A penalty from Kylian Mbappe in the 10th minute of stoppage time rescued Real Madrid, giving them an agonising 2-1 victory over local rivals Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga.
Maldini, an ace defender, who donned the Italian national team colours 126 times, made his AC Milan debut in 1985, and played his last Serie A match in May 2009.
AC Milan surged into third place in Serie A with a 3-1 win at Chievo Verona on Sunday but their great city rivals Inter Milan were left in turmoil as their captain Mauro Icardi again came under fire from his own fans in the 2-1 defeat by Cagliari.
Belgium have appointed former Netherlands international Mark van Bommel as their new head coach on a two-year contract running until the 2028 European Championship.
Gianluca Rocchi steps aside amid a Serie A fraud probe, with VAR official Andrea Gervasoni also under investigation, raising fears of another Calciopoli-style crisis.
Former Italy international Andrea Pirlo has withdrawn from contention for the national team's head coach position after his commercial ties to Russian betting company Fonbet drew significant criticism and opposition from Italian football officials and lawmakers.
IMAGES from Serie A matches played on Sunday
Italy's technical director Paolo Maldini revealed that the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) first approached Carlo Ancelotti for the national team coaching job before engaging with Pep Guardiola, as they seek to rebuild the Azzurri after failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.
Juventus held off a remarkable Inter Milan comeback by winning their Italian Cup tie 5-3 on penalties on Wednesday after a 3-3 draw on aggregate to set up a final against AC Milan.
Former football player Zlatan Ibrahimovic has lauded Lionel Messi for breaking the all-time FIFA World Cup goal record, stating that the Argentinian ace is in a 'category of his own', surpassing even legends like Pele, Diego Maradona, and Johan Cruyff due to his numbers, longevity, and trophies.
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
Defending champions Inter Milan secured a 2-1 home win against Udinese in Serie A on Sunday with first-half goals from Marko Arnautovic and Davide Frattesi.
Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini celebrated the club's return to the Champions League after 20 years following a 2-1 win over Elche that secured a top-five finish in La Liga.
Cabo Verde's World Cup dream ended in defeat, but their story had already become one of the tournament's defining moments. After the debutants stretched defending champions Argentina to extra time, football greats Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry saluted the tiny island nation for proving that belief can outweigh size and reputation.
Bayern Munich, helped by two record-breaking VfL Wolfsburg own goals and two from man-of-the-match Michael Olise, demolished the visitors 8-1 in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to participate in his sixth World Cup at the age of 41, as announced by Portugal coach Roberto Martinez.
A summary of results from football leagues across Europe.
Scott McTominay's early strike lifts Napoli to second in Serie A, while Lens thrash Angers 5-1 to go top of Ligue 1.
Barcelona closed the gap on their rivals Real Madrid, moving up to 28 points and pulling two clear of third-placed Villarreal.
A dominant AC Milan beat Serie A leaders Inter Milan 2-1 on Sunday to blow open the title race with second-placed AS Roma winning 3-0 at Sampdoria.
The Italians won 9-8 after the two sides drew their Champions World Series match 1-1.
AC Milan will have to be perfect defensively when they host Premier League side Liverpool in their Champions League opener at San Siro, manager Paulo Fonseca said on Monday.
A summary of Tuesday's action in the UEFA Champions League Knock-out Phase play-offs.
Bodo/Glimt secured an upset 3-1 victory over Serie A leaders Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League playoff on Wednesday.
A summary of Saturday's action in the LaLiga, Serie A and Bundesliga.
Real Madrid squeezed past Atletico in a pulsating Madrid derby while Inter were held, keeping Serie A title race alive.
Italian football is experiencing a significant crisis following the failure of its clubs in European competitions and the national team's continued absence from the World Cup.
Gennaro Gattuso has resigned as Italy manager after the national team failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
Napoli's injury concerns deepened in the second half when David Neres was seen limping off. The stoppage sparked a brief flashpoint between the two sides.
The 26-year-old French forward wore the number nine shirt in his debut season after arriving from Paris St Germain on a free transfer.
LaLiga's decision to stage a match in Miami later this year is good for football and a reward for the international supporters who pay to watch the league from afar, the Spanish soccer federation's (RFEF) president Rafael Louzan said.
A summary of Saturday's action in the Serie A, Ligue 1 and Bundesliga
Real are on 24 points, two ahead of Barcelona and the top two will go head-to-head in next Sunday's El Clasico. Getafe are 12th in the standings on 11 points.
Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha both scored twice to help Barcelona thrash hosts Villarreal 5-1.
Former England soccer captain David Beckham officially received Knighthood from King Charles III on Saturday. He was honoured for his outstanding contribution to sport and charity.
Italy's consistent failure to qualify for recent World Cups stems from a deep-seated issue in nurturing young football talent, according to 2006 World Cup winners Marco Amelia and Massimo Oddo.
Holders Manchester City will take on RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys in Group G.
Juventus clinched their first Italian title for nine seasons on Sunday but not until Serie A had dished up its customary climactic mix of chaos, drama and controversy.
The Champions League play-offs are set to deliver high-octane drama as Manchester City prepare to battle European heavyweights Real Madrid, while Celtic brace for a daunting clash against Bayern Munich, with last-16 spots on the line.
Liverpool hammered Sparta Prague 6-1 on Thursday to storm into the Europa League quarter-finals 11-2 on aggregate.
