International Football
Messi, Argentina set to pull a big crowd in Beijing exhibition game against Australia
Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentina teammates are expected to draw almost 70,000 fans to Beijing Worker’s Stadium for an exhibition against Australia.
With tickets starting at around $80 for Thursday’s game, local supporters are excited to see Messi and continue the World Cup celebrations. Fans have flocked to all opportunities to see the Argentine star since the team arrived in China, with large crowds angling for photographs and chanting his name.
Messi’s move to “continue my path” in Miami last week made global headlines after he turned down extremely lucrative offers from Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia in favor of Major League Soccer.
He said that after winning the World Cup, it was his time to go the United States and “live football in another way.”
Before then, he’s with the Argentina squad that is scheduled to play Australia in the Chinese capital and take on Indonesia in Jakarta four days later.
Australia coach Graham Arnold said he was looking forward to giving a selection of young players some valuable experience.
“There’s no better team to test yourself against than he best in the world,” Arnold said in an interview for Chinese TV. “It’s going to be great for the players — not only the players, but for everyone here in China and back in Australia — to see Lionel Messi play.
“He’s such a wonderful player and obviously best in the world. To have those privileges to test yourself against him, it’s important.”
Messi led Argentina to a 2-1 win over the Australians in the Round of 16 at the World Cup last year in Qatar.
For the Socceroos, though, this rematch is not about revenge for a defeat but more the journey to the next Asian Cup, at Qatar in January, and beyond.
“It’s a younger squad but I’m also looking with one eye on the World Cup in 2026 and getting players ready for that,” Arnold said. “I don’t believe there’s a better way to test them out.”
Australia, which joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006 and won the regional title on home soil in 2015, will take on India, Syria and Uzbekistan at the Asian Cup.
Arnold has handed first call-ups to Italian-based defender Alessandro Circati and Melbourne City goalkeeper Thomas Glover, and has recalled Gianni Stensness and Denis Genreau.
In other international friendlies this week, Japan will play El Salvador and South Korea, led by former U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, will take on Peru on Friday.
Klinsmann is sweating on the fitness of Tottenham star player Son Heung-min, who had a hernia operation after the end of the English Premier League season. According to Korea Football Association officials, Son wants to play but it has yet to be decided.
Oh Hyeon-gu, who helped Celtic to the Scottish championship, could make the step up in Son’s absence.
“I don’t know about playing time, but whether I am given one minute or 90 minutes, I will do my best,” Oh said. “I traveled to Qatar for the World Cup. I was so desperate to play and I know all the stadiums … I want to make those dream moments if I can go to the Asian Cup.”
Oh’s Celtic teammate Kyogo Furuhashi did not make Japan’s roster at the World Cup but the Scottish Premiership Player of the Year has been recalled by Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu.
“He has been contributing to the team’s victories with consistent performance and a strong presence on the field,” Moriyasu, who is looking to lead Japan to a fifth continental title, said of the striker. “We expect him to score goals and be involved in creating goal-scoring opportunities.”
As well as the Asian Cup, Qatar is preparing for a second successive guest appearance later this month at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the tournament that determines the champion of the region that encapsulates North and Central America as well as the Caribbean.
It starts with a friendly against Jamaica in Austria on Thursday. At the World Cup, Qatar lost all three of its group games but appointed former Real Madrid and Portugal boss Carlos Queiroz in February.
The defending Asian champion, which also reached the semifinals of the 2021 Gold Cup, will take on Haiti, Honduras and Mexico in the tournament hosted by the United States.
-AP
Two Moroccan players from top-flight soccer side Ittihad Tanger have been missing at sea since Saturday after strong currents drifted their small yacht, a club official said on Sunday.
They were in a group of five players from the club who went cruising off the northern city of Tangier when strong currents and heavy winds drifted their yacht away as they were swimming in deep waters, club deputy president Anass Mrabet told Reuters.
“Three players have already been rescued on Saturday, while research is still ongoing for the missing Salman Harraq and Abdellatif Akhrif,” he said.
The players did not have buoys on them when they jumped from the small yacht to swim, he said citing recounts by rescued players.
While Akhrif, 24, is already a full member of the squad, Harraq, 18, was about to move up to the senior team this year, Mrabet added.
Ittihad Tanger have been in the Moroccan top flight since 2015 and won the league title for the first and only time in their history in the 2017-18 season. However, they have struggled in the lower half of the standings in recent years.
-Reuters
FIFA will host its first ever FIFAe World Cup of Football Manager this year to crown the best virtual manager on the highly-popular video game, world soccer’s governing body said on Thursday.
FIFA is partnering with Sports Interactive, the developers of the game that has sold millions of copies and has also been used by several football clubs to scout players and opponents thanks to its extensive database.
Players will compete for $100,000 in prize money in the final event from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.
“This competition requires participants to demonstrate a profound understanding of football strategy and tactics,” said former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who is the ambassador for the esports event.
“Success demands not only mastery of game mechanics but also in-depth football knowledge, making this format a fascinating blend.”
FIFA said in the inaugural year of the event, selected member associations will be invited to be represented at the final event.
Member associations from all six confederations are expected to be invited while players can sign up on FIFA’s website.
-Reuters
Former Italy international Roberto Baggio was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint at his home in northern Italy while watching his country’s match against Spain in the Euro 2024 tournament on Thursday, local police said.
Burglars broke into Baggio’s house near Vicenza, hit him on the head with a gun butt and locked him and his family in a room while they stole jewellery, watches and cash, daily Il Corriere della Sera reported. It said he suffered a deep wound.
“Luckily, the violence I suffered only resulted in a few stitches, bruises and a lot of fear. Now it is to overcome the fear,” Baggio was quoted as saying by Italian news agency ANSA.
Baggio, 57, played for clubs including Juventus (JUVE.MI), opens new tab, AC Milan and Inter Milan. He also played 56 times for Italy, scoring 27 goals, and is widely seen as one of his country’s all-time greats.
After the robbery, Baggio, widely known as the “divine ponytail”, was treated at a local hospital where he received stitches for the head wound, Italian media reported.
Italy lost to Spain 1-0 on Thursday and now must avoid defeat by Croatia to guarantee progression in the tournament.
-Reuters
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