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☆ 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.

☆ Talking points from European soccer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 29 (Reuters) - Talking points from the weekend in European soccer leagues:PIOLI UNDER PRESSURE AS MILAN SET UNWANTED RECORDSIt has been a rough start to 2023 for Stefano Pioli and AC Milan, with only one win in seven games. Pioli’s side have let in four goals in consecutive league games for the first time in the club’s history and on Sunday conceded five goals at home for the first time since 1997. BARCELONA SURVIVE THREE-GAME STRETCH WITHOUT LEWANDOWSKIBarcelona are in form on top of the LaLiga standings and extended their unbeaten streak to 13 games, even without key striker Robert Lewandowski. Despite struggling up front without Lewandowski, who is still LaLiga's top scorer on 13 goals, Xavi Hernandez's side managed to keep their momentum and even extended their lead over bitter rivals Real Madrid to five points. Fuellkrug, who at 29 was a surprise addition to Germany's World Cup squad back in November, is currently top of the scorers list with 13 goals.

☆ Soccer mom Azarenka ordered to take off PSG shirt at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Self-described "obnoxious soccer mom" Victoria Azarenka was ordered to take off her Paris St Germain shirt at the Australian Open on Thursday before bowing out of the Grand Slam with a straight sets defeat by Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals. After an exchange of words with the chair umpire at Rod Laver Arena, Azarenka took off the PSG shirt before warming up in her regular kit against Rybakina. "They told me to take it off twice because I had a different shirt," the 22nd seed told reporters after losing 7-6(4) 6-3 to Kazakh Rybakina. "My son wore the white jersey today to his practice, and I tried to wear a white jersey to my match but couldn't. "But give me a couple of hours and I can have probably a better outlook on this month in Australia.

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."

☆ Manchester City top Deloitte Money League for second straight year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Abu Dhabi-owned City generated total revenue of 731 million euros ($790.65 million), followed by Real Madrid (714 million euros) and Liverpool (702 million euros). City's rivals Manchester United generated 689 million euros and Paris St Germain made 654 million euros. City posted a Premier League record commercial revenue of 373 million euros in 2021-22, a growth of 65 million euros from the previous season. WOMEN'S FOOTBALLFor the first time, Deloitte's Football Money League also reported on revenues generated from the women's teams at Money League clubs, with sides reporting average revenues of 2.4 million euros in the 2021-22 season. Manchester United reported the second-highest revenue with 6 million euros, followed by City (5.1 million euros), PSG (3.6 million euros), Arsenal (2.2 million euros) and Spurs (2.1 million euros).

☆ 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 v Messi: the last dance in Saudi Arabia or a fresh start?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Shady Amir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Messi's Paris St Germain take on a combined Al Hilal-Al Nassr team in an exhibition match, giving Ronaldo and Messi a chance to rekindle their old 'El Clasico' rivalry when they played for Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Finance, had recently indicated that the door was open for moves by Saudi clubs to try and sign both of soccer's biggest stars. Messi and Ronaldo won every Ballon d'Or award from 2008-2017 until Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric broke their hegemony and the Argentine has since won two more to lead 7-5 over his Portuguese rival in the race to be the world's best player. Should the Argentine move to Saudi Arabia, Thursday's encounter between the sport's two biggest stars of the modern era could signal the dawn of a new age in Asian football. Reporting by Shady Amir; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

☆ Ronaldo to make Saudi debut in friendly against PSG
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Soccer Football - Al Nassr unveil new signing Cristiano Ronaldo - Mrsool Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 3, 2023 New Al Nassr signing Cristiano Ronaldo during training REUTERS/Ahmed YosriJan 16 (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play in Saudi Arabia for the first time since joining Al Nassr after he was named as captain of Riyadh ST XI for an exhibition match against Lionel Messi's Paris St Germain, officials announced on Monday. The 37-year-old Portuguese will lead the team made up of players from Saudi sides Al Hilal and Al Nassr against Messi's PSG in what will be the latest chapter of the celebrated global soccer rivalry. The highly anticipated showdown, which reportedly had more than 2 million online ticket requests, will take place in Riyadh on Thursday. Ronaldo missed the first two domestic games for Al Nassr after being suspended by England's Football Association for knocking a phone out of a fan's hand in April. Ronaldo is set to make his first competitive appearance in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday when Al Nassr host Al Ettifaq.

☆ 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).

☆ PSG to explore alternatives as Paris mayor says Parc des Princes not for sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Jan 14 (Reuters) - French champions Paris St Germain said they will explore "alternative options" for their home stadium after Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said the Parc des Princes was not for sale. The stadium, owned by the Paris city council, has been PSG's home since they entered France's top division in 1974. French media reported that Ligue 1 side PSG put forward an offer to buy the Parc des Princes in November last year. "... the Parc des Princes is not for sale. "It is surprising and disappointing to hear that the Mayor of Paris is taking a position which, effectively, will force PSG ... from the Parc des Princes while also ... adding tens of millions of euros to the taxpayer burden to maintain the structure of the building...," a PSG spokesperson told Reuters.

☆ 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.

☆ Saudi Arabia's new love for soccer could cause ripple effects across the sports world
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo poses for a photo with the jersey after signing with Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr Football Club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 30, 2022. Al Nassr Football Club / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesSoccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Saudi club Al-Nassr, and the kingdom's growing investments in the sport, could have ripple effects across Europe and the U.S., experts have told CNBC. The former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus star earlier this week contended that the "unique contract" was befitting of his status as a "unique player." The Financial Times reported in October that the Saudi PIF had committed more than $2 billion to sponsorship deals over the first eight months of 2022, most of which was directed toward domestic soccer competitions. The Saudi PIF's takeover of Newcastle United was met with criticism across the soccer world — deemed an effort to launder the country's reputation against the backdrop of a poor human rights record.

☆ Lens stay in title race as they hand PSG first league loss of the season
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 1 (Reuters) - Lens beat Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain 3-1 on Sunday to give the champions their first league loss of the season, narrowing the gap at the top between the two teams. PSG were without Neymar, who was suspended after getting sent off against Strasbourg on Wednesday, and Lionel Messi who is continuing his post-World Cup recovery. The result means Christophe Galtier's side are on 44 points from 17 games, four points ahead of Lens in second. Hugo Ekitike equalised for PSG three minutes later when the striker reached a cross before Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba and tapped the ball in. French forward Alexis Claude-Maurice made it three for Lens two minutes into the second half to seal the win.

☆ Soccer giants’ new owners may get tiny returns
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Streisand Neto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Financial Times reported that PSG’s Qatari owners wanted to offload 15% of the French champions. Recent deals valued the National Football League’s Denver Broncos and basketball’s Utah Jazz at over 9 times revenue, according to Forbes. Possible Man United, Liverpool and PSG owners might hope that the teams will eventually reach such valuation heights. Fenway Sports Group would consider new shareholders for Liverpool, having frequently received expressions of interest from third parties, the English Premier League club’s owners said on Nov. 7. The Financial Times reported on Nov. 28 that Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatari owners were considering selling 15% of the club.

☆ 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.

☆ Messi to return to PSG in early January
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 27 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi will return to Paris St Germain at the beginning of January, the Ligue 1 club's manager Christophe Galtier said on Tuesday. The Argentine forward, seven-times Ballon D'Or winner, scored two goals to lead his country to victory over France on penalties in the World Cup final nine days ago. The 35-year-old Messi will miss PSG's home league game against Strasbourg on Wednesday and the trip to Lens on Sunday. PSG are top of the standings on 41 points after 15 games, five above second-placed Lens. Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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.

☆ Messi's defensive work not up for debate, says Pochettino
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 16 (Reuters) - Former Paris St Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino has said it is absurd to debate Lionel Messi's defensive work as the Argentina captain gets ready to lead his side into the World Cup final against France on Sunday. "Honestly, I think the debate about Messi's defensive work is stale, almost silly," Argentine Pochettino, who coached Messi at PSG, told The Athletic. "That's the most important thing about this Argentina team and the reason why they are in the final. It's because the players understand their roles perfectly. Messi's Argentina will appear in their sixth World Cup final when they face France, as they look to claim a first title since 1986.

☆ Key match-ups in World Cup final between Argentina and France
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Semi Final - Argentina v Croatia - Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar - December 13, 2022 Argentina's Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring their second goal with Lionel Messi and Nahuel Molina REUTERS/Carl RecineDOHA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Argentina and France meet in Sunday's World Cup final at Lusail Stadium. Here are three of the key match-ups that are likely to have a strong bearing on the result:Kylian Mbappe v Nahuel MolinaMbappe is a candidate for the World Cup's player of the tournament, having led France to their second consecutive final. The jet-heeled 23-year-old forward has scored five times in six games, surpassing his tally from the 2018 tournament, and has now scored nine World Cup goals in 13 appearances across the two editions. Molina arrived at the World Cup having faced criticism after struggling in his first season with Atletico Madrid, but he has been solid during the tournament and started every match. Lionel Messi v Aurelien TchouameniOne of the most anticipated match-ups will be Argentina great Messi against France's rising star holding-midfielder Tchouameni.

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