Happy Monday! The major European leagues are back in less than two weeks while the transfer market is heating up again as one of the world’s biggest stars reportedly set to join the MLS in the coming days, while Lionel Messi suffered a muscular injury over the weekend. I’m Francesco Porzio with the latest.
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Monday, August 4
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⚽ The Forward Line
Son to join MLS
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After ten years at Tottenham, the club’s captain, Heung-Min Son is now set to join LAFC this summer after playing what is expected to be his last match as a Spurs player on Sunday in a friendly game against Newcastle in front of supporters from his home nation at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Korea. The South Korean striker was given a guard of honor when he was replaced in the 65th minute of the match that ended 1-1, giving the armband to Ben Davies before being welcomed by his teammates and Tottenham’s staff in an emotional moment. The day before the match Son announced he had decided to leave Spurs this summer after 10 years at the club. Here’s what our Pardeep Cattry wrote on Son’s impact at Spurs over the last decade:
- Cattry: “It is alarmingly easy to diminish Son’s impact as one that is business-driven — the sport’s Eurocentric vantage point means places like Asia are associated more with cash grabs and the marketing of preseason tours or the final stages of players’ careers than anything else. Son’s journey from South Korea to England is not only a source of inspiration and a change of pace for a sport in which unexpected superstars are in short supply, though. As easy as it is to quantify the effect Son has had in Spurs’ attack and perhaps on their bank account, his story is an example of the intangible, inexplicable romance that exemplifies sports at their best.”
In 2015, Son became the most expensive Asian transfer in the history of the Premier League, joining from Bayer Leverkusen for around $20 million, and he helped Spurs win their first trophy in 17 years this season after beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final of the 2024-25 edition of the UEFA Europa League.
- Cattry: “The Spurs faithful were equally as happy for Son, who goes down as perhaps the main character for the team over the last decade. Kane’s will be the first name history remembers when looking back at this period. Toby Alderweireld will go down as the best player as the team made a trip to the 2019 UEFA Champions League final. Mauricio Pochettino will be credited as the man who stewarded Tottenham’s best team in recent memory. Son, though, defines the end of this era. He is the last notable member of Pochettino’s group to stick around at Spurs, but his legacy is entirely separate from the Argentine’s celebrated five-year spell in north London. Son is not a perfect player but his is a perfect story, one in which every trial and tribulation was not only worth it, but was marked by layers of marvelousness.”
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Lionel Messi injured
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Argentinian striker and MLS star Lionel Messi suffered a muscular injury during the Inter Miami’s match against Necaxa on Saturday as the former FC Barcelona player left the pitch in the 11th minute and was replaced by Federico Redondo. After scoring 18 goals and providing 7 assists so far this season, a lengthy stay on the sidelines for Messi would obviously be a big setback for the team coached by Javier Mascherano. The Argentinian manager said the injury will be assessed in the coming days.
- Mascherano: “He felt discomfort. We will not be able to know until [Monday] how severe the injury is. There’s probably something there. He was not in pain, but he did feel a pull.”
The team sent Messi for scans after the game, and according to Tom Bogert, those scans returned evidence of a minor muscle injury in his right leg. There remains no timetable for Messi’s return.
🔗 Top Stories
⚪️ Ranking Heung-min Son’s best Tottenham moments: Puskas goal, Europa League glory make the cut as Son says goodbye to North London
🇺🇸 Tim Weah set to join Marseille from Juventus: Why the move is crucial for USMNT winger ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
🇬🇧 How good can Tottenham Hotspur be under Thomas Frank? Focus on set pieces and defense can be a big difference.
🇮🇹 Serie A 2025-26 Power Rankings: Napoli to win again, AC Milan return to the Champions League, Como to surprise.
💸Darwin Nunez to Al-Hilal? The Liverpool forward is a target for the Saudi Arabian side after missing a handful of other targets so far this summmer
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💵 Best bets
- Spanish La Liga: Champions
💰 THE PICK: FC Barcelona to win the title (+110) –
Barcelona’s preseason has been in full swing with Hansi Flick’s men already netting 10 goals in two matches, but they’ve also conceded four goals. Despite all that scoring, one player who has yet to get involved is one of the newest members of the squad, Marcus Rashford. The Englishman could have an important role under Flick this season after joining Barcelona from Manchester United on loan, but this preseason is critical in showing what he can do. Only 27, Rashford’s best isn’t behind him despite struggling for the past few seasons with United. It showed during his loan spell with Aston Villa during the second half of the Premier League campaign.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.
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