Benfica

With this year's World Cup being held in the middle of the European soccer season, many questioned the impact it would have on the players’ clubs. While there have been some high-profile injuries, there've also been some players who've written their names among the stars. 

For their clubs, this break has helped star players gain global recognition and grow their values ahead of the January transfer window. Whether they cash in and sell high or keep their players, the World Cup has absolutely helped some clubs more than others. 

NYON - Holders Real Madrid will face English Premier League side Liverpool once again in the Champions League last 16 — a repeat of last season's final — while Paris St Germain will take on German champions Bayern Munich.

Madrid edged Liverpool in a tense final in May thanks to a Vinícius Júnior strike.

It was another memorable UEFA Champions League group stage with England, Germany and Portugal flexing their collective might while Spain suffered some historically bad performances. The Champions League last 16 draw date is now set for Monday, Nov.

There was a time, with his contract willfully running down last season, when it looked like a Kylian Mbappé Real Madrid transfer was a foregone conclusion. The World Cup winner had already accomplished everything imaginable in French football at the age of 23 (five league titles, five cup triumphs and three Player of the Year awards), and the realization of Mbappé's childhood dream of playing at the Santiago Bernabéu was promised by Florentino Pérez himself.

In what looked to be an unassuming clash between Italian giant Juventus and newly promoted Salernitana, VAR got all the headlines for all the wrong reasons. A 2-2 draw saw both sides take a point away from the match, but the Turin-based club will feel hard done after new images came out revealing the officiating crew made an appalling mistake, costing Juve two points.

During Sunday’s enthralling clash between Liverpool and Manchester City, I was struck by how fun it was to watch the two best teams in England actually struggle. The two titans breeze through most matches with such dominance, it’s remarkable — and incredibly entertaining — to see them play equals where they must fight for every inch.