Soccer

One of the most INSANE cards ever created -- featuring signatures from eight sports legends including Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather -- has just hit the auction block, and it could sell for the price of a brand-new car!!

The piece is wild -- it's got autographs from McGregor, Mayweather, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, Errol Spence Jr., Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Chloe Kim on it ... and Leaf Trading Cards says it's the only one of its kind ever created.

TMZ Sports has learned bidding on the card at Goldin Auctions just began this week -- and we're told the expectation is for it to ultimately sell later this month for somewhere around $20,000!!

And, given the names on the piece -- and how Giannis' star has absolutely exploded this summer -- seems like a pretty great price to us.

As for how the card was obtained ... we're told someone actually pulled it in a box break -- which, yeah, talk about great luck.

The card was given an 8 grade by Beckett ... with a perfect 10 for its sharp corners.

A 19-year-old soccer player from Afghanistan's youth national team has been identified as one of the people who tragically fell from a U.S. military aircraft on Monday at Kabul airport, authorities confirm.

"It is with great sadness that Zaki Anwari, one of the players of the national junior football team of the country, died in a bad accident," The General Directorate of Physical Education and Sports of Afghanistan said on Thursday.

"The late Anwari among hundreds of young people who wanted to leave the country, fell down in an accident from the air."

Video footage from the chaos shows people frantically hanging on to a C-17 aircraft at the Kabul airport as hundreds tried to escape after the Taliban takeover.

Several people managed to hang on to the plane during takeoff before falling to their deaths ... and Anwari was apparently one of the victims.

"May he rest in heaven and pray to God for his family, friends and sports colleagues," the General Directorate added.

Lionel Messi is worth so much money, even his boogers come with a hefty price tag -- 'cause a tissue he allegedly used earlier this month is on sale for a staggering $1 MILLION!!!

According to multiple reports, the person who snagged the handkerchief that Messi used during his Barcelona farewell press conference back on Aug. 8 has now listed it on an international auction site for a small fortune.

In the listing, per Rojak Daily, the seller claimed the tissue contained Messi's "genetic material" ... and therefore could potentially be used to someday clone the soccer superstar.

Ethics aside, the seller seemed to believe that potential was worth the massive asking price.

Of course, unclear if there are any serious potential buyers ... 'cause, after all, the item -- while certainly historic -- is super gross.

At Messi's newser, he wiped his nose and his eyes multiple times with the tissue ... and yeah, probably not something worth sinking $1 million into.

Then again, can you put a price tag on creating multiple Messi's ...

U.S. soccer legend Hope Solo says Megan Rapinoe was so passionate about getting their squad to kneel, she would "almost bully" her teammates into joining the demonstration.

The 40-year-old former goalie joined "All of US: The U.S. Women's Soccer Show" podcast when she was asked about former President Trump's criticism of the "Leftist Maniacs" on Team USA.

Solo -- a World Cup champ and 2x Olympic gold medalist -- admitted that kneeling for The Star Spangled Banner was a polarizing issue.

"I think the kneeling thing can be very divisive. I do appreciate the fact that there's no National Anthem right before the game. To really remove that decision from the athletes. Because that's very tough, it's tough," Solo says.

"I've seen Megan Rapinoe almost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something in her particular way. But it's our right as Americans to do it in whatever way we're comfortable with."

In 2016, Rapinoe became the first women's soccer player to kneel ... in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick.

Of course, the women's team was on the receiving end of a verbal attack from Trump ... who blamed the teams lack of success (the bronze medal winning team were favorites to take home gold) on their "radical left politics."

"If our soccer team, headed by a radical group of Leftist Maniacs, wasn't woke, they would have won the Gold Medal instead instead of Bronze," DT wrote in a statement blasting the team.

"Woke means you lose, everything that is woke goes bad, and our soccer team certainly has."

FC Barcelona ain't wasting any time moving on from the Lionel Messi era ... the soccer squad just scrubbed a giant pic of the legend off a huge mural on its stadium wall.

The photo of the 34-year-old former Barca superstar had been front and center at Camp Nou in Spain for a long time ... but less than a week after Messi's departure was confirmed, stadium workers got to removing it.

Two men in hard hats jumped in a crane and ripped down the photo piece-by-piece ... leaving -- perhaps fittingly -- a giant empty space on the wall.

As we previously reported ... Messi and Barcelona officially went their separate ways back on Aug. 5, after the team said financial obstacles prevented a new contract from being hammered out.

Messi -- who called leaving Barcelona "very difficult" -- has since signed with Paris Saint-German, and he was treated like an absolute rockstar upon arriving at his new home Tuesday.

The soccer star was showered with cheers and chants ... and the city even popped off fireworks after his signing became official.

Christian Pulisic is leaving the Swoosh -- the American soccer star just inked a massive deal with Puma!!

The Chelsea midfielder -- who was previously under contract with Nike -- made the announcement Monday via Instagram ... saying, "Now it’s time to start a new chapter and create new memories."

"Today I’m joining a new family, the #PumaFam and together we are going to inspire the next generation of players out there."

The 22-year-old said in an interview with Complex that it was an "easy choice" for him --- especially since the brand wants his take on things and is giving him more freedom.

"I mean one of their biggest points and another massive reason why that seemed like an easy choice is because yeah, they want me to give my ideas, talk about what I like and that they want to see that and use that as well."

The corporation is also working on CP's own signature line --  with Pulisic saying they've already created a "really cool graphic" logo and he "was blown away right when I saw it to mix with the name and the brand."

Puma also released a statement, saying Pulisic's "journey has been incredible and has really paved the way for so many young American players who dream of playing in Europe for the world’s biggest clubs."

CP's been killin' it -- becoming the first American to win the Champions League with Chelsea in May and scoring the GW goal for the USMNT in the CONCACAF Nations League in June.

The brand added, "Not only have we signed an amazing talent, but a fantastic person off the pitch who wants to continue to grow soccer in America, a goal PUMA has committed to support."

And, you might see CP wearing some custom-made Pulisic ULTRA 1.3’s at the Super Cup Final Wednesday to celebrate his new deal.

No word on how much the deal is worth ... but there's serious money in endorsement deals.

Ever wanted Lionel Messi AND Cristiano Ronaldo's autographs on one item??

Well, you're in luck if you've got some serious cash laying around -- 'cause a card featuring the two soccer legend's signatures just hit the auction block ... and it's an INSANE piece!

The Leaf Superlative Sports "Superlative Trailblazers" card features a picture of Ronaldo on the top half, paired with a piece of one of his white Real Madrid jerseys and his slick blue signature.

On the bottom half, Messi's autograph is accompanied by a swatch of one of his sky-blue Barcelona kits.

In the bottom left corner, meanwhile, you can see the card is numbered "1/1" ... meaning it's the only one of its kind in existence!!

As for the back of the card, Leaf Trading Cards guaranteed its authenticity there with a huge "congratulations" note.

Bidding for the item at Goldin Auctions is set to end this weekend ... and our sources say the card could sell for around $20,000!!!

Not a bad price at all considering Messi's now moving on to a new team and cards with his Barcelona swag will become even rarer.

Soccer power couple Sydney Leroux and Dom Dwyer are dunzo -- the ex-USWNT star just announced they are breaking up after 7 years together.

Leroux and Dwyer first went public in 2014 ... and got married in 2015. They have two children together -- 4-year-old Cassius Cruz Dwyer and 2-year-old Roux James.

"I have always been a transparent person," Leroux tweeted Friday. "With that, I would like to share that Dom and I are ending our marriage."

"My children have always been and always will be my first priority. I ask that you respect my family's privacy during this time. Thank you."

Leroux and Dwyer both played in Orlando ... and had a star-studded wedding, with basically every U.S. sports star you can imagine in attendance.

As we previously reported, Leroux even designed Dom's wedding band ... which was worth a whopping $20k!!!

31-year-old Leroux has been playing pro soccer since 2013 ... suiting up for the Boston Breakers, Seattle Reign, Western New York Flash, FC Kansas City and Orlando Pride.

The Juventus FC Women's Twitter decided to send out a picture of a player wearing a cone on her head and making a wildly racist gesture on Thursday ... and now, the team is apologizing.

The Italian club's social media team kept the post live on their Twitter account for roughly 25 minutes before it got taken down ... but it received more than 7,500 negative replies before it was deleted.

The team released a statement on the disgusting tweet shortly after ... saying, "We sincerely apologise that our tweet, which was not meant to cause controversy or have any racial undertones, may have offended anyone."

"Juventus has always been against racism and discrimination. #DifferencesMakeTheDifference."

No word on why the team -- which was founded in 2017 -- decided to post a super racist pic out of the blue on a random Thursday ... but the screenshots will certainly last forever.

It's not the first time the club has been at the center of controversy -- back in 2019, men's player Moise Kean was on the receiving end of racist abuse from fans.

Huge news in the soccer world -- superstar Lionel Messi will NOT be returning to FC Barcelona ... the team announced Thursday.

The 34-year-old is now free to sign with the club of his choice ... and will undoubtedly come with a massive price tag.

The team released a statement ... saying both sides agreed to make a deal, but due to "financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations)," there was no way to make it happen.

"As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled."

Messi is one of the greatest soccer players ever -- he's won the Ballon d'Or a record 6 times -- and has spent his entire pro career with Barcelona.

The club added ... "FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life."

Messi was #2 on Forbes' highest-paid athletes list this year ... and in 2020, became the second player to ever have $1 billion in career earnings, behind Cristiano Ronaldo.

Donald Trump just unloaded on Megan Rapinoe and the USWNT ... calling them "leftist maniacs" who cost the United States a gold medal at the Olympics.

The former President went off Thursday morning ... stunningly claiming the women's team's kneeling protests and political comments were the reasons they didn't win gold in Tokyo this summer.

"If our soccer team, headed by a radical group of Leftist Maniacs, wasn’t woke, they would have won the Gold Medal instead of the Bronze," Trump said.

"Woke means you lose, everything that is woke goes bad, and our soccer team certainly has."

Trump's rant didn't stop there ... he went on to say the team's protestors should be kicked off the squad, and then criticized Rapinoe for her political statements and her play.

"They should replace the wokesters with Patriots and start winning again," he said.

"The woman with the purple hair played terribly and spends too much time thinking about Radical Left politics and not doing her job!"

As we previously reported, several members of the USWNT took knees prior to the kickoff of the Olympic games this summer ... a continuing effort by the squad to raise awareness for injustice across the globe.

Several members from other national squads also took part in the kneeling protests during the Games as well.

The Gold Cup is returning to the U.S.A. -- and the champions celebrated with an all-out rager for the ages ... including a makeshift Slip 'N Slide, chugging booze from the trophy and having a T-Pain jam session!!

Sunday night's finals match between the U.S. and Mexico was nothing short of an instant classic ... with Miles Robinson nailing a header 117 minutes into play to put the Red, White and Blue up 1-0, which would be enough to secure the victory.

With a dramatic win like that, the guys had to let loose once the championship was secured ... and they didn't have to go far to get it going -- after all, the game was in Las Vegas!!

But, before the champs could even make it to the strip, they decided to get it poppin' by having a booze fest in the locker room ... with Sebastian Lletget and Paul Arriola diving on the ground and trying to slide as far as they could!!

Eryk Williamson also had a blast -- chugging right from the Gold Cup!!

Eventually, the guys had to take the celly to the Vegas strip, hopping in vans where goalie Matt Turner -- who played out of his mind -- was really feelin' himself to "Buy U A Drank" by T-Pain!!!

The guys finally made it to the Bellagio to continue the rage fest ... and at the time of this post, we're not completely sure if they ever went to bed.

It's vacation time for Lionel Messi ... and the soccer megastar is enjoying his annual getaway on the Spanish waters with his wife, kids, and bestie, Luis Suarez!!!

Of course, Messi and Suarez are as close as it gets ... and the gang has been known to tour Spain on expensive boats during the summer months over the past few years.

2021 is no different, with both families bringing their kids along for a bit of R&R ... and fellow pal Cesc Fàbregas coming along for the ride.

Messi has a lot to celebrate -- he's fresh off his Copa America victory with Argentina ... the first of his career!!!

Messi's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, Suarez's wife, Sofia Balbi, and Fàbregas' wife, Daniella Semaan, look to be enjoying the trip ... and they all look incredibly stunning!!

We can't forget to mention the fellas, though -- they look just as shredded as you'd expect ... after all, they are world-class athletes.

The MLS just released a statement to TMZ Sports ... saying, "Ms. Travieso’s allegations have no merit as her job, along with her entire department and 20 percent of League Office positions, was eliminated in November of 2020 as a result of the dramatic impact of the pandemic on Major League Soccer’s business."

"Ms. Travieso was not removed from her job duties for any other reason. Major League Soccer is committed to providing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment and takes these allegations very seriously."

"We are constantly working to ensure our employees feel safe and supported in the workplace."

A former media executive for Major League Soccer claims she lost her job for speaking up about racial issues within the organization following the killing of George Floyd ... so she's suing.

Karine Travieso, who is Black, has filed suit against MLS along with 2 of her former bosses, alleging she was removed from job duties, excluded from meetings and unjustly blamed for other employee's mistakes after speaking at a Juneteenth event in 2020.

According to the legal docs, obtained by TMZ Sports ... Travieso began working for MLS in 2017 and worked her way up to a role of prominence ... despite what she describes as a work environment lacking diversity and inclusion.

She also describes multiple incidents of perceived racial stereotypes, such as one of her bosses allegedly implying in 2018 that there needed to be extra security at the 2 Chainz MLS All-Star Concert because Black people would be attending.

According to Travieso ... she mostly stayed silent about stuff like this until George Floyd's death on May 25, 2020, sparked nationwide protests and raised awareness about the plight of Black people.

She claims she encouraged MLS honchos to release a statement about Floyd's death like other major sports leagues after several days of silence, and they finally did ... but she points to it as another example of the soccer org dropping the ball.

Then, according to the docs, Travieso spoke at the Juneteenth event and "opened her heart about racial discrimination" and how she felt she couldn't raise race issues with MLS execs.

She says she cited the 2 Chainz incident as a reason MLS needed to incorporate unconscious bias training, called on "white allies" within the org to help, and pointed out there was "little to no Black representation in the decision-making positions and upper echelon of MLS."

According to Travieso ... her speech was met with praise by colleagues, but MLS did nothing to follow up on it. Instead, she claims she began to be treated differently by her bosses, was no longer invited to meetings she'd previously been a part of, and was removed from certain roles within the company.

She says she reported this to HR in October, and then a month later ... she was informed she was being laid off due to the circumstances with COVID-19 and some business restructuring.

Travieso's suing for race discrimination and retaliation, and she's seeking damages. We reached out to MLS ... no word back so far.

Athletes wasted no time making a statement against injustice as the Olympic competition kicked off this week ... with soccer players taking a knee before their matches on Wednesday.

Earlier this year, the International Olympic Committee released a strict policy for the 2020 Games ... banning any sort of demonstrations or protests on the field of play, during ceremonies or at the podium ... and anyone who broke the guidelines would face severe sanctions.

But, the IOC eased up on its rules leading up to Tokyo ... allowing athletes to "express their views" before or after the competition, as long as it is not disruptive or targeted against specific people, countries or organizations.

Members of Great Britain's and Chile's women's soccer teams took advantage of the relaxed policy by getting on one knee before their opening match at the Sapporo Dome hours ago ... a demonstration that would have resulted in harsh punishment if the amended rules didn't come into play.

Team USA and Sweden also dropped to one knee before their match ... as well as Australia and New Zealand.