Lionel Messi has won just about everything there is to win in soccer but said on Thursday that bringing Inter Miami their first ever trophy would be "incredible" and "a beautiful thing".
Languishing at the bottom of Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference standings there had been nothing pretty about Inter Miami's season until Messi's arrival in South Florida last month.
But now things could not look any brighter.
There can be zero question over the value of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV now. Lionel Messi's arrival at Inter Miami turned the streaming service into the hottest thing since the first guy to open a sandwich shop, and it certainly doesn't hurt when you also get to see Sergio Busquets apply tennis ball-like spin to his entry passes in 1080p. Oh, Jordi Alba's here too.
So when does Messi play again? Messi next match for Miami is part of a string of fixtures coming in hot for the Herons as they fight on three fronts: Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup and MLS.
The United States women's national team is still heavily favored to move on to the knockout rounds, but a small chink in the armor of the two-time defending Women's World Cup champions has caused a ripple effect at sportsbooks.
The USWNT needs to earn at least a point against Portugal at Auckland, New Zealand, early Tuesday (3 a.m. ET) to guarantee it advances out of Group E.
AUCKLAND - Holders United States arrived at the Women's World Cup as favorites to win an unprecedented third straight title but their place in the tournament will be on the line when they take on Portugal in Tuesday's Group E showdown in Auckland.
The Americans, who have never been eliminated from the group stage in World Cup history, have not yet hit peak form. They beat minnows Vietnam 3-0, and a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands left both teams locked on four points.
AUCKLAND - The United States are built to handle the pressure of their do-or-die final group stage match, veteran Megan Rapinoe said, with everything on the line against Portugal on Tuesday at the Women's World Cup.
The four-times champions have never exited in the group stage but may suffer that fate without a win or a draw against the World Cup debutantes, after beating Vietnam in the opener and settling for a 1-1 draw to the Netherlands.
It is hardly the position fans imagined the team would be in as they pursue an unprecedented third consecutive title.
WELLINGTON - The United States have yet to produce their best performance at the Women's World Cup, coach Vlatko Andonovski said on Thursday, after the Netherlands held them to a frustrating 1-1 draw in their second match of the tournament in Wellington.
Co-captain Lindsey Horan powered a terrific header into the net to level the affair in the second half and save the four-times champions from outright embarrassment after not putting up much of a fight early on in the match.
It's Tuesday morning in the United States and every nation at the Women's World Cup has completed one match. Group A, the Group of Life, went ahead and completed their second games in the early hours so that makes our Power Rankings a little clearer, but this is how things stand in our eyes after just a taste of the tournament.
#32. Zambia
The U.S. women's national team is in a position to win a record third straight World Cup because every player who steps on the field is expected to meet the high standards of their predecessors.
Sophia Smith is the latest example of a potential legend in the making, following in the footsteps of players such as Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and current teammate Alex Morgan.
DUNEDIN - The Netherlands kicked off their Group E campaign with a 1-0 win over Women's World Cup debutants Portugal at Dunedin Stadium on Sunday, thanks to a first-half goal from Stefanie van der Gragt that was awarded on a VAR review.
The Dutch edged Portugal 3-2 a year ago in the European Championship group stage, but this time the Iberian side were no match for the team in their trademark orange and did not have a shot on target until the 82nd minute.
Con el duelo entre Inter Miami vs Cruz Azul comienza este viernes la primera edición de la Leagues Cup, una extravaganza veraniega que tendrá a los 18 equipos de la Liga MX, enfrentando a los 29 clubes que son parte de la MLS.
El torneo no ha encendido mucho la pasión de los aficionados, en ninguno de los dos lados de la frontera, sin embargo el Inter Miami vs Cruz Azul ha logrado capturar la atención no solo de ambas ligas, sino que también alrededor del globo por una particular razón: el duelo podría significar el debut de Lionel Messi con la playera del cuadro floridano.