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African Players in Europe: Liverpool Legend Salah Bids Farewell

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah reacts after his final match in a Liverpool shirt after the English Premier League match Liverpool FC against Brentford FC, in Liverpool, Britain, 24 May 2026. (EPA)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah reacts after his final match in a Liverpool shirt after the English Premier League match Liverpool FC against Brentford FC, in Liverpool, Britain, 24 May 2026. (EPA)
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African Players in Europe: Liverpool Legend Salah Bids Farewell

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah reacts after his final match in a Liverpool shirt after the English Premier League match Liverpool FC against Brentford FC, in Liverpool, Britain, 24 May 2026. (EPA)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah reacts after his final match in a Liverpool shirt after the English Premier League match Liverpool FC against Brentford FC, in Liverpool, Britain, 24 May 2026. (EPA)

Mohamed Salah struggled to hold back the tears during his final appearance for Liverpool on Sunday after a trophy-filled career with the Anfield outfit.

The 33-year-old winger, who will captain Egypt at the 2026 World Cup next month, leaves as the Reds' third-highest goalscorer of all-time on 257.

Popularly known as the Egyptian King, Salah played 74 minutes before being substituted for Jeremie Frimpong in a 1-1 draw with Brentford.

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

Salah waved an emotional farewell to Liverpool after nine glittering years at Anfield in a draw against Brentford. There was no goodbye goal for Salah, but he did provide the assist for Curtis Jones as a point secured Liverpool's place in the Champions League next season.

ANTOINE SEMENYO (Manchester City)

Semenyo finished third in the Premier League goalscoring charts this season after netting his 17th for runners-up Manchester City in a 2-1 home defeat by fourth-placed Aston Villa. The Ghanaian international was one of the few City stars not rested by Pep Guardiola in his final game in charge and flicked in from a corner to open the scoring at the Etihad.

BRYAN MBEUMO (Manchester Utd)

Cameroon international Mbeumo finished off a brilliant team move for his 12th goal of the season as third-placed United ended the season on a high with a 3-0 win at Brighton.

SPAIN

EZ ABDE (Real Betis)

Moroccan winger Abde ended an excellent campaign with a goal in Real Betis's 2-1 win over Levante on the final day of La Liga. The 24-year-old scored his 10th league goal of the season to put his team in front as they celebrated their Champions League qualification with a home victory.

BRAHIM DIAZ (Real Madrid)

Real Madrid playmaker Diaz netted the fourth in Los Blancos' emphatic 4-2 win over Athletic Bilbao. The Morocco international was able to score his first top-flight goal of a season in which he was often reduced to a bit-part role, from close range at the end of a neat team move.

RANDY NTEKA (Rayo Vallecano)

Vallecano are focused on the Conference League final against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, but were able to sign off from La Liga with a 2-1 win over Alaves thanks to Randy Nteka's late goal. The Angola attacker showed poise in the box to receive a low pass and drill home his third goal of the league season.

FRANCE

ABDALLAH SIMA (Lens)

The Senegalese striker struck on 78 minutes to seal a 3-1 victory for Lens over Nice in the French Cup final. Sima got on the end of a header back towards his own goal by veteran Brazilian defender Dante, and stabbed the ball into the net.

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Sports

Hamilton Unlocks Ferrari Magic with Montreal Breakthrough

Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton holds his second place trophy as he celebrates on the podium at the conclusion of the 2026 Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, on May 24, 2026. (AFP)
Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton holds his second place trophy as he celebrates on the podium at the conclusion of the 2026 Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, on May 24, 2026. (AFP)
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Hamilton Unlocks Ferrari Magic with Montreal Breakthrough

Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton holds his second place trophy as he celebrates on the podium at the conclusion of the 2026 Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, on May 24, 2026. (AFP)
Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton holds his second place trophy as he celebrates on the podium at the conclusion of the 2026 Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, on May 24, 2026. (AFP)

Lewis Hamilton celebrated ‌his strongest performance yet in Ferrari red after finishing second at the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, crediting behind-the-scenes changes and a fresh approach to car setup for finally unlocking his potential with the Italian team.

The seven-times Formula One world champion passed Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the closing laps at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to secure his second podium finish this season, after the Chinese Grand Prix in March.

"The prep before, I chose a different set-up this weekend through just ciphering ‌through the data, ‌working really well with my engineer," Hamilton ‌said. "I ⁠was able to ⁠attack all the corners finally."

Hamilton praised Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur's support in implementing changes to make him more comfortable in the car.

"There's a lot of changes that I've had to ask for, and Fred's been super supportive and again also moving mountains in order to make me comfortable. And it's finally ⁠starting to show in my performance."

The 41-year-old driver ‌was also grateful for the ‌work of his engineers, including Cedric Santi, who replaced veteran Riccardo Adami ‌at the start of the year on an interim ‌basis.

"I'm really grateful to the team for continuing to hold me up high and support me weekend in, weekend out. And it's a really lovely feeling to see them so happy, because they truly ‌deserve it with all the hard work they put in."

The result proved particularly encouraging given Montreal's ⁠emphasis on ⁠straight-line speed, an area where Ferrari have traditionally struggled.

While Ferrari brought their major upgrade package to Miami earlier this season, several rivals including Mercedes introduced updates in Canada.

"Considering this is a real straight-line-speed circuit and we just managed to hold on and get this result, that definitely gives me high hopes for what's ahead," Hamilton said.

He admitted the journey to this breakthrough had been grueling.

"This is my first second place with the team. It's something I've been working so hard, I can't even begin to explain how deep I've had to dig to be able to get to this point."

Sports

Stifling Heat, Storm Delays: Weather Extremes Could Impact World Cup

The MetLife Stadium outside New York hosting the World Cup final has a one in eight chance of seeing risky temperatures for fans and players, according to scientists. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP/File
The MetLife Stadium outside New York hosting the World Cup final has a one in eight chance of seeing risky temperatures for fans and players, according to scientists. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP/File
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Stifling Heat, Storm Delays: Weather Extremes Could Impact World Cup

The MetLife Stadium outside New York hosting the World Cup final has a one in eight chance of seeing risky temperatures for fans and players, according to scientists. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP/File
The MetLife Stadium outside New York hosting the World Cup final has a one in eight chance of seeing risky temperatures for fans and players, according to scientists. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP/File

Heat, humidity and thunderstorms are synonymous with summer in many North American regions -- and in a few weeks they could also threaten the 2026 World Cup.

This year's edition of the tournament is being played across the US, Canada and Mexico at 16 host cities, including places accustomed to soaring summer temperatures exacerbated by stifling humidity.

Frequent wildfires in places like Canada and California meanwhile pose air quality risks, AFP said.

Then there's thunder and lightning: in the US, summer storms often mean outdoor sporting interruptions.

Generally, a 30-minute mandatory delay follows a lightning strike within an approximately eight to 10-mile (13 to 16-kilometer) radius. Every subsequent flash sets off a new half-hour pause.

Last year's FIFA Club World Cup, which served as a dress rehearsal for this year's tournament, saw six matches significantly delayed by severe weather, which scientists expect could become increasingly common as greenhouse gases continue to warm the planet.

The repeated club tournament game delays left some critics and coaches wondering if the US should even host.

Enzo Maresca, who at the time coached Chelsea, called delays a "joke" that upset focus, asking whether some American cities were right to host major tournament games.

- When thunder roars, go indoors -

Lightning carries serious risks. Deaths from direct strikes are rare, but do happen.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 444 lightning strike deaths in the US between 2006 and 2021, and most occurred during outdoor leisure activities.

Regions east of the Rocky Mountains are at highest risk. Those areas tend to be quite humid due to warm Gulf waters, which creates moisture that can rise and form thunderstorms.

Scientists are voicing concern that climate change might inject uncertainties into storm patterns, and perhaps create conditions that would make lightning strikes even more prevalent.

Kelsey Malloy of the University of Delaware said "we haven't really detected strong trends yet" but overall "it is expected that lightning is going to increase" in parts of the US.

A warming climate "has been linked to heavier rainfall rates as well as stronger rising air" which "equals greater electrification of clouds, and therefore greater lightning flash rates."

Malloy, a climate scientist, said forecasting has improved at predicting severe weather and urged fans to heed risk warnings and protocol surrounding impacted matches.

"A lot of people maybe imagine if they can't see the storm, they can't see the lightning, they haven't heard the thunder yet, that they're not in an active threat," Malloy told AFP.

"But lightning can strike miles away from an actual storm location."

Ziqin Ding, a University of Florida lightning researcher, said stadiums are generally well-protected with precautions like lightning rods, metal devices meant to prevent structural damage or fires by intercepting strikes and providing a path for harmful electrical discharge to disperse.

But strikes nearby still could "cause interruption for stadium events," he told AFP.

- Heat danger -

FIFA will use a few stadiums with roofs, air conditioning or both -- in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Vancouver -- to ease concerns over storm delays or extreme heat.

But many are open-air.

This could spell storm delays and subject players and fans to debilitating temperatures.

During 2025's club tournament, many matches were played in weather over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), with humidity making it feel even hotter.

A team of climate scientists recently released a report that said "grueling heat" could impact a quarter of slated games, including New Jersey's final.

FIFA has mandated cooling breaks during each half of the matches.

Doctor Chris Mullington of Imperial College London said it's possible some footballers "just won't be able to play at the intensity that they're used to."

Fans -- many of whom might be consuming alcohol in direct sun under heavy heat and humidity -- may face even more health risks.

By and large, those people "will not be elite athletes and may come with many co-morbidities that could be exacerbated by the heat," Mullington said.

A group of current and former professional players led by Norway's Morten Thorsby delivered a recent petition to FIFA describing the impacts of heat, saying "it can make you feel light-headed, dizzy, experience fatigue, muscle cramps and worse."

They urged FIFA to update its World Cup heat-stress framework, a measure they insisted be coupled with "consistent climate action."

"It would be a missed opportunity if a sport so impacted by the climate crisis doesn't take its responsibility in addressing it," read the open letter.

Sports

'Tired' Messi Exits MLS Game in Injury Scare ahead of World Cup

Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi leaves the field after suffering an injury scare in his team's win over Philadelphia, less than three weeks before the start of the World Cup. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP
Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi leaves the field after suffering an injury scare in his team's win over Philadelphia, less than three weeks before the start of the World Cup. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP
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'Tired' Messi Exits MLS Game in Injury Scare ahead of World Cup

Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi leaves the field after suffering an injury scare in his team's win over Philadelphia, less than three weeks before the start of the World Cup. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP
Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi leaves the field after suffering an injury scare in his team's win over Philadelphia, less than three weeks before the start of the World Cup. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP

Lionel Messi was at the center of an injury scare just weeks before the start of the World Cup on Sunday after abruptly exiting Inter Miami's Major League Soccer clash against the Philadelphia Union.

Argentina superstar Messi was substituted in the 73rd minute at a rain-soaked Nu Stadium in Miami after clutching the back of his left leg and requesting to come off, reported AFP.

The 38-year-old icon appeared to be walking normally as he headed straight down the tunnel after exiting the game, which Miami went on to win 6-4.

Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos said after the game it was too early to determine if Messi was injured, and suggested the Argentine's substitution was precautionary due to the pitch conditions.

"As far as I know, we don't have a (medical) report on that yet, but we will have one shortly," Hoyos said after the game when asked for details of Messi's condition.

"He was genuinely suffering from fatigue in that regard -- it is indeed fatigue.

"He was tired; the pitch was heavy and when in doubt, the standard approach is always to ensure you don't take any risks."

Messi's Inter Miami team-mate Mateo Silvetti was unable to shed any light on his compatriot's condition.

"I'm just as in the dark as everyone else," Silvetti said. "At that moment, we were all focused on the match. I didn't know if it was an injury or if he was simply tired.

"We're hoping it turns out to be nothing serious. Given his mindset and everything else, we're going to wish him the very best."

Messi has carefully managed his workload since joining Inter Miami in 2023, with team staff regularly excusing him from games during particularly congested fixture periods.

He has spent multiple stints on the sidelines in the past few years due to problems with his hamstring, which caused him to miss parts of Miami's pre-season campaign earlier this year.

Any significant injury to the eight-time Ballon D'Or winner, though, would deal a huge blow to Argentina's hopes of defending their World Cup crown in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The tournament kicks off in Mexico City on June 11, with Argentina due to play their opening game against Algeria in Kansas City five days later.

Inter Miami's game on Sunday was the last before MLS takes a break ahead of the World Cup.

Messi has not formally confirmed he plans to play in the World Cup, but is widely expected to return for what will be a record-equaling sixth appearance at the finals.

Argentina's squad is due to be named next week, and the South American giants will head to the United States shortly afterwards for pre-World Cup friendlies against Honduras in Texas on June 6, followed by a game against Iceland on June 9.