Lionel Messi curled home a spectacular free-kick from a near-impossible angle to equalise for Inter Miami against Columbus Crew on Sunday, taking his career total of free-kick goals to 76 and moving within two of the all-time record, according to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Argentine, 39, stood over a set-piece awarded near the right touchline in the 33rd minute after Columbus had taken an early lead through Josef Martínez. Rather than deliver a cross into the box, Messi struck the ball with his left foot, sending it over the wall and into the far top corner beyond the reach of goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.

The goal made the score 1-1, though Columbus went on to win 2-1 with a late stoppage-time strike.

The free-kick was Messi’s 76th in official matches across his career with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina.

It leaves him two short of the mark most widely attributed to Brazilian Marcelinho Carioca, who is credited with 78 direct free-kick goals.

Messi has enjoyed a prolific run from set pieces in 2026. He scored against San Diego FC to reach 75, netted twice in Inter Miami’s 7-1 win over CF Montréal, and also found the net from free-kicks against Orlando City, New York City FC, and Jordan with Argentina at the World Cup.

The latest strike continues Messi’s late-career mastery of free-kicks. He scored 50 for Barcelona, more than a dozen for Argentina, and has added further goals for Inter Miami since joining the MLS side in 2023.

His overall career goal tally now stands above 931.

Historical free-kick records can vary depending on the criteria used by different compilers, with some lists still placing Juninho Pernambucano near the top with 77.

However, recent tallies consistently rank Marcelinho Carioca first and Messi second after the Columbus goal.

Source: punchng.com

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Portugal manager Jorge Jesus has clarified why Cristiano Ronaldo remained an unused substitute throughout the 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory over Norway in Oslo on Sunday.

Ronaldo, 41, was named among the substitutes and was fit to play, but stayed on the bench for the full 90 minutes as Gonçalo Ramos started up front and scored the winning goal.

Jesus said he had initially planned to introduce the captain.

As reported by Fabrizio Romano on X on Monday, the coach was quoted as saying,  “I was thinking of Cristiano to come in… but then the game dictates other things,” he explained.

The coach emphasised that the decision was purely tactical and not related to fitness concerns. “I felt it wasn’t the right time to put him in the game. There are still two more games, but it wasn’t to protect him physically. He was ready,” Jesus added.

He further revealed that he had even agreed with Ronaldo beforehand to bring him on for the final half-hour. However, Ramos was performing well — scoring one goal and having another disallowed — and the match situation required different changes to maintain balance and protect the result.

Portugal used all five permitted substitutions, introducing players such as Vitinha, Rafael Leão, Rúben Neves, Francisco Trincão and Bernardo Silva, but Ronaldo was not among them.

Jesus left the door open for Ronaldo’s return in the upcoming fixtures, suggesting he could start against Denmark.

The result leaves Portugal top of their Nations League group after back-to-back wins.

Source: punchng.com

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Spain defeated defending champions DPR Korea 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw to win the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Łódź, Poland, on Sunday.

According to a report published on the FIFA website on Sunday night, Spain goalkeeper Laia Lopez was the hero of the shootout, saving penalties from Choe Yon-A and Pak Il-Sim as La Rojita secured their second U-20 Women’s World Cup title.

The victory came after a tightly contested final in which neither side could find a goal during 90 minutes or extra time.

Lopez had earlier kept Spain in the game during the first half, coming off her line to block an effort from Ho Kyong after the DPR Korea substitute picked up the ball just outside the area following a mistake by the Spanish defence.

Spain increased the pressure after the break, with Pau Comendador forcing an excellent diving save from DPR Korea goalkeeper Pak Ju-Gyong in the 78th minute.

Marisa Garcia also threatened for Spain in extra time, with Pak making two saves to deny the forward.

The final was eventually settled by penalties, with Lopez saving twice to secure the trophy for Spain.

The triumph marked Spain’s second U-20 Women’s World Cup title, following their 2022 success in Costa Rica. It also means Spain have won a second global title in succession after their senior men’s team won the FIFA World Cup in July.

Reacting to the victory, Spain coach David Aznar said the title completed “a beautiful cycle” for his players.

“For us, it was a way to bring a beautiful cycle to a close with a brilliant generation that has achieved so much success at youth level, and I think the players have made a tremendous effort. I’m very happy for them, above all to see them happy and to see them rewarded for all the work they have put in to get this far and for the effort they made in this match. It was a very tough, very difficult match, and they made things extremely difficult for us,” Aznar said.

Spain defender Silvia Cristobal said the players had dreamed of lifting the trophy from a young age.

“I think it’s the happiest day of our lives. We’ve dreamed of being here and lifting this long-awaited trophy since we were little. And, well, we’re incredibly happy, extremely proud of the result and of everything we’ve achieved,” Cristobal said.

DPR Korea coach Han Chol-Hak said he was proud of his players despite their defeat.

“After the game was all over, all of our players were crying and that really broke my heart. So I tried to comfort them. And as the head coach, I think that they all did their best. So I’m very proud of them,” Han said.

The final was a repeat of the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final, when DPR Korea defeated Spain 4-3 on penalties.

DPR Korea also made history in Poland by becoming the first team to complete a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup tournament without conceding a goal.

Spain forward Pau Comendador also became the first player to win two adidas Golden Boot awards in two different FIFA women’s youth tournaments, having previously won the award at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup with five goals.

Source: punchng.com

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