'Historically, Qatar has done wonders as I don't think this will ever be possible with the new format of the World Cup.'
Manchester City's Erling Haaland extended his remarkable scoring streak to 12 straight matches as his side recorded a comfortable 2-0 victory at Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Real Madrid failed in their attempt to sign France striker Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint Germain on the final day of the transfer window as Cristiano Ronaldo completed his move from Juventus to Manchester United.
Real Madrid's Intercontinental Cup triumph marked a remarkable milestone for Carlo Ancelotti on Wednesday as the Italian became the manager with the most titles in the club's history with a total of 15 trophies.
France's national soccer team returned from Qatar to the acclaim of huge crowds in Paris on Monday, after their heroic defeat to Argentina in the World Cup final.
Kylian Mbappe and Radamel Falcao struck early as Monaco reached the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in an enthralling game on Wednesday that sealed a 6-3 aggregate victory.
France's perfect record in their World Cup qualifying campaign ended as they were held to a 2-2 draw away to Iceland who got a late equaliser in an entertaining Group D clash on Monday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
36-year-old target man Giroud put the World Cup holders ahead at 2-1 with a tap-in after 32 minutes and added his second in the 71st to make the score 4-1 with a header from a Kylian Mbappe cross.
Argentine, somehow, were ready for an emotional, nail-biting encounter, having already gone through a dress rehearsal in the same stadium against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
Real outclass Majorca, to meet Barca in Super Cup final
Barcelona came from an early goal down to beat Real Madrid 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday
Roundup of the matches being held across major football leagues in Europe
'We were happy with the win because we played a great game until the 88th minute, when two lapses in concentration led to two goals and we had to suffer a bit more than we should have.'
PSG's focus on unity, tactical discipline and collective effort has drawn widespread plaudits ahead of their showdown with Inter Milan, who eliminated Barcelona after a thrilling semi-final.
Ronaldo had won his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 while he was playing for Manchester United and still holds the record of the last Premier League player to claim the top prize. Messi won his first in 2009 and was nominated for 16 years.
Barcelona can no longer afford to shell out huge sums in transfer fees for top players like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, coach Xavi Hernandez said.
Images from the Champions League semi-final first leg between Arsenal and Paris St Germain at Emirates Stadium, London, on Tuesday.
Reigning champions France take on Argentina in a showpiece final at Lusail Stadium with both teams looking to add a third star to their crest.
A round-up of Saturday's action in LaLiga, Ligue 1, Serie A and Bundesliga.
A closer look reveals a team riddled with selection issues courtesy of a string of injuries to key players
Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary Portuguese footballer, has confirmed that the ongoing European Championship will be his last
Mbappe, 18, has scored 18 goals in his last 18 competitive games, including three in the 6-3 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund in the last eight.
It took Giroud, who owed his place in the starting lineup to Benzema's absence, 115 international appearances to score his 51 goals, while Henry needed 123 from 1997-2010.
Real Madrid fight back to beat Mallorca and put Barca party on hold
Villarreal fought back to shock Barcelona 3-2 on Sunday, handing the LaLiga champions their first league defeat since late December.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said that he understands the club fans booying him and his team in their 5-2 win over Celta Vigo.
IMAGES from football matches played across European Leagues on Saturday.
Real booked their place in the final when substitute Arda Guler lifted a corner to Ruediger, who headed the equaliser that put Real Madrid through on aggregate.
Brazil soccer great Pele was hospitalised in Paris late on Tuesday with a strong fever but his condition is not life-threatening, RMC Sport reported. The 78-year-old was admitted as a precaution after attending an event in the French capital with France's World Cup-winning youngster Kylian Mbappe.
Dominic Xavier predicts the Amazing Leo, who will play alongside two other exciting talents, Neymar and Kylian Mbapp at PSG, will soon say Paris je t'aime.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
For months, the 2024 Ballon d'Or seemed to have a clear front-runner, with everyone anticipating the coronation of Vinícius Júnior as the new king of football.
With a game in hand, Hansi Flick's Barca are top on 66 points, three ahead Real in second
A round-up of Saturday's action in LaLiga, Ligue 1 and Serie A
Emma Hayes, who led Chelsea to the 2021 Champions League final, is joined on The Best FIFA Women's Coach shortlist by England manager Sarina Wiegman and Canada coach Beverly Priestman.
Kylian Mbappe and Brahim Diaz also struck for Real, to cancel out a double from City's Erling Haaland
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup semi-final between France and Morocco, played at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old Mbappe followed up a domestic treble with Paris St Germain with a string of impressive performances in France's World Cup winning campaign.
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