Evenepoel wins stage and shaves seconds off Pogacar in the Tour

Liverpool explores a new financial stage. The English club is holding talks with Indian investors, including the Mittal family, for a minority stake that values ​​the institution at more than $6 billion, according to the Financial Times.

Fenway Sports Group (FSG), owner of the club since 2010 and also owner of the Boston Red Sox, confirmed the negotiations in a statement to the British newspaper.

“An investment consortium led, managed and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a minority strategic investment in Liverpool Football Club,” FSG said.

Bhatia, married to a daughter of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, separated this Tuesday from his co-ownership in Queens Park Rangers, an English second division team, where he served as president from 2018 to 2023.

FSG paid $400 million for Liverpool in 2010. Under his management, the club broke a 30-year drought without a league title in 2020 and repeated it in 2024, matching Manchester United with 20 English championships. In addition, they won the Champions League in 2019 and reached two other finals under the direction of Jürgen Klopp.

The possible investment by Bhatia and his consortium would mark a milestone in the shareholder structure of the club, which seeks to maintain its competitiveness in the elite of European football.

Lionel Messi, captain of the Argentine team, runner-up in the world, arrived in his native Rosario on Tuesday to rest for a few days after the final against Spain. Coach Lionel Scaloni, for his part, arrived in Pujato, the town where he grew up, amid signs of affection.

A bittersweet return

Messi’s private plane landed at 6:27 in the morning at the Fisherton terminal, from Fort Lauderdale. Dozens of fans were waiting for him with signs and flags, although the player did not show up. They only observed the passing of the truck that took him to a residential neighborhood of Funes, near Rosario. The star would have traveled with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their three children. His father, Jorge Messi, 68, awaits him in Rosario, who according to his family is undergoing medical treatment for an undetailed illness.

Some fans arrived at the airport as early as 3:30 in the morning. Two girls wearing albiceleste shirts displayed posters. One said: “Messi: you are great. Thank you for gladdening our hearts. A country loves you!”

On Instagram, Messi wrote: “The pain is very great and it will be difficult to close this wound. But I also keep all the good things… With the games that we turned around, leaving everything behind and that will remain forever in memory.”

Fifteen of the 26 members of the squad, with Scaloni at the head, arrived at the Ezeiza international airport on Monday.

Scaloni in Pujato

The coach’s arrival in Pujato, in the province of Santa Fe, was an event. Neighbors gathered to receive him. Scaloni, who lives in Mallorca, left the house, signed t-shirts and took photos with his fans.

“We were not winners but it is enough to be satisfied. It hurts not to have been able to give them joy,” he declared. “We lost because they were better… maybe we came just right; it’s good to recognize; that’s going to make us better.”

Faced with cries of “Lio is not leaving!”, Scaloni confirmed that he is fulfilling his bond with the AFA until December 31, although he avoided confirming whether he will continue. “I’m here until December guys… let’s not make noise.”

Messi has not commented on his continuity. The Albiceleste will play again between September 21 and October 6 in a friendly window. The former Barcelona player is expected to spend a few days in Rosario before rejoining Inter Miami at the end of July or beginning of August.

Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the World Cup final in East Rutherford on Sunday. The goal was scored by Ferran Torres in extra time. Messi reached his third world final as a starter (2014, 2022, 2026) and finished second in the scoring table with eight goals, behind Kylian Mbappé’s 10. Mbappé leads the all-time table with 22 goals; Messi follows him with 21.

Sabalenka and Sinner lead the US Open 2025

Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Wimbledon winner Jannik Sinner headline the draws at the US Open, which starts next month.

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) released the direct entry lists on Tuesday, based on the July 20 rankings. The cut was number 102 in the women’s branch and 101 in the men’s branch.

Sabalenka, world number one, arrives at Flushing Meadows with the opportunity to be the first woman to win three consecutive US Open titles since Serena Williams (2012-2014).

For his part, Sinner will try to regain the title he lost last year to Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian, also the leader of the ranking, has just won his fifth Grand Slam by beating Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final.

Alcaraz, who has missed the last two major tournaments with a wrist injury, hopes to return during the hard-court tour in North America. Currently ranked three, he appears in the chart.

The United States dominates the list with 14 men and 14 women directly qualified. The last woman to enter was Anastasia Zakharova (102nd place), and the last man, Filip Misolic, who used a special or protected ranking at number 101.

Misolic is one of eight players – five women and three men – who resorted to that option.

The remainder of the 128 tickets will be filled with USTA wild cards and the qualifying tournament, one week before the main draw begins on Sunday, August 30.

Serena Williams is expected to receive an invitation if she is healthy and plans to play. The 44-year-old tennis player, who returned to competition, injured her knee in her first-round loss at Wimbledon.