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
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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.



Lionel Messi's Inter Miami Reloads for a Run at a Second Straight MLS Title

Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi waves to supporters before a friendly soccer match between Inter Miami and Atlético Nacional at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Medellín, Colombia, 31 January 2026. EPA/Carlos Ortega
Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi waves to supporters before a friendly soccer match between Inter Miami and Atlético Nacional at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Medellín, Colombia, 31 January 2026. EPA/Carlos Ortega
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Lionel Messi's Inter Miami Reloads for a Run at a Second Straight MLS Title

Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi waves to supporters before a friendly soccer match between Inter Miami and Atlético Nacional at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Medellín, Colombia, 31 January 2026. EPA/Carlos Ortega
Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi waves to supporters before a friendly soccer match between Inter Miami and Atlético Nacional at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Medellín, Colombia, 31 January 2026. EPA/Carlos Ortega

Less than three months removed from its first MLS Cup championship, Lionel Messi's Inter Miami shows no signs of a letdown.

The Herons have assembled one of the strongest rosters in Major League Soccer history heading into a season that begins this weekend and bookends around the biggest event of them all, the World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The ageless Messi — he turns 39 in June — is coming off his second straight MVP award, the first player in MLS history to accomplish that feat. He just keeps adding to a legacy that already ensures he'll be remembered as one of the greatest ever to play the beautiful game, The Associated Press said.

“He’s a quiet guy, but on the pitch he transforms into an animal,” teammate Yannick Bright told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. “After all he’s won, he never wants to lose, not even in training.”

Messi is hardly going it alone in Miami, which pulled off an impressive reload after bringing a title to South Florida.

MLS goalkeeper of the year Dayne St. Clair was lured away from Minnesota United, addressing the club's biggest area of concern. Germán Berterame arrived from Liga MX’s Monterrey to fill a designated player spot, giving the Herons another dynamic threat up front. Newcomers Micael, Sergio Reguilón and David Ayala should help the club cope with the departures of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

Miami begins its title defense Saturday night with a prime-time matchup against Los Angeles FC at the iconic Coliseum, which is expected to draw a crowd of more than 60,000.

Messi dealt with a muscle issue during the preseason, which put his availability for the opener in question. But he returned to full training this week and is expected to play.

Adding to the excitement in Miami, the Herons will hold the first game at their new Freedom Park stadium on April 4. The 25,000-seat facility completes a more than decade-long quest to build a soccer-specific stadium within the city.

Miami's possible challengers The Vancouver Whitecaps, who were bolstered by the summer signing of longtime German star Thomas Müller, reached the final of both the MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2025.

They came up short in both games, losing 3-1 to Messi's squad for the league title and 5-0 to Mexico's Cruz Azul for the continental championship. With Müller set for his first full season in MLS, the Whitecaps are eager to bring home a trophy.

Los Angeles FC could the strongest club this side of South Florida, with Son Heung-Min also set for full campaign after his midseason arrival from Tottenham Hotspur provided a dynamic pairing with Denis Bouanga.

“I let Messi win this year,” Son joked during a December visit to Tottenham, "but next year ... we’ll be at the top.”

Also keep an eye on the Philadelphia Union, which claimed the Supporters' Shield for the league's best record during the regular season, and Minnesota United FC with its newest addition, Colombian icon James Rodríguez on a short-term deal.

World Cup break

The league's 30 clubs will have to navigate a seven-week shutdown while the expanded World Cup is held in North America.

MLS stadiums in Atlanta, New England, Seattle, Vancouver and Toronto will host World Cup matches, and many of the league's training facilities will be utilized by nations from around the globe.

The unique schedule has led to some strange quirks in the schedule, such as Atlanta United going more than three months between home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

When MLS resumes play in mid-July, it will be interesting to see which teams do the best job of handling the long layoff.


Host City Milan Seeks Permanent Ice Arena Post-Games

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Victory Ceremony - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 19, 2026. Gold medallist Alysa Liu of United States celebrates after winning the Women Single Skating. (Reuters)
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Victory Ceremony - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 19, 2026. Gold medallist Alysa Liu of United States celebrates after winning the Women Single Skating. (Reuters)
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Host City Milan Seeks Permanent Ice Arena Post-Games

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Victory Ceremony - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 19, 2026. Gold medallist Alysa Liu of United States celebrates after winning the Women Single Skating. (Reuters)
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Victory Ceremony - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 19, 2026. Gold medallist Alysa Liu of United States celebrates after winning the Women Single Skating. (Reuters)

With the Winter Olympics drawing to an end and its ice rinks due to be removed, joint host city Milan has unveiled plans for a permanent ice arena both to seal the Games' legacy and house a professional local hockey team.

Facing a clamor from athletes and residents, local authorities announced the project this week for a new 5,000-seater, 30x60m rink inside an exhibition center area on Milan’s outskirts to be built within three years.

"This is what we had been asking for a long ‌time, and I ‌believe it would truly complete these Olympics, which have ‌been ⁠extraordinary,” Andrea Gios, ⁠president of the Italian Ice Sports Federation, told Reuters.

The northern Italian city successfully staged figure skating, speed skating, short track and hockey competitions across three venues.

All of them — including the newly built Santagiulia arena, which hosted hockey — will now be repurposed for live shows and other sports.

Authorities envisage a temporary new ice arena being set up in October before making it permanent and hopefully becoming home ⁠to a professional hockey team competing in the Ice Hockey ‌League alongside Austrian, Slovenian and Italian sides.

The ‌surprise announcement came after many Italian athletes and Milan residents lamented the prospect of ‌the city being left without a permanent arena for ice sports after ‌the Olympics.

INVESTMENT NEEDED

Gios said he spoke with some North American investors interested in investing in a professional Milan hockey team, which would cost about 5 million euros ($5.9 million) per year.

A new facility would also serve as a venue for major figure skating and ‌short-track events, as well as a hub for grassroots activities.

Despite delivering Italy’s biggest haul of Olympic golds — with ⁠Francesca Lollobrigida winning ⁠both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters and the men’s squad taking the team pursuit title — Italian speed skaters will have no domestic indoor training rink once the Games end.

Building a skating dome with a 400-meter ice track would be very expensive and offer less certain returns than a multi-purpose venue, Gios said, though some private investors who had shown interest in the past would be sounded out.

Until then, top Italian speed skaters will continue to carry out part of their training abroad, on indoor tracks such as the one in Inzell, Germany.

“I know it’s not easy to keep a facility like ours open, but of course it’s disappointing," Lollobrigida said of the Games venue. "If our results don’t speak for us, there’s nothing more we can do."


Neymar Says He May Retire by End of 2026

Santos' forward Neymar #10 looks on during the Campeonato Paulista football match between Santos and Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on February 5, 2025. (AFP)
Santos' forward Neymar #10 looks on during the Campeonato Paulista football match between Santos and Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on February 5, 2025. (AFP)
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Neymar Says He May Retire by End of 2026

Santos' forward Neymar #10 looks on during the Campeonato Paulista football match between Santos and Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on February 5, 2025. (AFP)
Santos' forward Neymar #10 looks on during the Campeonato Paulista football match between Santos and Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on February 5, 2025. (AFP)

Brazil striker Neymar, ‌who extended his contract with his childhood club Santos last month, said that he may retire by the end of the year.

The 34-year-old forward returned to his boyhood club Santos in January 2025 and played a key role in their survival in the Brazilian top flight, scoring five times in their last ‌five matches.

But Neymar, ‌who has struggled with ‌injuries ⁠in recent seasons, ⁠remains doubtful for participation at the World Cup this year.

"I don't know what will happen from now on, I don't know about next year," he told Brazilian online channel Caze on Friday.

"It ⁠may be that when December comes, ‌I'll want to ‌retire. I'm living year to year now."

"This ‌year is a very important year, not ‌only for Santos, but also for the Brazilian national team, as it's a World Cup year, and for me too," Neymar said.

Neymar, ‌who recently underwent successful knee surgery, has scored 79 goals ⁠for ⁠Brazil, the highest by any player, but he has not featured for the national side since October 2023.

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear over the past year that he will only include players who are fully fit for the World Cup, scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.