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Champions League news

Manuel Akanji

WATCH: Akanji makes huge error as Bodo knock out Inter

Bodo/Glimt are into the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in their history after causing another European upset, eliminating last season's finalists Inter at the knockout round play-off stage 5-2 on aggregate. The Norwegian side led 3-1 from the first leg last week but still had to plenty of work to do at San Siro. However, a gift from Inter defender Manuel Akanji, on loan from Manchester City, helped Bodo into the next phase of the competition with a 2-1 win in Italy.

FBL-EUR-C1-ATLETICO MADRID-BRUGGE

WATCH: USMNT's Cardoso scores Champions League stunner

U.S. Men's National Team midfielder Johnny Cardoso made sure his first Atletico Madrid goal was an important one as he helped lead his side to a Champions League win on Tuesday. Cardoso's go-ahead goal gave his side the lead, helping them to a win in the second leg of Atleti's clash with Club Brugge.

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Why Mbappe is OUT of Real Madrid's match with Benfica

Kylian Mbappe is expected to miss the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League play-off with Benfica after succumbing to a knee injury in training. Los Blancos host the Portuguese giants at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, with Alvaro Arbeloa's men leading 1-0 from the first leg in Lisbon.

mbappe

Arbeloa highlights 'game-changer' Mbappe's key strength

Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has heaped praise on Kylian Mbappe, describing the Frenchman as a "game-changer" ahead of Tuesday's pivotal Champions League showdown with Benfica. Despite lingering concerns over a knee injury that has hampered the forward since December, Arbeloa was quick to dismiss any doubts regarding the player's fitness or his suitability in a central role.

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FC Internazionale v Juventus FC - Serie A

Juve set to hand Spalletti new deal and transfer power

Juventus are moving swiftly to secure its long-term future under Luciano Spalletti. Despite a period of mixed results on the pitch, the hierarchy in Turin has seen enough to double down on the former Italy national team head coach. The message coming out of the Allianz Stadium is clear: Spalletti is the man to lead the Bianconeri restoration, and he is about to be rewarded with more than just a piece of paper. The tactician is currently locked into a deal that runs until the end of June, but the club are eager to rub out any uncertainty regarding his position before the current campaign reaches its climax.

SL Benfica v Real Madrid C.F. - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off First Leg

Arbeloa urges UEFA action over Vinicius abuse

Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has thrown down the gauntlet to UEFA, demanding that European football’s governing body takes decisive action following the alleged racial abuse of Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian superstar was reportedly targeted by Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni during last week’s Champions League play-off first leg, a match that was halted for ten minutes after the incident. Ahead of the return leg at the Bernabeu, Arbeloa insisted that the time for empty gestures has passed and called for a meaningful investigation into the clash.

Real Madrid CF v Real Betis Balompie - LaLiga EA Sports

'Deplorable!' - Courtois slams Prestianni & Mourinho amid Vini Jr racism row

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has called for a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination, insisting that homophobia should be treated with the same severity as racism. The Belgian shot-stopper made the comments in the wake of a controversial Champions League clash against Benfica, where Gianluca Prestianni was hit with a provisional suspension for allegedly directing a discriminatory slur at Vinicius Jr. during Madrid's 1-0 win in Lisbon. While the initial accusations centered on a racial slur, reports have suggested the abuse may have been homophobic in nature, prompting Courtois to state that both are equally "deplorable" and have no place in the modern game.

Alisson Liverpool 2025-26

Juve eye Alisson despite talks with Vicario

Juventus are preparing for a massive shake-up between the sticks this summer after losing faith in Michele Di Gregorio. The Bianconeri are reportedly scouring the Premier League for a high-profile replacement, with Liverpool’s Alisson Becker emerging as a shock target alongside Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario. While Di Gregorio arrived from Monza with high expectations, a nightmare run of form has left the Old Lady’s hierarchy convinced that a world-class upgrade is required to restore the club's traditional defensive solidity.

Vinicius Junior Prestianni Benfica Real Madrid

Benfica president slams 'unfair' Prestianni ban

Benfica president Rui Costa has launched a passionate defence of Gianluca Prestianni, labelling UEFA’s decision to suspend the winger for the Champions League clash with Real Madrid as 'unfair'. The Argentine youngster has found himself at the centre of a firestorm following allegations of racial abuse directed at Blancos star Vinicius Junior during a heated first-leg encounter at the Estadio da Luz. Despite the gravity of the accusations, the Portuguese giants are standing firmly behind their man as they prepare for a daunting trip to the Bernabeu.

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Ferdinand defends Mourinho over Vinicius storm

Rio Ferdinand has jumped to the defence of Jose Mourinho amidst a growing firestorm surrounding the Benfica manager's handling of racism allegations made by Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. The Manchester United legend insists the former coach is not a racist and believes he will regret his approach to the incident that marred last week's Champions League showdown.

Jose Mourinho Vinicius Jr

Mourinho 'f*cked up' with 'clumsy' Vini comments - Mikel

Jose Mourinho “f*cked up” with his “clumsy” comments on Vinicius Junior, claims former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel. The Portuguese coach attracted criticism following a Champions League clash between Benfica and Real Madrid that sparked another racism row. Mourinho sought to defend his player, Gianluca Prestianni, while questioning the behaviour of Brazilian star Vinicius.

Anthony Gordon Newcastle GFX

How Gordon found himself chasing Mbappe in UCL goal charts

Anthony Gordon's 2025-26 Champions League campaign is the greatest by any English scorer for an English club in the competition's history. That's a fact. With his four-goal haul for Newcastle in last week's 6-1 hammering of Qarabag, he broke the record for most goals scored by an Englishman for a Premier League side in a single Champions League season, taking his tally to 10 from nine games. Not even Alan Shearer managed such a number in those famous black-and-white stripes.

FC Internazionale v Torino - Coppa Italia

Chivu backs Bastoni after 'sh*tty week' as Inter eye comeback

Inter head coach Christian Chivu has pulled no punches when discussing the mental state of star defender Alessandro Bastoni ahead of their crucial Champions League second leg against Bodo/Glimt. The Nerazzurri are looking to overturn a 3-1 deficit from the first leg, but the buildup has been dominated by the fallout from a controversial incident involving Bastoni during the recent Derby d'Italia against Juventus.

Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal - Premier League

Juve eye Vicario to replace Di Gregorio

Michele Di Gregorio is facing an uncertain future as the number one at the Allianz Stadium less than a year after his arrival from Monza for €18 million. A string of high-profile blunders across the last fortnight against Lazio, Inter and Como has forced the Bianconeri to reassess their options as the lack of consistency required to follow in the footsteps of legends like Dino Zoff, and Gianluigi Buffon is becoming a major concern for the club’s leadership.

Liverpool FC v Real Madrid C.F. - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4

Huijsen apologises following offensive social media post about China

Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen has found himself at the centre of a social media storm after sharing offensive content to the Asian community. The 20-year-old Spain international sparked immediate backlash after reposting an image on his Instagram that featured derogatory comments. The controversial post, which has since been scrubbed from his profile, included a picture of an Asian person accompanied by captions that Chinese netizens slammed as racist.

Jose Mourinho & Vinicius Junior

Mourinho issues blunt response to Vinicius Jr racism questions

Benfica boss Jose Mourinho has remained tight-lipped regarding the ongoing controversy surrounding Gianluca Prestianni’s alleged racial abuse of Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior. As the Eagles prepare for a pivotal Champions League second-leg showdown at the Bernabeu, 'the Special One' insists his squad's focus remains entirely on their professional duties on the pitch.

Vinicius Junior Prestianni Benfica Real Madrid

Prestianni tells UEFA probe he used homophobic slur - not racist

Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni has already given his version of events in UEFA's investigation into his alleged use of racist language against Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior. The incident followed Vinicius' stunning winning goal in Tuesday night's Champions League knockout play-off first leg in Lisbon, as the two players exchanged words before the Brazilian ran over to the referee to report something the Argentine said while he had his face covered with his shirt.

Jose Mourinho & Vinicius Junior

Vinicius 'repulsed' by Mourinho's response to racism allegations

Vinicius Junior is said to have found Jose Mourinho’s response to the racism allegations that he levelled against Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni “repulsive”. Former Real Madrid manager Mourinho spoke with Brazil international Vinicius during an unscheduled break in play at Estadio da Luz. The Portuguese refused to condemn his player afterwards, leading to widespread criticism of the so-called ‘Special One’.

Yamal shouldering too much at Barca.jpg

Yamal is shouldering too much responsibility at Barcelona

Uncle Ben's eternally wise 'with great power comes great responsibility' warning to Peter Parker, aka Spiderman, is also applicable to Lamine Yamal, a real-life superhuman still at the beginning of his career. At the tender age of 18, the Barcelona wonderkid has already achieved more than most players dream of, and is held up as the beacon of excellence underpinning the Blaugrana's bid for another era of domestic and European success.

Jose Mourinho Vinicius Junior Vincent Kompany

📽️ | Kompany slams Jose for bringing Eusebio into racism row

Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany has criticised Benfica manager Jose Mourinho for bringing Eusebio’s name into the Vinicius Junior racism row that has been sparked on the back of an eventful Champions League clash at Estadio da Luz. Ex-Real Madrid coach Mourinho has sought to defend his player, Gianluca Prestianni, and Portuguese supporters.

Frequently asked questions

Supporters have a number of opportunities to purchase tickets for matches involving Iran, via the FIFA website, between now and the big kick-off in June. The various sales phases differ in terms of purchasing processes, payment methods and ticket products.

To buy tickets, you must visit the official FIFA ticketing portal and register for an account. You can then log in to your FIFA account and check out ticket availability.

If you are looking for an official and secure way to resell/exchange your FIFA World Cup 26 tickets, the FIFA Resale/Exchange Marketplace is the official channel for doing so. The Marketplace opened in October and be accessed via FIFA.com/tickets.

FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets will also be available from secondary resellers, such as StubHub and Ticombo.

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Iran’s heavy 6-2 loss to England in their opener at the 2022 World Cup was a bitter pill to swallow, but Mehdi Taremi's consolation double strike meant that he became Iran’s top World Cup scorer of all-time. The Olympiacos striker will be hoping to add to his tally further in North America. In terms of World Cup appearances, Ehsan Hajsafi tops Iran's standings with 9 caps, after playing in all his side's matches at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments.