Real Madrid fight back to beat Mallorca and put Barca party on hold
Real Madrid failed in their attempt to sign France striker Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint Germain on the final day of the transfer window as Cristiano Ronaldo completed his move from Juventus to Manchester United.
A round-up of Saturday's action in LaLiga, Ligue 1, Serie A and Bundesliga.
Villarreal fought back to shock Barcelona 3-2 on Sunday, handing the LaLiga champions their first league defeat since late December.
'We were happy with the win because we played a great game until the 88th minute, when two lapses in concentration led to two goals and we had to suffer a bit more than we should have.'
Kylian Mbappe and Radamel Falcao struck early as Monaco reached the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in an enthralling game on Wednesday that sealed a 6-3 aggregate victory.
36-year-old target man Giroud put the World Cup holders ahead at 2-1 with a tap-in after 32 minutes and added his second in the 71st to make the score 4-1 with a header from a Kylian Mbappe cross.
Roundup of the matches being held across major football leagues in Europe
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Ronaldo had won his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 while he was playing for Manchester United and still holds the record of the last Premier League player to claim the top prize. Messi won his first in 2009 and was nominated for 16 years.
Argentine, somehow, were ready for an emotional, nail-biting encounter, having already gone through a dress rehearsal in the same stadium against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said that he understands the club fans booying him and his team in their 5-2 win over Celta Vigo.
Real booked their place in the final when substitute Arda Guler lifted a corner to Ruediger, who headed the equaliser that put Real Madrid through on aggregate.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary Portuguese footballer, has confirmed that the ongoing European Championship will be his last
A closer look reveals a team riddled with selection issues courtesy of a string of injuries to key players
Barcelona can no longer afford to shell out huge sums in transfer fees for top players like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, coach Xavi Hernandez said.
With a game in hand, Hansi Flick's Barca are top on 66 points, three ahead Real in second
Reigning champions France take on Argentina in a showpiece final at Lusail Stadium with both teams looking to add a third star to their crest.
A round-up of Saturday's action in LaLiga, Ligue 1 and Serie A
It took Giroud, who owed his place in the starting lineup to Benzema's absence, 115 international appearances to score his 51 goals, while Henry needed 123 from 1997-2010.
Kylian Mbappe and Brahim Diaz also struck for Real, to cancel out a double from City's Erling Haaland
For months, the 2024 Ballon d'Or seemed to have a clear front-runner, with everyone anticipating the coronation of Vinícius Júnior as the new king of football.
Mbappe, 18, has scored 18 goals in his last 18 competitive games, including three in the 6-3 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund in the last eight.
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich powered past third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 with an impressive display of high-pressing football on Sunday.
Images from the Champions League semi-final first leg between Barcelona and Inter Milan at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday.
Dominic Xavier predicts the Amazing Leo, who will play alongside two other exciting talents, Neymar and Kylian Mbapp at PSG, will soon say Paris je t'aime.
Brazil soccer great Pele was hospitalised in Paris late on Tuesday with a strong fever but his condition is not life-threatening, RMC Sport reported. The 78-year-old was admitted as a precaution after attending an event in the French capital with France's World Cup-winning youngster Kylian Mbappe.
Manchester City spent more than 180 million pounds ($223.58 million) -- more than the combined amount paid by the other 19 English top-flight clubs in a relatively quiet window.
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup semi-final between France and Morocco, played at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.
While the tournament saw the emergence of young stars, the usual suspects, the big names flattered to deceive.
Emma Hayes, who led Chelsea to the 2021 Champions League final, is joined on The Best FIFA Women's Coach shortlist by England manager Sarina Wiegman and Canada coach Beverly Priestman.
France overcame a slow start to beat neighbours Belgium 2-0 for their first points of the Nations League campaign.
Real Madrid got their LaLiga title defence off to a limp start as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Mallorca.
World Cup-winning Captain Lionel Messi received a king's welcome in Paris on Wednesday.
Both players have been timed among the fastest in the game, with top speeds of around 36.5kpm (22.6 mph), but it is how quickly they get there that makes them different.
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The 19-year-old Mbappe followed up a domestic treble with Paris St Germain with a string of impressive performances in France's World Cup winning campaign.
A summary of the concluding day's action in the German Cup, French Cup and La Liga.
With Brazilian striker Neymar on the verge of a record-breaking move from Barcelona to Paris St Germain, according to the player's agent, Mbappe would represent an ideal replacement at the Catalan club should that transfer go ahead.
The three match-ups which are likely to have a strong bearing on the result in Sunday's FIFA World Cup final.
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