English Premier League champions Manchester United have retained their title as the world's most valuable sports team, according to Forbes magazine's (www.forbes.com) annual top 50 list.
Rediff.com brings a preview of the main matches coming up this weekend in the English Premier League.
Manchester City's hopes of an unprecedented quadruple were in tatters on Sunday after holders Wigan Athletic repeated their FA Cup heroics with a stunning 2-1 victory in their quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium.
The most impressive players at the FIFA World Cup 2022 after Round One.
Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas each scored twice as Barcelona thrilled the Nou Camp with a crushing 4-0 win over Osasuna in their King's Cup last-16 first leg on Wednesday.
Barca's Suarez in firing line after European away goals drought
Leicester City's win over Newcastle on Monday not only sent them five points clear of Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the Premier League, it effectively ended the challenge of Manchester City and Arsenal.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
The Champions League group stages took on a less predictable look after Thursday's draw, helped by UEFA's decision to tweak the seeding system.
Playing alongside new Barcelona team mate Cesc Fabregas is helping Xavi improve his game, the 31-year-old Spanish international said on Thursday.
City's dream of a quadruple of titles ended with their away-goals loss after Wednesday's second-leg ended with a 4-3 win, but a 4-4 aggregate score.
Cesc Fabregas made a winning debut as a substitute for Barcelona against Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday, just three days after completing his move from Arsenal.
An excited Cesc Fabregas was preparing for the "greatest challenge of life" after completing his move from Arsenal to Barcelona on Monday.
European and La Liga champions Barcelona held arch-rivals Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday.
'We saw Messi play like a kid in the school playground today'
Last season's FA Cup runners-up Chelsea struck four times before the break to crush second-tier Hull City 4-0 and stroll into the quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge on Friday.
Lionel Messi passed up the chance to net his 300th La Liga goal and instead put a hat-trick on a plate for team mate Luis Suarez with an outrageous penalty routine.
German international Mesut Ozil, who impressed one and all with his skills at the recently-concluded World Cup in South Africa, has become hot property. He is on the radar of top European clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Rediff.com has this and a whole lot more exciting action from the week gone by, encapsulated in this photo feature.
Coach Pep Guardiola was left thrilled after ManchesterCity revived their Champions League bid by beating his old club Barcelona 3-1 in a gloriously open Group C encounter at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Barcelona are in negotiations to buy Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Valencia striker David Villa, acording to club vice president Rafael Yuste.
Serge Gnabry scored twice as Bayern Munich beat Chelsea 3-0, while Antoine Griezmann's second-half equaliser handed Barcelona a vital away goal and earned them a 1-1 draw at Napoli in their Champions League last 16, first leg on Tuesday.
Saturday's 'Clasico' between Real Madrid and Barcelona will be more than a duel between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the Portuguese forward said on Thursday.
Jorge Valdivia steered home a cross from Jean Beausejour in the 13th minute to give the Chileans the victory in a match in Rancagua that they dominated throughout.
Securing a deal with Arsenal for the transfer of Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas will not be easy, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said on Monday.
'The system is the same and we all have to contribute a bit more but it is impossible not to feel Messi's absence' 'But Neymar is also a leader for his playing style and what he brings to the team'
Manchester United suffered a double blow on Thursday with Daley Blind ruled out for a 'long' spell due to a knee problem and Radamel Falcao receiving a "new injury" that will keep him out for at least two more weeks.
Images from the 'El Classico'match between Real Madrid and Barcelona FC played at the Bernabeu stadium on Saturday.
Barcelona magician Lionel Messi mesmerised Arsenal so much over the two legs of their Champions League quarter-finals they were left chasing shadows, manager Arsene Wenger reflected.
Two goals from Thomas Mueller and one from substitute Mario Goetze helped Bayern Munich kick off their Champions League campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory over Olympiakos.
Leicester City will be wary of a reality check when the Premier League front-runners visit Arsenal on Sunday before Tottenham Hotspur's burgeoning title ambitions come under scrutiny at Manchester City.
The group stage of the Champions League starts this week with a number of new teams, but more familiar names are set to dominate European soccer's top club competition once again. Champions Barcelona, their big-spending Spanish rivals Real Madrid and England's quartet of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are all odds-on with the bookmakers to win their groups outright.
British media reports say Sanchez will seal his move to United this week
After playing the most soporific game of the World Cup so far, France will feature in a seismic last-16 clash of former champions with a resurgent Argentina on Saturday, and they will have to drastically improve if they are to stop Lionel Messi.
France striker Thierry Henry has quit Europe to play for the New York Red Bulls, following players such as David Beckham into Major League Soccer (MLS). The 32-year-old Henry announced on Wednesday that he had agreed to leave Barcelona to take up a "multi-year" deal with the Red Bulls.
Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski was named The Best FIFA Men's Player 2020 on Thursday, beating off competition from last year's winner Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has called Atletico Madrid's Brazil-born forward Diego Costa into his squad for the first time for this month's friendlies away to Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
Lionel Messi ended 10-man Arsenal's Champions League hopes for the second season in a row when he netted a brilliant goal and a penalty to send Barcelona through to the quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate on Tuesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Chelsea took a five-point lead at the top of the English Premier League after beating champions Manchester United 1-0 in Sunday's show piece match. In Spain, Barcelona retained their one-point lead over Real Madrid.
