Barcelona vs benfica match date and time

To take the two leading stakeholders at their word, the status of Mexico as a World Cup host nation is safe and sound. FIFA says it has full confidence in the countrys ability to securely stage 13 games during this summers finals. Mexicos president, Claudia Sheinbaum, insists there will be no risks to anybody travelling there for the tournament in June and July.

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Newcastle are positioned in the blue route to the final, which has established their potential quarter-final opponents. Its confirmed that they will meet either Liverpool, Tottenham or Atletico Madrid.

These positions are highly likely to hold, for obvious reasons. The opening fixture of the 2026 World Cup is just over three months away, and any change of host city or nation at such a late stage would cause FIFA organisational chaos. For Mexico, reneging on its commitments would come with unacceptable reputational damage. Both parties will fight tooth and nail to stay the course.

Eddie Howes side will now feature in the draw for the next round of the competition, where they already know their opponents will be either Chelsea or Barcelona. The last-16 draw is predetermined by final league-stage positions, with Newcastles 11th-place finish meaning they will take on whichever side finished fifth (Barcelona) or sixth (Chelsea) in the group stage.

Newcastle have booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League after claiming a 3-2 victory over Qarabag in the second leg at St James Park, advancing 9-3 on aggregate. Goals from Sandro Tonali, Joelinton and Sven Botman secured safe passage through, despite the Azerbaijani outfit mounting a spirited second-half comeback.

As Newcastle will be regarded as the lower-ranked side, they will host the first leg at home. Should they be paired with Chelsea, they will face Liam Roseniors team three times within the space of a week, with the Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge set for Saturday, March 14 (5.30pm).