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Messi Presented with Inaugural MARCA America Award

Messi Presented with Inaugural MARCA America Award
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Messi Presented with Inaugural MARCA America Award

Messi Presented with Inaugural MARCA America Award

Inter Miami's Lionel Messi added another award to his collection on Thursday.

Messi became the first recipient of the MARCA America Award, presented by the Spain-based media company, The Associated Press reported. The award recognizes Messi’s championship-laden career — one with a record 46 trophies won for club or country, and at least 56 other awards on the individual level.
“It has been quite the journey,” the Argentine superstar said in Spanish during a moderated question-and-answer session at Chase Stadium, Inter Miami's home field. “We have experienced so many beautiful things but also complicated moments. In 20 years not everything is beautiful. You cannot win all the time."
For Messi, no title outshines the 2022 World Cup with Argentina that helped cement his legacy among the sport’s greatest players. However, the 37-year-old Messi has won plenty and still feels the drive to continue adding titles. Similar to his titles with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, Messi already has helped Inter Miami win hardware since he joined the MLS club in July 2023.
Although limited to 18 MLS matches this season because of an ankle injury and national team commitments, Messi has 17 goals and 15 assists to help lead Miami to the 2024 Supporters Shield. Miami will have home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup playoffs which begin next week.
“I was able to achieve the biggest prize, which is the World Cup,” said Messi, who had three goals and two assists in a 6-0 Argentina romp past Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday. “It is the trophy all of us want when we start playing and I managed to fulfill my dream. We won many titles in Barcelona, Paris. Now we are here with the objective to fight hard for another title.”
Messi’s contract with Inter Miami runs through next season. And, after his recent goal-scoring performance on Tuesday, Messi could remain energized in his commitments with Argentina through the next World Cup cycle.
“I still have a deep love for this sport and I will continue to aspire to win more titles,” Messi said. “At this level, you have to enjoy things day by day.”
Inter Miami has one regular-season match left, coming at home Saturday against New England. If Inter Miami wins it would set the MLS single-season points mark with 72, one more than New England had in 2021.

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Veteran Monfils Exits to Standing Ovation on Australian Open Farewell

Gael Monfils of France acknowledges to the crowds after losing his Men’s Singles first round match against Dane Sweeny of Australia at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 20 January 2026. (EPA)
Gael Monfils of France acknowledges to the crowds after losing his Men’s Singles first round match against Dane Sweeny of Australia at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 20 January 2026. (EPA)
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Veteran Monfils Exits to Standing Ovation on Australian Open Farewell

Gael Monfils of France acknowledges to the crowds after losing his Men’s Singles first round match against Dane Sweeny of Australia at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 20 January 2026. (EPA)
Gael Monfils of France acknowledges to the crowds after losing his Men’s Singles first round match against Dane Sweeny of Australia at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 20 January 2026. (EPA)

French entertainer Gael Monfils was bundled out of the Australian Open in the first round on Tuesday in a brave farewell to a tournament he has lit up so many times.

The 39-year-old, one of the most colorful and popular players in men's tennis, battled all the way but Australian qualifier Dane Sweeny prevailed 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-5 in an epic lasting nearly four hours.

There was an on-court presentation and standing ovation afterwards for Monfils, who said: "Somehow it is the finish line, but thank you so much for an amazing ride.

"I have a lot of great memories here."

Monfils, who has won 13 ATP titles in a career stretching back to 2004, said in October that this year would be his last in tennis.

Launching his 20th Australian Open campaign, Monfils outlasted Sweeny, who is 15 years his junior, in an attritional first set.

Roared on by a partisan full house at Melbourne Park, Sweeny fought back to seize the second set and level an enthralling match.

Monfils, now ranked 110 but who rose to six in the world in his pomp, looked to be struggling physically in glaring sunshine.

The French veteran was frequently bent over double between points, one hand on his left knee and the other using his racquet to stay upright.

He alternately grimaced and grinned.

Monfils saw a trainer after losing the second set but still trudged out for the third, and was soon broken on the way to losing the set.

In a raucous party atmosphere, Monfils summoned reserves of energy from somewhere to race into a 4-1 lead in the fourth set, only for Sweeny to peg him back.

Sweeny clinched on his first match point before collapsing to the court.

He faces American eighth seed Ben Shelton in round two.

Paris-born Monfils has never won a Grand Slam but he has frequently gone deep in the biggest tournaments, including making the quarter-finals in Melbourne in 2016 and 2022.

Monfils married Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina in 2021 and they welcomed a daughter, Skai, a year later.

Sports

Morocco's Igamane Suffers ACL Injury

Morocco's forward #07 Hamza Igamane reacts as he misses his penatly during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) semi-final football match between Nigeria and Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat on January 14, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
Morocco's forward #07 Hamza Igamane reacts as he misses his penatly during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) semi-final football match between Nigeria and Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat on January 14, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
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Morocco's Igamane Suffers ACL Injury

Morocco's forward #07 Hamza Igamane reacts as he misses his penatly during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) semi-final football match between Nigeria and Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat on January 14, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
Morocco's forward #07 Hamza Igamane reacts as he misses his penatly during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) semi-final football match between Nigeria and Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat on January 14, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

Lille striker Hamza Igamane suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Morocco's Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal, the Ligue 1 side announced on Monday, casting doubt over his participation in this year's World Cup.

The 23-year-old was on the bench ‌for the ‌final, which Senegal ‌won ⁠1-0, before ‌coming on in extra time as the sixth substitute. He lasted seven minutes before going off injured, leaving Walid Regragui's side to finish the match with ⁠10 men.

"Tests carried out on the ‌player have unfortunately confirmed ‍a serious ‍injury. Hamza Igamane has indeed ‍suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee," Reuters quoted Lille as saying in a statement.

"Hamza will be unavailable for several months," it added, with ⁠the injury coming five months before the 2026 World Cup, where Morocco will face Brazil, Scotland and Haiti in Group C.

Igamane, who joined Lille from Rangers in the close season, has scored nine goals in 21 games for the French ‌side in all competitions.

Sports

Precision-Serving Former Finalist Rybakina Powers on in Melbourne

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina signs autographs after her victory against Slovenia's Kaja Juvan in their women's singles match on day three of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 20, 2026. (AFP)
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina signs autographs after her victory against Slovenia's Kaja Juvan in their women's singles match on day three of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 20, 2026. (AFP)
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Precision-Serving Former Finalist Rybakina Powers on in Melbourne

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina signs autographs after her victory against Slovenia's Kaja Juvan in their women's singles match on day three of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 20, 2026. (AFP)
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina signs autographs after her victory against Slovenia's Kaja Juvan in their women's singles match on day three of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 20, 2026. (AFP)

Former finalist Elena Rybakina warned Tuesday if her serve was firing she would be a threat at the Australian Open, after reinforcing her title credentials with a comfortable first-round victory.

The fifth seed, who lost the 2023 final in three tough sets to Aryna Sabalenka, sent Slovenia's Kaja Juvan packing 6-4, 6-3 with her serve proving a potent weapon.

Rybakina won 83 percent of her first-serve points to keep up her record of safely negotiating the first hurdle at every Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open.

"No matter who is on the other side, if the serve is going, then it's perfect," she said after routinely racing to 40-0 leads and holding to love three times.

"Of course, little things (to work on) on the serve. Maybe adjust, be better in the first few shots of the rally, then we will see how it's going to go.

"But I'm happy with the serve, it really worked today."

It was her second serve that truly separated her from Juvan, winning 10 of 18 points behind it and not facing a break point until the final game of the match.

Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022, faces France's Varvara Gracheva next.