ZWF: The Messi video you have to witness
Zander's Weekend Facts #76: Sunday, July 23, 2023
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, Lionel Messi’s introduction to soccer in America, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines you need to know from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 112 features a preview of the 2023 Women’s World Cup currently underway in Australia and New Zealand. Zander breaks down all 32 teams and predicts who will win the trophy on women’s soccer’s biggest stage. Go download the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, July 23, 2023:
Messi makes his mark in Inter Miami debut
Here’s what you need to know this week… Lionel Messi scored a goal in his debut for Inter Miami on Friday.
That’s not surprising, but the way it happened may have you feeling a bit stunned. A free kick from just outside the penalty area to win the match in its final moments.
It’s something you have to see to believe:
And the reactions from a couple of notable fans were pretty good too:
(Video sources: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
We’re sure to see plenty more of this as the Lionel Messi era of Major League Soccer is just getting started.
MLS, welcome to Lionel Messi.
For more information on this week’s top story, here’s an article from ESPN - Lionel Messi scores winning goal in dream Inter Miami debut
What Zander’s been reading
With all the rage of the newly released movie “Oppenheimer” which premiered on Friday, a new study just found the effects of the Oppenheimer team’s work. The fallout from the world’s first nuclear explosion, the Trinity test that took place in New Mexico in July 1945, spread to almost all of the lower 48 states along with parts of Canada and Mexico.
Check out this week’s featured article at The New York Times - Trinity Nuclear Test’s Fallout Reached 46 States, Canada and Mexico, Study Finds
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
Women’s World Cup: The 2023 Women’s World Cup kicked off in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday. In the tournament’s first two matches, both host nations were able to capture three points as New Zealand took down Norway 1-0 and Australia beat Ireland 1-0. New Zealand’s victory was the first in a Women’s World Cup match for the country. Other notable results through the first four days include the two-time defending champion U.S. Women’s National Team beating Vietnam 3-0, England squeaking by Haiti 1-0, and Spain taking down Costa Rica 3-0. The U.S. continue group stage play on Wednesday night at 9:00 pm et against the Netherlands on Fox and Telemundo in a rematch of the 2019 final, which the U.S. won 2-0.
The Open: Golf’s final major of the year, The Open, is set to conclude later today at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Liverpool, England. After Saturday’s third round concluded, Brian Harman had a five-stroke lead over the field at -12. If Harman can hold on, it would be his first career victory in a major. Cameron Young sat in second place at -7 with Jon Rahm in third at -6 after shooting a 63 in the third round, the lowest score ever at a Royal Liverpool-hosted Open. Final round coverage of The Open began at 7:00 am et on NBC and Peacock and continues a winner is crowned at around 2:00 pm et.
Washington Commanders Sale: The sale of the NFL’s Washington Commanders became official on Thursday after the league’s owners voted unanimously to approve the sale. A group led by Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris, who will be the franchise’s majority owner, has now taken over control from Daniel and Tanya Snyder. Harris’ group includes basketball hall-of-famer Magic Johnson, Crystal Palace FC and Real Salt Lake owner David Blitzer, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. On his way out, the NFL fined former owner Daniel Snyder $60 million after an investigation found he engaged in sexual harassment and withheld revenue from the league.
The Championships, Wimbledon: In a thrilling five-set match, Carlos Alcaraz was able to take down Novak Djokovic in last Sunday’s gentlemen’s final at Wimbledon. The 20-year-old Alcaraz won his first Wimbledon title and second major title, stopping Djokovic after he won the year’s first two Grand Slams (Australian and French.) Alcaraz became the first men’s player not named Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, or Rafael Nadal to win Wimbledon since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002. The year’s final Grand Slam, the U.S. Open, begins on Monday, August 28, with Alcaraz coming in as the defending champion.
NBA Summer League: The NBA’s Summer League concluded on Monday in Las Vegas with the Cleveland Cavaliers taking home the championship. Led by Emoni Bates, Sam Merrill, and Isiah Mobley, the Cavaliers beat the Houston Rockets 99-78, being the only team to not have lost during the tournament. The NBA returns with the regular season set to begin on October 24. However, the FIBA World Cup is set to tip-off on August 25 in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia and last until the final on September 10. Spain enter the tournament as defending champions, having beaten Argentina in the 2019 final.
Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Alabama Congressional Map: Alabama lawmakers approved a new congressional district on Friday that only includes one majority-Black district. Last month, the Supreme Court ordered the state to redraw its congressional map in order to accommodate a second majority-Black district given their 27% share of the population in the state. The new map only bumps up the percentage of the population in the 2nd District to 40% black from 31% previously. If a federal court rules the new map is also unconstitutional under the Voting Rights Act, a new map could be drawn by a court-appointed special master.
Trump Documents Trial: The judge overseeing the trial regarding former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents has set the start date for the case. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Friday ordered the trial to begin on May 20, 2024, during the heart of the 2024 presidential primary elections. While federal prosecutors were requesting a December date, lawyers for Trump asked for a trial date after the 2024 presidential election. Trump also claimed on Tuesday that he had received a letter noting he is the subject of a federal grand jury investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, indicating a potential indictment could be near.
Spain Elections: Spain is set to hold a general election today that was called by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez after a poor showing in May’s local elections for his party. Sánchez called the snap election after his left-wing Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party came in second to the conservative Popular Party. The Popular Party, led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, is currently favored to win the most seats but may need a coalition to reach the required 175-vote majority in the lower house of Parliament. A potential coalition has risen fears that an extreme-right party, Vox, could become a part of the government. It would be the first time since the end of the dictatorship of Francisco Franco in 1975 that the far-right would be a part of the government. Polls are set to close at 8:00 pm local time in Spain (2:00 pm et.)
New York Times Union: After The New York Times announced it would be axing its sports desk in favor of using content from The Athletic, the New York Times union filed a grievance over the plan. NewsGuild, the union representing employees of the Times, argued that the plan was “a brazen attempt at union-busting” due to The Athletic employees not being represented by the union. The Times Guild’s argument was that relying on non-guild labor to produce its sports coverage was a violation of the two sides’ collective bargaining agreement.
Extreme Heat: As the globe is experiencing the hottest summer on record so far, southern states in the U.S. are facing extreme heat. A heat dome has repeatedly pushed temperatures over 100°F in states such as Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. Phoenix has set several records recently, including reaching at least 110°F for 21 consecutive days and recording the warmest all-time daily low temperature of 97°F on Wednesday. Cities across the world are also setting record highs, with Rome hitting 109°F on Tuesday and Sanbao, China reaching 126°F last Sunday, the highest temperature ever recorded in the country.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
Check out the Zander’s Facts Linktree page for more on everything Zander’s Facts related, including the all-new Zander’s Facts website. At ZandersFacts.com, get the latest on all the facts that Zander is putting out, and check out the freshest styles at the Zander’s Facts shop!
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.substack.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment! That includes the next episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast, which comes out this Wednesday!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The facts in print return next Sunday, July 30, 2023.
