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Jamaica’s Mount Pleasant scramble to get US visas for LA Galaxy Champions Cup clash

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The politics of the United States is being felt worldwide, and the CONCACAF Champions Cup is getting caught in the slipstream. The regional governing body is scrambling to resolve a visa crisis involving Jamaican club Mount Pleasant FA ahead of its round-of-16 clash with LA Galaxy in California on Wednesday. Ten players from the Jamaican Premier League side have so far been unable to secure U.S. visas. The most complicated cases involve six Haitian players on Mount Pleasant’s roster. Haiti is among the countries whose citizens are currently barred from entering the United States under immigration restrictions introduced after Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025. According to sources close to the club, speaking anonymously to protect relationships with authorities, the problem is not only outright denials. Some players simply cannot get visa appointments in time, with interview slots scheduled after the match itself. The situation leaves Mount Pleasant facing th...
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Messi earns $70-80m a year from InterMiami and MLS deals

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Few players in the history of the game have changed the economics of a club quite like Lionel Messi has at Inter Miami CF. Club owner Jorge Mas revealed this week that Messi’s total compensation package sits somewhere between $70 million and $80 million per year once every element of the agreement is factored in. This includes Messi’s eventual ownership stake in the club. “The reason that I need to have sponsors and for them to be world class is because players are expensive,” Mas said. “I pay Messi – worth every penny – but it’s $70 million to $80 million a year. Across everything.” The headline number is far larger than Messi’s official salary figure. According to the MLS Players Association salary release, the World Cup winner earns a base salary of $12 million, with $20.45 million in guaranteed compensation once bonuses are included, making him the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, ahead of Son Heung-min at Los Angeles FC. Before Messi signed in 2023, Inter Mi...
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Appy Arsenal launch home-made multi-format content platform

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Quadruple-chasing Arsenal FC has launched a redesigned official club app called ‘The Arsenal’. The new platform is designed as a central digital hub for supporters, combining personalised content, matchday information, ticketing, and fan engagement in a single app. Arsenal is introducing a range of exclusive productions, including documentary storytelling and entertainment-led series featuring players and club personalities. The aim is to keep supporters within the club’s own digital ecosystem. The Martin Ødegaard Doc is the app’s first show, which examines the leadership style of the Arsenal captain. Another series, Only In The Land, follows the 2024/25 season of Arsenal Women, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the team’s campaign. The app also features The Link Up, a lifestyle programme hosted by Bukayo Saka that explores the connection between football and music. The platform reflects a wider trend across professional sport where clubs are now increasingly functioning...
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Argentina sell training kit slot to Google’s AI platform Gemini

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Current World Champions Argentina, who have seemingly perfected the art of monetising every aspect of the Lionel Messi national team programme, struck a high-profile sponsorship with Gemini, the artificial intelligence platform developed by Google. The deal places the Gemini logo on national team training kits, joining a top sponsorship tier that already includes Adidas and American Express. Argentina has also been building regional partnerships from Asia to South America, reflecting how federations are now treating the World Cup cycle as a commercial window. In announcing the Gemini deal, the AFA said the alliance “represents a significant milestone that brings sport closer to technology.” No value or term was given for the deal.
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La Compagnie lands French national team deal to end of World Cup

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 The French Football Federation (FFF) has named boutique carrier La Compagnie as the Official Airline of the French national team through to the end of July, covering a busy period of transatlantic travel as preparations intensify ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The partnership will begin later this month when France national football team travel to the United States for a pair of high-profile friendlies – first against Brazil at Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium on March 26, before a second fixture against Colombia at Maryland’s Northwest Stadium three days later. La Compagnie will also handle the squad’s dedicated transatlantic travel during the World Cup itself, lifting France’s finest across a huge hosting area between the United States, Mexico and Canada this summer. The FFF framed the partnership around operational reliability and player comfort, with flights operated using La Compagnie’s fleet of Airbus A321neo aircraft. According to the federation, the airline was th...
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India's T20 World Cup win made in SA through former Protea Morne Morkel and trainer Aiden le Roux

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Morne Morkel has become the latest former Proteas star to win a World Cup with India. Morkel is the bowling coach of the India team that thrashed New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.  The former Proteas fast bowler, who played 247 matches and took 544 wickets for South Africa, has proved to be hugely popular among the Indian players since joining head coach Gautam Gambhir’s staff in August 2024. India have a long history in hiring former Proteas who have guided them to World Cup glory.  Former opening batter Gary Kirsten famously masterminded India’s 2011 ODI World Cup success on home soil. Former Proteas batter Gary Kirsten famously led India to the 2011 ODI World Cup title. Part of Kirsten’s coaching staff was former Proteas allrounder Eric Simons, who like Morkel performed the bowling coach duties. South African-born mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton was also a key component of the 2011 India coaching staff. The current Indian coach...
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Cameroon’s Nagida seizes Rennes opportunity under Franck Haise

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By Mishael Emmanuel        Cameroon international Mahamadou Nagida is enjoying a resurgence at Stade Rennais, with the defender’s fortunes changing dramatically following the departure of Habib Beye and the arrival of new manager Franck Haise. For much of the season, Nagida struggled for playing time under Beye, frequently finding himself on the bench despite possessing the defensive qualities many believed could strengthen Rennes’ backline. However, a shift in leadership at the club has provided the Cameroonian left-back with a fresh opportunity to prove his worth. Nagida began to show signs of his potential in February when Haise handed him 21 minutes in a clash against RC Lens. Although Rennes suffered defeat that day, the young defender’s performance caught attention and appeared to convince the new coach to place greater trust in him. That faith quickly translated into regular starts. Nagida was included in the starting lineup for Rennes’ next three ...
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Rangers hit Remo for four as NPFL Matchday 29 delivers big wins

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By Maxwell Kumoye        Matchday 29 of the Nigeria Premier Football League delivered plenty of goals and decisive results across several centres, with some traditional powerhouses asserting dominance while others suffered costly defeats in the race for points and survival. At the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu, former champions Rangers International produced one of the standout performances of the round, thrashing Remo Stars 4–1. Rangers were clinical in attack and controlled proceedings for long spells, handing the visitors a heavy defeat that could affect their push near the top of the table. In Jos, Plateau United cruised to a comfortable 3–0 victory over Niger Tornadoes. Plateau United dominated from start to finish, converting their chances while keeping a disciplined defensive shape to secure all three points. There was also a significant result in Port Harcourt where Rivers United defeated Bendel Insurance 3–1 in an entertaining encounter.  ...
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Osei-Fosu questions Ayew’s place in Ghana’s World Cup plans

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      Former Ghana Premier League coach, Ignatius Osei-Fosu has urged Andre Ayew to step aside from the Ghana national football team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the veteran forward may no longer be needed in the squad as the country looks to build for the future. Osei-Fosu made the remarks in response to comments by Ghana’s Sports and Recreation Minister, Kofi Adams, who recently said he would not be surprised if Ayew is included in the Black Stars squad for the tournament scheduled for June. But the former Ghana Premier League coach, who currently serves as assistant coach of the Sudan national team, believes the time has come for the 34-year-old to bow out of international football and allow younger players to take center stage. Speaking in an interview with Luv FM, Osei-Fosu questioned whether the experienced attacker still fits into the team’s current plans. “He might be a very, very good player,” he said. “But you ask yourself in this curr...
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Cameroon intensify preparations as Indomitable Lions hold closed-door training in Yaoundé

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By Trust Ittai        The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon stepped up preparations with an intense second training session held behind closed doors on Saturday at the Military Stadium Yaoundé. All 30 players invited to camp were present as the team continued fine-tuning strategies under the watchful eyes of the technical crew.  The session, which lasted nearly two hours, saw players led by Jules Armand Kooh put through a series of demanding drills aimed at sharpening their overall performance. Saturday’s programme featured a mix of technical and tactical exercises, with particular emphasis on quick transitions and speed in build-up play. Small-sided scrimmages were also introduced to recreate real match scenarios, allowing the coaching staff to closely evaluate the players’ movement, decision-making and cohesion on the pitch. Head coach David Pagou used the session to assess the squad in detail as preparations continue to gather momentum. The exercises ...
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