Friday's briefing: Lionel Messi stars at Club World Cup and Botafogo stun PSG

Champions League winners Paris St Germain were stunned by South American champions Botafogo in Group B, while Atletico Madrid proved too strong for the Seattle Sounders.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca faced questions over Mykhailo Mudryk, while Real Madrid revealed star man Kylian Mbappe had been discharged from hospital.
Closer to home, Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson scaled new heights to announce her Euro 2025 squad.
Messi doing Messi things – unreal free-kick! ⚽️
Enjoy it from every angle 👏👀
Watch the @fifacwc | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #MIAFCP pic.twitter.com/3qCHOEzF1d
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 19, 2025
Lionel Messi scored a trademark free-kick as Inter Miami beat Porto 2-1 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium to move a step closer to the last 16 of the Club World Cup.
Porto took the lead in the eighth minute from the penalty spot but Miami equalised just after half-time through a thumping finish from Telasco Segovia.
Messi then gave the Atlanta crowd what they came for when he clipped home a fine 20-yard free-kick in the 54th minute.
Igor Jesus scored the only goal of the game as Botafogo stunned Paris St Germain in Botafogo, with Atletico Madrid beating the Seattle Sounders 3-1 in Group B's other game.
Elsewhere in Group A, Palmeiras beat Egyptian side Al Ahly 2-0 at the MetLife Stadium – with the match interrupted during the second half because of the threat of lightning in East Rutherford.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed he has not yet spoken to winger Mykhailo Mudryk since the Ukrainian was charged with violating anti-doping rules.
The 24-year-old has not played since being suspended last December after testing positive for a prohibited substance, and is facing a lengthy ban after being charged by the Football Association.
Blues boss Maresca fronted questions on Mudryk as he prepared the team for their second Group D match against Flamengo in Philadelphia on Friday.
'The last time I spoke with Misha, he was quite good. I didn't see him worried, or at least I didn't see him not good. It was OK,' Maresca said.
'I don't know how he is now, but for sure in the next days, weeks, we're going to have a talk.'
Rhian Wilkinson hiked up Wales' highest peak at Yr Wyddfa before delivering the names of 23 players determined to scale their own summit at Euro 2025.
'It (qualifying) was always going to be an uphill battle with little setbacks,' said former Canada international Wilkinson.
'As we have moved towards the Euros we have talked about the summit, the Everest part of it. That something is impossible until it isn't.
'Outside Wales people can think whatever they want. Our goal is to show up and deliver to the best of our ability. I am sure people will be looking up Wales on a map very soon.'
Mbappé medical update.
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) June 19, 2025
Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has been discharged from hospital after being admitted with 'acute gastroenteritis'.
The 26-year-old France international missed Wednesday night's 1-1 Club World Cup draw with Al Hilal through illness, with head coach Xabi Alonso revealing he had a fever.
Real Madrid subsequently confirmed Mbappe was suffering from 'an acute case of gastroenteritis' and had been admitted to hospital for further tests and treatment, before later being cleared to return to the team's base.
'Our player Kylian Mbappe was discharged from the hospital this afternoon and has returned to the Real Madrid training camp,' a club statement read.
'Mbappe will continue receiving specific medical treatment and will gradually return to team activity.'
MD2 vs the Brazilian giants. 🇧🇷🔜 pic.twitter.com/gqgbPg8JSN
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 19, 2025
The Club World Cup continues with Chelsea facing Flamengo in Philadelphia.
The Blues will be looking to build on their opening Group D win over LAFC, who play ES Tunis in Nashville.

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36 minutes ago

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From £11m to £100m - how has Liverpool's record spending changed?

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Full details of how to watch this summer's Women's Euro 2025 tournament. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The highly anticipated Women's European Championship 2025 is now just weeks away, as nations from across the continent gear up for the tournament in Switzerland. Beginning on July 2, the tournament is aiming to smash attendance record's for women's football, with over half-a-million tickets already sold to the event. England Lionesses head to the tournament as defending champions after their memorable success at Euro 2022, and are joined by fellow host nation Wales, who are taking part in their first ever major tournament. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Tickets are already close to selling out, with women's football fans desperate tp grab a sight off some of Europe's best women's players, such as Spain's Aitana Bonmati, England's Leah Williamson and Norway's Caroline Graham Hansen. Want to know who is playing when, how to watch and who the confirmed pundits are? Below is a full list* of this year's UEFA Euro 2022 TV schedule and BBC pundits. *ITV are still to confirm which channel some games will be broadcast on. We will update this as and when it is announced by the broadcaster. Who are the BBC pundits for Women's Euro 2025? The BBC has announced its punditry team for the tournament, with Alex Scott, Gabby Logan and Jeanette Kwakye taking host duties. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A host of former footballers will be placed on punditry duties, with the following players confirmed as part as the broadcast coverage: Lionesses Euro 2022 winners Jill Scott, Ellie Roebuck and Ellen White, ex-Lionesses captain Steph Houghton and England's most-capped player Fara Williams. Former Chelsea midfielder Anita Asante will join recently retired Scotland captain Rachel Corsie, former Wales international Katie Sherwood and ex-Germany centre-back Josie Henning. Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers making her punditry debut, alongside from Manchester City, Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers defender Nedum Onuoha. On commentary duties, we have Robyn Cowen, Jonathan Pearce, and Vicki Sparks. Recently retired Scotland Women icon Rachel Corsie will be on punditry duties at the Women's Euros 2025. Cr: SNS Group. | SNS Group Women's Euro 2025 - Full TV schedule Wednesday 2 July - Group A Iceland vs Finland (12:00 PM, St. Gallen) – ITV/ITVX (Channel TBC) Switzerland vs Norway (3:00 PM, Basel) – BBC One/BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website Thursday 3 July - Group B Spain vs Portugal (12:00 PM, Bern) – BBC Two/BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website Belgium vs Italy (3:00 PM, Lucerne) – ITV/ITVX (Channel TBC) Friday 4 July - Group C Denmark vs Sweden (5:00 PM, Geneva) – ITV/ITVX (Channel TBC) Germany vs Poland (8:00 PM, Zurich) – BBC/ITV (TBC) Saturday 5 July - Group D Wales vs Netherlands (5:00 PM, Zurich) – BBC One/BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website/S4C/S4C Online France vs England (8:00 PM, Zurich) – ITV/STV/ITVX/STV Player Sunday 6 July - Group A Finland vs Norway (12:00 PM, Thun) – BBC Two/BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website Switzerland vs Iceland (3:00 PM, Geneva) – ITV/ITVX (Channel TBC) Alessia Russo will be hoping to fire England Lionesses to a second consecutive European Championship victory. | PA Monday 7 July - Group B Spain vs Belgium (5:00 PM, Basel) – ITV/ITVX (Channel TBC) Italy vs Portugal (8:00 PM, Sion) – ITV/ITVX (Channel TBC) Tuesday 8 July - Group C Germany vs Denmark (5:00 PM, Bern) – BBC Two/BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website Sweden vs Poland (8:00 PM, Lucerne) – BBC One/BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website Wednesday 9 July - Group D England vs Netherlands (5:00 PM, St. Gallen) – BBC One /BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website France vs Wales (8:00 PM, St. Gallen) – ITV (TBC)/ITVXBBC iPlayer/SC4/SC4 Online Thursday 10 July - Group A Finland vs Switzerland (8:00 PM, Bern) – BBC One/BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website Norway vs Iceland (8:00 PM, Zurich) – BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website Friday 11 July - Group B Portugal vs Belgium (8:00 PM, Geneva) – BBC One/BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website Italy vs Spain (8:00 PM, Thun) – BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website Saturday 12 July - Group C Poland vs Denmark (5:00 PM, Basel) – ITV/ITVX (Channel TBC) Sweden vs Germany (8:00 PM, Sion) – ITV/ITVX (Channel TBC) Sunday 13 July - Group D Netherlands vs France (8:00 PM, Lucerne) – ITV/ITVX (Channel TBC) Wales vs England (8:00 PM, Zurich) – ITV 1/ITV Player/STV/STV Player/BBC iPlayer/SC4/SC4 Online Women's Euro 2025 knockout stage - TV schedule Quarter-Final 1 (July 16, 3:00 PM, Basel) – TBC Quarter-Final 2 (July 16, 8:00 PM, Bern) – TBC Quarter-Final 3 (July 17, 3:00 PM, Geneva) – TBC Quarter-Final 4 (July 17, 8:00 PM, Zurich) – TBC Semi-Final 1 (July 22, 8:00 PM, Basel) – TBC Semi-Final 2 (July 23, 8:00 PM, Zurich) – TBC