Sports

Club World Cup: PSG Crush Inter Miami 4-0 To Reach Quarter-final

Published

1 month ago

June 29, 2025

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) steamrollered Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0 to reach the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

Miami hoped the Argentine superstar’s magic could help them produce an unlikely result against his former side, but the Major League Soccer side were dismantled in Atlanta by Luis Enrique’s rampant European champions.

Ageing great Messi and his former Barcelona team-mates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba had done well to reach the last 16 but the gulf in quality between the teams was laid bare over the 90 minutes.

Joao Neves netted twice for PSG, who benefitted from a Tomas Aviles own goal, while Achraf Hakimi was also on target.

After Neves opened the scoring early on Miami resisted until PSG hit three goals in 10 minutes towards the end of the first half.

Messi was the main draw, as fans chanted his name and most of the 66,000 crowd were clad in Miami’s hot pink interspersed with Argentina shirts.

PSG dominated from the start, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia floating into the box and teeing up Bradley Barcola, but Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari thwarted him with an outstretched leg.

However shortly afterwards over-run Miami right-back Marcelo Weigandt fouled Desire Doue and it led to PSG’s opener.

Vitinha whipped a free-kick to the back post where Portuguese midfielder Neves ran in completely unmarked, stooping to nod past Ustari after six minutes.

PSG’s Fabian Ruiz had a goal disallowed for offside before Miami defender Noah Allen limped off injured in a further blow for Javier Mascherano’s side.

With the Ligue 1 champions pressing high and keeping possession Miami found it hard to get Messi involved.

The 38-year-old Argentine superstar played a superbly weighted pass down the right flank for Tadeo Allende but a rare Miami break came to nothing.

Messi’s intermittent interventions were not enough to hold back the Parisian tide.

PSG doubled their lead in the 39th minute when veteran holding midfielder Busquets got his footwork wrong in front of his own box.

Spanish compatriot Ruiz rapidly relieved him of the ball and combined with Barcola to set up Neves to tap home his second.

PSG grabbed their third when Aviles deflected Doue’s cross into his own net, and Hakimi netted the fourth before half-time to put PSG out of sight.

The Morocco international’s first effort was deflected onto the crossbar but he stayed alert at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium to fire home the rebound.

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi lost his cool with a swipe aimed at Vitinha as the Argentine raged against the midfielder, Miami’s impotence and PSG’s swagger.

– Determined Messi –

Messi produced a brilliant pass for Suarez early in the second half, chipping a ball over the PSG defence, but the Uruguayan could not finish to offer Miami a lifeline.

Despite the impossibility of a comeback — there was to be no comeback like the one Luis Enrique’s Barcelona managed in 2017 against PSG from four goals down in which Messi and Suarez scored — the Argentine was determined to bow out with a bang.

Messi drew a first save from PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma after the hour mark with a low effort.

Luis Enrique sent on winger Ousmane Dembele for his first appearance at the tournament after a hamstring injury, but the Frenchman was rusty and imprecise.

When Suarez was fouled by Lucas Beraldo on the edge of the box Messi had the chance to repeat his free-kick winner against Porto in the group stage, but his effort hit the wall.

It was not to be for Messi or Miami, but their second-half performance was respectable and the defeat was by a lesser margin than the French side’s 5-0 Champions League final thrashing of Inter Milan.

PSG will face Bayern Munich or Flamengo in the quarter-finals in Atlanta on Saturday.

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Sports

Salah Slams UEFA For Omitting Cause Of Palestinian Footballer’s Death In Tribute

Published

8 hours ago

August 10, 2025

Editor

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has criticised Europe’s football governing body UEFA for posting a tribute to “Palestinian Pele” Suleiman al-Obeid that did not mention that the former international died after being hit by Israeli gunfire in the Gaza Strip.

Obeid, 41, was killed on Wednesday when Israeli forces “targeted people waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip”, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said in a statement.

Europe’s football governing body UEFA posted on X: “Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pele’. A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.”

Egyptian striker Salah responded by posting: “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”

Born in Gaza City, Obeid was married and had five children. He played 24 international matches for the team Palestine.

In October 2023, Salah called on “world leaders to come together” to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza to “prevent further slaughter of innocent souls”.

Since the start of the Gaza war, triggered by Palestinian militant group Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, 662 people from the sport and scouting sector have been killed, including 321 in the football community, according to the PFA.

Salah, who was the Premier League top scorer last season, is due to line up for Liverpool on Sunday in the Community Shield at Wembley against Crystal Palace, the traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season.

AFP

Sports

Two Japanese Boxers Die From Brain Injuries At Same Event

Published

8 hours ago

August 10, 2025

Editor

Two boxers in Japan have died from brain injuries they incurred in separate bouts during the same event in Tokyo, officials said.

Super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both 28, fought on the same card in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall on August 2.

Both were later rushed to the hospital, where they had brain surgery.

Kotari, who battled to a draw after 12 rounds against fellow Japanese fighter Yamato Hata lost consciousness soon after and “passed away at 10:59 pm on August 8,” his M.T boxing gym said on its website Saturday.

“He did his best to fight his way through the surgery and treatment he had been receiving at a Tokyo hospital due to acute subdural haematoma,” the gym’s post said.

Urakawa was stopped in the eighth and final round against Yoji Saito and “tragically succumbed to injuries sustained during his fight”, the World Boxing Organisation said in an Instagram post on Sunday.

Urakawa died on Saturday night, according to local media reports.

“This heartbreaking news comes just days after the passing of Shigetoshi Kotari, who died from injuries suffered in his fight on the same card,” the WBO said, adding it extends “our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and the Japanese boxing community.”

Tsuyoshi Yasukochi, secretary-general of the Japan Boxing Commission, told local media after their hospitalisation that it was likely “the first time in Japan two fighters underwent skull-opening surgery for injuries stemming from the same event”.

AFP

Sports

Liverpool Confirm Nunez’s £46.2M Move To Al-Hilal

Published

1 day ago

August 9, 2025

Editor

Liverpool sold striker Darwin Nunez to Saudi side Al-Hilal, both clubs confirmed on Saturday, in a move that could allow the Premier League champions to make a fresh bid for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak.

Nunez joined the Reds for an initial 75 million euros ($87 million, £65 million) from Benfica three years ago but has failed to live up to that price tag.

The Uruguayan scored 40 goals in 143 appearances but slipped down the pecking order at Anfield under both Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot.

According to reports in the British media, Al-Hilal will pay an initial 53 million euros for the 26-year-old.

“Al-Hilal Club Company is pleased to announce the signing of Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez from Liverpool FC on a three-year contract,” Al-Hilal said in a statement.

Nunez was likely to play even less this season after Liverpool signed Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz as part of a 300 million euro spending spree that also includes full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.

However, the club could still break the British transfer record by signing Isak.

Liverpool reportedly had a first bid of £110 million rejected, with Newcastle demanding a fee of up to £150 million for the Swedish striker.

The sale of Nunez would take Liverpool’s income for transfer sales this window to nearly 200 million euros after the departures of Luis Diaz, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Tyler Morton.

Nunez is the latest big name to join Al-Hilal, who shocked Manchester City to reach the quarter-finals of the recent Club World Cup.

Coached by former Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi, the Saudi club’s squad includes Portuguese internationals Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo, Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly, and former Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.

AFP