Lionel Messi's exquisite finish set Barcelona on their way to a potentially decisive 2-0 win at Real Madrid on Saturday to lift the champions three points clear of their arch-rivals at the top of La Liga.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has decided to rest Lionel Messi, Neymar and most of his regulars for the King's Cup last 16, second leg match at Elche later on Thursday.
Manchester United and Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo was named FIFA World Player of the Year at a ceremony on Monday. Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi was second, with Liverpool and Spain striker Fernando Torres third.
Teenage Norway midfielder Martin Odegaard became Real Madrid's youngest La Liga debutant at the age of 16 when he came on as a substitute in the 58th minute of Saturday's final game of the season at home to Getafe.
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.
India's perennial habit of conceding last minute goals undid all the good work as visitors went down 4-5 in their third and final hockey Test against Spain in Terrassa, on Thursday night. India came back from a 1-4 deficit to level the score but Albert Sala's 70th minute strike crushed their hopes.
An all-conquering Spain side were on the crest of a wave last time they faced Germany on the way to winning the 2010 World Cup but they now meet on Tuesday in what will be a stern test for a new fledgling team.
Barcelona won the European Cup for the third time with a classy 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the Champions League final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Wednesday. Striker Samuel Eto'o struck the opener on 10 minutes when his low shot beat United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar at his near post and Lionel Messi sealed the win on 70 minutes when he headed home Xavi's cross.
Leaders Barcelona survived red cards for Gerard Pique and Rafael Marquez to complete a 2-1 victory over Getafe in La Liga on Saturday while Real Madrid kept pace with a 3-0 win at home to Espanyol.
Three goals in a devastating nine-minute spell at the start of the second half saw Barcelona to a 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao in the King's Cup final on Wednesday and the first of three possible titles.
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.
Samuel Eto'o scored just before the break to give Barcelona a 1-0 win at Real Valladolid that briefly put them nine points clear in the Primera Liga on Saturday before Real Madrid reduced the lead to six points again with a 1-0 win at Malaga.
Over 20 premier Indian B-schools have jointly decided to present a white paper to the All India Council for Technical Education, recommending that instead of regulating them, the governing body should facilitate the growth of management education in
A superb Lionel Messi hat-trick gave Barcelona a 3-1 win over 10-man Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their last 16 King's Cup tie on Tuesday. The Argentine forward, playing for the first time since the Christmas break, also hit the crossbar and many of the Atletico fans stood and applauded him when he was replaced near the end.
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.
Thierry Henry scored the winner as Barcelona came from behind to beat Villarreal 2-1 away and go 10 points clear at the top of the Primera Liga on Sunday.
Spain's footballing giants, FC Barcelona won their 23rd La Liga crown after defeating Atletico Madrid 1-0 on Sunday. And after winning, what was their fifth title in seven years, the Barca players let their hair down and celebrated in style at the Vincent Calderon stadium. Rediff.com invites you a peek into their wild celebrations. Have a look...
No Dutch top-flight league soccer title will be awarded this season after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the campaign to a premature close, the Dutch FA (KNVB) said after a meeting with clubs and unions representing coaches and players on Friday. Ajax were top of the Eredivisie table with 56 points from 25 games, only ahead of AZ on goal difference, and both teams will now fill the Netherlands' qualifying places in UEFA's 2020-21 Champions League, Europe's elite club competition.
Barcelona earned their first Primera Liga win of the season with a 6-1 rout away to promoted Sporting Gijon on Sunday.
Three second-half goals helped Spain reach the European Championship final for the first time in 24 years, setting up a meeting with Germany in Sunday's decider.
Leaders Barcelona needed two goals in the last ten minutes to beat bottom club Osasuna 3-2 away, and moved 12 points clear at the top of the Primera Liga on Sunday.
Holders Bayern Munich recovered from the shock of a stunning Patrice Evra goal to score three times in quick succession to beat Manchester United 3-1 and reach the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday.
Valencia's last chance to take something positive from the season depends on them getting through their King's Cup semi-final, second leg at home to Barcelona with a goalless draw or a win on Thursday.
Lionel Messi broke a Spanish hat-trick record and Luis Suarez struck twice as a rampant Barcelona took over top spot in La Liga with a 6-1 hammering of Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
Alexis Sanchez hit a hat-trick as Barcelona swept aside Elche 4-0 to return to the top of La Liga on goal difference ahead of Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Champions Barcelona scrambled a barely deserved 1-1 at Getafe, in the Primera Liga.
Lionel Messi scored a goal reminiscent of Diego Maradona's famous strike for Argentina against England in the 1986 World Cup as Barcelona romped to a 5-2 win over Getafe in their King's Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday.
Spain arrived at the World Cup convinced they were ready to rule world football again but Sunday's defeat to Russia in the last 16 has set the 2010 champions back a decade and brought an end to a glorious generation.
Barcelona scored a high-class 3-0 win over city rivals Espanyol to win the Super Cup.
If bookmakers introduced a bet on who would be named official man-of-the-match at tournaments, Andres Iniesta would be a short-priced favourite in every Spain match at Euro 2016.
Barcelona's appeal against a FIFA sanction for an alleged breach of rules on the transfer of foreign Under-18 players has been rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the Spanish club said on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi scored twice and Luis Suarez struck his first La Liga goal as Barcelona crushed struggling Cordoba 5-0 on Saturday.
A superb late strike from Xavi allowed the Primera Liga leaders to snatch a 2-1 win away to a determined Albacete.
Rediff.com gives you a glimpse of the celebrations.
Paris St Germain made light of the absent Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a sub-standard start to the season to claim a 3-2 Champions League victory over Barcelona on Tuesday.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has agreed a two-year contract extension with the world and European champions which ties him until the 2016 European championship in France, the 62-year-old said on Friday.
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