Raphinha hat-trick fires Barcelona past Sevilla at top
The World Cup has seen a shift to a more lenient refereeing style, prioritising game flow and reducing stoppages. This, combined with stronger, faster players, has led to a quicker, more physically demanding tournament with higher scoring. While welcomed, experts warn that this intensity tests players' physical limits, increasing injury risks, especially for those not fully fit.
Barca's capped a dominant La Liga campaign with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid to claim their 29th La Liga crown at the Camp Nou in Barcelona on Sunday.
Brazil and Morocco played to a 1-1 draw in their World Cup Group C opening match. Morocco took an early lead through Ismael Saibari, but Vinicius Jr's brilliant goal brought Brazil level before halftime. Despite Brazil's second-half improvements, Morocco's strong defence held them to a point.
Multi-champions Brazil, Argentina and Germany all won their preparatory games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, although by small margins, with former champion England and hopeful Portugal also securing victories.
FC Barcelona hammered Newcastle United F.C. 7-2 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, while Liverpool F.C., Bayern Munich and Atltico Madrid also advanced.
Brazilian football star Neymar Jr. shares his emotional response to being included in the FIFA World Cup squad, expressing gratitude for the support he received during his journey.
Lamine Yamal's second-half goal secured a 1-0 victory for Barcelona against Athletic Bilbao, extending their lead in La Liga.
Vinicius Jr.'s goal secured a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid against Sevilla, while Kylian Mbappe returned to the starting lineup after a controversial omission. Barcelona also secured a win against Real Betis.
Raphinha scored twice as Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup after an intense 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in Sunday's final in Jeddah.
Goals from Dani Olmo, Raphinha, and an acrobatic Lamine Yamal strike powered the Catalans to 52 points, one ahead of Real Madrid.
Barcelona missed the chance to reclaim the LaLiga summit after suffering a 2-1 derby defeat to Girona, who roared back in the second half to leave Real Madrid top of the table.
Barcelona came within a whisker of an improbable comeback after last month's thrashing, with 18-year-old midfielder Marc Bernal, starting in place of the injured Frenkie De Jong, scoring in each half and Raphinha converting a penalty after Pedri was fouled.
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
Atletico Madrid secured a 2-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, boosted by a red card for Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi and goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth.
Lamine Yamal's hat-trick led Barcelona to a 4-1 victory over Villarreal in LaLiga, extending their lead over Real Madrid.
Barcelona outclassed Mallorca 3-0 at home on Saturday to increase their lead at the top of the LaLiga standings.
Three stars-Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, PSG's Ousmane Dembele, and Barcelona's Raphinha-have dominated the season with goals, assists, and match-winning performances.
Barcelona secured a composed 2-0 LaLiga victory at Villarreal on Sunday thanks to goals from Raphinha and Lamine Yamal in a match that tilted firmly in the visitors' favour when the hosts were reduced to 10 men just before the break.
Mario Lemina's early diving header handed Galatasaray a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday.
Barcelona recovered from an early setback to secure a 3-1 victory over Deportivo Alaves in LaLiga on Saturday.
"I don't see it as pressure, a team like Brazil is always a contender for the World Cup or any other title that they play for. The demand of the fans is normal because we are a high-quality team, with big names,"
England forward Raheem Sterling joined Chelsea on a five-year contract from Manchester City, the two English Premier League clubs announced on Wednesday.
Adrien Rabiot scored two goals as AC Milan came from behind to earn a 3-1 victory at Como on Thursday.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday.
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has suffered a torn thigh muscle, the club said on Tuesday, with the Poland captain facing a spell on the sidelines that could rule him out of next week's LaLiga clash against Real Madrid.
Mbappe chasing Ronaldo record as Real Madrid host Celta
Brazil's Barcelona forward Raphinha regretted that the players were not consulted about extending their season to play at the Club World Cup, adding that nobody should be obliged to give up their vacation time.
IMAGES from UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
The result keeps Barcelona second in the table on 16 points from six games, two behind leaders Real Madrid. Oviedo remain 18th with just three points.
On debut, substitute Marcus Rashford became the first Englishman to play a first-team game for Barcelona since former England striker Gary Lineker in 1989.
Marriner also ruled out a goal for the Saints from a quickly-taken free kick just before halftime, saying he had not blown the whistle before James Ward-Prowse played in Che Adams, who put the ball in the net.
Raphinha scored twice as Barcelona overcame a two-goal deficit to secure a crucial 4-3 home victory against rivals Real Madrid in a pulsating Clasico on Sunday, edging them closer to the LaLiga title.
A summary of Thursday's World Cup qualifiers.
Nine players from treble-winning Paris St Germain have been nominated for the men's Ballon d'Or this year along with the club's coach Luis Enrique as France Football announced the list of nominees on Thursday.
Aitana Bonmat won the women's Ballon d'Or for the third year running while the 18-year-old Yamal, who was Dembele's teammate at Barcelona when he first broke through in 2023, was again awarded the men's Kopa Trophy.
A summary of Wednesday's Champions League first leg quarter-finals between Barcelona and Dortmund and Real Madrid, and Paris St Germain and Aston Villa.
Images from the Champions League semi-final first leg between Barcelona and Inter Milan at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday.
Barcelona came from an early goal down to beat Real Madrid 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday
Rashford, one of Europe's top talents before falling out of favour at United and spending the latter part of last season on loan at Aston Villa, joins a stellar attacking cast featuring Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres.
