Football/Soccer 24-Hour Briefing
×Champions League Round of 16
Real Madrid espn.com advanced to the last 16 after beating Benfica 2-1, with Vinícius Junior sealing the progress amid boos from Benfica fans. PSG espn.com also advanced after a 2-2 draw with Monaco, though they were made to work hard after Mamadou Coulibaly's red card. Atletico Madrid bbc.com secured their spot with Alexander Sorloth's hat-trick in a 4-1 win against Club Brugge.
Bodo/Glimt bbc.com had a remarkable Champions League campaign, defeating Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan to reach the last. Newcastle bbc.com comfortably progressed after beating Qarabag 3-2 on aggregate.
Juventus Elimination Drama
Galatasaray bbc.com survived a late Juventus comeback to win 7-5 on aggregate despite the Italian side's 3-0 second-half lead. Lloyd Kelly's red card bbc.com became a major talking point after he received a straight red card, with many calling it an "awful" decision. Locatelli espn.com revealed the Juventus squad was "on the verge of tears" after the elimination.
European Football News
Salah bbc.com is happy to stay at Liverpool until 2027, while Mc Kennie espn.com is close to signing a new contract with Juventus. Barcelona espn.com are interested in Omar Marmoush as a potential alternative to Julián Álvarez. Coutinho espn.com is considering a move to MLS or retirement at age.
VAR and Discipline
VAR decisions espn.com were at the center of controversy again after Atalanta's Nikola Krstovic suffered a bloody foul that led to a VAR-awarded penalty. Martin O'Neill bbc.com criticized VAR as "debilitating" for officials, while Chelsea and West Ham bbc.com were fined for a "mass confrontation" between players.
National Team Football
England bbc.com will play Ukraine in their Women's World Cup qualifier at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium in June. FIFA espn.com has "full confidence" in Mexico's ability to host World Cup games amid recent unrest and violence.
Transfer News
Man Utd bbc.com ruled out signing Victor Osimhen because of the Africa Cup of Nations, which proved to be "a big stumbling block" according to former coach Benni Mc Carthy. Premier League clubs bbc.com are showing interest in Celtic's top scorer Benjamin Nygren.
American Soccer
Bouanga espn.com has agreed to a multi-year contract extension with LAFC, continuing his stay with the MLS club. Chucky Lozano espn.com is being paid $6M to not play in MLS, raising questions about his future with San