DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Ben Yedder leads Monaco to 3-1 win over injury-hit PSG
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The result moved Monaco up to second place with 47 points, a point above Olympique de Marseille who visit mid-table Clermont later on Saturday. PSG suffered their third league defeat this season but remain top with 54 points from 23 games. Aleksandr Golovin opened the scoring in the fourth minute when PSG failed to clear, with the midfielder side-footing home after Ben Yedder got past three defenders to set up the shot. Monaco doubled the lead 14 minutes later after fine work by Krepin Diatta, who pressed inexperienced 17-year-old defender El El Chadaille Bitshiabu into an error that allowed Ben Yedder to fire the ball past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. But Ben Yedder restored Monaco's two-goal advantage going into the break when he was released through the centre by Eliesse Ben Seghir, scoring his 14th Ligue 1 goal to move level with Reims' Folarin Balogun at the top of the scoring charts.

☆ Messi shortlisted for FIFA's The Best Award with Mbappe and Benzema
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Argentina forward Lionel Messi is on the shortlist for the FIFA Best Male Player award, joined by Paris St Germain team mate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, soccer's world governing body announced on Friday. Messi could win his second The Best trophy after leading Argentina to their third World Cup title by beating Mbappe's France in last year's final in Qatar, scoring seven goals during the tournament and earning his second Golden ball. World Cup Golden Boot winner Mbappe and France's 2022 Ballon d'Or winner Benzema feature for the first time among the three finalists. Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas could claim the Best Women's Player award for the second year in a row despite being sidelined since July with a knee injury. Forward Beth Mead is also nominated after leading England to the Euro 2022 title as the tournament's leading scorer and best player of the tournament.

☆ PSG's Messi doubtful for Champions League clash with Bayern - L'Equipe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Paris St Germain forward Lionel Messi is a doubt for the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League game against Bayern Munich due to a hamstring problem, French sports daily L'Equipe reported on Friday. Messi played the full 90 minutes of PSG's 2-1 defeat to Olympique Marseille in the French Cup on Wednesday but later felt pain in his hamstring, the report said. It added that the 35-year-old would miss PSG's Ligue 1 trip to AS Monaco on Saturday, three days before they host Bayern. Messi, who helped Argentina win the World Cup in December, has scored 15 goals in 25 games in all competitions for PSG this season. The Parisian club are already without forward Kylian Mbappe for the game against the German champions after he picked up a thigh injury last week.

☆ Messi to the rescue as PSG extend Ligue 1 lead
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi scored in the second half to help Paris St Germain recover from a woeful start and extend their Ligue 1 lead to a provisional eight points with a 2-1 home victory on Saturday. Messi struck the winner after the break with his third goal in his last five league games to put PSG on 54 points from 22 games. Olympique de Marseille are second on 46 points before hosting Nice on Sunday with third-placed RC Lens travelling to Stade Brestois. Without Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, both injured, Messi was flanked by Hugo Ekitike in attack with Vitinha just behind. Rennes are left in fifth place on 40 points, with Lille in sixth, two points behind them.

☆ PSG extend Ligue 1 lead with Montpellier win as Mbappe limps off
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi scored as Paris St Germain stretched their Ligue 1 lead to five points with a 3-1 win at Montpellier after Kylian Mbappe limped off the pitch on Wednesday. Following a lacklustre first half PSG burst into life after the break with Fabian Ruiz, Messi and Warren Zaire-Emery finding the net to put them on 51 points from 21 games. Mbappe had a night to forget at La Mosson, having had his spot-kick parried away by Benjamin Lecomte in the eighth minute. He had to take it again, only for the Montpellier keeper to deny him again. England Under-21 striker Folarin Balogun bagged a hat-trick to help Stade de Reims beat Lorient 4-2 and move top of the scorers' charts.

☆ Neymar to miss struggling PSG's trip to Montpellier
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Leaders Paris St Germain will be without Neymar at Montpellier in Ligue 1 on Wednesday with the Brazil forward suffering from "muscle fatigue" as the capital side struggle for form. PSG have 48 points from 20 games and have seen their advantage dwindle to three points over second-placed RC Lens. Against Reims, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi started together for the first time this year but barely defended, leaving the team split in two and vulnerable at the back. "We have three incredibly talented offensive players and playing without one of them to be more balanced would be a mistake," said Galtier. Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge and Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ PSG's poor run continues with Reims draw
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The capital side, who had lost two of their three previous games, have 48 points from 20 games with Lens on 45 and Marseille on 43 in an open title race. Reims are 11th on 26 points after stretching their Ligue 1 unbeaten run to 12 games. In the 51st minute, Messi's shot was deflected into the path of Neymar, who dribbled past Yehvann Diouf before poking the ball home. But PSG continued to dominate with Sergio Ramos coming close with a double header and Achraf Hakimi having a goal disallowed for offside. Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

United and Liverpool are the two most successful teams in English football but have won only one league title each in the past decade. "You get a lot of money from the Premier League, from broadcasting and sponsorship, but you also have to put a lot of money in to keep your team." "The failure of the proposal and the failure of Premier League clubs to gain greater power in the running of the league are likely influencing factors," said Spencer Harris, Associate Professor of Sport Management at the University of Colorado. "The current owners (of Liverpool and United) don't have the finances to compete and invest on the level of these other clubs." "(There is a) general realisation that English Premier League teams, the two biggest ones per se, are relatively uncapitalized versus NFL franchises, which have been a barometer for a longer period of time."

☆ Ronaldo, Messi roll back the years in nine-goal thriller
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Both teams kept their foot on the gas in the second half, but Ekitike's 78th-minute strike eventually made the difference on the night. Played through on goal by Neymar, Messi was able to poke the ball past goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Owais, who he last faced in Saudi Arabia's shock World Cup win over Argentina in November. Despite going behind early, the Riyadh Season Team - a combined Saudi Pro League XI featuring players from Al Nassr and Al Hilal - had numerous chances. Ronaldo was an ever-present threat and won a penalty when goalkeeper Keylor Navas clattered into him. It was Mbappe's last contribution, as he was taken off shortly after, along with team mates Messi and Neymar, as well as Ronaldo.

☆ Messi, Ronaldo start in Riyadh friendly
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Soccer Football - Friendly - Saudi Pro League XI v Paris St Germain - King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia - January 19, 2023 Fans hold up shirts with Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo's and Paris St Germain's Lionel Messi's name on inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Ahmed YosriRIYADH, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will face off once again after the long-time rivals were named in the starting line-ups for the Riyadh Season Team and Paris St Germain respectively on Thursday, ahead of an exhibition match at the King Fahd Stadium. Al Nassr's Ronaldo will captain the Riyadh Season Team - a combined Saudi Pro League XI featuring players from Al Nassr and Al Hilal in Riyadh. The PSG starting line-up also includes France's Kylian Mbappe and Brazil's Neymar, as well as Ronaldo's former Real Madrid team mates Sergio Ramos and Keylor Navas. Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Why Egypt is asking its people to eat chicken feet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —Egypt’s economic situation is so dire that the government is asking people to eat chicken feet. In Egypt, chicken feet are seen as the cheapest of meat items, considered by most as animal waste rather than food. After the recommendation to switch to chicken feet, the price of one kilogram of the product reportedly doubled to 20 Egyptian pounds ($0.67). But those firms don’t operate like private companies, enjoying special privileges without disclosing their financial data to the public. Experts have questioned why international creditors had not leveraged their loans to drive Egypt’s military out of the economy.

☆ Ronaldo-Messi rivalry set for new chapter in Riyadh
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Manasi Pathak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The highly anticipated showdown, which will take place at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, reportedly had more than two million online ticket requests. The bidding for a VIP "Beyond Imagination" ticket to the match has already topped 10 million riyals ($2.66 million) in an auction that is set to end later on Tuesday. While Thursday's friendly will be Ronaldo's first in Saudi Arabia, the 37-year-old's first competitive appearance will come in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday when Al Nassr host Al Ettifaq. French newspaper L'Equipe reported on Monday that PSG will earn just over 10 million euros for the game. ($1 = 3.7556 riyals)($1 = 0.9247 euros)Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Messi greater than Maradona, says Argentina coach Scaloni
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 17 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi has surpassed Diego Maradona as the greatest player of all time, Argentina's World Cup winning coach Lionel Scaloni has said. He is the best of all time although Maradona was also great," Scaloni told Spanish radio station Cope on Tuesday. Scaloni also revealed that he prioritised speaking to Messi when he was named Argentina coach in 2018, while the forward was taking a break from international duty following the disastrous World Cup in Russia. That's what we did and eight months later he came and found an incredible group," Scaloni added. He is an incredible guy, his personality has given so much to the group," Scaloni added.

☆ PSG suffer another defeat as Ligue 1 lead cut to three points
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Paris St Germain suffered their second defeat of the season in a 1-0 loss to Stade Rennais on Sunday as their Ligue 1 lead was slashed to three points. Despite the win, Rennes slipped down to fifth on 37 points, behind Monaco on goal difference after the principality side destroyed AC Ajaccio 7-1 earlier on Sunday with a Wissam Ben Yedder hat-trick. If we find it again it will be fine," said PSG captain Marquinhos. Midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery, 16, became the youngest player to start a Ligue 1 game for PSG and was nowhere near the Italian's level. A homophobic banner was also displayed in the stands, which will likely trigger sanctions from the French league (LFP).

☆ Messi headlines shortlist for FIFA Best Men's Player award
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Messi, along with his Paris St Germain team mate Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City's Erling Haaland, were among the 14 players shortlisted for The Best FIFA Men's Player award, the world governing body said on Thursday. Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, who won the 2022 Ballon d'Or award, is also in the shortlist. Sarina Wiegman, who led England to last year's European Championship title, is joined on The Best FIFA Women's Coach shortlist by Chelsea's Emma Hayes and Germany manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. Liverpool's Alisson Becker, Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois and Aston Villa's Martinez are among the nominees for The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award. FIFA also announced an 11-player shortlist for this year's Puskas Award for the "most beautiful" goal of the year, with Mbappe's spectacular volley against Argentina in the World Cup final among the nominees.

☆ French football president apologises for 'awkward remarks' on Zidane after backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Le Graet added he would not even pick up the phone if Zidane called, prompting a backlash and his subsequent apology. 'LACK OF RESPECT'France forward Kylian Mbappe was one of the first to voice his disapproval after Le Graet's comments were aired. "The statements by the president of the French Football Federation are inappropriate for someone holding such representation and are in themselves unsuitable." France's Minister for Sports Amelie Oudea-Castera was one of many politicians who reacted to Le Graet's comments, saying the president of the country's "biggest sporting federation" had crossed a line. French politician Pieyre-Alexandre Anglade had also demanded an apology from Le Graet, saying on Twitter: "Zidane is a monument of French football and sport.

☆ Pelé remembered for transcending soccer around world
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Pelé was remembered for a life beyond the field, for transcending the sport of soccer and becoming perhaps the most well-known person on Earth. I would say that before Pelé soccer was just a sport. He is gone, but his magic will endure.”Pelé scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches and is the only three-time world champion, winning titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. Throughout his life, Pelé inspired generations of athletes and deserves every tribute.”Ronaldo, who led Brazil to a fifth World Cup title in 2002, described Pelé as “Unique. Four years ago, Mbappé became only the second teenager — after Pelé — to score a goal in a World Cup final.

SAO PAULO, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer player who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, died on Thursday at the age of 82. The death of the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player was confirmed on his Instagram account. [1/4] Legendary Brazilian soccer player Pele waves to the spectators before the start of the under-17 boys' final soccer match of the Subroto Cup tournament at Ambedkar stadium in New Delhi, India, October 16, 2015. Brazil's CBF soccer federation said Pele "gave us a new Brazil and we can only thank him for his legacy." Kylian Mbappé, the French star many view as the current best soccer player in the world, offered his condolences.

☆ Mbappe dismisses Argentina keeper Martinez's "futile" World Cup taunts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Dec 29 (Reuters) - France striker Kylian Mbappe has shrugged off Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez's taunts after the World Cup final, saying he did not "waste energy on such futile things" as he awaited the return of Paris Saint Germain team mate Lionel Messi. Mbappe became the second player to score a World Cup final hat-trick as he dragged his country back into the match with a late second-half double and an extra-time penalty, which was still not enough as Argentina prevailed in a shootout. I don't waste any energy on such futile things," Mbappe told reporters after converting an added time penalty to give PSG a 2-1 win over Strasbourg in his first Ligue 1 game after the World Cup final. Asked about Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Messi, who will return to the Paris club after the New Year, Mbappe said he congratulated him following the final. Aston Villa coach Unai Emery said on Friday that he would talk to Martinez about the keeper's attitude during the World Cup celebrations when he returns to the Midlands club.

☆ Mbappe scores late penalty to secure PSG 2-1 win over Strasbourg
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Marquinhos opened the scoring by breaking free from his marker and headed in Neymar's cross after 14 minutes. The Brazilian defender, however, deflected Adrien Thomasson's cross into his own net in the 51st minute to leave the scores level. PSG top the standings with 44 points, eight ahead of RC Lens, who have a game in hand. Strasbourg are in 19th place. Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-Photo of Emmanuel Macron crying while embracing Kylian Mbappé at World Cup final is digitally altered
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A photo showing French President Emmanuel Macron crying as he embraces footballer Kylian Mbappé, prior to the trophy presentation at the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, has been digitally manipulated. Thousands of people have interacted with the photo posted separately on Facebook here and Twitter here. One person wrote in reply to the Facebook post: “This is my picture of the year,” while another commented: “This photo has made it a beautiful day. Other angles of the same moment were also captured by Reuters photographers (here) and show that Macron did not make the face depicted in the social media post. Unedited versions of the moment show Macron did not pull the face seen in the altered photo.

☆ Soccer-In year of drama, World Cup shines spotlight on growth in the sport
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Manasi Pathak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dec 20 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi's World Cup fairytale lit up the year in soccer as heroics and heartbreak at the finals captivated fans and highlighted the growth of the world's most popular sport despite the criticism of host country Qatar's human rights record. With matches played in air-conditioned stadiums to cope with the heat of the desert state and no beer on tap in stadiums, spectators experienced a World Cup like never before. Playing in a fifth World Cup for Argentina, the incomparable Messi once again left everyone in awe of his magical powers on the field as he smashed records and delivered on the hopes of a nation, bringing the World Cup home after 36 years. The South American giants were handed a shock defeat by Saudi Arabia in their first group game, which statisticians Gracenote credited as the biggest upset in World Cup history. With every continent represented in the World Cup last 16, the most diverse knockout stage in the tournament's history was evidence of the sport's expanding reach.

LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - In the wake of Sunday's World Cup final soccer fans around the world have rushed to buy merchandise, with demand for Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe soccer club jerseys more than tripling, sports merchandise retailer Fanatics Inc told Reuters. It was Argentina's first World Cup win since Diego Maradona hoisted the trophy 36 years ago. Global sales of soccer gear were up more than 700% for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar versus the 2018 World Cup in Russia across the Fanatics network of online stores. Fans flocked to buy Nike-brand Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) soccer club jerseys, with sales in particular for Messi and Mbappe jerseys on the official PSG online store surging by more than 200% on Sunday. Mbappe also shone with three goals in the game, becoming only the second hat-trick scorer in a World Cup final after England's Geoff Hurst in 1966.

☆ Argentina's World Cup winners arrive home to hero's welcome
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Argentine capital has been in party mode since their dramatic victory over France in Sunday's final in Qatar, which gave the country its first World Cup win since Diego Maradona hoisted the trophy 36 years ago. The players, wearing their gold winners' medals around their necks and taking turns to hold the World Cup trophy aloft, waved at fans from an open-top bus as the lights from thousands of mobile phones sparkled and flags fluttered in the crowd. Thousands had tracked the plane, the state airline Aerolineas Argentinas AR1915, all the way from Doha and a stop-off in Rome. Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after a scintilaing 3-3 draw, with Messi scoring twice France's Kylian Mbappe netting three times. Messi, 35, announced that the final would be his last match in the World Cup though he intends to play a few more games for the national side.

☆ 'All-time classic': Former players blown away by thrilling World Cup final
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 19 (Reuters) - Former players came together in acclaiming the World Cup final in Qatar as one of the best ever after Argentina beat France on penalties following a pulsating 3-3 draw. Messi, in his 26th World Cup match at his fifth tournament, was finally able to get his hands on the elusive trophy and match his predecessor Diego Maradona. "For our country, we will see a picture of Maradona and Messi, two of the greatest players of all time with the World Cup trophy," former Argentina defender Pablo Zabaleta told the BBC. If you've watched Lionel Messi play live you are truly blessed," the ex-England international Neville told ITV. Neville added that Argentina's win would inspire a new generation of players, pointing to his own experience of watching Maradona play at the 1986 World Cup.

Search resuls for: "Kylian Mbappe"

25 mentions found