Barcelona, who provide the backbone for World Cup favourites Spain and will be parading Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, are the team to beat at the Club World Cup that kicks off this week in Abu Dhabi.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were vying for top billing in La Liga on Saturday after leading their sides to victories.
Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored in the second half as Barcelona squeezed past bottom club Xerez 2-0 to go five points clear at the top of La Liga on Wednesday.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has taken a swipe at arch-rivals Real Madrid for their multi-million euro spending spree that has dominated the headlines and the transfer market ahead of the treble-winners.
After scoring one of the goals of the tournament and upstaging Lionel Messi by leading his team to the top of their group, Croatia captain Luka Modric hopes to fulfil a dream that began when he watched his nation record a best ever World Cup showing.
Portugal star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo's presence makes the team a potential target for terror attacks during Euro 2016, said coach Fernando Santos.
Ronaldinho, who had a disappointing Club World Cup this month, has been elected South American footballer of the year in the annual poll conducted by the Uruguayan daily El Pais.
Dutch soccer great Johan Cruyff says he is "2-0 up in the first half" of his fight against lung cancer and confident of winning the battle. A former smoker who had heart surgery in 1991, the 68-year-old former Barcelona coach was diagnosed with cancer in October. "After several medical treatments I can say the results have been very positive, thanks to the excellent work of the doctors, the affection of the people and my positive mentality," triple Ballon d'Or winner Cruyff said in a statement. "Right now I have the feeling I am 2-0 up in the first half of a match that has not finished yet. But I am sure I will end up winning." Considered one of football's all-time greats, Cruyff helped Ajax Amsterdam win three European Cups from 1971-73 and was named European Footballer of the Year in 1971, 1973 and 1974. He joined Barcelona for a then-world record transfer fee of $2 million and it was the Catalan club that defined his coaching career as he helped them win their first La Liga title in 15 years in 1974.
Cristiano Ronaldo says he is "still handsome" after his face was left covered in blood from being kicked in the face against Deportivo La Coruna last week and declared he wants to remain at Real Madrid despite reports that he is unhappy in Spain.
Cristiano Ronaldo believes he changed the game by scoring 31 goals from midfield in the Premier League last season to win the European Golden Boot award.
AC Milan will find it hard to hold on to Kaka after Manchester City reportedly offered more than 100 million euros ($133 million) for the Brazil playmaker, the Italian club's owner Silvio Berlusconi said on Saturday.
Lionel Messi scored a record eighth Champions League hat-trick as Barcelona kick-started their campaign with a 4-0 home win over PSV Eindhoven, although they had defender Samuel Umtiti sent off late in the second half on Tuesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo has received an offer to leave Real Madrid and join Italian champions Juventus, a source close to the player said.
Cristiano Ronaldo signed off his stellar 2016 in style on Sunday, scoring a hat-trick to lift Real Madrid to Club World Cup glory and underline his status as the world's best player.
The reigning Ballon d'or winner gave a perfect start to his side's new campaign by scoring twice in Madrid's comfortable 3-0 win over Cypriot visitors APOEL in the opening match.
Salah back in Liverpool squad but may not be risked at Genk, says Klopp
France's Thierry Henry and Brazil's Ronaldinho were not included on the list of nominees for the 2008 Ballon d'Or award on Sunday.
Cristiano Ronaldo's museum on Madeira has upsized to a larger home in anticipation of the Real Madrid star winning "future trophies", his cousin told AFP on Monday. The Portugal striker's self-financed shrine now occupies a prime seafront position in Funchal, the island's capital where "CR7" was born in 1985. The museum's new two-storey site "will be able to welcome Ronaldo's future trophies," his cousin and museum director Nuno Viveiros said. The treasure trove charting the success of Madeira's most famous son draws in 200,000 visitors a year. It boasts two waxworks of the former Manchester United forward whilst a 3.4-metre-high (11 feet) bronze statue he unveiled of himself in December 2014 has been moved to greet visitors at the entrance. In January the statue was the target of graffiti when it was tagged with the name and shirt number of arch-rival Lionel Messi, hours after the Barcelona superstar saw off Ronaldo to claim a fifth world player of the year award. Among the 160 trophies on display are Ronaldo's three Ballons d'Or.
Barcelona's star striker Lionel Messi has backed Atletico Madrid to seal this year's Champions League title, saying his team don't want to see Real Madrid claim the trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo is angry with his recent record in front of goal but not anxious about when he will find the net next, Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said on Friday.
Real Madrid striker, Cristiano Ronaldo revealed his girlfriend Irina Shayk has an obsession with his boxers.
Perennial slow starters Mumbai Indians are on course for a trademark late-season charge into the Indian Premier League play-offs, thanks largely to some impressive performances by all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
Ukraine was ordered to play a game behind closed doors as part of a UEFA punishment for racist behavior at last month's European Championship qualifier against Spain.
"It would be a big deal, increasing the team's appeal and also because it would bigger business for Juve, through merchandising," a Milan-based trader said.
Brazilian Kaka helped AC Milan thrash Boca Juniors 4-2 to win the Club World Cup.
Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro has been named European Footballer of the Year by France Football magazine, Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon said on Friday.
Real Madrid football star Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed his split with Russian model gal-pal Irina Shayk.
Some key facts about Zinedine Zidane, who stepped down as Real Madrid coach after leading the Spanish club to a third successive Champions League title.
Laggards in international rankings, India finally made their presence felt by pulling off an impressive under-17 World Cup that drew all-round praise even though the country was eliminated in the very first round.
Real Madrid have endured a miserable season since Zinedine Zidane left in May, first sacking Julen Lopetegui and then Santiago Solari.
India's One-day International cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is among Forbes magazine's 100 highest-paid athletes in the world.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been involved in a new row with Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez, according to reports in the Spanish media. The reports claim that the Portuguese striker was left fuming and walked out of the room after he was asked by Benitez to undergo a biometric analysis in order to improve his free-kick scoring rate.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two best players in the world right now but Neymar will eclipse them both next year, former Brazil striker Ronaldo told Reuters.
Barcelona are convinced Brazil captain Neymar will commit his long-term future to the Nou Camp as protracted negotiations between the Spanish champions and the striker continue over an extension to his current deal, which expires in June 2018.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The Champions League is part of Real Madrid's folklore and it is the nature of the Spanish side to always set their sights on Europe's most prestigious club tournament, having won it more times than any other team, winger Gareth Bale has said.
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo ended his early-season drought in emphatic style when he hit five goals in a 6-0 romp at Espanyol on Saturday to become the club's record scorer in La Liga.
Cristiano Ronaldo said he regretted taking the attention away from Real Madrid's third consecutive Champions League crown after hinting the 3-1 final victory over Liverpool was his last game but reiterated that he is not happy with the club.
From the planet's costliest player Neymar to 'tiki-taka' kings Xavi and Iniesta to the ultimate sorcerer Ronaldinho, the FIFA Under-17 World Cup has been the cradle for many of world football's household names.
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