Lionel Messi can help make MLS the world’s best league – Bradley Wright-Phillips
Bradley Wright-Phillips believes football in North America can become “unstoppable” on the back of Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami and the 2026 World Cup. It is a decade since the former Manchester City and Southampton striker swapped English football for Major League Soccer to join New York Red Bulls. Wright-Phillips last year retired in sixth on the MLS all-time goals list having enjoyed a ringside seat to the sport’s growth in North America and says the best is yet to come. Having signed an eye-catching broadcasting deal with Apple in 2022, further developments will be fuelled by Messi’s move to Miami and the World Cup being hosted in the USA, Canada and Mexico in three years’ time. “My first reaction to Messi coming out was I just couldn’t believe it,” Wright-Phillips told the PA news agency. “Honestly, even now until I see him run out on an MLS pitch, I can’t really fathom what it’s going to be. It’s hard to even picture that. Even now it doesn’t seem real to me. It’s Messi! “Unbelievable time. I feel like I retired at the perfect time, just to be involved in what’s going on. “Messi obviously, Apple taking over and then you’ve got the World Cup coming in ‘26. What more can you ask for?” Put to Wright-Phillips that the sport in North America seems to be going from strength to strength, he said: “Yeah, it does. The potential and the ceiling is higher than ever. “If it’s done right, it can be unstoppable – best league and country in the world for football, right? Wouldn’t you say so?” MLS is certainly on an exciting trajectory and Messi’s arrival will spark unparalleled interest in the competition. “The league is not only getting the best player in the world,” says Wright-Phillips, who played for LAFC and Columbus Crew as well as the Red Bulls. “If you just think about the average fan that doesn’t watch MLS, but now because Messi’s here they’re going to watch MLS. “They now get see a Carles Gil, a Hany Mukhtar, young players like Noel Buck – these are players that we know are good. “But now you’re watching because you want to see Messi and the average fan gets to see that player or they get to see the atmosphere in St Louis or Austin. “That’s what’s exciting about it. It’s not just that we’re going to see Messi play, it’s what Messi exposes globally.” As well as Messi’s macro impact, Miami will be desperate for the Argentina star to improve fortunes at DRV PNK Stadium. The David Beckham co-owned team languish bottom of the Eastern Conference thanks to a difficult campaign that led to Phil Neville’s recent sacking. Ex-Barcelona boss Tata Martino has come in, while Messi’s former Nou Camp team-mates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are expected to join him in Florida. “That tells me that they don’t just want Messi to come here and lose games,” Wright-Phillips added. “The Inter Miami team isn’t doing very well this season, they’ve suffered a lot of injuries, they’ve had a change in the manager. “There’s a lot of things they have to do but if you bring a Busquets, a Jordi Alba, you’re giving yourself, you’re giving Messi a chance to succeed.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Spain defender Pau Torres joins Aston Villa on five-year deal from Villarreal Ons Jabeur ends Elena Rybakina’s reign to reach Wimbledon semi-finals again Paul Collingwood says thrilling Ashes series is drawing new fans to cricket
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Jabeur beats champion Rybakina to reach Wimbledon semis
Ons Jabeur gained revenge for her defeat in last year's Wimbledon final on Wednesday, coming from behind to beat Elena Rybakina...
1970-01-01 08:00
Spain defender Pau Torres joins Aston Villa on five-year deal from Villarreal
Aston Villa have completed the signing of defender Pau Torres from Villarreal. The 26-year-old, who has been capped 23 times for Spain, moves to Villa Park for an undisclosed fee after agreeing a five-year deal. He links up again with Villa boss Unai Emery who he played under for the Yellow Submarine. Torres won the Europa League in 2021 – under Emery – and helped Villarreal reach the semi-finals of the Champions League a year later. He becomes Villa’s second summer signing after the arrival of former Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans on a free transfer. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
1970-01-01 08:00
FBI director faces GOP critics at hearing focused on Trump, Hunter Biden and more
FBI Director Chris Wray is facing some of harshest critics in Congress at the House Judiciary Committee
1970-01-01 08:00
In 'Mission: Impossible -- Dead Reckoning,' Tom Cruise accomplishes 'Part One' of his mission
After his save-the-movie-business heroics with "Top Gun: Maverick," saving the world seems like a relatively simple task for Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible -- Dead Reckoning Part One." Happily, he has some splendid help this time around, in that rare 2023 summer movie that has the scope and heft -- with a timely AI threat -- to support its "To be continued" framework.
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Rob McElhenney shares he was diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities at 46
Rob McElhenney revealed he has been diagnosed with "neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities."
1970-01-01 08:00
CEOs Urge EU to Clear Red Tape Bogging Down Bloc’s Green Shift
Executives from the likes of Volkswagen AG and Ericsson AB are calling on the European Union to remove
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Spain defender Torres joins Emery at Aston Villa
Spanish international defender Pau Torres has been reunited with Aston Villa manager Unai Emery after joining the Premier League club...
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Kim Kardashian roasted for 'desperate' energy drink collaboration amid Kourtney feud
Kim Kardashian has always been a hot topic, but there's no denying her impressive business mentality with several deals under her belt, including her well-received shape-wear brand, Skims. But now, the reality star has kickstarted a new venture, and it includes a partnership for an energy drink – and people are divided. In a recent Instagram upload, The Kardashians star shared her surprise collaboration with Alani Nutrition with a brand new drink called KIMADE. The photo shows the mother-of-four posing in a swimsuit (Skims, no doubt), stilettos, jewellery and a pink can of the new beverage. "KIMADE. Coming soon with @AlaniNutrition," she wrote as the caption with a lemon and love heart emoji for good measure. The post was flooded with thousands of comments, with some diehard fans on board with the new collab. Others weren't so convinced. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter One brutal comment read: "The fact that Kim K will do anything to stay relevant!" Another added: "I hope all u don’t buy this!" One person bluntly said: "It's giving desperate." Meanwhile, a third expressed how they believed the collab was more suited for her sister, Khloe Kardashian. "I feel like this collab would’ve made more sense for Khloe," they wrote. Anyway, for those interested in the new KIMADE drop, founder Alani Nu Founder Katy Hearn said: "We are thrilled to collaborate with Kim, who is such an amazing female powerhouse and entrepreneur," "Kim's dedication to both her family and creating innovative brands perfectly align with our brand values, making this partnership such a natural fit. We are so excited for everyone to try this flavor, which we know is going to be one of our best yet!" It's said to be available on 17 July online, before a wider US supermarket rollout. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
Britney Spears Wants a Public Apology From the NBA
She already got one, but wants something more public and official.
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Three Shohei Ohtani Free Agent Destinations
If Shohei Ohtani ends up a free agent, who could sign him?
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Scientific test will reveal how vulnerable you are to fake news
A new study will determine how vulnerable you are to fake news. Through an online test, users have to rate 20 headlines as real or fake and see how many the get right. Ten of the headlines are real, while the other 10 were generated by artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT, before being vetted and selected by a panel of experts. When refining and selecting the fake questions, the team looked for common features of misinformation, such as looking at people's political biases, and tinges of conspiracy theories. The real headlines were selected from the Media Bias Fact Check database, from reputable news sources. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The team, conducting the research on 1,516 US adults, found that the average American got 13 out of 20 headlines correct meaning that on average US adults fail to classify one-third of real or fake headlines into their correct category. The headline people got correct the most was "Republicans Divided in Views of Trump’s Conduct, Democrats Are Broadly Critical", with 80 percent of participants rating it as real. Younger participants scored lower on the misinformation test, getting on average 12 out of 20 to older adults' 15. If you fancy seeing how susceptible to fake news you are, you can take the test yourself by clicking the link. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
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