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Lionel Messi's 6th Brace in 7 Games Seals Inter Miami's Win over Red Bulls

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF shoots during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jeff Dean/Getty Images/AFP
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF shoots during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jeff Dean/Getty Images/AFP
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Lionel Messi's 6th Brace in 7 Games Seals Inter Miami's Win over Red Bulls

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF shoots during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jeff Dean/Getty Images/AFP
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF shoots during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jeff Dean/Getty Images/AFP

Lionel Messi had two goals and two assists to lead Inter Miami to a bounce- back 5-1 victory over the host New York Red Bulls on Saturday night in Harrison, N.J.

Messi and Inter Miami (12-4-5, 41 points) erased a 1-0 first-half deficit with a flurry of goals late in the first half -- two of them coming off the foot of Telasco Segovia -- that staked the Herons to a 3-1 halftime lead, Reuters said.

Miami won its sixth MLS match in its past seven after having a five-game winning streak snapped at FC Cincinnati on Wednesday. Messi saw the end of his MLS-record streak of five matches scoring multiple goals, only to record a brace on Saturday.

The Red Bulls (9-9-6, 33 points) failed to string together consecutive wins at home and lost to Inter Miami for the second time this season.

New York scored its lone goal in the 15th minute when Emil Forsberg lifted a corner kick in front of Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo's line of sight. Alexander Hack then kicked it home for the score despite having defender Federico Redondo draped all over him.

Rios Novo made his second start this season for Oscar Ustari, who sat out with an injury.

Jordi Alba, who exited the game in the 84th minute with what appeared to be a leg cramp, scored his first goal of the season in MLS league play off a cross from Messi in the 24th minute to tie the game1-1.

Inter Miami took the lead for good in the 27th when Luis Suarez, who assisted on the first goal, sent a ball ahead to Messi, who then directed it quickly to Alba, who then crossed it back to Segovia for an easy shot into the back of the net.

In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Redondo advanced the ball into the Red Bulls' box but could not fire off a shot. Segovia, though, surged in and fired a shot off a rebound past Carlos Miguel Coronel for a third goal.

Messi followed with goals in the 60th and 75th minutes to seal the outcome.

Messi increased his total goals in MLS games to 18 this season and has contributed on 27 scores.

The Red Bulls mustered nine shots in the match, but they were outshot 8-1 in shots on target.

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Sports

Liverpool Have 'Moved On' from Salah Furor, Says Upbeat Slot

Liverpool manager Arne Slot (L) looks on towards Mohamed Salah of Liverpool (R) during the English Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in Liverpool, Britain, 13 December 2025. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
Liverpool manager Arne Slot (L) looks on towards Mohamed Salah of Liverpool (R) during the English Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in Liverpool, Britain, 13 December 2025. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
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Liverpool Have 'Moved On' from Salah Furor, Says Upbeat Slot

Liverpool manager Arne Slot (L) looks on towards Mohamed Salah of Liverpool (R) during the English Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in Liverpool, Britain, 13 December 2025. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
Liverpool manager Arne Slot (L) looks on towards Mohamed Salah of Liverpool (R) during the English Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in Liverpool, Britain, 13 December 2025. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN

Arne Slot said Liverpool have "moved on" from the furor caused by Mohamed Salah's explosive outburst at being dropped and are showing signs of growing into the side he wants to see.

The Reds begin what could be up to a month without Salah, who is representing Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), away at Tottenham on Saturday.

After a run of nine defeats in 12 games, Slot has steadied the ship in a five-game unbeaten run, during which Salah did not start a single game.

"Actions speak louder than words. We moved on," Slot told reporters on Friday, referring to his decision to bring Salah on as a substitute in last week's 2-0 victory over Brighton, AFP reported.

"Now he's at the AFCON playing big games for himself and the country. All the focus for him is over there and there should not be any distraction of me saying anything because we moved on after the Leeds interview and he played against Brighton."

Despite a difficult second season for Slot in England, Liverpool sit seventh in the Premier League and would move into the top four with victory against struggling Spurs.

The English champions transformed their squad over the summer transfer window, spending nearly £450 million ($602 million) to bring in Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.

Apart from the impressive Ekitike, all the new signings have struggled and Slot conceded he had been overly optimistic over how long it would take for his new-look squad to perform consistently.

"I think we are getting closer and closer to the team I want us to be and that has gone with ups and downs," said the Dutchman.

"But for me that makes complete sense because all the changes we've made during the summer and we made them on purpose because we thought we needed to.

"If I'm completely honest, maybe I didn't expect it to take maybe as long as it did, but, looking back on it, reflecting on it now, I think I've been too positive because if you go with a new group where not all of them are completely ready to play every single game, 90 minutes in this intensity, you have to adapt.

"Sometimes he can play, then he cannot play. So it takes maybe a bit of time, and we've been very unlucky."

Joe Gomez and Cody Gakpo will miss the trip to Tottenham due to injury, but Slot is hopeful that Dominik Szoboszlai will be fit to start. Frimpong returns after a two-month absence.

Sports

Saudi Arabia’s AlUla to Host Endurance Race with Riders from 12 Countries

The race is organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla in partnership with the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation. SPA
The race is organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla in partnership with the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation. SPA
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Saudi Arabia’s AlUla to Host Endurance Race with Riders from 12 Countries

The race is organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla in partnership with the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation. SPA
The race is organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla in partnership with the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation. SPA

AlUla Governorate is scheduled to host on Saturday the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee Endurance Cup, which will be held at AlFursan Equestrian Village with the participation of 200 male and female riders representing 12 countries.

The race is organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla in partnership with the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation. It features a main 120-kilometer race (CEI2*) divided into four stages, in addition to an international 100-kilometer race (CEI1*), as well as two local races over distances of 40 and 80 kilometers.

The organizing committee has set Friday as the date for the veterinary inspection of the participating horses, along with a briefing meeting for riders to explain the race regulations and instructions. The competitions will begin at dawn on Saturday.

Sports

Indian Football Club Banned, Fined for Refusing to Play in Iran

Baluch Iranian youths ride on a motorcycle in Zahedan, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan bordering Afghanistan on December 18, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Baluch Iranian youths ride on a motorcycle in Zahedan, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan bordering Afghanistan on December 18, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
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Indian Football Club Banned, Fined for Refusing to Play in Iran

Baluch Iranian youths ride on a motorcycle in Zahedan, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan bordering Afghanistan on December 18, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Baluch Iranian youths ride on a motorcycle in Zahedan, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan bordering Afghanistan on December 18, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

The Asian Football Confederation banned Indian club Mohun Bagan Super Giant from all its competitions and fined it more than $100,000 for refusing to play a match in Iran.

Mohun Bagan did not travel for an Asian Champions League Two group match against Sepahan in Iran in September, citing lack of security assurances and medical insurance coverage.

The AFC disciplinary and ethics committee banned Mohun Bagan from the next edition of the continental second-tier tournament, up to the 2027-28 season, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

One of the oldest football clubs in Asia, Mohun Bagan were also handed a $50,000 fine and told to pay $50,729 for damages and losses incurred by the AFC and Sepahan.

Mohun Bagan were withdrawn from the competition after their no-show and their matches were declared null and void by the AFC.

The club had earlier asked the Court Arbitration for Sport to move the match to a neutral venue, but the request was rejected, AFP reported.

The club also did not travel to Iran last year for a match against Tractor SC, a day after Iran launched missiles towards Israel.