The 24-year-old France captain Kylian Mbappe, who has a year left on his contract, has refused to sign an extension at the French champions and was not selected for their pre-season tour to Japan.

PSG want to sell Kylian Mbappe now rather than see him leave for free next summer.

Neymar's £200m move from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 is the current record.

PSG activated Brazil forward Neymar's release clause to make him the most expensive player in the world.

Should he move, Mbappe will have commanded two of the three highest fees paid for a player after joining PSG from Monaco for £166m in 2017.

Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Inter Milan and Barcelona have all expressed an interest in Mbappe, who has previously said he intends to leave PSG for free at the end of next season and is believed to prefer a move to Real Madrid.

PSG are open to the idea of Kylian Mbappe leaving on loan this summer to see out the final year of his contract elsewhere.

This would allow him to join Real Madrid for nothing in 12 months' time, keep playing this season and generate a loan fee for PSG.

Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi has made clear his determination to take a tough stance and there have been suggestions Mbappe would not be selected for an entire year if he refused to break the present impasse. That eventuality would clearly have a negative impact on his hopes of playing for France at Euro 2024.

Al-Hilal are one of the clubs owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. They have already signed Ruben Neves from Wolves and Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea this summer.

PSG believe at least five clubs are interested in signing Mbappe, with Tottenham among them.

There is said to already be a "hot market" for Kylian Mbappe with the interested clubs also including Chelsea, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Barcelona.

Following the sacking of Dorival Junior as the head coach of the Brazil national team, a move that was prompted by the Selecao's significant 1-4 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, the media commenced speculations discussing potential replacements.

Besides Carlo Ancelotti, Jorge Jesus has also been named as a potential candidate. However, The 70-year-old Portuguese coach has responded to these rumours, denying any negotiation with CBF to be appointed as the next head coach of Brazil, discarding the possibility as of now.

Jorge Jesus denies negotiations with Brazil

In an interview with UOL, Jesus, who is currently at the helm of Saudi club Al-Hilal, assured that he has not been contacted by anyone from the Brazilian Football Federation. "No one has spoken to me, at least until today," he stated.

The 'Globo' network has indicated that Al-Hilal head coach Jorge Jesus is the front-runner to become the head coach of the Brazilian national team.

The network also pointed out that Jorge Jesus is not keen to leave his position at Al-Hilal since he expects to stay with the Saudi Pro League side until the end of the AFC Champions League Elite, which concludes on May 3, 2025.

🚨🇧🇷 Jorge Jesus has given his initial availability to become new Brazil head coach, after the end of the season with Al Hilal.

Decision now up to the Brazilian Federation as dream target Carlo Ancelotti surely won’t be available before end of July. pic.twitter.com/122t3HfTbw

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 29, 2025

Further, the network added that Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was the initial choice; however, he is not ready to leave his present job before the end of the 2025 Club World Cup.

The Portuguese coach aims to lead Al-Hilal to triumph in the AFC Champions League Elite and might consider stepping down before the Club World Cup to assume the coaching duty at the Brazilian national team.

Jesus addressed his relationship with Neymar

Recent developments have witnessed prominent figures such as Carlo Ancelotti and Filipe Luis pulling out of contention as of now to take over the Brazil job, solidifying Jesus's position as the front-runner.

Read Also | Brazil wants to sign current Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti 

This development might be a hurdle for Neymar Jr, who reportedly had a strained relationship with the Portuguese coach. 

Their stint together at Al-Hilal was filled with challenges, ending with Neymar leaving Al-Hilal to join Santos under controversial circumstances after being informed that he was not part of Jesus's long-term vision for the team.

When asked on the 'Charla Podcast' about the possibility of reuniting with Jesus in the national setup, Neymar seemed visibly uncomfortable and opted to answer otherwise. "I have nothing to do with this. I'm just a player; don't involve me in this. I'm out," he stated.

However, Jorge Jesus opened up about his relationship with Neymar. In the interview with UOL. "I have no issues with Neymar, but no club or national team can depend on individual players," the coach said, dismissing any conflicting triggers.

Read Also | Brazil fail without Neymar: these stats prove that

The situation raises questions about Neymar's future with the national team and the possible impact of this appointment on the team's dynamics. However, Brazil seeks to bounce back from their recent stint of setbacks and appoint a coach who can lead the team to the coveted success with the 2026 FIFA World Cup at stake.

Following the conclusion of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 First Leg, we can presume the potential entrants into the UCL quarter-finals, whereas the fate of some match-ups will be decided in the second leg.

Liverpool, the league phase leaders, managed a hard-fought 1-0 win against PSG; whereas ten-men Barcelona snatched a narrow 1-0 victory over Benfica. Real Madrid emerged victorious by 2-1 in the Madrid Derby against Atletico Madrid.

On the contrary, Bayern Munich thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 and Arsenal ran riot over PSV, winning 7-1 to practically secure their advancement to the next round of the competition.

Read Also | UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Knockout Stage Draw: Round of 16, Quarter-Final, and Semi-Final

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 First Leg Round Up

Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa

Aston Villa salvaged two late goals to triumph 3-1 over Club Brugge in the first leg of the RO16 tie at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium.

Leon Bailey opened the account for Aston Villa in only three minutes into the game. Club Brugge quickly answered with Maxim De Cuyper scoring in the 12th minute. 

However, Bruges defender Brandon Mechele scored a cheeky own goal to hand Villa the lead in the 82nd minute. Following that, Marco Asensio scored from the spot in the 88th minute, securing a two-goal lead for Aston Villa in the first leg.

Real Also | Club Brugge vs Aston Villa Highlights UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16: Aston Villa will face Club Brugge in the second leg with a two-goal lead

Real Madrid 2-1 Atlético Madrid

Real Madrid impressively managed a 2-1 victory in the first leg of the 'Madrid Derby' against Atletico Madrid, in one of the biggest fixtures of UCL 2024-25 RO16 this season.

Rodrygo scored a spectacular goal from Los Blancos in the fourth minute of the game, with Julian Alvarez canceling it out with another world-class strike in the 32nd minute.

However, Brahim Diaz scored the winner for Real Madrid in the 55th minute to hand Atletico a one-goal deficit ahead of the second leg.

Real Also | Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Highlights UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Real Madrid secure narrow victory over Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Round of 16

PSV 1-7 Arsenal

Arsenal ran demolition over PSV, crushing the Dutch side 7-1 in the first leg at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, Netherlands, practically securing their quarter-final tickets.

Jurrien Timber opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 18th minute, as Ethan Nwaneri doubled the lead in the 21st minute. Mikel Merino extended the lead in the 31st minutes, but PSV pulled off a goal from Noa Lang's spotkick in the 43rd minute.

Arsenal's scoring spree continued in the second half, with Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard scoring consecutively in the 47th and the 48th minute. Odegaard completed his brace in the 73rd minute, and Ricardo Calafiori put the final coffin on the nail in the 85th minute.

Borussia Dortmund 1-1 LOSC

Borussia Dortmund and Lille OSC shared an exciting 1-1 stalemate in the first leg at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, with everything to play for in the second leg.

Karim Adeyemi netted an absolute banger in the 22nd minute of the match. Following that, Borussia found the equalizer in the 68th minute with Haraldsson tapping the ball home.

Feyenoord 0-2 Inter Milan

Inter Milan earned a dominant first-leg lead over Feyenoord, winning 2-0 in Rotterdam to manage a two-goal cushion ahead of the reverse fixture.

Marcus Thuram found the breakthrough for Inter in the 38th minute with a volleyed strike. Shortly after the break, Lautaro Martinez doubled the Nerazzurri's lead with a superb strike, also becoming Inter's all-time leading goalscorer in UCL.

The Italian outfit were close to adding a third goal from the spot, but Piotr Zieliński's penalty was well saved by Feyenoord custodian Timon Wellenreuther.

Bayern Munich 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen

Bayern Munich eased past Bayer Leverkusen in the first-ever all-German tie in the UCL, beating the Bundesliga counterparts 3-0 at the Allianz Arena.

Harry Kane opened the account for Bayern only nine minutes into the game, scoring a powerful header. In the 54th minute, Jamal Musiala extended the lead as he slashed it home from a rebound.

Leverkusen defender Nordi Mukiele was shown a second yellow and was sent off in the 62nd minute, resulting in the third goal for Bayern. Harry Kane completed his brace in the 75th minute by scoring from the penalty spot to hand Bayern a comfortable victory.

Read Also | FC Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen Highlights UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Kane's Brace leads Bayern to dominant 3-0 Win over ten-men Leverkusen

Benfica 0-1 Barcelona

Keeper Wojciech Szczęsny's trusted gloves resisted the fall of a ten-men FC Barcelona against Benfica in the first leg at Estádio da Luz, leading them to a slender 1-0 victory.

Defender Pau Cubarsi was sent off in the 22nd minute of the game, following a straight red card. Barcelona were down to ten men, but Wojciech Szczęsny became unbreakable beneath the sticks, making a massive eight saves on the way.

The only goal of the match came off Raphinha's magical feet, as the Brazilian found the back of the net with a sublime long-ranger strike that went past Trubin through the left-bottom corner.

PSG 0-1 Liverpool

It was another Champions League classic at Parc des Princes as Liverpool salvaged a narrow 1-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in an electric encounter.

Liverpool custodian Alisson Becker became absolute impregnable against continuous efforts from PSG attackers, especially Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Alisson was only beaten once in the 20th minute, when a marvellous curler from Kvaratskhelia ended up in the net, but was cancelled for offside.

Alisson made nine saves in the whole game, whereas Liverpool earned the winning goal in the 87th minute as Harvey Elliot fired his strike past Donnarumma, only 47 seconds after coming off the bench.

Read Also | Paris Saint-Germain vs Liverpool Highlights UEFA Champions League 2024-25 | Alisson puts up a masterclass in Paris; Elliot's late strike sinks a ruthless PSG

Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, PSG, PSV and Real Madrid qualified for the Round of 16 from the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Knockout phase play-offs.

Real Madrid thrashed Manchester City by 3-1, PSV stunned Juventus with the same scoreline while PSG scored 7 times against Brest and Bayern Munich played out a 1-1 draw against Celtic in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Knockout phase play-offs.

Read Also |  2024-25 UEFA Champions League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draw: Where is it, when is it, and teams' pairings?

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Knockout phase play-offs Round-Up

Milan 1-1 Feyenoord (agg: 1-2)

Italian football giants and one of the most successful teams in UEFA Champions League history AC Milan were knocked out of this season's tournament after Dutch club Feyenoord defeated them by 1-2 on aggregate. 

Feyenoord were leading by 1-0 after the first leg and then they ensured a 1-1 draw to progress to the round of 16 for the first time in their history. 

Santiago Giménez scored early for Milan but against a 10-men Milan side Julián Carranza came off the bench to seal an equaliser with a stunning header. 

Benfica 3-3 Monaco (agg: 4-3)

Orkun Kökçü scored a late winner for Benfica to progress to the next round after beating Monaco by 4-3 on aggregate. 

Kerem Aktürkoğlu gave Benfica the early edge only to see Takumi Minamino and Eliesse Ben Seghir put Monaco back on level terms. 

Vangelis Pavlidis then gave Benfica the lead but George Ilenikhena levelled things again. Kokcu then sealed the winner for Benfica with a later goal.

Atalanta 1-3 Club Brugge (agg: 2-5)

Chemsdine Talbi's brace and Ferran Jutglà's stunning long-range goal took Club Brugge to the round of 16 with ease. 

Ademola Lookman scored the lone goal for Atalanta. However, he also saw one penalty saved by Simon Mignolet as well. 

Bayern Munich 1-1 Celtic (agg: 3-2) 

Bayern Munich narrowly passed the Celtic test with a late goal from Alphonso Davies. Nicolas Kuhn scored the goal for Celtic in the one-hour mark and when they were nearly close to taking Bayern Munich to extra time, Davies took the German Champions home.

B. Dortmund 0-0 Sporting CP (agg: 3-0)

Despite a goalless draw at their home, Borussia Dortmund went past their Portuguese visitors with ease, after a solid 3-0 lead from the first leg. 

In the second leg, Rui Silva was the hero for the Portuguese team who made multiple saves to deny the Dortmund players. 

Paris 7-0 Brest (agg: 10-0)

PSG thrashed their Ligue 1 opponent Brest via a 7-0 victory in the second leg to manage a 10-0 win on aggregate. 

PSG became the first team to have seven different scorers in a single match. Bradley Barcola, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, Désiré Doué, Nuno Mendes, Gonçalo Ramos and Senny Mayulu scored for the French giants.

PSV 3-1 Juventus, aet (agg: 4-3)

🚨🇪🇺 GOAL | PSV 3-1 Juventus | Ryan Flamingo

RYAN FLAMINGO MAKES IT THREE FOR PSV IN THE 98TH MINUTE OF OVERTIME !!!!!!!!!!!!! 4-3 ON AGGREGATE !!!!!!!pic.twitter.com/n9Y0TXCmmo

— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) February 19, 2025

PSV stunned the Italian giants to qualify for the round of 16. This is their first Champions League knockout win since 2007. 

Ryan Flamingo scored an extra-time goal to nullify Timothy Weah's stunning goal. 

Ivan Perisic and Ismael Saibari scored the other two goals for the Dutch club.

Real Madrid 3-1 Man City (agg: 6-3)

Real Madrid proved why they are the 15 times Champions League winner as they eased past a struggling Manchester City to reach the Round of 16. 

Kylian Mbappe scored a stunning hat-trick to take the defending champions to the next round in front of their home crowd. Nico González scored a late consolation goal for City. 

The knockout phase to qualify for the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 round of 16 has been done. 16 teams who had finished from 9 to 24 in the league stage have went against their opponent in a two-legged fixture to determine the 8 teams of the round of 16. Those who had finished in the top 8 in the league stage had already qualified for the round of 16 stage. 

Now, from these qualified teams, a draw will take place among potential opponents to determine who will face whom in the round of 16, quarter-final and in the semi-final. Here is everything you need to know about the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draw. 

When and Where will it take place?

The 2024-25 UEFA Champions League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draw will take place at 12:00 CET on Friday 21 February at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. 

This means that football fans from India will be able to see the draw at 4:30 pm on Friday 21 February. 

Read Also | Real Madrid vs Manchester City UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Highlights | Real Madrid 3-1 Manchester City: Mbappe’s Hat-Trick Masterclass Sends Real Madrid Past Man City 3-1 (6-3 Aggregate) 

How can you watch the draw?

The draw will be live-streamed on UEFA.com. 

Which teams have qualified for the UCL 2024-25 Round of 16 draw?

The top 8 teams from the league stage had automatically qualified for the UCL 2024-25 Round of 16 draw. Now, another 8 teams have qualified for the round of 16 stage after playing a two-legged knock-out fixture against their drawn opponents. 

League phase top eight (seeded, ordered by league phase position)
1. Liverpool (ENG)
2. Barcelona (ESP)
3. Arsenal (ENG)
4. Inter Milan (ITA)
5. Atletico de Madrid (ESP)
6. Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
7. Lille (FRA)
8. Aston Villa (ENG)

Knockout phase play-off winners (unseeded, ordered by league phase position)
10. B. Dortmund (GER)
11. Real Madrid (ESP)
12. Bayern Munich (GER)
14. PSV (NED)
15. PSG (FRA)
16. Benfica (POR)
19. Feyenoord (NED)
24. Club Brugge (BEL)

Which teams are potential opponents of which teams?

So, as per the new theme of the tournament, the top 8 teams have been put into a bracket of four seeded groups i.e. 1 or 2, 3 or 4, 5 or 6, 7 or 8.

In the knockout phase play-off draw, the potential bracket of possible winners from the knockout-phase play-off was already made to determine their possible opponent from the bracket of the seeded groups from the top 8. 

Here are the potential opponents who could face each other in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 round of 16 (in order of match No.)

1. Liverpool or Barcelona vs PSG or Benfica
2. Lille or Aston Villa vs Club Brugge or Borussia Dortmund
3. Atletico Madrid  or Bayer Leverkusen vs Real Madrid or Bayern Munich
4. Arsenal or Inter Milan vs PSV or Feyenoord

So, from the above list, you can get that Liverpool's and Barcelona's potential opponents are PSG or Benfica. The draw will be done to determine which team will face whom in the round of 16. For Lille and Aston Villa, the potential opponents are Club Brugge or Borussia Dortmund. Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. Arsenal and Inter Milan could face either PSV or Feyenoord. 

How the draw will be done?

One ball is taken from the bowl containing the two relevant ranked teams (i.e. the teams ranked 7 and 8) and is opened to display the team. The first team drawn from this bowl is placed in their reserved spot on the silver side of the bracket (see bracket graphic above). The other seeded team of the pairing is then drawn and displayed, and allocated in the corresponding reserved spot on the blue side of the bracket. 

How the quarter-final and semi-final fixtures will be made?

The winner of Round of 16 Match No. 1 will play against the winner of Round of 16 Match No. 2 in the 1st Quarter-final. The rest will continue as per the graphic above. The draw will be done only to determine which team will play the first leg and which will play the second leg of the fixture.

UCL 2024-25 QF Fixture Bracket

• QF1: RO16-1 vs RO16-2
• QF2: RO16-3 vs RO16-4
• QF3: RO16-5 vs RO16-6
• QF4: RO16-7 vs RO16-8

UCL 2024-25 Semi-final fixture bracket

• SF1: QF1 vs QF2
• SF2: QF3 vs QF4

Dates for the Champions League round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals

• Round of 16: 4/5 & 11/12 March
• Quarter-finals: 8/9 & 15/16 April
• Semi-finals: 29/30 April & 6/7 May
• Final: 31 May (Munich)

Since Cristiano Ronaldo's groundbreaking move to Al-Nassr in December 2022, the Saudi Pro League has become an attractive destination for several high-profile European stars. His transfer acted as a channel, inspiring many big names to follow in his footsteps and head to the Middle East.

Top players like Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane have made the switch. While the appeal of a new challenge may have played a minor role in their decisions, the well-paid contracts were undoubtedly the main motivation. Former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves even admitted that in December 2023, though he also acknowledged that the league's ambitious project influenced his choice.

As the biggest star in the Saudi Pro League, Cristiano Ronaldo earns an astronomical weekly age, with his presence drawing global attention to the league's expanding brand. But who else comes close to him in terms of earnings?

20 Highest-Paid Footballers in Saudi Pro League history:

Top 10 Highest-Paid Players in Saudi Pro League: 

1. Cristiano Ronaldo | 3.85 million Euros per Week:

The Pioneer, The game-changer, The highest-paid footballer of all time. Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr in January 2023 was not just a transfer- it was a statement. His arrival ignited a wave of big-name signings in the Saudi Pro League, but none have matched his astonishing earnings.

🚨 OFFICIAL: Cristiano Ronaldo joins Al Nassr, here we go! Contract valid until 2025 🇵🇹🇸🇦 #Ronaldo pic.twitter.com/HB562KnaTf

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 30, 2022

Earning twice as much as the next best-paid player, he remains the undisputed financial King of both the league and the World football. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner did not just adapt, he succeeded, finishing 2023 as the year's top goal scorer across all competitions. At 40, he is not just playing-he is redefining the game on a new level.

 2. Karim Benzema | 1.93 million Euros per week: 

Karim Benzema had the option to stay at Real Madrid for another year, but who can blame him for accepting a three-year deal with champions Al-lttihad, well over 150 million? At 35, an age when many players consider retirement, he chose to take a new challenge while securing an astonishing payday.

Official, confirmed. Karim Benzema joins Al Ittihad on two year deal with option for further season. 🟡⚫️🇸🇦 #AlIttihad

Benzema will earn almost €200m per season net salary, commercial deals included. pic.twitter.com/vSrkL4zjJI

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 6, 2023

However, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, the Frenchman has struggled to settle in the Saudi Pro League, even earning a harsh new nickname from Al-lttihad fans. Despite this, he has still delivered on the pitch, scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists in just 29 games during his debut season in the Middle East.

3. Riyad Mahrez | 1.03 million Euros per week:

Riyad Mahrez ranks third on this list, but he trails significantly behind the top two in earnings, nearly 50% of what Benzema makes. Even so, his 8.3 million euros salary at Manchester City now seems like pocket change compared to the eye-watering sum he is earning at Al-Ahli.

Riyad Mahrez to Al Ahli, here we go! The documents are being exchanged as Man City and Al Ahli want the deal signed by the end of the week. 🚨🟢🇸🇦 #AlAhli

Mahrez will sign until June 2027 — Man City will receive €35m fee with add ons included.

Medical booked in the next 24h. pic.twitter.com/Vh390HYr6V

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 19, 2023

Now making more than Five times his City wages, the Algerian international continues to showcase the same dazzling skill in Saudi Arabia that Premier League fans enjoyed weekly. With 12 goals and 14 assists at the time of writing, he is proving his worth, even if Al-Ahli fell short of winning Saudi Pro League title in his debut season.

4. Sadio Mane | 769k euros Per Week: 

Sadio Mane's time at Bayern Munich can fairly be described as pathetic. The Senegalese forward, who once tortured Premier League defenses with Liverpool and Southampton, struggled to find favor in Bavaria. His difficult spells even included a physical argument with teammate Leroy Sane. 

Sadio Mané to Al Nassr, here we go! Deal in place between the two clubs, Bayern have accepted the verbal proposal after advanced talks yesterday 🟡🔵🇸🇦

Paperwork to be checked on player side and then medical will be booked, deal will be done.

Fofana, Brozović, Telles… Mané ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/w0eZqFQxgD

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 28, 2023

As a result, securing a move away from the Allianz Arena become Mane's top priority. He ultimately signed for Al-Nassr, joining forces with Cristiano Ronaldo. The 32-year-old penned a deal reportedly with around 34 million euros per year, placing him just ahead of another former Premier League star.

5. Kalidou Koulibaly | 667k euros Per Week:

Chelsea fans were confident they had found the perfect defensive partner for Thiago Silva in Kalidou Koulibaly, even handing him John Terry's iconic number. However, the Senegalese defender endured a challenging spell at Stamford Bridge and was moved on in 2023 for 20 million euros.

The moment Kalidou Koulibaly signed for Al-Hilal 🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/IrskVaXxO7

— GOAL (@goal) June 26, 2023

Since joining Al-Hilal, Koulibaly has been a steady presence at the back, leaving his Premier struggles behind to help guide his new team to the 2023/24 Saudi Pro League title. 

Earning around 295,000 euros per week in Chelsea, the 33-year-old nearly doubted his wages with the move. In an interview, he even admitted that the amazing financial offer played a major role in his decision.

"I can’t deny it. With this money, I will be able to help my whole family to live well, from my parents to my cousins"