KARIM BENZEMA

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating a hepatitis A outbreak possibly linked to fresh strawberries. There have been 17 cases in California, Minnesota and North Dakota, with at least a dozen people hospitalized.

According to Lionel Messi, there is “no doubt” that Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema deserves to win his first Ballon d’Or award this year. Messi has won a record seven Ballon d'Or awards as the world's best player, but saw his new club Paris Saint-Germain eliminated by Madrid in the round of 16 of the Champions League this year — after Benzema scored a hat trick in the second half of the return leg. Benzema netted another four goals against Chelsea in the quarterfinals and three against Manchester City in the semifinals — including the decisive penalty in extra time of the second leg — before Madrid defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the final on Saturday.

Real Madrid became European champion for a record-extending 14th time after beating Liverpool 1-0 in a Champions League final that started 37 minutes late because of disturbing crowd issues outside the Stade de France.

Real Madrid will play Liverpool in Saturday's Champions League soccer final in Paris. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) (Manu Fernandez)MADRID — (AP) — The last time Karim Benzema was in a Champions League final, it was in a supporting role to Cristiano Ronaldo. Benzema has gone from one of Ronaldo’s sidekicks to Madrid’s most important player, and on Saturday he could cap his best season ever with a fifth Champions League title. A victory would allow him — and several other Madrid players — to tie Ronaldo with the most Champions League trophies. He was the leading scorer in the Spanish league with 27 goals, and in the Champions League with 15 goals from 11 matches.

Karim Benzema was in a supporting role to Cristiano Ronaldo the last time he was in a Champions League final.

Kylian Mbappé has celebrated with fans at Parc des Princes then scored a hat trick after signing a new three-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain and turning down the chance again to join Real Madrid.

APTOPIX Spain Soccer Champions League Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, left, celebrates his side's third goal during the Champions League semi final, second leg, soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, May 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) (Bernat Armangue)VIENNA — (AP) — A scaled-back first phase to the expanded Champions League in 2024 was approved by UEFA on Tuesday to quell a backlash around Europe. The reformatted group stage has been reduced from 10 rounds to eight, and backup places for teams based on historical performance have been removed. The current 32-team Champions League produces 96 games in the group stage. The Champions League was created in 1992 from the European Cup, which started in 1955 and was a knockout tournament for most of its existence.

APTOPIX Spain Soccer Champions League Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, left, celebrates his side's third goal during the Champions League semi final, second leg, soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, May 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) (Bernat Armangue)VIENNA — (AP) — Revisions for the expanded Champions League format have been agreed on by UEFA officials, clubs and leagues with a scaled-back first phase and a curb on how past performances can earn qualification. If the system was already in place, it would mean the fifth-place team in England would qualify for the Champions League along with the team finishing third in the Netherlands. The first main stage to the new-look Champions League will see teams placed in a single standings rather than having eight groups. ___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

A scaled-back first phase to the expanded Champions League has been approved by UEFA to quell a backlash around Europe.

The 3-1 victory over Manchester City gave Madrid yet another comeback and set it up for a showdown with Liverpool in the Champions League final on May 28 in Paris. City was moments away from returning to the final before the substitute forward stunned the English team with his back-to-back goals, inspiring Madrid to victory like a bruised boxer who lands a knockout combination. Madrid, which had trailed City ever since minute 2 of their first-leg match in Manchester, was finally level. City entered the second leg against Madrid with the advantage after coming out on top of their 4-3 shootout last week. “A big amount of merit goes to the players and also a fanbase who push and push and push.

Real Madrid had little reason to hope it could pull off another comeback as the game entered the final minute with Manchester City on the brink of consecutive Champions League finals.

APTOPIX Spain Soccer Champions League Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, left, celebrates his side's third goal during the Champions League semi final, second leg, soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, May 4, 2022. By doing it again against City, Madrid booked a spot in the May 28 final in Paris against Liverpool, which advanced after defeating Villarreal on Tuesday. The result ended City’s latest quest for its first Champions League trophy. It was the 15th Champions League goal this season for Benzema, the competition’s leading scorer. The Algerian became the first City player to scored seven times in a single Champions League campaign.

Real Madrid has done it again.

(AP Photo/Dave Thompson) (Dave Thompson)MANCHESTER, England — (AP) — It was the coolest of penalties at the end of one of the wildest matches in Champions League history. With his cheekily dispatched “Panenka,” Karim Benzema might just have kept Real Madrid's chances alive against Manchester City in the semifinals. City built a two-goal lead three times but just couldn’t shake off Madrid, the kings of the competition — as City manager Pep Guardiola calls them. “We are all in this until the end.”With the France striker in its team, Madrid will never lose hope. His double here — after back-to-back hat tricks earlier in the knockout stage — took his total in the Champions League this season to a competition-high 14 goals.

Britain Soccer Champions League Real Madrid's Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring his side's third goal from penalty during the Champions League semi final, first leg soccer match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson) (Dave Thompson)MANCHESTER, England — (AP) — Manchester City just couldn’t shake off Real Madrid. In a wild Champions League match that resembled a basketball game at times, City beat Madrid 4-3 in the first leg of the semifinals but will leave Etihad Stadium wondering how the record 13-time champions were still in it. Ultimately, Karim Benzema’s cheeky “Panenka” penalty in the 82nd minute saw Madrid escape with some hope of pulling off a comeback in next week’s second leg at Santiago Bernabeu. Benzema kept his composure while all around him were losing theirs, giving Madrid renewed belief of reaching a first final since 2018.

Manchester City just couldn’t shake off Real Madrid in the Champions League.

A French court handed Benzema a one-year suspended jail sentence, finding him guilty of conspiring to blackmail former teammate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape. Benzema denies the allegations.

France and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has been given a one-year suspended jail sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros ($84,000) in a sex-tape case that rocked French soccer.

France and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema was given a one-year suspended jail sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros ($84,000) Wednesday in a sex-tape case that rocked French soccer and put the talented striker's international career on hold for more than five years. Benzema was found guilty of being involved in an attempt in 2015 to blackmail France teammate Mathieu Valbuena. In addition to the fine, Benzema was ordered to pay Valbuena 80,000 euros ($89,700) in damages.

Liverpool and Ajax extended their perfect winning records in the Champions League to advance into the round of 16.

Hungary Portugal France Euro 2020 Soccer France's Kylian Mbappe runs during warmup before the Euro 2020 soccer championship group F match between Portugal and France at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Wednesday, June 23, 2021. Nor the fact that both strikers are being talked about for transfers to new clubs after the European Championship. Although prolific for their clubs — Mbappé with 27 league goals and Kane with 23 — neither has managed to replicate their domestic scoring output at the European Championship. “Inevitably he’s come through those periods and scored important goals for us and played exceptionally well. WING BACKSWhile some leading strikers are struggling to make an impact, this tournament has been a stage for wing backs to shine.

The group stage of the European Championship is compete.

(AP Photo/Darko Bandic,Pool) (Darko Bandic)BUDAPEST, Hungary — (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo scored two penalties to tie the overall men’s scoring record with 109 goals and Portugal advanced to the round of 16 at the European Championship after a 2-2 draw with France on Wednesday. Ronaldo's tournament-leading fourth and fifth goals moved him level with former Iran striker Ali Daei at 109, while also extending his overall tournament record to 14. Karim Benzema scored both of France's goals, his first ever at the tournament after failing to find the target at Euro 2008 and 2012. France will face Switzerland in the next round and Portugal will take on Belgium. ___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored two penalties to tie the overall men’s scoring record with 109 goals and Portugal advanced to the round of 16 at the European Championship after a 2-2 draw with France.

France needed a second-half equalizer from Antoine Griezmann to avoid the biggest upset of the tournament.

Mats Hummels scored an own-goal and France beat Germany 1-0 at the European Championship.

The European Championship is the first major international soccer tournament to take place since the coronavirus outbreak and arrives at the end of the most condensed club season in history.

Lionel Messi is set to play his 45th “clásico” match against Real Madrid.

(AP Photo/Martin Meissner)With one point from its opening two games, Real Madrid is facing another fight to preserve its proud record of qualifying for the knockout stage in all of its seasons in the Champions League. Heading into the 87th minute against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Madrid was losing 2-0 and on course for four straight losses in the Champions League for the first time. Madrid is in bigger trouble, though, in its 25th campaign in the Champions League, in which the team has never been eliminated in the group stage. Defending champion Bayern Munich is having no such trouble, with a 2-1 victory at Lokomotiv Moscow extending its winning run in the Champions League to 13 games. However, Jota scored in the 55th for a historic goal for Liverpool and substitute Mohamed Salah converted a stoppage-time penalty.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi leaves the pitch after the the Champions League quarterfinal soccer match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich in Lisbon, Portugal, Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. The Spanish league is about to see another top player leave one of its clubs, all within a four-year span. The league wasnt hugely affected financially after Neymar left Barcelona or Ronaldo left Real Madrid. The league still benefited from Messis presence after Ronaldo left, but now it wouldn't have that same star power anymore. Since Neymar left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, Spain gained few top-notch players.

(AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)BARCELONA Karim Benzema helped Real Madrid move one step closer to dethroning Lionel Messis Barcelona on Friday. Benzema scored one goal and set up another to lead Madrid to beating Alavs 2-0 and restoring a four-point lead over Barcelona in the Spanish league with only three rounds left. Benzema scored a penalty kick in the 11th minute and assisted Marco Asensio in the 50th to ensure an eighth straight victory since La Liga resumed play after stopping for three months due to the pandemic. His 18th league goal of the season is second only to Messis 22. Madrid took full control just after halftime when Benzema broke Alavs offside trap to reach Rodrygos through-ball.