Lionel Messi was once again lauded as the “best in the world” by his teammates after his scintillating start to life at Inter Miami continued as the club picked up their first piece of silverware after a Leagues Cup victory against Nashville. The Argentine opened the scoring with a superb left-footed curling effort from outside the box before Miami were pegged back and sent to penalties after a second-half strike from Fafa Picault. After a drawn-out shootout, it was Miami who would eventually emerge victorious when Drake Callender saved his opposite number’s spot kick to secure a 10-9 victory. “It’s a huge honour to play a role in our first win in a final,” Callender said speaking after the match. "It’s pretty surreal. Very emotional. This team works so hard day-in, day-out to be able to perform like this on a night like this. And to have it come down to the very end, it was amazing to see the grit, just the belief of what we’re capable of. It’s something special and I’m just blessed to be a part of it.” The victory also serves as another reminder of the remarkable transformation in the team’s fortunes since Messi’s arrival. Rock bottom when he joined, the 36-year-old has scored 10 goals in just seven games, leading his team on an unbeaten run which saw them capture the club’s first silverware. Mess’s former Barcelona teammates - Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets - have reuinted with the Argentine in Miami, with the latter lauding him for his influence on the side. "We have infected the team with our spirit, our work, our character and experience,” the Spaniard said after the game. “We are making a solid team and then we have Leo [Messi], who makes a difference because he’s the best in the world. "I am very happy to win our first title in just one month, the club’s first. The team is growing by leaps and bounds and we are very happy." The result also serves as vindication for co-owner David Beckham who spent a great deal of time convincing Messi to make the move and join his team in MLS. “A lot can happen in five weeks,” Beckham joked after the victory. “A lot has changed for us, we will enjoy tonight and then we have to look to the future and continue to build. “We have some of the best players, if not the best player, in the world out there for us wearing pink. We have a bunch of academy players out there too and that is incredibly important. “It’s an emotional night for all of us. It has been a long journey for me. It has been a long journey, I always knew there would be bumps in the road along the way and there was too many, to be honest. Tonight is a night we are going to enjoy. “People ask ‘is it a fix?’ and it is the biggest compliment you can give these players because it is like a movie. You watch them play and it is emotional. Everything about their play is beautiful.”

Lionesses chasing a major trophy double against Spain. Kick-off at 11am BST in Sydney. Lauren James available after suspension. 0830 – Our reporter Rachel Steinberg is in Sydney for the occasion and is bringing us some pre-match flavour, with both teams having strong support. 0820 – Euro 2022 hero Beth Mead tells Sky Sports: “I’m sure the nerves are setting in and I’m sure they’ll be excited and ready to go, and I’m super excited for them.” “There’s a lot of experienced players on that bus, a lot who’ve experienced that final last year, and they can share that with the girls who’ve not been there before. “It’s been a tough tournament to sit there and watch the games when you know you could have been involved if I didn’t have the injury. I’ll be so proud if the girls lift that trophy but a little touch of sadness because I want to be there with them. I know the others will be feeling the same, Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby and the other girls.” 0810 – England men’s captain Harry Kane urged the Lionesses to “bring that trophy home” and James Maddison said they are “putting so many smiles on faces that (they) probably don’t even realise” in a message of support on social media. Coach Gareth Southgate admitted: “There is of course no advice because you’ve done more than us already!” 0800 – Good morning and welcome to the PA news agency’s Women’s World Cup final blog. Stay here for all the build-up, key match action and post-game reaction as England and Spain clash at a sold-out Stadium Australia. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Tottenham playmaker James Maddison has allayed fears over a potential right ankle injury by telling reporters he was wearing a protective boot for “precaution” after the 2-0 victory over Manchester United. Maddison starred in midfield to help Ange Postecoglou claimed a maiden Premier League win, with Pape Sarr’s first Spurs strike and an own goal by Lisandro Martinez handing the hosts a fine first victory of the season. Summer signing Maddison completed 90 minutes but was spotted leaving Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on crutches and in a protective boot on Saturday night. England international Maddison did suffer a blow to his right ankle during the second half of the United clash when Antony tackled him inside the area. It was not enough to prevent him finishing the match, but Maddison tried to play down concerns by revealing to the assembled media the protective boot was for “precaution” and he will now aim to recover in time for Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

While England play Spain in the Women’s World Cup final, in the biggest game in football, there is also a record amount of prize money on the line for the winners. Fifa announced before the tournament that a total fund of $152m (£126m) would be paid in prize money during the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Of that, there is a $110m (£86m) performance-based fund, more than three times more than $30m on offer during the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. There is a further pot $42.5m which has been put aside for preparation funding and club benefits. One notable aspect of this year’s World Cup is that players will receive 44 per cent of the performance-based fund which will be paid separately to what each country earns. How much do players earn for winning the Women’s World Cup? Champions: $270,000 (£212,000) Runners-up: $195,000 (£153,000) Third: $180,000 (£141,000) Fourth: $165,000 (£130,000) Quarter-finals: $90,000 (£70,000) Round of 16: $60,000 (£47,000) Group stage: $30,000 (£23,600) How much do teams earn for winning the Women’s World Cup? Champions: $4,290,000 (£3.4m) Runners-up: $3,015,000 (£2.4m) Third: $2,610,000 (£2.0m) Fourth: $2,455,000 (£1.9m) Quarter-finals: $2,180,000 (£1.7m) Round of 16: $1,870,000 (£1.4m) Group stage: $1,560,000 (£1.2m) How does it compare to the men’s World Cup? There remains a huge discrepancy in prize money between the men’s and women’s World Cup. The record prize money of $152m (£126m) announced by Fifa before the tournament remains some way short of the reported $440m (£365m) prize money on offer to teams at last year’s men’s finals in Qatar. Fifa president Giannni Infantino has announced plans to achieve equal pay between the men’s and women’s World Cup at the 2026 and 2027 tournaments. On Friday, the Fifa president urged media and sponsors to step up to help bridge the gap and said women “have the power to convince men” that equity in football can be reached. He said; “The pledge has to be, and to ask everyone, in terms of broadcasters, sponsors, partners, to of course pay a fair price to women’s football. Not to the World Cup, the World Cup has already generated over $570m (£447m), but to women’s football in general in all the countries, in all the leagues, in all the competitions.” Read More Will Lauren James play in the Women’s World Cup final? Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today World Cup final referee: Who will take charge of England vs Spain?

Kirby Smart and the Georgia football program have settled on their day-one starter at quarterback.Georgia football will look to accomplish a rare three-peat this season. Despite off-field noise and several changes throughout the program, UGA is No. 1 in the preseason AP poll. The Dawgs are expec...

Kirby Smart named Carson Beck the starting quarterback for Georgia, giving Brock Vandagriff the sign it's time to look at his transfer options.Brock Vandagriff has previously said he doesn't intend to transfer from Georgia this year, regardless of who is named the starting quarterback....

Aleksandar Mitrovic successfully forced his way out of Fulham after a deal was agreed with Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal following the 3-0 home loss to Brentford in the Premier League. The Serbian striker was absent from the squad ahead of his move to the Saudi Pro League and was replaced by summer signing Raul Jimenez, who drew a second straight blank when leading the line. In his post-match press conference, Cottagers boss Marco Silva mentioned Mitrovic forced his way out of the club after it was reported in July the 28-year-old said he would never play for the west London side again if an agreement was not found. And Fulham later confirmed Mitrovic’s departure in a statement, which read: “Fulham can confirm that Aleksandar Mitrović has this evening left to join Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League for a club record transfer fee. The club had reluctantly accepted a revised offer as the player had consistently made his desire to leave known.” In his press conference, Silva had said: “He is on the way to leave the club. I got information from the club after the match, both clubs have got an agreement and now it’s the moment where it is the finish of Mitrovic in our club. “As you know he forced everything to leave the club, he wanted to leave the club and until the moment that the board found a financial agreement we kept him at our football club but at the end they reached an agreement and now for us we keep playing without him. “Football players are human as well, the situation with the market – sometimes they are thinking about other stuff because it was not just Mitrovic in our club (who had interest from other teams) during the last three or four weeks. “I will talk to him tomorrow and in two days’ time because our relationship is there forever.” Yoane Wissa’s first-half strike and a Bryan Mbeumo double sealed all three points for Thomas Frank’s men in a dominant display away from home, with Fulham skipper Tim Ream shown a red card. The Bees boss lauded the strike partnership who have scored five times between them in their opening two games despite the absence of star man Ivan Toney. Frank said: “I think they are two good players no doubt about that. Bryan has been so good in the four or five years he has been here with us. “Wissa we knew is a goalscorer and I think he can play winger or nine, he could arguably of got one or two more today. “It means a lot that in the last two games our strikers have scored five goals and that gives us even more confidence. “There’s a good understanding between Bryan and Wissa and I think Kevin (Schade) and Keane (Lewis-Potter) are also adding to it.” Today’s win extended Brentford’s unbeaten run in London derbies to 11 Premier League games and Frank credited the role of their vocal supporters which galvanized his team. He added: “The supporters were fantastic. “I am so pleased for them that they got this derby win and this was 100 per cent for the supporters and I hope they have a wonderful evening down the Thames in the pubs.” Read More Bryan Mbeumo at the double as Brentford ease to victory over 10-man Fulham Saudi transfers reveal difference between Premier League and European rivals Everton pay price for missed chances as Fulham snatch win at Goodison Park Football rumours: Chelsea turn attention to Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson Football rumours: Liverpool ramp up bid for Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure Sean Dyche bemoans Everton’s lack of cutting edge in defeat to Fulham

Mauricio Pochettino said both sides must take their share of the blame for the long-running standoff between Chelsea and Romelu Lukaku with the striker’s future seemingly no closer to being resolved. The Belgium international, who cost £97.5million when he signed from Inter just over two years ago but has not played for the club since May 2022 and has not been given a squad number this season, has made clear his desire to leave. But despite interest from the Serie A side in taking him on a loan deal as they did last season, Chelsea have been unwilling to consider a temporary move and would rather he was sold, though they are keen to recoup as much as possible of the hefty transfer fee they paid. Pochettino has only one recognised striker available for Sunday’s visit to West Ham, summer signing Nicolas Jackson, though the manager said he expects academy product Armando Broja to play a role this season once he has recovered from the ACL injury that has kept him out since December. On Lukaku’s prospects of being reintegrated into the team, he said that nothing has changed since pre-season, despite the injury to summer signing Christopher Nkunku and the club’s failure to lure Michael Olise from Crystal Palace this week. “The situation (with Lukaku) was clear before we arrived between the club and the player,” he said. “For us, there’s nothing to do. “It’s not only one side. It’s two sides. It’s two sides to try to find the best solution. You cannot put it only on the club, the situation. It’s both sides. The situation is where it is because of two sides. It’s like when you have a player in or a player out. It’s because both sides arrive to an agreement. “The situation is how it is, we cannot change. We were informed before we signed, the situation on every single player, and after we signed we had the squad we had. I think it is so clear, nothing changed. “If there’s something to inform, the club will inform.” My mind is to come back to Europe in the Champions League next season. We cannot accept another idea. Mauricio Pochettino Chelsea’s difficulty with strikers predates Pochettino’s arrival at Stamford Bridge. The team struggled for goals last season, while ex-Arsenal and Barcelona forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was largely sidelined having been signed under former boss Thomas Tuchel but considered surplus to requirements by subsequent managers Graham Potter and Frank Lampard. He left to join Marseille in July but Pochettino has inherited the uncertainty surrounding Lukaku from his predecessors. “For me I need to be focussed on the team,” he added. “To try to perform. We cannot spend energy on a situation that was clear before we started here.” The manager also reiterated his objectives for the season that nothing short of qualification for the Champions League will be deemed acceptable. Chelsea finished 12th last season and missed out on Europe for only the second time since 1996, but with £350m spent so far on summer recruits there is expectation from Pochettino that the gap to the top four must be closed quickly, with winning the Premier League title his next aim. “My mind is to come back to Europe in the Champions League next season,” he said. “We cannot accept another idea (other than) to put the club in the position they deserve to be. “If someone is thinking in this way, I would be very worried, in this training ground or in Stamford Bridge. “Today it’s so early to think too much on this situation. The idea is to win the Premier League. If someone has a different idea, it’s better to tell us, and we’ll say maybe we’ll find some solution. “If we can create and perform in the way that we expect from day one, that is a process that we need to build. The mentality needs to be to win and to expect to play in the Champions League and to win the Premier League. If not, we will fail. “The challenge is to create the mentality that all is possible.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Julian Alvarez gives Premier League champions a hard-fought win over Newcastle Reece Prescod accuses UK Athletics of ’emotional blackmail’ after withdrawal ‘It is obvious why we signed a striker’ says United boss after loss at Tottenham

Julian Alvarez fired Manchester City to a hard-fought victory over Newcastle as the treble winners maintained their perfect start to the new Premier League season. The World Cup-winner curled a shot into the top corner after 31 minutes of a tight encounter at the Etihad Stadium to secure a 1-0 win and three more points. Eddie Howe’s men had travelled in hope after last weekend’s opening 5-1 drubbing of Aston Villa, but left empty-handed after the hosts summoned up commendable stamina in the wake of their midweek UEFA Super Cup triumph in Athens on Wednesday. Ange Postecoglou oversaw a thrilling first win as Tottenham manager as Pape Sarr’s strike and a Lisandro Martinez own goal settled a pulsating clash with Manchester United. Spurs, whose struggles in the second half of last season have been compounded by home-grown star Harry Kane’s recent switch to Bayern Munich, proved too good for a sub-par United on the day. Former Celtic boss Postecoglou’s influence has borne early fruit and his new-look side sealed a fine 2-0 win thanks to Sarr’s effort and a late Martinez own goal. Liverpool survived Mo Salah’s penalty miss and Alexis Mac Allister’s red card to surge to a 3-1 Premier League victory over Bournemouth. The Cherries took a third-minute lead through Antoine Semenyo, but Luis Diaz levelled before Salah converted the rebound after Neto had repelled his spot-kick. Summer signing Mac Allister’s untimely departure had little impact as Diogo Jota secured the points. Solly March’s double helped Brighton climb to the top of the table after the 3pm kick-offs following a fine 4-1 win at Wolves. Goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Pervis Estupinan put the Seagulls in charge, and March struck twice before substitute Hwang Hee-chan pulled one back for the home side, who had Matheus Nunes sent off for a second bookable offence at the death. Bryan Mbeumo also scored twice to help Brentford to an impressive 3-0 victory at Brentford. Yoane Wissa opened the scoring and after defender Tim Ream had been dismissed for two yellow card offences, Mbeumo converted the resulting penalty before adding a second in stoppage time. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea and Romelu Lukaku must share blame for standoff Reece Prescod accuses UK Athletics of ’emotional blackmail’ after withdrawal ‘It is obvious why we signed a striker’ says United boss after loss at Tottenham

Take three talismanic attacking midfielders out of a treble-winning team and even Manchester City might struggle. Or so the theory went, anyway. Even as they paraded the trio of trophies they secured last season, it was in the absence of a triumvirate with rare and complementary gifts, in the departed Ilkay Gundogan, the injured Kevin de Bruyne and the ill Bernardo Silva. And yet as they overcame the opening weekend’s most impressive side, the rising force, perhaps the pretenders to their crown, it was their replacements who proved decisive. Mateo Kovacic to Phil Foden to Julian Alvarez. Goal. Newcastle were defeated and, even at this early stage, it could be a six-pointer of a strike. Kovacic was the first summer signing, Foden and Alvarez the world-class talent and World Cup winner who started finals on the bench last season, the deluxe deputies waiting for an opportunity, and then seizing it. It is a fallacy to say City have the biggest squad – their bench against Newcastle included Oscar Bobb, James McAtee, Sergio Gomez and Maximo Perrone – but they have a core with quality. Even when short of players, they had just enough. Three days after overcoming Sevilla to win the European Super Cup, when Pep Guardiola made a solitary substitution in Greece’s 30-degree heat, Eddie Howe made all five changes while his City counterpart made none. If it was fatigue against freshness, City had the resilience and resolve to restrict Newcastle to one, 70th-minute shot on target. There was a winning mentality in their refusal to cede ground. Even as Newcastle applied pressure, they encountered an immovable force. Nine of the players who completed the Sevilla game got the full shift against Newcastle 72 hours later. It was a triumph of willpower and of 11 starters. The goal, admittedly, came from a man confined to the bench for 84 minutes in Athens. But Alvarez has started City’s other three matches this season. The reinvention of the Argentinian as an attacking midfielder can seem an attempt to crowbar him into the team, to give Erling Haaland’s deputy enough outings to satisfy him. As an auxiliary midfielder, he is more runner than passer, but he scored from the inside-right position, his 13th goal in as many starts at the Etihad Stadium, and what is already something of a trademark finish, a rising drive towards the top corner. With De Bruyne out for much of the rest of 2023, Alvarez has scope for a longer run in midfield. After Cole Palmer staked his case for a place with goals in both the Community Shield and the European Super Cup, there is a recurring theme of the stand-ins stepping up. With Palmer demoted to the bench – Nathan Ake was the only other player to drop out – the Mancunian to catch the eye was Foden. He got an assist for finding Alvarez; arguably he deserved one more for picking out Haaland time and again. Three times the Englishman sent the Norwegian through on goal. That used to be De Bruyne’s job, picking him out, and a combination of uncharacteristically erratic finishing and a save from Nick Pope meant the usual scorer drew a blank, their burgeoning connection bodes well; indeed Foden almost doubled the lead from a pass by Haaland. If the striker was both relentless and, with a couple of stray touches, showed hints of tiredness, Foden was the man of the match. Then there was Kovacic. His capacity to take the ball in close quarters and find teammates makes him more of a quintessential Guardiola midfielder than either Alvarez or Foden. But he is scarcely a like-for-like replacement for Gundogan, lacking the German’s goals and assists, his was the sharp, line-breaking pass to Foden that brought the breakthrough. It caught Newcastle out. The most obvious culprit for the goal was Nick Pope, who got a hand to Alvarez’s shot but perhaps should have kept it out. Yet their workaholic midfield were trapped ahead of the ball, affording the Argentinian too much space. Sandro Tonali, spectacularly good in the 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa, was taken off after failing to exert the same impact. The winger Anthony Gordon, meanwhile, was brought off before he could be sent off: booked for raking his studs down Ruben Dias’ calf, a further foul on the Portuguese led to his swift substitution. Harvey Barnes, who took his spot and followed his teammate into the book mere moments after coming on, had that shot on target, but Ederson held it and Newcastle were beaten. Which may not surprise students of footballing history. There are barren runs and then there is Newcastle’s record at the Etihad Stadium, with no point since 2005. If there were reasons to believe this offered their best chance for quite some time, they ended up with a 15th consecutive league defeat at this ground. For Guardiola, it was a 12th win in 13 meetings with Howe. And from City, it was a message to their challengers. Read More Kevin De Bruyne facing up to four months out and may require surgery Manchester City’s Super Cup victory shows that Cole Palmer is a gem to be treasured Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola sets sights on Club World Cup

Julian Alvarez’s fine first-half strike handed Manchester City a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle in their first home match since winning the treble on Saturday. The World Cup winner curled a shot into the top corner after 31 minutes of a tight Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium and it proved enough for the champions to claim all three points. Newcastle, buoyed by thrashing Aston Villa 5-1 in their season opener last week, had travelled in hope of claiming their first league win at City for almost 23 years. Yet the hosts, despite making just two changes following their draining European Super Cup venture in Athens in midweek, were too strong and successfully nullified Eddie Howe’s side. Pep Guardiola’s men were far from their fluid best, but they produced a professional performance to follow up their opening win at Burnley and in Alvarez and Phil Foden they had the brightest players on the pitch. Newcastle fought to the end but it ultimately proved a frustrating night for the visitors, who had five players booked. City started slowly but began to step up the pressure midway through the first half and threatened for the first time when Manuel Akanji curled a long-range attempt over. Alvarez then whipped in a low cross but failed to find Erling Haaland before Mateo Kovacic and Foden both had efforts blocked. Foden grew into the game and was a lively presence, having stepped into the playmaking void left by long-term injury victim Kevin De Bruyne. Foden was instrumental in City’s goal, finding space and darting into the area before pulling back for Alvarez. The Argentinian then did the rest, picking his spot from the edge of the area and firing a shot beyond Nick Pope. Foden threatened to seize control of the game and was crudely pushed over by Sandro Tonali after another dangerous run. He then slipped Haaland in on goal but the Norwegian’s low shot rolled narrowly wide of the far post. Haaland was close again early in the second half, first after holding off Sven Botman to shoot at Pope and then mishitting another shot wide, again from a Foden pass. City’s failure to kill off the game allowed Newcastle to come back into it in the closing stages. Harvey Barnes was presented with a good chance after a rare misplaced pass by Rodri, but he shot straight at Ederson from distance. Miguel Almiron also had a powerful effort blocked but City continually got numbers back and remained dangerous on the counter-attack. Both Foden and Rodri led late raids from deep, but neither could set Haaland free for the goal that would have sealed it. In the end, Alvarez’s strike was sufficient and City, who began the evening parading last season’s silverware, could celebrate a job well done. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Reece Prescod accuses UK Athletics of ’emotional blackmail’ after withdrawal ‘It is obvious why we signed a striker’ says United boss after loss at Tottenham Steve Borthwick hopes for quick outcome on Billy Vunipola and Owen Farrell

Drew Weatherford expects for his Florida State Seminoles to leave the ACC in the next wave of college football realignment.We may not be done with college football realignment just yet, I'm afraid...While much of the attention has been focused on the carnage and aftermath of what was on...