Central & South America

BELEM — Brazil lived up to expectations by smashing Bolivia 5-1 at home in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers opener on Friday, with Neymar surpassing the late great Pelé as the country's top scorer.

The 31-year-old Neymar, who recently joined Saudi side Al-Hilal, bounced back after missing a penalty in the first half, scoring two goals in the 61st and 93rd minutes to become the country's all-time top scorer with 79 goals.

Neymar goal vs Bolivia

¡La regaló Neymar!

Lionel Messi has been showing off his free kick technique in the U.S. with several beauties in the past months. He proved on Thursday he can still do it on the international stage as an amazing Messi free kick vs Ecuador got Argentina a big win for 2026 World Cup qualifying.

Argentina had several big chances during the game including Messi missing wide in the 16th minute, Lautaro Martinez hit the post right before half and other chances.

As the clock edged closer and closer to 90 minutes the game looked destined for a 0-0 draw. Then Ecuador made a crucial mistake.

SYDNEY — Alessia Russo's second-half goal lifted England to a thrilling 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Colombia on Saturday and into the Women's World Cup semifinals for the third consecutive time.

Lauren Hemp also scored for the European champions, who now face hosts Australia on Wednesday in Sydney for a place in their first World Cup final.

"It's exciting, what more do you want in front of a home crowd?" Russo, who was named player of the match, told ITV. "We got a bit of that tonight against Colombia. You want to play against the best teams.

There can be zero question over the value of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV now. Lionel Messi's arrival at Inter Miami turned the streaming service into the hottest thing since the first guy to open a sandwich shop, and it certainly doesn't hurt when you also get to see Sergio Busquets apply tennis ball-like spin to his entry passes in 1080p. Oh, Jordi Alba's here too.  

So when does Messi play again? Messi next match for Miami is part of a string of fixtures coming in hot for the Herons as they fight on three fronts: Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup and MLS.

MELBOURNE — A second-half goal by Catalina Usme fired Colombia to a 1-0 win over Jamaica on Tuesday and carried the South Americans to their first Women's World Cup quarterfinal.

The captain's 51st-minute strike sent Colombian fans into delirium at a packed Melbourne Rectangular Stadium and ensured the last American team in the tournament will battle England for a place in the last four.

"We are representing the whole continent of South America," Colombia coach Nelson Abadia told reporters.

BUENOS AIRES – A Cirque du Soleil production inspired by the life and career of Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi, will be staged in Buenos Aires in October, where Argentina's World Cup glory in Qatar still lives strong. 

The performance titled 'Messi10', after his favored jersey number, showcases the rise of the striker from his early childhood in Rosario to his iconic moment as world champion.