FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Lionel Messi is expected to play for Argentina against Puerto Rico at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 14, Argentina and the game’s promoter announced on Monday, Oct. 13.

The match marks a unique occasion in Messi’s career: He will play for his beloved national team at his Major League Soccer stadium.

It’s unclear if Messi will play the entire match with Inter Miami’s regular-season finale on Saturday, Oct. 18 at Nashville SC.

“We’re going to see if he’s fit to play from the start or for a few minutes. I think he’ll get those minutes, but I couldn’t say how many,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni in a press conference. “What I can say is that we’ll definitely see him so that everyone can enjoy watching him.”

Argentine media reported the change was made due to ongoing ICE protests in the Chicago area, while Chicago Park District spokesman Luca Serra told the Associated Press on Oct. 8: “The promoter made the decision this morning due to low ticket sales.”

VMG Sports posted a social media video Monday of Messi meeting CEO Javier Fernandez with the caption: “The greatest of all time, Lionel Messi, confirms his attendance for the historic match between Argentina and Puerto Rico at Chase Stadium.”

The video was filmed on Sunday, Oct. 12, as Messi returned to practice with the national team – one day after he played with Inter Miami.

Messi announced he would play in the Inter Miami match with an Instagram story post around noon before the 7:30 p.m. ET start time on Saturday, Oct. 11. He scored two goals with an assist in Inter Miami’s 4-0 win against Atlanta United to help his club move into third place in the MLS Eastern Conference. With 26 goals this MLS season, Messi is the leader for the league’s Golden Boot award.

Messi did not play in Argentina’s match against Venezuela on Friday, Oct. 10, at nearby Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. He attended the match with his wife and children as they sat in a stadium suite. There was no Instagram announcement from Messi, but Argentina announced he wouldn’t play about 2 ½ hours before the 8 p.m. ET match.

Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano was unable to say whether Messi would play against Atlanta, when speaking to reporters one day prior – on the day of Argentina-Venezuela match.

Scaloni did not declare if Messi would play one day prior to the Venezuela match, indicating he wanted to test other players on his roster.

“It’s simple. [Friday] before the match, I spoke with Scaloni, and he told me he wouldn’t use him. Then, I spoke with Leo, and there’s not much more to it,” Mascherano said after the Atlanta match.

Argentina, the defending World Cup champions, has spent the last week at Inter Miami’s training facility and stayed at a nearby Fort Lauderdale hotel during this FIFA international window, during which friendlies offered opportunities for Scaloni to finetune his roster for the 2026 World Cup.

Messi trained with the national team during night practices. He did not practice with Inter Miami, which practices in the mornings.

Messi, 38, has not yet declared if he will play in the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada next summer.

The Milwaukee Bucks are adding another Antetokounmpo brother to their roster in another move signaling the organization’s desire to keep their franchise star happy and in the fold beyond this season.

Alex Antetokounmpo, the 24-year-old youngest brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo, is signing a two-way contract with the Bucks, according to an ESPN report on Monday, Oct. 13. The Bucks already brought back Antetokounmpo’s older brother, 33-year-old Thanasis Antetokounmpo, on a one-year contract earlier this offseason after he missed the entire 2024-25 campaign with a torn Achilles tendon.

The Bucks are set to become the first NBA team in league history to feature three brothers on the active roster of the same team as a result of this latest signing. Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo had been teammates in five previous seasons in Milwaukee (2019-24).

Alex Antetokounmpo, a 6-foot-8 forward, played parts of 2024 and 2025 for teams in Europe. He previously spent three seasons in the NBA G League, including two with Bucks’ affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. He was not a member of the Greek national team that won a bronze medal in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament, but Giannis, Thanasis and Kosta Antetokounmpo did represent Greece this past summer.

The Bucks enter the 2025-26 season unsure about their future with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’s beginning his 13th year with the franchise and has two seasons remaining on his contract. He’s eligible to sign an extension after this season but has not committed to staying in Milwaukee long-term.

“I want to be on a team that allows me and gives me a chance to win a championship,” Antetokounmpo said at Bucks media day two weeks ago. “It is never going to change. I want to be among the best.”

The two-time NBA MVP earned first-team All-NBA honors for the seventh year in a row in 2024-25. Antetokounmpo also set a career high for assists and shot better than 60% from the field for the second consecutive season (he’s the only player in NBA history to do that while averaging more than 30 points per game).

Penn State fired longtime football coach James Franklin, opening one of college football’s top jobs.
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule is considered a top candidate due to his history with Penn State.
Rhule addressed the rumors, stating his love for Penn State but emphasizing his commitment to Nebraska.

Penn State fired longtime coach James Franklin on Sunday, Oct. 12, opening up one of the top jobs in college football.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule instantly become one of the top potential candidates for the position, given he played at Penn State and has his obvious ties to athletic director Pat Kraft, who hired Rhule at Temple. Rhule addressed the rumors at his weekly press conference on Oct. 13, and mostly avoided the question, although he did mention his friendship with Kraft.

‘(Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen) and I understand the steps we need to take to make us Big Ten champions and national champions,’ Rhule said. ‘… I’m not going to talk a lot about job openings when they come. Maybe it’s been awhile here, but this is what happens when you win. I dealt with it when we won at Temple and I dealt with it all the time at Baylor.

‘I’m not going to talk about those things ever, I’m not going to talk about my contract here, I’m going to talk about the team. I absolutely love it here. I want us to continue to take the steps needed for us to turn this thing into a beast. … I’m really happy here.’

Rhule started his response by explaining his love for Penn State and Kraft, however. Rhule also mentioned how important Franklin was for stabilizing the program in a time of disarray when he took the job in 2014.

‘I love Penn State,’ Rhule said. ‘I met my wife there. It’s my alma mater. Fan since I was born, think I probably had a Penn State shirt on when I was born. I love Pat Kraft.’

Rhule has an outstanding track record as a program builder, going 2-10 in his first year at Temple before leading the Owls to back-to-back 10-win seasons in only his third and fourth season as head coach. He then went 1-11 in his first year at Baylor before going 11-3 two years later in 2019.

Rhule then jumped to the NFL, where he went 11-27 in parts of three seasons with the Carolina Panthers before heading back to college. He went 5-7 in his first year at Nebraska in 2023 but has the Cornhuskers 5-1 so far in 2025 after leading the program to their first bowl appearance since 2016 and first bowl win since 2015.

The 50-year-old coach still seems to be a top option for the Penn State opening, although he’s focused on rebuilding Nebraska for now.

‘Troy and I are in unbelievable relationship too,’ he said. ‘And Troy and I are in constant, constant, constant communication about this program and where we’re headed.’

Fully guaranteed contracts reward coaches who fail.
Oregon not a CFP lock after loss to Indiana.

If you predicted in August that Penn State’s James Franklin would be the next Big Ten coach fired after UCLA’s DeShaun Foster, I suggest you contact the feds and offer them your psychic services to help solve a few crimes.

Franklin beat Luke Fickell to the buyout bag, opening one of the Big Ten’s top jobs.

As the season hits its midpoint, the coaching carousel is already shifted into high gear. Give it a few more weeks, and it’ll be twirling at warp speed.

Here are some questions left on my mind after a seismic Week 7:

Where did Penn State go wrong with James Franklin?

Franklin’s losses to UCLA and Northwestern earned him a trip to buyout beach, where the drinks are paid for and the sun always shines.

Penn State owes Franklin a buyout topping $49 million, according to his term sheet, good for the second-largest severance pay day in college football history. That’s a sweet reward for losing to two unranked teams that were big underdogs in consecutive weeks, but that’s what happens when a school awards a coach a fully guaranteed contract.

Not accounting for bonuses, fully guaranteed contracts award a coach the same compensation whether he sizzles or fizzles.

So, why not fizzle, collect the failure money and head to a cush job with the ACC Network? That’s what Jimbo Fisher did. He owns the record for biggest buyout in college football history, topping $76 million.

What did Fisher and Franklin have in common?

Couple of things: They had Jimmy Sexton as their agent. Their contracts were fully guaranteed, meaning they’re owed their full compensation through the end of their contract term, so long as they’re not fired for cause.

The Aggies won no conference championships and made no playoff appearances with Fisher. Penn State won one conference title and made the playoff once in 12 seasons with Franklin.

After Franklin switched agents to Sexton, he received a 10-year contract extension in 2021 with his compensation fully guaranteed. Sandy Barbour was Penn State’s athletic director at the time. Interestingly, that deal came at a rocky point of Franklin’s tenure. He went 4-5 in 2020 and 7-6 in 2021 but nonetheless cashed in.

Penn State never released Franklin’s full contract. The term sheet it released does not address whether he has a duty to mitigate the damages.

Fisher’s first contract with Texas A&M was fully guaranteed. He left Florida State for the offer. He maintained a fully guaranteed deal after receiving a contract extension before the 2021 season that upped his salary and buyout. A little more than two years later, Texas A&M fired him.

Fisher did not have a duty to mitigate the damages, meaning he could collect his buyout and also cash checks from the ACC Network.

Awarding a coach a fully guaranteed contract with no duty to mitigate amounts to negotiation lunacy.

“Essentially, a coach could be owed $77 million, get fired not for cause, and the next day double dip and get another (lucrative) contract,” expert sports lawyer Martin Greenberg said to me recently, while discussing the phenomenon of fully guaranteed contracts, ‘which I find unbelievable and amazing and not something that colleges are going to be able to handle in the new era of revenue sharing and essentially pay-for-play.”

We’ll see about that last part. If revenue sharing with athletes and pay-for-play ends the practice of fully guaranteed contracts, that’s a worthy outcome.

Does Oregon need to win out to make College Football Playoff?

Maybe.

Think about it, Oregon’s best win came at Penn State, which subsequently lost to UCLA and Northwestern. The Ducks subsequently lost at home to Indiana, 30-20.

Oregon will be in fine shape with one loss. If the committee admitted one-loss Indiana last season, then it’s also going to admit one-loss Oregon.

But, what about if Oregon finishes 10-2, devoid of signature victories? That could leave the Ducks vulnerable, especially if Texas Tech and Miami each suffered a first loss in their respective conference championship game and nabbed at-large bids, turning the ACC and Big 12 into two-bid leagues.

Oregon’s remaining schedule features just one game against a ranked opponent, and are we sure Southern California is going to be ranked when that game is played on Nov. 22 in Eugene?

If the Ducks want to leave no doubt, they need to rip off six straight victories. The road begins this week at Rutgers.

Could Indiana earn a No. 1 playoff seed?

Yes. Why not?

The Hoosiers look legit, and their next six games are against unranked opponents. Take care of business, roll into the Big Ten championship undefeated, upset Ohio State and seize that No. 1 seed.

Crazier things have happened. Heck, a coach got fired nine months after coaching in a CFP semifinal.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

There’s a new and historic No. 1 in the updated the USA TODAY Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-36 after Week 7 of the college football season.

Indiana rises six spots and replaces Oregon atop the rankings after beating the Ducks 30-20 at Autzen Stadium. The Hoosiers have the edge over No. 2 Ohio State by virtue of Saturday’s road win and a more dominant performance in each team’s matchup with Illinois. These wins and the eyeball test give Indiana a strong case for leading the re-rank.

The Ducks fall to No. 8, behind another one-loss team in No. 7 Alabama but ahead of No. 9 Georgia, No. 10 Tennessee and No. 11 LSU.

The rankings are unkind to Penn State. The Nittany Lions are down 27 spots to No. 72 after a third loss in a row led to the surprising midseason firing of longtime coach James Franklin.

Another change near the top of the re-rank sees a swap of No. 4 Texas A&M and No. 5 Mississippi after the Aggies controlled Florida and the Rebels struggled to beat Washington State by a field goal. Texas Tech moves up to No. 6 after rolling over Kansas.

Elsewhere, Notre Dame is up to No. 12 and is by far the highest-ranked two-loss team in the country. Georgia Tech climbs to No. 13 and South Florida jumps 11 spots to No. 21 after beating North Texas.

Two other teams climbing toward the top 25 are No. 26 Navy, which nailed a late two-point conversion to beat Temple 32-31 and No. 31 Brigham Young, which rose 11 spots after topping Arizona in overtime.

USA TODAY Sports college football NCAA Re-Rank 1-136

There has never been a worse time to be a quarterback selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.

Stable coaching situations are crucial for a young quarterback’s development at the pro level, but none of the last four quarterbacks selected with a No. 1 overall pick have had that luxury.

Most recently, the Tennessee Titans announced they fired head coach Brian Callahan on Monday, Oct. 13, six weeks into the rookie season of No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. With that news, Callahan becomes the fourth consecutive head coach to lose his job during the rookie year of a quarterback drafted with the No. 1 overall pick.

This is not a completely new trend, though it is one that started recently.

In the last 10 NFL seasons – since 2016 – only two quarterbacks have been selected with the No. 1 overall pick and finished out their rookie season with the same head coach that began the season.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, is the only top pick in that span to still be with the head coach in the team that drafted him. Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, drafted first overall the year before Burrow, got four full seasons with head coach Kliff Kingsbury before the Cardinals fired Kingsbury.

Since 2016, six total quarterbacks – all former No. 1 overall picks – did not make it through their rookie season with the same head coach the whole way through.

USA TODAY Sports has compiled a full list of quarterbacks selected No. 1 overall to lose their head coach before finishing their rookie seasons.

Head coaches fired midseason with No. 1 overall pick rookie QB

Since the very first NFL draft in 1936, no head coach had ever been fired in the middle of the same season that his team drafted a quarterback with the first overall pick until 2016.

In the 10 years since, it has happened six times, including four of the last five years.

2016: Los Angeles Rams

Head coach: Jeff Fisher
Team’s No. 1 overall pick: Jared Goff
Record before firing: 4-9

2018: Cleveland Browns

Head coach: Hue Jackson
Team’s No. 1 overall pick: Baker Mayfield
Record before firing: 2-5-1

2021: Jacksonville Jaguars

Head coach: Urban Meyer
Team’s No. 1 overall pick: Trevor Lawrence
Record before firing: 2-11

2023: Carolina Panthers

Head coach: Frank Reich
Team’s No. 1 overall pick: Bryce Young
Record before firing: 1-10

2024: Chicago Bears

Head coach: Matt Eberflus
Team’s No. 1 overall pick: Caleb Williams
Record before firing: 4-8

2025: Tennessee Titans

Head coach: Brian Callahan
Team’s No. 1 overall pick: Cam Ward
Record before firing: 1-5

Week 6 of the 2025 fantasy football season was a banner week for backups, rookies and reclamation projects.

With two Monday Night Football games pending, three of the top-six quarterbacks are Jaxson Dart, Daniel Jones and Jacoby Brissett. The RB1 group includes Rico Dowdle, Cam Skattebo, Kimani Vidal, Rachaad White, Asthon Jeanty and Zonovan Knight. At wideout, the top 12 included Kayshon Boutte, Marquise Brown, Kendrick Bourne, and, for the first time all season, Tetairoa McMillan. In a weird twist, tight end was the most predictable position group. Seven of the top nine finishers were among the top 10 in consensus rankings.

Week 7 is now upon us.

Here’s a look at Week 7 fantasy football rankings. Toggle between standard, half PPR (point per reception), and full PPR to see where players rank in your league’s format. Scroll to the bottom to view the complete rankings.

Our team at USA TODAY Sports has you covered with plenty of content to help with your Week 7 waiver wire and roster decisions. Looking for up-to-date player news? We’ve got it. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our content:

Waiver wire: 8 players to add | 8 players to drop

Fantasy analysis: Week 6 winners and losers | 8 players to buy or sell

Please note: These rankings will change significantly as the week goes on. Check back on Sunday morning for final updates.

(The risers and sleepers sections will focus on players available in at least 40% of Yahoo leagues. All snap and target data from PFF.)

Week 7 fantasy football quarterback rankings: Risers and sleepers

Giants QB Jaxson Dart (30% rostered) – Since taking over as the starter in New York, Dart has finished as the QB11, QB16 and QB3 (with MNF pending). The rookie is the overall QB7 during that stretch. Dart’s mobility makes him a must-add in most formats. He’s racked up 162 yards on 30 rush attempts over the last three weeks, and he could have one of the safest floors at the position if that continues.
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold (35%) – After a rough opener (5.4 fantasy points), Darnold has eclipsed 16 fantasy points in each of his last five games. The veteran ranks as fantasy’s QB6 during that stretch.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud (51%) – Stroud was the QB7 in points per game in 2023, but was irrelevant in fantasy in 2024 and the first few weeks of 2025. That said, in the two games before Houston’s bye, the 24-year-old amassed 18.4 and 28.8 fantasy points. He’s worth adding where available in case he’s regained his 2023 form.

Week 7 fantasy football running rankings: Risers and sleepers

Chargers RB Kimani Vidal (27%) – The Chargers might have gone into Week 6 with the intention of going RBBC, but Vidal put that to rest rather quickly. The 24-year-old comfortably led the way with a 67% snap share, 22 routes run, and 22 opportunities (18 carries, 4 targets). He turned that load into 138 total yards and a tuddie. He’s easily the top waiver wire play of the week.
Texans RB Woody Marks (54%) – While Marks was a massive disappointment in Week 5, it shouldn’t be overlooked that he finished ahead of Nick Chubb in snaps (27 to 24) and routes (12 to 9). We got a preview in Week 4 of what Marks can do with a heavier load, and a post-bye rookie bump is a very real possibility here.
Titans RB Tyjae Spears (22%) – Week 6 saw Spears pull ahead of Pollard in snaps (36 to 26) and routes (28 to 14), while finishing with just two fewer touches than the veteran (10 to 12). Sure, it was likely game script-related, but shouldn’t we expect plenty of negative game scripts for the Titans going forward?

Week 7 fantasy football wide receiver rankings: Risers and sleepers

Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson (56%) – With Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton out due to injuries, Robinson led the way on TNF, playing all but two snaps and generating a 28% target share. His 84 yards and one touchdown have him positioned to finish as a WR1 for the second time in five weeks. There are worse flex options out there, particularly in PPR formats.
49ers WR Kendrick Bourne (32%) – While Jauan Jennings did return, Bourne still led the team in snaps (55), routes (40) and targets (9). It was revealed after the game that Jennings is dealing with approximately 46 different injuries, which means that Bourne’s role in the offense may not be changing anytime soon.
Colts WR Josh Downs (51%) – Downs ranked third among Indianapolis wideouts in snaps (30) and routes (20) in Week 6, but led the way with a 23% target share. He turned his seven opportunities into 42 yards and a score. Downs was a useful fantasy piece last year when he had competent quarterback play, and he’s worth an add as his role increases.
Raiders WR Tre Tucker (45%) – Is Tre Tucker the Raiders’ WR1? His usage seems to suggest so. The 24-year-old has garnered 22 targets over his last four games, compared to 21 for Jakobi Meyers. In Week 6, Tucker outpaced Meyers in snaps (56 to 55), routes (24 to 23), and targets (5 to 4). Tucker has surpassed nine half PPR points in three of his last four games, and as he showed in Week 3 (overall WR1), he’s a flex play with plenty of upside.

Week 7 fantasy football tight end rankings: Risers and sleepers

Buccaneers TE Cade Otton (12%) – After Emeka Egbuka left the game with a hamstring injury, Otton led the team with a 33% target share. Last year, in the three games Mike Evans missed, Otton averaged a whopping 18.8 half-PPR points per game. The 26-year-old could be a top-seven play next week if Egbuka, Evans and Godwin are out.
Raiders TE Michael Mayer (2%) – In his first game without Brock Bowers in the lineup, Mayer had an elite role. The former second-round pick played 92% of Las Vegas’ snaps and led the team with a 32% target share. He turned that usage into 50 yards and a touchdown. With Bowers reportedly unlikely to play in Week 7, Mayer will be an elite streaming option.
Browns TE Harold Fannin Jr. (25%) – While David Njoku was dealing with injuries, Fannin became a focal point of the Cleveland offense. The rookie finished third on the team in snaps (66) and routes (44) while ranking second in targets (10) and first in receptions (7) and yards (81). Fannin is worth adding even if Njoku is healthy, as his counterpart is a prime candidate to be traded ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.

Week 7 fantasy football rankings: PPR, half-PPR and standard