Soccer

A fan was so hellbent on getting Lionel Messi's attention ... he rushed the pitch during a match between Maccabi Haifa and Paris Saint-Germain, running up to the soccer star at midfield, and hugging him!

The funny/scary moment happened Wednesday at Sammy Ofer Stadium in Israel ... when a man wearing a black shirt and blue jeans hopped the wall during the UEFA Champions League Match in an effort to reach the 35-year-old legend.

Video shows the fan -- who lost one of his shoes in the process -- nearly taking a nasty spill as nearby security attempted to grab the fan. The dude got away (security, out of frustration, threw the shoe at him 😄) ... and ran full speed at the players on the field.

The guy ran past several players, and made a beeline for Messi, hugging him.

Messi -- who was caught off guard -- halfway embraced the intruder ... before being mobbed by security.

David Beckham jumped in line to pay his respects to Queen Elizabeth II on Friday morning ... waiting hours with thousands of mourners to eventually see Her Majesty's coffin.

Beckham told reporters at the line that he showed up to the London queue at 2 AM hoping to avoid massive crowds -- but he said "everybody had that in mind," so he's been hanging patiently with normies for a while as the throngs of people slowly make their way into Westminster Hall.

Beckham dressed to the nines despite knowing the hours of standing he'd have to do to pay his respects, wearing a suit, shirt, tie and hat.

He said while waiting that he felt it was important to be there.

"I grew up in a household of Royalists and I was brought up that way," the soccer legend said. "So if my grandparents were here today, I know that they would have wanted to be here so I am here on their behalf and on behalf of my family and to celebrate with everybody else here."

It's been reported that lines to see the Queen could last as long as 14 hours on Friday ... but Beckham made it clear he didn't mind spending the time to make sure he got a glimpse of it all.

Several hooded men reportedly broke into FC Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's home in Spain on Monday morning, beat him and then robbed him at gunpoint.

The horrifying incident, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais, happened at Aubameyang's residence in Castelldefels at around 1 AM ... when at least four people invaded the soccer player's home while armed with guns and iron bars.

Once inside, the men allegedly forced Aubameyang and his wife to open a safe inside the home. They then, according to El Pais, took several pieces of jewelry and other valuables, before fleeing the property.

Thankfully, Barcelona team officials have told multiple media outlets the 33-year-old footballer and his wife are doing OK, and did not suffer serious injuries.

Aubameyang had been with FC Barcelona just hours before the incident for its game against Real Valladolid. He was an unused substitute in the team's 4-0 victory.

Cops have reportedly launched an investigation into the robbery, though arrests have not been made.

Vanessa Bryant has endured two weeks of emotional testimony ... thankfully, she hasn't done it alone 'cause her support system is strong -- with U.S. soccer star Sydney Leroux joining VB and Natalia Bryant in court Wednesday.

The 32-year-old Olympic gold medalist and World Cup winner was photographed walking into a Los Angeles courtroom this morning with Kobe's 19-year-old daughter, Natalia, and Vanessa ... for closing arguments in the trial over photographs taken by L.A. County Sheriff's Deputies, who are accused of taking and showing off gruesome photos from the crash scene.

Leroux, who also attended court late last week, is a longtime friend of the Bryant family. In fact, Kobe was a mentor to the 2012 London Olympics and 2015 Women's World Cup winner.

After Kobe and Gianna tragically died, Leroux, who like Gigi, wore #2 ... the soccer star got the number tattooed on her body as a tribute to Vanessa's daughter.

Sydney isn't the only famous friend supporting Vanessa. Ciara and Monica have also attended the trial this week.

The attorney for Chris Chester, the co-plaintiff in the lawsuit, who tragically lost his wife and daughter in the helicopter crash, has asked for up to $32.5 million from L.A. County, calling the county's actions "inhuman and inhumane."

Vanessa Bryant has not specified the amount she is seeking.

Frightening scene at the Sporting Kansas City vs. Portland Timbers game on Sunday ... when a fan in the stands was hit in the head by a stray free kick -- but luckily, word is she's doing better.

The incident went down during K.C.'s 4-1 win over the Timbers at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City ... when a Portland player lined up to take a free kick, but his attempt sailed over the net.

The ball then rocked the Sporting K.C. supporter in the side of the face ... knocking her over and forcing her to lose her balance as she fell into the seats.

The fans in the crowd then gasp and show concern for the woman ... with several people rushing over to help out.

We've reached out to Sporting K.C. for a status update on the fan ... so far, no word back.

The person who posted the original TikTok of the incident says he made contact with the woman and claims she suffered a concussion.

The poster also says the woman is "getting better" ... so here's to a speedy recovery.

Zach and Julie Ertz are officially parents -- the couple just welcomed their newborn son, Madden!!

"One week with our sweet boy! Madden Matthew Ertz you are so loved," Ertz wrote on Instagram. "Beyond grateful to be your Dad. @julieertz and I can't even put into words how blessed we are to be your parents."

In the pic, Madden is wearing a cream-colored hat and appears to be resting peacefully, next to a name tag that shares the date (Aug. 11) and time he was born ... as well as his height and weight.

The NFL tight end and USWNT star -- who've been together for nearly a decade -- announced back in April they were "adding to our starting lineup," and they've been super stoked about it ever since.

Zach and Julie have been married for five years ... and took romantic photos of the Super Bowl champ kissing Julie's growing tummy to accompany the BIG news.

It's a great name for baby Ertz -- although it's unclear if the late legend John Madden served as the inspiration.

Nevertheless, the two seem to be all smiles since Madden's arrival ... and we already know they're going to be fantastic parents.

The United States and England are facing off in the 2022 World Cup ... a match American soccer legend Alexi Lalas tells TMZ Sports could be the most popular match in USA history.

"There's going to be a U.S. England game in the group stage and that has the possibility to be the most watched soccer game in American television history," 52-year-old Lalas told Babcock when he joined the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) on Friday.

August 12th isn't any arbitrary day -- it means we are exactly 100 days out from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar -- a tournament America hasn't played in 8 years ... after failing to make the cut leading up to the 2018 WC in Russia.

Lalas says it was a real make-or-break moment for USA Soccer.

"It's almost like we took a step back in order to go two steps forward. It was a real come to Jesus type of moment for the United States soccer community and in particular the U.S. Men's National team."

Alexi, who played in the 1994 World Cup, continued ... "They came and they've come back stronger. Like I said, this is a team that has a chip on their shoulder to a certain extent. This is a team that I think has a beautiful arrogance and yeah, this is a team with some swagger with some young players. I think that's gonna excite the American public."

There's much more. The U.S. squad has swagger, but can they make a deep run in the tournament? Alexia says we probably aren't winning the World Cup just yet, but it's not an impossibility.

"I'm not putting my money on the U.S. Men's National team winning the World Cup I'll put your money. Look, it is still a long shot but anything can happen."

In order to advance, the team has to perform well in the group stage ... and that includes the matchup with England, scheduled to go down November 25 from Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar.

Eli Manning is going from football to futbol -- the two-time Super Bowl champ just revealed he's officially joining the NJ/NY Gotham FC ownership group.

The former NY Giants superstar was formally introduced as one of the club's newest minority owners on Wednesday ... alongside current Giants exec Pete Guelli, who's also taking a slice of the franchise.

Manning explained his reasoning behind the business move -- saying it made complete sense.

"I have lived and worked in this community for almost two decades," said Manning, who played his entire career with the G Men. "It's home to me, and Gotham FC is my family's favorite soccer club."

"Combine that with the organization's strong leadership, talented roster, and sustained growth, and it became clear that joining this great group was a fantastic opportunity."

Gotham FC chair Tammy Murphy is excited about bringing Manning on board ... saying, "Eli is known for the positive and influential impact he has on our communities."

"His legendary work ethic, drive for success, and passion for giving back to the community will be tremendous assets for our club."

Gotham FC exec Ed Nalbandian also lauded the new additions ... saying, "Having two people with track records like Eli and Pete recognize the value of our club and the strength of our brand speaks volumes about Gotham FC's upward trajectory."

"Their investment, influence, and additional resources will allow us to be even more successful on and off the field."

Manning and Guelli join big names like Kevin Durant and Carli Lloyd ... who also recently joined the ownership group.

Manning -- who spent 16 seasons with the Giants -- retired from the NFL after the 2019 season, but it's clear Eli still has a soft spot for the area.

Horrifying scene at a soccer game in Argentina this weekend -- when a male player absolutely lost it and attacked a female referee after being handed a yellow card.

It all went down during a third division match between Garmense and Independencia of the Tres Arroyos Regional League ... when player Cristian Tirone unleashed on official Dalma Cortadi while her back was turned.

In video of the incident, you can see several players try to stop the attack ... but to no avail.

Cortadi fell to the ground after the hit ... but was eventually able to get back to her feet. She was later taken to a hospital, but luckily, she didn't suffer any serious injuries.

Tirone was immediately taken off the field and arrested .... and Cortadi says she has filed charges against the player.

Garmense released a statement on the awful incident ... saying, "Given the events that occurred this Sunday during the Third Division football match that was played in the city of Adolfo Gonzales Chaves between Garmense and Independencia, during which a player from Garmense physically attacked the woman who officiated as referee, the Club expresses its energetic repudiation of this action that is at odds with the spirit that is intended to instill with the practice of this sport."

Tirone has been permanently banned from the soccer league ... and Cortadi agrees with the decision.

"You have to kick him out forever," she told La Nacion. "He should never be in any club. He is a violent person. He must also be in his daily life. I saw it on the video: a normal person does not do what this man did. No person deserves this. We don’t go to the [matches] to be beaten."

Hope Solo has pleaded guilty to DWI -- over three months after she was arrested in North Carolina for driving while intoxicated with her children in the car.

The former U.S. women's national team goalkeeper made the plea in a Forsyth County courtroom on Monday after cutting a deal with prosecutors, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

In exchange for the guilty plea, we're told the two other charges she was facing in the case -- one count of child abuse and one count of resisting arrest -- were dismissed.

The judge gave Solo a 24-month suspended sentence. She was also ordered to pay fines and fees, and comply with the terms of a substance abuse assessment.

As part of the sentence, we're told Solo has already completed a 30-day, in-patient rehabilitation program at the Hope Valley treatment facility in North Carolina earlier this summer.

Following the plea in court, Solo released a lengthy statement on her social media page ... admitting "I underestimated what a destructive part of my life alcohol had become."

"The upside of making a mistake this big is that hard lessons are learned quickly," the 40-year-old added. "Learning these lessons has been difficult, and at times, very painful."

"I continue to be a student of the greatest school called life and I will continue to learn and grow from these experiences. I will continue to gain empathy, knowledge, and stories to share."

"I consider this a gift to pass it on to others because pain shared is pain lessened."

We broke the story ... Solo was arrested back on March 31 after cops say they found her passed out behind the wheel of her car in a Walmart parking lot while her two children were in the vehicle with her. Cops say during the stop, she displayed signs of impairment and reeked of booze. They added that she had refused sobriety tests at the scene.

A soccer player tragically died weeks after he was brutally attacked by multiple people on the pitch during a soccer match in Oxnard, California earlier this month.

The man was only 29.

According to the NY Post, the brawl happened around 11 AM on July 10th at Oxnard High School -- about 90 minutes west of downtown Los Angeles -- when Misael Sanchez was allegedly beaten by opposing players and spectators after a dispute over a referee's call.

The assault left Sanchez severely injured and unresponsive on the field. EMT took him to a local hospital, the Ventura County Medical Center.

Sadly, 15 days later the family announced Sanchez died. The cause of death will be determined during an autopsy.

"My family is heartbroken and still in disbelief, as we expected a bright future for him," the family said on Monday via GoFundMe.

"Misael was assaulted by multiple assailants on July 10, 2022, and left in critical condition. We were not ready for this type of goodbye."

The family is now asking for prayers and for any donations to cover Sanchez's funeral.

"Thank you for the love, support and prayers."

A cop forcefully grabbed Green Bay Packers star AJ Dillon and shoved him in the back during a soccer game at Lambeau Field this weekend ... and now, police say they've launched an internal review into the matter.

The incident happened on Saturday -- when during a weather delay at the Manchester City vs. FC Bayern match, Dillon hopped down onto the field in order to rile up fans in attendance.

According to Dillon, two security guards gave him permission to be on the field, and even helped him get down from his seat "so I could do a lambeau leap and hype up the crowd."

But, videos show one cop apparently didn't get that message -- and got physical with the tailback as he was preparing to jump over the wall behind one of the end zones.

The cop eventually let go of the 24-year-old -- who later said despite the aggressive nature of the interaction, he wasn't upset about it at all.

"Just miscommunication between parties," Dillon wrote on his Twitter page on Sunday. "The @GBPolice are great people and I’m glad we have them down there for our games to keep us safe. Standing there in the pouring rain with all those people it’s hard to know what’s going on with just one. All good."

A spokesperson for the Green Bay Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... "It is clear that there was a miscommunication between the Officer and Mr. Dillon."

"The Green Bay Police Department appreciates the perspective and supportive words from Mr. Dillon. The Green Bay Police Department Professional Standards/Internal Affairs Division has initiated a review of this incident."

Police in Milan are adamant they did nothing wrong when holding soccer star Tiemoue Bakayoko at gunpoint ... saying while the situation ended up being a "misunderstanding," they were in the midst of searching for someone allegedly involved in a shooting.

"With reference to the video released today, related to a police check carried out against the Milan player Tiemoue Bakayoko, we underline that the check -- occurred during an operation whose context justified the adoption of the highest security measures," police said in a statement to CNN.

Police said the search "was carried out in a manner that was absolutely consistent with the situation of danger" for "self-protection purposes."

"It was a misunderstanding, but colleagues behaved correctly," police said.

The incident involving 27-year-old Bakayoko -- who joined Milan on a two-year loan last summer -- happened about two weeks ago, but went under the radar until video of the incident went viral on social media Monday.

On Monday, AC Milan said the search occurred following a shooting in the nearby area.

Police added once they established Bakayoko's identity and confirmed he had no role in the crime(s) allegedly committed, he was released without further incident.

Megan Rapinoe's in Washington D.C. to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but while the soccer star's physically at the White House, it's clear her thoughts are very much with Brittney Griner in Russia.

Just hours after the Phoenix Mercury star pled guilty in a Moscow court, the Olympic gold medalist shared a photo of her outfit for Thursday's ceremony at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave ... and it features the WNBA star's initials stitched into the suit.

In addition to the "BG" ... there's also a flower stitched onto the lapel of the pearl-colored blazer.

"The most important part of today," the 37-year-old said.

Rapinoe is on her way to the White House where she'll be presented with the medal ... the highest honor a civilian can receive from the government.

President Biden -- who recently spoke with Griner's wife, Cherelle, about Brittney's imprisonment -- will present the medal to Rapinoe.

"The President called Cherelle," the White House said on Wednesday, "to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible."

President Biden just announced that Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and soccer star Megan Rapinoe will be receiving the nation's highest civilian honor -- the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Commander-in-chief made the announcement on Friday ... revealing the two superstar athletes are among 17 names to receive the prestigious award later this month.

The White House said these individuals reflect what America embodies -- hard work, perseverance, and faith.

Biles -- on top of being the greatest gymnast of all time -- has been an outspoken advocate for mental health and sexual assault victims since becoming a household name.

Rapinoe -- an Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup winner -- has led the charge for the U.S. Women's National Team's fight for equal pay ... and is at the forefront of LGBTQ+ rights and racial justice.

Other notable names chosen are Denzel Washington, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, John McCain (posthumous), and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs (posthumous).

Of course, #46 knows a thing or two about the honor ... in fact, President Obama surprised his VP with the Presidential Medal for his years of public service.

The White House prides itself on giving the award to individuals who've excelled in public or private endeavors ... but also played a role in cultivating a better country for all.

Other athletes who have received the honor include Jerry West, Tiger Woods, Lou Holtz and Roger Staubach.

Pro soccer player Carson Pickett made history on Tuesday ... becoming the first player with a limb difference to hit the pitch for the United States women's national team.

Pickett -- who was born without a left hand and forearm -- started for the USWNT in its 2-0 victory over Colombia ... as the Red, White and Blue extended their home win streak to 69 games.

The 28-year-old defender -- who plays for the NWSL's North Carolina Courage -- competed in the entire contest against Colombia.

Pickett's coach, Vlatko Andonovski, spoke about her spot on the team ... saying, "Carson did very well in training for us in last week and with the management of minutes for Emily Fox that we had, we felt like Carson would be a good replacement."

"I'm happy that she was able to perform well for 90 minutes," he added.

Pickett has been very open and transparent about her limb difference ... acknowledging it publicly, but also embracing the reality of her situation.

In April -- Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness month -- Pickett spoke about it in an Instagram post, "While I know that I am confident and comfortable with showing my arm, I know there are so many people in the world who aren't."

She continued ... "The feeling of being different and the anxiety of not fitting in is something that I have been through. Wearing sweatshirts in the dead heat of summer to hide my arm. This month is really really special, important, and should be celebrated."