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Some Major League Soccer fans weren’t pleased to hear the news that Lionel Messi was one of three finalists for the MLS Newcomer of the Year award. While the Argentine World Cup winner dominated headlines, he only made six MLS appearances.

Messi joins Atlanta United striker Giorgos Giakoumakis and St. Louis City midfielder Eduard Löwen as the finalists for the newcomer award.

Here’s a brief overview of the three players’ MLS stats this season.

Giakoumakis

Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has been banned from soccer for 10 months over breaches of rules on betting on matches in Italy, the head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on Thursday.

Tonali was sanctioned with an 18-month ban, eight of which will be commuted to alternative treatment, after an agreement was reached with the Federal Prosecutor's Office, the FIGC confirmed.

It will rule Tonali out for the remainder of the club season and next summer's Euro 2024 tournament should Italy qualify.

Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan’s 2023-24 UEFA Champions League campaign has failed to get off the runway. The Italian side was held scoreless again on Wednesday at the Parc des Princes as PSG went top of the group with a 3-0 victory.

Pulisic was arguably one of Milan’s brightest sparks in attack, however his performance will mostly be remembered for a big chance missed in the second half.

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Feyenoord beat visitors Lazio 3-1 on Wednesday thanks to a double from Mexico's Santiago Gimenez and a strike from Ramiz Zerrouki to move top of Champions League Group E.

The Dutch champions could have taken the lead in the 25th minute when Gimenez's effort was disallowed after a VAR review, but he had another shot five minutes later from Mats Wieffer's pass which flew into the top corner of Ivan Provedel's net.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a spectacular double as Al-Nassr stayed perfect in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday, the Saudi Pro League outfit getting a 4-3 win in Riyadh over Al Duhail from Qatar to move on to nine points from three games in Group E.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward set up Anderson Talisca to score his side's opener in the 25th minute and Sadio Mane netted the second, with Ronaldo scoring from distance in the 61st minute to give Al-Nassr a three-goal lead.

MANCHESTER — Harry Maguire headed a second-half goal and goalkeeper Andre Onana saved a penalty deep in stoppage time to power Manchester United to a 1-0 victory over FC Copenhagen on Tuesday for their first victory in the Champions League this season.

Back in the competition after a one-year absence, Erik ten Hag's side moved into third place in Group A after collecting a precious three points after three games. Bayern Munich top the group with nine points after beating Galatasary 3-1 earlier.

Argentina forward Papu Gomez has blamed a failed doping test on his son's cough syrup after Serie A club Monza said on Friday that their World Cup-winner had been handed a two-year ban.

OFFICIAL: Papu Gómez has been banned from professional football for the next two years.

Gómez failed an anti-doping test as he tested positive in October 2022 at Sevilla — before the World Cup.