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Leverkusen vs. PSG Turns into Chaos After 5 Goals, Two Red Cards and Two Penalties in the First Half 

Football - UEFA Champions League - Bayer Leverkusen v Paris Saint-Germain - BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany - October 21, 2025 Bayer Leverkusen's Mark Flekken looks on after Paris St Germain's Willian Pacho scores their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - UEFA Champions League - Bayer Leverkusen v Paris Saint-Germain - BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany - October 21, 2025 Bayer Leverkusen's Mark Flekken looks on after Paris St Germain's Willian Pacho scores their first goal. (Reuters)
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Leverkusen vs. PSG Turns into Chaos After 5 Goals, Two Red Cards and Two Penalties in the First Half 

Football - UEFA Champions League - Bayer Leverkusen v Paris Saint-Germain - BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany - October 21, 2025 Bayer Leverkusen's Mark Flekken looks on after Paris St Germain's Willian Pacho scores their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - UEFA Champions League - Bayer Leverkusen v Paris Saint-Germain - BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany - October 21, 2025 Bayer Leverkusen's Mark Flekken looks on after Paris St Germain's Willian Pacho scores their first goal. (Reuters)

Five goals, two red cards and two penalties. The first half of Bayer Leverkusen vs. Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday was wild.

Defending champion PSG went on to win 7-2 to top the standings on goal difference, but it was a breathtaking first half at the BayArena that stood out.

Luis Enrique's was 4-1 up at halftime in Germany, with the action relentless from the moment William Pacho gave the visitors the lead with a seventh-minute header.

What followed was chaos, with both teams reduced to 10 men and Leverkusen awarded two penalties.

Alex Grimaldo failed to score with the first — hitting the post in the 25th.

Eight minutes later Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich was shown a straight red following a VAR review of his elbow on Desire Doue. But PSG then saw Illia Zabarnyi sent off for a foul on Christian Kofane, who was through on goal. Zabarnyi had also conceded the first penalty.

This time Leverkusen made the chance count, with Aleix Garcia converting.

If that handed the home team a lifeline, it didn't last long as PSG went into overdrive.

Desire Doue's snap shot in the box restored the French giant's lead in the 41st and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia lashed another into the top corner off the post in the 44th.

In the third minute of first half added time, Doue got his second with a low curling effort.

The action didn't let up after the break.

Within five minutes Nuno Mendes had extended PSG's lead, only for Garcia to score his second and the goal of the match with a long range shot into the top corner to give the home crowd something to cheer.

Notably, Garcia's celebrations were muted and it wasn't to be the start of a fightback, with substitute Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha completing the rout for PSG.

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Former Captain Says 2026 World Cup Continues Saudi Arabia’s Historic Journey

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Former Captain Says 2026 World Cup Continues Saudi Arabia’s Historic Journey

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Former Saudi national team captain Majed Abdullah said the Saudi team's participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues a journey that began with their debut in 1994 in the United States, stressing the enduring support of Saudi fans throughout their international campaigns, SPA reported.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency, he said, “Thirty-two years after leading the Saudi national team in the 1994 World Cup, I feel proud to see a new generation carrying the nation’s flag in football’s biggest tournament.”

He recalled the team’s confident debut in 1994, highlighting courage and team spirit as key factors in their success, and called for continued fan support, expressing confidence that the current squad can continue to make history.

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Makkah to Launch World Cup 2026 Fan Zone Experience for Residents, Visitors

The project aims to transform watching World Cup matches from a sporting activity into a comprehensive entertainment experience through a range of accompanying events and activities - SPA
The project aims to transform watching World Cup matches from a sporting activity into a comprehensive entertainment experience through a range of accompanying events and activities - SPA
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Makkah to Launch World Cup 2026 Fan Zone Experience for Residents, Visitors

The project aims to transform watching World Cup matches from a sporting activity into a comprehensive entertainment experience through a range of accompanying events and activities - SPA
The project aims to transform watching World Cup matches from a sporting activity into a comprehensive entertainment experience through a range of accompanying events and activities - SPA

The Holy Makkah Municipality is scheduled to launch the World Cup 2026 tent to provide an integrated destination that enables residents and visitors to follow the world's biggest football event in an entertaining and interactive atmosphere that combines match viewing with accompanying activities, as part of its efforts to enhance quality of life and enrich the entertainment landscape in the Holy Capital.

The project aims to transform watching World Cup matches from a sporting activity into a comprehensive entertainment experience through a range of accompanying events and activities, including face-painting stations, interactive photo zones, a World Cup majlis for football enthusiasts, as well as daily competitions, prizes, and sports challenges targeting various age groups to enhance engagement and audience participation throughout the tournament, SPA reported.

The project is supported by a comprehensive media plan that includes the production of professional visual content, photographic coverage, and short videos for social media platforms, in addition to the preparation of a closing film documenting key activities and memorable fan moments, showcasing the experience and expanding its media reach.

Sports

Henderson Praises ‘Big-Game’ Bellingham amid Outside Noise

Jude Bellingham #10 of England applauds the fans following victory after the International Friendly match between England and Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium on June 10, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
Jude Bellingham #10 of England applauds the fans following victory after the International Friendly match between England and Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium on June 10, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Henderson Praises ‘Big-Game’ Bellingham amid Outside Noise

Jude Bellingham #10 of England applauds the fans following victory after the International Friendly match between England and Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium on June 10, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
Jude Bellingham #10 of England applauds the fans following victory after the International Friendly match between England and Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium on June 10, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)

England midfielder Jordan Henderson has leapt to the defense of Jude Bellingham, saying the polarizing 22-year-old is central to the team despite outside scrutiny and that his influence is often misunderstood.

Bellingham has become a focal point for England both on and off the pitch, with his performances and demeanor often dissected by media and fans after a meteoric rise that has taken him from teenage prospect to one of the squad's leading figures.

The Real Madrid midfielder is a player fans and media seem to either love or hate, and his intense on-field emotions have sparked widespread debate ‌over whether ‌his behavior stems from passion or ego.

There have been questions around ‌whether ⁠he should start ⁠for England, who kick off the World Cup against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday.

"I honestly couldn't speak highly enough of him," Henderson told reporters after England's training session. "I know a lot gets written in the media, and I find it hard to read sometimes, because I just know how big an influence he is on this team, how good a teammate he is off the field and what he gives us is just something really special.

"I think he really gives us ⁠the X-factor. He's had big moments in his career. He's a ‌big-game player. He's got experience in tournaments, so he's ‌a huge, huge player for us in this tournament."

While Bellingham's rapid ascent has meant increasing responsibility in ‌major matches, Henderson was keen to highlight the contributions people do not see.

"If you ‌ask any player in the group, they'll tell you how much of a good teammate he is, how well he trains," Henderson said. "I know he's young, but he's very mature in his head.

CONTROVERSIAL SELECTION

Henderson was a controversial selection himself, with manager Thomas Tuchel choosing the Brentford player who turns 36 on the ‌day of England's opening match over younger midfielders Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Morgan Gibbs-White and Adam Wharton.

Asked about his role at his ⁠fourth World Cup, Henderson -- ⁠who was left out of Gareth Southgate's squad for the 2024 Euros -- said Tuchel told him "to be myself, regardless how much I'm playing, whether I'm playing every game, whether I'm not playing as much, just to be myself and enjoy being back in the squad."

Croatia's squad will feature Luka Modric, who at age 40 is playing in his fifth World Cup.

"I think his career speaks for itself," Henderson said. "He's a top world-class player, so hard to play against, hopefully he doesn't perform as well as we know he can against us, but I haven't seen him have a bad game yet, so it'll be a difficult test, of course, for whoever plays in midfield."

Henderson's inclusion in Tuchel's squad made him the first Englishman to be selected for seven major tournaments.

"Whether you're my age or whether you're 25, you never know when the last one is, to be honest, which is why you've got to treat every one like the last one," he said.