Messi scores FOUR as Inter Miami run riot over Montral Lionel Messi is still not slowing down anytime soon. The Argentine legend bagged four goals against CF Montral this evening as the Herons thrashed the Canadian side.Miami had been in a slump lately, but with new head coach Kily Gonzalez in the door this week, they made a statement with the thrashing of Montral on home soil.Messi was the star man, as usual, scoring four goals in the process, including two ridiculous finishes.The first came from a vintage mazy run in the box before sliding the ball home.And just when it seemed like the great one would finish the evening with just the hat-trick, he hit a superb free-kick from the edge of the box with the final kick of the game for a ridiculous fourth goal.At this point, what words can we even type that we have't typed a million times before?He's certainly still got it, folks.

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring Inter Miami's second goal in their Major League Soccer defeat of Montreal (CHANDAN KHANNA)Lionel Messi scored four goals as Inter Miami snapped their five-game winless streak with a 7-1 thrashing of struggling Montreal in Major League Soccer on Saturday.Miami have endured a rocky spell since the resumption of play following the World Cup finals, losing four of their previous five games heading into Saturday's clash in Florida.But the reigning MLS Cup champions got back to winning ways with a confident performance against Montreal, who are languishing second from bottom in the Eastern Conference.Brazil international Casemiro, who joined Miami after the World Cup, bagged his first goal for the champions with a 20th minute header at the Nu Stadium.Montreal though hit back with a 37th-minute goal from Fabian Herbers, the German midfielder's low shot from the edge of the area squeezing into the bottom corner.But Miami did not have to wait long to regain the lead, and went 2-1 up when a low curling free-kick from Messi somehow bamboozled Montreal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier in the 40th minute.Messi then extended Miami's lead shortly after half-time, the 39-year-old Argentina superstar's momentum helping him weave through a cluster of Montreal defenders before drilling a shot into the bottom corner.Messi played a key role in Miami's fourth, laying on a superbly flighted pass to send former Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez bearing down on goal. Suarez made no mistake with the finish to seal an emphatic win.Messi secured his hat-trick on 83 minutes when he latched on to a Rodrigo De Paul pass in the 83rd minute and delicately dinked over the advancing Gillier to make it 5-1.Teenage substitute Alex Shaw added a sixth goal in the 89th minute, rifling home a low shot from outside the area.But there was still time for Messi to score a fourth, the veteran curling in a trademark free kick from the edge of the area in the dying minutes of stoppage time.The victory leaves Miami in second place in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind leaders Nashville, who were playing later Saturday.rcw/ksb

Lionel Messi is unstoppable. The Inter Miami star once again had a night to remember on Saturday, scoring four goals as the Herons thrashed CF Montral 7-1.With the haul, Messi hit 17 goals on the season, a number that pulls him to a lead in the MLS Golden Boot race. The Inter Miami captain tied and then passed FC Dallas forward Petar Musa for the sole spot at the top of the scoring standings.Two of Messis goals came off free kicks, one of the veteran forwards specialties. Messi pulled Miami back into the lead in the 40th minute with a curving shot that was mishandled by the Montal defense.Messi goes direct and pays off! @InterMiamiCF regain the lead over Montral. pic.twitter.com/aJH1USLcox Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 30, 2026Early in the second half, Messi found the back of the net again, staying upright through traffic before sending in a powerful shot.Dancing through the defense Messi scores his second of the game and is now tied for most goals this season with 16 Watch on Apple TV: https://t.co/MFnT751CHEpic.twitter.com/QRJpqJL1pC Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 30, 2026In the 83rd minute, Messi timed a chip past Montral goalkeeper Thomas Gillier, who surged to meet the captain but didnt get there in time.More Messi magic for the HAT TRICK @InterMiamiCF are up 5-1 over Montral! pic.twitter.com/bGdFvq0nDu Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 30, 2026And then Messi capped it all off in stoppage time with another free kick that cleared the wall and buried itself into the right side of the net.TWO FREE KICK GOALS IN ONE GAME Messi scores his FOURTH of the night as @InterMiamiCF seal it, 7-1 pic.twitter.com/x2I0Qc4iBK Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 30, 2026This story will be updated.

One of the top standouts throughout the Minnesota Vikings' training camp and preseason has been Jacob Thomas. The undrafted free agent safety out of James Madison picked off a pass in the first preseason game of the season, then nearly intercepted another one last week against the Baltimore Ravens.Thomas has been mixing in with the first-team defense in recent weeks during practice, leading some to speculate whether he could find a regular role in Brian Flores' system. However, that momentum appeared to halt in Friday night's game against the Denver Broncos.While trying to break up a pass in the first quarter, Thomas landed awkwardly and writhed around on the ground. As with lower-body injuries, there was fear that Thomas' rookie season could be over before it began.However, Kevin O'Connell announced after the game that he believed Thomas suffered an ankle sprain, per the Vikings' X account. On Saturday, Alec Lewis tweeted that Thomas suffered a "Grade 1 ankle sprain", which will likely only affect the rookie's short-term availability.Vikings UDFA safety Jacob Thomas has a Grade 1 ankle sprain, a source tells The Athletic. Considered very positive news after Fridays injury. Thomas has had an exceptional training camp and has been in line to make the 53-man roster. Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) August 29, 2026The Vikings can now breathe a sigh of relief. Their safety room remains unsettled, with several contributors offering various but potentially limited skill sets. That provides a path for Thomas to find the starting lineup. If he can continue playing the way he has through Friday, Minnesota may have found a diamond in the rough.This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell provides injury update on breakout rookie

With all the position battles the Minnesota Vikings have, it may be easy to overlook what's happening at punter. Veteran Johnny Hekker has been duking it out with rookie UDFA Bret Thorson throughout camp, and there is reason to believe the competition is even tighter than initially believed.The reps were split throughout the three preseason games. Hekker punted nine times, netting 40.0 yards per punt. Thorson netted 41.5 yards per punt, with each player pinning opponents inside their own 20-yard line five times.After Friday night's loss to the Denver Broncos, Kevin O'Connell noted that holding for field goals will factor into the punter decision. But he has been pleased with both punters throughout the process."It's a body of work," O'Connell told reporters. "Obviously, the games are important,but we've got a bunch of kicks logged [throughout training camp], and we'll take a look at it, as well as the role of holding."Initially, it felt as if Hekker would win because of his experience both as a punter and as a holder for field goals. Thorson, who went to Georgia in college, didn't hold, as head coach Kirby Smart traditionally used quarterbacks for that role.But holding hasn't been an issue for Thorson. Will Reichard hit all his field goals throughout the preseason, so no spectacular mistake from either Thorson or Hekker presented itself. Nor were there reports of issues with the holds throughout training camp.This competition could go either way, but Thorson has the advantage of upside and hasn't provided any proof he can't handle holding duties.This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings head coach comments on punting battle after preseason finale

Cavan Sullivan scored in the second half to become the first 16-year-old in MLS history with goal contributions in four straight matches, and the Philadelphia Union beat the New York Red Bulls 3-1 on Saturday night to extend their unbeaten streak to seven. Sullivan found the net for a second straight match and third time this season in 34 career appearances to give Philadelphia (6-10-6) a 2-0 lead in the 50th minute. He is the third player in league history age 18 or younger with a scoring contribution in four straight matches. The Union took the lead in the 21st minute on Milan Iloski's career-high 11th goal. Indiana Vassilev and Danley Jean Jacques both picked up their first two assists of the season on the first two goals. Teenager Neil Pierre scored in the 65th minute for a 3-0 advantage. It was the fourth goal in seven appearances for the 18-year-old rookie midfielder. Bruno Damiani and Iloski had assists. The Red Bulls avoided a shutout in the 74th minute when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting netted his third goal of the season after scoring 17 times as a rookie last year. Andre Blake saved three shots for Philadelphia, which posted a 3-0-2 record in August. Ethan Horvath had one save for New York (7-10-5), which has gone 0-3-1 since a 3-2 victory over Orlando City to begin the month. The Union earned their sixth road win in 20 tries against the Red Bulls and lead the all-time series 17-15-9. Up next Philadelphia: Hosts CF Montreal on Saturday. New York: At Seattle Sounders on Saturday. Reporting by The Associated Press.

Mauro Lustrinelli outlines Union Berlin rebuild: One cannot start with the roof.New Union Berlin head coach Mauro Lustrinelli found plenty to appreciate in his sides mentality despite several costly defensive mistakes in Saturdays 3-3 Bundesliga draw with Eintracht Frankfurt. Union twice found themselves punished severely for individual errors as Frankfurt striker Younes Ebnoutalib completed a hat-trick at the Stadion An der Alten Frsterei.For Lustrinelli, however, the mistakes also highlighted the transitional work currently underway as the Kpenick club adapts from the back-five structures employed for years to a new four-man defensive line. The Swiss-Italian trainer was particularly encouraged by the response of Leopold Querfeld. The Austrian defender recovered from an early mistake, grew increasingly influential as the match progressed and eventually helped complete Unions comeback with a goal of his own.That resilience neatly illustrated what Lustrinelli considers the first building block of his Union project. The 50-year-old made clear that tactical principles and stylistic refinements remain secondary for the moment. Team spirit, mentality and collective commitment form the foundation upon which everything else must eventually be constructed.Lustrinelli on Unions defensive growing painsThings like this happen, Lustrinelli answered in response to the first question about the Union defensive errors. Its not as if were allowing ten chances through on goal. Eintracht scored three goals off of four [quality] chances. Thats the more decisive point. Were also playing with a back-four. Union is accustomed to playing with a back-five for a very long time. Its a process. Were aware of it, of course. Well work on remaining more compact.Lustrinelli praises Querfelds responseThese things happen, Lustrinelli reiterated when asked about Leopold Querfelds redemption arc by Kit Holden. I think you witnessed the strength of a man. [After his earlier mistake], he improved with every action. During the half-time break, I could tell that he was really focused. He ended up rewarding himself. Something like that can only happen when one maintains positive thoughts. One can fall right out of the game after something like that occurs.And that didnt prove to be the case, Lustrinelli continued. He remained in the game. He won almost every aerial duel. That gave him confidence and he was able to make it worthwhile with that goal and Im happy for him. He pulled himself out of that situation and the team was very supportive of him. After this mistake, many members of our team went up to him and told him to keep at it. That, for me, was one of the nicer aspects of the day.Lustrinelli on the Union construction projectFor me personally, its not about wanting to play a certain type of football, Lustrinelli said when Christoph Biermann asked him if he saw the type of football he envisioned for Union. For me, the basis is that we have a team on the pitch, a team that plays with spirit and passion. We have that. We have that at a decent level and we demonstrated that today. In terms of play, we have a lot to improve upon in all areas.But that will come, Lustrinelli continued. It will come because we have a team thats fundamentally solid. Its like building a house. One has to start with the foundation. One cannot start with the roof. In our case, the roof is the [full]game principles. [The foundation] is the team spirit and the teams mentality. Now well erect the side walls and well eventually get to the roof.The entire press corps and Union press operator Christian Arbeit seemed quite impressed with Lustrinellis metaphor, even if the Swiss-Italian trainer seemed to second-guess his own choice of German words.Please, no more questions about construction, the 50-year-old managed to sneak in after responding.GGFN|Peter Weis

NEW YORK (AP) Juan Soto, activated from the 10-day injured list before the game, had the go-ahead RBI single a pitch after fouling a ball off his right leg Saturday, leading the New York Mets to a 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros.Soto was tended to by manager Andy Green and a trainer before his hit off Cristian Javier (1-5) capped a seven-pitch battle and sparked a three-run fifth for the Mets, who halted a three-game skid.Soto returned to the last-place Mets after missing 31 games with a grade 2 strain of his left calf. It was the second IL stint of the season for Soto.Jared Young added a two-run triple later in the fifth and finished with three hits and a career-high three RBIs. Francisco Alvarez hit a two-run double in the eighth,Nolan McLean (10-8) surrendered an unearned run and struck out four over seven innings. He is 8-4 with a 2.19 ERA over his last 16 starts.McLean allowed just two hits, including Jeremy Peas double on his first pitch of the game. Pea took third on an error by left fielder Brett Baty and scored on a sacrifice fly by AL Triple Crown candidate Yordan Alvarez.Peas hit was just the second McLean has surrendered to a leadoff batter in his 35 big league starts.Alvarez hit his AL-leading 38th homer off Daniel Duarte in the eighth.Astros opener Bennett Sousa allowed one run while recording two outs. Javier was charged with three runs and struck out four in 4 1/3 innings.Up nextAstros RHP Ethan Pecko (0-0, 7.88 ERA) starts Sundays series finale against Mets LHP Zac Thornton (3-4, 2.88 ERA).

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) Cavan Sullivan scored in the second half to become the first 16-year-old in MLS history with goal contributions in four straight matches, and the Philadelphia Union beat the New York Red Bulls 3-1 on Saturday night to extend their unbeaten streak to seven.Sullivan found the net for a second straight match and third time this season in 34 career appearances to give Philadelphia (6-10-6) a 2-0 lead in the 50th minute. He is the third player in league history age 18 or younger with a scoring contribution in four straight matches.The Union took the lead in the 21st minute on Milan Iloski's career-high 11th goal. Indiana Vassilev and Danley Jean Jacques both picked up their first two assists of the season on the first two goals.Teenager Neil Pierre scored in the 65th minute for a 3-0 advantage. It was the fourth goal in seven appearances for the 18-year-old rookie midfielder. Bruno Damiani and Iloski had assists.The Red Bulls avoided a shutout in the 74th minute when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting netted his third goal of the season after scoring 17 times as a rookie last year.Andre Blake saved three shots for Philadelphia, which posted a 3-0-2 record in August.Ethan Horvath had one save for New York (7-10-5), which has gone 0-3-1 since a 3-2 victory over Orlando City to begin the month. The Union earned their sixth road win in 20 tries against the Red Bulls and lead the all-time series 17-15-9. Up nextPhiladelphia: Hosts CF Montreal on Saturday.New York: At Seattle Sounders on Saturday.___See APs full soccer coverage here

Skyler Gill-Howard entered Detroit Lions training camp as a sixth-round rookie trying to earn a place in one of the deepest position groups on the roster. By the end of the preseason, he may have become something much more important: a player Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes can no longer afford to cut.Gill-Howard delivered one final statement during Detroits 25-16 preseason victory over Indianapolis on Saturday, recording two tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits while again creating problems from the interior of Detroits defensive front.One performance does not earn an NFL roster spot, but an entire month of making yourself increasingly difficult to ignore certainly can.Gill-Howard Saved His Best Finish for LastThe play that will probably stick with coaches came on third down against Indianapolis, when Gill-Howard worked his way into the backfield and dropped quarterback Anthony Richardson for a five-yard loss, ending the Colts possession and getting Detroits defense off the field.It was officially Gill-Howards first sack of the preseason, but it was hardly some random flash from a player who had been quiet for the previous month. He had already been steadily creating pressure and disruption throughout August, including two quarterback hits in Detroits preseason opener against Cincinnati.That performance was enough for Campbell to single him out afterward.Hes another one of these players for a young guy who is very conscientious and he has a serious approach about him. You dont have to tell him something five times. You tell him once and hes got it and he locks in, Campbell said.That is meaningful praise for any rookie. For a sixth-round defensive tackle fighting for one of Detroits final roster positions, it carries even more weight.Campbell Has Already Explained Why Detroit Likes HimGill-Howard is not the prototype physically. At roughly 6-foot and 280 pounds, he is smaller than many NFL interior defensive linemen, and Detroit knew that when it selected him 205th overall out of Texas Tech.The Lions also knew exactly what traits made him intriguing.Quickness. Leverage. Violence. Motor.Campbell has repeatedly noticed all four.After Gill-Howard created more pressure against Washington, Campbell offered perhaps his clearest explanation of why the rookie has continued climbing.Sun Bleach just continues to make plays. He does it at practice. You can feel him out there, you know, and he just is relentless. He plays snap to whistle, and hes all out. And hes got to be right, you know he does, because hes not a huge guy. But he knows who he is and he knows how he has to play. He plays with high effort, and hes crafty, man. Hes explosive and hes violent, Campbell said.There is a lot packed into that answer. Campbell acknowledged the size limitation, then immediately explained why Gill-Howard has been able to overcome it. That is not developmental-project language. It sounds much closer to a description of someone the coaching staff believes can actually help.Gill-Howard Has Been Building This Case All SummerDetroits defensive-line competition was already one of the most difficult roster battles on the team, and Gill-Howards final preseason performance only made the numbers tighter.Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, D.J. Wonnum and Derrick Moore are obvious roster locks. Tyler Lacy has played an important role, while Ahmed Hassanein has put together an impressive summer. Then comes the group fighting over the final few spots, including Gill-Howard, Chris Smith, Levi Onwuzurike, Mekhi Wingo, Ben Stille, Eric ONeill and others.There is no painless answer.Detroits remaining roster battles were already shaping up to be brutal, especially along the defensive line. Gill-Howard has simply made that decision harder.His rise has not been limited to preseason games, either. He received increased first-team work late in training camp, another important signal considering where he began the summer. Coaches do not generally move sixth-round rookies upward on the depth chart by accident.Detroits final 53-man roster prediction entering the preseason finale already had Gill-Howard making the team. Saturday only strengthened the case.His Background Makes the Rise Even More InterestingGill-Howards path to Detroit was anything but conventional. He began his college career at Division II Upper Iowa before transferring to Northern Illinois, where his only FBS opportunity required him to change positions and become a defensive tackle after previously working as a linebacker.He eventually developed into a team captain at Northern Illinois before transferring to Texas Tech for his final college season. In other words, Gill-Howard has only been playing defensive line for a handful of years.That matters when projecting what he could become.Gill-Howard arrived in Detroit as a 23-year-old rookie who was still relatively new to the position, yet he has already created consistent disruption against NFL competition. The Lions may not simply be evaluating what he is right now. They may also be thinking about what he could become with another year or two of development.The Roster Math Is Still BrutalNone of this means Detroit suddenly has an easy decision.Quite the opposite.Gill-Howards emergence makes somebody elses situation considerably more uncomfortable. Campbell and Holmes could realistically keep nine or even 10 defensive linemen depending on how they categorize players who can align at multiple spots, but every extra defensive lineman means one fewer receiver, cornerback, linebacker or offensive lineman.That is where roster construction becomes different from simply identifying the best 53 football players.Still, Gill-Howard provides exactly the kind of traits coaches covet near the bottom of a depth chart. He can rush from inside, disrupt running plays and keep working when his initial move fails. He has consistently created negative plays throughout August.There is also the waiver risk. Gill-Howard is young, inexpensive and under team control, which makes him exactly the kind of developmental defensive lineman another organization could be willing to claim rather than allow Detroit to stash him on the practice squad.That has to be part of Holmes calculation Sunday.Gill-Howard Did Everything He CouldRoster-bubble players do not control the numbers. They cannot decide how many defensive tackles a team keeps or which injuries force the front office to protect another position.All they can do is make the decision uncomfortable.Gill-Howard did that.He flashed against Cincinnati, created more disruption against Washington and then finished the preseason with a sack and two quarterback hits against Indianapolis. The Lions drafted him 205th overall four months ago, but by Sunday evening, draft position probably will not matter much.The film will.And Gill-Howard has spent the last month giving Detroit more and more reasons to keep watching it.At some point, a roster-bubble player stops trying to win a job and starts forcing the organization to explain why it would let him go.Gill-Howard may have reached that point.

BOSTON Joe Lauzon's MMA swan song was likely in October 2019. He raised his hands over his head as he upset the much younger Jonathan Peace at TD Garden.On Saturday, it may have been his combat sports swan song. While the pose was the same, the parting imagery was much different. Lauzon (1-0) made his bareknuckle boxing debut when he dropped opponent Stash Kuykendall (0-3) five times en route to a TKO stoppage at 0:49 of Round 2. This bout took place at Fenway Park the historic Green Monster in the background.MISSION ACCOMPLISHED UFC veteran Joe Lauzon makes a statement in his BKFC debut, stopping his opponent in Round 2 via TKO! #BKFC92 | LIVE NOW | Watch with TrillerTV+ pic.twitter.com/cIRmHG00od TrillerTV (@Triller_TV) August 30, 2026Lauzon, 42, still can pack a house, or in this case a ballpark. Custom Lauzon jerseys, looking very similar to that of the Red Sox's, filled the crowd behind home plate. Kuykendall, 34, hung tough as he was repeatedly dropped with punches. Each knockdown looked like it'd be the last, but Kuykendall kept getting back up until he couldn't.After his win, Lauzon sported some swelling and lacerations. He dind't commit one way or another to if Saturday's bout will be his last, and teased that if BKFC comes back to Fenway in 2027, he might consider it.Joe Lauzon wins his BKFC debut with a Round 2 TKO of Stash Kuykendall #BKFC92pic.twitter.com/IIKmtW5WEC Nolan King (@mma_kings) August 30, 2026Up-to-the-minute BKFC 92 results include:Joe Lauzon def. Stash Kuykendall via TKO (punches) Round 2, 0:49Peter Barrett def. Elijah Harris via TKO (punches) Round 3, 0:55Tray Martin def. Rico Disciullo via TKO (punches) Round 4, 1:21Charon Spain def. Charles Rosa via split decision (45-48, 47-45, 47-46)Dallas Davison def. Pat Casey via knockout (punch) Round 2, 0:59Taylor Starling def. Kat Paprocki via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)Guilherme Viana def. Robinson Perez via TKO (punches) Round 1, 1:04James Murrin def. Chris Rooney via knockout (punch) Round 1, 0:35Jake Pilla def. Angelo Colon via TKO (punches) Round 2, 1:07David Simpson def. David Burke via knockout (punch) Round 1, 0:27This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: BKFC 92 video: UFC bonus legend Joe Lauzon repeatedly knocks down opponent for TKO

Top contenders from the Group of Six face off as UNLV hosts Memphis to close out the first day of the 2026 college football season