Sai Sudharsan picked up the injury when he “caught” John Campbell’s slog-sweep at forward short-leg, the slog-sweep hitting him in the helmet grille before the ball lodged itself in his arms
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2025There will be no B Sai Sudharsan on the field for India on the third day of the ongoing second Test against West Indies in Delhi after he suffered “an impact injury” on the second day of the Test. The good news for India is that “the injury is not serious, and he is doing fine,” as a BCCI media statement on Sunday morning said.Sai Sudharsan, fielding at forward short-leg on the second day, picked up the injury when he “caught” John Campbell off Ravindra Jadeja – the big slog-sweep from the West Indies opener hit Sai Sudharsan in the helmet grille before the ball lodged itself in the crook of the fielder’s arms.That was in the eighth over of West Indies’ first innings after India had declared on 518 for 5, and Sai Sudharsan stayed off the field for the remaining 35 overs that were bowled on the day. “He continues to be monitored by the BCCI medical team,” the BCCI said. There was no update on whether Sai Sudharsan would bat – at his No. 3 spot or at all – on Sunday’s third day if the West Indies first innings were to end.Sai Sudharsan had earlier made an important contribution when India batted, scoring 87 in 165 balls with 12 fours. He put on an 193-run stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal for the second wicket and was dismissed when trying to flick Jomel Warrican across the line in the 69th over. Jaiswal’s 175 and Shubman Gill’s 129 not out put India in the driver’s seat to make it 2-0 in the series.
It’s become a running joke that players who arrive at Manchester United with a notable reputation tend to see their stock plummet, with Old Trafford having been a graveyard for the best and brightest over the last decade or so.
From Angel Di Maria to Alexis Sanchez, the signings of perceived ‘world-class’ talent have spectacularly backfired, with the pursuit of glamour names and marketing opportunities rarely equating to on-field glory.
Thankfully, it does appear that there has been a change in tack under the new INEOS regime, with Jason Wilcox and co having gone for young and hungry figures like Senne Lammens and Benjamin Sesko, alongside Premier League-proven talents in Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
With potential future captain Matthijs de Ligt now starting to shine at the heart of the defence, while veteran warrior Casemiro is enjoying a midfield renaissance, a strong spine is finally beginning to emerge under Ruben Amorim.
As defeats to the likes of Grimsby and Brentford have showcased this season, however, this new-look United side are far from the finished article, with it likely to take a succession of transfer windows for Amorim to be able to build a title-challenging squad again.
Investment in new recruits is certainly needed, although there is also a sense that there still remains plenty of ‘deadwood’ to be shifted too.
The players Man Utd need to sell in 2026
Whether it is in January or next summer, United face another pivotal year with regard to squad-building, with ruthless decisions needing to yet again be made in order to take this club where it needs to go.
In the most recent window, for instance, Amorim oversaw departures for the likes of Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford, with the Portuguese having taken a particularly strong stance on those latter two names.
When next summer rolls around, it would be no surprise to see further peripheral figures also sent packing, with both Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte surely at risk, amid reports that Omar Berrada wishes to implement a two-year rule for new signings.
In essence, those brought in have a maximum of two years to make their mark or face the axe, with Zirkzee – who has played just 90 minutes this season – certainly out in the cold right now, while Ugarte was reportedly the subject of a dressing down from his former Sporting CP boss at the end of last term.
Question marks also remain over the futures of the aforementioned Casemiro and Harry Maguire, amid their expiring contracts, with the Brazilian – for all his importance – regularly unable to last the 90 minutes, having been subbed off on seven occasions in the top-flight this time around.
Long-serving defender Diogo Dalot also appears another player at risk, amid the change to a 3-4-2-1 system, with the orthodox right-back having come under fire this season for his struggles on either flank.
What is clear is that the likes of Amorim and Wilcox aren’t afraid to make the big decisions, a fact that was also evident with the handling of another former world-beater over the summer.
The Man Utd flop who finally needs to be sold
Signed for just £18m, Lammens looks like one of the bargains of the season in Premier League terms, with the Belgian ‘keeper still yet to taste defeat in his new surroundings, following a near faultless five games in the United goal to date.
The 23-year-old Belgian will, as is the fact of life for a goalkeeper, make a mistake at some stage, although his strong early impression has already won over the Old Trafford faithful, with supporters and pundits alike willing him to be the second coming of Peter Schmeichel.
Getting people onside early on is particularly key in a position that Gary Neville regularly describes as the “most difficult position in English football”, with Lammens’ predecessor Andre Onana having failed to do just that upon his arrival in 2023.
Formerly part of Erik ten Hag’s famed Ajax side that reached the Champions League last four in 2019, Onana was reunited with the Dutchman four years later, joining from Inter Milan on a £47.2m deal.
The Cameroon international – who was actually available on a free transfer in 2022 – departed the San Siro having starred amid their surge to the Champions League final in his solitary campaign in Italy, producing an eye-catching display even amid defeat to Manchester City in the showpiece.
Speaking ahead of that eventual 1-0 win for the Etihad side, Pep Guardiola even hailed Onana as “one of the best in the world right now”, with it looking as if United had acquired a perfect replacement for the departed David De Gea.
Frustratingly for all concerned, the erratic ‘keeper looked a poor fit from the off, memorably lobbed from the halfway line on his Old Trafford debut against Lens in July 2023.
The sight of the £120k-per-week stopper tangled in his own goal set the tone for what was to follow, having also escaped punishment for a late punch against Wolverhampton Wanderers on his Premier League bow, before producing a string of blunders during United’s dismal European run.
In that 2023/24 Group stage alone, he made two errors leading to a goal, having followed that up with a further five errors across the 2024/25 season in the Premier League and Europa League, as per Sofascore.
Onana vs Lammens – 24/25 League
Stat
Onana
Lammens
Goals against
1.29
1.10
Save percentage
68.9%
81.3%
Save % (penalties)
25%
66.7%
Clean sheet %
26.5%
20.7%
Touches
40.32
41.59
Launch %
29.7%
32%
Crosses stopped
5.5%
11.2%
Defensive actions (outside area)
0.68
0.72
Stats via FBref
Perhaps the final straw came away at Lyon last term, with Onana engaging in pre-match verbals with Nemanja Matic, who branded him one of the “worst keepers in Manchester United’s history”.
Desperate to prove him wrong, United’s number 24 went on to play his part in both of Lyon’s goals, the second coming at the death just minutes after he had appeared to rile the home crowd by taking an age over a goal-kick.
The woes of Altay Bayindir did ensure he was subsequently reinstated, but the die was cast, with Amorim shipping out his previous first-choice stopper to Turkish side Trabzonspor late in the window.
With no buy option included as part of that deal, the 29-year-old – who has actually conceded just seven goals in eight Super Lig games in Turkey – will have to return to Manchester next summer, with INEOS swiftly needing to find a buyer for their exiled flop.
The problem is, the Red Devils will likely have to take a sizeable hit on their initial investment, with CIES Football Observatory deeming him to be worth a maximum of just €15m (£13m), even less than what United paid for Lammens.
Getting something for him is better than nothing, however, with the Red Devils needing to try and swiftly move on from this costly transfer mistake.
Joshua Zirkzee chooses club he wants to leave Man Utd for in January
Nationals center fielder Jacob Young is finding a routine of making incredible catches in the outfield.
He continued that trend Monday evening when he came up with a wild grab against the Braves where he bobbled a liner off the bat of Atlanta shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. Young dove for the ball and got in front of it, but the ball popped out of his glove and he miraculously made the catch with his bare hand.
He made an eerily similar catch just a day ago against the Mets in New York where he tracked down a ball on the warning track that fell out of his glove, but he kicked it back up off his foot and brought it in for a wild out.
In an MLB talent show, Young may take the cake with his impressive juggling and hacky sack skills. The catch off his foot Sunday is one you rarely ever see, and then he follows it up with a similar play the next day. Incredible.
The Nationals' season will come to a close Sunday against the White Sox as they sit at the bottom of the NL East. Maybe we'll see some more new skills from Young with just five games to go.
O RB Bragantino recebe o Racing-ARG nesta quinta-feira (9), pela quarta rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana. A bola rola a partir das 21h (de Brasília), no estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, em Bragança Paulista, com transmissão do Star+.
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➡️ Assine agora e assista esse e mais jogos da Sula pelo Star+
Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).
✅ FICHA TÉCNICA RB Bragantino x Racing-ARG – Copa Sul-Americana 4ª rodada – Fase de grupos
🗓️ Data e horário: quinta-feira, 9 de maio de 2024, às 21h (hora de Brasília) 📍 Local: Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, em Bragança Paulista (SP) 📺 Onde assistir: Star+
⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
RB BRAGANTINO (Técnico: Pedro Caixinha) Cleiton; Nathan Mendes, Pedro Henrique, Eduardo Santos e Juninho Capixaba; Jadsom, Eric Ramires e Gustavo Neves; Vitinho, Henry Mosquera (Helinho) e Eduardo Sasha.
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RACING (Técnico: Gustavo Costas) Ariás; Di Cesare, Sosa e Basso; Mura, Zuculini, Almendra e Rojas; Solari, A. Martínez e Salas.
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Futebol NacionalOnde assistirRB BragantinoSul-Americana
Los Angeles Dodgers star third baseman Max Muncy was placed on the injured list on Friday after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 oblique strain.
Muncy felt a pull in his side during batting practice on Wednesday and the soreness caused him to become a late scratch to the lineup. The soreness did not subside on Thursday's off day, so the Dodgers placed him on the injured list.
Muncy missed most of July after hyperextending his knee, but returned to the lineup earlier this month. Since returning from injury, Muncy was 8-for-23 with four home runs in eight games. The sputtering Dodgers are 12-21 since July 3rd when the franchise held a nine-game lead in the NL West. The Dodgers now trail the San Diego Padres by a game in the division race.
The Dodgers are hoping to have Muncy back prior to the end of the regular season.
حسم التعادل السلبي نتيجة المواجهة القوية التي جمعت بين الجزائر والسودان، ضمن منافسات الجولة الأولى للمجموعة الرابعة في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في دولة قطر، في مباراة اتسمت بالندية والإثارة على مدار شوطيها.
ودخل المنتخبان اللقاء برغبة واضحة في تحقيق انطلاقة قوية بالبطولة، حيث تبادلا السيطرة خلال الشوط الأول، مع محاولات هجومية خجولة لم تُترجم إلى أهداف، وتألق حارس المنتخب السوداني منجد النيل الذي كان العامل الأبرز في الحفاظ على نظافة شباكه بعدما تصدى لأكثر من محاولة جزائرية خطيرة.
طالع أيضًا | رئيس الاتحاد الكويتي: كنا نأمل الفوز على مصر.. وسأتواصل مع وزارتي الدفاع والطيران
ومع نهاية الشوط الأول، شهدت المباراة لحظة مفصلية حين أشهر الحكم المصري أمين عمر البطاقة الصفراء الثانية ثم الحمراء في وجه لاعب المنتخب الجزائري آدم وناس بعد تدخل قوي، ليُكمل “الخضر” اللقاء بعشرة لاعبين، وهو ما أثّر على الأداء الهجومي للمنتخب في النصف الثاني من المباراة. طرد آدم وناس خلال في مباراة الجزائر والسودان بـ كأس العرب
واستغل منتخب السودان النقص العددي في صفوف الجزائر، وبدأ في فرض سيطرة أكبر على وسط الملعب، مع ارتفاع معدل الاستحواذ ومحاولات متكررة لتهديد مرمى الخصم، ورغم تلك الأفضلية، إلا أن الدفاع الجزائري ظهر متماسكًا ونجح في احتواء الهجمات السودانية، لتنتهي المباراة بالتعادل السلبي.
ويأتي التعادل ليمنح كل من الجزائر والسودان نقطة واحدة في بداية مشوارهما بالبطولة، في انتظار المواجهة المرتقبة بين العراق والبحرين المقرر انطلاقها بعد قليل ضمن الجولة الأولى من المجموعة ذاتها، والتي قد تعيد ترتيب الحسابات مبكرًا.
Can Rangers continue their Premiership winning run?
Well, the Gers did bring to an end their seven-match losing streak in Europe on Thursday, albeit a 1-1 draw with ten-man Braga at Ibrox did little to boost their hopes of reaching the Europa League knockout phase.
Back in the Premiership, Danny Röhl has won four out of four since arriving in Glasgow, albeit his team will kick off down in fifth place when Falkirk visit Ibrox on Sunday.
This is followed by clashes with Dundee United at Tannadice and then Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in the next week, presenting the Light Blues with a golden chance to climb up the standings, so which forgotten summer signing should Röhl unleash in these matches?
Can Rangers rely on Mohamed Diomandé?
Most would agree that, in a squad that otherwise lacks quality, the strongest part of this Rangers team is their midfield pairing of Nicolas Raskin alongside Mohamed Diomandé.
However, while the Belgian continues to impress, the same cannot be said of the Côte d’Ivoire international.
On Thursday, Diomandé was sent off in the dying embers of the underwhelming 1-1 draw with Braga, a pretty harsh dismissal in fairness, but this was his second red card of the Europa League already, having also been dismissed for a tackle on Zakaria El Ouahdi when Genk were 1-0 winners in Govan.
Thus, having now been sent off twice, the Ivorian will miss the next two Europa League fixtures against Ferencváros and then Ludogorets Razgrad.
That aside, he more broadly is not showing his best form this season, scoring his first goal of the campaign to snatch victory against Livingston last weekend.
Nevertheless, as a reflection of this, Diomandé has not been called up by les Éléphants manager Emerse Faé since June, putting his participation at both next month’s Africa Cup of Nations and the summer’s World Cup in doubt, unless his form improves.
Thus, searching for solutions as he attempts to configure a winning team, perhaps Röhl should leave Diomandé on the bench against Falkirk on Sunday, instead starting Rangers’ forgotten summer signing.
Rangers' forgotten new recruit deserves an opportunity
Given that Rangers brought in 13 new recruits during a busy and expensive summer, the first of those new recruits has been overlooked.
Back in January, 23 year old midfielder Lyall Cameron agreed to join Rangers on a pre-contract from Dundee, thereby arriving in the summer for mere compensation, having established himself as one of the Premiership’s most outstanding young players.
Of course, at the time he put pen to paper, Philippe Clement was still the manager, with a lot of change happening during the intervening six months, later admitting that the knowledge Russell Martin “didn’t sign” him was being used as extra motivation to prove his worth.
During his final season at Dundee, Cameron scored 14 goals across all competitions, an impressive return considering the Dark Blues finished tenth, narrowly avoiding relegation, certainly showcasing his talent.
Kai Watson was very much impressed, noting that “ball carrying, chance-creation, tenacity and vision” are his primary attributes, praising his “ability to be in the right place at the right time” in the penalty area, calling the signing a “no-brainer”.
Well, towards the start of the season, Cameron appeared set to be a key figure, starting three Champions League qualifiers and two of the first three Premiership matches, scoring his first goal for the club against Viktoria Plzeň on the road.
Overall, the Scotland under-21 international accumulated 409 minutes of action across July and August, but has seen a miserly ten minutes on the park subsequently, introduced as a late substitute by Röhl during home Premiership wins over Kilmarnock and Livingston.
Nevertheless, he surely deserves more of an opportunity, so let’s compare his statistics to those of Diomandé.
Cameron 24/25 vs Diomandé 25/26
Stats
Cameron
Diomandé
Goals
0.3
0.2
Assists
0.2
Zero
Shots
1.2
0.7
Shots on target
0.7
0.4
Chances created
1.8
0.9
Big chances created
0.19
0.17
Passes completed
32.1
39
Forward passes
16.3
10.4
Duels won
4.1
4.9
Ball recoveries
5.8
4.9
Tackles
1.2
1.4
Ground duels won %
44.5%
45.5%
Touches
63.8
65.4
Average rating
7.12
6.54
Note: all stats are Premiership only and per-90.
Stats via Squawka and SofaScore
As the table documents, Cameron’s Premiership statistics last season are pretty much universally more impressive than those of Diomandé this time round, all on a per 90 basis, the Scotsman doing so for struggling Dundee, making it all the more impressive.
Cameron scored more goals and registered more assists, as well as coming out on top for a wide variety of underlying metrics, including shooting, chance creation, passing and ball recoveries.
Thus, considering Rangers’ lowly league position and, at best, mixed form, it is frankly baffling that Cameron has been given pretty much no playing time by Röhl, a fact that the German head coach should rectify against Falkirk on Sunday.
Rohl must bin Chermiti for Rangers star who was the SPFL's "best player"
After another anonymous performance by Youssef Chermiti against Braga, Danny Röhl must start the “best player in the league” against Falkirk on Sunday
UAE are well-placed to join them in next year’s world tournament in India and Sri Lanka
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2025Nepal and Oman have confirmed their places in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka even before their Super Six meeting in Al Amerat in the Asia-EAP Qualifier. One more team from the tournament will join them in next year’s T20 World Cup.Nepal and Oman were assured of their T20 World Cup spots after UAE thumped Samoa by 77 runs earlier in the day. UAE are currently third on the Super Six points table, with four points. Both Oman and Nepal are on top, with only net run rate separating the two teams.UAE will next face Japan in a crucial fixture on October 16.ESPNcricinfo LtdWristspinner Sandeep Lamichhane has been central to Nepal’s progress to the T20 World Cup, taking ten wickets in four innings at an outstanding average of 9.40 and an economy rate of under six. His 5 for 18 helped Nepal dismiss Qatar for 142 in their chase of 148.Oman’s Jiten Ramanandi is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with seven strikes in four innings at an economy rate of 5.90. Before the Asia-EAP Qualifier, the left-arm seamer had also impressed against India in the Asia Cup, where he took the wickets of Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma.
Messi produced 12 goal involvements in the playoffs already, and Miami’s defensive improvement could be the difference-maker on the road to potentially winning MLS Cup.
Lionel Messi's third assist was the best. Or maybe it was the second. The first wasn't bad either. To be honest, just take your pick. All three were silly – effortless, inch-perfect, ridiculous things.
And all three were perhaps more vital than they have ever been for the Argentine in an Inter Miami shirt. This is the time of year when there is true jeopardy in Major League Soccer. We are in the playoffs. This is win-or-go-home territory. And it's also the same type of forum where Miami have fallen time and time again. They lost in the CONCACAF Champions Cup earlier this year. They were battered in the Leagues Cup final in August. Just over 12 months ago, they were bounced from the playoffs by Atlanta United.
But this is a different Miami. They’re defending with more resolve, playing with more structure, and managing games far better than they did earlier in the year. They’ve even had a bounce or two go their way.
Still, the biggest shift is obvious: Messi is dragging this team forward. He has had a hand in 22 of Miami’s last 24 goals – an absurd return – and there are stretches where he looks almost extraterrestrial, operating at a level the rest of the league simply can’t match. With two more wins standing between Miami and an elusive MLS Cup, it’s hard to see who stops them if he keeps playing like this.
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Messi adds new dimension
Messi has repeatedly been asked how he has been able to be so good, so injury-free, and so effective for so long. It's a fair question. He is 38, and still immensely effective. His response? Well, he has just learned how to walk.
It seems simple, really. And it's not particularly novel either. But Messi has become a master at conserving energy – when his team is both with and without the ball. He strolls into spaces nowadays, positioning himself before making tiny sprints to receive passes. He is still more than good enough to operate in the tiniest of pockets, so Messi exploits them without having to buzz around everywhere. It is the same when Miami don't have the ball. Usually, he doesn't press. His defensive action numbers are woeful. There is no point in asking him to mark, close down, or impact play. That is, after all, everyone else's job.
Until Sunday night. That's when things changed. Messi learned how to run. When Miami didn't have the ball, he buzzed and scampered. He clogged passing lanes and prevented Cincinnati from threading passes into the dangerous Evander. Ahead of the Herons' third goal, Messi dropped back into his own half, won the ball, and then played the killer ball – which Allende finished.
"We know what Leo is capable of – he proves it every weekend. Today, he did another incredible job off the ball, because we already know what he's capable of with it," manager Javier Mascherano said after the game.
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Vintage Messi brilliance
But of course, the classics stuck around. This is the bit, after all, that really matters. The numbers are ridiculous. Messi created eight chances, bagged three assists, and scored the opening goal. He has broken an MLS record by notching 12 goal contributions in a single playoff campaign (with potentially two games to go). In his last seven games, he has scored 11 and assisted 11. Piece it all together, and Messi is averaging a goal contribution every 28.6 minutes. These are simply absurd numbers.
There's also a deadly efficiency about him. Of course, Messi is the impact man in pretty much every Miami attack. But five players on the pitch had more touches. Both Sergio Busquets and Rodrigo De Paul were on the ball more. Three more players had more touches in the opposition box. Jordi Alba had more passes into the final third. Yet no other Miami player completed more dribbles. No other attacking player had a higher pass completion percentage.
But quantifying Messi in stats doesn't do him full justice. Instead, it is the that matter. He started the move that led to the first goal, picking the ball up near the halfway line, dumping it off, before accelerating into the box to notch just the 30th headed goal of his career. On the second assist, he swiveled, pivoted, and in one move dished to Mateo Silvetti, who finished wonderfully. His second assist came with the inside of his left foot. The third was thanks to the outside of his right. Both were inch-perfect into Allende. Both cut through the defense. Both set up chances that really could not be missed.
And then there were the other bits: the drops of the shoulder, the exploitation of impossible angles.
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Defense finally steps up
The thing is, this has all been true for some time now – in MLS and beyond. Messi was MVP last year. It would be an immense shock if he didn't claim the award this year, too. He came within one goal or assist of breaking the single-season goal involvement record (a mark currently held by LAFC legend Carlos Vela). He has always done these things, whether it be in a romp for PSG, a demolition of Puerto Rico in a meaningless friendly, or World Cup final.
So, what has changed? Well, for Miami, at least, it's been a surprising efficiency at the other end. Miami have been subpar defensively for most of the season. The configurations aren't right. They lack legs in both midfield and central defense. Maxi Falcon is erratic. Noah Allen is 21 – and plays like it. Marcelo Weigandt and Ian Fray are inconsistent at right back. Busquets can't move anymore. In short, the Herons get exposed in transition almost every game.
In the playoffs, though, they have been tougher to beat. Silvetti has added more legs. A bit more intensity from Messi has put more pressure on the ball. It also has to be admitted that the absence of Luis Suarez – suspended for the third game against Nashville and benched Sunday night – has given Miami one less passenger to account for.
They have certainly benefited from a few mistakes, too. Cincinnati had their chances early on, but failed to capitalize. Evander, consistently one of MLS's best, hasn't scored a career playoff goal – a baffling stat given his raw quality and regular season goalscoring exploits. He was quiet once again Sunday. Still, Miami have done something that vaguely mimics Argentina: but a strong defensive structure around Messi and allowed him to be his best. The result is a team tricky to beat. Miami have allowed just 1.01 xG against, and have conceded just once from open play in the playoffs.
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Who stops Miami now?
There has, to be sure, been an imbalance in MLS this year. The Eastern Conference is, quite simply, far better than the West. The top three teams in the Eastern Conference all amassed more points than the first in the West. It is deeper, too, with strong teams like the Columbus Crew and Nashville SC occupying the sixth and seventh spots – as opposed to Austin and Dallas out West. Take nothing away from the excellence of Vancouver, San Diego, and LAFC, but Miami have had a harder go of things this season when factoring in all of the competitions the team was in.
The pattern has held in the playoffs. Miami were narrow favorites over Cincinnati largely because they had Messi, but they hadn’t won at TQL Stadium in MLS play since 2021. Their 3-0 loss there in the regular season – a match in which a full-strength Miami were comfortably handled – was cited all week as the clearest sign they might struggle.
But it didn’t matter. They went on the road to the conference’s best team, one that routed them four months ago, and won convincingly.
So who stops them now? Philadelphia might have been the logical answer, but they were edged out by a resurgent NYCFC. Miami, in all likelihood, won’t lose to that group at home. And they’ll host whoever escapes the West in MLS Cup. San Diego and Vancouver are both capable — and Vancouver even beat Miami at Chase Stadium in April — but this version of the Herons feels far removed from the one that fell 3-1.
Strip all of that away, though, and the Messi effect still looms largest: the goals, the assists, and the moments in between. It will take a team effort from here, but when that switch flips, Miami become almost impossible to beat.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez have reportedly finalised a wedding venue that holds a special meaning for the Al-Nassr and Portugal superstar. The couple got engaged in August this year after Ronaldo proposed to his long-term girlfriend. They plan to tie the knot next summer, following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.
Ronaldo and Georgina's romantic journey
The couple started dating in 2016 and have been together for the last nine years, during which time they also became a family of five children. Ronaldo finally popped the question in August, as confirmed when Georgina showed off an image on social media of her huge engagement ring. In the caption on the post, she wrote: "Yes I do. In this and in all my lives."
AdvertisementGetty/InstagramWhen and where is Ronaldo getting married?
According to , Ronaldo and his fiancée will tie the knot in a Christian ceremony on his home island of Madeira in the summer of 2026. The ceremony will take place in Funchal Cathedral after the World Cup in North America and the reception will be hosted at a luxury hotel. The location of the hotel holds a special meaning for Ronaldo as it is located just 1.5 miles away from the hospital where he was born and only three miles away from the base of Nacional da Madeira, one of the teams he played for in his youth.
Ronaldo 'is not a romantic guy'
Ronaldo claimed he is not generally a very romantic person in a recent interview on 'Piers Morgan Unsensored'. The 40-year-old narrated the entire episode of the proposal, as he said: "It was like 1 am. My daughters were in bed sleeping. One of my friends gave me the ring to offer Gio (Georgina) and as I was giving her the ring, my two kids come in and say 'Daddy, you're going to give the ring to mum and you're going to ask her to get married'.
"I said, 'Wow, this is the right moment to say yes.' It was the time. I knew that I was going to do it one day but I hadn't planned to do it then. Because my daughters said that and my friends were filming, it was what I wanted and I offered (the ring). I didn't (get on one knee) because I wasn't prepared but it was a beautiful moment. I made a speech. It was simple, I'm not a romantic guy. Well, I am, but I'm not very romantic, not the kind of guy who brings flowers every week to the home. But I'm romantic in my way. It was beautiful and I knew that it is the woman of my life so I did that and I hope that I did it well."
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IG:@georginagioGeorgina's ring valued at £1.5 million
Ronaldo, who is football's first billionaire player, spent lavishly on the special engagement ring that he specially bought for his partner. According to engagement ring specialist Laura Taylor, Georgina's gorgeous diamond is valued at £1.5 million. Taylor told the : "A diamond of this size is almost certainly set in platinum for security, which also enhances its colour and gives the ring a timeless finish. This is a show-stopping ring, and easily among the most impressive we've seen in recent years, which feels perfectly suited to one of football's most famous couples. If the diamond is natural and of exceptional quality in the D-F colour range with flawless or near-flawless clarity, its value could easily exceed £1.5 million."
Meanwhile, Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds, said to : "We estimate the value of Georgina Rodríguez's stunning engagement ring to be around $5 million. The ring is reminiscent of the famous Taylor-Burton Diamond, a 69.42 carat pear-shaped stone gifted to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton, who reportedly bought it from Cartier, who bought the rarity for over $1 million at auction."