Raphinha continued his strong start to the season as he helped Barcelona make it two wins from two in La Liga with a victory over Athletic Club at Spotify Camp Nou. …
… Cancelo left Manchester City to join the Saudi Pro League side on a three-year deal in 2024 but he ended last season on loan with Barca, helping them secure the La Liga title. …
… He retired in 2019 and went into management with Al-Sadd before taking over at Barca in November 2021, where he won a La Liga title in his first full season in charge. …
… s faced with former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who hired him twice and sacked him both times. ‘The relationship I had with Jose was very cold’ After taking over a struggling Real side, Mourinho helped them challenge the dominance of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, winning La Liga …
Lamine Yamal believes he and Kylian Mbappe are the two best players in the world and said he deserves the 2026 Ballon d'Or after winning La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain. Mbappe has also made his case for the award, and Harry Kane is among other favourites.
Lamine Yamal believes he and Kylian Mbappe are the two best players in the world and said he deserves the 2026 Ballon d'Or after winning La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain. Mbappe has also made his case for the award, and Harry Kane is among other favourites.
Barcelona defeated Levante 4–2 to maintain their perfect La Liga start and move three points clear at the top. Yamal scored twice, including a penalty, as Barcelona survived a late comeback attempt.
Ghanaian youngster Zayan Omar has signed a two-year contract with Spanish club Málaga CF from Na God FC, following a strong 2025/26 campaign in Ghana's Access Bank Division One League. Omar will initially join Málaga's youth set-up, with potential for first-team opportunities in the club's La Liga environment.
Barcelona sporting director Deco explained that Anthony Gordon's playing style aligns better with coach Hansi Flick's tactics than Marcus Rashford's, though Rashford scored 14 goals during his loan spell last season. Gordon joined Barcelona from Newcastle for more than 80m euros, while Rashford returned to Manchester United after Barcelona declined to exercise their £30.3m purchase option.
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe believes this could be a good year for him to win the Ballon d'Or for the first time, citing his record 22 World Cup goals and his move to the club he describes as "the best in the world."
Barcelona defeated bottom-placed Valencia 5-0 at Mestalla, with Fermin Lopez starring and Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Pedri also scoring. The win moves Barcelona three points clear at the top of La Liga after Real Madrid's loss to Real Betis.
Julian Alvarez returned to Atletico Madrid training on Sunday after missing sessions due to indisposition, with the club hopeful he will be available for the next La Liga match. Barcelona continues to pursue the Argentine forward despite Atletico's resistance, with Arsenal considered a viable alternative if they bid around €150 million.
Raphinha and Lamine Yamal both scored twice as Barcelona defeated Rayo Vallecano 5-2 to extend their winning streak to three La Liga games. Raphinha became the first player to score five goals in the opening three La Liga matches of a season since Lionel Messi in 2017, while 19-year-old Yamal surpassed 50 goals for the club.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho expressed concern about September's extended three-week international break, particularly about players joining national teams but not receiving playing time. The break, part of FIFA's revised international calendar for the 2026-27 season, will replace the traditional separate September and October breaks, allowing countries to play four international matches instead of two.
England midfielder Jude Bellingham scored in the 19th minute to help Real Madrid defeat Malaga 4-0 in La Liga, extending Jose Mourinho's winning streak to three consecutive victories. Bellingham's goal came after he dribbled past three defenders from 35 yards out, and he was involved in Real's second goal as well.
Barcelona won 2–0 at home against Athletic Club with goals from Raphinha and Fermin Lopez, extending their unbeaten La Liga start. Rodri made his debut for Barcelona as a second-half substitute following his £65m transfer from Manchester City.
Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad in La Liga, marking Jose Mourinho's second match in his second stint as coach. Mourinho has won his first two matches in charge, beginning with a 2-1 victory at Espanyol.
Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez was booed by his own fans while warming up and coming on as a substitute in a 2–2 draw with Villarreal, as speculation mounts about his departure ahead of the September 1 transfer deadline. Alvarez indicated during the World Cup his desire to leave to "fulfil my dream" and has been linked with Arsenal and Barcelona.
Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo has rejoined Barcelona permanently after his Al-Hilal contract was mutually terminated, signing a three-year deal as a free agent. Cancelo spent last season on loan at Barca, helping them win La Liga, and this marks his first permanent move to the club after two previous loan spells.
Ferran Torres, who scored Spain's extra-time winner at the World Cup, has joined PSG from Barcelona on a deal until 2031 for approximately 50 million euros. The 26-year-old scored 21 goals in 49 appearances for Barcelona last season and becomes PSG's second major forward signing this summer.
Paris St-Germain have agreed a deal in principle to sign Barcelona forward Ferran Torres for around 50 million euros. Torres, 26, scored 21 goals in 49 appearances for Barcelona last season and helped the club win La Liga.
Former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernández has been appointed head coach of the Netherlands, becoming the first non-Dutch coach since Austrian Ernst Happel in 1978. The 46-year-old signed a four-year contract following Ronald Koeman's resignation after the World Cup.
Jose Mourinho has confirmed he agreed to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013, but changed his mind within hours to rejoin Chelsea instead, citing his commitment to the club and need to feel loved after leaving Real Madrid.
AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric, 40, has signed a one-year contract extension with the Italian club after joining on a one-year deal last summer following 13 years at Real Madrid. Modric scored two goals in 37 appearances for Milan last season as they finished fifth in Serie A.
Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal will meet on the pitch for the first time when Argentina play Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, though the two crossed paths in 2007 when Messi was a 20-year-old Barcelona starter and Yamal was just five months old — a meeting documented in photographs that resurfaced after Yamal helped Spain win Euro 2024.
Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, who will face each other in Sunday's World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, first met in 2007 when Messi held a five-month-old Yamal in a photograph taken at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium after his family won a competition to visit the away dressing room.
France captain Kylian Mbappé has pledged to increase his defensive efforts as the two-time world champions begin their World Cup campaign against Senegal on Tuesday, acknowledging criticism over his performances both at Real Madrid and for his country.
Marco Silva, 48, has agreed to become Benfica's new head coach following Jose Mourinho's departure to Real Madrid, with Real Madrid paying Benfica £13m in compensation. Silva, who left Fulham after five years when his contract expired, will sign a contract until the end of the 2027-28 season with an option to extend.
Jose Mourinho is set to return to Real Madrid following club president Florentino Perez's re-election victory, which secured a presidency term until 2030. Mourinho agreed a three-year deal with the Spanish giants last month, and the move was conditional on Perez retaining the presidency.
Andoni Iraola has left Bournemouth after three years in charge, with the club finishing sixth in the Premier League to qualify for the Europa League. Iraola took over when Bournemouth were 15th in 2022-23 and elevated them to a club record 57 points, though they fell short of Champions League qualification.
Barcelona's Fermín López, 23, has been ruled out of the World Cup after fracturing the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during a La Liga match against Real Betis on Sunday. The Spanish midfielder, who has seven caps for Spain, was likely to be named in the squad ahead of the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Dani Carvajal, 34, will depart Real Madrid at the end of the season when his contract expires in June, ending a 23-year association with the club spanning two spells. The Madrid-born right-back, who has made 450 appearances and won 27 titles including six Champions League titles, is departing after recent serious knee injuries.
Raphinha scored twice as Barcelona defeated Real Betis 3–1 to become the first team to win all 19 of their home matches in a 38-game La Liga season. The champions, who won the league title with a victory over Real Madrid, are only the 11th La Liga side to achieve a perfect home record in a season.