Messi set for Argentina farewell in Benin friendly

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Lionel Messi was on Tuesday named in Argentina's squad for a friendly against Benin on October 6, a match that will serve as his farewell appearance after announcing his international retirement last month. likesport.biz

The 39-year-old said in August he was retiring from Argentina duty after a two-decade international career that included winning the 2022 World Cup and Copa America triumphs in 2021 and 2024.

"We made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain, Lionel Andres Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on October 6 here in Argentina," said Argentine FA president Claudio Tapia.

The match against Benin will take place at River Plate's Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, which can accommodate 85,000 spectators.

Tapia also invited all of Argentina's 2022 World Cup winners to join Messi for what he said would be an "unforgettable" occasion.

Argentina begin a series of three friendlies against Bolivia on September 30 in Cordoba -- their first match since losing the World Cup final to Spain -- before taking on Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3.

Messi has been included in the squad for the third match against Benin, when he is expected to make his 208th and final appearance for the national team. He is Argentina's all-time record scorer with 125 goals.

Following the death of his father Jorge last month, Messi had said he had "serious doubts" about continuing to play football of any sort for "much longer".

"It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep in my soul but I understand that it is the right time," Messi said when he called time on his Argentina career.

His contract with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami runs until the end of the 2028 season.

Last month FIFA ordered Argentina to play their next home match with capacity reduced to 50 percent for breaches of its disciplinary code relating to using a sports event for making demonstrations of a non-sporting nature.

After Argentina beat England 2-1 in a tense World Cup semi-final in July, several players held up a banner saying: "The Falklands are Argentine".

The friendlies are also expected to count towards suspensions handed down following incidents after Argentina's World Cup final defeat by Spain.

Midfielder Leandro Paredes received a 10-match ban, while defender Nahuel Molina was suspended for seven games and Thiago Almada for one.

لم تتوقف زيارات الرياضيين إلى منزل الكابتن عادل مال الله، قائد العنابي السابق والنادي الأهلي، منذ عودته إلى أرض الوطن بعد رحلة علاجية طويلة في مملكة تايلاند، في مشهد يجسد أجمل معاني الوفاء والتقدير لأحد الأسماء التي تركت بصمة لا تُنسى في تاريخ الرياضة القطرية.ويتوافد على الكابتن عادل نجوم الكرة القدامى والحاليون، ورؤساء الأندية السابقون والحاليون، والمدربون والإعلاميون وأبناء الوسط الرياضي، للاطمئنان على صحته والوقوف إلى جانبه، في رسالة صادقة تؤكد أن من خدم الرياضة وأخلص لها لا تغيب مكانته مهما تعاقبت السنوات.
وعادل مال الله ليس مجرد لاعب حمل شارة القيادة، بل أحد رموز الجيل الذي صنع الكثير من صفحات المجد للكرة القطرية. وسيظل اسمه مرتبطًا بإنجاز تاريخي، حين أصبح أول لاعب قطري يرفع كأس الخليج عام 1992، في لحظة ستبقى محفورة في ذاكرة الرياضة القطرية والخليجية.
كما كان الكابتن عادل واحدًا من صناع الإنجاز التاريخي للمنتخب القطري للشباب في أستراليا، عندما بلغ العنابي المباراة النهائية لكأس العالم للشباب وحقق لقب الوصيف أمام المنتخب الألماني، في إنجاز وضع الكرة القطرية على خريطة المنافسة العالمية وأكد أن ذلك الجيل كان يملك شخصية وطموحًا كبيرين.
ولم تتوقف مسيرة العطاء عند المستطيل الأخضر؛ فقد خدم عادل مال الله الاتحاد القطري للشرطة سنوات طويلة، مؤكدًا أن الرياضة بالنسبة إليه كانت رسالة وانتماء ومسؤولية.
اليوم، تأتي هذه الزيارات المتواصلة لتقول للكابتن عادل: ما قدمته لم يذهب سدى، ومحبة الناس هي أجمل كأس يمكن أن يرفعها الإنسان بعد رحلة عطائه.

Nagoya: The Asian Games open in Japan on Saturday with 2028 Olympics places up for grabs, fast-rising talents of world sport in action and thousands of athletes staying on a cruise ship in typhoon season.

More than 17,000 competitors and officials are expected at the continent’s biggest sporting spectacular, which takes place in Nagoya and the wider Aichi prefecture until October 4.

The number of participants -- more than the Olympics -- has been a sore point for stretched-to-the-limit organisers, who initially expected 15,000 and have had to scramble to find accommodation for the rest.

They opted from the start to house athletes in temporary accommodation in a bid to cut costs, ranging from a cruise liner and wooden containers to hotel rooms.

Organisers say that the 20th edition of the Games, which were first held in 1951, will be “the most spectacular for generations”.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 athletes and officials will stay on the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena, which usually features 571 cabins, seven swimming pools, eight restaurants and nine bars.

Cruise ships have been used previously as accommodation at international sporting events, but never on this scale.

The unusual accommodation plans have been met with concern by some countries, with India even building their own replica container huts to prepare athletes for their stay.

Organisers are adamant that everyone will have a bed and confident that the typhoon season that usually visits Japan in September and October will not dampen the party.

Weather has already disrupted preparations, with record rainfall forcing athletes to evacuate their accommodation briefly last week.

Rainwater also seeped into some competition venues, although organisers said there was no serious damage. More rain is forecast this week.

Athletes from 45 countries and territories will compete in more than 40 sports across the two weeks.

Basketball and football are already under way, with several more events set to start before Saturday’s glittering opening ceremony.

As always at the Asian Games, Olympics staples such as athletics and swimming will sit side-by-side with regional favourites like sepak takraw and kabaddi.

In a bid to attract younger viewers there will be eSports, breakdancing and BMX cycling.

Padel, the fast-growing racquet sport, and MMA will make their Asian Games debuts.

The Games will function as qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in seven sports including surfing, tennis, archery and squash.

Among those competing will be Philippine tennis sensation Alexandra Eala and a pair of prodigies in 15-year-old Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi.

“I love playing and competing with the Philippine team,” said Eala, who is skipping the China Open to take part.

Gold rush

Taiwan boxer Lin Yu-ting will also be there, two years after she won Paris Olympics gold in the middle of a major gender row that saw her eligibility questioned. Hosts Japan will look to their Olympic champions for success, with gymnast Shinnosuke Oka and javelin thrower Haruka Kitaguchi named in their team.

North Korea will have more than 100 athletes competing across 14 sports, aiming to “bring joy to Marshal Kim Jong Un”.

China will again expect to top the medals table after winning a whopping 201 golds and 383 medals on home soil in Hangzhou at the Covid-delayed Games in 2023.

They will send more than 800 athletes, including 36 Olympic champions.

“We will showcase China’s standard and strength on the regional and global stage,” said diver Wang Zongyuan.

Sooryavanshi will be part of an India cricket team looking to make a statement before the sport returns to the Olympics in LA after an absence of 128 years.

India could face bitter rivals Pakistan in the final at Nagoya’s new purpose-built cricket ground.

Reports of tents serving as dressing rooms and distant washroom facilities have left some of the top teams unimpressed.

تقام الليلة مباراتا نصف نهائي منافسات دوري الكابتن سعيد المسند، رحمه الله، لكرة الصالات في نسخته الثانية الذي يستمر حتى يوم الجمعة المقبل في صالة الاتحاد القطري لكرة الصالات بنادي الوكرة، حيث يلتقي فريق اتحاد الشرطة أمام مدرج العنابي، على أن تكون المباراة الثانية بين فريقي الجسرة والنصر، ومن المتوقع أن تشهد المباريات ندية كبيرة بين كافة الفرق للتأهل للنهائي من البطولة الذي سيقام يوم الجمعة المقبل، ولذلك المتابعون والجمهور سيكونون أمام مباريات حافلة بالإثارة، وتأتي مباريات نصف النهائي بعد 4 مباريات قوية ومثيرة في ربع النهائي، حيث فاز فريق اتحاد الشرطة على الشقب برباعية مقابل ثلاثة، وفي المباراة الثانية فاز فريق الجسرة على سنونو 1/2 بركلات الترجيح بعد انتهاء المباراة في وقتها الأصلي بهدفين لكل فريق، وفي ثالثة المباريات حقق النصر فوزاً كبيراً على سبورت دوم بخمسة أهداف مقابل هدف، واختتمت المباريات بفوز مدرج العنابي على أكاديمية فاردن بثلاثية دون رد.وتقام البطولة بمشاركة 10 فرق، وهي: أكاديمية فاردن، وسبورت دوم، وسنونو، واتحاد الشرطة، وجامعة الدوحة، والشقب، والوكرة، والجسرة، والنصر، ومدرج العنابي، ويحظى دوري الكابتن سعيد المسند بتواجد عدد كبير من الرعاة والشركاء، وزارة الرياضة والشباب الشريك الاستراتيجي، وفودافون قطر راعي الاتصالات الرسمي للبطولة، والاتحاد القطري لكرة القدم شريك المنشأة، ومن الداعمين الرسميين شركة أسيل للمياه، والجزيرة للعطور بجانب الرعاء والشركاء الآخرين.