The Pumas survive in a heart-stopping duel against FC Juárez

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.

Victory and scare in the Tour time trial

Belgian Remco Evenepoel won the 16th stage of the Tour de France, a 26.1 km individual time trial between Évian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains. He completed the route in 32 minutes and 19 seconds, reducing 28 seconds to the lead of Tadej Pogacar, who recorded the second best time of the day.

Evenepoel, world time trial champion, achieved his third consecutive victory in this format within the Tour. He ran on Belgium’s national day in front of his family. However, the joy was bittersweet: his teammate Florian Lipowitz suffered a fall at kilometer 19.8.

The German cyclist lost control in a sharp turn near the finish line and slid against the curb. Lipowitz, who was fifth overall, was unable to continue due to an apparent shoulder injury. Evenepoel expressed his concern:

“It’s a bittersweet pill to swallow with this win. I wish him the best and hope he’s not too bad. I’m going to miss him a lot all week.”

Pogacar also had a scare in the same corner, but managed to recover. His lead over Evenepoel is 4 minutes and 32 seconds, with five stages ahead. Evenepoel praised the Slovenian:

“Tadej is on his way to winning a fifth Tour de France. I think it’s just incredible that I can be even close to him. It’s an honor to ride with him, I’m trying to learn.”

Pogacar’s main rival, Jonas Vingegaard, was woken up for doping tests during the early hours of Sunday, as was Pogacar. The Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe riders had checks on Monday without interruption of sleep.

Paxti Vila, the team’s sporting director, commented on the Lipowitz incident:

“On the one hand you are happy because we won, but on the other hand you are a little sad because Florian had that fall at kilometer 19.8. He is still on the way to the hospital. Let’s see when the medical update comes.”

The stage began in Évian-les-Bains, next to Lake Geneva, with a 16.4 km climb up the Côte de Larringes (second category), followed by a technical descent. American Brandon McNulty had an altercation with a motorist on the way out. The race concludes on Sunday in Paris.