As Three Stars Excel at World Cup, Their Club's Finances Face Scrutiny

MOSCOW — Edinson Cavani of Uruguay and Kylian Mbappé of France lit up the opening day of the World Cup’s knockout phase Saturday, scoring two goals apiece to send their countries to the quarterfinals. On Monday, their Paris St.-Germain teammate Neymar can join them there with Brazil.

But the exploits of Neymar, Mbappé and Cavani — a front line put together at great expense by PSG — come at a time of great scrutiny for their club and for UEFA, European soccer’s governing body. PSG had been under investigation by UEFA for months amid concerns that the club’s lavish spending on players could not be covered by its income — a violation of UEFA’s strict cost-control regulations known broadly as its financial fair play rules.