Lionel Messi

If European football wasn’t as familiar with American manager Jesse Marsch as it should’ve been, it sure as hell is now. On Tuesday, the RB Leipzig boss masterminded a stirring performance at the Parc des Princes that had the German side deservedly ahead 2-1 with just over 20 minutes to play. 

But a terrible mistake from American midfielder Tyler Adams allowed Lionel Messi to equalize before a rash challenge in the area gifted PSG another from the spot.   

Few left feet in the history of the game have been as magical as Lionel Messi’s. But the Messi goal vs Uruguay on Sunday night was something uniquely supernatural. It was as if the Argentine put some sort of forcefield around the ball as he sent it toward goal.

Messi’s strike in the 38th minute sent Argentina on its way to a 3-0 win over Uruguay in World Cup qualifying, maintaining a comfortable second place in the CONMEBOL table behind Brazil. La Celeste barely remain in the top four guaranteed World Cup positions with seven matches left to play. 

On Saturday, France Football published Lionel Messi’s first wide-ranging interview since joining Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona. 

It was billed as the most expensive football match in the world — the $1.10 billion squad value of PSG against the $1.16 billion of Manchester City. There was also the subplot of the most expensive transfer of the summer, City’s Jack Grealish at $135.5 million, versus PSG’s acquisitions of Lionel Messi, Georginio Wijnaldum, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi. All five started.