Demand for Messi, Mbappe Football Gear Spikes after World Cup 

Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Final - Argentina v France - Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar - December 18, 2022 France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Final - Argentina v France - Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar - December 18, 2022 France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
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Demand for Messi, Mbappe Football Gear Spikes after World Cup 

Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Final - Argentina v France - Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar - December 18, 2022 France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Final - Argentina v France - Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar - December 18, 2022 France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

In the wake of Sunday's World Cup final football fans around the world have rushed to buy merchandise, with demand for Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe soccer club jerseys more than tripling, sports merchandise retailer Fanatics Inc told Reuters. 

Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after a dramatic 3-3 draw, with Messi scoring twice and France's Kylian Mbappe netting three times. It was Argentina's first World Cup win since Diego Maradona hoisted the trophy 36 years ago. 

Global sales of football gear were up more than 700% for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar versus the 2018 World Cup in Russia across the Fanatics network of online stores. 

Fans flocked to buy Nike-brand Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) football club jerseys, with sales in particular for Messi and Mbappe jerseys on the official PSG online store surging by more than 200% on Sunday. 

Messi, Argentina's 35-year-old team captain, said the final would be his last match in the World Cup, though he intends to play a few more games for the national side. 

Mbappe also shone with three goals in the game, becoming only the second hat-trick scorer in a World Cup final after England's Geoff Hurst in 1966. 

Fanatics, which operates the official online Paris Saint-Germain store, said 40% of all PSG sales on the day came from the United States. 



Arsenal Closes the Gap on Liverpool after 1-0 Win against Chelsea in Premier League

Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Chelsea - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - March 16, 2025 Arsenal's Mikel Merino scores their first goal past Chelsea's Robert Sanchez. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Chelsea - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - March 16, 2025 Arsenal's Mikel Merino scores their first goal past Chelsea's Robert Sanchez. (Reuters)
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Arsenal Closes the Gap on Liverpool after 1-0 Win against Chelsea in Premier League

Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Chelsea - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - March 16, 2025 Arsenal's Mikel Merino scores their first goal past Chelsea's Robert Sanchez. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Chelsea - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - March 16, 2025 Arsenal's Mikel Merino scores their first goal past Chelsea's Robert Sanchez. (Reuters)

Mikel Merino led Arsenal to a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday.

Merino's first-half header settled the London derby at the Emirates Stadium and saw second-placed Arsenal move within 12 points of leader Liverpool.

In another all-London clash, Fulham beat Tottenham 2-0.

Arsenal's title hopes have faded in recent weeks, but it closed the gap on Liverpool, which was playing Newcastle in the English League Cup final later in the day.

Merino rose in the 20th minute to flick Martin Odegaard's near post corner beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. It was enough to secure a first league win for Mikel Arteta's team since February 15.

Defeat for fourth-placed Chelsea means it missed the chance to extend its one-point lead over Manchester City in fifth and boost its chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season.

Arsenal, on 58 points, is 10 clear of four time defending champion City.

Spurs blow

Another setback for Tottenham is likely to increase the pressure on coach Ange Postecoglou heading into the international break.

Spurs, in 14th, have only won one of their last five in all competitions and this was a 15th league defeat of the season.

Rodrigo Muniz gave Fulham the lead in the 78th at Craven Cottage and Ryan Sessegnon doubled the home team's lead 10 minutes later.

Fulham is eighth and four points behind Chelsea in the race for a Champions League place.