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Sunday, June 15, 2025 | Daily Newspaper published by GPPC Doha, Qatar.
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Gulf Times

After conquering Europe, PSG now have sights set on Club World Cup glory

Freshly crowned kings of Europe, Paris Saint-Germain arrived in the United States for the Club World Cup and are treating FIFA's lucrative new competition not as a nuisance at the end of an exhausting season but as a serious objective."I think it is an incredible competition," PSG coach Luis Enrique said of the Club World Cup in the immediate aftermath of his team's UEFA Champions League triumph in Munich two weeks ago. "Our aim is to be competitive and try to win a fifth trophy of the season."The Qatar-backed French giants could be forgiven for wanting some time to bask in the glory of their 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in Munich which allowed them to finally win the Champions League for the first time in their history. There had been numerous agonising failures in Europe's elite club competition, as well as billions of euros spent on transfer fees on stars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, prior to captain Marquinhos raising the trophy aloft."We have made history for the club, for the city and for the whole country," defender Lucas Hernandez said after the PSG squad paraded their trophy down the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, attended a reception with President Emmanuel Macron and celebrated with almost 50,000 fans at their Parc des Princes stadium. PSG have played 58 matches since last August and also swept all the available domestic trophies in France this season, as has become the norm in recent years.But there is simply no time to stop and reflect. Many of their players, including Champions League final hero Desire Doue, spent last week on international duty before returning to their club and departing for Los Angeles, where they will begin their Club World Cup adventure this weekend."The tournament itself is a really attractive prospect," Luis Enrique said. "We have to strike the balance between managing the physical and mental fatigue we're experiencing now at the end of a long season and harnessing the motivation that comes with being involved in the competition."PSG's opening game will be against another European heavyweight as they take on Antoine Griezmann's Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, just outside Los Angeles, today.They will then also face South American champions Botafogo, of Brazil, before moving north to take on Seattle Sounders in their remaining Group B matches. Expected to qualify for the knockout phase without too many issues, PSG could end up playing a total of seven matches if they make it all the way to the final in New York on July 13 – just a month before their scheduled first game of next season in the UEFA Supercup against Tottenham Hotspur.The strain of such a long campaign is telling, with Ousmane Dembele – their top scorer this season with 33 goals – struggling with an injury picked up playing for France last week. They did not manage to add any new players to their squad during the brief transfer window that opened at the start of this month ahead of the tournament –reported interest in Bournemouth's Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi did not turn into anything concrete.But the rewards for success in the Club World Cup are enticing and should be enough to keep Luis Enrique's squad focused on their objective, with up to a stunning $125mn in prize money on offer for the best performing European team if they manage to go all the way.

Gulf Times

Docuseries Esports World Cup: Level Up premieres on Prime Video

Prime Video, one of the leading entertainment destinations, is telecasting the five-part documentary Esports World Cup: Level Up from June 6, with new episodes released weekly.Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler (Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, Elton John: Never Too Late and Martha), the series goes behind-the-scenes of the inaugural Esports World Cup (EWC) in 2024 — a defining moment in global esports, where over $60 million in prize money ignited a high-stakes, multinational battle to crown the world’s top esports Club.The series is produced by This Machine (a part of Sony Pictures Television), with R.J. Cutler directing, John Dorsey serving as showrunner, and Jane Cha Cutler, Trevor Smith, Elise Pearlstein and Mark Blatty executive producing. Level Up will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.Esports World Cup: Level Up offers a rare look inside a global competition that’s redefining what it means to be a champion for a new generation of athletes and fans. R.J. Cutler and his team of expert storytellers embedded themselves within the eight-week tournament – watched by over 500 million fans globally – to uncover the personal sacrifices, rivalries and stakes driving the action.Shot in verité style, the series combines intimate home visits from around the world and on-the-ground coverage from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It follows a wide cast of characters – from Club CEOs orchestrating million-dollar strategies to rising stars chasing life-changing wins – while capturing the pulse of elite esports competition."What drew me to the Esports World Cup was the compelling human stories unfolding within this high-stakes arena,” said Cutler. “Level Up isn't just about the incredible competition and prize money; it's about the dedication, the passion, and the sheer will of these athletes and teams pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Under high pressure, we discover the true character of the competitors who vie for $60 million, but who also expose their humanity in the process."At the heart of Level Up is the “EWC Club Championship,” an unprecedented, multi-title tournament format where Clubs compete across more than 20 games, earning points toward a single leaderboard. Every match, every point, reshapes the race for global dominance. With the highest prize pool in esports history on the line, the EWC is not just a tournament – it's a proving ground for the next generation of sports icons.The launch of The Esports World Cup demonstrates how Saudi Arabia and the Middle East has established itself as the fastest growing force in esports and gaming. The series highlights the region’s passionate fan base, the establishment of world-class infrastructure behind the events like EWC and ongoing investment to further establish the Saudi Arabia MENA region as a global leader in the industry.The inaugural Esports World Cup in 2024 featured 1,500 elite players and 200 Clubs from 100 countries competing in 22 tournaments across 21 games for a $60 million prize pool, the largest in esports history. The 2024 event attracted over 500 million online viewers and 2.6 million visitors to Riyadh’s Boulevard City. At the inaugural EWC in 2024, Team Falcons captured the world's attention, running up the leaderboard with 10 top-three finishes, including three first-place placements, to earn 5,665 points and ultimately win the $7 million Club Championship title.“A win might make the headlines — but the real story is the people behind it,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “Level Up dives into the human side of esports: the pressure, the ambition, the sacrifices. It’s about what it really takes to compete at the highest level — and why it matters. R.J. is the best at bringing those stories to life, and this one captures the heart of what we’re building.”

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