Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has taken the extraordinary step of consulting the country's president, Lula, over whether Neymar should be included in the squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Despite being eliminated by Bayern Munich, Kylian Mbappe eclipsed Lionel Messi’s personal best but fell short of matching Cristiano Ronaldo's record for goals in a single UEFA Champions League season. Kylian Mbappe‘s 2025-26 UEFA Champions League campaign came to a crashing halt Wednesday following Real Madrid’s 6-4 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinal second leg. While the Frenchman managed to surpass Lionel Messi’s personal best, he ultimately fell short of matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s gold standard for goals in a single UCL season. Despite being sidelined for three matches, Mbappe enjoyed a prolific run in European play, netting a staggering 13 goals in just seven games during the league phase. Those historic numbers immediately put the Frenchman on a trajectory to shatter every existing record had Real Madrid managed a deeper run toward the final. His availability in the knockout stages was limited, featuring only in the first leg of the playoff round against Benfica and the second leg of the Round of 16 against Manchester City after missing time with a knee sprain. After going scoreless in those earlier rounds, Mbappe regained his form in the quarterfinals against Bayern Munich, scoring once in each leg of the series. His 42nd-minute strike at the Allianz Arena, assisted by Vinicius Junior, brought his tournament total to 15 goals. Although he shattered his previous personal bests of eight goals in the 2020-21 and 2023-24 campaigns, the premature exit effectively clipped Mbappe’s wings in his pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo’s ultimate milestone. Messi left in the rearview When it comes to pure finishing, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi remain the competition’s historical benchmarks. However, Mbappe’s 2025-26 output has already eclipsed the greatest single-season effort produced by the Argentine and Barcelona legend. By finding the net 15 times in 11 appearances, Mbappe surpassed Messi’s career-high for a single Champions League campaign. Messi’s most productive season came in 2011-12, when he scored 14 goals before Barcelona was eliminated by Chelsea in the semifinal stage. Remarkably, Mbappe now joins an elite club alongside Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski, who both reached the 15-goal mark in a single season. Benzema achieved the feat in 12 matches during the 2021-22 campaign, while Lewandowski hit the number in just 10 games in 2019-20; notably, Mbappe is the first to do so under the competition’s revamped format. Cristiano Ronaldo’s record remains safe While Mbappe was on a torrid pace, the quarterfinal exit preserves both of the high-water marks set by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese icon still holds the record for the most goals in a single Champions League edition, having scored 17 times in 11 games during the 2013-14 season. Furthermore, Ronaldo also maintains the second-best mark in history, a 16-goal barrage across 12 games in 2015-16. Mbappe’s mid-season fitness issues, which saw him sidelined for three matches, proved to be missed opportunities to catch Ronaldo, whose records will remain untouched for at least one more year.

THIAGO SILVA admits leaving Chelsea for Brazil two years ago ‘wasn’t nice’. But the 41-year-old says his move back to Europe in December has not only brought him closer to his family - it also puts him in contention for a shock FIFTH World Cup call-up. Silva is back in England for the second leg...

Real Madrid bowed out of this season’s Champions League on Wednesday, as they went down 4-3 to Bayern Munich in the second leg of their quarter-final tie, which ensured a 6-4 defeat on aggregate for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side. Andriy Lunin – 5 He may have made a couple of good saves to keep Bayern at […] The post Real Madrid player ratings against Bayern Munich: Arda Guler shines on disappointing night appeared first on Football España.

Real Madrid faced off against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena earlier tonight as they hoped to secure a win on the road in the UEFA Champions League. Los Blancos made a dream start to the game as they scored the opener in the first minute when Arda Guler found the back of the net. […] The post Mbappe And Bellingham Get 7.5 | Real Madrid Players Rated In Tough Loss Vs Bayern Munich appeared first on The 4th Official - A view from the sideline.

Arsenal and Sporting CP battled to a goalless draw in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday. The Gunners went into the game with a 1-0 lead and held on to their advantage on a nervy night at the Emirates Stadium. The visitors appealed for a penalty after 14 minutes when […]

Defending UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain left Anfield with a victory for the second straight year, in order to progress to the semi-final stage of the competition with a…

Arsenal entertained Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium earlier tonight as they hoped to secure a good result at home in the UEFA Champions League. The Gunners made a solid start to the game but were held to a scoreless draw at the half-time break. The North London club struggled to find the winning goal […] The post Zubimendi Gets 7.5, Raya With 7 | Arsenal Players Rated In Hard-Fought Draw Vs Sporting appeared first on The 4th Official - A view from the sideline.