Kent still need seven wickets to inflict first defeat of the season on league leaders

ECB Reporters Network13-Jun-2023

A brilliant century by Jamie Smith has given Surrey stand a chance of making history in the LV= Insurance County Championship: they need another 238 for victory against Kent and what would be their highest-ever run chase.The Division One leaders were 263 for 3 at stumps and more than halfway to their target, with Dom Sibley on 61 not out and Ben Foakes unbeaten on 22, after Smith made 114 and Tom Latham 58.Kent were all out for 344 just before lunch, a lead of exactly 500. Jordan Clark took 5 for 79, but only after Hamid Qadri had hit a highly entertaining 72 and put on 117 in a crucial stand with Joey Evison that looked to have batted Surrey out of the game.However, having lost just two wickets in the last two sessions Surrey stand an excellent chance of overhauling their previous highest run chase, which was against Kent at this venue in 2002 when they finished on 410 for 8.Surrey began a pulsating third day with hopes of getting Kent’s final four wickets cheaply, but Qadri, who had looked like he might get out with every delivery on Monday evening, was enjoying what’s known on the circuit as a “day out”. He survived a dicey early spell, smacked Sean Abbott for six over cow corner and brought up his fifty with a heave past the bowler, Gus Atkinson, for four.By the time Clark took three wickets for no runs in the space of five balls, Kent’s lead was already 445 and the seventh-wicket stand that exasperated Surrey only came to an end when Evison was caught by Smith off Clark for 42.Clark then bowled Wes Agar, promoted up the order, for a second-ball duck and Qadri’s fun finally ended when he hit the same bowler to Jacks on the boundary, but the last-wicket pair of Arshdeep Singh and Matt Quinn then put on a further 53. Arshdeep hit fours off his first two balls and Quinn then hit 37 from 22 balls, including three sixes before Clark bowled him.Just as it looked like Surrey’s morning couldn’t get any worse, in the two over mini-session before lunch Rory Burns managed to hit the first ball for four before edging the second to Jack Leaning at second slip and Latham was nearly run out. He survived by an inch and the let off seemed to remind Surrey of the discipline they’d need as he and Sibley batted through the entire afternoon.They only looked vulnerable when Qadri came on, but his earlier luck deserted him as he had Latham dropped twice, by Ben Compton and Agar, in the space of two overs.He finally got his man when Daniel Bell-Drummond took a diving catch at mid-on shortly after tea but while Sibley continued to score steadily Smith then started flaying the bowlers. He was on 77 when he cut Quinn and Compton couldn’t hold a difficult catch and he reached three figures from 70 balls when he smashed Joe Denly’s first ball for six over long-on.A wave of relief went round the ground when Arshdeep sent his off stump flying to end a stand of 138 but with Ben Foakes joining Sibley and taking eight off the final over it left Kent members with long memories fearing something even worse than their defeat 21 years ago, when Ian Ward and Jimmy Ormond put on 97 for the eighth wicket to steer Surrey home by two wickets.

He has so far only led Australia in two ODIs since his appointment last October

Andrew McGlashan26-Jul-2023

Pat Cummins has indicated he may not captain Australia in every one-day international leading into the World Cup in India later this year.For the multi-format players involved in the Ashes there will be a three-week break after the final Test, but it won’t be long before attention shifts to white-ball cricket.A T20I and ODI tour of South Africa begins in late August, for which the squad is expected to be announced shortly after the final Test in England, with three one-dayers in India following off the back of that then straight into the World Cup.Related

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Cummins was appointed ODI captain last October following the retirement of Aaron Finch. Since then Australia have only had six matches in the format, but Cummins has played just two of them. Josh Hazlewood stood in as captain for one game against England then Steven Smith did so for the series in India when Cummins was absent following the death of his mother.With Cummins having a poor game at Old Trafford, as a bowler and a captain, questions have been raised about whether the workload is manageable, but he is comfortable about how the role will pan out over the next few months as the focus shifts formats.”I know the selectors have been really clear that I’m a bowler first in that team,” he said. “So if we need to manage some of those games leading into the World Cup that takes precedence over the continuity of being captain every single game.”We’ll manage that, but there’s a great team around us of players and staff so while I’m the captain and it’s a bigger workload it’s manageable.”It was an outlook flagged by national selector George Bailey when Cummins was named captain. “In our one-day team, we do feel like we’ve got some strong leaders, some really experienced members of the team, and some developing leaders,” Bailey said. “So regardless of Pat being there, I think we are moving away from this concept of a captain taking over and their leadership being all-encompassing.”It is expected that Cummins’ ODI captaincy stint will only continue until the end of the World Cup with a potential that the selectors will look to unify the white-ball leadership under one person.There has yet to be a successor named for Finch as T20 captain and it is possible that whoever leads the side for the three matches against South Africa is only an interim appointment before a permanent structure is put in place later in the year to lead into the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA.Meanwhile, in Test cricket Cummins is approaching the two-year point of his captaincy and when he was announced in late 2021 he indicated he may not keep the role for as long as some. However, if he continues for another couple of years at least, it will likely coincide with the start of the regeneration of the side as senior players begin to retire with the chance a significant number could depart in swift succession.David Warner has given his departure date early next year, but Cummins is in no rush to hasten others to the finishing line although is confident that replacements will be readily available when needed.”I certainly don’t want to rush anyone out the door,” he said. “I think this is about the fourth Ashes series where Jimmy Anderson says it’s going to be his last one. You never know. It’s just an age. Some of these guys might be around here in four years, and still at the top level. We’ll see.”It’s always a conversation. In cricket, we’re lucky you’ve got white-ball cricket where you can kind of have a soft entry for a lot of the guys, give them exposure to international cricket. It’s something the selectors talk about, but really you try and pick your best XI each week.”A replacement for Warner will be the first significant order of business for the series against West Indies in mid-January unless the selectors decide to draw a line ahead of the three Tests against Pakistan starting in December.Marcus Harris could be first in line having been the spare batter throughout the last Australia home summer and this Ashes tour, although Warner gave a strong endorsement to Matt Renshaw.”I’ve always said Matt Renshaw is a very good player,” Warner said. “He can play both formats quite easily. He’s tall. He’s exactly like Haydos [Matt Hayden]. We spoke about him in the early part of his career.”I’ve always felt and held him in high regard as a very good player. He’s worked on his technique. He’s been in and out of the squads, and I think he’ll be a great replacement.”

Pat Cummins injured his left wrist early in the final Test at The Oval and will have the extent of the problem assessed in the coming days.From the second day, Cummins played with his wrist heavily strapped, and while it did not appear to impede his bowling, he seemed to be in more discomfort while batting.Following the conclusion of the Ashes, Cummins will now have at least three weeks off and perhaps longer if he is not included for the T20I leg of the South Africa tour which starts in late August. The squad for that is expected to be named next week.Related

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“I landed on my wrist on day one in the field going for a run-out. It’s pretty sore,” he said. “We’ll get it assessed over the next few days and work out if anything needs to happen.”Fellow fast bowler Mitchell Starc played through the pain of a shoulder injury in the final Test with his overall tally of 23 wickets earning him Australia’s Player-of-the-Series honour having only played once in the 2019 series.”Mitchell Starc coming off with a sore shoulder in this game was an incredible effort,” Cummins said. “Managing that throughout this game was just a proper effort.”Starc added: “This has been the closest, most exciting and no doubt, most-watched series I’ve been a part of. It’s been a really special couple of months and I’m sure everyone will reflect on that differently but will have a similar sentiment. The ebbs and flows of this series have been incredible to be a part of.”Cummins, who took 18 wickets at 37.72 against England, was the only one of Australia’s quicks to play all six Tests (the Ashes and the World Test Championship final) on the tour, with Starc getting through five of them and Josh Hazlewood four in the Ashes after being withdrawn from the India game.Despite a poor performance at Old Trafford and a wayward start to England’s second innings at The Oval, Cummins did not believe they had run out of gas despite the home side having the better of the latter three Tests after Australia had gone 2-0 up.”No doubt everyone gets more fatigued, [but] I don’t think that is a huge factor,” he said. “[We] didn’t get it done. There were key moments we didn’t get right.”The major injury Australia suffered during the Ashes was to Nathan Lyon, who picked up a calf strain on the second day at Lord’s. “It’s pretty clear just how important Nath is in all conditions,” Cummins admitted.Cummins’ next captaincy challenge will be the ODI World Cup in India during October and November. He has so far led Australia in only one series in the 50-over format. Their home Test summer includes three matches against Pakistan and two against West Indies before a two-match series in New Zealand next March.

Manchester City may be at the end of a trophy-laden era, but it is clear that Pep Guardiola is looking ahead to the future in a bid to make sure this season is a one-off.

The Spaniard spent around £190m during the winter transfer window on strengthening his first-team squad, adding some much-needed freshness.

Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico Gonzalez all arrived at the Etihad, with three of the four players aged 23 or younger, as Guardiola has scoured the market for the very best young talent.

Marmoush is the outlier in this regard, but the club required another player who was capable of rivalling Erling Haaland and providing some extra potency to a Man City side who have won just 14 of their 29 Premier League matches so far this campaign.

Early signs are certainly promising, with the Egyptian star settling into life in Manchester easily, replicating his stunning form during the first half of the season for Eintracht Frankfurt which saw him net 20 goals in 25 games.

Omar Marmoush’s start at Manchester City

Haaland’s first two seasons at the club saw him score 90 goals across just 98 matches, winning two Premier League titles and the Champions League in the process.

A return of 29 goals this season is certainly respectable indeed, yet he did go through a spell of scoring only three goals in 13 league matches between the end of September and the start of 2025.

This coincided with City struggling in the top flight, losing six matches and falling behind in the race for the title.

Goals

4

Assists

0

Big chances created

3

Key passes per game

1.1

Successful dribbles per game

0.4

Shots per game

2

Signing Marmoush has given the side a major boost, with his positional flexibility giving Guardiola some options.

Indeed, across seven league matches, Marmoush has played in four positions, scoring four goals during this time.

After selling Julian Alvarez last summer to Atlético Madrid, City were poor in the first half of the season, relying on Haaland far too much.

The signing of the former Frankfurt star has taken the pressure off the Norwegian sensation and this partnership could shine throughout the 2025/26 season.

Losing Alvarez, however, has proven to be a massive mistake by Guardiola.

Why Julian Alvarez left Manchester City

Despite his incredible talent, Alvarez was often fighting it out with Haaland for a place in the starting XI. During the 2022/23 season, only 23 of his 49 appearances came from the start, finding the back of the net 17 times.

The 2023/24 season was much better, with a tally of 19 goals and 13 assists coming from 53 games as City retained the Premier League title.

He was an excellent option for Guardiola to call upon, but rumours surfaced last summer regarding his future at the club, with the City boss revealing that the player had asked to leave in search of “a new challenge”.

Having signed the 2022 World Cup winner for just £14m in January 2022, City sold the forward to Atlético Madrid for a fee in the region of £81.5m, representing a club-record sale.

The deal was certainly profitable, but if Haaland suffered a long-term injury, the manager wouldn’t have a recognised centre-forward in the squad ready to deputise.

While City limped through the opening six months of the season, Alvarez has been enjoying life in Madrid, registering 28 goal contributions – 23 goals and five assists – so far across all competitions.

Could the manager already be brewing his next Alvarez at City?

Man City could already have their next Alvarez

Like the move to bring Alvarez to England, Guardiola paid River Plate a fee of around £12.5m to secure the services of the extremely talented teenager, Claudio Echeverri, in January 2024.

He would remain at his club until January this year when he finally moved to England, and he could follow in the footsteps of Alvarez, perhaps turning out even better than the 25-year-old.

Throughout the 2023/24 campaign, Echeverri played 41 matches for River Plate, scoring four goals and recording six assists in the process, coming close to leading his side to the final of the Copa Libertadores in November last year.

His best displays came during the U20 CONMEBOL Championship, which took place in January and February this year.

The midfielder started seven of his nine games for Argentina, scoring six goals, grabbing three assists and creating two big chances for his nation as they reached the final of the competition.

The 19-year-old also succeeded with 1.6 dribbles per game, recovered 1.8 balls per match and scored every 98 minutes, showcasing his talent during the tournament.

While Argentina may not have won, Guardiola will have been keeping a close watch on the teenager throughout the competition, and he will surely make his bow for City sooner rather than later.

Analyst Ben Mattinson profiled the midfielder upon his signing for Man City at the start of 2024 saying:

Remaining in his homeland for another year has only aided his development, as it was unlikely the teenager would get into the City midfield towards the end of last season.

Having starred at the South American Youth Championship last month, it might finally be time for Guardiola to start bleeding Echeverri over the coming months.

With the Club World Championships taking place this summer, might this be an ideal time to give the 19-year-old some game time? Especially with the tournament ranking low in terms of importance for City.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

He could be the future of the club, no doubt about that, and Guardiola could soon forget all about Alvarez once the former River Plate sensation gets going at the Etihad. That’s a certainty.

Best signing since Haaland: Pep hit the jackpot on Man City's “elite" star

Manchester City have made their best signing since Haaland with this “elite talent”

ByConnor Holden Mar 21, 2025

Hosts were in dire straits at 53 for 4 in response to Surrey’s 433 all out built on Jamie Smith’s first-day ton

ECB Reporters Network20-Jul-2023Middlesex 179 for 5 (Simpson 55*, Holden 55) trail Surrey 433 (Smith 138, Burns 79, Clark 78, Helm 6-110) by 254 runs John Simpson and Max Holden shared a century stand to give Middlesex hope of saving the follow-on against reigning champions Surrey on day two at Lord’s.The hosts, with only two batting bonus points all season were in dire straits at 53 for 4 in response to the visitors’ 433 all out, but former England U19 Holden and redoubtable wicket-keeper Simpson added 116 for the fifth wicket.Holden fell shortly before the close, but a defiant Simpson will take guard on day three 55 not out with Middlesex 179 for 5, Sean Abbot taking two of the wickets.Earlier Surrey passed 400 with day-one centurion Jamie Smith finishing on 138 and Jordan Clark 78, Tom Helm completing a career-best 6-110 for the hosts.Stand-in skipper Mark Stoneman briefly suggested a positive response to Surrey’s substantial first-innings total, creaming two early off drives through the covers, but it proved a false dawn as with only 11 against his name he feathered a good one from Clark through to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.It would be the ‘Brown Hats’ only success for some while, but a combination of tight seam bowling and a lack of intent from Pieter Malan and Sam Robson – the latter for some reason batting at three – meant the hosts crawled along at two runs per over.Perhaps that explains the rash cross-bat swish by South African Malan to an innocuous ball from Jamie Overton which took the under-edge, giving Foakes a second comfortable catch.As too often this season, the departure of one Middlesex batter led to three falling for the addition of 10 runs in 39 balls.Robson, a centurion last week at Merchant Taylors’ was undone by one from Sean Abbott which came back into him up the slope and went off the inside edge onto the stumps via the thigh pad.A torturous period of the afternoon for the hosts concluded with Jack Davies, in the side for the injured Stephen Eskinazi, taking 18 balls to get off the mark only to then fence at one from Tom Lawes, sending it into the hands of Dom Sibley at slip.The bell summoning the players back after tea sounded like a death knell for the beleaguered home side, but to their credit Holden and Simpson showed some intestinal fortitude.Holden, displayed some of the T20 form which earned a wildcard pick from the Manchester Originals for the upcoming Hundred, driving well off front and back foot, while Simpson played one delightful cut and acquired an all-run four courtesy of an overthrow.Overton tried some chin music, but Holden’s sixth four through third man took him to his second Championship half century of the season from 93 balls before Simpson too found the fence to raise the century stand.Simpson’s own half-century came in the grand manner with a six into the Mound Stand, but just as it looked as if Middlesex would reach the sanctity of stumps without further loss, Abbott found the edge of Holden’s bat and a diving Sibley did the rest.Surrey had resumed on 312 for 5, and save for a six over square leg by Clark off Ryan Higgins, made steady, unspectacular progress before Smith was castled by Helm from one which came back through the gate.Clark eased his way to a 91-ball 50 though he was later unsettled, not to say frustrated by Ethan Bamber beating him outside the off stump with five successive deliveries. The young seamer, who had somehow gone wicketless on day one, finally got reward when Abbott hoisted him into the hands of Malan at deep square.Clark’s fine effort ended when Tim Murtagh got one to bounce and take the edge which flew to Robson at slip and while a few lusty blows from Overton delayed the lunch interval, Helm cleaned up the tail for his first ever six-for in Championship cricket.

Whilst there’s no denying that it’s been a frustrating season for Arsenal on the injury front, those injuries have allowed Hale End’s best talents to emerge, leading to praise from former defender Philippe Senderos.

Arsenal's Hale End gem could be better than Saka

Ever since the arrival of Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal academy has been a key element to any of the Gunners’ success. When the Spaniard was attempting to drag the Gunners out of mid-table obscurity and back onto Europe’s biggest stage, it was Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe who emerged to take North London by storm.

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In the end, injuries opened the exit door for Smith Rowe who swapped The Emirates for Fulham last summer, but his impact at the start of Arteta’s reign should not be forgotten anytime soon. Saka, meanwhile, has become the star of the show at Arsenal and his injury has no doubt played a part in what is likely to be another failed Premier League title push.

In his absence, however, the Gunners have had the chance to turn towards Hale End to uncover yet another gem who may even be better than their current star. Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Arsenal Invincible Senderos was quick to lavish praise on Ethan Nwaneri, claiming that his potential has no ceiling.

The former defender said: “He’s a special player. I think he’s learned from a lot of the Arsenal players who play on the right, right-wingers who come in on their left. I think Bukayo is a great example, an academy player who’s done that.

“Ethan – even more so – in the last few months I think is a special player who can make things and plays without fear again, tries things even in difficult situations, but also understands what is required and I think it shows why he’s been getting minutes.

“I don’t think there is a ceiling, I think he has attributes for the modern game and definitely suits Arsenal’s style of play and they found a way because of injuries or thanks to injuries, to give him his opportunities.

“We’re talking about special types of players, Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly who have this maturity at a young age and are able to play at such a high level, it’s really impressive.”

"Special" Nwaneri is a rising star

Both Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have stolen the show at times in an Arsenal shirt at times and both continued to do so on England duty in the last week or so. First came Lewis-Skelly’s moment, with the left-back stealing the headlines for his debut goal for the senior side. Then, it was the turn of Nwaneri to make his mark, scoring a sensational effort for England’s U21s on Tuesday night.

Although it’s worth noting that Saka was playing in a far less complete Arsenal side at 18 years old, there’s no denying that four goal involvements in seven Premier League starts makes for an impressive total for Nwaneri.

Five years younger than Saka, the latest Arsenal gem is only going to get better and better, perhaps even eclipsing his current teammate.

Jhon Duran could leave Al-Nassr on loan this summer after just a few months at the club due to problems with his "mental state and technical ability".

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• Duran could leave Al-Nassr on loan
• Only signed in January
• "Mental state and technical ability" issues

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arriyadiyah report that Duran has suffered with personal issues since signing for the Saudi Pro League club in January, which have affected both his mental wellbeing and his ability on the field. There are various clubs willing to take the striker on loan should Al-Nassr be willing to strike a deal.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Duran has performed decently for Al-Nassr since signing in January, scoring 12 goals in 18 appearances for the club. It is issues off the field that are causing the problems, however.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Duran hit the headlines in April after he was caught riding a motorbike with no helmet on in Colombia. It is not the first time his behaviour has been questioned.

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR AL-NASSR?

  The news about Duran's future only adds to the feeling of uncertainty at Al-Nassr. The club are yet to tie Cristiano Ronaldo down to a new deal, with his current contract ending at the end of June.

Real Madrid icon Guti has defended his comments about Lamine Yamal's backward cap at a Spain press conference, insisting it wasn’t a personal attack.

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Guti clarifies he wasn’t targeting Lamine personallyCalled backward cap at presser inappropriateEx-Madrid icons comment on Yamal’s cap sparked backlashFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Guti criticised Spain and Barcelona star Yamal for wearing a backwards cap during a national team press conference. He called the look unprofessional and his comment stirred controversy, with many accusing the former Madrid midfielder of unfairly targeting the 17-year-old.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Guti laid the blame on the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) for allowing the teenager to wear the hat instead of Yamal himself, but the three-time Champions League winner feels his words were taken as a personal attack.

WHAT GUTI SAID

In a follow-up interview with , Guti clarified: "I think my words were confused. It wasn't about Lamine. I was talking in general, about any player, especially if he's at a club and a national team. It's true that, if they let him, he can do whatever he wants. But it wasn't a personal message towards him, just because a player comes out like that."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

After scoring a whopping 18 goals and registering 25 assists in the 2024-25 campaign, Yamal will hope to do even better when he returns to club action after the summer break.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo não teme a proximidade com a zona de rebaixamento do Campeonato Brasileiro. Pelo menos foi o que garantiu Luís Castro, técnico do Glorioso, após o empate em 2 a 2 com o Juventude, no último domingo, no Alfredo Jaconi.

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+’Construído aos poucos’, Botafogo tem problemas graves a resolver logo para não olhar ‘para baixo’

Com o resultado, o Alvinegro ficou a quatro pontos do Avaí, primeiro clube no Z4 da competição.

– Eu olho para cima, continuamos olhando para cima. Vão me desculpar, mas minha equipe não olha para baixo – resumiu.

O Alvinegro ainda não venceu no segundo turno do Brasileirão. O clube volta aos gramados às 18h do próximo domingo para enfrentar o Flamengo no Estádio Nilton Santos.

يستعد الأسطورة الأرجنتينية ليونيل ميسي لحسم مستقبله بشأن تجديد عقده مع إنتر ميامي ووضع حد لكل التكهنات حول عودته إلى برشلونة أو انتقاله إلى نادي طفولته نيولز أولد بويز.

وأصبح ميسي قريبًا مرة أخرى من تجاهل ما يثار حول رحيله عن إنتر ميامي بعد تألقه في الفترة الأخيرة، خاصة في كأس العالم للأندية.

اقرأ أيضاً.. ماسكيرانو يبرر تصرفه تجاه ميسي في مباراة إنتر ميامي ومونتريال

وينتهي عقد ميسي مع إنتر ميامي بنهاية عام 2025 وبحسب “ذا أتلتيك” فإن اللاعب سيوقع عقدًا جديدًا مع النادي الأمريكي مما يثير خيبة أمل لأولئك الذين كانوا يأملون في عودة عاطفية إلى برشلونة أو مسقط رأسه في الأرجنتين.

وقد يقرر ليونيل ميسي البقاء في إنتر ميامي، للمساعدة في نمو مشروع النادي الجديد، وبحسب مصادر الصحيفة فإن عودة ميسي لنيويلز أولد بويز ستوفر منافسة أقل من تلك التي يعيشها حاليًا في إنتر ميامي.

ولم يفز نيويلز بأي لقب منذ عام 2013 ويحتل المركز الخامس والعشرين في ترتيب الدوري الأرجنتيني ولن يكون اللعب هناك مناسبًا لميسي في الوقت الحالي.

أما بالنسبة لـ برشلونة فإن ميسي لا يثق في خوان لابورتا رئيس برشلونة ويظل النادي الكاتالوني في وضع مالي غير مرغوب فيه، وقد لا يكون هناك خيار أفضل من البقاء في ميامي لمدة عام آخر على الأقل.

جدير بالذكر أن ليونيل ميسي قد تألق فجر اليوم ليقود إنتر ميامي لانتصار كبير على حساب مونتريال بأربعة أهداف لهدف واحد وسجل هدفين وصنع هدفًا، وقد وصل لتسجيل 50 هدفًا خلال 63 مباراة مع فريقه الحالي.