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      Ballon d’Or 2024: Date, FREE stream, TV, nominees as Jude Bellingham eyes prestigious prize

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      EVERY footballer dreams of helping their club win trophies – but lifting the Ballon d’Or is the one individual award that tops all.Lionel Messi picked up his eighth gong last year after leading Argentina to their first World Cup title win since 1986 during the 2022 competition.Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or last yearCredit: APHowever, it was seen as a controversial decision due to Messi’s underwhelming season at club level compared to Erling Haaland who fired Manchester City to an incredible Treble.Organisers are set to have an even tougher task in choosing the winners this time round with the likes of Real Madrid duo Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr having outstanding seasons for their club.Also, there a massive shouts for Rodri to get his hands on the after playing a vital role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph.Either way, SunSport has all the information on when the Ballon d’Or 2024 winner will be announced.Read more on Ballon d’OrAnd you can keep scrolling to find out.When is the Ballon d’Or 2024 winner announced?The Ballon d’Or 2024 winner will be announced on Monday, October 28.It is scheduled to get underway at 7pm GMT, 2pm ET and 8pm local time.Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France is the allocated arena for this huge ceremony and it can host approximately 2,500 spectators.Where can I watch the Ballon d’Or 2024 for FREE?The Ballon d’Or 2024 awards ceremony will be streamed live for FREE on L’Equipe’s YouTube channel.What are the Ballon d’Or 2024 nominees?Below are the 30 players who have been nominated for this year’s Ballon d’Or.Most read in FootballJude Bellingham (England and Real Madrid)Ruben Dias (Portugal and Manchester City)Phil Foden (England and Manchester City)Federico Valverde (Uruguay and Real Madrid)Emiliano Martinez (Argentina and Aston Villa)Erling Haaland (Norway and Manchester City)Nico Williams (Spain and Athletic Bilbao)Granit Xhaka (Switzerland and Bayer Leverkusen)Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine and Roma)Toni Kroos (former Germany and Real Madrid)Vinicius Jr (Brazil and Real Madrid)Dani Olmo (Spain and Barcelona)Florian Wirtz (Germany and Bayer Leverkusen)Martin Odegaard (Norway and Arsenal)Mats Hummels (Germany, free agent)Rodri (Spain and Manchester City)Harry Kane (England and Bayern Munich)Declan Rice (England and Arsenal)Vitinha (Portugal and Paris St-Germain)Cole Palmer (England and Chelsea)Dani Carvajal (Spain and Real Madrid)Lamine Yamal (Spain and Barcelona)Bukayo Saka (England and Arsenal)Hakan Calhanoglu (Turkey and Inter Milan)William Saliba (France and Arsenal)Kylian Mbappe (France and Real Madrid)Lautaro Martinez (Argentina and Inter Milan)Ademola Lookman (Nigeria and Atalanta)Antonio Rudiger (Germany and Real Madrid)Alejandro Grimaldo (Spain and Bayer Leverkusen)What has been said?Real Madrid star Rodrygo is not happy with the nominations despite seeing his teammates selected to potentially win the Ballon d’Or.Rodrygo told ESPN regarding his snub: “I was upset, I think I deserved it. I don’t want to belittle the players who are there, but I think I had a place in the 30. It was a surprise… But there’s not much I can do, I’m not the one who decides these things.”Who has won the most Ballon d’Ors?Here is a list of all the multiple-time Ballon d’Or winners:Lionel Messi – 8 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023)Cristiano Ronaldo – 5 (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017)Michel Platini – 3 (1983, 1984, 1985)Johan Cruyff – 3 (1971, 1971, 1974)Marco van Basten – 3 (1988, 1989, 1992)Franz Beckenbauer – 2 (1972, 1976)Ronaldo – 2 (1997, 2002)Alfredo Di Stefano – 2 (1957, 1959)Kevin Keegan – 2 (1978, 1979)Karl-Heinz Rummenigge – 2 (1980, 1981) More

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      Man Utd draw up ‘Battle of Britain’ plans in desperate bid to avoid repeat of Galatasaray ticketing fiasco

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have drawn up plans for the ‘Battle of Britain’ three months ahead of the fixture.And the Red Devils are desperate to avoid a repeat of the ticketing fiasco from when they faced Galatasaray.Rangers take on Manchester United at Old Trafford in JanuaryCredit: GettyUnited were pitted against Scottish giants Rangers in this season’s Europa League.The two sides will face off at Old Trafford on January 23.But the hosts are already figuring out who will be able to attend. Last season, approximately 2,000 Galatasaray fans managed to buy tickets in the home end of Old Trafford to cheer on their Turkish heroes in the Champions League. READ MORE MAN UTD NEWSAnd not only would a repeat of the embarrassing scenes be humiliating for United – but could also pose a serious safety risk if rival fans clash in the stands.As a result, United have taken drastic measures to ensure only their genuine fans are in the seats reserved for home supporters.According to the Daily Mail, the club will only make tickets available to purchase to those who were registered members before the Europa League draw was made. The fixture has been categorised as “high risk”.Most read in Europa LeagueFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnd that will also see the club in constant communication with local authorities on how to police the game. United’s clash with Rangers is their penultimate of the new league phase in Europe this term – finishing with a trip to Romania to face Steaua Bucuresti on January 30.Man Utd’s Brentford Comeback: Player Ratings Ten Hag: Mourinho is the exampleBy NEIL CUSTISERIK TEN HAG has hailed Jose Mourinho as an example for managers as he prepares to face him in Istanbul in the Europa League on Thursday.Mourinho, now manager of Fenerbahce, added to his already impressive trophy haul with the League Cup and Europe League in his time at Manchester United.Indeed that triumph in Stockholm in 2017 over Ajax was the last trophy United won back in 2017 until Ten Hag took charge and won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the last two seasons.Now the pair clash in Istanbul and United boss Ten Hag was full of praise for one of his predecessors at Old Trafford.Ten Hag said: “It’s a big game for both of us.”I really enjoy facing him and playing against him. He has always good teams, he is a winner – he has won so many trophies – I think he is an example for many, many managers.”Ten Hag has been the most successful manager alongside Mourinho since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.Still, he remains under pressure with United sitting below mid-table.Ten Hag acknowledges that what happens now is all important.He said: “It is football, you have to live for now.“What happened is in the past, you have to prove yourself every day, you have to prove yourself every season so we have to go for it.”We are in the start of the season and we will see where we end but our target is to win a trophy again.”The pressure was eased on Ten Hag with a comeback victory against Brentford on Saturday with 21-year-old Rasmus Hojlund grabbing the second-half winner.Ten Hag said: “He will always score. What is important is he is keeping fit.”He picked up so many injuries in the first season and when he stays fit, he will score goals because that is proved in his stats.”Erik ten Hag’s struggles in European football have continued this term.They kicked off this season’s campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to FC Twente.They then needed an injury-time Harry Maguire header to salvage a 3-3 stalemate at Porto – despite leading 2-0 after just 20 minutes. United head to the hostile Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on Thursday where they take on Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho. The Turkish side beat Union Saint-Gilloise in their opener before also being forced to settle for a point with a 1-1 result against Twente. Galatasaray fans managed to get home tickets at Old Trafford last yearCredit: Getty More

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      David Beckham’s Inter Miami at centre of MLS scandal with rivals furious at spot in controversial tournament

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      INTER MIAMI’S addition to the Club World Cup has left Major League Soccer rivals furious with Fifa.Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, announced this week that David Beckham’s MLS franchise will take the America host nation spot for next summer’s controversial tournament.Inter Miami’s Club World Cup qualification has seen Fifa criticisedCredit: APFifa chef Gianni Infantino gave a speech as Inter Miami lifted the Supporters ShieldCredit: ReutersInfantino pointed to Inter Miami winning the Supporters Shield, awarded to the club who perform the best over the regular season, as the reason for their qualification.The actual MLS champion is decided through the play-offs.But with the reason for Miami’s inclusion not given before they lifted the trophy, their rivals have accused Fifa of having no clear qualification criteria.And they claim they have jumped the gun simply to ensure that Lionel Messi is involved in the revamped 32-team tournament.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLSeattle Sounders are the other team from the US involved and they booked their spot having won the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2022.Fifa had been in discussions with MLS over criteria this season, before deciding on the Supporters Shield winner at their Council meeting on October 3 – the day after Miami sealed the title.MLS insist all decision-making around the final slot was dealt with by the world governing body.Not only have Beckham’s boys been given the host nation spot, but they will also play in the curtain raiser in Miami on June 15.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSOther clubs have always felt that Miami have had special treatment from the league due to their high profile stars – something which has always been denied.Four ex-Barcelona legends are in the squad – Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.Inside David and Victoria Beckham’s stunning new £60m Miami mansion with spa, pool, rooftop bar overlooking Biscayne BayTheir success on the pitch this season, setting a points record for the regular season, gives officials a simple answer when questions are asked.Elite European sides like Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, PSG, Inter Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are all in the Club World Cup. More

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      Huge title-deciding match suspended with stadium evacuated and second half played the following day with no fans

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      A HUGE derby match in Sweden was suspended on Sunday – with fans banned from watching the second half.The Stockholm derby between Hammarby and Djurgarden descended into chaos when supporters began throwing pyrotechnics onto the pitch.Djurgarden supporters set off pyrotechnics during a derby match against HammarbyCredit: APThe match was suspended but fans refused to leaveCredit: APIt was completed the following dayCredit: RexWith Hammarby leading, officials paused the match in the 76th minute before players began to evacuate.Almost one hour later, it was announced that local police had withdrawn the legal permission required to hold the event.Fans were then told to leave the stadium immediately, but some refused.They then continued to chant: “We’re going nowhere.”Read More in FootballA statement from the police read: “The police authority has decided to dissolve a public event at Tele2 Arena today, Sunday, October 20.”This follows the assessment that less invasive measures are considered insufficient.”The reason is that the organiser responsible for the public event is not deemed capable of guaranteeing order and safety.”Djurgarden later confirmed the match would conclude on Monday without the presence of supporters.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSA statement from the club read: “The derby between Djurgarden and Hammarby was interrupted with a quarter of an hour left in the second half due to pyrotechnics being thrown onto the field.”After a match meeting, word came that the police had dissolved the public permit, which meant that the arena had to be evacuated before the match could resume again.”Bill Leckie reports from Ibrox after Rangers lose 4-1 to Lyon and Gers fans light fireworks and flares inside the stadiumThe match restarted on Monday from the 76th minute and Hammarby went on to win 2-0 thanks to a brace from Nahir Besara.They now sit second in the Allsvenskan table, with Djurgarden down in third. More

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      Man Utd boost as £52million Leny Yoro progresses to next stage of rehab after disastrous pre-season injury

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      MANCHESTER UNITED new boy Leny Yoro has taken the next step in his recovery from a foot injury.The 18-year-old fractured his metatarsal during a pre-season match against Arsenal back in July.Leny Yoro has taken the next step in his recoveryCredit: GettyThe teenager is now back training on grassCredit: GettyYoro has also been put through his paces in the gymCredit: GettyHe subsequently underwent surgery and has been on a rehabilitation programme since.Yoro is now gradually edging closer to a return – much to the joy of under-pressure Erik ten Hag.He took to the training pitch at Carrington today for the first time since his operation.The defender was also put through his paces in the gym last week under the watchful eye of United’s medical staff.Read More on Man UtdDespite his progression, the Red Devils insist there is “still plenty of work to do” before he can make his competitive debut.Yoro thrilled fans earlier this month after posting a video of his progress on social media.He shared a clip of himself running on an anti-gravity treadmill in the gym and wrote: “On the way back.”The teenager joined Man Utd in a £52million transfer from Lille this summer but is yet to make his Premier League debut.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSUpon his arrival at Old Trafford, he said: “Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour.”Since my first conversations with the club, they set out a clear plan for how I can develop in Manchester as part of this exciting project, and showed a lot of care for me and my family.Man Utd’s Brentford Comeback: Player Ratings “I know about the history of young players at Manchester United and feel it can be the perfect place to reach my potential and achieve my ambitions, together with my new team-mates. I cannot wait to get started.” More

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      Inside Jose Mourinho’s £1,000-a-night Istanbul hotel as ex-Man Utd boss orders same three-course meal every night

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      JOSE MOURINHO is used to being treated like a king – after all, he is the Special One.He was adored by his passionate supporters at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Roma. Jose Mourinho took over as Fenerbahce manager in JuneCredit: APHe is living at the Four Seasons HotelSuites start from a whopping £1,000 per nightCredit: Four SeasonsThe indoor pool is the stunning spot for a morning swimMourinho keeps things very simple in the restaurantWhile things did not go quite according to plan at Real Madrid, Manchester United or Tottenham, he has found himself at home as the manager of Fenerbahce.And not just with the fans.Because Mourinho declined Fenerbahce’s offer to find him and rent out the best house in Istanbul when he took over as gaffer in June.Instead, he opted to set up residence at the luxury Four Seasons Hotel so he can focus solely on business.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThe five-star former palace sits on the banks of the Bosphorus Strait and boasts stunning views from the European side over to the Asian side of the historic city, where Fenerbahce’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium home is located.Incredibly, the cheapest suites at the Four Seasons start from £1,000 per night – and it is not hard to see why.Mourinho – who lived at Manchester’s The Lowry throughout his stint as Old Trafford boss – enjoys a regular morning swim and has the choice of indoor or outdoor pools.Beautiful gardens and delightful terraces provide a welcome escape for guests, while the pristine bedrooms offer Mourinho the chance to dream of more silverware to add to his bursting trophy cabinet. Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHis imagination, though, has not stretched to the dining room despite the exceptional Turkish food on offer.The Portuguese icon – who can only cook scrambled eggs – keeps things very simple and reportedly orders the same three-course meal every night: chicken soup, margherita pizza and ice cream washed down with sparkling water.José Mourinho describes ‘The Mourinho Effect’ he has at Fenerbahce Ten Hag: Mourinho is the exampleBy NEIL CUSTISERIK TEN HAG has hailed Jose Mourinho as an example for managers as he prepares to face him in Istanbul in the Europa League on Thursday.Mourinho, now manager of Fenerbahce, added to his already impressive trophy haul with the League Cup and Europe League in his time at Manchester United.Indeed that triumph in Stockholm in 2017 over Ajax was the last trophy United won back in 2017 until Ten Hag took charge and won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the last two seasons.Now the pair clash in Istanbul and United boss Ten Hag was full of praise for one of his predecessors at Old Trafford.Ten Hag said: “It’s a big game for both of us.”I really enjoy facing him and playing against him. He has always good teams, he is a winner – he has won so many trophies – I think he is an example for many, many managers.”Ten Hag has been the most successful manager alongside Mourinho since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.Still, he remains under pressure with United sitting below mid-table.Ten Hag acknowledges that what happens now is all important.He said: “It is football, you have to live for now.“What happened is in the past, you have to prove yourself every day, you have to prove yourself every season so we have to go for it.”We are in the start of the season and we will see where we end but our target is to win a trophy again.”The pressure was eased on Ten Hag with a comeback victory against Brentford on Saturday with 21-year-old Rasmus Hojlund grabbing the second-half winner.Ten Hag said: “He will always score. What is important is he is keeping fit. “He picked up so many injuries in the first season and when he stays fit, he will score goals because that is proved in his stats.”He has been known to visit a local kebab shop but tends to stick to his simple routine at the hotel. Football management is no walk in the park – even for a seasoned and serial winner like Mourinho – so he no doubt takes full advantage of the extra special spa treatments and facilities on offer, including the traditional Turkish Hammam baths. Mourinho and Fenerbahce may be used to giving visitors a hostile reception – and will no doubt do the same when the Red Devils visit in the Europa League.But the Turkish pride themselves on their hospitality and the Four Seasons want guests to “be part of the family”.Art historian Serdar Gulgun says: “In our culture, the guest is the king so we receive them royally.”And a royal reception the Special One is certainly basking in.The Four Seasons is a luxury five-star hotelCredit: Paul EdwardsIt is in a former palaceCredit: Paul EdwardsThe hotel is based on the banks of the Bosphorus StraitCredit: Paul EdwardsVarious spa treatments are on offer to guestsThat includes a traditional Turkish Hammam bathViews across the water stretch over to the Asian half of the historic cityMourinho turned down a rented private house to stay at the hotelCredit: Four Seasons More

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      ‘We don’t want goals ruled out for those situations’ says ex-Premier League ref as he hints at major tactical change

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      A FORMER Premier League referee has hinted at clubs making a major tactical change following John Stones’ winner for Manchester City because “we don’t want goals ruled out for those situations”.Mark Halsey appeared on the latest episode of SunSport’s The Whisteblower to run the rule over the key refereeing decisions from the weekend.Manchester City’s late goal at Wolves was originally ruled out before VAR intervenedCredit: Sky SportsEx-Premier League referee Mark Halsey reckons the right decision was made in the endCredit: AFPAnd high on the agenda was Stones’ controversial goal at Wolves.The Manchester City defender powered home a thunderous header in injury time.However, after plenty of confusion, the goal was originally chalked off when the referees concluded there was an offside against Bernardo Silva.Silva tussled with Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa as the ball came in and was in an offside position when it flew into the back of the net. READ MORE ON FOOTBALLBut following a lengthy VAR review, the goal was allowed to stand – because Silva was adjudged to be out of Sa’s line of sight and not impacting his compatriot once Stones headed goalwards.So despite the complaints of Gary O’Neil, Halsey was pleased to see the goal given. He said: “I think the VAR was absolutely spot on to recommend a review for Chris Kavanagh to go and have a look because when you do see the replay, you know straight away that Silva hasn’t impacted on the goalkeeper with being in his line of vision.”He just moves out of the way straight away. So, for me, I think the correct decision was made and that’s what we want to see and that is what VAR is there for.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS”When the ball comes in, he can quite rightly stand there. When John Stones headers that ball, is he interfering with an opponent? Does he impact on his line of vision? “You can clearly see, no, he doesn’t. And you can clearly see that the keeper sees the ball all the way.Man City match-winner John Stones reflects after controversial win against Wolves”It’s just a great header from John Stones and, in my opinion, the goal was correctly given. We do not want to see goals ruled out for those sorts of situations.”Players cannot be offside directly from the original kick and corners. So Silva getting away with his antics at Molineux could prompt more teams into trying similar tactics at corners to disrupt goalkeepers – before ducking out in time.So Silva getting away with his antics at Molineux could prompt more teams into trying similar tactics at corners to disrupt goalkeepers – before ducking out in time.Pressed on the issue, Halsey added: “Listen, there’s always a little bit of contact going on in the box and all the time you see goalkeepers pushing players, don’t you? “They push them out of the way just before the corner’s taken or while the corner comes across. “So, for me, that’s normal contact. And yes, if that’s the tactics they employ in other clubs, then so be it.”But we do not want to see goals ruled out of that nature.”Halsey also had his say on the William Saliba red card at Bournemouth.TV fixtures in DecemberHere are all the games that will be televised in December…Tuesday 3 December19:30 Ipswich v Crystal Palace (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Leicester v West Ham (Amazon Prime Video)Wednesday 4 December19:30 Everton v Wolves (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Man City v Nott’m Forest (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Newcastle v Liverpool (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Southampton v Chelsea (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Arsenal v Man Utd (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Aston Villa v Brentford (Amazon Prime Video)Thursday 5 December19:30 Fulham v Brighton (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 AFC Bournemouth v Spurs (Amazon Prime Video)Saturday 7 December12:30 Everton v Liverpool (TNT Sports)17:30 Man Utd v Nott’m Forest (Sky Sports)Sunday 8 December14:00 Fulham v Arsenal (Sky Sports)16:30 Spurs v Chelsea (Sky Sports)Monday 9 December20:00 West Ham v Wolves (Sky Sports)Saturday 14 December17:30 Nott’m Forest v Aston Villa (Sky Sports)Sunday 15 December14:00 AFC Bournemouth v West Ham (Sky Sports)16:30 Man City v Man Utd (Sky Sports)19:00 Southampton v Spurs (TNT Sports)Monday 16 December20:00 Brighton v Crystal Palace (Sky Sports)Saturday 21 December12:30 Aston Villa v Man City (TNT Sports)17:30 Crystal Palace v Arsenal (Sky Sports)Sunday 22 December14:00 Fulham v Southampton (Sky Sports)16:30 Spurs v Liverpool (Sky Sports)Thursday 26 December12:30 Man City v Everton (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 AFC Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Chelsea v Fulham (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Newcastle v Aston Villa (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Nott’m Forest v Spurs (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Southampton v West Ham (Amazon Prime Video)17:30 Wolves v Man Utd (Amazon Prime Video)20:00 Liverpool v Leicester (Amazon Prime Video)Friday 27 December19:30 Brighton v Brentford (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Arsenal v Ipswich (Amazon Prime Video)Sunday 29 December14:30 Leicester v Man City (Sky Sports)17:15 West Ham v Liverpool (Sky Sports)Monday 30 December20:00 Man Utd v Newcastle (Sky Sports)The Frenchman received his marching orders after half an hour after pulling back Evanilson just inside the Arsenal half – but was the last man and was deemed to be denying a goalscoring opportunity.But Halsey would have preferred the referee to stick with his original call of a yellow card. The ex-Prem official said: “Rob Jones straight away showed a yellow card. Exactly what I would have done in that situation. “Was it a clear and obvious error by Rob Jones? In my opinion, no. I thought he got it spot on.”For me, there’s doubt there to whether that was an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. “And we keep hearing about Howard Webb saying we don’t want VAR getting involved in subjective decisions. Well, for me, that was subjective.READ MORE SUN STORIES”VAR shouldn’t have got involved. It wasn’t a clear and obvious error, in my opinion, from Rob Jones.”We should have stuck with the on-field referee decision of a yellow card.”The referees were happy Bernardo Silva got out of the wayCredit: GettyStones celebrates the important winCredit: PAHalsey believes William Saliba should have been allowed to stay on the field at BournemouthCredit: PA More

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      Inside David Beckham’s Inter Miami revolution, from ruthlessly sacking best mate to MLS record holders with Messi’s help

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      INTER Miami are not just one of the world’s most fashionable clubs, they’re becoming a success story too.Over the weekend, the club beat New England Revolution 6-2 – with Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick.David Beckham has proven to be a ruthless owner at Inter MiamiLionel Messi helped Inter Miami shatter records in the MLS this seasonIn his early years as owner, Beckham begrudgingly sacked best pal Phil NevilleThe thrashing saw them finish the season with 74 points – the most an MLS team has ever recorded, which ironically edged out New England’s total from 2021.David Beckham’s side have smashed a number of records this season on their way to landing the Eastern Conference title.They won 22 games of their 34, meaning they had the highest winning percentage of any team.Inter Miami also equalled eight other franchises in losing only four games during a regular MLS campaign.Read more football newsTheir talisman, without doubt, has been World Cup winner Messi – who managed 20 goals in 19 league games.Not to be outdone, Suarez joined him on the same tally, but from 27 games.Inter Miami have come a long way since they were founded in 2018, and are now followed by celebrities like Leo DiCaprio and Kim Kardashian.While there early seasons were a disaster, since signing Messi they have only looked up – recently adding the MLS Supporters’ Shield to their trophy cabinet that joined their Leagues Cup trophy from 2023.Most read in FootballBecks had to make some ruthless decision, like sacking his best mate as manager.David Beckham rewarded as Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami to second trophy by knocking reigning champions off their perch However, it was a move that paid off – with Argie boss Gerrardo Martino now turning the club into a powerhouse.Ruthless ownershipWith the club struggling in its infancy under Uruguay manager Diego Alonso, Beckham turned to an old pal.Phil Neville coached England Women during a three-year spell from 2018, until taking up Inter Miami’s offer.Becks and Neville famously grew up together, from boys in Manchester United’s famed youth team and Class of ’92, to men in the first team scoring staggering success.Neville’s first season was a difficult one. In his first 12 games, they won just two games and had the worst record in the MLS.Feeling the pressure, he was then fined by the MLS after blasting the quality of referees and demanding an investigation into their decisions against his team.Inter Miami finished 11th out of 14 teams in his first season.Things improved in his second season, as the club reached the MLS Cup’s play offs, before losing 3-0 to New York City FC.But they couldn’t capitalise on those foundations, and after a horrific start in Neville’s third season saw Miami rock bottom of the Eastern Conference, Beckham had to do the unthinkable.In 2021, Phil Neville arrived at Inter Miami as a coachNeville struggled in the job and found himself fined by the MLSBeckham and Neville played with each other for England and Man UtdBecks recently revealed it was the hardest decision he has ever had to make sacking his friend NevilleNeville was relieved of his duties, with the owner saying in a statement at the time: “Phil has made a real contribution to the culture of our club with his qualities as a leader and knowledge as a coach.”Sometimes in this game we have to make the toughest decisions and sadly we feel the time is right to make a change. I want to personally thank Phil for his hard work, his passion for our club and for his integrity as a person.”Neville would later reveal in an episode of It’s Called Soccer! about the day he was sacked, and how it was probably harder for Beckham than him.He said: “The day I actually got fired was probably actually harder for David than it was for me. He really didn’t want to do it, he was really emotional. I was emotional too but I knew it was coming so it was probably easier for me.”Beckham, himself, recently relived that moment on podcast Rio Ferdinand Presents.He said: “I think it was one of the most difficult things I’d had to do, even though me and Phil had spoke about it when he first came on as Miami coach, I knew that if it came to this moment, it was going to be difficult no matter what time it happened and when it happened.”I’d called him and said, ‘we’re going to meet,’ and he said “I know.” “We walked in the room and we hugged. It was quite emotional on my side just purely because I didn’t want to sack a friend.”The Messiah arrivesIt’s no surprise that an upturn in Inter Miami’s fortune came when Messi arrived.Lionel Messi was unveiled as a superstar signing on a £50-per-year contract in 2023Messi was joined by Spain and Barcelona legend Sergio BusquetsShortly after inking a contract reportedly worth £50million-per-year, the highest in MLS history, he was presented to fans in a damp squid of a unveiling ceremony interrupted by thunder and lightning.Messi’s debut against Cruz Azul provided the Hollywood factor US football fans crave.The star attraction entered the fray in the second half, admittedly very short of match-fitness.That didn’t matter. Not for a man of Messi’s class who had to entertain fans who had paid over £1,000 for a ticket to see him in action.Deep into stoppage time, Inter Miami were awarded a free kick outside the area.Up stepped Messi to whip the ball into the top corner and give his new side the win, sending fans delirious.It was a taste of what was to come.A month later, the club lifted the Leagues Cup after beating Nashville on penalties. It gave them their first trophy and a winning feeling.A trademark free kick on his debut against Cruz Azul set the tone for Messi’s successA month later Inter Miami won their first ever trophy – the Leagues Cupread more sport featuresJoined by an old palThis season, Messi has shared striking duties with former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez.The two have been instrumental in leading Inter Miami to the top of the standings in the Eastern Conference.For Messi’s goals against New England, Suarez was the foil providing his assists.First, the two exchanged like they were Harlem Globetrotters, until Messi curled the ball from the edge of the area into the corner of the net.His hat-trick strike came from a volleyed pass from a stretching Suarez on the right was met by Messi to catch the ball on the volley, himself, and side foot home.READ MORE SUN STORIESInter Miami have continued their winning habit – lifting the Supporters’ Shield earlier this monthLuis Suarez has also been a hit in Miami alongside MessiBeckham, Messi and Inter Miami are headed to the Club World Cup in 2025Fifa president Gianni Infantino has selected Inter Miami to play in the Club World Cup in 2025, partly because of their success and the Messi factor.The revolution will, most probably, be televised. More