Ramos scores first Monterrey goal; free tickets for Messi no-show

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The 38-year-old signed with the Liga MX team in February after departing from his childhood club, Sevilla, following the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.

Ramos, who was part of the Spanish World Cup-winning team in 2010, scored with a header from a corner kick, giving his team a 2-1 advantage.

This marked the 120th goal in Ramos' professional career, with 101 goals scored for Real Madrid, six for Paris St-Germain, and seven for Sevilla.

Sergio Canales, a former Spain international, restored Monterrey's lead after Laguna had leveled the score. Gerardo Arteaga from Mexico added another goal in the dying moments of injury time to secure the victory.

This win propelled Monterrey to ninth place in the league standings, sitting 11 points adrift of the top team, Leon.

Neymar propels Santos into semi-finals

Since his return to Brazil, Neymar has remained in impressive form, as Santos triumphed over Bragantino 2-0 to advance to the semi-finals of the Campeonato Paulista.

The 33-year-old made his comeback to Santos in February, 12 years after initially departing for Barcelona.

He kicked off the scoring in the ninth minute with a free-kick taken from the edge of the penalty area, sneaking it past Bragantino's goalkeeper, Cleiton Schwengber, at his near post.

Since returning to the club, the forward has notched three goals and provided three assists.

In the second half, Brazilian striker Joao Schmidt increased Santos' advantage, setting the stage for a semi-final matchup against either Corinthians or Palmeiras the weekend of March 8/9.

Houston Dynamo provide free tickets following Messi's absence

The Houston Dynamo, a Major League Soccer team, have issued complimentary tickets to frustrated fans after Lionel Messi was absent from Inter Miami's lineup for the match on Sunday between the two clubs.

The game took place at the sellout Shell Energy Stadium, which has a capacity of 22,000, due to the high hopes of seeing the Argentine captain play in Texas.

Messi was not noted as unavailable on the pre-match player status report provided by MLS.

However, he was rested by manager Javier Mascherano in preparation for the team's upcoming Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 clash against Cavalier FC.

"Regrettably, we don’t have any control over who plays for our opponent," the Dynamo's statement explained.

“To express our gratitude, fans attending can redeem a free ticket for a future Dynamo game this season.”

A brace from Venezuela’s Telasco Segovia, along with goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez, propelled Miami to a commanding four-goal lead, followed by a late consolation for the Dynamo.