Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/19/2026

Two weeks in a row of World Cup greatness and two weeks in a row of Spanish greatness.  The backdrop for the World Cup Final was perfect.  A Spanish team that was stingy on defense allowing one goal leading into the Final.  And an Argentina defending World Cup Champion team that has been completely resilient scoring late when they needed to in order to beat all the big boys.  The result was an action-packed scoreless tie.  Until in extra time, a new hero emerged.  In the opening minutes of the second half of extra time, Ferran Torres finally broke through.  Argentina goalie Emiliano Martínez set a World Cup final record with 11 saves, but it wasn't enough.  Torres struck a great center with no chance for Martinez for what ended up being the deciding goal in a 1-0 victory.  Torres came on in the 62nd minute with fresh legs and made history for Spain.  Their second World Cup final and second World Cup in history.  Ferran Torres is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 6/21/2026

The World Cup has taken the entire planet by storm, and especially in North America where they are hosting it for the first time in 32 years.  A South American player is etching his name amongst all greatest soccer legends not to exclude his fellow continental star Pele.  Lionel Messi is the all-time leader in World Cup Goals.  Period.  Messi scored a hat trick, the only in the 2026 World Cup so far, in easing to a victory in Argentina's opening match.  Then followed up with two more goals against Austria.  The 38-year-old gets better with age.  And has a World Cup title for his proud nation defending this year.  Will he repeat?  No reason to doubt him.  Lionel Messi is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week! 

This is Messi's third Sportsman of the Week becoming the 20th athlete to do so.  

December 2022

March 2012

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/14/2024

An amazing week of international sports culminated with the Copa America Final of Argentina versus Colombia and an epic matchup of superstars of Lionel Messi and James Rodriguez (both former Sportsmen of the Week).  But it was another budding superstar, Argentinian Lautaro Martinez, who stole the glory.  In the 112' of Extra Time, when penalty kicks seemed to be a certainty, Lautaro took it upon himself to decide the practical Golden Goal.  After Colombia stumbled for an entire sequence to get a good set together, Giovani Lo Celso struck a perfect pass to Martinez who beat the Colombian keeper Camilo Vargas hands were too late.  Martinez had five goals in the tournament to lead as well.  As Messi fades into the sunset, Martinez is likely the heir apparent to keep Argentina in the top.  And is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/18/2022

What a week and what a weekend for sports in the United States and around the world.  No more eyes were on any event than the 2022 FIFA World Cup Semi-finals and finals.  And a legend emerged, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest of all time.  Lionel Messi led his strong, but not favored, Argentina squad to a thrilling victory (3-3, 4-2 PK) over defending champion France in the World Cup Finals as well as Croatia (3-0) the semis.  Messi netted the first goal (on a penalty kick) in the Semis and two goals (first one off a PK) in the Finals.  It was his assist for the third goal in extra time that helped Argentina push it to Penalty Kicks.  Messi netted his opportunity in the PK shootout as part of Argentina's 4-2 victory.  He ended up with 21 World Cup career "contributions" (8 goals, 13 assists) the most since 1966.  He's the best of the era and now has a World Cup to hoist.  The Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/1/2018

The FIFA World Cup continues with new stars (and new scapegoats) in every match.  In a thrilling knockout round opening day, one of the most anticipated round of 16 matchups was Argentina with the best player in the world Lionel Messi against France, featuring professional star Paul Pogba.  But it would be neither of these that would be the man of the match.  Kylian Mbappe of France announced his presence on the World Stage with two huge goals in the see-saw affair.  The 19-year old scored twice in the second half, the first to break a 2-2 tie at 64', then again just 4 minutes later in the 68' to push the Les Bleus up 4-2, a lead that secured the world quarterfinals.  Mbappe's first goal was a nifty move in traffic to create space and strike the ball just under the goalie.  The second was on a long attack in which he made no doubt of the goal from the right.  Mbappe looks all the part of international soccer legend, and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/13/2014

Third week in a row we go to the World Cup, but why not, it only comes every 4 years.  And there was one game that really mattered, the World Cup Final on Sunday.  After 110 minutes of (a relatively exciting) 0-0 stalemate (no really, there were lots of opportunities), Germany's Mario Gotze broke through with a beautiful goal. On the center pass, he settled with the chest, then pounded with the left foot.  Argentina goalkeep Sergio Romero had no chance.  And Super Mario was the hero of a nation who hadn't won a Cup in 24 years.  And our Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 3/11/2012

A spectacular performance in a single game earns the title of Sportsman of the Week for Lionel Messi. An unprecedented five goals in a Champions League match (25th, 42nd, 49th, 58th, and 84th minutes) is a notch in the career hall of fame stick for Messi, thrusting him into a small group of elite who can be debated as "Best Ever". Now if he can just bring a World Cup back to the pampas of Argentina, his legacy will be cemented. For now, he'll have to settle for being the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!