KYLIAN MBAPPE LOTTIN

Kylian Mbappe’s four goals in an 8-0 rout of Kazakhstan ensured defending champion France reached next year’s World Cup along with victorious Belgium.

There was a goal rush in the Champions League and it was no surprise to see Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah among the scorers.

Lionel Messi hit the crossbar with a curling free kick and looked angry at being taken off in the 75th minute in his home debut for Paris Saint-Germain.

The Lionel Messi era has begun at Paris Saint-Germain.

Lionel Messi says he’s “in the right place” to win another Champions League trophy and cited a reunion with Neymar as a key factor in his decision to sign with Paris Saint-Germain.

Spain reached the semifinals of the European Championship by beating Switzerland 3-1 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw through extra time.

The European Championship is the first major international soccer tournament to take place since the coronavirus outbreak and arrives at the end of the most condensed club season in history.

It's shaping up as perhaps the most polarizing idea in European soccer for more than a generation.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)PARIS – Paris Saint-Germain withstood early pressure from a much-improved but wasteful Barcelona side to draw 1-1 on Wednesday and reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Neymar and Messi tormented PSG that night, but there was to be no reply this time. Navas then tipped Sergino Dest’s drive onto the crossbar as Barcelona opened PSG up with its passing and movement. Incessant pressure led to a penalty for Barcelona, again following a VAR check, when Kurzawa was adjudged to have impeded Griezmann. With that miss, some of the belief seemed to sap from Barcelona and the second half was more even.