Real Madrid fans displayed anti-racism banners before kick-off as Vinicius Junior met Benfica again.

Vinicius started for Real eight days after the first leg of the Champions League play-off round tie in Lisbon, during which the Brazilian alleged he was racially abused by Gianluca Prestianni – something the Benfica player denied.

Real fans held up banners with messages of support for Vinicius – who had scored the only goal in Lisbon – before kick-off at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And as the players took to the field, two forceful messages – “No to racism” and “Respect” – were read out.

UEFA had imposed a provisional sanction on Prestianni on Monday, ruling him out of the tie, although the Argentinian winger had travelled to Madrid as part of the Benfica squad.

Benfica had appealed against the decision to ban Prestianni, but UEFA dismissed the Portuguese club’s case on Wednesday afternoon.

“Mr Gianluca Prestianni remains provisionally suspended for the next UEFA club competition match for which he would otherwise be eligible,” a UEFA statement read.

UEFA appointed an ethics and disciplinary investigator (EDI) following the first leg and made a swift decision.

UEFA said on Monday the imposition of a provisional suspension was “without prejudice to any ruling that the UEFA disciplinary bodies may subsequently make following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and its respective submission to the UEFA disciplinary bodies”.

The Brazilian left the field and refused to return, resulting in a stoppage in play that lasted 10 minutes of last Tuesday’s first leg.

It came after Vinicius had given his team the lead with a wonderful individual strike, curling the ball home from a tight angle five minutes into the second half.

After celebrating in front of the home fans, he became suddenly and visibly upset about something said to him and immediately informed the referee, who stopped the match.

Benfica boss Jose Mourinho, who was roundly criticised for his comments about the incident after the game, did not conduct the usual pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

Mourinho appeared to intimate after the first leg that the winger had brought any abuse upon himself with his celebration and said that “a stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens, always”.

Anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out responded by accusing Mourinho of “gaslighting”.

Mourinho was expected to watch the second leg from the stands after being sent off in Lisbon for angrily shouting towards referee Francois Letexier.

Teddy Atlas has offered his prediction for the rematch between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, considering the advantages that each fighter could benefit from.

It was officially announced on Monday that the pair will square off at the Sphere, Las Vegas, on September 19, with their professional contest streamed live on Netflix.

Prior to that, it has been reported that Mayweather is set to face Mike Tyson in an exhibition match, slated for April 25 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Alongside this, though, it was always speculated that the 49-year-old would also collide with Pacquiao, his old rival, in a professional bout.

While both Hall of Famers have been involved in several exhibitions in recent years, Pacquiao has had five professional outings since Mayweather retired from the sport in 2017.

The most recent of which came against Mario Barrios, the then-WBC world welterweight champion, in July, when the Filipino boxed to a highly-contentious draw.

Before that, ‘Pac Man’ had taken a near four-year layoff following his defeat to Yordenis Ugas, which came after he outpointed Keith Thurman in 2019.

Mayweather, meanwhile, has not fought professionally since his 10th-round stoppage victory over Conor McGregor, though Hall of Fame trainer Atlas feels as though he may have less miles on the clock than the 47-year-old Pacquiao.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Atlas outlined where both fighters’ advantages might lie.

“Who’s got less miles on the odometer? Because of the defensive style of Mayweather, I gave a check to Mayweather.

“[Even] besides the [Juan Manuel] Marquez fights, Pacquiao’s been in some tough fights.

“[With] reflexes, timing and other boxing elements, I gave the check to Pacquiao. At least he’s had one real fight – Barrios – recently.

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“Mayweather’s fresher, but inactivity could affect his timing.”

In terms of delivering a prediction, many will be surprised by the outcome Atlas has suggested.

“Styles make fights, and the style of Mayweather could still be a problem for Pacquiao. But again, Pacquiao has been in a real fight recently, and I know the boxing business – could [the event organisers] already be thinking about a trilogy?

“Call me crazy, [but] I’m going to call it a draw.”

Mayweather scored a unanimous decision victory over Pacquiao the first time around, in 2015, though a lack of professional rounds since then could represent a point of concern.

The U.S. men’s ice hockey team continued their Olympic gold medal celebrations back home with a whirlwind tour on Tuesday that began with an Air Force flight into Washington, D.C., and ended with a standing ovation at the State of the Union address.

But amid the praise, the team has faced some backlash on social media. 

Jack Hughes poses for a photo with Team USA members, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was among those in the administration to welcome the American hockey players before visiting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. 

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Leavitt shared a photo on social media posing with deputy director of communications, Margo Martin, and several members of Team USA. The photo included Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, Jack and Quinn Hughes, and Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson.

Both Hughes brothers wore red and white USA hats, while Thompson sported a “Make America Great Again” hat, prompting widespread backlash on social media. 

“How embarrassing,” one person wrote on X in a post sharing the photo. Another person responded, calling Thompson a “scumbag” for wearing the MAGA hat. 

“From here to zero in record time,” that person later added in another post. 

Karoline Leavitt shared a photo on social media posing with deputy director of communications, Margo Martin, and several members of Team USA. The photo included Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, Jack and Quinn Hughes, and Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson. Both Hughes brothers wore red and white USA hats, while Thompson sported a “Make America Great Again” hat, prompting widespread backlash on social media. (Karoline Leavitt via Instagram)

Thompson faced special criticism on social media. On his Instagram page, critics flocked to the comments on his recent post to criticize him for wearing the MAGA hat. 

“Your actions spoke louder than any cheap words you’ll invariably post as damage control,” one comment read. “We will remember you as the losers you are.” 

“A damn shame,” another post read.

“A MAGA hat is disgraceful. You should be ashamed. We will never forget. You’re a red hat. Gross.” 

Team USA men’s hockey gold medalists have irked liberal pundits and news organizations despite captivating the nation with their Olympic accomplishment. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

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Trump invited both the men’s and women’s gold medal teams to the White House and extended an invitation to the State of the Union address, but the women’s team declined, citing schedule conflicts.

In a video of the president’s phone call with the men’s team immediately after their win, Trump said he would “have” to invite the women’s team, otherwise he “probably would be impeached.” The players laughed in response to Trump’s joke, causing some backlash on social media. 

Trump said during Tuesday’s address that the women’s gold medal team would make a trip to the White House, but he did not say when.

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Atalanta performed a football miracle by overturning the 2-0 Champions League play-off first leg defeat to beat Borussia Dortmund 4-1 on the night with a last-gasp Lazar Samardzic penalty, 4-3 on aggregate.

La Dea had a big task ahead of them after losing the first leg 2-0 in Germany, their third consecutive defeat in the competition. Charles De Ketelaere and Giacomo Raspadori were still out of action, with Ederson only fit for the bench, but Gianluca Scamacca returned to the starting XI. Borussia Dortmund were missing Niklas Sule, Italian Filippo Mane and cup-tied Patrick Drewes, but Emre Can was back after a month out.

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See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

BERGAMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 25: General view inside the stadium as players of Atalanta and Borussia Dortmund line up prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Atalanta BC and Borussia Dortmund at Stadio di Bergamo on February 25, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Nicola Zalewski nearly scored in the fourth minute, Gregor Kobel fingertipping the angled drive past the far post, but the breakthrough arrived moments later.

Lorenzo Bernasconi got down the left and rolled across, Ramy Bensebaini sliding in got it wrong and just kept the ball going for Scamacca to tap in from six yards.

Emre Can had to put it out for a corner when Bernasconi volleyed a Lazar Samardzic cross back from the far post, then Kobel made a sensational fingertip save on another Zalewski scorcher.

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Serhou Guirassy nodded the first Dortmund chance wide at the back stick on 28 minutes, then Marco Carnesecchi needed quick reactions to deny Julian Brandt from close range on an inspired Maximilian Beier through ball.

BERGAMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 25: Davide Zappacosta of Atalanta celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Atalanta BC and Borussia Dortmund at Stadio di Bergamo on February 25, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Zalewski curled just over the bar after a strong Isak Hien run, and Atalanta cancelled out the first leg deficit on the stroke of half-time when Zappacosta’s strike from the edge of the area took a deflection off Bensebaini to wrongfoot Kobel.

After the restart, Carnesecchi made another impressive save on Guirassy after a debatable offside call, while Mario Pasalic couldn’t get enough power on the finish to surprise Kobel from Scamacca’s lay-off.

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Kobel also rushed off his line to narrow the angle when Marten de Roon was sent clear down the right, but Dortmund were inches away from scoring when Beier’s angled drive beat Carnesecchi to bounce off the inside of the far post.

BERGAMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 25: Felix Nmecha of Borussia Dortmund controls the ball whilst under pressure from Marten de Roon of Atalanta during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Atalanta BC and Borussia Dortmund at Stadio di Bergamo on February 25, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Atalanta survived the scare and took the lead for the first time in the tie when De Roon’s cross found Pasalic for a glancing header at the back stick from six yards, making it 3-2 on aggregate.

There was bad news as Sead Kolasinac limped off with a muscular problem, then Guirassy hit a fresh-air shot from eight yards in a move that saw Carnesecchi’s double save on the striker and Fabio Silva.

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Borussia Dortmund got it to 3-3 on aggregate moments later, as Karim Adeyemi cut inside and bent his curler into the far top corner from inside the box.

Samardzic squirmed between two to drill inches wide of the far post, but there was drama deep into stoppages when Kobel rushed outside his line to clear and got it wrong, allowing Pasalic to cross from the left, which Bensebaini clumsily tried to intercept with a high boot behind him, kicking Krstovic in the head.

The contact was not in doubt, as the striker was bleeding, but it took a VAR On-Field Review to award the second yellow card to Bensebaini and above all the penalty, which Samardzic converted into the top corner to send Atalanta through 4-3 on aggregate.

Lazar Samardžić with an emphatic penalty to seal an incredible night for Atalanta as they progress to the round of 16 in the Champions League 👏@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK

Scamacca 5 (A), Zappacosta 45 (A), Pasalic 57 (A), Adeyemi 75 (B), Samardiz pen 98 (A)

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Spalletti explains new McKennie role for Juventus vs. Galatasaray

Martin O’Neill is of the view VAR is “debilitating” for officials on the pitch as he branded the Scottish FA process for appealing against decisions “worthless”.

On Tuesday, Celtic lost their bid to have Auston Trusty’s red card against Hibernian overturned.

A club statement was critical of the ruling and called for an urgent review of VAR use, complaining that “VAR again decided to intervene to ‘re-referee’ an initial decision”.

Trusty was dismissed after a review of his chop on the arm of Jamie McGrath, while the pair tussled at a corner kick, leaving veteran manager O’Neill perplexed.

“I did the interview after the game and someone asked me if we were going to appeal it and I thought I’m really not sure about it, the appeals in this day and age are seemingly worthless,” he said.

“But when I get the info back from the club at what has been said in VAR I thought yeah, absolutely, because the referee has seen the incident, it’s not like he hasn’t seen it.

“And then you’ve got a very excited man on VAR saying ‘delay, delay, delay’ and they ask him and he says he’s going to have a word with the players.

“Then he has to trot over to change his mind. It’s ridiculous.”

Manchester United are searching for a new permanent manager and interim head coach Michael Carrick is looking increasingly difficult to ignore

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With Michael Carrick making a blistering start to his interim reign at Manchester United, many are inevitably wondering whether he’ll remain in charge beyond the end of the season.

United have won five of their six matches under Carrick, including statement victories over Manchester City and Arsenal. The club are on the hunt for a new long-term appointment, with a new manager expected to be in place before the start of the 2026/27 pre-season.

Carrick wasn’t initially viewed as a contender for the permanent role, but after breathing new life into the 13-time Premier League champions, he’s arguably surged to the front of the queue. Other contenders like Oliver Glasner, Gareth Southgate, Roberto De Zerbi and Julian Nagelsmann remain in frame, but the job increasingly feels like it’s Carrick’s to lose.

With that in mind, we’ve put our thinking caps on to consider what a long-term Manchester United contract for Carrick could look like. Let’s take a closer look.

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Duration

Carrick would most likely receive a three-year contract. This follows the precedent set for permanent hires like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag.

For INEOS, a three-year window provides enough security to implement a philosophy without the “lame duck” risk of a shorter deal, while avoiding the astronomical payout liabilities that hamstrung the club following the dismissals of Jose Mourinho and Ruben Amorim.

Staffing

Carrick would almost certainly be allowed to retain members of his current coaching staff. Steve Holland, in particularly, would stand out as a must-keep given his impressive record at Chelsea and with the England national team.

Holland is also viewed as the secret sauce behind the team’s tactical stability and newfound defensive rigidity. Retaining the blend of Holland’s elite experience with the club DNA represented by the likes of Jonny Evans creates a bridge between the first team and the academy that the hierarchy is desperate to preserve.

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Focus

Unlike previous regimes that prioritised “ready-made” stars, Carrick’s contract would likely contain a clear mandate to promote from within – placing renewed emphasis on the academy. That approach would align with the cost-conscious vision of co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is keen to streamline spending while reconnecting United with the values that underpinned the most successful, youth-driven eras in the club’s history.

Last week, Carrick embarked on a 300-mile round trip to Oxford to support the FA Youth Cup team, a move that is reportedly being cited internally as proof of a manager who lives and breathes the club’s values.

Performance clauses

Expect hefty bonuses and incentives tied to Champions League qualification. Having dragged United back into the top four during his interim spell, the hierarchy will likely view UCL football as the club’s number one priority both competitively and financially.

The contract would also be expected to include safeguards – potentially even performance-related break clauses – should Carrick fail to meet expectations.

When hiring David Moyes back in 2013 for example, Manchester United structured the deal to protect the club from a costly pay-off if results deteriorated significantly, which they did. Given Carrick’s relative inexperience at the highest level, it is unlikely those protections would be relaxed.

Salary

A significant raise from his interim salary is expected, likely positioned in the £5million-£7m bracket. This keeps him below the Galactico wages previously commanded by Mourinho or Louis van Gaal (£10m+).

It aligns with Ratcliffe’s broader mission to right-size the club’s wage bill while rewarding Carrick for his lower-maintenance, high-output approach.

Cole Palmer has been linked with a move to Manchester United this summer despite Liam Rosenior insisting that he is happy with Chelsea, and one Reds legend sees him as a superb signing

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Lee Sharpe believes that Cole Palmer would be the perfect replacement for Bruno Fernandes, should the Portuguese playmaker opt to leave Manchester United this summer. The Wythenshawe-born 23-year-old has thrived with Chelsea since making the move from Manchester City in 2023.

And when rumours that Palmer was homesick in the English capital started to emerge earlier this year, United quickly found themselves linked with a sensational swoop for the attacking-midfielder. However, Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior was quick to downplay any suggestions that Palmer was unsettled at Stamford Bridge.

Should Palmer’s stance change in the near future, then Sharpe believes that he could excel with the Reds. However, he can’t see the talent getting into the United first-team while Fernandes is still with the club.

Speaking to BetBrain, the Manchester United legend said: “I’ve seen the rumours about Cole Palmer returning to Manchester United, that he’s a boyhood fan of the club. Maybe if Bruno Fernandes leaves Old Trafford, then Palmer could be an option to replace him, but if he stays then I don’t see how Palmer gets into the team.

“Palmer is a really exciting player and I’d love to see him in a United shirt, but there are a lot of boxes that need to be ticked before they go and get a player of his calibre.”

It comes as Fernandes’ future beyond 2025/26 has also been cast into doubt, despite the club captain devoting his allegiance to the Reds time and time again. The 31-year-old’s current contract expires next summer, although there is an option to extend his stay by a further 12 months.

However, with a wealth of interest from the Saudi Pro League last summer, it remains unknown whether his head would be turned should a lucrative deal come knocking again. It is understood that Fernandes will only hold talks with his agent regarding his future after this summer’s World Cup in North America.

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Elsewhere, United are also yet to make a decision on a new deal for Fernandes, given that they are still yet to appoint a permanent manager. Regardless of whether he stays or goes, United would be wise to invest in their engine room this summer.

Casemiro is set to part ways with Old Trafford this summer when his own contract expires, with United lacking depth outside of the Brazilian, Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte – who has struggled to find his footing in the Premier League.

As a result, the Reds have been linked with a number of talents ahead of the summer transfer window, including but not limited to Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and Elliot Anderson. Elsewhere, Omar Berrada has hinted that the club’s transfer spending is not over as they take a ‘football-first approach’.

The Chief Executive Officer said: “We are now seeing the positive financial impact of our off-pitch transformation materialise both in our costs and profitability. We continue to take a football-first approach and invest in both our men’s and women’s first teams.

“On the pitch our men’s team sits 4th in the Premier League and our women’s team are 2nd in the Women’s Super League, as well as reaching the League Cup Final and the quarter final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

“Today’s results demonstrate the underlying strength of our business as we continue to push for the best football results possible for our Men’s and Women’s teams.”

Whether that investment will cover the £100m price tag that many see Wharton’s, Baleba’s and Anderson’s services to be worth, remains to be seen.

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