World Football

Neymar could make a shocking return to Barcelona when his contract with Santos expires this summer, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.

Ornstein reported the Brazilian's representatives have discussed the idea with Barça officials, and that it's being "explored and prioritized."

"Barcelona president Joan Laporta and Neymar's representative Pini Zahavi have a close relationship and I think Zahavi also looks after Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick," he wrote. "Neymar's big motivation will be the 2026 World Cup and playing at Barcelona, in the rebuilt Camp Nou, has fairytale potential. A lot would need to happen for this to materialize, but it's possible and a tantalizing prospect!"

Neymar's career has never been the same since he left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.

Because of persistent injuries, he never made more than 22 Ligue 1 appearances in a single season. PSG's domestic dominance meant he wasn't challenging himself in the same way he would've if he had stayed at the Camp Nou, either.

For many, Neymar's decision to sign with Saudi side Al-Hilal in 2023 and then head home to Santos signaled the end of his run as a player at the top level of the sport. The career retrospectives and examinations are already getting written.

The current version of Neymar may not add much to Barcelona's squad.

Then there's the fact the Spanish club seems to be never too far away from its next financial crisis. Laporta has pulled so many "levers" to shore up the short-term bottom line, but the scramble to register players Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor in January highlighted how shaky Barça's finances remain.

Even assuming he's willing to take another pay cut compared to his wages at Al-Hilal, bringing him in on a free transfer won't be cheap. Signing aging stars to big contracts is part of why Barcelona created this mess in the first place.

Ornstein calling this a "fairytale" move might be an apt descriptor because it's tough to see how it's realistic.

Japan upset the United States Women's National Soccer Team Wednesday night at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego to win the SheBelieves Cup for the first time.

The USWNT fell 2-1 to a game Japanese squad, marking Emma Hayes' first loss since taking over as Team USA's manager.

Per ESPN, Hayes secured 15 wins, two draws and no losses over her first 17 matches as the USWNT's manager, including winning gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris just two months after her managerial debut for the U.S.

Japan jumped on the United States early in Wednesday's match, as Yuka Momiki scored in the second minute after U.S. defender Emily Sonnett collided with goalkeeper Jane Campbell:

Despite the shock of conceding an early goal, the United States regrouped and answered in the 14th minute with a goal by Ally Sentnor off a perfect through ball from Catarina Macario:

The U.S. and Japan entered halftime tied 1-1, but it didn't take long into the second half for Japan to regain their lead.

In the 50th minute, Campbell made a strong save on a free kick, but the rebound bounced right to Toko Koga, who put it in for what proved to be the game-winning goal:

Given the USWNT's relative dominance since Hayes took over and the fact that the United States had won the SheBelieves Cup five years in a row, there was plenty of surprise among fans regarding Wednesday's result:

While the USWNT was still expected to win, it is important to note that several key players were not with the team for the SheBelieves Cup.

The superstar trio of Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman and Sophia Wilson, who accounted for 10 of the USWNT's 12 goals at the Olympics, were all left off the USWNT roster due to injuries and other engagements.

Team USA was also without arguably its top defender in Naomi Girma and experienced midfielder Rose Lavelle.

While the loss to Japan is something of a step back, it is fair to wonder if things would have played out far differently had the USWNT been at full strength.

The USWNT will look to get back on track on March 20 when it faces Panama in the CONCACAF Nations League, followed by friendlies against Brazil on April 5 and 8.

Major League Soccer issued undisclosed fines to Inter Miami's Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez following the team's 2-2 draw with New York City FC last Saturday.

Following the match, Messi briefly grabbed the neck of New York coach Mehdi Ballouchy from behind. Suárez did the same thing to NYCFC defender Birk Risa as players from both teams were walking off the field at halftime.

Messsi and Suárez may have been channeling their frustration with how the match had been officiated.

Inter Miami defender Tomás Avilés received a straight red card in the 23rd minute for denying a goalscoring opportunity. It was a questionable call that could've gone either way.

New York City FC didn't take long to capitalize on the man advantage as Mitja Ilenic scored in the 26th minute to draw the team level.

Later in the first half, NYCFC defender Strahinja Tanasijević was perhaps fortune to escape a sending-off. The ref declined to issue a second yellow card for a clear foul on

Adrián Martínez put New York ahead in the 55th minute, only for Telasco Segovia to equalize in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time.

Inter Miami hosts Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup clash, and its next MLS match is Sunday against Houston Dynamo FC.

For Messi and Suárez, a fine from the league will be a drop in the bucket compared to their overall salaries. They earned $20.5 million and $1.5 million respectively last season.

The United States women's national team will try to win its eighth SheBelieves Cup title on Wednesday against Japan.

The Americans typically played well in the annual four-team tournament on home soil. The 2025 edition has featured a similar level of control from the USWNT.

Emma Hayes' side picked up two wins in the first two games over Colombia and Australia, as did Japan.

Wednesday's winner will come away with the tournament crown. The Americans have to win because Japan takes the event title with a draw due to a superior goal difference.

USWNT vs. Japan

Date: Wednesday, February 26

Start Time: 10:30 p.m. ET

TV: TBS

Live Stream: Max

Top Storylines to Watch

Japan looked like the better team through two games at the SheBelieves Cup.

The Asian side posted four goals on both Colombia and Australia. Mina Tanaka scored a pair of goals each victory.

The USWNT only posted two goals in each of its victories over the last week, and that means it must win to come away with the tournament crown.

Japan enters Wednesday with a +7 goal differential, which is four better than the Americans' number. Goal differential is the first tiebreaker to determine the champion.

The Americans won the last five SheBelieves Cup titles. Japan participated in three of those five tournaments and had a second-place finish in 2023.

The level of competition varies from year to year in the event, but it was clear from the start that Japan was the USWNT's toughest competition. Japan is the second-best team in the field according to the FIFA women's world rankings.

Japan's squad, like the one the USWNT brought to the tournament, carries a mixture of experienced players and young stars looking to break through on the international level .

Mina Tanaka falls into the former category. She has 39 goals in 86 international appearances and will likely finish as the tournament's leading scorer.

The USWNT defense needs to slow down the Utah Royals forward in order to keep a clean sheet and let its young attack win the game for it.

Emily Sonnett, Lindsey Heaps, Catarina Macario and Jenna Nighswonger all were rested in the USWNT's win over Australia. They should all start on Wednesday.

Heaps will be tasked with controlling the midfield, as always, to slow down the Japanese attacking flow. Nighswonger and Sonnett are part of a defensive unit that is the most experienced part of the USWNT squad.

Macario should have a heavy influence in attack. She has been directly involved in nine goals over her last six USWNT starts, per Opta.

Macario could be the USWNT's most important player on Wednesday because she can be the link between Heaps and a young attack that possesses four players with under 10 international appearances.

A win on home soil is always expected for the Americans, but this one will be tougher to produce given how well Japan's attack performed so far in the tournament.

Prediction

United States 2, Japan 1

The United States women's national team's second leg of the 2025 SheBelieves Cup takes place on Sunday against Australia.

Emma Hayes' side continued its strong defensive form from 2024 in the tournament opener with a 2-0 win over Colombia.

The USWNT now take on Australia, who lost its opening match by four goals to Japan.

USWNT vs. Australia Info

Date: Sunday, February 23

Start Time: 5 p.m. ET

TV: TBS

Live Stream: Max

Top Storylines and Preview

The USWNT started 2025 much like it played in 2024 with a multi-goal victory and a clean sheet.

The key difference between Thursday's win and the triumphs of a year ago was the influx of new players into the lineup, especially in midfield and at forward.

Ally Sentnor of the NWSL's Utah Royals scored in her first international goal in her third appearance. Catarina Macario netted the other tally.

Lily Yohannes and Yazmeen Ryan, who have eight caps between them, also received starts in the win over Colombia.

One of Hayes' goals for the SheBelieves Cup was to integrate some younger talent into the first team. So far, that goal has been accomplished with a ton of success.

The back line is where the majority of the experience lies. Jenna Nighswonger, Emily Sonnett and Emily Fox all started against Colombia.

The Americans did not allow any of Colombia's seven shots to reach the net occupied by Jane Campbell. That was a massive positive for the Americans, who are inexperienced in goal at the international level after Alyssa Naeher's retirement.

The USWNT really didn't stray far from the foundation it built in Hayes' first year in charge, and that should be the case again for Sunday's clash with Australia in Glendale, Arizona.

Australia is coming off a 4-0 thumping against Japan. The Aussies entered the tournament with the third-best FIFA world ranking of the four participants. Colombia and Japan will meet on Sunday as part of the round-robin format.

Despite the big loss, Australia can still be a threat to the American defense with Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso and Emily van Egmond, among others, on the tournament roster.

After all, this is a similar Australia team that pushed the USWNT in a 2-1 loss at the group stage of the Paris Olympics.

The USWNT will be challenged at points, but it is expected to win because of how strong the defense has looked for close to a year now.

Prediction

USWNT 2, Australia 0