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Lionel Messi has been the best MLS player so far, but unless he brings Miami home from the play-offs, the season will be regarded as a failure.

The Argentine forward, who has just won the MLS Golden Boot with 29 goals and is reportedly vying for the title of the most valuable player award once more, signed a new deal until 2028.

In the event that that happens, Messi will become the first MLS player to win it twice in its 30-season run.

The 38-year-old and Inter Miami are aware that winning the MLS Cup for the first time in their history is a prerequisite for their ability to defend the league title, which the 38-year-old and Inter Miami have failed to do.

The franchise, which is owned by David Beckham and is led by Javier Mascherano, will take on Nashville SC on Friday in the first game of a best-of-three series. Sam Surridge is the English striker’s attacking partner.

The post-season play-offs are seen as the main piece of silverware in America, even though the league title may be regarded as the most important prize for clubs around the world.

Since Messi left Paris St-Germain for Inter Miami in 2023, the club has been pursuing this goal, but it has not yet been realized.

The 2023 Leagues Cup, a new tournament that pitted teams from the MLS and the Liga MX, was the only knockout competition he and the club have ever won.

Since then, they have lost seven cups and have only added one more trophy, besides the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, to their overall league standing.

If Inter Miami don’t win the MLS Cup, then defender Noah Allen, age 21, said: “Yeah, that’s a failure. We have high expectations of ourselves.

Messi has already had a significant impact at Inter Miami both on and off the field, despite not revealing whether he will participate in the World Cup in North America next summer.

To increase focus, increase fans, increase sales, increase profits, and increase chances of success, a higher calibre of player has been drawn to the club – renowned names like Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.

The club currently sells more shirts than Juventus, and Messi is in line to buy the franchise when he retires. Vogue magazine also features Messi’s shirts as a fashion item.

In terms of goals and assists, Messi almost broke the previous single-season record held by former Arsenal forward Carlos Vela.

In Los Angeles FC’s 2019 season, the Mexican recorded 49 goals and 16 assists, but Messi only managed 45.

After earning the MLS Player of the Month for the third time this year, earning the Golden Boot, and being on the verge of receiving another MVP award, he enters round one of the play-offs against Nashville.

Some people believe Messi and Inter must achieve MLS Cup success after committing his future to the organization.

The top nine teams from the Eastern Conference and the top nine from the Western Conference advance to the play-offs, which will see eighteen teams advance through the four rounds before the MLS Cup final.

Bradley Wright-Phillips, a two-time Golden Boot winner and former Manchester City forward, said to MLS Apple TV, “You can’t assemble The Avengers without winning the MLS Cup.”

We’re going to judge that against the fact that they won’t win a cup, as they say, and that their time will still be filled with success.

Dax McCarty, a fellow Apple TV analyst and former Atlanta player, said, “When I look back and reflect on Messi’s career, I don’t really think about whether or not he won an MLS Cup. However, whether or not he wins an MLS Cup will undoubtedly have an impact on his legacy.

For England’s opening Ashes Test match against Australia on Saturday, Mike Lewis has been selected for England’s 19-man matchday squad.

Harry Smith’s absence leaves him with the opportunity to play half-back alongside captain George Williams in the absence of the Hull KR scrum-half.

Lewis won the League Leaders’ Shield and the Challenge Cup as man of the match as Hull KR defeated Wigan in the Grand Final earlier this month.

Jez Litten, a team-mate of his, is also expected to make his first appearance for England since 2023’s mid-season victory over France.

Joe Burgess, their Hull KR team-mate, who returned to the England setup after a 10-year absence when he was called up for the Ashes, has missed out. He scored two tries in the Grand Final.

Instead of announcing a starting lineup, England head coach Shaun Wane has chosen to name a matchday squad. On Tuesday, Australia named their starting 13 players.

England travel to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on November 1 and AMT Headingley on November 8 after the Test at Wembley on Saturday. All three games will be broadcast live on BBC One at 14:30.

Since his mother is a Londonian, AJ Brimson has made the squad, having previously opted to switch his allegiance from Australia earlier this year.

St Helens forward Alex Walmsley could make his first appearance for England since 2021, while Leigh forward Owen Trout is also in line for an international debut.

Wane stated, “We have a fantastic squad, and it wasn’t easy to narrow down for the first Ashes Test match in 22 years,” but I’m confident the players they chose will face the Kangaroos this weekend.

We’ve spent two fantastic weeks preparing for what will be a historic game under the Wembley Arch.

The Fulton-Reilly Award, which will be presented to the series’ player, will be the winner, among other things.

Bob Fulton and Mal Reilly, two rugby league legends who have appeared in previous Ashes matches, have been the recipients of the new award.

Fulton coached Australia in three more series against Great Britain before taking the lead in the 35 Tests that the Kangaroos won, including four Ashes series.

Jamie Peacock, a former England and Great Britain captain, is optimistic heading into the first Test despite the long wait for Ashes success.

Peacock said he felt the Kangaroos are more vulnerable than some of the great Australian teams he faced in the late 2000s while speaking on the BBC’s Rugby League Top 10 podcast.

It’s a great time to play Australia, he said. We advanced and faced a team that might have had five “Immortals” in it.

They included some of the most renowned players of the past 20 years, such as Paul Gallen, Darren Lockyer, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis, and Cameron Smith.

Nathan Cleary will be a standout head and shoulders for this current team. All Pacific Island switches reduce them.

For England’s opening Ashes Test match against Australia on Saturday, Mike Lewis has been selected for England’s 19-man matchday squad.

Harry Smith’s absence leaves him with the opportunity to play half-back alongside captain George Williams in the absence of the Hull KR scrum-half.

Lewis won the League Leaders’ Shield and the Challenge Cup as man of the match as Hull KR defeated Wigan in the Grand Final earlier this month.

Jez Litten, a team-mate of his, is also expected to make his first appearance for England since 2023’s mid-season victory over France.

Joe Burgess, their Hull KR team-mate, who returned to the England setup after a 10-year absence when he was called up for the Ashes, has missed out. He scored two tries in the Grand Final.

Instead of announcing a starting lineup, England head coach Shaun Wane has chosen to name a matchday squad. On Tuesday, Australia named their starting 13 players.

England travel to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on November 1 and AMT Headingley on November 8 after the Test at Wembley on Saturday. All three games will be broadcast live on BBC One at 14:30.

Since his mother is a Londonian, AJ Brimson has made the squad, having previously opted to switch his allegiance from Australia earlier this year.

St Helens forward Alex Walmsley could make his first appearance for England since 2021, while Leigh forward Owen Trout is also in line for an international debut.

Wane stated, “We have a fantastic squad, and it wasn’t easy to narrow down for the first Ashes Test match in 22 years,” but I’m confident the players they chose will face the Kangaroos this weekend.

We’ve spent two fantastic weeks preparing for what will be a historic game under the Wembley Arch.

The Fulton-Reilly Award, which will be presented to the series’ player, will be the winner, among other things.

Bob Fulton and Mal Reilly, two rugby league legends who have appeared in previous Ashes matches, have been the recipients of the new award.

Fulton coached Australia in three more series against Great Britain before taking the lead in the 35 Tests that the Kangaroos won, including four Ashes series.

Jamie Peacock, a former England and Great Britain captain, is optimistic heading into the first Test despite the long wait for Ashes success.

Peacock said he felt the Kangaroos are more vulnerable than some of the great Australian teams he faced in the late 2000s while speaking on the BBC’s Rugby League Top 10 podcast.

It’s a great time to play Australia, he said. We advanced and faced a team that might have had five “Immortals” in it.

They included some of the most renowned players of the past 20 years, such as Paul Gallen, Darren Lockyer, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis, and Cameron Smith.

Nathan Cleary will be a standout head and shoulders for this current team. All Pacific Island switches reduce them.

If Luke Littler, a teen, wins the European Championship, which begins on Thursday, he will become the first person to do so.

The 18-year-old is considering replacing Luke Humphries as the top-ranked player despite having only been playing professionally for a short while.

Littler, who is currently at the top of the rankings, wants to defend his PDC World Championship title at Alexandra Palace in December.

He would become the youngest PDC world number one after beating Michael van Gerwen, who did it at age 24 in 2014, in the European Championships in Germany, which wraps up on Sunday.

If Littler does not win the title in Dortmund but advances further than his rival, Littler could overtake Humphries.

If Humphries wins the £120,000 first prize, Humphries, the 2024 world champion, would increase his lead, which is currently at £52,500.

Although I don’t want to think too much about it, I might be the world’s number one before that World Championship.

“Just keep chucking away and applying the most pressure to Luke,” I say.

On Friday, Littler will face 58-year-old Raymond van Barneveld, who has five-time world champions.

In the first round, Humphries, 30, will face Pole Krzysztof Ratajski, who has the potential to meet Littler in the quarter-finals.

Before winning the Players Championship 32 event, Littler was knocked out by Beau Greaves in the World Youth Championship semi-finals the day after winning the Grand Prix.

After quitting his five-year management position with Martin Foulds of ZXF Sports Management, he has also announced a new management arrangement with Target Darts.

Littler will try to improve how he has fared recently in Germany, where he has been turned down by spectators for playing in hostile surroundings. When the pair lost to Germany at the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt in June, he and Humphries received booes.