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Sources: New Allocation Gives Saudi Arabia, Japan Six slots in AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Champions League 2

توزيع مرتقب للمقاعد الآسيوية يوم الجمعة المقبل (الاتحاد الآسيوي)
توزيع مرتقب للمقاعد الآسيوية يوم الجمعة المقبل (الاتحاد الآسيوي)
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Sources: New Allocation Gives Saudi Arabia, Japan Six slots in AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Champions League 2

توزيع مرتقب للمقاعد الآسيوية يوم الجمعة المقبل (الاتحاد الآسيوي)
توزيع مرتقب للمقاعد الآسيوية يوم الجمعة المقبل (الاتحاد الآسيوي)

Informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Professional Football Committee at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is moving to adopt a new slot allocation for the AFC Champions League Elite and AFC Champions League 2, in a decision expected to reshape the continent’s club representation. Saudi Arabia and Japan would lead with six slots each across the two competitions.

Under a proposal circulated within the AFC, Saudi Arabia and Japan would each receive three direct berths in the Elite competition, along with two additional slots through the playoffs, in addition to one direct berth in AFC Champions League 2. The distribution underscores the strength of domestic competitions in both countries and their growing influence at the continental level.

The United Arab Emirates and South Korea would follow with five slots each, divided into three direct berths in the Elite competition, one playoff slot, and one direct berth in AFC Champions League 2, reflecting sustained competitive stability in both football landscapes in recent years.

Qatar and Thailand would each be allocated four slots, comprising three direct berths in the Elite competition and one direct berth in AFC Champions League 2. Iran and China would receive three slots each, including two direct berths in the Elite competition and one direct berth in the second-tier competition.

In the next tier, Uzbekistan and Australia would each be granted three slots, distributed as one direct berth in the Elite competition, one playoff slot, and one direct berth in AFC Champions League 2. Iraq and Malaysia would each receive two slots, one direct berth in the Elite competition and one direct berth in the second-tier competition.

The allocation also includes Jordan and Vietnam, with each set to receive two slots: one through the playoffs for the Elite competition and one direct berth in AFC Champions League 2, offering their clubs an additional pathway to continental participation under the new structure.

The same sources said the allocation is expected to be formally approved next Friday, in a pivotal regulatory step that will shape Asian club participation in the coming seasons and establish new criteria for slot distribution based on cumulative performance and continental results, amid sweeping changes to AFC club competitions.

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Sports

France Boasts a Rich Scoring Depth Other World Cup Teams Only Dream of

Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring the 2-3 goal with his teammates during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between FC Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in Munich, southern Germany, on April 15, 2026. (AFP)
Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring the 2-3 goal with his teammates during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between FC Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in Munich, southern Germany, on April 15, 2026. (AFP)
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France Boasts a Rich Scoring Depth Other World Cup Teams Only Dream of

Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring the 2-3 goal with his teammates during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between FC Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in Munich, southern Germany, on April 15, 2026. (AFP)
Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring the 2-3 goal with his teammates during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between FC Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in Munich, southern Germany, on April 15, 2026. (AFP)

France will have rich depth in attack at the World Cup.

About a billion dollars' worth.

That's the estimated total value of the attacking players France is expected to bring to the tournament, from two-time World Cup final scoring sensation Kylian Mbappe to rising star Desire Doue.

For coach Didier Deschamps the headache is not about who to choose, but who to leave out of his starting lineup for France's World Cup opener against Senegal on June 16.

He has a huge amount of talent to complement the prolific scoring of Mbappe, who is enjoying another prolific season with Real Madrid and needs one more goal to tie Olivier Giroud as France's all-time leading scorer with 57 goals.

There's the speed and finishing of Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele; the clinical scoring and exquisite passing of Michael Olise; the maverick skill of the technically gifted Rayan Cherki; or the fleet-footed runs of fellow newcomer Maghnes Akliouche.

According to estimates from soccer website transfermarkt and the CIES Football Observatory, which take into account the remaining time on a players' contract, France's 10 attacking players are worth 855 million euros, which is a fraction over $1 billion.

Here's a look at the top players.

Mbappe tops the list

Unsurprisingly, the 27-year-old Real Madrid superstar leads the way at 200 million euros ($236 million).

Mbappe is followed by the Bayern Munich star Olise at 140 million euros. The London-born Olise's form has been scintillating for Bundesliga champion Bayern with 18 goals and 25 assists in 44 games.

The 20-year-old Doue has three years left on his PSG contract and is valued at around 115 million compared to 100 million euros for Dembélé, who has two years left to run at PSG and is eight years older.

Their goal-scoring PSG teammate Bradley Barcola — who starred against Chelsea in the Champions League — comes in next at 70 million euros, followed by Cherki at 65 million.

Cherki's value could rise

Cherki first caught the eye six years ago when he was 16, scoring twice in a French Cup game for Lyon. He has entered a new dimension since joining Manchester City in the offseason for what is now looking like a bargain fee of 36 million euros. He scored a fine solo goal against Arsenal in their Premier League table-topping clash on Sunday.

His ability to create goals with his intuitive passing have surprised even City coach Pep Guardiola — who worked alongside two of the world's finest passers in Lionel Messi and Iniesta at Barcelona — and Cherki's value could rocket if he does well at the World Cup.

Akliouche scored in both legs for Monaco against PSG in a closely-contested Champions League playoff and his galloping runs from deep make him hard to track. He is also capable of brilliant individual goals, scoring a superb overhead kick for Monaco last season.

He is valued at 50 million euros along with Inter Milan forward Marcus Thuram, who has hit form in recent weeks as Inter closes in on the Serie A title.

Thuram adds to France's attacking options thanks to his heading ability, a strong point shared by Jean-Philippe Mateta.

The imposing striker is a consistent scorer for Premier League side Crystal Palace and has netted two goals in three appearances for Les Bleus.

Mateta is expected to join a bigger club next season and is valued at 35 million euros, ahead of former PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani. He is on loan at Tottenham and, although he has lost form, he would likely fetch 30 million if PSG sold him.

Kolo Muani almost wrote his name into World Cup history in 2022, but missed a chance right at the end of extra time in the final, which France lost on penalties to Argentina despite a hat-trick from Mbappe.

Sports

African Players in Europe: Goals for Salah, Beto in Merseyside Derby

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah greets fans after the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool in Liverpool, England, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah greets fans after the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool in Liverpool, England, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP)
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African Players in Europe: Goals for Salah, Beto in Merseyside Derby

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah greets fans after the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool in Liverpool, England, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah greets fans after the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool in Liverpool, England, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP)

Egypt captain Mohamed Salah scored for Liverpool and Guinea-Bissau striker Beto for Everton in the Merseyside derby which the Reds won 2-1 at the weekend.

Salah, who will leave Anfield at the end of the season, claimed his seventh Premier League goal this season. Beto has netted nine times in all competitions.

Victory strengthened Liverpool's push for a Champions League place. They occupy the fifth and final qualifying spot, seven points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea with five matches to play.

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

Salah opened the scoring for last season's champions, slotting home in the first half following a superbly weighted pass from Cody Gakpo. He equaled Steven Gerrard's nine goals to become the joint top-scorer in the league fixture between the Merseyside teams.

BETO (Everton)

Everton equalized 10 minutes into the second half when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall crossed and Beto poked the ball into the net ahead of onrushing goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who was stretchered off.

GERMANY

NICOLAS JACKSON (Bayern Munich)

Starting in place of Harry Kane, Jackson scored Bayern's second as they came from a goal down to beat Stuttgart 4-2 and clinch the Bundesliga title. With the sides locked at 1-1, Jackson latched onto a Luis Diaz assist and his powerful shot put Bayern in front. The Senegal striker, on a season-long loan from Chelsea, has six goals and two assists in the league.

YAN DIOMANDE (RB Leipzig)

Leipzig winger Diomande's stock continued to rise after scoring another stunning solo goal in a 3-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt. The Ivory Coast forward dribbled laterally past five defenders before slamming a superb strike across the goal and into the net. Only 19, Diomande has 12 goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga this season.

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

Guirassy's 14th league goal of the season was not enough as Borussia Dortmund lost 2-1 at Hoffenheim. With three minutes remaining, Guirassy hit a low shot from outside the box to equalize only for Hoffenheim to secure the points with a late penalty.

FRANCE

BAMBA DIENG (Lorient)

The Senegalese striker continued his superb run of form by scoring the second goal for Lorient in their 2-0 defeat of his former side Marseille. Dieng has scored 14 goals in all competitions for Lorient this season, including 11 in 2026. He recently returned to the Senegal squad and will hope his form ensures he goes to the World Cup finals.

MOSTAFA MOHAMED (Nantes)

The Egyptian is hoping to go to the World Cup with his country, but before that he must try to save Nantes from what looks like certain relegation. He put his team ahead with a fourth goal of the season but Nantes could only draw 1-1 at home to Brest, a result which leaves them five points adrift of the relegation play-off spot and nine points from outright safety with five games remaining. Next up is a midweek trip to leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Sports

Munich Win Fuels Hopes of US Men’s Clay Revival, Shelton Says

Tennis - ATP 500 - Munich Open - MTTC Iphitos, Munich, Germany - April 19, 2026 Ben Shelton of the US celebrates with the Munich Open trophy after winning the men's singles final against Italy's Flavio Cobolli. (Reuters)
Tennis - ATP 500 - Munich Open - MTTC Iphitos, Munich, Germany - April 19, 2026 Ben Shelton of the US celebrates with the Munich Open trophy after winning the men's singles final against Italy's Flavio Cobolli. (Reuters)
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Munich Win Fuels Hopes of US Men’s Clay Revival, Shelton Says

Tennis - ATP 500 - Munich Open - MTTC Iphitos, Munich, Germany - April 19, 2026 Ben Shelton of the US celebrates with the Munich Open trophy after winning the men's singles final against Italy's Flavio Cobolli. (Reuters)
Tennis - ATP 500 - Munich Open - MTTC Iphitos, Munich, Germany - April 19, 2026 Ben Shelton of the US celebrates with the Munich Open trophy after winning the men's singles final against Italy's Flavio Cobolli. (Reuters)

Ben Shelton said he ‌had laid down a claycourt marker for US men with his Munich Open win on Sunday after the world number six became the first American to claim an event above the ATP 250 level since Andre Agassi's 2002 Rome Masters triumph.

Shelton's 6-2 7-5 win over Flavio Cobolli also made him the fifth American this century to bag a claycourt title outside ‌the United States, ‌joining Agassi, Andy Roddick, Sam ‌Querrey ⁠and Sebastian Korda.

The ⁠23-year-old said the "huge" triumph underlined his ambitions before the French Open, which begins on May 24.

"Moving forward I have big ambitions for the claycourts, a surface I want to get better on each year. It's become one of ⁠my favorite surfaces to play on," ‌Shelton said.

While the American ‌women have had plenty of success on the sport's ‌slowest surface, with Coco Gauff winning the ‌French Open crown last year, the attention will now turn to whether the US men can leave their own mark in Paris.

With Tommy Paul and Frances ‌Tiafoe making the Roland Garros quarter-finals last year, Shelton said things were ⁠looking ⁠up as American men aim to end a Grand Slam drought going back to 2003 when Roddick won the hardcourt US Open.

"Success on clay is coming back," he added.

"I'm looking forward to being part of this progression of US men's tennis on clay.

"On the women's side, they have a lockdown as they won the French Open last year. We as men have some more to do but we're heading in the right direction."