(NEW YORK) -- Soccer legend Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer on Monday, saying he will no longer play for the Argentina national team.

"After the time that passed since the final, thinking about it a lot, I want to communicate to everyone that I am retiring from the national team," Messi wrote in Spanish, in a message shared on Instagram. "It was a decision that hurt and hurts my soul, but I understand that this is the moment."

He continued, "I swear to you that I always gave everything, not only the last few years where everything was won, but also before and I always fought and left everything for this shirt, to give them joy and make them feel proud to be Argentines through football."

Messi last played for Argentina in the 2026 World Cup, where the team lost in the finals to Spain, 2-1.

The 39-year-old continues to play professional soccer as a forward for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF, where he has played since 2023.

Messi shared on Instagram that he first wrote his goodbye message in July, shortly after Argentina lost the World Cup title. Less than one month later, on Aug. 8, Messi's father, Jorge, died, which the soccer star said reinforced his decision to retire.

"I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final. Today after my dad, I'm more convinced than before," Messi wrote.

Messi, himself a father of three sons, played 19 seasons for Argentina. He retires as the team's captain and all-time leading goal scorer and as the highest-scoring man in South American soccer history, according to ESPN.

Messi helped lead Argentina to a World Cup win over France in 2022, the country's first World Cup title in over 30 years.

There was speculation that this year's World Cup could be the last for Messi. Argentina lost to Spain in an extra-time match in front of more than 70,000 fans in New Jersey.

In his retirement announcement, which Messi wrote on notebook pages seen in a photo he shared on Instagram, the soccer star said he would miss the fans of Argentina and thanked the coaches and family members who helped him along the way.

"Thank you for all the love of these 20 years. I am going to miss hearing you from the inside very much. Now I am going to be one of you, always encouraging and supporting from the outside (in good times and bad, much more)," he wrote, later adding, "I leave with the tranquility and pride of having given you, together with my colleagues, dream moments. It was crazy to have lived it with you. I love you!"

Messi ended his message by writing, "Thank you God for making me Argentine. Let's go Argentina!"

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(LIBERTY, Mo.) -- William Jewell College football player MicahJo Barnett has died, the school announced Saturday. He was 20.

Barnett, a junior studying business administration, was a member of the William Jewell Cardinals football program and previously played football at Liberty North High School, according to the college's website.

The school announced Barnett's death after William Jewell's football game Saturday was suspended following a medical emergency on the team's sideline, according to ABC affiliate station KMBC-TV. The school did not disclose Barnett's cause of death.

"We are absolutely heartbroken over the tragic passing of MicahJo Barnett," William Jewell Vice President for Athletics Ryan Erlacher said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and all that love him."

Erlacher remembered Barnett as "an exceptional young man who made a tremendous impact on the Jewell and Liberty communities."

"He will be greatly missed by all," Erlacher continued. "Please keep his family in your prayers and we kindly ask for everyone to respect their privacy during this difficult time."

Barnett's teammate Jayshawn Richmond reflected on his final moments in an interview with KMBC-TV.

"He scored like, right before his final moments. And we just going to continue on where he started," Richmond said.

William Jewell College said the school and Liberty, Missouri, community were mourning Barnett's death.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Micah Jo's family, our students, the Cardinal Football family, and the rest of our community during this time of loss," the college said.

The school encouraged students and staff who need support to contact its counseling services or office of the chaplain.

A vigil honoring Barnett and his family was held Saturday night on the William Jewell College quad, according to the school. The college said funeral arrangements would be shared when they become available.

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(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Marlins 6, Nationals 2
Red Sox 1, Yankees 16
Rockies 2, Braves 3
Mariners 0, Blue Jays 7
Royals 1, Guardians 11
Dodgers 6, Tigers 1
Padres 4, Rays 5
White Sox 1, Twins 5
Rangers 7, Brewers 4
Pirates 5, Cardinals 4
Astros 6, Mets 3
Orioles 8, Athletics 5
Phillies 5, Angels 2
Reds 7, Cubs 5

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(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Rockies 1, Nationals 7
Orioles 5, Cardinals 7
Astros 5, Yankees 1
Royals 13, Blue Jays 2
Brewers 8, Mets 2
Dodgers 0, Braves 1
Diamondbacks 1, Giants 6

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(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Rays 3, Tigers 0
Cubs 0, Diamondbacks 2
Reds 10, Giants 9
Guardians 4, Angels 3
Phillies 6, Mariners 0
Pirates 0, Padres 3
Red Sox 0, Marlins 4
Rockies 13, Nationals 1
Astros 3, Yankees 9
Royals 0, Blue Jays 3
Brewers 8, Mets 1
Dodgers 5, Braves 6
Rangers 4, White Sox 10
Orioles 8, Cardinals 7
Twins 4, Athletics 7

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(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 
Red Sox 7, Marlins 3
Rays 1, Tigers 4
Rockies 3, Nationals 1
Astros 9, Yankees 7
Royals 5, Blue Jays 3
Brewers 2, Mets 3
Dodgers 3, Braves 4
Rangers 7, White Sox 11
Orioles 13, Cardinals 1
Guardians 8, Angels 6
Cubs 4, Diamondbacks 5
Twins 2, Athletics 4
Phillies 1, Mariners 4
Pirates 1, Padres 0
Reds 1, Giants 3

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(NEW YORK) -- At least 1 in 4 former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 may have had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), according to a new study published Monday in The BMJ.

Researchers from Mass General Brigham, Boston University, and the Concussion & CTE Foundation analyzed 1,712 former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2021 and found that 338 brains were donated for examination.

Among those donors, 315 of them, or 93.2%, had evidence of CTE, a degenerative brain disorder that can be caused by repeated head injuries.

"These repeated impacts are associated with an abnormal buildup of tau protein that damages brain cells and may eventually contribute to problems with memory, thinking, behavior and mood," Dr. Leah Croll, a neurologist at Maimonides Medical Center and assistant professor of neurology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, who was not involved in the study, told ABC News. "Right now, CTE can only be definitively diagnosed after death."

Based on those findings, the authors estimated that the minimum prevalence of CTE among all former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 was 24.5%.

The study also examined whether more severe disease was linked to cognitive decline. Among brain donors, nearly 60% had dementia and 90.4% of those with the most severe form of CTE (stage IV) had dementia.

After accounting for differences between donors and non-donors, stage IV CTE was associated with a 44% higher risk of dementia.

Researchers noted that many cases of dementia were not captured on death certificates, suggesting the burden of neurodegenerative disease among former players may be underestimated.

"These findings are extremely concerning," Croll noted. "The true number could be substantially higher, and even this minimum estimate suggests that CTE is not a rare outcome among former NFL players. It's a sobering realization -- neurodegenerative disease is a common occupational hazard for these players."

According to Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, chair of physical medicine and Rehabilitation at Mass General Brigham, community brain bank studies have shown that CTE affects less than 1% of the general population.

"To find that somewhere between 24.5% and 97.7% of NFL players from that time period had this progressive brain disease is a wake-up call for the NFL and scientific communities," Daneshvar said in a statement.

The researchers said that future studies should look at athletes who played more recently, and that prevention efforts need to focus on reducing repetitive head impacts that lead to CTE risk, not just concussions. 

In a statement to ESPN, the NFL said it "continuously strives to make the game of football safer, including by implementing strategies to reduce concussions and head impacts."

The statement went on, "The NFL remains committed to ensuring that the NFL community has access to a robust -- and expanding -- set of resources to enhance their physical and mental well-being."

In a statement to ABC News, the NFL Players Association, the union that represents football players in matters including working conditions, said the study is "a sobering reminder that football carries real risks, and those risks can have lasting consequences for players and their families. It also reinforces one of the NFLPA's core priorities: improving player safety and supporting players throughout their lives, both during and after their careers."

The union said the study should serve as "a call to acton" to continue research, treatment development and improving access to care for those affected by long-term effects of the game.

ABC News' Youri Benadjaoud and Dr. Jade Cobern contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 
Red Sox 4, Marlins 2
Rays 4, Tigers 1
Rockies 3, Nationals 13
Rangers 11, White Sox 2
Guardians 4, Angels 2
Cubs 7, Diamondbacks 0
Twins 9, Athletics 6
Phillies 2, Mariners 9
Pirates 3, Padres 2
Reds 0, Giants 5

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(NEW YORK) -- Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was removed from a WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky on Sunday, following a verbal confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud.

Kanter Freedom wore a black T-shirt to Sunday's game at Wintrust Arena in Chicago that read, "WOMAN: noun, adult human female."

The shirt appeared to be a reference to the ongoing controversy over the WNBA's approach to transgender players' eligibility and comments from Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who told ESPN in a July interview that the league should block biological males from participation.

During a timeout in the third quarter of Sunday's game, Cloud was seen approaching Kanter Freedom, who was sitting courtside, shouting and pointing at him. Kanter Freedom then stood with his arms extended and stepped toward the court, before security escorted him out of the arena.

"I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!" Kanter Freedom wrote in a social media post afterward.

In a statement to ABC News on Monday, Kanter Freedom said he and Cloud had exchanged words after Cunningham scored a three-pointer, adding, "Then she started yapping and cursing at me then we got into it and they threw me out of the game."

Kanter Freedom, who played in the NBA for 11 years, made headlines earlier this month after declaring his eligibility for the WNBA Draft in a social media post.

"If simply declaring who you are is all that's required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA," he wrote at the time.

The WNBA's current player eligibility guidelines, found in article XIII of the league's collective bargaining agreement, state that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." The CBA does not include specific rules about transgender players.

Sources around the league told ABC News that Kanter Freedom, as well as Royce White, a former NBA player and Republican Senate candidate in Minnesota who also stated his intention to join the WNBA Draft earlier in August, are not eligible to play in the WNBA, calling their eligibility announcements a publicity stunt meant to sow division and draw attention.

Cloud did not speak to the media after Sunday's game but shared her support for the transgender community on social media.

"To every trans kid/person, You are apart of MY community & tribe. You belong. You're loved. You're seen. You're perfect as you are. & you will always be protected by me," Cloud, a cisgender lesbian, wrote in a Threads post.

Sky coach Tyler Marsh supported Cloud and the team after the game.

"Tash didn't want to feel like she was a distraction. I told her she wasn't," Marsh said in a post-game news conference. "I told her that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects the people that need to be protected, and so, Tash is always going to stand on that, and we stand for Tash."

"I think that there's so much good things about this league … that if you come to a game, you should probably come to enjoy the basketball, and that seems pretty simple to me," Marsh added when asked if he had a message for Kanter Freedom. "I think these players deserve that and have earned that. And being a former basketball player, you should probably understand and feel that too."

ABC News reached out to the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever for comment.

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(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Cardinals 4, Phillies 6
Rays 3, Orioles 1
Blue Jays 3, Yankees 8
Nationals 2, Marlins 6
Athletics 7, Astros 6
Tigers 7, Royals 11
Mets 1, White Sox 2
Angels 3, Rangers 5
Guardians 7, Rockies 2
Giants 4, Red Sox 5
Cubs 19, Mariners 2
Twins 1, Padres 8
Pirates 0, Dodgers 4
Reds 3, Diamondbacks 5
Braves 4, Brewers 2

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(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Yankees 3, Orioles 1
Tigers 1, Pirates 4
Marlins 4, Phillies 6
Giants 1, Guardians 8
Cardinals 3, Reds 0
Blue Jays 10, Rays 5
Diamondbacks 4, Red Sox 9
Padres 5, Mets 2
Athletics 3, Royals 4
Mariners 0, Brewers 22
Braves 1, Twins 4
White Sox 3, Cubs 4
Nationals 0, Rangers 5
Angels 3, Astros 1
Dodgers 7, Rockies 6

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(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Cardinals 2, Reds 1 (Doubleheader - game 1)
Orioles 6, Rays 7
Marlins 5, Phillies 6
Cardinals 5, Reds 6 (Doubleheader - game 2)
Tigers 8, Pirates 5
Diamondbacks 1, Red Sox 11
Padres 1, Mets 2
Athletics 5, Royals 9
Braves 2, Twins 4
White Sox 5, Cubs 7
Dodgers 11, Rockies 5

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(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Orioles 10, Rays 2
Diamondbacks 3, Braves 5
Red Sox 3, Pirates 8
Yankees 4, Blue Jays 3
White Sox 7, Tigers 5
Marlins 7, Reds 1
Padres 5, Guardians 0
Nationals 3, Mets 4
Phillies 7, Twins 5
Cardinals 11, Cubs 4
Rockies 13, Giants 7
Rangers 2, Athletics 5
Royals 3, Angels 0
Brewers 6, Dodgers 2
Mariners 3, Astros 2

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(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Guardians 0, Tigers 3
Pirates 13, Marlins 1
Reds 9, White Sox 8
Mariners 1, Yankees 0
Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 0
Cubs 0, Nationals 7
Phillies 7, Twins 1
Rangers 0, Angels 7
Brewers 5, Dodgers 4

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(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 
Orioles 5, Twins 7
Phillies 1, Cardinals 7
Rays 8, Athletics 4
Rockies 6, Diamondbacks 4
Astros 2, Giants 1
Brewers 3, Padres 4
Guardians 6, Tigers 4
Pirates 2, Marlins 8
Cubs 12, Nationals 6
Mariners 5, Yankees 10
Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 6
Mets 3, Braves 6
Reds 0, White Sox 5
Rangers 2, Angels 5
Royals 2, Dodgers 4

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 
Guardians 4, Tigers 6
Pirates 0, Marlins 2
Cubs 8, Nationals 6
Mariners 1, Yankees 4
Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 5
Mets 0, Braves 4
Orioles 5, Twins 2
Reds 5, White Sox 4
Phillies 0, Cardinals 2
Rangers 2, Angels 3
Rockies 3, Diamondbacks 2
Brewers 2, Padres 11
Rays 12, Athletics 4
Astros 1, Giants 4
Royals 4, Dodgers 5

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(NEW YORK) -- NBA star LeBron James will make his home regular season debut with the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, Oct. 22, ESPN's Malika Andrews announced Tuesday on "Good Morning America."

James and the 76ers will play his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers in Philadelphia. The game will air on ESPN.

Two months later, on Christmas Day, James will face off against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, and his son Bronny James.

LeBron James announced in July his decision to join the 76ers after spending eight seasons with the Lakers.

The four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP wrote on social media of his decision, "I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.

His decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers puts him on a roster with all-stars Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey.

LeBron James, also the NBA's all-time leading scorer, agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, citing his agent, Rich Paul.

LeBron James' first season with the 76ers will be his 24th season in the NBA. He previously played for the Miami Heat in addition to the Cavaliers and the Lakers.

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News and ESPN.

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(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 
Red Sox 1, Blue Jays 2
Mets 8, Braves 5
Orioles 5, Twins 9
Phillies 6, Cardinals 5
Rangers 4, Angels 1
Rockies 0, Diamondbacks 9
Brewers 2, Padres 3
Rays 10, Athletics 6
Astros 6, Giants 3
Royals 5, Dodgers 6

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Blue Jays 5, Astros 4
Dodgers 6, Cubs 7
Giants 0, Rangers 6
Rays 4, Rockies 0
Angels 2, Orioles 5
Athletics 2, Reds 3
Mets 6, Guardians 5
Cardinals 3, Yankees 1
Nationals 10, Phillies 4
White Sox 0, Red Sox 4
Marlins 1, Braves 4
Pirates 2, Brewers 4
Twins 1, Royals 2
Tigers 2, Mariners 4
Padres 4, Diamondbacks 10

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Angels 1, Orioles 3
Athletics 4, Reds 5
Mets 6, Guardians 2
Nationals 0, Phillies 5
Cardinals 0, Yankees 2
White Sox 2, Red Sox 14
Marlins 2, Braves 4
Twins 2, Royals 8
Pirates 2, Brewers 4
Dodgers 1, Cubs 5
Giants 4, Rangers 5
Blue Jays 2, Astros 7
Rays 9, Rockies 7
Tigers 8, Mariners 0
Padres 9, Diamondbacks 4

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