Spain

LISBON — Raphinha scored deep into stoppage time to hand Barcelona a dramatic 5-4 comeback win at Benfica and a place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday after a hat-trick from Vangelis Pavlidis gave the hosts a two-goal halftime lead.

Barcelona vs Benfica highlights

Greek striker Pavlidis opened the scoring after two minutes with a tap-in before Robert Lewandowski equalized from the spot as VAR awarded Barca a penalty for a Tomas Araujo foul on Alejandro Balde in the 11th minute.

Fans have uncovered old tweets from Real Madrid's Dani Ceballos and Jude Bellingham that have shown their soft side for FC Barcelona prior to becoming UEFA Champions League winners with Los Blancos.

The tweets, posted long before both players became key figures at the Bernabéu, show the two players expressing strong opinions that now seem to conflict with their current affiliations.

Real Madrid cruised to a commanding 4-1 victory over UD Las Palmas at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Kylian Mbappé taking center stage as the man of the match after scoring a sensational brace. The game was anything but straightforward for Madrid, who were forced to mount a comeback after an explosive start from the visitors.

Watch: Kylian Mbappé brace against Las Palmas; sends Real Madrid to LaLiga first place

MADRID — The Miami Dolphins will play one of their nine home games of the 2025 season in Spain at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the National Football League (NFL) and the Spanish soccer giants announced on Friday.

The NFL continues to push into new markets after establishing an international toehold in Europe with regular games in London and Germany and expanding into Mexico and Brazil and they will now play a first-ever regular-season game in Spain at the iconic soccer stadium.

Lionel Messi wanted to make Neymar the best player in the world.

In a candid interview with Brazilian national team legend, Romario, on the Romario Onze podcast, Neymar Jr. opened up about the real reasons he left FC Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, offering more insight into one of the most talked-about transfers in soccer history.

Colombia captain James Rodriguez has joined Mexico's Liga MX side Club Leon from LaLiga's Rayo Vallecano on a free transfer, both teams announced on Monday.

Local media reports said Rodriguez had signed a one-year contract with an option for another season.

James Rodriguez Leon transfer

¡SOY JAMES, SOY FIERA!

pic.twitter.com/FHZRg96Wkq

In a spectacular Super Cup final, Barcelona triumphed over Real Madrid with a dominant 5-2 scoreline, cementing their status as one of the best teams in the world and their recent dominance over Los Blancos.

! pic.twitter.com/oNI37RtVUZ

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 12, 2025

jEDDAH — Goals from Gavi and Lamine Yamal earned Barcelona a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final in Jeddah on Wednesday to reach their third successive final.

Gavi opened the scoring in the 17th minute and Yamal doubled Barca's lead seven minutes after the break.

Gavi turned provider with a delightful pass played forward which Lamal controlled beautifully on the turn before taking the ball into the area and coolly driving his shot past Simon.

Lamine Yamal goal vs Athletic Bilbao

Jan 4 (Reuters) - Barcelona's Dani Olmo and Pau Victor will be unable to play for the LaLiga side in the second half of the season, Spanish football authorities said on Saturday, rejecting the club's latest attempt to extend their registration.

Midfielder Olmo, 26, who helped Spain to European Championship glory last year, has been an integral part of Barcelona's team this season, while forward Victor, 23, has been largely restricted to substitute appearances.