Miami, FL

Who are the best players in Florida in EA College Football 25? Full speed, strength, overall ratings

Published

2 hours ago

July 15, 2024

Who are the best players in Florida in EA College Football 25? Full speed, strength, overall ratings

Some gamers will have to wait until Friday when the standard edition comes out. But for those that pre-ordered the deluxe edition of College Football 25, they got their hands on the hottest new sports video game on the market Monday.

It’s the first college football title published by EA Sports in 11 years. The last was NCAA Football 14.

And for the first time ever, the game includes players’ actual names, which was made possible by the name, image and likeness rules ratified during the past few years.

All 134 Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams are featured, including seven Florida programs.

Want to play as Seminoles quarterback DJ Uiagalelei or Florida running back Montrell Johnson Jr.? Now, you can.

Here are the 85-man rosters for Florida, Florida State, Miami, South Florida and UCF.

Florida Gators College Football 25 player ratings

Player	Position	Speed	Strength	Overall
J. Marshall Jr.	CB	94	70	89
J. Slaughter	OL	65	85	87
M. Johnson Jr.	RB	88	75	87
E. Wilson III	WR	93	56	86
E. Badger	WR	91	67	85
A. Turner	SS	86	72	84
J. Crawshaw	P	69	56	84
G. Mertz	QB	74	67	84
D. Moore	CB	91	72	83
S. James	MLB	84	77	83
J. Jackson	CB	91	60	83
J. Castell	FS	88	76	82
T. Sapp	LE	79	83	82
C. McClain	CB	92	57	82
K. Collins	LE	76	85	81
A. Barber	LT	63	93	80
C. Dike	WR	92	69	80
D. Lagway	QB	88	70	80
C. Jackson	DT	49	94	79
D. George Jr.	RG	46	93	79
T. Bridges	CB	91	66	79
C. Banks	DE	68	94	79
T. Smack	K	69	52	79
L. McCray	LE	75	90	79
R. Moten	FS	90	79	79
G. Howard	ROLB	82	73	79
J. Slackman	RE	72	89	79
J. Boone	LOLB	76	84	79
J. Lyons	DT	63	90	78
D. Watson	DT	34	97	78
H. Hansen	TE	70	84	78
D. Johnson	CB	91	73	78
D. Manuel	LT	62	84	78
R. Kearney	C	63	84	78
A. Mizell	WR	96	60	78
A. Boardingham	TE	86	69	78
T. Webb	HB	88	78	77
M. Graham	MLB	84	69	77
D. Wingo	MLB	84	77	77
K. James	LE	75	86	77
M. Burke	WR	92	71	77
J. Zandamela	C	70	73	77
T. Searcy	LOLB	80	82	77
K. Harris	LG	61	88	77
G. Gumbs Jr.	LOLB	75	81	76
B. Crenshaw-Dickson	RT	53	86	76
R. Simonds	RG	54	85	76
D. Douglas	SS	84	73	76
C. Millen	QB	75	65	75
C. Williams	LG	57	87	75
K. Zipperer	TE	84	70	75
B. Thornton	SS	88	73	75
J. Baugh	HB	86	79	75
K. Jackson	WR	86	74	74
M. Pitts	RT	57	85	74
S. Denson	FS	90	65	74
C. Jones	LT	49	94	74
A. Gates	SS	88	71	74
F. Westphal	RT	54	94	74
K. Waites	RT	42	97	74
J. Fraziers	WR	88	76	74
K. Daniels	RB	91	67	74
J. Robinson	ROLB	82	79	73
G. Smith III	SS	90	61	73
J. Grimsley	CB	93	59	73
G. Hill	TE	78	80	73
J. Pyburn	ROLB	77	81	72
T. Livingston	TE	77	80	72
T. Fuller	MLB	79	80	72
A. Jean	WR	90	68	71
D. Spurlock II	MLB	79	72	71
J. Davis	SS	88	59	70
J. Weston	LOLB	80	80	69
T. Abrams	WR	95	57	68
T. Foster	CB	90	49	68
T. Spierto	WR	85	73	68
P. Terry	LT	58	86	68
C. Carroll	RB	84	80	67
T. Hawkins	WR	97	46	67
L. Swafford	LOLB	77	93	66
K. Hardee	TE	79	67	66
J. Jackson	RB	84	79	64
P. Leise	QB	72	67	64
A. Covington	FS	86	71	63
R. Underwood	TE	73	68	62

Florida State Seminoles College Football 25 player ratings

Player	Position	Speed	Strength	Overall
P. Payton	LE	85	77	90
S. Brown	SS	86	72	89
A. Thomas	CB	92	67	88
M. Smith	C	63	90	88
D. Jackson Jr.	DT	61	95	88
F. Cypress II	CB	90	59	87
D. Washington	LT	63	87	86
D. Uiagalelei	QB	77	82	86
R. Williams	HB	88	75	85
J. Farmer	DT	66	93	85
M. Benson	WR	96	62	85
J. Lucas	HB	95	57	84
L. Toafili	HB	93	68	84
D. Lundy	ROLB	79	81	84
M. Jones Jr.	RE	85	84	84
J. Byers	RT	54	90	84
R. Leonard IV	RG	53	93	83
A. Mastrommanno	P	65	66	83
K. Jones	RG	50	91	83
D. Brown	FS	90	58	82
S. Lolohea	RE	71	84	82
O. Cooper	CB	91	65	81
E. Little II	CB	91	55	81
C. Hussey	FS	91	67	81
C. Holmes	HB	95	73	81
G. Kelly	DT	69	85	81
J. Rizy	RT	57	86	80
C. Riley	ROLB	83	79	80
T. Durojaiye	LE	75	81	80
S. Murphy	MLB	84	67	79
B. Estes	RG	56	84	79
L. Simmons	LT	59	90	78
J. Armella	LG	58	91	78
K. Sampson	DT	61	90	77
R. Scott Jr.	LT	55	89	77
B. Nicholson	MLB	83	75	77
K. Knowles II	FS	90	60	77
O. Graham Jr.	MLB	81	76	77
C. Lester III	CB	88	60	77
L. Kromenhoek	QB	84	58	76
B. Glenn	QB	75	65	76
J. Early	RT	64	86	76
J. Douglas	WR	92	61	76
J. Brown	WR	96	56	76
J. West	TE	75	75	75
K. Poitier	WE	86	76	75
K. Morlock	TE	71	73	75
D. Lyons	DT	67	86	75
K. Kirkland	SS	88	69	75
C. Bates	CB	91	57	75
D. Hill	WR	91	67	75
L. Green Jr.	RE	80	78	75
K. Davis	HB	88	79	75
L. Thomas	TE	85	74	75
M. Itete	LG	67	81	74
B. Courtney	TE	78	80	74
R. Montgomery	LG	60	87	74
B. Turner Jr.	LE	74	76	74
J. Jones	LE	75	80	74
A. Hester	LE	76	74	74
D. Williamson	WR	89	74	73
A. Williams	RE	83	69	72
Q. Jones	CB	89	63	72
J. Cryer	ROLB	78	80	72
D. Jones	CB	90	61	72
A. Barker	SS	84	74	72
J. Todd	RT	54	89	71
D. Ward	ROLB	79	75	70
J. Rawls	CB	89	64	70
D. Lee	WR	90	67	70
D. Spann	WR	88	75	69
T. Jackson	QB	82	62	69
L. McCoy	WR	91	57	69
T. Frazier	CB	92	50	69
T. Hylton	LT	67	79	67
J. Parrish	LOLB	83	68	67
Z. Redd	LT	63	80	67
T. Hickman-Collins	MLB	78	72	67
C. Frier	WR	94	58	66
B. Gibson	WR	90	64	66
J. Langston	WR	90	63	66
R. Fitzgerald	K	69	51	65
M. Chiumento	P	65	64	65
M. Arnold	TE	73	68	53
A. Bracewell	LOLB	74	78	53

UCF Knights College Football 25 player ratings

Player	Position	Speed	Strength	Overall
R. Harvey	HB	92	74	91
P. Boone	HB	86	84	88
K. Jefferson	QB	86	85	87
J. Richardson Jr.	HB	91	61	86
A. Kight	LT	64	91	85
K. Hudson	WR	92	68	85
L. Hunter	DT	63	93	85
B. Adams	CB	90	59	84
M. Montgomery	HB	88	72	82
D. Pace	SS	83	73	82
S. Arnold II	FS	88	71	81
M. McWilliams	CB	90	65	81
R. Pittman Jr.	TE	82	71	81
B. Threats	SS	89	66	80
M. Lawrence	LE	81	79	80
R. Barber	DT	66	88	80
A. Jackson	CB	92	59	80
J. Henderson	CB	92	49	79
T. Fegans	CB	90	61	79
A. Medley	LG	53	84	79
J. Walker	DT	62	93	79
X. Townsend	WR	92	61	78
C. Kitler	C	59	95	78
J. Brooks	C	44	95	78
M. Marshall	RG	48	87	78
E. Barr	MLB	81	72	78
Q. Bullard	FS	90	52	77
D. Dotson	RE	78	81	77
J. Pierre	ROLB	82	84	77
C. Hawkins	FS	90	63	77
C. Magwood	WR	90	62	77
L. Tennison	SS	87	63	77
J. Jones	WR	85	79	76
X. Alexander	MLB	83	76	76
J. Brown	QB	88	68	76
J. Johnson	WR	96	47	76
E. Morris	TE	79	82	75
C. Zellwood	FS	87	66	75
C. Boomer	K	70	47	74
A. Harris	MLB	88	78	74
J. Johnson	LE	74	79	73
D. Odom	LOLB	81	73	73
K. Moore	ROLB	81	67	73
W. Wells	SS	88	60	73
W. Dorsey	RT	62	89	73
I. Nixon	LE	79	71	73
M. McCarthy	P	59	56	73
C. Kinnie	RG	57	89	73
P. Rubelt	LT	52	91	73
M. Downs	DT	59	88	72
J. Gude	SS	85	63	72
T. Bullard	ROLB	83	66	72
K. Smith	LG	63	83	72
P. Barnett	RG	56	86	72
T. Whittemore	WR	87	78	71
B. Marshall	CB	91	60	71
K. Hudson	DT	57	90	71
M. Alexander	DT	60	90	71
J. Davis	TE	73	79	71
J. Heyward	FS	95	58	71
M. Manley	RE	74	81	71
J. Bridgewater	WR	88	68	70
C. Peterson	CB	93	44	70
R. Adkins	TE	74	73	70
J. Cline	C	59	86	70
K. Call	RE	75	80	70
D. Rizk	QB	74	65	70
G. Stevens	TE	77	66	70
J. Presley	SS	84	72	69
E. Colson	QB	83	59	69
R. Trujillo	QB	82	62	69
W. Flynn	C	60	85	69
T. Ford Jr.	MLB	78	80	69
C. Malamala	RT	47	92	68
K. Fox	WR	86	72	68
S. Gage	HB	87	74	68
K. Cox	LT	64	80	68
K. Ingram	HB	90	65	67
J. Baker	WR	90	51	67
K. Stokes	WR	94	57	67
C. Johnson	CB	90	57	67
C. Simon	HB	92	63	66
B. Worrell	ROLB	79	74	65
B. Richardson	WR	90	61	64
G. King	TE	58	72	63

Miami Hurricanes College Football 25 player ratings

Player	Position	Speed	Strength	Overall
D. Martinez	HB	88	82	91
R. Bain Jr.	LE	81	91	90
X. Restrepo	WR	89	66	90
C. Ward	QB	84	70	89
J. Rivers	LT	60	94	88
F. Mauigoa	RT	60	96	87
A. Cooper	RG	50	93	85
E. Alston	RE	83	83	85
J. George	WR	92	59	85
A. Borregales	K	73	42	85
F. Mauigoa	MLB	78	84	84
S. Barrow Jr.	DT	68	88	84
M. Fletcher Jr.	HB	90	80	84
D. Hill	CB	89	62	82
M. Cook	DT	69	88	82
M. Powell	SS	90	74	81
D. Langston	CB	92	48	81
A. Allen	HB	90	66	80
W. Bissainthe	ROLB	86	62	80
S. Okunlola	LT	61	86	80
E. Arroyo	TE	83	70	80
C. McCormick	TE	78	85	79
A. Mesidor	LE	72	84	79
D. Joyce	P	66	65	79
R. Stafford	CB	92	60	79
C. Clark	DT	70	89	78
L. Cristobal Jr.	RG	59	87	78
A. Blount	LE	79	93	78
R. Williams	TE	73	60	78
M. Lightfoot	RE	84	68	77
J. Alderman	MLB	79	76	77
D. Knight	FS	89	66	77
R. Breaston	MLB	79	79	77
M. Bell	LT	51	93	77
J. Harris	SS	89	67	77
J. Trader	WR	92	55	76
Z. Patterson	FS	86	63	76
R. Cotton	CB	91	54	76
L. Ramsey	RE	77	80	76
M. Williams	SS	91	55	76
I. Taylor	FS	86	92	76
C. Johnson Jr.	HB	98	67	76
I. Horton	WR	88	76	76
M. Bryant	MLB	80	77	76
R. Aguirre Jr.	ROLB	81	77	76
D. Morgan	LOLB	84	66	75
K. McManus	RE	79	74	75
A. Campbell	DT	59	92	75
R. Rodriguez	C	68	92	75
L. Elam	CB	90	59	74
A. Moten	DT	55	94	74
R. Poffenbarger	QB	76	63	74
M. McCoy	RT	64	86	74
R. Joseph	WR	92	55	73
C. Pruitt	MLB	86	64	73
M. Redding III	WR	89	66	73
M. Crawford	DT	65	86	73
D. Compton	HB	92	66	73
J. Horton	DT	64	89	73
E. Lofton	TE	83	67	73
A. Tripp Jr.	RG	57	88	72
C. Wheatley-Humphrey	HB	89	66	71
M. Chamberlain	C	62	85	71
J. Andrews	CB	90	64	71
D. Massey	CB	90	61	71
C. McConathy II	RE	77	69	70
I. Thomas	SS	86	78	70
T. Larson	TE	79	69	70
C. Carmichael	RE	78	75	70
T. Kinsler IV	LG	51	95	70
N. Francavilla	C	57	86	69
F. Tinilau	LT	55	90	69
D. Little	WR	90	67	69
J. Anderson	QB	71	63	69
D. Day	FS	94	52	68
H. Benson	ROLB	84	70	68
D. Hodges	WR	90	64	68
J. Moreland	LE	73	83	68
T. McCormick	WR	90	63	68
D. Plazz	LG	62	82	68
J. Carver	TE	79	69	68
O. Ford	RT	55	91	67
D. Kramer	DT	67	83	67
J. Anderson	WR	92	57	66

USF Bulls College Football 25 player ratings

Player	Position	Speed	Strength	Overall
S. Atkins	WR	89	56	87
B. Brown	QB	87	73	84
A. Brown	CB	91	58	84
J. Shuler	ROLB	81	74	84
T. Keith	HB	90	62	80
Z. Herring	RG	55	90	80
R. Cheney	DT	71	87	80
N. Simmons	WR	88	61	79
D. Blue-Eli	DT	53	96	79
A. Stokes	P	56	66	79
A. Yaseen	WR	89	71	78
P. Singletary	TE	82	71	78
I. Hickman	DT	69	90	78
K. Joiner	HB	90	63	77
T. Ward	CB	87	65	77
M. Brown-Stephens	WR	90	64	77
M. Harris	MLB	83	76	77
J. Stokes	SS	92	63	77
K. Powell	HB	88	75	77
J. Vaughn	LE	74	80	76
D. Rucker	CB	90	66	76
D. Harris	RE	77	78	75
W. Wolff	TE	77	69	75
D. Bowman	RT	64	92	75
M. Lofton	C	53	89	75
L. Berryhill	FS	85	68	75
D. Gordon IV	MLB	75	76	75
K. Banks	FS	90	52	75
B. Austin	CB	89	55	75
D. Hawthorne	DT	68	90	75
R. Perry	LT	54	93	74
J. Alexis	WR	89	63	74
U. Uzebu	RT	58	91	74
G. Greenwald	TE	76	71	74
M. Williams II	LE	75	81	74
D. Augustin	FS	87	68	74
I. Carter	QB	86	58	73
B. Archie	QB	73	64	73
M. Hurst	CB	90	48	73
H. Todd	MLB	80	72	73
J. Pettway	ROLB	77	87	73
B. Waller	ROLB	80	69	72
J. Pettus	RE	74	77	72
K. Brown	FS	88	62	72
B. Gooden	RE	76	76	71
C. Skinner	LG	50	90	71
T. McCoy	SS	87	74	71
J. Williams	DT	58	90	71
J. Lee	CB	90	62	71
J. Cobbs	WR	86	75	70
J. Smith	WR	98	58	70
T. Byard	SS	87	73	70
J. Bolden	CB	90	62	70
K. Cobb	FS	86	73	70
C. Best	C	57	85	70
A. Kilfoyl	LG	57	86	70
N. Gramatica	K	79	43	70
J. Cannon	K	73	45	70
J. Jenkins	LG	60	84	69
N. Milovac	RT	56	88	69
B. Knox	CB	87	65	69
C. Lamb	HB	89	69	69
S. McMillan	LT	55	87	69
J. Echols	TE	85	67	69
D. Bowie	RG	52	88	69
R. Hill	MLB	85	68	68
R. Lennon	LT	58	85	68
M. Baker	LE	69	85	68
J. Johnson	HB	89	91	68
Z. Hamilton	LOLB	81	72	67
J. Shipp	HB	88	75	67
M. Tate	QB	77	53	67
D. Exume	LE	77	72	67
A. Toney	CB	90	58	66
K. Malone	CB	90	54	66
B. Winton	WR	90	56	66
T. Kelly	WR	85	70	66
A. Mosley	RE	79	67	65
A. Forbes	RG	55	87	65
A. Isaac	HB	92	60	65
C. Exume	RE	74	80	65
J. Porter	WR	89	53	64
C. McKinney	LE	69	84	64
G. Lanning	LT	58	89	62
T. Dubuc	TE	72	68	59

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Rubio Passed Over For VP Pick As Trump Announces Selection

Published

9 hours ago

July 15, 2024

Press Room

Rubio Passed Over For VP Pick As Trump Announces Selection

MILWAUKEE, WI — After weeks of speculation on who will be his running mate, Donald Trump announced that Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance is his choice to run as vice president on the 2024 Republican ticket, CNN reported. The campaign confirmed the choice.

“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Vance, 39, served in the U.S. Marines, graduated from Yale Law School and wrote the bestselling book “Hillbilly Elegy.”

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was one of three top contenders for the job, along with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Vance. All three men are expected to speak this week at the convention, as is former rival Gov. Ron DeSantis, The Associated Press reported.

The announcement came on the heels of an assassination attempt on the former president during a Saturday rally in Pennsylvania that left an innocent bystander and the shooter dead, and two others hospitalized.

In 2022, Rubio won his third term in the U.S. Senate, defeating Democrat U.S. House Rep. Val Demings. He is the first Florida Republican to win three terms in the U.S. Senate, according to NBC News.

Rubio is also the longest-serving Hispanic elected official in the state.

In the weeks ahead of the GOP national convention, which began Monday in Milwaukee and runs through Thursday, Rubio was called a top contender for the VP selection by political watchers.

The vice-presidential pick is set to speak on Wednesday, according to the convention schedule.
Trump has said he planned a dramatic reveal of his vice president at the convention to make it more “exciting.”

“It’s like a highly sophisticated version of ‘The Apprentice,’” he quipped in a radio interview last week, referring to the show he once hosted that featured him firing contestants on camera.

One complication with Rubio joining the ticket would have been that the Constitution requires presidential and vice presidential candidates to come from different states, meaning Rubio might have to change his official residency, Florida Politics reported.

Laurence Tribe, professor emeritus of constitutional law at Harvard University, told ABC News that “none of Florida’s 30 electoral votes may be cast this December for both Trump and Rubio unless Rubio or Trump ‘ceases to be an inhabitant’ of Florida before Dec. 17, 2024,” which is when the electoral college votes.

Tribe said Rubio could still keep his Senate seat even if he does change his Florida residency because the Constitution says a senator must be an “Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen,” and Rubio lived in Florida when elected in 2022.

Some pundits have suggested Rubio could change his residency to Florida, where his family lived when he was a child.

Rubio, 53, the son of two immigrants from Cuba, was born in Miami. Before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, Rubio served as a city commissioner in West Miami and as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.

Rubio married his wife, Jeanette, in 1998. They have four children: Amanda, Daniella, Anthony, and Dominick.

He is the vice chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence and a senior member of the Committee on Foreign Relations.

The consideration of Rubio to the Trump ticket seems to signal their contentious relationship during the 2016 presidential race, when the former president regularly called the shorter senator “Little Marco,” has been set aside.

Rubio then told supporters at a rally that Trump was always calling him “little Marco” but that Trump has disproportionately small hands. “Have you seen his hands? … And you know what they say about men with small hands,” Rubio said. “You can’t trust them.”

Trump then brought up the comment at a televised debate on March 3, 2016, AP reported.

“Look at those hands. Are they small hands? And he referred to my hands — if they’re small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there’s no problem. I guarantee you,” he said.

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Miami, FL

Thunder Gameday: OKC Thunder Hope for Bounce Back in Vegas Against Miami Heat

Published

17 hours ago

July 15, 2024

Press Room

Thunder Gameday: OKC Thunder Hope for Bounce Back in Vegas Against Miami Heat

The Oklahoma City Thunder were boat raced in their Vegas opener against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, dropping their Summer League record to 2-2 after a 2-1 stint in the Salt Lake City Classic. Already down Ousmane Dieng, the Thunder have not announced if any other players will be shut down for Monday’s contest against the Miami Heat.

On Saturday, the Toronto Raptors enjoyed a wire-to-wire win over the Thunder – Oklahoma City did make a second-half comeback to trim a 25-point deficit down to single digits before ultimately falling in that contest.

On the flip side, the Miami Heat earned a NBA 2k25 Summer League opening win against the Boston Celtics on Saturday, pulling out a 119-114 victory, led by Jamie Jaquez Jr. who dropped 29 points in what should be his final ever Summer League game.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

Finding any sort of creator besides Ajay Mitchell and Dillon Jones. This team is an offensive eye sore with Ousmane Dieng on the sidelines as they struggled to get open looks and create for themselves and others. On Saturday, it was Mitchell and Jones headling the band with the other members playing out of tune.

Finding a way to limit Ke’el Ware will be a tough task for the Thunder who only bring two big men with them to Summer League in Kylor Kelley and KJ Williams, the Heat’s top rookie has a chance for a big game.

Another chance for Keyontae Johnson to showcase his skillset as he remains an NBA Free Agent after an impressive G League season a year ago for the OKC Blue.

RECORDS:

Oklahoma City Thunder (2-2) vs. Miami Heat (1-0)

WHEN:

Monday, July 15, 2024 at 5:00 PM CT

LOCATION:

Cox Pavillion – Las Vegas, NV

TV/RADIO:

ESPNU, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal

Live Stream: fuboTV (Start Your Free Trial)

FINAL WORD:

Stay tuned for updates on who will and will not be available in this contest, if the rookies do play they will be the show stoppers for the Thunder.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

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When will Lionel Messi retire? Argentina, Inter Miami star's retirement plans as he exits Copa America final in tears | Sporting News India

Published

24 hours ago

July 15, 2024

Press Room

When will Lionel Messi retire? Argentina, Inter Miami star's retirement plans as he exits Copa America final in tears | Sporting News India

Lionel Messi was hoping to sign off at the Copa America 2024 in style, but instead his tournament ended in a tearful goodbye, as injury forced him out of the final.

The Inter Miami star led Lionel Scaloni’s side to back-to-back titles in their last two major tournament appearances: the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Despite turning 37 in June, Messi has continued to be a vital player as the captain of Scaloni’s team, alongside a strong first year in Miami since arriving in MLS in July 2024.

He was a big part of La Albiceleste’s run to the title decider against Colombia, but injuries have continued to crop up, and Messi’s minutes have had to be managed carefully to ensure he is fit for the most important matches.

His body, though, was not able to withstand one of the most important of them all, as he had to be withdrawn from the championship match in tears.

The 37-year-old wasn’t able to conjure up his usual magic for much of the first half, blotted by a resolute system of man-marking enacted by Colombian manager Nestor Lorenzo.

Just as he appeared destined to get himself into the game, Messi was felled by a lower-leg problem near the end of the first half. He returned for the second period, and looked to be recovered, before crumpling to the turf again after tracking back to make a challenge, and was eventually forced off.

Messi’s Copa career is now over, having already said this will be his last continental tournament. But what about his time with Argentina more widely? The Sporting News looks at what he has said about retirement.

MORE: Relive the Copa America 2024 final Argentina vs. Colombia, as it happened

What happened to Lionel Messi in Copa America final? Icon makes tearful farewell

Like much of this tournament, Messi was never able to get going in the final.

In the 35th minute, he found space, being swept away in a delicate piece of interplay between him, Alexis Mac Allister, and Julian Alvarez.

Alvarez found the little magician with a sumptuous back heel, allowing Messi to run on to it as he scurried toward the touch line. Argentina’s No. 10 attempted to whip a cross into the penalty area before falling out of play. However, his effort was errant, in no large part due to the presence of his marker, Santiago Arias.

As Messi was bundled over, he appeared to get his lower leg caught underneath a stretching Arias. He proceeded to roll around on the ground before settling on the cusp of the goal line and the field, at which point Argentina’s medical personnel tended to his wounds.

MORE: Why was the Copa América final delayed?

Messi remained on the deck for a fair bit of time. Coach Scaloni sent Copa America top scorer Lautaro Martinez to warm up while Messi was receiving treatment. However, the diminutive playmaker returned to the pitch shortly thereafter. He did, however, limp noticeably when the ball wasn’t at his feet.

After an extended mid-match break due to a halftime show by Shakira, Messi returned for the second half. But within 20 minutes he was back down on the turf, clutching his ankle, and he eventually had to be led off the field to be replaced by Nicolas Gonzalez.

Messi attempted to track back to contest Luis Diaz’s dribble into space. As he pulled up towards Diaz, however, Messi lost his footing. He crumpled to the ground in a heap, gesturing towards the bench as he laid on the turf.

Messi was visibly distraught after being withdrawn, and was shown on TV pictures in tears, unable to control his emotions at the end of his Copa America career.

Messi’s ankle 😳 pic.twitter.com/fdRxGID1Vx
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When will Lionel Messi retire?

Messi has been asked regularly about his plans for retirement and he is open to playing on for as long as he is able to compete at his current level.

“I know the moment that I know I’m not performing, that I’m not enjoying myself, that I’m not helping my teammates [I will retire],” he said previously.

“I’m very self critical. I know when I am good, when I am bad, when I play well, when I play badly. When I feel it is time to take that step and retire, I will take it without thinking about age.

“If I feel good, I will always try to continue competing, because it is what I like and what I know how to do.”

Messi has previously stated his desire to lead Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, held in North America, and that target appears to be on track. It remains to be seen whether injuries will interfere with that ambition.

Inter Miami will manage his game time in the coming months, following some minor muscle problems at the start of 2024, but he is not expected to make any indication over retirement at club level until at least 2025.

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami contract

As part of his free transfer move to Inter Miami in July 2023, Messi signed a contract that runs until the end of 2025.

The structure of his deal reflects the MLS season, which ends in the December playoffs, so he can compete until the end of next year. Inter Miami vs. St. Louis City 2024

A decision over a potential extension will be made from the start of 2025.

Will Lionel Messi play at the 2026 World Cup?

Messi remains committed to the Argentina cause and his objective had been to captain them at the 2026 World Cup, held in the USA, Canada and Mexico. It is not certain that he will do so, though.

He is fully expected to complete his contract at Inter Miami, after which there will be a six-month gap before the start of the World Cup. He will need to consider his best next step if he wants to keep playing before the tournament in North America.

Despite his enduring importance to Argentina, Messi’s injury troubles over the past year mean it’s hard to say for certain whether he will choose to walk away from national-team duty before the World Cup. However, if he decides to continue, it feels highly likely he will be in the squad for the 2026 finals.

There is a potential to sign a short-term deal at Inter Miami, which could stretch until the end of 2026, so he can continue training and playing in the build-up to the World Cup.

Lionel Messi Argentina stats

Messi is a true great of Argentinian and world football with a Copa America and World Cup title since 2021 capping his international career.

He is also the leading scorer and appearance-maker for Argentina, with 108 goals and 187 international caps, almost double the amount of the second-highest scorer Gabriel Batistuta (56).

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