PSG Ousts Liverpool from Champions League to Join Barcelona, Bayern and Inter in QF

PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and teammates celebrate after winning the penalty shoot-out during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain, in Liverpool, Britain, 11 March 2025.  EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and teammates celebrate after winning the penalty shoot-out during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain, in Liverpool, Britain, 11 March 2025. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
TT

PSG Ousts Liverpool from Champions League to Join Barcelona, Bayern and Inter in QF

PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and teammates celebrate after winning the penalty shoot-out during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain, in Liverpool, Britain, 11 March 2025.  EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and teammates celebrate after winning the penalty shoot-out during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain, in Liverpool, Britain, 11 March 2025. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN

Gianluigi Donnarumma came through and Paris Saint-Germain defeated Liverpool in a penalty shootout to join Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Tuesday.
PSG beat Liverpool 1-0 on the night to level the aggregate score at 1-1. Ousmane Dembélé scored 12 minutes into the second-leg match after a blunder by the Liverpool defense, The Associated Press reported.
After extra time, Donnarumma stopped the penalty shots by Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones to secure his team a 4-1 shootout win. Desire Doue scored the winning spot kick for PSG, which will face either Aston Villa or Club Brugge.
“It does not matter if we deserve the win. Both teams deserved to go through," PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “We were better in Paris and they were better here. My team showed great personality and character at Anfield.”
The French league leader — seeking its first Champions League title — had lost at this stage in five of the past eight editions. It lost to Borussia Dortmund in last season's semifinals.
“It was the best game of football I have ever been involved in," Liverpool manager Arne Slot said. "It was an incredible performance, especially if you compare it with last week. We were creating chances and then we were 1-0 down. We ran out of luck after last week.”
Barcelona cruised past Benfica with Raphinha scoring twice and Lamine Yamal once in a 3-1 win at home.
The Catalan club advanced 4-1 on aggregate score after last week’s 1-0 victory and will play either Borussia Dortmund or Lille in the quarterfinals.
After a 3-0 first-leg win, Bayern Munich had no trouble advancing past German rival Bayer Leverkusen.
Bayern made it to the last eight a record 23 times in the Champions League era after a 2-0 win at Leverkusen to advance 5-0 on aggregate.
Inter moved on past Feyenoord with a 2-1 victory at San Siro to advance 4-1 on aggregate.
Bayern and Inter will meet in the last eight.
A thrilling clash at Anfield saw chances come and go at both ends, with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson pulling off a string of saves to deny PSG, and with Liverpool substitute Jarell Quansah hitting the post in the second half.
Dembélé took advantage of mix up between Ibrahima Konate and Alisson to roll the ball into the empty net for the only goal of the game.
Premier League leader Liverpool, which did not make it to the Champions League last season, won the first leg 1-0 through Harvey Elliott’s late goal in Paris last week.
Barcelona powers into quarterfinals Raphinha’s double made him the leading scorer in the Champions League this season with 11 goals. He had scored the lone goal last week in Lisbon.
The Brazil forward put Barcelona ahead in the 11th, then Yamal added to the lead in the 27th before assisting in Raphinha’s second goal in the 42nd to become the youngest player to score and assist in a Champions League match at 17 years, 241 days.
“My teammates make things much easier for me,” Yamal said. “It was a good goal but sometimes these things come off and sometimes they don’t. For the assist, I tried to shoot and Raphinha turned it into a goal.”
Nicolás Otamendi scored for Benfica in the 13th to become the third-oldest scorer in a Champions League knockout game at the age of 37 years, 27 days, according to UEFA. Yamal’s goal meant he became the second-youngest.
Kane leads Bayern Harry Kane scored his 10th Champions League goal of the season and set up another as Bayern Munich cruised into the quarterfinals.
Leverkusen never looked likely to overturn the three-goal deficit from the first leg, even before Kane bundled in the ball at a free kick in the 52nd after Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick misjudged an attempted clearance.
Kane set up Alphonso Davies for Bayern’s second goal with a flicked cross in the 71st as the all-German rivalry became a one-sided contest. Bayern could have scored more as Jamal Musiala hit the crossbar with one shot and the post with another.
Inter comfortably advances A goal at the start of each half saw Inter easily advance, with Marcus Thuram scoring a stunning eighth-minute opener. The Inter forward received the ball midway inside the Feyenoord half and then weaved his way into the area before unleashing a powerful effort into the top right corner.
Jakub Moder leveled from the penalty spot shortly before halftime after being tripped by Hakan Çalhanoglu.
Inter restored its advantage on the night six minutes into the second half with a penalty of its own, which Çalhanoglu converted after Mehdi Taremi was fouled by Thomas Beelen right in the corner of the area.



Swimmer Al-Sarraj Wins First Gold Medal for Saudi Arabia at Islamic Solidarity Games 

Zaid Al-Sarraj poses with his medal. (SPA)
Zaid Al-Sarraj poses with his medal. (SPA)
TT

Swimmer Al-Sarraj Wins First Gold Medal for Saudi Arabia at Islamic Solidarity Games 

Zaid Al-Sarraj poses with his medal. (SPA)
Zaid Al-Sarraj poses with his medal. (SPA)

Saudi swimmer Zaid Al-Sarraj won on Tuesday the first gold medal for the Kingdom at the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games, which is underway in Riyadh.

He won the 100m freestyle race with a time of 49.62 seconds – a Saudi record.

His teammate, Imad Al-Zuban, came third with a time of 50.04 seconds, while Qatar's Ali Hassan took silver with a time of 49.63 seconds.


Barca President Laporta: Messi Return 'Unrealistic'

Argentina's Lionel Messi (R) takes part in a training session in Algorfa, Alicante, Spain, 11 November 2025. EPA/Marcial Guillen
Argentina's Lionel Messi (R) takes part in a training session in Algorfa, Alicante, Spain, 11 November 2025. EPA/Marcial Guillen
TT

Barca President Laporta: Messi Return 'Unrealistic'

Argentina's Lionel Messi (R) takes part in a training session in Algorfa, Alicante, Spain, 11 November 2025. EPA/Marcial Guillen
Argentina's Lionel Messi (R) takes part in a training session in Algorfa, Alicante, Spain, 11 November 2025. EPA/Marcial Guillen

Barcelona all-time great Lionel Messi returning to the Catalan giants is "unrealistic,” the club's president Joan Laporta said Wednesday.

The 38-year-old Argentine superstar made a surprise appearance at Barca's Camp Nou stadium on Sunday night and said he hoped "one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do.”

Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi, Barca's record goalscorer and appearance maker, left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 after two decades there because their precarious financial position meant they could not afford to keep him.

"Out of the utmost respect for Messi, the professionals at the club, Barca, and the Barca club members, I believe that now, for me to make speculation that is unrealistic, nor do I think is fair, well, I believe that is not appropriate," Laporta told Catalunya Radio.

The president, who was in charge at the time of Messi's departure, said he did not regret what happened because "Barca is above everything.”

Laporta confirmed he would love to hold a match in homage to Messi's career at the rebuilt Camp Nou, once it is fully open.

"Things didn't end the way we would have liked... if, in some way, this tribute can make up for what wasn't done, I think it would be a good thing," explained Laporta.

"It would be right that he has the best tribute (match) in the world, and it would be wonderful to have it here, in front of 105,000 fans," he continued.

The president said Inter Miami forward Messi's surprise visit to the stadium on Sunday was a "spontaneous" display of his love of the club.

Messi is currently in Spain with the Argentina national team, where they are training before a friendly against Angola.


Chelsea's James Warns England of Extreme Heat at 2026 World Cup

Soccer Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Brentford - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - October 28, 2023 Chelsea's Reece James looks dejected after the match Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo
Soccer Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Brentford - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - October 28, 2023 Chelsea's Reece James looks dejected after the match Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo
TT

Chelsea's James Warns England of Extreme Heat at 2026 World Cup

Soccer Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Brentford - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - October 28, 2023 Chelsea's Reece James looks dejected after the match Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo
Soccer Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Brentford - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - October 28, 2023 Chelsea's Reece James looks dejected after the match Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo

England defender Reece James said his teammates must brace for "super difficult conditions" at the 2026 World Cup in North America having experienced intense summer heat during Chelsea's Club World Cup campaign earlier this year.

James, who captained Chelsea at the Club World Cup held in the United States from June 14 to July 13, playing through a heatwave in Philadelphia and thunderstorms in Charlotte, said England are readying for the World Cup heat next summer.

The 48-team showpiece event will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Dallas, Houston, Miami, Atlanta, Monterrey, and Guadalajara, where June and July temperatures often exceed 33°C (91°F), will be tough to endure.

"Everyone is aware of that. We are trying to prepare as best we can for that. It's super difficult conditions to play in that heat. Especially for us playing in England, there's not anything like that before," James told reporters on Tuesday.

"You feel the heat the minute you step outside the hotel. Once you are out there you adapt the longer you are there, when you are settled in one place and try to limit the things you can. Later kick-offs when it's not so hot and humid, that would definitely help.

Matches in venues such as Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco and Toronto are expected to offer milder conditions at next year's finals. However, the 25-year-old James noted that poor pitch quality compounded the weather challenges, Reuters reported.

"The pitches when we were there weren't the greatest either and made it a little bit harder but hopefully by the time the World Cup comes around it's better," he added.

England host Serbia on Thursday and visit Albania on Sunday in their last two World Cup qualifiers.