Champions League Tues/Wed Knockout Stage Begins on CBS

There is a real David and Goliath feel to Wednesday’s 3 pm battle on CBS featuring Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain — the Basque team based around youngsters developed in their Zubieta academy against the Parisians, a side full of expensive individuals signed by the club’s Qatari owners — and David has a real chance of winning, too.  Of course Copenhagen surprised Man United to make this round of 16 can they do similar things to Man City Tuesday on CBS at 3 pm?  It all starts with Champions League today at 2 pm.

Tues, Feb 13: FC Copenhagen vs Manchester City 3 pm CBS, RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid 3 pm TUDN Para+ (return legs: Wednesday, March 6).
Wed, Feb14: Lazio vs Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad CBSSN 3 pm (return legs: Tuesday, March 5).
Tues, Feb 20: Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund (return legs: Wednesday, March 13).
Wed, Feb 21: Porto vs Arsenal, Napoli vs Barcelona (return legs: Tuesday, March 12).

Champions League Stories

Why is the Champions League so hard to retain?
UEFA Champions League: Schedule, scores, how to watch live, dates, odds, predictions

UEFA reveals London-inspired Champions League ball Chris Wright

Man City, beware: FC Copenhagen keep upsetting Europe’s elite. Just ask Man Utd 1  ars Sivertsen

Bellingham out 3 weeks with high ankle sprain ESPN

Pep ‘99.99%’ sure City won’t win treble again Rob Dawson
FC Copenhagen v Manchester City: Pep Guardiola wants Erling Haaland to relax
RB Leipzig v Real Madrid: Jude Bellingham to miss last-16 tie with sprained ankle
Injury crisis ‘can motivate us’, says Madrid boss Ancelotti

Indy 11 Beat Chicago Fire II

Indy Eleven continued preseason action with a 2-0 victory over Chicago Fire FC II at the Grand Park Events Center on Saturday evening.The teams traded chances in a physical first half, but it was Indy that struck first in the 28th minute. Augi Williams found himself on the end of a cross from Cam Lindley, took a touch around the Chicago Fire keeper and put the Boys in Blue up, 1-0. Lindley was the team’s assist leader and ranked seventh in the USL Championship in 2023, registering eight helpers.It didn’t take Indy long to double the score as Sebastian Guenzatti connected with Jack Blake for the insurance tally. Yannik Oettl and Cayden Crawford split time in goal for the Boys in Blue, helping the squad post its second shutout in as many games.

Complete Preseason Schedule
Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | D, 0-0
Saturday, Feb. 10 vs Chicago Fire FC II | W, 2-0
Tuesday, Feb. 13 vs. Indiana Wesleyan University | Closed to the public
Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. Columbus Crew2 | 3 p.m. | Open to the public
Saturday, Feb. 24 at Lexington SC
Thursday, Feb. 29 vs. Detroit City FC | Closed to the public
Friday, March 1 vs. Forward Madison FC | Closed to the public

Indy opens the 2024 slate on a two-match road swing beginning at non-conference foe Oakland Roots SC on March 9 before returning home to host 2023 Western Conference Champion Sacramento Republic FC at Michael A. Carroll Stadium on March 23. Single-game tickets are available now for all matches via Ticketmaster. Season Ticket Packages can also be purchased, as well as tickets for groups and hospitality areas. For more information on these options click here. 

Also the USL Super League for Women has received Division 1 Sanctioning from US Soccer – and will begin play in August head to head with NWSL.  The Indy 11 Women will join the league when Indy 11 Park is completed. 

Games on TV –

Concacaf Champions Cup for MLS, the best teams in Mexico and the top teams from Central American, and is back – full schedule.  Europa League Round of 32 on Thursday gives us American’s Pulisic & Musah and AC Milan hosting French club Rennes at 3 pm on CBSSN & TUDN, & Unimas. While also at 3 pm American Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis host Zagreb on Paramount+. Pregame show starts at 2 pm. (see full Europa League schedule below)

Reffing Classes at Carmel Dad’s Club

GAMES ON TV

Mon, Feb 12 

2:45 pm Para+                  Juventus (Mckinney) vs Udinese       

3 pm USA       Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Chelsea

Tues, Feb 13

2:45 pm Para+,TUDN          RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid

3 pm CBS Para+              Kabenhavn vs Manchester City

WEds, Feb 14

3 pm CBS   PSG vs Real Sociedad

3 pm Para+ TUDN   Lazio vs Bayern Munich

8 pm Fox Sport 2   Tigres UNAL vs Vancouver CONCACAF

10:15 pm TUDN   America vs Real Estelli

Thursday, February 15, Europa League Round of 32

3 pm CBSSN AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah) vs Rennes

HOME	AWAY	TIME/TV	STREAMING	VENUE
Feyenoord	Roma	12:45 pmParamount+		Stadion Feijenoord
Young Boys	Sporting CP	12:45 pmParamount+		Stade de Suisse Wankdorf
Galatasaray	Sparta Praha	12:45 pmParamount+		Rams Global Stadium
Shakhtar Donetsk	Olympique Marseille	12:45 pmParamount+		Volksparkstadion
AC Milan	Rennes	3:00 pmParamount+		Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
Lens	Freiburg	3:00 pmParamount+		Bollaert-Delelis
Sporting Braga	Qarabag	3:00 pmParamount+		Estadio Municipal de Braga
Benfica	Toulouse	3:00 pmParamount+		Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica

2024 W Gold Cup, Feb. 20 – March 10

Concacaf Nations League Finals, March 21 – 24

2024 Copa America, June 20 – July 10

2024 Summer Olympics – Men & Women, July 24 – August 10

Champions League last-16: Predictions, best ties, players to watch and what’s changed

By The Athletic UK Staff and more the Athletic

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The Champions League is back on Tuesday with 16 teams still in contention for a place in the final at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday, June 1.

The clubs to have made it into the knockout phase include the holders Manchester City and 14-time European Cup/Champions League winners Real Madrid, along with less familiar contenders such as Real Sociedad and FC Copenhagen.

Here, a group of The Athletic writers analyse the eight two-leg ties that will be played out over the next month, pick out the key players and storylines to follow and make their predictions on who will be in the quarter-final draw on March 15.

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Which is the most intriguing of the eight ties?

Carl Anka: Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid should be a fun match-up between two clubs who think Johan Cruyff was important but believe there are also other ways to play football. Styles makes fights, goes the boxing adage. It’ll be interesting to watch two brilliant teams who use wing-backs go head-to-head.

Dermot Corrigan: There is a real David and Goliath feel to Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain — the Basque team based around youngsters developed in their Zubieta academy against the Parisians, a side full of expensive individuals signed by the club’s Qatari owners — and David has a real chance of winning again, too.

Mark Carey: PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund looks like a great tie, with both sides built upon principles of intensity and verticality. Peter Bosz’s side are flying in the Eredivisie with their high-octane style in and out of possession, while Dortmund are no strangers to punishing teams in transitional moments. Expect this one to be an entertaining slugging match.

Will things get any better at Barcelona for the exiting Xavi? (David Ramos/Getty Images)

Stuart James: ​​Inter-Atletico is the box-office tie. PSV-Dortmund has the potential to be a wild ride. Porto vs Arsenal will have the celebration police out in force if Mikel Arteta and his players dare to do anything other than walk straight down the tunnel after getting through. But La Real-PSG is the one that intrigues: can a team of largely homegrown players give one of European football’s superpowers a bloody nose?

Sarah Shephard: Napoli vs Barcelona, simply because I’m not entirely sure what to expect from either side. Xavi’s announcement that he will step down as Barcelona coach at the end of the season revealed a man with little left to give, which could have a myriad of effects on his players, while Napoli are far from the team that invigorated Europe last season while winning the Serie A title. This one’s intriguing, but perhaps for all the worst reasons.

Round of 16 fixtures

Tuesday, February 13: FC Copenhagen vs Manchester City, RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid (return legs: Wednesday, March 6).
Wednesday, February 14: Lazio vs Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad (return legs: Tuesday, March 5).
Tuesday, February 20: Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund (return legs: Wednesday, March 13).
Wednesday, February 21: Porto vs Arsenal, Napoli vs Barcelona (return legs: Tuesday, March 12).

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Which player are you most looking forward to watching?

Anka: Martin Zubimendi has been talked up as a potential successor to Barcelona and Spain stalwart Sergio Busquets and as a possible replacement for Thomas Partey at Arsenal. In the here and now, the defensive midfielder is one part of a delightful Real Sociedad side taking on Paris Saint-Germain. The 25-year-old will be key to any success they have in that tie.

Corrigan: As Kylian Mbappe’s future remains such an open question, most La Liga watchers will take any chance to see the French forward playing in a big, competitive game. A match-winning performance against Real Sociedad will increase the expectation at Real Madrid that club president Florentino Perez should do everything possible to finally sign him. Multi-million euro decisions should not be made on two 40/html/container.html

Carey: Strikers are always exciting, but it will be interesting to see if RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda can punish Real Madrid. The 23-year-old Belgian has bagged 14 goals in the Bundesliga (behind only Serhou Guirassy of Stuttgart and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane) and has been in great individual form since the turn of the year, despite some poor results from Marco Rose’s side.

Openda has been in fine form for a struggling Leipzig team (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

James: I’ve seen a pass. You must have seen it too. Hakan Calhanoglu, reborn as a deep-lying playmaker these days, pinging a sublime 60-yard diagonal, complete with fade, to take two Juventus defenders out of the game during Inter’s 1-0 win the Sunday before last. Calhanoglu is a joy. Oh, and Xavi Simons, on loan at Leipzig from PSG, is a lot of fun to watch, too.

Shephard: Japanese winger Takefusa Kubo seems to have found his feet at Real Sociedad after joining them from Real Madrid in the summer of 2022. His form this season has seen him linked with a move — although he has recently signed a long-term contract. This competition is a key opportunity for him to shine on a huge stage.

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Which manager has the most to lose?

Anka: My answer to this will be Luis Enrique, at every single round of the tournament. Any season in which PSG don’t win is considered a failure, but misbehave in this one and you may find yourself being linked to the Chelsea job in the summer.

Corrigan: Xavi has claimed that his decision to leave this summer will take some pressure off his Barca team and give them the best chance of success over the remainder of the season. That theory could well be tested against Napoli, and I wonder if a defeat there could mean the former Camp Nou playmaker leaves the job even quicker than he has laid out.

Carey: Thomas Tuchel has had his fair share of criticism in Germany already this season, with Bayern Munich stuttering badly behind a Bundesliga-leading Bayer Leverkusen. A meeting with Lazio is among the easiest of these last-16 ties, so if they don’t win either of the legs convincingly, the heat will truly be on for the manager.

James: The simple answer is Pep Guardiola, given the trophy belongs to City at the moment and they have the easiest last-16 tie. But in the real world, City are already through to the quarter-finals. Defeat for Tuchel would surely be extremely damaging, given that the annual formality of another Bundesliga title for Bayern is, well, anything but a formality this season.

Shephard: Dortmund’s Edin Terzic faces the unenviable task of taking on a man who once sat in his chair (for half a season, at least) and is now thriving elsewhere. Given the way things ended for Bosz in Dortmund, he will be keen to prove a point, and this season has already seen Terzic under pressure thanks to a run of poor form pre-Christmas and an early exit from the DFB-Pokal (Germany’s FA Cup).

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Whose fortunes have changed most since the draw in December?

Anka: Xavi sounded weary and burnt out when he announced he’d be leaving Barcelona at the end of the season. Injuries have decimated his playing options and his top striker Robert Lewandowski is 35 years old and entering a physical and goalscoring decline. This isn’t the free-wheeling Napoli of last season (they really should have found a way to beat AC Milan in the quarter-finals) but Barca are far from the favourites for this tournament right now.

Corrigan: Leipzig’s group performances — they won four games and competed admirably against City in the other two — suggested they could be tricky opponents for Madrid. But three straight Bundesliga defeats last month on returning from the winter break led to Spanish media headlines of “Leipzig in ruins”.

Carey: It’s hardly the case that City’s fortunes have “changed”, considering they are the competition’s champions and took maximum points from the group stage. It is more a case that the start of a new year often sees Guardiola’s side find another gear — and after coasting for the first half of the season, they are in serious mode now. The recent returns of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland from injuries have restored them to title-favourite status in the Premier League. In Europe, you just have to feel sorry for FC Copenhagen.

City are motoring at full speed with Haaland and De Bruyne back (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)

James: Not ignoring the fact that Barcelona were in a mess even before the draw was made, it’s been quite a story since. By my GCSE Grade C-Maths calculations, Their next 12 matches after they were paired with Napoli on December 18 produced 55 goals: five of them scored by Villarreal on their league visit, four by Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final in Saudi Arabia and another four by hosts Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. On top of that, Xavi has announced he’s stepping down as coach. That apart, it’s been quiet.

Shephard: When the draw was made, Arsenal topped the Premier League table, a point clear of Liverpool and five ahead of City. Now they sit third, two points behind leaders Liverpool and level with City (who have a game in hand). Nobody believed Arsenal had the title sewn up before Christmas, but they seemed much more in control of the situation than they do today.

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Who should the neutrals be supporting?

Anka: If you’re the sort of person who likes discovering bands before they start selling our arenas, pay attention to Real Sociedad. They have a squad of talented players on the verge of being snapped up by bigger clubs. Now’s the time to learn about Zubimendi, Kubo and more.

Corrigan: Most of these teams are so well known at this point that we’ve made up our minds whether we like them or not. Atletico could perhaps buck this trend; coach Diego Simeone keeps trying to evolve their style to play more joined-up attacking football, knowing his current squad has a lot more quality in attack than defence. But will many non-Atletico fans really be rooting for them?

Carey: It was the 2018-19 season when Ajax caught the hearts and minds of the neutral fans when they charged to the semi-finals of this tournament before somehow getting knocked out by Tottenham. This season, it’s another Dutch side who could be the dark horses, with PSV not to be underestimated thanks to their exciting attacking unit.

James: “Many would have liked to see us dead. But we are very much alive.” That was Luis Enrique talking in the wake of PSG scrambling through their group (of death) in second place, behind Dortmund and after seeing off Milan and Newcastle. Nothing personal, mate, but plenty of football fans probably feel the same about your Real Sociedad tie. What a story it would be if the Basques, playing their first Champions League campaign since 2013-14 and second in 20 years, made it to the last eight. Get on the San Sebastian bandwagon.

Shephard: Not many people outside of the blue half of Manchester really want to see another City clean-sweep of the major trophies, do they? In which case, you’d have to say FC Copenhagen should be the neutrals’ choice. They were beaten 5-0 by City in Manchester in the group stage of last season’s competition so an upset feels pretty unlikely, but it wouldn’t be an upset if that weren’t the case, right?

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Who do you expect the quarter-finalists to be?

Anka: Let’s follow the law of parsimony here: the simplest explanation is most likely the right one. Arsenal, Barcelona, Dortmund, PSG, Inter, Bayern, City and Madrid. The most monied tournament in club football will likely favour the richest teams in it.

Corrigan: Inter-Atletico and Napoli-Barcelona look more evenly balanced, and Atletico seem a lot better positioned than Barca to come through a tight tie at this point.

Carey: It would be great to see some surprises, but the safest bet would be the obvious ones. Arsenal, PSG, Inter, Bayern, City and Madrid look pretty nailed-on, but the games that could throw some doubt would be Napoli vs Barcelona and PSV vs Dortmund.

James: A lot of the usual suspects: City, Madrid, PSG, Bayern, PSV, Atletico, Arsenal, Napoli. Arguably, the two surprises in there are PSV and Atletico. In the case of PSV, they’re unbeaten in the Eredivisie and Sergino Dest could nutmeg a mer… no, I’m not going to say it. Anyway, there’s a lot to like about Bosz’s football ideology. As for Atletico’s progress, Inter are a terrific side but I sense a rejuvenated Alvaro Morata and some classic Simeone s***housery causing them problems.

Shephard: Arsenal, Barcelona, PSG, Atletico, PSV, Bayern, City, Madrid. Sorry, Dortmund fans, but let’s at least try to keep things interesting. (Top photos: Getty Images)

Indy 11 Beat Chicago Fire II

Indy Eleven continued preseason action with a 2-0 victory over Chicago Fire FC II at the Grand Park Events Center on Saturday evening. The teams traded chances in a physical first half, but it was Indy that struck first in the 28th minute. Augi Williams found himself on the end of a cross from Cam Lindley, took a touch around the Chicago Fire keeper and put the Boys in Blue up, 1-0. Lindley was the team’s assist leader and ranked seventh in the USL Championship in 2023, registering eight helpers.It didn’t take Indy long to double the score as Sebastian Guenzatti connected with Jack Blake for the insurance tally. Yannik Oettl and Cayden Crawford split time in goal for the Boys in Blue, helping the squad post its second shutout in as many games.

Complete Preseason Schedule
Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | D, 0-0
Saturday, Feb. 10 vs Chicago Fire FC II | W, 2-0
Tuesday, Feb. 13 vs. Indiana Wesleyan University | Closed to the public
Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. Columbus Crew2 | 3 p.m. | Open to the public
Saturday, Feb. 24 at Lexington SC
Thursday, Feb. 29 vs. Detroit City FC | Closed to the public
Friday, March 1 vs. Forward Madison FC | Closed to the public

USMNT midweek viewing guide: Picking up steam

Americans look to continue their momentum all across the globe in this week’s matches.

By Justin Moran@kickswish  Feb 12, 2024, 8:56am PST  

Midweek USMNT action is here. Let’s get into it!

Tuesday

• Chivas vs Forge FC, 10p on FS2, TUDN, Fubo, Sling: Cade Cowell’s 2 goals and 1 assist powered Chivas past Forge in the away leg of Concacaf Champions Cup. Cowell and Chivas hold a 3-1 aggregate lead going into the home leg, as the Canadian club makes the trip to Guadalajara.

Also in action:

• Gil Vicente vs Vizela, 10:30a: Alex Méndez and Vizela visit Gil Vicente in Liga Portugal.
• Norwich City vs Watford, 2:45p: Josh Sargent and the Canaries host Watford in the Championship.
• West Brom vs Cardiff, 3p: Daryl Dike suffered an injury with West Brom at the weekend; Ethan Horvath joined Cardiff just recently from Nottingham Forest.
• Gimnasia LP vs Hurácan, 5:15p on Paramount+, Fubo, Fanatiz, AFA Play: Alan Soñora and Hurácan are on the road in Copa de la Liga Profesional play.

Wednesday

• Plymouth Argyle vs Coventry, 2:45p: Haji Wright and Coventry visit Plymouth in the Championship.
• América vs Real Estelí, 10:15p on FS2, Fubo, Sling, ViX: Alejandro Zendejas and América host Nicaraguan club Real Estelí, having lost the away leg, 1-2. Las Águilas will need to make a comeback at home to advance in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Also in action:

• Preston vs Middlesbrough, 2:45p: Matthew Hoppe and Boro visit Preston (Duane Holmes is injured) in the Championship.
• Stoke City vs QPR, 2:45p: Reggie Cannon and QPR visit Geoff Cameron’s old club in the Championship.
• Tigres vs Vancouver Whitecaps, 8p on FS2, Fubo, Sling: Brian White and the ‘Caps visit Tigres in Concacaf Champions Cup. The Whitecaps drew 1-1 at home in the first leg.

Thursday

• AC Milan vs Rennes, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN, CBS Sports Network, UniMás, Fubo (free trial), ViX: Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and Milan begin their Europa League campaign at home against French opposition in the round of 32.
• Real Betis vs Dinamo Zagreb, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Johnny Cardoso and Betis host Croatian powerhouse Zagreb in the Europa Conference League round of 32.

Also in action:

• Inter Miami vs Newell’s Old Boys, 7:30p on MLS Season Pass: Drake Callender, Julian Gressel, Noah Allen, DeAndre Yedlin, and Inter Miami continue their preseason world tour, this time hosting Messi’s childhood club Newell’s in a Miami friendly.
• Monterrey vs Comunicaciones, 10:15p on FS2, Fubo, Sling: Brandon Vázquez and Rayados dominated Comunicaciones 4-1 in the first leg of this Concacaf Champions Cup tie. The scoreline could be even more dramatic with Monterrey at home for the second leg.

Friday

• PSV vs Heracles, 2p on ESPN+ (free trial): Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and PSV host Heracles in the Eredivisie.

Also in action:

• Hannover vs Greuther Fürth, 12:30p on ESPN+: US U23 defender Maxi Dietz, Julian Green, and Fürth visit Hannover in the 2. Bundesliga.
• Westerlo vs Standard Liège, 2:45p: Bryan Reynolds, Griffin Yow, and Westerlo face off with Marlon Fossey and Standard in Belgium’s top division.
• Mazatlán vs Chivas, 10p: Cade Cowell and Chivas visit Mazatlán in Liga MX.

Comparing the Super Bowl to the men’s World Cup final and Champions League final

By Felipe Cardenas Feb 8, 2024

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Last Sunday, after a made-for-TV event revealed the 2026 World Cup match schedule, FIFA president Gianni Infantino took a subtle shot at the NFL’s Super Bowl. The next men’s World Cup will be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, featuring an expanded field of 48 teams and 104 total games. “This will be 104 Super Bowls being played in North America,” Infantino said on Instagram. It was no coincidence that Infantino’s claim came at the start of Super Bowl week in Las Vegas. It was also a reminder that the worlds of soccer and American football both have an eye on each other as they each try to grow their operations. While the World Cup enjoys far greater popularity worldwide, the Super Bowl has cornered the U.S. market — an area of particular focus for global soccer powers over the last several decades. Which may be why some of soccer’s most influential officials are irked by the notion that the Super Bowl could be perceived as a bigger event than the World Cup. Three years ago, CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani was asked by a local television reporter in Atlanta why the city, which has hosted the Summer Olympics, would be interested in “an international event.” Montagliani recalled an anecdote about an unnamed NFL owner who told him that 100 million people around the world watch the Super Bowl. “I said, when we have the draw for the World Cup, which is ping-pong balls in a glass bowl, and some legend of the game pulls out a ball and says ‘USA versus Poland in Group A,’ that’s two to three times (the viewership of) a Super Bowl,” Montagliani said. “That’s just to pull balls out of a glass bowl, so that’s not even for the games of the World Cup… I’m not sure how else to answer that question, I think it answers itself.”uper Bowl viewership smashes that of the World Cup final within the U.S. However, if you broaden it to the global numbers for both, it flips far in the other direction. The World Cup final is an unbeatable global behemoth and that’s the problem when comparing the men’s World Cup final with the Super Bowl. You simply cannot get past the numbers.Take last year’s Super Bowl versus the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar. The 2023 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles set a domestic viewership record with 115.1 million viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes and other digital streams. Another 56 million people outside the U.S. watched the game. Those numbers are impressive, but they’re just a spec in comparison to the “global reach” of 1.5 billion FIFA reported to have for Lionel Messi and Argentina’s defeat of defending champions France in the 2022 World Cup final. Whether that’s a massive exaggeration by FIFA or an accurate viewership figure is debatable, and something The Athletic covered in greater depth here.

A record 18,000 media credentials were issued for the World Cup in Qatar, according to FIFA. This weekend’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas will host over 6,000 credentialed members of the press. It’s the 57th edition of the Super Bowl, and because it’s in Vegas for the first time, it feels like one of the bigger NFL title games in recent memory.It features the league’s two best teams, a potential G.O.A.T. candidate in Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, against San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, an unlikely hero who was the last player taken in the 2022 draft (a position dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant”). It’ll be a storybook ending in Sin City, no matter who wins the game. And yet, most of the world’s population won’t be watching. That’s why comparing the Super Bowl, a yearly title game between club teams, with the World Cup final, which is played every four years by national teams, misses the mark. The World Cup is a month-long tournament that since 1998, has featured 32 countries from around the world. The 2026 World Cup in North America will be the biggest World Cup ever in the most commercialized country on the planet. Despite Infantino’s dig and Montagliani’s ping-pong ball anecdote, FIFA can take some cues from the NFL, which has mastered the art of merging sports and entertainment. Think about why so many Americans and NFL fans around the world watch the Super Bowl. It’s a spectacle celebrated by parties and calls for it to be made an official national holiday. If the game itself falls flat, the millions watching from home (in the U.S. at least) can still debate whether the commercials were funny or innovative and watch the broadcast for the halftime show. A normal Super Bowl halftime break can run up to 30 minutes — twice as long as any other NFL halftime break — in order to allow organizers to set up and tear down an elaborate concert stage for superstar performers on the field. It’s hard to imagine FIFA extending halftime of a World Cup final for the same reason, but the tournament’s opening and closing ceremonies seem like a compromise. A Super Bowl halftime is also prime ad space, which is why advertising agencies and corporate sponsors will once again put all their eggs in one basket this Sunday, spending $7 million dollars for a 30-second chance to become part of American pop culture. Messi will star in a Super Bowl commercial for the first time this year, cementing his place in the American consciousness.Clearly FIFA hears the noise regarding the Super Bowl-World Cup comparison. The World Cup is a monster on its own, but the Super Bowl has a cool factor that any sporting event would envy. It’s the blue collar mentality of Rocky mixed with the multi-billion-dollar NFL machine. The countless celebrities that attend a Super Bowl, the national anthem before kickoff. It’s simply unique. It’s Apple pie and heavy metal. It’s American exceptionalism. The Super Bowl is Americana at its finest. World soccer’s chief decision makers would love nothing more than to emulate that appeal.Instead of the World Cup final, a fairer comparison would be to set the Super Bowl against the UEFA Champions League final. It’s by far the biggest game of the club soccer calendar. Both the Super Bowl and the Champions League final occur annually and both pit professional organizations against each other, rather than national teams. But yet again, the comparison ends with the viewership numbers. In 2023, UEFA estimated that a global audience of 450 million people would watch at least a portion of the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan. That’s still more than the Super Bowl’s viewership record. In this case, however, numbers don’t always tell the whole story. A feeling of grandeur is what has traditionally defined the Super Bowl. The build-up to Super Bowl Sunday is a week-long content circus. Nearly 24,000 fans attended this week’s media day event earlier this week at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the site of Sunday’s Super Bowl. Players from both teams walked onto the stadium’s artificial turf like prize fighters before a heavyweight fight, only to take a seat at a podium and answer questions, with pop star Taylor Swift a particular point of emphasis.

“The (Champions League) final should be bigger,” said Paris Saint Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi in 2022. “I can’t understand how the Super Bowl can feel bigger than the Champions League final. The Super Bowl, and the U.S. generally, have this mindset, creativity and entertainment. That’s what I have suggested, to have an opening ceremony to the Champions League, to have one match on the opening night where the winners take on a big team — maybe it is not a good idea, but at least let’s challenge the status quo. Each match needs to be an event and entertainment.”In 2015, Pepsi saw an opportunity to change the tone of the UEFA Champions League final by sponsoring the final’s Kickoff Show entertainment. Since then, international artists like Dua Lipa, Black Eyed Peas, and Camila Cabello have all featured at the start of the global broadcast. But does anyone remember those performances? Comparing the Super Bowl with soccer’s two biggest matches has become an endless debate. What should take precedence, though, are the many ways that FIFA, UEFA and the NFL are moving closer to one another. The three organizations are also gradually moving in on each other’s territories. The NFL continues to expand its brand globally, with the possibility of playing a Super Bowl in London becoming closer to reality. “It is not impossible, and it is something that has been discussed before,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in 2023. Meanwhile, European soccer’s governing body has discussed holding its showpiece event in the United States.So, while the numbers tell a good portion of the story when it comes to differences in popularity and appeal, the Super Bowl, World Cup and Champions League final all have elements envied and emulated by each other.

(Top image: Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images; Kohjiro Kinno/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images; Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES; Sportfoto/Getty Images; Design: Eamonn Dalton)

The Concacaf Champions Cup is back!

Maybe you didn’t know it had gone anywhere or maybe you’re asking “What’s the Concacaf Champions Cup?” The governing body in North America, Central America and the Caribbean opted for a name change ahead of a revamped tournament.FotMob – 3 days ago

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By Jon Arnold

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It’s the same name the continental club championship carried for many years, evoking memories of the glory days of club soccer in the Concacaf region, well before MLS existed or Liga MX clubs had started to exert their power.

What’s different besides the name?

This tournament is going to be big. Like, really big. There are 27 teams competing to be the club champion of the region and things will run from today until June 2.

After teams from outside North America played the Central American Cup and Caribbean Cup, and North American teams qualified through league play or cup competitions, the field is full of squads looking to nab Concacaf’s fourth and final place at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup – plus secure bragging rights and start the new format off right.

Isn’t Lionel Messi in this?

Yes, Inter Miami qualified to the tournament by virtue of winning the Leagues Cup, but that also grants Miami a first-round bye.

So, will Messi play in Suriname?

Sadly, no. Well, not unless Caribbean champion Robinhood (yes, you read that right) gets to the final and so does Inter Miami. While Tata Martino’s men qualifying for the CCC sent thoughts of Messi globetrotting dancing through the heads of international soccer lovers, the most likely first game for the Herons is a Leagues Cup final rematch against Nashville SC. Win that, and it could be a trip to northern Mexico to meet Monterrey – or a U.S. Open Cup semifinal rematch against FC Cincinnati.

Of course, anything could happen. Moca, of the Dominican Republic, could spring a surprise on Nashville in the opening round, which might see Messi turn up to the DR. Stranger things –

Ivory Coast are AFCON champions: From sacking manager to lifting trophy, this is their story

By Jay Harris Feb 12, 2024 The Athletic

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Children were dancing on the pitch, kissing the turf and throwing confetti in the air while a security guard chased after them.Three hours after Ivory Coast beat Nigeria 2-1 to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the third time, hundreds of people were still inside the Alassane Ouattara Stadium. Volunteers wanted to go home, but supporters wanted to cling to this magical moment for as long as possible.They gatecrashed the mixed zone, where players speak to reporters, and grabbed selfies with Max Gradel or asked him to sign their shirts. Sebastien Haller and Odilon Kossounou flashed their medals for the cameras. Oumar Diakite, Christian Kouame and Jean-Philippe Krasso walked through with a speaker blasting music. The group of children running around the centre circle briefly disappeared to follow the team bus but came charging back minutes later.At the same venue three weeks ago, Ivory Coast fans were crying in the stands following a humiliating 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea. It was the biggest defeat they have ever suffered at home and they were dangerously close to being eliminated from the competition. With a little bit of luck and help from Morocco, the Ivory Coast survived. Now they are champions for the first time since 2015.“It’s more than a fairytale,” said Emerse Fae, who is still officially only the interim head coach. “It’s difficult for me to realise what I’m going through. When I think about all the hard times we went through, it’s great and we are lucky. We have enjoyed miracles.”Diakite had a different view of their incredible achievement.“We were like ghosts in this tournament, but it’s not possible to die twice.”

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During the journey to Ebimpe, which is where the final was held, there was a van tilted sideways and stuck in a ditch with five people trying to push it out. Cars were gridlocked on the main motorway leading to the ground, forcing drivers to seek alternative routes, and the tricky terrain had claimed a victim. These tight back roads, which weaved through market stalls, were uneven, rocky and littered with large wooden logs. Kids ran around screaming and two goats appeared in the street while men smoking shisha pipes watched on nearby, unmoved.The chaotic scenes neatly mirrored Ivory Coast’s path to the final. They beat Guinea-Bissau 2-0 in their opening game but lost their next two matches. Jean-Louis Gasset was sacked as head coach before they qualified for the round of 16 as one of the best third-placed sides. Fae took charge but the Ivorian Football Federation attempted, and failed, to lure Herve Renard from France’s women’s team for the rest of the competition. Renard led the Ivory Coast to glory in the 2015 AFCON final when they beat Ghana on penalties.

Emerse Fae, middle, interim head coach and AFCON champion (Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images)

Fae had never taken charge of a senior side before and his first game was against the defending champions Senegal. When Habib Diallo converted Sadio Mane’s cross in the fourth minute, it appeared Fae was out of his depth. However, the former Reading and Nantes midfielder, who celebrated his 40th birthday on the day he replaced Gasset, tweaked his tactics and inspired a memorable victory.What happened in the quarter-final against Mali defied belief. They played the majority of the game with 10 men after Kossounou was sent off and went 1-0 down. Simon Adingra equalised before Diakite scored the winner in the 122nd minute. The 20-year-old picked up a second yellow card for over-celebrating and was suspended for the semi-final. In that game, they dominated DR Congo but only secured a 1-0 victory.

Ivory Coast smothered Nigeria during the first 30 minutes of the final only to concede first when William Troost-Ekong headed the ball past Yahia Fofana. This side does not wake up until they are faced with some kind of adversity and love the thrill of a dramatic comeback.Franck Kessie equalised and Haller, 18 months after undergoing surgery and multiple rounds of chemotherapy to remove a testicular tumour, poked Adingra’s cross past Stanley Nwabali to put Ivory Coast ahead. Apart from Kelechi Iheanacho’s shot, which was blocked, Nigeria never looked capable of pulling off the kind of freak comeback Ivory Coast have trademarked.Nigeria’s head coach Jose Peseiro said his team were “nervous”.“Our team had a fantastic tournament, but today we didn’t show our level,” Peseiro said. “It is the truth. It was not the same collective performance as we did up until now. You lose many balls, it’s not a tactical problem. I don’t know why, but I didn’t feel my players were comfortable today.Orange and green flares were popping up in different sections of the crowd as full time approached while 57,000 people started chanting Victor Osimhen’s name — Nigeria’s forward was being taunted for failing to make an impact. Osimhen played an important role for Nigeria as they reached the final, but one goal in seven appearances is a disappointing return for the men’s African Footballer of the Year.

Sebastien Haller scored Ivory Coast’s winner (Sia Kambou/AFP via Getty Images)

Everybody, apart from a small pocket of Nigeria fans, danced to Coup du Marteau by Tam Sir — Ivory Coast’s unofficial anthem — when the game finished.

Haller squeezed his wife and three young children. Seko Fofana consoled his former Udinese team-mate Troost-Ekong. Diakite ran around the pitch while a group of photographers tried to keep up with him. The former Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba and ex-Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony joined the celebrations too. Gradel lifted the trophy with the country’s 82-year-old president Alassane Ouattara, who was jumped on by all of the players.“I cannot tell you my joy,” Fae said. “I’m so happy. I’m overwhelmed. I was dreaming of winning AFCON as a player but I could not do it. Now I’ve had the opportunity to do it as a coach.“The entire competition was extraordinary. There was a lot of suspense and spectacle. Ivory Coast should be proud of its AFCON.”It is a fitting end to a thrilling tournament that the host nation, who flirted with disaster, won. The party in Abidjan is just getting started.(Top photo: Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)

What Asian Cup and AFCON tell us about the 2026 World Cup
By Michael Cox Feb 12, 2024

On paper, the identity of the finalists for the Africa Cup of Nations and the Asian Cup points to very different competitions.In the Asian Cup, Qatar’s 3-1 victory over Jordan was a meeting of two underdogs, even if Qatar were the hosts and defending champions. To put things in perspective, those two nations have a combined population of 14million; around 10 per cent of the population of Japan and one per cent of the population of China.

On the other hand, Nigeria versus Ivory Coast was a meeting between two countries that have produced as many great footballers as any other African nation this century.

But look beyond the finalists and the competitions had a similar theme: a lack of truly dominant superpowers. That pattern was certainly more pronounced in the Asian Cup, where South Korea lost to Jordan, and Japan were eliminated by Iran. But the Africa Cup of Nations was highly unusual, in that it provided eight different quarter-finalists from the eight who reached that stage two years ago.

Jordan celebrate beating South Korea (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
That can be considered in positive and negative ways.

Unpredictability is good. That’s the beauty of a knockout tournament: shocks are more likely to happen. And, on a wider note, it points to a recurring pattern from recent international tournaments, which was particularly pronounced at last year’s Women’s World Cup: what could broadly be considered international football’s middling nations have reduced the gap to the relatively strong nations, in part because they now have scouting tools to prepare for their upcoming challenge.

Huge thrashings barely happen at tournaments these days. The highest victory at the Asian Cup was merely 4-0, on two occasions. It was also 4-0 (twice) in the Africa Cup of Nations. The expansion of both tournaments to 24 teams brings an unsatisfactory structure, but there have been few issues in terms of minnows being out of their depth. Similarly, the European Championship could expand to 32 teams and would not noticeably drop in quality — Sweden, Norway and the Republic of Ireland haven’t even qualified for the play-offs, and would hardly be no-hopers.

But the flip side is about the ability of these continent’s top sides to challenge at the World Cup.

The bigger sides from the Asian Football Confederation have, if anything, regressed over the last 15 years. At World Cup 2006, for example, Australia travelled to Germany with a very strong XI and were unlucky to be defeated by eventual champions Italy in the round of 16. It felt as if Australia had made a significant leap forward, but what appeared the start of a period of competing with the world’s top nations was merely one golden generation. They impressively battled through to the last 16 in 2022, where they were again narrowly defeated by the eventual champions, Argentina. But it was an against-the-odds underdog success.

Australia’s Asian Cup squad didn’t feature any Premier League players, aside from goalkeeper Joe Gauci, recently signed as a backup by Aston Villa. That would have seemed unlikely in the days of Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Tim Cahill.

Australia’s players after exiting the Asian Cup (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Japan and South Korea, meanwhile, both looked seriously good at World Cup 2010 — again, both were eliminated at the last-16 stage, but they appeared the emerging forces, enjoying the World Cup 2002 legacy. But again, that seems to have faded away. Their generation of players is no better; an eight-year-old who fell in love with football in 2002 would be a veteran of 30 now.

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Japan made a decent run to the round of 16 of the World Cup again in 2022, defeating Germany and Spain in the group stage. But, surprisingly, they haven’t won the Asian Cup since 2011 and were deservedly beaten by Iran this time around. South Korea continue to produce a handful of players good enough for elite European competition, but nothing more. The appointment of Jurgen Klinsmann was ill-advised, and they played poorly throughout the competition, relying on four goals in second-half stoppage time to reach the semis.

go-deeper
GO DEEPER

Too many smiles – and South Korea’s other issues with Klinsmann’s awful Asian Cup

In truth, the standard of play in the knockout stage of the Asian Cup has been poor, characterised by a lack of faith in technical quality, a lot of overly cautious play and a sluggish tempo. Things were better over in the Ivory Coast, although the hosts fluked their way through to the final after a group stage so dreadful that they parted company with their manager Jean-Louis Gasset. That doesn’t reflect well on everyone else.

All this means, with the next World Cup only two years away, it’s the same old nations likely to triumph. The bookmakers’ favourites are the three traditional giants from South America (Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay) and the usual western European nations (France, England, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Italy and Belgium). Then come the United States and Mexico, their chances boosted due to hosting the tournament. African and Asian sides are way down the list — as, for that matter, are a couple of South American sides who were on the rise a decade ago, but have since declined, such as Chile and Colombia.

And while Morocco made history by becoming the first African side to reach the semi-finals in 2022, at the end of a positive tournament overall for African nations, it’s worth remembering that the majority of their side were born in Europe, and effectively deemed not good enough to represent stronger nations. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, and credit to Walid Regragui for turning them into a resilient team. But if others are looking for inspiration, it’s not the most easily replicable model for most.

It’s also worth considering each continent’s allocation for World Cup 2026, the first tournament to feature 48 nations. Africa are guaranteed nine places, and Asia eight — these may rise to 10 and nine because of inter-continental play-offs. There are various factors to take into account in terms of how many places each confederation should be entitled to: overall quality, breadth of quality, number of entrants, and perhaps total population.

Uzbekistan celebrate during the Asian Cup (Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images)
On the evidence of the last couple of weeks, Africa probably deserves more than nine places, and Asia fewer than eight. The competition’s serious minnows will likely come from the Asian confederation. If the qualifiers were the same eight that reached the quarter-finals this month, it would be the relatively established quartet of Japan, South Korea, Australia and Iran, plus the two finalists Qatar and Jordan, and rank outsiders Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

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To see nations such as the latter two in a World Cup tournament would feel surreal. But then look at their results against the finalists: Uzbekistan were only eliminated by Qatar on penalties, and Tajikistan only lost 1-0 to Jordan courtesy of an unfortunate own goal.

So here’s a World Cup prediction, two years out. The real outsiders, those who wouldn’t have been at the tournament if it hadn’t expanded to 48 sides, will fare much better than expected — perhaps not progressing from the groups, but not embarrassing themselves.

But the sides who should now be true continental giants from Asia and Africa — and probably North America too — won’t rival the European and South American powers any more than they did in, say, 2010. In many ways, football has become more global over the last 15 years, but not in terms of who might actually win the World Cup. (Top photo: Getty Images)

Qatar retain Asian Cup title with final victory over Jordan

By Ali Rampling and Colin MillarFeb 10, 2024

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Akram Afif’s hat-trick of penalties ensured Qatar have retained their Asian Cup title with victory over Jordan in the final.Qatar won the trophy for the first time in their history in 2019 and retained their title thanks to a trio of spot kicks against Jordan, who were appearing in their first ever final.Qatar — who were hosting the final in Lusail — took the lead after 22 minutes, with Al Sadd striker Afif winning and then converting a penalty after he was brought down by Abdallah Nasib.Jordan levelled after 67 minute through a powerful Yazan Al-Naimat finish after the striker found time and space inside the area.

However, six minutes later Qatar restored their lead as Afif once again netted from the penalty spot following a VAR review.

Afif completed his hat-trick in the fourth minute of added time to seal the victory.

Qatar become the first nation to win consecutive Asian Cups since Japan in 2000 and 2004.

Jordan had embarked on an unlikely route to the final after finishing third in Group E, qualifying for the knockout stages as one of four best third-place sides. They scored twice in second-half stoppage time to secure a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Iraq in the last-16, before edging past Tajikistan in the quarter-finals.

GO DEEPER

How Jordan defied the odds, infighting and regional instability to reach the Asian Cup final

Jordan then stunned South Korea, a side ranked 64 places above them in the FIFA world rankings, with a 2-0 victory in the semi-finals to book their place in Saturday’s final.

It marked the first time they had reached the Asian Cup final, having only made their tournament debut in 2004 and never previously progressing past the quarter-final stage.

Hosts Qatar finished top of Group A after finishing the group stages with a 100 per cent record. They beat the Palestine national team in the last-16 and progressed past Uzbekistan on penalties in the quarter-finals before a 3-2 semi-final victory over Iran.

Qatar were crowned Asian Cup champions for the first time in 2019 after victory over Japan in the final. Prior to their 2019 victory, they had only twice made it out of the group stages in five attempts.

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