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Wolves have endured a bruising start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.

Six matches in, they sit bottom of the table after losing five and drawing once, that solitary point coming in heartbreaking fashion against Spurs when Joao Palhinha struck a 94th-minute equaliser.

A goal difference of -9 reflects the struggles Vítor Periera’s side have faced both in attack and defence.

The Carabao Cup has offered a rare glimmer of light, with Wolves progressing past Everton to set up a fourth-round clash against Chelsea.

But in the league, their attack remains toothless: their expected goals tally ranks fifth-worst in the division, better only than Newcastle, West Ham, Aston Villa, and Burnley.

Wolves must find a spark quickly, and they are already feeling the absence of their departed talisman, Matheus Cunha.

Cunha’s £62.5m exit was compounded by the sale of Rayan Aït-Nouri to Manchester City for £31m.

Though Wolves managed to retain Jørgen Strand Larsen – who contributed 22% of their goals last season and has since committed his future until 2030 despite heavy interest from Newcastle – Pereira’s squad is still adjusting.

Several arrivals, including Tolu Arokodare, Ladislav Krejci, and John Arias, add depth, but none will be expected to bear the same creative burden that Cunha once carried.

That responsibility may fall on the shoulders of a new arrival.

The loss of Cunha – the man who made it all tick

Cunha was central to Wolves’ survival push last season.

Arriving from Atlético Madrid in 2023, he went on to score 31 goals in 76 appearances across all competitions.

His 2023/24 league campaign was particularly vital: 15 goals and six assists in 33 appearances ensured Wolves had a fighting chance after a bleak first half of the season.

The Brazilian forward was not just about end product; his underlying numbers highlight how complete his game had become.

He averaged 0.48 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes, ranking him among the very best attacking midfielders in Europe, and his 3.87 shots per 90 placed him in the 99th percentile.

That volume alone kept defenders occupied, but Cunha also created for others, producing 4.68 shot-creating actions and 5.30 progressive passes per 90.

He combined that with 2.05 successful take-ons per game, showing he could beat a man as well as pick a pass.

For a side that already struggles to generate quality chances, losing his mix of direct shooting threat, creativity, and dribbling power is a hammer blow.

Wolves have not only lost their goalscorer but also the man who made their attack tick.

His sometimes volatile personality – including controversial outbursts on social media directed at fans – was tolerated precisely because of the quality he brought on the pitch.

Wolves' perfect Cunha replacement

Into that void steps Fer Lopez.

Signed from Celta Vigo in the summer for £19m, the 21-year-old Spaniard is being backed to take on the creative mantle.

Still developing, Lopez has already shown at youth level why he is regarded so highly, earning his Spain U21 debut in September.

Wolves see him as a player who, like Cunha once did, can gradually grow into a leader in the final third.

Lopez’s statistical profile underlines his potential. In La Liga last season, he averaged 2.68 shots per 90, enough to place him in the 77th percentile for his position throughout Europe’s top five leagues.

More importantly for Wolves, he created 4.19 shot-creating actions per 90, showing he can be a reliable source of chances for teammates.

His passing metrics are particularly impressive: a completion rate of 83.4% puts him in the 94th percentile, while his 6.52 progressive passes per 90 are elite, ranking in the 93rd percentile.

Add to that 2.33 successful take-ons per 90, and you have a “tremendous ball-carrier” – in the words of one analyst – who is capable of driving through lines and committing defenders.

Those metrics echo some of Cunha’s strengths.

Where Cunha was known for his shooting volume and chance creation, Lopez’s passing reliability and ability to progress play stand out.

His 6.52 progressive passes per 90, ranking in the 93rd percentile, indicate a willingness to move the ball quickly through midfield into dangerous zones – something Wolves badly need as their chance creation dries up.

Importantly, Lopez offers versatility. He can operate as an advanced midfielder, threading passes into the front line or drop slightly deeper to dictate play in possession.

His intelligence in tight spaces could become crucial against compact defensive blocks, a recurring obstacle for Wolves last season.

The task of replacing a proven Premier League attacker like Cunha is daunting, especially for a 21-year-old still adapting to English football.

If Wolves are to climb away from the relegation zone, giving Lopez responsibility sooner rather than later may be their best route forward.

With Strand Larsen carrying the goalscoring burden and Lopez supplying the creative spark, Wolves might yet find a way to recalibrate their faltering attack.

Lionel Messi this week signed a three-year extension to stay with Inter Miami through 2028, and the Argentine says a major factor was the lifestyle in Florida. In addition to his family enjoying living in Miami, Messi told NBC Nightly News that he evaluated his mental and physical health and ultimately, the decision to remain in MLS was "easy."

• 'I'm happy living in Miami'

  "Honestly, I felt really good during the year," Messi told NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas. "I'm happy living in Miami, as is my family, and honestly, the decision was easy."

  News of a potential extension broke in April, then stalled over the past few months. The team announced the three-year extension on Thursday. Messi said during international duty with Argentina that he was unsure if he would play in the 2026 World Cup.

  "Day by day, I try to feel good and, above all, be honest with myself. When I feel good, I enjoy it. But when I don’t, honestly, I don’t enjoy it – and if that’s the case, I’d rather not be there. So we’ll see," he said at the time. "I haven’t made a decision yet about the World Cup. Match by match, I’ll finish the season, then have preseason, and in six months, I’ll see how I feel. Hopefully, I can finish this MLS season strong, have a good preseason in 2026, and then make a decision.”

  Messi told NBC that he evaluated both his health and options, and decided to extend with the MLS side.

  “I've always said that I’ll base my decision on how I feel day to day and how I feel physically and mentally to continue playing and to continue being part of this club," he said. 

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  Messi's impact on MLS

  Since Messi’s arrival, Inter Miami’s value has more than doubled to roughly $1.2 billion, according to Sportico and Forbes. The impact has been felt across every metric: MLS attendance hit 11.2 million in 2025 – its second-highest total – with teams averaging 14,000 more fans when Messi and Miami visited, a 63-percent jump over their standard home crowds.

  The club’s Instagram following exploded from 1 million to 17.9 million, trailing only the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers among U.S. teams across sports. And Messi’s jersey has been No. 1 in MLS sales for three straight seasons, setting records across North American sports, and remains Adidas’s top-selling shirt worldwide.

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  Dominant individual play

  Messi has scored 50 goals in 53 league games, adding 35 assists in that span. He was the 2024 MLS MVP and is the frontrunner to become the first player in league history to win the award in back-to-back seasons.

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• Playoffs ahead

  Inter Miami kick off their first round series against Nashville Friday in Game 1 of a best-of-three format. NBC will air the full interview with Messi on Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

West Ham have been given hope of signing a “special” striker in January amid manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s damning update on Niclas Füllkrug, with the importance of bringing in a new centre-forward brought even further to the forefront.

West Ham given Niclas Fullkrug update after thigh injury

Now confirmed by Nuno, the injury-prone Fullkrug is set to be out for “a while”, with Standard Sport reporting that West Ham are waiting on scan results to determine his exact recovery period.

Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann, after West Ham’s striker was excluded from the international squad to face Luxembourg and Wales, announced that Fullkrug torn a muscle bundle in his thigh and Kicker stated he could face “several weeks” out.

The 32-year-old’s injury is a significant blow for West Ham, compounding the club’s ongoing striker shortage. Fullkrug, who has been battling persistent fitness issues ever since joining the Hammers last year, is now set for a likely significant spell out — leaving Nuno with very limited options.

With Fullkrug sidelined, West Ham are left relying primarily on Callum Marshall, a promising but inexperienced young striker, and Callum Wilson, whose own injury history raises questions about his ability to consistently lead the line.

This lack of attacking depth puts considerable pressure on Nuno, and the tactician could even be tempted to play winger Jarrod Bowen up front, as the Englishman has done in the past.

In any case, the message is clear — West Ham need a new striker in January.

In the build up to winter, the Irons have been linked with a host of intriguing options, including Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney and Man United’s Josh Zirkzee.

One insider reported this week that West Ham have been offered an unnamed forward who “fits the bill” on loan, and while we’re just speculating, it could well be Real Madrid starlet Endrick.

The Brazilian, who’s struggled to play his way into Real’s first team due to a combination of injuries and fierce competition for places, was reportedly open to the prospect of a London Stadium loan move last January.

Given he’s yet to play a single minute under Xabi Alonso this term, the idea of a temporary Premier League move could well appeal to the 19-year-old once again, and journalist Dean Jones has shared a positive update on West Ham’s hopes of signing Endrick.

West Ham given Endrick transfer hope after Real Madrid update

Speaking to TEAMtalk, Jones reports there is “very little doubt” that he’ll be offered the chance to leave in January if his game time continues to be limited, and West Ham are genuine contenders to sign Endrick on a short-term basis.

The South American, who scored 21 goals in 82 senior appearances for Palmeiras before joining Real, despite his very young age, is still one of the most promising young Brazilians in world football.

Despite his limited appearances in La Liga and the Champions League, Endrick actually played a key role during Real’s run to the Copa del Rey final last season — bagging five goals in the competition and scoring in nearly every game before their loss to Barcelona.

Endrick’s arrival would be a real statement of intent from the heavily criticised West Ham board, and perhaps exactly the calibre of signing they need up top.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has fired back at Cristiano Ronaldo and urged the club to look to the future, rather than focus on the mistakes made under his regime and those made by previous managers. The United manager has also highlighted the key problem "he cannot allow" to continue holding his team back this season.

• Ronaldo wades in on United slump

  In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo criticised Man Utd's continued struggles, stating the club "don't have a structure" and are "not on a good path". He expressed sadness over the team's decline, despite still loving the club. Ronaldo claimed that Amorim could not perform "miracles" with the current set-up and that some players don't have the right mentality for a club of United’s stature. The comments came nearly three years after his explosive 2022 interview with Morgan, which led to his departure.  

  The five-time Ballon d'Or winner said: "You have to follow with the intelligent people, smart people, to create a base for the future as Manchester United have (done) so many years ago. Nicky Butt, Gary (Neville), Roy Keane, (David) Beckham, they became big players but they had youth. So Manchester United right now, they don't have a structure. I hope that changes in the future, present/future, because the potential of the club, it's amazing. It's one of the most important clubs of the century. 

  He added: He's (Amorim) doing his best. What are you going to do? Miracles? Miracles is impossible. We say in Portugal, 'miracles is only in Fatima', and he's not going to do miracles." 

  The Miracle of Fatima occurred in Portugal in 1917,  where observers claimed to have seen the sun dance, spin, and appear to fall towards the earth. 

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  'Let's continue and forget the past'

  Amorim said: "Of course, he knows and he (Ronaldo) has a huge impact in everything he says. What we need to focus on is the future. We know that we as a club made a lot of mistakes in the past and we are trying to change that. Let's not focus on what happened, let's focus on what we are doing now and we are doing that. We are changing a lot of things in the structure, the way we do things and want the players to behave. We are doing that and we are improving, so let's continue and forget the past."

• Amorim identifies key problem

  Amorim added: "I think you can attack really well. Sometimes when you defend better, you attack better. I think it's not that, it's the way we defend the box, but the last game we struggled inside the box because we allowed the crosses into the box without any pressure.

  "These small details that you watched during the last game, we have worked on that. In our last game, they had 17 shots and we cannot allow that. It's something we need to change. We can attack the same way, score even more goals, but we need to defend better."

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  United Spurred on for revenge

  United face Tottenham this weekend, the first time the two teams have met since the Europa League final in May, which the Reds lost 1-0. Spurs have an excellent away record, but have been woeful at home and Amorim believes his side have improved since losing the final in Bilbao. 

  Amorim said: "The characteristics of the players, we have different characteristics in our team, but we also have a lot of players who played last year. We are a better team, we play better and we understand the game better. We are more confident. At this moment, we play with a different confidence. We manage better the moments of the game, but if you remember that game, they had that shot on the goal and won the game. I expect a different game. We can play better, but also have a little bit of luck to win the game."

  He added: "I think we are more confident. We believe more that we can win any game and we prove already that we can win any game. The last game was tough on us because in some moments we weren’t the team we were supposed to be in every minute. And compare that against Brighton, it was a different thing.”

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is so good at baseball that even his mistakes are impressive.

During the Dodgers' 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium on Monday night, Ohtani found himself in a bit of a pickle after reaching first base on a single in the bottom of the first inning.

The Dodgers star, who ranks second in the majors in stolen bases, took off for second just as Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo delivered a pickoff throw to first base, leaving Ohtani caught in a rundown.

But Ohtani managed to get out of the rundown and slid safely back into first base after outrunning the ball and evading the tag by Mariners first baseman Justin Turner.

Nine times out of 10, Ohtani would have had no way out of the rundown, but the Mariners gave him a bit of an opening and, like the great ones do, he seized his chance. The Dodgers slugger finished the game 1-for-3 with a walk.

When Everton wrapped up a season-long loan deal for Jack Grealish ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, it felt like the Three Lions star had entered the last-chance saloon.

It also raised questions as to what David Moyes was to do with his Toffees talisman, Iliman Ndiaye. Both mavericks couldn’t play on the left flank, after all.

But Ndiaye has performed excellently in a new right-sided berth, leading the club’s scoring charts with three goals from nine Premier League matches.

Iliman Ndiaye's importance to Everton

Alongside Grealish, he is the standout star in Moyes’ squad. Ndiaye only arrived in 2024, signing from Marseille for about £15m, but he was a beacon of hope throughout the end of Sean Dyche’s tenure and has scored nine goals under Moyes; no active Everton player has bagged more.

His electric pace and sharp-witted brain makes him a tricky customer for even the sternest Premier League defence. As per Sofascore, the Senegal international has won seven duels per game so far this season, and he has yet to miss a big chance when played in on goal.

Grealish has a unique skillset of his own, but there is really no one else quite like him on the blue half of Merseyside, perhaps the red streets too.

He wears the #10 shirt with pride and purpose, and it’s unlikely anyone in Moyes’ squad has the quality to take it from him right now.

There is an Everton up-and-comer who would fancy his chances, though. He’s currently out on loan, and causing quite the storm as he angles toward an emphatic return to the Premier League next season.

The Everton prospect who could take Ndiaye's shirt

For those of an Everton persuasion, it’s a hard thing to admit, but if Ndiaye isn’t playing European football before long, he may well cast an eye on the continent. Already, the likes of Tottenham Hotspur are weighing up a bumper bid, and the Friedkin Group have responded with a price tag spilling over the £70m mark.

Should he leave, Harrison Armstrong might fancy himself worthy of the summer. Certainly, the teenager has been riding the crest of a wave out on loan in the Championship with Preston North End this season, with his performances leading writer Jonny Nelson to predict that he “will be playing for England in two years”.

The 18-year-old has the grace, technical skill and physicality to become a mainstay in the Premier League, and after a promising spell on loan with Derby County last year, he has taken his game to the next level at Deepdale.

Rangy and ever-more athletic, he’s already featured eight times for Everton’s senior side and has racked up three assists, having played prominently for the development side before being determined to warrant a series of loan moves at a lower level.

Lauded for his “unreal” recent performances by the Second Tier Podcast, Armstrong is going from strength to strength.

We are seeing improvements. We are seeing maturity and growth. Armstrong ranks among the top 10% of Championship midfielders this season for progressive carries and the top 13% for successful take-ons per 90 (data via FBref).

But, more crucially, it is the overall level of his game that has been raised, more confident on the ball, more combative against the run of play. This is a Moyes midfielder, and one who stands a compelling chance of emulating Declan Rice at West Ham United, who was schooled into the superstar he is by the Scotsman.

He is not a winger, and would not replace Ndiaye in terms of tactical role, but the Finch Farm starlet has what it takes to dazzle on Merseyside and provide Everton with a new dimension, much like the silky winger.

Everton might just have a superstar on their hands in Armstrong, one who could hit the heights Ndiaye has reached, and more.

Fewer touches than Pickford: Everton flop must be axed if Richarlison joins

This Everton dud will surely be on borrowed time even more if Richarlison rejoins the Toffees.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 27, 2025

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris admitted to making a sly tactical tweak to try and prevent Arsenal's long throws. It was one of those epic Premier League encounters that saw Arsenal’s title charge momentarily halted by the fearless Black Cats, who matched the intensity of their more illustrious rivals in every department and also employed some unusual help.

• A thrilling night at the Stadium of Light

  Dan Ballard gave Sunderland a surprise lead midway through the first half. He headed home from close range after Arsenal failed to clear a corner. It was absolutely deserving for the hosts to have their noses in front after a spell of intense pressure that rattled Mikel Arteta’s men. 

  Arsenal regrouped after the interval and eventually found their rhythm as they pinned Sunderland back. Bukayo Saka drew the visitors level with a poacher’s finish in the 54th minute, and 20 minutes later, Leandro Trossard produced a moment of brilliance by curling a stunning strike into the top corner to give Arsenal a 2-1 lead. At that point, it looked like the league leaders would grind out yet another comeback win. However, Sunderland had other ideas. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Ballard flicked on a hopeful long throw into the Arsenal area. Fortunately, it fell for Brian Brobbey, who contorted his body mid-air to steer a bicycle kick past the onrushing David Raya. The excitement hit the roof as the Dutch striker had secured a point for Sunderland out of nowhere, as Arteta looked on in despair. 

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  Le Bris spills the beans

  After the game, Le Bris revealed that the Black Cats had moved the advertising boards closer to the touchline before kick-off. This drastically cut down the run-up space that Arsenal’s players use to hurl the ball deep into the penalty area from a throw-in. Hence, the Gunners were robbed of one of their growing set-piece weapons. And, as it turned out, the tactic actually worked. Arsenal had limited potency in their aerial assaults and failed to take advantage of their usual dominance from throw-ins. After the game, Le Bris could barely hide his satisfaction when asked about the subtle act of gamesmanship.

  He told BBC Sport when quizzed about the hoardings: "Yeah, we tried to find the details to win the game. They are really strong on set-pieces, and we were good as well. It was absolutely obvious this threat was really important for this game, and in the end, it was balanced."

  For Le Bris, the result was a validation of his team’s belief: "The lads worked hard to the end. They believed it was possible to change the dynamic. It was a tough game, as we expected. They are probably one of the best teams in Europe. We struggled, but we still believed it was possible to score one more goal. Our fans helped a lot. We showed before that it was possible [to score late goals], so now we have this faith, this belief that until the final whistle, anything is possible. We were on the edge sometimes, but we’re a new squad, we’re young. We felt their pressure, their intensity. We felt the quality. We were on the edge during the second half."

• Arteta was frustrated but proud

  Arteta was visibly frustrated after the final whistle. Arsenal had dominated large stretches of the match and appeared poised to claim another victory before Brobbey’s late strike.

  "Really tough test, we knew that. The way they set up, credit to them because they made it difficult for you," he said.

  "They take the game constantly to the areas that they want. You have to deal with that and very unfortunately, at the end, we conceded a goal. The time that was added tells you the story of the game. It's normal, each team tries to do their best and we do the same. Yeah, it is two direct balls and we lose the flicks – it is the same action. Credit to the opposition, it is not the first time they've done it. They committed a lot of players forward at the end with Ballard and created chaos – in any moment they can score a goal. That is the reason they are where they are."

  Yet, Arteta lavished praise on his players for their efforts and said, "So overall, we’re disappointed with the result, but so proud of the players because putting into perspective what they’ve done in the last 10 games, winning all of them with the amount of clean sheets that they had, with seven players injured."

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  A history of smart tactics

  Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time Sunderland have used this advertising-board trick, as they reportedly employed the same tactic during last season’s Championship play-off clash against Coventry City. It worked then, too. Sunderland went on to beat Coventry and later Sheffield United, sealing promotion to the Premier League. Next up, Sunderland face a tricky trip to Fulham, while Arsenal prepare for the north London showdown with Tottenham after the international break.

The Oakland Athletics are no more. The A's franchise played its final game under the Oakland banner on Sunday and will now begin its journey towards Las Vegas, with a three-year stop-over in Sacramento.

The team's last few years in Oakland have been a mess with ownership refusing to put together a competetive payroll and the results on the field matching with three consecutive losing sesaons. Between the impending move and the bad baseball, atteandance went in the tank.

And yet somehow the organization found one final way to look silly on the last day of the season as the official postgame show was pre-taped because of "studio conflicts." Hosts Brodie Brazil and Dave Stewart were left recapping their time with the team. Fittingly, the results of the game did not matter.

"Well, after 57 seasons and more than 9,000 baseball games, the A's have played their last contest representing the city of Oakland," said Brazil. "It happened today right there in Seattle. Full disclosure this is Postgame Live, however it's prerecorded. We had some studio conflicts so we don't even know the result of today's baseball game. Just want to be fair, if we don't reference something that just happened, the reason why is that this show is prerecorded."

It's hard to imagine how there was a scheduling conflict for the postgame show for a game that was scheduled back in March, but this is the just how things work for the A's.

AC Milan have now reportedly dropped their price for Rafael Leao, with Arsenal now preparing to accelerate their interest to sign the impressive Portuguese winger.

The Gunners couldn’t have asked for a much better start to the Premier League campaign, but their recent run of clean sheets finally came to an end against Sunderland.

After over 13 hours, David Raya finally picked the ball out the back of his own net courtesy of Sunderland’s Daniel Ballard. And like London buses, when one arrived, another soon followed with the Black Cats netting a last-gasp equaliser through Brian Brobbey.

Slipping up for the first time since drawing against Manchester City at the end of September, Arsenal’s recent run of form has been nothing short of excellent.

Speaking about the draw at full-time, Mikel Arteta told reporters: “The last feeling is disappointment and frustration because we wanted the three points. We had to navigate through a really tough game, we knew that. It was very disruptive; we have to deal with situations that are difficult to deal with.

“They did really well and we conceded a goal that is not in our standards, but after that I think the team reacted really well, showed a lot of personality and courage.

“They scored the first goal, they scored the second goal, we had totally dominated the game and then you have to rely on defending the box when they start to commit six or seven players there.”

Up next, Arsenal have the small matter of the North London derby in a game that represents the perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways. It also represents the start of an all-important week, with Chelsea and Bayern Munich following the Tottenham Hotspur clash over a seven-day period after the international break.

It’s the type of period that Arsenal’s stars are made for and the type that Leao could soon get the chance to enjoy following the latest transfer reports.

Arsenal accelerate Leao move after learning latest discount

According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are now ready to accelerate their move to sign Leao after AC Milan dropped their price tag to around €85m (£75m) from the winger’s €150m release clause.

Goldbridge says Arteta was "massively missing" one Arsenal star v Sunderland

The summer signing’s absence against the Black Cats was noticeable.

By
James O'Reilly

Nov 8, 2025

Milan’s hierarchy is reportedly preparing for the possibility that negotiations between Leao and themselves over a new contract could yet stall and have adjusted their price tag as a result. As things stand, the Portugal international has until 2028 until his current contract runs out, but Milan’s updated stance suggests that he may not see out the final three years of that deal.

When compared to Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s interest in Leao begins to make sense. On the opposite flank to the England international, the Milan star has already been involved in five league goals in just 453 minutes this season – the same as around five games.

Described as “crazy” by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry in 2023, Leao is a star who’s ready to take the Premier League and The Emirates by storm.

5/10 Arsenal star had his worst game all season against Sunderland

A legal settlement has been reached related to the disruptions at the 2024 Copa América final, with organizers and venue operators agreeing to pay $14 million to fans affected by access and safety issues at Hard Rock Stadium. The class action was filed after security problems prevented some ticket holders from entering the venue and created unsafe conditions for others inside.

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  Settlement provides compensation for fans

  A settlement has reportedly been reached in the class action lawsuit filed by fans following the 2024 Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium. The lawsuit cited access and safety issues that left some ticket holders unable to enter the venue and prompted others to leave early. ESPN reported that affected fans are expected to make up the majority of claimants.

  CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, Best Security, and South Florida Stadium LLC – the owner and operator of Hard Rock Stadium – were named as defendants. Under the terms of the agreement, the defendants will collectively contribute more than $14 million to a compensation fund for eligible fans, with the final payout dependent on the number of claims submitted.

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• Chaotic scenes at Hard Rock Stadium

  The July 14, 2024, final was delayed for roughly 82 minutes after large numbers of ticketless individuals attempted to enter Hard Rock Stadium, prompting a security lockdown and the later reopening of gates to reduce crowding outside the venue. Authorities reported multiple arrests and ejections, and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to numerous medical incidents at the stadium.

  As a result of the disruptions, many paying ticket holders were unable to enter or chose to leave early, and those individuals are expected to make up the majority of claims under the settlement.

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  Liability, damages and more

  Under the settlement terms reviewed by reporters, eligible claimants will fall into two main categories. Fans who were denied entry may seek up to $2,000 each to cover ticket costs, with an additional allowance of up to $300 for travel expenses if the ticket value was below the cap.

  A secondary category covers patrons who were denied full access to stadium facilities or services, such as concessions and merchandise, with awards capped at $100 per person. The final total paid out will depend on the volume of claims submitted against the roughly $14 million fund.

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• Looking ahead

  The settlement outlines how fans affected by the access and safety issues at the 2024 Copa América final can seek compensation. Hard Rock Stadium is also scheduled to host matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup next year.