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Ligue des Champions : Lens s’offre une soirée historique à Prague
Soirée historique à Prague pour les Sang et Or. Mené à l’entrée du temps additionnel, le RC Lens a renversé le Slavia Prague (3-2) au terme d’un scénario complètement fou.
Cette victoire permet aux Artésiens de signer plusieurs performances marquantes, avec notamment une remontée inédite depuis 2013 et un premier succès à l’extérieur en Ligue des Champions depuis 28 ans.
Une remontée inédite depuis 2013
Lens a réalisé un véritable exploit sur la pelouse du Slavia Prague. Alors que les Nordistes étaient encore menés au début du temps additionnel de la seconde période, ils ont trouvé les ressources pour inverser complètement la tendance et s’imposer 3-2. sportbet.rodeo
Une telle remontée n’avait plus été réalisée en Ligue des Champions, hors prolongation, depuis 2013. À l’époque, le Borussia Dortmund avait renversé Malaga en quarts de finale retour après avoir été mené au début du temps additionnel. Treize ans plus tard, Lens a donc reproduit cette performance dans un scénario tout aussi spectaculaire.
28 ans après Wembley, Lens retrouve la victoire à l’extérieur
Ce succès en République tchèque marque également le retour de Lens au sommet sur la scène européenne. Il s’agit seulement de la deuxième victoire à l’extérieur de son histoire en Ligue des Champions.
La précédente remontait à novembre 1998, lorsque les Sang et Or s’étaient imposés à Wembley face à Arsenal (1-0), grâce à un but de Michaël Debève. Vingt-huit ans plus tard, Lens retrouve donc le goût de la victoire loin de ses bases dans la plus prestigieuse des compétitions européennes.
Le club artésien signe également une première dans son histoire : il remporte pour la première fois son match d’ouverture d’une campagne de Ligue des Champions. Lors de ses trois précédentes participations, Lens avait enregistré deux nuls et une défaite.
Des statistiques qui marquent l’histoire
Cette victoire historique n’efface toutefois pas une statistique moins favorable. Lens a désormais encaissé au moins un but lors de ses 14 dernières rencontres de Ligue des Champions, pour un total de 27 buts concédés. Parmi les clubs français, seuls Marseille, avec 18 matchs, et Monaco, avec 23, affichent une série plus longue.
Sur le plan individuel, Florian Thauvin confirme lui aussi son excellent début de saison. L’attaquant lensois compte désormais six implications décisives toutes compétitions confondues, avec cinq buts et une passe décisive. Il affiche ainsi le meilleur total parmi les joueurs évoluant dans un club français.
Autre statistique marquante de cette soirée pragoise : Lens est devenu la première équipe à débuter une rencontre de Ligue des Champions avec trois défenseurs nés en 2005 ou après. Souleymane Sagnan, Ismaëlo Ganiou et Kyllian Antonio ont ainsi ajouté une nouvelle ligne à l’histoire du club et de la compétition.
The post Ligue des Champions : Lens s’offre une soirée historique à Prague appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.
Mezian Mesloub, le nouveau joyau du RC Lens
À seulement 16 ans, Mezian Mesloub brûle les étapes. Quelques mois après avoir découvert la Ligue 1, le jeune Lensois s’est déjà illustré en Ligue des champions. Face au Slavia Prague, il a marqué les esprits en délivrant une passe décisive à Florian Thauvin dans le temps additionnel, participant au spectaculaire succès du RC Lens (3-2). Une ascension fulgurante pour un joueur qui a déjà franchi plusieurs étapes majeures en quelques mois.
Une famille tournée vers le football
De son nom complet Mezian Mesloub Soares, le jeune Lensois possède des origines algériennes et portugaises. Son père, Walid Mesloub, a lui aussi été footballeur professionnel, notamment sous les couleurs du RC Lens et du FC Lorient, et compte sept sélections avec l’équipe d’Algérie.
Mezian a cependant rapidement tracé sa propre route. Après avoir débuté sa formation à Lorient, il rejoint le RC Lens et poursuit sa progression au sein du club artésien. Au fil des années, ses qualités techniques et son potentiel lui permettent de franchir les différents échelons de la formation lensoise.
Une première en Ligue 1 qui marque les esprits
Le 8 mai 2026, Mezian Mesloub connaît sa première convocation avec le groupe professionnel de Pierre Sage face à Nantes. À seulement 16 ans, il entre en jeu à la 79e minute.
Il ne lui faut que quelques secondes pour se faire remarquer. Sur son premier ballon, le jeune Lensois trouve le chemin des filets et offre la victoire au Racing (1-0). Une entrée fracassante qui permet également à Lens de valider sa qualification pour la Ligue des champions.
Avec ce but, Mezian devient le septième plus jeune buteur de l’histoire de la Ligue 1. Il marque surtout seulement cinq secondes après son entrée en jeu, une performance qui vient renforcer le caractère exceptionnel de ses débuts chez les professionnels.
Cette première apparition accélère son passage vers le monde professionnel. Durant l’été, le RC Lens lui fait signer son premier contrat professionnel, récompensant la progression d’un joueur désormais considéré comme l’un des grands espoirs du club.
Déjà décisif en Ligue des champions
L’ascension de Mezian ne s’arrête pas là. Quelques mois après ses débuts en Ligue 1, le jeune Lensois découvre déjà la Ligue des champions avec le RC Lens face au Slavia Prague.
Entré en seconde période, il apporte immédiatement de la fraîcheur et de l’audace dans le jeu offensif lensois. Alors que le Racing est encore mené 2-1 dans les dernières minutes, Mezian se retrouve une nouvelle fois au cœur de l’action.
À la 90e+1, il prend son couloir et adresse un centre vers Florian Thauvin, qui égalise de la tête. Quelques instants plus tard, Ruben Aguilar inscrit le troisième but lensois et permet au Racing de renverser complètement la rencontre pour s’imposer 3-2.
Pour sa première apparition en Ligue des champions, Mezian délivre ainsi une passe décisive et participe directement à une remontée spectaculaire.
Une ascension à surveiller
En quelques mois seulement, Mezian Mesloub est passé du centre de formation aux soirées européennes. Buteur dès ses débuts en Ligue 1, septième plus jeune buteur de l’histoire du championnat, puis passeur décisif pour sa première apparition en Ligue des champions, le jeune Lensois ne cesse de franchir les étapes.
International chez les jeunes avec le Portugal, il possède également des racines algériennes et est né en France. La question de sa future sélection A reste donc ouverte.
Pour l’heure, Mezian poursuit son apprentissage avec le RC Lens. À 16 ans, il a déjà connu des débuts que peu de joueurs de son âge peuvent revendiquer. Surtout, il commence désormais à écrire sa propre histoire sous le maillot sang et or.
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VALORANT vs. MLBB: Which game dominates women’s esports?
Women’s esports has two clear centers of gravity.
VALORANT has spent five years building Game Changers into a global circuit with regional competitions, open qualifiers, and an annual world championship. Meanwhile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) has taken a different route, leveraging its massive Southeast Asian audience to host some of women’s esports’ biggest events.
Together, the two games accounted for over 90% of female esports watch time in 2024. While that dominance became less concentrated in 2025 as other titles gained ground, VALORANT still finished the year as the most-watched women’s esports title by total watch time, with MLBB close behind.
That shared dominance, however, looks very different depending on what is being measured.
Which game has the largest women’s esports audience?
If we look purely at peak concurrent viewers, MLBB has established a sizable lead.
Eight of the ten (80%) biggest VALORANT and MLBB women’s events belong to MLBB, including each of the top four. It also holds the all-time viewership record and the highest recent peak for a flagship tournament.
| # | Tournament | Game | Peak Viewership | Hours Watched | Avg. Viewers | Airtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32nd SEA Games – Women’s Tournament | MLBB | 1,367,274 | 6.36M | ~305K | 20h 50m |
| 2 | MLBB Women’s International 2026 | MLBB | 565,483 | 5.07M | ~129.5K | 39h 10m |
| 3 | MLBB Women’s Invitational 2025 | MLBB | 496,995 | 3.78M | ~110.6K | 34h 10m |
| 4 | 33rd SEA Games – Women’s Tournament | MLBB | 469,480 | 3.00M | ~120.6K | 24h 50m |
| 5 | VCT Game Changers Championship 2024 | VALORANT | 464,695 | 6.35M | ~124.9K | 50h 50m |
| 6 | MLBB Women’s Invitational 2022 | MLBB | 392,405 | 2.10M | ~57.6K | 36h 30m |
| 7 | Asian Esports Games 2024 | MLBB | 326,125 | 1.54M | ~43.6K | 35h 20m |
| 8 | VCT Game Changers Championship 2023 | VALORANT | 293,993 | 5.61M | ~124.7K | 45h |
| 9 | MLBB Women’s Invitational 2024 | MLBB | 265,117 | 2.55M | 74.3K | 34h 15m |
| 10 | IESF World Esports Championship 2024 – Women | MLBB | 257,912 | 1.18M | ~43.0K | 27h 25m |
Note: All statistics were sourced from Esports Charts, accurate as of Sep. 9, 2026. Chinese streaming platform viewership data are excluded.
MLBB leads women’s esports in peak viewership
The 32nd Southeast Asian Games gold medal match between Indonesia and the Philippines broke the women’s esports viewership record, reaching a record 1.37 million concurrent viewers. The tournament also generated 6.36 million hours watched, despite running for less than 21 hours.
However, even without national-team events, MLBB still leads.
The 2026 MLBB Women’s International (MWI) at the Esports World Cup (EWC) peaked at 565,483 viewers when Team Vitality won its fourth title, becoming the second-most-popular women’s esports event ever recorded. VALORANT Game Changers’ record remains at 464,695 viewers, set when Shopify Rebellion defeated MIBR in 2024.
VALORANT’s watch-time advantage is narrowing
Peak viewership only tells one side of the story, though.
Game Changers has historically generated more sustained watch time, with its World Championships surpassing 5 million hours watched in 2022, 2023, and 2024, culminating in 6.35 million in 2024. By comparison, MWI did not cross the 5 million mark until 2026.
Longer VALORANT broadcasts partly explain the difference. However, airtime alone does not account for it, considering that both the 2023 and 2024 Game Changers Championships averaged roughly 125,000 viewers. This picture began to look very different in 2025.
MWI grew 87% year-on-year to 496,995 peak viewers, while the Game Changers Championship fell 51% to 228,672. By 2026, MWI had climbed another 14% to 565,483, with hours watched rising 34% to more than 5 million and average viewership increasing 17% to about 129,500.
Which game has the largest tournament prize pools?
At the flagship level, VALORANT and MLBB now offer identical team prize pools. Game Changers introduced a $500,000 Championship prize pool in 2022, while MWI reached the same level after joining the EWC in 2024.
| # | Tournament | Game | Team Prize Pool | Winning Team | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Game Changers Championship 2025 | VALORANT | $500K | Team Liquid Brazil | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2 | MLBB Women’s International 2026 | MLBB | $500K | Team Vitality Fem | Paris, France |
| 3 | MLBB Women’s Invitational 2025 | MLBB | $500K | Team Vitality Fem | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| 4 | Game Changers Championship 2024 | VALORANT | $500K | Shopify Rebellion Black | Berlin, Germany |
| 5 | MLBB Women’s Invitational 2024 | MLBB | $500K | Smart Omega Empress | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
Note: Individual player awards are excluded.
This difference becomes far more apparent when we look beyond the flagship events.
Esports Charts’ 2024 ecosystem analysis highlighted that, of the nearly $3 million in women’s tournament prize money, more than $1.2 million came from VALORANT alone. Also, women’s competitions represented over 13% of all VALORANT prize money recorded that year, compared with just over 9% for MLBB.
Taken together, those figures make the distinction fairly clear. Even though their flagship team prize pools are tied, VALORANT distributes its investment across a broader competitive calendar.
Which game has the stronger women’s esports ecosystem?
While audience size favors MLBB, competitive infrastructure still favors VALORANT.
Nearly one in four VALORANT events (23.9%) tracked by Esports Charts in 2024 was classified as a “women’s competition,” more than double MLBB’s 11.7%. VALORANT also generated more than 5% of its overall esports watch time through women’s events, compared with only 1.3% for MLBB.
| Metric (2024) | VALORANT | MLBB |
|---|---|---|
| Women-only share of tournaments | 23.9% | 11.7% |
| Women’s share of total game prize money | 13.8% | 9.1% |
| Women’s share of total game esports watch time | 5.6% | 1.3% |
Riot Games launched VALORANT Game Changers in 2021, less than a year after VALORANT’s full global release. Instead of creating a single marquee tournament, Riot built regional circuits culminating in a global Game Changers Championship.
Game Changers also connects, at least structurally, with the broader VALORANT ecosystem.
For example, Riot’s Upward Player Mobility program created routes from Game Changers into Challengers qualifiers, rather than treating the circuit as a completely isolated competitive track. Apeks signing Ava ‘florescent’ Eugene for the VCT 2025 EMEA season was also a milestone for player progression beyond the Game Changers circuit.
MLBB has built a different competitive model
MLBB Women’s Invitational (later renamed to the MLBB Women’s International) followed in 2022.
Initially focused on Southeast Asia, the tournament gradually expanded its reach. MOONTON introduced qualification across more than 60 regions and positioned MWI alongside the Mid Season Cup as one of two parallel international MLBB championships under its “Two Champions, One Game” strategy.
Overall, VALORANT has the more developed year-round ladder while MLBB has the more powerful international centerpiece. However, both remain among the most popular female esports ecosystems.
Why is MLBB growing so quickly in women’s esports?
The clearest evidence for MLBB’s momentum is the MWI’s trajectory since joining the EWC ecosystem. From 2024 to 2026, the flagship event’s peak audience grew by more than 113%.
The improvement is not limited to a short-lived spike in the finals. Between the 2025 and 2026 editions, the average audience increased by around 17%, peak viewership by 14%, and total watch time by more than a third to over 5 million hours.
Several changes have happened alongside that growth.
A wider international footprint is paying off
First is geographic expansion. MWI qualification spanned 57 regions in 2025, adding representation from markets including Africa, Mongolia, and Türkiye. The 2026 version crossed 60 regions and added a Western Europe qualifier.
Second is MLBB’s existing mobile audience. Indonesian, Bahasa Malaysia, and Vietnamese broadcasts accounted for a substantial share of women’s esports watch time in 2025, with Esports Charts noting that all three increased their share year-on-year thanks to mobile gaming titles.
Third is the national-team effect, especially in Southeast Asia. MWI is MLBB’s flagship women’s tournament, but it is not the game’s only major audience driver. The 2023 SEA Games set a record of 1.37 million viewers, while the 2025 SEA Games peaked at 469,480 viewers.
This makes it difficult to attribute MLBB’s growth to a single factor. Wider qualification, EWC exposure, increased international reach, and the title’s already enormous Southeast Asian audience have all developed alongside that growth.
Why did VALORANT Game Changers viewership fall in 2025?
VALORANT’s Game Changers Championship grew from a peak of 239,334 viewers in 2022 to 464,695 in 2024.
In 2025, that momentum reversed. Peak viewership fell to 228,672, down roughly 51% year-on-year. Hours watched also dropped 40.8% to 3.75 million, while average viewership declined by around 43%.
However, attributing the decline to a single cause is harder.
The decline came amid broader circuit struggles
Esports Charts had already highlighted lost viewership across regional events in 2024 as community casters showed less interest in mid-season events. That mattered because co-streaming had helped drive earlier Championship growth, with creators like Tarik and Kyedae contributing additional broadcasts in 2023.
Our April 2026 report on the broader struggles facing Game Changers added another layer, pointing to weaker promotion and the departure of organizations such as 100 Thieves, Cloud9, and YFP. Those factors provide useful context, although they should not be read as proving that any of them caused the decline in viewership.
The wider Game Changers ecosystem still has value
Game Changers remained the most-watched women’s esports event series of 2025 by total watch time.
The Championship also generated an estimated $1.88 million in Media Value, the highest recorded for a female tournament that year. In other words, the ecosystem still generated substantial commercial and cumulative audience value even as its biggest event lost roughly half of its peak viewers.
Even so, it is too early to call the decline permanent.
There are still signs of a rebound in 2026
Game Changers EMEA Stage 1 increased from 679,388 hours watched and 36,527 peak viewers in 2025 to 1.21 million hours and 58,865 peak viewers in 2026. That works out to roughly 79% growth in watch time and 61% growth in peak viewership year-on-year.
Having said that, the bigger test is still ahead of us. The 2026 Game Changers Championship will take place in São Paulo from Oct. 22 to Nov. 1, with 10 teams qualifying from the Americas, EMEA, the Pacific, and China. Until those numbers arrive, making a full 2026 flagship comparison would be premature.
So, which game is leading the women’s esports race?
Since the two games dominate different parts of the ecosystem, we do not have a clear winner.
However, if dominance is measured by audience size, MLBB is currently ahead. If it’s measured instead by the depth of the competitive ecosystem, VALORANT still leads.
| Category | Winner | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| All-time peak viewership | MLBB | 1.37M at the 2023 SEA Games |
| Flagship-event peak | MLBB | 565,483 at MWI 2026 |
| Recent viewership momentum | MLBB | MWI’s peak more than doubled from 2024 to 2026 |
| Flagship team prize pool | Tie | Both offer $500K |
| Year-round competition | VALORANT | More established regional Game Changers circuits |
| Women’s share of game tournaments | VALORANT | 23.9% vs 11.7% in 2024 |
| Women’s share of game prize money | VALORANT | 13.8% vs. 9.1% in 2024 |
| Player-development pathway | VALORANT | Game Changers links into Challengers |
| Current international expansion | MLBB | MWI qualification now spans 60+ regions |
That makes 2026 something of a crossroads. MLBB has built the biggest women’s esports events in the world, while Game Changers remains the more developed year-round competitive structure. The question now is whether MOONTON can build more competition around MWI, or Riot can make its flagship event appointment viewing again.
The 2026 Game Changers Championship in São Paulo should give us the next major piece of evidence.
The post VALORANT vs. MLBB: Which game dominates women’s esports? appeared first on Esports Insider.
Manchester derby poses Maresca’s first big test
Enzo Maresca faces his first major test since stepping into Pep Guardiola’s shoes as City visit United in the Manchester derby on Sunday, while Arsenal aim to extend their flawless start at Sunderland.
Alongside last season’s top two, only newly-promoted Hull remain unbeaten but their brilliant start faces an acid test against Xabi Alonso’s free-scoring Chelsea.
At the other end of the table, Fulham have yet to register a point under Alvaro Arbeloa ahead of their tough trip to Liverpool.
AFP Sport looks at three talking points ahead of the weekend’s action.
Maresca’s perfect start
Four games in, Maresca has made the perfect start since accepting the daunting task of succeeding Guardiola as City boss.
But nine points from nine in the Premier League and a winning start to their Champions League campaign in Porto has masked some underwhelming performances.
Coventry missed a series of chances to secure their first goal and point in the top flight for 25 years at the Etihad last weekend as City clung on for a 1-0 victory, while Maresca’s men needed two late goals to beat Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the season.
It was not only an off-season of change in the dugout. City splashed out a record £460 million ($623 million) on new players, including a whole new midfield of Enzo Fernandez, Elliott Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi.
That trio coud start together for the first time at Old Trafford, but one thing that has remained consistent for City is Erling Haaland’s reliability to get goals.
The Norwegian has five in four games, becoming City’s third-highest goalscorer of all-time in the process on 167.
“I’m really proud of these numbers but I’m only 26 and I’m hungry for more,” said Haaland.
United, by contrast, have wasted the chance to make a strong start and are at risk of already being cut adrift in the title race.
Michael Carrick’s men have picked up just four points from an inviting opening trio of matches against Hull, Ipswich and Everton.
Fears for Fulham
Alvaro Arbeloa’s reign as Fulham boss could be short-lived unless he can summon a response on his return to Anfield.
The Spaniard is the bookies favourite to be the first Premier League coach sacked after three straight defeats.
Arbeloa has been accused of being too naive, with his expansive gameplan leaving the Cottagers’ defence exposed.
A trip to Liverpool, where Arbeloa played for two-and-a-half seasons, and a visit from Manchester United is to come before a three-week international break which could allow the club to rethink the decision to hire the former Real Madrid boss.
“It is not about my position, but I am very confident and I talk to my players that they are working in the way I want,” said Arbeloa.
Hull have ‘to kick’ Chelsea
Odds-on favourites for relegation before the season began, Hull are the only side yet to concede in a dream return to the top flight.
Chelsea’s slick forward line will put the Tigers solidity to the test after Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer masterminded a six-goal second half to beat Leeds 6-3 in the League Cup.
Introduced at half-time with the Blues trailing, Palmer scored twice and Rogers provided four assists to take Chelsea’s tally in five matches under Alonso to 16 goals.
“To kick them,” joked Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic on his plan to stop a Chelsea attack also featuring the in-form Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto and Estevao. “If you are there man-marking, you don’t have a chance.”
Fixtures (4pm SA time unless stated)
Saturday
Bournemouth v Brentford, Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest, Chelsea v Hull, Liverpool v Fulham, Crystal Palace v Ipswich, Tottenham v Everton (6.30pm), Sunderland v Arsenal (9pm)
Sunday
Coventry v Brighton (3pm), Man Utd v Man City (5.30pm)
Monday
Leeds v Newcastle (9pm)
Mo’unga Returns as Taylor Gets Captaincy for Baltimore Decider
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has included Richie Mo’unga at flyhalf and handed the captaincy to Cody Taylor for the fourth and final Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry in Baltimore on Saturday.
The team for the final Test includes several changes to the side that played at FNB Stadium last weekend, with Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson and Quinn Tupaea all ruled out with injury, and Fabian Holland also unavailable due to illness.
Along with Mo’unga, prop Fletcher Newell, lock Patrick Tuipulotu, loose forward Ethan Blackadder, and centre Anton Lienert-Brown will all make their first Test starts of the series.
In other changes to the 23, prop Ethan de Groot and lock Josh Lord both return since leaving the field in the first Test, having progressed through the World Rugby concussion protocols.
Taylor returns as starting hooker and will captain the side, while Asafo Aumua shifts to the reserves. Tighthead props Fletcher Newell and Tyrel Lomax also switch this week, with Newell taking the starting spot.
With Tuipulotu coming in to partner Sam Darry at lock, Tupou Vaa’i shifts back to blindside flanker to join Peter Lakai and Blackadder in the loose trio.
Josh Moorby takes the left wing, and Rieko Ioane and Beauden Barrett both enter the 23 as backs cover.
“We always planned for there to be a number of changes for this match,” Rennie said.
“Every player here has worked incredibly hard over the last seven weeks to prepare the team for the seven games we’ve played so far, and all those selected for this Test fully deserve it
“We have everything to play for on Saturday. It is our chance to draw the series and end the tour with a performance to be proud of.
“We have had incredible support travelling with us throughout the tour and amazing support back at home. We want to put in a performance that shows how much we appreciate that. We also want to honour the players and management who have returned home early but contributed so much.”
All Blacks match-day 23 (Test caps in brackets):
15 Damian McKenzie (80)
14 Will Jordan (60)
13 Anton Lienert-Brown (93)
12 Jordie Barrett (84)
11 Josh Moorby (4)
10 Richie Mo’unga (56)
9 Cam Roigard (23)
8 Peter Lakai (13)
7 Ethan Blackadder (14)
6 Tupou Vaa’i (50)
5 Sam Darry (11)
4 Patrick Tuipulotu (58)
3 Fletcher Newell (40)
2 Codie Taylor (captain, 111)
1 Ethan de Groot (44)
Replacements:
16 Asafo Aumua (25)
17 Xavier Numia (4)
18 Tyrel Lomax (54)
19 Josh Lord (16)
20 Wallace Sititi (22)
21 Kyle Preston (4)
22 Rieko Ioane (88)
23 Beauden Barrett (144)
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
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