Kane Bags Double as Bayern Tame Flamengo to Set Up PSG Clash

Flamengo's Argentine goalkeeper #01 Agustin Rossi concedes the fourth goal of Bayern Munich scored by English forward #09 Harry Kane during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 football match between Brazil's Flamengo and Germany's Bayern Munich at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on June 29, 2025. (AFP)
Flamengo's Argentine goalkeeper #01 Agustin Rossi concedes the fourth goal of Bayern Munich scored by English forward #09 Harry Kane during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 football match between Brazil's Flamengo and Germany's Bayern Munich at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on June 29, 2025. (AFP)
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Kane Bags Double as Bayern Tame Flamengo to Set Up PSG Clash

Flamengo's Argentine goalkeeper #01 Agustin Rossi concedes the fourth goal of Bayern Munich scored by English forward #09 Harry Kane during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 football match between Brazil's Flamengo and Germany's Bayern Munich at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on June 29, 2025. (AFP)
Flamengo's Argentine goalkeeper #01 Agustin Rossi concedes the fourth goal of Bayern Munich scored by English forward #09 Harry Kane during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 football match between Brazil's Flamengo and Germany's Bayern Munich at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on June 29, 2025. (AFP)

Harry Kane scored twice as Bayern Munich tamed Flamengo 4-2 in a tense affair at the Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday to set up a much-anticipated all-European quarter-final against Paris St Germain at the Club World Cup.

Erick Pulgar's own goal opened the scoring for Bayern and Leon Goretzka was also on target for the German side, while Flamengo, who were defensively naive, twice reduced the deficit through Gerson and Jorginho.

Backed by a raucous crowd, Flamengo played with aggression, but Bayern converted all their shots on target and reaped the rewards of a fast start, scoring twice in the opening 10 minutes.

"It was tough. We were playing against a really good side in difficult conditions, it was really hot," Kane said.

"I thought we played well for large spells but every time we got away they clawed their way back and made it difficult. The fourth goal was important to ease the nerves and from there we managed it well."

Earlier on Sunday, Champions League winners PSG sent a brutal reminder of their firepower when they cruised past Inter Miami 4-0, taking their foot off the pedal after the break in what could have turned into a humiliation for Lionel Messi's MLS team.

Bayern got off to a flying start, opening the scoring in the sixth minute when Pulgar deflected a corner kick into his own net.

Three minutes later, Kane doubled the advantage with a low shot that went in off the post.

Flamengo got into something of a groove and went close in the 15th minute, only for Manuel Neuer to save Luiz Araujo's effort from point-blank range.

Shortly after the cooling break, the Brazilian side pulled one back as Gerson fired a missile that went in off the underside of the bar, triggering a deafening roar from the crowd.

Bayern, however, restored their two-goal lead before the interval when Goretzka, capitalizing on the space left by the Flamengo defense, whipped a shot from outside the box past keeper Agustin Rossi.

Tempers flared after a poor challenge by Pulgar on Kane as Flamengo struggled to contain their frustration.

Filipe Luis's side pulled one back again 10 minutes into the second half, Jorginho sending Neuer the wrong way after they were awarded a penalty for a Michael Olise handball.

The momentum had swung and Flamengo threatened with quick breaks, but Bayern held firm before finding the back of the net once more through Kane, who beat Rossi with another clinical low shot in the 73rd minute.



Klopp Dismisses Real Madrid Speculation as 'Nonsense' and Denies Any Contact

23 March 2026, Bavaria, Ismaning: German football coach Jurgen Klopp  on stage at the Telekom press conference to present the concept for the World Cup. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
23 March 2026, Bavaria, Ismaning: German football coach Jurgen Klopp on stage at the Telekom press conference to present the concept for the World Cup. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
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Klopp Dismisses Real Madrid Speculation as 'Nonsense' and Denies Any Contact

23 March 2026, Bavaria, Ismaning: German football coach Jurgen Klopp  on stage at the Telekom press conference to present the concept for the World Cup. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
23 March 2026, Bavaria, Ismaning: German football coach Jurgen Klopp on stage at the Telekom press conference to present the concept for the World Cup. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa

Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has dismissed as “nonsense” a suggestion he could take over as Real Madrid coach next season and said he hasn't heard from the Spanish club.

Klopp hasn't coached since his shock departure from Liverpool in 2024, when he said he was “running out of energy." He's stayed in the game as the Red Bull group's head of global soccer, overseeing clubs like Leipzig, Salzburg and the New York Red Bulls.

“It's all just nonsense. They haven't even called once, not one single time. And my agent is over there, you can ask him too, they haven't called him either,” Klopp said in televised comments about speculation linking him to Real Madrid.

He was speaking at an event on Monday in his role as a TV pundit for the World Cup.

Klopp didn't rule out a return to coaching someday but said he wasn't thinking about the Germany job in case Julian Nagelsmann were to leave after the World Cup.

“At the moment I'm obviously not thinking about that at all and luckily there isn't any reason to do that,” he said in comments reported by German agency dpa.

Last month, Red Bull said it was “extremely satisfied” with Klopp's work after a report in an Austrian newspaper claimed his role was in question because the drinks giant's clubs hadn't made enough progress in the year since he took charge.


Pressure on Italy as Play-off Hopefuls Eye 2026 World Cup

 Italy's head coach Gennaro Gattuso gestures during the Italian team press conference in Florence, Italy, Monday, March 23, 2026. (Lapresse via AP)
Italy's head coach Gennaro Gattuso gestures during the Italian team press conference in Florence, Italy, Monday, March 23, 2026. (Lapresse via AP)
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Pressure on Italy as Play-off Hopefuls Eye 2026 World Cup

 Italy's head coach Gennaro Gattuso gestures during the Italian team press conference in Florence, Italy, Monday, March 23, 2026. (Lapresse via AP)
Italy's head coach Gennaro Gattuso gestures during the Italian team press conference in Florence, Italy, Monday, March 23, 2026. (Lapresse via AP)

The final line-up for the 2026 World Cup will be decided over the next week, with 16 teams competing for the last four places allocated to European countries.

Twelve runners-up from the qualifying groups and four teams that earned spots through their UEFA Nations League results have a second chance to punch their ticket to football's global showpiece.

AFP Sport looks at the four play-off routes that will determine the remaining qualifiers for the first 48-team World Cup:

Path A

Four-time World Cup winners Italy face immense pressure as they attempt to qualify for a first appearance at the tournament since 2014.

After lifting the trophy in 2006, Italy's record at the World Cup has been dire. They suffered two successive group-stage exits before missing out entirely on the 2018 and 2022 editions.

In order to avoid another qualifying failure Italy must overcome Northern Ireland in Bergamo on Thursday, before a potential final against Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 31.

"It's only normal that there's pressure - only if you had no blood in your veins would you not feel it," said Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso, who played in the 2006 final which the Azzurri won on penalties against France.

Northern Ireland are big underdogs against Italy but hope to end a 40-year absence from the World Cup.

Wales host Bosnia in Cardiff in the other semi-final.

Manager Craig Bellamy told AFP earlier this month that he "feels a responsibility" to lead Wales to a second straight finals. Their appearance in Qatar was the country's first at the World Cup in 64 years.

Path B

Ukraine's footballers will hope to lift the morale of a war-torn country by competing at a first World Cup in 20 years. To get there, they need to beat Sweden on neutral ground in Valencia and then Poland or Albania.

Sweden picked up just two points in a dismal qualifying campaign, but a team now coached by former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter will get another shot on the strength of their Nations League performances.

However, Sweden will be without key man Alexander Isak as the Liverpool forward is not yet ready to return from a broken leg suffered in December.

Poland can count on Robert Lewandowski who is eyeing a third World Cup, but Albania -- led by former Arsenal and Barcelona defender Sylvinho -- believe they have what it takes to qualify for the first time.

Path C

Kosovo stand two wins away from a first major tournament a decade on from their admission to UEFA and FIFA. They came second in their qualifying group after two wins over Sweden and a victory in Slovenia.

"It's a massive opportunity for us. The whole country is buzzing with excitement. Everyone's over the moon," Kosovo captain Vedat Muriqi told FIFA.com.

Mallorca striker Muriqi sits second only to Kylian Mbappe in La Liga this season with 18 goals. The 31-year-old is also Kosovo's all-time record scorer.

Slovakia, who last featured at the World Cup in 2010, host Kosovo in Bratislava while Türkiye and Romania square off in Istanbul.

Türkiye have not played at the World Cup since a surprise third-place finish in 2002. Romania's most recent appearance was in 1998.

Path D

Troy Parrott's heroics snatched the Republic of Ireland a play-off berth, but there is much still to be done if the Irish are to return to the World Cup stage.

Ireland, who haven't featured at the tournament since 2002, head to Prague to take on the Czech Republic in the semi-finals. The winner of that tie will host the final against Denmark or North Macedonia.

"There's a quiet confidence in the group growing together, it's great to see but we know there's a lot of hard work to come," said Ireland assistant John O'Shea.

Denmark missed out on automatic qualification after a dramatic defeat in Scotland but will be expected to see off North Macedonia, whose lone tournament appearance came at Euro 2020.

Kasper Schmeichel is absent for Denmark after revealing last week that he may have played his final game, with two surgeries required to repair his damaged shoulder.


Madrid’s Mbappe Fit and Ready to Play Every Game Before World Cup

Soccer Football - International Friendly - International Friendly - France Training - INF Clairefontaine, Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France - March 23, 2026 France's Kylian Mbappe arrives before training. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - International Friendly - International Friendly - France Training - INF Clairefontaine, Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France - March 23, 2026 France's Kylian Mbappe arrives before training. (Reuters)
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Madrid’s Mbappe Fit and Ready to Play Every Game Before World Cup

Soccer Football - International Friendly - International Friendly - France Training - INF Clairefontaine, Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France - March 23, 2026 France's Kylian Mbappe arrives before training. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - International Friendly - International Friendly - France Training - INF Clairefontaine, Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France - March 23, 2026 France's Kylian Mbappe arrives before training. (Reuters)

France striker ‌Kylian Mbappe says he has fully recovered from a knee injury and wants to play all of Real Madrid's remaining matches in the season run-in as he builds toward the World Cup.

The 27-year-old missed four league games in 2026 due to a ‌lingering knee issue ‌from last season ‌but ⁠featured off the bench ⁠in the 64th minute of Madrid’s 3-2 win over Atletico on Sunday.

Mbappe has been named in France’s squad for friendlies against Brazil on March 26 ⁠and Colombia three days later ‌in the ‌United States, which is co-hosting the ‌June 11-July 19 World Cup ‌with Canada and Mexico.

"I have made a 100% recovery," Mbappe told AS.

"I prepared for the last two World ‌Cups in the best way possible, which is to play, ⁠score ⁠goals, win titles, and fight until the last minute for my club, and this year I am going to do the same to arrive in top form."

France will play in Group I at the World Cup with Norway, Senegal and the winner of an intercontinental playoff.