Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts has led the Eagles to an NFL-best 9-1 record, putting the defending NFC champions in excellent position for a return to the Super Bowl

New Zealand has bulldozed through Argentina 44-6 in Paris to reach the Rugby World Cup final for a record fifth time

England World Cup winner and Manchester United great Bobby Charlton, described by the club as a "giant of the game", died on Saturday at the age of...

Bradley Wright-Phillips believes football in North America can become “unstoppable” on the back of Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami and the 2026 World Cup. It is a decade since the former Manchester City and Southampton striker swapped English football for Major League Soccer to join New York Red Bulls. Wright-Phillips last year retired in sixth on the MLS all-time goals list having enjoyed a ringside seat to the sport’s growth in North America and says the best is yet to come. Having signed an eye-catching broadcasting deal with Apple in 2022, further developments will be fuelled by Messi’s move to Miami and the World Cup being hosted in the USA, Canada and Mexico in three years’ time. “My first reaction to Messi coming out was I just couldn’t believe it,” Wright-Phillips told the PA news agency. “Honestly, even now until I see him run out on an MLS pitch, I can’t really fathom what it’s going to be. It’s hard to even picture that. Even now it doesn’t seem real to me. It’s Messi! “Unbelievable time. I feel like I retired at the perfect time, just to be involved in what’s going on. “Messi obviously, Apple taking over and then you’ve got the World Cup coming in ‘26. What more can you ask for?” Put to Wright-Phillips that the sport in North America seems to be going from strength to strength, he said: “Yeah, it does. The potential and the ceiling is higher than ever. “If it’s done right, it can be unstoppable – best league and country in the world for football, right? Wouldn’t you say so?” MLS is certainly on an exciting trajectory and Messi’s arrival will spark unparalleled interest in the competition. “The league is not only getting the best player in the world,” says Wright-Phillips, who played for LAFC and Columbus Crew as well as the Red Bulls. “If you just think about the average fan that doesn’t watch MLS, but now because Messi’s here they’re going to watch MLS. “They now get see a Carles Gil, a Hany Mukhtar, young players like Noel Buck – these are players that we know are good. “But now you’re watching because you want to see Messi and the average fan gets to see that player or they get to see the atmosphere in St Louis or Austin. “That’s what’s exciting about it. It’s not just that we’re going to see Messi play, it’s what Messi exposes globally.” As well as Messi’s macro impact, Miami will be desperate for the Argentina star to improve fortunes at DRV PNK Stadium. The David Beckham co-owned team languish bottom of the Eastern Conference thanks to a difficult campaign that led to Phil Neville’s recent sacking. Ex-Barcelona boss Tata Martino has come in, while Messi’s former Nou Camp team-mates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are expected to join him in Florida. “That tells me that they don’t just want Messi to come here and lose games,” Wright-Phillips added. “The Inter Miami team isn’t doing very well this season, they’ve suffered a lot of injuries, they’ve had a change in the manager. “There’s a lot of things they have to do but if you bring a Busquets, a Jordi Alba, you’re giving yourself, you’re giving Messi a chance to succeed.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Spain defender Pau Torres joins Aston Villa on five-year deal from Villarreal Ons Jabeur ends Elena Rybakina’s reign to reach Wimbledon semi-finals again Paul Collingwood says thrilling Ashes series is drawing new fans to cricket

How much money does the NFL pay their referees? Let's take a look at a prior collective bargaining agreement and the salary of NFL referees.A career as an NFL referee comes with significant pros and cons. You do not have to work significant hours, and you get to be on the field for NFL game...

The start of the NFL season is not far away. Pro football is always honoring its legends. Here are some who deserve Hall of Fame consideration.

Paul Blackburn pitched into the sixth inning for Oakland, allowing one run on Josh Donaldson’s homer in his return to the lineup and sending the Athletics to a 2-1 victory over the New York Yankees

Manchester City and Real Madrid fought out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Bernabeu Stadium on Tuesday. They now head to the Etihad next week with all to play for. Here, the PA news agency looks at what lies in store in the return clash. Does home advantage now give City the edge? City will certainly feel confident heading back to the Etihad with the tie level. They have won all their Champions League games there this season, including beating RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich 7-0 and 3-0 respectively in the knockout stages, and have lost just once in the Premier League. Manager Pep Guardiola said on Tuesday that City “feel comfortable with our people” and midfielder Jack Grealish went as far as to say the team feel “unstoppable” at home. Yet the tie could still go either way couldn’t it? Of course it could. City played very well at the Bernabeu and the draw was the least they deserved, but they still gave up chances. Both goalkeepers made excellent saves at various points and the scoreline could easily have been different. City will be well aware Real, with the likes of Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo in the side, are more than good enough to take chances next time. How much will Real’s big-game experience matter? As 14-time champions and holders, Real showed last year, when they were not favourites in any of their knockout ties prior to the final, the weight of their reputation can be a huge factor, as City discovered first hand. After coming away from the intimidating Bernabeu – the scene of last year’s capitulation – with a share of the spoils this time, however, City will hope to have negated this. They can now look back on 12 months ago positively, when they beat Real in the first leg of their semi-final at home. They also saw off Real in 2020 and will believe they can do so again. What possible changes to the line-ups could there be? As both sides have had a good look at each other now, either manager could try to alter things to make a difference. City had some good options on the bench at the Bernabeu that could give them some variety next time, notably in the attacking threat of Julian Alvarez and Riyad Mahrez and playmaker Phil Foden, all of whom have impressed at different stages this season. Real’s tactics bordered on the rough at times and they could toughen up further and really try to disrupt City’s flow with Eder Militao available again after suspension. Aurelien Tchouameni is another defensive option. Could games this weekend affect the picture? In City’s case, possibly so. They have to travel to Everton on Sunday for what is likely to be a tense occasion. That game carries huge significance at both ends of the table. City need to press home their advantage in the title race, while Everton are scrapping for survival. Easing off could cost City as they look to maintain their challenge on three fronts. Real, by contrast, are out of contention for the LaLiga title and could rest a number of players for their clash with Getafe on Saturday. They will also have an extra day’s recovery before the game. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Vincent Kompany planning ‘smart’ recruitment and ‘healthy decisions’ for Burnley Look back at Gothenburg Greats as Aberdeen mark 40th anniversary of European win Arsenal to play five Women’s Super League games at Emirates Stadium next season

Northwestern is hiring veteran college football coach Skip Holtz in a temporary role as special assistant to interim head coach David Braun, according to a person with knowledge of the move

Nikki Haley to Vivek Ramaswamy: 'You're Just Scum'

There’s more than one way to secure your place in a football team. Sure, you can justify your position by playing well and training hard – but it’s far easier if your dad can just pay your way in. That’s exactly what happened with a 22-year-old student who was signed by a football side because his dad gave them a load of cash. FK Usti play their football in the Czech third tier, and they welcomed the unusual signing of law student Martin Podhajsky earlier this summer. He’s never even played football before, but despite that he’s even been named as captain. As The Sun reports, he’s set to play 10 minutes for the side after his dad paid the equivalent of £17,500 for the experience. President of FK Usti nad Labem Premysl Kuban told the publication: "He has never played football. Only FIFA from what I know. However you don’t just see 500k czech crowns rolling on the floor every day. If someone gives me this type of money, I’ll let anyone play. "He said himself that he would like to play, then his dad called and things started to move. Martin is a law student and an employee of Viagem. "We are now adjusting the contract with Martin, and the fans will see him already at our first home game, so far only on the substitutes’ bench." How would you feel if Podhajsky signed for your club? Somehow, we can’t imagine that many people would be impressed. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

Matthew McConaughey's sideline antics stole the spotlight at the Texas-Alabama game