MLS

The MLS All-Stars were without players like Lionel Messi and Luiz Suárez for their matchup against the Liga MX All-Stars, and boy did it show.

Liga MX hammered the MLS, 4-1, as Mexico's top-flight league looked far superior to that of its northern neighbors.

Germán Berterame, Oussama Idrissi, Juan Brunetta and Maximiliano Meza all tallied goals for Liga MX, while Cucho Hernández found the back of the net for MLS.

After the contest, fans and pundits on social media didn't pull many punches while discussing the MLS All-Stars' disappointing performance:

It was not a great day for U.S. soccer.

Alongside the MLS All-Stars' disappointing showing, the USMNT squad representing the country at the Paris Olympics fell to France, 3-0. Granted, the men's Olympics are a U-23 event, barring three older exemptions each country can bring, so it wasn't representative of the nation's best players. But it was still a disappointing result.

As for the MLS All-Star Game, it ultimately was a meaningless exhibition match. But in the ongoing and heated feud between United States and Mexican soccer, it afforded Mexican supporters some much-needed bragging rights.

Those have been tough to come by for El Tri in particular—the USMNT hasn't lost to the Mexican men's national team in seven matches, with five of those being American wins. El Tri last beat the USMNT in 2019 in a friendly, and has only won two of its past 10 meetings with the United States dating back to 2017,

Inter Miami confirmed Monday that Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez will miss the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday.

"Leo Messi will miss the All-Star Game due to an ankle injury, while Luis Suárez, who recently returned from international duty after over 40 days away from the club, will miss the All-Star Game due to knee discomfort," the club said, per the Miami Herald's Michelle Kaufman. "Their availability for Saturday's League's Cup match will be assessed based on their daily recovery process."

Messi was subbed off in Argentina's 1-0 victory over Colombia in the Copa América final with what Inter Miami described as a ligament injury in his right ankle. He had gone down without contact and exited in the 66th minute of the match.

Suárez, who represented Uruguay at Copa América, might be getting rested by Inter Miami proactively as much as he's experiencing knee discomfort. He has logged a lot of minutes this summer, most recently going the distance in the 2-1 win over Chicago Fire FC over the weekend.

Messi and Suárez are arguably the two most notable names in the league based on their reputations in the sport, and they earned their All-Star nods on merit. The former has 12 goals and 13 assists in 12 appearances, while the latter boasts 12 goals and five assists through 18 fixtures.

Missing both will be a blow for MLS in terms of building interest for the All-Star Game, which pits the league's top players against a handpicked squad from Mexico's Liga MX.

The supporters in Columbus, Ohio, are the biggest losers from Monday's news.

Inter Miami's lone trip to Lower.com Field during the 2023 season came in April, before Messi and Suárez had signed with the club. They have yet to make the trip to Central Ohio, and their only chance this year is now Miami's Oct. 2 date with the Columbus Crew.

The Chicago Fire will credit fans who purchased tickets for the team's match against Inter Miami if Lionel Messi is unable to play due to injury, per ESPN's Lizzy Becherano.

Messi suffered a ligament injury in his right ankle during Argentina's Copa América Final against Colombia on Sunday, sidelining him for the remainder of the game. His return from injury is still unclear.

If he is not back on the field by the time Inter Miami faces Chicago, fans who have already purchased tickets will be offered two complimentary tickets to the Fire's Fan Appreciation Night matchup against Nashville FC on Oct. 19.

For fans who have yet to purchase tickets, Chicago will offer $250 off two or more new 2025 Chicago Fire season-ticket memberships or $100 off two or more single-match tickets for the 2025 home match against Inter Miami. Fans must purchase between now and Aug. 3 to be eligible for the deal.

"As the Club looks forward to filling Soldier Field with fans to cheer on the hometown Chicago Fire, it does recognize that a player of Inter Miami star forward Lionel Messi's caliber always helps to draw a larger crowd and attract new fans to the beautiful game," the Fire said in a statement.

Chicago currently sits near the bottom of the Eastern Conference at 6-7-11, while Inter Miami sits at the top of the table at 15-5-4.

Cavan Sullivan made history Wednesday night.

The Philadelphia Union prospect became the youngest athlete in MLS history to ever appear in a game after subbing into the club's matchup with the New England Revolution in the 85th minute.

At just 14 years and 293 days old, Sullivan topped the previous MLS record held by Freddy Adu (14 years, 307 days old) back in 2004 for the San Jose Earthquakes.

He also became the youngest person to ever appear in a major North American professional sports league (MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, NWSL) contest.

Adu congratulated the young phenom on breaking his record:

Sullivan didn't wait long to make his presence felt, with a shot on goal in the 93rd minute:

The Union won the contest 5-1, though they remained buried on the Eastern Conference table in last place, with just 21 points through 23 matches.

With the Union struggling overall this season, working Sullivan into the lineup made sense, especially on a night when the outcome wasn't in question later in the match.

"Cavan's earned the right to be in the 20 if you just go through the numbers," manager Jim Curtin told reporters on Tuesday. "He'll get that opportunity now and the next step is working hard to get your first minutes. Sometimes that might be one minute, that might be 15 minutes, that might be 90 minutes. But you have to earn it and I think Cavan understands that and recognizes it."

For good measure, Sullivan's older brother, Quinn, scored an absolute banger earlier in the contest:

It was a pretty amazing night for the Sullivan family, and an exciting night for soccer fans as one of the most hyped soccer prospects in United States history took to the pitch.

Inter Miami announced Tuesday that Lionel Messi will be out indefinitely due to a ligament injury in his right ankle.

The Argentina captain was subbed off in the 66th minute of the team's 1-0 win over Colombia in the Copa América final.

Prior to Inter Miami's announcement, coach Gerardo Martino said he expected the 37-year-old to be out for a minimum of two matches.

"He twisted his ankle, and the injury is present, so tests are needed and wait for results," he told reporters. "I've had the opportunity to see other images. There will be tests done to determine the severity of the situation. We are always informed through our kinesiologist Walter Insaurralde, who is also the kinesiologist of the national team. He is very cautious at giving a final diagnosis before results are in."

Miami was probably already planning to give Messi a bit of a break following Copa América. Even without the injury, it was difficult to picture him going from Sunday's final and suiting up Wednesday against Toronto FC, and even Saturday's fixture with Chicago Fire FC might've been pushing it.

Inter Miami is second in the Eastern Conference on 47 points, five ahead of the next closest side, as well, so the club is in a good position to weather his absence if he misses a week or two.

The indefinite nature of Messi's is a little concerning, though. He has been excellent this season, scoring 12 goals and supplying the second-most assists in MLS with 13.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner might've exceeded expectations when he first arrived in 2023 and he hasn't missed a beat since then.

Especially with Luis Suárez (12 goals in 16 matches) perhaps a bit fatigued coming out of Copa América, somebody will need to step up and help lead the Inter Miami attack.

Adidas and MLS announced Tuesday a new "Archive Collection" centered around throwback-style kits.

Inter Miami, the Los Angeles Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, the Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City are all featured in the new line, which includes an alternate kit and lifestyle gear:

The Galaxy, Timbers and Kansas City had a wealth of history from which to base their retro looks.

Los Angeles and Kansas City were inaugural members of MLS in 1996, with the latter starting as the Kansas City Wiz and then going by the Kansas City Wizards. Sporting brought the Wizards moniker back along with the rainbow design that used to adorn their kits. The Galaxy are likewise hearkening back to the mid-1990s with their third shirt and crest.

The Timbers entered MLS much later in 2011 but have a lineage that stretches back to the 1970s in the days of the North American Soccer League. Along with honoring its run in the NASL, Portland has christened its new shirt the "Clive Kit" in reference to English defender Clive Charles. Charles is a legendary figure for both the Timbers and Portland soccer writ large.

The designers had a lot more leeway with their visions for Inter Miami and LAFC's kits since they only joined MLS within the last five years as expansion franchises.

"LAFC's look is a play on the creams and browns of the '70s alongside appropriate lettering, while Inter Miami's look is straight out of the '80s and uses some well-worn color palettes for the city," ESPN's Adam Snavely explained.

For now, these are the only teams that will be part of the "Archive Collection," though MLS said it and Adidas "will explore expanding which clubs have a third jersey in 2025 and beyond."

Much like the "City Connect" jerseys in MLB and the NBA's "City Edition" uniforms, this could be the start of a much wider trend across MLS.

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez lead four Inter Miami players named to the 2024 MLS All-Star team.

Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets were also named to the team, along with FC Cincinnati star Luciano Acosta. The 30-man roster will take on the top players from LIGA MX on July 24.

The rosters were determined by a combination of fan/media/player voting (12 players) and selections by All-Star head coach Wilfried Nancy (16 players) and MLS commissioner Dan Garber (2 players).

2024 MLS All-Star Roster

Goalkeepers

• Roman Bürki (St. Louis City SC / Coach's Selection)
• Hugo Lloris (LAFC / Coach's Selection)
  
• Maarten Paes (FC Dallas / Voted in)
  

Defenders

• Jordi Alba (Inter Miami CF / Voted In)
• Rudy Camacho (Columbus Crew / Coach's Selection)
  
• Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake / Voted In)
  
• Aaron Herrera (D.C. United / Voted In)
  
• Thiago Martins (New York City FC / Coach's Selection)
  
• Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew / Coach's Selection)
  
• Luca Orellano (FC Cincinnati / Coach's Selection)
  
• Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati / Voted In)
  
• Keegan Rosenberry (Colorado Rapids / Coach's Selection)
  

Midfielders

• Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati / Voted In)
• Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami CF / Voted In)
  
• Mathieu Choinière (CF Montréal / Coach's Selection)
  
• Evander (Portland Timbers / Coach's Selection)
  
• Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps FC / Coach's Selection)
  
• Héctor Herrera (Houston Dynamo FC / Commissioner's Pick)
  
• Robin Lod (Minnesota United FC / Coach's Selection)
  
• Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC / Coach's Selection)
  
• Darlington Nagbe (Columbus Crew / Commissioner's Pick)
  
• Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy / Voted In)
  

Forwards

• Cristian "Chicho" Arango (Real Salt Lake / Voted In)
• Christian Benteke (D.C. United / Voted In)
  
• Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC / Coach's Selection)
  
• Denis Bouanga (LAFC / Coach's Selection)
  
• Juan "Cucho" Hernández (Columbus Crew / Coach's Selection)
  
• Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF / Voted In)
  
• Luis Suárez (Inter Miami CF / Voted In)
  
• Diego Rossi (Columbus Crew / Coach's Selection)
  

A fan vote will determine the team captain at a later date. Four players from the roster will be chosen for the voting, with set as an overwhelmingly obvious favorite.

The All-Star jerseys were also unveiled on Monday:

In his first full season with Inter Miami, Messi has his club at the top of the standings despite playing in only 12 games. Messi has scored 12 goals and dished out 13 assists in his limited action, with Inter Miami losing only once this season in games he's played.

Acosta is the only player to top Messi in assists with 16, as he's played a starring role in FC Cincinnati's second-place standing in the Eastern Confernece. Real Salt Lake star Cristian Arango leads all scorers in MLS with 16 goals, and he's added 11 assists to the mix as well. Real Salt Lake currently sits third in the West standings, just three points behind LAFC and the LA Galaxy.

The Columbus Crew are unsurprisingly well-represented with four players. Juan 'Cucho' Hernández, Diego Rossi and Rudy Camacho were all given nods by Nancy, their regular-season coach, while Garber picked midfielder Darlington Nagbe.

Columbus currently sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference despite only playing 18 games, and its goal differential is second behind only Miami in the conference.

The MLS All-Stars won their previous two matchups against Liga MX in 2021 and 2022. They lost 5-0 to Arsenal last year.

Lionel Messi doesn't plan on retiring anytime soon, but he feels he's found his final home in soccer.

Messi, who turns 37 later this month, told ESPN he plans on retiring with Inter Miami.

"Yes, as of today, it's going to be my last club," Messi said.

Messi joined Inter Miami last summer in arguably the biggest signing in MLS history. He's packed stadiums across the country since his debut while showing he still has plenty left in the tank despite being past his prime.

Inter Miami currently sits atop the MLS standings after being a basement dweller before Messi's arrival. The club also brought in Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, creating one of the most star-studded rosters in American soccer history.

Messi said he's been enjoying his time in Miami and taking the time to relish in the waning moments of his career.

"I don't think about it. I try to enjoy everything much more," Messi said. "There's less and less to go, I want to have a good time at my club and in the national team, where I have great teammates and friends. And I enjoy the little details that I know that when I don't play anymore I will miss."

Messi's contract runs through the 2025 season but carries an option for 2026.

Soccer legend David Beckham has settled a lawsuit with F45 Training, a fitness company that actor Mark Wahlberg owns a 36 percent stake in.

In a press release, F45 Training said that the company has "reached an agreement resolving a prior lawsuit brought by DB Ventures Limited, which concerned an ambassadorial agreement for David Beckham" and Beckham will remain an investor in the company (h/t Natasha Dye of People magazine).

Per Dye, Beckham sued F45 in Oct. 2022 for a total of $18.8 million alleging breach of contract over a promotional deal that he started with the company in 2020.

The $18.8 million consisted of $14.3 million in damages, while Beckham argued that he was also owed an additional $4.5 million for declaratory relief.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar wasn't the only notable retired athlete to sue the company, as Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens previously filed a suit against F45 in 2017 and claimed that he was never paid a sum of $700,000 that he was entitled to.

On Thursday, F45 CEO Tom Dowd said that the company continues to be "a supporter of Beckham" and is "pleased" that the matter was resolved (via Dye).

Before the settlement between Beckham and F45, the case was set to go to trial in Jan. 2025.