Taylor Harwood-Bellis has been left out of Unai Emery's Champions League squad, just two days after expressing his 'excitement' at the prospect of playing in Europe's elite competition.
A half a dozen Americans in Europe are regulars on the USWNT that will attempt to qualify in November for the 2027 Women's World Cup. The major summer move was Lindsey Heaps' departure from OL Lyonnes to her hometown Denver Summit. Moves to Europe include San Diego Wave keeper Leah Freeman to Lazio and Lexi Missimo to Les Marseillaises in France and Tyler McCamey to Barcelona from Dallas Trinity. The post WOMEN’S SOCCER: Americans in Europe’s big 5 leagues appeared first on Soccer America.
Despite Noah Allen completed his move to Chicago Fire, Lionel Messi won't be able to surpass him as the player with the most games at Inter Miami in the 2026 season. Lionel Messi has seen a clear path emerge to become the all-time appearance leader in Inter Miami history following Noah Allen‘s departure to the Chicago Fire. However, the Argentine legend will be unable to claim the record during the 2026 campaign, leaving him waiting until at least next season to take top spot. On Thursday, September 3, Inter Miami announced that defender Noah Allen completed a transfer to the Chicago Fire. The transaction was structured as a loan deal through the remainder of 2026, featuring a mandatory purchase option that will automatically trigger at the conclusion of the season to make the transfer permanent. As reported by Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald, the mandatory buy clause is set at approximately $3 million, meaning that entire sum will be reimbursed as allowable General Allocation Money (GAM) for Inter Miami‘s roster construction starting in the 2027 season. Speaking to Inter Miami’s official media channels, the homegrown defender reflected on his tenure with the club and his experience sharing the pitch with Messi. “I’m thankful to have been a part of Inter Miami and its history, and to have seen the Club grow into what it is today. I’m certainly grateful to play with the best player in the world, and players alongside him with a great history,” he stated. 🎙️ Noah Allen: “I’m thankful to have been a part of Inter Miami and its history" 🩷 pic.twitter.com/y0vLkfF0Ox— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) September 3, 2026 After making his first-team debut in 2022, Allen featured prominently across the rosters that captured all of Inter Miami’s major hardware, including the 2023 Leagues Cup, the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, and the 2025 MLS Cup. Over his time in South Florida, Allen tallied three goals and seven assists across 133 appearances in all competitions, establishing the franchise record for most games played in an Inter Miami shirt. Messi won’t catch up to Allen until 2027 Lionel Messi has firmly established himself as the most influential figure in Inter Miami history, holding the club’s all-time records for both goals (98) and assists (54). However, the forward has yet to break into the top three on the club’s all-time appearances leaderboard. Currently, Messi sits in fifth place with 111 appearances for the Herons, trailing Robert Taylor and Sergio Busquets (116 matches each), Drake Callender (118 matches), and Allen, who broke the all-time record back in April with 133 appearances. Even with none of those top four players remaining active on Inter Miami’s roster, the Argentine icon cannot reach the summit in 2026. Including the upcoming Campeones Cup clash against Cruz Azul and the remaining slate of the 2026 MLS regular season, Inter Miami have 13 matches scheduled. Should the Herons advance all the way to the MLS Cup Final (including a three-game round in the first round of the playoffs) they would add a maximum of six additional fixtures. Even if Messi features in every single minute of all 19 potential remaining matches, he would reach 130 appearances, leaving him three shy of Allen’s 133-match benchmark and pushing his record chase into the 2027 season.
As fans eagerly anticipate the upcoming match between these giants, fans are left wondering: has Lionel Messi ever faced the Norway international? Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland are two of the most prolific goalscorers in modern soccer, yet they have never faced one another for any club or national team. For years, Ronaldo has been the standard-bearer for Portugal, while Haaland has become Norway’s most feared finisher as their careers have run in parallel, but never in the same match. As fans eagerly anticipate the upcoming match between these giants, fans are left wondering: has Lionel Messi ever played against the Norway international? This highly anticipated duel will pit Ronaldo’s remarkable longevity against the explosive power of Haaland. Throughout his illustrious career, the Portuguese forward has showcased his talents at every major European destination he joined. Meanwhile, the Norwegian striker has bullied defenders across the continent with his incredible physical strength and ruthless finishing. The long wait for this monumental encounter will finally end on Sunday, September 27, 2026. The match will take place at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, where the home squad will host the Portuguese roster in a crucial Nations League fixture. A subsequent return meeting is already scheduled for October 4 in Porto, giving fans another chance to witness the spectacle. The Portuguese maestro and the Norwegian sensation have each carved out remarkable careers on the club and international stages. The former has spent years at the pinnacle of European soccer with clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr, while the latter’s meteoric rise has seen him shine at Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City. Despite their prominence, they have surprisingly never played against each other in a competitive fixture. Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Erling Haaland (right) Their paths have also not crossed on the international stage. Portugal and Norway have met multiple times, but these encounters occurred before Haaland established himself as a senior international star in 2019. This absence of face-to-face competition is even more notable considering how often their names are compared due to their goalscoring prowess and attacking brilliance. Have Messi and Haaland ever crossed paths? With the spotlight shining on this unprecedented European clash, observers naturally wonder about the Argentine legend’s history with the Norwegian powerhouse. In fact, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland have also never played against each other in an official match. Their paths completely bypassed one another during their respective domestic and continental campaigns. During the height of his European career, the Argentine maestro was securing trophies with his beloved Spanish employers, Barcelona. At the same time, the young Norwegian phenom was busy making a name for himself in Germany and England. The draw for the UEFA Champions League never paired their respective squads together on the pitch. The situation at the international level mirrors their missed connections in domestic leagues. The South American champions Argentina simply never scheduled any friendly or competitive fixtures against the Scandinavian squad during their overlapping active years. As a result, a direct head-to-head battle between these global icons remained entirely elusive. Lionel Messi of Argentina and Erling Haaland of Norway. Furthermore, any hope of an international clash between the Argentine and the Norwegian was recently extinguished. Messi recently announced his retirement from international action, ending an illustrious La Albiceleste career with a record 207 caps and 125 goals. His achievements include winning the 2022 World Cup, but now the possibility of future encounters with Haaland in international tournaments is gone. Could they still meet in the future? Since Messi now plays for Inter Miami in MLS and Haaland remains at Manchester City, their c
Jose Mourinho paid tribute to Lionel Messi after his Argentina retirement, admitting he'll now have to watch MLS games just to keep seeing him play. Jose Mourinho was asked about Lionel Messi‘s retirement from the Argentina national team during his press conference ahead of Real Madrid’s clash with Real Betis on Thursday. The Portuguese coach, who has faced Messi throughout his managerial career across multiple leagues, didn’t hold back when reflecting on what the Argentine’s exit from international football means for the sport. “Talking about Messi is complicated. There’s not much more to say. And there are no words that can describe his quality as a player. He arrived at this World Cup at 38 or 39 years old and delivered what we all saw. He’s one of those players you’re going to miss,” Mourinho said. Amid the backdrop of Messi’s retirement from international duty, Mourinho noted that he will now have to watch some of Inter Miami’s MLS games in order to make the most of the Argentine’s remaining years as a professional. “We’ll have to watch some MLS games, which isn’t something I enjoy much, to make the most of these final years. He’s one of those players who, like I said in a previous press conference, you always miss. And he’s one of the greats of our generation,” he added. Even as the coach of Barça’s greatest rival, Mourinho couldn’t deny the greatness of Messi. 🐐Mourinho: “Talking about Messi is complicated because there are almost no words capable of describing the quality he has as a player.”“He’s the kind of player football will truly…— Barca Lab (@BarcaTheLab) September 3, 2026 Messi announced his retirement from the Albiceleste on August 31, closing the book on a 21-year international career that included the 2026 World Cup runner-up finish, the 2022 World Cup title, and a string of Copa America triumphs. With Mourinho now among those admitting he’ll tune into Major League Soccer just to keep watching him, the tribute adds to the wave of recognition Messi has received from rivals and peers across the sport since stepping away from the national team. How many times Messi and Mourinho faced each other Beyond Thursday’s comments, Mourinho and Messi built one of the most storied rivalries in modern football from the touchline and the pitch, facing off 25 times across Mourinho’s spells at Real Madrid, Chelsea and Inter Milan. Messi’s teams came out ahead overall, winning 9 of those meetings compared to 7 for Mourinho, with the rest ending level. The bulk of the rivalry played out during Mourinho’s three years at Real Madrid, where the two met 17 times with Messi present in every single one, with Mourinho winning 5, losing 6 and drawing 6. Their paths also crossed 4 times while Mourinho managed Inter Milan, and another 4 times during his Chelsea tenure, giving Messi the frequent battles that Mourinho has since credited with pushing him to evolve as a coach.
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