It was the season finale for Inter Miami that few expected as Lionel Messi and the former Barca boys fell at the first hurdle in their bid for MLS Cup glory.
The script seemed written for Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets after Miami secured top spot in the Eastern Conference – finishing eight points clear of second-placed Columbus Crew – and the first Supporters' Shield in the club's history.
In a spectacular end to the regular season, Miami smashed New England Revolution 6-2 at Chase Stadium with Messi coming off the bench to score a rapid hat-trick in just 11 minutes while Suarez bagged a brace, ensuring that the club co-owned by former England captain David Beckham had broken the MLS record with 74 points for the campaign.
“This gives our team an injection of confidence,” said coach Tata Martino. “These 74 points is not something we aimed for at the start of the year, but as soon as it was within reach, we tried to get it and we did it.”
The New England demolition also saw both Messi and Suarez reach the 20-goal mark, making Miami the first club in MLS history to achieve that feat. Only DC United's Christian Bentenke (23) scored more than the veteran South American duo.
Messi also registered 16 assists in a season – including an MLS record five in one game during Miami's 6-2 win over New York Red Bulls in May – that had seen his game time restricted by injury. The Argentine's 36 goal contributions came from just 19 games. Suarez also provided nine assists in his 27 appearances.
“Leo makes it easier for all of us,” Suarez said after the New York match. “We know each other long enough. When we are on the pitch, we know how to spot each other without looking.”
Next up was a best-of-three clash with Atlanta United, who had scraped into the play-offs after a ninth-placed finish, 34 points shy of Miami, and a wild-card match – the No 9 seeds were taking on No 1.
Game 1 went to script, with Miami winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Suarez and Alba, only for Atlanta to hit back, winning by the same scoreline in Game 2 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium thanks to Xande Silva's injury-time goal.
And so it was back to Chase Stadium for the decider. Paraguay forward Matias Rojas put the home side ahead only for a quick-fire double from Jamal Thiare to stun Miami with less than 22 minutes on the clock.
Messi levelled in the second half with a powerful header but the expected Miami surge to victory never happened. Polish midfielder Bartosz Slisz scored in the 76th minute to send the league's biggest spenders crashing out of the competition.
“This season has had good and bad things. If you think about where we were in November last year, there has obviously been progress in terms of the club, not just the team. If you think about the expectations we had for this play-offs, obviously we came up a little short,” admitted Martino.
“You can look back and say you had a great year, but … this is a hard one to take, knowing the opportunity we had to get an MLS Cup,” added goalkeeper Drake Callender. “Hopefully that feeling sticks with guys and we learn from it.”
But the silver lining to Miami's season had actually already arrived courtesy of Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who announced in October that the club had already guaranteed their spot in next year's 32-team Club World Cup. They will also host the opening game of the June 15-July 13 tournament being held across the United States.
“Congratulations on your wonderful 2024 Supporters' Shield success. You have shown that in the United States, you are consistently the best club on the field of play,” Infantino said in a news release, after deciding that Miami's regular-season exploits were more worthy of a place than the MLS Cup final winners on December 7.
The determination to have eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi play a part was not exactly subtle with a TV rights deal yet to be signed and sealed for Fifa's revamped tournament. Even at 37, Messi guarantees much-needed stardust. Infantino knows full well the benefits of “the Messi effect”.
The MLS announced last month an attendance record of more than 11 million fans across the regular season, while Apple TV – who signed an exclusive 10-year, $2.5 billion agreement to stream games in 2022 – claimed that Messi's play-off debut against Atlanta was its most-streamed sporting event ever.
New US national team manager Maurcio Pochettino described his impact on the MLS as “impossible to measure” in an interview with CNN Mexico last month. “It is incredible,” said the Argentine, who coached Messi when the pair were at Paris Saint-Germain.
“Not only on the fans, but on everything. The ability to motivate everyone, the entire structure around him … It will have an impact not only in the present, but over time, in the medium and long term.”
As for Inter Miami, the holy grail of winning the MLS Cup remains the No 1 target and the frustration of falling short against Atlanta will fester for a while yet.
“A season ended in which we continued to grow as a club and, although we achieved some goals, we wanted more,” Messi wrote on Instagram. “Now let's get ready to come back stronger next year.”
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
MATCH INFO
Osasuna 1 Real Madrid 4
Osasuna: García (14')
Real Madrid: Isco (33'), Ramos (38'), Vázquez (84'), Jovic (90' 2)
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
The five pillars of Islam
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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More on animal trafficking
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
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