Barcelona

At the end of a very long, very hot summer in which it felt like every day was Groundhog Day, another performance played out in public and in the press as if they were all stuck in Punxsutawney. FC Barcelona didn't buy Neymar, but he still cost them. Again. Two years after Neymar walked out, mere days following vice-president Jordi Mestre saying he was staying "200 percent," president Josep Maria Bartomeu insisting he was "relaxed" about it and Gerard Piqué announcing "se queda" --...

Another topsy-turvy weekend of European football, and another weekend of scarcely believable numbers. Some results were expected. Some, not so much.  Premier League 1 Crystal Palace have beaten Manchester United in the Premier League for the first time in the competition's history. In fact, before Jordan Ayew and Patrick van Aanholt got their goals, the last time Palace even took the lead against United in league competition at Old Trafford was in 1979, when David Swindlehurst scored in an...

The European transfer window is open. Click here to review all the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the latest gossip below. Top free agents in 2020 | What do Europe's elite need TOP STORY: Barcelona to open Lindelof talks with United With Matthijs de Ligt almost certainly heading to Juventus, Barcelona's search for a new centre-back has taken a surprising turn -- to Manchester, of all places. TRANSFERS Transfer grades: Rating every major signing from Europe Why did Prem teams spend less this window? European transfer review: Successes and failures According to Mundo Deportivo, the Spanish champions are interested in oft criticised United...

The Toe Poke Daily is here every day to bring you all the weirdest stories, quirkiest viral content and top trolling that the internet has to offer, all in one place. Jump to: Blatter suing FIFA for 'moral damage.' No, really Former Barcelona teammates Neymar and Lionel Messi shared a quick catch-up this week as Brazil took on Argentina in the Copa America semifinals. The pair were filmed sharing a quick hug in the stadium corridor after the game as Messi made his way back to the dressing room...

Mina Rzouki breaks down the key reasons Juventus have emerged as the likely landing spot for Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt. The European transfer window is open. Click here to review all the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the latest gossip below. Top free agents in 2020 | What do Europe's elite need TOP STORY: Barcelona wait in the wings for De Ligt Barcelona are waiting in the wings should Juventus' deadlock with Ajax over the transfer of Matthijs de Ligt continue, according to Marca. TRANSFERS Transfer grades: Rating every major signing from Europe Why did Prem teams spend less this window? European transfer review: Successes and failures The Spanish daily claims that Juve have an accord with the player's camp but have been unable to meet Ajax's demands for...

Lionel Messi and LeBron James have a lot in common. You know, beyond the fact that one of them looks like he was carved out of some impossibly dense space material, and the other needed human growth hormone to achieve a stature that would not be out of place at your local secondary school. Messi and LeBron were both identified as epochal talents as teenagers, and they both surpassed impossible expectations. They've been brow-beaten for not having enough titles too but more than all that, when...

The European transfer window is open. Click here to review all the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the latest gossip below. Top free agents in 2020 | What do Europe's elite need? TOP STORY: Coutinho to return to Anfield? Philippe Coutinho could make a remarkable return to Liverpool this summer, if the Mirror is to be believed. TRANSFERS Transfer grades: Rating every major signing from Europe Why did Prem teams spend less this window? European transfer review: Successes and failures The paper, citing reports in France, has confirmed that the Champions League winners have "opened the door" on negotiations to bring the Brazil international back...

Imagine the stadium announcer on La Liga's first weekend. Imagine the impact on the crowd and opposition when he's finished reading out the first seven names on Barcelona's team sheet: "Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Dani Alves (which may get a roar in itself), Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Jordi Alba: Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong ..." Then comes the shock and awe. "Numero siete (7): Neymar! ... Numero diez (10) Lionel Messi! ... Numero catorce (14) Antoine Griezmann! ... y numero nueve (9) Luis Suarez!" In...

You're forgiven for not recalling, but June 30, 2019, marks a significant date in the diaries of all Manchester United fans. For that momentous date sees -- finally -- the expiration of the six-year contract signed by David Moyes when he took over as Old Trafford manager in 2013. - Ogden: United heading for more transfer misery - When does the transfer window close? Moyes was supposed to be the man to carry the torch passed to him by Sir Alex Ferguson after being hand-picked as his successor. A...

There are several weeks left in the 2019 summer transfer window, but all of Europe's top clubs have a lot of shopping and selling left to do before they can consider themselves ready for the new campaign. With that in mind, we asked ESPN FC's experts to canvass the big teams and get a sense of their to-do lists over the next two months. What's the biggest thing they need to tackle? Which one player could make the difference? And which players should be sold in order to make room? Jump to:...

The Toe Poke Daily is here every day to bring you all the weirdest stories, quirkiest viral content and top trolling that the internet has to offer, all in one place. Jump to: There's only two Adama Traores | Inter's mint kit It's fair to say that Luis Suarez had an eventful night as Uruguay faced Chile in the Copa America on Monday (watch the tournament live on ESPN+). The Group C match at Rio de Janeiro's world-famous Maracana stadium was played on the five-year anniversary of Suarez's equally...

Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Jordan is the latest occasion that GOAT met GOAT. The Toe Poke Daily is here every day to bring you all the weirdest stories, quirkiest viral content and top trolling that the internet has to offer, all in one place. Jump to: Puyol proves he's a legend in his own back garden Cristiano Ronaldo had the pleasure of meeting with a fellow sporting icon recently when he bumped into none other than Michael Jordan. The Juventus star, who is currently enjoying his summer break after a long season, met the NBA legend and recorded the meeting for posterity...

Raf Honigstein and Craig Burley discuss the impact Manchester United's reported summer budget of £100 million will have on their summer plans. The transfer window is open. Click here to review all the latest transfers. And keep up to date with the latest gossip below. When does the window open in Europe? | QUIZ: Which club should you join? TOP STORY: Barca want Neymar AND Griezmann Barcelona want to sign Neymar AND Antoine Griezmann this summer, according to a report in Spain.  While Real Madrid have been busy making moves in the market, Barca have kept quiet but if they get their way, two of world football's biggest stars...

ESPN FC's Gab Marcotti says the allure of Champions League football might be enough to have Paul Pogba looking at other clubs to play for next season. The Premier League transfer window is open. Click here to review all the latest transfers. And keep up to date with the latest gossip below. When does the window open in Europe? | QUIZ: Which club should you join? TOP STORY: Pogba in the money if he stays Paul Pogba could be offered as much as £500,000 a week to stay at Old Trafford as Manchester United fear losing their midfield talisman, reports the Daily Mail. TRANSFERS Transfer grades: Rating every major signing from Europe Why did Prem teams spend less this window? European transfer review: Successes and failures Pogba, who has two years left on his existing deal, signalled his intention...

While horse riding wasn't involved, Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero took to the polo pitch to train alongside Argentine star Adolfo Cambiaso. The Toe Poke Daily is here every day to bring you all the weirdest stories, quirkiest viral content and top trolling that the internet has to offer, all in one place. If you hadn't heard, there's a new "New Lionel Messi" in town and his name is Takefusa Kubo, who has just signed for Real Madrid. The 18-year-old prodigy has joined Real's Castilla youth team from FC Tokyo, having previously spent time training in Barcelona's academy ranks earlier in his teens. That ended badly when FIFA ruled...

The Premier League transfer window is open. Click here to review all the latest transfers and, below, keep up to date with the latest gossip. When does the window open in Europe? | QUIZ: Which club should you join? TOP STORY: Man United among clubs after Cillessen Catalan daily Sport reports that Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen is interesting a number of Premier League clubs, with Manchester United, West Ham and Everton all said to be possible destinations. With David De Gea's future...

When Lionel Messi finally retires, few could argue against him being considered one of the game's best-ever players. He loves his job and has been doing it at an elite level for over a decade. He is recognized by his peers, his rivals and the entire world of soccer. He largely avoids controversy on the field and rarely speaks to the media, which limits the opportunities for anything other than his play to do the talking. What he has achieved in his career stems from his prodigious talent but is...

The Premier League transfer window is open. Click here to review all the latest transfers and, below, keep up to date with the latest gossip When does the window open in Europe? | QUIZ: Which club should you join? TOP STORY: De Ligt puts Europe's finest on red alert Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt is causing a stir in the transfer market as the top clubs jockey for position to sign the youngster. TRANSFERS Transfer grades: Rating every major signing from Europe Why did Prem teams spend less this window? European transfer review: Successes and failures De Ligt reportedly feels that a move to Barcelona now might be too soon, while Marca...

While horse riding wasn't involved, Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero took to the polo pitch to train alongside Argentine star Adolfo Cambiaso. 'If you sing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' one more time then you're straight to bed with no dinner...'. The Toe Poke Daily is here every day to bring you all the weirdest stories, quirkiest viral content and top trolling that the internet has to offer, all in one place. Jump to: Messi, Aguero try playing polo | D'Angelo Russell has his say on GOAT debate | 1,264 sleeps 'til Qatar: World Cup qualifying begins Lionel Messi has revealed that he is regularly taunted by his son Mateo who, despite only being three years old, knows exactly how to wind his father up when it comes to football. Speaking...

BARCELONA, Spain -- When Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala was a young girl growing up in Nigeria, her mum wouldn't give her money for food if she had been playing football on the streets with the boys. You can imagine, then, how she reacted when, at the age of 15, she found out her daughter was going to drop out of school in pursuit of a career in the game. "I actually stopped going to school because at some point I had a lot of problems with my parents," Oshoala told ESPN FC in May. "They wanted...