Competitions

The 2025-26 Ligue 1 season ended with nine matches played at once and the European places swinging throughout the evening. Lille lost at home but still secured Champions League football, Marseille finished strongly, Lyon slipped out of the top three, and Monaco emerged as the night’s biggest casualty.

The 2026 World Cup is framed by expansion, expense and politics, but the football remains compelling. From debut nations to potential last dances for Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, this guide sets out why the tournament still matters.

Barcelona visit Alaves tonight with the title already secured, while the hosts are deep in the relegation fight. Here is the key broadcast information, the state of play for both teams and the standout numbers before kick-off.

RB Leipzig can all but seal a Champions League place with a home win over struggling St. Pauli, who travel to Saxony with relegation closing in and form offering little encouragement.

Crystal Palace and Shakhtar Donetsk have confirmed their starting XIs for the Conference League semi-final second leg at Selhurst Park, with Oliver Glasner’s side protecting a 3-1 lead from the first meeting.

Manuel Neuer believes Bayern Munich fell short in the Champions League semi-finals because they lacked the clinical edge PSG showed across the tie, with the German side bowing out 6-5 on aggregate despite competing strongly in the second leg.

PSG are back in the Champions League final after edging Bayern Munich 6-5 on aggregate, and Luis Enrique framed the achievement as something to hand back to the club’s supporters. Ousmane Dembele’s early goal in Munich set the tone before a tense finish, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia again central to the story.

Algeria’s path through Group J could hinge on its June 23 meeting with Jordan, and the fixture has started to spark well before kick-off. Mousa Al-Tamari has hit back at comments from Algerian coach Noureddine Zekri, adding extra intrigue to a game that may shape the race for the last 16.

Vincent Kompany says Bayern Munich have only one objective against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final second leg: win the match. After a chaotic 5-4 first leg defeat, Bayern return to the Allianz Arena needing a statement performance to keep their season alive on Europe’s biggest stage.

Al-Ahli head into Wednesday’s meeting with Al-Fateh in strong form and with serious momentum at home. With Matthias Jaissle’s side pushing hard near the top of the Saudi Pro League and Al-Fateh struggling for wins on the road, the matchup leans firmly toward the hosts.

Saint-Etienne’s hopes of automatic promotion took another major hit after a 2-1 defeat at Rodez on matchday 33. Le Mans stayed ahead despite being held by Reims, leaving the race for second place unresolved heading into the final round.

From a packed Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final in East Germany to bankruptcy, rebirth and a fan-led revival, Lokomotive Leipzig remains one of German football’s most resilient clubs.

After nine straight league titles, Celtic were expected to make history. Instead, a troubled campaign, Neil Lennon’s decline, and Rangers’ sharper planning flipped the balance of power in Scotland.

Brazil’s path to the 1990 World Cup should have ended with a routine qualification win over Chile. Instead, the match produced one of the most infamous episodes in soccer history, as goalkeeper Roberto Rojas collapsed beside a flare before evidence exposed a premeditated deception.

Saturday’s Serie A schedule features Udinese-Torino, Como-Napoli and Atalanta-Genoa, with important points available across the table. Here’s when each match kicks off, where to watch it, and the main storylines heading into the games.

Venezia are heading back to Serie A after a dramatic draw at Spezia confirmed promotion. Players celebrated on the pitch with a large away following, capping a rapid return to the top division less than a year after relegation.