Arsenal will host Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in their second match of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 campaign at the Emirates Stadium in London, England.

The Arsenal vs PSG, UEFA Champions League 2024-25 match will start at 12:30 AM IST on Wednesday, October 2. Live streaming and telecast of the match will be available in India.

The new format of the UEFA Champions League, introduced in the 2024-25 season, will see the total number of teams go up from 32 to 36. The teams will compete in a single league phase that will rank all of them together, instead of the eight-group of four teams which was the practice till last year.

Under the new format, each team will play eight matches with eight different teams, half of them at home and half away. The eight opponents are determined by ranking the teams in four seeding pots based on their UEFA club coefficient and then picking two opponents from each pot for a particular team.

The top eight sides after the initial league phase will directly qualify for the round of 16 knockout matches. The teams ranked ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout phase playoff to proceed further.

Arsenal started the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 season with a draw away at Atalanta. However, they have won two of their three matches after the Atalanta contest and have the momentum coming into this game.

Arsenal held high-flying Manchester City with 10 men at the Etihad Stadium last week and are yet to be beaten in the Premier League this season. 

Meanwhile, PSG secured a scrappy 1-0 win against Girona at the Parc des Princes in Paris in their first game of the ongoing UEFA Champions League. In Ligue 1, the top-tier domestic football league in France, PSG are flying high on top with five wins and a draw from the first six games.

Interestingly, both Arsenal and PSG are yet to win the UEFA Champions League title, having finished runners-up to Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the 2005-06 and 2019-20 seasons, respectively.

Arsenal vs PSG football head-to-head

Arsenal and PSG have met each other four times with the former winning once. The other three contests have ended in draws with PSG yet to open their account against the English club. 

The latest match between the two sides in the group stage of the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League in November 2016 ended in a 2-2 draw.

Where to watch Arsenal vs PSG UEFA Champions League 2024-25 match live in India

The Arsenal vs PSG UEFA Champions League 2024-25 match will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network’s TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Arsenal vs PSG, UCL 2024-25 match will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

Photo credit: Imago

Brazilian superstar Neymar has reportedly signed a two-year contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.

Neymar is expected to join the Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain.

Al-Hilal are the most decorated club in Asia with 66 official trophies. Nicknamed Al-Za'eem (The Bosses), Al-Hilal have won a record 18 Saudi Pro League titles, a record 13 Crown Prince Cup trophies, a record seven Saudi Federation Cup titles, 10 King Cups, three Super Cups, as well as the Saudi Founder’s Cup.

They have also clinched a record eight Asian Football Confederation trophies, including the AFC Champions League in 1991, 2000, 2019 and 2021, the Asian Cup Winners Cup in 1997 and 2002, and the Asian Super Cup in 1997 and 2000.

The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) recognised Al-Hilal as the Best Asian Club of the 20th Century in September 2009.

Neymar to Al-Hilal transfer fee

Saudi Arabian heavyweights Al-Hilal are expected to sign Neymar from PSG for an initial transfer fee worth �?0 million ($98.5m).

The transfer fee is expected to rise based on various performance-related add-ons.

In 2017, Neymar became the most expensive player in football history after PSG signed him from FC Barcelona for �?22m.

Neymar Al Hilal salary

Neymar will reportedly earn �?50m ($163.7m) per year at Al-Hilal, which means he is expected to collect �?00M over two seasons. This is believed to be six times more than his PSG salary.

The Brazilian national football team talisman will be one of the highest-paid players in the Saudi Pro League. 

However, Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo will remain the highest paid footballer in the world. The Portuguese footballer earns a staggering $213 million (£173m) annually at Al Nassr. 

Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate Benzema bags a whopping £172.77m per season after signing a three-year contract with Al-Ittihad.

Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, Neymar will join the likes of Sadio Mane, N'Golo Kante, Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino and Ruben Neves who have moved to Saudi Arabia from the various top European leagues this season.

Considered to be one of the best footballers in modern era, Neymar has netted 436 goals in 708 games in his illustrious career so far.

He’s scored 136 goals for Santos, 105 goals for Barcelona, 118 goals for PSG and has 77 goals for the Brazilian national team.

Photo credit: Alamy

The Ligue 1 2023-24 football season will start in the early hours of Saturday, August 12 (as per IST) as OGC Nice will take on Lille Olympique Sporting Club at the Allianz Riviera in the opening fixture.

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain will kick off their Ligue 1 2023-24 campaign against FC Lorient at the Parc des Princes in the wee hours of Sunday, August 13 in India.

Under former manager Christophe Galtier, PSG pipped Lens by just a solitary point in the 2022-23 season to clinch their 11th league title in France's premier football competition.

The reigning Ligue 1 champions have appointed Luis Enrique as their new manager.

Ahead of the new season, PSG have undergone a squad overhaul. While Lionel Messi has left the club, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar could also leave in the summer transfer window.

PSG have signed the likes of winger Marco Asensio, midfield destroyer Manuel Ugarte, creative midfielder Kang-in Lee, defenders Milan Skriniar, Lucas Hernandez and forward Goncalo Ramos to boost their squad.

PSG have won the Ligue 1 title on nine occasions in the last 11 years. 

Apart from PSG, Lille won the Ligue title in the 2020-21 season, while Monaco clinched it in 2016-17.

Lens, Marseille, Lille and Monaco will be the other contenders for the 2023-24 Ligue title.

Meanwhile, Le Havre and FC Metz are the two newly-promoted clubs for the upcoming Ligue 1 season.

The Ligue 1 2023-24 will conclude on May 18 after the 18 Ligue 1 teams will have played 34 games each - 17 at home and just as many away.

Where to watch Ligue 1 2023-24 season live in India?

Select matches of the Ligue 1 2023-24 season will be telecast live on the Sports 18 and Sports 18 HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Ligue 1 2023-24 season will be available on the JioCinema app and website in India.

Photo credit: Alamy

Reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will lock horns with Serie A giants Inter Milan in a pre-season 2023 friendly at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo on Tuesday, August 1. The PSG vs Inter pre-season friendly will start at 3:30 PM IST.

Under new manager Luis Enrique, PSG will aim to bounce back after suffering a shock 2-3 defeat against J1 League side Cerezo Osaka in their previous pre-season clash in Osaka, Japan.

Having left out their talisman Kylian Mbappe from PSG’s pre-season tour to Japan and South Korea, the Ligue 1 outfit has had mixed results in the pre-season so far.

While Kylian Mbappé’s exclusion has made all the headlines, PSG have strengthened their squad by signing the likes of Milan Skriniar, Marco Asensio, Lucas Hernandez and Manuel Ugarte.

PSG started their pre-season with a 2-0 win over French side Le Havre, before being held to a goalless draw by Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr FC.

On the other hand, Inter Milan annihilated Unione Sportiva Pergolettese 1932 10-0 in their pre-season 2023 opener.

However, Simone Inzaghi’s men later played a 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in their previous pre-season fixture.

Last season’s UCL finalists Inter have signed Francesco Acerbi, Marcus Thuram, Juan Cuadrado, Kristjan Asllani, Yann Aurel Bisseck, Davide Frattesi and Raffaele di Gennaro to boost their squad.

With two star-studded squads on display, we expect a high-scoring encounter at the Japan National Stadium.

PSG vs Inter Milan head-to-head

PSG have a dominant head-to-head record against Inter Milan in UEFA Champions League history, winning three of the four matches so far. The other match ended in a draw.

The two sides last faced each other in a club friendly in 2019 where Inter pipped PSG 6-5 on penalties at Estádio Campo Desportivo in Macau.

Where to watch PSG vs Inter Milan pre-season 2023 friendly live in India?

Live streaming of the PSG vs Inter Milan pre-season 2023 friendly will be available on the FanCode app and website in India.

There will be no live telecast of the PSG vs Inter Milan pre-season 2023 friendly on any TV channel in India.

PSG squad vs Inter Milan 

Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alexandre Letellier, Louis Mouquet

Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Presnel Kimpembe, Milan Skriniar, Marquinhos, Juan Bernat, Lucas Hernandez, Layvin Kurzawa, Serif Nhaga

Midfielders: Ethan Mbappé, Manuel Ugarte, Marco Verratti, Fabian Ruiz, Marco Asensio, Danilo Pereira, Vitinha, Renato Sanches, Carlos Soler, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Noah Lemina

Forwards: Neymar, Ismaël Gharbi, Kan-In Lee, Cher Ndour, Hugo Ekitike, Ilyes Housni

Inter Milan squad vs PSG

Goalkeepers: Alessandro Calligaris, Filip Stankovic, Raffaele Di Gennaro

Defenders: Matteo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi, Stefan De Vrij, Alessandro Bastoni, Yann-Aurel Bisseck, Federico Dimarco, Robin Gosens, Denzel Dumfries, Juan Cuadrado, Valentino Lazaro

Midfielders: Hakan Calhanoglu, Kristjan Asllani, Stefano Sensi, Nicolò Barella, Davide Frattesi, Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Forwards: Lautaro Martínez, Joaquin Correa, Marcus Thuram, Sebastiano Esposito, Giovanni Fabbian, Aleksandar Stankovic Giacomo Stabile

Photo credit: Alamy

Seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has officially confirmed that he will join Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami after his exit from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

The 35-year-old World Cup winner has reportedly turned down a huge offer from Saudi Arabia-based club Al-Hilal in order to move to the United States. 

While Messi claimed that he wanted to return to his boyhood club FC Barcelona, the ambitious transfer was almost impossible due to Financial Fair Play regulations that are in place in Spain’s top division football league.

“I am joining Inter Miami. The decision is 100% confirmed,�?Messi said in an interview to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

“It's true that I had offers from another European team but I didn't even think about it because in Europe, my idea was only to go to Barcelona. After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it's time to go to MLS to live football in a different way and enjoy my day to day life more,�?the Argentine footballer added.

Messi currently holds the record for the most goals scored in Europe’s top five leagues. He will leave Europe with a staggering 496 goals in 575 matches, having broken the previous record held by his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo (495 goals in 626 games).

He is also the most decorated footballer alongside former Barcelona teammate Dani Alves, having won a record 43 titles so far.

Messi is yet to sign the Inter Miami contract as certain formalities are to be completed. As per reports, the high-profile deal also includes collaboration with brands such as Apple and Adidas.

When will Lionel Messi join Inter Miami?

World Cup winner Lionel Messi is expected to join Inter Miami once the MLS summer window opens on July 5.

Inter Miami are scheduled to face D.C. United in their Eastern Conference encounter on July 9. 

However, Messi will be on national duty as Argentina will play Australia on June 15, and later against Indonesia on June 19. He could later take a month-long break after completing national duties.

In that scenario, Messi could make his Inter Miami debut in the new Leagues Cup competition against Liga MX side Cruz Azul at home on Saturday, July 22.

Inter Miami have already played 16 games in the MLS 2023 season. They are currently placed at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with just 15 points on the board.

Inter Miami remaining schedule for 2023 season

All match times are in India Standard Time (IST)

Date	Fixture	Time (IST)	Venue
Sunday, June 11	New England vs Inter Miami	5:00 AM	Gillette Stadium
Sunday, June 25	Philadelphia vs Inter Miami	5:00 AM	Subaru Park
Sunday, July 2	Inter Miami vs Austin	5:00 AM	DRV PNK Stadium
Wednesday, July 5	Inter Miami vs Columbus	5:00 AM	DRV PNK Stadium
Sunday, July 9	D.C.United vs Inter MiamiÂ	5:00 AM	Audi Field
Sunday, July 16	St.Louis vs Inter Miami	6:00 AM	CityPark
Saturday, July 22	Inter Miami vs Cruz Azul	5:30 AM	DRV PNK Stadium
Wednesday, July 26	Inter Miami vs Atlanta United	5:00 AM	DRV PNK Stadium
Monday, August 21	Inter Miami vs Charlotte	5:00 AM	DRV PNK Stadium
Sunday, August 27	NY Red Bulls vs Inter Miami	5:00 AM	Red Bull Arena
Thursday, August 31	Inter Miami vs Nashville	5:00 AM	DRV PNK Stadium
Monday, September 4	LAFC vs Inter Miami	5:00 AM	BMO Stadium
Sunday, September 10	Inter Miami vs Sporting KC	5:00 AM	DRV PNK Stadium
Sunday, September 17	Atlanta United vs Inter Miami	5:00 AM	Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Thursday, September 21	Inter Miami vs Toronto	5:00 AM	DRV PNK Stadium
Monday, September 25	Orlondo City vs Inter Miami	5:00 AM	Exploria Stadium
Sunday, October 1	Inter Miami vs New York City	5:00 AM	DRV PNK Stadium
Thursday, October 5	Chicago vs Inter Miami	6:00 AM	Soldier Field
Sunday, October 8	Inter Miami vs Cincinnati	5:00 AM	DRV PNK Stadium
Sunday, October 22	Charlotte vs Inter Miami	3:30 AM	Bank of America Stadium

Photo credit: Alamy

The Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi stats reveal that it has been undoubtedly the biggest rivalry in modern football. Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated world football for more than a decade now.

While Portuguese superstar Ronaldo made his professional debut for Sporting in 2002, Argentine talisman Messi took the world football by storm when he made his senior debut for La Liga giants Barcelona in 2004.

The Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate first became the biggest conundrum in football during the 2007-08 season. Both the football megastars were nominated for the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 2007. Interestingly, Kaka pipped Ronaldo and Messi to claim the coveted award that year. Meanwhile, Ronaldo finished second with 277 votes while Messi came third with 255 votes.

However, after Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would go on to dominate the Ballon d'Or in the next 10 years.

Playing for Manchester United, Ronaldo (446 votes) claimed his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 after he edged second-placed Messi (281 votes).

In 2009, former Barcelona forward Messi took his revenge as he bagged his maiden Ballon d'Or by beating Ronaldo with 250 votes. 

Since then, Messi won the Ballon d'Or in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021. On the other hand, Ronaldo clinched the Ballon d'Or in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Furthermore, Messi has six European Golden Shoes while Ronaldo has won four of them.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi stats

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi Ballon d'Or 

Player	Won	TotalÂ
Cristiano Ronaldo	2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017	5
Lionel Messi	2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021	7

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi European Golden Shoes

Player	Won	TotalÂ
Cristiano Ronaldo	2007-08, 2010-11, 2013-14, 2014-15	4
Lionel Messi	2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19	6

In his illustrious career, Cristiano Ronaldo has represented five clubs namely Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr FC. Ronaldo has netted 706 club goals and provided 225 assists in 954 appearances so far. 

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, spent most of his professional career at Barcelona before moving to Paris Saint-Germain. During his career, Messi has scored 704 club goals in just 860 matches. He has also recorded 333 assists. 

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi goals at club level
Player	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Cristiano Ronaldo	959	710	225
Lionel Messi	866	707	336

Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in the UEFA Champions League. Ronaldo has scored a staggering 140 goals in 183 appearances in Europe’s biggest football competition so far. Along with 140 goals, the former Manchester United footballer has registered 48 assists.

Messi is second on the list with 129 goals in 162 appearances. He has recorded 45 assists in his UCL career.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi goals in UEFA Champions League
Player	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Cristiano Ronaldo	183	140	48
Lionel Messi	162	129	45

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi rivalry was at its peak during their stay in La Liga. Real Madrid’s Ronaldo and their arch-rival FC Barcelona’s Messi competed for club titles and personal awards between 2009 and 2018.

While Messi owns the record for most goals for a single club, having scored an astonishing 474 goals in 520 appearances, Ronaldo also showed his greatness as he scored a staggering 311 goals in 292 appearances for Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi goals in La Liga
Player	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Cristiano Ronaldo	292	311	95
Lionel Messi	520	474	216

Cristiano Ronaldo also holds the record for the most goals in international football. Having represented the Portugal national football team since making debut in 2003, Ronaldo has scored 118 goals in 196 appearances along with providing 43 assists so far.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is the leading goalscorer in international football from South America. Playing for the Argentina national football team, Messi has scored 98 goals in 172 appearances. He has also recorded 55 assists so far. 

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi goals in international football
Player	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Cristiano Ronaldo	198	122	43
Lionel Messi	174	102	56

Cristiano Ronaldo made his FIFA World Cup debut for Portugal in their 1-0 win over Angola at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, Germany in 2006. During their second group D match, Ronaldo converted a penalty kick to score his first World Cup goal against Iran.

Since then, Ronaldo has appeared in four more FIFA World Cups in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. He has scored eight goals and provided two assists in 22 matches so far.

On the other hand, Lionel Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina when he came on as a substitute against Serbia and Montenegro during a FIFA World Cup match in 2006. He scored a goal as well as registered an assist in their 6-0 win.

Messi also played a major role for Argentina in four more editions of the FIFA World Cup in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. The Rosario-born footballer has netted 13 goals and recorded eight assists in 26 World Cup appearances so far.

While Messi reached the 2014 FIFA World Cup final before losing 0-1 to Germany, Ronaldo reached the Round of 16 with Portugal in the 2010 and 2018 editions. Messi won the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi goals in FIFA World Cups
Player	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Cristiano Ronaldo	22	8	2
Lionel Messi	26	13	8

Overall, Cristiano Ronaldo has more career goals than Lionel Messi currently. So far, the Portuguese star has bagged nine goals for his current team Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi career goalsÂ
Player	Matches	Goals	Seasons
Cristiano Ronaldo	1,156	830	2002-present
Lionel Messi	1,018	803	2004-present

However, Lionel Messi has won more trophies than Cristiano Ronaldo across various football competitions for club and country. While Messi has claimed 42 trophies in his career, Ronaldo has clinched 34 titles so far.

Messi’s 42 trophies include ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, four UEFA Champions Leagues and the Copa America title. Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s trophy cabinet comprises seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, and the UEFA European Championship.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi trophies

Player	TotalÂ
Cristiano Ronaldo	34
Lionel Messi	42

 

Interested in football betting? Click here to check out the list of top sites.

Featured photo: JOSEP LAGO / AFP

Juventus will lock horns with PSG in the final group stage encounter of the UEFA Champions League 2022-23 at the Allianz Stadium in Italy. The Group H clash will kick off at 1:30 AM IST on November 3.

The hosts have had an underwhelming campaign so far, both domestically and in European competitions.

In Serie A, Juventus find themselves in an unfamiliar seventh position with 22 points in 12 games, winning six, drawing four and losing two. 

Even though they have the best defensive record in the league with only seven goals conceded, Massimiliano Allegri’s men have been feeble in front of goal, scoring just 18.

The situation in UCL is not great either. Juventus have lost four group stage games for the first time in their history, including a shock 2-0 defeat against Maccabi Haifa last month. 

As a result, they’ve failed to make it to the round of 16 of the UCL for the first time since the 2013-14 edition.

Moreover, things can go from bad to worse for the hosts if they lose to PSG and Maccabi Haifa manage to get a point against Benfica in the other group fixture. In that case, Juventus�?campaign in Europe will come to a complete close this season.

On the other hand, PSG have been in terrific form and are unbeaten across all competitions so far, with 11 wins and two draws in 13 Ligue 1 fixtures in addition to three victories and two ties in five Champions League matches.

They have the best offensive and defensive numbers in the French top flight, scoring 36 while letting in only eight. 

Although they have qualified for the round of 16 in UCL, a win in this clash will ensure the top spot in the group. 

Nonetheless, Juventus�?defence will face a stern test from PSG’s lethal trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, who have scored a staggering 43 goals between them in all competitions.

Juventus vs PSG head-to-head

The two teams have been drawn into the same Champions League group for the first time in the tournament’s history.

PSG won the previous group stage fixture 2-1 when the two teams clashed in September. Mbappe notched a brace before Juve’s Weston McKennie bagged a consolation goal. 

However, the two sides squared off in the UEFA Cup 1992-93 semi-final, where Juventus won on away goals, eventually clinching the trophy.

Where to watch Juventus vs PSG UEFA Champions League 2022-23 match live in India?

The live telecast of Juventus vs PSG in India will be available on Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 1 HD TV Channels.

Live streaming of Juventus vs PSG UEFA Champions League 2022-23 match will be available on Sony LIV app and website.

 

Interested in football betting? Click here to check out the list of top sites.

Featured photo: Alain JOCARD / AFP