Category: Football

Jose Mourinho began his second spell in charge of Benfica with a comfortable 3-0 win at AVS on Saturday.

Heorhiy Sudakov opened the scoring at the end of the first half for the visitors, with Vangelis Pavlidis netting the second from the penalty spot before the hour mark.

Franjo Ivanovic rounded off the rout for Benfica, who moved second in the table, five points behind leaders Porto, having played one fewer match.

The veteran Portuguese coach, back at the helm of the Eagles 25 years on, celebrated the third goal furiously, pumping his fist and kicking a cone.

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The 62-year-old, who also coached Porto in the Portuguese top flight before leaving in 2004 to join Chelsea, will face both those teams within the next 15 days.

Mourinho, who won trophies with Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Inter Milan, as well as coaching various other sides, was sacked by Fenerbahce in August.

Benfica ousted coach Bruno Lage this week after a surprise defeat in the Champions League by Azerbaijani minnows Qarabag and appointed Mourinho as his replacement on Thursday.

His first spell at the club lasted just 11 games, but Mourinho said on his presentation that he was more “mature” and “altruistic” now.

READ: Lionel Messi brace lifts Inter Miami in MLS win over DC United

Superstar Lionel Messi scored two superb goals and created another as Inter Miami beat DC United 3-2 on Saturday to inch closer to an MLS Cup playoff berth.

Amid indications this week from sources close to the club that Messi is poised to sign a contract extension that would keep him in Miami at least through next year, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner showed just why the club and Major League Soccer are so keen to see him stay.

The 38-year-old now has 22 goals in 22 matches played this season. With his seventh double of the MLS season, he moved to the top of the league scoring list, passing England’s Sam Surridge, who has 21 for Nashville.

“It was another ordinary night for him, which is totally extraordinary for any other football player,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said.

“His ability not only to score but to make the team play, to find situations, and to carry the team on his shoulders when we needed him most and faced difficulties, that is the advantage of having him, and today we were able to take advantage of it.”

Miami dominated from the outset on a rainy night at their Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, against a team already eliminated from playoff contention.

They took the lead in the 35th minute when Messi produced a well-judged through ball forward to Tadeo Allende, who beat United goalkeeper Luis Barraza with his first touch and smoothly fired into the right corner of the net.

Christian Benteke headed the visitors’ level in the 52nd minute.

Messi forced a pair of quick saves from Barraza before he fired Inter back into the lead in the 66th minute, collecting a pass from Jordi Alba in the box and turning to slot a left-footed shot past Barraza.

Two minutes after coming on as a substitute in the 69th minute, Argentine Mateo Silvetti was fouled in the box by Barraza.

The referee pointed to the spot, and the 19-year-old stepped up to take the kick, but he smashed the attempt off the crossbar.

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“Leo gave it to Toto (Silvetti) surely as a gesture to let him have his first goal, which I think is something very good, unfortunately, he couldn’t score it,” Mascherano said, adding that the gesture was one Messi had made often in his career to “involve someone who needs it more than him.”

But Messi pushed Miami’s lead to 3-1 with a bit of trademark magic in the 85th, picking up a pass just outside the area and eluding his defender to loft a shot out of the reach of Barraza.

It proved invaluable, as Jacob Murrell struck for DC United in the seventh minute of stoppage time to trim the deficit to one.

With the win, Mascherano called “very important,” Miami climbed one spot to fifth in the Eastern Conference with 52 points, but will have to wait to secure their playoff berth after the New York Red Bulls produced a 2-0 victory over Montreal.

New York City FC clinched their ninth playoff spot in 11 seasons with a 2-0 victory over playoff-bound Charlotte.

Alonso Martinez converted two penalties, and Matt Freese saved a Wilfried Zaha spot kick as City stretched their unbeaten run to three matches.

Philadelphia Union maintained their grip on first place in the East and bolstered their bid for the Supporters’ Shield awarded to the top team overall with a 1-0 victory over New England.

Bruno Damiani broke the scoreless deadlock in the 71st minute with a crisp finish from a perfectly placed pass from Frankie Westfield.

Orlando denied Nashville’s chance to clinch a playoff berth with a 3-2 victory.

Martin Ojeda scored two goals and Duncan McGuire added another for Orlando, who are also in pursuit of a post-season spot. Hany Mukhtar and Jacob Shaffelburg scored for Nashville.

READ: Bangladesh outclass Sri Lanka to claim clinical Super Four win

Luca Zidane, the 27-year-old goalkeeper and son of French football great Zinedine Zidane, has switched his sporting nationality from France to Algeria, the Algerian Football Federation said on Friday.

“FIFA officially granted… goalkeeper Luca Zinedine Zidane authorisation to represent the Algerian national team,” FAF said in a statement.

FIFA’s “change of association platform” showed the decision was dated on Friday.

Luca Zidane represented France at youth levels and currently plays for Granada in Spain’s second division.

Since he never made the step up to the French national team, he remained eligible to play for Algeria, the country of his paternal grandparents.

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The North Africans have qualified for the 2025 African Cup of Nations, set to begin on December 21 in Morocco.

They are also leading their World Cup qualifying Group G with 19 points, needing either a win against Somalia or a draw with Uganda next month to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Zidane also played for Real Madrid’s reserve team after working his way up from its youth academy, which he joined in 2004.

He debuted with the main team in their last league game in the 2017-2018 season and was the third-choice goalkeeper when Real won their 13th Champions League title in 2018.

Although Zinedine Zidane was born in Marseille, his family was originally from a small village in Bejaia, some 250 kilometres east of Algiers.

READ: Germany World Cup winner Jerome Boateng announces retirement

Former Germany defender Jerome Boateng, who won the World Cup in 2014, formally announced his retirement from the game on Friday.

The 37-year-old centre-back uploaded a minute-long clip to his social media channels on Friday, bidding farewell to the game.

“I played for a long time, for big clubs, for my country. I learned, won, lost, and grew through it all,” Boateng said in a clip uploaded to Instagram, which included highlights from his career.

“Football has given me a lot, now it’s time to move on. Not because I have to, but because I’m ready.

 

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“I’m grateful to the teams, the fans, and the people who supported me. And above all, my family, my children. They’ve always been there for me.”

The defender played 76 times for Germany, scoring once.

Jerome Boateng won two Champions League titles with Bayern Munich, in 2013 and 2020, as well as nine Bundesliga crowns.

Born in Berlin, Boateng came through the Hertha Berlin academy alongside his half-brother Kevin-Prince, who is one year his senior.

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After brief spells at Hamburg and Manchester City, Jerome Boateng moved to Bayern.

Since leaving Bayern in 2021, Boateng bounced around clubs in several countries, playing for Lyon in France, Salernitana in Italy, and LASK in Austria.

He terminated his contract with LASK in mid-August.

Late in his career, Boateng was dogged by a trial relating to domestic violence allegations made by his ex-wife. After a review process, he received a warning and a suspended fine.

READ: India face injury scare ahead of Super Four clash against Pakistan

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said his side can ill afford a repeat of the “under-14s” defending that saw them thrashed 5-1 by Arsenal in February.

Guardiola’s men travel to the Emirates again on Sunday, already trailing the Gunners and defending champions Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Man City lost two of their opening three games to Tottenham and Brighton., However, they have bounced back with comprehensive victories over Manchester United and in the Champions League over Napoli.

Erling Haaland starred in Man City vs Napoli clash as he scored his 50th goal in the Champions League.

The thrashing at the hands of his former protege, Mikel Arteta, was one of the low points in a miserable campaign for Guardiola.

City failed to win a trophy for the first time since 2017 and finished a distant third behind Liverpool and Arsenal.

“The game last season, we started like many times last season, like an under-14s team and gave away a thousand million goals,” said Guardiola when asked to reflect on his last visit to the Emirates.

“After we were, a lot of the time, pretty good considering how it was last season, but the last 15-20 minutes were a disaster.

“We forgot to do what we had to do, and it was easy for Arsenal. I want to compete to be a better team than we were last season.”

Both Liverpool and Arsenal massively outspent City in the transfer window in the battle for Premier League supremacy, and Guardiola took the opportunity for a dig at those who claim his six titles since arriving in England are due to the budget at his disposal.

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“The only thing I want to say to my friend Mikel Arteta is if he wins the title, it will be just because he spent money, not because he worked hard or because of his players,” Guardiola said sarcastically.

“It’s like Liverpool, too. If Arne (Slot) wins it again, it will be because he spent a lot of money, right? Because it’s not just Man City that (spend), right?”

Arteta left behind working as Guardiola’s assistant in 2019 and has slowly built Arsenal back into a force capable of competing for major trophies.

But he has still just won one piece of silverware, the 2020 FA Cup, after finishing second in the Premier League for the past three seasons.

“He found the club in a (certain) way and step-by-step, window by window, Arsenal is getting better,” added Guardiola.

“Last season in Europe, they made an incredible step forward, and they are, for me, the most solid team. They don’t make mistakes in the back.”

City begins the weekend three points behind Arsenal and six adrift of leaders Liverpool.

The challenge facing Guardiola’s side is heightened by the fact that they played their Champions League opener 48 hours after Arsenal, who won 2-0 at Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday.

Guardiola refused to be drawn into the scheduling debate but conceded it could be difficult for Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to start three games in eight days on his return from a major knee injury.

“With him in the pitch we feel more comfortable but, of course, after coming from a tough injury you have to be alert and we will decide on Sunday how he does feel.”

READ: Dominant Pakistan outplay Maldives 5-2 in SAFF U17 Championship

COLOMBO: Pakistan continued their strong performance in the SAFF U17 Championship, securing a decisive 5-2 win against the Maldives on Friday.

The Green Shirts put on an excellent display, with Mansoor Ahmed starring for Pakistan. The youngster kept his team on top, piercing the nets three times in the match in the 12th, 32nd, and 45th minutes of the game.

At the halfway mark of the game, Pakistan were leading with a dominant position of 4-1 and eventually secured a comprehensive victory.

 

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Pakistan also secured a dominant 4-0 victory in its opening game against Bhutan. Muhammad Abdullah remained the standout performer, scoring a hat-trick and playing a vital role in the team’s victory.

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Pakistan netted the opening goal in the 15th minute of the game, courtesy of Abdullah’s brilliance. He struck again in the 25th to double Pakistan’s lead.

Hamza Yasir extended Pakistan’s advantage with a goal in the 67th minute, while Muhammad Abdullah completed his hat-trick just three minutes later in the 70th minute.

The Men in Green, who are placed in Group B, will now face arch-rivals India on September 22.

Group A

Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

Group B

India, Pakistan, Maldives, Bhutan

Pakistan U-17 squad:

Goalkeepers: Samar Razzaq, Khalil Jibran, and Adil Ali Khan

Defenders: Nadeem Hussain, Moha­mmad Alam, Mohammad Masood, Mohammad Zub­air, Shahid Anjum, Aabiss Raza, Azizullah

Midfielders: Mustafa Israr, Abdul Samad, Ibrahim Asif, Moha­mmad Talha, Haroon Rasheed, Moha­mmad Essa, Saad Tiwana

Forwards: Mohammad Abdu­llah, Mansoor Ahmed, Hasnain Wali Raza, Mohammad Owais, Hamza Yasir, Syed Shahram

READ: Haaland hits 50 UCL goals as Manchester City cruise over 10-man Napoli

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said Erling Haaland can become the all-time top goalscorer of the Champions League after reaching 50 in record time in the 2-0 win over 10-man Napoli.

Haaland reached his half-century in Europe’s elite competition in just 49 appearances before Jeremy Doku ensured Guardiola’s men got their quest for Champions League glory off to a winning start.

“The numbers speak for themselves and how fortunate we are to have him,” said Guardiola.

Haaland moved to 12th in the all-time scoring Champions League scoring charts and is barely over a third of the way to Cristiano Ronaldo’s record 141 goals.

But Guardiola believes the 25-year-old has time on his side to reach that milestone.

“Along with the two monsters of the past 15 to 20 years, Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi, Erling is there. In terms of goals, he is unbelievable,” added Guardiola.

“In that rhythm, he can break the record. If he can play 10 to 12 more years and maintain this progression, absolutely.”

There was no fairytale return to the Etihad for Kevin De Bruyne as his night was cut short after just 26 minutes as a result of Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s early dismissal.

De Bruyne was welcomed back like a hero just months after departing as one of City’s greatest players in the club’s history.

The Belgian’s name rang around the Etihad before kick-off, while a series of banners paid homage to the man who contributed nearly 300 goals or assists in 422 matches during his time in Manchester.

However, Antonio Conte showed no room for sentiment as he sacrificed the 34-year-old to bolster his defence with the introduction of Mathías Olivera.

“I was very sorry I had to make that substitution. I also knew by taking him off, we were going to miss some of the things he could give us,” said Conte.

“But I don’t really see that I had any other option. He understood why I had to make that decision.”

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The game-changing moment came when Di Lorenzo made a desperate lunge to prevent Haaland from running clear on goal and wiped out the Norwegian on 21 minutes.

Referee Felix Zwayer initially thought the defender had got a touch on the ball but was instructed by VAR to review and correct his error.

Napoli held firm until half-time thanks to some spectacular goalkeeping from Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.

The Serbian, who had a brief spell early in his career at Manchester United, produced excellent saves to deny Rodri, Nico O’Riley, and Josko Gvardiol.

Even when Milinkovic-Savic appeared beaten in first-half stoppage time, Matteo Politano got back on the line to block Tijjani Reijnders’ goalbound effort.

There was only one outcome once the Napoli rearguard was eventually breached 11 minutes into the second half.

Phil Foden’s flick found Haaland, who looped a header over Milinkovic-Savic for his 12th goal in seven games for club and country this season.

Doku then delivered the knockout blow with a brilliant individual run past three Napoli defenders before slotting coolly under the onrushing goalkeeper.

Ahead of a trip to title rivals Arsenal on Sunday, Guardiola could afford the luxury of resting Haaland and Rodri during the closing stages, which resembled a training exercise as City stroked the ball around at will.

Conte conceded the Italian champions were happy just to limit the damage in what is likely to be their toughest trip of the league phase.

“We didn’t want to come out of this humiliated, because it could have happened,” added Conte.

“They could have pulled our pants down and lost 5-0 or 6-0, and we avoided that thanks to our attitude.”

READ: Marcus Rashford bags brace to help Barcelona defeat Newcastle

Marcus Rashford scored his first goals for Barcelona as the England forward’s brilliant brace inspired a 2-1 win against Newcastle in the Champions League on Thursday.

Rashford struck twice in the space of nine minutes in the second half at St James’ Park to make a memorable return to England following his loan move from Manchester United in July.

The 27-year-old’s first goals in the Champions League since 2021 will have made for painful viewing for United fans, whose team have no European football this season and are already mired in a dismal start to the Premier League campaign.

Anthony Gordon got one back for Newcastle in the closing stages, but it was too late to salvage a point in their Champions League group phase opener.

Rashford fell out of favour with United boss Ruben Amorim last season and was sent on loan to Aston Villa in the second half of the campaign before being exiled to Barcelona for the whole of this term.

Once feted as the future of English football after emerging from United’s youth academy as a precocious teenager, Rashford’s career has dipped badly in recent years amid claims he is no longer focused on his career.

But Rashford’s vibrant performance on Tyneside suggested he could be about to embark on a long-awaited renaissance with Barcelona.

“It’s an amazing experience playing for Barcelona. I’ve always been a huge admirer of the club. We just want to win as much as possible,” Rashford said.

“I’m full of excitement. I’m very motivated and determined. The quality we have in the team excites me.

“It’s so refreshing to play with these players. It’s a new way of football, but I’m enjoying it all and it’s making me a better player.”

Off to a solid start in La Liga with three wins from four games, Barcelona were without Spain forward Lamine Yamal, who was sidelined for Sunday’s 6-0 victory against Valencia with a groin injury.

But Rashford’s double ensured Yamal wasn’t missed by Hansi Flick’s team.

“I’m happy for Marcus. We have a lot of good players and he’s one,” Flick said.

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“These two goals will help a lot to get Marcus to the next step. It’s so important he has the confidence and feels OK. These goals are unbelievable for him for the next steps.”

Beaten by Inter Milan in last season’s Champions League semi-finals, Barcelona haven’t reached the final since they last lifted the trophy in 2015.

But the five-time European champions are expected to be among the leading contenders this season, and this was a strong start to their challenge.

The defeat punctured Newcastle’s hopes of making a strong start on their return to the Champions League after they failed to make it out of the group stage in 2023-24.

“It was a good performance, but these nights are only magical for us if we win,” Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said.

“The chances were there in the first half. Against teams like this you won’t get many. We got punished.”

Newcastle enjoyed one of the greatest nights in their history when Faustino Asprilla’s hat-trick inspired a 3-2 Champions League group stage win against Barcelona in September 1997.

Almost 28 years to the day since that remarkable evening at St James’ Park, Asprilla jetted in from Colombia to watch Newcastle’s first clash with Barcelona since 2003, but it was Rashford who stole the spotlight.

Barcelona were far more effective after the interval and took the lead in the 58th minute.

Jules Kounde whipped his cross into the area, and Rashford easily eluded Fabian Schar to bury a powerful header past Newcastle keeper Nick Pope from 12 yards.

Rashford doubled Barcelona’s advantage in the 67th minute in stunning style.

Taking possession 25 yards from goal, Rashford glided past Sandro Tonali and unleashed a fierce strike that left Pope grasping at thin air as it flashed into the top corner.

Gordon set up a tense finale when he met Jacob Murphy’s low cross with a clinical close-range finish in the 90th minute, but Barcelona held firm.

READ: Asia Cup 2025: Sri Lanka cricketer Dunith Wellalage’s father passes away

Son Heung-min scored his first Major League Soccer (MLS) hat-trick to propel Los Angeles FC (LAFC) to a 4-1 victory over Real Salt Lake in Utah on Wednesday and continue his spectacular start to life in the United States.

South Korea’s Son, the former Tottenham captain who signed with LAFC in August for a reported MLS record $26 million, struck twice in the first half and again in the second.

A former English Premier League golden boot winner, Son has had an instant impact in America after a decade at Tottenham, scoring five goals in six MLS matches.

Denis Bouanga got the fourth to become the all-time leading scorer for LAFC, who moved into fourth place in the Western Conference, two points above Seattle Sounders.

Diego Luna came close to firing Real Salt Lake ahead in the second minute when he charged on to a cross in the penalty area, but his left-footed shot went wide.

Just a minute later, Son punished the miss by putting the visitors in front.

Timothy Tillman intercepted in midfield and threaded a short pass to Son, who raced alone toward the box and unleashed a shot past the advancing Salt Lake keeper, Rafael.

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Son doubled the advantage 13 minutes later with a long-range blast that ripped between defenders and past a diving Rafael.

LAFC’s French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who had also been Son’s teammate at Tottenham, produced a string of first-half saves to keep the Angelenos 2-0 up at the break.

Real Salt Lake’s Rwan Cruz missed a penalty in the 56th minute, his shot bouncing off the post and nearly tripping Lloris.

Xavier Gozo finally got Real on the board with a goal in the 76th.

Son responded with his third, slotting home a pass from Bouanga who got free after a counter-attack on the right.

Bouanga sealed the match in the 88th minute after another fast break.

Latching on to a pass from David Martinez, Bouanga scored his 94th goal for the club in all competitions to move ahead of Carlos Vela as LAFC’s all-time leading scorer.

READ: Messi, Inter Miami agree to extend contract beyond 2026: source

Inter Miami and Lionel Messi have agreed to extend the Argentine star’s contract to remain in Major League Soccer (MLS) beyond the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to a source close to the matter.

The contract extension would ensure that 38-year-old Messi remains active through next year’s FIFA showpiece hosted by the United States of America (USA), Canada, and Mexico.

An official announcement is expected to take place within the next two weeks, said the source contacted by AFP late Wednesday.

Lionel Messi, 38, joined Inter Miami during the 2023 season, and his contract runs through the end of the 2025 campaign.

This season, he ranks second in MLS with 20 goals in 21 league games and is tied for sixth with 11 assists. Last season, he also scored 20 goals (tied for second in the league) and provided 16 assists (tied for third).

In a total of 46 league games for Inter Miami, Messi has recorded 41 goals and 27 assists. Across all competitions, he has scored 54 goals in 62 games.

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An eight-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, awarded to the world player of the year, Messi played for Barcelona from 2004 to 2021 and for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from 2021 to 2023.

During his career, he was part of 10 league-title-winning teams in Spain and two in France, and he helped Barcelona secure the UEFA Champions League trophy four times.

Upon joining MLS, Messi immediately contributed to Inter Miami’s victory in the 2023 Leagues Cup.

The team also won the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the club with the best regular-season record, although they lost in the first round of the playoffs.

As of now, Inter Miami (with a record of 14 wins, 6 losses, and 7 draws for a total of 49 points) is in sixth place in the MLS Eastern Conference, entering a Saturday home match against DC United.

Messi is currently Inter Miami’s leading goal scorer, ranking second in MLS with 20 goals. He is also the club’s all-time leader with 62 goals and 29 assists since joining in 2023.

READ: Former Pakistan skipper questions Salman Ali Agha’s post-match comments