Hugo Ekitike was Liverpool's headline act on a night of pure theatre at Anfield which was high on emotion and rich in thrilling drama, but was also played out under the shadow of allegations of racist abuse. Ekitike might face a future fight for his place only weeks after making a £70m from Eintracht Frankfurt, with Newcastle United rebel Alexander Isak still on Liverpool's agenda - but he stated his case eloquently with a superb individual display that made him an instant hero on The Kop. Liverpool's 4-2 win, secured with late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah, was packed with sub-plots - not all of them good. Indeed, the scoreline barely touches the sides of a chaotic night. It all started with emotional tributes to Diogo Jota, the Liverpool striker killed in a car crash in July, along with his brother Andre Silva. The Kop was adorned with banners paying tribute to Jota, including one for his family reading: 'Anfield will always be your home. You'll Never Walk Alone' before a minute's silence. Jota was remembered in song throughout, with a rousing minute of applause after 20 minutes for the beloved striker who wore the number 20 shirt. It was a night when Liverpool's expensive transition was on display, with four Premier League newcomers including Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, as well as full-back pair Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. The scale of change is illustrated by the fact that, excluding the inaugural 1992-93 season, Liverpool are the first reigning champions to name as many as four Premier League debutants in their opening-day starting line-up. Ekitike was the best of that quartet by a distance, throwing up a conundrum about how head coach Arne Slot will adapt should Liverpool return to Tyneside with a bid closer to the striker Newcastle rate at £150m. Slot has barely used a strike pairing since he arrived at Liverpool, so it would be a change of gear to combine Ekitike and Isak should the latter arrive. It may not quite beg the question of whether Liverpool actually need to make such a lavish outlay on another striker, but it will give Slot a conundrum to solve.

Despite his heroics last season as the club won the Champions League, Italian Donnarumma was dropped for Wednesday's Super Cup meeting with Tottenham - and made available for transfer with one year left on his contract. Chevalier, signed from Lille earlier this week, has been handed the starting role and helped PSG overcome Tottenham on penalties following a dramatic 2-2 draw in Udine. Luis Enrique said the decision was "100%" his as the PSG boss opted for a "different profile" of goalkeeper in the 23-year-old Chevalier. While Donnarumma's saves were crucial in helping the French side to glory in May as they thrashed Inter Milan 5-0, he has often been criticised for his ability with the ball at his feet. French football journalist Julien Laurens said "without Gianluigi Donnarumma, I don't think PSG win the Champions League". Yet he also understood why they went "with someone different" as he told BBC Radio 5 Live: "They have made a call, a brutal call. Lucas Chevalier is better on the ball, better in the air, better with distribution, but he doesn't have the experience. "All eyes were on him as he replaces probably the best goalkeeper in the world right now."

The England attacking midfielder scored twice and set up a brilliant third goal for new signing Joao Pedro in a comprehensive 3-0 win over in-form PSG at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Palmer placed a low shot past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 22nd minute after Malo Gusto ran in behind Nuno Mendes, adding a second with a neat dummy and identical shot from the edge of the box just eight minutes later. His defence-splitting pass allowed Joao Pedro to lob Donnarumma just before half-time to stun a team branded "the best in the world" by Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca before kick-off. In the second half Khvicha Kvaratskhelia immediately tested Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, while his close-range save minutes later from Ousmane Dembele was even more impressive. Substitute Liam Delap also had a good shot saved as PSG were left with too much of a mountain to climb after missed opportunities by Joao Neves and Desire Doue when the scores were level in the first half. The game was all but over on 85 minutes when matters got worse for the Parisians, as midfielder Neves was sent off after a brief VAR check for pulling defender Marc Cucurella's hair. PSG manager Luis Enrique will also face questions after appearing to slap Chelsea forward Joao Pedro in ugly post-match scenes, with unused substitute Presnel Kimpembe having to pull away his coach. Enrique later said he was trying to separate fighting players "to avoid a situation getting worse", adding: "It was a result of the pressure at the end of the match." Among the 81,118 people in attendance - the biggest of the tournament - was US President Donald Trump, who sat alongside Fifa president Gianni Infantino as Chelsea took their earnings to about £90m as they became world champions.

Brazil qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a 1-0 win against Paraguay in South American qualifying to give Carlo Ancelotti his first win as manager. Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr scored from close range in the second half, finishing after fine work from Manchester United-bound playmaker Matheus Cunha. The victory, Ancelotti's first after a 0-0 draw against Ecuador on his debut last week, means Brazil have now qualified for every edition of the World Cup. "We needed to win and qualify for the World Cup," said Vinicius Jr. "Now the coach will have more time to work. Of course today wasn't one of our best performances, but the important thing is always to win. "Now it's time to celebrate qualifying." Elsewhere, World Cup holders Argentina played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Colombia in Buenos Aires. Liverpool winger Luis Diaz opened the scoring with a fine individual goal, dancing through three defenders before finishing past Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Argentina were reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes remaining when Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez for a high-boot challenge on Colombia's Kevin Castano. But Lionel Messi's side found an equaliser nine minutes from the end through Lyon's Thiago Almada, leaving Colombia four points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela. Ecuador, Argentina's nearest challengers, booked their spot at next summer's tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States after a 0-0 draw away at Peru.

Manchester City have completed the signing of attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki from Lyon before the first of this summer's transfer deadlines. City will pay an initial fee of £30.45m, and Cherki has signed a five-year deal until 2030. The 21-year-old will be able to play for City at the Club World Cup, which begins in the United States on 14 June. Cherki has already made almost 200 appearances for Lyon and has scored once in his two caps for France. "This is a dream for me," said Cherki. "Honestly, to be joining a club like Manchester City and have the opportunity to make the next step in my career here is something very, very special." He is City's third signing in two days, with coach Pep Guardiola having brought in Algeria left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves for £31m on Monday, followed by back-up goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea earlier on Tuesday. Cherki made his senior debut for Lyon aged 16 in October 2019 and leaves the club having claimed 29 goals and 45 assists in 185 games. "I have worked so hard for this all my life," Cherki added. "I love this sport, and I can't wait to develop further here in Manchester with Pep and his backroom staff. "The responsibility to help the team continue winning is something I want to embrace. I would only leave Lyon for a project I really believe in and everything at City suggests I can develop my game and help the team be successful in the future."