Digest

SOCCER

Messi doubtful for Argentina qualifier

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is doubtful for Argentina's South American World Cup qualifier against Paraguay on Thursday despite "looking good" in training, according to coach Lionel Scaloni.

Messi teamed up with the reigning World Cup champion squad after returning from injury as a second-half substitute for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer on Saturday.

Messi had played just 37 minutes for his club since Sept 3, having returned with an injury from international duty last month.

"We still have one more training session and one more is important for him... I have to talk it over with him and make sure we are convinced he can start. He looked good. Based on that, we will see the rest of the team," said Scaloni.

The Argentina coach said he also had to take into account that his team will face Peru in Lima five days later.

"What leaves us calm is that, if he is not fit to play, whoever goes out will do just as well, that's the most important thing," he said.

Argentina has won both its World Cup qualifiers so far and is level on six points at the top of the table with Brazil.

Harry hoping career only at halfway point

Harry Kane says he is hoping to be in top shape for another eight or nine years and wants to help England win the UEFA European Championship on home soil in 2028.

England's top scorer, who will be a month shy of 35 when the 2028 Euros kick off, said it would be a "dream come true" to win the tournament having lost the 2020 final to Italy at Wembley.

"The perception in sport or football is that you hit 30 and people start to think it's the end," the Bayern Munich striker said after the UK and Ireland were named as Euros hosts.

"But the way I am looking at it is that I almost have the second half of my career now.

"I've had nine or 10 years at the highest level and I'm hoping for another eight or nine years.

"With recovery, sports science and the way the game has adapted, it has allowed players to play for longer," added Kane, who turned 30 in July.

Fagiolo could pay price in online betting probe

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) is investigating Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli over possible sports betting violations.

The FIGC told AFP on Wednesday that it opened the investigation into the 22-year-old, who has one Italy cap and was voted best under-23 player in Serie A last season, in August.

Italian media reported that the Turin prosecutor's office had also opened an investigation.

Fagioli is suspected of using a variety of identities to place bets on illegal websites.

If found in breach of the FIGC's sports justice code, which prohibits professional players from betting on soccer, he could face a three-year suspension and a fine of 25,000 euros ($27,000).

Fagioli's lawyers responded with a statement saying the player had initiated the investigation by going to the authorities.

"He has approached this matter in a responsible manner, with a concern for maximum transparency and cooperation with the sporting and civil justice systems, as evidenced by the fact that he was the first to contact the federal prosecutor's office," said lawyers Armando Simbari and Luca Ferrari.

The lawyers said Fagioli was "serene and completely focused on Juventus and the Italian league".

GYMNASTICS

Former Olympic champ Retton in intensive care

Mary Lou Retton

Mary Lou Retton, the women's all-around champion at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, remained in intensive care on Wednesday while battling a rare form of pneumonia.

Retton's daughters posted a message on Instagram saying their mother "continues to fight" and thanked the thousands who have donated money to help take care of Retton's medical bills.

Shayla Kelley Schrepfer, the oldest of Retton's four daughters, said in a video update on Instagram that the family was "overwhelmed" by the outpouring of support for Retton, 55.

"We didn't even realize that there are so many people out there that love her just as much as we do," Schrepfer said. "And it's been a really hard time for our family. And so just seeing that people love her like that and showing her that support has just meant the world to us and to her, so thank you."

Nearly 5,000 people had donated over $275,000 in the 24 hours since her family launched an online fundraiser on Tuesday. The family said Retton does not have medical insurance and indicated they were asking for donations — with an initial goal of $50,000 — to help pay for Retton's care.

OLYMPICS

Sapporo abandons 2030 Winter Games bid

Sapporo has given up its bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics, the head of the Japanese Olympic Committee said on Wednesday, after corruption scandals over the 2020 Tokyo Games.

"JOC decided that proceeding with the bidding hastily but poorly could result in an incurable wound to the Olympics... so I proposed a change to our bidding for the Games to 2034 or later," committee president Yasuhiro Yamashita told reporters.

Prosecutors are investigating allegations of bribery and bid-rigging at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, which were postponed to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At least 11 people have been found guilty so far, according to Japan's Kyodo News.

Sapporo had once been seen as a favorite to win the bid for the Winter Games but the number of potential hosts has dwindled. Other bids to have been withdrawn include Vancouver and Barcelona-Zaragoza.

Agencies