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Liverpool Face Difficult Route to 2025/26 Champions League Final

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Arne Slot’s Liverpool may have won the 2024/25 Premier League at a canter in the Dutchman’s maiden season after replacing Jurgen Klopp – but their best football of the current campaign has been witnessed in the Champions League. What is their run to the Budapest-based final looking like?

Things have not been too rosy for the Reds this term, with them sat in sixth (outside the Champions League spots) at the time of writing and securing top four credentials will be Slot and his entourage’s primary objective between now and May, when the season ends.

In the Champions League, though, the six-time winners of the competition have found their rhythm amid testing times. Come the end of the league phase, they’ve finished third in the table, thus securing automatic progression into the knockout rounds, after winning six of their eight matches.

Liverpool’s Potential Route to the 2025/26 Champions League Final

virgil van dijk liverpool-1

Liverpool, England’s most successful team in the history of the Champions League/European Cup, kickstarted their campaign with a 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid before overseeing a narrow 1-0 defeat to Victor Osimhen-led Galatasaray in late September. They bounced back terrifically with a 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt and beating Real Madrid 1-0.

Things looked shaky in their 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven on 26 September – but Slot’s men then went on to win all three of their remaining league phase matches (against Inter Milan, Marseille and Qarabag) without conceding a single goal.

Jamie Carragher performing media duties


Jamie Carragher Laughs After Discovering Who Man City Could Face in Champions League Round of 16

The retired Liverpool defender was convinced Man City would be handed an easy Champions League Round of 16 tie.

Liverpool, behind Arsenal and Bayern Munich, finished third as a result of their above-average form on the continental stage, meaning that they have automatically qualified for the Round of 16. No playoff tie awaits the Merseysiders and there are a number of sides who they could face in the lead-up to the final.

Until a potential final in Budapest, Slot and his men could lock horns with one of Juventus, Atletico (who they faced and beat in the league phase), Club Brugge or Galatasaray – but that all depends on who wins their playoff encounters.

The quarter-finals, should they get through, could see them lock horns with some of the toughest sides in Europe – including Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, who are the reigning champions of Europe.

Hansi Flick-managed Barca would also cause plenty of headaches for Slot, who is widely regarded as one of the best managers in world football, because of their frightening frontline, including the likes of Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski. Newcastle United and Chelsea, two sides from England, could also be their quarter-final opponents.

In terms of the semi-finals, Liverpool could butt heads with a raft of clubs – and that includes the likes of domestic rivals Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Sporting CP and Manchester City (all seeded clubs), while they could also face one of Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan or Real Madrid if they progress from the playoffs.

Interestingly, Liverpool and Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur, who, similar to the Reds, are struggling on the domestic stage but thriving in Europe, have the same potential draw after finishing third and fourth respectively. The next time they can meet in the Champions League will be at the Puskas Arena in the final.

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Experienced at Europe’s top table, Liverpool last won the competition under the guidance of former boss Klopp in 2018/19 and to put it simply: Liverpool certainly have the talent to win the Champions League this time around. Of course, that’s not to say they’ve performed to their best this term – but Liverpool’s deep experience in Europe leans in their favour.

With a Premier League title run seemingly out of their grasp, it would be wise for Liverpool to put all their proverbial eggs in the Champions League basket and that could easily result in success in Hungary.

It’s not always the case that the world’s best team reign victorious in the final and Liverpool will certainly be hoping that’ll be the case later in 2026. Things will need to be fine-tuned between now and then, but with Florian Wirtz showing the odd glimpse of his Bayer Leverkusen form and Alexander Isak’s return nearing closer, who knows what could happen?

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Lena The Plug Reveals ‘Ridiculous Truth’ About Adam22 Divorce

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Lena The Plug has revealed the ‘ridiculous truth’ behind her filing for divorce from her husband, Adam22.

The couple hit the headlines in January after Adam22 was knocked out by Jason Luv, who adult film star Lena had slept with twice. Adam22 was savaged online for revealing that he “allowed” Luv to have sex with Lena despite their marital relationship.

Their ‘open’ relationship has been under scrutiny ever since. The pair married in 2023 and have a five-year-old daughter together.

Adam22’s Loss to Jason Luv

In their January boxing match, Adam22 was humiliatingly stopped in the first round by Luv, in a completely one-sided fight. Not only did he lose the bout, but it also seemed that his marriage had collapsed.

Reports recently emerged confirming that Lena had filed for divorce. TMZ broke the story and were able to obtain various documents relating to the split.

Adam22

In paperwork filed on the first of June, Lena was listed as requesting full custody of the couple’s daughter, as well as claiming half of Adam22’s entertainment studio, which is worth $1.1 million.

According to the filing, the pair had been separated since April, with Lena being listed as having no job and living off of $3,000 in spousal support paid by Adam.

However, the situation took a bizarre turn on Friday when the adult star, real name Lena Nersesian, took to social media to address the matter on Instagram.

Lena The Plug Reveals ‘Truth’ About Adam22 Divorce

Revealing that the divorce documentation had been forged, she declared:

“About a month ago, I opened my mailbox and discovered that someone had been repeatedly attempting to file for divorce on my behalf using forged signatures.

“I became even more concerned when I realised the name on the filing matched the same person who had previously requested multiple wellness checks on me. Based on guidance from law enforcement, I filed a police report for identity theft.

Adam22

“Unfortunately, that did not stop the situation. Somehow, the filing was eventually accepted, and now I have to hire an attorney to correct a legal process I never initiated.”

She went on to state that she and Adam are not splitting up and that they have a very happy and loving relationship.

“For everyone wondering: I am not getting divorced. I love my husband, and our life together. My genuine belief is that the person responsible thinks they are helping me because they have been misled by someone online pretending to be me. This situation is RIDICULOUS, and I can’t believe it’s real life.”

Partnered with the caption, Lena also released a video in which she shut down any rumours created by the fake filing, as she stressed that she has access to all her finances while she also said that on June 1st, the day the divorce papers were filed, she would have been celebrating her birthday and not filing for divorce at the courthouse.

When the news surrounding their so-called ‘divorce’ broke, many fans and followers were shocked and confused, as Lena and Adam were still friendly with each other online and on social media, while Adam22 appeared to find the funny side of the situation with his regular Instagram updates, which led to the suggestions that the situation was fake and that it was a publicity stunt.

Adam22

One man who appeared convinced that the news was legitimate, though, was Jason Luv, who took a brutal swipe at Adam22 on social media.

In response to speculation that the ‘divorce’ was staged, Lena told her followers:

“There was no stunt. Now I have to hire a lawyer to help me get this dismissed.”

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More Than a Dozen Iran Staff Members Denied Entry Into the United States

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A World Cup nation has been dealt a huge blow just days before this summer’s tournament, with many of their staff members denied entry into the United States.

The 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will kick-off on June 11 when the latter take on South Africa.

There will be a total of 104 matches over the next month-and-a-half, with 48 teams vying to be crowned champions of the world on July 19.

Each World Cup team competing in the tournament have named their 26-man squad and will be finalising their preparations ahead of their opening match.

However, some nations have had difficulty getting into the United States. Switzerland star Breel Embolo was barred from travelling with his side after being denied entry into the United States. He has since had his Esta approved, and he has now linked up with his teammates.

Another nation has faced even more difficulty with ‘more than a dozen’ of their staff banned from travelling to the United States.

Many Iran Staff Members Denied Entry Into the United States

Iran flags

Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup has been in doubt following their conflict with the United States.

Donald Trump has previously advised Iran to withdraw, but said that they are welcome to play should they want to. Iran later confirmed their intention to compete in a statement in May.

All of their players, including star man Mehdi Taremi, have now been issued visas by the United States that will allow them to play at the World Cup.

However, The New York Times have now revealed that more than a dozen members of the team’s support staff, which could include coaches, analysts and medical staff, will be unable to travel to the US as they have had their applications rejected.

Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian federation and a former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is among the individuals who have had their visa applications rejected.

Iran will play each of their group matches in the United States. They will face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, before heading to Seattle to face Egypt.

Should Iran and the US both finish second in their respective groups, they will go head-to-head in the round of 32 on July 3 in Arlington, Texas.

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Scotland and Morocco Fans Denied Entry Into the United States

Scotland fans with World Cup trophy

Many Scotland fans that intended to travel to the United States to follow their team have also been denied entry.

One fan told BBC Scotland: “Out of the blue on Tuesday, I got an email that said there’s been an update on your ESTA status. Since I’ve done that ESTA there’s been absolutely no changes to my circumstances. That’s the frustrating thing, not knowing why this has happened.”

While another affected fan, who admitted he was heartbroken, said: “It’s not given us very much time to do anything about it. I don’t think it’s fair, they shouldn’t authorise somebody to go then take it back. We didn’t book anything until we were authorised.”

40 members of a Moroccan supporters association have also been denied United States visas, leaving fans who spent thousands on match tickets and hotel bookings unable to travel to the tournament.

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John Terry Names 3 Players England Should’ve Taken to the World Cup

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John Terry has cast doubts over England’s chances at the 2026 World Cup after seeing Thomas Tuchel leave three players out of his 26-man squad.

The Three Lions will take on Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L before potentially facing a nightmare route to the final. There was a lot of talk about some of the high-profile absentees from Tuchel’s squad, with the German insisting on picking the best ‘team’, rather than a group of the most talented individuals.

Now Terry, a 78-cap England international, has expressed his ‘worries’ heading into the tournament, which starts in less than a week.

John Terry Baffled By 3 England Absences at the World Cup

Thomas Tuchel

Speaking on his TikTok channel ahead of the World Cup, the legendary Chelsea captain has questioned some of the decisions made by the German boss. He first claimed Manchester United’s Harry Maguire would ‘100% be in my England team’, saying:

“Some big calls and some big players left out. The first one, Harry Maguire, would 100% be in my England team. Whether he starts or not, I think he could be a big player from set plays.

“Someone who’s got loads of experience at the top level playing for Man Utd. He’s been excellent since Michael Carrick’s taken over and a big part of Man Utd’s success.”


england thomas tuchel


Supercomputer Ranks Every 2026 World Cup Team’s Chances – England Above Argentina

Opta’s supercomputer claims England have a stronger chance that Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

The defender was an ever-present at the heart of Gareth Southgate’s backline at Euro 2020, while also being an impressive performer at the last two World Cups. He was unfortunate to miss out on Euro 2024 due to injury, but has now been left out by the new boss.

He’s not the only wrongly omitted player in Terry’s eyes. Both Cole Palmer and Phil Foden were also shock exclusions when Tuchel announced his squad list. The defender-turned-pundit believes the ‘best’ players should always be selected.

He said: “Cole Palmer. I think as an England side we miss players like this that can come on and change the game or have that little bit of magic. I know Cole and Foden haven’t been in the best of form this season, but I would always take my best players to the World Cup and those two are certainly there for me.

“We’re talking games that are going to be boiling hot. Moments and special players coming on the pitch for 20 minutes to change the game, there’s no better than those two in the Premier League. They would have definitely been on my list.”

Why John Terry is ‘Worried’ About England’s Chances

England stars could end up NOT shaking hands with one player at the 2026 World Cup

Looking at the 26 names over in the United States to represent his country, Terry only believes 13 or 14 can realistically start matches. “There’s probably 13 or 14 players that can start for England in the big, big games. I look at the players that are fringe players, and that worries me a little bit.”

England World Cup Quiz

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That’s what is concerning the ex-captain. He went on to explain that having a proven player with big game experience to take off the bench would’ve been extremely beneficial to Tuchel. He continued:

“I think as a top manager, you need your best players on the plane at these big tournaments. Players that have done it. Palmer’s done it in the big tournaments, he scored our last goal in the European final.

“Big moments are for big players and I think you take your best players always.”

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