… One day, Spain will come calling – and a return to his homeland may attract Arteta, although he knows he is unlikely to be afforded the same authority at either Real Madrid or Barcelona – clubs that are historically entrenched in internal politics – than he is now. …
… Not everyone has to think like me,” the Real Madrid man said before their 2-1 Champions League win over Inter Milan, in which he opened the scoring — and was presented with the top scorer’s trophy from last season. …
… Messi’s former Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, bought a 25% stake in Spanish side Almeria in February.
… PSG starts the defense of its title on Wednesday against Slovan Bratislava at the Parc des Princes Only Real Madrid (1956-60, 2016-18), Ajax (1971-73) and Bayern Munich (1974-76) have won three successive Champions Leagues. …
The Republic of Ireland’s Troy Parrott scored the winner as Real Betis came from behind to begin their return to Champions League football with an exciting win at Lille. …
Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho, said he was not feeling any added pressure to win the Champions League in his second spell at the club ahead of their opener against Serie A champions Inter Milan today at the Santiago Bernabeu. …
Côte d'Ivoire head coach Hervé Renard has named his squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers, with the Elephants facing Ghana on September 24 in their opening qualifier in Bouake. The squad includes Real Madrid's Yann Diomande and Spain-based Nicolas Pepe among other notable players.
Côte d'Ivoire head coach Hervé Renard has named his squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers, with the Elephants facing Ghana on September 24 in their opening qualifier in Bouake. The squad includes Real Madrid's Yann Diomande and Spain-based Nicolas Pepe among other notable players.
UEFA selected Barcelona's renovated Camp Nou over Wembley Stadium to host the 2029 Champions League final, marking improved relations after the European Super League dispute. Bayern Munich's stadium was confirmed to host the 2028 final, and the 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
Real Madrid defeated Elche 3-2 with a stoppage-time goal from Carlos Espí, set up by Kylian Mbappé, after surrendering a two-goal lead. The victory leaves Madrid level on points with Barcelona at the top of LaLiga.
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.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has said striker Joao Pedro is stylistically similar to his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema and rates him at a comparable level to Manchester City's Erling Haaland. Joao Pedro, 24, won the Premier League's Player of the Month on Friday after scoring twice and providing two assists in his first three games of the season.
Kylian Mbappe has criticized an AI-generated meme superimposing his face on a dictator's body, saying it reveals "a lack of political and human awareness" despite acknowledging some use it good-naturedly to reflect his match dominance or club influence. He distinguished this from a "Mobut" nickname used by teammate Ousmane Dembele, which he said was lighthearted social media humor.
Morocco's prime minister has told the head of the country's football federation to stop promising that Casablanca will host the 2030 World Cup final, citing the need to discuss the venue with co-hosts Spain and Portugal. The final location has yet to be finalised, though Spain's football federation president has previously claimed the final should be held in Spain.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho compared Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr to fruit trees in their defence after both players were booed by home fans at the Bernabeu this week, saying their achievements and statistics speak for themselves despite criticism over their defensive work.
Anthony Gordon has provided four assists in his first five matches for Barcelona since joining in May, slotting seamlessly into the left-wing position previously filled by Marcus Rashford, though the 25-year-old England winger has yet to score a goal.
Harry Kane scored his 55th Champions League goal and Michael Olise struck twice as Bayern Munich opened their campaign with a comfortable victory over Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt. Jamal Musiala also scored, with his goal marking Bayern's 900th in European competition.
Arsenal are close to finalising a new contract with manager Mikel Arteta, with well-placed sources indicating discussions have progressed and full confidence among those involved that he will renew. Once signed, Arteta can expect to become one of the best-paid managers in world football, with Arsenal committed to significantly improving on his current deal worth £10m a season plus an extra £5m upon Champions League qualification.
Thierry Henry has backed Kylian Mbappé to win the Ballon d'Or over Harry Kane, citing Mbappé's 25 goals in LaLiga and 15 in the Champions League last season. He also named Bayern Munich's Michael Olise as a strong candidate, ahead of Kane despite Kane's 36 Bundesliga goals.
Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to become the majority shareholder of Spanish second-division club Eldense, pending legal procedures and approval from Spain's National Sports Council. This would be his second Spanish club investment after buying Catalan side Cornella in April.
Luis Enrique says PSG must step out of its "comfort zone" to win a third successive Champions League title, joining only Real Madrid, Ajax, and Bayern Munich in that achievement. The coach backs his team despite a slow Ligue 1 start, saying they deserve better results and that small defensive improvements will pay dividends.
Real Betis' Troy Parrott scored the winner as the Spanish side came from behind to beat Lille in a Champions League fixture, with Lille reduced to ten men after Mbappe received a red card.
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in Real Madrid's victory over Inter Milan, moving joint-fifth on the all-time Champions League and European Cup goalscorers list with 71 goals in 99 appearances.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho said he is not feeling added pressure to win the Champions League in his second spell at the club ahead of their opener against Inter Milan today. Mourinho stated that his current spell has nothing to do with his first stint, when the Champions League eluded him, and that Real Madrid need to reach stability to achieve something great.
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."
Real Madrid suffered a 1-0 defeat at Real Betis on Friday, with Mourinho saying he couldn't explain the result after his team dominated the match with eight shots on target. The loss marked Madrid's first defeat in their first four league games since 2014-15, and came despite Carlos Espí having an equaliser disallowed for offside and Kylian Mbappé's penalty being saved.
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.
Manchester City completed the signing of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea for £125m, a joint-British transfer record. The deal takes City's spending to a Premier League record £458m for a single transfer window, though the club has also achieved around £300m from player sales.
Raphinha and Lamine Yamal each scored twice as Barcelona defeated Rayo Vallecano 5-2 at Camp Nou, maintaining their perfect start to the season and topping the LaLiga table.
Manchester City have signed midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea for £125m, a joint-British transfer record that takes City's spending to a Premier League-record £458m this window. Fernandez, who joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 for £107m, had requested to leave after becoming unsettled at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester City have agreed to pay £125m for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, matching a British transfer record. Fernandez will undergo a medical before signing a long-term deal with City, reuniting him with manager Enzo Maresca.
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.
Manchester City have opened negotiations with Chelsea to sign midfielder Enzo Fernandez, with Chelsea demanding a minimum of £120m. Manager Enzo Maresca, who previously worked with Fernandez at Chelsea, is keen on the move, and personal terms are not an issue if the clubs can agree on a fee.
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.
Ghanaian defender Oscar Naasei, 21, has completed his move to Real Madrid from Granada for €2 million and will initially play for the club's reserve side. The Accra-born player, capable of playing centre-back or right-back, has earned Ghana national team recognition and made two La Liga 2 appearances for Granada this season.