Roger Federer and Serena Williams have probably played their last Wimbledon matches, according to American great Pam Shriver.
Both came to the All England Club this year with hopes of landing another grand slam title, which for Federer would have been a ninth at Wimbledon and Serena an eighth on the famous grass courts.
However, they were met with disappointment, Williams "heartbroken" at having to retire from her first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich due to an ankle injury.
Federer was thrashed 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-0 by Hubert Hurkacz in the men's quarter-finals and gave no assurances after the match that he would be back in 2022, or that he would play the Tokyo Olympics.
Both turn 40 later this year, Federer on August 8 and Williams on September 26, and their time at the top of tennis may now be over.
Shriver, a five-time doubles champion at Wimbledon who won 22 grand slams in all, was asked on The Tennis Podcast whether she expected Federer to play Wimbledon again.
"I thought so, before the tournament. I didn't think he would end Wimbledon without his family here," Shriver said.
"But after seeing him in the quarters and listening to his press conference, I think it's less than 50-50. I think we may have seen the last of him."
Due to restricted bubbles put in place because of COVID-19 issues, Federer has been unable to have wife Mirka and their four children with him in London.
Federer has won 20 grand slam singles titles, a record for the men's game that he shares with Rafael Nadal and which Novak Djokovic had the chance to match at this year's Wimbledon.
Williams has 23 majors, one short of Margaret Court's women's record, but has been stuck on that total since 2017 and Shriver would be surprised to see her in the 2022 Wimbledon draw.
"I think it's even less likely that she'll be back," Shriver said. "It's really hard to stay fit for another year.
"She can't keep coming back from more and more injuries. I think it's definitely a turning point, pivot time, is the summer of 2021."
Raheem Sterling has been "unplayable" for England and one last big performance from the Manchester City star could prove to be the difference against Italy.
That is the opinion of former England captain Alan Shearer ahead of the Euro 2020 final at Wembley on Sunday.
England reached their first final at a major tournament since 1966 when they came from behind to beat Denmark 2-1 in extra-time on Wednesday.
Sterling produced an effervescent display and won the controversial penalty that was converted by Harry Kane on the rebound to settle a thrilling contest.
Shearer believes the City forward, who scored goals in the wins over Croatia, the Czech Republic and Germany, has been England's standout performer.
"The best two teams in the tournament have reached the final, and it is going to be an incredibly tight game," Shearer wrote in his column for BBC Sport as he previewed the final.
"Italy have gone 33 games without losing which shows how strong they are. They have got the same sort of togetherness in their squad that we have,.
"But England have put in some extremely good performances too, and so many of our players have done their bit when it has mattered.
"It was Harry Kane who put us into the final with the winner on Wednesday and he was excellent for the whole game. So was Harry Maguire, and the rest of our back four too.
"The best player on the park, though, was Raheem Sterling. He was unplayable at times and it was probably his finest game in an England shirt.
"More of the same from Sterling on Sunday, and we have got one hell of a chance.
"The other thing we have got going for us, of course, is the Wembley crowd. There will be more than 65,000 fans again at the final, and the majority of them will be behind England.
"They were immense against Denmark and stuck with the team when they were 1-0 down. The players fed off their intensity when they turned things around."
Shearer also paid tribute to manager Gareth Southgate, who was ecstatic on the pitch after the victory over Denmark.
Southgate has made some heavily debated calls in the tournament - including restricting flair players Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho to limited roles – but has led England to their first final for 55 years.
Shearer added: "There are several reasons why I will believe in this England team when they walk out at Wembley on Sunday, and Southgate is the biggest one.
"He's led his team brilliantly in every way since Euro 2020 started and not only has he made some big decisions, he has got all of them right.
"It's easier being a player than a supporter in the stands and, like many of you, I've found it hard in the past few weeks watching on as an England fan when our games have been in the balance.
"Just imagine how tough it is for Gareth, though. As England manager he has got 60 million people on his back because he carries the hopes of all of us, the entire nation.
"There is so much scrutiny on every single call he makes, and then he has to stand alone on the touchline waiting for them to work.
"So I could understand his relief and his reaction at the end of the Denmark game when he let his emotions pour out. He did that because he feels the same way we do when we win.
"Whatever happens next, he has given us so much joy and happiness - but I'm desperate to see that same celebration again from him on Sunday night."
Resurgent forward Kane will lead the line for England and he has been directly involved in 28 goals in his past 27 international appearances (19 goals and nine assists).
He has already caught and surpassed the goal total recorded by Shearer (nine) at major tournaments.
One more strike will see him become England’s outright highest goalscorer in the World Cup and Euros – he is currently level with Gary Lineker on 10.
England won the World Cup in 1966 as hosts, but each of the previous two European host nation finalists in a major tournament have lost – Portugal in Euro 2004 and France at the 2016 tournament.
Dustin Poirier will face Conor McGregor at UFC 264 in Las Vegas on Saturday in one of the year's most highly anticipated fights.
The trilogy bout take place at the T-Mobile Arena with a 100 per cent crowd capacity.
"I am so happy to finally be able to say: Vegas is back," UFC president Dana White said when the fight was announced in April.
McGregor had previously claimed the bout was off during an expletive-laden exchange on Twitter and that heated build-up has continued.
Poirier took victory in their previous showdown at UFC 257 in January in Abu Dhabi with a second-round knockout, after which McGregor conceded the result was "a tough one to swallow".
McGregor, who described his opponent's performance three months ago as "phenomenal", stopped the 32-year-old American in 106 seconds in their first encounter in September 2014.
The former two-weight world champion, who is also 32, has not won a UFC bout since January last year.
Fight build-up has been as entertaining you would expect, with McGregor aiming a kick at Poirier as the duo went head to head at the pre-fight news conference on Thursday.
Here are some of the best quotes from the event which took place with both fighters and a large crowd.
FIGHTING TALK FROM MCGREGOR
McGregor did not hold back when he explained what he planned to do with Poirier.
"I'm gonna go through his head, put holes in and take it off his shoulders - that's the goal here!
"He's done here, this is it for him. This is the end of the road.
"Even after that last fight saying, 'Oh I don't love this [fighting] anymore' - he knew what was coming, he knew the smacks he took.
"Saturday night he's getting walked around that octagon like a dog and put to sleep."
POIRIER RESPECTS PUNICHING POWER
And Poirier did not dismiss the threat posed by the Irishman.
"I think he has a big advantage in some areas like his punching power.
"That's been worked on for years, and I'm sure some of it's God gifted, his timing is very good, but I truly believe he is a well-rounded martial artist.
"But he's so successful in those areas that he doesn't have to go in there and shoot for a takedown because he believes he's going to finish the fight on the feet.
"He doesn't have to play jiu-jitsu because he's so confident in what's been working for him, he's knocked out a bunch of greats. Don't fix it if it's not broken, I truly believe he is a well-rounded fighter."
MCGREGOR PROMISES CAREER NIGHT
A crowning moment for McGregor came when he defeated Eddie Alvarez in November 2016 to become the first UFC fighter to be world champion in two weight divisions simultaneously.
He insists there is better still to come from him.
"I'm an evolution of that guy. I'm better than that man. I feel like I've come full circle and I look forward to showing it.
"That night was widely regarded as the single greatest performance in UFC history. This performance on Saturday night, I'm going to top it."
POIRIER DOUBTS THAT IS POSSIBLE
But Poirier does not think McGregor is the same force he once was.
"For me, the aura's not there anymore. Not anymore.
"A very dangerous fighter sitting right there for sure but I see a man.
"You guys in the crowd, cheer it up, have fun. But I see a man that I've defeated and know that I can defeat again."
MCGREGOR COMPARES POIRIER TO BUSTER DOUGLAS
James 'Buster' Douglas achieved one of sport's greatest upsets by beating Mike Tyson in 1990 but immediately lost his next fight and his titles to Evander Holyfield.
McGregor says the same fate awaits Poirier.
"He's going to be known for that [like Buster Douglas].
"It was a fluke win and I'm going to correct it on Saturday night. It's on now."
POIRIER SAYS HE IS DIFFERENT
McGregor was asked by a fan why he was being so confrontational with Poirier in the build up to this fight after showing significant respect to his opponent around their second bout.
Poirier interjected with a put down, saying "Because he got knocked the f*** out!" before going on to criticise the falling quality of McGregor's trash talk.
"He was not McGregor fast but McGregor sleep. Respect to him and everything that he's done [but his trash talk is] f*****g weak.
"I don't hate anybody up here. I'm in a different place mentally.
"I am straight business. I've never really had that hype pushed. I know who I am. I'm the same guy and it's easy to be me.
"I knew this [rematch] was next. As soon as I got to my hotel room that night [in January], I knew this was next. I've kind of been preparing for this fight since that fight ended."
TALE OF THE TAPE
Poirier has 27 wins, six losses and one no contest on his record, while McGregor has 22 wins and five defeats.
Both men are southpaws, 5' 9" and 155 lbs, though McGregor has the reach advantage (74” to 72”).
In their last fight, Poirier attempted more significant strikes than McGregor (91 to 66).
He also landed more, 52 per cent compared to 43 for the Irishman.
McGregor landed 25 times, 23 to the head and just twice to the legs, while Poirer made an impact in both areas, with 30 significant strikes to the head and 18 to the legs.
Lionel Messi will lead out Argentina in Saturday's Copa America final aware it could be the last opportunity he has to win silverware with La Albiceleste – and ending that hoodoo against Brazil would be the sweetest prize of all.
Messi holds the records for most caps and goals for Argentina, and his career at club level with Barcelona has ensured his legacy will be intrinsically linked to the sport for the rest of time.
But there remains a niggling frustration with respect to his time with Argentina, given he is yet to win a major international tournament with them. It is arguably the final piece of the puzzle and the one thing that separates him from the others in the 'greatest of all-time' debate.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele, Diego Maradona – they all enjoyed success on the international stage, and while it would be unfair to suggest Messi's legacy will not match up to theirs without honours with Argentina, it is a fact that would be continuously used to downplay his claim regardless of winning everything at Barca.
It is not that Messi has not come close – this will be his fifth major senior final with Argentina, and he's lost the previous four, but will Argentina be considered among the favourites at the World Cup next year? Probably not.
It may be now or never, and standing in the way is his former Barca team-mate Neymar, who will be playing his first major final for Brazil.
The Paris Saint-Germain star has been typically enthralling to watch in the tournament, though Brazil will be hoping his form in front of goal improves. It has not done them much damage thus far given they are in the final, but his one non-penalty goal comes from an xG (expected goals) value of 5.1 – it's two from 5.9 with penalties included.
No one else in the tournament has been as wasteful as Neymar, whose eight Opta-defined 'big chances' missed is also the most of anyone at Copa America 2021.
But Messi will know more than most that Neymar rises to the biggest occasions, and few are bigger than a Superclasico in a Copa America final.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brazil – Lucas Paqueta
While Paqueta's club career may not have taken off in Europe as he would have liked following his initial move to Milan, it is fair to say this tournament has represented something of a 'coming of age' tale for him on the international stage. With two goals, he heads into the final tied with Neymar as the Selecao's leading goalscorer, while he's also been a creative threat. Granted, he may not have any assists yet, but his 1.56 xA (expected assists) is bettered only by Messi (2.93) and Neymar (2.34). He has been let down by poor finishing, but at least the chances are flowing.
Argentina – Lautaro Martinez
Along with Messi (four, including one penalty), Martinez (three) is the only player to have scored more than twice at this year's tournament. Although he is slightly underperforming his 3.3 xG and has missed five 'big chances', the Inter striker has been consistently dangerous, with his 0.88 xG per 90 minutes second only to Neymar (1.03) among players to have played at least 180 minutes.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- Brazil will be playing their seventh final in the last 11 editions of the Copa America, winning on their most recent five appearances in the showpiece game (1997, 1999, 2004, 2007 and 2019). Their last defeat in a Copa America final was in 1995, losing the title to Uruguay in a penalty shoot-out.
- Brazil have not lost a knockout match at the Copa America (W7 D6) since 2001, when they suffered a 2-0 loss against Honduras. Their eliminations since then came via penalty shoot-outs (2011 and 2015) or in the group stage (2016).
- Brazil have reached the final in all editions of the Copa America played on Brazilian soil (six, including 2021). They won each of the previous five.
- Argentina will be playing their sixth final in the Copa America since 1993. It will be the third time in this period that they have played for the title against Brazil, failing to win against them in the past two deciders between the teams.
- Messi has scored five times against Brazil, making them his joint second-favourite opponent after Ecuador (six goals).
Tyson Fury has tested positive for COVID-19 and his trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder has been postponed, according to reports.
The BBC said Fury's coronavirus test took place on Thursday, and it quoted Wilder's manager Shelly Finkel as saying: "Deontay is disappointed."
An official announcement of the postponement has yet to come and tickets for the fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas remained on sale on Friday.
Neither fighter has commented, although a positive test for WBC heavyweight champion Fury would point to there being little prospect of the July 24 showdown going ahead.
According to The Athletic, the Vegas gym where Fury has been preparing for the Wilder fight has been affected by a series of COVID-19 cases, with "at least 10" people who have spent time there said to have tested positive.
Fury has a 30-0-1 career record, only failing to win in an initial meeting with Wilder in December 2018 that finished in a split draw.
However, Fury knocked out the American in February 2020 to claim the WBC title, with a clash against British rival Anthony Joshua an apparently obvious next step.
A blockbuster clash with Joshua looked set to go ahead, and it was pencilled in for August 14 in Saudi Arabia.
Wilder then won an arbitration hearing that stated he had the right to a third Fury bout.
This derailed plans with WBO, IBF and WBA strap-holder Joshua, and Fury instead penned an agreement to take on Wilder once more.
Now, though, pending the expected confirmation of the trilogy fight being put back, hopes that Fury and Joshua could go head to head before the end of the year look to have been dealt a major blow.
Reports have said the Fury-Wilder fight could go ahead in October, possibly on October 9, with the previous Saturday at the fight venue booked out for an Alanis Morissette concert.
Kyle Walker feels England have set the bar for future generations at Euro 2020 following decades of disappointment and is convinced a rediscovered sense of national pride in the team has inspired them.
England beat Denmark 2-1 after extra time on Wednesday to secure a first ever appearance in the European Championship final, having not reached the showpiece of any major international tournament since winning the World Cup in 1966.
That 55-year period is the longest gap between major finals for any European nation, and now only Italy stand between England and the trophy.
The closest England had ever got to winning the competition before 2021 was in 1996 when they fell at the semi-finals stage, with the so-called 'Golden Generation' that followed defined by their underachievement as they never got beyond a quarter-final at the World Cup or Euros.
But under Gareth Southgate there have been strong hints of change, as they finished fourth at Russia 2018 and then also reached the semi-finals of the inaugural Nations League, and Walker believes the team's mentality is finally becoming aligned with the expectations of supporters.
"I think when you put on an England shirt – definitely in the past four years – it means something now," Walker told the FA's YouTube channel.
"I have heard a lot of people talking about how England haven't won a knockout game, England haven't won a penalty shoot-out, England haven't got this, England haven't got that.
"This group of lads – with the manager and the coaching staff – we just keep knocking them down and we have set the bar now for the future youngsters that are coming through.
"This is what our country wants and expects of us."
England will, of course, be considered "hosts" for the final given it – like all but one of their previous Euro 2020 games – will be played at Wembley, and there are certain advantages attached to that.
Although the past two host-nation finalists (Portugal at Euro 2004 and France at Euro 2016) of a major tournament lost the decider, prior to 2004 only Sweden (1958 World Cup) had been beaten during a final on their own turf.
The omens are generally positive for the Three Lions, who have won 15 and lost just one of their previous 17 matches at Wembley. While Italy will likely pose a challenge greater than most of the opponents in that run, Walker feels it gives England an edge – and he will not entertain back-handed comments about their status as hosts.
"These emotions and these types of games grab hold of you," he said. "We want one more effort from the fans – because that 12th man is vital.
"I hear people complaining now that England have got an advantage playing at home. But we never complained when we played certain people in their back yard, it is just the rub of the green."
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker says his side will revert back to a "0-0 mindset" despite taking a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals with a 118-108 Game 2 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
Booker starred with 31 points, including seven three-pointers, along with five rebounds and six assists in the victory.
Three of Booker's three-pointers were in the final quarter when the Bucks closed within five points.
The victory means the Suns become the 36th side to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals, with 31 of those previous 35 sides going on to lift the title.
Booker was not getting carried away as the series moves to Milwaukee for Game 3 on Saturday.
"It's a 0-0 mindset going into Game 3," Booker said post-game. "It's a Game 7 for us. Every game is a Game 7 at this stage of the season.
"We're locked in. We know it gets rowdy there in Milwaukee but we're ready for it."
Booker brushed off any individual plaudits at the post-game news conference, nor praise for keeping his cool with his fourth-quarter shooting.
"It's just team basketball," Booker said. "A few of them were open. We prepare for these moments. Nobody is running from any action or any moment.
"It's not just me, setting my man up Deandre [Ayton]. Setting a screen from Chris [Paul] to get me open, it's all a collective group.
"That's why I feel we've been successful for most of the year."
All five Phoenix starters finished with points in double digits, with Paul having 23 points as well as eight assists. Mikal Bridges had a personal playoffs high of 27 points.
The Suns' depth will be tested with Torrey Craig going down injured in the third quarter with a right knee contusion, with Dario Saric already ruled out of the NBA Finals after tearing his ACL in Game 1.
Booker played 44 minutes before sitting out the closing stages with the Suns in a strong position.
"Just preserving my body," he said. "I felt like we had it in a good place. We believe in our team. Two days to get right, then we're back in Milwaukee."
Booker won special praise from Paul, who has offered him a license to shoot.
"[He's] big time. He's trained and work his whole life for these moments," Paul said. "Our team all season long, you put the work in, they get the results. When Book's shooting, I expect it to go in, I get mad at him when he doesn’t shoot."
Giannis Antetokounmpo has backed team-mate Jrue Holiday to step up when his side needs it after a sub-par performance in the Milwaukee Bucks' NBA Finals Game 2 loss on Thursday.
Holiday has been a key part of the Bucks' success this season but shot 17 points at 33.3 per cent from the field, making only one from three beyond the arc in the 118-108 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Khris Middleton also battled, making 11 points at 31.3 per cent from the field, while he only hit one from six three-point attempts.
The Bucks are now facing a 2-0 deficit in the NBA Finals, with only four sides in league history lifting the title from that position.
"[I'll] keep talking to him, keep telling him to be aggressive," Antetokounmpo said at the post-game news conference. "It's not about me, it's not about him, it's not about Khris [Middleton], it's not about coach, it's about all of us.
"If there's a game where you're three from 12 or whatever, if you can rebound, or get a steal or do something to help the team win, that's what it's all about.
"I don’t worry at all about him. He's going to be there when we need him the most.
"He's a great basketball player. He's played great all year and he's going to continue to play great for this team."
Holiday has averaged 17.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game this playoffs but his shooting let him down in Game 2 under pressure from the Suns defense.
Antetokounmpo stepped up, scoring 42 points for Milwaukee, along with 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
The Greek forward's 20-point third-quarter effort was the best in the NBA Finals since Michael Jordan scored 22 against the Suns in 1993.
Antetokounmpo's output was also the first 40-plus point and 10-plus rebound game in Bucks' NBA Finals history.
The 26-year-old, who hyper-extended his left knee in the Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks, went down late in the match, limping to the bench. He returned to the court and insisted it was nothing to worry about ahead of Game 3 in Milwaukee on Saturday.
"It's just cramp," he said. "I didn’t think it was connected to my knee."
Antetokounmpo also insisted the knee injury was not concerning him during games, after missing the final two games of the Hawks series.
"When I'm not out there, it's not about testing it more, if I'm out there, I'm trying to play and help my team win in any way possible," he said.
"When you start thinking about your knee, or toe or pinky, or whatever, you're making excuses in your mind. You're out there, just play the game, do whatever you can, leave it on the floor."
Brad Miller recorded a three-homer game for the first time in his career as the Philadelphia Phillies crushed the Chicago Cubs 8-0 at Wrigley Field in the MLB on Thursday.
The Cubs, who snapped their 11-game losing run with Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Phillies, returned to their recent form woes.
Chicago failed to score on the night, with Phillies pitcher Zach Eflin having five strikeouts across six innings but Miller played a major role in his 14th career multi-home run game.
Miller hit a home run in the third inning to left field. In the fifth inning, he hit another from Adbert Alzolay over the wall.
The 31-year-old hitter saved his best for last with a monster into the old Wrigley Field scoreboard at right field in the seventh inning, wearing a third Phillies home-run sombrero to salute. Miller only had six homers for the season coming into the game.
Garcia lifts Brewers to victory
Avisail Garcia hit a two-run homer at the bottom of the eighth inning to earn the Milwaukee Brewers a 5-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The Brewers are now 53-36, while Garcia has 16 home runs this season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers drove in five runs in the fifth inning on their way to a 6-1 road win over the Miami Marlins to round out their series.
Logan Gilbert sent down eight strikeouts across seven innings as the Seattle Mariners won 4-0 over the New York Yankees.
Nats blow 8-0 lead
The Washington Nationals blew an 8-0 lead against the San Diego Padres, losing 9-8 in a walk off. Star pitcher Max Scherzer saw seven runs in the fourth inning before leaving the game as their 8-0 lead disintegrated. Among those was Daniel Camarena's spectacular grand slam, making him the first relief pitcher to achieve that since 1985.
Indians walk-off win
Franmil Reyes secured a 7-4 walk-off win for the Cleveland Indians with a three-run home run. The deep center-field bomb was Reyes' second career walk-off homer and it also ended Cleveland's nine-game losing stretch.
Thursday's results
Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 Miami Marlins
Oakland Athletics 2-1 Houston Astros
Colorado Rockies 9-3 Arizona Diamondbacks
Seattle Mariners 4-0 New York Yankees
Cleveland Indians 7-4 Kansas City Royals
Philadelphia Phillies 8-0 Chicago Cubs
Minnesota Twins 5-3 Detroit Tigers
Milwaukee Brewers 5-3 Cincinnati Reds
San Diego Padres 9-8 Washington Nationals
Angels at Mariners
There's a full 15-game fixture on Friday, headlined by Shohei Ohtani's in-form Los Angeles Angels (44-42) making the trip to face the Seattle Mariners (46-42) in an American League West match-up.
The Phoenix Suns have shot their way to a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals with a 118-108 Game 2 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
The Suns drained 20 three-pointers, including eight in the first quarter, shooting at 50 per cent from beyond the arc on their way to victory, headlined by young guard Devin Booker with 31 points, five rebounds and six assists.
Booker hit seven-from-12 three-point attempts, while veteran Chris Paul scored three three-pointers in his 23 points for the game, along with eight assists.
Mikal Bridges scored a personal playoffs-high 27 points, while Deandre Ayton was slightly subdued in the paint, finishing with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, in his second game back from his knee hyperextension, was heroic for the Bucks with 42 points including a massive third period but could not inspire his side to victory.
The Greek forward shot at 68.2 per cent from the field, but only hit one from five beyond the arc. He also had 12 rebounds, three blocks and four assists.
But Antetokounmpo lacked support, with Khris Middleton struggling with 11 points shooting at 31.3 per cent from the field. Jrue Holiday managed 17 points but only shot seven from 21 from the field.
The Bucks started strong in the first quarter, scoring 20-0 in the paint and leading by as much as nine points, before Phoenix hit back with a 30-16 second quarter to open up an 11-point half-time lead.
Antetokounmpo scored 20 points in the third quarter to keep Milwaukee in the hunt, trailing by 10 points at the final change. The Greek's 20 was the most in an NBA Finals quarter since Michael Jordan's 22 against the Suns in 1993.
The Bucks got within five points in the last but the Suns always had the answers when challenged, with Booker and Paul knocking down crucial final quarter threes.
Booker was benched late, in order to preserve his body after playing 44 minutes, after Phoenix lost another player Torrey Craig to injury, to join Dario Saric on the sidelines after the Croatian tore his ACL in Game 1.
Neymar will be putting his friendship with former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi aside as he chases his first Copa America title with Brazil in Saturday's final.
Brazil takes on Argentina in the Copa America 2021 decider at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, with both players pursuing their first-ever continental crowns.
Messi's Argentina have not won the Copa since 1993, while injury meant Neymar was not part of the Brazil squad which triumphed in 2019.
The pair have a close friendship from Neymar's four years in Barcelona, while they have both dominated this Copa.
Messi leads the Copa with four goals and five assists, while Neymar has contributed two goals and three assists for hosts Brazil.
"Messi is, as I've always said, the best player I've ever seen play and he's a great friend," Neymar said. "But now we're in a final, we're rivals. I want to win and I really want to win this title, which would be my first Copa America.
"Messi has been looking for his first title with the national team for many years, and every time we we [Brazil] are not present at the tournament, I cheered for him.
"That's what I've been cheering for in the 2014 World Cup final, when he faced Germany.
"Now Brazil is in the dispute, so our friendship is on the line [laughs]. The respect between us in still great but only one can win."
He added: "When you're friends with someone, it's hard to forget the friendship you have... but for example when you play video games with a friend, you want to beat him anyway. It'll be the same thing on Saturday."
Neymar also hit out on Instagram about Brazilian fans who have turned on the national team and opted to support rivals Argentina.
"I'm Brazilian with a lot of pride, with a lot of love. My dream was always to be in the Brazilian national team and hear the fans singing," he wrote. "I've never supported or will support against anything Brazil is competing for, whatever the sport or modelling contest."
Brazil is chasing its 10th Copa title, while Argentina is looking to end its 28-year wait to add to its 14 continental crowns.
Argentina have won five games in a row, including their semi-final victory over Colombia, and are unbeaten across their past 19 games.
Brazil are undefeated in their past 13 games and have only conceded two goals at Copa America 2021.
Naomi Osaka wants "some level of privacy and empathy" from the media when she returns to action and says she "could not be more excited" to play in the Olympics.
Osaka has not played since withdrawing from the French Open after revealing she would skip press conferences at Roland Garros as "people have no regard for athletes' mental health".
The four-time grand slam champion from Japan revealed she had suffered "long bouts of depression" since winning the US Open in 2018.
Osaka says she has not changed her stance on press conferences and feels she had been unfairly scrutinised.
The world number two wrote in Time magazine: "I communicated that I wanted to skip press conferences at Roland Garros to exercise self-care and preservation of my mental health. I stand by that.
"Athletes are humans. Tennis is our privileged profession, and of course there are commitments off the court that coincide. But I can't imagine another profession where a consistent attendance record [I have missed one press conference in my seven years on tour] would be so harshly scrutinised.
"Perhaps we should give athletes the right to take a mental break from media scrutiny on a rare occasion without being subject to strict sanctions.
"In any other line of work, you would be forgiven for taking a personal day here and there, so long as it's not habitual. You wouldn't have to divulge your most personal symptoms to your employer; there would likely be HR measures protecting at least some level of privacy.
"In my case, I felt under a great amount of pressure to disclose my symptoms - frankly because the press and the tournament did not believe me. I do not wish that on anyone and hope that we can enact measures to protect athletes, especially the fragile ones.
"I also do not want to have to engage in a scrutiny of my personal medical history ever again. So I ask the press for some level of privacy and empathy next time we meet."
Osaka is feeling the benefits of a break and is relishing representing her country in the Olympics on home soil in Tokyo.
"After taking the past few weeks to recharge and spend time with my loved ones, I have had the time to reflect, but also to look forward," the 23-year-old said.
"I could not be more excited to play in Tokyo. An Olympic Games itself is special, but to have the opportunity to play in front of the Japanese fans is a dream come true. I hope I can make them proud."
Karolina Pliskova says it "can't be any better" than facing Ash Barty in a battle of two first-time Wimbledon finalists after fighting back to beat Aryna Sabalenka.
Pliskova is just one victory away from her maiden grand slam title following a 5-7 6-4 6-4 semi-final defeat of powerful second seed Sabalenka on Centre Court.
World number one Barty earlier moved into her first championship match at the All England Club with a 6-3 7-6 (7-3) win over Angelique Kerber.
Eighth seed Pliskova expressed her pride over the achievement of moving into uncharted territory and is relishing the opportunity to take on her Australian foe.
The Czech said of the challenge of facing Barty: "It can't be any better than that. You want to play the best player in the final. Of course, I don't want anybody else but [Barty] there.
"We had some good matches. Of course, I lost a couple times, but I think she has an extremely difficult game to play. It's going to be difficult on grass because of her slice and just her game overall.
"It's a final. Anything can happen. I know she has a grand slam, but also for her it's the first Wimbledon final. I think we both have good chances.
"It's going to be hopefully a good match to watch as well because with her it's always interesting. We're going to see what's going to happen."
Saturday's showpiece will be the first time two players who have never played in a Wimbledon final fight it out for the Venus Rosewater Dish since 1977.
Former world number one Pliskova: "It's amazing to be in the final. It's an incredible achievement. It was an amazing match from both of us.
"I had so many chances in the first set and got a bit frustrated, but she was serving unbelievable. A lot of credit to her, but super happy that I managed to find the way to win.
"It's tough to enjoy it when she's playing so fast that you don't have time to think about what you want to do. There were some good rallies.
"I stayed focused. It was close. I stayed calm and positive, trusting in myself and my game. I'm proud."
The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), sports’ parent body locally, will be investing $15 million into its Equipment Grant to benefit its member bodies.
Financing for the program was secured through a three-year partnership worth $45 million with Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL). At the time when the agreement was signed in April, the JOA had made known its plans to make funds available to sporting associations for equipment, noting that it is critical to building capacity for sport and the performance of athletes.
This is the second activation of the Supreme Ventures partnership with the JOA after they invested $7.5 million in the Jamaica National Trials last month.
Also, for some associations, the acquisition of equipment has been expensive and beyond their grasp, which has consequences for athletes whose daily regimen of exercise constitutes training with equipment, which is vital to their preparation and overall development.
The Equipment Grant is another facet of the JOA’s Olympic Invest initiative that was launched in 2020, which has, among its primary objectives, the sustainability and viability of Olympic and non-Olympic sports. Some of the members that will be benefitting from this grant are Jamaica Triathlon Association, Jamaica Wrestling Federation, Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation, Jamaica Cricket Association and Jamaica Lawn Bowling Association.
With an oft-expressed view to equip and empower its member associations by providing the means to opportunity and success, the JOA further maintains the provision of the equipment is enabling sport with the required tools of the trade.
This program follows upon the recently announced partnership with select members of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council to raise $200 million through a ‘Dollar Plan’ campaign that will be done later this year. These funds raised will be used to expand the JOA funding portfolio to support a wider diversity in sports over the next quadrennial.
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