Lionel Messi says he is unsure if he will continue playing football “for much longer” following the death of his father, Jorge, last week. There was speculation about Messi’s 68-year-old father’s health during the World Cup, which had worsened just before the start of the tournament.
“All I ever did was play football, and now I have a fair few doubts as to whether I’ll carry on doing it for much longer,” Messi said in a statement mourning his father’s death on Instagram. “You were by my side from the start, we were so close to the end [of his career]. Why didn’t you hang on just that little bit longer so we could finish it together?” Jorge acted as his son’s agent throughout his career and attended every tournament his son played in up until the 2026 World Cup. Read Messi’s heartfelt statement in full here.
In the statement, Messi also described the difficulties of playing at the tournament, aged 39, as his “legs couldn’t go on any more” and that he “never felt well”. He added: “We weren’t champions, but you don’t know how much we enjoyed every match. Once again, you were right: I had to be there and play it.”
From Route One
PSG Claims UEFA Super Cup: Paris Saint-Germain lifted the UEFA Super Cup trophy on Wednesday, August 12, following a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Aston Villa in Salzburg. After Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s opener was cancelled out by Villa teenager Brian Madjo, Désiré Doué curled home a second-half winner. The win gives manager Luis Enrique another major European title, matching Sir Alex Ferguson’s European trophy mark.
Domestic Leagues Launch: Europe’s top leagues are kicking off their 2026/27 campaigns. La Liga gets underway this weekend (August 15), while the Premier League and Ligue 1 begin the following week on August 21.
Xavi Takes Netherlands Job: Former Barcelona manager Xavi has officially been appointed head coach of the Dutch national team, signing a four-year contract.
Premier League & European Rumors:
Rodri: Manchester City rejected a new £51m bid from Barcelona for the Spanish midfielder.
Cristian Romero: Atlético Madrid agreed to a £34.1m deal with Tottenham Hotspur for defender Cristian Romero.
Enzo Fernández: Chelsea set a deadline to resolve interest surrounding midfielder Enzo Fernández.
FIFA Leadership Backlash: Tensions continue to rise between European federations and FIFA President Gianni Infantino regarding governance and calendar scheduling. Following the English and Welsh FAs, the Football Association of Ireland officially withdrew its support for Infantino’s re-election.
One of the best ways to improve your game is to improve your confidence. A confident player makes quicker decisions and plays with a positive approach. Looking and playing forward instead of always looking for the safe play.
Confidence comes from feeling good about yourself, both as a player and as a person. Psychology studies have proven that one of the best ways to feel good about yourself is to do something that benefits someone else. So try this little trick.
Give someone around you a compliment. Tell your mom you love her. Tell your sister how much you enjoy being with her. Tell your coach, Thank You for helping me today.
If you make this a habit, to say one nice thing to someone every day, you will feel better about yourself, will play more confidently, and will make other people happy.
The official first day of the 2026 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer regular season was Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
UAB Blazers 4, Georgia State Panthers 2
Venue: PNC Field (Birmingham, AL)
Highlights: UAB kicked off the season with an explosive home attack, getting goals from Morgan Goehring, Emily Cole, Lailah Stewart, and Avery Berryman.
Auburn Tigers 0, No. 25 Clemson Tigers 0 (Draw)
Venue: Auburn Soccer Complex (Auburn, AL)
Highlights: Both sides battled to a scoreless draw in a defensive standoff to open the season, with Auburn putting four shots on goal.
Mississippi State Bulldogs 3, South Alabama Jaguars 0
Venue: MSU Soccer Field (Starkville, MS)
Highlights: South Alabama dropped their season opener on the road facing a high-pressing SEC squad that struck early in the 5th minute.
Alabama 2, Saint Louis 1
The Tide opened their 2026 Division I regular season with a thrilling 2–1 road victory over the Saint Louis Billikens.
Venue: Hermann Stadium in St. Louis.
Highlights: Alabama struck quickly when Ashley Roni finished a cross from Paige Thompson to put the Tide up 1–0 early in the match.
Saint Louis leveled the score at 1–1 when Jeanette Fieldsend converted a penalty kick late in the second half.
Alabama answered right back five minutes later, drawing a penalty of their own. Larkin Thomason buried the spot-kick at 87:56 to secure the season-opening win.
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