Latest news with #Miami
New York Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Club World Cup daily rankings: Brazilian powers, Miami make their move
For nearly two decades, no FIFA tournament has been complete without a star turn from Lionel Messi. That was the bet the global body made upon awarding Inter Miami 'host team' honors — an addition it hoped could ensure the first expanded Club World Cup would have a sense of stakes, star power and an undeniable reason for neutrals to watch. On Thursday, they got their moment of magic, and Miami suddenly has a path toward the knockout stage. Advertisement Welcome to the second edition of The Athletic's Club World Cup daily power rankings, our look at who's hot, who's not, and how the struggle for global club supremacy is shaking out. Share your comments below and don't be shy to disagree. We'll run the rankings up to before the semifinals. We will update these rankings at the end of each day's play. Unlike our pre-tournament rankings that focused on the historical might of each team, this series is designed to live very much in the present. Simply, we'll use the results of this competition alone to project who has the best chance to win the trophy — as well as teams who appear doomed to an early ticket home. Capped by a Messi free kick, Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium witnessed the first competitive win by an MLS team against an opponent from UEFA. Beyond that history, Thursday treated us to Atlético Madrid's bounceback and a pair of Brazilian triumphs — including a famous win against the recently crowned champions of Europe. Only teams that played on Thursday will see serious changes to their ranking, while everyone around them will shuffle to accommodate until they play a second fixture. Onto the good stuff. (Teams that played on Thursday are underlined in the rankings.) 1. Bayern Munich (-): Smashed 10 past Auckland but bigger tests await. 2. Manchester City (up 1): Cherki, Reijnders, and Foden all impressive. Field, beware. 3. Chelsea (up 1): Creative and controlled opener. Palmer: 1g/2a in last 1,529 minutes. 4. Botafogo (up 5): 'Igor Jesus plus strong defensive shape' can beat anybody. It's canon. 5. Flamengo (-): Played like a favorite. Chelsea clash immediately must-watch. 6. Paris Saint-Germain (down 4): Uncharacteristically sluggish in second game. Aberration or worrying sign? 7. Juventus (down 1): Day one's biggest xG overperformers. Still, showed more intent than throughout 2024-25. 8. River Plate (down 1): Physicality set a strong tone against Urawa. 9. Inter Milan (down 1): Only Bayern out-generated their 2.68 xG. Still fell victim to Sergio Ramos. 10. Real Madrid (-): Still learning Alonsoball. Defense looked shaky. Trust the process? Advertisement 11. Palmeiras (up 2): Still Group A's favorite. Can they contain Messi? 12. Al Hilal (-): Bounou's heroics preserve point against Madrid. May have won with Mitrović. 13. Boca Juniors (down 2): The field's best-supported team in Miami. Could rue blown 2-0 lead. 14. Benfica (-): Gutsy comeback to spare early blushes. Concerning lack of creativity. 15. Atlético Madrid (up 5): Composed breakthrough led by midfield. Botafogo could thwart great escape. 16. Inter Miami (up 9): Messi's magic still invaluable. Another point will see them through. 17. Fluminense (down 2): Resilient start, but clearly left two more points on table against Dortmund. 18. Mamelodi Sundowns (down 2): 'The Sky is the Limit' after statement win 19. RB Salzburg (down 2): Like the crops, their performance sure needed the rain. 20. Borussia Dortmund (down 1): Sleepwalked through opener. In Jobe We Trust. 21. Pachuca (up 1): Could hardly get going against a limited Salzburg. 22. FC Porto (down 4): Buckled under duress. May get time off sooner than expected. 23. Los Angeles FC (up 1): A credible showing against a top Premier League side at full strength. 24. Urawa Red Diamonds (up 2): Created great looks – just couldn't convert. 25. Monterrey (up 2): Fought for a draw, but wildly outplayed by Inter. 26. Al Ahly (down 3): Another poor second half. Must catch Porto by surprise. 27. Seattle Sounders (down 6): Another 'moral victory' without points. A cruel draw, indeed. 28. Ulsan HD (-): Gave Mamelodi a game, but couldn't turn good build-up into threats. 29. Wydad Casablanca (-): 2-0 against City a fair scoreline – and validation of quality. 30. Espérance de Tunis (-): Scrapped with Flamengo for tournament-high 39-foul contest. 31. Al-Ain (-): Rui Patricio sure has fallen off, hasn't he? 32. Auckland City (-): It can only get better after shipping 10. (Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; NurPhoto / Getty, Dylan Buell / Getty, Carl Recine / Getty, Angela Weiss / Getty)
The National
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Al Hilal show 'power and potential of Saudi football' in Real Madrid draw
On the eve of Wednesday's Fifa Club World Cup tie between Al Hilal and Real Madrid, amid the Art Deco diners that line Miami's South Beach reminiscent of something out of Back to the Future, two men sat debating football in front of a baby blue Cadillac. Both dressed in Al Hilal shirts, both having arrived from Riyadh the previous evening, the pair couldn't agree on their side's hopes of toppling the European behemoth that is Real Madrid. One gave his side a 'less than zero' chance of victory, while the other clung to the idea that 'nothing is impossible'. Yet they agreed on one thing: The result was immaterial, they were here for a week of fun. And they were not alone. Al Hilal took over South Beach ahead of the match, which proved an enjoyable 1-1 draw as the perceived impossible was almost realised by an impressive Saudi side that at times completely dominated their illustrious Spanish opponents in the blistering 32°C heat. Hookah cafes, Hilal tops, and an expansive fan fest that proved so popular prizes ran dry. So too did the nearby sportswear store, which stuck a sign up in its window: 'Al Hilal Sold Out Sorry :)'. Yet inside the Hard Rock Stadium, it was a different story. Fifa is well aware of the biggest draw of its new 32-team Club World Cup. During the opening ceremony earlier this week, its camera lingered uncomfortably on only one club crest: That of the 15-time European champions. And, despite the local organising committee's army of volunteers clad in Hilal-style blue, the stadium was a white hot sea of Madrid shirts. Unsurprising given the temperature, regrettable 3pm kick-off time, and lack of a flux capacitor, there was to be no throwback to the 2022 Club World Cup final when Madrid beat Hilal 5-3. Yet at times this was as much a Madrid performance as we have grown to expect in recent years – riding their luck for large periods, before finding a goal against the run of play. In the end, perhaps the only surprise was they failed to capitalise on a penalty to snare all three points. With new Madrid coach Xabi Alonso handing debuts to both Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right-side of defence, the new-look back-line had appeared shaky. Hilal, also marking their first match under a new coach in Simone Inzaghi, came close to scoring early on through Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Marcos Leonardo, before left-back Renan Lodi slid the ball past Thibaut Courtois only to see it ruled offside. 'We got to see the true level of our team today,' Lodi said. 'We were playing against a club that has dominated Europe, won Champions Leagues, but we held our own. For this, I am very happy. Soon, I'll have been at Hilal for two years and I think everyone is seeing now that we too can play great football. Madrid is a team of the highest level, but we showed the power and potential of Saudi Arabian football.' Watched on by Grammy Award-winning Palestinian-American record producer DJ Khaled, Hilal indeed looked perfectly at home, dominating possession for large spells. Yet the old habits of Madrid are not yet ready to fade like a family photograph, and it was the Spanish side who typically took the lead against the run of play. Rodrygo picked out Gonzalo Garcia, whose first-time finish struck his own planted foot and floated over goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Hard luck in the Hard Rock for the ever-popular 'Bono'. Unperturbed, Hilal continued to plug away. Captain Salem Al Dawsari proving a constant threat on the left. The 2021 AFC Asian League winners levelled the tie just before half time when Raul Asencio was judged to manhandle Leonardo in the box and Ruben Neves made no mistake from the spot. They could have added a second soon after too through Al Dawsari, but his well-worked shot took a deflection and curled wide. Madrid grew into the game, with Vinicius Jr exploiting the space behind Joao Cancelo before Inzaghi made a switch – though not before substitute Arda Guler and Gonzalo Garcia both tested Bono. 'There are some positives to take from the match, especially in the second half,' said Alexander-Arnold. 'The coach told us at half time we needed to dominate the ball more. In these games, especially in this heat, you need to dominate the ball otherwise you are chasing shadows.' Hilal managed only two shots in the second half but they were well deserving of a point. It appeared a cruel twist then when Argentine referee Facundo Tello, after an on-field review, awarded a penalty for Mohammed Al Qahtani's clumsy arm connecting with the mouth of Fran Garcia. Bono came to the rescue, throwing himself down to save both Federico Valverde's penalty and what could be a crucial point in the quest to progress to the knock-out stages. 'This was a great test for us,' said Joao Cancelo. 'We were able to compete against one of the best teams in the world, but it's very difficult. To play against Rodrygo, [Jude] Bellingham, [Luka] Modric, Valverde … We competed well and can be proud.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Botafogo upsets PSG, Messi leads Inter Miami over Porto
The 2025 Club World Cup continued to bring some excitment on Thursday. As Groups A and B completed the second of three group stage games, the round brought four wins, including a key comeback and one stunning upset. After a pair of ties to kick off the stage, Group A remains up for grabs with wins for Palmeiras and Inter Miami on Thursday. Group B, meanwhile, was also thrown into chaos: Though Atlético Madrid cruised to a win over the Seattle Sounders to keep their hopes alive, Botafogo shocked PSG with a narrow win to move ahead in the group. Thursday's FIFA Club World Cup results Palmeiras 2, Al Ahly 0: An own goal opened up the scoring for Palmeiras and allowed them to take the lead in Group A with four points. After Al Ahly's Wessam Abou Ali unintentionally grazed the ball past his keeper in the 49th minute, Jose Manuel Lopez padded the lead with a goal in the 59th. The Brazilian side scored with their only shot on target (10 total). Al Ahly failed to get on the scoreboard, despite having eight shots with two in-frame. Advertisement Inter Miami 2, Porto 1: Lionel Messi's magic left foot sealed the deal for Inter Miami as they overcame Porto to secure their first win of the Club World Cup. A beautifully placed free kick from just outside the box broke the deadlock from Porto's Samu Aghehowa in the 8th minute and Miami's Talasco Segovia in the 47th. The Argentine curled the ball over the Porto wall and past Claudio Ramos to take three points for the Herons. Atlético Madrid 3, Sounders 1: It only took 11 minutes for Atlético to break through on the lopsided matchup, with midfielder Pablo Barrios giving the team a 1-0 lead off a strong, bouncing strike. But for a while, the Sounders stayed in the game, thwarting several key opportunities to keep Atlético from adding to the score in the first half. Just a few minutes into the second, another bouncing shot gave Atlético the 2-0 lead, as halftime substitute Axel Witsel hit a header off the rebound. Though the Sounders struck right back, with Albert Rusnák getting a goal to cut into Atlético's lead, Barrios hit his second of the game to take a 3-1 lead. Seattle may have put up a fight, but in the end, Atlético was simply the better team. Advertisement Botafogo 1, Paris Saint-Germain 0: Group B is quickly turning into the wildest group in the tournament, as Botafogo picked up a thrilling upset over PSG to throw the standings out of order. Botafogo stunned PSG with an early 1-0 lead, with striker Igor Jesus scoring in the 36th minute. PSG, the reigning UEFA champions, spent the rest of the game desperately trying to equalize, but could not break Botafogo's back line. The Brazilian club held on to secure the brilliant 1-0 win — the first real upset of the tournament so far — and move to the top of the group. Highlight of the day Group A and Group B Standings Group A 1 Palmeiras 1-1-0 2 4 2 Inter Miami 1-1-0 1 4 3 Porto 0-1-1 -1 1 4 Al Ahly 0-1-1 -2 1 Group B 1 Botafogo 2-0-0 2 6 2 PSG 1-0-1 3 3 3 Atlético Madrid 1-0-1 -2 3 4 Seattle Sounders 0-0-2 -3 0 Tomorrow's schedule: Friday, June 20 Group X: Team v Team at Field in City; TIME on TV channel Advertisement Group C: Benfica v Auckland City at Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando; 12 p.m. ET on DAZN Group D: Flamengo v Chelsea at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; 2 p.m. ET on DAZN/TNT/truTV Group D: LAFC v ES Tunis at Geodis Park in Nashville; 6 p.m. ET on DAZN Group C: Bayern v Boca Juniors at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami; 9 p.m. ET on DAZN/TBS
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Rams coach Sean McVay ‘open-minded' to reunion with Dolphins corner Jalen Ramsey
Just go ahead and get the deal done already. Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay called the team 'open-minded' when it comes to bringing back Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey, only further fanning the flames of a reunion. 'Usually, those are scenarios and situations that you have to have plans in place prior to executing some of the decisions that have occurred,' McVay said Tuesday. 'Definitely don't want to rule anything out because we're always open-minded to onboarding and acquiring quality players and people like him if we're able to do that, but there would be some obstacles that are real that are in the place of maybe preventing that from occurring.' Speculation about Ramsey's return to Los Angeles have swirled since he and the Miami Dolphins mutually agreed to deal the seven-time Pro Bowler in mid-April. Even Rams general manager Les Snead confirmed that he and the Dolphins front office had a conversation about Ramsey. 'I've had discussions with Miami,' Snead said April 22, later adding that 'there are a lot of nuances to that situation based on all the things that come with a trade, contracts and things like that. I'm not sure where they're at in the process.' The All-Pro corner, for one, has not been shy about his love for Los Angeles. Ramsey, of course, spent 2019 to 2022 with the Rams, even helping to bring Los Angeles a Super Bowl during the 2021 season before the team dealt him to Miami in 2023. 'L.A. is like a second home for me,' Ramsey said prior to his 2024 return to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, later adding that 'the community always treated me and my family with nothing but love and respect.' A potential reconciliation between the Dolphins and Ramsey was always a long shot yet effectively fell apart when the nine-year veteran skipped last week's mandatory minicamp. 'He is not here,' Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said June 10, calling Ramsey's absence 'excused.' 'We are focused on building the Dolphins today, and anything outside of that, any sort of distractions I'm not focused on.' The biggest obstacle to the blockbuster deal, however, is Ramsey's price tag as he will make approximately $25.1 million in 2025. Los Angeles, however, waived fellow corner Derion Kendrick on Friday, a move that saved them about $3.4 million. The Rams did re-sign Kendrick Tuesday yet the extra cap space would certainly be necessary if a deal for Ramsey manifested. 'We've had conversations through the weekend with some teams about it as well,' Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said in late April following the 2025 NFL Draft, 'so depending on what happens and if and when it'll happen — whatever it is — we'll make the deal at the appropriate time.' Despite the Dolphins' willingness to move on from Ramsey, the 30-year-old still remains one of the best corners in football. During his 27 game stint in Miami, Ramsey had five picks, 16 pass deflections and 82 combined tackles. Quarterbacks only completed roughly 59-percent of their passes with a rating of about 71.8 when throwing in his direction over the last two years. The Rams, meanwhile, could desperately use an injection of talent in their secondary as the team finished the 2024 season ranked 20th against the pass.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Lionel Messi does it again! Inter Miami make MLS history against European side
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi reacts after scoring during the Club World Cup group A match (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Inter Miami secured a surprising 2-1 victory against Porto in the Club World Cup through Lionel Messi's signature free-kick on Thursday. Inter Miami and Palmeiras now have four points each in Group A, following the Brazilian team's 2-0 win over Al Ahly. Both Porto and Al Ahly remain with one point. Porto took an early lead through Samu Aghehowa's penalty in a first half that they dominated. Telasco Segovia equalised for Miami before Messi's free-kick sealed an impressive win in what was expected to be an easy match for Porto, with Miami becoming the first club from MLS to secure a win over European opposition in an official competition. Inter Miami, partly owned by David Beckham, began their MLS journey in 2020 and enhanced their status by signing Messi in 2023. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Messi showed his class from the beginning, creating an early chance for Luis Suarez. Porto opened the scoring in the eighth minute after VAR awarded a penalty for Noah Allen's slight contact with Joao Mario. Suarez missed a chance to equalise after receiving Messi's through ball, with goalkeeper Claudio Ramos making the save. Benjamin Cremaschi nearly scored for Miami following Suarez's forward run, but Ramos denied him at the near post. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Maximiliano Falcon made a crucial goal-line clearance to keep Miami in the game. Ustari made important saves before halftime, denying Aghehowa and managing to prevent a goal after a shot from Alan Varela hit the post. Segovia equalised early in the second half, converting Marcelo Weigandt's assist. Messi put Miami ahead in the 54th minute with a perfectly placed free-kick into the top corner after being fouled outside the box. Watch: This victory marked the first time an MLS team defeated European opposition in competitive play, following Chelsea's win over Los Angeles FC earlier in the week. "It's a huge joy, the whole team made a big effort, we worked really well," Messi told DAZN. "It's a really important win for us and we have to enjoy it... You can see that we want to compete, and today we competed against a really good European team... we knew that today we were weaker, but we had our strengths." The Mercedes-Benz Stadium was less than half-full at kickoff due to the 3:00 pm start time on a workday, similar to Chelsea's opening match. Attendance grew throughout the game as fans arrived to watch the 37-year-old Messi, with nearly 32,000 spectators present by the end. "(Messi) is a leader, he's the player he is, he's the greatest player in the world," Inter Miami forward Fafa Picault told DAZN. "I had a feeling (the free-kick) was going in. That was a great goal, a great show of leadership and coming in a clutch moment for us." The stadium tensed when seven minutes of stoppage time was announced. Miami's players showed tremendous defensive effort, blocking multiple shots to secure their significant victory. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
