Soccer Monday: Marta, Messi and Mbappe, oh my!
All the latest news from the world's most popular game
Soccer may be a team game, but it is made up — and even dominated by — individual players who make playing the game look so easy.
This week’s newsletter focuses on three players who are not only stars, but currently in the news for what they have done on and off the field.
Here’s this week’s rundown:
3. Building for the future without Marta
Two decades ago, at just 17 years old, Marta made her first Women’s World Cup appearance. She scored three goals in that 2003 tournament. Ever since, the Brazilian playmaker has played and scored in every Women’s World Cup that has followed.
As a result, Marta holds the record for most World Cup goals (17) by a man or woman, surpassing other Brazilians such as Ronaldo (15) and the great Pele (12).
Marta has yet to score at the current Women’s World Cup — but her main focus is not on personal goals. Rather, she’s hoping to lead the Brazilians to their first world title.
Brazil played France on Saturday in one of the tournament’s most-anticipated encounters. France won 2-1 and Marta, who came into the game in the 86th minute, was unable to spark a comeback. Nonetheless, her legacy is sealed and Brazil must now find a way to win without her.
2. Messi magic
Lionel Messi won’t stop scoring goals. The Leagues Cup — a tournament that pits MLS teams against Liga MX clubs — continues, but the biggest storyline remains Messi. The Argentine star and defending World Cup champion continues to dazzle since arriving in Miami.
After winning both group games, Inter Miami have qualified for the round of 32. Messi has scored three goals and recorded an assist in two games, including a brace last Tuesday in a 4-0 win against Atlanta United FC.
Messi’s arrival has dramatically changed Inter Miami’s fortunes in a relatively short time. The team with one of the worst records in MLS could very well compete for the Leagues Cup this summer. It would be quite remarkable to see Messi lift a trophy only weeks after coming to America.
Silverware aside, the crowds have come to see him and the excitement is palpable across much of South Florida and beyond. It may be early, but Messi magic is real and it could very well mean Inter Miami become a team to reckon with not just in the coming years, but as soon as a few weeks.
1. Mbappe’s future
For now, Kylian Mbappe remains in France training with Paris Saint-Germain’s reserve squad. The club went on an preseason tour of Asia last week and chose not to take Mbappe.
Amid all that news, there was even more Mbappe buzz after Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal offered to pay a record $332 million transfer fee for the French star, an offer that would see him play alongside countryman Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. The club also offered to pay Mbappe an annual salary of $776 million. Mbappe’s people refused to meet with the Saudi club.
Real Madrid, which is Mbappe’s preferred destination, has yet to show its hand. They’d like to sign him — but for nothing when he becomes a free agent at the end of this coming season. This is where Al Hilal — an unlikely place for the 24-year-old striker to land — had hoped for a shot since the Saudi club would allow him to leave for Spain after just one season in the oil-rich kingdom.
For now, Mbappe remains in Paris. We could get more clarity on Mbappe’s future this week. In the meantime, the summer’s biggest transfer soap opera continues.
In other news: Serie A side Juventus was handed a one-year ban by UEFA and as a result will not compete in the Conference League this season. The club was also fined $22 million in connection with financial irregularities connected to inflating the price of players. Fiorentina will replace Juventus in the competition. … Organizers of the 2026 World Cup have called on Europe’s top leagues to consider playing competitive games in the United States. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, said he’d like to see Premier League or Champions League games played in the U.S. in the near future. … A bronze statue of former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was unveiled Friday outside the club’s Emirates Stadium. Wenger won three Premier League titles and the FA Cup seven times while in charge of the Gunners between 1996 and 2018.