On-fire Lionel Messi on Saturday became Inter Miami’s all-time leading scorer after scoring his second hat-trick of the week as the US-based club beat the New England Revolution 6-2.

With the hat trick, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner took his tally for the club to 33 goals.

Miami’s win, in their final game of the regular season, took them to 74 points – one more than the previous record, set by New England in 2021.

Messi, who came off the bench in the 58th minute and led the late flurry of goals, has now scored 20 goals in 19 appearances in MLS with his former Barcelona team-mate Suarez also notching 20, from 27 games.

The challenge of breaking the record added some spice to the final game of the regular season with Inter having already secured the Supporters’ Shield for the best record in the regular season to stamp themselves clear favourites in the MLS Cup playoffs which start next week.

Miami had trailed 2-0 before Suarez scored twice before half-time to send Gerardo Martino’s team in level at the interval.

Goals from Argentine Luca Langoni and Colombian Dylan Borrero in the 34th minute had the home crowd chanting for Messi’s introduction from the bench but it was Uruguayan Suarez who began the comeback.

A firm left-foot finish from the former Liverpool and Barcelona striker, pulled one back, after good work from David Martinez.

Then Suarez levelled with a fine solo finish, making space for himself and switching to his right foot before drilling home.

Messi, who had scored a hat-trick for Argentina against Bolivia on Tuesday, came off the bench in the 58th minute and immediately helped put the team ahead finding Jordi Alba who set up Benjamin Cremaschi for a tap-in.

New England thought they had drawn level with a goal from striker Bobby Wood but the effort was disallowed for handball following a VAR review.

Messi then made it 4-2, collecting a back-heeled pass from Suarez before brilliantly blasting into the far bottom corner.

The Argentine was on target again when he latched on to a superb pass from Jordi Alba and made no mistake and then he completed his hat-trick in the 89th minute when he met a volleyed cross from Suarez with a precise first time finish.

Messi’s three goals came within an 11-minute spell and after his two month injury absence after the Copa America he now looks back to his best.

– ‘ideal situation’ –

“I have the feeling that we have him in an ideal situation to face the most important part of the year,” said Martino.

At the post-game celebration of the Supporters Shield success, club co-owners David Beckham and Jorge Mas were joined by FIFA president Gianni Infantino who announced that the Shield had earned the team a place in the 2025 Club World Cup.

Elsewhere in the last round of the regular season in MLS, Montreal clinched a place in the playoffs with a 2-0 win over New York City.

The victory secured eighth place in the Eastern Conference and the Canadian side will play ninth-placed Atlanta United in the wildcard round on Tuesday for a chance to play Miami in the first round.

Atlanta took the final spot in the East with a 2-1 win at Orlando City.

There was a thrilling finale to the regular season in the Western Conference with the two Los Angeles clubs locked in battle for top spot and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

LAFC left the field thinking their 3-1 win over San Jose was enough to have secured the top seed with LA Galaxy losing 1-0 to Houston.

But a stoppage time penalty, converted by Gabriel Pec, looked to have secured LA Galaxy the point they needed to secure first place and left LAFC fans, in California, watching on their phones desolate.

But then in the 11th minute of stoppage time, Houston grabbed a dramatic winner with a header from Daniel Steres against his former club, meaning that LAFC snatched top seed on goal difference – by a single goal.

LAFC will face the winner of the wildcard game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Portland Timbers while the Galaxy will host the Colorado Rapids in the first round.

Nigeria have dispatched Ecuador in a Group A match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup to book their spot in the knockouts of the competition.

The Flamingos won the game 4-0. That victory sealed their spot in the next round of the competition having defeated New Zealand 1-4 in their first match of the tournament.

Nigeria scored once in the first half and had a hat-trick of goals upon resumption to win the game.

A brace from Shakirat Moshood – one in the 28th minute and the second in the 96th minute- saw Nigeria claim all three points in the match.

Harmony Chidi netted in the 54th minute while Peace Effiong scored in the 66 minute for the West Africans.

Days after the cancellation of the second leg of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Libya’s national team, members of the Nigerian community in Libya have lamented maltreatment in the country.

The Nigerian contingent was held at the Al-Abraq Airport in eastern Libya for over 20 hours upon arrival on Sunday, following their earlier 1-0 victory in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

The team was scheduled to land at the Benghazi Airport and travel for nearly four hours by road to Benina, where the match was to be played.

However, less than an hour before landing, the Tunisian pilot flying the plane reportedly received a directive from “Libya’s highest authorities” to divert the flight to Al-Abraq Airport, located 150 miles away from the destination. 

The development sparked widespread outrage, forcing the Nigerian Football Federation to withdraw the Super Eagles from the qualifying match.

The National Assembly condemned the Libyan government for subjecting the Nigerian team to dehumanising treatment and called for stiff penalties for the Libyan authorities.

The Libyan government had claimed that its national team faced similar maltreatment on Nigerian soil before the first leg of the game. 

In separate interviews with Saturday PUNCH, members of the Nigerian community in Libya said there had been increased maltreatment of Nigerians after the incident.

Adenaike Emmanuel, a Nigerian living in Tripoli, the country’s capital, said, “For those of us who have been in the country, we know them. Libyans always one you to feel pain. They said what happened to their players in Nigeria was intentional, and they vowed to revenge. They called it ‘an eye for an eye.’ So, what the Libyan government did to the Super Eagles was intentional. Moreover, 95 per cent of their citizens supported it. We saw the reports on their blogs,Facebook posts, and news platforms. It was very clear that the people supported it. And that is how they behave.

“Since the game was cancelled, their maltreatment of Nigerians has not changed. They don’t like us; the inhuman treatment has worsened. That’s why many Nigerians here are battling depression.

“Libyans don’t value us. They just enter our houses, round people up, and take them to prison. Many Nigerians are currently  languishing in prisons across Libya without having committed any offence. Most times, we complain to the Nigerian embassy, but nothing tangible happens.”

The International Organisation for Migration has facilitated the return of thousands of Nigerians from Libya in recent years.

In 2024 alone, no fewer than 2,467 Nigerians were evacuated from the North African country after being stranded. Many of the victims, particularly ladies, usually return with tales of abuse and maltreatment.

The president of the Nigerian community, Peter Omoregbie, said since the failed game with the Super Eagles, Libyans had continued with their harsh treatment of Nigerians in the country.

He said, “As foreigners in this country, there is a way they maltreat us. The Libyans act as if Nigerians don’t exist at all. Since the match was cancelled, the situation has not changed.”

Omoregbie said before the Super Eagles left Nigeria, the Libyans had already threatened to treat the team poorly upon arrival.

“The news had spread all over Libya before the Super Eagles left Nigeria. All the local Libyan news outlets reported it. Their blogs also widely shared the news. They claimed the NFF purposely made the Libyan national team players endure physical discomfort so they could be weak before the match and unable to either draw or win against the Nigerian team.

“The Libyans’ game plan for the two-leg matches was to draw with the Super Eagles in Nigeria then win at home. They saw the Nigerian game as their last hope for qualification. But their loss fuelled their resolve to seek revenge.

“So, before the Nigerian team arrived, it was common knowledge that the Libyan national team was maltreated in Nigeria, and they planned to make the Super Eagles experience the same treatment on Libyan soil,” Omoregbie added.

When asked if the incident would impact diplomatic relations between the two countries, he said, “Libya doesn’t always fulfill its diplomatic obligations to other countries. I’m telling you the truth. For instance, if you leave this country, there is no way they will allow you to return. That has been the ordeal we face here.”

Similarly, a former Secretary of the Nigerian community in Libya, Mr Ukpong Christian, noted that it had been difficult for Nigerians to integrate into Libyan society because the country was not friendly.

“Before the Nigerian team landed, the Libyans had already made plans, spreading it across blogs, news platforms, and Facebook pages, saying that because their national team was treated badly in Nigeria, the Nigerian team would experience worse when they came. So, it was a concerted and intentional effort. And since the game was cancelled, Nigerians have continued to receive the usual inhuman treatment from their Libyan masters,” he lamented.

Efforts by our correspondent to speak to the Libyan embassy in Abuja proved abortive.

A representative of the embassy, identified by TrueCaller as Rose, declined comment, saying she was not authorised to speak on the matter.

She promised to get back to Saturday PUNCH, but was yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

Ex-envoys weigh in

Reacting to the issue, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi, said diplomacy is based on bilateral relationships and mutual respect between countries.

“I bow to you because you bow to me. Diplomatic relationships between two countries are based on reciprocal action,” he stated. 

Farounbi noted that what happened between Libya and Nigeria was not only an affront to bilateral relations but also a violation of multilateral relations between the African Union and the Confederation of African Football.

He explained that going to such extremes to win a psychological battle as a prelude to winning on the football field, was pathetic.

The ambassador added, “It shows the uncivilised and undiplomatic level to which Libya has sunk. On a bilateral level, it would be perfectly in order for Nigeria to reciprocate accordingly. It would not be unusual if the Libyan government’s behaviour impacts negatively the relationship between the two countries.

“At the multilateral level of CAF, it would be appropriate and indeed expected that Libya be sanctioned with a heavy fine or possibly, a suspension from CAF-organised competitions. The diplomatic misbehaviour could have been ameliorated if Libya had shown remorse and apologised.”

He stressed that Libya compounded the issue by distorting facts and manipulating the situation.

Also speaking, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, advised that the matter should not be allowed to escalate.

He said, “It can only become a diplomatic issue if it goes beyond the control of the Confederation of African Football.

“It was a CAF qualifier game. They should be able to weigh in and settle the issue. If either Nigeria or Libya is found guilty, they should be sanctioned. There’s no reason to let this matter escalate into a diplomatic dispute. We’re not a banana republic; CAF should provide a solution.”

CAF’s involvement

Meanwhile, CAF has set a deadline for Libya and Nigeria to submit reports on the dispute.

The Secretary-General of the Libyan Football Federation, Nasser Al-Suwaie, confirmed the October 20 deadline in a statement.

He mentioned that the LFF had appointed a lawyer to gather evidence and raised concerns about possible collusion between some parties within CAF.

Al-Suwaie also clarified that the LFF had no role in diverting the plane to Al-Abraq Airport, explaining that the decision was made by the Libyan state, which he said must be respected.

A sports analyst, Godwin Enakhena, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, emphasised the need for patience as CAF works through the case.

He said, “They have set a department to work on this case. So, I think we should just wait for CAF’s verdict before jumping to conclusions.

“However, as a Nigerian, I think the rules are very clear when you are hosting a team. The hosts are supposed to ensure that everything is sorted, but the Libyans did not do all of this. I think there will be a fine for Libya, and after that, they will play the game on a neutral ground.”

A veteran sports presenter, Charles Anazodo, viewed the situation as a deliberate act by the Libyan side, orchestrated from the beginning of their visit to Nigeria.

“I think it was a deliberate act orchestrated right from when they came to Nigeria with the lies they spread about things that happened in Uyo or Port Harcourt. They orchestrated all that so they would have reason to do what they have done,” Anazodo told Saturday PUNCH.

Meanwhile, a former Super Eagles defender, Mobi Oparaku, believes that CAF will ultimately refrain from imposing sanctions on Nigeria regarding the cancellation of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya.

While the decision from the disciplinary body is still pending, he is optimistic about the outcome and believes that Nigeria’s historical reputation as a gracious host to visiting teams will play a significant role in the deliberations.

Former Real Madrid defender, Vinicius Tobias, who got his baby’s name tattooed on his arm, has discovered that he is not the biological father of the child.

The 20-year-old Brazilian right-back, now playing for Shakhtar Donetsk, and his ex-girlfriend Ingrid Lima welcomed their daughter, Maite, on October 8, 2024.

To celebrate her birth, Tobias had the words “Maite, I love you” tattooed on his arm.

However, Ingrid has revealed that she did not have a stable relationship with the footballer.

According to The Sun UK, the influencer said that her relationship with Tobias was on and off around the time Maite was conceived.

She also confirmed that a DNA test showed Tobias is not the biological father of the child.

Speaking via a social media post, Ingrid wrote,  “I came to give a statement about something that is getting annoying and that, unfortunately, I would have to come out on publicly to give you an explanation.

“Vinicius and I haven’t been together for a while. During that time, I was in a relationship with someone and so was he.

“We both moved on with our lives. In the meantime, Maite came along.

“We decided to do a DNA test, and Maite is not Vinicius’ daughter.

“I sincerely ask everyone to stop attacking him. It was my request that he not attend the birth or post anything about Maitê until the DNA results were in. Vinicius and I have already discussed everything and reached an amicable understanding.”

Tobias had a short loan spell with Real Madrid earlier this year and made just one appearance for the senior team before returning to Shakhtar Donetsk.