Lionel Messi’s international run with Argentina is over.
Messi announced Monday that he has retired from the Argentina national team, closing the book on one of the most decorated careers in international soccer. He leaves as South America’s all-time leading scorer with 125 goals in 207 appearances, a staggering body of work that stretched through plenty of highs and lows.
His Argentina story had everything: the first retirement, the comeback, and the redemption that came with the 2022 World Cup. Now that chapter is finished, and Messi’s place in the country’s soccer history is already sealed.
Elsewhere in the college game, Mark Mitchell has changed course again. After first saying he would return for a fifth season, then entering the transfer portal and committing to Kentucky, Mitchell has now flipped back to Missouri.
The move gives Mark Pope and the Wildcats a miss after what had looked like a major win, while Mitchell is chasing a clearer path to eligibility. He averaged 18.3 points per game for Missouri last season, though a fifth year still isn’t locked in.
The Orioles also made a surprising waiver move, claiming Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the Mets. Baltimore sold at the deadline, but the AL standings have kept the club in the playoff mix anyway, so the Orioles are hunting for help wherever they can find it. Robert’s season has been slowed by a back injury, and his production has been shaky since he returned, but the upside is still there if he gets right.
Golden State, meanwhile, heads into the WNBA pause on a heater. The Valkyries have won four straight, including a victory over the Lynx, and that surge has pushed them to the top of the WNBA Power Rankings. The league is on break for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, and CBS Sports also took a shot at projecting Team USA’s starting lineup.
At UCLA, the school made a major change by firing athletic director Martin Jarmond because of a “significant financial deficit.” The timing is notable, with the Bruins set to open their 2026 football season in just days and the department facing a major financial mess. Former Lakers executive Tim Harris will step in, and he’ll do it pro bono as he tries to steady the books.
The big college football reveal, though, was the 2026 College Football Playoff prediction board. CBS Sports’ experts picked 12 teams, with Notre Dame, Georgia, Ohio State, Miami and Texas all getting support for the title picture. Notre Dame drew two votes, and Brad Crawford made the case that Marcus Freeman has built a team ready for January.
Crawford: "Notre Dame is built to win the national championship because Marcus Freeman's roster checks every box that matters in January. The schedule gives the Irish room to develop without enduring a weekly meat grinder, allowing CJ Carr to take another step before the postseason during what could be a potential Heisman-caliber campaign.
He'll operate behind an elite offensive line capable of maximum protection. Pair that foundation with one of the nation's nastiest, most disruptive defenses and Notre Dame has a championship-ready formula built to sustain against the elites in the CFP."
The full top 12 had Notre Dame at No. 1, followed by Georgia, Ohio State, Miami, Texas, Indiana, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Oregon, LSU, Michigan and Boise State.
LSU was a frequent talking point across the predictions, from playoff picks to the label of most overrated teams. Lane Kiffin and the Tigers were part of the conversation again, with the program continuing to lean into controversy as it heads into its SEC fight in court.
And in the NFL draft world, Arch Manning is already showing up as a future No. 1 pick. Mike Renner has Manning going first overall to the Dolphins in his latest 2027 mock draft, with the quarterback’s late-2025 surge fueling the projection.
Renner: "I wrote at the end of last year how the Manning down the stretch in 2025 was the one many expected. If he's that guy for a full season, then this is a no-brainer.
If the Dolphins are drafting No. 1 overall, it likely means the Malik Willis experiment didn't pay off dividends. Manning would be stepping into a very rough situation, but at least it's one that's already gone through a fire sale.
The Dolphins are top three in cap space the next two offseasons to build around their young quarterback."
Renner’s mock finished the first round with the Broncos taking Nick Prongos, the Texans selecting Ahmad Hardy, the Ravens landing Yhonzae Pierre, the Browns choosing Luke Reynolds and the Seahawks grabbing Cayden Green.
One franchise hoping to stop living near the top of the draft is the Giants. With John Harbaugh in charge, Doug Clawson has them taking a leap all the way to the Super Bowl in his bold predictions.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Opens Season With Adon Shuler Facing Heartbreaking Loss
Notre Dames season-opening week has been colored by a personal loss for one of its most important players. Don Shuler, the father of starting safety Adon Shuler, died, according to the familys announcement on social media, adding a painful note to a period when the Irish are getting ready to face Wisconsin and begin the 2026 season.
Adon Shuler has become a central figure in the defense and is a two-time team captain, which makes the timing especially difficult for a player expected to lead on and off the field. Family arrangements for Don Shuler had not been made public, leaving the program and its supporters waiting on more details while the focus shifts to how one of Notre Dames key veterans handles the days ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Camp Buzz Is Building Around 3 Irish Difference Makers
With Notre Dames opener getting closer, the chatter out of camp is starting to settle on three names that could matter a lot more by next fall than they do right now. Mylan Graham and James Flanigan are both being mentioned as possible starters at wide receiver, giving the Irish a couple of young options to watch as the offense continues sorting itself out.
Joey OBrien is in a different spot, but the buzz around him is growing for good reason. The true freshman safety has worked his way back from injury and is now listed as the top backup, putting him in position to push for playing time if he keeps trending up. For a team looking ahead as much as it is looking at the season ahead, those are the kinds of developments that can shape the depth chart before long. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames Captain Vote Revealed A Leadership Problem Freeman Welcomed
Notre Dame has settled on its four captains for the season, and the group says plenty about where the program stands under Marcus Freeman. Returning captains Drayk Bowen and Adon Shuler are back in the mix, while CJ Carr and Jordan Faison were added to the leadership circle after earning the respect of teammates in the vote.
Freeman said nine players drew meaningful support, which created more candidates than the team ultimately wanted to carry into the season. Rather than stretching the role too thin, Notre Dame kept the group at four for the third time in five years, a sign that the rosters leadership is spread deeper than usual even if only a few players will wear the title. [Read more 🡒]