… Some pundits accused the Spaniard of being afraid to drop the skipper or even substitute him. “That’s embarrassing from Martinez,” former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said on the BBC after Martinez kept Ronaldo on and took off midfielder Vitinha in the 83rd minute. …
… With his full squad available following the arrival of the four players who won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, Martinez started midfielders Vitinha and Joao Neves alongside Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes. …
… But in a year’s time, depending on which players shine, expectant parents may be leaning towards Lamine (Yamal, Spain), Ousmane (Dembele, France), Harry (Kane, England) or Vitinha (Portugal). …
… But it shows they did the right thing in abandoning the old superstar project, even if plenty of their current squad — Dembele, Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi — should really be considered as superstars. …
… That ultimately took the sting out of the occasion, and the visitors came into the contest without key players including Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, captain Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Warren Zaire-Emery in their starting line-up. …
… Bayern surrounded referee Joao Pinheiro claiming a penalty on the half-hour mark when Vitinha’s clearance hit Joao Neves’s outstretched arm in the box, but their appeals were waved away. …
… A mistake from Filip Jorgensen saw Vitinha lob the Chelsea goalkeeper to put PSG on top for the third time, with Kvaratskhelia hammering in a superb fourth and then potentially applying the fatal blow for Luis Enrique’s side in stoppage time. …
… Vitinha then missed a chance for the reigning European champions to reduce the deficit when he had a penalty saved and last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele came off injured before the half-hour mark, but his replacement Doue sparked the comeback. …
Cristiano Ronaldo had his fewest touches (25) in a full match at a major tournament for Portugal in a 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo, with coach Roberto Martinez defending his decision to keep the 41-year-old on the field despite Portugal searching for a winner.
Cristiano Ronaldo had his fewest touches (25) in a full match at a major tournament for Portugal in a 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo, with coach Roberto Martinez defending his decision to keep the 41-year-old on the field despite Portugal searching for a winner.
Portugal defeated Nigeria 2-1 in a World Cup warm-up fixture, with goals from Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceicao securing the victory despite Cristiano Ronaldo wasting several chances. Portugal will face the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia in Group K of the World Cup, opening their campaign on June 17 in Houston.
Across South America, football-inspired baby names are booming, with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe among the most popular in Ecuador and Colombia. In Ecuador, 3,847 children are named Neymar and over 2,800 are named Kylian, according to the country's civil registry.
Cristiano Ronaldo is making a record sixth World Cup appearance with Portugal, who face DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia in Group K. At 41, Ronaldo has not scored in his last nine World Cup and Euro matches combined, though manager Roberto Martinez has kept faith in him after his recent success in the Nations League.
Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain face Arsenal in Saturday's final in Budapest. Arsenal have never won the trophy but aim to add it to their first Premier League title in 22 years.
Paris Saint-Germain, after winning their maiden Champions League title last year by defeating Inter Milan 5-0, face Arsenal in Budapest aiming to retain the trophy. Manager Luis Enrique's side are favourites and have proven difficult to stop, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia describing the team as capable of beating any opponent when they play their way.
Paris Saint-Germain clinched their fifth straight French Ligue 1 title with a 2-0 win over Lens, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scoring before the half-hour mark and Ibrahim Mbaye adding a late goal. PSG have now won 14 French titles overall, with 12 coming in the last 14 years under Qatari ownership.
Paris Saint-Germain defeated Bayern Munich 6-5 on aggregate with a 1-1 second-leg draw to advance to the Champions League final, where they will face Arsenal on May 30 in Budapest.
Federico Valverde scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid defeated Manchester City 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, while PSG beat Chelsea 5-2 and Arsenal drew 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen.
Paris Saint-Germain came from two goals down to defeat Monaco 3-2 in the first leg of their Champions League knockout playoff, with Desire Doue scoring twice after replacing injured Ousmane Dembele to spark the turnaround that leaves PSG strong favourites heading into next week's return leg in Paris.