Giovanni Simeone has taken part in his final training session with Napoli and is now set to travel north to complete his move to Torino.
According to journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, Napoli and Torino have reached a full agreement for the 30-year-old’s transfer. The deal will reportedly be structured as an initial season-long loan worth €1.5 million, with an option to buy set at €5.5 million. Additional bonuses—described as easily achievable—will bring the total value to around €8 million.
Simeone, the son of Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone, will be joining his sixth Serie A club, having previously played for Genoa, Fiorentina, Cagliari, Hellas Verona, and Napoli. During his time with Napoli, he won the Serie A title twice, but never fully secured a place as a regular starter, often coming off the bench to make an impact in certain matches.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) is actively pursuing a long-term international strategy, with major projects underway in Asia, North America, and the Middle East. In an exclusive interview with Mundo Albiceleste, Leandro Petersen, AFA’s Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer, confirmed that while the short-term match calendar is already packed, there are medium-term plans for the Argentina national team to play in countries such as India or Bangladesh.
“I don’t know if it will be in the short term, because our calendar is very complicated,” Petersen said. “But yes, we have the idea to visit those countries in the medium term — Africa, India, Bangladesh… Morocco is another one that has been contacting us and asking for us to come.”
Petersen joined AFA in October 2017, a few months after Claudio Tapia became president. At the time, the institution had minimal commercial activity outside Argentina. “When I arrived, the reality is that the AFA brand did not exist in a developed way — not even in Argentina,” he explained. “We had five sponsors, all from Argentina. There was no content for fans, no digital platforms in other languages, the website was poor, and social media was only basic and informative.”
Source: Argentine Football Association
Market research quickly revealed that much of AFA’s potential was abroad. “We had several studies showing that in places like China and India, there was huge interest in Argentine football history. There was a lot of love for Maradona, and in China they remembered very well the 2008 Olympics we won in Beijing with a great team including Di María and Messi,” Petersen said.
Armed with that data, AFA launched a 10-year global expansion plan (2018–2028) as part of an institutional project presented alongside César Luis Menotti. “The first stage was China in 2019, where we worked with a local sports marketing agency and Wanda Group to develop a China-specific AFA brand, with social media, a website, e-commerce, and regional sponsors,” he said. “It took time to take off, but we began to see strong engagement and steady growth.”
The second stage focused on the Middle East ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Despite pandemic travel restrictions, Petersen and his team visited the region frequently. “We traveled every month in 2020 with masks, tests, and vaccines. That gave us an advantage over other federations,” he explained. The groundwork paid off, with two sponsorship deals signed during the World Cup itself.
India was the next step. “We replicated the model, and today we have a consolidated brand development there, with six sponsors, social media channels, and fan engagement that no other national team has achieved,” Petersen said.
Source: Argentine Football Association
North America entered AFA’s plans in 2021. “We knew there was a possibility the World Cup would be hosted there — which was later confirmed — and even if it hadn’t been, we would have done it anyway,” Petersen said. The U.S. market offered both a growing interest in soccer and a large Latino population. “Nearly 70 million Latinos live in the U.S., and the majority are fans of Argentine football,” he added.
To prepare, AFA launched English-language social media, organized events in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Miami with legends such as Javier Zanetti and Lionel Scaloni, and started building a training complex in Miami. “Our dream is for the national team to inaugurate it, with Messi, Scaloni, and the president cutting the ribbon,” Petersen said. The facility is expected to be completed by June 2026, just before the World Cup.
One of the most visible parts of AFA’s global presence is AFA Internacional, created in 2022 under the leadership of Gustavo Grossi. The program operates 12 football academies in Spain, Italy, Morocco, Brazil, Colombia, and the United States, with planned openings in Dubai, China, and India.
“The methodology replicates how the U-13, U-15, and U-17 national teams train,” Petersen explained. “Obviously, we adapt to each country’s football culture, but we bring the Argentine football formation philosophy, which is respected worldwide.”
Source: Argentine Football Association
Beyond training, the academies serve as cultural and commercial hubs. “You can bring your child to train, but you can also eat at an AFA restaurant, buy merchandise, and connect directly with the Argentine national team brand,” he said. “For a fan, walking into a place that feels like an AFA headquarters is something special.”
Petersen stressed that commercial partnerships are central to sustaining AFA’s operations. “Today we have almost 80 sponsors between the national team and the professional league,” he said. “Sponsorship has been AFA’s number one revenue source for the past four years.”
He also pointed out that the current success was built over time, not just during Argentina’s recent run of trophies. “It wasn’t an easy road — for four years, from 2017 to 2021, we didn’t win anything,” Petersen said. “These last four years combined the institutional, commercial, and sporting achievements.”
While the next 12 months will focus heavily on World Cup preparations and commitments in the United States, AFA’s medium-term vision includes taking the national team to new regions. “We’ve been contacted by countries like India, Bangladesh, and Morocco that want us to come,” Petersen said. “That’s what the AFA brand generates. After eight years of work, this is a project that’s well established, and I think whoever comes after us will continue it — because it’s proven to work.”
🇦🇷🏆 AFA Global Expansion Plan 2018–2026
From a Regional FA to a Global Sports Property — the story of the past 7 years, and how the Argentina National Team became a globally iconic brand 🔝
Javier Zanetti spoke about becoming the vice president of Inter and how he prepared himseld.
Zanetti spent 19 years as an Inter player and was the captain in 2010 when they won the historic treble. No longer a player, the 51 year old is now the vice president of the club. Speaking in an interview with JP Varsky on Clank Media, here is what he had to say:
“I left football and they offered me to be the vice president of Inter. On the one hand, I was happy to continue my relationship with Inter, but on the other hand, it was a great responsibility. I had to prepare myself. I went from 25 years running after a ball to being at a desk with other managers who spoke English. I had to prepare myself.
“I didn’t want to be just a leader linked to sports, but to have a broader vision. That’s why I enrolled in one of the most important faculties in Milan and started training in marketing, finance and international relations. That’s how I was preparing myself.
“I’m still studying. Football is so innovative that there are always new things coming out. That opened my head and it’s very useful for me. I had to change the way I express myself and the way I speak, because now I talk to managers, I don’t talk to players anymore.
“I took a communication course to see how to get there. Maybe I have to talk to a future sponsor and I know how to handle myself. After the first two years I started to feel well positioned.”
The injury occurred during the second group stage match of the Leagues Cup, which Inter Miami went on to win via penalty shootout. Messi was seen massaging the back of his right leg before lying down on the pitch near the home bench at Chase Stadium, clearly in pain. Medical staff attended to him before he walked off and went directly to the locker room.
Inter Miami stated that “his medical clearance will depend on his clinical progress and response to treatment.” No specific timeline for his return was given.
Messi’s injury doesn’t just impact Inter Miami. With Argentina set to play its final two World Cup Qualifiers in September, Lionel Scaloni and his staff will also be monitoring the situation closely. Though the injury is considered minor, it’s uncertain whether Messi will recover in time to participate in the next double matchday.
Teammate and fellow veteran Jordi Alba expressed concern after the match:
“It’s a huge sadness that he got injured. For us, he’s a vital player. Hopefully it’s nothing serious because we really need him.”
Messi has a history of recent injuries, including a hamstring issue in March 2024, which sidelined him for both Inter Miami and the Argentine national team. Later, during the 2024 Copa América final, he sustained a ligament injury to his right ankle, which didn’t require surgery but kept him out for weeks. Earlier this year, he also missed Argentina’s matches against Uruguay and Brazil due to a left adductor problem.
Messi will miss Wednesday’s game against Pumas, the final group stage fixture in the Leagues Cup. Mundo Albiceleste will be on-site covering the match live as official media.
He is also expected to miss Sunday’s MLS showdown against Orlando City on August 10. Depending on how his recovery progresses, it’s likely he could sit out additional matches as well.
Lionel Messi was substituted out injured for Inter Miami in their penalty shootout win against Club Necaxa in the Leagues Cup.
Messi started Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup match against Club Necaxa but was shortly substituted out. Messi was running towards the Necaxa back line and was tackled.
He was substituted out shortly after going back down. Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano spoke about Messi’s injury at a press conference after the match. Here is what he had to say:
“Messi felt discomfort in the hamstring muscle, and we won’t know the extent of the injury until tomorrow… But it might not be too serious because he didn’t feel severe pain, just discomfort.”
