Arsenal produced a shock 1-0 victory over Barcelona to win the women’s Champions League on Saturday in Lisbon, with Stina Blackstenius’ goal earning the Gunners their second European crown against the odds.
The Swedish striker’s drilled effort in the 74th minute allowed Renee Slegers’ team to dethrone a feted Barcelona side who had won the trophy three times in the previous four seasons.
Arsenal, back in the final for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2007, outplayed Barca in the first half and staved them off in the second, before Blackstenius struck on the counter-attack.
Arsenal’s Swedish striker #25 Stina Blackstenius celebrates with teammates after scoring her team’s first goal during the UEFA Women’s Champions League final football match between Arsenal FC and Barcelona FC at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, on May 24, 2025. (Photo by FILIPE AMORIM / AFP)
The only British Champions League winners showed their mettle in a superb victory over record eight-time winners Lyon in the semi-final and they stopped Pere Romeu’s Barca from claiming the trophy for a third consecutive season.
Spanish champions Barcelona probed in the opening stages under a fierce Lisbon sun, with Arsenal struggling to track two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati’s darting movement.
Arsenal coach Sleger brought Dutch compatriot Daphne van Domselaar back in goal and she scrambled away crosses to keep her team afloat early on.
The Gunners struck midway through the first half when Irene Paredes tried to cut out a cross and diverted the ball into her own net, but it was disallowed for offside against Frida Maanum in the build-up.
It rattled the normally composed Catalans and filled Sleger’s team with belief.
READ ALSO: Five Dramatic CAF Champions League Finals
Arsenal’s players pose for pictures with their medals and the trophy after winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League final football match between Arsenal FC and Barcelona FC at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, on May 24, 2025. (Photo by FILIPE AMORIM / AFP)
Maanum came close with a drive which Cata Coll tipped over the crossbar and veteran Scot Kim Little smashed high over the bar when a corner broke invitingly to her.
At the back Leah Williamson was at her best for Arsenal, battling well with Polish striker Ewa Pajor and doing well to stifle her run as she surged into the box from the left.
Arsenal kept Alexia Putellas, another Barcelona star with two Ballon d’or wins, silent, with Mariona Caldentey, formerly of the Catalan giants, superior in midfield.
Romeu’s side have faced criticism this season, lacking some of the shine of the team that won the quadruple last year, and their first half display against Arsenal was not one of a team that has dominated European football over the past few years.
They came out with more purpose in the second half and a typically slick passing move ended up with the competition’s top scorer Pina’s deflected shot looping up against the crossbar with Van Domselaar frozen in place.
WE’VE DONE IT! WE ARE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE ONCE AGAIN pic.twitter.com/Vta5nhZrA4
Famous victory
Barcelona’s players are greeted by officials and receive their medal fron UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin at the end of the UEFA Women’s Champions League final football match between Arsenal FC and Barcelona FC at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, on May 24, 2025. (Photo by Patricia DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)
Barca put 10 goals past Wolfsburg and then eight past Chelsea in the previous two rounds so it was no surprise they began to click going forward, with Ona Batlle firing narrowly wide.
Van Domselaar denied Bonmati at the near post as Barcelona clicked into a higher gear, and Batlle whistled a strike narrowly over.
Finally escaping the confines of their own half, Arsenal forged a golden chance to take the lead.
Capitalising on some slack defending by Mapi Leon, substitute Blackstenius bundled her way through but Coll brilliantly blocked her low effort with her leg.
Barcelona did not heed the warning and a few minutes later the English side took the lead.
Beth Mead, another substitute, played a clever reverse pass to Swedish striker Blackstenius, who drilled through Batlle’s legs into the bottom far corner with 15 minutes remaining.
The expected Barcelona onslaught never came in the final stages and Arsenal, who defeated them in their first ever European match in 2012, completed a famous victory in the Catalans’ 100th to claim the trophy.
Arsenal produced a shock 1-0 victory over Barcelona to win the women’s Champions League on Saturday in Lisbon, with Stina Blackstenius’ goal earning the Gunners their second European crown against the odds.
The Swedish striker’s drilled effort in the 74th minute allowed Renee Slegers’ team to dethrone a feted Barcelona side who had won the trophy three times in the previous four seasons.
Arsenal, back in the final for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2007, outplayed Barca in the first half and staved them off in the second, before Blackstenius struck on the counter-attack.
Arsenal’s Swedish striker #25 Stina Blackstenius celebrates with teammates after scoring her team’s first goal during the UEFA Women’s Champions League final football match between Arsenal FC and Barcelona FC at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, on May 24, 2025. (Photo by FILIPE AMORIM / AFP)
The only British Champions League winners showed their mettle in a superb victory over record eight-time winners Lyon in the semi-final and they stopped Pere Romeu’s Barca from claiming the trophy for a third consecutive season.
Spanish champions Barcelona probed in the opening stages under a fierce Lisbon sun, with Arsenal struggling to track two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati’s darting movement.
Arsenal coach Sleger brought Dutch compatriot Daphne van Domselaar back in goal and she scrambled away crosses to keep her team afloat early on.
The Gunners struck midway through the first half when Irene Paredes tried to cut out a cross and diverted the ball into her own net, but it was disallowed for offside against Frida Maanum in the build-up.
It rattled the normally composed Catalans and filled Sleger’s team with belief.
READ ALSO: Five Dramatic CAF Champions League Finals
Arsenal’s players pose for pictures with their medals and the trophy after winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League final football match between Arsenal FC and Barcelona FC at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, on May 24, 2025. (Photo by FILIPE AMORIM / AFP)
Maanum came close with a drive which Cata Coll tipped over the crossbar and veteran Scot Kim Little smashed high over the bar when a corner broke invitingly to her.
At the back Leah Williamson was at her best for Arsenal, battling well with Polish striker Ewa Pajor and doing well to stifle her run as she surged into the box from the left.
Arsenal kept Alexia Putellas, another Barcelona star with two Ballon d’or wins, silent, with Mariona Caldentey, formerly of the Catalan giants, superior in midfield.
Romeu’s side have faced criticism this season, lacking some of the shine of the team that won the quadruple last year, and their first half display against Arsenal was not one of a team that has dominated European football over the past few years.
They came out with more purpose in the second half and a typically slick passing move ended up with the competition’s top scorer Pina’s deflected shot looping up against the crossbar with Van Domselaar frozen in place.
WE’VE DONE IT! WE ARE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE ONCE AGAIN pic.twitter.com/Vta5nhZrA4
Famous victory
Barcelona’s players are greeted by officials and receive their medal fron UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin at the end of the UEFA Women’s Champions League final football match between Arsenal FC and Barcelona FC at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, on May 24, 2025. (Photo by Patricia DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)
Barca put 10 goals past Wolfsburg and then eight past Chelsea in the previous two rounds so it was no surprise they began to click going forward, with Ona Batlle firing narrowly wide.
Van Domselaar denied Bonmati at the near post as Barcelona clicked into a higher gear, and Batlle whistled a strike narrowly over.
Finally escaping the confines of their own half, Arsenal forged a golden chance to take the lead.
Capitalising on some slack defending by Mapi Leon, substitute Blackstenius bundled her way through but Coll brilliantly blocked her low effort with her leg.
Barcelona did not heed the warning and a few minutes later the English side took the lead.
Beth Mead, another substitute, played a clever reverse pass to Swedish striker Blackstenius, who drilled through Batlle’s legs into the bottom far corner with 15 minutes remaining.
The expected Barcelona onslaught never came in the final stages and Arsenal, who defeated them in their first ever European match in 2012, completed a famous victory in the Catalans’ 100th to claim the trophy.
Arsenal produced a shock 1-0 victory over Barcelona to win the women’s Champions League on Saturday in Lisbon, with Stina Blackstenius’ goal earning the Gunners their second European crown against the odds.
The Swedish striker’s drilled effort in the 74th minute allowed Renee Slegers’ team to dethrone a feted Barcelona side who had won the trophy three times in the previous four seasons.
Arsenal, back in the final for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2007, outplayed Barca in the first half and staved them off in the second, before Blackstenius struck on the counter-attack.
Arsenal’s Swedish striker #25 Stina Blackstenius celebrates with teammates after scoring her team’s first goal during the UEFA Women’s Champions League final football match between Arsenal FC and Barcelona FC at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, on May 24, 2025. (Photo by FILIPE AMORIM / AFP)
The only British Champions League winners showed their mettle in a superb victory over record eight-time winners Lyon in the semi-final and they stopped Pere Romeu’s Barca from claiming the trophy for a third consecutive season.
Spanish champions Barcelona probed in the opening stages under a fierce Lisbon sun, with Arsenal struggling to track two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati’s darting movement.
Arsenal coach Sleger brought Dutch compatriot Daphne van Domselaar back in goal and she scrambled away crosses to keep her team afloat early on.
The Gunners struck midway through the first half when Irene Paredes tried to cut out a cross and diverted the ball into her own net, but it was disallowed for offside against Frida Maanum in the build-up.
It rattled the normally composed Catalans and filled Sleger’s team with belief.
READ ALSO: Five Dramatic CAF Champions League Finals
Arsenal’s players pose for pictures with their medals and the trophy after winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League final football match between Arsenal FC and Barcelona FC at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, on May 24, 2025. (Photo by FILIPE AMORIM / AFP)
Maanum came close with a drive which Cata Coll tipped over the crossbar and veteran Scot Kim Little smashed high over the bar when a corner broke invitingly to her.
At the back Leah Williamson was at her best for Arsenal, battling well with Polish striker Ewa Pajor and doing well to stifle her run as she surged into the box from the left.
Arsenal kept Alexia Putellas, another Barcelona star with two Ballon d’or wins, silent, with Mariona Caldentey, formerly of the Catalan giants, superior in midfield.
Romeu’s side have faced criticism this season, lacking some of the shine of the team that won the quadruple last year, and their first half display against Arsenal was not one of a team that has dominated European football over the past few years.
They came out with more purpose in the second half and a typically slick passing move ended up with the competition’s top scorer Pina’s deflected shot looping up against the crossbar with Van Domselaar frozen in place.
WE’VE DONE IT! WE ARE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE ONCE AGAIN pic.twitter.com/Vta5nhZrA4
Famous victory
Barcelona’s players are greeted by officials and receive their medal fron UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin at the end of the UEFA Women’s Champions League final football match between Arsenal FC and Barcelona FC at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, on May 24, 2025. (Photo by Patricia DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)
Barca put 10 goals past Wolfsburg and then eight past Chelsea in the previous two rounds so it was no surprise they began to click going forward, with Ona Batlle firing narrowly wide.
Van Domselaar denied Bonmati at the near post as Barcelona clicked into a higher gear, and Batlle whistled a strike narrowly over.
Finally escaping the confines of their own half, Arsenal forged a golden chance to take the lead.
Capitalising on some slack defending by Mapi Leon, substitute Blackstenius bundled her way through but Coll brilliantly blocked her low effort with her leg.
Barcelona did not heed the warning and a few minutes later the English side took the lead.
Beth Mead, another substitute, played a clever reverse pass to Swedish striker Blackstenius, who drilled through Batlle’s legs into the bottom far corner with 15 minutes remaining.
The expected Barcelona onslaught never came in the final stages and Arsenal, who defeated them in their first ever European match in 2012, completed a famous victory in the Catalans’ 100th to claim the trophy.
A new documentary examines Prince Harry’s ability to ever be forgiven and what he needs to do to win back hearts after his most recent bombshell BBC interview came out “distant” and “broken.”
According to the royal expert, Prince Harry is a stay-at-home dad and has lost his identity.
Prince Harry has made it clear that despite his differences with his family, he would like to end the drama, especially because of his father’s ill health.
In a bombshell interview with the BBC earlier this month, the Duke of Sussex revealed he would love to make it up with his father as life’s too short. “Life is precious,” he reflected.
It would be nice to reconcile, my father said, “but I don’t know how long he has.” There is no point in fighting any longer, and I would love to have my family reconciled.
However, according to experts, the prince, who was once one of our favorite Royals, must first discover who he is.
In the new Channel 5 documentary Harry: Can He Ever Be Forgiven?, commentators asserted that Prince Harry has found himself in a difficult position because he has no role in the Royal family and no defined role in the USA either.
“How is he spending his life?” Politician and author Ann Widdecombe asks. “What is the aim? I’ve heard people say that he’s a stay-at-home dad without much to do… possibly? Even Harry must occasionally ask himself, ‘Where is all this going?’”
Continue reading the article.
READ MORE: Inside home of pet loving Wales family from sad loss to adorable new arrivals
Harry opened up about his hopes of reconciliation in a recent BBC interview(Image: BBC)
And the British politician isn’t the only one who believes the Duke of Sussex is struggling with his identity after leaving the Royal family and the UK.
Emma Reed Turrell, a psychotherapist and author, once said, “I think Harry faces a universal challenge, one of identity.” I’m who? I was who? What do I want to become? Who can I be, exactly? What is acceptable, exactly?
We all know that when someone leaves any kind of institution, they undergo a significant transition as they re-enter the atmosphere, seek purpose, and seek identity.
The comments come after Prince Harry received backlash for his bombshell BBC interview, in which he blatantly expressed his grief over losing his legal battle over taxpayer-funded security.
The Duke stepped back from his duties as a senior working royal family member in favour of a new life in the US(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
During the interview, dad-of-two Harry insisted he couldn’t bring his family to the UK because it wasn’t safe after losing his legal battle. And he also made a startling claim in relation to the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana.
He said, “I don’t want history to repeat itself; from the disclosure process, I’ve discovered that some people want history to repeat itself, which is pretty dark, when he said about losing his legal challenge for taxpayer-funded security.”
He may not have named names, but there’s little doubt that Harry was talking about the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 after being chased by paparazzi.
Continue reading the article.
Harry: Will He Ever Be Pardoned? at 9 p.m. on Channel 5 to air this evening (May 24).
READ MORE: Michelle Keegan uses this £17 anti-ageing serum at Cannes and it’s perfect for tired skin
Damian Penaud, a wing for Bordeaux-Begles, has been named the Investec Champions Cup player of the year.
The 28-year-old scored two tries on Saturday in Bordeaux’ 28-20 Champions Cup victory over Northampton Saints at Principality Stadium.
The France wing’s two tries in Cardiff increased his record for tries scored in this year’s competition to 14 with those two.
When Penaud crossed for his 12th Champions Cup try this campaign, Munster won in Bordeaux’ quarter-final victory.
He takes home the award from Toulouse’s English back row Jack Willis, Leinster and New Zealand center Jordie Barrett, and Northampton flanker Henry Pollock, who had a breakout season.
In a pool match against Sharks, Penaud scored a tournament-record six tries, which was crucial to Bordeaux’s first Champions Cup triumph in its history.
This week saw some sweet victories, heartbreaking defeats, and farewells, especially in football, across the sports world.   ,
The stories revolve around the National Sports Festival in Ogun and the Super Eagles’ team list for the Unity Cup in Europe, where the leagues are at their peak, intercontinental club competitions are nearing their final stages in Africa, and the final phase of the Unity Cup’s final phase in Nigeria.
First 11‘s recap of the major stories that have shaped sports over the past seven days includes these and other important topics.
Man United Suffer Europa Heartbreak
After the UEFA Europa League final football game, Ange Postecoglou (L) and Ruben Amorim (L) speak, the head coaches of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. (Photo by CESAR MANSO/AFP)
First 11 kickoffs in Europe where Manchester United suffered a heartbreak! The 20-time English champions thought there was a way out after a disappointing campaign: winning the Europa League and making it to the Champions League next year. So they made their way to Spain’s Bilbao on a journey of redemption!
They faced a familiar foe – Tottenham – in the second-rate European club competition. The Red Devils needed the trophy to end the gloomy season’s ghosts, just like their rivals did.   ,
On the night, however, it was Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs who were crowned champions after a 1-0 win, breaking Manchester United’s heart.   ,
With just one game left, Spurs are now 16th in the league, making it their first trophy since winning a League Cup championship in 2008 with a victory in that defeat.   ,
Amorim Defiant Makes Offers to Leave the Union
On January 19, 2025, Manchester United’s Portuguese head coach Ruben Amorim reacts during the English Premier League game between Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester United at Old Trafford in Manchester, north of England. (Photo by Ian HODGSON / AFP)
In the wake of that defeat, Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim made an offer to leave the club if the Premier League side no longer wanted him. Without having a conversation about compensation, the Portuguese said he would leave.  ,  ,
The club will finish in their lowest league position since 1974, which adds to their disastrous season. With just one league game left, United face Aston Villa on Sunday, placing them 16th. But the former Sporting Lisbon boss, who has won just six Premier League games at United, said he still believed in his ability to turn things around at Old Trafford but would walk if he was no longer wanted.
In Turkey, Osimhen Scoops Double
Winners of the Turkish Cup! God is the Greatest ❤️ @GalatasaraySK pic. twitter.com/fyWf1TVBoB
Meanwhile, Tottenham were not the only team that scooped a trophy this past week. Victor Osimhen, a Nigerian, assisted Galatasaray’s Turkish side to claim the Super Lig, the club’s second title in a row, on the first day of the week.   ,
pic.twitter.com/g9ACyymdQG
The Super Eagle also scored a brace in the Turkish Cup match that Galatasaray won on Wednesday.
Osimhen scored a second goal on Sunday to claim the title of Turkish champions after defeating Kayserispor. The Nigerian, on a season-long loan from Napoli, has 25 league goals this season with two matches to go.   ,
Unity Cup Misses Miss Lookman and Osimhen
Nigeria’s forward #18 Ademola Lookman (L) celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with Nigeria’s forward #9 Victor Osimhen during the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 round of 16 football match between Nigeria and Cameroon at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on January 27, 2024. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP photo)
Eric Chelle, the head coach of the Super Eagles, has named his squad for the Unity Cup, a competition involving four nations that celebrates cultural and football ties, as well as a friendly game against Russia.   ,
However, the team snuck in some well-known names, including Ademola Lookman, the team’s current African Player of the Year, and Osimhen. Instead, Chelle selected 25 international footballers and NPFL (Nigeria Premier League) stars. The Unity Cup is billed to start May 27th and end May 31st, after which the Super Eagles face Russia in a friendly in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.   ,
Super Falcons Are Ready for Cameroon’s Lionesses
FILE PHOTO: Nigeria players pose for a group photo before the start of the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women’s World Cup Group B football match between Ireland and Nigeria at Brisbane Stadium in Brisbane on July 31, 2023. (Photo by Patrick Hamilton/AFP)
In addition to their male counterpart, Super Falcons coach, Justin Madugu, invited 23 players to their double-header games against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses.   ,
The powerhouses will square off on May 31 in Ikenne-Remo before a second game on June 3rd at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta. The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled for Morocco in July, will be a focus of Nigeria’s preparation for the event.   ,
Arsenal and Destiny Are On A Date In The Women’s Champions League
Women’s Champions League trophy Photo: UEFA.com
Women’s football is still being discussed! This week saw the UEFA Women’s Champions League final. Spanish giants Barcelona are up against Arsenal. Arsenal reached the final in 2007 with their first victory, while the Catalan giants have won the competition three times and six of the previous seven finals. Arsenal hope to be the sand in the gears of the Lisbon showpiece despite the fact that Barcelona are on the verge of a repeat of the quadruple from the previous season.
French Open To Serve Off Sunday
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz congratulates Jannik Sinner (R) of Italy after winning their men’s singles semifinal match on October 3, 2023 at the National Tennis Center in Beijing. (Photo by Pedro Pardo/AFP)
In the meantime, the French Open will begin on Sunday as players head to Paris for the second Grand Slam of the year. Rafael Nadal, a 14-time champion, will no longer be a familiar face on the courts after his retirement last year.   ,
But top stars such as Iga Swiatek, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz will be among the players battling for honours. The defending men’s singles champion is Alcaraz.
Aruna Quadri’s exit from the ITTF World Championships is disappointing.
The beautiful game
All the emotions as Quadri Aruna defeats Benedikt Duda to end his two-game losing streak and defeat Germany 4-2 in the #ITTFWorlds2025 #TableTennis photo. twitter.com/tJAaPqBIFf
Aruna Quadri of Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri was eliminated from the 2025 ITTF World Championships as preparations for the French Open progress to their best efforts. Hugo Calderano, a Brazilian player, defeated the table tennis legend in Doha’s Lusail Arena’s men’s singles final-16 match. Quadri, 36, was the only African to reach the last 16 in the tournament.
Real Madrid Loss: A Legend
Os quiero mucho pic, Madridistas. twitter.com/q2GHHs6zbN
Luka Modric, a Croatian midfielder, announced his departure from Real Madrid after the Club World Cup this summer.
The Croatian has played nearly 600 games for Real Madrid since joining from Tottenham in 2012, winning the Champions League six times, the Copa del Rey twice, and four La Liga titles among 28 trophies in total.   ,
After a 35 million dollar move to Madrid, Modric struggled at the beginning of his career, but he quickly found his footing and developed into one of the best midfielders in the world. Modric, who became Madrid captain last summer, won the Ballon d’Or in 2018 for his performances with Madrid and also his country, as Croatia finished as runners-up at the World Cup in Russia.
Nigeria wins bronze medal and South Africa wins the U-20 AFCON.
No way at all na him bad pass. Make una use this one hold body. #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 image https://twitter.com/lIzPnesVj4
The Flying Eagles may have wanted to win the bronze medal at the U-20 AFCON, but the age-group team chose to go with the bronze medal. After the game ended 1-1, they prevailed over Egypt as a penalty.   ,
Following a flimsy 1-0 defeat over Morocco, South Africa, who defeated Nigeria in the semi-final, were declared tournament champions.   ,
Golden Eaglets Soar At Gateway Games, Delta Leads Chart
Medal Table for Gateway Games 2024.
With 75 medals, Delta State continues to lead the league as of Friday, May 23rd, 5:30 PM.
Where is your state ranked? #NationalSportsCommision #NationalSportsFestival #GatewayGames2024 photo twitter.com/FJcUR5ECSi
The Golden Eaglets defeated Ebonyi State 5-0 on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the football competition at the National Sports Festival in Ogun State, Nigeria. At the time of writing this report, Delta State had surpassed Bayelsa to take the title in the first week of the competition.
