Analysis

Champions Real Madrid suffered a shock 1-0 loss at Mallorca in LaLiga on Sunday thanks to a bizarre own goal by defender Nacho early in the first half.

Nacho left his teammates stunned as he tried to clear a cross in the 13th minute and headed the ball high over his own goalkeeper and into the net.

Nacho own goal vs. Mallorca

Vedat Muriqi with the perfect looping header to put Mallorca ahead of Real Madrid pic.twitter.com/K0D1TrUm9S

Paris Saint-Germain’s star boy and top scorer Kylian Mbappé will miss the next three weeks with a hamstring injury. The Mbappé injury means he’ll miss PSG’s first leg Round of 16 Champions League game vs. Bayern Munich on Feb. 14.

France defender Raphaël Varane is retiring from international football, ending a 10-year career with Les Bleus in which he won the World Cup in 2018 and was a runner-up four years later.

The 29-year-old, who has 93 caps after making his debut in 2013, and also helped Didier Deschamps's side win the UEFA Nations League in the 2020-21 season.

As our modern age moves ever closer to a world engulfed in technology, it is good to know that video games are keeping pace. After this weekend’s Ligue 1 match between PSG and Stade de Reims, it seems that Football Manager can now be seen as a legitimate step into the coaching world. Just look at Reims coach Will Still.

I’ve only known about 30-year-old Reims boss Will Still for 24 hours and I’m already obsessed with his career arc.

RABAT - Real Madrid are favorites for a record-extending fifth success at the Club World Cup, and in the process keeping up European dominance over South America in the annual tournament, which kicks off in Morocco on Wednesday.

Real, who won previously in 2014 and then three successive tournaments from 2016 to 2018, are on course for a showdown with Flamengo of Brazil in the final but both must play a semifinal match first before they can set up an intriguing decider in Rabat on Feb. 11.