Category: Football

Fabian Ruiz scored twice as European champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) turned on the style in their reunion with Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday, thrashing Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup to set up a final showdown with Chelsea.

Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd who were wearing white at the MetLife Stadium outside New York.

The Spanish midfielder added another before half-time, and Goncalo Ramos got a late fourth as Luis Enrique’s side moved one game away from glory at FIFA’s new tournament.

Victory against Chelsea in the Club World Cup final on Sunday would complete a campaign of unparalleled success for the Parisians, who won the French title and then the first UEFA Champions League in their history in May.

After blowing away Inter Milan 5-0, the biggest victory in European Cup final history, PSG began their Club World Cup bid by putting four past Atletico Madrid, and the ease with which they disposed of Real was striking.

PSG’s fluidity contrasted starkly with Madrid, who are a work in progress under new coach Xabi Alonso.

“We were not good enough today,” said Alonso. “We are not the first ones to lose to them, but we have a lot of different things to improve.”

Mbappe struggled to make any impact on his first start at the tournament and in his first game against PSG since leaving the French club last year.

The defeat is a real blow to Real Madrid as they hoped to win the first 32-team Club World Cup to add to their record tally of 15 European Cups.

PSG were without imposing centre-back Willian Pacho due to suspension following his sending-off against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, but that did not matter.

Lucas Beraldo slotted into the defence with ease, and the rest of PSG’s first-choice line-up was there.

Real were missing central defender Dean Huijsen through suspension, while the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold was an added blow.

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The return to the starting XI of Mbappe, who missed the entire group stage through illness, did not prevent young striker Gonzalo Garcia from keeping his place.

But the Spanish giants’ front line, completed by Vinicius Junior, made no real impact, such was the extent of PSG’s domination.

Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two superb saves inside the opening five minutes, the first to tip away a Ruiz shot, and the second to deny Nuno Mendes from point-blank range.

Yet, Courtois could not prevent Paris from scoring in the sixth minute, as Dembele pounced on slack defending by Raul Asencio. The Real Madrid keeper saved at the forward’s feet, but Ruiz converted the loose ball.

Three minutes later, the contest was effectively over when Antonio Rudiger failed to control a simple pass from Jude Bellingham, allowing Dembele to run through before finishing low into the corner.

Like his friend Mbappe, Dembele was starting for the first time in the Club World Cup after being injured. That was a 35th club goal since August for a player who is a serious candidate for the Ballon d’Or.

It was turning into a humiliating afternoon for Real as PSG got their third midway through the first half.

A deflected shot by Mbappe was easily held by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and no Madrid player touched the ball again before they were picking it out of their net a minute later.

Dembele released Achraf Hakimi on the right, and he squared for Ruiz, the Spain star taking a touch to hold off Fede Valverde before finishing.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could have got a fourth before the interval, while Desire Doue had a goal disallowed early in the second half.

But Real were not coming back, and Alonso opted to take off Bellingham and Vinicius just after the hour mark in a clear sign of surrender.

PSG then got their fourth after 87 minutes when Ramos controlled a pass from fellow substitute Bradley Barcola, turned and fired in.

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Spanish authorities have released new findings in the investigation into the tragic car crash that claimed the lives of Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, near Zamora last week.

Initial reports suggest that excessive speed may have been a contributing factor in the fatal accident.

According to international media reports on Tuesday, Jota was allegedly driving above the 120 km/h (75 mph) speed limit when his vehicle reportedly suffered a tyre blowout, leading to a fiery crash in northwestern Spain.

Spain’s Guardia Civil police confirmed that an expert forensic analysis is underway, with investigators examining physical evidence from the crash site, including tyre marks.

“The expert report is being carried out and finished, where among other things they are studying the marks left by one of the wheels of the vehicle,” a Civil Guard spokesperson said.

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“There is also the possibility that the speed limit for that road was exceeded, and all current evidence suggests that Diogo Jota himself was behind the wheel.”

Both Jota, 28, and his 25-year-old brother died at the scene of the accident.

Diogo Jota joined Liverpool FC from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 and went on to make 182 appearances for the Merseyside club, scoring 65 goals across all competitions.

He was also a regular in the Portuguese national team setup, earning 49 caps and becoming a key figure for the Seleção in recent years.

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FIFA has established an office inside Trump Tower in New York City as it intensifies preparations for the 2026 World Cup in North America, the governing body of world football announced.

“FIFA is a global organisation and to be global, you have to be local, you have to be everywhere, so we have to be in New York,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said at an event in Manhattan.

“So today, we are opening an office of FIFA here in Trump Tower.”

FIFA already has offices in Miami, and the move deepens ties between Infantino and US President Donald Trump.

Infantino attended Trump’s inauguration earlier this year, has appeared alongside the US President at the Oval Office, and joined him on a recent visit to Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

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“Thanks, of course, to President Trump as well, who is a big fan of soccer, (together with) the whole family,” added Infantino, who was speaking ahead of the semi-finals of the Club World Cup taking place at the MetLife Stadium just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

The first 32-team Club World Cup concludes this weekend, while the World Cup 2026, scheduled for June and July, will be the first to feature 48 teams.

Eleven of the 16 venues in 2026 will be in the United States, with three in Mexico and two in Canada. The final will take place in the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“We have received such big support from the government and from the President with the White House Task Force for the FIFA Club World Cup and for the FIFA World Cup next year,” Infantino said before declaring the ongoing tournament “an incredible success”.

READ: Joao Pedro’s brace sends Chelsea into Club World Cup final

New signing Joao Pedro scored twice on his first start as Chelsea eased to a 2-0 win over Fluminense on Tuesday to seal a spot in the final of the Club World Cup.

The Brazilian striker opened the scoring in lethal fashion in the 18th minute of the last-four clash at the MetLife Stadium and struck again shortly before the hour mark as Chelsea set up a showdown with either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final.

Signed from Brighton and Hove Albion last week for a reported £60 million ($79 million), the 23-year-old cut short a holiday and made his debut off the bench in the quarter-final win over Palmeiras.

He was then given his first Chelsea start up front here in place of the suspended Liam Delap.

Joao Pedro refused to celebrate after either goal against the club with whom he started his career and made 36 top-team appearances before moving to England with Watford in 2020.

The result ends Fluminense’s impressive run at the tournament after the 2023 Copa Libertadores winners held Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, beat Inter Milan in the last 16, and knocked out Manchester City’s conquerors Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals.

With their exit, the chances of a South American winner in the first 32-team Club World Cup diminish, as Chelsea secured back-to-back victories against Brazilian teams to reach the final.

As always seemed most likely, the trophy will be claimed by one of Europe’s superpowers, with the final now guaranteed to be between two of the last five winners of the UEFA Champions League.

“It is a great achievement. It has been a fantastic season, top four in the league, winning the Conference League, and now in the final of this competition. We are so, so happy,” Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca told broadcaster DAZN.

“Now finally it is the last game of the season, we can say that, and hopefully we can win the tournament.”

Fluminense coach Renato Portaluppi had described his team as the “ugly duckling” of the tournament due to the enormous difference between their budget and those of the other three remaining sides.

This game ultimately proved to be a step too far for their team, captained by 40-year-old former Chelsea center-back Thiago Silva.

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“This was a wonderful Club World Cup,” said Portaluppi.

“There is no crying over spilled milk now. We wanted to get to the final for our fans, but we leave with our heads held high and go back to our reality stronger now than we were before.”

Chelsea were without the suspended Levi Colwill and Delap, but Moises Caicedo returned after a ban.

The Premier League side were simply too strong for their opponents in a game watched by 70,556 fans on a hot afternoon just outside New York City.

They went ahead thanks to a wonderful strike by their new forward, who controlled the ball on the edge of the box after Silva had cleared a Pedro Neto cross.

Joao Pedro took a touch and curled a shot beyond veteran goalkeeper Fabio into the far corner before holding up his hands apologetically towards the Fluminense fans behind the goal.

The team from Rio de Janeiro was an intermittent threat, and Hercules — match-winner against Al-Hilal in the last eight — almost equalized in the 25th minute.

He played a one-two with German Cano and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, but Marc Cucurella cleared off the line.

Fluminense were then awarded a penalty 10 minutes before the interval when a set-piece delivery by Rene struck the arm of Trevoh Chalobah in the box.

However, French referee Francois Letexier overturned the decision following a VAR check.

“Had we been awarded the penalty, we would have scored, and it would have been a different story,” said Portaluppi.

Chelsea got their second on 56 minutes, just after Fluminense had sacrificed one of their three center-backs to send on an extra attacker.

Enzo Fernandez released Joao Pedro on the break, and the forward produced another clinical finish in off the bar.

There were chances for Chelsea to score further goals after that, but the new boy’s double strike sufficed, with the only potential black mark on the day, the knock which forced Caicedo to limp off before full-time.

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Nine-man Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) set up a Club World Cup semi-final clash against their former superstar striker Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich on Saturday in Atlanta.

Los Blancos squeezed out Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in New Jersey in the day’s other Club World Cup quarter-final clash, with Mbappe on the scoresheet for the first time at the tournament.

Luis Enrique’s PSG needed to dig deep in front of 67,000 fans at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium after late red cards for Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez.

The French side won the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history in May, despite their key player Mbappe departing for Real last year.

Young forward Desire Doue, who shone on PSG’s road to European glory, and Ballon d’Or candidate Ousmane Dembele got the goals in the second half of an enthralling clash against Vincent Kompany’s Bayern, who had two strikes ruled out for offside.

PSG also lost playmaker Jamal Musiala in vital Club World Cup clash to a horror ankle injury just before half-time, which Kompany said made his “blood boil” because of how unfortunate it is for the 22-year-old.

“After the first red card it became complicated, then with two players less it was a bit of a lottery,” said a relieved Luis Enrique.

PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and his Bayern counterpart Manuel Neuer both made several excellent saves in a pulsating battle at the air-conditioned, covered venue which allowed both sides’ high-pressing, attacking approaches to shine.

Players and spectators at both matches observed a minute of silence in honour of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who tragically died in a car crash on Thursday.

PSG’s clash with Bayern was FIFA’s expanded tournament’s biggest heavyweight clash thus far and the game delivered, even if fans had to wait until the 78th minute for the opener.

After Harry Kane gave the ball away, PSG surged forward and 20-year-old Doue fashioned some space on the edge of the box before flashing a low strike home at the near post.

Bayern were given hope as they hunted for an equaliser when PSG defender Pacho was sent off for a high tackle on Leon Goretzka after 83 minutes.

Kane had a goal disallowed for offside, like Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano in the first half, and after Hernandez was dismissed for an elbow Dembele tucked home the second in stoppage time, paying tribute to Jota by copying his video-gaming celebration.

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“In the first half we showed them who we are and they had problems with us,” said Bayern substitute Thomas Mueller, who played his last game for the club.

Real Madrid cruised for the most part against Dortmund before a flurry of goals at the end left them in danger of losing their lead.

Xabi Alonso, unbeaten at the helm, shifted back to a four-man defence against Niko Kovac’s side, shorn of suspended Jobe Bellingham, who would have loved to face his older brother, Madrid’s Jude.

The coach decided to leave Mbappe, who missed the three group games after a stomach bug, on the bench and persist with Gonzalo Garcia up front.

The 21-year-old striker paid back Alonso for his confidence by grabbing his fourth goal of the tournament after 10 minutes with a close-range finish from Arda Guler’s cross.

In the 20th minute Fran Garcia doubled Los Blancos’ lead, rushing into the box to polish off Trent Alexander-Arnold’s dangerous ball across the face of goal.

Madrid were cruising to victory until Max Beier drilled home in stoppage time.

Real responded, with substitute Mbappe netting his 44th goal of the season with an acrobatic finish from another Guler cross.

He paid tribute to the late Jota by making the number 20 with his hands, the Portuguese striker’s shirt number at Liverpool.

Real Madrid were not home and dry. Dean Huijsen was sent off for tugging back Serhou Guirassy as he ran through, and the Guinea international netted from the spot, but Borussia Dortmund had no time to equalise.

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The Pakistan football team continued their good run in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, pulling off a historic 2-1 victory over Kyrgyzstan on Saturday to register their second consecutive win in the tournament.

Coming into the game as underdogs against a side ranked 21 spots higher, the Green Shirts delivered a spirited performance to make yet another bold statement on the continental stage.

Maryam Mahmood was the star of the show once again, opening the scoring in the 4th minute before calmly slotting home a penalty in the 26th to double Pakistan’s lead.

Kyrgyzstan pulled one back in the second half, but Pakistan held their nerve to seal a famous win.

The result follows their commanding 2-0 win over Indonesia on Wednesday, which had already written a fresh chapter in Pakistan’s women’s football history.

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In that must-win clash, Nadia Khan gave Pakistan a dream start by scoring inside eight minutes, while Suha Irani converted a penalty to give her side a two-goal cushion.

Goalkeeper Zeeyana Jivraj was outstanding, keeping Indonesia at bay despite multiple attempts on goal.

The win was Pakistan’s first since September 2023 and came against a team ranked 95th in the FIFA rankings, a whopping 62 places above them.

Earlier, Pakistan had opened their campaign on a bitter note with an 8-0 drubbing at the hands of Chinese Taipei.

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Substitute Hercules struck a 70th-minute winner as Brazil’s Fluminense defeated Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal 2-1 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Club World Cup.

A fine left-foot finish from Matheus Martinelli had put the Rio club ahead in the 40th minute, but Al Hilal’s Brazilian forward Marcos Leonardo leveled six minutes into the second half before Hercules stole the show to the delight of the vast majority of the 43,091 crowd.

Fluminense could yet face an all-Brazilian semi-final if their rivals from Sao Paulo, Palmeiras, are able to overcome Premier League outfit Chelsea in Friday’s other quarter-final.

Al Hilal had pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament, beating Manchester City 4-3 to reach the last eight, and Simone Inzaghi’s side fought hard until the end to keep their adventure alive.

They bow out of the tournament having been unbeaten through the group stage, including holding Real Madrid to a draw and having truly made their mark on the world stage.

There was a moment’s silence before the kick-off in memory of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva, who died in the early hours of Thursday after their car veered off a motorway in Spain and burst into flames.

Al Hilal’s line-up featured two of Jota’s Portugal team-mates in Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo.

The first half was a tight and tactical affair with few chances until Martinelli opened the scoring when he picked the ball up from Gabriel Fuentes inside the box and spanned out to give himself space for a left-foot shot that rocketed past Yassine Bounou.

Al Hilal went close to a quick response when Kalidou Koulibaly’s header forced Fluminense’s 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio into a fine save.

The Saudi side was awarded a penalty when Samuel Xavier was ruled to have brought down Marcos Leonardo in the box, but Dutch referee Danny Makkelie was eventually sent to the monitor, where he overturned his own decision after seeing there had been no contact between the two players.

After going in at the break trailing by a goal, Al Hilal came out strongly for the second half and drew level when Koulibaly headed a Neves corner down to Marcos Leonardo, who poked home.

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Al Hilal’s Brazilian full-back Renan Lodi had a let-off when his poor backpass fell straight at the feet of German Cano, but the Fluminense striker’s attempt to round Bounou was denied by the smart work of the Moroccan keeper.

But the outcome was settled with 20 minutes remaining when half-time sub Hercules saw a shot from distance blocked, but from the loose ball, Samuel headed the ball back to the forward, who raced into the box and fired past Bounou to make it 2-1.

Al Hilal produced a flurry of corners and some intense pressure in the final minutes as they desperately sought a way to keep their dream alive, but the Brazilians were good value for their victory.

“We didn’t have many chances but we made the most of them, the entire group worked and were committed,” said Fluminense coach Renato Gaucho.

“Our fans here in the USA and those in Brazil, they can be proud, and I ask them to wear a jersey, in the mall, street, beach, wherever, wear that shirt – they should all be proud to wear that jersey,” he said.

The Fluminense coach was full of praise for the performance of his 40-year-old central defender Thiago Silva, who ensured the Brazilians were able to withstand the second-half pressure from Al Hilal.

“Thiago Silva is huge for us; I worked with him 15 years ago; he is a coach on the pitch, very helpful, and conveys calm and experience to the others. He is our captain and a leader, and in hard matches like these against big clubs, it’s important to have people like him. He is key and fundamental,” he said.

Al Hilal coach Inzaghi said his side had been unfortunate to end on the losing side.

“It has been a good World Cup for us, but clearly we leave with a little bit of a bitter taste in our mouth because after what happened in that second half, we deserved much more,” he said.

“It was a tight match, decided by episodes, as happens in football. Fluminense are very well organised team that are having an excellent tournament,” he added.

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Portuguese star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his deep sorrow in a heartfelt tribute to his teammate Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away in a car crash in Spain.

Diogo Jota was with his brother Andre when their car crashed near Zamora in northwestern Spain and burst into flames.

The Portuguese Football Federation confirmed the Liverpool star’s death in the crash along with his brother on Thursday.

“We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day,” the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement.

Following Diogo Jota’s tragic death, his Portuguese teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo, issued a statement mourning the footballer.

“It doesn’t make sense. Just now we were together in the National Team, just now you had gotten married,” Cristiano Ronaldo wrote in a post on Facebook.

“To your family, your wife, and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Rest in Peace, Diogo and André. We will all miss you,” he added.

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Liverpool FC also mourned the footballer’s devastating death in fatal car accident.

“The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre,” the club wrote on social media.

“Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss.

“We will continue to provide them with our full support,” the club added.

It is worth noting here that Diogo Jota was with Liverpool when they won the Premier League last season.

He also made 49 appearances for Portugal, winning the UEFA Nations League on two occasions.

READ: Liverpool mourns star Diogo Jota’s tragic death in car crash

Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota, who played for Liverpool FC, has tragically died in a car accident in Spain, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.

The 28-year-old player was killed near Zamora in northwestern Spain. His brother, André, also lost his life in the same accident, which occurred Thursday morning near Palacios de Sanabria on the Requejo Bajas Highway (A-52).

The accident took place at approximately 12:40 PM local time, and the car reportedly caught fire on the road.

Jota had tied the knot just ten days ago. He is survived by his wife and three children.

 

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According to the Spanish authorities, two male victims aged 28 and 25 were found dead at the place of the scene. The bodies of the deceased were taken to a forensic facility in Zamora for autopsies.

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Following the tragic news, Liverpool FC stated it is “heartbroken at the tragic passing of Jota.”

“The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre,” the club wrote on social media.

“Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss.

“We will continue to provide them with our full support,” the club added.

For the unversed, Diogo Jota debuted for Liverpool in 2020 and appeared in 182 matches for the club, amassing 65 goals across all competitions.

The 28-year-old was also pivotal in the club’s recent triumphs, which included their 2024-25 Premier League title, FA Cup victory in 2022, and League Cup victories in 2022 and 2024.

Apart from his club appearances, Diogo Jota represented the Portugal national team in 49 matches, featuring in the UEFA Euro Tournament and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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TANGERANG REGENCY: Pakistan sealed an emphatic 2-0 victory over the hosts Indonesia in their second match of the (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers here at the Stadium Sport Centre on Wednesday.

The 157th-ranked Pakistan displayed dominance throughout the match against a higher-ranked Indonesia.

For Pakistan, Nadia Khan started the proceedings, smashing a goal in the eighth minute of the game,  followed by Suha Irani, who extended the lead with another goal in the 18th minute.

 

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Despite creating various opportunities, Indonesia was unable to capitalize and failed to score a goal.

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After suffering an 8-0 defeat to Chinese Taipei in their opening game of the Asian Cup Qualifiers, Pakistan made a strong comeback with a victory to stay alive in the tournament. This win marks Pakistan’s first since 2023, effectively ending their losing streak.

With this win, the Pakistan women’s team is set to face the Kyrgyz Republic on 5 July in their final group stage fixture.

For the unversed, Pakistan is placed in Group D alongside Chinese Taipei, host nation Indonesia, and Kyrgyz Republic. All the matches of the tournament will be played at the Sport Center Kelapa Dua Tangerang.

Pakistan Football Team Squad For Asian Cup Qualifiers

Jennah Farooki, Nisha Ashraf, Zeeyana Jivraj; Defenders: Aliya Sadiq, Layla Banaras, Maria Khan (captain), Nizalia Siddiqui, Sophia Qureshi, Amina Hanif, Azwa Chaudhry, Marsha Malik, Rameen Fareed, Sanah Mehdi, Suha Hirani,  Anmol Hira, Aqsa Mushtaq, Isra Khan, Mariam Mahmood, Nadia Khan, Zehmena Malik, Zulfia Nazir.

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