Lionel Messi has scored another Michelob Ultra commercial – this one timed to the FIFA Club World Cup.

If you are a fan of football or fútbol, you likely remember the Michelob Ultra commercial from 2024’s Super Bowl featuring the Argentina and Inter Miami superstar, Jason Sudeikis and NFL great Dan Marino in which Messi joins a game of beach soccer when the Michelob Ultra tap goes dry.

In this new commercial, titled ‘Superior Hotel,’ Messi competes in a one-on-one soccer match for the lone Michelob Ultra in the hotel bar refrigerator. The 30-second ad will appear on social media – including on YouTube – and air during broadcasts throughout the FIFA Club World Cup. The international tournament starts June 14 with Messi and Inter Miami taking on Egyptian club Al Alhy at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Messi is perfect fit for Michelob Ultra, said Ricardo Marques, senior vice president of marketing for Michelob Ultra.

‘A global soccer icon like Messi helps fuel the significant momentum and growth both soccer and Michelob Ultra have been experiencing across the U.S.,’ he said in a statement to USA TODAY. ‘Messi is the biggest soccer star of our time and is the perfect embodiment of our brand’s point of view and brings excitement to some of soccer’s most passionate fans during some of the sport’s most competitive tournaments.’

As the official beer sponsor of the FIFA Club World Cup, Michelob Ultra will also present the Superior Player of the Match Trophy, awarded after each game – the brand sponsored the award during last year’s Copa America 2024. Michelob Ultra will also sponsor the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Michelob Ultra pop-up beer gardens and pitchside clubs will be found at the 12 host stadiums, too. Fans can enter online to win a chance to sit in the Michelob Ultra Pitchside Club in New York City for the semifinals and final.

‘The FIFA Club World Cup is an opportunity to continue to make our brand synonymous with one of the world’s most beloved sports by elevating the fan experience this summer and into 2026,’ Marques said.

Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY’s Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at  mikegsnider  &  @mikegsnider.bsky.social  &  @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com

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Oklahoma softball nearly pulled off another late, magical moment against Texas Tech on Monday in the WCWS semifinals. The Red Raiders had other plans, though.

Down to their final strike in the top of the seventh inning, Sooners 9-hole hitter Abigale Dayton launched a game-tying two-run home run to even the score at 2-2. The moment was similar to Ella Parker’s walk-off home run against Tennessee in the opening round of the WCWS, showing the Sooners’ fight down the stretch.

Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady, who has pitched in every game for the Red Raiders during the NCAA tournament, was phenomenal as always, allowing two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts across seven innings of work. Canady’s performance subsequently ended Oklahoma’s streak of four consecutive national titles, one of the most dominant stretches in college sports history.

Now, Texas Tech looks forward to facing Texas in the national championship series, where one program will come away with its first national title in softball.

Here are the highlights from Texas Tech’s semifinal win over Oklahoma in the WCWS:

Oklahoma vs Texas Tech softball live score

Oklahoma vs Texas Tech softball live updates

Texas Tech walks it off

Texas Tech walks it off, as Lauren Allred’s flyout is deep enough to score Davis from third base.

The Red Raiders are heading to the national championship game, and end Oklahoma’s four-year national title streak in the process. What a game to set up Texas-Texas Tech for all the marbles.

Texas Tech doubles to put runners on second and third

Texas Tech’s Mihyia Davis ropes a single, before Hailey Toney nearly homers, but hits a double off the left-field wall to put runners on second and third with one out.

Red Raiders’ winning run is 60 feet from scoring.

Oklahoma ties it with clutch home run

Wow. Down to its final strike, Oklahoma 9-hole hitter Abigale Dayton launches a two-run home run to right field to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh inning.

What a moment. The Sooners just don’t go down without a fight. That was only Dayton’s third home run of the season.

Sydney Barker picks up 3rd hit of game

Sydney Barker hits a bloop single with one out, picking up her third hit of the game. Barker has three of the Sooners’ four hits against Texas Tech, bringing the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh inning.

Oklahoma on verge of first shutout since 2019

Oklahoma hasn’t been shutout in a game since losing to Alabama 1-0 in 2019. The Sooners are on the verge of losing that streak against one of the game’s all-time great pitchers in NiJaree Canady here.

Texas Tech 3 outs from national championship berth

Ella Parker hits a leadoff single, but Canady forces a flyout and strikes out two to get out of the sixth inning.

Oklahoma is down to its final three outs and is close to missing out on a national title berth for the first time since 2018.

Ella Parker with leadoff single

Ella Parker ropes a leadoff single into center field, giving the Sooners a baserunner with no outs for 3-hole hitter Gabbie Garcia.

Nice start to the inning for Oklahoma.

Sam Landry gets inning-ending double play

Sam Landry gets NiJaree Canady to groundout into a 6-4-3 double play to end the fifth inning, which fired up the Sooners a bit. Can that give Oklahoma some momentum offensively?

Landry has now thrown over 400 pitches at the WCWS.

NiJaree Canady works around leadoff single

Canady puts up another zero, but Oklahoma had a couple nice swings in the top of the fifth inning. Sydney Barker, who has both of the Sooners’ hits, hit a leadoff single before Abigaile Dayton flied out to the warning track in deep left field.

Oklahoma down to its final six outs.

Lauren Allred gets Texas Tech out of inning

NiJaree Canady’s dominance continues, but it’s first baseman Lauren Allred who fields a groundball and dives to first base to get an out to end end the inning.

Texas Tech still leads 2-0, as Oklahoma’s offense continues to struggle against Canady.

Sam Landry puts up zero

Landry works around a walk but forces a pair of flyouts and a groundout to get out of the bottom of the third inning. Texas Tech still leads 2-0 as Oklahoma’s bats head to the plate.

Oklahoma goes 1-2-3

NiJaree Canady continues her dominance, retiring the Sooners in order to start the third inning. Canady is up to four strikeouts so far, with her strikeout against Ella Parker marking her whopping 300th of the year.

Texas Tech still leads 2-0.

Patrick Mahomes watching Texas Tech softball

Three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes is tuned into Texas Tech softball, as he mentioned the team in a post on X during the game. Mahomes played quarterback at Texas Tech and also was drafted to MLB out of high school.

Texas Tech scores again

Bailey Lindemuth singles to center field, scoring Demi Elder from third base to give Texas Tech a 2-0 lead.

A two-run lead for NiJaree Canady has Texas Tech feeling good heading into the third inning.

Sam Landry honors Gerry Glasco’s daughter

Sam Landry, who played under Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco at Louisiana, has ‘Geri Ann,’ Glasco’s daughter’s name, stitched on her glove.

Texas Tech takes 1-0 lead

Sam Landry walks Alana Johnson, who later scores from first after Demi Elder triples down the left-field line. That ball was smoked by Elder.

Oklahoma definitely doesn’t want to get down 2-0 against NiJaree Canady here.

Canady escapes jam

Oklahoma’s Isabela Emerling ropes a line drive, but it’s straight at Texas Tech shortstop Hailey Toney to end the inning. The Sooners fall short on the scoring chance.

Oklahoma puts runners on first and third

Cydney Sanders draws a walk before freshman Sydney Barker bloops a single into left field to put runners on first and third for Oklahoma with two outs.

Sooners with a chance at scoring a run on NiJaree Canady here.

Landry escapes first inning

Sam Landry needs 28 pitches to get out of the first inning but works around a walk to put up a zero. Oklahoma-Texas Tech tied at 1-1 through one inning.

Sam Landry connections to Texas Tech

Oklahoma pitcher Sam Landry, a first-team All-American in 2025, has plenty of connections to Texas Tech due to her time at Louisiana. Landry played for Red Raiders coach Gerry Glasco when Glasco was at Louisiana and has five former teammates on Texas Tech’s roster.

Mihyia Davis, Chloe Riassetto, Lauren Allred, Victoria Valdez and Alexa Langeliers all joined Glasco from Louisiana after Glasco was hired prior to the 2025 season.

Canady retires Oklahoma in order

The Sooners go down in order to start the first inning, as NiJaree Canady strikes out Kasidi Pickering and Gabbie Garcia.

Canady’s arsenal looks electric so far.

Canady fires a strike and we’re underway

NiJaree Canady fires a strike for Texas Tech, the home team, and we’re underway. A pair of first-team All-Americans start off the semifinal, as Canady faces Oklahoma leadoff hitter Kasidi Pickering.

NiJaree Canady starting for Texas Tech

NiJaree Canady, the former national player of the year, is getting the start for Texas Tech in the circle. Canady has started every game for the Red Raiders during their NCAA tournament run and leads the nation with a 0.86 ERA.

Texas Tech softball lineup vs Oklahoma

CF Mihyia Davis
SS Hailey Toney
1B Lauren Allred
P NiJaree Canady
2B Alexa Langeliers
RF Alana Johnson
LF Demi Elder
C Victoria Valdez
3B Bailey Lindemuth

Oklahoma softball lineup vs Texas Tech

LF Kasidi Pickering
DP Ella Parker
SS Gabbie Garcia
3B Nelly McEnroe-Marinas
1B Cydney Sanders
2B Ailani Agbayani
RF Sydney Barker
C Isabela Emerling
CF Abigale Dayton

Right-hander Sam Landry is in the circle for the Sooners.

What time does Oklahoma vs Texas Tech softball start?

Time: 7 p.m. ET
Date: Monday, June 2
Location: Devon Park (Oklahoma City)

Oklahoma-Texas Tech softball is set for a 7 p.m. ET first pitch on Monday night. If Oklahoma wins and forces an if-necessary game, the two teams will immediately play again, which is currently scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.

What TV channel is Oklahoma vs Texas Tech softball on today?

TV channel: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app, ESPN+

Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow announced his retirement from the NFL after seven seasons on Monday. The 29-year-old enjoyed a quality career during which he was voted to the Pro Bowl four times and was thrice named an All-Pro second-teamer.

That said, many NFL fans will remember Ragnow for a gruesome-sounding injury he played through during the 2020 NFL season.

In the Lions’ Week 14 game against the Green Bay Packers, Ragnow suffered a fractured throat bone, an uncommon injury often associated with trauma from strangulation, according to the Journal of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery.

Ragnow did not leave the game because of the injury. He played all 67 offensive snaps for the Lions before missing the next two games due to the injury.

How Frank Ragnow played through fractured throat

Upon returning to the sidelines, Ragnow realized his voice sounded different. He compared it to the sound a dog toy makes when its squeaker is broken.

Nonetheless, Ragnow’s airway was unobstructed, which allowed him to play the rest of the game. There was just one issue: he was unable to talk and couldn’t make calls at the line of scrimmage.

As such, Ragnow relied on starting guards Oday Aboushi and Jonah Jackson to help him communicate adjustments at the line of scrimmage. He also delivered a message to then-Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to make sure Detroit’s offense would continue to operate smoothly as he struggled to speak.

‘He came up to me early in the game and was very hoarse and kind of faint sounding and was like, ‘I can’t really talk right now. I can’t really talk, just to let you know. Just make sure you’re communicating with everybody up front even more so than (you) normally would,” Stafford told the Detroit Free Press. ‘So it was kind of crazy, but it was good. Didn’t have any communication issues the rest of the game, really.’

Ragnow helped the Lions remain competitive against the Packers, but Detroit still ended up losing the game 31-24.

Ragnow and the Lions realized the full extent of his injury after the game. The fracture didn’t require surgery, but the offensive lineman had to rest his voice to ensure his vocal cords would make a full recovery.

‘When you see the vocal cords and see how I guess bruised up they are, it’s just something that was very alarming, for sure,’ Ragnow explained.

Ragnow was able to bounce back quickly from the injury. He was able to play all 58 of Detroit’s offensive snaps in its final regular-season game just three weeks after suffering the fracture.

That said, he acknowledged his voice wasn’t fully back at the time and it was difficult to remain quiet while the injury healed.

‘You definitely get a whole new perspective on just kind of taking everything in,’ Ragnow said of his recovery. ‘But I guess it was good that if I ever did try to talk, my voice did not sound well so that very much urged me to stop talking, so that was the good part of it. But it’s definitely a unique perspective and it’s definitely something I don’t wish upon anyone, that’s for sure.’

Ragnow did not experience any further throat injuries during his NFL career. However, he was frequently banged up, dealing with foot, toe, knee, ankle, back and groin injuries over his seven seasons.

Ragnow acknowledged those injuries took a toll on him and influenced his decision to retire at the age of 29.

‘I’ve tried to convince myself that I’m feeling good but I’m not and it’s time to prioritize my health and my families future,’ Ragnow wrote in a statement announcing his retirement. ‘I have given this team everything I have and I thought I had more to give, but the reality is I simply don’t. I have to listen to my body and this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life.’

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The stage for the final leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown race is set.

Although there won’t be a Triple Crown winner in 2025, the 2025 Belmont Stakes will still be a highly-anticipated attraction with the rematch for the first jewels of the sport’s premier races. After not running in the Preakness Stakes, 2025 Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty makes his return to the track and faces Journalism, the winner of the Preakness. The two went down to the wire at Churchill Downs and they’ll meet again for another chance of glory.

The race will still be held at Saratoga Race Course as Belmont Park is still undergoing renovations, and as a result, the race will be contested at 1 ¼-mile instead of the traditional 1 ½-mile distance. Journalism and Sovereignty are the favorites, but could another thoroughbred spoil the rematch and take the title in New York?

2025 Belmont Stakes post positions

Here’s where each horse landed, as well as its trainer, jockey and current odds:

Hill Road

Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Odds: 10-1

Sovereignty

Trainer: Bill Mott
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Odds: 2-1

Rodriguez

Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Mike Smith
Odds: 6-1

Uncaged

Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Luis Saez
Odds: 30-1

Crudo

Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Odds: 15-1

Baeza

Trainer: John Shirreffs
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Odds: 4-1

Journalism

Trainer: Michael McCarthy
Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
Odds: 8-5

Heart of Honor

Trainer: Jamie Osborne
Jockey: Saffie Osborne
Odds: 30-1

When is the Belmont Stakes 2025?

The 157th running of the Belmont Stakes will be held Saturday, June 7. Post time is 6:50 p.m. ET.

Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025
Time: 6:50 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Stream: Fubo (free trial)
Location: Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, New York)

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With Caitlin Clark still out with an injury, and other players on the roster getting banged up, the Indiana Fever have added a guard to help.

Indiana signed Aari McDonald Monday via an emergency hardship exception. The exception allows any WNBA team to sign a player immediately if it has less than 10 game-eligible players available at any time during the season.

The signing comes as Clark remains sidelined due to a left quadriceps strain that was announced following the loss to the New York Liberty on May 25. The 2024 WNBA rookie of the year will miss at least two weeks with her first possible game back on June 10 at the Atlanta Dream.

Clark isn’t the only injured player the Fever have. Sophie Cunningham and Sydney Colson were injured in the team’s loss to Connecticut Sun on Friday, leaving Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull as the only healthy point guards for Indiana, paving the way for the Fever to sign McDonald.

“When I got the call I was very excited, very blessed,’ McDonald said Monday. ‘It’s a humbling experience to join a team like the Fever, and I’m excited, ready to compete and just win.”

Indiana is 2-4 on the season and is on a three-game losing streak.

What to know about Aari McDonald

McDonald burst onto the scene as a member of the Arizona Wildcats after starting her college career at Washington. She had a memorable senior season in Tucson as she was named Pac-12 player of the year and led Arizona to its first Final Four appearance in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats advanced to the national championship and lost by one-point to Stanford.

She was drafted third overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream and was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team in her first season. McDonald played three seasons in Atlanta before she was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks prior to the 2024 season. She played in 26 games for Los Angeles and was released by the team before the start of the 2025 season.

In four years in the league, McDonald has averaged 8.6 points, 2.8 assists and 2 rebounds per game.

When do the Indiana Fever play next?

The Indiana Fever host the Washington Mystics on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The game will be televised on NBA TV and can be streamed on WNBA League Pass.

The MLB world was shocked when Houston Astros’ pitcher Lance McCullers received death threats online following a start he’d made against the Cincinnati Reds on May 10.

McCullers was making his second start after a 2.5-year absence from Major League Baseball, recovering from major arm surgery, and did not perform well. He gave up seven runs in the first inning. The Astros ultimately lost that game, 13-9.

McCullers claimed that he received the messages after the game, threatening to ‘find [his] kids and murder them.’

‘I understand people are very passionate and people love the Astros and love sports, but threatening to find my kids and murder them is a little bit tough to deal with,’ McCullers told reporters. The Astros granted McCullers and his family 24-hour security, and finally, the man behind the threats has been discovered.

The spokesperson did add that the man has since relayed an apology to McCullers and his family. Charges are still being considered and the case remains open.

Noticeable uptick in death threats to MLB players

‘I think over the last few years it’s definitely increased,’ Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich said, via ESPN, in reference to the threats he’s received. ‘It’s increased to the point that you’re just, ‘All right, here we go.’ It doesn’t even really register on your radar anymore. I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing. You’re just so used to that on a day-to-day, night-to-night basis. It’s not just me. It’s everybody in here, based on performance.’

Just last month, Boston Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks revealed that he’d also received such threats. ‘Threats against my life and my wife’s life are horrible and cruel,’ said Hendriks. ‘Comments telling me to commit suicide and how you wish I died from cancer is disgusting and vile. Maybe you should take a step back and re-evaluate your life’s purpose before hiding behind a screen attacking players and their families.’

Sports betting’s impact on threats

In an interview with ESPN, head of integrity services and athlete well-being for MLB partner Sportradar, said that while the popularization of sports betting has certainly played a factor, these messages have been coming to athletes since long before gambling became so widespread.

‘It is broader than just sports betting,’ Brown claims. ‘Yes, sports betting is a factor, but we see it in all forms, whether racism, transphobia, doping, geopolitical, misogyny. The abuse is insane.’

Sports gambling is currently legal in 38 states in the U.S., with 30 states enabling gambling from a person’s mobile phone. Keep in mind though, the person who sent the threats to McCullers was located overseas.