Sport
Alexi Lalas Says Messi Was Wrong to Argue with Referee After Inter Miami Game
Former US international Alexi Lalas has spoken out against Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi after the Argentine’s heated confrontation with referee Tim Ford in their recent 3-3 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes. The incident happened late in the match at PayPal Stadium when Messi made a sharp run in the 93rd minute and seemed to be fouled just outside the penalty area following a sliding tackle by Daniel Munie. Messi quickly demanded a free kick, but the referee waved play on.
After the game, Messi was visibly upset and confronted Ford over his decisions. The situation escalated to the point where San Jose’s coach Bruce Arena had to step in and hold Messi back, as Ford reportedly threatened to show a red card. Lalas wasn’t impressed with Messi’s behavior. On his State of the Union podcast, he said he thought Arena handled the situation well and called Messi’s actions “a bad look.”
He praised the referee for standing firm and not giving Messi special treatment, saying the official repeatedly told Messi to get up and continue, regardless of his star status. Messi, who joined Inter Miami a few years ago after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, has been known for his incredible skills on the field, but this episode shows even the greatest can clash with referees.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has spoken about the club’s signing of Enzo Fernández from Chelsea and why he is excited about the move.
Fernández completed his move to Manchester City from Chelsea on deadline day, with the midfielder joining the club for a British record-equalling £125 million.
Maresca said “Enzo Fernández… we’ve signed a winner. Enzo has a winning mentality, he knows how to win – World Cup, Club World Cup. And the main thing is that he’s a winner.”
“I can promise you in the last four or five days, four or five players were asking if he’s coming or not, because they wanted him with us!”
PSG manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on who should win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, saying he believes the award should go to one of his players.
He said, “The Ballon d’Or should go to a PSG player, We have players who have won the Champions League. We have Fabián, who won the World Cup as well. We have Ousmane, who won the Ballon d’Or last season. That’s my opinion, but I’m not interested in individual awards.”
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26, with the shortlist set to be revealed on September 8.
British broadcaster Piers Morgan speaks on the Ronaldo vs. Messi debate and shares who the actual GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) is.
He determined the GOAT by the number of goals they have scored for their countries after retirement.
“Lionel Messi quits international football, having scored 125 goals for Argentina, the second-highest number in football history.
“@Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 146 goals for Portugal, the highest in football history. This settles the (GOAT) debate.”
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