Category: Sports

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Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern and Atletico reach Champions League quarterfinals

Barcelona hit Newcastle United for seven to reach the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday, while Liverpool overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Galatasaray in their last-16 tie and both Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid advanced to the next round.

Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski both scored twice as La Liga leaders Barcelona tore apart Newcastle at the Camp Nou, winning 7-2 in the second leg of their last-16 encounter to progress 8-3 on aggregate.

A spectacular match saw Anthony Elanga twice score for Newcastle inside the opening half-hour to cancel out goals by Raphinha and Marc Bernal.

However, the Catalans went back in front when Lamine Yamal converted a penalty deep in first-half stoppage time to make it 3-2 on the night, and they never looked back.

Fermin Lopez ran through for 4-2 early in the second half before Lewandowski added a quick-fire double either side of the hour mark, and Raphinha completed the scoring in the 72nd minute.

“The confidence that we got in the second half was good to see,” said Barca coach Hansi Flick.

It was a chastening defeat for Newcastle and just the third time since 1955 that an English team has conceded at least eight goals on aggregate in a European tie — one of the other occasions was this week, when Chelsea lost 8-2 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain.

“When the game was effectively over we didn’t react well to that, so it became a very difficult second half,” said Newcastle coach Eddie Howe.

It was also just the third time Barcelona have scored seven in a Champions League game, and Flick’s side can now look forward to an all-Spanish quarter-final next month against Atletico.

Diego Simeone’s men lost 3-2 on the night to Tottenham Hotspur in London, but progressed 7-5 on aggregate thanks to their 5-2 victory last week.

Randal Kolo Muani headed in on the half-hour to give Spurs the lead on the night and suggest a stunning comeback in the tie was possible.

A superb Julian Alvarez strike just after half-time doused the home side’s hopes, even if a fine Xavi Simons effort put Tottenham back in front.

David Hancko headed in Atletico’s second on the night, before Simons converted a last-minute penalty for his second of the game as Spurs rescued some pride by ending a run of eight matches without a win.

Liverpool were too good for Galatasaray, overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit against the Turkish side with a comprehensive 4-0 win at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s side went ahead on 25 minutes through a lovely first-time finish at a corner from Dominik Szoboszlai.

Mohamed Salah then had a poor penalty saved in first-half stoppage time, but the Egyptian made up for that in style after the break.

He laid on two goals in the space of three minutes, one for Hugo Ekitike and the other for Ryan Gravenberch.

Salah then scored the fourth himself just after the hour, curling a superb effort into the far corner from the edge of the area from a Florian Wirtz lay-off.

It was his 10th club goal this season was also his 50th in the Champions League, and it sealed a 4-1 aggregate victory which takes the Reds through to a quarterfinal against PSG.

That will be a repeat of a last-16 tie a year ago which PSG won on penalties — the French club have won four knockout ties against English opponents since the start of 2025.

“We could (have) won 10-0, but we did a good job. We can be proud,” said Ekitike.

Bayern’s progress against Atalanta was never in doubt after their 6-1 win in the first leg in Italy, and they followed that with a 4-1 success in Munich.

Harry Kane opened the scoring with a retaken first-half penalty — his initial effort had been saved — and then added a brilliant second on 54 minutes.

The brace took the Englishman to a half-century of Champions League goals, as he joined Salah and Thierry Henry on that overall mark — Kane has done it in 66 games compared to 97 for Salah.

Teenager Lennart Karl got Bayern’s third and Luis Diaz the fourth, with Lazar Samardzic pulling one back as the Germans progress 10-2 on aggregate — they now face Real Madrid in a heavyweight showdown.

“We don’t fear anyone,” Kane told DAZN when asked about the prospect of that tie. (JapanToday)

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Senegal to appeal ‘unjust’ AFCON ruling

Senegal’s football authorities said they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after the country was stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title on Tuesday.

“The Senegalese Football Federation condemns this unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision, which brings African football into disrepute,” it said in a statement.

“To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the federation will, as soon as possible, file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.”

Several Senegalese players controversially walked off the pitch in Rabat during the final on January 18 in protest when the hosts were awarded a penalty late in second-half stoppage time.

After Senegal’s players eventually returned having been coaxed back onto the pitch by captain Sadio Mane, Morocco missed the penalty and Pape Gueye went on to score the goal in extra time that gave his team a 1-0 victory.

CAF said that having studied Morocco’s appeal, “the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match” and the result was “officially recorded as 3-0” in favour of Morocco.

The CAF Appeals Committee justified its decision by applying Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations, which state that if a team “refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered (loser) and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition”.

The articles add that the team contravening the regulations “will lose its match by 3-0”.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) said in a statement its appeal “was never intended to contest the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition regulations”.

“The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, to the clarity of the competitive framework, and to the stability of African competitions,” the statement added.

Senegal’s football authorities said they will appeal “as soon as possible” to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“The Senegalese Football Federation condemns this unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision, which brings African football into disrepute,” it said in a statement.

Minutes before the end of the match, some Senegalese supporters attempted a pitch invasion, while Senegal’s players halted the game for nearly 20 minutes to protest the late penalty awarded to Morocco.

The controversial spot-kick was awarded by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala right at the end of the allotted eight added minutes in normal time following a VAR check for a challenge on Brahim Diaz by El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The game was goalless at the time and Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with the spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time.

But Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted ‘Panenka’ chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.

The game at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium then went to extra time, and Gueye’s brilliant 94th-minute strike won it for Senegal.

Several of the team’s players posted on social media after the announcement that they had been stripped of the title.

Defender Moussa Niakhate, who plays for French club Lyon, posted a picture of himself lifting the Africa Cup of Nations trophy with a message that said “they’re mad”, in an apparent reference to CAF.

In the immediate aftermath of the final, FIFA president Gianni Infantino had condemned “some Senegal players” for the “unacceptable scenes”.

“It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply not right,” Infantino, who attended the match, said.

In late January, CAF imposed a series of disciplinary sanctions, including fines amounting to several hundred thousand euros, on the federations of both countries for unsportsmanlike conduct and violations of fair play principles.

The appeal trial of 18 Senegalese supporters, imprisoned since the final and sentenced to prison terms ranging from three months to one year for “hooliganism,” which was scheduled to take place on Monday, has been postponed until March 30. (Channels)

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Another 3 members of Iran’s women’s soccer team decide against staying in Australia as refugees

Another three members of the Iran’s women’s soccer team who accepted refugee visas to stay in Australia have decided to return to their homeland, an Australian government minister said on Sunday.

The departure leaves three of an initial seven squad members in Australia.

“Overnight, three members of the Iranian Women’s Football Team made the decision to join the rest of the team on their journey back to Iran,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.

“After telling Australian officials they had made this decision, the players were given repeated chances to talk about their options,” Burke added.

Iran’s team arrived in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup last month, before the war in the Middle East began on Feb. 28.

Initially, six players and a support staff member from a squad list of 26 players accepted humanitarian visas to stay in Australia before the rest of the Iranian contingent flew from Sydney to Malaysia on March 9.

Another later changed her mind and left Australia. Three left Sydney for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday night, a government official said. The rest of the team has remained in Kuala Lumpur since they left Australia.

Concerns about the team’s safety in Iran heightened when the players didn’t sing the Iranian national anthem before their first match.

The Australian government was urged to help the woman by Iranian groups in Australia and by U.S. President Donald Trump. (JapanToday)

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World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka rallies to beat Elena Rybakina for 1st title at Indian Wells

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka beat Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the Indian Wells final Sunday for her first title at the California desert tournament.

Sabalenka, a runner-up in 2023 and ’25, finished off the win at the with a big serve that Rybakina hit long. It was a sweltering afternoon on the court as the temperatures soared into the 90s.

The 27-year-old Sabalenka had a chance to close out the third set but was broken at 5-4. Rybakina found herself with a championship point in the tiebreaker, only to have Sabalenka hit a backhand winner.

This marked the 16th time the two players have met, with Sabalenka now holding a 9-7 advantage. Rybakina of Kazakhstan beat Sabalenka at the 2025 WTA Finals championship and the Australian Open two months ago. She also edged Sabalenka in the finals at Indian Wells in 2023.

“What a day,” Sabalenka said after the match.

In the men’s final later Sunday, Daniil Medvedev faces Jannik Sinner, who has won eight of his last nine matches against Medvedev. (JapanToday)

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Sinner tops Medvedev to win first Indian Wells title

World number two Jannik Sinner surged home to beat Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4) on Sunday to capture his first Indian Wells ATP Masters 1000 crown.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner won his first title of 2026, rallying from 0-4 down in the second-set tiebreaker to seal the win against a resurgent Medvedev, winner of the title in Dubai last month who was riding a nine-match ATP winning streak.

That included an upset semi-final triumph over Carlos Alcaraz that ended the top-ranked Spaniard’s 16-match winning streak to start the season.

But Sinner, who didn’t drop a set in the tournament, proved just that bit better in a match where both sets went to the tiebreakers without a break of serve.

“I kept believing and kept pushing,” Sinner said of his closing burst. “I went for my shots a little more. A third set, we would have started even, so I tried my best to close it out and I am very happy. It was an incredible ending.”

Sinner didn’t face a break point in the one-hour 55-minute contest, winning 43 of the 47 points on which he put his first serve in play.

Medvedev saved the only two break points he faced in the seventh game of the opening set, but Sinner’s tiebreaker prowess proved too much.

Medvedev was up 5-4 in the first-set tiebreaker when he let a ball sail by him and it landed in.

He’d go on to save one set point, but Sinner gave himself another with a blistering forehand that the Russian couldn’t handle and pocketed the set with a thundering service winner.

Medvedev looked on track to level the match when he raced to a 4-0 lead in the second-set decider — aided by Sinner’s second double-fault of the match.

But Sinner roared home to join Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as the only players to win all six of the ATP’s hardcourt Masters 1000 tournaments.

Medvedev, who lost to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells finals in 2023 and 2024, missed his chance to become just the second player to beat both Alcaraz and Sinner in the same tournament.

But the former world number one underscored his return to form after a disappointing 2025 campaign and will return to the top 10 on Monday. (JapanToday)

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Troubled Spurs snatch late draw at Liverpool; Man Utd boosts top-four bid

Troubled Tottenham rescued a 1-1 draw at Liverpool thanks to Richarlison’s late leveller, while Manchester United bolstered their bid to qualify for the Champions League with a 3-1 win against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Igor Tudor’s relegation-haunted side trailed to Dominic Szoboszlai’s first-half free-kick at Anfield.

But Brazil striker Richarlison netted in the 90th minute to spare Tottenham from a sixth successive Premier League defeat.

In grave danger of playing into the second tier for the first time since 1977-78, Tottenham are without a victory in their last 12 league matches — their worst winless run for 91 years.

However, their first point under interim boss Tudor, who had lost his four previous matches in all competitions since replacing the sacked Thomas Frank, offered a glimmer of hope in their desperate fight for survival.

Tottenham arrived on Merseyside in crisis after suffering an embarrassing 5-2 defeat at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last-16 first leg in midweek.

Tudor had substituted goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after just 17 minutes after he made a pair of costly mistakes.

He opted against doing the same to Guglielmo Vicario after his weak attempted save allowed Szoboszlai’s free-kick to elude him in the 18th minute.

Tottenham could have crumbled after that, but to their credit they hit back in a spirited second half.

Richarlison ensured they didn’t finish empty-handed when he steered a close-range finish past Alisson Becker after Andrew Robertson and Virgil van Dijk made a hash of dealing with Randal Kolo Muani’s flick from Vicario’s long punt.

With eight games left to save themselves, Tottenham remain in 16th place, one point above both fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest and third-bottom West Ham.

They face a crucial clash with Forest in north London in a week’s time.

Lacklustre Liverpool were booed off at the final whistle after a result that left them in fifth place, likely to be the final Champions League slot, two points behind fourth-placed Villa.

At Old Trafford, United took the lead through Casemiro’s 53rd-minute header before Ross Barkley hauled Villa level in the 64th minute.

Michael Carrick’s side finished strongly, with Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko scoring in the closing stages to seal Carrick’s seventh win in nine games since taking over as interim boss.

Sitting third in the Premier League, United are three points clear of top-four rivals Villa.

United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe this week praised Carrick’s “excellent” work, but stopped short of committing to the former Old Trafford star on a long-term basis.

But Carrick is making a strong case to earn the job on a permanent basis after stabilizing United, who lost at Newcastle last week, following Ruben Amorim’s sacking.

“We looked a good team. It was a big game coming off the defeat. The boys reacted incredibly well,” Carrick said. “It’s a good feeling and something we want to keep getting used to. We are in a good position at the moment.”

Bruno Fernandes now has 16 Premier League assists this term, moving the United captain past David Beckham’s previous club record of 15 in 1999-2000.

He has 100 assists for United in all competitions since signing from Sporting Lisbon in 2020.

“He’s proven over a period of time how impactful he is in the big moments. He’s there all the time, he puts himself forward in training and games,” Carrick said.

Spluttering Villa have lost their last three league games and have just one win in seven top-flight matches, leaving them three points above sixth-placed Chelsea with eight games left in the battle for European places.

Nottingham Forest climbed out of the relegation zone after a 0-0 draw against Fulham at the City Ground.

Still waiting for their first win under Vitor Pereira, fourth-from-bottom Forest, who have had four managers this term, are above third-from-bottom West Ham on goal difference.

Ten-man Leeds held on for a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace despite Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s missed penalty and a red card for Gabriel Gudmundsson. (JapanToday)

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Mexico prepared to host Iran World Cup games, says president

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that her country is prepared to host Iran’s first-round matches at the 2026 World Cup if needed due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Iran’s participation at this summer’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico has been in doubt since the war began last month, with President Donald Trump warning that Iranian players’ safety would be at risk if they travelled to the U.S.

Iran’s football federation has opened talks with FIFA about potentially relocating its matches from the United States, though the global governing body has so far maintained that the tournament’s schedule remains unchanged.

Asked directly if Mexico was open to hosting the matches, and if the decision will purely come down to FIFA logistics, Sheinbaum told a press conference: “Yes.”

“Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with every country in the world, therefore we will wait to see what FIFA decides,” she added.

Iran’s place at the tournament was thrown into question after the U.S. and Israel launched a massive offensive against the Islamic Republic, which responded with waves of missiles and drones targeting Israeli territory and American targets across the Middle East.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino initially said that Trump had given assurances that the Iranian team — scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, followed by Egypt in Seattle — would still be welcome.

But the Republican president then triggered uproar last week after stating that Iran’s football team should not travel to the tournament “for their own life and safety”.

Iran hit back at Trump’s comments saying that “no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup”.

Iran were the second Asian team after Japan to qualify for the World Cup, securing their place almost a year ago as they topped their qualifying group.

On Monday, Iranian soccer chief Mehdi Taj wrote on social media: “When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America.

“We are currently negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s matches in the World Cup in Mexico.”

Iranian soccer authorities “are currently discussing with FIFA whether it is feasible — since they were originally scheduled to go to the United States — to see if they can” move Iran’s games to Mexico, confirmed Sheinbaum. “The matter is under review and we will provide an update in due course.”

When contacted by AFP on the matter, FIFA said it was “looking forward to all participating teams competing as per the match schedule announced on 6 December 2025”.

“FIFA is in regular contact with all participating member associations, including IR Iran, to discuss planning for the FIFA World Cup 2026,” a spokesperson said.

The Iran team’s base camp for the tournament is currently slated to be located in Tucson, Arizona.

Abolfazl Pasandideh, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, on Monday denounced “the U.S. government’s lack of cooperation regarding visa issuance and the provision of logistical support” for the Iranian delegation ahead of the World Cup, in a statement published on the embassy’s website.

Should Iran not take part in the World Cup, it is not yet clear which country might replace them. (JapanToday)

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PSG, Real Madrid and Arsenal march into Champions League last eight

Holders Paris Saint-Germain, record 15-time winners Real Madrid and Arsenal surged into the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday, while Sporting produced a brilliant comeback in Portugal to end Bodo/Glimt’s remarkable run.

PSG appear to be coming back into the form which saw them win the Champions League for the first time in their history last season, as the French club crushed Chelsea 3-0 in London to claim a comprehensive 8-2 aggregate victory in their last-16 tie.

Chelsea had been left with a mountain to climb after a late collapse in last week’s first leg, and PSG quickly snuffed out any chance the English club had.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia followed his first-leg double by opening the scoring on six minutes at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea defender Mamadou Sarr misjudging a long ball on his Champions League debut and then being outmuscled by the Georgian who applied the finish.

Bradley Barcola fired in a brilliant second goal from an Achraf Hakimi assist, and the home fans were streaming for the exits when substitute Senny Mayulu swept in PSG’s third on the night just after the hour.

“We clearly dominated, we are very happy to be in the quarter-finals and I think it is well deserved,” PSG coach Luis Enrique told Canal Plus.

PSG’s fourth victory against English opposition in a two-legged knockout tie since the start of last year sets up a last-eight tie against Liverpool or Galatasaray, who meet on Wednesday at Anfield with the Turkish side leading 1-0 from the first leg.

Two-time European champions Chelsea were not the only English club to be eliminated on Tuesday, with Manchester City losing 2-1 at home to Real as they went out 5-1 on aggregate.

Real led 3-0 from the first leg in Spain, where Federico Valverde scored a hat-trick, and their qualification was never in doubt after City’s Bernardo Silva was sent off on 20 minutes for stopping a goalbound Vinicius Junior shot on the line with his arm.

Vinicius converted the penalty, and Pep Guardiola’s side had too much to do, even if Erling Haaland levelled the scores on the night before half-time with his 30th goal this season.

Real replaced Thibaut Courtois with Andriy Lunin in goal at half-time, and the tie was over long before Vinicius scored again in stoppage time to seal the win on the night.

“All of us players know that the good games are coming and when Madrid play in this competition, everything changes,” said Vinicius, as Real knocked City out for the third season running.

Real are almost certain to face Bayern Munich in a heavyweight quarter-final, with the Germans 6-1 up against Atalanta before Wednesday’s return match.

Premier League leaders Arsenal’s dream of a quadruple remains alive after they beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium for a 3-1 aggregate success.

They had needed a late penalty to draw in Germany last week, and finished the tie off in the return with goals either side of half-time from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice.

Eze broke the deadlock with a long-range rocket late in the first half and Rice’s composed finish killed off Leverkusen.

“We had four or five situations where we should have scored a third but overall we fully deserved to win and be into the quarter-finals,” said Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta.

His team now face Manchester City in the English League Cup final on Sunday, and will play Sporting in the quarter-finals.

The Portuguese champions produced a superb fightback, overturning a 3-0 deficit from last week’s first leg against Bodo/Glimt by beating the Norwegians 5-0 after extra time in Lisbon.

Goncalo Inacio and Pedro Goncalves scored before a Luis Suarez penalty on 78 minutes forced extra time.

Uruguayan full-back Maxi Araujo gave Sporting the lead in the tie for the first time in the 92nd minute, and Rafael Nel made sure of their progress with the fifth right at the end.

Bodo/Glimt’s fantastic run comes to an end as Sporting reach the quarters of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 1983. (JapanToday)

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Arsenal stays in control of title race as Dowman become youngest ever Premier League scorer

Arsenal stayed in control of the Premier League title race with a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday, with 16-year-old Max Dowman’s solo goal in stoppage time making him the competition’s youngest ever scorer.

In a dramatic finish at Emirates Stadium, Viktor Gyokeres scored in the 89th minute before Dowman collected the ball midway in his own half after a corner was cleared, dribbled around two players, and raced clear to tap into an empty net. Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was stranded upfield having gone up for a corner.

It dealt a psychological blow to second-place Manchester City, which headed into the first of two games in hand — at West Ham later Saturday — trailing Arsenal by 10 points.

Dowman, who is still in school, came on in the second half for his third Premier League appearance and also played a part in Gyokeres’ goal.

It was his cross from the right that was missed by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and struck the midriff of Arsenal substitute Piero Hincapie. The ball bounced across the goalmouth and Gyokeres applied the finishing touch from close range.

“He stays so calm and without fear every time he gets the ball,” Gyokeres said of Dowman. “He takes the right decision most of the time as well and with the goal, he definitely took the right one.”

In a breakthrough season for the English soccer prodigy, Dowman became the second-youngest player — behind Arsenal teammate Ethan Nwaneri — to feature in the Premier League after making his debut against Leeds in August.

In November, he became the youngest player in Champions League history at 15 years, 308 days when he entered as a second-half substitute against Slavia Prague.

Across London, Chelsea lost 1-0 to Newcastle thanks to an 18th-minute goal by Anthony Gordon.

Chelsea stayed in fifth place but could be overtaken by Liverpool, which hosts struggling Tottenham on Sunday.

Burnley is running out of time and hope in the Premier League.

A 0-0 home draw with Bournemouth on Saturday left next-to-last Burnley — one of the many U.S.-owned teams in England’s top division — eight points from safety with just eight games remaining this season and facing an immediate return to the Championship.

Burnley has won just four of its 30 league games.

Sunderland, another promoted team, appears to be safe from relegation but is limping toward the end of the season after a third straight home loss – this time to Brighton 1-0.

The only goal was a bizarre one, with Yankuba Minteh’s mis-hit cross from the byline somehow squeezing in at the near post in the 58th minute at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland hadn’t lost at home until a defeat to Liverpool on Feb. 11. Since then, it has lost to Fulham and now Brighton. (JapanToday)

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Spain Vs Argentina Finalissima Clash cancelled amid political turmoil

In a surprising turn of events, the highly anticipated Finalissima match between EURO 2024 champions Spain and Copa América 2024 winners Argentina has been cancelled due to escalating political tensions in the region.

The match, originally set to take place in Qatar on March 27, was expected to be a thrilling showcase of international football talent.

UEFA initially explored the possibility of hosting the match at Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, proposing a unique arrangement that would allow a 50:50 split of supporters. However, this plan faced rejection from the Argentine Football Association, leading to further discussions about an alternative solution.

The second proposal aimed to divide the Finalissima into two legs, with one match held in Madrid on the scheduled date and the return leg in Buenos Aires during an upcoming international window. Unfortunately, this option was also declined by Argentina, leaving fans disappointed and the football community awaiting further developments.

As both teams prepare for their respective future tournaments, the cancellation serves as a reminder of the complex interplay between sports and global events. While the match may not take place, the spirit of competition remains strong, and both nations look forward to showcasing their talents on the world stage in the coming years. (Leadership)