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Messi Nets Brace to Win in First Match after Argentina Exit

Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi scored two goals in his club's 4-0 MLS victory over DC United. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP
Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi scored two goals in his club's 4-0 MLS victory over DC United. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP
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Messi Nets Brace to Win in First Match after Argentina Exit

Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi scored two goals in his club's 4-0 MLS victory over DC United. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP
Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi scored two goals in his club's 4-0 MLS victory over DC United. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP

Lionel Messi scored twice to help Inter Miami rout DC United 4-0 on Saturday, taking a victory in his first match since saying farewell to the Argentina national team.

Four nights after scoring in his final match for the Albiceleste in a victory over Benin, the 39-year-old South American superstar struck in the 47th and 60th minutes as defending MLS champion Miami won for only the second time in their past 11 league matches.

A first-half brace by Luis Suarez staked the Herons to the lead as they improved to 13-5 with 10 drawn for 49 points, jumping from third to second in the Eastern Conference

Messi hopes to make Miami the first team to win back-to-back MLS crowns since the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2011-12.

Messi, the top point producer in the league with 23 goals plus assists on 13 others, seeks a third consecutive MLS Most Valuable Player award.

Uruguayan striker Suarez scored in the third minute to give Miami the lead, blasting a left-footed shot from the heart of the box into the top left corner.

Suarez struck again in the 39th for his 16th goal of the campaign, assisted like his first of the night by German Berterame.

Messi blasted home a left-footed shot off an assist from Suarez to give Miami a 3-0 lead and evaded three defenders to add another goal 13 minutes later as the pink-clad hosts pulled away to stay.

In other games, Scottish striker Lewis Morgan and American Djordje Mihailovic scored in second-half stoppage time to rally Toronto for a 2-1 home victory over Montreal.

The visitors grabbed the lead in the Canadian clash on a goal by Mexican forward Daniel Rios in the 52nd minute.

Toronto, however, battled back for the equalizer by winger Morgan, obtained last month from San Diego, in the third minute of stoppage time, his first regular-season MLS goal in two years.

Former Montreal standout Mihailovic struck for the decider in the fifth minute of extra time.

"Now I've scored on both sides of this derby," he said. "It feels good."

Toronto snapped a three-game losing streak to pull within a point of an East playoff berth.

At Chicago, Swiss forward Maren Haile-Selassie scored in the 87th minute to give the 10-man Chicago Fire a 2-1 triumph over New York City.

Austrian midfielder Hannes Wolf gave City the lead in the 19th minute and Chicago dropped to 10 men when Ivory coast midfielder Dje D'Avilla received his second yellow card in the 43rd minute.

Swede Anton Saletros equalized for Chicago in the 55th minute, setting the stage for the decider.

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Sports

Kenyan Great Kipchoge Wins First Marathon in Three Years

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge won his first marathon in three years at Melbourne. Saeed KHAN / AFP
Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge won his first marathon in three years at Melbourne. Saeed KHAN / AFP
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Kenyan Great Kipchoge Wins First Marathon in Three Years

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge won his first marathon in three years at Melbourne. Saeed KHAN / AFP
Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge won his first marathon in three years at Melbourne. Saeed KHAN / AFP

Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge won his first marathon in three years on Sunday when the Kenyan great cruised to victory at Melbourne.

The most-decorated marathoner in history crossed the finish line in 2hrs 9min 10sec, two seconds inside the race record.

It was his first victory over the distance since Berlin in 2023 and part of his "World Tour" to raise funds for causes he believes in.

The 41-year-old former world record-holder announced in 2025 he planned complete marathons on all seven continents, including Antarctica, over two years.

Melbourne was the third stop after South Africa and Brazil.

He broke away inside the last 10 kilometers on a course raced partly on the Australian Formula One track at Albert Park and which finished inside the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"On the course, it was really wonderful, I enjoyed seeing people standing, cheering, and shouting my name," Kipchoge said, looking fresh at the finish.

He would have gone faster, but slowed down inside the MCG waving to fans.

"It was actually different -- running on a beautiful course, but also running on the Formula One track, and above all else, finishing on a cricket ground," he added.

"It makes me proud to run with the younger generation and inspire the running community in Melbourne."

Australian Thomas Do Canto was runner-up in 2:10:35 while New Zealand's Camille French came first in the women's race in 2:28:25.

Sports

Red Bull's Verstappen Fastest in Singapore to Claim 50th Career Pole

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands smiles as he speaks after finishing first during the qualifying session ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore, Singapore, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands smiles as he speaks after finishing first during the qualifying session ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore, Singapore, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
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Red Bull's Verstappen Fastest in Singapore to Claim 50th Career Pole

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands smiles as he speaks after finishing first during the qualifying session ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore, Singapore, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands smiles as he speaks after finishing first during the qualifying session ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore, Singapore, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Red Bull's Max Verstappen claimed the 50th pole position of his career when he went fastest in qualifying under the lights at the Singapore Grand Prix on Saturday, repeating his heroics from the sprint qualifying session a day earlier.

Verstappen clocked one minute 31.373 seconds at the Marina Bay Street Circuit and will have Ferrari's Charles Leclerc alongside him on the front row, with the Monegasque driver just 0.054 seconds slower than the four-times champion.

Leclerc's team mate Lewis Hamilton was third fastest and championship leader Kimi Antonelli was fourth quickest for Mercedes.

"The margins are very close between us throughout all of qualifying, so of course, very happy to be on pole because this is the one that I wanted," Verstappen said ahead of his 250th race.

"The car has been ⁠pretty strong all ⁠weekend. Of course, I always think that you can be better, but it was enough for pole, so very happy with that."

Verstappen, who won a chaotic sprint in wet conditions earlier on Saturday, topped the timesheets despite gearbox issues in Q2 to claim his second straight pole of the season.

Leclerc had struggled in Q1 and Q2 but found his groove in Q3 to put Ferrari on the front row right at the end of the session.

"I had some weird things going on with the brakes, car pulling a ⁠bit under braking, which is not so nice on a track like here," Reuters quoted Leclerc as saying.

"But then in Q3, the lap was okay. I did some mistakes. I think there was a potential to be on pole today, but Max just did a better job."

With celebrity girlfriend Kim Kardashian watching on from the Ferrari garage, Hamilton topped Q1 and Q2 at a circuit where he has four victories, but the Briton could not reproduce his form in Q3.

"There's a real fine line with our car where it's over the edge or under the limit and finding that sweet spot is very, very difficult," said seven-times world champion Hamilton.

Mercedes driver George Russell, second in the championship, was sixth fastest in Q3 but the Briton is set to start from the back of the grid due to his engine penalty ⁠as he looks to ⁠bridge the 89-point gap to Antonelli.

Drivers struggled under braking in the first session, with Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll both forced to abandon their laps, but the biggest casualty of Q1 was Verstappen's team mate Isack Hadjar.

The Frenchman complained about an issue with his gearbox before the 22-year-old returned to the garage without setting a lap time, losing his 100% record of qualifying for Q3 this year.

"Nothing Isack could have done. We had a gearbox issue on his car," Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies told Sky Sports.

Verstappen also complained about gearbox issues despite advancing from Q2.

"Insanely, insanely bad shifts," he said. "The downshifts are so bad."

Reigning champion Lando Norris and McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri will line up on the third row after the stewards took no further action following the collision between the two drivers in the sprint.

Alpine's Pierre Gasly will start seventh on the grid followed by the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, and Audi's Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10.

Sports

Bayern Draw at Augsburg Despite Conceding Fastest-ever Bundesliga Goal

Bayern players react after the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and FC Bayern Munich in Augsburg, Germany, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Bayern players react after the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and FC Bayern Munich in Augsburg, Germany, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
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Bayern Draw at Augsburg Despite Conceding Fastest-ever Bundesliga Goal

Bayern players react after the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and FC Bayern Munich in Augsburg, Germany, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Bayern players react after the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and FC Bayern Munich in Augsburg, Germany, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern Munich twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at Augsburg on Saturday after a mistake from Manuel Neuer led to the fastest goal in Bundesliga history.

Neuer handed Augsburg the lead with an early mistake, before two second-half assists from Harry Kane rescued a point in the second half, AFP reported.

Bayern missed the chance to knock Borussia Dortmund off top spot after the draw and remain two points behind the league leaders in second.

Augsburg could not believe their luck after Neuer's howler handed them the lead after just eight seconds.

Having received the ball straight from kick-off, Neuer chipped it directly into the path of Augsburg's Robin Fellhauer, who ran it into the empty net.

The Bundesliga later confirmed the exact timing of the goal at 8.4 seconds, beating the previous record of nine seconds held jointly by Kevin Volland and Karim Bellarabi.

Bayern remained shellshocked for much of the first half and were lucky not to go 2-0 down when Juma Bah missed a sitter on 36 minutes.

Bayern found the net shortly after the break when Augsburg keeper Finn Dahmen fumbled a brilliant volley from Luis Diaz, but the goal was ruled out for an offside in the build-up.

Ismael Saibari broke Augsburg's resistance a few minutes later, slotting the ball home after an elegant assist from Harry Kane.

Yet the hosts struck back quickly, thanks in part to another off-color moment from Neuer.

After Augsburg unlocked the defense with a long ball forward, Neuer parried Calvin Brackelmann's shot straight at Rodrigo Ribeiro, who smashed the ball under the bar to restore the lead.

Both Diaz and Serge Gnabry had goals ruled out for offside before Kane set up Nathaniel Brown for Bayern's second equalizer ten minutes from time.

There was also drama elsewhere, as Bayer Leverkusen grabbed a rollercoaster 4-3 win in Mainz while Hamburg snatched a late 3-2 win away at Hoffenheim.

Robert Andrich gave Leverkusen the lead with a superb volley after just five minutes, before Patrik Schick doubled the lead with a smart finish four minutes later.

Anthony Caci dragged Mainz back into the game, scoring twice to level the scores before half time.

Second-half goals from Jarell Quansah and Moussa Diaby put Leverkusen back in control, before Benedict Hollerbach grabbed a late third for Mainz.

Yussuf Poulsen bundled in an early opener for Hamburg, before Fisnik Asllani jabbed home an equally scrappy equalizer for Hoffenheim.

Bambase Conte put Hoffenheim in the lead with a brilliant shot from outside the area early in the second half, but a red card for his team mate Bernardo swung the game back into Hamburg's favor.

The visitors had one late equalizer ruled out by VAR before Terem Moffi equalized with an 83rd minute header and Miro Muheim grabbed a stoppage-time winner.

In Saturday's other games, goals from Jeff Chabot and Chris Fuehrich sealed a comfortable 2-0 win for Stuttgart at Paderborn, while Livan Burcu struck late to hand Union Berlin a nervy 1-0 win at home to Elversberg.