Now that Name, image and likeness has had a bit of time for companies to figure out which schools to invest with, a match made in heaven for several Ohio State Football players and Chipotle has happened.
I, like many Buckeye students, have fond memories of getting Chipotle on High Street, my friends and I waited in line for over 2 hours on their opening day to get free burritos. A few Buckeye players have linked up with the chain restaurant to make a commercial.
Marvin Harrison Jr., TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams, Tommy Eichenberg and a few of their teammates starred in an ad for Chipotle, which you can see below.
Eight Ohio State football players are starring in a new ad for Chipotle thanks to NIL:
▪️ Cody Simon
▪️Caden Curry
▪️Marvin Harrison Jr.
▪️TreVeyon Henderson
▪️ Tommy Eichenberg
▪️Miyan Williams
▪️ Jordan Hancock
▪️ Joe RoyerMore via @Pete_Nakos96: https://t.co/H1LOZNmFi4 pic.twitter.com/1336SAxA5t
— On3 NIL (@On3NIL) September 20, 2023
Not gonna lie, I’m kind of jealous of this deal, as it would be nice to get a few more burritos on the house. Congrats to these Buckeyes on their NIL deal with Chipotle.
Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.
Lionel Messi‘s impact on Inter Miami seemingly knows no bounds with the soccer star set to quadruple its revenue, according to the club’s commercial director.
Since arriving in mid-July, Messi, who is believed to have been offered a $60million-a-year contract that includes new deals with adidas and Apple, has taken Inter Miami by storm, registering 11 goals in nine games across a fairytale Leagues Cup victory, run to the US Open Cup final, and his MLS debut.
But the payoff of the Herons’ swoop for the World Cup winner extends beyond the confines of the field with Messi undeniably the club’s greatest asset.
Inter Miami’s commercial director Xavier Asensi, who joined the club in 2021 after 11 years at Barcelona, claimed that Messi’s arrival which has sent the club’s income through the roof to more than $200 million.
‘This must be clarified: Leo’s arrival is, above all, in order to win on the field,’ Asensi told Marca.
Lionel Messi is set to quadruple Inter Miami’s income next year, claims its commercial director
Xavier Asensi, pictured left with David Beckham, joined in 2021 after 11 years at Barcelona
‘Obviously, Leo is the player that sells the most commercially in the world. Modric, Ramos, Griezmann or Busquets give you a little boost, but Leo is another dimension on a commercial level, he is out of this world. To get an idea, in 2024 we will multiply Inter’s income before Leo by four. There is a before and after Messi for Miami and for the entire MLS.’
Inter Miami generated $56 million in 2022, according to Joe Pompliano, meaning, if Asensi’s projection is correct, the club could see a massive windfall of $224 million in 2024.
And Inter Miami could already be feeling the economic benefits of the World Cup winner’s arrival as the Herons’ majority owner Jorge Mas told CNBC last month that he expected Messi to double the cub’s income this year to $110 million.
Mas was a huge driving factor in Inter Miami’s coup of Messi with his plot to land the Argentine beginning in 2020, Asensi revealed.
‘When I arrived in Miami, I saw that Jorge Mas’s idea was to be the reference for soccer in North America. And, although football is business, above all it is about the players. If what happens inside is good, then business is bigger. For this reason, there was no better business than Leo Messi, who is the number one of all time. And I told Mas if he was the man for the job. This was almost my first conversation with Jorge at the end of 2020.’
‘When they threw him out of Barça, the door opened. If they hadn’t thrown him out, he would still be there for sure. But the option was opened, and that’s where the rest of us entered. Then he went to Paris and there was nothing we could do until June 2023. It is true that everyone was looking at Saudi Arabia, but we continued working on our own, planning his arrival. I’ll give you a fact: if you look closely, no one played with the number 5 or the number 10 in Miami…’
Inter Miami had to add approximately 3,000 seats to DRV PNK Stadium to accommodate the demand of clamoring fans wanting to see the the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.
But Miami is set to have a bigger and better home you house their superstar with its 25,000-seat soccer-specific stadium at its proposed $1 billion Miami Freedom Park complex.
Beckham is pictured with majority owner Jorge Mas (left) and co-owner Jose Mas (right)
Inter Miami is expected to move into its new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, in 2025
Messi, David Beckham and co. are set to move into their new home in 2025 after playing at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida since Miami’s inaugural season in 2020.
‘It will be next to the airport,’ Asensi said. ‘The plans are to start building it in October this year, with 30,000 seats, plus a giant leisure area and a huge park.
‘For now, we manage the scale of Lionel with what we have. On the other hand, it is a luxury to see Leo play there, at a ground of only 21,000 spectators. It provides you with magic that one of 50,000 doesn’t.’
The goal timeline for the new stadium aligns with the final year of Messi’s contract in 2025 after he joined the Herons in mid-July but Asensi teased that the 36-year-old could be in South Florida for even longer.
‘The idea is 2023, 2024 and 2025… or more. Hopefully it’s further,’ he added. ‘An incredible thing is happening here: and it is that a player, Leo, is bigger than an entire club or an entire League. A new stadium is coming; the 2026 World Cup is coming; then the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles… A lot will happen here.’
Inter Miami was rocked by the demand for tickets and shirts since Messi confirmed his MLS move.
Messi has already won the Leagues Cup final and booked a spot in the US Open Cup final
Young fans wear the superstar’s jersey ahead of Inter Miami’s win over New York Red Bulls
Since the news broke, MLS e-commerce partner Fanatics has sold more team merchandise than the previous entirety of 2023 combined with Inter Miami has been the company’s top-selling MLS club.
Asensi admitted it has been a challenge to keep up with the demand with jerseys with Messi’s name branded on the back impossible to come by in the shops.
‘There has been a tsunami, but the tsunami has been Inter Miami, which has swept the MLS,’ he said.
‘I spent 11 years at Barça and everything was planned a year and a half before. Here, of course, we ran out of time. It was difficult to foresee this “Messimania”. A large amount of product will arrive in October and for 2024 we have already made good forecasts worldwide.’
Video above: Rihanna teases ‘almost impossible’ Super Bowl halftime showFrom pregame entertainment to commercial breaks and of course, the halftime show, there’s a lot more to the Super Bowl than just football. Here’s a look at the biggest moments from Super Bowl LVII: (All updates in ET)3:15 p.m. ETCardi B teamed with her husband Offset onstage, embraced Serena Williams and later partook with a lively crowd during the rapper’s energetic pre-Super Bowl concert in suburban Phoenix.The Grammy winner joyfully danced and performed her biggest jams from “Up” to “I Like It” at the Hall of Fame party early Sunday. She brought high energy into a laid-back nightclub atmosphere at the Gila River Resorts & Casino in Chandler, Arizona.The crowd rose to their feet and pulled out their phones to capture Cardi B’s show as they recited almost word-for-word all the lyrics during her 30-minute set. She kicked off her performance with “Money” as she pranced across the stage. Offset also joined her onstage to perform their hit “Clout.” Cardi B went on to perform her other hits such as “Finesse” and “Bodak Yellow,” her final song of the night. Afterward, she hugged Williams onstage before the rapper ventured offstage and marched with her security through a sea of audience members, which included comedian Tiffany Haddish, who cheered her on and took selfies and videos of her.Earlier, Offset opened up for his wife, performing “Roc Flair Drip,” “Taste” and played a snippet of “Bad and Boujee” from his former group Migos.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Video above: Rihanna teases ‘almost impossible’ Super Bowl halftime show
From pregame entertainment to commercial breaks and of course, the halftime show, there’s a lot more to the Super Bowl than just football.
Here’s a look at the biggest moments from Super Bowl LVII:
(All updates in ET)
3:15 p.m. ET
Cardi B teamed with her husband Offset onstage, embraced Serena Williams and later partook with a lively crowd during the rapper’s energetic pre-Super Bowl concert in suburban Phoenix.
The Grammy winner joyfully danced and performed her biggest jams from “Up” to “I Like It” at the Hall of Fame party early Sunday. She brought high energy into a laid-back nightclub atmosphere at the Gila River Resorts & Casino in Chandler, Arizona.
The crowd rose to their feet and pulled out their phones to capture Cardi B’s show as they recited almost word-for-word all the lyrics during her 30-minute set. She kicked off her performance with “Money” as she pranced across the stage.
Offset also joined her onstage to perform their hit “Clout.”
Cardi B went on to perform her other hits such as “Finesse” and “Bodak Yellow,” her final song of the night. Afterward, she hugged Williams onstage before the rapper ventured offstage and marched with her security through a sea of audience members, which included comedian Tiffany Haddish, who cheered her on and took selfies and videos of her.
Earlier, Offset opened up for his wife, performing “Roc Flair Drip,” “Taste” and played a snippet of “Bad and Boujee” from his former group Migos.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Football fans in Boston, Massachusetts and New England are gearing up for the Super Bowl. But without the New England Patriots in the big game, many others will also have a big interest in the commercials that run on Sunday.One expected Super Bowl ad from Dunkin’ has had the region buzzing for a month, as it’s expected to feature Oscar-winning Massachusetts native Ben Affleck and his wife, Jennifer Lopez.On Jan. 10, some customers of the Dunkin’ on the Fellsway in Medford were greeted by Affleck when they pulled up at the drive-thru window. Sightings of JLo at that Dunkin’ location were also reported on social media.One customer, Lisa Mackay, was able to get a photo of Affleck working the drive-thru after she ordered a small, black iced coffee.”He was actually really funny. Super, super nice; really funny and everything I expected him to be, he was,” Mackay said.In the past week, the Dunkin’ social media accounts have shared posts with the teaser “Something’s Ben brewing” with a date of Feb. 12, the date of the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.Another Super Bowl commercial featuring a local favorite is the ad for a “remastered” version of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, a beer recipe that was launched back in 1985.A 60-second version of the commercial was made public by the Boston Beer Company on Jan. 30. It features comedian Lenny Clarke, former Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett and Greg Hoyt, the actor who has played the character of “Your cousin from Boston” in Sam Adams commercials for several years.WCVB’s Chronicle had exclusive access to the filming of the commercial earlier this month. The theme of the ad is imagining a “Brighter Boston,” where people don’t fight over parking spaces, echoing the change the company says they’ve made to the Samuel Adams recipe.”I’ve been making Boston Lager for almost 40 years now,” Koch told Chronicle. “I have in my mind this image, the perfect Samuel Adams, Boston Lager, and I haven’t yet made it. So for 38 (or) 39 years, I’ve been chasing perfection.”A final, 30-second version of the brew’s new commercial is expected to air during the big game on Feb. 12.Finally, former Patriots star Rob Gronkowski — the all-time great tight end who helped New England win three titles — will be part of a first-of-its-kind Super Bowl ad.Gronkowski is starring in FanDuel’s “Kick of Destiny” campaign, which is culminating with a live commercial during the third quarter of the big game.The Kick of Destiny involves a FanDuel promotion in which Gronk attempts a 25-yard field goal. If he makes it, everyone who placed a wager of at least $5 on the Super Bowl with FanDuel Sportsbook will split a $10 million pool worth of bonus bets.”I am a little nervous,” Gronkowski said. “Two months ago, I wasn’t at all. But I’m sure when Sunday comes, I’ll be having those nerves like it was game day like back in the day.”The first advertisement promoting Gronkowski’s pressure-packed kick debuted on Jan. 9. A follow-up ad featured Gronk teaming up with former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri, who made two clutch kicks in the Snow Bowl and two Super Bowl-winning field goals for New England. The spot with Gronk and Vinatieri was made in the style of an ’80s movie training montage, which you can watch in the YouTube video player below.To give fans hope, FanDuel shared a highlight clip of Gronkowski making a 28-yard field goal during a game. However, that clip was from 2004, when Gronk was a sophomore at Williamsville North High School just outside of Buffalo, New York.
BOSTON —
Football fans in Boston, Massachusetts and New England are gearing up for the Super Bowl. But without the New England Patriots in the big game, many others will also have a big interest in the commercials that run on Sunday.
One expected Super Bowl ad from Dunkin’ has had the region buzzing for a month, as it’s expected to feature Oscar-winning Massachusetts native Ben Affleck and his wife, Jennifer Lopez.
On Jan. 10, some customers of the Dunkin’ on the Fellsway in Medford were greeted by Affleck when they pulled up at the drive-thru window. Sightings of JLo at that Dunkin’ location were also reported on social media.
One customer, Lisa Mackay, was able to get a photo of Affleck working the drive-thru after she ordered a small, black iced coffee.
“He was actually really funny. Super, super nice; really funny and everything I expected him to be, he was,” Mackay said.
In the past week, the Dunkin’ social media accounts have shared posts with the teaser “Something’s Ben brewing” with a date of Feb. 12, the date of the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
Another Super Bowl commercial featuring a local favorite is the ad for a “remastered” version of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, a beer recipe that was launched back in 1985.
A 60-second version of the commercial was made public by the Boston Beer Company on Jan. 30. It features comedian Lenny Clarke, former Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett and Greg Hoyt, the actor who has played the character of “Your cousin from Boston” in Sam Adams commercials for several years.
WCVB’s Chronicle had exclusive access to the filming of the commercial earlier this month. The theme of the ad is imagining a “Brighter Boston,” where people don’t fight over parking spaces, echoing the change the company says they’ve made to the Samuel Adams recipe.
“I’ve been making Boston Lager for almost 40 years now,” Koch told Chronicle. “I have in my mind this image, the perfect Samuel Adams, Boston Lager, and I haven’t yet made it. So for 38 (or) 39 years, I’ve been chasing perfection.”
A final, 30-second version of the brew’s new commercial is expected to air during the big game on Feb. 12.
Finally, former Patriots star Rob Gronkowski — the all-time great tight end who helped New England win three titles — will be part of a first-of-its-kind Super Bowl ad.
Gronkowski is starring in FanDuel’s “Kick of Destiny” campaign, which is culminating with a live commercial during the third quarter of the big game.
The Kick of Destiny involves a FanDuel promotion in which Gronk attempts a 25-yard field goal. If he makes it, everyone who placed a wager of at least $5 on the Super Bowl with FanDuel Sportsbook will split a $10 million pool worth of bonus bets.
“I am a little nervous,” Gronkowski said. “Two months ago, I wasn’t at all. But I’m sure when Sunday comes, I’ll be having those nerves like it was game day like back in the day.”
The first advertisement promoting Gronkowski’s pressure-packed kick debuted on Jan. 9. A follow-up ad featured Gronk teaming up with former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri, who made two clutch kicks in the Snow Bowl and two Super Bowl-winning field goals for New England. The spot with Gronk and Vinatieri was made in the style of an ’80s movie training montage, which you can watch in the YouTube video player below.
To give fans hope, FanDuel shared a highlight clip of Gronkowski making a 28-yard field goal during a game. However, that clip was from 2004, when Gronk was a sophomore at Williamsville North High School just outside of Buffalo, New York.
The Deion Sanders effect is real. With Super Bowl LVII kicking off this upcoming Sunday, all eyes are on the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
However, Coach Prime is still finding a way to make headlines. The Colorado football coach and his family will be featured in a Super Bowl commercial.
Oikos Yogurt is airing the commercial, and it also includes Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his brother Shilo, Coach Prime’s daughter, Shelomi, Deion Sanders’ sister, Tracie, and their mother Connie.
Coach Prime was featured in the Oikos Super Bowl ad last year with Shedeur, and now they are back for a second straight year.
Here is the ad, which should be fun to watch on Super Bowl Sunday:
For those curious, here is the ad from last year:
Ever since Coach Prime became the head coach at Colorado, he has been a regular on national shows, including The Pat McAfee Show, College GameDay and many, many more.
Now, we can all watch him during the Super Bowl.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
Man United boss Ten Hag spotted house hunting in Cheshire during an electric bike ride with his wife
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag spotted house hunting in Cheshire during an electric bike ride with his wife as the couple look to put down roots following a successful start to his reign at Old Trafford
Erik Ten Hag was spotted house hunting with wife Bianca after making an successful start to his reign at Manchester United.
The Dutchman moved to Manchester last summer and after losing his first two games has transformed the Red Devils.
Following their FA Cup fourth-round win over Reading on Saturday, Man United players and staff had a day off on Monday.
Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag enjoyed an electric bike ride on his day off on Monday
The Ten Hags rode electric bikes into the Cheshire village of Hale, which they also visited November last year when stopping at a cafe.
The couple then looked at properties in the window of an estate agents.
It is possible the pair are looking to move out of the city and put down roots in Cheshire’s ‘Golden Triangle’ – long been the most desired neighbourhood of United and City footballers – which also includes Wilmslow, Knutsford, Alderley Edge and Prestbury.
Ten Hag and his wife Bianca looked at properties in the window of an estate agents in Hale
The first stage of his rebuild following Ralf Rangnick’s reign is already producing results with United one game away from the Carabao Cup final.
Ten Hag’s side take a 3-0 lead into the semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night.
They are also third in the Premier League – 11 points behind leaders Arsenal.
The Dutchman has transformed the Red Devils following a sticky start to his reign
Advertisement
Cristiano Ronaldo was subject to a potentially “huge commercial offer” from one club ahead of signing for Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, according to Fabrizio Romano.
According to Romano, Ronaldo will earn an eye-watering $90m per year and his total salary will hit an astonishing $200m thanks to commercial and sponsorship deals.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s guaranteed football salary at Al Nassr will be close to $90m per year. 🇵🇹🇸🇦 #Ronaldo
Commercial/sponsorship deals (already approved by Cristiano’s camp) will be included in the agreement to bring total salary close to $200m. pic.twitter.com/0ILHxeuoK5
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 31, 2022
The transfer news expert has claimed that MLS outfit Sporting Kansas City were keen to bring the United and Real Madrid legend to the States.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “One other club tried to sign Cristiano Ronaldo and it’s not a European club: it was Sporting Kansas City.
“Some MLS clubs approached Ronaldo about a potential move to the United States but Sporting Kansas City, from what I heard, had two meetings with people close to Ronaldo.
“The first meeting was before the Piers Morgan interview and the second was after Ronaldo broke his relationship with Manchester United.
“Sporting Kansas City were considering a huge commercial offer for Ronaldo, similar to Al Nassr, and were prepared to do something historical in terms of salary and contract to tempt Ronaldo.
“But Cristiano decided the offer from Al Nassr was more tempting.”
Scholastic athletic programs continued to find the best conference for themselves, while area student-athletes soared to new heights at the state level in 2022.
Forest Hills senior wrestler Jackson Arrington claimed his third PIAA title in March, while Conemaugh Township junior Ethan Black earned gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in May. The Central Cambria boys cross country team earned its first PIAA team crown to accompany the girls program’s five state championships.
These are just a few of the top sports stories over the past year.
The Tribune-Democrat sports staff highlights the best of the year – the highs and lows. The “Year in Local Sports” chronicles the games, events and stars considered to be the top sports stories of the year in Johnstown and the surrounding region.
Scholastic shuffle: What started as a late-winter exodus of five Somerset County schools from the WestPAC to the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference took multiple turns throughout the spring of 2022 with dominoes crashing down in all directions to produce shifts in the region’s athletic landscape with area schools finalizing plans to depart the WestPAC to join either the Heritage and Inter-County conferences starting in 2023-24 academic year, while the Laurel Highlands added nine schools from Districts 6 and 9 to its membership starting in 2023-24, building a 22-school super conference that spans seven counties.
In February, school boards at Conemaugh Township and Windber had approved petitions to seek slots in the LHAC, joining Berlin Brothersvalley, Meyersdale and North Star as possible new members. The conference’s 13 member schools voted to invite up to 14 new members in March.
By April, all five Somerset County schools had withdrawn their interest in the LHAC with Conemaugh Township setting its sights on the Heritage Conference along with fellow WestPAC defector Conemaugh Valley, making them the 11th and 12th schools to be a part of the conference, which already boasted Cambria Heights, Homer-Center, Marion Center, Northern Cambria, Penns Manor, Portage, Purchase Line, River Valley, United and West Shamokin.
Berlin Brothersvalley, Meyersdale, North Star and Windber joined Rockwood, which has a cooperative agreement with Berlin Brothersvalley in football, in a push to join the Inter-County Conference, swelling that league to 21 schools, with 16 football-playing members.
The Inter-County Conference will have 21 schools in 2023-24: Berlin Brothersvalley, Meyersdale, North Star, Rockwood (non-football) and Windber locally; and current members Claysburg-Kimmel, Curwensville, Everett, Glendale, Fannett-Metal (non-football), Forbes Road (non-football), Juniata Valley, Moshannon Valley, McConnellsburg (non-football), Mount Union, Northern Bedford, Southern Fulton (non-football), Southern Huntingdon, Tussey Mountain, West Branch and Williamsburg (non-football).
While it didn’t add any schools with The Tribune-Democrat’s coverage area, the LHAC’s will welcome Bald Eagle Area, Bellefonte, Bellwood-Antis, Clearfield, Hollidaysburg, Huntingdon, Penns Valley, Philipsburg-Osceola and Tyrone in 2023-24. All but Hollidaysburg will be football-playing members of the league, joining Bedford, Bishop Carroll Catholic, Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic, Bishop McCort Catholic, Central, Central Cambria, Chestnut Ridge, Forest Hills, Greater Johnstown, Penn Cambria, Richland, Somerset and Westmont Hilltop.
The WestPAC evacuation, which was started by Portage’s plan to join the Heritage for the 2022-23 academic year, leaves the conference at six members – Blacklick Valley, Ferndale, Salisbury-Elk Lick, Shade, Shanksville-Stonycreek and Turkeyfoot Valley – none of which field active football programs, though all had cooperative arrangements with other schools for student-athletes to participate in football.
Swinging for the fences: The West Suburban Little League 14-under team earned a state title and came within two victories of advancing to the Junior League Softball World Series. The Red Rage became the first West Suburban team, baseball or softball, to win a state championship. West Suburban went 4-0 and outscored their opponents 48-10 to win the state title. At the East Region tournament in Orange, Connecticut, West Suburban went 4-0 in pool play. The Red Rage defeated state champions from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. In bracket play, West Suburban topped New York and Delaware in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, to advance to the championship series, in which Milford, Connecticut, won 9-8 and 8-6 decisions to sweep the best-of-3 series and advance to the Junior League Softball World Series in Kirkland, Washington.
Those we lost in 2022:
Stephanie Skiles, 35, on Jan. 8. A 2004 graduate of Richland High School, Skiles stood out in basketball, softball and volleyball, earning a volleyball scholarship to Slippery Rock University.
Kevin Weatherly, 62, on Jan. 26. A former Greater Johns- town basketball standout. Known for his athletic ability on the court for years of playing in local leagues, he also coached youth teams. His son Paul Weatherly starred at Greater Johnstown and Pitt-Johnstown.
Maverick Baker, 16, on Feb. 11. The Northern Cambria High School and Bishop McCort Catholic standout athlete played football and baseball with the Colts and was on the Crimson Crushers’ championship hockey team as well as the Johnstown Warriors program.
William “Billy” Grech, 63, on Feb. 12. Grech was a standout cross country and track runner at Greater Johnstown Vo-Tech. Grech later was known throughout the area for his roles as an assistant coach in basketball, a long-time chain gang worker in football and scorekeeper in multiple scholastic sports at Ferndale, Richland and throughout the area.
Richard “Dick” Rigby, 94, on Feb. 17. Rigby graduated from Dale High in 1945, where he played basketball and football. Rigby coached the boys basketball team from 1957-69, leading the Yellow Jackets to the 1966 District 6 Class B title. He also served as assistant football, golf (24 years), gymnastics (23 years) and softball coach. Rigby was Ferndale’s athletic director from 1965-79 and was one of the founders of the Appalachian Conference. He was Ferndale’s assistant principal from 1969-79 and then served as principal until his retirement in 1987. Rigby was the gymnastics coach at Turner’s from 1960 to 1976.
William Kory, 83, on April 2. Kory taught at Pitt-Johnstown from 1971 to 2020. Kory coached in the Greater Johnstown Parochial League. He led St. Clement Church from 1983-88 and posted a 42-8 (.840 winning percentage) record on the gridiron. From 1989 to 2012, he racked up a 163-32-3 (.823 winning percentage) mark while leading the Bishop McCort junior high football program.
Calvin “Moose” Andrews, 46, on April 5. A member of the Greater Johnstown’s District 6 Class 4A championship basketball teams in 1992, 1993 and 1994. The ‘93 squad advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals before losing in overtime to New Castle.
Garrett “Rocky” Burnett, 46, on April 11. The former Johnstown Chiefs physical forward and fan favorite who went onto play an enforcer role with the Anaheim Ducks in the National Hockey League.
John Stofa, 79, on April 24. The Cambria County Sports Hall of Famer graduated from Johnstown Catholic High in 1960, played quarterback at the University of Buffalo and had a professional career in the American Football League, National Football League and World Football League with the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. Known as “the original Bengal,” as the first player signed on the franchise’s roster during the 1968 inaugural season.
Sue Minchau, 73, on May 11. The longtime Westmont Hilltop tennis coach led the girls program for 29 years and boys team for 26 seasons. A 2006 inductee of the Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame, Minchau had a combined record of 575-140 at Westmont Hilltop. The girls team had a winning record in each of Minchau’s 29 seasons while winning 12 league titles. The boys team had one losing season, but has won 18 of the past 26 league championships.
Havert “Tojo” King, 79, on May 22. Was the 1961 Point Stadium Award winner as a member of the Greater Johnstown football team. He attended UCLA college and served in the United States Army.
Bob Hay, 74, on June 23. He managed the 1997 Sani-Dairy AAABA Tournament team. Hay was an important presence on the region’s baseball scene for many years, especially in Somerset County.
Robert “Gunner” Gleason, 86, on July 24. A 1953 graduate of Southmont High School, where he played basketball and football. Gleason was a lifetime player, coach and fan of basketball in the Johnstown area. He earned the moniker “Gunner” for long-distance shooting prowess. He sponsored “Gunner’s Great Johnstown Shootout,” an alumni and youth basketball tournament that ran from 1989 to 2002 at Bishop McCort and the War Memorial.
John Austin Jr., 79, on Aug. 23. The longtime Altoona franchise president and executive director was inducted into the AAABA Hall of Fame in 2000. Austin had a lead role on the franchise committee and was the driving force in the Altoona AAABA franchise. Previously, he had served as AAABA national president during two terms in 1998-99 and 2016-17.
Frank Cignetti Sr., 84, on Sept. 10. The collegiate football mentor coached at West Virginia from 1976-79, going 17-27. Over 20 seasons at Indiana (Pa.), Cignetti went 182-50-1 with 13 Division II playoff appearances and 15 playoff wins. He retired after the 2005 season as the third-winningest active coach in Division II and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Nunzio Johncola, 80, on Oct. 3. Was a former Johnstown City Council member and city public works leader. Helped maintain Point Stadium in his role in public works and was a staunch supporter of the facility and local sports throughout his time on City Council.
Tom McCreary, 60, on Oct. 4. Known as “The Voice of the Trojans,” McCreary served as the public address announcer at Greater Johnstown High School’s Trojan Stadium, Doc Stofko Gymnasium and other school athletic venues for more than two decades. McCreary also was a scorekeeper for the Trojans softball program for many years and was part of teams that had success on the conference and district level in the early and mid-2000s. An employee in The Tribune-Democrat mail room, McCreary served as the announcer and scoreboard operator at Sargent’s Stadium at the Point during the Johnstown Collegiate Baseball League’s 2022 season and playoffs.
Tony Joseph, 84, on Oct. 5. Member of the 1956 Hahn Packing team that became the first Johnstown squad to play in the AAABA Tournament championship game. Pitched in the Detroit Tigers minor league system from 1959-62. Longtime successful manager in the Johnstown Junior League/AAABA League and was inducted into the AAABA Hall of Fame in 2010.
Keith Garman, 33, on Oct. 11, a Greater Johnstown High School graduate who served as the chef of the Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League.
Jim Clark, on Nov. 26, a Bedford Area graduate who guided the Chestnut Ridge wrestling program for 31 seasons, amassing a 342-158-3 record in dual meets while mentoring 56 District 5 champions, 40 Southwest Regional place-winners, six regional champions, 30 PIAA qualifiers and nine state medal winners, including the school’s first PIAA state champion, Gary Pfahler, in 2008.
A look at some of 2022’s key events in local sports:
January
• Bishop Carroll Catholic boys basketball coach Cosie Aliquo picked up the 250th win of his career on Jan. 7 when the Huskies topped Forest Hills. Bishop Carroll went on to win its eighth District 6 championship in 14 seasons under Aliquo in March.
February
• Bishop McCort Catholic girls basketball coach John Hahn netted the 400th win of his career during the Crimson Crushers’ victory over Penn Cambria in a Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference semifinal on Feb. 16.
• Bishop Carroll Catholic junior Emily Bennett (564) finished in second place in smallbore at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic 3-Position Smallbore and Precision Air Rifle Championships in DuBois.
March
• Forest Hills senior Jackson Arrington captured his third state title at the PIAA Class 2A Wrestling Championships. The North Carolina State freshman pinned Bishop McDevitt’s Andrew Christie in 1:45 during the 152-pound final bout. Arrington became the ninth wrestler in District 6 history to win three PIAA titles. Among local grapplers, Arrington joined North Star graduate Nick Roberts and Richland product John Rizzo as three-time state champions. Arrington finished his career with a 146-8 record and 84 pins, four District 6 titles and three Southwest Regional crowns. Arrington went 39-2 with 26 pins as a senior with his only losses being injury defaults at a December tournament.
• Bishop McCort Catholic eighth-grader Bo Bassett tied a state record by winning his eighth straight Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling title at 117 pounds at 1st Summit Arena @ Cambria County War Memorial. Bishop McCort’s Sam Herring (124) and Jax Forrest (132) earned state crowns in their respective boys brackets while Greater Johnstown’s Sayona Harris-Haye (135) and Bedford’s Mylah Steinbuch (185) also claimed championships in the girls tournament.
• Bishop McCort Catholic won its second straight Laurel Mountain Hockey League title with a 7-0 victory over rival Westmont Hilltop in front of an estimated 1,200 fans at 1st Summit Arena @ Cambria County War Memorial.
• Pitt-Johnstown junior forward John Paul Kromka became a two-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Division first-team basketball selection and garnered his third straight defensive athlete of the year award, while junior guard Fred Mulbah joined him on the first team.
April
• Portage Area High School’s Lance Hudak was named Class 1A girls basketball coach of the year. Hudak, who earned his 250th career victory in January, led the Mustangs to the PIAA semifinals for the second time in program history. Despite a trio of players suffering season-ending injuries, the Mustangs went 24-6 and won their second District 6 title. Shade junior forward Jenna Muha was the lone girl named to the Pennsylvania Sports Writers’ first team as she earned a spot in Class 1A.
• Portage senior Kaden Claar earned a spot on the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Class 2A boys basketball first team. Claar totaled 1,242 career points and led the 28-2 Mustangs to the PIAA quarterfinals. Portage won its second straight District 6 title.
• After 25 seasons, 411 wins, four Penguin Cup championships and two Pennsylvania Cup crowns as head coach, coach John Bradley announced his retirement from the Bishop McCort Catholic hockey program. The Crimson Crushers capped Bradley’s career behind the bench with back-to-back Laurel Mountain Hockey League titles.
May
• Conemaugh Township junior Ethan Black earned two PIAA gold medals at the PIAA Class 2A championship meet in Shippensburg. The sprinter won the 100- (10.78) and 200-meter (21.45) races. Richland sophomore Logan Gossard won gold in the pole vault, clearing 14 feet, 6 inches. Central Cambria’s Alaina Sheehan, Abigail Sheehan, Annaliese Niebauer and Abbie George combined to win 3200 relay gold in 9:30.53.
• Forest Hills junior Delaney Dumm earned silver in the 1600 and 3200 races. Bedford junior Autumn Becker won silver in the 300 hurdles. The Conemaugh Township 400 relay team consisting of Asia Zwick, Izzy Slezak, Ellie Speigle and Mary Hostetter took second place.
• Bishop McCort Catholic eighth-grader Jax Forrest overcame a technical-fall loss and rebounded with two straight victories to earn a Cadet World Team Trials 17-under freestyle title at 55 kilograms. Forrest finished in second place during the world tournament in Rome, Italy.
• The Johnstown Tomahawks finished second in the East Division during the NAHL franchise’s 10th anniversary season and suffered a first-round playoff loss to the Jamestown Rebels, dropping Game 5 at home, 4-3 in overtime. Three of the five contests went into overtime. The Tomahawks suffered two overtime setbacks.
• The St. Francis University softball team defeated Long Island 9-0 to claim its fifth straight Northeast Conference Tournament title. St. Francis lost to No. 3 Virginia Tech and Miami (Ohio) in the Blacksburg Regional. Mekenzie Saban was named NEC player of the year and Rachel Marsden was selected pitcher of the year.
• Mount Aloysius College won its first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference baseball title at Penn State Behrend. The Mounties defeated Penn State Behrend 10-4 and 10-5 to clinch its first berth in the NCAA tournament. Tyler Quade was named AMCC player, pitcher and newcomer of the year. Bishop McCort Catholic graduate Kevin Kime was named coach of the year.
• The expansion Bedford County Buffaloes went 7-4 and advanced to the Great Eastern Football Association playoffs in the eight-man semipro league. Area graduates helped the Buffaloes surprise many people across the league in their first season.
June
• Conemaugh Valley softball coach Paula McCleester earned her 300th career victory when the Blue Jays defeated Glendale 2-0 on June 1 in the District 6 Class 1A title game.
• University of Virginia and Richland High School graduate Ethan Dabbs won gold in the javelin at the USA Track & Field (USATF) outdoor championships in dramatic fashion. Dabbs saved his best attempt for last as he unleashed a throw of 81.29 meters (266 feet-8 inches) to claim the national title. The javelin thrower claimed his third straight Atlantic Coast Conference championship and finished second at the 2022 NCAA Division I meet. He set ACC and ACC championships records at 82.93 meters (272 feet).
• University of Tennessee golfer Bryce Lewis won the Sunnehanna Amateur Tournament for Champions by one stroke. Lewis edged out second-place finishers Maxwell Ford and Kelly Chinn.
• Thomas Facciani edged two-time defending winner Derek Hayes by one stroke in the City Golf Championship at Berkley Hills Golf Course.
• Conemaugh Township Area Elementary School rising fifth-grader Tennyson Keafer competed among 25 riders from across the country at the Youth Equestrian Development Association (YEDA) National Championship Show in McDonald, Tennessee.
July
• After 33 seasons in professional hockey, Johnstown native Dana Heinze retired from his post as equipment manager for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Heinze, a Westmont Hilltop graduate, logged time with the Johnstown Chiefs (ECHL), New Jersey Devils (NHL), Detroit Vipers (IHL) and Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) before joining the Penguins’ equipment staff in 2006. He was a part of four Stanley Cup winners with the Lightning winning it all in 2004, and the Penguins hoisting the Cup in 2009, ‘16 and ‘17. In November, it was announced that Heinze would be a member of the ECHL’s 2023 hall of fame class, which is scheduled to be inducted on Jan. 16.
• Conemaugh Valley’s Anna Gunby was named Class 1A softball player of the year by the Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association. Gunby was one of four Blue Jays to be listed by the PHSSCA, as Katie Ledwich, Delanie Davison and Bella Grecek also were named to the Class 1A first team. Meyersdale’s Zoe Hetz and Isabella Donaldson were also a part of the Class 1A first team while similar honors in Class 2A were given to Ligonier Valley’s Maddie Griffin, Chestnut Ridge’s Alyssa Henderson and Maya Wingard, along with Conemaugh Township’s Olivia Weyandt.
• Johnstown Collegiate Baseball League regular-season champion Paul Carpenter Capital Advisors topped Martella’s Pharmacy in four games, claiming the franchise’s third consecutive JCBL playoff crown. Paul Carpenter won three straight games to claim the best-of-5 series over Martella’s Pharmacy, which also qualified for the 77th AAABA Tournament as the Johnstown-2 entry.
August
• The Johnstown Mill Rats earned their first Prospect League playoff appearance in their second season. Johnstown (29-31, 17-12 second half) finished in second place in the Ohio River Valley Division standings and lost to first-half champion Chillicothe (38-22, 17-12) in a one-game division playoff game.
• Paul Carpenter Capital Advisors reached the championship game of the 77th AAABA Tournament, falling 5-1 to New Orleans in front of 2,148 fans at Sargent’s Stadium at the Point. It was the third time that Paul Carpenter had reached the tournament final, also falling short in 2016 and ’17. New Orleans claimed its 18th AAABA crown.
• The PittBull/Rebels went 2-2 at the Pony League World Series in Washington. It was the second straight year and the 11th time a team from the Johns- town Recreation league represented the city in Washington.
• Westmont Hilltop hosted Central Cambria in the first night football game at the renovated, state-of-the-art Price Field on Aug. 26. The Hilltoppers came back to prevail 21-19 in front of an estimated 3,000 fans. Price Field hosted a few PIAA soccer playoff games on the artificial turf surface in November.
November
• The Mount Aloysius men’s soccer team was crowned AMCC champion for the second straight season at No. 1 seed Penn State Behrend, winning 1-1, 5-4 in penalty kicks.
• The Central Cambria boys cross country team brought home its first PIAA championship, topping the Class 1A field in Hershey with three runners in the top 14. The Red Devils boys had taken second in 2019, while the girls program had boasted five state crowns since 2007.
• The Northern Cambria football team picked up its first District 6 championship by topping Heritage Conference rival Penns Manor 12-6 at Mansion Park. The Colts bowed out in the PIAA Class 1A quarterfinal against District 4 power Canton.
• Bedford junior Cole Taylor, Conemaugh Township junior Dylan Giffin and Windber senior Anna Steinbeck were named to the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association all-state team.
• Villanova junior middle blocker Kiera Booth was named to the all-Big East volleyball team. The Berlin Brothersvalley graduate was one of 18 players selected to the all-league team, and the only one from Villanova. The 6-foot-2 athlete led the Wildcats with 86 blocks and a .336 hitting percentage, which was third-best in the conference. Booth ranked second on the team with 287 kills. Booth, a three-time Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association all-state pick at Berlin, has compiled 603 kills and 215 blocks over her three collegiate seasons.
• St. Francis sophomore outside hitter Maggie Hogan and Bloomsburg junior middle blocker Liz Bopp were selected to the Northeast Conference and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division second teams, respectively. Hogan graduated from Northern Cambria, where she helped the Colts win two PIAA volleyball titles. Bopp is a Central Cambria product.
December
• Berlin Brothersvalley girls basketball coach Rachel Prosser earned her 300th career victory when the Mountaineers defeated Bishop Carroll Catholic on Dec. 3 at Pitt-Johnstown’s Sports Center. Prosser led the Mountaineers to the 2018-19 PIAA Class 1A title and was named coach of the year.
• Nine area players were named to the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association all-state teams. Berlin Brothersvalley junior Lynndee Ickes, Conemaugh Township senior Hannah Swank and Shade senior Jenna Muha were named to the Class 1A squad. Bedford junior Laney Lafferty, Central Cambria senior Mikalah Kim, Chestnut Ridge senior Belle Bosch, Forest Hills junior Lia Konchan and sophomore Mya Colosimo and Somerset senior Shawna Walker were Class 2A selections.
• Richland junior running back Evan McCracken and senior linebacker Jordan Nichols, Berlin Brothersvalley junior defensive back Pace Prosser and Ligonier Valley senior offensive lineman Colin Smith were Class 2A selections on the Pennsylvania Football Writers all-state teams. Cambria Heights senior cornerback Tanner Trybus, Northern Cambria senior linebacker Cody Dumm and Windber senior running back John Shuster were named in Class 1A, and Penn Cambria senior quarterback Garrett Harrold was selected as an athlete on the Class 3A squad.
SAO PAULO — Pelé, the Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died Thursday. He was 82.
The standard-bearer of “the beautiful game” had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021. The medical center where he had been hospitalized for the last month said he died of multiple organ failure as a result of the cancer.
“Pelé changed everything. He transformed football into art, entertainment,” Neymar, a fellow Brazilian soccer star, said on Instagram. “Football and Brazil elevated their standing thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will endure. Pelé is eternal!”
A funeral was planned for Monday and Tuesday, with his casket to be carried through the streets of Santos, the coastal city where his storied career began, before burial.
Widely regarded as one of soccer’s greatest players, Pelé spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents as the game’s most prolific scorer with Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team.
His grace, athleticism and mesmerizing moves transfixed players and fans. He orchestrated a fast, fluid style that revolutionized the sport — a samba-like flair that personified his country’s elegance on the field.
He carried Brazil to soccer’s heights and became a global ambassador for his sport in a journey that began on the streets of Sao Paulo state, where he would kick a sock stuffed with newspapers or rags.
In the conversation about soccer’s greatest players, only the late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside Pelé.
Different sources, counting different sets of games, list Pelé’s goal totals anywhere between 650 (league matches) and 1,281 (all senior matches, some against low-level competition.)
The player who would be dubbed “The King” was introduced to the world at 17 at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the youngest player ever at the tournament. He was carried off the field on teammates’ shoulders after scoring two goals in Brazil’s 5-2 victory over the host country in the final.
Injury limited him to just two games when Brazil retained the world title in 1962, but Pelé was the emblem of his country’s World Cup triumph of 1970 in Mexico. He scored in the final and set up Carlos Alberto with a nonchalant pass for the last goal in a 4-1 victory over Italy.
The image of Pelé in a bright, yellow Brazil jersey, with the No. 10 stamped on the back, remains alive with soccer fans everywhere. As does his trademark goal celebration — a leap with a right fist thrust high above his head.
Pelé’s fame was such that in 1967 factions of a civil war in Nigeria agreed to a brief cease-fire so he could play an exhibition match in the country. He was knighted by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in 1997. When he visited Washington to help popularize the game in North America, it was the U.S. president who stuck out his hand first.
“My name is Ronald Reagan, I’m the president of the United States of America,” the host said to his visitor. “But you don’t need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pelé is.”
Pelé was Brazil’s first modern Black national hero but rarely spoke about racism in a country where the rich and powerful tend to hail from the white minority.
Opposing fans taunted Pelé with monkey chants at home and all over the world.
“He said that he would never play if he had to stop every time he heard those chants,” said Angelica Basthi, one of Pelé’s biographers. “He is key for Black people’s pride in Brazil, but never wanted to be a flagbearer.”
Pelé’s life after soccer took many forms. He was a politician — Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport — a wealthy businessman, and an ambassador for UNESCO and the United Nations.
He had roles in movies, soap operas and even composed songs and recorded CDs of popular Brazilian music.
As his health deteriorated, his travels and appearances became less frequent. He was often seen in a wheelchair during his final years and did not attend a ceremony to unveil a statue of him representing Brazil’s 1970 World Cup team. Pelé spent his 80th birthday isolated with a few family members at a beach home.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, in the small city of Tres Coracoes in the interior of Minas Gerais state on Oct. 23, 1940, Pelé grew up shining shoes to buy his modest soccer gear.
Pelé’s talent drew attention when he was 11, and a local professional player brought him to Santos’ youth squads. It didn’t take long for him to make it to the senior squad.
Despite his youth and 5-foot-8 frame, he scored against grown men with the same ease he displayed against friends back home. He debuted with the Brazilian club at 16 in 1956, and the club quickly gained worldwide recognition.
The name Pelé came from him mispronouncing the name of a player called Bilé.
He went to the 1958 World Cup as a reserve but became a key player for his country’s championship team. His first goal, in which he flicked the ball over the head of a defender and raced around him to volley it home, was voted as one of the best in World Cup history.
The 1966 World Cup in England — won by the hosts — was a bitter one for Pelé, by then already considered the world’s top player. Brazil was knocked out in the group stage and Pelé, angry at the rough treatment, swore it was his last World Cup.
He changed his mind and was rejuvenated in the 1970 World Cup. In a game against England, he struck a header for a certain score, but the great goalkeeper Gordon Banks flipped the ball over the bar in an astonishing move. Pelé likened the save — one of the best in World Cup history — to a “salmon climbing up a waterfall.” Later, he scored the opening goal in the final against Italy, his last World Cup match.
In all, Pelé played 114 matches with Brazil, scoring a record 95 goals, including 77 in official matches.
His run with Santos stretched over three decades until he went into semi-retirement after the 1972 season. Wealthy European clubs tried to sign him, but the Brazilian government intervened to keep him from being sold, declaring him a national treasure.
On the field, Pelé’s energy, vision and imagination drove a gifted Brazilian national team with a fast, fluid style of play that exemplified “O Jogo Bonito” — Portuguese for “The Beautiful Game.” His 1977 autobiography, “My Life and the Beautiful Game,” made the phrase part of soccer’s lexicon.
In 1975, he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. Although 34 and past his prime, Pelé gave soccer a higher profile in North America. He led the Cosmos to the 1977 league title and scored 64 goals in three seasons.
Pelé ended his career on Oct. 1, 1977, in an exhibition between the Cosmos and Santos before a crowd in New Jersey of some 77,000. He played half the game with each club. Among the dignitaries on hand was perhaps the only other athlete whose renown spanned the globe — Muhammad Ali.
Pelé would endure difficult times in his personal life, especially when his son Edinho was arrested on drug-related charges. Pelé had two daughters out of wedlock and five children from his first two marriages, to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi and Assiria Seixas Lemos. He later married businesswoman Marcia Cibele Aoki.
DOHA, Qatar — As Lionel Messi approaches his second and likely last World Cup final, the stakes could hardly be higher.
The same goes for Argentina after more than 30 years of disappointment since it last won soccer’s ultimate prize.
For Messi, victory against France at Lusail Stadium on Sunday is a chance to finally get his hands on the one major trophy that has eluded him in his storied career.
In doing so, he would push ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has also never won a World Cup, in the long-running rivalry between the two greatest players of their generation.
While 37-year-old Ronaldo exited the tournament at the quarterfinals stage, benched by Portugal and in tears in the likely recognition that his last chance had passed, Messi is summoning some of his finest moments in an Argentina shirt to inspire his country’s run to the final.
“Each time we see him play, he makes us and the players feel something special,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “There’s something about him that people like, not only Argentines.
“We feel lucky and privileged to have him wear our shirt.”
Messi’s place alongside Diego Maradona as one of Argentina’s two most iconic soccer stars has been secure for some time now. But he is yet to emulate Maradona’s greatest achievement by leading his national team to a World Cup title.
Maradona did that in Mexico in 1986 and Messi has lived with the expectation of repeating the feat since he emerged as a prodigy at Barcelona nearly 20 years ago.
There have been numerous false hopes during that time.
There was the potential “dream team” of Maradona as coach and Messi as star player in South Africa in 2010. But Argentina went out in the quarterfinals after being beaten 4-0 by Germany.
In 2014, with Messi approaching his peak years, Argentina reached the final in Brazil.
Again it faced Germany. Again Messi was on the losing side, beaten 1-0 through extra time.
At the age of 35, he knew this was probably his last shot at the World Cup and he has risen to the occasion as the tournament’s co-leading scorer with France forward Kylian Mbappé with five goals.
Perhaps more notable have been his assists, such as the disguised pass for Nahuel Molina’s goal against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
Then there was his mesmerizing run, turning Croatia defender Joško Gvardiol inside out, before setting up Julián Álvarez for Argentina’s third in the semis.
“It’s at least something I can talk (about) with my kids one day that I guarded this great, great player,” Gvardiol said Thursday.
Those assists have been indicative of the fact that Messi can no longer do it on his own. The emergence of Álvarez, with four goals, has been vital to Argentina’s progress.
Messi doesn’t dominate for an entire 90 minutes anymore. Instead, he decides matches with key moments.
He isn’t as dynamic as he was in his younger years, but he has been more influential than at any of his previous four World Cups.
While Messi is aiming to complete his personal collection of trophies, having won four Champions League titles and seven Ballon d’Or awards for the best player in the world, Argentina is looking to end its long wait for a third World Cup.
It won the tournament for the first time when hosting in 1978 and then again eight years later thanks to Maradona.
Messi was supposed to emulate that feat long before now.
If he retires without ever winning the World Cup, then how much longer will Argentina have to wait?
No wonder each moment of Messi magic and every win is greeted with such an outpouring of emotion.
The sense of anticipation is growing among Argentina fans, who have lit up the tournament in a sea of blue and white, marching through the streets of Qatar.
Messi is feeding the belief that this could be their time again.
If this is his farewell tour, he has given his supporters a wild ride along the way.
And with or without a World Cup, Scaloni has no doubt about Messi’s status as the greatest of all time.
“It seems like we say that just because we’re Argentinians and we fall into the trap of being selfish because it is very Argentinian to say that,” he said. “But I think there are no doubts.”