BARCELONA, Spain: Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski would love Lionel Messi to return to the Catalan club from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, he said on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old Argentine World Cup winner left Barca in 2021 when the club could not afford to renew his contract and his PSG deal expires in June.
Amid whistles from PSG supporters who see Messi as a symbol of the club’s mistakes in chasing star signings instead of building a competitive team, Barcelona are openly courting the forward.
“Messi belongs to Barca and if he returns it would be something incredible,” said Lewandowski.
“We know that his place is here, in Barcelona. I don’t know what will happen, but I hope that next season we can play together.”
Messi is the club’s all-time top goalscorer and many consider him the best player in the history of football.
The playmaker scored a record 672 goals in 778 matches for Barcelona, winning 35 trophies, after joining the club at 13-years-old and developing at their feted La Masia youth academy.
Barcelona fans have chanted Messi’s name in the 10th minute — representing his former Barca shirt number — in their last two matches, including a 0-0 draw against Girona on Monday in La Liga.
“Leo generates excitement, they have chanted his name in two games now, we’ll see what happens,” said Barca coach Xavi Hernandez after the derby clash.
Lewandowski, top scorer in Spain, could not find the net for the league leaders against Girona and, speaking at a charity event, said he had been carrying an injury.
“I took a blow from (Real Madrid defender Eder) Militao in the game against Madrid and I could not walk,” added Lewandowski, referring to Barcelona’s 4-0 thrashing by Los Blancos in the Copa del Rey last week.
“On the pitch I have to play better but that knock from Militao left my body in a bad way.”
I hope to play with Messi next season at Barca: Lewandowski
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I hope to play with Messi next season at Barca: Lewandowski
- The 35-year-old Argentine World Cup winner left Barca in 2021
- "Messi belongs to Barca and if he returns it would be something incredible," said Lewandowski
Qatar fighting to keep World Cup dreams alive, says Lopetegui
Qatar are within “touching distance” of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and will go all out against Iran and Uzbekistan over the next week to keep their dream alive, says new coach Julen Lopetegui.
Qatar, who hosted the 2022 World Cup but have never reached the tournament via the qualification route, cannot finish in the top two in Group A to earn an automatic berth in 2027 but can still secure a spot in the playoffs for teams finishing third and fourth.
The Gulf side are currently fourth on 10 points, four ahead of Kyrgyzstan.
Former Spain and Real Madrid coach Lopetegui takes charge of Qatar for the first time when they face group leaders Iran in Doha on Thursday before they close out the third round by visiting second-placed Uzbekistan on June 10.
“Qatar has never qualified for a World Cup through the qualifiers before, and it’s a dream we’re determined to fight for,” Lopetegui told FIFA’s website in an interview published on Tuesday.
“It’s within touching distance. We’ve got two games left to play, both of which will be incredibly difficult, and in quick succession.
“However, despite all the difficulties, we’re determined to give it our best shot to earn ourselves another chance of qualifying in October.”
Qatar have enjoyed considerable continental success in recent years, winning back-to-back Asian Cup titles, but Lopetegui said they are in a transitional phase and still finding their feet.
“There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that this generation has achieved some very impressive things in the Asian Cup,” added the Spaniard, who was appointed coach in May.
“However, generations come to an end, and now we need to turn our attention to starting the process again, which will be no mean feat. While we do that, we’ll be doing our best to compete, which is the most important thing in the short term.”
FIFA’s inaugural Club World Cup set to kick off in the US amid challenges
- Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami face Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli in the opening fixture on June 15 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, with tickets still widely available days before kickoff
- European champions Paris St. Germain are the in-form team heading into the tournament after their historic 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday
- Whether you call it soccer or football, for FIFA the tournament represents a dress rehearsal and a referendum on America’s appetite for the sport
NEW YORK: FIFA’s billion-dollar gamble to revolutionize club football begins a week on Sunday with plenty of cash up for grabs but questionable enthusiasm as 32 teams prepare to contest the expanded Club World Cup in 12 stadiums across the United States.
The tournament — designed as a glittering showcase ahead of the 2026 World Cup — has had to contend with the prospect of empty seats along with controversial qualification rules and player welfare concerns after an exhausting European season.
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami face Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli in the opening fixture on June 15 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, with tickets still widely available days before kickoff.
A glance at FIFA’s website shows lots of tickets available, including for the July 13 final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Messi’s presence underscores the tournament’s contentious foundations.
Inter Miami gained entry by topping Major League Soccer’s regular season standings, despite losing in the first round of the playoffs – a decision critics say shows FIFA’s desperation to have the Argentina great at their inaugural showpiece.
FIFA’s decision to give the host nation a spot and award it to Inter Miami underlined the opaque nature of the qualifying criteria for the tournament, which won’t feature Liverpool, Barcelona or Napoli who have all just been crowned champions of three of the most prestigious leagues in Europe.
Apart from the winners of each confederation’s premier club competitions, teams qualified according to a ranking based on their performances over a four-year period.
There is also the case of Club Leon, the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup winners, who were excluded from the tournament just over a month ago due to having shared ownership with another qualifier. The spot has gone to MLS’s Los Angeles FC.
Rights deal
Nailing down a last-gasp $1 billion TV rights deal with sports streaming platform DAZN six months before the tournament means a total of $2 billion in expected revenues.
That led FIFA to announce a total prize pot of $1 billion, with the winning club to receive up to $125 million.
That figure represents 25 perceent more than Paris St. Germain earned from their entire 17-match Champions League campaign.
But this largesse has not quelled concerns about player welfare, with the global players union FIFPro taking legal action against FIFA over a tournament that further compresses the precious recovery time between gruelling seasons.
Furthermore there is still concern over the playing surfaces after last season’s Copa America, when many headlines focused on the sub-par conditions and smaller pitch dimensions.
Those pitches, measuring 100 by 64 meters, were 740 square meters smaller than FIFA’s standard size, prompting widespread discontent among players and coaches.
FIFA has given assurances that this time the NFL stadiums hosting the matches will meet their specifications, confirming that all venues will feature natural grass and adhere to the standard regulation dimensions of 105 by 68 meters.
Divided into eight groups of four teams, top contenders include Real Madrid, winners of six of the last 12 Champions League titles, plus German champions Bayern Munich and 2023 Premier League and Champions League winners Manchester City.
European champions Paris St. Germain are the in-form team heading into the tournament after their historic 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday.
But they must survive a tough Group B featuring South American and Brazilian champions Botafogo and 2024 CONCACAF winners Seattle Sounders plus Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.
Whether you call it soccer or football, for FIFA the tournament represents a dress rehearsal and a referendum on America’s appetite for the sport and on the world governing body’s vision for its commercial future ahead of the 2026 World Cup being co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
Pyramids survive tense finish to be crowned African champions
- Competing in the premier African club competition for only the second time, Pyramids triumphed 3-2 on aggregate after the first leg was drawn 1-1 in Pretoria last weekend
JOHANNESBURG: Pyramids of Egypt survived late pressure to beat Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa 2-1 in Cairo on Sunday and win the CAF Champions League for the first time.
Competing in the premier African club competition for only the second time, Pyramids triumphed 3-2 on aggregate after the first leg was drawn 1-1 in Pretoria last weekend.
Fiston Mayele scored after 23 minutes and Ahmed Samy on 56 minutes for the Egyptian outfit before Iqraam Rayners reduced the arrears in the 75th minute.
Listless for much of the match, Sundowns pressed in the closing stages, but the second goal that would have given them overall victory on away goals proved elusive.
Pleas by Pyramids, who normally attract crowds of just a few thousand, for support led to their 30,000-seat stadium being about half full for the second leg.
Both clubs made one change to the first-leg starting line-ups last weekend in Pretoria, where Walid el Karti headed an added-time equalizer after Lucas Ribeiro gave Sundowns an early second half lead.
Pyramids coach Krunoslav Jurcic, a former Croatia midfielder, dropped forward Ibrahim Adel, scorer of six goals en route to the final, and promoted ex-English Premier League forward Ramadan Sobhi.
Sundowns’ Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso left out Brazilian forward Arthur Sales and gave a starting place to midfielder Jayden Adams.
Cardoso is only the second coach after Argentine Oscar Fullone to reach consecutive Champions League finals with different clubs.
Fullone, who died in 2017 aged 78, guided ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast in 1998 and Raja Casablanca of Morocco the following year to victory in finals of the premier African club competition.
Cardoso took Esperance of Tunisia to the 2024 final, which they lost to Al Ahly of Egypt with an own goal separating the sides.
A new Champions League trophy, unveiled before the first leg, was brought to the touchline at the 30 June Stadium by 48-year-old Nigerian legend and former Inter Milan and Arsenal star Nwankwo Kanu.
On a warm, windy first day, both teams constantly surrendered possession cheaply before Pyramids took the lead when Mayele scored his ninth goal of the African campaign.
A cross by Ahmed Atef was partially cleared by Grant Kekana and Mayele pounced to slam a snap low shot across goalkeeper Ronwen Williams into the far corner of the net.
Tensions rose and the Somali referee yellow-carded Atef and Aubrey Modiba after the duo had an angry clash, leading with their heads.
Sundowns squandered a great chance in first half added time when Tashreeq Matthews broke through only to see his shot parried by the left leg of goalkeeper Ahmed el Shenawy.
It was the only time the Pretoria outfit threatened in the opening half despite having much more possession.
Pyramids struck again when Mohamed Chibi placed a free kick into the goalmouth and central defender Samy headed powerfully into the net.
It was the first goal for Samy in the 16-match Champions League campaign and he became the 19th Pyramids player to score in the competition this season.
Sundowns replied when a weak headed clearance offered Rayners a chance and he fired past El Shenawy from close range.
Messi’s brilliance continues with two goals, two assists in Inter Miami’s 5-1 win over Columbus Crew
Messi’s brilliance continues with two goals, two assists in Inter Miami’s 5-1 win over Columbus Crew
- Lionel Messi scored for the fifth time in three Major League Soccer matches to help Inter Miami rout the Columbus Crew
- That makes it two straight matches that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has recorded at least two goals and an assist
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida: Inter Miami was in a midseason slump just a week ago. Lionel Messi made sure it didn’t last long.
Messi scored for the fifth time in three Major League Soccer matches to help Inter Miami rout the Columbus Crew 5-1 on Saturday night for its second straight win.
Messi played a role each of Miami’s goals. He scored twice – in the 15th and 24th minutes – giving him 10 goals this season, which leads his team and is tied for third in MLS. He set up Tadeo Allende’s goal in the 13th, Fafa Picault’s in the 89th and was also involved in Luis Suarez’s score in the 64th.
That makes it two straight matches that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has recorded at least two goals and an assist. His 16 goal contributions are the most in the league.
“I see him every game. We see the same thing,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said through an interpreter. “We try to help him as much as we can. … Clearly he is the best player that has ever played this game. And we have to understand that when he is not brilliant, that’s because one of us is failing. That’s the reality.”
Miami was the more aggressive team early. The Herons had seven shots – four on goal – in the first 25 minutes against a Columbus team that does not give up many. The Crew entered Saturday ranked eighth in MLS with just 19 goals allowed.
Allende opened the scoring with a cross-body finish set up by Messi’s long ball over the top. A few minutes later, Messi took advantage of a poor decision by goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen and lofted the ball over despite the keeper getting a hand on it.
On Messi’s second goal, Sergio Busquets set up his former Barcelona teammate for the second straight game, sending a long pass to a streaking Messi for an easy finish over Hagen.
It was an important win for Miami, which entered Saturday with just two wins in its past eight matches and was sixth in the Eastern Conference. Miami beat Montreal 4-2 on Wednesday, and Saturday’s win over Columbus put last year’s Supporters’ Shield winner in a tie for third place with 29 points in their final match before the start of next month’s Club World Cup.
“Winning this way gives us confidence,” Mascherano said. “It shows that we’re brave and calm and can play against anybody, especially in the MLS. The tournament is another story. The rivals are are different level.”
Miami will face Al Ahly of Egypt on June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium, the home stadium of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. Before that, Messi will join the Argentina national team for World Cup qualifiers against Chile on June 5 and Colombia on June 10.
Saturday was the second match of the season between Columbus and Miami, winners of the last two League’s Cup tournaments. Inter Miami also beat Columbus to win the Supporters’ Shield in 2024.
They were the only remaining undefeated teams in MLS when they met in front of a record crowd of 60,614 fans to Huntington Bank Field on April 19. It was a single-game record for a Crew home match and the largest non-NFL event in stadium history. Miami won 1-0.
Columbus made it 3-1 when Dylan Chambost’s corner was headed home by Cesar Ruvalcaba against goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo, who replaced Oscar Ustari in the second half. Mascherano said Ustari was experiencing discomfort in his leg and the team didn’t want to risk an injury.
Suarez restored Miami’s three-goal lead with his second goal in as many matches. And Messi fed a through ball to Picault in the closing minutes, stamping one of Miami’s most dominant wins of the MLS season.
Miami played without veteran left back Jordi Alba, who suffered a lower-body injury against Montreal on Wednesday.
Paris erupts in euphoria before skirmishes as PSG win Champions League
- Some 5,400 police were deployed across Paris in anticipation of raucous celebrations
- Police had made more than 130 arrests by shortly after midnight
PARIS: Wild celebrations erupted across the French capital on Saturday after Paris St. Germain crushed Italian opponents Inter Milan to win the Champions League for the first time, although skirmishes with police later threatened to spoil the party.
On the Champs Elysees, bus shelters were smashed up and projectiles hurled at riot police, who fired tear gas and water canons to push back surging crowds as thousands of supporters descended on the boutique-lined boulevard.
There were also clashes with police on the Paris ring road and at least two cars were torched near PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium.
Inside the stadium, transformed into a giant fan zone for the night, 48,000 people let out a roar of ecstasy at the final whistle in Munich.
“Total euphoria, crazy atmosphere,” said Gilles Gailliot who had been watching the game in the Paris stadium. “It made up for the wait and the years of disappointment. Finally Paris and its supporters have been rewarded,” Gailliot added.
Parisians set off fireworks and hung out of moving cars waving PSG scarves, delighting in their side’s first victory in European soccer’s top competition.
Nearby, the Eiffel Tower lit up in PSG’s blue and red colors.
“I couldn’t dream of a better night,” said 18-year-old Amine. “Let’s spare a thought for Mbappe.”
France striker Kylian Mbappe left PSG for Spanish club Real Madrid last year in pursuit of Champions League glory.
Arrests
Some 5,400 police were deployed across Paris in anticipation of raucous celebrations.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau urged a zero-tolerance approach to maintaining order amid the celebrations.
“True PSG supporters are enjoying their team’s magnificent match. Meanwhile, barbarians have taken to the streets of Paris to commit crimes and provoke the police,” the minister tweeted.
Police had made more than 130 arrests by shortly after midnight.
PSG playmaker Ousmane Dembele urged supporters to keep the party festive.
“Let’s celebrate this but not tear everything up in Paris,” Dembele told Canal+.
French President Emmanuel Macron, an ardent supporter of Olympique de Marseille, tweeted: “A glorious day for PSG! Bravo, we are all proud. Paris, the capital of Europe this evening.”
Macron’s office said the president would receive the players at the Elysee Palace on Sunday. The team are also expected to parade down the Champs Elysees.
PSG lost the final to Bayern Munich in 2020 and had teetered on the brink of elimination in the league phase this season before claiming the trophy their deep-pocketed Qatari owners had craved.
On the streets, fans lauded the exploits of Desire Doue, who scored twice, and manager Luis Enrique.
“What (Doue) did tonight is crazy but it is all thanks to Luis Enrique. The guy came and he changed everything,” supporter Francis Delert said.
