Mohamed Salah Says 2024-25 Is His 'Last Year at' Liverpool amid Expiring Contract
Sep 1, 2024
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Liverpool FC at Old Trafford on September 01, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
The 2024-25 season will apparently be Mohamed Salah's swan song with Liverpool.
"As you know, it's my last year at the club," he told Sky Sports on Sunday following the Reds 3-0 victory over Manchester United (h/t Callum Davis and James Pearce of The Athletic). "I just want to enjoy it—I don't want to think about it. I feel like I'm free to play football and we will see what can happen next year."
Salah is entering the final year of his contract and said Sunday that no talks over an extension have taken place.
"Nobody at the club has spoken to me yet about contracts, so I will play my last season and see at the end of the season," he noted. "I don't know if I will (come back) but, yes, my last game here [at Old Trafford] with Liverpool. It's not up to me. Nobody (has) talked to me from the club but we will see."
New Liverpool manager Arne Slot didn't directly address the situation when asked about those comments.
"In this moment he's one of ours and I am really happy with him being one of ours," he said. "He plays really well. I don't talk about players' contracts but I can talk for hours about how Mo played today if you're interested in that? He was impressive, like he was in the first two days, but if you talk about an individual, you don't do justice to all the other ones because you saw a real good team performance—playing out from the back, high press, midfield that kept on running."
🔴🇪🇬 Salah: “Easy game? I was surprised… it was quite open. It could’ve finished 5 or 6 to be honest”. pic.twitter.com/YZ7VCTxTHM
Salah, 32, had a goal against United—and probably could have had one or two more—to go along with two assists. He now has three goals and three assists in three matches to open the Premier League campaign, a blistering start that has only been bested in league play by Erling Haaland's absurd seven goals from three matches.
If Salah were to depart after the season, it would end a legendary run at Anfield that has included titles in the Premier League (2019-20), Champions League (2018-19), the FA Cup (2021-22), the League Cup (2021-22, 2023-24), the Community Shield (2022-23) and the Super Cup (2019-20).
He has managed 18 or more Premier League goals in every season for Liverpool while notching 10 or more assists in league play five times, emerging as one of the most clinical finishers and feared attackers in European club football.
But Liverpool may be moving onto a new era after former manager Jürgen Klopp stepped down in the offseason, with both Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold also in the final year of their contracts. The Reds could have quite the new look for the 2025-26 campaign.
Champions League Draw 2024-25: Schedule of Dates for Group Stage Fixtures
Aug 31, 2024
MADRID, SPAIN - JUNE 02: Players of Real Madrid celebrates with the trophy at Plaza de Cibeles during Real Madrid UEFA Champions League Trophy Parade on June 02, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images)
The full 2024-25 Champions League schedule has been released, with the season kicking off on Sept. 17 with six matches.
This season marks the debut of the new format featuring 36 clubs, with the bottom 12 teams being eliminated at the conclusion of the league phase on January 29.
The full fixture list for the new league phase of the Champions League is officially official!
UEFA originally approved the format change in May 2022. The most notable change will see teams playing in one single league table, as opposed to the eight groups of four under the 32-team format.
The group format somewhat remains with four different pots of nine teams. The first pot features the reigning Champions League winner (Real Madrid) and the next eight clubs with the best coefficients.
Pots two through four are determined by club coefficient.
Pots
Pot 1: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Barcelona
Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atlético Madrid, Atalanta, Juventus, Benfica, Arsenal, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan
Pot 3: Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven, Dinamo Zagreb, Salzburg, Lille, Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys, Celtic
Pot 4: Slovan Bratislava, Monaco, Sparta Prague, Aston Villa, Bologna, Girona, Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Brest
Each club will play two teams from each pot during the league phase. The new format means the total number of matches for the entire season will increase from 125 to 189.
After the league phase is completed, teams ranked in positions nine through 24 will advance to the knockout phase playoffs. The winning teams in the knockout phase will advance to the Round of 16. The top eight teams automatically qualify for the Round of 16.
Real Madrid will begin defense of its Champions League title on Sept. 17 against Stuttgart. There hasn't been a repeat winner since Los Blancos won three straight from 2015-16 to 2017-18.
The biggest obstacle standing in Real Madrid's way figures to be Manchester City. The two teams met in the quarterfinals last season, with Real Madrid advancing 4-3 on penalty kicks after they were tied at four on aggregate.
Arsenal will be looking to play spoiler after a busy transfer season that saw the club bring in Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino and Raheem Sterling.
The window has officially slammed shut on the 2024 Summer Transfer window. And while deadline day lacked any true blockbuster moves, we did get some big names…
Champions League Draw 2024-25: Group Stage Fixtures Set Ahead of Schedule Release
Aug 29, 2024
MONACO, MONACO - AUGUST 29: Gianluigi Buffon, Winner of UEFA President's Award 2024 draws out the name of Atletico de Madrid during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Group Stage Draw at Grimaldi Forum on August 29, 2024 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Claudio Lavenia - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
The Champions League is changing its format for the upcoming season, nixing the old group system in favor of a new pot system that will have teams face a far greater variety of clubs.
It's a bit of a confusing change, but we've got all of the pots and matchups from the new "Swiss model" listed below.
Pots
Pot 1: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Barcelona
Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atlético Madrid, Atalanta, Juventus, Benfica, Arsenal, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan
Pot 3: Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven, Dinamo Zagreb, Salzburg, Lille, Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys, Celtic
Pot 4: Slovan Bratislava, Monaco, Sparta Prague, Aston Villa, Bologna, Girona, Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Brest
It's the signature fixture of English football: Manchester United vs. Liverpool. The great rivals are England's two most successful clubs and meet on Sunday…
Video: Cristiano Ronaldo Eyes 1,000 Goals Before Retirement; Superstar Has Scored 899
Aug 28, 2024
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - AUGUST 22: Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr celebrating after scores the 1st goal during the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr and Al Raed at Al Awwal Park Stadium on August 22, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored the 899th goal of his professional career on Tuesday for his Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, says he wants to record 1,000 goals before retiring.
"Soon I will do 900, and after I will beat 1,000... I want to reach 1,000 goals," Ronaldo said on his official YouTube channel in an interview with former England national team star Rio Ferdinand (21:40 mark.)
The Portuguese star, who will turn 40 in February, said he believes he can accomplish the goal by age 41.
"If I [don't] have injuries, this is, for me, it's the most important," Ronaldo said. "I want that. I want that. For me, it's the best mark that I can have in football, is to reach, first, 900 goals.
"After, my challenge is to beat 1,000 goals, with one difference— all the goals that I score, they have video, so I can prove that."
Ronaldo scored goal No. 899 on Tuesday with a free kick during a win over Al Feiha that marked the 64th free-kick goal of his career.
It sounds like Ronaldo intends to score the 101 goals remaining between himself and the quadruple-digit mark for Portugal and for Al-Nassr, where he told Portuguese TV channel NOW on Tuesday he plans to retire.
"I don't know if I will retire soon, in two or three years, but probably I will retire here at Al-Nassr," Ronaldo said (h/t BBC's Sam Drury.)
Ronaldo confirmed in his interview with Ferdinand that he still saw himself as being some distance from retirement.
"The day that I start to feel that I'm not [producing] nothing, listen, I pack my bags and I go away," Ronaldo said. "But it's far from that."
Ronaldo will have the opportunity to score No. 900 when Al-Nassr returns to action on Sept. 13.
Europe's top leagues have only just returned to domestic action, but eyes are already being cast toward September and the start of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions…
Leagues Cup Bracket 2024: Columbus Crew Beat LAFC to Win Final in MLS Cup Rematch
Aug 26, 2024
COLUMBUS, OHIO - AUGUST 25: Cucho Hernandez #9 of the Columbus Crew controls the ball during the first half of Leagues Cup 2024 Final against the Los Angeles FC at Lower.com Field on August 25, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
The Columbus Crew own Los Angeles FC when trophies are on the line.
Columbus defeated LAFC 3-1 in the final of the 2024 Leagues Cup on Sunday at Lower.com Field, repeating its victory over the same foe from December's MLS Cup championship game. The game was in doubt until stoppage time, which is when Crew star Cucho Hernández shifted into takeover mode.
He scored the go-ahead goal from outside the box in the 92nd minute and then assisted on Jacen Russell-Rowe's goal in the 94th minute to remove any doubt. It was also Hernández who started the scoring in the first half for the victors.
CUCHO IN THE 92ND MINUTE OF THE LEAGUES CUP FINAL 😱
It was more of the same for Columbus against LAFC, as it also handled the Western Conference team with ease in a 5-1 victory in a regular-season matchup in July. Not even the addition of Olivier Giroud, who scored LAFC's only goal, could change the outcome when these two teams face each other.
That these clubs are so familiar with each other was only fitting given their paths through the Leagues Cup bracket, which can be found at the tournament's official website. While the Leagues Cup features MLS teams and Liga MX teams, neither Los Angeles nor Columbus faced a team from Mexico in the knockout rounds.
LAFC defeated familiar foes in Austin, San Jose, Seattle and Colorado, while the Crew went through Sporting Kansas City, Inter Miami, New York City FC and Philadelphia.
It set the stage for Sunday's showdown, and Columbus turned heads before kickoff when head coach Wilfried Nancy decided to start goaltender Nicholas Hagen instead of his typical choice, Patrick Schulte.
Hugo Lloris was Hagen's counterpart for the visitors, and it was the veteran who allowed the first goal when Mohamed Farsi deftly navigated through the LAFC defense and flicked a cross in for Hernández. The Crew star buried the opportunity with a header right before halftime and put the Western Conference team in comeback mode.
LAFC wasn't in comeback mode for long in the second half, though, as Giroud redirected a corner kick to score his first goal for his new club. The momentum had swung even before the equalizer, as Mateusz Bogusz appeared to tie the game but was ruled offside.
The visitors kept that momentum throughout most of the second half in part because Lloris sent away a wide-open opportunity for Christian Ramírez right in front of the net.
But Hernández—who also set up that look for Ramírez—was inevitable and clinched his side another trophy.
Christian Pulisic: Mauricio Pochettino USMNT Contract 'Good News' After Berhalter Era
Aug 25, 2024
STADIO GIUSEPPE MEAZZA, MILANO, ITALY - 2024/08/17: Christian Pulisic of Ac Milan greets the fans at the end of the Serie A football match between Ac Milan and Torino Fc. The match ends in a tie 2-2. (Photo by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Christian Pulisic is all for the United States hiring Mauricio Pochettino.
The USMNT star said Pochettino potentially taking over as head coach is "good news."
"I think it's good news," Pulisic told CBS (h/t ESPN). "I think it's time for a change, it's time for us to take another step and really improve as a team and leading up to this World Cup we need to find some good results and build some momentum leading up to that moment."
Pochettino reportedly agreed to become the USMNT head coach last week, but he has yet to be formally named as the new coach because his contract situation with Chelsea is still being resolved.
The Athletic's Felipe Cardenas reported Saturday that talks between the United States, Pochettino and Chelsea are "ongoing and remain positive." Cardenas also noted that Pochettino is expected to be with the USMNT for their friendly against Canada on Sept. 7.
Another member of the USMNT, defender Sergiño Dest, also expressed his excitement about playing for Pochettino.
"Yeah, it is [exciting]," he said, per ESPN. "Obviously, he's been a coach for big clubs and he's a well-known coach. That will be a nice experience to train under him."
Pochettino served as manager for Espanyol from 2009 to 2012, Southhampton from 2013 to 2014, Tottenham Hotspur from 2014 to 2019, Paris Saint-Germain from 2021 to 2022 and most recently, Chelsea from 2023 to 2024.
Should the deal be finalized, Pochettino would replace Gregg Berhalter, who coached the USMNT from 2018 to 2022 and again from 2023 to 2024. Berhalter was supposed to lead the United States through the 2026 World Cup, but a disappointing early exit in the Copa America group stage led to the end of him being relieved of his duties in July.
Lionel Messi to Return from Ankle Injury Before MLS Playoffs, Inter Miami Coach Says
Aug 23, 2024
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - JUNE 01: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami controls the ball during the second half of the game against St. Louis City at Chase Stadium on June 01, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Inter Miami head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino says that Lionel Messi will return from injury before the MLS playoffs, according to ESPN's Lizzy Becherano.
"The work is planned by the medical part with the physical trainers. But yes, he returns before the end of the regular season," Martino said, per Becherano.
The MLS regular season will end with Decision Day on Saturday, Oct. 19.
Messi has not played since suffering an ankle ligament injury on July 14 while playing for Argentina in the Copa América final.
Playoffs are then set to begin with knockout wild card matches on Wednesday, Oct. 23, followed by the best-of-three first-round series on Saturday, Oct. 26.
Inter Miami could clinch a playoff berth this weekend in several different scenarios, including a win on Saturday against FC Cincinnati.
Martino told reporters there is not yet a specific timetable for Messi's return, and that it was "foreseeable" that Messi would not be in Argentina's squad for its upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Messi was left out of the group that will face Chile and Colombia.
"He is not training with the group. But yes, he is already out on the field and working with the physical trainers," Martino said. "He is developing well... There is no estimate, because you are already starting to see how you feel as you add training on the field."
For now, Martino confirmed that Messi will sit out Saturday's contest against FC Cincinnati, per Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald.
The next date Messi could potentially return is a road game against the Chicago Fire on Aug. 31. The Fire has been anticipating the Miami star's potential absence since July, when the team offered fans discounts on future matches if Messi is unable to play.
Messi has played in 12 games for Inter Miami this season, recording 12 goals and 13 assists to set an MLS record as the fastest player in league history to 25 career goals.
Although the Argentinian soccer star has missed 13 of Inter Miami's 25 league games so far this season, a strong defense has helped Inter Miami achieve an MLS-best 16-5-4 record. The return of Messi before the end of the regular season could make the club a title favorite heading into the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.
