Welcome to the midweek edition of the Golazo Starting XI newsletter. I'm Jonathan Johnson and whatever plans we had today we scrapped them. We're only three days out from the Champions League final, which you can catch on CBS and Paramount+, but once again the story is about Lionel Messi.
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📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Wednesday, June 7
🇪🇺 Europa Conference League final: Fiorentina vs. West Ham United, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇧🇷 Brasileirão: Cuiaba vs. Corinthians, 8:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 U.S. Open Cup: Birmingham Legion FC vs. Inter Miami, 8 p.m. CBS Sports Golazo Network
🌎 Libertadores: River Plate vs. Fluminense, 8:30 p.m. ➡️ beIN Sports USA
🇺🇸 U.S. Open Cup: Real Salt Lake vs. LA Galaxy, 9:30 p.m. B/R
🌎 Friendlies: Mexico vs. Guatemala, 10 p.m. ➡️ TUDN
Thursday, June 8
🌎 U-20 World Cup: Uruguay vs. Israel, 1:30 p.m. ➡️ FS2
🌎 U-20 World Cup: Italy vs. South Korea, 5 p.m. ➡️ Fox Soccer Plus
🇧🇷 Brazil: RB Bragantino vs. Flamengo, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇧🇷 Brazil: Santos vs. Internacional, 8:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ The Forward Line
Lionel Messi set to decide on Inter Miami
There was one final twist in the Lionel Messi saga this week and the legendary Argentine has now seemingly decided that his future lies with Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami. Despite the massive riches on offer in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal, the 35-year-old has opted to join David Beckham's club. Not only is the news huge for Messi and his future as he plays towards the FIFA 2026 World Cup which will be partly hosted stateside, it is also a massive win for MLS.
For Messi, Miami offers a new soccer challenge -- which Saudi Arabia would have done too given its lucrative push for talent -- and the opportunity to be a significant figure for the competition moving forward. Not only is the former Paris Saint-Germain man going to be handsomely paid for what he does on the field, he will also be cut in by both the league and his club which will continue to pay off beyond his playing days as it did for Beckham. In fact, 2022 World Cup winner Messi's arrival is arguably the first deal that truly blows the English superstar joining LA Galaxy out of the water.
It is also huge for MLS as the competition was staring down the barrel at being overtaken as a credible destination for major talent by Saudi Arabia. There will no doubt be competition for signatures in the future, but Messi's arrival is a statement that soccer in the U.S. still has genuine pulling power. The South American's presence alone could also encourage others to join him in America, such as Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and maybe even Angel Di Maria, who could be future targets while Messi will no doubt be keen to see a familiar face appointed as head coach -- Tata Martino? Suddenly, MLS is back featuring prominently on the soccer map with arguably the greatest to ever play joining the league.
As for the Saudi Pro League, they're left picking up the pieces after missing out on a deal they thought they were all but certain to land. Here's James Benge on how it went wrong.
- Benge: "Such was their confidence that one senior source in the Pro League revealed to CBS Sports that Al Hilal had jets waiting in Paris for Messi and Barcelona for his father Jorge, ready to whisk him off to Riyadh. The nation stood ready for what would have been the crowning moment in a week where the sporting map has been redrawn around Saudi Arabia: First LIV Golf's triumphant merger with the PGA tour, then securing the greatest footballer of his generation, perhaps any generation.
Within an hour of the revelation that the Saudis were standing by, news broke that the great man seemed to have made his decision. Messi would be taking his talents to South Beach."
For more on Messi and his impending arrival at Miami, make sure you check out the latest news right here.
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🔗 Midfield Link Play
The MLS landscape has irrevocably changed
It's impossible to overstate what Messi will do in Miami. He joins a team that just fired its manager in Phil Neville and sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with 15 points, six points out of the conference's final playoff spot. But, with 12 matches to play, Messi makes that deficit seem like nothing. Yesterday that meant that Miami was 200-1 to win the title, and honestly even that seemed generous. Today, they're at 50-1 and falling (all odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook). Box 2 Box had wall to wall coverage of what Messi moving to MLS means on the CBS Sports Golazo Network.
- We've got MLS correspondent Felipe Cardenas breaking down how the move happened.
- Nico Cantor looks at what the move will mean to Miami on the field.
- The one, the only, Ray Hudson joins the show to talk Messi.
Now let's get to rest of the links and remind you all about the Champions League:
🔗 Take a look back at Manchester City's path to this year's Champions League final.
🔗 And here's how Inter Milan got to the UCL final.
🔗 Francesco Porzio weighs in with why Inter should be considered such massive underdogs.
🔗 James Benge with an update on Kyle Walker's fitness for City ahead of the final.
🔗 Benge also takes a look at Alexis Mac Allister's impending move to Liverpool.
🔗 An update from me on PSG dismissing Christophe Galtier as head coach.
🔗 I also looked at PSG target Manuel Ugarte's profile after the midfielder underwent a medical.
🔗 Porzio with shocking news that Milan's American owners have dismissed club legend Paolo Maldini.
🔗 Porzio again with Serie A's 2022-23 winners and losers.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook and all times U.S./Eastern. SportsLine has you covered with cup final bets..
- UECL final: Fiorentina vs. West Ham United, Wednesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Draw (+225) -- A massive opportunity for both to win some overdue European silverware here and these two won the Cup Winners' Cup back in the 1960s. Viola are the second of three Italian teams to attempt to win some continental glory after Roma fell short against Sevilla last week. This one should be tight, but do not be surprised if it goes beyond 90 minutes in Prague. - Serie B: Cagliari vs. Bari, Thursday, 2:30 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Draw (+240) -- This one is a battle between two familiar faces for Serie A fans. Cagliari are the favorites which is reflected in the odds, but Bari are set up ideally to be tricky underdogs. Given that it is over two legs, expect Bari to look to keep things tight away from home before bringing a bit more attacking intent in the return.
