Lionel Messi was substituted in the 73rd minute of Inter Miami’s 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Union on May 25, 2026, after clutching the back of his left thigh, raising fresh concerns about his fitness ahead of the World Cup. The 38-year-old walked off under his own power and went straight to the tunnel; no formal medical diagnosis had been released by Inter Miami as of the match end. Coach Guillermo Hoyos described the change as precautionary, blaming fatigue and a heavy, rain-affected pitch. Messi had been named in Argentina’s 55-man preliminary list; final squads must be submitted by FIFA’s deadline and Argentina open their title defence on June 16 in Kansas City. The incident follows a history of hamstring problems for Messi since joining MLS, and saw betting markets briefly lower his probability of playing in the tournament. MLS is now on a World Cup break, and Argentina are scheduled to play pre-tournament friendlies in the United States in early June as the national team finalises medical checks and selection decisions.

Tottenham Hotspur narrowly avoided Premier League relegation with a 1-0 win over Everton on the final day of the season, finishing 17th for a second consecutive year. In an open letter to supporters on May 25, non-executive chairman Peter Charrington acknowledged “uncomfortable truths,” saying club decisions had not been driven by footballing success and pledging a comprehensive rebuild. Charrington, who took the role after Daniel Levy’s departure, said the Lewis family and owners ENIC remained committed and that Tottenham is not for sale. The letter pledged investment across multiple transfer windows, upgrades to the club’s football operations, and support for manager Roberto De Zerbi — appointed in March and credited with steering the team to safety. Charrington also promised improvements to the academy, medical and performance departments and backing for the women’s team, while recognising fan anger and calling for a return to the club’s traditional ambition and connection with supporters.

AC Milan on Monday dismissed head coach Massimiliano Allegri and senior sporting executives — CEO Giorgio Furlani, sporting director Igli Tare and technical director Geoffrey Moncada — after a late-season collapse left the 19-time Italian champions fifth in Serie A and outside next season’s Champions League. The U.S. owner RedBird Capital called the campaign an “unequivocal failure” after Milan lost 2-1 at home to Cagliari on the final day, a result that, combined with Como’s 4-1 win at Cremonese, cost them a top-four finish. The club, which had spent much of the season in the top two, won just one of its final four matches and was booed off at the San Siro. Allegri returned last May for a second spell; Zlatan Ibrahimovic remains a senior adviser. AC Milan said further appointments will be announced in due course as the club prepares for a season in the Europa League rather than the Champions League.

Daniel Suárez won a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, capping an emotional Memorial Day weekend in which NASCAR and the wider racing community honored the late Kyle Busch. Suárez, who previously raced for Busch, took a late two-tire gamble and held off Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin before officials called the race with 27 laps remaining. Busch, 41, died earlier in the week; his family provided a medical evaluation on May 23 saying severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid complications. Emergency responders were called to a Concord, N.C., facility the day before his death after a 911 call reported shortness of breath and coughing up blood. Tributes spanned from the Indianapolis 500 to Charlotte: NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell addressed Busch’s widow and children on the frontstretch, teams displayed a black No. 8, cars bore decals, the field executed a missing-man formation and broadcasts observed a silent eighth lap. Richard Childress Racing temporarily retired Busch’s No. 8; Austin Hill filled Busch’s seat and finished 26th. Busch accrued 234 wins across NASCAR’s three national series and was a two-time Cup champion.

UCLA was named the No. 1 overall seed in the 64-team 2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship on May 25 after a 51-6 regular season and a Big Ten tournament title. The tournament opens this weekend with 16 regional sites hosted by the top 16 seeds, who will play four-team, double-elimination pods to produce 16 Super Regional qualifiers. Georgia Tech is the No. 2 seed, followed by Georgia, Auburn, North Carolina, Texas, Alabama and Florida among the top eight. The SEC placed 12 teams in the field and claimed five of the top eight seeds. Super Regionals are scheduled to begin June 5 and the eight-team College World Series in Omaha begins June 12. Notable storylines include UCLA’s collection of top MLB prospects (including shortstop Roch Cholowsky), the SEC’s depth, and the absence of defending champion LSU from the field. Mid-major highlights include conference champions Illinois-Chicago and Northern Illinois earning berths.