In the face of tough Dutch opposition, Spain were unable to produce the eye-pleasing soccer that has been the hallmark of their rise to the pinnacle of the game but kept their cool to take their first World Cup title with yet another 1-0 win.
Spain defender Carles Puyol stepped up to become the unlikely hero in their 1-0 World Cup semi-final win against Germany on Wednesday in a team packed with talent such as David Villa and Andres Iniesta.
It took cool heads, impeccable technique and a dash of brilliance for Spain to achieve what no one else has done at this World Cup and beat a side from South America.
An inspired David Villa scored one sublime goal and created another for Andres Iniesta as European champions Spain beat 10-man Chile 2-1 and advanced to the last 16 of the World Cup on Friday.
Luis Suarez said Barcelona have not given up on the Champions League despite a "difficult and painful" 4-0 drubbing by Paris St Germain in their last 16 tie this week.
Thierry Henry was on target as Barcelona cruised to a 4-0 home win over Racing Santander on Saturday to move five points clear at the top of La Liga.
Chelsea, and particularly striker Didier Drogba, are likely to be in big trouble with UEFA after chaotic scenes marred the end of Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge. Andres Iniesta's stoppage-time equaliser for a 1-1 draw sent Barcelona through on the away goals rule and sent Drogba round the bend.
Under the new system, half the votes would belong to the players and coaches of the world's 211 national teams and half to the public, who will take part via an online ballot, and selected media representatives.
The Champions League Group F match between Barcelona and Ajax was a cracker of a contest.
Unlucky Barcelona defender Eric Abidal will miss both the UEFA Champions League and the King's Cup finals after picking up two red cards in five days. The French full back was sent off in the second half of Barca's Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea last Wednesday, after the referee harshly ruled that he had tripped Nicolas Anelka.
World champions France had eight players, one less than former holders Spain, in international players' association FIFPro's 55-name shortlist for its World XI of 2018 award.
Lionel Messi of European champions Barcelona was named the European Club Player of the Year on Thursday for helping his side lift the UEFA Champions League trophy last season. Argentine Messi was also named forward of the year with his club mate Xavi Hernandez, who also played a key role for Barca last season, named as midfielder of the year ahead of a third Barcelona club mate Andres Iniesta.
Holders Spain were knocked out of Euro 2016 in a 2-0 defeat by Italy on Monday after goals by Giorgio Chiellini and Graziano Pelle set up a quarter-final with world champions Germany. Chiellini opened the scoring after 33 minutes while Pelle wrapped up the victory in stoppage time to end Spain's reign as European champions which covered the 2008 and 2012 tournaments.
Real's Cristiano Ronaldo will be going in search of his third consecutive World Player of the Year award
The Primera Liga leaders dominated the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Nou Camp on Tuesday but were unable to score.
Diego Costa has yet to open his account for Spain in five appearances, a perplexing state of affairs given his prolific form for Atletico Madrid last season and his blistering start at Chelsea.
Primera Liga top scorer Samuel Eto'o netted twice as Barcelona beat Sporting Gijon 3-1 at the Nou Camp on Sunday to restore their 12-point advantage at the top of the table.
Andres Iniesta came off the bench to score as Barcelona battled to a 3-1 win over struggling Real Mallorca on Saturday, while Valencia moved up to second with an impressive home victory over Atletico Madrid by the same scoreline. Barcelona are top with 44 points from 17 matches, 11 ahead of Valencia, who saw off rivals Atletico at the Mestalla thanks to two goals from David Silva and a David Villa penalty.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique led tributes to the late Johan Cruyff in a memorial organised by the club on Tuesday and vowed to "continue copying and improving his style of attacking football".
The football fever reaches sky-high with all eyes on Euro 2016. Tournament host France will play the opener against Romania, which will be aired in India post mid-night on June 11. As the UEFA braces for the 15th edition of the European continental championship, the tournament organisers have revealed the all time XI to play in Euro's history.
Premier League-based trio Diego Costa, Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla were among a high-profile list of absentees when Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque named his provisional 25-man squad for Euro 2016 on Tuesday. Costa injured his hamstring against Liverpool in Chelsea's penultimate game of the season. Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres was also absent from the squad despite his improved form towards the end of the season, as were Arsenal midfielder Cazorla and Valencia forward Paco Alcacer, Spain's top scorer in their qualifying campaign.
Thierry Henry said he will consider leaving Barcelona during the winter transfer window if coach Pep Guardiola leaves him on the bench too often.
Barcelona earned their first Primera Liga win of the season with a 6-1 rout away to promoted Sporting Gijon on Sunday.
Barcelona extended their near-perfect start to the season when Alexis Sanchez tapped in at the far post from Neymar's clever assist to secure a 1-0 win at home to city rivals Espanyol in La Liga on Friday.
A hat-trick by David Villa helped Spain to a 4-1 win over Russia in their Euro 2008 opener on Tuesday.
Barcelona lifted the Spanish Super Cup for a record extending 13th time by coming from behind to beat Sevilla 2-1 on Sunday thanks to a stunning strike from France winger Ousmane Dembele and a penalty save in stoppage time from Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Arsenal right back Hector Bellerin will be in Spain's Euro 2016 squad, the country's football federation said on Tuesday. The 21-year-old Bellerin and the other 18 players named to face South Korea in a friendly in Wals-Siezenheim, Austria on Wednesday, have been guaranteed spots in the European Championship squad. Bellerin was included after Real Madrid right back Dani Carvajal sustained a leg muscle injury in Saturday's Champions League final victory over Atletico Madrid. The Real Madrid and Atletico players in the squad will be named later on Tuesday when Spain coach Vicente del Bosque announces his final list.
Real Madrid stretched their lead at the top to four points after beating Racing Santander 3-1 at home while arch-rivals Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw at Espanyol in the Catalan derby. Real skipper Raul steered his side to their seventh win in seven games at the Bernabeu when he took his tally for the season to eight goals with a classy double.
Holders Spain lost for the first time in 15 matches at the European Championship finals on Tuesday when Croatia beat them 2-1 to win Group D at Euro 2016.
Images from the Round of 16 match between Russia and Spain, in Moscow, on Sunday.
Ronaldinho delighted Chinese fans by scoring with a trademark free kick in a 3-0 win for Barcelona over Beijing Guoan on Sunday.
Barcelona lead the Primera Liga on goal difference, ahead of title rivals Sevilla and Real Madrid.
Barcelona's 2-1 loss at Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League last week was down to a lack of intensity while Sunday's 1-0 reverse at Athletic Bilbao in La Liga exposed their relative physical frailty.
Leaders Barcelona edged closer to their third consecutive league title with a 2-0 away win over struggling Real Sociedad in the Primera Liga on Saturday.
Here are five talking points from the weekend in La Liga:
Barcelona will attempt to give Luis Enrique his 100th victory in his 125th game in charge of the team when they play at Athletic Bilbao in la Liga on Sunday. A former Barca player, the 46-year-old led them to a La Liga, King's Cup and Champions League treble in his first year in charge and the domestic double last season. The Catalans started the campaign with a 5-0 aggregate triumph over Sevilla in the Spanish Super Cup and a 6-2 victory over Real Betis in La Liga.
Willian and Lionel Messi scored as Chelsea and Barcelona finished 1-1 after an absorbing first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday, while Bayern Munich, helped by two typical Thomas Mueller goals and two from Robert Lewandowski, romped to a 5-0 home win over Besiktas.
'We have to improve and become stronger in defence, which is the most important thing.'
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde's conservatism was cited by the Spanish media as the main reason for their 3-0 defeat at AS Roma on Tuesday that led to a shock Champions League quarter-final elimination being regarded as 'a historic debacle'.
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