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Harry Kane scored twice to reach 100 goals for Bayern Munich on Friday as the German champions continued their perfect start to the Bundesliga season with a 4-0 win over Werder Bremen.&nbsp;Playing his 104th game for Bayern, Kane became the fastest man to 100 goals with a club in Europe's top-five leagues, breaking the record of 105 matches jointly held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland.&nbsp;The England striker is averaging two goals a game in the current Bundesliga campaign."It's crazy even for me to be honest. It's an honour to reach 100 goals for this great club and to do it so quickly is something I'm really proud of," Kane told Sky Germany.&nbsp;Bayern coach Vincent Kompany also hailed his striker's performance, noting that it was not just goals that Kane delivered.&nbsp;"I always remind people to look at his defensive work and how much he tracks back as well. He's broken this record but he's done so while giving so much to the team," said the Belgian.&nbsp;Bayern celebrated the first weekend of Oktoberfest in style as a brace from Kane and goals from Jonathan Tah and Konrad Laimer saw them claim their fifth win in five league games.&nbsp;Kane had two early chances to score as he and Michael Olise carved through the Bremen defence in the opening minutes.&nbsp;He skewed the first chance wide and was denied on the second by Arsenal loanee and Bundesliga debutant Karl Hein in the Bremen goal.&nbsp;Tah gave Bayern the lead on 22 minutes, flicking in an elegant backheel off Luis Diaz's knee after a fizzing cross from Olise.&nbsp;The visitors were looking to hit Bayern on the break, but became increasingly fenced into their own penalty area as the first half progressed.&nbsp;Kane struck just before the break, drawing a foul from Marco Friedl in the box and slotting the penalty coolly into the bottom corner.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/5-players-with-most-runs-in-women-s-odi-world-cup-history-debbie-hockley-mithali-raj-janette-brittin-charlotte-edwards-suzie-bates-1757606297874">From Mithali Raj to Janette Brittin, 5 players with most runs in Women's ODI World Cup history</a>&nbsp;That was his 99th goal in a Bayern shirt and 20 minutes after the break, he sidefooted in a pass from Diaz to bring up his century.&nbsp;Laimer added a fourth after a well-worked move three minutes from time, but not for the first time in the Allianz Arena, it was Kane’s night.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-women-s-odi-world-cup-2025-all-you-need-to-know-about-indian-women-s-team-schedule-squad-fixtures-and-more-1758556378933">Women's ODI World Cup 2025: All you need to know about Indian women's team schedule, squad, fixtures and more</a><h2>Loving every minute</h2>The former Tottenham striker now has 15 goals in eight games across all competitions so far this season.&nbsp;His breathtaking run of form comes amid rumours linking him with a move either to Barcelona or a return to the Premier League next summer.&nbsp;Yet Kane himself dismissed the transfer gossip after Friday's game, insisting Bayern was "absolutely" the best place for him to win titles.&nbsp;"I'm really happy here at Bayern. I've got two years left on my contract and I'm loving every minute. I enjoy playing here in front of the fans, I enjoy the team and the manager, so it's not in my thought process at all," he said.&nbsp;He added that he would be open to extending his contract with Bayern.&nbsp;"We haven't had that conversation yet, but it's something I'm sure we can discuss.&nbsp;Nobody's panicking yet and when the time comes, we'll have an open honest conversation about where I'm at and what the future of this club is. All I can say is we're heading in the right direction.&nbsp;“My family are settled now, my kids are in school. So from that point of view I'm not homesick.”&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Playing his 104th game for Bayern, Harry Kane became the fastest man to 100 goals with a club in Europe's top-five leagues, breaking the record of 105 matches jointly held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland.

Harry Kane scored twice to reach 100 goals for Bayern Munich on Friday as the German champions continued their perfect start to the Bundesliga season with a 4-0 win over Werder Bremen. Playing his 104th game for Bayern, Kane became the fastest man to 100 goals with a club in Europe's top-five leagues, breaking the record of 105 matches jointly held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland. The England striker is averaging two goals a game in the current Bundesliga campaign. "It's crazy even for me to be honest. It's an honour to reach 100 goals for this great club and to do it so quickly is something I'm really proud of," Kane told Sky Germany. Bayern coach Vincent Kompany also hailed his striker's performance, noting that it was not just goals that Kane delivered. "I always remind people to look at his defensive work and how much he tracks back as well. He's broken this record but he's done so while giving so much to the team," said the Belgian. Bayern celebrated the first weekend of Oktoberfest in style as a brace from Kane and goals from Jonathan Tah and Konrad Laimer saw them claim their fifth win in five league games. Kane had two early chances to score as he and Michael Olise carved through the Bremen defence in the opening minutes. He skewed the first chance wide and was denied on the second by Arsenal loanee and Bundesliga debutant Karl Hein in the Bremen goal. Tah gave Bayern the lead on 22 minutes, flicking in an elegant backheel off Luis Diaz's knee after a fizzing cross from Olise. The visitors were looking to hit Bayern on the break, but became increasingly fenced into their own penalty area as the first half progressed. Kane struck just before the break, drawing a foul from Marco Friedl in the box and slotting the penalty coolly into the bottom corner. ALSO READ | From Mithali Raj to Janette Brittin, 5 players with most runs in Women's ODI World Cup history That was his 99th goal in a Bayern shirt and 20 minutes after the break, he sidefooted in a pass from Diaz to bring up his century. Laimer added a fourth after a well-worked move three minutes from time, but not for the first time in the Allianz Arena, it was Kane’s night. ALSO READ | Women's ODI World Cup 2025: All you need to know about Indian women's team schedule, squad, fixtures and more Loving every minute The former Tottenham striker now has 15 goals in eight games across all competitions so far this season. His breathtaking run of form comes amid rumours linking him with a move either to Barcelona or a return to the Premier League next summer. Yet Kane himself dismissed the transfer gossip after Friday's game, insisting Bayern was "absolutely" the best place for him to win titles. "I'm really happy here at Bayern. I've got two years left on my contract and I'm loving every minute. I enjoy playing here in front of the fans, I enjoy the team and the manager, so it's not in my thought process at all," he said. He added that he would be open to extending his contract with Bayern. "We haven't had that conversation yet, but it's something I'm sure we can discuss. Nobody's panicking yet and when the time comes, we'll have an open honest conversation about where I'm at and what the future of this club is. All I can say is we're heading in the right direction. “My family are settled now, my kids are in school. So from that point of view I'm not homesick.” Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Playing his 104th game for Bayern, Harry Kane became the fastest man to 100 goals with a club in Europe's top-five leagues, breaking the record of 105 matches jointly held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland.

Bundesliga: Harry Kane scores twice to reach 100 Bayern Munich goals in record time

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said on Friday (Sep 26) that teenaged Italian defender Giovanni Leoni would be sidelined for up to a year after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during his debut. The 18-year-old, who joined the Premier League champions from Parma last month in a deal worth an initial £26 million ($35 million), was injured during the Reds' 2-1 League Cup win against Southampton on Tuesday.&nbsp;"He's not in a good place, of course, because he tore his ACL, which means that he will be out for around a year," Slot said ahead of Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace. "Being so young, coming to a new country, playing so well in your first game.&nbsp;"He's still so young so he has so many years still to go after he recovers from a terrible injury like that."&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-barcelona-legend-sergio-busquets-confirms-football-retirement-after-mls-season-lionel-mess-1758861193843">SHOCKING! Former Barcelona legend confirms football retirement after MLS season</a>&nbsp;The loss of Leoni leaves Slot with just three fit centre-backs -- captain Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.&nbsp;Liverpool wanted Palace captain Marc Guehi for extra cover in that position but the England international's move to Anfield on deadline day collapsed after the Eagles failed to sign a replacement.&nbsp;Guehi has been key to extending Palace's club record run of 17 games without defeat in all competitions.&nbsp;The only two unbeaten teams in the Premier League clash at Selhurst Park with Liverpool looking to extend their perfect start of five consecutive victories.&nbsp;However, they have relied on a number of late winners and moments of good fortune.&nbsp;"If you would have asked me that after playing Newcastle away, Arsenal at home, and all these difficult games we had, that we would have the maximum results? I would have probably told you 'no'," said Slot. "If you look at the games, they were most of them quite close. So, we might have been a bit lucky as well to get the maximum points."&nbsp;Hugo Ekitike's red card for taking his shirt off in celebration after scoring the winner against Southampton was branded as "stupid" by his manager.&nbsp;The French striker will now be suspended for the Palace clash, but Alexander Isak is set to start his first Premier League game since becoming the most expensive player in the competition's history after a £125-million move from Newcastle.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The 18-year-old, who joined the Premier League champions from Parma last month in a deal worth an initial £26 million ($35 million), was injured during the Reds' 2-1 League Cup win against Southampton on Tuesday.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said on Friday (Sep 26) that teenaged Italian defender Giovanni Leoni would be sidelined for up to a year after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during his debut. The 18-year-old, who joined the Premier League champions from Parma last month in a deal worth an initial £26 million ($35 million), was injured during the Reds' 2-1 League Cup win against Southampton on Tuesday. "He's not in a good place, of course, because he tore his ACL, which means that he will be out for around a year," Slot said ahead of Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace. "Being so young, coming to a new country, playing so well in your first game. "He's still so young so he has so many years still to go after he recovers from a terrible injury like that." Also read | SHOCKING! Former Barcelona legend confirms football retirement after MLS season The loss of Leoni leaves Slot with just three fit centre-backs -- captain Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez. Liverpool wanted Palace captain Marc Guehi for extra cover in that position but the England international's move to Anfield on deadline day collapsed after the Eagles failed to sign a replacement. Guehi has been key to extending Palace's club record run of 17 games without defeat in all competitions. The only two unbeaten teams in the Premier League clash at Selhurst Park with Liverpool looking to extend their perfect start of five consecutive victories. However, they have relied on a number of late winners and moments of good fortune. "If you would have asked me that after playing Newcastle away, Arsenal at home, and all these difficult games we had, that we would have the maximum results? I would have probably told you 'no'," said Slot. "If you look at the games, they were most of them quite close. So, we might have been a bit lucky as well to get the maximum points." Hugo Ekitike's red card for taking his shirt off in celebration after scoring the winner against Southampton was branded as "stupid" by his manager. The French striker will now be suspended for the Palace clash, but Alexander Isak is set to start his first Premier League game since becoming the most expensive player in the competition's history after a £125-million move from Newcastle. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The 18-year-old, who joined the Premier League champions from Parma last month in a deal worth an initial £26 million ($35 million), was injured during the Reds' 2-1 League Cup win against Southampton on Tuesday.

Liverpool’s centre-back options crunch after injury to rookie defender: Arne Slot

Inter Miami's former Barcelona and Spain star Sergio Busquets said Thursday he will retire from football at the end of the 2025 Major League Soccer season. The 37-year-old midfielder made the announcement in a social media post.&nbsp;"These will be my last months on the pitch. I'm retiring very happy, proud, fulfilled, and above all grateful," Busquets said in a video on his Instagram page. "A heartfelt thank you to everyone and to football for everything. You will always be a part of this beautiful story."

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An elegant, skilful player known for his poise and calmness on the ball, Busquets is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in history.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-president-donald-trump-suggests-2026-fifa-world-cup-games-could-be-moved-from-unsafe-cities-1758858906362">Trump suggests 2026 FIFA World Cup games could be moved from unsafe cities</a>&nbsp;He was a key figure in nine Spanish league victories with Barcelona and also helped the club win three Champions League titles.&nbsp;He was a member of the Spain team that won the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship, winning 143 caps.&nbsp;He retired from international football after the 2022 World Cup, and in 2023, headed to the United States to link up with former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

He was a key figure in nine Spanish league victories with Barcelona and also helped the club win three Champions League titles.

Inter Miami's former Barcelona and Spain star Sergio Busquets said Thursday he will retire from football at the end of the 2025 Major League Soccer season. The 37-year-old midfielder made the announcement in a social media post. "These will be my last months on the pitch. I'm retiring very happy, proud, fulfilled, and above all grateful," Busquets said in a video on his Instagram page. "A heartfelt thank you to everyone and to football for everything. You will always be a part of this beautiful story."

He was a key figure in nine Spanish league victories with Barcelona and also helped the club win three Champions League titles.

SHOCKING! Former Barcelona legend confirms football retirement after MLS season

President Donald Trump said on Thursday (Sep 25) he would consider moving 2026 World Cup games from US cities he regards as a security risk. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said while he expected the tournament to be "safe", he was ready to strip games from host cities that were regarded as “even a little bit dangerous.” The United States is co-hosting next year's World Cup with Mexico and Canada, but will be hosting the bulk of the games in the tournament, which has been expanded to include 48 teams.&nbsp;US host cities include staunchly Democratic strongholds such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.&nbsp;"It will be safe for the World Cup," Trump told reporters. "If I think it isn't safe, we'll move it into a different city."&nbsp;Trump's administration has deployed National Guard troops to Democratic-run US cities this year over the objections of local and state leaders.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/psg-achraf-hakimi-at-peace-despite-rape-allegations-expects-to-be-cleared-sooner-1758803714565">PSG’s Hakimi ‘at peace’ despite rape allegations; expects to be cleared sooner</a>&nbsp;San Francisco and Seattle are both hosting six matches each at the tournament. Los Angeles is hosting eight.&nbsp;"It's actually a very fair question," Trump continued. "If I think it's not safe, we're going to move it out of that city...," he added, before reeling off crime statistics in Chicago, which is not among the US World Cup host cities.&nbsp;Trump also appeared to reference the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics during his remarks.&nbsp;"So no, if any city we think is going to be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup, or for the Olympics ... but for the World Cup in particular, because they're playing in so many cities, we won't allow it to go, we'll move it around a little bit," he added.&nbsp;Trump earlier this year appointed himself as chairman of a White House task force for the World Cup, which is run by world football's governing body FIFA.&nbsp;Trump, who has a close relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, has promised that fans visiting the US can expect a "seamless" experience.&nbsp;Infantino has said FIFA has "full and entire" confidence in the Trump administration to help deliver a successful tournament.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Infantino has said FIFA has "full and entire" confidence in the Trump administration to help deliver a successful tournament.

President Donald Trump said on Thursday (Sep 25) he would consider moving 2026 World Cup games from US cities he regards as a security risk. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said while he expected the tournament to be "safe", he was ready to strip games from host cities that were regarded as “even a little bit dangerous.” The United States is co-hosting next year's World Cup with Mexico and Canada, but will be hosting the bulk of the games in the tournament, which has been expanded to include 48 teams. US host cities include staunchly Democratic strongholds such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. "It will be safe for the World Cup," Trump told reporters. "If I think it isn't safe, we'll move it into a different city." Trump's administration has deployed National Guard troops to Democratic-run US cities this year over the objections of local and state leaders. Also read | PSG’s Hakimi ‘at peace’ despite rape allegations; expects to be cleared sooner San Francisco and Seattle are both hosting six matches each at the tournament. Los Angeles is hosting eight. "It's actually a very fair question," Trump continued. "If I think it's not safe, we're going to move it out of that city...," he added, before reeling off crime statistics in Chicago, which is not among the US World Cup host cities. Trump also appeared to reference the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics during his remarks. "So no, if any city we think is going to be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup, or for the Olympics ... but for the World Cup in particular, because they're playing in so many cities, we won't allow it to go, we'll move it around a little bit," he added. Trump earlier this year appointed himself as chairman of a White House task force for the World Cup, which is run by world football's governing body FIFA. Trump, who has a close relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, has promised that fans visiting the US can expect a "seamless" experience. Infantino has said FIFA has "full and entire" confidence in the Trump administration to help deliver a successful tournament. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Infantino has said FIFA has "full and entire" confidence in the Trump administration to help deliver a successful tournament.

Trump suggests 2026 FIFA World Cup games could be moved from unsafe cities

Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi, who is being investigated over an alleged rape, said he has "peace of mind" and expects to be cleared of the accusations. Last month, French prosecutors called for the 26-year-old Morocco international to face trial over the allegations that he raped a 24-year-old woman that he had met over social media.&nbsp;"I know that what I am accused of is a lie," Hakimi told journalist Mouloud Achour in an interview for the "Clique" show to be aired on Canal+, a clip of which was broadcast on Wednesday night. "I know that I have not done anything and that I would never do that," the Madrid-born Hakimi said in Spanish.&nbsp;"Today, I have peace of mind.... hoping that the truth will soon be revealed."&nbsp;Hakimi, who helped Morocco to their historic progress to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, was charged in March, 2023 with raping the woman.&nbsp;Hakimi allegedly paid for his accuser to travel to his home on February 25, 2023, in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt while his wife, from whom he has since divorced, and children were away on holiday.&nbsp;The woman went to a police station following the encounter alleging rape and was questioned by police.&nbsp;Although the woman refused to make a formal accusation, prosecutors decided to press charges against the player.&nbsp;Hakimi insists that he is the victim of an extortion attempt.&nbsp;On August 1, the Nanterre prosecutor's office told AFP that they had requested that the investigating judge refer the rape charge to a criminal court.&nbsp;"Nothing in the case lends in any way to a characterising of extortion," the alleged victim's lawyer Rachel-Flore Pardo told AFP on Thursday.&nbsp;"Mr Hakimi is trying to create a counter-fire that we are used to in cases of sexual violence."&nbsp;Hakimi has continued to play for PSG and his country since the allegations first surfaced, even winning the Champions League with the Qatari-owned French club in May.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Hakimi, who helped Morocco to their historic progress to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, was charged in March, 2023 with raping the woman.

Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi, who is being investigated over an alleged rape, said he has "peace of mind" and expects to be cleared of the accusations. Last month, French prosecutors called for the 26-year-old Morocco international to face trial over the allegations that he raped a 24-year-old woman that he had met over social media. "I know that what I am accused of is a lie," Hakimi told journalist Mouloud Achour in an interview for the "Clique" show to be aired on Canal+, a clip of which was broadcast on Wednesday night. "I know that I have not done anything and that I would never do that," the Madrid-born Hakimi said in Spanish. "Today, I have peace of mind.... hoping that the truth will soon be revealed." Hakimi, who helped Morocco to their historic progress to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, was charged in March, 2023 with raping the woman. Hakimi allegedly paid for his accuser to travel to his home on February 25, 2023, in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt while his wife, from whom he has since divorced, and children were away on holiday. The woman went to a police station following the encounter alleging rape and was questioned by police. Although the woman refused to make a formal accusation, prosecutors decided to press charges against the player. Hakimi insists that he is the victim of an extortion attempt. On August 1, the Nanterre prosecutor's office told AFP that they had requested that the investigating judge refer the rape charge to a criminal court. "Nothing in the case lends in any way to a characterising of extortion," the alleged victim's lawyer Rachel-Flore Pardo told AFP on Thursday. "Mr Hakimi is trying to create a counter-fire that we are used to in cases of sexual violence." Hakimi has continued to play for PSG and his country since the allegations first surfaced, even winning the Champions League with the Qatari-owned French club in May. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Hakimi, who helped Morocco to their historic progress to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, was charged in March, 2023 with raping the woman.

PSG’s Hakimi ‘at peace’ despite rape allegations; expects to be cleared sooner

Indian football fans are set to get a treat ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as defending world champions Argentina are set to travel to Kerala in November. While the visit was confirmed in August, the opponents remained undisclosed. However, according to the latest reports, Messi’s Argentina will square off against Australia as plans are in the final stages for the friendly.<h2>Messi’s Argentina to face Australia?</h2>According to a latest report from PTI, an official from Argentina’s football association is set to visit India this week to inspect the stadium conditions and other logistical options. If everything goes right, the visit could attract a huge crowd with Indian football fans set for a treat. If everything goes according to plan, it will be the first of two visits for Messi in India, with him already scheduled for a four-city tour of India in December, when the Major League Soccer (MLS) will come to a close.&nbsp;"The Argentine national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, will have two FIFA friendlies in the remainder of 2025. The first, in October, from the 6th to the 14th, will be played in the United States (opponents and cities to be determined)," the Argentine Football Association had written on its official X handle.&nbsp;"The second, FIFA friendlies in November, from the 10th to the 18th, will be played in Luanda, Angola, and Kerala, India (opponents to be determined)," the AFA statement had read.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-full-squads-complete-fixtures-date-time-venue-and-live-streaming-details-check-all-details-1755585771834">Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details</a>&nbsp;Messi, who is Argentina’s captain and leading goal scorer, will be preparing for the FIFA World Cup as Argentina look to defend their title. While the opponents are yet to be confirmed, Messi’s visit to India will have millions of Indian football fans on the edge of their seats. Argentina are heavy favourites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup and will look to face a top opponent in India to prepare for the showpiece in the United States.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-virat-kohli-here-is-a-look-at-five-indian-batters-with-most-runs-in-asia-cup-odis-t20is-sachin-tendulkar-ms-dhoni-dhawan-1754123070628">From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is)</a><h2>Messi to be on four-city India tour in December</h2>While November’s visit will be part of an international assignment, Messi will be in India in December, where he will visit Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. He is set to play an exhibition match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium before concluding the trip in Delhi, where he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to a report, an official from Argentina’s football association is set to visit India this week to inspect the stadium conditions and other logistical options. If everything goes right, Lionel Messi will play on Indian soil after 14 years.

Indian football fans are set to get a treat ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as defending world champions Argentina are set to travel to Kerala in November. While the visit was confirmed in August, the opponents remained undisclosed. However, according to the latest reports, Messi’s Argentina will square off against Australia as plans are in the final stages for the friendly. Messi’s Argentina to face Australia? According to a latest report from PTI, an official from Argentina’s football association is set to visit India this week to inspect the stadium conditions and other logistical options. If everything goes right, the visit could attract a huge crowd with Indian football fans set for a treat. If everything goes according to plan, it will be the first of two visits for Messi in India, with him already scheduled for a four-city tour of India in December, when the Major League Soccer (MLS) will come to a close. "The Argentine national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, will have two FIFA friendlies in the remainder of 2025. The first, in October, from the 6th to the 14th, will be played in the United States (opponents and cities to be determined)," the Argentine Football Association had written on its official X handle. "The second, FIFA friendlies in November, from the 10th to the 18th, will be played in Luanda, Angola, and Kerala, India (opponents to be determined)," the AFA statement had read. ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details Messi, who is Argentina’s captain and leading goal scorer, will be preparing for the FIFA World Cup as Argentina look to defend their title. While the opponents are yet to be confirmed, Messi’s visit to India will have millions of Indian football fans on the edge of their seats. Argentina are heavy favourites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup and will look to face a top opponent in India to prepare for the showpiece in the United States. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is) Messi to be on four-city India tour in December While November’s visit will be part of an international assignment, Messi will be in India in December, where he will visit Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. He is set to play an exhibition match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium before concluding the trip in Delhi, where he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to a report, an official from Argentina’s football association is set to visit India this week to inspect the stadium conditions and other logistical options. If everything goes right, Lionel Messi will play on Indian soil after 14 years.

Lionel Messi's Argentina likely to face Australia in Kerala in November - Report

French footballer Osumane Dembele broke down in tears after winning the sport's most illustrious award - Ballon d'Or for what he achieved last season with Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. Dembele pipped Spain's teen sensation Lamin Yamal to win the award. The moment was definitely overwhelming for the French forward who was once tagged as someone with unfulfilled potential. He moved to Barcelona in 2017 but the shadows of big players was always over him. It was when he moved to PSG that he realized his full potential and capped it off with one of the biggest individual awards a footballer could win.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/who-won-monday-night-football-ravens-vs-lions-week-3-players-stats-winners-losers-1758600193841">Who won MNF Week 3? Lions hand Ravens a loss on back of excellent fourth quarter</a><h2>Dembele breaks down after winning Ballon d'Or</h2>'What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it, what happened with PSG,” Dembele said on stage. “I feel a bit of stress, it’s not easy to win this trophy, and to have it presented to me by Ronaldinho, a legend of football, is exceptional. I want to thank PSG who came to get me in 2023. It’s an incredible family. The president Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] is like a father to me. I also want to thank all the staff and the coach, who have been exceptional with me - he too is like a father - and all my teammates." Have a look at the video below:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Matters as well 🥺🌕 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ballondor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ballondor</a> <a href="https://t.co/Jsxpl5QV9d">pic.twitter.com/Jsxpl5QV9d</a>&mdash; Ballon d&#39;Or (@ballondor) <a href="https://twitter.com/ballondor/status/1970234438802973164?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Dembele overall stats</h2>Since moving to PSG in 2023-24 season, Dembele has scored 26 goals for the club in Ligue 1 along with 15 assists in total. The forward had a brilliant last season where he scored 21 goals in 20 Ligue 1 games along with six assists. He managed another eight goals in 13 Champions League fixtures to go with six assists. In Coupe de France, Dembele scored three goals and one assist in three starts. Overall, he scored 35 goals and 14 assists in all competitions and helped PSG win the Champions League title as well.

He moved to Barcelona in 2017 but the shadows of big players was always over him. It was when he moved to PSG that he realized his full potential and capped it off with one of the biggest individual awards a footballer could win.

French footballer Osumane Dembele broke down in tears after winning the sport's most illustrious award - Ballon d'Or for what he achieved last season with Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. Dembele pipped Spain's teen sensation Lamin Yamal to win the award. The moment was definitely overwhelming for the French forward who was once tagged as someone with unfulfilled potential. He moved to Barcelona in 2017 but the shadows of big players was always over him. It was when he moved to PSG that he realized his full potential and capped it off with one of the biggest individual awards a footballer could win. Also Read - Who won MNF Week 3? Lions hand Ravens a loss on back of excellent fourth quarter Dembele breaks down after winning Ballon d'Or 'What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it, what happened with PSG,” Dembele said on stage. “I feel a bit of stress, it’s not easy to win this trophy, and to have it presented to me by Ronaldinho, a legend of football, is exceptional. I want to thank PSG who came to get me in 2023. It’s an incredible family. The president Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] is like a father to me. I also want to thank all the staff and the coach, who have been exceptional with me - he too is like a father - and all my teammates." Have a look at the video below:

He moved to Barcelona in 2017 but the shadows of big players was always over him. It was when he moved to PSG that he realized his full potential and capped it off with one of the biggest individual awards a footballer could win.

WATCH | Dembele feels 'a bit of stress' as he breaks down into tears after winning Ballon d'Or

France and Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele was crowned men’s Ballon d’Or 2025 winner as he saw off competition from Spain’s Lamine Yamal and other top names. Dembele, who won a treble of the Champions League, French Ligue 1, and Coupe de France with PSG, became the latest Frenchman to win the prestigious honour, joining the likes of Karim Benzema, Zinedine Zidane, and Michel Platini. On the other hand, Aitana Bonmatí scripted history by winning her third consecutive Ballon d’Or.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Bravo Ousmane ! 🇫🇷<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ballondor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ballondor</a> <a href="https://t.co/7TA1oSpjub">pic.twitter.com/7TA1oSpjub</a>&mdash; Ballon d&#39;Or (@ballondor) <a href="https://twitter.com/ballondor/status/1970233289836290176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Dembele wins Ballon d’Or</h2>In a ceremony held at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Monday (Sep 22) evening, Dembele emerged victorious amongst 30 nominees to take home the prestigious prize. The 28-year-old played a key role in PSG’s maiden Champions League title as they swapped a list of titles during the season. He scored 37 goals in different competitions while also staging 14 assists for club and country.&nbsp;On the other hand, Yamal won the award for “Best Young Player” as he was awarded the Kopa Trophy. He helped Barcelona win the Copa del Rey and La Liga while losing in the Champions League semis to Inter Milan. In total, he scored 21 goals and assisted 25 during the 2024-25 season.<h2>Aitana completes Ballon d’Or hat-trick</h2>Aitana had won the Women’s Ballon d’Or in 2023 and 2024, completed a three-peat, beating the likes of Mariona Caldentey, Alessia Russo and Alexia Putellas, who finished fourth, to the honour. The 2024-25 season was once again a successful one for Barça Femeni as they won the Liga F, the Copa de la Reina, and the Spanish Super Copa, with Aitana at the centre of the success.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-explained-why-ballon-d-or-is-the-most-prestigious-individual-honour-in-football-ousmane-dembele-lamine-yamal-aitana-bonmati-alessia-russo-1758539036911">Explained: Why Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual honour in football</a><h2>List of other winners</h2>Men’s Club of the Year Award – PSGWomen’s Club of the Year – ArsenalGerd Müller Trophy (Best Strikers) - Ewa Pajor and Viktor GyokeresYachine Trophy (Best Goalkeepers) - Hannah Hampton and Gianluigi DonnarummaMen’s Coach of the Year - Luis EnriqueWomen’s Coach of the Year - Sarina WiegmanWomen’s Kopa Trophy - Vicky LopezSocrates Award - Xana Foundation

Ousmane Dembele, who won a treble of the Champions League, French Ligue 1, and Coupe de France with PSG, became the latest Frenchman to win the prestigious honour, joining the likes of Karim Benzema, Zinedine Zidane, and Michel Platini.

France and Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele was crowned men’s Ballon d’Or 2025 winner as he saw off competition from Spain’s Lamine Yamal and other top names. Dembele, who won a treble of the Champions League, French Ligue 1, and Coupe de France with PSG, became the latest Frenchman to win the prestigious honour, joining the likes of Karim Benzema, Zinedine Zidane, and Michel Platini. On the other hand, Aitana Bonmatí scripted history by winning her third consecutive Ballon d’Or.

Ousmane Dembele, who won a treble of the Champions League, French Ligue 1, and Coupe de France with PSG, became the latest Frenchman to win the prestigious honour, joining the likes of Karim Benzema, Zinedine Zidane, and Michel Platini.

French forward Ousmane Dembele wins 2025 Ballon d'Or, Spain's Lamine Yamal settles for Kopa Trophy

Barcelona midfielder Gavi is to undergo surgery on his injured meniscus after other treatment failed to resolve his problem, the Catalan giants said on Monday. The 21-year-old midfielder has not played since late August due to the problem and the club said he would undergo an arthroscopy on the knee on Tuesday.&nbsp;It is the same knee in which he suffered a torn cruciate ligament and another meniscus injury in 2023.&nbsp;Having first received a "conservation course of treatment" in a bid to fix the problem, Gavi was put through "intense sports stress tests" on Sunday, the La Liga champions said.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-virat-kohli-here-is-a-look-at-five-indian-batters-with-most-runs-in-asia-cup-odis-t20is-sachin-tendulkar-ms-dhoni-dhawan-1754123070628">From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is)</a>&nbsp;"In order to guarantee the best possible recovery and return to competitive action, this Tuesday Gavi will undergo an arthroscopic examination," Barca said in a statement.&nbsp;His previous surgery on the knee in November 2023 kept Gavi out of action for a year.&nbsp;Barca made no mention of how long it would be before Gavi plays again.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-full-squads-complete-fixtures-date-time-venue-and-live-streaming-details-check-all-details-1755585771834">Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details</a>&nbsp;But the club also confirmed that Fermin Lopez, who played for half an hour in Sunday's 3-0 victory over Getafe, had suffered a muscular injury in his hip.&nbsp;"He will be out of action for around three weeks," Barca said.&nbsp;Gavi and Lopez join the likes of forward Lamine Yamal, full-back Alejandro Balde and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen on the treatment table.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Gavi's previous surgery on the knee in November 2023 kept Gavi out of action for a year. Barca made no mention of how long it would be before Gavi plays again.

Barcelona midfielder Gavi is to undergo surgery on his injured meniscus after other treatment failed to resolve his problem, the Catalan giants said on Monday. The 21-year-old midfielder has not played since late August due to the problem and the club said he would undergo an arthroscopy on the knee on Tuesday. It is the same knee in which he suffered a torn cruciate ligament and another meniscus injury in 2023. Having first received a "conservation course of treatment" in a bid to fix the problem, Gavi was put through "intense sports stress tests" on Sunday, the La Liga champions said. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is) "In order to guarantee the best possible recovery and return to competitive action, this Tuesday Gavi will undergo an arthroscopic examination," Barca said in a statement. His previous surgery on the knee in November 2023 kept Gavi out of action for a year. Barca made no mention of how long it would be before Gavi plays again. ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details But the club also confirmed that Fermin Lopez, who played for half an hour in Sunday's 3-0 victory over Getafe, had suffered a muscular injury in his hip. "He will be out of action for around three weeks," Barca said. Gavi and Lopez join the likes of forward Lamine Yamal, full-back Alejandro Balde and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen on the treatment table. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Gavi's previous surgery on the knee in November 2023 kept Gavi out of action for a year. Barca made no mention of how long it would be before Gavi plays again.

Gavi to undergo knee operation on meniscus injury: Barcelona

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca believes Cole Palmer will avoid groin surgery after the England forward was forced off during Saturday's defeat at Manchester United. Palmer has made just two Premier League starts this season and lasted only 21 minutes at Old Trafford before limping to the sidelines in a game Chelsea lost 2-1.&nbsp;Asked whether the 23-year-old will need an operation on an injury that has been troubling him for a while, Maresca told reporters: "The medical staff, they didn't mention to me about surgery.&nbsp;"I don't know if in the next days or the next weeks, but I don't think so, to be honest.&nbsp;"He made a huge effort on Saturday to try to play the game. He did the test, he was OK but not 100 percent. But he wanted to be there to help his team-mates and to be there in that kind of game.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-virat-kohli-here-is-a-look-at-five-indian-batters-with-most-runs-in-asia-cup-odis-t20is-sachin-tendulkar-ms-dhoni-dhawan-1754123070628">From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is)</a>&nbsp;"Unfortunately, it was painful so we decided to change it. And it's more day-by-day, week-by-week, game-by-game to see how it is and then decide what we do."&nbsp;Palmer is likely to miss Chelsea's League Cup third-round tie at third-tier Lincoln on Tuesday, with Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile also ruled out.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-full-squads-complete-fixtures-date-time-venue-and-live-streaming-details-check-all-details-1755585771834">Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details</a>&nbsp;Maresca is likely to select several youth academy players but the Italian conceded it was a risky strategy given the potential for a cup upset against a team flying high in League One.&nbsp;"These are the games that worry me most, because you can slip up very easily," he said. "Football is full of these kind of games and I am very worried about that."&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Cole Palmer has made just two Premier League starts this season and lasted only 21 minutes at Old Trafford before limping to the sidelines in a game Chelsea lost 2-1.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca believes Cole Palmer will avoid groin surgery after the England forward was forced off during Saturday's defeat at Manchester United. Palmer has made just two Premier League starts this season and lasted only 21 minutes at Old Trafford before limping to the sidelines in a game Chelsea lost 2-1. Asked whether the 23-year-old will need an operation on an injury that has been troubling him for a while, Maresca told reporters: "The medical staff, they didn't mention to me about surgery. "I don't know if in the next days or the next weeks, but I don't think so, to be honest. "He made a huge effort on Saturday to try to play the game. He did the test, he was OK but not 100 percent. But he wanted to be there to help his team-mates and to be there in that kind of game. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is) "Unfortunately, it was painful so we decided to change it. And it's more day-by-day, week-by-week, game-by-game to see how it is and then decide what we do." Palmer is likely to miss Chelsea's League Cup third-round tie at third-tier Lincoln on Tuesday, with Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile also ruled out. ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details Maresca is likely to select several youth academy players but the Italian conceded it was a risky strategy given the potential for a cup upset against a team flying high in League One. "These are the games that worry me most, because you can slip up very easily," he said. "Football is full of these kind of games and I am very worried about that." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Cole Palmer has made just two Premier League starts this season and lasted only 21 minutes at Old Trafford before limping to the sidelines in a game Chelsea lost 2-1.

Premier League: Chelsea's Cole Palmer likely to avoid groin surgery - Enzo Maresca

From Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo, here is a look at five male players with the most Ballon d’Or awards. The honourable list features the likes of Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten who won the prestigious award on multiple occasions.

From Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo, here is a look at five male players with the most Ballon d’Or awards. The honourable list features the likes of Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten who won the prestigious award on multiple occasions.

From Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo, 5 male players with most Ballon d’Or awards

The Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony is all set to take centre stage on Monday (Sep 22) evening as the 30 players from both men’s and women’s sides compete for the most prestigious individual honour in football. The award ceremony set to take place in the French capital of Paris will be one to watch out for. France’s Ousmane Dembélé and Spain’s Lamine Yamal are likely to go head-to-head in the men’s side. But why is the Ballon d’Or the most prestigious individual honour in football and what is its significance?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Ballon d&#39;Or ceremony is today, and we&#39;ve partenered with <a href="https://twitter.com/Sports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sports</a> ! ✨ Use our official hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BallonDor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BallonDor</a> to unlock an exclusive emoji! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ballondor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ballondor</a> <a href="https://t.co/osFth9Hex8">pic.twitter.com/osFth9Hex8</a>&mdash; Ballon d&#39;Or (@ballondor) <a href="https://twitter.com/ballondor/status/1970063878865506509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Ballon d’Or and its significance</h2>Monday’s ceremony will be the 69th edition of the Ballon d’Or ceremony, as the best individual players from both men’s and women’s sides will be crowned. The ceremony first took place in 1956 when French magazine France Football started presenting it to the best footballer of the season. Originally started as a top prize for only European footballers, the Ballon d’Or was expanded to include all players of any origin who have been active at European clubs in 1995.&nbsp;However, it was not until 2007 that the prize became a global accolade, meaning all professional footballers around the globe were eligible to win the top prize. The 2007 amendment also saw coaches and captains of national teams given the right to vote in the Ballon d’Or rankings before reverting to just journalists in 2016.&nbsp;Between 2010 and 2015, France Football and FIFA had had agreement, meaning the award was given to the best footballer under the title “FIFA Ballon d’Or” before reverting to the previous format where both awards were presented separately.<h2>How is the Ballon d'Or decided?</h2>The men's and women's Ballon d'Or is awarded based on three main criteria:1) Individual performances, decisive and impressive character2) Team performances and achievements3) Class and fair play&nbsp;Over the years, some of the greats of the game have gone on to win the Ballon d’Or, with notable names including Lionel Messi (eight times), Cristiano Ronaldo (five times), Luka Modric, Zinedine Zidane and others.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-virat-kohli-here-is-a-look-at-five-indian-batters-with-most-runs-in-asia-cup-odis-t20is-sachin-tendulkar-ms-dhoni-dhawan-1754123070628">From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is)</a>&nbsp;An honorary award, under the name Super Ballon d'Or, was awarded to Alfredo Di Stéfano in 1989, who was voted the best multiple-time Ballon d'Or winner ahead of Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini.&nbsp;In addition, Diego Maradona received an honorary Ballon d'Or in 1995 for his services to football, dubbed the Golden Ballon d'Or. Pelé also received a similar award during the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or ceremony, dubbed the FIFA Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-full-squads-complete-fixtures-date-time-venue-and-live-streaming-details-check-all-details-1755585771834">Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details</a><h2>Who are the front-runners for the 2025 Ballon d’Or?</h2>Dembélé is top of the favourites chart to win the prestigious honour, having helped Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League, Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France title in the same season. They could have completed a unique quadruple, but missed out on the Club World Cup title in the final when Chelsea got the better of them. Yamal, on the other hand, will be in the race for the top prize, but is likely to miss out, having lost the Champions League semis with Barcelona, while the same applies to teammate Raphinha.&nbsp;In the women's department, Aitana Bonmati and Alessia Russo will also square off for the top honour, with the former helping Barcelona with the 2024-25 Primera División title.

Presented annually by France Football since 1956, the Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious accolade a footballer can receive in recognition of outstanding achievements and exceptional talent.

The Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony is all set to take centre stage on Monday (Sep 22) evening as the 30 players from both men’s and women’s sides compete for the most prestigious individual honour in football. The award ceremony set to take place in the French capital of Paris will be one to watch out for. France’s Ousmane Dembélé and Spain’s Lamine Yamal are likely to go head-to-head in the men’s side. But why is the Ballon d’Or the most prestigious individual honour in football and what is its significance?

Presented annually by France Football since 1956, the Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious accolade a footballer can receive in recognition of outstanding achievements and exceptional talent.

Explained: Why Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual honour in football

Ferran Torres struck twice for champions Barcelona as they beat Getafe 3-0 on Sunday to stay on Real Madrid's tails at the top of La Liga. Dani Olmo was also on target for the Catalans, who trail leaders Madrid by two points after Xabi Alonso's side beat Espanyol on Saturday to maintain their 100 percent record. Atletico Madrid's stuttering start to the season continued in a 1-1 draw at Mallorca, in which their striker Julian Alvarez missed a penalty.Playing at the 6,000 capacity Johan Cruyff stadium besides their training ground again as the club waits for the necessary licences to reopen their renovated Camp Nou home, Barcelona dominated an unambitious Getafe team.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-ballon-d-or-2025-all-you-need-to-know-about-football-s-prestigious-honour-contenders-live-streaming-and-more-ousmane-demb-l-lamine-yamal-1758450757122">Ballon d'Or 2025: All you need to know about football's prestigious honour</a>Despite his brace against Newcastle in the Champions League, German coach Hansi Flick left Marcus Rashford on the bench, with Spanish media reporting that it was because the England international was late for a morning meeting.Flick has dropped other players from the line-up for the same offence in the past, including defender Jules Kounde."(Rotation) is normal because every three or four days we have a match, we need fresh legs on the pitch," said Flick, when asked why Rashford did not start.Rashford's replacement as the stand-in for injured teenage superstar Lamine Yamal, Torres, took his chance with both hands."We have a lot of matches so it's really good to have everyone on this (level of) performance," added Flick.The Spaniard opened the scoring with a powerful finish at the end of a slick move, with Olmo backheeling the ball into his path in the box.Torres's second finish was even better, guided into the bottom left corner from outside the box after Raphinha sent him through on goal.The forward crashed a shot off the bar as a first half hat-trick beckoned.Several Barca players lost their temper before the break as Getafe put in several hard and late tackles, with Kounde the victim of many of them.Flick sent on Rashford for Raphinha at half-time, perhaps in order to save the Brazilian from a potential red card."A lot of the time, they don't try to do anything apart from too many fouls, in my opinion, but we managed it well," Torres told DAZN."I said to the team: we have to focus on our match, not on their match," said Flick.Rashford created Barcelona's third, zipping inside from the right flank and unselfishly cutting the ball back for Olmo to finish, and had two efforts of his own saved by Getafe goalkeeper David Soria.The only bad news for Barca was substitute Fermin Lopez appearing to pull up hurt in stoppage time.<h2>Frustrated Atletico</h2>Earlier, Atletico were held by Mallorca despite outplaying the hosts.Diego Simeone's side, reduced to 10 men after Alexander Sorloth's red card, took the lead through Conor Gallagher but Vedat Muriqi levelled in the 85th minute.The draw left Atletico 12th, having won just one of their first five league matches."I think we dominated the game from start to end, until we scored and they, with one more player, turned up the pressure," Atletico captain Koke told DAZN."It's clear that what matters is scoring goals and they don't want to go in."The draw leaves Atletico nine points behind leaders Real Madrid, and seven behind Barcelona.Licking their wounds after a painful late Champions League defeat at Liverpool in midweek, Atletico were left with a similar feeling."We have to improve to hold on in games... (but) we're building a new team, a lot of players have come in. We're on the right path," said Simeone.Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman made several saves, including from Alvarez's penalty after captain Antonio Raillo handled David Hancko's shot in the first half.The Rojiblancos' job was made harder when Sorloth was dismissed for a high challenge on Raillo in the 72nd minute, but a few minutes later they took the lead as Gallagher netted a rebound.Simeone's side could not hold on and Muriqi nodded the hosts level with five minutes remaining.

Despite his brace against Newcastle in the Champions League, German coach Hansi Flick left Marcus Rashford on the bench, with Spanish media reporting that it was because the England international was late for a morning meeting.

Ferran Torres struck twice for champions Barcelona as they beat Getafe 3-0 on Sunday to stay on Real Madrid's tails at the top of La Liga. Dani Olmo was also on target for the Catalans, who trail leaders Madrid by two points after Xabi Alonso's side beat Espanyol on Saturday to maintain their 100 percent record. Atletico Madrid's stuttering start to the season continued in a 1-1 draw at Mallorca, in which their striker Julian Alvarez missed a penalty. Playing at the 6,000 capacity Johan Cruyff stadium besides their training ground again as the club waits for the necessary licences to reopen their renovated Camp Nou home, Barcelona dominated an unambitious Getafe team. Also Read - Ballon d'Or 2025: All you need to know about football's prestigious honour Despite his brace against Newcastle in the Champions League, German coach Hansi Flick left Marcus Rashford on the bench, with Spanish media reporting that it was because the England international was late for a morning meeting. Flick has dropped other players from the line-up for the same offence in the past, including defender Jules Kounde. "(Rotation) is normal because every three or four days we have a match, we need fresh legs on the pitch," said Flick, when asked why Rashford did not start. Rashford's replacement as the stand-in for injured teenage superstar Lamine Yamal, Torres, took his chance with both hands. "We have a lot of matches so it's really good to have everyone on this (level of) performance," added Flick. The Spaniard opened the scoring with a powerful finish at the end of a slick move, with Olmo backheeling the ball into his path in the box. Torres's second finish was even better, guided into the bottom left corner from outside the box after Raphinha sent him through on goal. The forward crashed a shot off the bar as a first half hat-trick beckoned. Several Barca players lost their temper before the break as Getafe put in several hard and late tackles, with Kounde the victim of many of them. Flick sent on Rashford for Raphinha at half-time, perhaps in order to save the Brazilian from a potential red card. "A lot of the time, they don't try to do anything apart from too many fouls, in my opinion, but we managed it well," Torres told DAZN. "I said to the team: we have to focus on our match, not on their match," said Flick. Rashford created Barcelona's third, zipping inside from the right flank and unselfishly cutting the ball back for Olmo to finish, and had two efforts of his own saved by Getafe goalkeeper David Soria. The only bad news for Barca was substitute Fermin Lopez appearing to pull up hurt in stoppage time. Frustrated Atletico Earlier, Atletico were held by Mallorca despite outplaying the hosts. Diego Simeone's side, reduced to 10 men after Alexander Sorloth's red card, took the lead through Conor Gallagher but Vedat Muriqi levelled in the 85th minute. The draw left Atletico 12th, having won just one of their first five league matches. "I think we dominated the game from start to end, until we scored and they, with one more player, turned up the pressure," Atletico captain Koke told DAZN. "It's clear that what matters is scoring goals and they don't want to go in." The draw leaves Atletico nine points behind leaders Real Madrid, and seven behind Barcelona. Licking their wounds after a painful late Champions League defeat at Liverpool in midweek, Atletico were left with a similar feeling. "We have to improve to hold on in games... (but) we're building a new team, a lot of players have come in. We're on the right path," said Simeone. Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman made several saves, including from Alvarez's penalty after captain Antonio Raillo handled David Hancko's shot in the first half. The Rojiblancos' job was made harder when Sorloth was dismissed for a high challenge on Raillo in the 72nd minute, but a few minutes later they took the lead as Gallagher netted a rebound. Simeone's side could not hold on and Muriqi nodded the hosts level with five minutes remaining.

Despite his brace against Newcastle in the Champions League, German coach Hansi Flick left Marcus Rashford on the bench, with Spanish media reporting that it was because the England international was late for a morning meeting.

La Liga: Torres brace helps Barcelona stay on Real Madrid's tail, Mallorca hold Atletico

The race for Ballon d’Or 2025 is heating up as top names from football battle out for the most prestigious individual award in the sport. In the men’s department, France’s Ousmane Dembélé, Spain’s Lamine Yamal and others will be the favorites, while in the women's department, Aitana Bonmati and Alessia Russo will also square off. So ahead of the Ballon 2025 ceremony, here’s all you need to know, including live streaming, nominations and other key details.<h2>Who are the favourites?</h2>Dembélé is top of the favourites chart to win the prestigious honour, having helped Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League, Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France title in the same season. They could have completed a unique quadruple, but missed out on the Club World Cup title in the final when Chelsea got the better of them. Yamal, on the other hand, will be in the race for the top prize, but is likely to miss out, having lost the Champions League semis with Barcelona, while the same applies to teammate Raphinha.<h2>What is the Ballon d'Or?</h2>Presented annually by France Football since 1956, the Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious accolade a footballer can receive in recognition of outstanding achievements and exceptional talent.<h2>Where and when is the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony?</h2>The 69th edition of the awards ceremony will take place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Monday (Sep 22) and Tuesday (Sep 23) in India due to time zone difference.&nbsp;<h2>Which channel will broadcast the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony in India?</h2>The 69th edition of the Ballon d'Or 2025 will be broadcasted on the Sony Sports Network in India.&nbsp;<h2>Which platform will live-stream the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony in India?</h2>The 69th edition of the Ballon d'Or 2025 will be live-streamed on the Sony Liv App in India.&nbsp;<h2>Which awards will be presented at the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony?</h2>• The Men's Ballon d'Or (best player, 2024/25 season)• The Women's Ballon d'Or (best player, 2024/25 season)• The Men's Kopa Trophy (best young player, 2024/25 season)• The Women's Kopa Trophy (best young player, 2024/25 season)• The Men's Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper, 2024/25 season)• The Women's Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper, 2024/25 season)• The Men's Gerd Müller Trophy (top scorer in club/national team, 2024/25 season)• The Women's Gerd Müller Trophy (top scorer in club/national team, 2024/25 season)• The Men's Johan Cruyff Trophy (best coach in club/national team, 2024/25 season)• The Women's Johan Cruyff Trophy (best coach in club/national team, 2024/25 season)• The Men's Club of the Year Trophy• The Women's Club of the Year Trophy• Sócrates Award&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-full-squads-complete-fixtures-date-time-venue-and-live-streaming-details-check-all-details-1755585771834">Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details</a><h2>Who are the nominees for the 2025 Ballon d'Or awards?</h2><h3>Men's Ballon d'Or 2025 nominees</h3>Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)Ousmane Dembélé (France, Paris Saint-Germain)Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester City)Désiré Doué (France, Paris Saint-Germain)Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands, Inter)Serhou Guirassy (Guinea, Borussia Dortmund)Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden, Sporting CP/Arsenal)Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain)Harry Kane (England, Bayern)Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, Napoli/Paris Saint-Germain)Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Barcelona)Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina, Liverpool)Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter)Kylian Mbappé (France, Real Madrid)Scott McTominay (Scotland, Napoli)Nuno Mendes (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)João Neves (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)Michael Olise (France, Bayern)Cole Palmer (England, Chelsea)Pedri (Spain, Barcelona)Raphinha (Brazil, Barcelona)Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)Fabián Ruiz (Spain, Paris Saint-Germain)Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands, Liverpool)Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)Florian Wirtz (Germany, Leverkusen/Liverpool)Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-virat-kohli-here-is-a-look-at-five-indian-batters-with-most-runs-in-asia-cup-odis-t20is-sachin-tendulkar-ms-dhoni-dhawan-1754123070628">From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is)</a><h3>Women's Ballon d'Or 2025 nominees</h3>Sandy Baltimore (France, Chelsea)Barbra Banda (Zambia, Orlando Pride)Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona)Lucy Bronze (England, Chelsea)Klara Bühl (Germany, Bayern)Mariona Caldentey (Spain, Arsenal)Sofia Cantore (Italy, Juventus/Washington Spirit)Steph Catley (Australia, Arsenal)Temwa Chawinga (Malawi, Kansas City)Melchie Dumornay (Haiti, OL Lyonnes)Emily Fox (United States, Arsenal)Cristiana Girelli (Italy, Juventus)Esther González (Spain, Gotham FC)Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona)Patri Guijarro (Spain, Barcelona)Amanda Gutierres (Brazil, Palmeiras)Hannah Hampton (England, Chelsea)Pernille Harder (Denmark, Bayern)Lindsey Heaps (United States, OL Lyonnes)Chloe Kelly (England, Manchester City/Arsenal)Frida Leonhardsen Maanum (Norway, Arsenal)Marta (Brazil, Orlando Pride)Clara Mateo (France, Paris FC)Ewa Pajor (Poland, Barcelona)Clàudia Pina (Spain, Barcelona)Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona)Alessia Russo (England, Arsenal)Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Sweden, Chelsea)Caroline Weir (Scotland, Real Madrid)Leah Williamson (England, Arsenal)<h2>How is the Ballon d'Or decided?</h2>The men's and women's Ballon d'Or is awarded based on three main criteria:1) Individual performances, decisive and impressive character2) Team performances and achievements3) Class and fair play

The race for Ballon d’Or 2025 is heating up as top names from football battle out for the most prestigious individual award in the sport. In the men’s department, France’s Ousmane Dembélé, Spain’s Lamine Yamal and others will be the favorites, while in the women's department, Aitana Bonmati and Alessia Russo will also square off. So ahead of the Ballon 2025 ceremony, here’s all you need to know, including live streaming, nominations and other key details. Who are the favourites? Dembélé is top of the favourites chart to win the prestigious honour, having helped Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League, Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France title in the same season. They could have completed a unique quadruple, but missed out on the Club World Cup title in the final when Chelsea got the better of them. Yamal, on the other hand, will be in the race for the top prize, but is likely to miss out, having lost the Champions League semis with Barcelona, while the same applies to teammate Raphinha. What is the Ballon d'Or? Presented annually by France Football since 1956, the Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious accolade a footballer can receive in recognition of outstanding achievements and exceptional talent. Where and when is the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony? The 69th edition of the awards ceremony will take place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Monday (Sep 22) and Tuesday (Sep 23) in India due to time zone difference. Which channel will broadcast the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony in India? The 69th edition of the Ballon d'Or 2025 will be broadcasted on the Sony Sports Network in India. Which platform will live-stream the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony in India? The 69th edition of the Ballon d'Or 2025 will be live-streamed on the Sony Liv App in India. Which awards will be presented at the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony? • The Men's Ballon d'Or (best player, 2024/25 season) • The Women's Ballon d'Or (best player, 2024/25 season) • The Men's Kopa Trophy (best young player, 2024/25 season) • The Women's Kopa Trophy (best young player, 2024/25 season) • The Men's Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper, 2024/25 season) • The Women's Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper, 2024/25 season) • The Men's Gerd Müller Trophy (top scorer in club/national team, 2024/25 season) • The Women's Gerd Müller Trophy (top scorer in club/national team, 2024/25 season) • The Men's Johan Cruyff Trophy (best coach in club/national team, 2024/25 season) • The Women's Johan Cruyff Trophy (best coach in club/national team, 2024/25 season) • The Men's Club of the Year Trophy • The Women's Club of the Year Trophy • Sócrates Award ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details Who are the nominees for the 2025 Ballon d'Or awards? Men's Ballon d'Or 2025 nominees Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid) Ousmane Dembélé (France, Paris Saint-Germain) Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester City) Désiré Doué (France, Paris Saint-Germain) Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands, Inter) Serhou Guirassy (Guinea, Borussia Dortmund) Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden, Sporting CP/Arsenal) Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City) Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain) Harry Kane (England, Bayern) Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, Napoli/Paris Saint-Germain) Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Barcelona) Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina, Liverpool) Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter) Kylian Mbappé (France, Real Madrid) Scott McTominay (Scotland, Napoli) Nuno Mendes (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain) João Neves (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain) Michael Olise (France, Bayern) Cole Palmer (England, Chelsea) Pedri (Spain, Barcelona) Raphinha (Brazil, Barcelona) Declan Rice (England, Arsenal) Fabián Ruiz (Spain, Paris Saint-Germain) Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool) Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands, Liverpool) Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid) Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain) Florian Wirtz (Germany, Leverkusen/Liverpool) Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona) ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is) Women's Ballon d'Or 2025 nominees Sandy Baltimore (France, Chelsea) Barbra Banda (Zambia, Orlando Pride) Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona) Lucy Bronze (England, Chelsea) Klara Bühl (Germany, Bayern) Mariona Caldentey (Spain, Arsenal) Sofia Cantore (Italy, Juventus/Washington Spirit) Steph Catley (Australia, Arsenal) Temwa Chawinga (Malawi, Kansas City) Melchie Dumornay (Haiti, OL Lyonnes) Emily Fox (United States, Arsenal) Cristiana Girelli (Italy, Juventus) Esther González (Spain, Gotham FC) Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona) Patri Guijarro (Spain, Barcelona) Amanda Gutierres (Brazil, Palmeiras) Hannah Hampton (England, Chelsea) Pernille Harder (Denmark, Bayern) Lindsey Heaps (United States, OL Lyonnes) Chloe Kelly (England, Manchester City/Arsenal) Frida Leonhardsen Maanum (Norway, Arsenal) Marta (Brazil, Orlando Pride) Clara Mateo (France, Paris FC) Ewa Pajor (Poland, Barcelona) Clàudia Pina (Spain, Barcelona) Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona) Alessia Russo (England, Arsenal) Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Sweden, Chelsea) Caroline Weir (Scotland, Real Madrid) Leah Williamson (England, Arsenal) How is the Ballon d'Or decided? The men's and women's Ballon d'Or is awarded based on three main criteria: 1) Individual performances, decisive and impressive character 2) Team performances and achievements 3) Class and fair play

Ballon d'Or 2025: All you need to know about football's prestigious honour - contenders, live streaming and more

Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele is tipped to hold off Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal and win the men's Ballon d'Or on Monday, while Aitana Bonmati's chances of claiming a third straight women's prize hang in the balance.&nbsp;The cream of world football will gather at the Theatre du Chatelet in central Paris to discover who will be the latest winners of an award dominated for so long by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.&nbsp;Those two won the Ballon d'Or 13 times between them from 2008 to 2023, with last year finally marking the end of an era when the award went to Manchester City midfielder Rodri after he captained Spain to Euro 2024 glory.&nbsp;With Rodri not a contender to retain the most prestigious individual prize in football after last season was marred by injury, Dembele has emerged as the favourite from a list of nominees dominated by PSG.&nbsp;Nine members of the PSG team that won the Champions League, demolishing Inter Milan 5-0 in the final, feature among the 30 nominees.&nbsp;There is Desire Doue, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha, as well as goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, now with Manchester City.&nbsp;But Dembele stands out after a magnificent season in which he filled the void left in Paris by the departed Kylian Mbappe, scoring 35 goals.&nbsp;That contribution helped PSG to also complete a domestic clean sweep and reach the final of the Club World Cup.&nbsp;It was a spectacular campaign for the French club and an even more extraordinary one for Dembele, the 28-year-old winger turned centre-forward whose previous most prolific season had delivered 14 goals for Barcelona in 2018/19.&nbsp;"It is nice after what was a wonderful season with PSG," Dembele told Le Monde when asked what it meant to be a leading contender for the prize.&nbsp;"I think it's true that I am one of the favourites, but we will see what happens," he said of a gong he has described as "the individual Holy Grail".&nbsp;Yamal, still just 18, stands out among the other nominees having emerged as a superstar on the wing at Barcelona, where he is seen as the successor to Messi.&nbsp;He won the Kopa Trophy for the best player aged under 21 at last year's Ballon d'Or gala, fresh from having helped Spain to European Championship glory.&nbsp;He scored 18 goals in 55 games in all competitions last season as Barcelona won La Liga and the Spanish Copa del Rey, but they lost in the Champions League semi-finals to Inter.&nbsp;"I don't dream of winning one Ballon d'Or, I dream of winning lots," Yamal said in a recent interview with Spanish journalist Jose Ramon de la Morena.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-virat-kohli-here-is-a-look-at-five-indian-batters-with-most-runs-in-asia-cup-odis-t20is-sachin-tendulkar-ms-dhoni-dhawan-1754123070628">From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is)</a><h2>Bonmati to retain women's award?</h2>The Ballon d'Or is now voted for on the basis of achievements during last season, rather than over a calendar year as in the past.&nbsp;Other notable nominees include Viktor Gyokeres, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, and the key duo from Liverpool's 2024-2025 Premier League triumph, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.&nbsp;Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are on the list too, a year after Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony, outraged that the latter had been overlooked for the prize.&nbsp;The Ballon d'Or is voted for by a panel of journalists, one from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA world rankings.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-full-squads-complete-fixtures-date-time-venue-and-live-streaming-details-check-all-details-1755585771834">Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details</a>&nbsp;It is the top 50 for the women, in which the field appears wide open as Barcelona and Spain star Bonmati goes for a treble.&nbsp;Bonmati, 27, is an exceptional talent and was named player of the tournament at the UEFA Women's Euro in July.&nbsp;Yet Spain lost the final of that tournament on penalties to England, and Bonmati's Barcelona also lost the Champions League final to Arsenal in May.&nbsp;What may work either in her favour, or that of teammate and two-time former winner Alexia Putellas, is that there is no obvious standout from the England team that triumphed at the Euros.&nbsp;Lucy Bronze, goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, Alessio Russo and captain Leah Williamson are all nominated from that side, as is Chloe Kelly, who scored the decisive penalty in the final.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Ousmane Dembele stands out after a magnificent season in which he filled the void left in Paris by the departed Kylian Mbappe, scoring 35 goals.

Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele is tipped to hold off Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal and win the men's Ballon d'Or on Monday, while Aitana Bonmati's chances of claiming a third straight women's prize hang in the balance. The cream of world football will gather at the Theatre du Chatelet in central Paris to discover who will be the latest winners of an award dominated for so long by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Those two won the Ballon d'Or 13 times between them from 2008 to 2023, with last year finally marking the end of an era when the award went to Manchester City midfielder Rodri after he captained Spain to Euro 2024 glory. With Rodri not a contender to retain the most prestigious individual prize in football after last season was marred by injury, Dembele has emerged as the favourite from a list of nominees dominated by PSG. Nine members of the PSG team that won the Champions League, demolishing Inter Milan 5-0 in the final, feature among the 30 nominees. There is Desire Doue, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha, as well as goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, now with Manchester City. But Dembele stands out after a magnificent season in which he filled the void left in Paris by the departed Kylian Mbappe, scoring 35 goals. That contribution helped PSG to also complete a domestic clean sweep and reach the final of the Club World Cup. It was a spectacular campaign for the French club and an even more extraordinary one for Dembele, the 28-year-old winger turned centre-forward whose previous most prolific season had delivered 14 goals for Barcelona in 2018/19. "It is nice after what was a wonderful season with PSG," Dembele told Le Monde when asked what it meant to be a leading contender for the prize. "I think it's true that I am one of the favourites, but we will see what happens," he said of a gong he has described as "the individual Holy Grail". Yamal, still just 18, stands out among the other nominees having emerged as a superstar on the wing at Barcelona, where he is seen as the successor to Messi. He won the Kopa Trophy for the best player aged under 21 at last year's Ballon d'Or gala, fresh from having helped Spain to European Championship glory. He scored 18 goals in 55 games in all competitions last season as Barcelona won La Liga and the Spanish Copa del Rey, but they lost in the Champions League semi-finals to Inter. "I don't dream of winning one Ballon d'Or, I dream of winning lots," Yamal said in a recent interview with Spanish journalist Jose Ramon de la Morena. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is) Bonmati to retain women's award? The Ballon d'Or is now voted for on the basis of achievements during last season, rather than over a calendar year as in the past. Other notable nominees include Viktor Gyokeres, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, and the key duo from Liverpool's 2024-2025 Premier League triumph, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are on the list too, a year after Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony, outraged that the latter had been overlooked for the prize. The Ballon d'Or is voted for by a panel of journalists, one from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA world rankings. ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details It is the top 50 for the women, in which the field appears wide open as Barcelona and Spain star Bonmati goes for a treble. Bonmati, 27, is an exceptional talent and was named player of the tournament at the UEFA Women's Euro in July. Yet Spain lost the final of that tournament on penalties to England, and Bonmati's Barcelona also lost the Champions League final to Arsenal in May. What may work either in her favour, or that of teammate and two-time former winner Alexia Putellas, is that there is no obvious standout from the England team that triumphed at the Euros. Lucy Bronze, goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, Alessio Russo and captain Leah Williamson are all nominated from that side, as is Chloe Kelly, who scored the decisive penalty in the final. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Ousmane Dembele stands out after a magnificent season in which he filled the void left in Paris by the departed Kylian Mbappe, scoring 35 goals.

Ballon d'Or 2025: PSG star Ousmane Dembele tipped to beat Lamine Yamal to win - Report

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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;"It was another ordinary night for him, which is totally extraordinary for any other football player," Miami coach Javier Mascherano said.&nbsp;"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."&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;Christian Benteke headed the visitors level in the 52nd minute.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;Two minutes after coming on as a substitute in the 69th minute, Argentine Mateo Silvetti was fouled in the box by Barraza.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;"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.”<h2>Important win</h2>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.&nbsp;It proved invaluable, as Jacob Murrell struck for DC United in the seventh minute of stoppage time to trim the deficit to one.&nbsp;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 New York Red Bulls produced a 2-0 victory over Montreal.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-virat-kohli-here-is-a-look-at-five-indian-batters-with-most-runs-in-asia-cup-odis-t20is-sachin-tendulkar-ms-dhoni-dhawan-1754123070628">From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is)</a>&nbsp;New York City FC clinched their ninth playoff spot in 11 seasons with a 2-0 victory over playoff-bound Charlotte.&nbsp;Alonso Martinez converted two penalties and Matt Freese saved a Wilfried Zaha spot kick as City stretched their unbeaten run to three matches.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-full-squads-complete-fixtures-date-time-venue-and-live-streaming-details-check-all-details-1755585771834">Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details</a>&nbsp;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.&nbsp;Bruno Damiani broke the scoreless deadlock in the 71st minute with a crisp finish from a perfectly placed pass from Frankie Westfield.&nbsp;Orlando denied Nashville's chance to clinch a playoff berth with a 3-2 victory.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Lionel Messi 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.

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. "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.” Important win 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 New York Red Bulls produced a 2-0 victory over Montreal. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is) 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. ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details 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. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Lionel Messi 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.

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

India’s Smriti Mandhana ran riot in the final ODI of the three-match series against Australia after she scored the fastest ton by an Indian in the format. Mandhana, playing in the second innings at the iconic Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday (Sep 20), completed her hundred in 50 deliveries. In doing so, she broke the record for fastest ODI hundred by an Indian, surpassing Virat Kohli’s record, who had earlier scored a ton in just 52 balls in 2013.<h2>Mandhana runs riot with bat</h2>Having been on the receiving end of an Australian batting onslaught, Mandhana looked in great touch as India needed 413 runs to win. Having opened the innings with impressive Pratika Rawal (10), it was not a good start for the Women in Blue as they lost the latter in the fourth over before Harleen Deol joined in. The duo had a good start before Harleen was dismissed for 11 off 14.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-full-squads-complete-fixtures-date-time-venue-and-live-streaming-details-check-all-details-1755585771834">Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details</a>&nbsp;After the two wickets, the Indian duo of Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur took charge of the batting department as they stitched 121 runs for the third wicket. During the partnership, Mandhana completed her hundred with a six, doing so in 50 balls. She broke the record for men’s and women’s department, leapfrogging Virat Kohli in the process.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-virat-kohli-here-is-a-look-at-five-indian-batters-with-most-runs-in-asia-cup-odis-t20is-sachin-tendulkar-ms-dhoni-dhawan-1754123070628">From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is)</a><h2>Fastest ODI hundreds for India (Men’s or Women’s)</h2>50 - Smriti Mandhana vs AUS-W, Delhi, 202552 - Virat Kohli vs AUS, Jaipur, 201360 - Virender Sehwag vs NZ, Hamilton, 200961 - Virat Kohli vs AUS, Nagpur, 201362 - Mohammad Azharuddin vs NZ, Baroda, 198862 - KL Rahul vs NED, Bengaluru, 2023&nbsp;At the time of writing, India women were 242/5 in 25 overs and still needed 171 runs more to win the match. This was the first instance when India women had conceded 400 runs in an ODI match as they searched for a historic chase.&nbsp;

Smriti Mandhana completed her hundred with a six, doing so in 50 balls. She broke the record for men’s and women’s department, leapfrogging Virat Kohli in the process.

India’s Smriti Mandhana ran riot in the final ODI of the three-match series against Australia after she scored the fastest ton by an Indian in the format. Mandhana, playing in the second innings at the iconic Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday (Sep 20), completed her hundred in 50 deliveries. In doing so, she broke the record for fastest ODI hundred by an Indian, surpassing Virat Kohli’s record, who had earlier scored a ton in just 52 balls in 2013. Mandhana runs riot with bat Having been on the receiving end of an Australian batting onslaught, Mandhana looked in great touch as India needed 413 runs to win. Having opened the innings with impressive Pratika Rawal (10), it was not a good start for the Women in Blue as they lost the latter in the fourth over before Harleen Deol joined in. The duo had a good start before Harleen was dismissed for 11 off 14. ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details After the two wickets, the Indian duo of Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur took charge of the batting department as they stitched 121 runs for the third wicket. During the partnership, Mandhana completed her hundred with a six, doing so in 50 balls. She broke the record for men’s and women’s department, leapfrogging Virat Kohli in the process. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is) Fastest ODI hundreds for India (Men’s or Women’s) 50 - Smriti Mandhana vs AUS-W, Delhi, 2025 52 - Virat Kohli vs AUS, Jaipur, 2013 60 - Virender Sehwag vs NZ, Hamilton, 2009 61 - Virat Kohli vs AUS, Nagpur, 2013 62 - Mohammad Azharuddin vs NZ, Baroda, 1988 62 - KL Rahul vs NED, Bengaluru, 2023 At the time of writing, India women were 242/5 in 25 overs and still needed 171 runs more to win the match. This was the first instance when India women had conceded 400 runs in an ODI match as they searched for a historic chase.

Smriti Mandhana completed her hundred with a six, doing so in 50 balls. She broke the record for men’s and women’s department, leapfrogging Virat Kohli in the process.

IND-W vs AUS-W: Smriti Mandhana runs riot with bat, smashes fastest ODI hundred by an Indian

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. City lost two of their opening three games to Tottenham and Brighton but have bounced back with comprehensive victories over Manchester United and in the Champions League over Napoli.&nbsp;The thrashing at the hands of his former protege Mikel Arteta was one of the low points in a miserable campaign for Guardiola.&nbsp;City failed to win a trophy for the first time since 2017 and finished a distant third behind Liverpool and Arsenal.&nbsp;"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.&nbsp;"We forgot to do what we had do and it was easy for Arsenal. I want to compete to be a better team than we were last season."&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/liverpool-manager-arne-slot-thanks-everton-for-solidarity-after-diogo-jota-tragic-death-1758287707755">Liverpool’s Slot thanks Everton for solidarity after Diogo Jota's tragic death</a>&nbsp;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.&nbsp;"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?"&nbsp;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.&nbsp;“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.”&nbsp;City begin the weekend three points behind Arsenal and six adrift of leaders Liverpool.&nbsp;The challenge facing Guardiola's side is heightened by the fact they played their Champions League opener 48 hours after Arsenal, who won 2-0 at Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;"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."&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

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

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. City lost two of their opening three games to Tottenham and Brighton but have bounced back with comprehensive victories over Manchester United and in the Champions League over Napoli. 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 do and it was easy for Arsenal. I want to compete to be a better team than we were last season." Also read | Liverpool’s Slot thanks Everton for solidarity after Diogo Jota's tragic death 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. "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 begin the weekend three points behind Arsenal and six adrift of leaders Liverpool. The challenge facing Guardiola's side is heightened by the fact 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." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

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

Pep Guardiola wants no repeat of Manchester City ‘disaster’ at Arsenal

Liverpool manager Arne Slot thanked Everton for the support they showed their Merseyside rivals after Diogo Jota's tragic death in July. Jota died at the age of 28 in a car accident in Spain, plunging Liverpool into mourning just weeks after they celebrated winning the Premier League title. The Portuguese's final goal came in the last Merseyside derby in a 1-0 Liverpool win in April.&nbsp;Everton make the trip back to Anfield on Saturday and on Friday Slot took the opportunity to praise the respect between the clubs despite their intense rivalry.&nbsp;"They are a good team and there is rivalry but what I also liked and what I want to emphasise is - what they did when Diogo passed away," he told reporters on Friday. "They showed their respect and in these moments of time, it is so nice to see that in tragedies that the rivalry is still there but the respect to both is still there."&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-round-up-rashford-scores-for-barcelona-in-win-haaland-hits-50-goal-mark-and-frankfurt-thrash-galatasaray-1758251538712">Champions League round-up: Rashford scores for Barcelona in win, Haaland hits 50-goal mark and Frankfurt thrash Galatasaray</a>&nbsp;Despite cruising to the title last season, Liverpool transformed their squad with a record spend of nearly £450 million ($612 million) for an English club in one transfer window.&nbsp;The scale of change has shown in some disjointed performances from Slot's men, but they have still managed to win all five of their Premier League and Champions League games so far thanks to late winners in every match.&nbsp;"I prefer the situation of winning the games and pointing out that we can still improve things, compared to losing games," added Slot.&nbsp;The Dutch coach is confident that his new signings will have no problem adjusting to the intensity of the Merseyside derby thanks to their previous experience of big games at club and international level.&nbsp;"For the new ones it is not for the first time that they play in circumstances where there are a lot of rivalries and intensity in the game," he said. "The focus should be on the rivalry but it should also be on what we need to do to win the game and that is being intense, that is winning the duels and that is also playing good on the ball and when we don't have the ball."&nbsp;Alexander Isak made his Liverpool debut in Wednesday's 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid after his British transfer record £125 million move from Newcastle.&nbsp;Slot said the Swede "felt his body more than ever" afterwards having missed most of pre-season attempting to force through his exit from St James' Park, with Hugo Ekitike expected to come back in for Isak on Saturday.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Everton make the trip back to Anfield on Saturday and on Friday Slot took the opportunity to praise the respect between the clubs despite their intense rivalry.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot thanked Everton for the support they showed their Merseyside rivals after Diogo Jota's tragic death in July. Jota died at the age of 28 in a car accident in Spain, plunging Liverpool into mourning just weeks after they celebrated winning the Premier League title. The Portuguese's final goal came in the last Merseyside derby in a 1-0 Liverpool win in April. Everton make the trip back to Anfield on Saturday and on Friday Slot took the opportunity to praise the respect between the clubs despite their intense rivalry. "They are a good team and there is rivalry but what I also liked and what I want to emphasise is - what they did when Diogo passed away," he told reporters on Friday. "They showed their respect and in these moments of time, it is so nice to see that in tragedies that the rivalry is still there but the respect to both is still there." Also read | Champions League round-up: Rashford scores for Barcelona in win, Haaland hits 50-goal mark and Frankfurt thrash Galatasaray Despite cruising to the title last season, Liverpool transformed their squad with a record spend of nearly £450 million ($612 million) for an English club in one transfer window. The scale of change has shown in some disjointed performances from Slot's men, but they have still managed to win all five of their Premier League and Champions League games so far thanks to late winners in every match. "I prefer the situation of winning the games and pointing out that we can still improve things, compared to losing games," added Slot. The Dutch coach is confident that his new signings will have no problem adjusting to the intensity of the Merseyside derby thanks to their previous experience of big games at club and international level. "For the new ones it is not for the first time that they play in circumstances where there are a lot of rivalries and intensity in the game," he said. "The focus should be on the rivalry but it should also be on what we need to do to win the game and that is being intense, that is winning the duels and that is also playing good on the ball and when we don't have the ball." Alexander Isak made his Liverpool debut in Wednesday's 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid after his British transfer record £125 million move from Newcastle. Slot said the Swede "felt his body more than ever" afterwards having missed most of pre-season attempting to force through his exit from St James' Park, with Hugo Ekitike expected to come back in for Isak on Saturday. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Everton make the trip back to Anfield on Saturday and on Friday Slot took the opportunity to praise the respect between the clubs despite their intense rivalry.

Liverpool’s Slot thanks Everton for solidarity after Diogo Jota's tragic death

Marcus Rashford scored twice as Barcelona kicked off their Champions League bid with a 2-1 victory away to Newcastle United on Thursday, while Erling Haaland notched his 50th goal in the competition in Manchester City's win over Napoli. The third consecutive evening of action in the first round of games in this season's league phase also saw Eintracht Frankfurt, Sporting Lisbon and Club Brugge record big wins while FC Copenhagen held Bayer Leverkusen. Rashford was still looking for his first Barcelona goals following his July loan move from Manchester United, and he got off the mark by heading in Jules Kounde's cross just before the hour at St James' Park.The England international then doubled the Spanish champions' lead with a ferocious right-foot shot from outside the area high into the top corner midway through the second half.Anthony Gordon pulled one back for Newcastle, but Barcelona -- beaten in the semi-finals last season -- held on to claim their first three points of the campaign."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.&nbsp;<h2>Haaland's half century</h2>Pep Guardiola's City, the 2023 Champions League winners, got off to an ideal start too as they saw off Serie A champions Napoli, claiming a 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium.The game was conditioned by the sending-off midway through the first half of Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, dismissed for wiping out Haaland as the Norwegian headed towards goal.That led to Napoli coach Antonio Conte taking off Kevin De Bruyne just 26 minutes into the Belgian playmaker's return to the stadium where he starred for a decade before departing at the end of last season.Haaland then gave City the lead as he nodded in from a delightful Phil Foden assist early in the second half. That took him to 50 career Champions League goals from just 49 appearances.Jeremy Doku then made it 2-0, leaving Napoli without a win in 13 visits to face English opposition in European competition."The numbers speak for themselves and how fortunate we are to have him," Guardiola said of Haaland, who is 12th in the all-time Champions League scoring charts -- barely over a third of the way to Cristiano Ronaldo's record 141 goals."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," insisted Guardiola.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/jose-mourinho-returns-to-portugal-as-benfica-manager-after-fenerbahce-sacking-1758211017558">Jose Mourinho returns to Portugal as Benfica manager after Fenerbahce sacking</a><h2>Frankfurt hit five</h2>Frankfurt were the night's biggest winners as they beat Galatasaray 5-1, despite the Turkish visitors taking an early lead through Yunus Akgun.A Davinson Sanchez own goal brought Frankfurt level on 37 minutes, before Can Uzun and Jonathan Burkardt both netted in first-half stoppage time.Burkardt struck again after the break, and Ansgar Knauff wrapped up a fine victory for the German club, who are top of the fledgling league standings.Fellow Bundesliga side Leverkusen had to come from behind twice to snatch a point in a 2-2 draw away to Copenhagen in the Danish capital.Jordan Larsson's early opener for the hosts was cancelled out by a brilliant Alejandro Grimaldo free-kick.Young Brazilian forward Robert restored the hosts' advantage on 87 minutes only for a Pantelis Hatzidiakos own goal in stoppage time to give Leverkusen a share of the spoils.Club Brugge, who reached the last 16 last season, claimed a stunning 4-1 win at home to Monaco in Belgium, with an early penalty miss by Maghnes Akliouche for the visitors proving crucial.Nicolo Tresoldi, Raphael Onyedika and Hans Vanaken all scored in the first half for Brugge, and Mamadou Diakhon got their fourth before Ansu Fati grabbed a late consolation for Monaco.Kazakhstan's Kairat Almaty travelled almost 7,000 kilometres to face Portuguese champions Sporting, and came away with a 4-1 defeat.Morten Hjulmand missed an early penalty for Sporting, but Francisco Trincao bagged a brace before Alisson Santos and Geovany Quenda netted quickfire goals in the second half.Edmilson pulled one back for Kairat, who host Real Madrid next in a fortnight.

Pep Guardiola's City, the 2023 Champions League winners, got off to an ideal start too as they saw off Serie A champions Napoli, claiming a 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium. Frankfurt were the night's biggest winners as they beat Galatasaray 5-1.

Marcus Rashford scored twice as Barcelona kicked off their Champions League bid with a 2-1 victory away to Newcastle United on Thursday, while Erling Haaland notched his 50th goal in the competition in Manchester City's win over Napoli. The third consecutive evening of action in the first round of games in this season's league phase also saw Eintracht Frankfurt, Sporting Lisbon and Club Brugge record big wins while FC Copenhagen held Bayer Leverkusen. Rashford was still looking for his first Barcelona goals following his July loan move from Manchester United, and he got off the mark by heading in Jules Kounde's cross just before the hour at St James' Park. The England international then doubled the Spanish champions' lead with a ferocious right-foot shot from outside the area high into the top corner midway through the second half. Anthony Gordon pulled one back for Newcastle, but Barcelona -- beaten in the semi-finals last season -- held on to claim their first three points of the campaign. "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. Haaland's half century Pep Guardiola's City, the 2023 Champions League winners, got off to an ideal start too as they saw off Serie A champions Napoli, claiming a 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium. The game was conditioned by the sending-off midway through the first half of Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, dismissed for wiping out Haaland as the Norwegian headed towards goal. That led to Napoli coach Antonio Conte taking off Kevin De Bruyne just 26 minutes into the Belgian playmaker's return to the stadium where he starred for a decade before departing at the end of last season. Haaland then gave City the lead as he nodded in from a delightful Phil Foden assist early in the second half. That took him to 50 career Champions League goals from just 49 appearances. Jeremy Doku then made it 2-0, leaving Napoli without a win in 13 visits to face English opposition in European competition. "The numbers speak for themselves and how fortunate we are to have him," Guardiola said of Haaland, who is 12th in the all-time Champions League scoring charts -- barely over a third of the way to Cristiano Ronaldo's record 141 goals. "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," insisted Guardiola. Also Read - Jose Mourinho returns to Portugal as Benfica manager after Fenerbahce sacking Frankfurt hit five Frankfurt were the night's biggest winners as they beat Galatasaray 5-1, despite the Turkish visitors taking an early lead through Yunus Akgun. A Davinson Sanchez own goal brought Frankfurt level on 37 minutes, before Can Uzun and Jonathan Burkardt both netted in first-half stoppage time. Burkardt struck again after the break, and Ansgar Knauff wrapped up a fine victory for the German club, who are top of the fledgling league standings. Fellow Bundesliga side Leverkusen had to come from behind twice to snatch a point in a 2-2 draw away to Copenhagen in the Danish capital. Jordan Larsson's early opener for the hosts was cancelled out by a brilliant Alejandro Grimaldo free-kick. Young Brazilian forward Robert restored the hosts' advantage on 87 minutes only for a Pantelis Hatzidiakos own goal in stoppage time to give Leverkusen a share of the spoils. Club Brugge, who reached the last 16 last season, claimed a stunning 4-1 win at home to Monaco in Belgium, with an early penalty miss by Maghnes Akliouche for the visitors proving crucial. Nicolo Tresoldi, Raphael Onyedika and Hans Vanaken all scored in the first half for Brugge, and Mamadou Diakhon got their fourth before Ansu Fati grabbed a late consolation for Monaco. Kazakhstan's Kairat Almaty travelled almost 7,000 kilometres to face Portuguese champions Sporting, and came away with a 4-1 defeat. Morten Hjulmand missed an early penalty for Sporting, but Francisco Trincao bagged a brace before Alisson Santos and Geovany Quenda netted quickfire goals in the second half. Edmilson pulled one back for Kairat, who host Real Madrid next in a fortnight.

Pep Guardiola's City, the 2023 Champions League winners, got off to an ideal start too as they saw off Serie A champions Napoli, claiming a 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium. Frankfurt were the night's biggest winners as they beat Galatasaray 5-1.

Champions League round-up: Rashford scores for Barcelona in win, Haaland hits 50-goal mark and Frankfurt thrash Galatasaray

Benfica appointed Jose Mourinho as their coach on Thursday (Sep 18), with the Portuguese returning to work in his homeland 21 years after leaving Porto for Chelsea. The 62-year-old, who also coached Real Madrid and Manchester United amongst other clubs, was sacked by Turkish side Fenerbahce in August after Benfica beat them in the Champions League play-offs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mourinho has signed a contract "to run until the end of the 2026/27 season", Benfica said in a statement, with an option for either party to end the deal at the end of the current campaign. The two-time European champions sacked Bruno Lage after a shock defeat in their Champions League opener against Azerbaijani minnows Qarabag on Tuesday. Mourinho will soon face reunions against former sides Chelsea and Porto, in the Champions League on September 30 and in the Primeira Liga on October 5, respectively.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/real-madrid-defender-raul-asencio-to-stand-trial-in-underage-sex-video-case-1758204797496">Real Madrid defender to stand trial in underage sex video case</a>&nbsp;"I come to Benfica at a different stage in my career, and as a person... we transform for the better," Mourinho told reporters, sitting alongside Benfica president Rui Costa. "I'm more altruistic, less self-centred, I think less about myself and more about the good I can do for others, the joy I can bring to others. I'm not the important thing -- Benfica is important."&nbsp;After starting out, his coaching career as an assistant to Bobby Robson and then Louis van Gaal at Barcelona, Mourinho made the step up to head coach at Benfica in September 2000. He quit after just 11 matches and then, after impressing at Uniao de Leiria, he joined the Eagles' fierce rivals, Porto, and guided them to back-to-back league titles and the Champions League crown in 2004. That set him on the path to a successful career coaching Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid before his fortunes dived after joining Manchester United in 2016.&nbsp;More modest stints then followed at Tottenham, Roma and Fenerbahce.&nbsp;"In some people's minds, I have two resumes -- one that lasted a certain period and another that represents, let's say, a less happy phase of my career," said Mourinho. “My misfortune is that in the last five years, I've played in two European finals. The negative part of my career... is two European finals in the last five years.”<h3>‘My mission’</h3>Mourinho won three Premier League titles across two spells at Chelsea, as well as the Champions League with Inter Milan in 2010, and a La Liga title with Real Madrid, among other trophies. However, since 2017, when he won the Europa League with Manchester United, Mourinho's only silverware was the Conference League with Roma in 2022.&nbsp;Mourinho's first game at the helm of Benfica will be a visit to face AVS on Saturday in the top flight.&nbsp;"It's been 25 years in which I've had the opportunity to work for the biggest clubs in the world," said Mourinho, of the time since he first departed Benfica. "I'd like to say that none of the other giant clubs I've had the opportunity to coach have made me feel more honoured, responsible, or motivated than being the coach of Benfica," he added.&nbsp;"The promise is very clear: I will live for Benfica, for my mission."&nbsp;Mourinho said he was more "mature" now than when he previously coached the club, and insisted his team had the quality to win the title.&nbsp;Sporting Lisbon won the last two titles, with Benfica's last triumph in 2023.&nbsp;"Benfica have enough potential within that dressing room to be champions," said Mourinho.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Mourinho, who also coached Real Madrid and Manchester United amongst other clubs, was sacked by Turkish side Fenerbahce in August after Benfica beat them in the Champions League play-offs. 

Benfica appointed Jose Mourinho as their coach on Thursday (Sep 18), with the Portuguese returning to work in his homeland 21 years after leaving Porto for Chelsea. The 62-year-old, who also coached Real Madrid and Manchester United amongst other clubs, was sacked by Turkish side Fenerbahce in August after Benfica beat them in the Champions League play-offs. Mourinho has signed a contract "to run until the end of the 2026/27 season", Benfica said in a statement, with an option for either party to end the deal at the end of the current campaign. The two-time European champions sacked Bruno Lage after a shock defeat in their Champions League opener against Azerbaijani minnows Qarabag on Tuesday. Mourinho will soon face reunions against former sides Chelsea and Porto, in the Champions League on September 30 and in the Primeira Liga on October 5, respectively. Also read | Real Madrid defender to stand trial in underage sex video case "I come to Benfica at a different stage in my career, and as a person... we transform for the better," Mourinho told reporters, sitting alongside Benfica president Rui Costa. "I'm more altruistic, less self-centred, I think less about myself and more about the good I can do for others, the joy I can bring to others. I'm not the important thing -- Benfica is important." After starting out, his coaching career as an assistant to Bobby Robson and then Louis van Gaal at Barcelona, Mourinho made the step up to head coach at Benfica in September 2000. He quit after just 11 matches and then, after impressing at Uniao de Leiria, he joined the Eagles' fierce rivals, Porto, and guided them to back-to-back league titles and the Champions League crown in 2004. That set him on the path to a successful career coaching Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid before his fortunes dived after joining Manchester United in 2016. More modest stints then followed at Tottenham, Roma and Fenerbahce. "In some people's minds, I have two resumes -- one that lasted a certain period and another that represents, let's say, a less happy phase of my career," said Mourinho. “My misfortune is that in the last five years, I've played in two European finals. The negative part of my career... is two European finals in the last five years.” ‘My mission’ Mourinho won three Premier League titles across two spells at Chelsea, as well as the Champions League with Inter Milan in 2010, and a La Liga title with Real Madrid, among other trophies. However, since 2017, when he won the Europa League with Manchester United, Mourinho's only silverware was the Conference League with Roma in 2022. Mourinho's first game at the helm of Benfica will be a visit to face AVS on Saturday in the top flight. "It's been 25 years in which I've had the opportunity to work for the biggest clubs in the world," said Mourinho, of the time since he first departed Benfica. "I'd like to say that none of the other giant clubs I've had the opportunity to coach have made me feel more honoured, responsible, or motivated than being the coach of Benfica," he added. "The promise is very clear: I will live for Benfica, for my mission." Mourinho said he was more "mature" now than when he previously coached the club, and insisted his team had the quality to win the title. Sporting Lisbon won the last two titles, with Benfica's last triumph in 2023. "Benfica have enough potential within that dressing room to be champions," said Mourinho. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Mourinho, who also coached Real Madrid and Manchester United amongst other clubs, was sacked by Turkish side Fenerbahce in August after Benfica beat them in the Champions League play-offs.&nbsp;

Jose Mourinho returns to Portugal as Benfica manager after Fenerbahce sacking

Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio will stand trial along with three former Los Blancos youth team players in a case regarding the distribution of a sexual video involving a minor, Spain's judicial governing body said on Thursday (Sep 18). A Las Palmas court declared "the opening of oral proceedings against the four footballers allegedly involved in the recording and/or non-consensual distribution of videos with sexual content involving a minor and another young woman," read a statement from Spain's General Council of the Judiciary.&nbsp;The court's ruling, from September 2, is not subject to appeal, and the start date of the trial has not yet been announced.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-scores-liverpool-beat-atletico-madrid-psg-crush-atalanta-and-bayern-sink-chelsea-1758165617649">Champions League round-up: Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid, PSG crush Atalanta and Bayern sink Chelsea</a>&nbsp;Asencio confirmed in May that he was one of the men accused in the case, but protested his "innocence of any criminal conduct", and said that the court had not accused him of participating in, or filming, the video.&nbsp;The four players were indicted in a case involving "the recording or non-consensual dissemination of videos of a sexual nature involving a minor and another young girl", aged 16 and 18 respectively at the time, read a court document seen by AFP.&nbsp;In September 2023, three unnamed Real Madrid youth players were arrested at the club's training centre following a complaint lodged by the mother of the 16-year-old girl who appears in the video, filmed in June that year at a beach club in Gran Canaria.&nbsp;At the time, Spanish media reported that one player had recorded a consensual sexual encounter with the young girl before sending the video to the other players without her consent.&nbsp;Fans at various stadiums around Spain have jeered Asencio, 22, and chanted for him to "die" after reports emerged regarding the case.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The court's ruling, from September 2, is not subject to appeal, and the start date of the trial has not yet been announced.

Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio will stand trial along with three former Los Blancos youth team players in a case regarding the distribution of a sexual video involving a minor, Spain's judicial governing body said on Thursday (Sep 18). A Las Palmas court declared "the opening of oral proceedings against the four footballers allegedly involved in the recording and/or non-consensual distribution of videos with sexual content involving a minor and another young woman," read a statement from Spain's General Council of the Judiciary. The court's ruling, from September 2, is not subject to appeal, and the start date of the trial has not yet been announced. Also read | Champions League round-up: Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid, PSG crush Atalanta and Bayern sink Chelsea Asencio confirmed in May that he was one of the men accused in the case, but protested his "innocence of any criminal conduct", and said that the court had not accused him of participating in, or filming, the video. The four players were indicted in a case involving "the recording or non-consensual dissemination of videos of a sexual nature involving a minor and another young girl", aged 16 and 18 respectively at the time, read a court document seen by AFP. In September 2023, three unnamed Real Madrid youth players were arrested at the club's training centre following a complaint lodged by the mother of the 16-year-old girl who appears in the video, filmed in June that year at a beach club in Gran Canaria. At the time, Spanish media reported that one player had recorded a consensual sexual encounter with the young girl before sending the video to the other players without her consent. Fans at various stadiums around Spain have jeered Asencio, 22, and chanted for him to "die" after reports emerged regarding the case. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The court's ruling, from September 2, is not subject to appeal, and the start date of the trial has not yet been announced.

Real Madrid defender to stand trial in underage sex video case

Football superstar Lionel Messi and Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami have almost agreed to a contract extension for multiple years. The development was first reported by ESPN citing a source including that the contract extension announcement could come in 10 days. Messi arrived in Miami, Florida in June 2023 on a two and a half year contract which is set to expire at the end of ongoing MLS 2025 season. This could also be the 38-year-old's last contract extension before he retires from a decorated career with multiple Ballon d'Ors and a World Cup trophy when he won with Argentina in 2022.<h2>Messi-Inter Miami contract extension all but done</h2>Messi's has been a stalwart at the Inter Miami ever since he arrived at the club. He currently is their highest goal scorer and has taken them new heights including a wider fan base across the globe as well. He played only four games in 2023 season after his arrival and scored three goals. Next season, he played 15 games and scored 20 goals. In the ongoing season, he has played 19 matches with another 20 goals to his name.Messi's contract extension with Inter Miami would also ensure he stays with the club until the 2026 FIFA World Cup next year. There's, however, clarity if he'll take part in the quadrennial tournament.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nfl-news-broncos-head-coach-sean-payton-issues-four-word-response-on-brady-s-presence-in-coaches-booth-1758183802364">Broncos head coach Sean Payton issues four-word response on Brady's presence in coaches' Booth</a><h2>Messi's club football journey</h2>Messi spent most of his career at Barcelona in Spanish La Liga where played from 2004 to 2021 after coming in through their robust youth system. He won the La Liga trophy 10 times at Barcelona along with four Champions League titles as well. He joined France-based Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after leaving Barcelona but quit it after a forgetful stay and landed in the USA at Inter Miami at his next and possibly the last stop.

Messi spent most of his career at Barcelona in Spanish La Liga where played from 2004 to 2021. He joined France-based Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after leaving Barcelona before joining Inter Miami in June 2023.

Football superstar Lionel Messi and Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami have almost agreed to a contract extension for multiple years. The development was first reported by ESPN citing a source including that the contract extension announcement could come in 10 days. Messi arrived in Miami, Florida in June 2023 on a two and a half year contract which is set to expire at the end of ongoing MLS 2025 season. This could also be the 38-year-old's last contract extension before he retires from a decorated career with multiple Ballon d'Ors and a World Cup trophy when he won with Argentina in 2022. Messi-Inter Miami contract extension all but done Messi's has been a stalwart at the Inter Miami ever since he arrived at the club. He currently is their highest goal scorer and has taken them new heights including a wider fan base across the globe as well. He played only four games in 2023 season after his arrival and scored three goals. Next season, he played 15 games and scored 20 goals. In the ongoing season, he has played 19 matches with another 20 goals to his name. Messi's contract extension with Inter Miami would also ensure he stays with the club until the 2026 FIFA World Cup next year. There's, however, clarity if he'll take part in the quadrennial tournament. Also Read - Broncos head coach Sean Payton issues four-word response on Brady's presence in coaches' Booth Messi's club football journey Messi spent most of his career at Barcelona in Spanish La Liga where played from 2004 to 2021 after coming in through their robust youth system. He won the La Liga trophy 10 times at Barcelona along with four Champions League titles as well. He joined France-based Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after leaving Barcelona but quit it after a forgetful stay and landed in the USA at Inter Miami at his next and possibly the last stop.

Messi spent most of his career at Barcelona in Spanish La Liga where played from 2004 to 2021. He joined France-based Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after leaving Barcelona before joining Inter Miami in June 2023.

Messi all set to sign multiyear contract extension with Inter Miami - Report

The Champions League match between Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid went down to the wire with Virgil van Dijk scoring a stoppage time goal for take Liverpool home 3-2 at Anfield on Wednesday (Sep 17). The real drama, however, started after the last goal of the match when Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone had a scuffle with some of the home fans. Simeone appeared to have a heated argument with the fans and even complained to the fourth official with many stewards standing between him and the fans. The Atletico coach says his reaction stemmed out of 'insults' by the Liverpool fans.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-manchester-united-post-sixth-straight-annual-loss-despite-record-revenues-1758132389339">Manchester United post sixth straight annual loss despite record revenues</a><h2>Why did Diego Simeone fight with Liverpool fans</h2>The Atletico Madrid manage did say that he 'regretted' his actions but acknowledged that in the end 'he's a person' can take only as much insults. The manager eventually had to be dragged away from the scene of drama and was given a red card as well. He said that he was insulted for the whole game and his actions came out only after the final whistle."Firstly I regret the part I played. It's clear we are in a position where we do not have the right to react and it is not good when we react," he said at the post-match press conference.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">A Liverpool fan actually got Simeone sent off 😂😂 <a href="https://t.co/S8aMKqvWTT">pic.twitter.com/S8aMKqvWTT</a>&mdash; Ramy (@Ramy_Stats) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ramy_Stats/status/1968430645928919236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"It's not easy to be in the position we are in and receive insults for the whole game. I saw it from far away after the third goal. I saw the third goal go in and I turned, the insults continued, and well, I'm a person. My reaction isn't justifiable but do you know what it is like to be insulted for 90 minutes? I hope Liverpool can improve that aspect and that when they identify the person who did that, there will be consequences."Atletico fought hard in the game as Marcos Llorente score two goals to bring his side after they conceded a couple of them six minutes in the match. Van Dijk, however, turned out to be the hero in the end and took brought his side home.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone had a scuffle with some of the home fans after Virgin Van Dijk took Liverpool to a 3-2 victory with a stoppage time goal in the 92nd minute.

The Champions League match between Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid went down to the wire with Virgil van Dijk scoring a stoppage time goal for take Liverpool home 3-2 at Anfield on Wednesday (Sep 17). The real drama, however, started after the last goal of the match when Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone had a scuffle with some of the home fans. Simeone appeared to have a heated argument with the fans and even complained to the fourth official with many stewards standing between him and the fans. The Atletico coach says his reaction stemmed out of 'insults' by the Liverpool fans. Also Read - Manchester United post sixth straight annual loss despite record revenues Why did Diego Simeone fight with Liverpool fans The Atletico Madrid manage did say that he 'regretted' his actions but acknowledged that in the end 'he's a person' can take only as much insults. The manager eventually had to be dragged away from the scene of drama and was given a red card as well. He said that he was insulted for the whole game and his actions came out only after the final whistle. "Firstly I regret the part I played. It's clear we are in a position where we do not have the right to react and it is not good when we react," he said at the post-match press conference.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone had a scuffle with some of the home fans after Virgin Van Dijk took Liverpool to a 3-2 victory with a stoppage time goal in the 92nd minute.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone fights with Liverpool fans after UCL loss - WATCH

Virgil van Dijk scored a dramatic late winner to grab Liverpool a 3-2 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid, while Paris Saint-Germain kicked off their title defence by thrashing Atalanta on Wednesday. Elsewhere, Harry Kane scored twice as Bayern Munich downed Club World Cup winners Chelsea 3-1 as Pafos and Bodo/Glimt marked their Champions League debuts with hard-earned draws. Liverpool, with club-record signing Alexander Isak on debut, raced into a two-goal lead inside the first six minutes as Atletico struggled to get out of their own half on Merseyside.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-manchester-united-post-sixth-straight-annual-loss-despite-record-revenues-1758132389339">Manchester United post sixth straight annual loss despite record revenues</a>A Mohamed Salah free-kick flew in off Andy Robertson for a fortuitous fourth-minute opener, before the Egyptian forward collected Ryan Gravenberch's pass and slotted into the bottom corner.But Atletico eased themselves into the game and halved the deficit in first-half injury time.Marcos Llorente, who scored twice in Atletico's famous last-16 win at Anfield five years ago, stabbed the ball beyond a diving Alisson Becker from the edge of the box.Liverpool missed several chances to restore their advantage, including a glaring miss from Salah when he struck the post, and Llorente made them pay with a deflected late volley to draw Diego Simeone's men level.But Arne Slot's English champions have won all four of their opening Premier League games of the season with winners inside the last 10 minutes.This time it was skipper Van Dijk who produced the big moment with an excellent header from Dominik Szoboszlai's corner in the 92nd minute."We found a way again... Glad we got the win," Van Dijk told TNT Sports. "Today I was the lucky one with the winner and we move on."Atletico coach Simeone was shown a red card after a confrontation with Liverpool fans following Van Dijk's goal.<h2>PSG cruise past Atalanta</h2>PSG got their first Champions League campaign as reigning European champions off to a flying start with a 4-0 win over Atalanta in Paris.Captain Marquinhos tapped into an empty net in the third minute, before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who was an injury doubt in the build-up, crashed home a fine second for Luis Enrique's men six minutes before half-time.It could have been even better for the hosts at the Parc des Princes if not for Bradley Barcola's tame 44th-minute penalty which was comfortably held by Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.Atalanta never looked likely to stage a comeback, though, and Nuno Mendes added a third not long after the restart.Substitute Goncalo Ramos rounded off an excellent night for PSG with a dinked finish in stoppage time."It was perfect, but obviously the most important thing was the team winning. We played a great game," Kvaratskhelia told uefa.com.<h2>Kane downs Chelsea</h2>Bayern gave themselves an early two-goal lead in a repeat of the 2012 Champions League final against Chelsea at the Allianz Arena.Trevoh Chalobah's own goal and a Harry Kane spot-kick put the six-time champions in control, although Cole Palmer lashed a shot into the top corner to pull one back for Chelsea just before the half-hour mark.But Bayern ensured Chelsea's first match in the competition since 2023 would end in defeat.Chelsea wing-back Malo Gusto inadvertently played the ball to Kane who gleefully accepted the gift with a cool finish to effectively kill off Chelsea in the 63rd minute."A great result," Kane told DAZN. "It was a strong performance against a very good opponent."Inter Milan, who were humbled 5-0 in last season's final by PSG, started their league-phase campaign with a 2-0 away win against Ajax.Marcus Thuram put the visitors ahead in Amsterdam by heading Hakan Calhanoglu's corner past Vitezslav Jaros.The second goal was almost a carbon copy, Thuram meeting another Calhanoglu corner less than two minutes into the second half.Earlier, Bodo/Glimt marked their debut in the Champions League proper by coming back from two goals down late on to draw 2-2 at Slavia Prague.Youssoupha Mbodji's first goals for Slavia had the Czechs set for victory with less than 15 minutes remaining.But Daniel Bassi got Norwegians Bodo/Glimt back into the game before Sondre Brunstad Fet crashed in a magnificent 90th-minute volley.Cypriot club Pafos, playing in the tournament for the first time just 11 years since being founded, claimed a goalless draw at Olympiakos despite seeing wing-back Bruno sent off and veteran centre-half David Luiz hobble off injured in the first half.

Harry Kane scored twice as Bayern Munich downed Club World Cup winners Chelsea 3-1 as Pafos and Bodo/Glimt marked their Champions League debuts with hard-earned draws. Liverpool, with club-record signing Alexander Isak on debut, raced into a two-goal lead inside the first six minutes.

Virgil van Dijk scored a dramatic late winner to grab Liverpool a 3-2 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid, while Paris Saint-Germain kicked off their title defence by thrashing Atalanta on Wednesday. Elsewhere, Harry Kane scored twice as Bayern Munich downed Club World Cup winners Chelsea 3-1 as Pafos and Bodo/Glimt marked their Champions League debuts with hard-earned draws. Liverpool, with club-record signing Alexander Isak on debut, raced into a two-goal lead inside the first six minutes as Atletico struggled to get out of their own half on Merseyside. Also Read - Manchester United post sixth straight annual loss despite record revenues A Mohamed Salah free-kick flew in off Andy Robertson for a fortuitous fourth-minute opener, before the Egyptian forward collected Ryan Gravenberch's pass and slotted into the bottom corner. But Atletico eased themselves into the game and halved the deficit in first-half injury time. Marcos Llorente, who scored twice in Atletico's famous last-16 win at Anfield five years ago, stabbed the ball beyond a diving Alisson Becker from the edge of the box. Liverpool missed several chances to restore their advantage, including a glaring miss from Salah when he struck the post, and Llorente made them pay with a deflected late volley to draw Diego Simeone's men level. But Arne Slot's English champions have won all four of their opening Premier League games of the season with winners inside the last 10 minutes. This time it was skipper Van Dijk who produced the big moment with an excellent header from Dominik Szoboszlai's corner in the 92nd minute. "We found a way again... Glad we got the win," Van Dijk told TNT Sports. "Today I was the lucky one with the winner and we move on." Atletico coach Simeone was shown a red card after a confrontation with Liverpool fans following Van Dijk's goal. PSG cruise past Atalanta PSG got their first Champions League campaign as reigning European champions off to a flying start with a 4-0 win over Atalanta in Paris. Captain Marquinhos tapped into an empty net in the third minute, before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who was an injury doubt in the build-up, crashed home a fine second for Luis Enrique's men six minutes before half-time. It could have been even better for the hosts at the Parc des Princes if not for Bradley Barcola's tame 44th-minute penalty which was comfortably held by Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi. Atalanta never looked likely to stage a comeback, though, and Nuno Mendes added a third not long after the restart. Substitute Goncalo Ramos rounded off an excellent night for PSG with a dinked finish in stoppage time. "It was perfect, but obviously the most important thing was the team winning. We played a great game," Kvaratskhelia told uefa.com. Kane downs Chelsea Bayern gave themselves an early two-goal lead in a repeat of the 2012 Champions League final against Chelsea at the Allianz Arena. Trevoh Chalobah's own goal and a Harry Kane spot-kick put the six-time champions in control, although Cole Palmer lashed a shot into the top corner to pull one back for Chelsea just before the half-hour mark. But Bayern ensured Chelsea's first match in the competition since 2023 would end in defeat. Chelsea wing-back Malo Gusto inadvertently played the ball to Kane who gleefully accepted the gift with a cool finish to effectively kill off Chelsea in the 63rd minute. "A great result," Kane told DAZN. "It was a strong performance against a very good opponent." Inter Milan, who were humbled 5-0 in last season's final by PSG, started their league-phase campaign with a 2-0 away win against Ajax. Marcus Thuram put the visitors ahead in Amsterdam by heading Hakan Calhanoglu's corner past Vitezslav Jaros. The second goal was almost a carbon copy, Thuram meeting another Calhanoglu corner less than two minutes into the second half. Earlier, Bodo/Glimt marked their debut in the Champions League proper by coming back from two goals down late on to draw 2-2 at Slavia Prague. Youssoupha Mbodji's first goals for Slavia had the Czechs set for victory with less than 15 minutes remaining. But Daniel Bassi got Norwegians Bodo/Glimt back into the game before Sondre Brunstad Fet crashed in a magnificent 90th-minute volley. Cypriot club Pafos, playing in the tournament for the first time just 11 years since being founded, claimed a goalless draw at Olympiakos despite seeing wing-back Bruno sent off and veteran centre-half David Luiz hobble off injured in the first half.

Harry Kane scored twice as Bayern Munich downed Club World Cup winners Chelsea 3-1 as Pafos and Bodo/Glimt marked their Champions League debuts with hard-earned draws. Liverpool, with club-record signing Alexander Isak on debut, raced into a two-goal lead inside the first six minutes.

Champions League round-up: Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid, PSG crush Atalanta and Bayern sink Chelsea

Manchester United on Wednesday reported an annual net loss for the sixth consecutive year despite record revenues of £666.5 million ($910 million). The Red Devils were without Champions League football in 2024/25 and stumbled home 15th in the Premier League -- their lowest top-flight finish in 51 years.&nbsp;Ruben Amorim's men reached the final of the Europa League but lost to Tottenham in Bilbao.&nbsp;Revenue marginally increased by 0.7 per cent to £666.5 million in the year ending June 30, 2025 while the operating loss fell significantly from £69.3 million to £18.4 million compared with the previous 12 months.&nbsp;Overall losses dropped significantly from £113.2 million to £33 million after co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe oversaw wide-ranging, and often unpopular, cost-cutting measures, including widespread job cuts.&nbsp;Chief executive Omar Berrada said in a statement on Wednesday United were beginning to feel the benefits of their cost-saving measures, adding the club were building for the "long term".&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-full-squads-complete-fixtures-date-time-venue-and-live-streaming-details-check-all-details-1755585771834">Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details</a>&nbsp;"On the field, we are pleased with the additions we have made to our men's and women's first-team squads over the summer, as we build for the long-term," he said.&nbsp;"Off the field, we are emerging from a period of structural and leadership change with a refreshed, streamlined organisation equipped to deliver on our sporting and commercial objectives.&nbsp;"To have generated record revenues during such a challenging year for the club demonstrates the resilience which is a hallmark of Manchester United."&nbsp;The start of a five-year shirt sponsorship deal with Snapdragon fulled record commercial revenues of £333.3 million while the club achieved record matchday revenues of £160.3 million.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-virat-kohli-here-is-a-look-at-five-indian-batters-with-most-runs-in-asia-cup-odis-t20is-sachin-tendulkar-ms-dhoni-dhawan-1754123070628">From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is)</a>&nbsp;United are expecting the next financial year to bring in revenue of £640 million to £660 million despite being without European football for the first time since 2014/15.&nbsp;In January, Deloitte ranked United fourth in its annual Football Money League, behind Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, showing the robustness of the club's finances despite years of under-achievement.&nbsp;The team have started the new season poorly, taking just four points from their first four matches in the Premier League, their worst to a league campaign since 1992/93.&nbsp;Manager Amorim, whose team also crashed out of the League Cup at the hands of fourth-tier Grimsby, is under huge pressure ahead of Saturday's home match against Chelsea at Old Trafford.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Man Utd chief executive Omar Berrada said in a statement on Wednesday United were beginning to feel the benefits of their cost-saving measures, adding the club were building for the "long term".

Manchester United on Wednesday reported an annual net loss for the sixth consecutive year despite record revenues of £666.5 million ($910 million). The Red Devils were without Champions League football in 2024/25 and stumbled home 15th in the Premier League -- their lowest top-flight finish in 51 years. Ruben Amorim's men reached the final of the Europa League but lost to Tottenham in Bilbao. Revenue marginally increased by 0.7 per cent to £666.5 million in the year ending June 30, 2025 while the operating loss fell significantly from £69.3 million to £18.4 million compared with the previous 12 months. Overall losses dropped significantly from £113.2 million to £33 million after co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe oversaw wide-ranging, and often unpopular, cost-cutting measures, including widespread job cuts. Chief executive Omar Berrada said in a statement on Wednesday United were beginning to feel the benefits of their cost-saving measures, adding the club were building for the "long term". ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details "On the field, we are pleased with the additions we have made to our men's and women's first-team squads over the summer, as we build for the long-term," he said. "Off the field, we are emerging from a period of structural and leadership change with a refreshed, streamlined organisation equipped to deliver on our sporting and commercial objectives. "To have generated record revenues during such a challenging year for the club demonstrates the resilience which is a hallmark of Manchester United." The start of a five-year shirt sponsorship deal with Snapdragon fulled record commercial revenues of £333.3 million while the club achieved record matchday revenues of £160.3 million. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is) United are expecting the next financial year to bring in revenue of £640 million to £660 million despite being without European football for the first time since 2014/15. In January, Deloitte ranked United fourth in its annual Football Money League, behind Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, showing the robustness of the club's finances despite years of under-achievement. The team have started the new season poorly, taking just four points from their first four matches in the Premier League, their worst to a league campaign since 1992/93. Manager Amorim, whose team also crashed out of the League Cup at the hands of fourth-tier Grimsby, is under huge pressure ahead of Saturday's home match against Chelsea at Old Trafford. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Man Utd chief executive Omar Berrada said in a statement on Wednesday United were beginning to feel the benefits of their cost-saving measures, adding the club were building for the "long term".

Manchester United post sixth straight annual loss despite record revenues

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Manchester United post sixth straight annual loss despite record revenues