Brazilian football star Neymar Jr penned a heartfelt note to partner Bruna Biancardi on the occasion of her 32nd birthday. Sharing a picture of the couple, Neymar captioned the post: “Congratulations beautiful. May it be a year filled with lots of happiness. Those of us who are close to you know how special it was for us to have God place you in our lives. I love you.” The post received a whopping 1.7 million likes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neymar Jr (@neymarjr)
17 April,2026 10:25 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentBrazilian football legend Ronaldinho always played with a smile on his face, and hence it may be hard for fans to picture the former Barcelona forward looking depressed. The former Ballon d’Or winner has revealed that he was in a tough situation in 2020, when he was jailed for a month in Paraguay, after entering the country using a fake passport. In his recent Netflix documentary, Ronaldinho opened up on the “worst moment” of his life. “Why did I have the passport? It was given to me. That person came to my house to hand it over,” Ronaldinho was quoted as saying by British tabloid The Sun. “You’re stuck in a situation despite having done nothing wrong. It’s awful,” he added. However, despite his dire situation, football provided him hope. The Brazilian played futsal tournaments alongside fellow prisoners and guards. “It [football] was a way to forget what I was going through,” said Ronaldinho.
17 April,2026 10:23 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentHarry Kane praised Luis Diaz and Michael Olise’s late “moments of magic” which delivered the killer blow as Bayern Munich eliminated Real Madrid to reach the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday. Holding a 2-1 first-leg advantage, Bayern fell behind three times in the first half as record 15-time champions Real produced a familiarly strong performance on the European stage, with Arda Guler (1st and 29th min) and Kylian Mbappe (42nd) notching up the goals. For Bayern, Aleksandar Pavlovic (6th min), and Harry Kane (38th) scored to keep them afloat. The tie was level at 4-4 on aggregate when Diaz struck in the 89th minute, after Edouardo Camavinga’s sending off, to put Bayern in front, before Michael Olise added another in stoppage time. Harry Kane. Pic/AFP Bayern will face holders Paris Saint-Germain in the semis after winning 4-3 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate. “Even in the last 20 minutes of the game, I felt like we were the team trying to make something happen. They started to tire a little bit, and it just sometimes takes a moment of magic, an unbelievable finish, to beat them. In this case it was two great finishes by Diaz and Olise, to finish the game off for us, and that’s what the UCL is about,” said Kane. Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa criticised the referee’s decision to send off Camavinga after the substitute picked up two yellow cards in quick succession — the second of which appeared to be shown for delaying the restart after he had fouled Kane. “It’s unbelievable that you can send off a player for this action in a match like this. We feel really upset, really angry, really disappointing. This felt like a defining game in our season,” said Arbeloa. 157No. of goals scored by Bayern Munich across all competitions this season (46 games) 12No. of years since Bayern Munich last conceded three goals in the first half of a UCL game 13No. of UCL wins for Bayern over Real Madrid in 30 games (lost 13, drawn four) This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 April,2026 10:22 AM IST | Munich | AFPFIFA president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that Iran will "for sure" participate in the 2026 World Cup despite the Middle East war. "Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help," Infantino told an economic conference organized by broadcaster CNBC. "But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play," he said of the team's upcoming matches scheduled in the United States in June. Infantino had made similar comments in March, when he attended an Iran-Costa Rica friendly in Antalya, Turkey, even though US President Donald Trump had previously suggested that Iranian players might not be "safe" in the United States. Iran is scheduled to play its three Group G matches in the United States -- two in Los Angeles, one in Seattle -- with their base for the tournament in Tucson, Arizona. 'Outside of politics' Iran's participation in the global tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico had been thrown into doubt by the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. Iran raised the prospect of a "boycott" of the competition before asking FIFA to move its matches from the United States to Mexico, a request the world governing body rejected. After several weeks of air strikes on Iran and Iranian reprisals against Israel and other countries in the region, a fragile truce came into effect on April 8. But Tehran has sealed off the strategic Strait of Hormuz and since Monday Washington has imposed a blockade on ships coming from or heading to Iranian ports. "Sports should be outside of politics," Infantino said on Wednesday. "If there's nobody else that believes in building bridges and keeping them intact and together, we are doing the job," he said. The World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams, starts on June 11. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 April,2026 09:53 AM IST | Washington | AFPArsenal midfield star Declan Rice said reaching another Champions League semi-final was "an amazing achievement" for Arsenal despite failing to silence their critics in a 0-0 draw at home to Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday. The Gunners progressed 1-0 on aggregate thanks to Kai Havertz's late winner in the Portuguese capital last week. Arsenal, who have never won the Champions League, were knocked out in the last four by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain last season. They will face Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals for the chance to take on PSG or Bayern Munich in Budapest next month. "To go back-to-back semi-finals is an is an amazing achievement for this group," Rice told TNT Sports. "We want to now go one step further than last year and get to the final." Yet a stalemate short on excitement at the Emirates did little to set up Mikel Arteta's men for a potential Premier League title decider away to Manchester City on Sunday. Arsenal have won just one of their last five games in all competitions, a run which includes losing the League Cup final to City and being dumped out of the FA Cup by second-tier Southampton. "Positivity all the way," added Rice. "Who cares what people think. All that matters is what this group thinks, what the manager thinks, and we're in another semi-final. I'm delighted." City trail Arsenal by six points at the top of the table but have a game in hand on the leaders and home advantage when they face off this weekend. "Our record this year has been amazing in all competitions," said Rice. "How much (do) you want it? I know I'll be ready, I know the boys will be ready, so let's go!" This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 April,2026 09:52 AM IST | London | AFPHugo Ekitike, the Liverpool striker, will miss the World Cup due to a significant leg injury, France coach Didier Deschamps announced on Wednesday. In the 27th minute of Tuesday's Champions League game between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, Ekitike was removed from the pitch on a stretcher after suffering what appeared to be an Achilles tendon injury. "The severity of his injury will unfortunately prevent him from finishing the season with Liverpool and from participating in the World Cup," Deschamps said. The Reds were knocked out of the Champions League after a 4-0 aggregate defeat against the reigning European champions PSG. The match was halted for over 5 minutes as Ekitike hit the floor with a suspected injury. The French star was in tears as the referee called for the stretcher to carry him off the pitch. It was soon confirmed that Ekitike had suffered a serious Achilles injury that would keep him out for most of the next year. Liverpool did not immediately confirm the news, but coach Arne Slot said Tuesday that the injury looked "really bad." France manager confirms Ekitike will miss the World Cup Ekitike has been one of Liverpool's top players this season and was expected to be part of France's World Cup squad in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He has scored 19 goals for club and country, including a goal for France in its 2-1 win over Brazil last month. "Hugo is one of about 10 young players who have made their debuts for the national team in recent months. He had integrated perfectly into the group, both on and off the pitch. This injury is a huge blow for him, obviously, but also for the French national team. His disappointment is immense. Hugo will get back to his best, I'm convinced of it. But I wanted to express my full support for him, as well as that of the entire staff." Deschamps said. France has a good depth in attacking options with Michel Olise, Kylian Mbappe, and Ousmane Dembele all available to fill in. The French team have reached the final of the last two World Cups, winning in 2018 and finishing runners-up in 2022. (With AP Input)
16 April,2026 05:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAtletico Madrid sent 10-man Barcelona crashing out of the Champions League en-route to booking a spot in the semi-finals with a 3-2 aggregate victory despite Tuesday’s 1-2 quarter-final second-leg defeat. Diego Simeone’s side saw their 2-0 lead from last week’s first-leg clash evaporate within the opening half hour through strikes from Lamine Yamal (4th min) and Ferran Torres (24th min) as the Catalan giants turned on the heat. However, the in-form Ademola Lookman (31st min) fired the visitors ahead on aggregate and they managed to cling on to the win, while benefiting from Eric Garcia’s sending off in the 79th minute for a tackle on Alexander Sorloth. Atletico Madrid players celebrate their UCL quarter-final win vs Barcelona on Tuesday. Pic/AFP “We’re absolutely thrilled, eliminating a team of Barça’s level. We struggled at the start, but overcame it. The effort was enormous and we are deserved winners of the tie,” said Atletico Madrid skipper Koke. NineNo. of years since Atletico’s previous semi-final appearance This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 April,2026 10:18 AM IST | Madrid | AgenciesBarcelona forward Rapinha did not hold back in criticism and launched a scathing attack on the refereeing after his team was knocked out of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. Barcelona’s 2–1 win in the return leg was not enough to overturn a 2–0 deficit from the first match, as they lost the tie 3–2 on aggregate against their Spanish rivals. “For me, this match was a robbery. Not just this match but the other one as well. The refereeing was really bad, the decisions [Turpin] makes are unbelievable,” He said as quoted by the BBC. “I don't know how many fouls Atletico made, but the referee didn't give them a single yellow card. I really want to understand why they're so afraid that Barcelona will come and win,” Raphinha further added. The Brazilian forward, who missed both legs due to injury, also pointed to a pattern in the officiating across the two matches. “It was tough, especially when you realise you have to work three times as hard to win the match. I think this tie was quite misleading, in my view. I think everyone can make mistakes; everyone is human. But when the mistakes keep repeating themselves in exactly the same way, I think that's something we need to pay attention to,” he noted. The clash saw Barcelona reduced to 10 men in both legs following VAR interventions. Defender Pau Cubarsi was sent off in the first leg by referee Istvan Kovacs, while Eric Garcia was dismissed in the second leg by Clement Turpin, with both yellow cards upgraded to reds for denying goal-scoring opportunities. Barcelona had also raised concerns over a first-leg incident involving Atletico defender Marc Pubill, who appeared to handle the ball inside the penalty area. However, Kovacs and VAR official Christian Dingert allowed play to continue. Barcelona lodged a complaint with UEFA over what they described as a grave lack of VAR intervention; they demanded acceptance of fault, but the governing body denied their request on Tuesday and termed the protest as inadmissible. With this loss, Barcelona's 11-year wait to lift the Champions Trophy continues, while on the other side, Atletico Madrid has qualified for the semi-finals and would look to end their quest for their first Champions League title. Madrid has reached the finals three times, but finished as runners-up on every occasion. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 April,2026 10:09 AM IST | Madrid | IANSEngland football great Wayne Rooney’s wife Coleen celebrated her 40th birthday in style over the Easter weekend, with latest pictures revealing the extent to which the couple splurged on Coleen’s special day. According to British tabloid The Sun, a grand marquee was set up on the lawns of the Rooneys’s £20mn (approximately Rs 253cr) mansion in Cheshire, with a large illuminated 40 overlooking a pond in their estate. The walls of the marquee were decorated with Penguin book covers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Julie Perry Events (@julieperryevents) The furniture was adorned by tea lights and roses, while a flowering tree was set up in the centre of a pop-up bar. Irish singer Dermot Kennedy performed some of his hits on a mini stage, before a DJ took over for the rest of the night. Coleen was dressed in a lavender outfit, while Wayne sported a semi-casual look, pairing a white t-shirt with a navy blue blazer.
16 April,2026 10:03 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentParis Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique hailed his team’s resilience as they beat Liverpool 2-0 at home on Tuesday to seal a 4-0 win on aggregate and advance to the Champions League semi-final. The Reds gave a far better account of themselves than they managed last week in Paris, but a deficit of 0-2 proved to be too hard to overturn. Ultimately Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele struck twice (72nd and 91st min) to help the Parisians progress. PSG’s Ousmane Dembele (left) celebrates scoring against Liverpool on Tuesday. Pic/AFP “It was an intense match. The first-half went more for us because we controlled the match and created a few chances. In the second half, it was different. We suffered a lot, they pressed high and took a lot of risks. It was difficult, but we beat their press twice and scored,” said PSG manager Enrique. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 April,2026 09:44 AM IST | Liverpool | AgenciesAtletico Madrid survived a strong comeback attempt by Barcelona in the quarterfinals at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Wednesday to advance to the UEFA Champions League semifinals for the first time in nine years. Diego Simeone's team advanced 3-2 on aggregate despite losing the second leg 1-2 to Barcelona because of their first-leg advantage. Barcelona got off to a fantastic start, scoring in the fourth minute thanks to Lamine Yamal. In the 24th minute, Ferran Torres scored a strong goal to draw the match on aggregate and give the visitors the upper hand. But Atletico's attacker, Ademola Lookman, scored in the 31st minute to retake the aggregate lead, giving the home team a vital advantage heading into halftime.Barcelona brought on attacking players like Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski to push hard for another goal in the second half, but Atletico Madrid retained their composure and put up a sturdy defence. When Eric Garcia was sent off for a last-man foul in the 79th minute, the game shifted even more in Atletico's favour. Ronald Araujo missed a late header in stoppage time as Barcelona struggled to find the game-winning goal. Atletico continue their good form against Barcelona This result was Atletico's third Champions League quarterfinal victory over Barcelona. They had previously won 3-2 on aggregate in 2015/16 (1-2 away, 2-0 home) and 2-1 on aggregate in 2013/14 (1-1 away, 1-0 home). Barcelona's victory on the night marked Atletico's first loss in 11 UEFA home games against Spanish opponents (Wins: 8, Defeats: 2). The 2-1 loss was also Atletico's first home loss in a Champions League knockout game since they were defeated 3-2 by Ajax in the second leg of a quarterfinal encounter in March 1997. Atletico will now face either Arsenal or Sporting in the semi-finals. Arsenal have a slender 1-0 lead going into the second leg, thanks to a late Kai Havertz winner in the reverse fixture. In the other quarter-final, PSG defeated Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield to secure a 4-0 aggregate victory. The defending champions will face either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the other semi-final. (With ANI Input)
15 April,2026 05:47 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
