England will begin their World Cup quest next June against a very familiar foe with seasoned tournament regulars Croatia the first hurdle for Thomas Tuchel's highly-fancied team.
A summary of Wednesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
Nine players from treble-winning Paris St Germain have been nominated for the men's Ballon d'Or this year along with the club's coach Luis Enrique as France Football announced the list of nominees on Thursday.
The French and English sides, two of European football's most powerful and richest clubs, will compete for the honour of being the first champions of FIFA's expanded competition, created with the promise of revolutionising club football and as a glittering curtain-raiser for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Real Madrid are considering creating a subsidiary that would allow external investors to buy a stake of around 5% in the world's most valuable football club.
United States President Donald Trump paid homage to soccer great Pele after being met with boos and cheers from the crowd at the Club World Cup final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Holders Paris St Germain cruised to a 3-0 victory over Stade de Reims in the Coupe de France final on Saturday, claiming a third domestic trophy for the second successive season, and preparing for next week's Champions League final in style.
Paris St Germain's Champions League triumph marked the culmination of a profound transformation, from a club defined by star power to one shaped by structure, tactical clarity and collective belief.
The Qatari-owned French club have never won the Champions League despite massive spending down the years on the likes of Kylian Mbappe and South American duo Lionel Messi and Neymar.
In front of a tournament-high crowd of 81,188 at MetLife Stadium that included US President Donald Trump, Chelsea triumphed to bag the biggest club title.
Images from the Champions League semi-final second leg between Paris St Germain and Arsenal, at Parc des Princes, Paris, France, on Wednesday.
Images from the Club World Cup quarter-finals between Paris St Germain-Bayern Munich and Real Madrid-Dortmund.
A summary of Wednesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
Joao Neves scored twice as Paris St Germain swept aside Lionel Messi's Inter Miami 4-0 at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium to secure their place in the Club World Cup quarter-finals.
Cole Palmer lives up to his nickname in a scorching Club World Cup final on Sunday, scoring twice in Chelsea's 3-0 win over Paris St Germain on another broiling day at MetLife Stadium.
Cole Palmer scored twice as the Chelsea proved too good for the Parisians, fresh off their maiden Champions League triumph last month.
'I'm really eager because it's a World Cup. We're coming off winning the last one, and being able to defend it on the field again is spectacular because it's always a dream to play with the national team.'
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi said he barely recognised his side as they fell to a deserved 5-0 defeat at the hands of Paris St Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday.
An RFEF judge ruled that in order to preserve the integrity of the competition only a case of force majeure would warrant a change to the official calendar, and that Real's case did not justify an alteration, Europa Press news agency reported.
Images from the Champions League semi-final first leg between Arsenal and Paris St Germain at Emirates Stadium, London, on Tuesday.
Bayern Munich made it 16 wins from 16 games this season to underline their credentials as early Champions League favourites, beating holders Paris St Germain 2-1 away as Luis Diaz scored two goals and was shown a red card on Tuesday.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso declined to comment on Saturday after Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal suggested the capital club "cheat" and "complain" in a televised interview on Friday.
Paris St Germain's hopes of becoming the first side to complete a Ligue 1 season unbeaten came crashing down at the Parc des Princes on Friday when Nice handed them their first defeat of the league campaign, winning 3-1 to boost their own Champions League ambitions.
Paris St Germain forward Ousmane Dembele got a roaring welcome usually reserved for tennis champions when he carried the freshly-won Champions League trophy onto centre court on Monday.
IMAGES from UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
Real Madrid have signed 17-year-old midfielder Franco Mastantuono from Argentine side River Plate on a six-year contract, the LaLiga club said on Friday.
Mikel Arteta said his Arsenal side must do something special next week to reach the Champions League final after a 1-0 defeat by Paris St Germain in the semi-final first leg at home on Tuesday.
Spain face Ronald Koeman's Netherlands away on Thursday before returning home for the second-leg on March 23.
Liverpool have signed French striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, the English Premier League side announced on Wednesday.
Coach Enrique understands Mbappe's decision to leave PSG
Manchester City's spending of more than 180 million pounds ($223.58 million) was the second-biggest outlay ever worldwide by a club in the January transfer window.
The Champions League play-offs are set to deliver high-octane drama as Manchester City prepare to battle European heavyweights Real Madrid, while Celtic brace for a daunting clash against Bayern Munich, with last-16 spots on the line.
A day after Yann Sommer's brilliant goalkeeping display helped Inter Milan reach the Champions League final at the expense of Barcelona, it was Gianluigi Donnarumma's turn to shine as Paris St Germain booked their ticket for the showdown in Munich.
Both managers have struggled in the Champions League this season, with PSG on seven points and 25th in the standings, one place outside the knockout phase playoff zone, while City are one point ahead in 22nd.
A round-up of Saturday's action the Bundesliga, Ligue 1
PSG beat Seattle to reach knockout stage at Club World Cup
IMAGES from football matches played across Europe on Friday.
Lionel Messi said his decision to join Major League Soccer club Inter Miami as a free agent was fuelled by his struggles at Paris St Germain, describing it as a period he "didn't enjoy".
Brazil's Barcelona forward Raphinha regretted that the players were not consulted about extending their season to play at the Club World Cup, adding that nobody should be obliged to give up their vacation time.
The Italians, however, did not opt for their second strip -- white shirts with blue details -- choosing to wear the third kit instead, a golden yellow shirt with black details and black shorts.
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