⚽️ Y! Sports AM: Messi is inevitable

4 weeks ago 19

Yahoo Sports AM is our regular newsletter that keeps you up to day connected each things sports. Sign up here to get it each weekday morning.

🚨 Headlines

🏀 Mitchell gets the max: The Cavaliers are signing Donovan Mitchell to a four-year, $273 cardinal maximum declaration hold that includes a subordinate enactment for the 2030-31 season, keeping the seven-time All-Star successful Cleveland done his mid-30's.

⚽️ Historic viewership: 30 cardinal radical tuned successful connected Fox for the USMNT's nonaccomplishment to Belgium connected Monday, making it the most-watched shot telecast successful American history.

⚾️ Rice joins the Derby: Yankees 1B Ben Rice has joined Rays 3B Junior Caminero arsenic the 2nd subordinate to perpetrate to adjacent week's Home Run Derby. Rice is successful the midst of a breakout season, with his 26 HR and .941 OPS some ranking 2nd successful the AL.

🏈 Kneeland had CTE: Former Cowboys DE Marshawn Kneeland, who died by termination past autumn astatine the property of 24, has been diagnosed with CTE by researchers astatine the Boston University CTE Center. "Unfortunately, I was not amazed to find CTE successful [his brain]," said the manager of the CTE Center. "We person recovered this progressive encephalon illness successful astir fractional of the athletes we've studied who person died earlier the property of 30."

🇷🇺 Russia prohibition lifted: The IOC has provisionally lifted its three-year-old ban connected the Russian Olympic Committee, paving the mode for Russian athletes to vie astatine the 2028 Games nether their ain flag.

⚽️ The inevitability of Leo Messi

Facing a 2-0 shortage to Egypt successful the waning minutes connected Tuesday successful Atlanta, Lionel Messi's World Cup vocation looked arsenic though it mightiness travel to a stunning, abrupt end. But Messi had different plans, engineering a historical comeback to punctual the full footballing satellite that helium isn't going anyplace conscionable yet.

Argentina 3, Egypt 2: The defending champions rattled disconnected 3 goals successful the span of 14 frenzied minutes, becoming the archetypal squad successful World Cup history to triumph successful regular clip contempt trailing by astatine slightest 2 goals successful the 75th infinitesimal oregon later.

First came a Cristian Romero header successful the 79th minute, served connected a platter by a cleanable transverse from Messi, whose ninth vocation World Cup assistance broke a necktie with Diego Maradona for the astir ever. Naturally.
Four minutes aboriginal Messi scored the equalizer himself connected a venomous volley, giving him a record-extending nine consecutive World Cup games with a extremity and vaulting him backmost to the apical of the Golden Boot race with 8 successful this tournament. Safe to accidental this 1 made up for his missed penalty successful the archetypal half.
And yet the game-winner, a 92nd-minute Enzo Fernández header that broke the short-lived deadlock and completed a comeback that even Tom Brady conceded might've been amended than the Patriots' 28-3 Super Bowl reversal. Hey, helium said it, not us.

United nether Leo: National pridefulness is typically capable to unite a World Cup squad, but astatine this stage, that pridefulness is array stakes. Argentina is fueled by an further root of motivation. "I told [Messi] connected the transportation to bask it due to the fact that helium deserved it," Lautaro Martínez said successful Spanish aft the match. "I told him we would support giving everything, for ourselves, but supra each for him, due to the fact that this is his past World Cup and helium has fixed america truthful much."

Bottom line: Argentina had ne'er won a World Cup lucifer erstwhile trailing astatine fractional oregon by 2 goals. But what was adjacent to becoming a tearful goodbye alternatively became an emotional celebration for Messi, whose dreams of starring an Argentine repetition unrecorded connected acknowledgment to what would surely beryllium dubbed "The Miracle astatine Mercedes"... if not for FIFA's cleanable venue policies.

Meanwhile, successful Vancouver: Switzerland and Colombia played to a 0-0 stalemate implicit 120 minutes earlier the Swiss emerged victorious successful penalties, punching their summons to the quarterfinals for the archetypal clip since 1954. They'll articulation Argentina, Norway, England, Spain, Belgium, France and Morocco successful the past eight, which kicks disconnected tomorrow.

🇺🇸 Why the U.S. inactive isn’t a World Cup contender

The USMNT's magical commencement to the World Cup came crashing down successful Monday's disfigured nonaccomplishment to Belgium, and portion the aged statement that "our champion athletes play different sports" is amusive connected the surface, it belies the cardinal contented holding the U.S. backmost from being existent contenders connected the sport's biggest stage.

What they're saying: "Our younker shot successful this state is simply a disaster," erstwhile U.S. prima Landon Donovan told 'The Rich Eisen Show' past month. "All these younker clubs complaint you brainsick fees. It's each astir winning. The kids get near down due to the fact that the clubs privation to marque money, the coaches privation to marque money. They privation to triumph and the kids don't develop."

Indeed, the yearly outgo to play elite younker shot successful the United States can scope upwards of $15,000, pricing retired plentifulness of talented youngsters who mightiness different thrive successful the beauteous game, if lone they could spend to prosecute it.
Compare that to however it works successful astir different countries — namely the ones who routinely predominate the tourney the Americans conscionable stumbled retired of — wherever apical clubs ft the measure themselves, and it's not hard to link the dots connected wherever the competitory spread is born.

Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports:

There's small uncertainty that the U.S. shot endowment excavation would beryllium deeper if LeBron James grew up dreaming to go a halfway backmost oregon if Tyreek Hill was utilizing his velocity and acceleration to tally onto done balls oregon agelong the tract successful counter-attacks. The bulk of elite NBA, NFL and MLB players ne'er played high-level shot arsenic kids. Even those who did, similar Odell Beckham Jr. oregon Nolan Arenado, yet discontinue to specialize successful different sports.

And yet inquire those successful shot circles if siphoning endowment distant from different sports would alteration the USMNT into a planetary power, and the question volition animate plentifulness of oculus rolls. They are speedy to constituent retired that accomplishment is the astir important prime successful soccer, that galore planetary superstars trust connected shot power and method quality alternatively than velocity and strength.

At 5-foot-7 and little than 150 pounds, Lionel Messi has been known since puerility arsenic "La Pulga," which successful Spanish means "the flea." Croatian playmaker Luka Modrić is lone an inch taller than Messi. Spanish phenom Lamine Yamal is 5-10. So are French superstars Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé. For each 6-foot-5 Erling Haaland who dominates by overpowering opposing defenders and winning balls successful the air, determination are galore others who usage their determination making and mastery with the shot astatine their feet to assistance their teams win.

"I conscionable don't deliberation it's arsenic elemental arsenic if we had 10 LeBrons playing soccer, we'd automatically beryllium a amended shot country," erstwhile U.S. men's nationalist squad defender and existent Portland Thorns wide manager Jeff Agoos told Yahoo Sports anterior to the World Cup. "Soccer is specified a skilled sport. It's truly hard to power a shot ball, and it takes a batch of clip to larn that skill. I don't deliberation it's ever astir being bigger, faster, stronger."

To Agoos and galore others, U.S. Soccer's biggest contented isn't insufficient athleticism. It's however the athletes who bash privation to prosecute shot person been developed.

Keep reading.

💯 Big Numbers

🎾 8 consecutive semifinals

Novak Djokovic outlasted third-seeded Félix Auger-Aliassime in a five-set thriller connected Tuesday to scope his eighth consecutive Wimbledon semifinal, breaking a necktie with Roger Federer for the longest specified streak ever. It's besides his record-extending 55th large semifinal (Federer is next, with 46). The 39-year-old volition look top-ranked Jannik Sinner connected Friday for a spot successful the final.

More from the All England Club: Coco Gauff defeated chap American Jessica Pegula to scope her archetypal Wimbledon semifinal, becoming the youngest pistillate (22) to scope the past 4 astatine each Grand Slam since Maria Sharapova successful 2007. No. 10 Karolína Muchová (over No. 14 Naomi Osaka) besides reached her archetypal Wimbledon semifinal, portion No. 2 Alexander Zverev (over No. 13 Jiri Lehecka) reached his archetypal Wimbledon quarterfinal.

⚾️ 300 location runs

Shohei Ohtani blasted his 300th vocation location run connected Tuesday successful his 1,101st crippled (with astatine slightest 1 sheet appearance), becoming the fifth-fastest subordinate successful MLB past to scope the milestone. Only Aaron Judge (955 games), Ralph Kiner (1,087), Ryan Howard (1,093) and Juan González (1,096) got determination faster.

Becoming legendary: "There is simply a insignificant but captious favoritism betwixt being the top of each clip and being the champion to ever bash it," writes Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz. "Ohtani is, undeniably, the latter. … [But] location tally No. 300 is simply a reminder that helium is crossing implicit into fable presumption earlier our eyes, [providing] an accidental to admit not conscionable what he's doing but besides what helium has already done."

⚾️ 21st team

The Royals pulled disconnected 1 of the rarest feats successful shot successful Monday's 15-1 rout of the Phillies, becoming the 21st squad successful MLB past to people a tally successful each azygous inning. Among the sport's modular rarities, lone 20-strikeout games (5) and unassisted triple plays (15) person happened little often, portion four-homer games are arsenic uncommon (21) and perfect games (24) are somewhat much common.

And, for their encore… Kansas City followed that up with different slugfest connected Tuesday, beating the Mets 16-12 behind, among different things, Tyler Tolbert's 2nd consecutive 5-for-5 performance. The 2nd baseman, who besides went 2-for-2 successful the Royals' erstwhile game, has present gotten a deed successful an MLB record-tying 12 consecutive sheet appearances.

🏀 19 successful a row

UConn grads Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Paige Bueckers (Wings) and Gabby Williams (Valkyries) were each named starters for this year's WNBA All-Star Game, marking the 19th consecutive variation of the accumulation to diagnostic a erstwhile Husky successful the starting lineup. The different starters: Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell (Fever), Natasha Howard and Olivia Miles (Lynx), A'ja Wilson (Aces) and Jessica Shepard (Wings).

Reserves: The 12 reserves for the July 25 crippled successful Chicago were announced connected Tuesday: Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray (Dream), Nneka Ogwumike and Kelsey Plum (Sparks), Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen (Mystics), Marina Mabrey (Tempo), Courtney Williams (Lynx), Jackie Young (Aces), Jonquel Jones (Liberty) and Dominique Malonga (Storm).

📈 Jock stocks: Winners and losers

The sports and sports-adjacent beingness of publically traded equities is simply a divers acceptable of businesses experiencing the contiguous economical infinitesimal successful precise antithetic ways. In this variation of Jock Stocks, we unpack the show from the archetypal fractional of 2026, revealing the year's winners and losers astatine the midway point.

🏟️ Winner: Sports Franchises

The organization involvement successful sports squad ownership has extended into the equity market, arsenic 3 of the premier publically traded teams are disconnected to red-hot starts: Madison Square Garden Sports (MSGS: +55.4%), Manchester United (MANU: +44.0%), and the Atlanta Braves (BATRA: +32.5%) person each substantially outperformed the broader market. The Knicks and United some enjoyed palmy and commercially lucrative seasons, further bolstering their equity performance.

⛳️ Winner: Golf

Two of the archetypal half's biggest gainers were Callaway Golf (CALY: +61.0%) and Acushnet Holdings (GOLF: +48.5%). Callaway has solidified its equilibrium expanse and pure-play concern pursuing the TopGolf sale, portion Titleist has launched palmy caller products and capably defended and reinforced its premium marque status. On a macro level, rounds played in the U.S. were up implicit 5% successful Q1, and play remains good suited to a K-shaped economy, successful which affluent consumers proceed to spend.

🎰 Loser: Sports Gambling

From sportsbooks similar DraftKings (DKNG: -26.7%) and Flutter (FLUT: -52.5%) to information companies similar Genius (GENI: -45.0%) and Sportradar (SRAD: -37.0%), 2026 has been unkind to stocks with sports gambling exposure. The emergence and maturation of the prediction markets industry, anchored by Kalshi and Polymarket, person weighed connected shares, arsenic person unfavorable outcomes and concerns astir plateauing home growth.

📺 Loser: Media

Many sports-involved media companies person endured a turbulent commencement to 2026, though their progressively costly sports-rights portfolios are not principally to blame. Some of the antagonistic terms enactment is event-driven, arsenic successful the lawsuit of Paramount Skydance (PSKY: -26.4%) and Fox (FOX: -27.9%), portion persistent structural headwinds specified arsenic cord-cutting and streaming profitability person weighed connected the class broadly. Disney (DIS: -15.4%) and Comcast (CMCSA: -12.3%) person besides fared poorly, arsenic has the precocious spun-off Versant (VSNT: -20.0%).

📺 Watchlist: Wednesday, July 8

🎾 Wimbledon, Quarterfinals

On Court 1, it's No. 9 Linda Nosková vs. No. 25 Elise Mertens (8am ET, ESPN2) followed by No. 2 Alexander Zverev vs. No. 6 Taylor Fritz. And connected Centre Court, it's No. 12 Marta Kostyuk vs. No. 13 Jasmine Paolini (8:30am, ESPN) followed by No. 9 Flavio Cobolli vs. Arthur Fery.

Last Brit standing: The Brits' location title started precise poorly erstwhile lone 4 of 19 Britons made it retired of the archetypal round, with 3 of those 4 promptly losing their adjacent match. Leave it to Fery — the 23-year-old wildcard who grew up successful Wimbledon and had ne'er earlier made it past the 2nd circular of a major — to beryllium the past 1 standing.

More to watch:

⚾️ MLB: Yankees astatine Rays (6:40pm, Prime); Phillies astatine Reds (7pm, ESPN); Diamondbacks astatine Padres (10pm, ESPN) … Cincinnati right-hander Chase Burns (10-1, 2.40 ERA) is portion of a loaded NL Cy Young race.
🏀 WNBA: Lynx astatine Sun (7:30pm, USA); Fever astatine Sparks (10pm, USA) … Minnesota (15-6) is tied for the league's champion record, portion Connecticut (5-16) has the worst.
🚴 Tour de France: Stage 5 (8am, NBCSN/Peacock) … The archetypal level stage, spanning 98 miles from Lannemezan to Pau, volition springiness the sprinters an accidental to shine.

Got plans tonight? Gametime is the champion spot to people last-minute tickets to the events successful your city. Get tickets now!

🏀 NBA trivia

Kyle Lowry signed a one-day declaration with the Raptors to officially extremity his 20-year vocation with the squad wherever helium became a star. Toronto besides plans to discontinue his No. 7 jersey, making him the 2nd subordinate successful franchise past to gain that honor.

Question: Can you sanction the lone different Raptor whose jersey was retired?

Hint: No. 15

Answer astatine the bottom.

🥍 Introducing the Yahoo Sports Lacrosse Hub

Lacrosse is 1 of the fastest-growing sports successful the U.S, and done a caller concern with Inside Lacrosse, Yahoo Sports volition beryllium capable to screen it much thoroughly than ever before.

Just launched: The Yahoo Sports website features a caller hub dedicated to lacrosse, with in-depth sum spanning the sport. Readers tin expect:

Content from Inside Lacrosse, the Premier Lacrosse League, the Women's Lacrosse League, The Lacrosse Network, and USA Lacrosse Magazine.
Comprehensive sum of precocious school, collegiate, and nonrecreational lacrosse, including breaking news, in-depth written stories, video analysis, crippled highlights, and more.
And quality from USA Lacrosse — the sport's authoritative nationalist governing assemblage — to assistance fans get acceptable for lacrosse's long-awaited instrumentality to the Olympic Games successful 2028.

Check it out: The Yahoo Sports Lacrosse Hub

Trivia answer: Vince Carter

We anticipation you enjoyed this variation of Yahoo Sports AM, our regular newsletter that keeps you up to day connected each things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox each weekday morning.

Read Entire Article