logo
Messi's PSG reunion, Real Madrid face Juventus in Club World Cup last 16

Messi's PSG reunion, Real Madrid face Juventus in Club World Cup last 16

France 242 days ago

Palmeiras v Botafogo
Saturday, June 28, in Philadelphia (1600 GMT)
All four Brazilian representatives reached the last 16 and at least one will be in the quarter-finals, as Palmeiras and Botafogo face each other. Botafogo are the reigning Brazilian and South American champions and beat European champions PSG on the way to qualifying from their group at Atletico Madrid's expense.
Sao Paulo side Palmeiras -- featuring Brazil prodigy and future Chelsea winger Estevao Willian -- won their group and are above Botafogo in the Brazilian league. However, Botafogo are unbeaten in their last five meetings with Palmeiras, including the two legs of a Copa Libertadores last-16 tie last year.
Benfica v Chelsea
Saturday, June 28, in Charlotte (2000 GMT)
Enzo Maresca's Chelsea finished second in their group but avoided a strong Bayern Munich side by doing so, pitting them against Benfica. The Portuguese powerhouses, who boast veteran playmaker Angel Di Maria, edged the German giants in their final group game.
Benfica will believe they can upset their inconsistent Premier League opposition and former Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez. New Chelsea striker Liam Delap is looking to continue adding to his tally after getting off the mark in the group stage.
Paris Saint-Germain v Inter Miami
Sunday, June 29, in Atlanta (1600 GMT)
Messi's Inter Miami were a surprise package in the group stage, beating Porto on their way to progressing to the last 16, but a late collapse against Palmeiras meant they finished second and must face the Argentine playmaker's former side PSG.
This season PSG ended a long wait to win the Champions League for the first time and Luis Enrique's side are expected to vanquish their MLS opponents, but Botafogo beat them in the group stage to prove they are not untouchable.
Flamengo v Bayern Munich
Sunday, June 29, in Miami (2000 GMT)
Brazilian side Flamengo stunned Chelsea in the group phase to claim top spot but must overcome the might of Vincent Kompany's Bayern if they are to progress.
With Harry Kane, Michael Olise and a Thomas Mueller looking to end his time at Bayern with a new trophy, the possession-hungry Bundesliga giants have as much firepower as anyone left in the tournament.
Highly rated Flamengo coach Filipe Luis has his work cut out to keep Bayern at bay.
Inter Milan v Fluminense
Monday, June 30, in Charlotte (1900 GMT)
Recent runners-up in the Champions League, Inter ground out wins over Urawa Red Diamonds and River Plate to finish top of their group and will now hope to avoid becoming the latest European team to stumble against Brazilian opposition.
Fluminense, of Rio, held Borussia Dortmund en route to qualifying for this stage and will be full of motivation to claim a major scalp against Cristian Chivu's side.
Manchester City v Al Hilal
Monday, June 30, in Orlando (0100 Tuesday, July 1)
City come into the knockout phase in ominous form after being the only team at the tournament to win all three group games. They have scored 11 times in their last two matches, with a 5-2 destruction of Juventus coming after they put six past Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates.
A game against Al Hilal, the 2021 Asian champions, will give City no reason to be afraid, even if the Saudi club boast numerous former stars of leading European leagues, including Joao Cancelo.
Real Madrid v Juventus
Tuesday, July 1, in Miami (1900)
This is a clash between two traditional European titans who have met 21 times before. There have been two Champions League finals between the clubs, both won by Real.
A 5-2 defeat for Juventus against Manchester City suggests they may find the going tough against Madrid.
Real are adapting to life under a new coach in Xabi Alonso, who experimented with a three-man defence against Salzburg. He will hope to have Kylian Mbappe back after the Frenchman missed the group stage with illness.
Borussia Dortmund v Monterrey
Tuesday, July 1, in Atlanta (0100 Wednesday, July 2)
Dortmund coach Niko Kovac has not held back on expressing his feelings about having to play in extreme heat at the tournament so he will be happy the game against Mexican side Monterrey is at the covered and air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Despite their complaints Dortmund have grown into the tournament. They face former Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos and a Monterrey team that has impressed, notably a creditable draw against Inter Milan.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Olson wins Western States 100 in California, Jornet third
Olson wins Western States 100 in California, Jornet third

France 24

time2 hours ago

  • France 24

Olson wins Western States 100 in California, Jornet third

Billed as one of the most competitive editions in the race's 52-year history, this year's running of the 100-mile (161-kilometer) event lived up to the hype. Around 15 elite runners crested the course's high point around 2,600 meters (8,600 feet) above sea level just after sunrise following a 5:00 am (1200 GMT) start at Olympic Valley. After weaving through chilly snowfields of the Sierra Nevada mountains, runners then faced the brutal heat of canyons where temperatures neared 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). The unforgiving combination of extreme heat and rugged terrain -- coupled with around 5,500 meters of climbing -- took its usual toll on the field. Maintaining an average pace of nearly 12 kilometers per hour, Olson, 29, surged to the front midway through the race and never looked back. He broke the tape at the finishing point at Auburn High School in 14 hours, 11 minutes and 25 seconds -- just two minutes shy of Jim Walmsley's course record (14:09:28). Walmsley, a three-time winner, withdrew from this year's race. After placing fifth in 2024, Olson's victory cements his place among the elite of ultra-trail running. The Salt Lake City native had previously earned top-20 finishes at the "CCC", the 100-km sister race to the famous Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in Chamonix. Restricted entry Chris Myers claimed second after going shoulder-to-shoulder with Olson for much of the race. Spaniard Jornet was third, in a repeat of his finish at the Western States in 2010. Jornet, 37, returned to take part in this year's event 14 years after his lone victory in the race, determined to test himself against a new generation of athletes on the fast, exposed trails of California. Despite his renowned mental toughness, Jornet was unable to close the gap during the hottest parts of the race. Over the past 15 years, he has helped boost the profile of trail running, broadening the appeal of the niche endurance pursuit. Even with elite preparation and cutting-edge cooling strategies, no one is immune to the challenges posed by the Western States. Simply earning a bib to race in the event -- which is limited to 369 entrants -- is a feat in itself. Elite runners may qualify through one of the 30 "Golden Tickets" awarded at select races. For everyone else, entry depends on a livestreamed annual lottery that draws nearly 10,000 hopefuls, some of whom wait a decade for their name to be called. For first-time applicants, the odds hover around 0.04 percent, improving only with years of patience and additional qualifying ultras. Even after overcoming the hurdles to entry, some runners fail to last the course. Among those who were forced to withdraw this year was American runner David Roche, a rising star of the sport who had won both of his previous 100-milers. Greeted with loud cheers at the Foresthill aid station at mile 62, Roche appeared visibly shaken and was eventually forced to withdraw. © 2025 AFP

Chelsea overcome Club World Cup weather delay, set up Palmeiras quarter-final
Chelsea overcome Club World Cup weather delay, set up Palmeiras quarter-final

France 24

time2 hours ago

  • France 24

Chelsea overcome Club World Cup weather delay, set up Palmeiras quarter-final

The London club were grateful to extra-time goals by Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to give them a 4-1 victory over Benfica. Their late burst of scoring settled a last-16 tie which took four hours, 39 minutes to complete at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina after a near two-hour weather delay. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left satisfied with his team's victory but slammed the delay that turned the tie into a near five-hour marathon. "I think it's a joke, it's not football," Maresca said. "For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. We created enough chances to win the game. Then after the break, the game changed -- for me personally, it's not football." Earlier, Chelsea had been seemingly poised for victory after Reece James' opportunistic second-half free-kick had left them 1-0 up with four minutes of regulation time remaining. But just as Chelsea began to think about their quarter-final assignment, the arrival of a storm over Charlotte triggered local safety protocols which required the game to be halted. It marked the sixth occasion during the Club World Cup that a game has been disrupted by a weather warning. When play resumed just under two hours later, a revitalised Benfica grabbed an injury-time equaliser after Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area following an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee. Benfica's Argentine veteran Angel Di Maria stepped up to roll in an ice-cold penalty, sending the game into extra time. An end-to-end first half of extra time saw Benfica, reduced to 10 men following Gianluca Prestianni's second yellow card at the end of regulation, threaten to take the lead as they chased an improbable victory. But instead it was Nkunku who fired Chelsea back in front, the French international bundling in from close range after Moises Caicedo's low shot squirted underneath Benfica goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin. As the game opened up, Benfica were increasingly vulnerable on the counter-attack and Chelsea pounced. Neto made it 3-1 with a nerveless finish after going clean through on goal in the 114th minute, and three minutes later Dewsbury-Hall completed the rout to send Chelsea through to the last eight. They will now return to Philadelphia, where they played two games in the group stage, to play Palmeiras in the quarter-finals on Friday. Paulinho settles Brazilian derby The Brazilian club were grateful to an extra-time winner by substitute Paulinho as they edged domestic rivals Botafogo 1-0 in a battle of attrition earlier Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The winger came on at the same time in the second half as Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira withdrew teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that appeared baffling in the moment but ultimately proved inspired. The tie had reached the 100th minute without a goal when Paulinho collected a pass by Richard Rios on the right flank and was afforded the time and space to come inside into the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner. That sparked wild celebrations among the Palmeiras fans who made up the vast majority of the 33,657 crowd, and the side from Sao Paulo held on to win the tie despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on. "That is why he came, so he could play for long enough to decide a game. He is going to have to stop again after the tournament," Ferreira said of Paulinho, who has struggled with injury since signing for Palmeiras at the start of the year. Winners of the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras will now hope to match the feat of their Brazilian rivals Flamengo, who defeated Chelsea during the group stage. The last-16 action continues on Sunday when European champions Paris Saint-Germain take on Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in Atlanta. Later on Bayern Munich face Flamengo in Miami.

Chelsea down Benfica to reach Club World Cup quarters after weather chaos
Chelsea down Benfica to reach Club World Cup quarters after weather chaos

France 24

time4 hours ago

  • France 24

Chelsea down Benfica to reach Club World Cup quarters after weather chaos

Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored in extra time to send Premier League side Chelsea into a quarter-final clash against Brazil's Palmeiras. Chelsea's late burst of scoring settled a game that took four hours, 39 minutes to complete at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina after a near two-hour weather delay. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left satisfied with his team's victory but slammed the delay that turned the tie into a near five-hour marathon. "I think it's a joke, it's not football," Maresca said. "For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. We created enough chances to win the game. Then after the break, the game changed -- for me personally, it's not football." Earlier, Chelsea had been seemingly poised for victory after Reece James' opportunistic second-half free-kick had left them 1-0 up with four minutes of regulation time remaining. But just as Chelsea began to think about their quarter-final assignment, the arrival of a storm over Charlotte triggered local safety protocols which required the game to be halted. It marked the sixth occasion during the Club World Cup that a game has been disrupted by a weather warning. "If you are already suspending, six, seven, eight games it probably means there is something that is not working well," Maresca said. "Because in a football game, it's not normal to suspend the game." When play resumed just under two hours later, a revitalised Benfica grabbed an injury-time equaliser after Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area following an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee. Benfica's Argentine veteran Angel Di Maria stepped up to roll in an ice-cold penalty, sending the game into extra time. An end-to-end first half of extra time saw Benfica, reduced to 10 men following Gianluca Prestianni's second yellow card at the end of regulation, threaten to take the lead as they chased an improbable victory. But instead it was Nkunku who fired Chelsea back in front, the French international bundling in from close range after Moises Caicedo's low shot squirted underneath Benfica goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin. As the game opened up, Benfica were increasingly vulnerable on the counter-attack and Chelsea pounced. Neto made it 3-1 with a nerveless finish after going clean through on goal in the 114th minute, and three minutes later Dewsbury-Hall completed the rout to send Chelsea through to the last eight.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store