Argentine
World-renowned soccer icon Lionel Messi played his final competitive home match in Buenos Aires on Sept. 4, amid speculation that he may sit out of the 2026 World Cup.
Over 80,000 fans showed up to send off the Argentine legend, including Messi’s three sons, who joined him on the field before kick-off.
Despite targeted pressure from opposing players, Messi made his mark on the scoreboard. He scored two out of Argentina’s three goals in the team’s 3-0 World Cup qualifier win against Venezuela, with his first goal breaking into the 39th minute of a scoreless game.
The Argentinian team has already qualified for the World Cup, but it’s unclear whether the 38-year-old will be part of the squad for its 2026 run. Prioritizing his recovery from a hamstring injury, Messi did not play in the Sept. 9 qualifier against Ecuador, the team’s last game before the World Cup.
“I haven’t made a decision about the World Cup,” Messi said to the BBC. “I’ll finish the season, then I’ll have pre-season and there will be six months left. So we’ll see how I feel.”
Italy
Slovenia knocked Italy out of the EuroBasket round of 16 on Sept. 7. The team had opened the game with the first four points, but was quickly matched by Slovenia’s 15-0 streak — 10 of which were scored by Luka Dončić.
“We knew before the game that Italy is one of the best teams in Europe,” Slovenia small forward Gregor Hrovat said. “When they tried to come back, we stuck together and played one of the best defensive games this tournament.”
The Italian team was unable to recover, trailing by as many as 19 points in the second quarter. A productive fourth quarter cut the lead down to one point with 1:53 left to play, but Slovenia ultimately triumphed with a final score of 84-77.
“We wouldn’t have needed a comeback if we started a little bit better,” Italian forward Simone Fontecchio said. “That is the main thing. We fought and tried until the end. But when a player like that (Dončić) gets confidence like that in the first 5-10 minutes — it’s harder.”
Carrying the Slovenian team, Dončić scored 42 of its 84 points and shot 57.9% from the field. Dončić was traded to the Lakers in a shocking move earlier this year, and his prowess in the EuroBasket made good on the Los Angeles-based team’s controversial strategy.
Spain
Spain’s Vuelta a España, an annual multi-stage cycling race, is in full swing and wracked with controversy. The participation of the Israel-Premiere Tech team has sparked outrage and widespread protests in wake of Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.
Pro-Palestinian protestors have been seen at multiple stages of the race, which is slated to end in Madrid on Sunday. Makeshift barricades have forced several riders forced to stop or pause midway.
“There is only one solution — for the Israeli team to recognise that their presence here does not promote safety,” Vuelta’s technical director Kiko Garcia said in response to questions about potential resolutions.
Following protests, the Israel-Premiere Tech team updated its riders’ kit to erase the sponsor’s name from uniforms, although the sponsor itself has not withdrawn from the race. Protests have continued on and there are currently no plans to stop the race in its entirety.
Multiple stages of the race have been modified out of concern for the race’s participants, with Stage 18 reduced from 27.2 to 12.2km, which was shortened even after Stage 17 was completed without disruptions. The riders voted on Sept. 10 to continue riding despite continued protest activity, and will continue to evaluate the situation over the final days.
Contact Kiran Komanduri at [email protected]
