Leeds United claimed a crucial 2–1 victory over West Ham United at Elland Road, securing three vital Premier League points in a match defined by an explosive start and tense finale.

Brenden Aaronson opened the scoring inside four minutes, slotting home from close range to record his first league goal of the season and ignite the home crowd.

Joe Rodon doubled the advantage on 15 minutes, powering in a header from a perfectly delivered Sean Longstaff corner.

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The early blitz set the tone, and Leeds appeared firmly in control when a first-half VAR intervention ruled out a potential West Ham goal, preserving their two-goal cushion at the interval.

The visitors regrouped after halftime, showing greater intent and urgency. Manager David Moyes’ early change midway through the first half appeared to pay off, as West Ham pressed higher and looked more threatening from set-pieces.

Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson both tested Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier with efforts on target, and the visitors ultimately found reward late on when substitute Mateus Fernandes nodded home in the 90th minute, assisted by Bowen.

Despite the late scare, Leeds managed the closing moments effectively to secure victory—continuing a trend of doing most of their scoring before the break.

West Ham, meanwhile, extended their pattern of finding goals only in second halves but struggled once again to keep things tight defensively.

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Standout performances came from Aaronson, whose early strike lifted Leeds, and Rodon, whose set-piece goal proved decisive. Longstaff’s delivery from corners was another highlight for Daniel Farke’s men.

For the visitors, Bowen was the standout creator, while Fernandes made an impression off the bench.

The fiercely contested match produced six yellow cards shared evenly between the sides, reflecting the combative nature of the encounter.

With the win, Leeds move up to 11 points from nine matches, building much-needed breathing room in mid-table.

West Ham, however, remain on four points from the same number of games and are left facing mounting pressure to find defensive stability before their next outing.

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Inter Miami has confirmed that Lionel Messi has signed a contract extension keeping the Argentine icon with the Major League Soccer club until the 2028 season concludes.

The club’s X account shared footage of Messi executing the contract at a table positioned in the center of their developing Freedom Park stadium, accompanied by the caption: “He’s Home.”

“It makes me really happy to stay here and to continue with this project that, besides being a dream, has become a beautiful reality — playing in this stadium, at Miami Freedom Park,” Messi, 38, said in a club statement.

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“Since I arrived in Miami, I’ve been very happy, so I’m truly glad to keep going here,” Messi added.

According to Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, Messi’s extension demonstrates his “commitment to the city, to the club, to the game”.

“He’s still as committed as he’s ever been and he still wants to win,” Beckham said. “As owners to have a player that loves the game as much as he does, and who has done as much for the game in this country and to inspire the next generation of young talent as he has, we feel very lucky.”

Messi’s existing contract was set to expire following the 2025 MLS season.

The extension was widely anticipated after club sources informed AFP last month that an agreement had been reached.

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This contract guarantees Messi will remain active in competition well beyond the 2026 World Cup, which the United States, Canada and Mexico will jointly host.

The tournament commences June 11, with the championship match scheduled for MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

Following a disappointing stint at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023, though he spent most of his illustrious career at Barcelona from 2004 to 2021 after progressing through the Spanish club’s youth academy.

During his Barcelona years, he secured 10 La Liga championships and claimed the UEFA Champions League trophy four times.

He captained Argentina to World Cup victory in Qatar in 2022 and has indicated his ambition to defend the title next year.

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With 114 international goals to his name, Messi has also won the Copa America twice with Argentina, in 2021 and 2024.

A sixth World Cup appearance next year would establish a new all-time record for Messi, though Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo could potentially equal this achievement.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient is merely three goals away from Miroslav Klose’s career record of 16 World Cup goals.

Argentina secured their finals spot convincingly, finishing nine points ahead at the top of South American qualification.

With eight goals, Messi topped the scoring charts, including two goals against Venezuela in what might have been his final competitive home match two weeks ago.

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Despite Inter Miami’s playoff elimination, he earned the 2024 MLS Most Valuable Player honor.

In 2025, he set the record for fastest player to score 40 MLS goals.

This season, Messi guided Miami back to playoff contention after they secured third place in the Eastern Conference.

He concluded Inter Miami’s regular season with an impressive hat-trick in last Saturday’s 5-2 victory over Nashville SC, finishing with 29 goals from 28 appearances to capture MLS’s Golden Boot award.

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Liverpool FC produced a stunning display of attacking football and lethal set-piece prowess to overpower Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 at Deutsche Bank Park tonight.

Despite falling behind early, the visitors roared back with a four-goal barrage either side of halftime, showcasing a depth of talent that now sees them comfortably on six points after three league games.

Frankfurt initially sparked hope among the home crowd when Rasmus Kristensen opened the scoring on the 26th minute, expertly finishing an assist from veteran playmaker Mario Götze.

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However, the lead was short-lived, as Liverpool unleashed a devastating 10-minute spell before the break that completely flipped the script. Hugo Ekitike leveled the score on 35 minutes from an Andy Robertson delivery, before the Reds’ colossal set-piece threat took over.

Defenders Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté scored quick-fire headers from successive corners. Van Dijk powered home a Cody Gakpo corner on 39 minutes, and Konaté repeated the feat just before halftime, nodding in a delivery from Dominik Szoboszlai on 45 minutes to send Liverpool into the tunnel with a commanding 3-1 lead.

Dominance Continues in Second Half

The second half brought no respite for the hosts. Liverpool continued their attacking intensity, effectively ending the contest with two further goals. Cody Gakpo made it 4-1 on the 66th minute, capitalizing on a pass from the impressive Florian Wirtz. Just four minutes later, Szoboszlai hammered home a fifth from outside the box, with Wirtz again providing the assist.

Liverpool’s statistical superiority was evident throughout, as they dominated the corner count 10-2 and peppered the Frankfurt goal with repeated efforts. Frankfurt’s attacking threat, meanwhile, largely evaporated after their opener, further hampered by two quick yellow cards in the 53rd and 54th minutes that stalled any hopes of a revival.

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Individual Brilliance and Big Picture

The victory was a showcase of individual excellence for Liverpool. Florian Wirtz starred with two assists, Dominik Szoboszlai added a spectacular goal and an assist while expertly steering set pieces, and Cody Gakpo contributed a goal and a crucial corner assist. The twin scoring performance from centre-backs van Dijk and Konaté underscored the team’s multifaceted danger.

For Liverpool, the win is a strong response to their earlier defeat at Galatasaray and firmly establishes them near the top of the group. For Frankfurt, this result marks a worrying second 1-5 loss in this league phase, raising immediate concerns over their set-piece defending and on-field discipline.

Frankfurt remains on three points, but the nature of this heavy defeat will certainly lead to introspection on the defensive vulnerabilities moving forward.

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