Phi Long misses out on the Vietnamese national team; Real and PSG make breakthroughs in the Champions League.

Do Phi Long misses out on joining the Vietnamese national team due to FIFA regulations.

Naturalized central defender Do Phi Long (Gustavo Santos) is unable to participate in the Vietnamese national team's training camp because he has not yet met the FIFA requirements regarding continuous residency.

This player was once highly regarded by coach Kim Sang-Sik for his physique and experience in the V.League, and was expected to strengthen the national team's defense. However, he was not included in the squad preparing for the friendly matches against Bangladesh and the clash with Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

According to FIFA regulations, naturalized players without Vietnamese ancestry must play continuously for 5 years in their new country to be eligible to represent the national team. Although he had played in the V.League for nearly 8 years, Phi Long's return to Brazil to play for Anapolis FC for about 5 months in 2022 interrupted his accumulating experience.

Therefore, the central defender's residency period must be recalculated from the beginning. Unless there are changes, he will not be eligible to play for the Vietnamese national team until mid-2027.

Valverde scores a hat-trick as Real Madrid thrash Man City.

Real Madrid secured a 3-0 victory over Man City in the first leg of the 2025/26 Champions League round of 16 thanks to a brilliant performance from Federico Valverde.

The visiting team, Man City, started the match quite confidently and created several dangerous opportunities, but Real Madrid were the ones who capitalized better. In the 20th minute, Valverde sprinted to receive a long pass from Courtois before finishing to open the scoring.

Just seven minutes later, the Uruguayan midfielder scored again, capitalizing on a rebound in the penalty area to make it 2-0.

In the 42nd minute, Valverde completed his hat-trick after breaking through from a Brahim Diaz through ball. In the second half, Real Madrid had another chance to increase their lead, but Vinicius missed the penalty.

The 3-0 victory gives the Spanish royal team a significant advantage going into the second leg at Man City's stadium.

PSG thrashed Chelsea, Jorgensen made a costly mistake.

PSG beat Chelsea 5-2 at Parc des Princes in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, in a match where a mistake by goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen proved to be a turning point.

PSG took an early lead in the 10th minute through Bradley Barcola. Chelsea quickly equalized when Malo Gusto scored in the 28th minute, but Dembele put the home side ahead 2-1 before halftime.

In the second half, Enzo Fernandez leveled the score at 2-2. However, the turning point came in the 75th minute when goalkeeper Jorgensen made a misplaced pass, giving Vitinha the opportunity to score and put PSG ahead 3-2.

After this goal, Chelsea completely collapsed. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored two more goals in the 86th and 90+4 minutes, sealing a 5-2 victory for the reigning European champions.

This result gives PSG a significant advantage going into the second leg at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal avoided defeat against Leverkusen thanks to a late penalty.

Arsenal secured a 1-1 draw away at Leverkusen in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 thanks to a late goal from Kai Havertz.

In the first half, Arsenal played proactively and had a chance to open the scoring when Martinelli's shot hit the crossbar. However, Leverkusen took the lead when Robert Andrich headed in a goal in the 46th minute.

After conceding a goal, Arsenal tried to push forward to find an equalizer but faced many difficulties against the home team's solid defense.

In the 89th minute, Noni Madueke broke into the penalty area and was fouled, giving Arsenal a penalty. Kai Havertz successfully converted the penalty to equalize the score at 1-1.

The draw away from home gives Arsenal a certain advantage going into the second leg at Emirates.

Iran announces it will not participate in the 2026 World Cup.

Iran has announced it will not participate in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This decision was announced by Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donjamali amid escalating political tensions in the Middle East. According to Donjamali, the Iranian team cannot compete in the United States under the current circumstances.

Speaking on television, he said Iran was heavily affected by prolonged conflicts and lacked the conditions to prepare for the tournament.

This information came as a shock to FIFA because Iran is one of Asia's strongest teams and has regularly participated in recent World Cups.

If this decision remains unchanged, the 2026 World Cup will be without a familiar representative of Asian football.