Lionel Messi made sure he had vivid memories of his final appearance in a distinguished career playing for Argentina’s national team at home.
In front of a raucous sellout crowd at Estadio Monumental to bid him farewell, the former Barcelona forward scored twice on Thursday in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Venezuela.
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Messi said, “I’ve always dreamed of being able to finish this way here.”
“I’ve had many experiences on this pitch, both good and bad,” said one player. “It’s always fun to play in front of our fans in Argentina.”
Lionel Messi of Argentina stands in front of one of the numerous banners that the home fans have set up for him during the World Cup qualifying match [Marcos Brindicci/Getty Images]
Messi has yet to disclose when he will leave the sport’s elite, but the qualifiers for the 2030 World Cup will begin in 2027, at age 40.
Lautaro Martinez scored a goal in the 76th minute, while Lautaro Martinez added a goal in the 39th and 80th.
In South American World Cup qualifying games, Messi has now scored 36 goals and is still the top scorer ever.
Luis Suarez, his Inter Miami teammate, has 29 goals in qualifying for the Continental Cup, but he has already left Uruguay’s national team. Marcelo Moreno Martins of Bolivia leads with 22.
Lionel Messi, the forward of Argentina, bids his final farewell on home soil [Juan Mabromata/AFP]
Messi stated in the future that he would only be able to compete in the World Cup in the following year.
“I’m eager, eager,” I say. It continues to experience the sensations day by day. He continued, “I enjoy it if I feel good, and if not, I’d rather not be there,” adding that the nine months until the tournament officially begins “is a long time.”
The World Cup champions, who have already qualified, will continue to lead the South American standings despite what happens in the final round on Tuesday, reaching 38 points.
Venezuela is still in seventh place and 18 points clear of its first World Cup opponent. They are still in contention to make the intercontinental playoffs.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi scores the team’s first goal in the South American FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying match against Venezuela [Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images]
One of the most popular trend forecasters on the Internet, Gabrielle Minoli, claims they fall under a more ominous agenda.
Could the ads for Sydney Sweeney and Matt Rife be used for “Operation B. E. I. G. E.”
Is anyone else seeing it? There’s a creeping cultural shift happening and Matt Rife and Sydney Sweeney’s ads are the pretty faces being pasted over it.
I’m referring to the conservatism shift. Let me explain before you swipe out. Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ll have probably heard of Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad.
The camera panned over her blonde hair and blue eyes while announcing that the actress had ‘Good Jeans’. The script had many accusing the ad of playing into racism and eugenics, which was only heightened by the revelation that Sydney is reportedly a registered Republican. But while the backlash was intense, the support was counteractively fervorous.
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Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad sparked accusations that the brand was promoting eugenics (Image: American Eagle)
Donald Trump himself commended the ad as “the hottest ad out there” and American Eagle’s stocks shot up. It seemed like a sort of extreme societal boomerang.
Meanwhile, Matt Rife, a TikTok comedian cursed with good looks (and perhaps cursed for real, given his recent guardianship of America’s ‘most haunted’ toy), featured in an ad for e.l.f Cosmetics. The news was widely met with backlash, largely because of his past controversial jokes around domestic violence – which alienated a portion of his female audience.
Some people have referred to these advertisements as “rage bait,” a technique used to produce offensive or defensive content. After all, everyone is firing up, and it’s obvious that everyone is conversing. But this explanation seems unsatisfactory. Why is the bait pushing the same thing if it’s just rage bait?
After all, while they’ve been probably the most prolific, these ads have not been the only ones inspiring discomfort. Kim Kardashian’s recent SKIMS face wrap ad provoked criticism for its promotion of what some view as an extreme beauty regimen. But it’s hard to believe that Kim Kardashian was simply rage-baiting when cosmetic alterations are part of her brand.
The SKIMS face wrap caused backlash (Image: PUBLICITY PICTURE)
Plus, people have been pointing towards other emerging trends, like clean girl, corporate core and even the princess nails trend as falling in line with a more conservative agenda. In the UK, too, many expressed their dismay online when fast fashion retailer Pretty Little Thing, once known for its ‘bombshell’ night out dresses, decided to transition to a “boring” quiet luxury rebrand.
The most interesting aspect of South Park’s most talked-about season is probably its most interesting. The creators of the iconoclastic cartoon have long prided themselves on breaking taboo and have come under fire before for spreading racist and anti-semitic jokes (among other things). Even they have criticized political correctness’s sudden demise. “Woke is dead,” Eric Cartman said.
We see it in our ads, our fashion, our makeup, even our TV shows. But why and how might businesses be pushing a agenda? What might their ultimate goal be, in addition to that? I spoke to Gabrielle Minoli, an online “anti-forecaster” known by her social media handle as saltlacroix, whose theory Operation B. E. I. G. E has been gaining traction online.
Sofia Richie-Grainge is one of the most popular ‘clean girl’ influencers (Image: Amazon)
In her own words, B. E. I. G. E. refers to media, trends, and storepable items that are “boring and Engineered to Identify with Gentrification and Eugenics.” While she admits she initially thought the “Eugenics” part of the acronym might be a stretch, “clearly some big brands had other plans with their campaigns this year”.
She’s quick to point out that she’s a comedy content creator and that her channel was founded to satirize various aspects of culture and media. However, she has successfully predicted a number of significant trends over the past few years, and millions of people have already viewed her most recent theory, which documents this conservative shift.
She reveals she first came up with the idea for Operation B. E. I. G. E in 2024, when she noticed a “beige-ification” to the advertisement of popular brands in her hometown LA, such as Chipotle and Barnes and Nobel, which had transitioned towards a more “sterile” aesthetic.
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She says, “I knew I wanted to give this shift a name, and I chose something as official as possible because the “diet fascism,” as we’re seeing, feels systemic and increasingly planned… Promoting mediocrity, homogenizing aesthetics, and erasing diversity are key factors.”
Her videos analysing Matt Rife and Sydney Sweeney’s ad campaigns under this lens have gained millions of views across TikTok and Instagram. She explains: “Both campaigns are great examples of what Operation B.E.I.G.E. looks like emboldened. Some have called these campaigns rage bait, and while there could be some truth to that, the real danger is in what major campaigns like these normalise.”
Matt’s e.l.f. campaign caused worldwide backlash(Image: Penske Media via Getty Images)
She continues, “Asian Eagle’s campaign with Sydney Sweeney was the first step in letting us know that Sydney Sweeney has “great jeans.” When the male announcer makes this statement in the most popular spot, Sweeney’s blue eyes meet the camera and lands on “jeans.”
” As made explicitly obvious in other campaign assets, we’re meant to consider ‘ genes’, too. In any socio-political environment, but especially one where racial profiling continues to lead to detention and deportation, it’s a bold statement.
She continues, “To be clear, the issue that so many of us have with this campaign is not Sydney Sweeney herself, but the physical characteristics that are lauded as “great,” characteristics that continue to be promoted in eugenics-based propaganda.
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Gabrielle acknowledges that this is “less explicitly B. E. I. G. E. ” in her campaign for e. f., but she does point out that it is”an example of platforming the middle and testing the waters of cisgender, heterosexual men marketing to women. Although it’s not a new phenomenon, it certainly dates back to 1950s advertisements featuring male announcers.
She adds:” Sexism and a return to ‘ traditional ‘ gender roles is certainly B. E. I. G. E. “
According to Gabrielle, Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS ad might also fall under the umbrella of “B. E. I. G. E.” in light of ‘body optimisation,’ which we appear to have entered after years of work in the direction of body positivity.
Many people have rung the alarm on ” Instagram Face,” or the homogeneity of body modifications, but it’s now allegedly as inexpensive and as simple as bandaging your face.
” It feels like the wheels have kind of come off the self-care mobile that gained momentum in 2020, “Gabrielle says”. Are you even a high-value woman if your jaw isn’t positively snatched enough to split a diamond? A word that truly ticks all the right boxes in an acronym like this.
“Many others have rung the alarm on ‘Instagram Face,’ or the homogeneity of body modifications”(Image: INSTAGRAM)
READ MORE: Does Kim Kardashian’s traffic stopping Skims ad objectify or liberate women
But, like any operation, there must be an end goal. “I think about [Operation B.E.I.G.E’s end goal] a lot, and do want to acknowledge that there are possibly darker motives that align with certain political goals,” Gabrielle tells me. “So much of it feels like a gradual, calculated response to the great strides we’ve made in terms of diversity, equity, inclusion, and media representation (or “wokeness”). “On the broadest level, I do believe the end goal is for us to stop thinking for ourselves, and to trust that what we’re being served up algorithmically or IRL is what’s best and desirable, even if it’s slop. It’s trending slop, so it must be good! I mentioned AI before, and I strongly believe its normalisation is letting our creativity and critical thinking skills fritter away. The hope seems to be that we’ll lie down, fall in line, and forget how to question what’s in front of us.
” To the benefit of corporations and media execs, we often conflate value and talent with mainstream marketability, and that’s at the heart of Operation B. E. I. G. E. There are fewer and fewer rare gems plucked from obscurity, and far more rocks tumbled to reveal fool’s gold. Alternatively, a cowboy hat and mustache would be on top. They assume we will purchase the ticket, play along, and not notice.
Lewis Hamilton was just ahead of him in a Ferrari as Alex Dunne for the first time entered the pitlane and exited the garage.
The 19-year-old Irishman admitted it was “pretty cool” being following the seven-time champion onto the circuit but doesn’t idolize any of the current grid because, after all, he is their peer.
He had been having a long time about it, and he caught the attention of the F1 paddock at the Austrian Grand Prix in June by posting the fourth-fastest time in the practice session, finishing only 0.06 seconds behind McLaren team-mate and championship leader Oscar Piastri.
He later claimed that it was “the best day of my life.” Who could blame him, exactly?
“It was a very special day for me,” he said. Even seeing the Irish flags waving outside the pitlane, Dunne claimed to BBC Sport NI.
Being on track and participating in an F1 session with the world’s best drivers was super cool, despite the outcome.
At Monza, one of the most storied circuits on the Formula 1 calendar, he will now be able to do it once more for the Italian Grand Prix.
When he replaces Piastri in first practice, it will be another chance to show the F1 paddock what he can do.
“I set the bar fairly high for the first one in Austria, so I’ll be disappointed if I don’t do better than I did there,” McLaren’s development director Dunne continued.
In the F1 car and in the simulator, I always feel secure. Every time I’m driving, I improve, which is always a nice feeling.
A FP1 session is intended to demonstrate your capabilities, but not to try to be a hero, in my opinion.
There is no point in acting differently and making yourself look worse for it because you’ve acted differently.
The focus is still on F2.
Dunne is aware that his main focus is on Formula 2 despite his Formula 1 successes and the additional attention that has come his way since Austria.
With four rounds of renaming, starting at Monza, where he will combine his McLaren outing with his F2 commitments, the Rodin Motorsport driver is in contention for the title. He is 30 points behind leader Leonardo Fornaroli.
“I’ve always said that my main goal is F2 and doing a good job,” Dunne continued.
The best chance I have of winning F2 is with how things are right now, according to the author.
Every time I drive into a F1 car, it almost feels like an audition, and it’s important to do well to demonstrate both that I can focus on the right things in F2 as well.
Without two significant penalties that were beyond his control, a margin greater than the 25 points offered for a win in a feature race might seem like a lot to make up, but Dunne would still have been in charge of the championship.
Images courtesy of Getty
Dunne would have moved up from fifth to first in the standings if both results had been true, but he claims there is no point in getting too upset about past events that he can’t change.
As long as everything we do now is flawless from beginning to end, Dunne, who has won the feature races in Bahrain and Imola, said, “I don’t see why we can’t win those points back.”
The things that have prevented us from achieving those points aren’t related to pace and performance, and they are the things that are the simplest to fix, “I don’t think it’s a bad place to be.”
With only eight races remaining in each of the four rounds, Dunne thinks Fornaroli can still match his title rival, who won it last year.
Yes, it’s realistic, but it’s challenging. Fornaroli is currently in the lead and has a strong championship winning streak.
“Over the course of the final four rounds, I’m going to have to perform very well to catch him.” It’s possible, in my opinion. I believe the team and I will move the fastest when everything is right.
Irish support armed it
Dunne has established himself as one of the rising stars of Irish sport, and with that, a growing fan base, as the first Irish driver to take part in a Formula 1 weekend in 22 years.
He claimed that it has only improved since Austria when it first came up against the podium in the grandstand after his feature race win in Bahrain.
After visiting the Mondello Historic Festival in August, he discovered how important the support was here.
In contrast to last year, when he would walk around the paddock “almost like a normal person,” Dunne was the star attraction this time around and drew a lot of attention.
Dunne chuckled and remarked, “That weekend was pretty crazy.
I was able to walk around the paddock like a member of the group, though some people who knew me might have asked for a picture.
“I just got surrounded by everyone, but it’s cool to see,” I said as the big interview on stage came to a close.
A Nigerian female boxing player who missed a deadline for a new genetic sex test was told by BBC Sport that it was “heartbreaking.”
Blessing Oraekwe, who had been scheduled to compete in the 75 kg category, claimed World Boxing should pay compensation to cover the costs of her team’s erroneous journey to the UK.
According to the international body for amateur boxing, its gender eligibility requirements for women starting the event, which officially opened on Thursday, will apply to all female competitors.
It claimed that its athletes had been “punished for a bureaucratic failure and a policy that was communicated far too late.”
Then it became clear that three of Nigeria’s women’s team’s three fighters from five different countries had been barred.
Oraekwe remarked, “I feel so depressed.
My intention was to dominate the ring and steal the gold for my country, which was heartbreaking. I am aware of how much work went into this.
World Boxing refutes the criticism, saying that national federations will be in charge of testing because they have the closest connections to their boxers, have the best access to their fighters, and are best equipped to oversee the testing process.
It stated that all federations had been informed on August 21 that any results from sex testing that were submitted after September 1 would be considered “unacceptable” and that any athletes who entered the official draw and competition would be in danger of losing.
Teams were instructed to take into account their arrival time if testing was needed once in the UK.
Officials in Nigeria claimed Oraekwe and two of her team-mates had been tested in Leeds on Monday following their arrival in the UK, but they had not received their results until Thursday evening, when they had already been barred.
Oraekwe remarked, “They brought the tests late. We have spent a lot of money, so I only want to ask that World Boxing make up for our lack of success. World Boxing has received requests for comment, according to the source.
The French boxing federation also sent its five-member women’s team to the Leeds lab on Monday because sex tests are prohibited in France without a medical prescription.
It claimed on Wednesday that it had learned with stupefaction and indignation that the fighters would not be able to fight because, in spite of the assurances that World Boxing had given us, the laboratory they had referred to was unable to deliver the results on time.
In response, it stated, “Our athletes as well as those from other nations have been caught in this trap and excluded.”
Maelys Richol, a French fighter, stated to BBC Sport that she was “really upset about the situation.”
She continued, “I didn’t think it would turn out this way when I first arrived here.” We’ve been preparing for the World Championships for almost a year. And it’s difficult to learn that the day before.
The tests, according to World Boxing, were introduced to ensure safety and fairness in the women’s boxing competition.
We’re sympathetic because we know every boxer spends the night in the gym, according to Mike McAtee, acting secretary general of World Boxing.
However, boxing requires strict rules, as stated. Boxers should be protected from themselves and that our health and safety are paramount.
We gave plenty of notice, but we’re sympathetic to boxers, coaches, and federations who prepared and were unable to participate for any reason.
This is the only way to ensure that our athletes compete safely and competitively.
“We can always learn from our perspective,” he said. After that, we’ll examine how we can improve our organization so that our members can receive testing even if they are not permitted to do so in their own country.
The organization’s governing body declined to disclose whether any fighters who took the tests had failed.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, appealed the introduction of the genetic sex test last week to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Due to alleged failure of gender eligibility tests, Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting were exempt from the 2023 World Championships by previous world champion, the International Boxing Association (IBA).
Khelif and Lin are not competing in this year’s competition.
The pair won gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics after being permitted to compete by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
If their passports indicated that they were female, competitors were admitted to the women’s division in Paris, according to the IOC.
Following the IBA’s suspension for failing to implement reforms, boxing underwent a significant reorganization in recent years.
A Nigerian female boxing player who missed a deadline for a new genetic sex test was told by BBC Sport that it was “heartbreaking.”
Blessing Oraekwe, who had been scheduled to compete in the 75 kg category, claimed World Boxing should pay compensation to cover the costs of her team’s erroneous journey to the UK.
According to the international body for amateur boxing, its gender eligibility requirements for women starting the event, which officially opened on Thursday, will apply to all female competitors.
It claimed that its athletes had been “punished for a bureaucratic failure and a policy that was communicated far too late.”
Then it became clear that three of Nigeria’s women’s team’s three fighters from five different countries had been barred.
Oraekwe remarked, “I feel so depressed.
My intention was to dominate the ring and steal the gold for my country, which was heartbreaking. I am aware of how much work went into this.
World Boxing refutes the criticism, saying that national federations will be in charge of testing because they have the closest connections to their boxers, have the best access to their fighters, and are best equipped to oversee the testing process.
It stated that all federations had been informed on August 21 that any results from sex testing that were submitted after September 1 would be considered “unacceptable” and that any athletes who entered the official draw and competition would be in danger of losing.
Teams were instructed to take into account their arrival time if testing was needed once in the UK.
Officials in Nigeria claimed Oraekwe and two of her team-mates had been tested in Leeds on Monday following their arrival in the UK, but they had not received their results until Thursday evening, when they had already been barred.
Oraekwe remarked, “They brought the tests late. We have spent a lot of money, so I only want to ask that World Boxing make up for our lack of success. World Boxing has received requests for comment, according to the source.
The French boxing federation also sent its five-member women’s team to the Leeds lab on Monday because sex tests are prohibited in France without a medical prescription.
It claimed on Wednesday that it had learned with stupefaction and indignation that the fighters would not be able to fight because, in spite of the assurances that World Boxing had given us, the laboratory they had referred to was unable to deliver the results on time.
In response, it stated, “Our athletes as well as those from other nations have been caught in this trap and excluded.”
Maelys Richol, a French fighter, stated to BBC Sport that she was “really upset about the situation.”
She continued, “I didn’t think it would turn out this way when I first arrived here.” We’ve been preparing for the World Championships for almost a year. And it’s difficult to learn that the day before.
The tests, according to World Boxing, were introduced to ensure safety and fairness in the women’s boxing competition.
We’re sympathetic because we know every boxer spends the night in the gym, according to Mike McAtee, acting secretary general of World Boxing.
However, boxing requires strict rules, as stated. Boxers should be protected from themselves and that our health and safety are paramount.
We gave plenty of notice, but we’re sympathetic to boxers, coaches, and federations who prepared and were unable to participate for any reason.
This is the only way to ensure that our athletes compete safely and competitively.
“We can always learn from our perspective,” he said. After that, we’ll examine how we can improve our organization so that our members can receive testing even if they are not permitted to do so in their own country.
The organization’s governing body declined to disclose whether any fighters who took the tests had failed.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, appealed the introduction of the genetic sex test last week to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Due to alleged failure of gender eligibility tests, Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting were exempt from the 2023 World Championships by previous world champion, the International Boxing Association (IBA).
Khelif and Lin are not competing in this year’s competition.
The pair won gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics after being permitted to compete by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
If their passports indicated that they were female, competitors were admitted to the women’s division in Paris, according to the IOC.
Following the IBA’s suspension for failing to implement reforms, boxing underwent a significant reorganization in recent years.
A Nigerian female boxing player who missed a deadline for a new genetic sex test was told by BBC Sport that it was “heartbreaking.”
Blessing Oraekwe, who had been scheduled to compete in the 75 kg category, claimed World Boxing should pay compensation to cover the costs of her team’s erroneous journey to the UK.
According to the international body for amateur boxing, its gender eligibility requirements for women starting the event, which officially opened on Thursday, will apply to all female competitors.
It claimed that its athletes had been “punished for a bureaucratic failure and a policy that was communicated far too late.”
Then it became clear that three of Nigeria’s women’s team’s three fighters from five different countries had been barred.
Oraekwe remarked, “I feel so depressed.
My intention was to dominate the ring and steal the gold for my country, which was heartbreaking. I am aware of how much work went into this.
World Boxing refutes the criticism, saying that national federations will be in charge of testing because they have the closest connections to their boxers, have the best access to their fighters, and are best equipped to oversee the testing process.
It stated that all federations had been informed on August 21 that any results from sex testing that were submitted after September 1 would be considered “unacceptable” and that any athletes who entered the official draw and competition would be in danger of losing.
Teams were instructed to take into account their arrival time if testing was needed once in the UK.
Officials in Nigeria claimed Oraekwe and two of her team-mates had been tested in Leeds on Monday following their arrival in the UK, but they had not received their results until Thursday evening, when they had already been barred.
Oraekwe remarked, “They brought the tests late. We have spent a lot of money, so I only want to ask that World Boxing make up for our lack of success. World Boxing has received requests for comment, according to the source.
The French boxing federation also sent its five-member women’s team to the Leeds lab on Monday because sex tests are prohibited in France without a medical prescription.
It claimed on Wednesday that it had learned with stupefaction and indignation that the fighters would not be able to fight because, in spite of the assurances that World Boxing had given us, the laboratory they had referred to was unable to deliver the results on time.
In response, it stated, “Our athletes as well as those from other nations have been caught in this trap and excluded.”
Maelys Richol, a French fighter, stated to BBC Sport that she was “really upset about the situation.”
She continued, “I didn’t think it would turn out this way when I first arrived here.” We’ve been preparing for the World Championships for almost a year. And it’s difficult to learn that the day before.
The tests, according to World Boxing, were introduced to ensure safety and fairness in the women’s boxing competition.
We’re sympathetic because we know every boxer spends the night in the gym, according to Mike McAtee, acting secretary general of World Boxing.
However, boxing requires strict rules, as stated. Boxers should be protected from themselves and that our health and safety are paramount.
We gave plenty of notice, but we’re sympathetic to boxers, coaches, and federations who prepared and were unable to participate for any reason.
This is the only way to ensure that our athletes compete safely and competitively.
“We can always learn from our perspective,” he said. After that, we’ll examine how we can improve our organization so that our members can receive testing even if they are not permitted to do so in their own country.
The organization’s governing body declined to disclose whether any fighters who took the tests had failed.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, appealed the introduction of the genetic sex test last week to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Due to alleged failure of gender eligibility tests, Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting were exempt from the 2023 World Championships by previous world champion, the International Boxing Association (IBA).
Khelif and Lin are not competing in this year’s competition.
The pair won gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics after being permitted to compete by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
If their passports indicated that they were female, competitors were admitted to the women’s division in Paris, according to the IOC.
Following the IBA’s suspension for failing to implement reforms, boxing underwent a significant reorganization in recent years.
