football

Who: Inter Miami vs Al Ahly
What: FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, United States.
When: Saturday, June 14 – 8pm kickoff (00:00 GMT on Sunday, June 15)

How to follow our coverage: We’ll have all the build-up from 6pm (16:00 GMT) on Al Jazeera Sport.

The rebranded and expanded FIFA Club World Cup kicks off on Saturday, and the organisers have picked a plum tie to launch the 32-team tournament.

Inter Miami and their star name, Lionel Messi, take on the most successful side in world football – Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

Al Jazeera takes a look at the first match of the monthlong event.

How did Inter Miami qualify for the Club World Cup?

Miami finished as the club with the most points in Major League Soccer’s (MLS) regular season, handing them a place at the Club World Cup instead of LA Galaxy, who won the MLS Cup, which is regarded as the highest prize in the MLS.

FIFA announced Miami’s addition to the Club World Cup in October after they broke MLS’s regular-season points record with a 6-2 win over New England Revolution to reach 74 points – one better than the previous record set by New England in 2021.

How did Al Ahly qualify for the Club World Cup?

Al Ahly were crowned CAF (Confederation of Africa Football) Champions League winners two seasons ago to qualify for this tournament.

They were, however, dethroned as Africa’s continental kings last season, leading to the departure of the coach, Marcel Koller, following their loss to Mamelodi Sundowns in the semifinals of CAF’s showpiece.

Jose Riveiro, who coached Orlando Pirates of South Africa last season, has been appointed as the new coach, and Inter Miami will mark his first game in charge.

Does David Beckham still co-own Inter Miami?

Former England and Manchester United midfielder David Beckham bought a $25m stake in the franchise that would become Inter Miami in 2014. In doing so, he was exercising a clause from his contract during his playing days with the MLS.

Inter Miami eventually debuted in 2020 and is also co-owned by American business magnates, Jorge and Jose Mas, although Beckham is very much the figurehead of the club.

How many Club World Cups has Messi won?

Messi is a two-time winner of the competition. The Argentine forward lifted the trophy with Barcelona on both occasions in 2009 and 2011. He may well come up against his manager at the time.

Much of Miami’s chances rest on Messi’s shoulders. “He’s in good shape this season. There were moments when we had to give him some time to rest, but he’s played the last 15 games, except for the match against Dallas when we rested the entire squad,” said Inter manager Javier Mascherano.

“We were also fortunate he was able to rest during Argentina’s last two games,” he added, referring to Messi playing 111 minutes in Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia earlier this month.

“It’s our responsibility to create the right environment for him to shine.”

Are Al Ahly the most successful club in the world?

Al Ahly have won an astonishing 155 trophies, including their 45th league title this season.

That is balanced against Real Madrid’s 15 UEFA Champions League titles in the world’s premier club competition, along with the Spanish giants claiming the La Liga title on 36 occasions.

Who else is in Inter Miami and Al Ahly’s group?

Brazilian club Palmeiras and Portuguese giants Porto complete Group A.

Here is the full list of the eight groups:

• Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami
• Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders
• Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica
• Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, LAFC
• Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
• Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD FC, Mamelodi Sundowns
• Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus
• Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, FC Salzburg

Head-to-head

This is a first meeting between the sides as the Concacaf representatives come face-to-face with the CAF (Confederation of African Football) square up.

Inter Miami team news

Coach Javier Mascherano has been forced to re-shuffle his backline due to a string of injuries.

Fullback Jordi Alba, fellow defender Gonzalo Lujan and defensive midfielder Yannick Bright have all been ruled out of the Group A clash.

“Hopefully they will be available for the second game,” Mascherano told a news conference on Friday.

Alba, one of Messi’s former Barcelona teammates, is sidelined with a hamstring issue. There were also concerns regarding the fitness of centre-back David Martinez.

“David had some kind of pain yesterday, and we did not want to take any risks,” said Mascherano.

“The reality is that throughout the season, the team have dealt with injuries, but the players who stepped in rose to the challenge. That gives us peace of mind,” he said.

Al Ahly team news

The Egyptian side have been in the US for two weeks and have already played a warm-up match against fellow Club World Cup participants Pachuca. The Mexican club won 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw on Sunday.

Riveiro has a fully fit squad to choose from, which is spearheaded by former Aston Villa forward Mahmoud Trezeguet.

How much does the Club World Cup winner receive?

The total prize pot is $1bn, with the champions earning up to $125m.

About half of the $1bn will be divided between the 32 clubs, with the amount per club based on sporting and commercial criteria.

Confirmed squad list for the 32 teams ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.

The 21st edition of the FIFA Club World Cup begins in the United States on Saturday with the tournament opener between Inter Miami and Egyptian club Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida.

Manchester City are the defending champions after winning the last tournament in December 2023.

The 32 teams have now announced their full squads for the new-look, monthlong expanded intercontinental club competition.

Here is the confirmed squad list of all the teams in a tournament which features mega clubs Real Madrid, Boca Juniors, Inter Milan, PSG, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Flamengo:

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 confirmed squads – all teams and players

⚽ Group A: Al Ahly, Inter Miami, Palmeiras, Porto

Al Ahly (Egypt): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Mohamed El-Shennawy, Mostafa Shobeir, Mohamed Ahmed, Mostafa Makhlouf
• Defenders: Yasser Ibrahim, Achraf Dari, Mostafa el-Aash, Omar Kamal, Ahmed Ramadan, Mohamed Hani, Ahmed ‘Kouka’ Nabil, Yahya Attiat Allah, Karim el-Debes, Khaled Abdel-Fattah
• Midfielders: Marwan Attia, Hamdi Fathi, Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Mahmoud Hassan, Aliou Dieng, Emam Ashour, Ahmed Reda Hashem, Taher Mohamed, Hussein El-Shahat, Mohamed Magdy
• Forwards: Wessam Abou Ali, Achraf Bencharki, Nejc Gradisar

Inter Miami (USA): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Drake Callender, Rocco Rios Novo, Oscar Ustari, William Yarbrough
• Defenders: Jordi Alba, Noah Allen, Tomas Aviles, Israel Boatwright, Maximiliano Falcon, Ian Fray, Gonzalo Lujan, Tyler Hall, David Martinez, Ryan Sailor, Marcelo Weigandt
• Midfielders: Yannick Bright, Sergio Busquets, Benjamin Cremaschi, Santiago Morales, Federico Redondo, Baltasar Rodriguez, David Ruiz, Telasco Segovia
• Forwards: Leo Afonso, Tadeo Allende, Lionel Messi, Allen Obando, Fafa Picault, Luis Suarez

Palmeiras (Brazil): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Weverton, Marcelo Lomba, Mateus
• Defenders: Gustavo Gomez, Murilo, Bruno Fuchs, Micael, Naves, Benedetti, Giay, Marcos Rocha, Mayke, Piquerez, Vanderlan
• Midfielders: Anibal Moreno, Emiliano Martinez, Lucas Evangelista, Richard Rios, Raphael Veiga, Mauricio, Allan, Felipe Anderson
• Forwards: Estevao, Facundo Torres, Paulinho, Flaco Lopez, Luighi, Thalys, Vitor Roque

Porto (Portugal): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, Claudio Ramos, Diogo Fernandes
• Defenders: Ivan Marcano, Otavio, Nehuen Pérez, Ze Pedro, Gabriel Bras, Zaidu, Joao Mario, Martim Fernandes, Moura
• Midfielders: Stephen Eustaquio, Tomas Perez, Alan Varela, Andre Oliveira, Vasco Sousa, Andre Franco, Gabri Veiga, Fabio Vieira
• Forwards: Pepe, Mora, Angel Alarcon, William, Borges, Namaso, Deniz Gul, Samu Aghehowa

⚽ Group B: Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Paris Saint-Germain, Seattle Sounders

Atletico de Madrid (Spain): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Joan Musso, Jan Oblak, Antonio Gomis, Salvi Esquivel
• Defenders: Jose Maria Gimenez, Cesar Azpilicueta, Clement Lenglet, Nahuel Molina, Axel Witsel, Javi Galan, Reinildo, Robin Le Normand, Ilias Kostis
• Midfielders: Conor Gallagher, Rodrigo De Paul, Koke, Pablo Barrios, Thomas Lemar, Samu Lino, Marcos Llorente, Rodrigo Riquelme, Javi Serrano, Taufik Seidu, Rayane Belaid
• Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Alexander Sorloth, Angel Correa, Carlos Martin, Julian Alvarez, Guiliano Simeone

Botafogo (Brazil): full squad

• Goalkeepers: John, Leo Linck, Raul, Christhian Loor
• Defenders: Alexander Barboza, Alex Telles, Bastos, Cuiabano, David Ricardo, Jair Cunha, Kaio Fernando, Marcal, Mateo Ponte, Vitinho
• Midfielders: Allan, Danilo Barbosa, Gregore, Marlon Freitas, Newton
• Forwards: Alvaro Montoro, Artur, Igor Jesus, Kayke, Mastriani, Matheus Martins, Nathan Fernandes, Santiago Rodriguez, Wran Cruz, Savarino

Paris Saint-Germain (France): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Matvey Safonov, Arnau Tenas
• Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Lucas Peraldo, Presnel Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes, Lucas Hernandez, William Pacho, Noham Kamara
• Midfielders: Gabriel Moscardo, Fabian Ruiz, Joao Neves, Senny Mayulu, Warren Zaire-Emery, Vitinha
• Forwards: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Goncalo Ramos, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Lee Kang-In, Bradley Barcola, Ibrahim Mbaye

Seattle Sounders (USA): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Stefan Frei, Andrew Thomas, Jacob Castro
• Defenders: Travian Sousa, Nouhou Tolo, Jon Bell, Alex Roldan, Kim Kee-hee, Jackson Ragen, Yeimar Gomez Andrade, Cody Baker, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi
• Midfielders: Joao Paulo, Cristian Roldan, Albert Rusnak, Obed Vargas, Reed Baker-Whiting, Danny Leyva
• Forwards: Jesus Ferreira, Pedro de la Vega, Jordan Morris, Paul Rothrock, Danny Musovski, Ryan Kent, Georgi Minoungou, Osaze de Rosario

⚽ Group C: Auckland City, Bayern Munich, Boca Juniors, Benfica

Auckland City (New Zealand): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Conor Tracey, Areya Prasad, Nathan Garrow
• Defenders: Adam Mitchell, Christian Gray, Nikko Boxall, Regont Murati, Nathan Lobo, Jordan Vale, Dylan Connolly, Adam Bell, Alfie Rogers, Ryan Ellis
• Midfielders: Gerard Garriga, Mario Ilich, Dylan Manickum, Jeremy Foo, Joe Lee, Jerson Lagos, Matt Ellis, Tong Zhou, Michael Den Heijer, David Yoo, Haris Zeb, Jackson Manuel, Paris Domfeh
• Forwards: Myer Bevan, Angus Kilkolly, Ryan de Vries

Bayern Munich (Germany): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Daniel Peretz, Jonas Urbig, Leon Klanac
• Defenders: Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah, Raphael Guerreiro, Cassiano Kiala, Josip Stanic, Kim Min-Jae, Sacha Boey
• Midfielders: Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Joao Palhinha, Tom Bischof, Konrad Laimer, Jama Musiala, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Lennart Karl, David Santos Daiber
• Forwards: Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman, Thomas Muller, Maurice Krattenmacher, Michael Olise, Jonah Kusi-Asare, Harry Kane

Benfica (Portugal): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Antonily Trubin, Diogo Ferreira, Andre Gomes
• Defenders: Alvaro Carreras, Antonio Silva, Samuel Dahl, Nicolas Otamendi, Rui Silva, Goncalo Oliveira, Joshua Wynder, Leandro Santos, Adrian Bajrami
• Midfielders: Fredrik Aursnes, Orkun Kokcu, Leandro Barreiro, Florentino Luis, Joao Veloso, Rafael Luis, Joao Rego, Renato Sanches, Diogo Prioste
• Forwards: Angel di Maria, Vangelis Pavlidis, Kerem Akturkoglu, Andrea Belotti, Andreas Schjelderup, Gianluca Prestianni, Bruma, Tiago Gouveia, Eduardo Fernandes

Boca Juniors (Argentina): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero, Leandro Brey, Javier Garcia, Augustin Marchesin
• Defenders: Marcelo Saracchi, Marcos Rojo, Nicolas Figal, Marco Pellegrino, Rodrigo Battaglia, Luis Advincula, Frank Fabra, Lautaro Blanco, Juan Barinaga, Aryton Costa, Mateo Mendia, Lautaro di Lollo, Lucas Blondel, Walter Molas
• Midfielders: Carlos Palacios, Ignacio Miramon, Malcom Braida, Williams Alarcon, Agustin Martegani, Alan Velasco, Andre Herrera, Kevin Zenon, Tomas Belmonte, Camilo Rey Domenech, Milton Delgado, Santiago Dalmasso, Joaquin Ruiz
• Forwards: Exequiel Zeballos, Milton Gimenez, Edinson Cavani, Lucas Janson, Miguel Merentiel, Brian Aguirre

⚽ Group D: Chelsea, ES Tunis, Flamengo, Los Angeles FC

Chelsea (England): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Mike Penders, Gaga Slonina
• Defenders: Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Mamadou Sarr, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Aaron Anselmino, Josh Achaempong
• Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, Dario Essugo, Andrey Santos, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia
• Forwards: Pedro Neto, Liam Delap, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Tyrique George, Marc Guiu

Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Bechir Ben Said, Amanallah Memmiche, Mohamed Sedki Debchi
• Defenders: Yassine Meriah, Mohamed Amine Tougai, Hamza Jelassi, Raed Bouchniba, Mohamed Ben Ali, Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida, Ayman Ben Mohamed
• Midfielders: Onuche Ogbelu, Khalil Guenichi, Chiheb Jebali, Mohamed Wael Derbali, Houssem Tka, Abdramane Konate, Yan Sasse, Youcef Belaili, Elias Mokwana
• Forwards: Achref Jabri, Rodrigo Rodrigues, Haythem Dhaou

Flamengo (Brazil): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Dyogo Alves, Leo Nannetti, Matheus Cunha, Rossi
• Defenders: Alex Sandro, Ayrton Lucas, Vina, Wesley, Guillermo Varela, Danilo, Leo Pereira, Leo Ortiz, Cleiton, Joao Victor
• Midfielders: Evertton Araujo, Jorginho, Erick, De La Cruz, Gerson, Matheus Goncalves, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Joshua
• Forwards: Wallace Yan, Plata, Michael, Luiz Araujo

Los Angeles FC (USA): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Thomas Hasal, David Ochoa, Cabral Carter
• Defenders: Eddie Segura, Marlon, Sergi Palencia, Lorenzo Dellavalle, Ryan Raposo, Ryan Hollingshead, Maxime Chanot, Artem Smoliakov, Aaron Long, Kenny Nielsen, Nkosi Tafari
• Midfielders: Igor Jesus, Marky Delgado, Timothy Tillman, Yaw Yeboah, Frankie Amaya, Adam Saldana, Jude Terry, Matt Evans, Odin Holm
• Forwards: Olivier Giroud, Jeremy Ebobisse, Javairo Dilrosun, Nathan Ordaz, David Martinez, Afrian Wibowo, Denis Bouanga

⚽ Group E: Inter Milan, Monterrey, River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds

Inter Milan (Italy): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Yann Sommer, Raffaele Di Gennaro, Josep Martinez, Alessandro Calligaris
• Defenders: Denzel Dumfries, Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi, Benjamin Pavard, Carlos Augusto, Yann Aurel Bisseck, Federico Dimarco, Matteo Darmian, Gabriele Re Cecconi, Matteo Cocchi, Nicola Zalewski, Alessandro Bastoni
• Midfielders: Petar Sucic, Piotr Zielinski, Davide Frattesi, Hakan Calhanoglu, Kristjan Asllani, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Nicolo Barella, Valentin Carboni, Thomas Berenbruch
• Forwards: Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez, Luis Henrique, Rodrigo Palacio, Giacomo De Pieri, Sebastiano Esposito, Francesco Pio Esposito, Mehdi Taremi

Monterrey (Mexico): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Esteban Andrada, Luis Cardenas, Santiago Mele, Santiago Perez
• Defenders: Ricardo Chavez, Gerardo Arteaga, Victor Guzman, Carlos Salcedo, Erick Aguirre, Hector Moreno, Luis Reyes, Gustavo Sanchez, Tony Leone, Stefan Medina, Sergio Ramos
• Midfielders: Fidel Ambriz, Nelson Deossa, Oliver Torres, Sergio Canales, Jesus Corona, Jordi Cortizo, Lucas Ocampos, Jorge Rodriguez, Iker Fimbres
• Forwards: German Berterame, Alfonso Alvarado, Johan Rojas, Alfonso Gonzalez, Roberto de la Rosa, Joaquin Moxica

River Plate (Argentina): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Franco Armani, Jeremias Ledesma, Lucas Lavagnino, Santiago Beltran
• Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Fabricio Bustos, German Pezzella, Federico Gattoni, Paulo Diaz, Leandro González Pirez, Lucas Martinez Quarta, Lautaro Rivero, Marcos Acuna, Milton Casco
• Midfielders: Enzo Perez, Kevin Castano, Matias Kranevitter, Rodrigo Aliendro, Santiago Simon, Maximiliano Meza, Ignacio Fernandez, Manuel Lanzini, Gonzalo Martínez, Matias Rojas, Giuliano Galoppo, Franco Mastantuono, Santiago Lencina, Giorgio Costantini
• Forwards: Miguel Borja, Facundo Colidio, Sebastian Driussi, Gonzalo Tapia, Ian Subiabre, Bautista Dadin

Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Shusaku Nishikawa, Ayumi Niekawa, Shun Yoshida, Alex Keita Malcolm.
• Defenders: Danilo Boza, Hirokazu Ishihara, Marius Hoibraten, Takuya Ogiwara, Kento Nemoto, Rikito Inoue, Yoshitaka Tanaka
• Midfielders: Taishi Matsumoto, Matheus Savio, Genki Haraguchi, Shoya Nakajima, Samuel Gustafson, Ryoma Watanabe, Takahiro Sekine, Tomoaki Okubo, Kai Shibato, Yusuke Matsuo, Kaito Yasui, Jumpei Hayakawa, Takeshi Wada, Takuro Kaneko, Yoichi Naganuma
• Forwards: Hiroki Abe, Thiago Santana, Hiiro Komori, Toshiki Takahashi, Toshikazu Teruuchi, Rio Nitta.

⚽ Group F: Borussia Dortmund, Fluminense, Mamelodi Sundowns, Ulsan HD FC

Borussia Dortmund (Germany): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Gregor Kobel, Silas Ostrzinski, Alexander Meyer
• Defenders: Yan Couto, Waldemar Anton, Ramy Bensebaini, Daniel Svensson, Niklas Sule, Julian Ryerson, Filippo Mane, Soumaila Coulibaly, Elias Benkara
• Midfielders: Giovanni Reyna, Felix Nmecha, Julian Brandt, Pascal Gross, Carney Chukwuemeka, Marcel Sabitzer, Ayman Azhil, Jobe Bellingham
• Forwards: Serhou Guirassy, Maximilian Beier, Julien Duranville, Karim Adeyemi, Cole Campbell, Samuele Inacio, Mathis Albert, Jamie Gittens

Fluminense (Brazil): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Fabio, Gustavo Ramalho, Marcelo Pitaluga, Vitor Eudes
• Defenders: Juan Freytes, Gabriel Fuentes, Guga, Ignacio, Manoel, Rene, Samuel Xavier, Thiago Santos, Thiago Silva
• Midfielders: Facudo Bernal, Hercules, Isaque, Ruben Lezcano, Lima, Martinelli, Nonato, Ganso, Riquelme, Wallace Davi
• Forwards: Agustin Canobbio, Everaldo, German Cano, Jhon Arias, Keno, Kevin Serna, Joaquin Lavega, Paulo Baya

Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Denis Onyango, and Reyaad Pieterse
• Defenders: Mothobi Mvala, Divine Lunga, Aubrey Modiba, Thapelo Morena, Mosa Lebusa, Keanu Cupido, Grant Kekana, Khuliso Mudau, and Malibongwe Khoza
• Midfielders: Neo Maema, Siyabonga Mabena, Teboho Mokoena, Themba Zwane, Marcelo Allende, Jayden Adams, Bathusi Aubaas, Tashreeq Matthews, and Sphelele Mkhulise
• Forwards: Peter Shalulile, Lucas Ribeiro, Arthur Sales, Lebogang Mothiba, Kutlwano Letlhaku, Iqraam Rayners

Ulsan HD (South Korea): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Jo Hyeonwoo, Moon Jungin, Ryu Seongmin
• Defenders: Kang Minwoo, Seo Myunggmuan, Kang Sangwoo, Kim Yonggwon, Yoon Jonggyu, Park Minseo, Lee Jaeik, Milosz Trojak, Choi Seokhyun
• Midfielders: Jung Wooyoung, Darijan Bojanic, Ko Seung-beom, Kim Minwoo, Um Wonsang, Lee Jinhyun, Lee Huigyun, Gustav Ludwigson, Kim Minhyeok, Lee Chung-yong, Yoon Jaeseok, Matias Lacava, Park Sangjun, Back Inwoo, Erick Farias
• Forwards: Heo Yool, Yago Cariello

⚽ Group G: Al Ain, Juventus, Manchester City, Wydad

Al Ain (United Arab Emirates): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Rui Patricio, Khalid Eisa, Hassan Muhammed, Vedad Alibasic
• Defenders: Kouame Autonne, Yahya Benkhaleq, Marcel Ratnik, Khalid Alhashmi, Ramy Rabia, Fabio Cardoso, Facundo Zabala, Dramane Koumare, Amadou Niang Adis Jasic
• Midfielders: Park Yongwoo, Yahia Nader, Matias Segovia, Mohammed Abbas, Jonatas Santos, Erik, Mateo Sanabria, Matias Palacios, Soufiane Rahimi, Nassim Chadli, Hazim Abbas, Abdoul Karim Traore, Joshua Udoh
• Forwards: Kodjo Laba, Kaku, Houssine Rahimi, Mohamed Awadalla, Rolwanu Sarki, Josna Loulendo

Juventus (Italy): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Michele Di Gregorio, Carlo Pinsoglio, Giovanni Daffara, Giovanni Garofani
• Defenders: Alberto Costa, Gleison Bremer, Federico Gatti, Lloyd Kelly, Pierre Kalulu, Daniele Rugani, Andrea Cambiaso, Nicolo Savona, Jonas Rouhi, Javier Gil Puche
• Midfielders: Manuel Locatelli, Teun Koopmeiners, Weston McKennie, Filip Kostic, Khephren Thuram, Douglas Luiz, Stefano Turco, Augusto Owusu
• Forwards: Francisco Conceicao, Dusan Vlahovic, Kenan Yildiz, Nico Gonzalez, Arek Milik, Vasilije Adzic, Randal Kolo Muani, Timothy Weah, Lorenzo Anghele, Alessandro Pietrelli, Samuel Mbangula, Nicolo Cudrig, Tommaso Mancini

Manchester City (England): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Marcus Bettinelli, Stefan Ortega Moreno, Ederson
• Defenders: Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Vitor Reis, Josep Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Abdukodir Khusanov, Rico Lewis
• Midfielders: Tijjani Reijnders, Jeremy Doku, Nico, Rodrigo, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes, Rayan Cherki, Claudio Echeverri, Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb, Nico O’Reilly
• Forwards: Omar Marmoush, Erling Haaland, Savinho

Wydad (Morocco): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Omar Aqzdaou, Youssef El Motie, El Mehdi Benabid
• Defenders: Fahad Moufi, Ayoub Bouchta, Bart Meijers, Abdelmounaim Boutouil, Jamal Harakass, Mohamed Moufid
• Midfielders: Ismail Moutaraji, Oussama Zemraoui, Mehdi Moubarik, Zakaria Fatihi, Thembinkosi Lorch, Stephane Aziz Ki, Ismael Benktib, Pedrinho, Arthur, Mickael Malsa
• Forwards: Mohamed Rayhi, Samuel Obeng, Selemani Mwalimo, Cassius Mailula, Nordi Amrabat, Hamza Hannouri

⚽ Group H: Al-Hilal, FC Salzburg, Pachuca, Real Madrid

Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Mohammed Al-Rubaie, Yassine Bounou, Ahmad Abu Rasen, Abdulelah Al-Ghamdi
• Defenders: Kalidou Koulibaly, Khalifah Al-Dawsari, Ali Al-Bulaihi, Yasser Al-Shahrani, Joao Cancelo, Moteb Al-Harbi, Rayan Al-Ghamdi, Saleh Barnawi, Saud Haroun, Saad Al-Muthary, Ali Lajami, Hassan Altambakti, Hamad Al-Yami
• Midfielders: Renan Lodi, Khalid Al-Ghannam, Ruben Neves, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Musab Al-Juwayr, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Kaio Cesar, Mohamed Kanno, Salem Al-Dawsari, Mohammed bin Muhaysh, Abdulaziz Hadhood, Malcom, Abdulelah Almalki
• Forwards: Aleksandar Mitrovic, Marcos Leonardo, Turki Al-Ghumayl, Abdullah Al-Hamdan

FC Salzburg (Austria): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Alexander Schlager, Jonas Krumrey, Christian Zawieschitzky, Salko Hamzic
• Defenders: Jacob Rasmussen, Samson Baidoo, Frans Kratzig, Stefan Lainer, Joane Gadou, John Mellberg, Tim Trummer, Jannik Schuster
• Midfielders: Soumaila Diabate, Sota Kitano, Maurits Kjaergaard, Mamady Diambou, Takumu Kawamura, Mads Bidstrup, Oscar Gloukh, Valentin Sulzbacher, Moussa Yeo
• Forwards: Karim Onisiwo, Yorbe Vertessen, Edmund Baidoa, Petar Ratkov, Adam Daghim, Enrique Aguilar, Dorgeles Nene

Pachuca (Mexico): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Sebastian Jurado, Carlos Moreno, Jose Eulogio
• Defenders: Sergio Barreto, Alonso Aceves, Eduardo Bauermann, Bryan Gonzalez, Carlos Sanchez, Federico Pereira, Jose Castillo, Gustavo Cabral, Luis Rodriguez, Jorge Berlanga
• Midfielders: Pedro Pederaza, Santiago Homenchenko, Israel Luna, Agustin Palavecino, Eduardo Lopez, Alan Bautista, Brian Garcia, Elias Montiel, Victor Guzman
• Forwards: Emilio Rodriguez, Ilian Hernandez, John Kennedy, Oussama Idrissi, Alexei Dominguez, Salomon Rondon, Kenedy, Aviles Hurtado

Real Madrid (Spain): full squad

• Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Fran Gonzalez, Sergio Mestre
• Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Lucas Vazquez, Fran Garcia, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy, Dean Huijsen, Yusi, Jacobo Ramon, Raul Asencio, Diego Aguado
• Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Fede Valverde, Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Dani Ceballos, Chema Andres, Mario Martin
• Forwards: Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, Endrick, Brahim Diaz, Gonzalo Garcia, Victor Munoz

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 kicks off in the United States on Saturday, with 32 teams vying for the title in the new-look expanded intercontinental club competition.

Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament:

What is the FIFA Club World Cup?

Until 2023, the FIFA Club World Cup was staged as an annual tournament every December and participation was limited to the winners of the continental club competitions, with the number ranging between six to eight clubs.

Starting in 2025, football’s governing body expanded the tournament to 32 teams and decided to run the revamped competition on a quadrennial cycle instead, similar to its showpiece FIFA World Cup.

A new FIFA Intercontinental Cup replaced the old Club World Cup as an annual competition in December 2024 with Real Madrid winning the inaugural edition held in Qatar.

How does the new Club World Cup work?

Historically, the Club World Cup has featured no more than eight teams, but the 2025 edition is vastly different.

This year’s edition on US soil will be the first in the tournament’s 24-year history to feature 32 clubs – the same number of teams as recent FIFA World Cups – including the winners of the four previous continental championships.

The teams will be divided into eight groups of four competing in a round-robin group stage with the top two clubs from each group advancing to the knockouts, which begin with the round of 16 and end with the final.

When is the FIFA Club World Cup?

The competition will begin on June 14, with the final scheduled for July 13. Here’s a breakdown of the schedule.

• Group stage: June 14 to 26
• Round of 16: June 28 to July 1
• Quarterfinals: July 4 and 5
• Semifinals: July 8 and 9
• Final: July 13

Which teams will participate in the Club World Cup?

“Soccer” fans in the US will have the chance to watch some of the most popular clubs, including last season’s UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid, Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, 10-time English champions Manchester City and Italian heavyweights Inter Milan.

Qualified teams were determined by the winners of the continental club competitions, such as the Champions League, and the confederation’s four-year rankings.

Outside of Europe, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami is also part of the tournament, having controversially earned a spot as a representative of the host nation. Inter Miami won the Supporters’ Shield, handed to the team with the best regular-season record.

Of the 32 clubs, Europe (UEFA) is the best-represented confederation with 12 teams, followed by South America (CONMEBOL) with six. Asia (AFC), Africa (AFC) and North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) have four teams each.

Oceania is represented by one club, while the final slot has been allocated to the host nation’s representative, Inter Miami.

Mexican club Leon had qualified by winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2023, but were removed by FIFA due to an ownership rule breach. FIFA said that Club Leon and another Mexican club in the tournament, Pachuca, did not meet regulations on multi-club ownership. Pachuca’s spot in the competition was unaffected.

After the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected Leon’s appeal, FIFA confirmed a playoff between Los Angeles FC and Mexican side Club America that was won by LAFC.

Here is a list of the eight groups:

• Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami
• Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders
• Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica
• Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, LAFC
• Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
• Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD FC, Mamelodi Sundowns
• Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus
• Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, FC Salzburg

Why are Chelsea, Inter Miami in, and Barcelona, Liverpool out of the FIFA Club World Cup?

FIFA rules for the Club World Cup state that only two teams from each country can play in the tournament, and European clubs’ participation was decided by their performances in the Champions League over the last four seasons.

Man City (2023) and Chelsea (2021) won the Champions League during that four-year window, taking up the two spots.

Other popular clubs such as Napoli, AC Milan, Barcelona, RB Leipzig and Sevilla also missed out due to UEFA’s four-year club coefficient rankings and two-team restrictions.

Where are the Club World Cup venues?

The 63 matches will be played across 12 venues in 11 cities. The opening match, Al Ahly vs Inter Miami, will be played at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which has a spectator capacity of 65,000.

The MetLife Stadium, which serves as the home for the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL), will host both the semifinals and the final. MetLife is an 82,500-seat venue and was also chosen as the venue of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, best known as a college American football venue, is the biggest stadium with a capacity of 88,500. It is no stranger to hosting big events: the Rose Bowl was the site for the football gold medal match at the Los Angeles Games in 1984, as well as the men’s World Cup final a decade later. It will also be a venue for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

Here’s the full list of venues:

• MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
• Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, Florida)
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Lumen Field (Seattle, Washington)
• Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
• TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles, California)
• GEODIS Park (Nashville, Tennessee)
• Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
• Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
• Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Audi Field (Washington, DC)

Will Messi and Ronaldo play in the FIFA Club World Cup?

Messi will, thanks to Inter Miami’s surprise qualification.

Messi’s club found a place as the club with the most points in Major League Soccer’s (MLS) regular season, instead of LA Galaxy, who won the MLS Cup, which is regarded as the highest prize in the MLS.

FIFA announced Miami’s addition to the Club World Cup in October after they broke MLS’s regular-season points record with a 6-2 win over New England Revolution to reach 74 points. New England had set the previous record in 2021 with 73 points.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo and his Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr did not qualify for the tournament, but it didn’t stop FIFA President Gianni Infantino from suggesting that the Portugal star could switch to one of the teams participating in the tournament.

“Cristiano Ronaldo might play in the Club World Cup,” Infantino told online streamer IShowSpeed in late May. “There are discussions with some clubs, so if any club is watching and is interested in hiring Ronaldo for the Club World Cup, who knows? Still, a few weeks’ time, will be fun.”

However, Ronaldo cleared his position by saying, “You can’t take part in everything.”

“You have to think about the short, medium and long term. It’s a decision practically made on my part not to go to the Club World Cup, but I’ve had quite a few invitations to go.”

How much is the prize money for the Club World Cup?

The total prize pot is $1bn, with the champions earning up to $125m.

About half of the $1bn will be divided between the 32 clubs, with the amount per club based on sporting and commercial criteria. It means that clubs such as Manchester City and Real Madrid will receive a greater percentage than smaller clubs in a model FIFA developed with the European Club Association.

A further $475m will be awarded on a performance-related basis. Hence, the team with the most wins over a potential seven matches will bank more cash, with a maximum pot of $125m available.

How to follow and stream the Club World Cup live

Al Jazeera Sport will run a live photo and text commentary stream for a selection of the biggest group stage and knockout games.

Online provider DAZN will stream the tournament worldwide, with territorial sublicensing to local free-to-air linear broadcast networks a possibility.

Which team and country has won the most titles? Who is the record goal scorer? Al Jazeera looks back at the tournament.

The 21st edition of the FIFA Club World Cup is set to roll out in the United States on Saturday, June 14, as Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami host Egyptian club Al Ahly in Miami, Florida.

The tournament’s changed-up and expanded format has been subject to debate and criticism, but FIFA and its chief Gianni Infantino remain optimistic about its future as the premier club competition.

Its history, although relatively short, is littered with illustrious champions from across the world.

Here’s a look back at the 25-year history of the tournament:

2000-2006: Brazil rules the first three FIFA Club World Cups

The inaugural edition was an all-Brazilian affair as the country’s top two clubs – Corinthians and Vasco da Gama – contested the final, which was hosted at Rio de Janeiro’s historic cauldron, the Maracana Stadium, on January 14, 2000.

Corinthians emerged victorious as the game ended goalless after extra time and a dramatic penalty shootout saw them win 4-3.

Famous players including Romario (Brazil), Nicolas Anelka (France), Raul (Spain) and Dwight Yorke (Trinidad and Tobago) were part of the tournament.

The tournament was halted for five years due to FIFA’s troubles with finding marketing and broadcast partners.

Upon its resumption in 2005, the Samba Boys once again went on to win the following two editions.

Sao Paulo beat Liverpool 1-0 in the December 2005 final in Yokohama, Japan, and Internacional beat Barcelona a year later with the same scoreline at the same venue.

2007-2011: Beginning of the European reign at Club World Cup

It took the star-studded AC Milan team of the 2000s to break the Brazilian hold on the tournament as Kaka, Filippo Inzaghi, Alessandro Nesta and co beat Argentina’s Boca Juniors 4-2 in Yokohama to take the title to Italy.

The following years saw Manchester United (2008), Barcelona (2009 and 2011) and Inter Milan (2010) keep the title within Europe.

2012: A Brazilian break

Corinthians returned to the fore with their second title in a low-scoring tournament that ended with a 1-0 scoreline in the final between the Brazilian side and the then-European champions Chelsea.

2013-2023: A decade of European dominance

Spain’s two biggest clubs – Barcelona and Real Madrid – reigned supreme in the 2010s and early 2020s as they shared six of the 11 titles won by European teams during that period.

Germany’s Bayern Munich were crowned twice, in 2013 and 2020, and the rest of the three titles were won by three different English clubs.

Who has won the most FIFA Club World Cup titles?

Real Madrid has won five titles.

The Los Blancos won their first Club World Cup trophy in 2014 and then went on a treble-winning spree from 2016 to 2018.

Their most recent win came in 2022, when they beat Saudi club Al Hilal 5-3 in the final in Morocco.

Who are the past winners of the FIFA Club World Cup?

• 2000: Corinthians
• 2005: Sao Paulo
• 2006: Internacional
• 2007: AC Milan
• 2008: Manchester United
• 2009: Barcelona
• 2010: Inter Milan
• 2011: Barcelona
• 2012: Corinthians
• 2013: Bayern Munich
• 2014: Real Madrid
• 2015: Barcelona
• 2016: Real Madrid
• 2017: Real Madrid
• 2018: Real Madrid
• 2019: Liverpool
• 2020: Bayern Munich
• 2021: Chelsea
• 2022: Real Madrid
• 2023: Manchester City

Who has scored the most goals at the FIFA Club World Cup?

Cristiano Ronaldo has represented two teams – Manchester United and Real Madrid – and has scored the most goals, seven, in his eight games at the tournament.

FIFA chief Infantino tempted Ronaldo to add to his tally by switching to a Club World Cup 2025 participant team from Al Nassr, but the Portuguese superstar wouldn’t have it.

Who is the most successful manager at the FIFA Club World Cup?

Pep Guardiola has won the trophy on four occasions with three different clubs. He was the manager of the famous “tiki-taka” Barcelona side of the late 2000s and early 2010s that won the title in 2009 and 2011.

Guardiola then took his golden touch to Germany’s Bayern Munich, with whom he won in 2013. And finally, in 2023, the Spanish manager took his Manchester City team to their first Club World Cup title.

Among the other players on the list, Messi and his Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez have scored five goals each. Both have the chance to add to their respective tallies and surpass Ronaldo in the 2025 edition.

Which country has the most Club World Cup winners?

Spain. The two La Liga giants have won eight titles between them.

Brazil and England are second on the list with four titles each, while Germany and Italy have two apiece.

Man Utd sign Brazilian international forward on five-year deal as coach Ruben Amorim makes first big move.

Manchester United have completed the signing of Brazil international Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers as the fallen Premier League giants begin their rebuild

The 26-year-old forward, who has scored once in 15 appearances for Brazil, signed a five-year contract to 2030 at Old Trafford with the option of a further 12 months, the club said on Thursday.

United paid a reported 62.5 million pounds ($84m) to their fellow English top-flight club for Cunha.

United coach Ruben Amorim is expected to overhaul his squad after a woeful season, and Cunha’s is the first major transfer for the Portuguese since he replaced Erik ten Hag in November.

Cunha scored 17 goals for Wolves last season while the United attack had the fifth worst scoring record in the Premier League last term.

“Ever since I was a child in Brazil watching Premier League games on TV at my grandmother’s house, United was my favourite English team, and I dreamed of wearing the red shirt,” Cunha said.

“All my focus is now on working hard to become a valuable part of the team and helping get this club back to the top.”

United were 15th in the league standings, their worst position since the Premier League era began in 1992. It also had its most losses in a Premier League season and recorded its lowest points total.

The joint record 20-time English champions have gone 12 years without the title since last winning it in former manager Alex Ferguson’s final season in 2013.

“Bringing in Matheus was one of our main priorities for this summer, so we are delighted to have completed his signing so early in the window,” said Jason Wilcox, United director of football.

“He has proved his ability to succeed in the Premier League as one of the most exciting and productive forwards in England during his time at Wolves and before that in Spain and Germany.

“He has all the qualities we are looking for as we seek to build a strong, dynamic and entertaining team capable of challenging for the biggest honours.”

As well as Cunha, United are also interested in Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.

The clubs are believed to be in negotiations over a fee for the Cameroonian international.

✍️ It just looks right. pic.twitter.com/2eI1rhTZ1l

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) June 12, 2025

Technology will help fans see the action from the refs’ point of view while AI will help detect offsides earlier and goalkeepers will be punished for time-wasting after eight seconds.

The FIFA Club World Cup has undergone a revamp since it was last competed in December 2023 in Saudi Arabia.

The number of participating clubs has increased fourfold to 32, the frequency of the competition has gone from annual to quadrennial and the champion’s prize money – previously $5m – has gone up by a whopping $35m.

It’s not just the numbers that have changed in the tournament. FIFA is also looking to introduce new technology, including artificial intelligence to help the referees, and it is getting stricter on goalkeepers who waste time while holding the ball.

Here’s a look at the three big changes to be implemented at the monthlong tournament, which will get under way on Saturday in the United States:

What is the referee body cam, and how will it work at the Club World Cup?

Small cameras, protruding from the referees’ ears, will capture the live action unfolding in front of them.

The video will be fed to the ongoing match broadcast and will be aired to the viewers but only if the action is not controversial. So any penalty appeals, disputed calls and other potentially game-changing moments of controversy will be cut out.

However, fans will be offered unique views of goals, saves, crosses, player runs and tackles. The feature will only be available in the six NFL stadiums being used during the tournament – Atlanta, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Miami, East Rutherford, Philadelphia and Seattle.

“The objective is to offer the TV viewers a new experience,” Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said while announcing the move on Wednesday.

He said the technology will be trialled during the tournament and offer football’s rule-making body a chance to review it, along with footage of controversial moments, for long-term implementation.

Collina asked for patience from the fans during this phase and suggested taking things “step by step”.

“At the moment, this is a trial. We need to do something new and the simpler the better. So we fixed some rules within a protocol. Will we offer these images in the future? Maybe when we learn to run, maybe not, maybe we will do.”

Referee body camera in action. We can expect to see more of this at @FIFACWC ⚽️

Footage from Botafogo vs. Pachuca in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024™ where body cameras were trialled. #TakeItToTheWorld | #FIFACWC | #FootballUnitesTheWorld pic.twitter.com/A30PiFDDA1

— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) June 6, 2025

How will FIFA use AI to check for offside during the Club World Cup?

While the assistance of technology in making offside decisions is not new, the Club World Cup will use it slightly differently by employing AI for an “enhanced semiautomatic offside”.

Video feed from 16 cameras will provide footage of the ongoing action to an AI-based programme, which will then alert match officials as soon as an offside player touches the ball.

Officials hope this new mechanism will help curtail the time in decision-making. The system will likely see the flag raised earlier for offside and reduce cases of play continuing after a clear offside, as opposed to a later video assistant referee (VAR) review.

In another first, footage of VAR-based offside reviews will be shown to the spectators inside the stadiums on big screens.

What’s the new timeout rule for goalkeepers?

It’s not entirely new, but time-wasting goalkeepers will also face the heat much earlier than usual as FIFA has asked referees to clamp down on glovemen who take too long on the ball.

The rules stipulate that keepers can’t hold onto the ball for longer than six seconds, but they have not been punished as frequently as the game’s governing body would have liked.

Now referees will issue a warning at five seconds – counted down by the officials on their hands – and the keeper must release the ball before a total of eight seconds are up.

Failing to do so will result in a corner kick for the opposition as opposed to an indirect free kick, which was previously given.

Liverpool set for Bradley Barcola swoop, Premier League trio interested in Jadon Sancho, Everton and Newcastle lead Jack Grealish race.

Liverpool are set to swoop for Paris St-Germain’s 22-year-old France forward Bradley Barcola – even after completing a deal for Bayer Leverkusen’s Germany attacker Florian Wirtz, 22. (Sun), external

Aston Villa, Newcastle and Tottenham are monitoring developments with Jadon Sancho, 25, after the England winger’s return to Manchester United following his loan spell at Chelsea. (Sun), external

Everton and Newcastle are leading the race to sign England forward Jack Grealish, 29, from Manchester City this summer. (Football Insider), external

Bayer Leverkusen are considering a move for Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah, 22. (Athletic – subscription required), external

Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez is likely to leave Liverpool this summer, with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal making contact about the 25-year-old this week. (Talksport), external

Nunez, though, is understood to favour staying in Europe, with a move to Spain or Italy his preference. (Mirror), external

Athletic Bilbao hope to agree a pay rise and contract extension with 22-year-old Spain winger Nico Williams, to stave off interest from Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Chelsea. (Marca – in Spanish), external

Williams has told Bayern he is open to a move to Germany and his management is in talks with the Bundesliga champions. (Sky Sports Germany), external

Germany winger Leroy Sane, 29, has rejected an offer from Al-Hilal and agreed to join Galatasaray after talks over a new contract with Bayern Munich failed. (Sky Sport Germany), external

Manager: Xabi Alonso
Star player: Kylian Mbappe
Club World Cup record: Five-time winners
Fixtures: Al Hilal (June 18), Pachuca (June 22), FC Salzburg (June 26)

For most teams, second place in their domestic league, runners up in both domestic cups and reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League would mark a season of relative success.

For Real Madrid, it means it is time to change the manager.

Following two successful spells in charge of Los Blancos, a trophyless season, and not making the last four of the Champions League, marked the end for Carlo Ancelotti – the most successful manager in history.

The Italian’s boots are big ones to fill, but that is the task that former Real midfielder Xabi Alonso has taken on.

A title winner in Germany, in his first managerial job with Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso was always hot favourite to replace Ancelotti when the time came.

What is Alonso’s greatest challenge at Real?

The 43-year-old is hardly walking into a minefield in Madrid with the Spanish giants claiming a league and European double only a season ago.

Added to that squad last year was the latest Galactico, Kylian Mbappe. In the French forward, Alonso may face his biggest challenge – not due to Mbappe’s personality or work rate, but purely his position in the side.

In the words of Alonso’s predecessor, Real are unbalanced but also lack “collective commitment”.

In short, the squad had too many attackers that Ancelotti felt he had to cram onto the field, while injuries left the defence in tatters, and Madrid did not sign someone to replace midfielder Toni Kroos, who retired last year.

Veteran midfielder Luka Modric’s departure after the Club World Cup means Alonso will be losing yet more poise, technique and wisdom from the midfield.

Two seasons ago, prior to the retirement of Kroos, Real swept all before them with their then-new signing, Jude Bellingham, playing in an advanced role through the middle, flanked by Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.

The arrival of Mbappe forced Bellingham deeper, and something of a false-nine formation was changed to a straight 4-3-3 set up. The chemistry didn’t blend easily.

Mbappe ended up as the leading scorer in La Liga, helped in some part by a late-season injury to his closest competitor, Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski. The former PSG striker netted 43 goals across all competitions with his new club.

That did not mask the fact that the team was not as fluid as the one that glided through the previous campaign to finish 10 points clear of Barcelona. Ancelotti’s final season saw his side trail their fierce rivals from Catalonia by only four points.

Still, the conundrum of making Madrid tick again, with a side that has no choice but to pick Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius for all the big games, is Alonso’s great challenge – and that begins at the FIFA Club World Cup.

How important is the Club World Cup for Real Madrid?

On the eve of the final El Clasico of the season, and what would be the last of Ancelotti’s career, the Italian politely reminded everyone that Real Madrid would be competing in FIFA’s showpiece club event and not their rivals, Barcelona.

The pressure was growing on Real’s then-manager, and the speculation was mounting that his time at Santiago Bernabeu was coming to an end, potentially before the end of the season.

Real would lose the match at Barcelona 4-3, and with it any final realistic chance of retaining their La Liga title, having already seen their Champions League defence ended by Arsenal. Ancelotti was not one to be pushed quietly aside after a glittering career across Europe.

“Playing Barcelona is special,” Brazil’s new national manager said on the eve of the game. “And this will be the last El Clasico of the season, because Barca are not in the Club World Cup.”

Whatever the merits of FIFA’s Club World Cup, long term, there is little doubt that, short term, the importance off the field far outweighs the significance of the tournament on the field.

The prize pot is all that matters to the clubs, with the winner set to earn a football record $125m as part of the $1bn prize money fund.

Five-time champions Brazil have confirmed their participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup by defeating Paraguay 1-0, thanks to a goal by star forward Vinicius Jr in front of a jubilant home crowd in Sao Paulo.

Playing under new head coach Carlo Ancelotti, the Selecao went ahead at the stroke of half-time when the Real Madrid star found the net, much to the delight of the 46,000 fans at the Corinthians Arena on Tuesday.

In other major World Cup qualifying results, war-torn Palestine were left heartbroken when Oman drew level against them from a penalty converted deep into stoppage time in their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifying match in Amman, Jordan.

Palestine have been playing their international fixtures at neutral venues, including Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar. Israel’s war on Gaza, its control and destruction of sports facilities and venues in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have left the players unable to travel and play at their home venue, the Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium in ar-Ram, a town northeast of occupied Jerusalem.

Needing a win to reach the fourth round of the AFC qualifiers, Palestine led the home side through Oday Kharoub’s goal at the end of the first half.

The Al-Fidai seemed to have done enough until they conceded a penalty in the last moments of the match, and Essam al-Subhi’s spot kick in the 97th minute ended the game in a draw, crushing the Palestinian dream of having another shot at qualification by proceeding to the fourth round.

Oman have now taken up that spot.

Which teams have confirmed their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

After the latest round of qualifying matches, here is a breakdown of the confirmed contenders from each of the six regions:

Africa: None of the 54 nations involved in the qualifiers has been able to confirm their spots as the first round of qualifying matches does not conclude until October 16.

Asia: Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Japan.

Europe: None. Similar to Africa, none of the 54 European teams vying for 16 qualification spots have confirmed their berths as their first-round matches will run until November 18.

North, Central American and Caribbean region: Canada, Mexico and USA. With the World Cup host nations taking three spots, only three are left up for grabs and will be decided on November 18.

Oceania: New Zealand. With one spot up for grabs and 11 nations fighting for it, New Zealand emerged victorious and took the spot by winning the third-round playoff final against New Caledonia on March 24.

South America: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador.

Which major teams have been eliminated from qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Chile, third-place finishers in 1962, are among the biggest names confirmed out of the next World Cup.

While China are not considered among the football powerhouses in Asia, the nation’s focus on building the game at home and seeing its team in another World Cup since 2002 was crushed on June 5.

Which teams can still qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Apart from the nine African and 16 European spots still fully up for grabs, the others that are still in the race for a World Cup spot are:

Asia: Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iraq, and Oman are vying for the two direct qualification slots for the World Cup and one intercontinental playoffs spot.

South America: Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia will fight for the three remaining World Cup slots, while Peru can only advance to the intercontinental playoffs.

North, Central American and Caribbean region: Honduras, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao, Haiti, Panama, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Guatemala, Suriname and El Salvador have all advanced to the third round, from where three teams will directly qualify for the World Cup. The three second-placed teams from each group will then fight for the intercontinental playoffs spot.

Oceania: New Caledonia have qualified for the intercontinental playoffs.

When will all teams for the 2026 FIFA World Cup be confirmed?

As late as March 31, 2026. With the European qualification rounds stretching to March and the intercontinental playoff final also scheduled for the same month, we will not know our final 48 teams for the World Cup until less than three months ahead of the tournament.

When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup scheduled?

The tournament begins in Mexico City on June 11 and ends with the final in New Jersey on July 19.

With the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 about to get under way on Saturday, the football league in the host nation United States (US) finds itself at odds with players from its three participating clubs over monetary compensation from the tournament.

Three Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs – Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC – are among the 32 teams that have qualified for the tournament running from June 14 to July 13 across 11 venues in the US.

Players from the three clubs, represented by the MLS Players Association (MLSA), have protested over the amount of compensation they are promised from the tournament by the MLS.

Here’s a breakdown of the ongoing tussle between the MLS and its players:

What’s the Club World Cup pay dispute between the MLS and its players?

The players are demanding an increased share of the tournament prize money in addition to the participation fee they are set to receive.

The players’ association has accused the MLS of refusing to engage in a negotiation so far, while the league has said it has offered the clubs an “enhanced structure” for the players.

How have the players registered their protest?

On June 1, players of Seattle Sounders FC brought attention to the issue by wearing shirts that read “Club World Cup Ca$h Grab” during their warm-up session before their match against Minnesota United FC.

A number of players from the three clubs also posted on social media with the hashtag #FairShareNow, causing fans to take notice and engage in social media conversations.

#FairShareNow pic.twitter.com/EW7ABFbsPX

— Stefan Frei (@Stefan24Frei) June 8, 2025

How much money will MLS clubs receive at the Club World Cup?

Every MLS team will earn a participation fee of $9.55m, but can win additional prize money based on its performance.

Each win or draw during the tournament will also bring in additional prize money, which can increase further should the club advance to the next stages. Since LAFC beat Club America to qualify for the tournament in a playoff game, they won an additional $250,000 in prize money.

What part of the prize money will go to the players?

According to the existing collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the MLS and MLSPA, the players are eligible to receive 50 percent of the prize money in undefined tournaments such as the Club World Cup.

The MLS, on Sunday, said it has proposed an enhanced structure for the Club World Cup “to reward both participation and competitive achievement in the tournament.”

According to the MLS, this is what’s on offer in the revised proposal: “In addition to the guaranteed $1m per team for qualifying, 20 percent of all prize money earned from the group stage onward would be allocated to players. If an MLS club wins the Club World Cup, its players could collectively receive more than $24m in performance bonuses.”

What do the MLS players want?

They seek a better deal than the one put forward by the MLS in its latest proposal, and for the league to engage with its players in a negotiation.

The players’ association says the latest proposal offered by MLS does not include any additional participation bonuses for the players and offered “below-standard” back-end compensation.

The MLSPA has also accused the league of asking for unrelated concessions to the CBA.

As things stand, the CBA includes a provision that caps the amount of prize money that can go to players at $1m. The MLSPA believes the players are entitled to a bigger share of the funds.

“The timing, substance and retaliatory nature of the proposal sends a clear message: MLS does not respect or value players’ efforts with regard to this tournament,” the MLSPA said in a statement on Sunday.

It further added that the proposed 20 percent share of the compensation amount is “below international standard”.

“Although not surprised, the players and the MLSPA are deeply disappointed by this message,” the MLSPA said.

An update on Club World Cup Bonuses.

MLS spent most of last week making threats and promising retaliation against the MLSPA and players because Seattle players wore t-shirts that expressed frustration over the league’s refusal to engage about Club World Cup compensation.

More… pic.twitter.com/jAz06ASGYw

— MLSPA (@MLSPA) June 8, 2025

How has the MLS responded to the players’ demands?

Neither side has issued any further statements, but players have continued posting on social media with the #FairShareNow hashtag.

Reports in US media said the talks between the two sides were ongoing.

The league’s last statement said that MLS owners believe that performance-based incentives are appropriate given the expanded format and increased prize pool for the tournament.

“The League values the continued dedication and commitment of its players and looks forward to supporting them as they represent their clubs – and Major League Soccer – on the global stage this summer,” it added.

What happens if the players and MLS don’t reach an agreement?

Should both sides remain at loggerheads, it is unlikely that the players will refuse to take the field for their games in a tournament hosted in their clubs’ home country.

If they do, the players risk being fined and reprimanded by the league in accordance with its rules.

How does the MLS pay dispute impact the FIFA Club World Cup?

It is unlikely to impact the tournament directly unless the players refuse to take the field for their clubs.

However, the controversy has added what would be considered unwelcome attention to the MLS’s pay structure and the Club World Cup, a tournament that has already faced plenty of criticism from football players and officials.

Why aren’t players from other leagues protesting?

It remains unclear how other leagues and teams are compensating their players for their participation in the Club World Cup.

The breakdown and distribution of the prize money and participation fee vary across leagues.

Palestine are denied by late Oman penalty in a 1-1 draw that ends their dreams of a first FIFA World Cup appearance.

Palestine’s historic Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifying campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was ended by a late Oman penalty in a 1-1 draw in their final group game.

Needing a win to reach the fourth round of the AFC qualifiers, Palestine led deep into five minutes of injury time through Oday Kharoub’s goal early in the second half.

The scoreline would have been enough to propel Palestine past Oman into the fourth and final qualifying spot in Group B of the third round of the AFC qualifiers – a stage they had also reached for the first time.

However, a tug of the shirt on a runner chasing a free kick from the deep was spotted by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), and Palestine’s dream of a first appearance at a football World Cup ended with Essam Al-Subhi’s spot kick in the 97th minute of the match.

Kharoub’s headed goal came after a fine first half for Palestine, in which Michel Termanini struck the bar with a header.

Wessam Ali had a second for Palestine ruled out for a marginal offside, only moments after Oman’s Harib Al-Saadi saw red for a second yellow following a foul on Hamed Hamdan in the 73rd minute.

The decisive moment came, though, when Muhsen Al-Ghassani ran clear in the box in an attempt to reach a looped ball in the area. Ahmed Taha’s grab at the runner was deemed illegal and the eliminating kick was awarded against Palestine.

Palestine’s AFC Asian Cup nearly the spark for World Cup dream

The run to the third round of the AFC World Cup qualifiers for the first time followed Palestine’s remarkable feat of reaching the knockout stages of the last AFC Asian Cup for the first time.

A first appearance at football’s global showpiece was only one more round away until the late drama at the King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, Jordan, where Palestine were forced to stage their home matches due to Israel’s war on Gaza.

The full-time whistle, and with it, anticipated scenes of wild celebration was cruelly only seconds away for Palestine.

Instead, the tension that was palpably building ahead of the referee calling an end to the match turned to scenes of despair as tears rolled down the cheeks of the Palestine players, many of whom collapsed to the floor in disbelief.

Oman now join Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Iraq and Indonesia, who lost 6-0 to Japan earlier in the day, in the fourth round of qualifiers, from which two teams will join the already six qualified nations from the third round of qualifiers.

One final chance will be available for the third-placed team from the fourth round of qualifiers, as that nation will progress to the FIFA Intercontinental Playoffs in a last-chance saloon to line up at next year’s finals.

Australia became the final team to confirm their automatic qualification from the third round of qualifiers when they saw off Saudi Arabia’s challenge for second spot in Group C with a 2-1 win in Jeddah.

Alongside Australia – Japan, Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan and Jordan, finished as the top two finishers in their group to book their places at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The latter two qualified for a World Cup for the first time.

College sports leaders and athletes were in limbo for months while waiting for a House settlement to be approved. An agreement would create clarity, better supporting college conferences and their respective universities that had been blindly preparing for the next academic year — unsure which name, image and likeness (NIL) rules they’d be playing by.

Late Friday, structure and stability arrived as the House settlement became approved and official.

“The decision on Friday is a significant step forward toward building long-term stability for college sports while protecting the system from bad actors seeking to exploit confusion and uncertainty,” Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey said during a news conference Monday morning that included commissioners of the Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and the Pac 12 conferences.

The House settlement has set the stage for revenue-sharing between universities and their athletes. Claudia Wilken, the presiding judge of California’s Northern District, accepted the final proposal Friday between the NCAA and the plaintiffs, current and former athletes seeking financial compensation for NIL-related backpay.

The NCAA will pay close to $2.8 billion to former athletes — as many as 389,700 athletes who played between June 15, 2016, to Sept. 15, 2024 — across a 10-year period and will also implement a 10-year revenue sharing model that will allow universities to pay current athletes up to $20.5 million per year.

According to the settlement, the total is “22% of the Power Five schools’ average athletic revenues each year” and the revenue-sharing cap will incrementally increase every year.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says the images of children being killed during Israel’s war on Gaza are “painful” and have left him “deeply troubled”.

The Spanish manager of the English Premier League club urged the world to speak up instead of choosing to stay silent “in the face of injustice” as he addressed an audience after receiving an honorary degree at the University of Manchester on Monday.

“It’s so painful what we see in Gaza. It hurts all my body,” Guardiola said.

“Maybe we think that when we see four-year-old boys and girls being killed by bombs or being killed at a hospital, which is not a hospital any more, it’s not our business. Yeah, fine, it’s not our business. But be careful – the next four- or five-year-old kids will be ours.”

Mentioning his three children – Maria, Marius and Valentina – Guardiola said that every morning “since the nightmare started” in Gaza, whenever he sees his two daughters and son he is reminded of the children in Gaza, which leaves him feeling “so scared”.

About half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are children.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 17,400 children, including 15,600 who have been identified, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Many more remain buried under the rubble and are presumed dead.

Many of the surviving children have endured the trauma of multiple wars, and all of them have spent their lives under an oppressive Israeli blockade.

Over the past 20 months, Israeli attacks have left their homes in ruins, destroyed their schools, and overwhelmed their healthcare facilities.

‘Deeply troubled’ by wars

During his emotional speech, which has been widely shared on social media, Guardiola said the world remains silent in the face of injustice.

“We feel safer [staying silent] than speaking up,” he added.

“Maybe this image feels far away from where we are living now, and you might ask what we can do,” he added.

He then went on to narrate the story of a bird trying to put out a fire in a forest by repeatedly carrying water in its beak.

“In a world that often tells us we are too small to make a difference, that story reminds me the power of one is not about the scale – it’s about choice, about showing up, about refusing to be silent or still when it matters the most.”

The former Barcelona coach and player said the images out of Palestine, Sudan and Ukraine left him “deeply troubled”.

Guardiola, who has formerly voiced his support for the independence of his native Catalonia, lashed out at world leaders for their inability to stop the wars.

“We see the horrors of thousands and thousands of innocent children, mothers and fathers.

“Entire families suffering, starving and being killed and yet we are surrounded by leaderships in many fields, not just politicians, who don’t consider the inequality and injustice.”

An independent United Nations commission report released on Tuesday accused Israel of committing the crime against humanity of “extermination” by attacking Palestinian civilians sheltering in schools and religious sites in Gaza.

“While the destruction of cultural property, including educational facilities, was not in itself a genocidal act, evidence of such conduct may nevertheless infer genocidal intent to destroy a protected group,” the report said.

While the report focused on the impact on Gaza, the commission also reported significant consequences for the Palestinian education system in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem as a result of ramped-up Israeli military activity, harassment of students and settler attacks.

“Children in Gaza have lost their childhood. With no education available, they are forced to worry about survival amid attacks, uncertainty, starvation and subhuman living conditions,” the report added.

“What is particularly disturbing is the widespread nature of the targeting of educational facilities, which has extended well beyond Gaza, impacting all Palestinian children.”

“It’s so painful, what we see in Gaza … And let me be clear, this is not about ideology.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola discusses his views on Israel’s war on Gaza, as well as how the images of children living through the war have affected him as a parent. pic.twitter.com/zwrlexAcxa

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 10, 2025

German football club Borussia Dortmund sign Jobe Bellingham, who follows in the footsteps of Real Madrid star his brother Jude.

Borussia Dortmund have signed English midfielder Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland until 2030, five years after bringing older brother Jude to the club.

Dortmund announced the signing on Tuesday, the final day of the FIFA Club World Cup transfer window.

“The England U21 international put pen to paper on a five-year deal with the eight-time German champions on Tuesday morning,” Dortmund said in a statement.

Dortmund reportedly paid a fee of around 33 million euros ($38m), with five million euros ($5.7m) in additional bonuses, to secure the midfielder’s services, the most the club has paid up front for a player.

“I’m very happy to be a Borussia Dortmund player now and to fight for titles together with this great club,” said 19-year-old Bellingham.

“I want to play my part in celebrating success with these great fans here and will work on myself and with the team every day. And I’m very happy that I’ll be wearing the black and yellow jersey at the FIFA Club World Cup.”

Dortmund’s transfer record remains the 35 million euros ($40m) paid to bring Ousmane Dembele from Rennes in 2018 – although this was originally 15 million euros ($17m), which rose by 20 million ($23m) in sell-on fees once the player transferred to Barcelona.

“Jobe is an extremely talented footballer with an impressive level of maturity and intelligence on the pitch for someone so young,” said Lars Ricken, Borussia Dortmund’s managing director for sport.

“We have no doubt that he’s the perfect fit for our philosophy of developing talented youngsters and giving them the opportunity to improve and establish themselves at the highest level.

“His professionalism, his dynamism and his hunger to succeed will make him a real asset for our team.”

At 19, Jobe is two years younger than his Real Madrid and England midfielder brother.

In moving to Dortmund, Jobe will follow in Jude’s footsteps of trading the Championship for the Bundesliga and the Westfalenstadion.

After leaving Birmingham City, Jude spent three seasons at Dortmund and has become one of the most recognisable players in world football since joining Real in 2023.

As he did at Sunderland, the younger Bellingham will wear “Jobe” on his jersey at Dortmund rather than his last name in a bid to distinguish himself from his brother.

Jobe scored four goals and laid on three assists in 40 games for Sunderland this season as he helped the club win promotion to the Premier League.

Jobe’s signing means the two brothers could face off in this season’s expanded Club World Cup in the United States, if Dortmund meet Real Madrid during the knockouts of the competition.

Jude Bellingham joined Dortmund from boyhood club Birmingham in 2020, at age 17 and for around 23 million euros ($26m), a fee that rose to 30 million euros ($34m) when a sell-on fee was added after his 100-million-euro ($114m) move to Real Madrid.

He made 132 appearances in yellow and black, scoring 24 times and laying on 25 assists, and helped the club win the German Cup in 2021 alongside Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho.

After leaving Dortmund, Jude faced off against his former side in the 2023-24 Champions League final, with Real winning 2-0 at Wembley.

Jobe became the second-youngest Birmingham City player behind his brother when he made his debut aged 16 years and 107 days.

He was named the young player of the season in the English second flight, again following in his brother’s footsteps, five years on.

“He’s fit as a fiddle and raring to go,” said club sporting director Sebastian Kehl.

“He’s determined to forge his own path at Borussia Dortmund and make his mark on how we play, and we’re confident that he will do exactly that,” Kehl added.

After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, Dortmund snuck into fourth place after a late-season flurry, picking up 22 of a possible 24 points in their final eight games. The club will take part in next season’s Champions League.

Dortmund kick off their Club World Cup campaign against Fluminense on June 17.

The City Section held its annual football coaches meeting Monday in the Rams’ locker room at SoFi Stadium, and the newest head coach was introduced. It’s 33-year-old James Boyd, who was a star quarterback and four-sport athlete at L.A. Jordan during his high school days, signed with USC as a defensive end and is returning to take over his alma mater.

His high school coach at Jordan, Elijah Asante, is now head coach at Hamilton and said he expects Boyd to do a good job inspiring Jordan players because of his own success story.

A lot of news came out of the meeting.

View Park Prep dropped its football program for the 2025 season. That might help nearby Crenshaw, which has struggled to fill its football roster.

Terrence Williams has replaced Monty Gilbreath as the football coach at Gardena, which means the Marine League will have new coaches at Gardena, Banning, Carson and Narbonne. The only returning coach is Corey Walsh at San Pedro.

After 13 years of trying, the Los Angeles Unified School District has approved schools to use student body funds to pay for HUDL, which helps coaches handle videos of players and games. Previously, coaches had to write checks, use personal credit cards or seek help from booster clubs.

San Fernando and Sylmar have agreed to play their Valley Mission League game at the Coliseum on Oct. 17. There also will be a girls’ flag football game and JV game.

The City Section has changed its mercy rule. If a team leads by 42 or more points at halftime, a running clock will begin. Also, if a team leads by 35 or more points in the fourth quarter, that leads to a running clock.

Coaches and adults are facing increased penalties if they are ejected from games for unsportsmanlike behavior. Coaches are expected to receive a three-game suspension for being ejected. Parents who are ejected from a game will receive a three-game ban.

The City Section sit-out period for transferring without moving ends on Thursday, Sept. 25. More teams have been playing on Thursdays because of an officials shortage, so this helps teams that would be at a disadvantage if the date was on a Friday.

Official practice begins on July 28.

Schools must exchange rosters before games.

There was a discussion about adding boys’ flag football, but there was no consensus on what part of the school year would be viable and concerns were raised about whether it would further deteriorate 11-man rosters.

Crenshaw coach Robert Garrett will start the season this fall with 290 career victories.

Jack Grealish might replace Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting U-turn angers Viktor Gyokeres, Manchester City agree Rayan Cherki fee.

Manchester City’s England winger Jack Grealish, 29, is being lined up as a potential replacement for 22-year-old Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz if he leaves Bayer Leverkusen. (Sun), external

Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres is furious that his club Sporting have gone back on a gentleman’s agreement that the 27-year-old could leave this summer for £67m. (Record – in Portuguese), external

Manchester City have agreed a £34m deal with Lyon for 21-year-old France midfielder Rayan Cherki. (Times – subscription required), external

Arsenal are keen to sign Chelsea’s Spain goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, 30, for just £5m. (Sky Sports), external

Burnley have valued their French centre-back Maxime Esteve, 23, at £50m amid interest from Bayern Munich, who are managed by the ex-Clarets boss Vincent Kompany. (Football Insider), external

Paris St-Germain’s 22-year-old France winger Bradley Barcola is Bayern’s top target for a new singing on the wing this summer, with Atletico Madrid’s Spain winger Nico Williams, also 22, their top alternative. (Sky Sport Germany – in German), external

PSG want Bournemouth’s Ilya Zabarni but the Cherries are demanding £59m for the 22-year-old Ukraine centre-back. (L’Equipe – in French), external

Tottenham have stepped up their interest in Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, while Manchester United also remain admirers of the Ghana forward, 25. (Sky Sports), external

Newcastle United are keen on signing Ghana winger Mohammed Kudus, 24, from West Ham after missing out on Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo. (Football Insider), external

West Ham are considering a swap deal with Chelsea involving Kudu, while the Hammers are prepared to let Morocco centre-back Nayef Aguerd leave this summer for £25m. (Teamtalk), external

Manchester City are ready to make a move for Chelsea’s English goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, 33, following the departure of Scott Carson. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Tottenham are one of the latest clubs to show an interest in Red Bull Salzburg’s Mali winger Dorgeles Nene, 22. (Teamtalk), external

Khan Younis, Gaza – In the ruins of his home in Khan Younis, 75-year-old Shaker Safi gently thumbs through fading photographs of his son Mohammed’s sporting career.

Medals, trophies, team huddles, and group photos of young athletes coached by Mohammed now serve as a haunting memorial to a dream destroyed by war.

On November 15, 2023, Mohammed Safi – a football coach and physical education teacher – was killed in an Israeli air strike.

He had spent years building a legacy of hope through sport, training at schools and community clubs, and transforming underdog teams into local champions.

A graduate in physical education from Al-Aqsa University, Mohammed was the head coach of Al-Amal Football Club in southern Gaza and was widely admired for his work nurturing young talent aged between six and 16.

“My son dreamt of representing Palestine internationally,” Shaker says, surrounded by remnants of his son’s accolades. “He believed sport could lift youth from despair. But war reached him before he could reach the world.”

Now displaced, Mohammed’s wife Nermeen and their four children – 16-year-old Shaker Jr, Amir, 14, Alma, 11, and Taif, 7 – live with the painful void created by his death.

The children cling to their father’s last football and coaching notes as keepsakes.

Nermeen, an art teacher, gently wipes away Taif’s tears when she asks, “Why did they take Daddy from us?”

“He was a man of dreams, not politics,” Nermeen says. “He wanted to become an international referee. He wanted his master’s degree. Instead, he was killed for being a symbol of life and youth.”

Mohammed Safi is one of hundreds of athletes and sports professionals who have been killed or displaced since the war began.

According to the Palestinian Olympic Committee, 582 athletes have been killed since October 7, 2023, many of them national team players, coaches, and administrators.

Sports replaced by survival

For those who remain alive in Gaza, survival has replaced sporting ambition.

Yousef Abu Shawarib is a 20-year-old goalkeeper for Rafah’s premier league football club.

In May 2024, he and his family fled their home and took shelter at Khan Younis Stadium – the same field where he once played official matches.

Today, the stadium is a shelter for displaced families, its synthetic turf now lined with tents instead of players.

“This is where my coach used to brief me before games,” Yousef says, standing near what used to be the bench area, now a water distribution point. “Now I wait here for water, not for kickoff.”

His routine today involves light, irregular training inside his tent, hoping to preserve a fraction of his fitness. But his dreams of studying sports sciences in Germany and playing professionally are gone.

“Now, I only hope we have something to eat tomorrow,” he tells Al Jazeera. “The war didn’t just destroy fields – it destroyed our futures.”

When he looks at the charred stadium, he doesn’t see a temporary displacement.

“This was not collateral damage. It was systematic. It’s like they want to erase everything about us – even our games.”

Hope beneath the rubble

Still, like the patches of grass that survived the blasts, some hope remains.

Shadi Abu Armanah, head coach of Palestine’s amputee football team, had devised a six-month plan to resume training.

His 25 players and five coaching staff had been building momentum before the war on Gaza. The team had competed internationally, including in a 2019 tournament in France. Before hostilities began, they were preparing for another event in November 2023 and an event in West Asia set for October 2025.

“Now, we can’t even gather,” Shadi says. “Every facility we used has been destroyed. The players have lost their homes. Most have lost loved ones. There’s nowhere safe to train – no gear, no field, nothing.”

Supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the team had once symbolised resilience. Training sessions were more than drills – they were lifelines. “For amputees, sport was a second chance,” Shadi says. “Now they are just trying to survive.”

Shadi himself is displaced. His home, too, was bombed. “The clubs I worked for are gone. The players are either dead or scattered. If the war ends today, we’ll still need years to bring back even a fraction of what was lost.”

He adds, “I coached across many clubs and divisions. Almost all their facilities have been reduced to rubble. It’s not just a pause – it’s erasure.”

A systematic erasure

The scope of devastation extends beyond personal loss.

According to Asaad al-Majdalawi, vice president of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Gaza’s entire sporting infrastructure is on the brink of collapse. At least 270 sports facilities have been damaged or destroyed: 189 completely flattened and 81 partially damaged, with initial estimates of material losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

“Every major component of Gaza’s sports system has been hit,” al-Majdalawi told Al Jazeera. “The Olympic Committee offices, sports federations, clubs, school and university sports programmes – even private sports facilities have been targeted. It’s a comprehensive assault.”

Among the fallen are high-profile athletes like Nagham Abu Samra, Palestine’s international karate champion; Majed Abu Maraheel, the first Palestinian to carry the Olympic flag at the 1996 Atlanta Games; Olympic football coach Hani al-Masdar; and national athletics coach Bilal Abu Sam’an. Hundreds of others remain injured or missing, complicating accurate assessments.

“This is not just loss – it’s extermination,” al-Majdalawi says. “Each athlete was a community pillar. They weren’t numbers. They were symbols of hope, unity, and perseverance. Losing them has deeply wounded the Palestinian society.”

He warns that beyond the immediate human toll, the interruption of sports activities for a year and a half will result in physical, psychological, and professional regression for remaining athletes. “You lose more than muscle and skill – you lose purpose.”

A global silence

Al-Majdalawi believes the international response has been alarmingly inadequate. When Gaza’s sports community reaches out to global federations, Olympic bodies, and ministers of youth and sport, they’re met with silence.

“In private, many international officials sympathise,” he says. “But at the decision-making level, Israel seems to operate above the law. There’s no accountability. It’s like sport doesn’t matter when it’s Palestinian. The global and international sports institutions appear complicit through their silence, ignoring all international laws, human rights, and the governing rules of the international sports system,” he says.

He believes that if the war ended today, it would still take five to 10 years to rebuild what has been lost. Even that gloomy timeline is based on the assumption that the blockade ends and international funding becomes available.

“We have been building this sports sector since 1994,” al-Majdalawi says. “It took us decades to accumulate knowledge, experience, and professionalism. Now, it’s all been levelled in months.”

As the war continues, the fate of Gaza’s sports sector hangs by a thread. Yet amid the ruins, fathers like Shaker Safi, athletes like Yousef, and coaches like Shadi hold on to one unyielding belief: that sport will once again be a source of hope, identity, and life for Palestinians.

This piece was published in collaboration with Egab.

Ruben Neves scores winning penalty kick as Portugal defeat Spain 5-3 in a shootout to win the Nations League title.

Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears as Portugal picked up their second Nations League title by beating holders Spain 5-3 on penalties following a thrilling 2-2 draw in the final.

Ronaldo’s 138th international goal took the final on Sunday to a shootout, with Alvaro Morata’s miss proving costly for Spain as Ruben Neves struck the winning spot kick to spark wild scenes of celebration, with emotion overwhelming the veteran captain.

Spain’s exhilarating 5-4 victory over France in Thursday’s semifinal ensured Luis de la Fuente’s side had continued an unbeaten run that stretched back to March 2023 coming into Sunday’s showpiece final in Munich.

They appeared on course for yet another trophy, on the back last year’s European Championship triumph, as Martin Zubimendi tapped home his second international goal in the 21st minute.

The holders’ lead did not last long, however, as flying Portugal full-back Nuno Mendes slotted home the equaliser after good work from Ronaldo in the build up.

A sublime pass from midfielder Pedri helped Mikel Oyarzabal, who netted the winner against England in last year’s European Championship final, restored Spain’s lead before the break.

The tussle between the Iberian neighbours was billed as a clash between old and new – 40-year-old and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo and Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

While Yamal, among the favourites to take home one of the most prestigious individual awards this year, struggled to make inroads, Ronaldo pounced on his chance, firing Portugal level from close range just past the hour mark.

Ronaldo went off injured late on and neither side could find a winner in extra time, with the game going to a shootout and Portugal netting all five of their penalties to claim the trophy.

Earlier on Sunday, Kylian Mbappe led France to third place with a 2-0 win over host nation Germany in Stuttgart.

The Real Madrid star scored one goal and set up the other for Michael Olise as France recovered from a lethargic first half.

A new-look FIFA Club World Cup, featuring 32 teams, kicks off in the United States on June 14 and runs through to the final on July 13.

In advance of the tournament, Al Jazeera takes a look at the top five talking points:

1. Cramped schedule raises concerns over player welfare

FIFA’s decision to expand the Club World Cup from a six- or eight-team tournament to a supersized 32-team edition has been criticised by FIFPRO, the global football players’ union, and the World Leagues Forum (WLF).

Legitimate questions have been raised about the extra workload on players due to the increased number of matches, and the corresponding reduction in rest and recovery time for players in a shortened off season.

“The FIFA Council’s decision to schedule the first edition of the 32-team FIFA Club World Cup between 15 June and 13 July 2025 without implementing further player workload safeguards demonstrates a lack of consideration for the mental and physical health of participating players, as well as a disregard for their personal and family lives,” FIFPRO said in a statement in December.

A report released by FIFPRO and Football Benchmark in April found that several Club World Cup-bound players are among the most overworked for the 2024-25 season.

The report’s findings estimated that Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde, who made 43 back-to-back appearances up until April 1 with fewer than five days of recovery time before these matches, could potentially reach 65 back-to-back appearances for club and country by the end of the season, racking up close to 7,000 minutes and 78 games.

The WLF, an organisation representing 44 major professional leagues that is chaired by Premier League chief Richard Masters, said the organisation was unhappy that it had been overlooked in FIFA’s decision-making process.

According to the Reuters news agency, Masters accused FIFA of prioritising its own commercial interests, adding that the June-July schedule would affect player availability for national leagues at the start of the season in August.

2. Will the matches be competitive?

While the expansion of the Club World Cup to 32 sides allows more teams a chance at testing themselves against some of the biggest names in global club football, it also raises questions about the competitiveness of the tournament.

With every group having at least two clubs from Europe or South America, teams from the other continental confederations, such as Asia or Africa, could find themselves having very little chance of glory against the heavyweights of the game.

For example, in Group G, Moroccan side Wydad AC and UAE Pro League Al Ain are pitted against Manchester City and Juventus, who have been supremely successful on the domestic and continental stage.

Teams from the European confederation (UEFA) have historically dominated the Club World Cup, winning 16 of the 20 editions played to date. The remaining four have all been won by clubs from the South American confederation (CONMEBOL).

So, history suggests that the presence of European or South American sides could lead to lopsided matchups in this year’s edition.

3. Where are the superstars and superteams?

While Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe will play at the tournament, fans will be denied an opportunity to watch many of the elite performers from the 2024-25 season, such as Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, the Premier League’s Golden Boot winner, or teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal, who won three trophies this year with Barcelona.

Salah created history as the first player in Premier League history to finish a season with the most goals and assists as well as win the Player of the Season award. But one of the most in-form forwards in the world will not be among the players in the US as Liverpool could not qualify for the tournament, with Manchester City and Chelsea earning spots from the English quota.

Further confusing the selection of teams was FIFA’s abrupt decision to give the host nation a spot and award it to Inter Miami, underlining 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 in three of the most prestigious leagues in Europe.

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 Inter’s Argentina great Messi at their inaugural showpiece.

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. Barcelona, the current La Liga champions, missed out on a spot due to the four-year club coefficient rankings and two-team restrictions, as their archrivals Real Madrid qualified for the Club World Cup alongside Atletico Madrid.

The Catalan giants, fielding some of the most exhilarating footballers on the planet, such as 17-year-old wonderkid Yamal or the goal-scoring genius of Raphinha, are a huge omission from the club-based tournament.

Prodigious talents like Romelu Lukaku and Scott McTominay, who ushered Napoli’s stunning 2024-25 Serie A title charge in Italy, will also not play.

4. Introduction of a special transfer window

In the build-up to the tournament, FIFA announced the creation of a special transfer window, allowing participating clubs to make last-minute transfers before their teams board the flight to the US.

FIFA has said signings can be made from June 1 to June 10 as well as June 27 to July 3, explaining that the objective of the latter window is to encourage clubs and players whose contracts are expiring “to find an appropriate solution to facilitate the players’ participation”.

The introduction of this transfer window is unique as signings usually either take place in the close season or the middle of the season, known as the summer and winter windows for European clubs.

FIFA’s move has led to speculation that Cristiano Ronaldo could be one of those players to put pen to paper during the window on a short-term deal for one of the participating clubs. Spanish newspaper Marca reported in late May that a club in Brazil had submitted an offer to sign Ronaldo. Botafogo – one of four Brazilian clubs competing at the tournament – have been linked with the veteran forward.

Ronaldo, 40, has hinted he could leave Al Nassr after declaring that a “chapter is over” hours after the Saudi Pro League finished. Al Nassr have not qualified for the Club World Cup, unlike fellow Saudi side Al Hilal, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently said “there are discussions” over Ronaldo playing at the Club World Cup.

The Portugal star confirmed on Saturday that he had received “quite a few” offers from participating clubs to play for them at the tournament, but had decided against accepting any.

Should a Ronaldo transfer ultimately occur, the Club World Cup could see Messi and Ronaldo face-off in the US market, greatly boosting media interest, ticket sales, TV viewership figures, and enhancing the overall appeal of the tournament. The duo, who are arguably the greatest players of their generation, last played in the same competition at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

A club which has already benefitted from this special transfer window is Real Madrid, which was able to reach an agreement with Liverpool to sign defender Trent Alexander-Arnold early and make him available for the tournament.

The right back was scheduled to join the Spanish giants on a six-year deal as a free agent after his Liverpool contract expired on June 30, but according to The Athletic, Real paid Liverpool 10 million euros ($11.4m) to fast-track the process and get him on board for the Club World Cup.

5. Dress rehearsal for next year’s FIFA World Cup

Fans in the US will get a glimpse of what the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil will look like when they attend the Club World Cup matches this year.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by the US alongside Canada and Mexico, running for more than a month with 100+ matches.

Among the 12 stadiums that will host the new-look Club World Cup, some have also been chosen as venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will have 48 participants for the first time.

MetLife Stadium, an 82,500-seater in New Jersey, will host the semifinals and the final of the Club World Cup as well as the final of next year’s prestigious World Cup.

Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, Seattle’s Lumen Field and Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium are the other venues which will be involved in both tournaments.

The venues, though, might not be filled to their full capacity as organisers have struggled to sell tickets, with club fan tickets, general public tickets, and hospitality sections all still up for sale on the official FIFA site, nearly two weeks out from the start of the event.

Like a quarterback who completed offseason workouts, spring practices and fall training camp, Martin Jarmond had been preparing for this moment for nearly a year.

On Saturday came the big unveiling.

The UCLA athletic director discussed with The Times the plans for his department’s operations in the new college sports world created by the House settlement agreement with the NCAA that will allow schools to pay athletes directly for the first time starting July 1.

The big takeaways: UCLA will distribute $20.5 million in revenue sharing — the maximum allowed under the settlement — while keeping its Olympic sports programs and athletic department staff intact. The school will also preserve scholarship limits at their current levels for at least one year in order to distribute more revenue sharing money to each player.

“This is a pivotal moment in collegiate athletics, and we have to continue to invest in our athletics program to compete at the highest level,” Jarmond said. “That’s why student-athletes come to UCLA, to get the best education and compete at the highest level, and we must invest in our student-athletes to provide that championship-level experience.”

While Jarmond would not divulge the specifics of his revenue-sharing arrangement, it’s expected that UCLA will follow other Power Four conference schools in using U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken’s back-payment formula as a model for current athletes. Under this formula, which will distribute $2.8 billion to athletes who competed from 2016 to 2024 to compensate them for lost name, image and likeness opportunities, roughly 75% of the money will be shared with football players, 15% with men’s basketball players, 5% with women’s basketball players and 5% with all remaining athletes.

“We’ve worked really hard to look at the House settlement, along with other factors,” Jarmond said, “to determine how we were going to split up the revenue share.”

Jarmond told The Times last year that he anticipated a bigger share of revenue going to football and men’s basketball players because they were “responsible for more of the revenue based on the House settlement and the back pay for NIL and all those things.” Payments will rise each year as part of the 10-year settlement agreement.

Even though roster limits could eventually rise to 105 for football and 15 for men’s basketball as part of the settlement, keeping scholarship limits at their current levels — 85 for football, 13 for men’s basketball — will allow UCLA to provide each player on scholarship a bigger share of revenue. As part of the settlement agreement, any money used for scholarships (which have an estimated value of $65,000 per athlete at UCLA) comes out of the revenue sharing pot. Jarmond said his department would reevaluate this arrangement in a year to ensure it was best serving the school’s athletes.

UCLA is also committed to preserving its Olympic sports that have provided the lion’s share of NCAA championships in an athletic department widely regarded as one of the best in the nation. Jarmond said there would be no staffing cuts, but some personnel might be reassigned to better serve the athletic department.

“We are looking at reallocating staff,” Jarmond said, “to positions that better meet our needs in a changing landscape.”

The ability to pay players directly could help UCLA in ways that go beyond compensating its athletes. Revenue sharing arrangements could help narrow the resource gap between the Bruins and other Big Ten Conference schools that had more deep-pocketed NIL collectives engaging in pay-for-play practices.

Now, all new NIL deals exceeding $600 must be approved by NIL Go, a clearinghouse created by the College Sports Commission to analyze deals to ensure they serve a valid business purpose and provide fair market value.

It’s expected that all existing college NIL collectives — including UCLA’s Men of Westwood (which serves men’s basketball), Bruins for Life (football) and Champion of Westwood (women’s basketball, Olympic sports) — will essentially become marketing agencies that try to find endorsement deals for athletes.

Jarmond said UCLA was seeking a third-party partner to help secure so-called true NIL opportunities. Being based in Los Angeles should provide Bruins athletes with a clear advantage in securing marketing deals, Jarmond said.

Other challenges remain. Having traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby for federal NIL legislation, Jarmond said he believed it was necessary to eliminate the imbalance that exists with more than 30 states having their own NIL laws.

While distributing $20.5 million in revenue will be another financial blow to an athletic department that has run $219.5 million in the red over the last six fiscal years — though the entire debt has been covered by the university, bringing the balance to zero — Jarmond said he has long championed athletes being paid and believes the move is long overdue. As part of the settlement involving back pay to athletes, UCLA’s share of NCAA revenue will be reduced by more than $1 million annually for the next 10 years.

UCLA’s finances could soon improve under a College Football Playoff revenue sharing agreement that is expected to provide Big Ten schools an additional $8 million to $12 million annually beginning in 2026. That’s on top of media rights deals tilted heavily in favor of Big Ten and Southeastern Conference schools, giving the Bruins another infusion of much-needed cash.

The athletic department has a new ally in Chancellor Julio Frenk, who signaled his intention to be closely involved with the school’s sports programs during a recent interview with The Times.

“Chancellor Frenk has been extremely supportive of athletics and the impact that it has on our community,” Jarmond said. “He has been supportive of our efforts every step of the way. He hit the ground running during a pivotal time not just for athletics but the university, and he has demonstrated support at a high level and I’m grateful for his leadership at such a pivotal time for athletics.”

While acknowledging that UCLA athletics needed to be more creative with revenue generation as part of what he called “a huge moment” that would forever change the trajectory of college sports, Jarmond said the school’s commitment to sports was unwavering.

“We have to be bold and innovative in this new world,” Jarmond said. “UCLA has always been on the forefront and been a leader and that’s not going to change. We will embrace this new era and we will continue to support our student-athletes at a championship level.”