Barcelona

Cristiano Ronaldo's second-half header secured Juventus' first Italian Super Cup since 2015 against 10-man AC Milan, in Saudi Arabia. The top three stay the same but, below them, Man City are climbing and there are a pair of new entries. (function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(d.getElementById(id))return;js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src='https://embed.playbuzz.com/sdk.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,'script','playbuzz-sdk')); Dropping out: Tottenham, Atletico Madrid Agree? Disagree? Let us know, and watch Shaka defend his picks on ESPN FC TV.

Ousmane Dembele scores one of his two goals in Barcelona's Copa del Rey win against Levante. BARCELONA, Spain -- Ousmane Dembele scored twice as Barcelona beat Levante 3-0 to progress to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, advancing 4-2 on aggregate after last week's surprise defeat in Valencia. Dembele, twice assisted by Lionel Messi, moved Barca ahead in the tie with two fortuitous finishes in the first half. Messi added Barca's third after the break as the Catalans continued their bid for a fifth successive Spanish cup success. Positives Ernesto Valverde could not have hoped...

The transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs is open. Transfer Talk has been scouring the world's media and setting our correspondents loose to see who could be heading to or out of your club this month. TOP STORY: Vela could be Barcelona's Plan B Transfers How a transfer works With help from former Tottenham and Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli, we show you a step-by-step guide to a transfer. What's a medical like? Can a 44-year-old man cut it in the Premier League? Our writer suffers -- and suffers some more -- through a medical at Everton. Watch live games, ESPN FC TV and MLS Rewind on ESPN+ in the U.S. LIVE: Latest from Transfer Talk FC Exclusives - Chelsea close on Higuain loan - PSG make Weigl top target - Barca's Malcom available for €41m - Rossi rules out MLS, eyes Europe - Man United to wait for Koulibaly Carlos Vela has emerged as a January option to cover Barcelona's striker shortage, according to several reports. Vela, currently at LAFC, has experience in La Liga, having played at Real Sociedad for seven seasons prior to arriving in MLS in 2018. According...

Get caught up on the Premier League weekend with the Exploding Heads in a convenient 90-second (plus stoppages) package. Posting throwback photos my by a regular occurrence on social media -- there is a whole day of the week reserved for it, after all -- but there have been a spate of them this week thanks to the #10yearchallenge. Toe Poke thought it would have a crack at the social media trend and examine exactly how some of today's most prominent football stars looked a decade ago, back in the halcyon days of 2009. (function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(d.getElementById(id))return;js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src='https://embed.playbuzz.com/sdk.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,'script','playbuzz-sdk'));

The transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs is open again. Transfer Talk has been scouring the world's media and setting our correspondents loose to see who could be heading to/out of your club this month. TOP STORY: Tottenham weighing up loan offer for Malcom Transfers How a transfer works With help from former Tottenham and Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli, we show you a step-by-step guide to a transfer. What's a medical like? Can a 44-year-old man cut it in the Premier League? Our writer suffers -- and suffers some more -- through a medical at Everton. Watch live games, ESPN FC TV and MLS Rewind on ESPN+ in the U.S. LIVE: Latest from Transfer Talk FC Exclusives - Chelsea close on Higuain loan - PSG make Weigl top target - Barca's Malcom available for €41m - Rossi rules out MLS, eyes Europe - Man United to wait for Koulibaly Injury-hit Tottenham have become the latest side linked with out-of-favour Barcelona forward Malcom. The Daily Star claim the north Londoners are preparing for a spell without Harry Kane after the striker limped off...

ESPN FC's Ligue 1 correspondent Julien Laurens shares the latest on Adrien Rabiot's future, amid links between the PSG midfielder and Barcelona. Todibo's signing for Barcelona has raised eyebrows, but everything in his career so far suggests that he is ready for the challenge. The little Stade Municipal in Les Lilas hasn't changed much since the first time Jean-Clair Todibo walked in 10 years ago. It's still located at the bottom of a big council estate, with the main pitch in the middle and the training ones next to it. It's a place very familiar to Todibo, who joined this small club in the north of Paris, with a first-team currently competing in the fifth tier of the French league system, at just 6 years old. He used to come and train here two or three times a week...

Luis Suarez found the net twice and Lionel Messi scored his 400th La Liga goal, as Barcelona cruised past Eibar at the Camp Nou. Two Luis Suarez strikes and Lionel Messi's 400th La Liga goal helped Barcelona beat Eibar 3-0 at Camp Nou on Sunday. Suarez opened the scoring in the first half after good play from Philippe Coutinho, then set up Messi's landmark goal after the break before rounding off the scoring as Barca restored their five-point lead at the top of the table. Postives Suarez's form has been hot and cold over the past 18 months and that, combined with the fact he is nearly 32, mean questions have been asked about...

The transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs is open again. Transfer Talk has been scouring the world's media and setting our correspondents loose to see who could be heading to/out of your club this month. TOP STORY: Coutinho to United? According to Calciomercato, via The Star, Manchester United are readying themselves (six months early) to splash the cash for Philippe Coutinho in the summer.  Barcelona will want to make back as much of the £140 million they spent on the Brazilian...

Valverde and Barcelona will likely overturn the 2-1 first leg deficit in the second leg vs. Levante. But should they just let the Copa del Rey go? "I know it's a risk," Ernesto Valverde admitted. It was Thursday night and FC Barcelona's manager was contemplating only his eighth defeat since taking over at the club. For the second time in eight months, it had come away at Levante. In May 2018, it cost them the chance to become the first team to ever complete a league season unbeaten; now, in January 2019, it left them on the edge in the Copa del Rey, departing the Ciutat de Valencia beaten again, surprisingly weakening their defence of...

The transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs is open again. Transfer Talk has been scouring the world's media and setting our correspondents loose to see who could be heading to/out of your club this month. TOP STORY: Coutinho to make way for Neymar? Transfers How a transfer works With help from former Tottenham and Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli, we show you a step-by-step guide to a transfer. What's a medical like? Can a 44-year-old man cut it in the Premier League? Our writer suffers -- and suffers some more -- through a medical at Everton. Watch live games, ESPN FC TV and MLS Rewind on ESPN+ in the U.S. LIVE: Latest from Transfer Talk FC Exclusives - Chelsea close on Higuain loan - PSG make Weigl top target - Barca's Malcom available for €41m - Rossi rules out MLS, eyes Europe - Man United to wait for Koulibaly It seems odd to suggest that Philippe Coutinho is playing for his future at Barcelona, given he made a £142m move to Camp Nou just a year ago, but that's exactly what the Evening Standard claim. Coutinho has started only one of Barca's...

Malcom's struggles at Barcelona continued, as the Brazilian was a non-factor in Barca's Copa del Rey defeat to Levante. Barcelona have work to do in the Copa del Rey after they were beaten 2-1 at Levante in their round-of-16 first-leg tie on Thursday. Goals from Erick Cabaco and Borja Mayoral pushed Levante into a two-goal lead inside 20 minutes at the Ciudad de Valencia Stadium against a heavily rotated Barca side. The Catalans improved after the break, though, and grabbed a consolation via a late penalty from Philippe Coutinho after good work from substitute Denis Suarez. The two teams will meet again in the second...

Arsenal boss Unai Emery insists he respects Aaron Ramsey's decision to join Italian giants Juventus. It's the first edition of Shaka Hislop's Power Rankings of 2019, and after Barcelona's Copa del Rey loss, there's a new team at No. 1. (function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(d.getElementById(id))return;js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src='https://embed.playbuzz.com/sdk.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,'script','playbuzz-sdk')); Dropping out: Napoli Agree? Disagree? Let us know, and watch Shaka defend his picks on ESPN FC TV.

Football fans familiar with La Liga in the early 2000s will understand that the mere mention of Luis Figo and pigs in the same sentence instantly conjures images of a fairly grotesque nature. Thankfully, the former Barcelona and Real Madrid star is doing his bit to redress the balance these days and make amends with the porcine community. After a swIm time for a siesta!!! >#=7 pic.twitter.com/WCFG2j8Ors— Luís Figo (@LuisFigo) 7 January 2019 Indeed, Figo is currently enjoying a winter holiday in the Bahamas, were he has enjoyed a swim in the ocean with a couple of local pigs, their heads still mercifully...

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez netted the goals for Barcelona against Getafe as they extended their La Liga lead to five points. Barcelona kicked off the New Year with a 2-1 win at Getafe but were second-best for large parts. Lionel Messi opened the scoring against the run of play, and Luis Suarez doubled Barca's lead with a thumping volley from the edge of the box. Jaime Mata pulled one back before the break, then missed an open goal in the second half as the home side failed to take advantage of their pressure. Positives The positives for Barca came elsewhere this weekend. Second-placed Atletico Madrid and third-placed...

ESPN FC's Shaka Hislop sifts through all the latest transfer rumours surrounding N'Golo Kante, Callum Wilson and many more in Transfer Rater. The transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs is open again. Transfer Talk has been scouring the world's media and setting our correspondents loose to see who could be heading to/out of your club this month. TOP STORY: Real Madrid, Barcelona to beat Man United to Koulibaly? Transfers How a transfer works With help from former Tottenham and Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli, we show you a step-by-step guide to a transfer. What's a medical like? Can a 44-year-old man cut it in the Premier League? Our writer suffers -- and suffers some more -- through a medical at Everton. Watch live games, ESPN FC TV and MLS Rewind on ESPN+ in the U.S. LIVE: Latest from Transfer Talk FC Exclusives - Chelsea close on Higuain loan - PSG make Weigl top target - Barca's Malcom available for €41m - Rossi rules out MLS, eyes Europe - Man United to wait for Koulibaly Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly recently said 'see you soon, bro' to Paul Pogba, sparking wild transfer speculation that he was about to sign for Manchester United. But could the pair be set to meet up at a different club? Naples-based...

BARCELONA, Spain -- Once upon a time, Barcelona routinely produced the nominees and winners for the Golden Boy, an annual award given to Europe's best player under the age of 21. Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas rank among the previous winners of the prestigious prize, but this year, Barca were barely even a footnote. Just one player with a La Masia background made the final, 20-man shortlist -- and he doesn't even play for the club anymore. Dani Olmo left for Dinamo Zagreb four years ago. He...

It isn't until you get near the block Lionel Messi grew up on that you start to see signs that the Barcelona legend is from there. ROSARIO, Argentina -- There's only one place Lionel Messi and his family go to spend Christmas, and it isn't Ibiza, Los Angeles or Monte Carlo. The Argentine might have lived in Barcelona since he was 13 years old, but every Christmas, he and his family return to their native city of Rosario. This year was no exception. The Messi clan flew back from Barcelona in their private jet, dropped Luis Suarez and his family in Uruguay en route and landed in Rosario on Sunday morning. Eating a milanesa napolitana,...

The guys respond to your tweets about Christmas traditions, Boxing Day, Tottenham's ambition in the Premier League and Jose Mourinho's future. The last Power Rankings of 2018 sees Barcelona continue to lead the way, ahead of Liverpool and Juventus. (function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(d.getElementById(id))return;js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src='https://embed.playbuzz.com/sdk.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,'script','playbuzz-sdk')); Dropping out: Chelsea, Manchester City.  Agree? Disagree? Let us know, and watch Shaka defend his picks on ESPN FC TV.

Kylian Mbappe found the net for the twelfth time this season for PSG, as the league leaders secured another three points at Parc des Princes. Craig Burley reflects on Ole Gunnar's Solskjaer's fantastic start as Manchester United manager. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought smiles back to Manchester United, while Manchester City suffered a shock defeat this weekend. Elsewhere, Lionel Messi did Lionel Messi things (again) as Real Madrid went on to win the Club World Cup.  It's been an eventful weekend in football, and here are the best numbers from it: 2 Since 2010, there have only been two instances in which a player from Europe's Top 5 Leagues has at least 15 goals and 10 assists through 17 match days. On both occasions, it's...

Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi both found the net for Barcelona who enjoyed a comfortable win at the Camp Nou. Jordi Alba was Barcelona's best against Celta Vigo, producing a sublime assist for Barca's second. BARCELONA, Spain -- Goals from Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi helped Barcelona end the calendar year with a comfortable 2-0 win over Celta Vigo at Camp Nou. Dembele opened the scoring early in the first half from close range before Messi added the second just before the break after a brilliant pass from Jordi Alba. The win restored Barca's three-point lead at the top of La Liga going into the winter break. Positives In Messi and Dembele (and Suarez), Barca have the league's best attack. No...