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Watch: Helicopter in Argentina shows support for Messi with humongous jersey
A helicopter in Argentina was filmed Tuesday flying around a massive Lionel Messi jersey hours ahead of the team's World Cup semifinal match against Croatia.
The spectacle was quite a scene, as the gargantuan piece slowly made its way closer to the person recording it and the familiar "Messi 10" came into focus.
A helicopter was spotted tagging along a HUGE Messi Jersey in Argentina pic.twitter.com/4v0A6uicC9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 13, 2022
The 35-year-old's World Cup career will end either against Croatia on Tuesday, against the winner of France/Morocco in the finals on Sunday or in the third-place game on Saturday. Along with Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi is perhaps the most famous soccer player from the 2022 World Cup.
The Argentinians run to the semifinals began ominously, as they were stunned by Saudi Arabia, 2-1, in the group stage opener on Nov. 22. Messi's club has responded with four straight victories.
Messi leads all players on Argentina with four goals and two assists. The seven-time Ballon d'Or award winner has the most goals scored (474) in La Liga history and has the most international goals (95) by a South American male among a host of other records.
More must-reads:
- World Cup odds shake up heading into the semifinals
- Kylian Mbappe predicted France-Morocco World Cup match back in January
- The '2021 award winners' quiz
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Packers HC bothered by rookie's 'unacceptable' behavior during preseason game
Green Bay Packers right tackle Anthony Belton had a forgettable first half against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday when he committed five penalties in the first half. The rookie was called for a false start, two illegal formation penalties, a face mask and unnecessary roughness. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was peeved by the unnecessary roughness penalty, which the second-round pick was called for when he pushed Colts cornerback Johnathan Edwards from behind after the play. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, LaFleur "let Belton have it" at halftime. Following the game, LaFleur explained to the media why that behavior bothers him — it hurts the team. “That’s the one that really bothers me because that is — I mean, they all bother me — but you can’t be getting personal fouls because that really hurts the team, puts you in a really tough position,” LaFleur said. “That is completely unacceptable in my mind. I appreciate the effort that he plays with and I thought he did a really nice job … I love the effort. It’s just, you got to be smart in those situations.” Belton's penalties were costly for the Packers. One of the illegal formation flags took away what would have been a touchdown pass from quarterback Taylor Elgersma to tight end Ben Sims. The 15-yard penalty on the unnecessary roughness call turned a manageable 3rd-and-5 into a 3rd-and-20. Saturday's preseason game is a learning experience for the 2023 third-team All-ACC offensive lineman. The Packers can't have Belton on the field if he's going to commit that many penalties, and the unnecessary roughness mistake would have been easy to avoid.
Three potential trade destinations for Commanders' Brian Robinson Jr.
While the Washington Commanders may have found their franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels, the franchise has signaled a lack of confidence in the current state of its other skill positions. Terry McLaurin's future with the franchise has been hanging in the balance for weeks as the Pro Bowler attempts to cash in on a career-best season. However, unlike McLaurin, who has a chance of returning to Washington on a new contract, Brian Robinson Jr.'s tenure with the Commanders appears to be coming to an end just weeks before the 2025 NFL season kicks off. Washington is reportedly shopping Robinson Jr. despite lacking reliable depth behind him. Austin Ekeler isn't the talent he used to be, so unless the team has big plans for seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey Merritt, the Commanders could be looking to upgrade their running back corps in a corresponding move. Robinson Jr. was never a top-tier back during his time in Washington, but the 2022 third-rounder has proven to be a reliable runner during his young career. He may not be the most exciting option, but after an eight-touchdown campaign, Robinson Jr. should have his fair share of potential suitors in the trade market. Here are three of them. Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys' running back depth is so thin that Robinson Jr. would easily be the most talented member of their backfield. As long as CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott are in town, Dallas will be a pass-first team. But that doesn't mean that the franchise should settle for arguably the NFL's worst backfield. Javonte Williams has continued to disappoint, despite being given every chance with the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, Miles Sanders has failed to produce even in a backup role in recent years. The Cowboys could be hoping for fifth-round back Jaydon Blue to make an early impact, but that's a dangerously optimistic desire for a team with playoff aspirations. As things currently stand, no organization needs Robinson Jr.'s services more than Dallas. San Francisco 49ers Yes, the San Francisco 49ers boast one of football's most dominant backs in Christian McCaffrey. But the three-time Pro Bowler proved once again last season that his health can't be trusted. With Jordan Mason now with the Minnesota Vikings, the Niners will heavily rely on Isaac Guerendo should their star go down again. Guerendo performed admirably as a third-stringer in 2024, but even he couldn't avoid the injury bug that ravaged San Francisco's backfield last season. The 49ers have more talent than most teams do at running back, but the top of their depth chart carries concerning injury risk. If San Francisco does decide to make a play for Robinson Jr., who has played at least 12 games in each of his three seasons, the franchise would be adding notable durability to its backfield. Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins also possess a promising running back in De'Von Achane, but after news that the 23-year-old could be out for weeks, the team would be wise to add reinforcements. The Dolphins currently don't have reliable production behind Achane. The franchise would be forced to rely on several unproven talents should he miss any regular-season action. Robinson Jr. would certainly shore up Miami's depth concerns. But he'd also serve as a valuable change-of-pace back as a power runner next to Achane, who has thrived as a pass-catcher.
Chicago Bears WR Luther Burden makes massive statement in unexpected way vs. Bills
Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver is still battling for reps with the starting offense. Veteran Olamide Zaccheaus has a strong hold on the WR3 gig, and if Burden wants to catch him, he'll need to impress coaches with more than just his playmaking ability. And boy did he do exactly that during Sunday night's Week 2 preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Burden, whose passion for the finer details of football was questioned during the run-up to the 2025 NFL Draft, did the grunt work that not every receiver is fond of: he got his nose dirty in the run game. Check out this incredible block that cleared the way for an Ian Wheeler touchdown run. Believe it or not, that was Burden's second edge-destroying block that resulted in a Bears' score. Here was the first: Of course, the Bears spent the No. 39 overall pick on Luther Burden primarily because of his playmaking skill set. And he put that on display against the Bills' defense, too. Burden totaled three catches for 49 yards in the first half. He looked every bit the part of game-changing wide receiver. Even in the run game.
Steelers' Rookie Defender Receives Strong Stamp Of Approval Following 2nd Preseason Game
The Pittsburgh Steelers are finding out a lot about their young players in the 2025 preseason, but there may be nobody who has surprised as much as rookie defensive end Yahya Black. A fifth-round pick out of Iowa, Black was touted as a stout, plugging run defender with not much else to offer. Through two preseason games, he's poised to prove everyone wrong. Black gained some notoriety in 2025 training camp from batting down passes at the line of scrimmage, something he likely learned from veteran defensive end Cameron Heyward. In his first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, his presence didn't go unnoticed among NFL analysts. While rushing the passer was supposed to be a weakness, Black hasn't shown it so far. Pro Football Focus gave him a pass rush grade of 82.3 in Week 1, logging a pressure, a hurry, and two tackles on only 11 total snaps. In addition, he had a respectable run defense grade of 72.6. Black was PFF's fourth highest graded rookie interior defensive lineman in Week 1 of the preseason. Playing only seven pass-rush snaps, he had an impressive 42.9% pass rush win rate. Brian Baldinger and PFF aren't the only ones taking notice of Black. Bob Labriola of the Steelers' official website, in his recent asked and answered segment, wrote that he believes that Black won't only make the roster, but will be a regular in the defensive line rotation. "With training camp and 1 preseason game under his belt, I believe Yayha Black is on the path to showing enough to be a part of the regular season gameday rotation along the defensive line." Those are certainly strong words towards day three draft pick, but they definitely aren't unwarranted. Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin also had some encouraging remarks for the young lineman following the 2025 NFL Draft, comparing him to a Ford F-350. In a limited sample size, and coming off of a good camp, Black has proven that his supposed weaknesses may have been misguided, and that there's more to him than early scouting reports suggested. There's no longer a question of whether he will make the team, and now the focus moves onto how much he will contribute right away in a crowded defensive line room. If Black can continue to show some pass rush versatility in addition to his already promising run defense, it'll be hard to keep him off of the field. Steelers' Yahya Black Is Dealing With A Concerning Arm Injury While Black got off to an explosive start in his first preseason game, things quieted down on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At least part of his disappearance in Week 2 can be attributed to an arm injury that Black suffered between the two games, prompting him to wear an arm brace that undoubtedly limited mobility. Black's PFF grade in game 2 plummeted to 54.3, with only a 50.5 pass rush grade. These grades are reflected in the box score, where Black played over double the snaps from the previous week and failed to record a single stat. Nonetheless, Black is looking to build on his promising start in the final week of the 2025 preseason, when the Steelers travel to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers. Will Black continue to build on his promising first performance, over a week removed from injury, and make his case for the starting defensive line rotation? The Steelers certainly hope so.
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