DAVID BECKHAM'S DREAM: INTER MIAMI COMPLETES ASCENT, WINS FIRST MLS CUP
David Beckham's dream is realised as Miami wins the MLS Cup. The title seals a perfect farewell for retiring legends Busquets and Alba.
Inter Miami, with two assists from Lionel Messi, clinched its first MLS Cup title, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps at Chase Stadium.
Miami started strong, taking the lead in the eighth minute when Edier Ocampo, in an attempt to defend Tadeo Allende, scored an own goal.
Vancouver gained momentum toward the end of the first half, creating two good chances to tie the score.
Their first real shot came in the 38th minute, but goalkeeper Rocco Rios stopped Emmanuel Sabbi's close-range attempt.
Not long after that, Thomas Müller's header landed on the roof of the net.
Vancouver started the second half with energy, and Ali Ahmed's shot slipped under Rios' arm, levelling the score.
Vancouver almost took the lead when Sabbi's shot hit both posts, and his rebound was deflected off the woodwork.
But their joy was short-lived. Just 11 minutes later, Rodrigo de Paul met Messi's pass and coolly finished, putting Miami back ahead.
As Vancouver pushed for an equaliser in the final minutes, Miami hit them on the counterattack.
Messi chested down a long ball and flicked it to Allende, who slotted it through the legs of Vancouver keeper Yohei Takaoka.
We promised our fans we would deliver.
Inter Miami co-owner Sir David Beckham had dreamed of this day ever since he bought the team for $20 million from MLS, part of his deal when he joined the LA Galaxy in 2007.
Inter Miami joined MLS in 2020 but really got rolling as a team in 2018 and can now say they achieved the league's top honour.
All the emotion came out, Beckham said.
There were a lot of sleepless nights, but I always believed in Miami. I found the right partners, and I knew anything was possible.
It says "freedom to dream" on our shirts, and we promised our fans we would deliver. Next year is a new year, but tonight we celebrate.
The arrival of eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi in 2023 changed everything.
Miami invested to support Messi, signing former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in 2023 and Luis Suarez in 2024.
It took just seven games for Messi and company to win silverware. They beat Nashville to take the Leagues Cup in August 2023, Miami's first trophy.
In 2024, they won the Supporters' Shield and Eastern Conference title but fell short in the first round of the playoffs.
They made the playoffs again this season after finishing third in the Eastern Conference, winning each of the three rounds by at least four goals on aggregate.
In October, Messi committed to Miami until 2028 as the team aims to use this momentum.
Busquets and Alba have played their final game, and head coach Javier Mascherano, who picked up his first trophy as a manager, was happy to see them go out on top.
They deserve to finish their career this way, Mascherano said.
They won everything with different clubs, but they came here and changed the mentality at Inter Miami, along with Lionel Messi.
This goodbye is fantastic for them.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
