Messi's Goodbye, City's 3-0 Defiance, Kane's Ballon d'Or & More | The Football Brief #3

What a week. Lionel Messi said goodbye to Argentina, Manchester City answered their guilty verdict in the most emphatic way, and Harry Kane made his Ballon d'Or case. Twelve stories from across world football, one Brief. 📖 The stories: 1) Messi's farewell. Lionel Messi played his final game for Argentina, scoring and setting up two more in a 3-0 win over Benin at a packed Monumental. It was his 208th and last cap. Before the game he said he was at peace; after it, he called it the saddest moment of his career. 2) City guilty, and ruthless. Found guilty on the bulk of their financial charges, City called the verdict disappointing and lodged a comprehensive appeal. Then they went to Anfield and thrashed Liverpool 3-0, through Haaland, Doku and Cherki, with Gravenberch sent off. A defiant answer to the noise. 3) Kane's Ballon d'Or case. Kane scored twice and assisted as England beat the Czech Republic 3-0, equalling Peter Shilton's England caps record on his 125th appearance. With 100 Bundesliga goals and relentless form, pundits say it would be a travesty if he doesn't win the Ballon d'Or. 4) Palmer stays. Cole Palmer signed a new Chelsea deal until 2034, committing his future to the club. On the pitch, Chelsea thrashed Bournemouth 5-1, with Jordan Henderson scoring twice and João Pedro adding a brace. 5) Ronaldo's drama. After being benched in Copenhagen, Ronaldo walked out of the Portugal camp, and the federation are now mediating with Jorge Jesus. At club level he kept scoring for Al-Nassr, taking his career tally to 980 goals. 6) Barça roll on. Barcelona beat Getafe 3-0 through Gordon, Gabriel Jesus and Koundé, to make it eight wins from eight. Flick's leaders look ominous, with the Clásico just weeks away. 7) Vinícius sees red. Real Madrid won at Villarreal, but Vinícius was sent off for pulling an opponent's hair, after a disallowed goal, and could miss El Clásico. Heavy criticism followed, and Mourinho skipped his press duties. 8) Mbappé to Liverpool? A Spanish journalist claims Liverpool have contacted Mbappé's camp over a 2027 move for a record €200-250m, with talk of a Real Madrid ultimatum. All unconfirmed, but staggering if true. 9) Bayern's Olise question. Bayern are preparing a record extension, possibly to 2032, to keep Michael Olise from suitors like Real Madrid. The catch: Olise is reportedly in no rush to sign, raising alarms in Bavaria. 10) Spain march on. A late Mikel Merino double saw Spain edge Croatia 2-1 and reach the Nations League quarter-finals. The world champions keep finding a way. 11) France's Doué show. France came from behind to beat Belgium 4-1 with a stunning comeback, Désiré Doué lighting it up with a heel flick, an assist for Olise and a goal of his own. 12) Serie A moves. David Alaba joined Udinese on a free after leaving Real Madrid, while Juventus tied down Nico González until 2030. A busy few days in the Italian market. ⏱️ Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:23 Messi's farewell 1:21 City guilty, and ruthless 2:25 Kane's Ballon d'Or case 3:22 Palmer stays 4:17 Ronaldo's drama 5:18 Barça roll on 6:23 Vinícius sees red 7:04 Mbappé to Liverpool? 7:47 Bayern's Olise question 8:30 Spain march on 9:07 France's Doué show 9:46 Serie A moves 10:27 Your verdict 💬 Messi's goodbye, City's defiance, or Kane for the Ballon d'Or, which story hit hardest? Tell me why in the comments. 🔔 Subscribe for football shorts every day, plus The Football Brief every Monday. #Messi #ManCity #HarryKane #Barcelona #Ronaldo #Mbappe #Football #PremierLeague #LaLiga #NationsLeague