When the 2019 Copa América kicks off on June 14 with a match between Brazil and Bolivia at the Morumbi in São Paulo, all eyes will be on the hosts, led by captain Neymar, before attentions turn to Salvador the following day for a match between Colombia and Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé was awarded the National Union Of Professional Footballers’ Ligue 1 Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards at an event on Sunday night.
His PSG strike partner Neymar was nowhere to be found, despite being in Paris.
But the Brazilian had a really good reason to miss out on the award ceremony, and it had nothing to do with the Game of Thrones finale.
Paris Saint-Germain continued to play out the string on Saturday against Angers. Having clinched the Ligue 1 title and after suffering a shock loss in the Coupe de France final, PSG’s final three matches are little more than glorified friendlies for the Parisian club.
So perhaps with that in mind we saw a new Neymar headband on display Saturday in PSG’s 2-1 sunny stroll past Angers.
PSG has endured quite the torpid spell in its last matches of the season. From bowing out of the Champions League to Manchester United, to losing the Coupe De France to Rennes on penalties, there hasn’t been much joy for Les Parisiens, spare eventually securing the Ligue 1 title.
The misery was compounded Tuesday as PSG traveled to Montpellier.
Neymar has officially recovered from his now annual foot injury. The Brazilian started for the first time since January 23 and appears to be in full form already, supplying a first-half assist and goal for PSG against Stade Rennes in the Coupe de France final on Saturday in Paris.
There was some good news on Tuesday. In the aftermath of the Notre-Dame fire, which is being viewed as an accident and not arson, the iconic Paris landmark remains structurally sound. France president Emmanuel Macron vowed the cathedral would be rebuilt and millions of Euros are pouring in to aid the effort.
This story is only going to dominate the entire summer transfer window from start to finish, so we might as well keep abreast of it now. We know that Real Madrid has its eyes on both Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, but which PSG star will ultimately makes his way to the Santiago Bernabéu?
The latest reports say that it won’t be Neymar.
Presently, it looks like Real will turn to Chelsea’s Eden Hazard — who only has one-year remaining on his current contract at Stamford Bridge, so the club might have to sell this summer — to remedy the left-hand side of the attack.
#18. Manchester City vs. Monaco | 2016-17 Round of 16, First Leg
Not one for the defensive purists, this David vs Goliath encounter secured the legend of this precocious group of Monaco youngsters while also giving us a taste of things to come from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
#17. Chelsea vs. Liverpool | 2008-09 Quarterfinal, Second Leg
Manchester United completed a stunning comeback to defeat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 on Wednesday in Paris, turning around a dour first-leg defeat to advance on away goals, 3-3 on aggregate. It was an unforgettable match that came down to the final minute. But there was an forgettable hero: Fred.
PSG shot itself in the foot multiple times but nearly pulled through until VAR was called into play, giving Manchester United a penalty kick in stoppage time.