Champions League

The average value of the world's 50 leading sports teams rose to $3.43 billion in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an annual list published by Forbes on Friday that was topped by the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.

Forbes said the average value of the world's 50 most valuable teams on the list was up 11 percent from last year's ranking.

The three teams that remain involved in the breakaway Super League operation, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, face sanctions from UEFA, who have reached an agreement with the nine other clubs.

European soccer's governing body said on Friday the nine clubs who backed out of the plan had signed a ‘Club Commitment Declaration’ including a series of "reintegration" steps.

The status of the Champions League final on May 29 between Manchester City and Chelsea in Istanbul was thrown into doubt on Friday after the UK government placed Turkey on the red list for travel.

British transport minister Grant Shapps said that travel to red list countries was not allowed except for in "the most extreme circumstances" and anyone returning from a red list country has to enter and pay for compulsory hotel quarantine.

"It does mean that fans should not travel to Turkey," said Shapps, who raised the possibility of the match being moved to England.

LONDON — Villarreal held out for a 0-0 draw on a nerve-jangling night at Arsenal on Thursday to reach the Europa League final 2-1 on aggregate as visiting manager Unai Emery returned to haunt the London club that sacked him in 2019.

The Spanish side, who had lost their four previous European semi-finals, one to Arsenal in the 2005-06 Champions League, protected their first-leg advantage with a disciplined display.

MADRID — Real Madrid has long prided itself as the king of the Champions League, but its resounding defeat to Chelsea in Wednesday's semifinal second leg laid bare the need for a rebuild to reclaim its place among the continent's elite.

Zinedine Zidane's side may only have lost 2-0 on the night but there was no hiding from the fact they had been outplayed in both legs by Chelsea and had gotten away lightly with a 3-1 aggregate defeat.

The greatest Premier League title of them all (2015-16 with Leicester City), another with Chelsea (2016-17), the FA Cup (2017-18), the World Cup (2018), the Europa League (2018-19) and now a chance at the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League crown: N'Golo Kanté is one win away from putting the finishing touch on one of the most illustrious personal trophy cabinets in football history.

Operating alongside Jorginho in what frequently looked like a Chelsea 3-4-3 against Real Madrid on Wednesday, Kanté put in a monstrous performance on both ends of the Stamford Bridge pitch.

An American will win the men’s UEFA Champions League. It’s a bit unbelievable to type, read or say, but it’s true after a Christian Pulisic assist vs Real Madrid means Chelsea will face Zack Steffen’s Manchester City in the UCL final on May 29 in Istanbul. 

No USMNT player has ever taken part in a Champions League final, and either Steffen or Pulisic will lift the big-eared trophy in just over three weeks. 

How cool is that?

Just a couple guys from Pennsylvania vying to become champions of Europe.