Like so many Brazilians, Thiago Pessao was captured by the World Cup as a child. By the time the tournament came to his homeland in 2014, it was a full-blown obsession. He attended 23 games in that tournament and 17 in Russia four years later. Only Brazil’s early exit and an agreement with his wife to leave on their departure stopped him from racking up even bigger numbers in Qatar 2022.
In short, Pessao is committed to the World Cup — Brazil and beyond. But even he is struggling to justify the cost and hassle of the largely US-hosted expanded tournament this time round.
He estimates he has spent $30-40,000 (€26,000 to €35,000) already. Tickets to Brazil’s group stage matches in New Jersey, Philadelphia and Miami and likely round-of-32 match in Houston have cost upwards of $4000. The return air trip to Brazil $5000, and a combination of internal flights, accommodation, further match tickets and spending money are adding up fast.
He estimates he spent a little more than $10,000 in Qatar (with tickets being the main point of difference) and even less at previous tournaments.
If record winners Brazil go all the way to the final, his bill will increase still further — and that’s without attending the neutral games that are normally part of his World Cup ritual.
”I love to watch a lot of games. But for this World Cup, the tickets are too expensive, so my plan right now is only to follow Brazil,” he told DW. “A final ticket is costing $4,000 or $5,000 [the current cheapest ticket is $4,185]. I think it’s too much, but my feeling is that if Brazil is in the final, I have to be there. Maybe other people will think differently, but for me, the motivation is there.”
Pessao had a ticket for the 2022 final, which he re-sold. But he said the dynamic pricing introduced for the 2026 tournament and a lack of demand on FIFA’s new ticket exchange portal to pay the high current prices and fees before knowing the fixtures means he’s prepared to wait and see this time around.
His is a fortunate position, with such budgets and flexibility a pipe dream for many, especially those from qualifying countries with lower average incomes.
To some degree, this is always the case at World Cups. Usually, it’s tempered somewhat by cheaper tickets and travel packages for fans of countries who have followed the team throughout qualifying. Though FIFA introduced a small number of $60 tickets in December following fan pressure, the sort of vibrant fan marches, dances and songs that usually mark a World Cup may be notable by their absence, thinks Pessao, who also worries about how the political climate will impact foreign visitors like him.
“Compared to other World Cups, I’m a bit more concerned about how the hostility and the surroundings will affect things. I think that the presence of ICE [US immigration and Customs Enforcement] in the stadiums or in the cities will bring the atmosphere down.”
That’s also a concern for USA fan Adaer Melgar. He started putting away $100 a month when the World Cup was awarded to his homeland eight years ago, expecting high prices.
Despite living close to the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, making things as cheap as they could realistically be, he was still shocked by how much the experience would cost him.
“I feel like I went into the ticket buy-in process with a level head, with the understanding that it was going to be pretty expensive, but it’s still greatly exceeded my own expectations,” he said. His six tickets for two non-US matches cost him $3,400.
“I’m dealing with my own ethical qualms right now, wanting to boycott the World Cup because of the [Donald Trump] administration and the way FIFA’s going about it. For example, they’re charging to get into the fan zone. That’s never been done before. I feel like it’s a big money grab.”
While Pessao and Melgar are picking their way through their reservations, for some, the relentless expense and perceived hostility mean they feel they must stay at home. Bengt Kunkel is the Stimmungsmacher (fan leader/atmosphere maker) for the German national team and has made that call. He estimates the average cost to German fans of attending their three group stage matches at between €5,000 ($5,766) and €8,000 ($9,226).
“As an ordinary person you really have no chance of affording this tournament,” he said, adding that new social media checks on visitors to the US were also a factor in his decision.
Kunkel is not alone in his reservations. Earlier this week, European consumer group Euroconsumers and fan group Football Supporters Europe filed a complaint against FIFA alleging breaches of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits abuses of a dominant market position.
Among the complaints are pricing, FIFA’s resale platform (where both buyer and seller are charged a 15% fee), dynamic pricing and what they describe as pressure selling tactics.
“Emails to fans claimed “exclusive access” to a “limited” ticket window that doesn’t reflect reality. By creating artificial urgency, FIFA pressured fans into making rushed decisions,” the statement said.
The previous two World Cups have also had a fast-track, temporary visa process. While the new FIFA PASS offers the “opportunity to obtain an expedited visa interview, if needed,” FIFA has been clear that tickets are no guarantee of a visa.
That has proved particularly problematic for some fans including those of first-time qualifiers, Jordan. Several fans DW spoke to said their visa applications had been held up or rejected and, with the embassy currently shuttered due to the US-Israel war with Iran, hope is in short supply.
“We ask for help from the US Embassy to look closely at the Jordanian fans’ applications. We applied, but we didn’t hear any answer until now. Our applications are stuck there,” said Jordan fan Ghazi Al Samouee.
On Wednesday, the US State Department added 12 countries to a list of countries from which it demands visitors post bonds of as much as $15,000. Qualifiers Tunisia have been added, while Algeria and Cape Verde were among the World Cup teams already on the list.
Some fans won’t even be able to get as far as thinking about a visa. While Iran’s participation seems unlikely, given the war, people from Senegal, Haiti and Ivory Coast are on Trump’s travel ban list and won’t be able to go to the tournament unless they have an alternative passport. That’s despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino promising in 2025 that: “Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup next year.”
“If we’re not accepted as supporters, our teams shouldn’t go and neither should we as supporters,” one Senegal fan told DW at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. “We are the strength of these competitions. Without spectators, there’s no one. Without spectators, there is no sport, there is no entertainment.”
Infantino and FIFA have repeatedly expressed strong sentiment about the importance of fans to a World Cup.
“The world needs occasions of unity, of bringing teams together, of bringing people together, of bringing fans together,” Infantino said in the same statement last year.
Whether they are banned from traveling, feel uneasy about their safety, can’t get visas or just can’t afford it, fans around the world are struggling to feel welcomed in the US.
Dana Sumlaji and Thomas Klein contributed to this story.
Edited by: Chuck Penfold
Manny Pacquiao has made his feelings perfectly clear to Floyd Mayweather regarding the disagreement over their planned rematch.
It was announced earlier this year that Pacquiao and Mayweather were set to meet at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19, over a decade on from their first bout which Mayweather won by unanimous decision.
While their initial battle in 2015 may have been an underwhelming affair inside the ring, it became the highest grossing event in the history of boxing, making it clear why there is demand for it to happen again despite both men now being well into their 40s.
Over the past few weeks though, doubts have started to be raised about their clash, after Mayweather claimed that there were still details that had to be finalised, and if it was to take place it would be an exhibition rather than a professional contest.
That was immediately disputed by Pacquiao, and there were further mixed reports in the last 24 hours when it was claimed that the issues had been resolved, only for Mayweather to hit back once again and say that wasn’t the case. This came after a deadline set by Pacquiao’s team.
With frustration clearly growing, Pacquiao has now sent a fresh message to Mayweather in a video captured by ESNews, first making it clear that his rival must proceed with the contest.
“He has no way to get out of the fight. He’s fighting. Sanctioned fight.”
Pacquiao then finished by sending a stern and clear warning to Mayweather.
“Be a man.”
With the conflicting reports continuing to come out of both camps, a definitive decision over the fight will have to be made soon.
Quinton de Kock – he came, he saw and he conquered. Playing his first match of IPL 2026, Quinton de Kock slammed an unbeaten ton. De Kock’s 112* and a gritty 50 from Naman Dhir pulled Mumbai Indians out of the doldrums and lifted them to an under-par 195/6 against Punjab Kings in their Indian Premier League match here on Thursday. Confined to warming the bench so far, de Kock replaced Rohit Sharma and smashed his third IPL hundred to lead an inspirational fightback for the troubled Mumbai Indians, who had slipped to 15/2 in three overs and had their backs firmly pressed against the wall.
With the ton, de Kock surpassed MS Dhoni on the elite list of designated wicketkeepers in the IPL to have scored most 50-plus scores.
Most 50-plus scores by a designated wicketkeeper in the IPL
31 – KL Rahul
25 – Quinton de Kock*
24 – MS Dhoni
21 – Dinesh Karthik
21 – Rishabh Pant
20 – Sanju Samson
He is also the first overseas player to score a century for three different IPL teams.
Players to score hundreds for three IPL teams
KL Rahul – Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals
Sanju Samson – Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings
Quinton de Kock – Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians
De Kock’s 112* against PBKS is the highest score by any MI batter in the first innings of an IPL match. He broke the record held by Rohit Sharma (109 vs KKR, 2012). Sanath Jayasuriya‘s 114* against Chennai Super Kings remains the highest individual score by a Mumbai Indians batter in IPL history.
The veteran Proteas batter was in his element during his unbeaten ton – a 60-ball 112 not out (8x4s, 7x6s) and his first IPL hundred since 2022 – clobbering the ball powerfully on the leg side and picking boundaries with precision and terrific timing on the off side.
India and Punjab Kings pacer Arshdeep Singh (3/22) swung the ball prodigiously with immaculate lengths to snaffle two key wickets early on, while a third came late in the innings.
After beating Ryan Rickelton (2) persistently with deliveries that swung away from the left-hander, Arshdeep had the South African caught at deep square leg on a shortish ball. He was all over India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav (0), luring him outside off on the first ball and beating him with swing to have a thick edge flying to short third man.
With Suryakumar back in the hut and Tilak Varma (8) out of sorts, MI took a punt by promoting Dhir to No. 4, and the right-handed batter repaid the faith with a gutsy knock that required patience.
Dhir was also lucky when on 10, as Yuzvendra Chahal spilled a sitter at short fine leg off Marco Jansen in the fifth over. He was fortunate again when a misjudgement in calling for a single in the next over did not result in de Kock being run out at the non-striker’s end, as Shreyas Iyer missed the direct hit.
Mumbai Indians once again had an underwhelming powerplay – 48 for 2 – but the home camp was relieved that there was no further damage. The pair had already begun the rebuilding work, and from there on, neither de Kock nor Dhir put a foot wrong in their century stand.
De Kock and Dhir put on 132 off 68 balls in a robust third-wicket partnership that not only revived MI but also built a strong platform to push for a big total. However, the hosts could not manage to score at more than 10 runs an over.
With strong bottom-hand strokeplay, Dhir struck three sixes and as many fours, playing the perfect second fiddle to de Kock. The partnership ended immediately after Dhir completed his half-century, hitting one straight to long-off.
In the 18th over, Iyer had his arms spread wide in celebration after he caught the ball off Hardik Pandya (14) while airborne near the ropes at long-on and hurled it to Xavier Bartlett for a superbly executed catch.
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People with disabilities are being shut out of the 2026 World Cup, according to fans and rights campaigners.
In stark contrast to previous tournaments, this year’s event in the US, Canada and Mexico, has no separate ticket ballot, is charging for companions who usually go free and has failed to provide free or reduced cost accessible parking. And that’s without mentioning the cost of the tickets themselves.
“I originally was going and thinking America would be amazing, and Canada and Mexico too. I’ve been many times. I know you can get about, the transport is all set up, hotels, everything is accessible, so you didn’t have any of that worry. But now the whole thing about ticketing… it’s just impossible to get tickets,” England fan Jo McNicol told DW.
“I just think they’ve priced people out. They’ve not restricted it, so anyone can get a wheelchair ticket, an accessible ticket. You don’t have to prove you need one, which is what you normally do.”
McNicol has been a regular at club matches and international tournaments for many years and was at the last World Cup in Qatar, where she found the accessibility “fabulous”. There, she said, fans with disabilities were given a proportion of the available tickets to purchase upon proof of their disability, as is also generally the case in sporting events in Europe.
Given that, McNicol booked a flight and rented a campervan for a trip this year. But she has been unable to secure tickets through the ballot system run by tournament organizers FIFA and is now unlikely to attend.
The organization has come under fire for excessive profiteering. This has included: the high initial prices of tickets, adding new higher categories to tickets without announcement, moving people’s seats after purchase, making transport and parking much more expensive than normal and profiting from a 15% levy on buyer and seller in a newly-introduced resale portal.
With category 4 tickets, the cheapest, seemingly not available for disabled fans — perhaps because they are found in the furthest, highest corners of the ground — McNicol and those like her can only access category 3 and above through said portal. This is despite no matches having been announced by FIFA as sold out. The BBC reported earlier this month that the cheapest category 3 ticket for England’s opening match is $898 (€762), up from a face value of $265.
James Flanagan from advocacy group Football Supporters Europe said tickets in Qatar were available to fans with disabilities for about $10 and that FIFA’s current policies are a “step back” that is “excluding people with disabilities from the tournament.”
With many requiring assistance at matches, Flanagan said charging for a companion was an extra penalty.
“Charging for a companion ticket, which FIFA have included in their policies, effectively doubles the cost,” he told DW. “Accessible parking will also not be discounted. All of this will challenge fans with disabilities, and time is running out to change.”
FIFA have not responded to a series of questions from DW nor to FSE. But their website does confirm the issues raised by fans and FSE.
“They won’t even guarantee that the PA [companion] ticket is going to be next to you,” said McNicol, who uses a wheelchair. “But you need them. If I drop something on the floor, I can’t pick it up. If I want to use the bathroom, I need help. And also you just want to sit with someone that you want to sit with, rather than sit with a bunch of strangers. You want that choice.”
FIFA’s policy is that “companions will be seated as close to you as possible. However, the exact seat location cannot be guaranteed, and FIFA Ticketing cannot ensure that it will be immediately adjacent to your seat.”
Flanagan sees this as unacceptable. “It is not a choice that people have to have a companion with them. That is a necessity, and it’s an unfair financial burden on people with disabilities. We believe that the policy contradicts FIFA’s own commitments on inclusion and human rights,” he said.
“FIFA needs to listen to people with disabilities, and I don’t think fans are being consulted.”
With public transport limited at many venues, parking is also a bone of contention for fans with disabilities. While FIFA’s general accessibility policy does make note that disabled parking “should be provided and located next to the stadium or close by” it does not suggest it should be free or subsidized. And it isn’t.
“Currently, fans are being asked to fork out extortionate prices for match tickets, but also $150 to $300 on an accessible parking depending on the venue,” added Flanagan. “The prices that these fans have to pay are just not acceptable.”
Interviews and editing by: Dave Braneck
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When we arrived at the first tee, we found out we’d be paired with another golfer, something that’s very common at busy public courses.
He turned out to be a recent graduate from Providence College who had played on the golf team, so he was clearly a strong player. He was not only talented but also great to play with. We kept up well, and it was enjoyable getting to know someone new while sharing the round.
While being paired with strangers can feel intimidating at first, it almost always works out well. Plus, it can get you out of your comfort zone and help you become better at playing in front of people you don’t know, which is a great skill to have.
One of the best things about golf is that, regardless of skill level, there are always small wins that make the round feel rewarding.
I played pretty well overall, aside from one hole where I got a bit too aggressive going for a pin. I did birdie the final hole, though, which was a great way to finish.
My friend Nicole recorded her lowest nine-hole score, which was exciting to see. Jessica, who had recently made a significant posture adjustment, also played really well.
All in all, it was a great day on the course, and it never would’ve been possible without access to a great public course.
Mumbai Indians find themselves in ninth place in the 10-team IPL 2026 points table after their latest loss against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Four losses in five matches mean that MI’s concerns are hitting the roof as the contest for the playoffs heats up. On Thursday, MI failed to defend a 196-run target as PBKS raced to victory in just 16.3 overs. MI captain Hardik Pandya was shell-shocked after the result.
“To be very honest, I don’t have much to say right now. I think we really need to go back to the drawing board and see where we are lacking. Is it individuals? Is it as a group? Is it planning? We’ll just figure it out and see what we can do next. I think we need to give credit to them as well,” Pandya said after the match.
“The ball started reversing. In the second innings, the dew came and it got slightly better, but having said that, they just outplayed us. They bowled better, they batted better, and they fielded better – definitely. That speaks to us again. I think we need to see whether we need to make some difficult calls or keep continuing and hope that we turn things around. These are some harsh questions that we eventually need to answer, and ownership has to be taken.”
Talking about the game, Quinton de Kock‘s fine hundred went in vain as Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer blasted blistering fifties to steer Punjab Kings to a seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in their IPL match on Thursday. Sent in to bat, de Kock blasted a scintillating unbeaten 60-ball 112 to power Mumbai Indians to 195 for six.
De Kock forged a 122-run alliance off 68 balls with Naman Dhir (50) and then added another 41 off 23 balls with skipper Hardik Pandya (14).
Arshdeep Singh (3/22) claimed three wickets, while Shashank Singh (1/19) picked up one.
Chasing the total, Prabhsimran (80 not out off 39 balls) and skipper Iyer (66 off 35 balls) shared a match-winning 139-run stand off 67 balls for the third wicket as Punjab overhauled the target in 16.3 overs.
AM Ghazanfar (2/31) picked up two wickets.
Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 195 for six in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 112 not out; Arshdeep Singh 3/22).
Punjab Kings 198 for 3 in 16.3 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 80 not out, Shreyas Iyer 66; AM Ghazanfar 2/31).
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Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike will miss the World Cup because of a serious leg injury, France coach Didier Deschamps confirmed Wednesday.
Ekitike sustained a suspected Achilles tendon injury in the 27th minute of Tuesday’s Champions League match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain and was taken off the field on a stretcher.
“The severity of his injury will unfortunately prevent him from finishing the season with Liverpool and from participating in the World Cup,” Deschamps said.
Serious Achilles injuries can take more than six months to fully recover from.
Liverpool did not immediately confirm the news, but coach Arne Slot said Tuesday that the injury looked “really bad.”
Ekitike has been one of Liverpool’s top players this season and was expected to be part of France’s squad for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He has scored 19 goals for club and country and scored 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,” Deschamps said. “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.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Apr 16 2026 | 4:45 PM IST
Lorenzo Musetti is through to the quarter-finals in Barcelona after a 6-3, 6-4 win over Corentin Moutet.
It’s his first time reaching this stage at the tournament since 2023.
Musetti has had a disrupted season so far. He retired at the Australian Open with a leg injury and later withdrew from the Miami Open with an arm issue.
The win over Moutet is his ninth of the year as he continues to work his way back.
Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, he and the club confirmed on Thursday.
The midfielder spent nine years at City and had long been expected to move on when his contract expires in the summer.
He released a statement on his social media pages, reading: “When I arrived nine years ago, I was following a dream of a little boy, wanting to succeed in life, wanting to achieve great things. This city and this club gave me much more than that, much more than I ever hoped for.
“What we won and achieved together is a legacy that will forever be cherished in my heart. The Centurions, the domestic quadruple, the Treble, the Four In A Row and much more… It wasn’t that bad,” he wrote, followed by a winking emoji.
“In a few months it’s time to say goodbye to the city where not only we won so much as a football club, but also where I started my marriage and my family. From the bottom of my heart, Ines and Carlota, thank you!”
He went on to thank the club’s fans for their “unconditional support”, “something that I will never forget.”
“My main goal as a player was to always play with passion so you guys could feel proud and well represented on the pitch. I hope you felt that every single game. I arrived as a Man City player, I leave as one more of you, a Man City supporter for life. Keep supporting this young team and I’m pretty sure they will bring you a lot of new fantastic memories in the future.
“To the club, Pep, the staff and all my teammates these 9 years, thank you for all the memories and for letting me be a part of this journey for so long. The atmosphere we created every day in the training ground made me feel at home and a part of a big family. Let’s enjoy together these last weeks and fight for what this season still brings us.”
The 31-year-old, who joined from Monaco in 2017, is one of the most decorated players in City’s history, winning one treble and 19 trophies, including the Champions League in 2023 and six Premier Leagues.
Appointed captain for this season, he lifted his first silverware as skipper when they won the Carabao Cup last month.
Silva has made more appearances under Pep Guardiola than anyone else – with his 450th City game coming in the 4-0 win over Liverpool on Saturday – and was named City’s player of the season in 2018-19.
A club statement paid homage to his “glorious” nine-year spell with the club, adding: “The 31-year-old’s contribution to our greatest sustained period of success is incalculable.
“Alongside that phenomenal trophy haul, a tally of 76 goals and 77 assists further illustrate Bernardo’s magnificent all-round contribution to the City cause.
“He recently moved into the top 10 of all-time City appearance holders, overtaking a host of other notable former players, including David Silva, Paul Power and Willie Donachie.
“In short, he will be deservedly remembered both as one of City’s finest and most popular players of all time.”
Assistant manager Pep Lijnders let the news slip earlier this month, saging that “every good story comes to an end” and that the Portugal international is in the final weeks of his time at the Etihad Stadium.
Lijnders said: “Every good story comes to an end, and I hope he enjoys the last months – there are only six weeks – and has a good farewell. He deserves all that attention as well.”
Silva, who has attracted interest from Juventus recently, was a past target for Barcelona and had wanted to move on to a warmer climate than Manchester.
Lijnders admitted City will face a struggle to bring in a similar player, adding: “You never replace a player with the same kind of player because they don’t exist. Bernardo Silva is unique. The way he controls games, the way he moves, the way he receives, the way he leads, the way he sees the solutions. All these things.
“You never search for a replacement of one type of player. You search for what is needed to grow with the team and somebody who can fit in the first 11. And then you hope, with our academy, with the young players we already bought, that they can make that step as well in the midfield positions.
“If you see our young boys in the academy, then they have to make that step and to grow. But the most important is that the seniors who stay for a long time, that they stay, that they stay, that they stay. That they are always there and around that, you can move.
“But it will be hard because, as I said, in the game, when he is not playing, you will see how he is missed, and that’s one game. Imagine a season.”
Lionel Messi is being sued by a Miami-based event promoter who says the soccer icon violated terms of a $7 million contract by missing an exhibition match last year.
Vid Music Group filed the lawsuit for fraud and breach of contract against Messi and the Argentine Football Association in Miami-Dade circuit court last month, according to court records.
Messi and the AFA didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Considered one of the greatest soccer players ever, Messi appears with both his Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and Argentina’s national team, and fans routinely pay much higher prices for the chance to see him play.
According to the lawsuit, Vid signed a deal with the AFA last summer for exclusive rights to organize and promote Argentina’s friendlies last October against Venezuela and Puerto Rico in exchange for ticket, broadcast and sponsorship revenue. Vid claims that Messi was supposed to play for at least 30 minutes in each match, unless he was injured.
The 38-year-old Messi watched Argentina’s 1-0 win against Venezuela on Oct. 10 from a suite at South Florida’s Hard Rock Stadium, according to the lawsuit.
The next day, Messi scored two goals in Inter Miami’s 4-0 MLS win over Atlanta. That match was important to Inter Miami, since it gave them home-field advantage for Round 1 of the playoffs.
Then, on Oct. 14, Messi played in Argentina’s 6-0 win over Puerto Rico. That game was originally supposed to take place in Chicago, but low ticket sales in the city where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were making more than 1,000 arrests led organizers to move the game to Florida. AFA blamed the immigration crackdowns when the smaller venue in Fort Lauderdale didn’t sell out, even after ticket prices were reduced to USD 25 each.
Vid hasn’t specified damages they’re seeking in the lawsuit, but they claim they lost millions between Messi failing to appear in one game and low ticket sales at the other.
Arsenal secured a place in the Champions League semi-finals after a tense goalless draw against Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates Stadium, sealing a narrow 1-0 aggregate win on Wednesday night.
Mikel Arteta’s side were far from their best in the second leg of the quarter-final, struggling to impose themselves and lacking sharpness in attack. However, they managed to protect their slender first-leg lead as Sporting failed to capitalize on Arsenal’s inconsistent performance.
Scrappy Arsenal getting desired results
Despite reaching the semi-finals for a second straight year, a first in the club’s history, Arsenal’s form remains patchy, with just one win in their last five matches across competitions.
Arteta had urged his team to play with intensity and fearlessness, but Arsenal started brightly only to fade quickly, allowing Sporting to grow into the game. Defensive lapses and a lack of fluency in attack kept the visitors in contention.
Viktor Gyokeres struggled to make an impact against his former club, while missing key players Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard left Arsenal short of creativity. Sporting also came close through Francisco Trincao and Geny Catamo, but Arsenal held firm amid mounting pressure.
In the second half, Arsenal created chances through Eberechi Eze, Gabriel Martinelli, and Noni Madueke, but failed to convert. Late substitutions, including Kai Havertz and Max Dowman, helped steady the side as they survived a nervy finish to progress.
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