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Arsenal will look to end a 20-year wait for a UEFA Champions League final appearance when they host Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their semifinal on Tuesday. The tie remains finely poised after a 1-1 draw in Madrid last week, with both sides scoring from penalties as they chase a first European Cup title. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said, "After 20 years to be in this position again, We are so hungry to get the game that we want (Tuesday) and go through to that final.” Arsenal had earlier beaten Atletico 4-0 at home during the league phase in October, though Atletico coach Diego Simeone expects a more disciplined performance from his side. “I’m going to try to tell the team to play like they did in the second half (in Madrid)," Simeone said. "If it’s that easy it would be great. We have a lot of faith in what we’re doing.” Both teams have received boosts with key players returning from injury. Forward Julian Alvarez is expected to play for Atletico, while Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard and forward Kai Havertz are available. Atletico have reached the Champions League final twice under Simeone, in 2014 and 2016, losing both times to Real Madrid. Arsenal’s only final appearance came in 2006, when they were beaten by Barcelona. The winner will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final. PSG lead 5-4 from the first leg ahead of Wednesday’s return match. Arsenal’s pursuit of their first Premier League title in 22 years also received a boost after Manchester City drew 3-3 with Everton. Arsenal can secure the title by winning their remaining three matches. Atletico are currently fourth in La Liga, trailing leaders Barcelona by 25 points.

Arsenal moved six points clear at the top of the table after a convincing 3-0 home victory over Fulham on Saturday, intensifying the title pressure on Manchester City. According to Premier League, two goals from Viktor Gyökeres and one from Bukayo Saka secured the win for Arsenal by halftime, as the Gunners extended their lead in the title race. Manager Mikel Arteta rotated his squad following a 1-1 draw in Madrid in the Champions League semifinal first leg against Atletico Madrid, with Saka particularly impressing on his return to the starting lineup. FIFA updates red card rules after recent controversies Manchester City, who have two games in hand, must win both fixtures to stay in control of the title race. Their next challenge comes with an away match against Everton on Monday. At the bottom of the table, Tottenham Hotspur could move out of the relegation zone on Sunday if they beat Aston Villa away, after West Ham United suffered a 3-0 defeat at Brentford. Brentford’s win included an own goal from Konstantinos Mavropanos as well as strikes from Igor Thiago and Mikkel Damsgaard, lifting them to sixth place. Newcastle United ended a poor run of form with a 3-1 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Goals from William Osula, Dan Burn and Harvey Barnes secured the victory, while Jack Hinshelwood scored a consolation for Brighton. Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland played out a 1-1 draw in a match with no competitive significance. Wolves, already relegated, earned a point through Santiago Bueno after Nordi Mukiele had given Sunderland the lead. Sunderland were reduced to 10 men following Dan Ballard’s 24th-minute red card. On Friday, Leeds United moved close to securing survival in the top flight after a 3-1 home win over Burnley, reaching 43 points. Anton Stach, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin put Leeds 3-0 ahead against the already-relegated visitors, who recently dismissed coach Scott Parker, before Loum Tchaouna scored a late consolation.

Palestine Football Association (FA) President Jibril Rajoub on Thursday criticised the Israeli federation during a tense moment at the 76th FIFA Congress, where he refused to stand alongside Israeli FA vice president Basim Sheikh Suliman. Both officials were invited to the stand by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the event, but Rajoub declined to move closer to Suliman, who is a Palestinian citizen of Israel. Infantino placed his hand on Rajoub’s arm and gestured for him to step forward, but Rajoub did not comply. FIFA raises World Cup prize money by 15 percent Palestine FA Vice President Susan Shalabi, who was present at the scene, quoted Rajoub as saying, “I cannot shake the hand of someone the Israelis have brought to whitewash their fascism and genocide! We are suffering, says report” Source: Al Jazeera

Liverpool are hopeful that forward Mohamed Salah will return from injury before the end of the season after being forced off during Saturday’s match against Crystal Palace. There were initial fears that the 33-year-old might have played his final game for the club after leaving the field in the second half with a suspected hamstring problem. Such an exit would have been a disappointing end for Salah, who confirmed last month that he will leave Liverpool following a remarkable nine-year spell at Anfield, where he has scored 257 goals in 435 appearances. However, the club said on Wednesday that the injury is a “minor muscle injury” and it is “anticipated” that the Egypt international will recover in time to play again before his departure. Liverpool’s final match of the season is scheduled against Brentford at Anfield on May 24. The expected recovery timeline also keeps Salah on course to captain Egypt at this summer’s World Cup. Since joining the club in 2017, Salah has enjoyed a highly successful career, winning two Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup, two EFL Cup titles and the FA Community Shield. Only Ian Rush with 346 goals and Roger Hunt with 285 have scored more for Liverpool. Salah’s gesture of applauding the Anfield crowd when he was substituted against Palace suggested uncertainty over whether he would be able to add to his tally. While a return in Sunday’s clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford appears unlikely, the latest update has raised hopes that he will feature again before the season concludes. Liverpool will host Chelsea on May 9 and travel to face Aston Villa on May 17 before wrapping up their campaign against Brentford.  #By BBC

The FIFA Council has agreed to increase the resources to be distributed to all 48 participating teams at the 2026 World Cup by 15 percent to a total of 871 million U.S. dollars, FIFA announced on Wednesday. The preparation fund has been increased from 1.5 million U.S. dollars to 2.5 million, while the qualification fund has been raised from 9 million to 10 million. Additional team contributions, including subsidies for delegation costs and team ticket allocations, have been increased to more than 16 million. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, "FIFA is proud to be in its most solid financial position ever, enabling us to help all our member associations in an unprecedented way. This is one more example of how FIFA's resources are reinvested back into the game." The Council agreed to amend the FIFA Governance Regulations to allow the Afghan women's refugee team to take part in official FIFA competitions. "We are proud of the beautiful journey initiated by Afghan Women United, and with this initiative we aim to enable them, as well as other FIFA member associations that may not be able to register a national or representative team for a FIFA competition, to make the next step, in coordination with the relevant confederation," Infantino said. The meeting also confirmed an amendment to the regulations for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States under which single yellow cards in the final competition will be cancelled after the group stage and again after the quarterfinals. It was also confirmed that the FIFA presidential election for the 2027-2031 term of office will take place at the 77th FIFA Congress, to be held in 2027, with the electoral period starting on April 30, 2026.  

Football’s global rulemakers have revised red card guidelines following two controversial incidents in international matches earlier this year. The changes were pushed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino after separate incidents involving Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni and Senegal’s national team drew widespread attention. Under the updated guidance approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), players can now be shown a red card if they cover their mouths while verbally confronting an opponent. The rule is optional and can be enforced at the discretion of tournament organizers, including FIFA. The decision follows an incident in a Champions League match where Prestianni allegedly hid his words while insulting Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior. Vinícius, supported by teammate Kylian Mbappé, accused him of making a racially offensive remark. Last week, UEFA handed Prestianni a six-match suspension, with three games suspended during a probation period, citing verbal abuse. While the body said it could not prove racial abuse, it confirmed the use of a homophobic slur, which the player admitted. If selected for Argentina’s World Cup squad, he will miss the team’s first two matches, although the decision can still be appealed. IFAB also approved another rule allowing referees to issue red cards to players who leave the field in protest of a decision. The same punishment can apply to team officials who encourage such actions. This follows a dramatic incident during the Africa Cup of Nations final in January, when Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in stoppage time to protest a penalty awarded to host Morocco with the score at 0-0. The match was halted for nearly 15 minutes before play resumed. Senegal eventually won in extra time, but the title was later stripped by African football authorities. The case is now set to be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. IFAB said the new rules will be shared with all 48 teams participating in the upcoming World Cup, which kicks off on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Paris Saint-Germain secured a narrow 5-4 victory over Bayern Munich in a dramatic first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal on Tuesday, producing the highest-scoring semifinal in the competition’s history. Harry Kane gave Bayern an early lead from the penalty spot in the 17th minute, but PSG responded strongly before halftime through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joao Neves and Ousmane Dembele. Kvaratskhelia equalised after beating Josip Stanisic, while Neves headed PSG ahead from a Dembele corner. Michael Olise brought Bayern level before halftime, but Dembele restored PSG’s lead from the spot following a VAR review after Alphonso Davies handled the ball. PSG extended their advantage early in the second half as Kvaratskhelia completed his brace, assisted by Achraf Hakimi, before Dembele added another by beating Dayot Upamecano. Bayern mounted a late comeback with Upamecano heading in Joshua Kimmich’s free kick and Luis Diaz scoring after controlling a long pass from Kane. Despite Bayern’s late pressure, including a near-equaliser in stoppage time, PSG held on to take a one-goal advantage into the return leg in Munich. “It feels strange to lose by one goal after being three goals down. We should have equalised,” Kimmich said after the match. Dembele praised his team’s composure, saying, “We stayed calm and focused. The most important thing is to remain concentrated because Bayern can always come back.”

Manchester United strengthened their push for a Champions League spot with a composed 2-1 home victory over Brentford in the Premier League on Monday. The win lifted United three points clear of Liverpool and Aston Villa, moving them into third place and bringing them closer to securing European football next season for the first time since 2024. Casemiro opened the scoring after 11 minutes, heading in at the far post for what was his 11th headed goal since joining the club in 2022—behind only Erling Haaland, Ollie Watkins and Chris Wood in that category. Brentford matched United for much of an entertaining first half, but the hosts doubled their advantage just before the break when Benjamin Sesko finished a swift counterattack after a pass from Bruno Fernandes, registering his 19th assist of the season—the highest in the league. Sesko praised Fernandes after the match, highlighting their training-ground chemistry and the midfielder’s creative influence. Brentford struggled to convert chances despite a competitive display, with Mathias Jensen’s late strike in the 87th minute offering only a brief lifeline. Brentford manager Keith Andrews said his side were “bitterly disappointed” but insisted they had played well against a strong opponent, adding that their approach remained “brave” despite the defeat. The result leaves Brentford ninth in the table, level on points with Chelsea and Fulham, while their hopes of European qualification remain alive despite a winless league run since February.

Jesse Lingard is enjoying a fresh start in Brazil, making history as the first English player to feature in the country’s top football league and aiming to win silverware with Corinthians. The former Manchester United forward has quickly settled into life at his new club and recently scored his first goal in the Copa do Brasil. Lingard’s move to Brazil raised some eyebrows, but the 33-year-old said he chose the club to challenge himself at a high level. “I had offers, but I wanted to test myself. I came here to win a trophy,” he said in an interview. He joined Corinthians after a spell with FC Seoul and credited former teammate Memphis Depay for helping him make the move and adjust to life in Brazil. Lingard made his debut against Fluminense at the iconic Maracanã Stadium, describing the experience as “amazing” after a long period without competitive football. However, his arrival coincided with a difficult period for the club. Coach Dorival Junior was sacked following a poor run of results, with Fernando Diniz later taking charge. Since then, the team has improved, winning matches in the Copa Libertadores. Lingard also spoke about the passion of Corinthians supporters, saying their presence at training sessions showed how much they care about results. Adjusting to life in Brazil has not been without challenges, particularly the language barrier. Unlike his time in South Korea, Lingard does not have a translator but is trying to learn Portuguese to communicate better with teammates. Reflecting on his long career at Manchester United, where he spent two decades before leaving in 2022, Lingard described it as an “amazing chapter.” He later moved to Nottingham Forest before heading to Asia. He is still closely following developments at United and praised former teammate Michael Carrick for the club’s recent improvement, saying he believes Carrick should be given the job permanently. Lingard also highlighted the performances of United captain Bruno Fernandes, backing him as a contender for the Ballon d’Or after an impressive season. Looking ahead, Lingard is excited about the prospect of facing top players in Brazil, including Neymar, whom he described as a world-class talent. The former England international, who played at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, also expressed confidence in England national football team ahead of upcoming international competitions, saying they have the quality to go all the way. With inputs from BBC

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are still awaiting first home win after a 1-1 draw with New England Revolution on Saturday night. Germán Berterame equalised in 76th minute from rebound, leaving Inter Miami 0-0-3 at their new stadium, compared to 5-1-1 away in MLS.Despite home struggles, Miami extended unbeaten MLS run to nine matches (5-0-4) since opening defeat at LAFC and are unbeaten in 11 across all competitions (5-0-6).Carles Gil put New England ahead in 56th minute, ending four-match losing run vs Miami, finishing a move from Will Sands throw-in and Dor Turgeman assist, chipping Dayne St. Clair.Miami had earlier goal ruled offside on Tadeo Allende strike. Lionel Messi faces lawsuit over $7m contractEqualiser came when Luis Suárez shot was saved by Matt Turner and rebound fell to Berterame.New England last beat Miami on June 10, 2023, before Messi debut. Since then Miami led rivalry 16-5 over four wins.Messi missed chances including 38th-minute shot wide, a corner attempt and stoppage-time effort saved by Turner.Miami have five MLS matches before World Cup break vs Orlando, Toronto, Cincinnati, Portland and Philadelphia, with Toronto 3-3-4 and others below 12th.