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With Messi Sitting Out Again, Suárez and Allende Score to Lead Inter Miami Past Cavalier FC 2-0

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - MARCH 06: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF alongside Antonela Roccuzzo observe from the sidelines during the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 First Leg match between Inter Miami CF and Cavalier SC at Chase Stadium on March 06, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - MARCH 06: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF alongside Antonela Roccuzzo observe from the sidelines during the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 First Leg match between Inter Miami CF and Cavalier SC at Chase Stadium on March 06, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP
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With Messi Sitting Out Again, Suárez and Allende Score to Lead Inter Miami Past Cavalier FC 2-0

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - MARCH 06: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF alongside Antonela Roccuzzo observe from the sidelines during the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 First Leg match between Inter Miami CF and Cavalier SC at Chase Stadium on March 06, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - MARCH 06: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF alongside Antonela Roccuzzo observe from the sidelines during the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 First Leg match between Inter Miami CF and Cavalier SC at Chase Stadium on March 06, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP

Luis Suárez and Tadeo Allende scored second-half goals with a healthy Lionel Messi on the bench, and Inter Miami beat Jamaican club Cavalier FC 2-0 on Thursday night in the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup group of 16 match.
Messi sat out his second straight game. He didn’t travel with Miami to Houston for a Major League Soccer match against the Dynamo on Sunday night, which Miami won 4-1.
“For us, we feel it when we don’t have Leo,” first-year Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. “I think any team in the world that doesn’t have Leo will feel that.”
Allende retrieved a pass from Sergio Busquets and beat Cavalier goalkeeper Vino Barclet from 12 yards out in the 61st minute, with his shot landing inside the left post.
Suárez connected in the 83rd minute. He retrieved a ball deflected off Cavalier defender Shamar Watson’s foot and blasted a shot from 20 yards.
“We played with fire and when you play with fire, you are likely to get burned,” Mascherano said. “We didn’t play with the rhythm we planned for in the first half. There was no intensity. In the second half, we attacked much better and dictated the game.”
An apparent goal by Cavalier forward Shaquille Stein late in the first half was overturned because of an offside infraction after a video review that lasted seven minutes.
“Our fitness level dropped to start the second half, probably from the disappointment of not having the goal allowed,” The Associated Press quoted Cavalier coach Rudolph Spied as saying.
The second leg will be on March 13 in Kingston, Jamaica.
Mascherano reiterated that Messi is not injured but has experienced some fatigue after playing three games in six days before the two-match absence. Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, participated in the two practices that preceded the match.
But he was not in the lineup that was announced an hour beforehand. Messi watched from a private box.
“Not having the best player is complicated but we have to take a step forward and learn to play without him,” Mascherano said.
Cavalier, which won the Jamaican Premier League title last season, advanced to this phase of the Champions Cup after winning the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup in December. The club remains scoreless in the Champions Cup after 2-0 and 4-0 losses against FC Cincinnati last year.

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Tchouameni: Real Madrid Victory for 'Everyone against Racism'

Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni (L) and Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis fight for the ball during the UEFA Champions League play-offs second leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, 25 February 2026. EPA/Sergio Perez
Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni (L) and Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis fight for the ball during the UEFA Champions League play-offs second leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, 25 February 2026. EPA/Sergio Perez
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Tchouameni: Real Madrid Victory for 'Everyone against Racism'

Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni (L) and Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis fight for the ball during the UEFA Champions League play-offs second leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, 25 February 2026. EPA/Sergio Perez
Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni (L) and Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis fight for the ball during the UEFA Champions League play-offs second leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, 25 February 2026. EPA/Sergio Perez

Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni said his team's 2-1 win against Benfica on Wednesday to reach the Champions League last 16 was a victory for "everyone who is against racism".

The Frenchman was referring to the first leg of the play-off tie, which Madrid won 1-0 last week, which was marred by alleged racial abuse aimed at Vinicius Junior by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni.

"We didn't play our best match of the season, that's for sure. But I think there are things more important than this match, and more important than football," Tchouameni told reporters.

Vinicius scored Madrid's second goal at the Santiago Bernabeu and Tchouameni said the result was a "victory for everyone who is against racism".

Prestianni was provisionally suspended by UEFA for the game while the incident is under investigation and Benfica had an appeal against his ban rejected earlier Wednesday.

"The dance continues," wrote Vinicius on social media afterwards, along with a photo of a big banner hung at the Bernabeu reading "no to racism".

Real Madrid said they had thrown out one of their own supporters before the game for performing a Nazi salute.

"This (club) member was identified by the club's security staff moments after appearing on the (television) broadcast and was immediately expelled from the Santiago Bernabeu stadium," AFP quoted Madrid as saying in a statement.

"Real Madrid condemns this type of gesture and expression that incites violence and hatred in sports and society."

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said he was happy when Vinicius found the net.

"(I reacted) with joy obviously, for the great goal he scored, and because it was him, he deserves it," said Arbeloa.

"Without (Kylian) Mbappe I think it's even more important and I am very happy for him."

Before the game Arbeloa said French superstar Mbappe would spend some time out as he recovers from a knee problem.

"After yesterday's session, we talked with the doctors, I spoke with him, and we felt the best thing was for him to stop, to recover 100 percent, and to come back in top shape, confident and without any discomfort for everything that's coming, which is obviously very important," Arbeloa told reporters after the match.

Asked if it was discomfort or an injury, he added: "I think we can call it an injury, but it seems, and I hope, that it's not a very serious injury, nothing major, and that he'll be able to come back in a few days or weeks."

Sports

Austin WTA Tournament Sets Up 'Rage Room' for Players to Blow Off Steam

Tennis - WTA 1000 - Dubai Championships - Dubai Tennis Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - February 20, 2026 Coco Gauff of the US reacts during her semi final match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
Tennis - WTA 1000 - Dubai Championships - Dubai Tennis Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - February 20, 2026 Coco Gauff of the US reacts during her semi final match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
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Austin WTA Tournament Sets Up 'Rage Room' for Players to Blow Off Steam

Tennis - WTA 1000 - Dubai Championships - Dubai Tennis Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - February 20, 2026 Coco Gauff of the US reacts during her semi final match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
Tennis - WTA 1000 - Dubai Championships - Dubai Tennis Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - February 20, 2026 Coco Gauff of the US reacts during her semi final match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

A WTA tournament in Texas has unveiled a "rage room" for players to take out their frustrations away from the cameras after Coco Gauff's racket-smashing outburst at the Australian Open last month sparked debate about privacy at tournaments.

Shortly after Gauff's 59-minute quarter-final loss to Elina Svitolina at Melbourne Park, the American went to the match call area and repeatedly smashed ‌her racket ‌on the ground, unaware that it ‌was ⁠being broadcast to ⁠viewers around the world.

Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek were among the players calling for more privacy off the court following the incident.

The ATX Open in Austin, Texas, has come up with a solution, Reuters reported.

"Introducing the ATX Open ⁠rage room - the first of its ‌kind - where players can ‌privately express frustration or emotion in a safe, ‌camera-free environment," the WTA 250 tournament posted ‌on its social media platforms.

The post also featured a sign with the words "don't smile" and "count to three" along with a broken racket.

While reaction online was ‌largely positive, some questioned whether the room would encourage players to vent ⁠their ⁠frustrations in a physical manner.

Dubai Tennis Championships organizers have set up a "Smash Room" truck for fans this week, with Chinese player Shang Juncheng invited to try it out in front of the cameras.

"I smashed a few items, including DVDs and big containers," he said. "It's loud and it's intense but in a good way. You get everything out of your system in there instead of taking that frustration onto the court."

Sports

Infantino Has 'Complete Confidence' in Mexico to Host World Cup Games Despite Violence

Members of the Civil Guard of Michoacan patrol a highway supported by armored vehicles after a wave of violence in the town of Aguililla, in Tierra Caliente, Mexico, on February 24, 2026. (Photo by Enrique Castro / AFP)
Members of the Civil Guard of Michoacan patrol a highway supported by armored vehicles after a wave of violence in the town of Aguililla, in Tierra Caliente, Mexico, on February 24, 2026. (Photo by Enrique Castro / AFP)
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Infantino Has 'Complete Confidence' in Mexico to Host World Cup Games Despite Violence

Members of the Civil Guard of Michoacan patrol a highway supported by armored vehicles after a wave of violence in the town of Aguililla, in Tierra Caliente, Mexico, on February 24, 2026. (Photo by Enrique Castro / AFP)
Members of the Civil Guard of Michoacan patrol a highway supported by armored vehicles after a wave of violence in the town of Aguililla, in Tierra Caliente, Mexico, on February 24, 2026. (Photo by Enrique Castro / AFP)

The violence that erupted in Mexico after the death of a powerful drug lord has left many questioning whether the country will be able to co-host the World Cup in just over three months.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino thinks it can.

“Of course, we are monitoring the situation in Mexico these days, but I want to say from the outset that we have complete confidence in Mexico, in its president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and in the authorities, and we are convinced that everything will go as smoothly as possible,” Infantino said late Tuesday in a press conference in Colombia.

“Mexico is a great country, like in every country in the world, things happen; we don’t live on the moon or another planet,” Infantino added. “That’s why we have governments, police, and authorities who will ensure order and security.”

 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends the inauguration of the Colombian Football Federation's hotel, where he spoke about his support for Mexico for the World Cup, in Barranquilla, Colombia, February 24, 2026. REUTERS/Jairo Cassiani

The Mexican army killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” who led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, on Sunday, sparking several days of violence. Cartel members burned cars and blocked roads in nearly a dozen Mexican states and authorities report that at least 70 people have died.

Four high-level soccer matches from the local leagues were postponed last Sunday, including one in the central city of Queretaro, where Mexico defeated Iceland 4-0 late Wednesday in a friendly match.

Before the match, a minute of silence was held in the Corregidora stadium in honor of the soldiers who died during the operation to capture Oseguera.

Thirteen World Cup matches are scheduled to be held in Mexico, including the opening game in Mexico City on June 11 between the co-host and South Africa. Guadalajara, the central hub for the Jalisco cartel, is scheduled to host four.

Colombia is set to play one game in Mexico City and one in Guadalajara.

“Our first two matches are in Mexico, but we know they will overcome this and move forward,” said Ramón Jesurún, the president of the Colombian Soccer Federation. “I have absolute and total confidence in my geopolitical thinking that this is an issue Mexico will overcome, and overcome very quickly.”

Other nations have expressed more concern. The Portuguese soccer federation said Tuesday that it was closely monitoring developments ahead of a planned friendly against Mexico in March. Jamaica is set to play New Caledonia in Guadalajara on March 26 in an intercontinental playoff semifinal, with the winner advancing to face Congo for a World Cup spot.

“The games are at the end of March, so we still have another month to see what happens; but it is making me very nervous, to be honest,” said Michael Ricketts, the president of the Jamaican Soccer Federation. "We will be listening out for CONCACAF and FIFA to give us instructions (on) whether they are playing the games or whether they are immediately looking for other options.”

Another Mexican city, Monterrey, will host a playoff where Bolivia plays Suriname and the winner faces Iraq for a spot in the tournament.

On Monday, Sheinbaum said there is “every guarantee” that the World Cup matches in Guadalajara will be played as planned and added that there was “no risk.”

“We are in regular contact with the presidency and the authorities in Mexico and we are monitoring the situation,” Infantino said. “The World Cup is going to be an incredible celebration."