Lionel Messi scored in the 19th minute and delivered two assists for Argentina, while playing in his home country for the first time in nearly a year on Tuesday night.

Argentina leads Bolivia 3-0 in their World Cup qualifying match at Estadio Mâs Monumental in Buenos Aires.

It’s been 334 days since Messi last played in front of his most faithful fans from Argentina. The 37-year-old star only has so many more of these opportunities in his storied career.

Tuesday’s game will cap a travel-filled week for Messi with the national team before he returns to South Florida to help Inter Miami begin their playoff chase in Major League Soccer.

Follow along here for live updates from the Argentina vs. Bolivia match today:

Messi gets second assist on Julian Alvarez goal: Argentina 3, Bolivia 0

We’ve got a rout in Argentina, and Lionel Messi’s brilliance is all over it.

Messi sent a pass into the box, and Julian Alvarez scored in extra time just before halftime (45’+3’) to give Argentina a 3-0 lead over Bolivia.

It’s the second assist for Messi, who also scored in the 19th minute to kick things off for the World Cup champions.

Messi assists Lautaro Martinez goal: Argentina 2, Bolivia 0

Lionel Messi has already scored. Now, he has an assist.

Messi charged toward the net again, but dropped off a pass to Lautaro Martinez for a goal in the 43rd minute and Argentina’s 2-0 lead over Bolivia just before halftime.

While Messi clearly had a chance to score again, he found Martinez streaking down his left side. And Martinez was inspired to point to Messi as the two celebrated the score.

Martinez was the Copa America Golden Boot winner after leading Argentina with five goals during the tournament this summer.

Lionel Messi goal highlight: Argentina 1, Bolivia 0

Messi capitalized on a loose ball after a challenge by teammate Lautaro Martínez, and charged his way to the net. The only person in his path was the Bolivian goalie. And Messi made quick work of the opportunity, finding the lower right corner of the net.

Messi stretched out his hands to the Argentine crowd, enjoying their admiration while his teammates ran to celebrate their 1-0 lead over Bolivia.

What time is the Argentina vs. Bolivia match?

It begins at 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in Argentina).

Where to watch Argentina vs. Bolivia live stream?

The match will be broadcast by NBC Universo. Streaming also available on fubo.

Is Messi playing tonight?

Yes, Messi is in the starting lineup for Argentina against Bolivia.

Argentina vs. Bolivia betting odds

The odds are stacked against Bolivia in this one: Argentina is an overwhelming favorite (-1400), while Bolivia is (+2800) to win and a draw is (+1200) after regulation. The over/under on goals scored is 3.5, according to BETMGM.

When was the last time Messi played in Argentina?

The last time Messi played for Argentina in his home country wasn’t the best of outcomes.

Losing isn’t an often occurrence for Argentina, the reigning World Cup and two-time defending Copa America champions: They’ve lost just four times in their last 67 matches they’ve played.

Messi’s busy week continues with Argentina match

The Argentine national team traveled from South Florida to Colombia, then Venezuela before settling for a 1-1 draw against the Venezuelan national team last Thursday.

Argentina had a full practice Monday, after a light session on Sunday, before Tuesday’s match against Bolivia.

After the Bolivia match, Messi will return to South Florida and Inter Miami practice.

Inter Miami will play its season finale on Saturday against New England Revolution with a chance to clinch 74 points and the MLS record for points in a season.

The good news for Messi: He’ll have a week before Inter Miami begins the MLS Cup Playoffs on Oct. 25.

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

Jerry Jones is sick and tired of being sick and tired.

The Dallas Cowboys owner was in his typical weekly radio spot on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, but his tone was a bit atypical. While verbal jousting with the show’s hosts is customary, especially after a difficult loss, Jones went after the hosts particularly hard on Tuesday.

When pushed on the Cowboys and their offseason approach, Jones started to push back, even alluding to replacing the hosts for their line of questioning.

‘This is not your job. Your job isn’t to let me go over all the reasons that I did something and I’m sorry that I did it. That’s not your job. I’ll get somebody else to ask these questions, man. I’m not kidding,’ Jones said in a fiery rant.

‘You’re not going to figure out what the team is doing right or wrong. If you are, or any five or 10 like you, you need to come to this (NFL) meeting I’m going to today, there are 32 teams here. You’re geniuses.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

‘Y’all really think you’re gonna sit here with a microphone and tell me all of the things that I’ve done wrong, and without going over the rights?’

The Cowboys have underperformed through six games so far this season, with a mediocre 3-3 entering their Week 7 bye week. In Week 6, they were on the business end of a 47-9 blowout by the Lions.

Jones has shouldered a fair amount of the blame for their results this season after a quiet offseason, in which their biggest signing was a reunion with running back Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys owner also doubled down on his ‘all in’ approach for their offseason.

‘We feel great about what we’ve been in free agency,’ Jones said in April. ‘All in. All in. All in. We’re all in with these young guys. We’re all in with this draft.’

Well, if the Cowboys don’t resume their winning ways, and fast, they may be all out of the NFL playoff picture.

NFL power rankings entering Week 7 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):

3. Minnesota Vikings (2): Leaders of an NFC North off to a historically hot start, the Vikes currently have the only intra-divisional win of 2024 but will get another chance to certify their (undefeated) legitimacy with the Lions coming to the Twin Cities on Sunday.

4. Detroit Lions (4): The league’s highest-scoring team has posted its first set of consecutive 40-burgers in the Super Bowl era (since 1966). Sadly for the offense, it may not have the luxury of letting up at all given the defensive blow suffered Sunday, when Defensive Player of the Year front-runner Aidan Hutchinson was lost to a broken tibia.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

9. Buffalo Bills (11): Monday’s win charted a fairly clear course to a fifth straight AFC East crown – especially given the schedule appears to let up over the next month following three tough games in a row on the road. And rookie RB Ray Davis’ breakout effort (152 yards from scrimmage) suggests there’s little need to rush James Cook back from his toe injury. On the personal front, QB Josh Allen’s 233 combined TDs (passing and rushing) are the most by any player in his first seven seasons. And he might have an easier time padding that total moving forward after Tuesday’s trade with Cleveland for WR Amari Cooper, who could really remedy an offense that’s been uneven lately.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (9): Never a good sign when your head coach is becoming a chronic distraction, especially at a time when you’re struggling to beat, arguably, the worst team in the league. Worth monitoring, even though Philly isn’t scheduled to face an opponent currently with a winning record until Nov. 14.

14. Chicago Bears (19): How much are they humming with rookie QB Caleb Williams? Chicago’s offense has scored five touchdowns in consecutive games for the first time in the Super Bowl era.

15. Dallas Cowboys (14): They’re home again this week, but the Cowboys won’t get blown out this time around … if only because it’s their bye, when at least – apparently – HC Mike McCarthy can relax. Momentarily. Afterward, the next two games won’t be at ‘Jerry World,’ though heading to San Francisco and Atlanta hardly means road cooking.

17. Los Angeles Chargers (18): After Sunday’s win in Denver, HC Jim Harbaugh triumphantly declared he’s ‘2-0 with arrhythmias’ after another irregular heartbeat forced him to miss the start of the game. Sorry, Coach, but also not a sustainable formula.

18. New York Jets (21): Can’t blame Robert Saleh for this loss. Or, really, Aaron Rodgers, who had maybe his best game as a Jet. Or even a run game that entered Week 6 ranked last in the league but managed 121 yards. Maybe you could blame the special teams or struggling WR Mike Williams, who failed to deliver in another high-leverage situation – but his issues will be largely forgotten following Tuesday’s long-awaited acquisition of WR Davante Adams.

All the players and the plays: Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter for NFL news.

23. Seattle Seahawks (23): Monday, they swung a trade for DT Roy Robertson-Harris … which is mostly notable because you’d think they’d want an offensive lineman.

26. Carolina Panthers (26):Demoted QB Bryce Young may be symbolic of this club’s struggles … yet it’s the defense that has already surrendered 25 more points than any other team.

28. Tennessee Titans (28): They’re scheduled to face one club, New England, with a losing record through Week 13 – so should be plenty of opportunities to target WR Calvin Ridley.

29. Miami Dolphins (29): HC Mike McDaniel announced QB Tua Tagovailoa will return to action this season but didn’t know when. Tagovailoa is eligible to come off IR before the Oct. 27 date with Arizona. The season feels salvageable if Miami can stay within a game of .500 until he’s ready.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (30): They carry some momentum into Sunday, having won their last game in London … when designated as the home team … in 2023. Oh bollocks, they’re a bloody mess.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

(This story has been updated to include new information.)

In its search to bolster its ranks, the Mountain West Conference turned to a familiar face.

The conference has added Hawai’i as a full-time member, the league announced Tuesday, with the move officially taking effect on July 1, 2026.

The Rainbow Warriors have been a football-only member of the Mountain West since 2012, with most of the school’s other teams competing in the Big West.

“Hawaiʻi has been a tremendous football-only member since 2012, and we’re excited to add their incredible national brand across all MW sports,” Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement. “As the flagship institution on the islands, with extraordinary academics and a celebrated athletics tradition, we look forward to providing their student-athletes with exceptional educational and athletic experiences.”

The Mountain West’s latest addition is a particularly critical one.

With Hawai’i now aboard, the Mountain West has eight full-time members, meeting the mandated minimum for a conference to be officially recognized as such by the NCAA.

The league could opt to continue expansion efforts, if only so that it has enough members to have an eight-game football conference schedule in which every school plays one another. Northern Illinois and Toledo from the Mid-American Conference have reportedly been targeted as football-only additions. Yahoo Sports reported on October 1 that the Mountain West has had “deep and serious discussions” with Tarleton State, a school in Stephenville, Texas that competes at the FCS level in football.

After securing commitments from its six remaining members, the conference had previously added UTEP from Conference USA before turning its attention to Hawai’i.

The Mountain West’s reshuffling has come after losing five of its members — San Diego State, Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and Utah State — to the Pac-12. The Pac-12 remains one full-time member shy of satisfying the NCAA minimum for conference membership.

Mountain West schools

With Tuesday’s announcement of Hawai’i as a full-time member, here’s what the Mountain West will look like once it loses the five schools to the Pac-12 and its two newest members officially join:

UNLV
Air Force
Wyoming
New Mexico
Nevada
San José State
UTEP*
Hawai’i*

* Will join in advance of the 2026-27 athletic year

The scene was all too familiar. Another embarrassing fall for the Cowboys. These losses now come in all sizes and shapes. Blowouts. Missed kick. Bad coaching. Awful quarterback play. Take your pick. This time: a 47-9 loss to Detroit.

The scene was all too familiar. A big loss followed by owner Jerry Jones speaking to the media. He’s done it so many times we get used to seeing it, but these images looked different. What I saw on the screen was someone who looked totally lost for answers. Oh, Jones tried to put up a brave front. When he was asked by a reporter if he was considering firing Mike McCarthy during the season, the Dallas owner replied he wasn’t getting into hypotheticals, and added: ‘Do you think I’m an idiot?’ He repeated it again: Do you?

No, Jones is not an idiot. But one thing is clear. Jones has lost his fastball.

I’m not saying this because Jones is in his 80s. There are plenty of people his age who are remarkable. It’s not age. It’s something else.

The franchise looks lost on how to operate in the modern football world. Not off the field. Jones has that part on lock. On the field, they look slow and confused. When Jimmy Johnson was the coach from 1989-1993 (and the true football brain of the team) the Cowboys were quick and adaptive. Johnson isn’t just a Hall of Fame coach, he’s also one of the best general managers in league history. The way Jones runs the football part of the Cowboys pales in how Johnson did it. Jones has been unable to replicate what Johnson did.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Aidan Hutchinson injury update: Lions DE undergoes successful surgery on leg

You can see the difference on the field now and throughout Jones’ post-Johnson ownership. Detroit on Sunday toyed with the Cowboys. The Lions were playing with their food by running trick plays and throwing deep while up big. Not only was there no fear, there was also no respect.

The game showed how lost the franchise is now, and it’s lost because Jones is lost.

Yes, others are involved in running Dallas’ front office but we all know everything Cowboys starts and stops with Jones.

On the outside, with its billion dollar evaluations and stunning home stadium, the Cowboys are stunningly modern. Even futuristic. But the actual football part of the team is old school, almost archaic, because it all runs too much through Jones.

If your response is that Jones has a wealth of football knowledge because he’s been doing it for so long, some of that is obviously true, but how much? Which football front office and coaching staff would you rather have now? The Cowboys or the Lions?

Some people will say Jones lost his fastball long ago but that’s not necessarily true. What’s happened is something not as obvious to the people who haven’t followed Jones his entire career. When Jones first entered the league, and for decades after, he was one of the truly great league innovators. Jones was a disruptor. He angered longtime owners like the late Wellington Mara from the Giants who believed Jones was selfish and didn’t care about the wellbeing of the sport.

What Jones was actually doing was pushing the league into the future. If there is one person most responsible for propelling the NFL into its current position as the country’s richest league, Jones is high on that list, if not No. 1. Not the commissioner. Not any other owner. It’s Jones.

It’s a remarkable contrast to what is happening on the field. The organization isn’t terrible. The Cowboys won 12 games last year. But Jones still hasn’t figured out football. Pure football. Not the cash. Not the salary cap or revenue sharing. The actual football. The coaching part of it. The locker room culture.

The way the league looked slow to adapt to Jones’ relentless pursuit of making money, Jones is slow to react to a changing NFL that never stops, never slows, constantly shifts and moves with such remarkable speed you can be quickly left behind.

If you want to see what the Cowboys should aspire to be, look at the Lions team that just crushed them. They have a brilliant front office and smart head coach. They draft well. There are weapons all over that team. It’s a wonderful culture and the franchise operates like a boxer with quick feet and even faster hands. They haven’t won Super Bowls (yet) but they are one of the great models for how a franchise should be built and run.

Yes, this scene was all too familiar. Jones meeting with the media and talking about another bad loss. Another humiliating one. That’s because Jones remains the biggest problem. Nothing will change until he does.

ATLANTA – Woody Johnson is not giving up the vision that his New York Jets could contend for a championship – this season. 

A day after the Jets fell to 2-4 with a mistake-filled prime-time loss against the Buffalo Bills, the team’s owner pushed back when asked if the season is still salvageable. 

This, a week after Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh, replacing him with interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, and contended that the Jets had a championship-caliber roster. 

“Salvageable? We’re going to kick…you can add the words in,” Johnson said, holding court with a group of reporters upon his arrival Tuesday for a meeting of NFL owners at a Buckhead hotel. “We’re going to do really well.” 

No team in NFL history has ever advanced to the Super Bowl after firing its coach during the season. Yet Johnson, despite glaring mishaps during the 23-20 loss on Monday night – the Jets committed 11 penalties, missed two field goals, scored just three points in the second half and had an attempt for a late scoring drive evaporate due to an Aaron Rodgers interception – insisted that he is encouraged by the progress of the offense. 

All things Jets: Latest New York Jets news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Among topics that Johnson addressed: 

— He confirmed the trade with the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire Davante Adams, which reunites the three-time All-Pro receiver with Rodgers.  

“We know that they played together,” Johnson said. “I think anybody would be interested.” 

— The Jets have given Haason Reddick permission to seek a trade but remain hopeful that they can strike a resolution that can bring the Pro Bowl pass rusher into the fold. Johnson is bullish on the potential impact of Reddick’s new agent, Drew Rosenhaus.  

“We like the agent,” Johnson said. “I do. He’s good. He knows what he’s doing. If anybody can get him out of whatever it is and get him playing, I think it would be better for the young player.” 

— Johnson maintained that he did not seek Rodgers’ input in firing Saleh. 

“Absolutely not,” he said. “I make the decisions. I didn’t ask him. The press has written about it and it’s not true.”