Latest news with #AlJazeeraSport
Al Jazeera
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Chelsea given CWC headache ahead of Benfica test
Who: Chelsea vs Benfica What: FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States When: Saturday, June 28 at 4pm (21:00 GMT) How to follow: We'll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1pm (18:00 GMT) before our live text commentary stream. Chelsea and Benfica meet in the second round of 16 tie at the FIFA Club World Cup in an all-European affair, which could easily have been a fixture straight from the UEFA Champions League. Between them, the clubs have lifted Europe's premier club competition on nine occasions, with seven of those titles going to Portuguese giants Benfica. Al Jazeera Sport looks ahead to the match that comes with a significant headache for the English club following their late slip-up in the group stage. What is Chelsea's annoyance heading into the Benfica tie? Chelsea are facing a logistical headache at the Club World Cup after finishing second in their group, forcing an unexpected trip to Charlotte for their last 16 match instead of staying in Miami, where the club thought they would be based for the knockout stage. Travel, accommodation and training arrangements were, a source told the news agency Reuters, all made with the assumption that the West Londoners would top Group D and play their round of 16 match at Hard Rock Stadium. The detour to Charlotte means reorganising bookings and schedules at short notice, but the club still intends to return to its Miami base after the match, adding more miles to an already hectic itinerary. What happened to Chelsea in the group stage? The Blue opened their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win against Los Angeles. After a 3-1 loss to Brazil's Flamengo, Chelsea only managed second place despite a 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis in their final group stage fixture in Philadelphia. How did Benfica fare in the group stage? Benfica were held to a 2-2 draw in their opening match at the FIFA Club World Cup by Boca Juniors. The Lisbon-based club then won their final two games against New Zealand's Auckland City (6-0) and Germany's Bayern Munich (1-0). Who awaits Chelsea or Benfica in the quarter-finals? The winner of Saturday's tie will return to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to face the winner of the all-Brazilian clash between Palmeiras and Botafogo. The #FIFACWC Round of 16 fixtures. 🔢 — FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 27, 2025 Chelsea's Fernandez prepares for Benfica reunion Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca has hailed the contribution of playmaker Enzo Fernandez as the Argentinian prepares to come up against his old team Benfica. 'I am very pleased with Enzo especially because first of all he is a nice and polite boy, and then with us since we started he has been working very well in every aspect on and off the pitch,' Maresca told reporters in Charlotte. Fernandez was a vital cog in the Chelsea side that finished fourth in the Premier League to qualify for next season's Champions League, and also featured in their run to the UEFA Conference League title. The 24-year-old also scored a second goal as a sub in the 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in their opening game and has started both matches since, laying on two goals in the 3-0 victory against Esperance of Tunisia. Fernandez was signed from Benfica in February 2023 for a British transfer record fee at the time of 107 million pounds ($147m). In 2025, he has scored and assisted a total of 14 goals. 'This season he struggled a bit at the beginning to understand the way we want to play but (since) then he is doing fantastic also in terms of numbers, goals and assists,' Maresca added. 'This is what I want from attacking players – I have said many times that I prefer to have attacking players with 10-12 goals each than just one striker with 40 goals. 'His contribution has been top and I am sure it will be even better next season.' Benfica not to be underestimated after Bayern win Maresca has warned his players about the threat posed by their Portuguese opponents, especially after they beat Bayern Munich to top their group. 'I think Benfica, not only in this competition, have always shown how big a club they are in Europe,' said the coach. 'In the last game they beat Bayern so they showed what they can do. Every game is tough and complicated, and anything can happen.' Have Chelsea ever won a Club World Cup? Yes. Chelsea, who have twice lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy in Europe, have lifted the Club World Cup once. The Blues lifted the title in 2021 with a 2-1 win against Brazil's Palmeiras. Romelu Lukaku and Kai Havertz scored the Blues' goals, with the winner netted by the latter in extra time. What happened the last time between Chelsea and Benfica? The teams competed for the UEFA Europa League title in 2013, with the Blues securing a 2-1 win. Fernando Torres opened the scoring on the stroke of the hour mark for the Blues with Oscar Cardozo equalising from the spot in the 69th minute. Branislav Ivanovic settled matters with a 90th-minute winner for Chelsea. Chelsea team news Wesley Fofana has joined the squad at the tournament, but the defender continues to recover from a long-term thigh injury and will miss out once again. Striker Nicolas Jackson serves the second and final game of a two-match suspension for a straight red card in the match against Flamengo. Reece James, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella are all in line for a return. Benfica team news Alexander Bah and Manu Silva remain long-term absentees, but midfielder Florentino Luis is in line for a comeback from a shoulder injury, having missed the last two games. Forward Andrea Belotti returns from suspension. Benfica possible starting lineup: Trubin; Aursnes, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Barreiro, Sanches; Di Maria, Prestianni, Schjelderup; Pavlidis Chelsea possible starting lineup: Sanchez; James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Delap Head-to-head This is the third meeting between the sides, with Chelsea winning all of the encounters. Along with their Europa League success against Benfica, the Blues won both Champions League ties in 2011-2012. Form guides Benfica form (all competitions): D-L-D-W-W Chelsea form (all competitions): W-W-W-L-W
Al Jazeera
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Chelsea given CWC headache ahead of Porto test
Who: Chelsea vs Benfica What: FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States When: Saturday, June 28 at 4pm (21:00 GMT) How to follow: We'll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1pm local (18:00 GMT) ahead of our live text commentary stream. Chelsea and Benfica meet in the second round of 16 tie at the FIFA Club World Cup in an all-European affair, which could easily have been a fixture straight from the UEFA Champions League. Between them, the clubs have lifted Europe's premier club competition on nine occasions, with seven of those titles going to Portuguese giants, Benfica. Al Jazeera Sport looks ahead to the match that comes with a significant headache for the English club following their late slip-up in the group stage. What is Chelsea's annoyance heading into the Benfica tie? Chelsea are facing a logistical headache at the Club World Cup after finishing second in their group, forcing an unexpected trip to Charlotte for their last 16 match instead of staying in Miami, where the club thought they would be based for the knockout stage. Travel, accommodation and training arrangements were, a source told the news agency Reuters, all made with the assumption that the West Londoners would top Group D and play their round of 16 match at Hard Rock Stadium. The detour to Charlotte means reorganising bookings and schedules at short notice, but the club still intends to return to its Miami base after the match, adding more miles to an already hectic itinerary. What happened to Chelsea in the group stage? The Blue opened their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win against Los Angeles. After a 3-1 loss to Brazil's Flamengo, Chelsea only managed second place despite a 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis in their final group stage fixture in Philadelphia. How did Benfica fare in the group stage? Benfica were held to a 2-2 draw in their opening match at the FIFA Club World Cup by Boca Juniors. The Lisbon-based club then won their final two games against New Zealand's Auckland City (6-0) and Germany's Bayern Munich (1-0). Who awaits Chelsea or Benfica in the quarter-finals? The winner of Saturday's tie will return to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to face the winner of the all-Brazilian clash between Palmeiras and Botafogo. The #FIFACWC Round of 16 fixtures. 🔢 — FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 27, 2025 Have Chelsea ever won a Club World Cup? Yes. Chelsea, who have twice lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy in Europe, have lifted the Club World Cup once. The Blues lifted the title in 2021 with a 2-1 win against Brazil's Palmeiras. Romelu Lukaku and Kai Havertz scored the Blues' goals, with the winner netted by the latter in extra time. What happened the last time between Chelsea and Benfica? The teams competed for the UEFA Europa League title in 2013, with the Blues securing a 2-1 win. Fernando Torres opened the scoring on the stroke of the hour mark for the Blues with Oscar Cardozo equalising from the spot in the 69th minute. Branislav Ivanovic settled matters with a 90th-minute winner for Chelsea. Chelsea team news Wesley Fofana has joined the squad at the tournament, but the defender continues to recover from a long-term thigh injury and will miss out once again. Striker Nicolas Jackson serves the second and final game of a two-match suspension for a straight red card in the match against Flamengo. Reece James, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella are all in line for a return. Benfica team news Alexander Bah and Manu Silva remain long-term absentees, but midfielder Florentino Luis is in line for a comeback from a shoulder injury, having missed the last two games. Forward Andrea Belotti returns from suspension. Benfica possible starting lineup: Trubin; Aursnes, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Barreiro, Sanches; Di Maria, Prestianni, Schjelderup; Pavlidis Chelsea possible starting lineup: Sanchez; James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Delap Head-to-head This is the third meeting between the sides, with Chelsea winning all of the encounters. Along with their Europa League success against Benfica, the Blues won both Champions League ties in 2011-2012. Form guides Benfica form (all competitions): D-L-D-W-W Chelsea form (all competitions): W-W-W-L-W
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Mbappe in line for a Real return in CWC decider with Salzburg
Who: Real Madrid vs Red Bull Salzburg What: FIFA Club World Cup 2025 – Group H Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States When: Thursday, June 26, 9pm local time (01:00 GMT on Friday, June 27) How to follow: We'll have all the build-up from 6pm local (10:00 GMT) on Al Jazeera Sport. Record-winners Real Madrid battle to maintain top spot in their group against the side currently level on points with them, Red Bull Salzburg. The 17-time Austrian champions could claim pole position, and with it a better draw in the round of 16. Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the Group H decider. How have Real Madrid fared so far at the Club World Cup? Real Madrid opened with a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal. Gonzalo Garcia, in for Kylian Mbappe, who was absent with gastroenteritis, gave Los Blancos the lead, but Ruben Neves levelled from the spot before the break. Federico Valverde missed a late penalty for Los Blancos. The Spanish giants' Raul Asencio was sent off in the seventh minute of their 3-1 win against Pachuca in their second match. Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Federico Valverde shrugged off the setback to power Real into an unassailable lead before Elias Montiel netted a consolation for the Mexicans in the 80th minute. How have Salzburg fared so far? After a 2-1 opening win over Pachuca, Salzburg missed the chance to seal their place in the round of 16, with a game to spare, as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Al Hilal. What do Real Madrid need to qualify? A draw would guarantee Real a top-two finish, but that scenario could mean the Spaniards lose the top spot, should Al-Hilal, who are two points off the top two in third, beat Pachuca. What do Salzburg need to qualify? The Austrians must win to be assured of progress to the knockout stages. A draw would be enough if Al Hilal and Pachuca draw their final game, while Salzburg could even progress in defeat – if Al Hilal's own chances are ended by defeat. What is the latest on Mbappe's return for Real Madrid? Kylian Mbappe looks set to return from a bout of gastroenteritis, but whether the French forward will be fit to start remains to be seen. Real coach Xabi Alonso says he is hopeful the 26-year-old will feature after he missed both Club World Cup matches so far, having been hospitalised with the illness. How did Real Madrid qualify for the Club World Cup? Real, who relinquished both their domestic and European titles this season, qualified for the Club World Cup with their 2022 UEFA Champions League final win against Liverpool. How did Salzburg reach the Club World Cup? Salzburg's performances in the UEFA Champions League over the past four years was the qualifying factor for this competition via the UEFA ranking pathway. Salzburg finished third in the Austrian top flight this season, six points behind title-winning Sturm Graz. What happened the last time Real Madrid met Salzburg? The teams met in the League Phase of the Champions League earlier this season, with Real emerging 5-1 winners at Santiago Bernabeu. Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior both scored twice, with Mbappe chipping in with the other. Mads Bidstrup's strike for Salzburg was merely a consolation in the 85th minute. How many Club World Cups have Real Madrid won? Real are the five-time record winners of this competition, and last lifted the trophy in 2023 following their win against Al Hilal. Head-to-head This is only the second meeting between the European clubs, following Real's Champions League win in their match earlier this season. The new format for Europe's premier club competition means the teams no longer have to play each other home and away prior to the knockout stages. Salzburg have met Spanish opposition on 24 occasions over the years, but have won only five of those encounters, losing 15. Real Madrid team news Real will be without the services of Asencio, following his sending off against Pachuca. The defender could be replaced by Antonio Rudiger as he continues his comeback from injury. All eyes will be on the Real teamsheet to see if Mbappe will make his first appearance at the competition, even if it is just from the bench. Salzburg team news Takumu Kawamura's knee injury in training before his side's second game in the group looks set to sideline the midfielder for some time. Goalkeeper Alexander Schlager's hand injury keeps him out, as does winger Moussa Yeo's knee problem. Maurits Kjaergaard could be in line for a start after making his first appearance in eight months as a substitute in the draw with Al Hilal. The midfielder has been absent with an ankle injury. Real Madrid possible starting lineup: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, F Garcia; Guler, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Valverde, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr Red Bull Salzburg possible starting lineup: Zawieschitzky; Lainer, Gadou, Ramussen, Kratzig; Bidstrup, Diabate; Nene, Gloukh; Onisiwo, Baidoo Real Madrid form (all competitions): W-W-W-D-W Red Bull Salzburg form (all competitions): L-W-W-W-D
Al Jazeera
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Messi and Miami face crunch Club World Cup tie with Porto
Who: Inter Miami vs Porto What: FIFA Club World Cup Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States When: Thursday, June 19 – 15:00 EDT local time | 12:00 PST | 19:00 GMT | 21:00 CEST How to follow our coverage: We'll have all the build-up from 11pm (16:00 GMT) on Al Jazeera Sport. Inter Miami and Porto both play their second match of the FIFA Club World Cup in Florida on Thursday, in what is effectively a must-not-lose match for the pair. Both took a point from their opening match in Group A, but a defeat in the second round of matches would heap pressure on the losing side's final fixture in the group. Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at a game that could be a huge step forward for Inter Miami, spearheaded by Lionel Messi, or two-time Champions League winners, Porto. Inter Miami, one of the host nation's representatives, opened the tournament with a 0-0 draw at their home stadium against Al Ahly on Saturday. The Egyptian giants, the most successful club in world football, dominated the first half but held on in the second as Messi and Co found their footing at the Hard Rock Stadium. Miami had goalkeeper Oscar Ustari to thank for saving a penalty from Al Ahly forward Trezeguet just before half-time. Porto were pushed all the way by Brazilian club Palmeiras as they too returned a 0-0 draw in the match played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford – the New Jersey venue that will host both the Club World Cup and FIFA 2026 World Cup finals. Palmeiras had 17 shots with five on target, compared to Porto's 11, of which the keeper was only tested on five occasions. Miami's qualification was not without controversy. The Floridian club recorded 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 secured the MLS 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. Porto qualified for the Club World Cup via the UEFA ranking pathway following their strong Champions League performances between 2021 and 2024. The 30-time Portuguese league champions won the European Cup in 1987, as it was then named, and the Champions League in 2004. The Benfica-based club finished 11 points off champions Sporting Lisbon in this season's Portuguese domestic league. 'I watched the match between Miami and Al Ahly. I saw that they are two very tough opponents with a lot of intensity,' Porto's Argentinean defender, Alan Varela, said. Commenting on his fellow countryman, Messi, the 23-year-old added: 'Inter have the best player in the world, so we're going to try to play and fight until the end, just like we did [against Palmeiras] and just like the club demands. 'The group is wide open, there is a long way to go. There are still two matches, so we're going to try to get the victory in each.' Former England international Beckham is a co-owner of Miami. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder had a clause in his Major League Soccer contract, during his spell as a player with LA Galaxy, that offered him the chance to buy a future MLS franchise. Beckham took up the opportunity to buy a $25m stake in the franchise, which would become Inter Miami, in 2014. The Miami-based franchise 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. This is the first meeting between the MLS franchise and the Portuguese giants. Inter Miami have no news injuries to report ahead of the match against Porto, and are expected to name the same starting lineup as they did in the first fixture. Porto's stand-in goalkeeper, Claudio Ramos, will start in between the sticks once again following his key performance that frustrated Palmeiras in their opening match. Ramos is currently deputising for Porto's injured captain, Diogo Costa, as the Portuguese side are also expected to name an unchanged side. Inter Miami: Ustari, Fray, Aviles, Falcon, Allen, Allende, Redondo, Busquets; Segovia, Messi, Suarez Porto: Ramos, Fernandes, Pedro, Marcano, Joao Mario, Varela, Veiga, Moura, Vieira, Mora, Samu
Al Jazeera
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
LIVE: Inter Miami vs Al Ahly – FIFA Club World Cup
Inter Miami of the United States face Al Ahly of Egypt in the opening game of the FIFA Club World match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, United States, kicks off at 8pm kickoff (00:00 GMT on Sunday, June 15).Inter Miami finished with the most points in Major League Soccer's (MLS) regular season, handing them a place at the Club World Ahly won the Egyptian league this season and the CAF (Confederation of Africa Football) Champions League final the season City are the defending FIFA Club World Cup up to date: Follow Al Jazeera Sport on our website and on X for the latest news, features and live events from around the world. Update: Date: 8m ago (20:00 GMT) Title: Welcome to our live coverage Content: Hello, welcome and thanks for joining our live coverage of Inter Miami against Al Ahly in the opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup. The month-long tournament, hosted in United States, is kicking off at Inter Miami's stadium in Florida. Despite the home side boasting the presence of one of the greatest players to have graced the field, Lionel Messi, the match will be far from a walkover. Al Ahly carry the weight of a continent on their Egyptian shoulders, and themselves boast the most successful club record in world football. I'm Kevin Hand and I'll bring you the live build-up to the game, as we explore the teams and the tournament itself. Adam Hancock will bring you our comprehensive text commentary of the game. Stick with us throughout the day, and across the tournament, for all the action.
