abdullah Ahmadzai.The tour will run from October 20 to November 2, with Harare hosting all games.

Afghanistan Test Squad

Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Abdul Malik, Afsar Zazai (wk), Ikram Alikhel (wk), Bahir Shah, Shahidullah, Ismat Alam, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Ziaur Rahman Akbar, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Khalil Gurbaz, and Bashir Ahmad.
Reserves: Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai, Sediqullah Atal, and Shams Ur Rahman.

Afghanistan T20I Squad

Rashid Khan (capt), Ibrahim Zadran (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Malik and Abdullah Ahmadzai.
Reserves: AM Ghazanfar and Faridoon Dawoodzai.

As far back as September, concern was raised that Leeds United simply lack any sort of potent threat going forward. The Whites are seemingly going to end up in the relegation scrap, with just 11 points in as many games and ten goals scored.

Daniel Farke’s side have been lacking in the final third since the off and that hasn’t changed much in the last two months or so, as the number of goals scored this season shows. Only bottom-place Wolverhampton Wanderers have bagged fewer.

With that in mind, it is surely no surprise that Leeds are targeting a new attacker to help enhance their final third quality.

Leeds’ latest attacking target

Reports have already begun to break about some of Leeds’ January transfer targets. One of those could see them make an ambitious move for Chelsea star Raheem Sterling, who has been frozen out at Stamford Bridge this season.

In recent days, they have also been linked to Brazilian attacking midfielder Gabriel Sara.

According to a report from Turkish news outlet Takvim, the Whites are strongly considering ‘making a move’ to sign the 26-year-old from Galatasaray.

The former Norwich City star is said to be unhappy with his playing time for the Turkish giants, perhaps coinciding with the signing of Ilkay Gundogan.

He could ask to leave the club, which is where Leeds could swoop in with an offer of £17m, thought to be enough for Galatasaray to sell him.

Why Leeds could be targeting their next Raphinha

It has perhaps not been the season Sara might have expected in 2025/26. The Brazilian has played 16 times this term, but has only racked up one goal and two assists in that time.

His form last season was far better, scoring and assisting 12 times in 45 games.

Of course, Sara has already experienced English football, plying his trade for the Canaries. His best campaign for the East Anglian club came in 2023/24, when his 13 goals and 12 assists in the Championship helped them reach the play-offs, where, ironically, they lost to Leeds.

Goals like this were a real feature of his impressive form that season.

His underlying stats from that campaign highlight why Leeds want him to add a creative influence in midfield.

For example, Sara averaged 2.61 key passes and an expected assist tally of 0.26xA per 90 minutes, which placed him in the top 4% and 3% for Championship midfielders that season.

Key passes

2.61

96th

Progressive passes

6.67

91st

Expected assists

0.26xA

97th

Shot-creating actions

4.96

95th

Goal-creating actions

0.61

97th

Analyst Ben Mattinson is someone who has spoken highly of Sara in the past, praising him for boasting a “magical left foot.”

He wouldn’t be the first Brazilian Leeds player who fits that description, with Raphinha also falling into the category.

The Elland Road faithful will look back fondly on Raphinha’s time at the club. He was sensational in that famous White shirt, bagging 17 goals and assisting 12 in just 67 games.

Strikes like this one against Everton were the sort of class he provided on a game-by-game basis.

Well, if Sara could have close to that level of impact on the club, he’d be a huge success. It is easy to see the comparison, both flair attackers who hail from Brazil, with a tricky left foot and lots of final third productivity.

Since Raphinha left Elland Road, he hasn’t really been replaced, and Farke certainly has not had his own version. Well, Sara, a player described as “technically gifted” by Mattinson, could be the guy they’ve been looking for.

Raphinha had so much quality on the ball, and Sara possesses that in abundance, as the stats show. He could be Farke’s own Raphinha, and the man to add a creative spark to Leeds’ attack.

Viduka 2.0: Leeds plotting move for £21m star who's "built like a brick"

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing a star who could be Mark Viduka 2.0 for the club.

ByDan Emery Nov 22, 2025

At 46, the ageless wonder leggie still has what it takes in T20. He talks about his success with Guyana and what keeps him ticking

Interview by Deivarayan Muthu11-Aug-20252:53

‘I know how to respect my team members and that’s most important’

Imran Tahir turned 46 this March but continues his Benjamin Button act in T20 tournaments around the world. In 2023 he led Guyana Amazon Warriors to their maiden CPL title and two years later he captained them to their first Global Super League title. Since turning 40, he has bagged 266 wickets at an economy rate of 6.86 in T20s. Only Rashid Khan, Haris Rauf, Chris Jordan, Wanindu Hasaranga and Shaheen Afridi have taken more wickets than Tahir during this period. The T20 veteran spoke to us during the GSL this July about his cult status in Guyana, captaincy style, Amazon Warriors’ spin depth, and his ambitions for the upcoming CPL season.You have played for a whole lot of T20 teams around the world but you keep coming back to Guyana. You’re the only overseas player with more than 100 CPL wickets. What’s it like to be a cult hero in Guyana?
Look, it’s very special. The team gives me all the confidence and still believes in my ability. The people of Guyana really respect and give me a lot of love, and I think that’s where you want to be. With that kind of love you always want to come back and play for the same badge, and you just want to be here every year.I think I need to do a lot of extra gym work to be here every year (). But as long as I’m doing well for the team and what they require from me, if I justify it, then , I can keep coming back to Guyana.Related

• Tahir, Hope and Hetmyer combine to make it two in two for Amazon Warriors

• Bravo bros' reunion, ageless wonders, and more: everything you need to know about CPL 2025

• Straight from the wrist (2015)

• Imran Tahir or Rashid Khan: who has been more impactful in T20s over the last year? (2020)

• 'That was the turning point of the game' – Tahir toasts 100th CPL wicket

You turned 46 this year but you keep finding ways to take wickets and win games. How do you manage your body and mind in this fast-paced T20 world?
Yeah, look, it’s tough. But I’m a bit lucky now because I have more time to do training than [having to] keep playing. I think that gives me a bit more benefit – I look after myself well, eat well and try to sleep on time and just be loyal to my job. Then when I get to play, I know I can give my 100% to my team.You had a great GSL, where you led from the front. How has the build-up been, leading into CPL 2025?
Last year it was a bit of a rush. We jumped out of a flight and started playing GSL. So I felt like this year we should get together and have a camp and see how we can improve as a team. All of us, [including] guys coming from overseas, worked very hard and looked to improve on a few things and it paid off for us.Red and green spell go for Tahir: Guyana is home for him, the Pakistan-born leggie says•CPL T20/ Getty ImagesI hope we can carry this form into the CPL, where we also have a couple of youngsters who are not part of the GSL with us. But we picked them for the CPL, and they were there for the training camp, and I’m sure they’ve had a good experience with the senior players before they get to play the CPL. All in all, it was a good effort from the franchise to get everyone together and build this team for the GSL and CPL.In 2023, Warriors won their first CPL title under your leadership, and they came close to defending it successfully last season. How would you describe yourself as a captain?
Yeah, look, I’ve only been given one opportunity in my life as a captain. I just feel like I don’t have to prove anything to anyone about my captaincy or skills. I use my experience during captaincy, and I know how to respect my team-mates. I think that’s the most important thing in a team environment.When you’re happy for each other, play for each other and respect the team culture [success follows]. I’d rather be a player, but whether I play as a captain or player, I want everyone in the team to be happy and respected. That’s what I try to do in this team, and hopefully [as long as] I have this responsibility, I want to share my experience with the players and make sure the youngsters, if they want to learn something, I can try and help them through our senior players.Like we have some really good local players in our squad. Romario Shepherd, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul have been with the franchise for a long time, and to have them around, I’m sure it’s a great learning experience for the youngsters. And like I said, if there’s any spinners, even batters or bowlers with whom I can share my experience, I want to help them. I feel that’s my job as a captain.Over the years you have been mentoring spinners in leagues around the world. Is that something you enjoy?
Yeah, I think so. I don’t do it for the camera. I just like to share my knowledge. I think not many shared their knowledge with me when I was younger, and that was a bit of a sad part. But if you want to be a professional cricketer and you want to achieve your dreams, then you have to work hard and keep learning and that’s what my belief is.Tahir and Gudakesh Motie celebrate a wicket in the 2023 CPL final, which gave Guyana Amazon Warriors their first title in the tournament•Ashley Allen/CPL T20/Getty ImagesI don’t want youngsters to go through [what I did]. I want them to know what a slider, googly and flipper is. I’d rather want them to know it at the age of 15. Then they can serve their country or franchise in a better way than I did because I came to international cricket very late and showed my skills late in my career. I’m still trying to improve.So from my point of view, wherever I go, I just want to share my knowledge and pass it on to the youngsters. I do like to talk about legspin bowling and see how the other spinners think about the game and how my thinking is. So it’s always nice to talk about the game and share my knowledge. When I do that, I feel good deep in my heart.You were a pioneer as a wristspinner in T20 cricket, bowling flat and quick and getting your googlies to zip. How do you think your bowling has changed as T20 has evolved?
You always want to keep learning. It doesn’t matter how good you are; you always learn about the game every single day, and that’s what the game has taught me throughout my career. Spinners play a big role in modern T20 cricket these days and you need to keep improving your skills.Apart from legspinners, even left-arm spinners and offspinners have high skill levels these days. You have to work hard to be successful in the international arena because you know the batsmen are waiting for any [mistake]. If you see a slow ball [flighted] in the air, they want to hit, and the batsmen have got so many shots these days. So, as a spinner, I always want to keep improving.The googly and the flipper have brought you a lot of wickets. Have you explored any new variations?
Yeah, there are a few, but you’ll only get to see it on TV. I’m not the kind of guy who would talk about it in interviews and put it [the thought] in people’s head (). But yes, I’m still working on a couple of things and hopefully I can be able to bowl those balls in the future.ESPNcricinfo LtdAmazon Warriors have almost every variety of spin in their attack. What do you make of the spin depth?
It’s a blessing for Guyana that we have so many spinners when we come up against left-right hand [batter pairs]. [Gudakesh] Motie is very good, and our local core is very good. We’ve also got Moeen [Ali].Motie has become a world-class spinner. Having these spinners helps. You see different batsmen coming with different plans and you can just throw the ball to any of these spinners who can challenge any batsman. Trying to get wickets as quick as we can is our plan, so we try to keep putting pressure on the opposition and make sure we demolish their batting plans – whatever they come up with.You touched upon Moeen, another senior figure in the side. You also played with him at the SA20. What does he bring to Amazon Warriors?
Moeen is another great spinner and batter, who brings a lot of experience. His record speaks for itself. To have someone like him in the team is only going to benefit you. He also shares his experience with youngsters and other team-mates. He’s really committed and we’re lucky to have him in our squad. We’re hoping he will have a good time again in Guyana.Does having a spin-friendly home pitch empower you to be more attacking as the lead spinner?
Look, the spinners we have, they have performed all over the world. If the ball turns for us, it’s also turning for the opposition. It just means we’re using the facility better than the others. So I don’t like it when people say, “Oh, Guyana turns” and stuff like that.Yes, it turns, but for both teams, and we need to use our variations. So we try and upgrade our skills. That’s what we do here in Guyana. Myself, Motie and Moeen – all of us have picked up wickets on some of the flattest decks in the world. The most important thing for us is the combination of the team and we try to break partnerships and batting plans with that combination. So far we’ve been successful and hopefully we can carry this form into the CPL.The bane of T20 batters everywhere: Tahir trots out his Victor Gyökeres celebration•GSL/Getty ImagesThe CPL is known for its funky celebrations. Your sprint is perhaps the OG one, but what’s the story behind doing Ronaldo’s “Siuuu” and Victor Gyökeres’ celebrations recently?
I have to because my son [who is travelling with Tahir], he asked me to do it (). The celebrations are purely for him. He just loves football. I actually don’t know the guy [Gyökeres’] who does this celebration, but I know he’s a footballer. But look, it’s nice, I want to put a smile on my son’s face and hopefully a smile on the faces of other people as well, if they like it.You’ve been there and done that in international cricket and every T20 league around the world. At 46, how do you remain so passionate about the game?
I’m the kind of guy who got [success] very late. And when you have a dream to be on the stage where I’m now, I think I just don’t feel like letting it go. I want to live the dream [as long as] I keep playing. If I’m playing, I want to give whatever I have to my team, and that obviously comes through passion. If you don’t have passion for anything, you won’t be successful in life.At the SA20 and even in the GSL, you were throwing yourself around in the field and there was a spectacular grab in the eliminator at the 2024 SA20. How proud are you of such fielding efforts?
I have to do extra work on my fielding and thanks to all the practice sessions with our coaches, the energy and the focus they gave… they gave me a lot of confidence. I take a lot of pride in my fielding, and I feel like if I can take one or two catches, I can change the game. That gives me bigger joy, but I think some people might have been more shocked than appreciative of my catches (). But no, generally a lot of people still appreciate such catches.What are your ambitions heading into CPL 2025?
Yeah, the team and the combination looks really good. It’s all about how we start the competition and that’s the most important thing. Going into the competition, the first few games are important and the GSL [success] will help a lot. We’ve been playing a good brand of cricket in the GSL and I believe that will set the standard for us in the CPL.We just need to stick together and before the tournament starts, we will have a camp for a few days. Things have been looking good so far. The only thing we can do is work hard and give it back to our fans in Guyana.

Heading into the weekend game against Manchester City, many Newcastle United fans were apprehensive. After all, Eddie Howe’s side have been out of sorts this season, and City rarely lose to the Tynesiders.

But Newcastle reminded the Premier League of their quality with an emphatic 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola’s outfit. United remain bogged down in 14th place, but only six points separate them and Aston Villa in the top four.

There were a few changes at St. James’ Park, and it underscored a wider shift at the club that could see a number of Howe’s mainstays move on in 2026.

The Newcastle stars who might be leaving in 2026

The midfield is the beating heart of Newcastle’s system. While Joelinton continues to look like the weak link, at the weekend he was back to his physical and rip-roaring best.

However, it’s difficult to imagine Newcastle would have claimed all three points had Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento not been reinstated on the defensive flanks. The young full-backs rewrite the tactical script, adding a new dimension and playing into Howe’s transitional emphasis.

This, of course, could spell the end for Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn, both of whom have deputised in the absence of the injured younger men this season. However, Newcastle are limited in their mobility and dynamism when the veterans start.

There is another member of Howe’s United backline whose future is somewhat uncertain too, and it’s far more concerning that this star’s level has dipped.

Newcastle mainstay is on borrowed time

When Newcastle signed Sven Botman in 2022, it was regarded as a coup for one of Europe’s most talented up-and-coming centre-backs.

He was a colossus across the 2022/23 campaign, steering Newcastle into the Champions League and being lauded for his “incredible impact” by pundit Leon Osman.

Commanding and cool-headed, Botman is the prototypical central defender for a side competing for trophies, with his calculated and accurate passing crucial for his side’s presence on the ball. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 13% of positional peers in England’s top flight for chances created per 90 (0.55).

However, injuries have since laid waste to the 25-year-old’s hopes of sustaining good form on Tyneside, and he now faces a fight to recover his place in the starting line-up, having been benched for the recent win in the Premier League.

Sven Botman – Premier League Career by Season

Season

Apps

Minutes

25/26

10

659′

24/25

8

415′

23/24

17

1,378′

22/23

36

3,129′

Data via Transfermarkt

Thiaw’s emergence as a top Premier League defender this season has coincided with Botman’s own struggles for fluency and strength in Howe’s system.

This is a centre-half whose attack on the English game after joining from Lille in 2022 was widely lauded. He was “a monster in his debut season”, according to reporter Charlie Bennett, who then acknowledged that the Netherlands international has since been “glued to the treatment table”.

As Thiaw goes from strength to strength, there is only so much leeway Botman can be afforded. Schar was immense in his place against Man City, but the 33-year-old is out of a deal at the end of the season.

After a solid start to the season, Botman’s form has slumped. Newcastle reporter Joel Brand even said he was “utterly embarrassing” during the loss at Brentford earlier this month.

Should he leave, Newcastle will need to search for a replacement, and that could lead to Botman falling down the pecking order and a far cry away from that pedestal he stood on before injuries gripped him.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 24, 2025

Lionel Messi reportedly reached a complete agreement to rejoin Barcelona in 2023 and an official contract was drafted to welcome back their greatest legend, but the move never materialised. Messi left his boyhood club in 2021 as a free agent after spending almost two decades there. He then completed a high-profile free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, where he spent two years before heading to Inter Miami in the United States.

• Messi didn't get proper goodbye

  The Argentine legend was prevented from saying his goodbyes on the field in Catalunya when announcing an emotional departure from the Liga giants in 2021 after his contract expired. With Barcelona unable to fund a contract extension at that point due to severe financial constraints, Messi left for Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent.

  His stint in the French capital lasted for two years and in between, he completed his lifelong dream of winning the World Cup with Argentina as he led La Albiceleste to their third title in Qatar.

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• Getty Images
  

  Homecoming almost went through in 2023

  According to , Messi expressed his desire to return to Barcelona for the first time in January 2023 when he got in touch with then-Blaugrana manager Xavi Hernandez. The former Barcelona team-mates enjoyed great success together as players, and Xavi believed that Messi's return to the team would further elevate the standard of the squad, which ultimately went on to win the 2022-23 La Liga title.

  Over the next few months, the duo kept in touch and constantly spoke to each other to make the homecoming happen. Xavi even spoke to Messi's father Jorge and informed club president Joan Laporta, who was excited at the prospect of Messi returning to the club. Xavi was also told by director of football Matheu Alemany that La Liga had given the nod to the transfer. 

• The sudden collapse in talks

  adds that everything was going as planned and the Catalan giants even drafted a two-year contract for Messi to sign as soon as he became a free agent in the summer of 2023. However, things drastically changed in April when Jorge Messi called Xavi with a devastating update: "They tell me it is not going to happen, that La Liga does not give the approval."

  Barcelona soon changed their stance as they understood that bringing back Messi wouldn't be financially feasible for them, while complying with La Liga player registration rules. Messi eventually grew tired of waiting and agreed to join Inter Miami instead.

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  Can Messi still comeback to Barcelona?

  There is no possibility of Messi rejoining Barcelona on a permanent basis, as he continues to chase the American dream in MLS with Inter Miami. He recently committed to a new three-year contract that will take him beyond his 40th birthday and through the 2028 season in the U.S.

  Barcelona have also distanced themselves from a loan move for Messi in the MLS offseason, with Laporta saying in a recent interview: "Leo Messi’s return as a player is something just not realistic. As of now, he has a contract with Inter Miami. The club is building a project for the present and future. It's complicated, and if you live in the past you hardly move forward."

  Messi will be back in action for the Herons on November 29 as they take on New York City FC in the Eastern Conference final. The 38-year-old is only two matches away from leading Miami to their maiden MLS Cup title.

India conquering Gabba, or the Ben Stokes one-man show at Headingley, or India felling Australia at Eden Gardens – which one is your pick?

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2025Update: This poll has ended. The IND-AUS 2001 Kolkata Test has been voted by fans as the greatest Test of the 21st century so far.India crush Australia’s dreams, Kolkata, 2001Australia had won the first Test of the series Steve Waugh had famously called the “final frontier” in Australia’s charge towards world domination. This, the second, started with Waugh winning the toss and choosing to bat. Batting last was going to be tough, after all. And they did everything right for the first two-and-a-bit days, scoring 445 and then bowling India out for 171 for a 274-run lead.Harbhajan Singh had picked up seven wickets – including a hat-trick – in that first innings, so Australia knew what they were risking when they enforced the follow-on. But how much of a risk was it? They were 274 ahead. How much would India score: 200? 300? 400? The answer was 657 for 7 declared. All courtesy one of the greatest partnerships in Test history, between VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid.They came together late on the third day, when India were 232 for 4, still behind. They batted, and they batted, and they batted, all the way into the final day. And Australia, ragged by then, had 384 to chase. In the time left, there wasn’t much hope of winning. But they could still draw it. Not with Harbhajan, again, and Sachin Tendulkar whipping up some magic. Harbhajan took six, taking his match tally to 13, while Tendulkar got three – including Shane Warne with a googly – and India were celebrating, at Eden Gardens, outside Eden Gardens, and everywhere they could.Stokes’ one-man show, Leeds, 2019England, 286 for 9 in a chase of 359. Against Australia. Against Cummins, Hazlewood, Lyon and James Pattinson. All over?But two men believed. One believed that he could smash the 63 runs that were left. The other that he could just hang in there, keep an eye on what the other man does. And between them, Ben Stokes and Jack Leach pulled off one of the great miracles in Test history.And to think that it had come after England had rolled over for 67 in the first innings.Australia took a lead of 112 and bolstered it with a second-innings total of 246 to set a steep target. Three-fifty-nine looked steeper when England went from 141 for 2 to 159 for 4, and then 245 for 4 to 286 for 9.Then Stokes and Leach came together. At the time, Stokes, the No. 5, was on 61. Off 174 balls. He then hit four fours and seven sixes, keeping Leach away from the strike as much as possible, before finishing it off with a flay through the covers off Cummins. Leach contributed 1 from 17 balls – the greatest ‘1’ in England’s Test history, perhaps?India conquer Gabba, Brisbane, 2021When Mayank Agarwal became the fifth India batter out, they were still 63 away from victory. Against Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, on a fifth-day pitch, albeit in Brisbane, and Rishabh Pant as the only recognised batter left, it was Australia’s game to lose. But that’s what they did. As Pant, batting with Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini – some of those, like some others in the series, not meant to be in India’s starting XI at all but forced to because of injuries – knocked off the runs. Pant’s 89 not out, included a six and nine fours, the last of which brought up victory, giving India a 2-1 series win.It didn’t look likely when Australia, opted to bat and took a 33-run first-innings lead. That feeling stayed as Australia then put up 294 in their second to set India a daunting 328 for the win. There was no Virat Kohli – as was the case after the first Test – and the batting, as the side on the whole, wore an inexperienced look.India pulled it off, though. First, Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara put up 114 runs for the second wicket, and it was game on. Ajinkya Rahane, the captain, scored a quick 24, but Agarwal fell cheaply, and then it was five down with a lot to get. Not for Pant, though, not on the day, and not for Washington, who chipped in with a 29-ball 22.

As Brandon Woodruff took the mound for the Brewers on Wednesday, he faced a different kind of pressure than on a typical start. Not the heat of building on the league's best record or their division lead over the Cubs, but the opportunity to win hundreds of thousands of free burgers for the people of Wisconsin from the chain George Webb.

George Webb, the founder of the beloved Wisconsin restaurant chain, would famously predict back when Milwaukee only had a minor league team that it would win 12 straight games, and was believed to have declared that if the local team won 12 consecutive games, they would give away free burgers. His son, Jim Webb, would later make the deal official in 1970.

The Brewers came to close to winning free burgers earlier this season when they had an 11-game winning streak from July 6 to July 21, but lost the 12th game 1–0 to the Mariners. They have won free burgers for fans twice, in 1987 and 2018.

With a third opportunity to win free burgers on the line, Woodruff delivered. The two-time All-Star pitched four scoreless innings as Milwaukee got off to a 6–0 lead. The Pirates made things interesting after Woodruff exited, putting up five runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but the Brewers offense responded with six more runs and won 12–5.

“It's awesome. I was telling my wife last night I was more nervous, I wanted to win the burgers for everybody in the stands, including myself," Woodruff told reporters after the game. "It was fun, it's a cool thing. You could tell the energy around today on a day game was a little bit more than usual. Seriously, I wanted to win those burgers bad.”

The Brewers and the fans can celebrate with their free burgers, which will be given out on a date the restaurant plans to announce on Thursday. They can also celebrate a team that not just came through on the free burgers, but holds a league-best 76–44 record as the final month of the season approaches. No team is playing better than the Brewers, who can set their sights on going after their first World Series title.

يفتقد فريق نادي بيراميدز لجهود لاعبه محمود زلاكا خلال مباراة بتروجت المقبلة في الدوري المصري بسبب الإيقاف.

وكان بيراميدز قد تمكن من الفوز على حساب كهرباء الإسماعيلية، بنتيجة 2-1، في اللقاء الذي جمع بينهما ضمن مؤجلات الجولة الثامنة من الدوري المصري.

طالع | ترتيب الدوري المصري بعد فوز بيراميدز على كهرباء الإسماعيلية

وتحصل زلاكا على بطاقة صفراء ثالثة خلال مباراة كهرباء الإسماعيلية التي جمعت بينهما أمس الأربعاء.

ويحل بيراميدز ضيفا على نظيره بتروجت في الثامنة من مساء السبت المقبل على استاد بتروسبورت في المباراة المؤجلة من الجولة العاشرة لبطولة الدوري.