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Messi and Inter Miami to Open Club World Cup Against Egyptian Club Al Ahly

FILE PHOTO: Aug 6, 2023; Frisco, TX, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring in the second half against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Aug 6, 2023; Frisco, TX, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring in the second half against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
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Messi and Inter Miami to Open Club World Cup Against Egyptian Club Al Ahly

FILE PHOTO: Aug 6, 2023; Frisco, TX, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring in the second half against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Aug 6, 2023; Frisco, TX, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring in the second half against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami now know their path for next year's Club World Cup.
The host team — invited by FIFA to compete despite criticism from many in the soccer world — will play the tournament's first match on June 15 against Egyptian club Al Ahly, as part of a group that will also feature Palmeiras and Porto, The Associated Press reported.
Other opening matches include Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atletico Madrid and Brazilian club Botafogo playing at Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders in Group B; Monterrey against Inter Milan in Group E; and Real Madrid facing the Saudi club Al-Hilal.
The draw was held Thursday in Miami, with the 32 teams finally finding out their first three opponents in the newly expanded event.
The tournament will be held in the US from June 15 to July 13, using 12 stadiums in 11 different cities. The final will be at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the same stadium that will play host to the 2026 World Cup final.
Among the powerhouse clubs in the field: Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan. There’s also the four highest-ranked teams from South America: Flamengo, Palmeiras, River Plate and Fluminense.
And Messi’s team, as a representative of the host nation, gets the distinction of playing the first match. It’ll happen at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
“It’s about inclusivity, it’s about bringing clubs from all over the world, the 32 best clubs and best players from all over the world together,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said.

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Holders Al-Ahli Advance in Asian Champions League as Machida Oust Al-Ittihad

Galeno celebrates after scoring. Photo: Al-Ahli
Galeno celebrates after scoring. Photo: Al-Ahli
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Holders Al-Ahli Advance in Asian Champions League as Machida Oust Al-Ittihad

Galeno celebrates after scoring. Photo: Al-Ahli
Galeno celebrates after scoring. Photo: Al-Ahli

Defending champions Al-Ahli battled back to defeat Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim 2-1 on Friday to move into the Asian Champions League Elite semi-finals despite playing much of the game with 10 men.

Al-Ahli are the only Saudi Pro League club left in the competition after domestic champions Al-Ittihad were knocked out by Machida Zelvia, the Japanese side winning 1-0 through Tete Yengi's deflected strike, Reuters reported.

Matthias Jaissle's title-holders advanced despite Ali Majrashi giving JDT the lead in the 19th minute when he put the ball into his own ⁠net under pressure ⁠from Marcos Guilherme.

Matters worsened for Majrashi when he was sent off eight minutes before the interval for knocking Jairo unconscious with a kick to the head as he sought to make an acrobatic clearance.

Al-Ahli responded positively to being reduced to 10 men, however, and the home ⁠side levelled three minutes into added time when Franck Kessie outjumped the defense to head home Riyad Mahrez's corner.

Galeno sidestepped Natxo Insa's challenge to unleash an unstoppable strike beyond Andoni Zubiaurre early in the second half to end JDT's hopes of becoming the first Malaysian side to reach the semi-finals.

"Until the red card, we didn't play our best game," said Jaissle. "We see more and more in football when teams sit in defense, we need to ⁠be patient.

"It's ⁠something we can do better but we made it and that's the most important."

Al-Ittihad had no such fortune as Sergio Conceicao's side were eliminated.

The Saudi champions went behind when Yengi's strike took a deflection off former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho to beat Predrag Rajkovic in the 31st minute.

Machida will face Thailand's Buriram United or Shabab Al-Ahli from the United Arab Emirates in the semi-finals with the pair due to meet in Jeddah on Sunday.

Al-Ahli will take on Japan's Vissel Kobe following their penalty shootout win over Al-Sadd from Qatar on Thursday.

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Italy Striker Retegui Ruled Out for Season after Injury in Saudi Pro League

31 March 2026, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Zenica: Italy's Mateo Retegui in action during the FIFA World Cup qualyfing soccer match between Bosnia Herzegovina and Italy at the Stadion Bilino Polje. Photo: Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa
31 March 2026, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Zenica: Italy's Mateo Retegui in action during the FIFA World Cup qualyfing soccer match between Bosnia Herzegovina and Italy at the Stadion Bilino Polje. Photo: Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa
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Italy Striker Retegui Ruled Out for Season after Injury in Saudi Pro League

31 March 2026, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Zenica: Italy's Mateo Retegui in action during the FIFA World Cup qualyfing soccer match between Bosnia Herzegovina and Italy at the Stadion Bilino Polje. Photo: Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa
31 March 2026, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Zenica: Italy's Mateo Retegui in action during the FIFA World Cup qualyfing soccer match between Bosnia Herzegovina and Italy at the Stadion Bilino Polje. Photo: Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa

Al Qadsiah forward Mateo Retegui will miss the rest of the season due to a leg fracture, the Saudi Pro League club announced on Friday.

The Italy international, who has scored 11 times in 28 caps, was ⁠injured after scoring ⁠and providing an assist in a 2-2 draw with Al Shabab on Tuesday.

"Medical examinations have confirmed that Mateo Retegui has sustained a distal tibial fracture," Al Qadsiah ⁠posted on X.

"He is set to undergo surgery in the coming days and will be ruled out for the remainder of the season," the club added.

The 26-year-old Retegui, who was born in Argentina, scored 16 goals in 28 SPL games this season. He was part of the Italy ⁠national ⁠team that lost against Bosina and Herzegovina in the 2026 World Cup playoff final last month.

Brenden Rogers's side Al Qadsiah are fourth with 62 points from 29 games, four points behind Al Ahly, who have a game in hand. The top three teams will qualify for next season's Champions League Elite.

Sports

Everton Hope to Pile Merseyside Derby Blues on Liverpool at New Stadium

Football - Premier League - Brentford v Everton - GTech Community Stadium, London, Britain - April 11, 2026 Everton manager David Moyes reacts. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Brentford v Everton - GTech Community Stadium, London, Britain - April 11, 2026 Everton manager David Moyes reacts. (Action Images via Reuters)
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Everton Hope to Pile Merseyside Derby Blues on Liverpool at New Stadium

Football - Premier League - Brentford v Everton - GTech Community Stadium, London, Britain - April 11, 2026 Everton manager David Moyes reacts. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Brentford v Everton - GTech Community Stadium, London, Britain - April 11, 2026 Everton manager David Moyes reacts. (Action Images via Reuters)

Everton manager David Moyes wants ‌to make the Hill Dickinson Stadium a happy home and a famous win over old foes Liverpool in the first Merseyside Derby at the new venue on Sunday would go a long way to achieving that.

It has been several seasons since Everton were involved in the European reckoning, but with six games to go in the Premier League campaign they are five points off fifth-placed Liverpool in the table, a gap they could cut to two this weekend.

It was a typically feverish final Goodison Park derby last season when James Tarkowski’s volley in the dying seconds earned Everton a 2-2 ‌draw as ‌they said farewell to the Grand Old Lady.

The Hill ‌Dickinson ⁠Stadium has not ⁠quite felt like home yet for many Evertonians, but a derby win on a raucous Sunday afternoon may start to change that.

“When you move to a new stadium it's always difficult,” Moyes told reporters on Friday. “If you look through the records of all teams who have built new stadiums, it has never been easy.

“We have had our ups and downs in it, ⁠we had a great start, the bits in the ‌middle were not so good, but we ‌are finding a bit better form now.”

Moyes has repeatedly said Everton hope to finish ‌in the European places this season but added that in such ‌a tight league table they need to be wary of the teams below them too.

“All we can do is try and catch whoever is above us,” he said. “It is Brentford at the moment. But probably more important is to make sure ‌nobody catches us.

"If we stay in a strong position, we give ourselves every chance of getting something in ⁠terms of ⁠Europe.

“The biggest thing for me is that with six games to go we have something to play for. Over recent years it has been the wrong thing we have been playing for (survival). I hope we can keep the dream alive.”

Moyes confirmed there had been no talks over a new contract, with his current deal running out at the end of next season.

“There is no need to start any talks now because I have so much on my mind. These six games will be crucial as to how things go. I want Everton to be in this position every year, having a chance of the top places."

He said there were no injury concerns with midfielder Carlos Alcaraz back in contention after a lengthy injury lay-off.