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Come Fan with UsSaturday, June 20, 2026

Lionel Messi proves he has good judgment by not speaking to Diego Maradona for 6 years

He’s got great advisers.

Alexander Koerner/Getty Images

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In the absence of actual news, you might see outlets breaking out five different stories from one Lionel Messi interview. The best nugget: He doesn’t speak to Diego Maradona.

“We haven’t spoken in a long time, since the World Cup [2010] we may have crossed paths once or twice,” said Messi. “He has his life, his things and I have mine. We haven’t spoken at all. Considering that we don’t speak to each other, I have a great relationship with him.”

Considering Maradona is a noted bad coach, bad opinion haver and general weirdo, this is good. Lionel Messi is smart.

Historical skills of the day

West Ham goalkeeper Adrián’s box-to-box run and finish in Mark Noble’s testimonial. (r/soccer)

In the news

Jack Butland is out for the season and the Euros. (Mirror)

David Beckham wants Roberto Carlos to coach his MLS team. (MLS)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic really wants you to know that Premier League clubs want him. (Guardian)

James Milner will captain England against the Netherlands. (BBC)

The new Santiago Bernabéu looks cool, but it has fewer seats than the old one. (AS)

Giacomo Bonaventura is out of Italy’s next game with an illness. (Football Italia)

Hey, the USMNT is pretty screwed if they don’t beat Guatemala on Tuesday. (SI)

You should be reading

Alice Tchernookova on the LGBTQ club fighting discrimination in Turkey. (Vice)

Richard Greenwood on ticket prices at and loyalty to Stalybridge Celtic. (In Bed With Maradona)

Ted Knutsen on designing shot maps to convey information better. (Stats Bomb)

There was very little soccer over the weekend, and there’s very little on Monday. Internationals come back with a bang on Tuesday.

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