Barcelona remain top of LaLiga, despite their 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

The Spanish champions trailed to an Oscar De Marcos goal until the 84th minute, when Lionel Messi set up Munir El Haddadi to equalize.

Later in the day, Real Madrid went into their Derby clash against Atletico Madrid, looking to overtake their fierce rivals.

However, Julen Lopetegui’s men could only muster a 0-0 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Both Real and Barca have 14 points after seven fixtures, but the Nou Camp side are ahead on goals difference.

The Union of European Football Associations, UEFA, has revealed nine records Barcelona ace, Lionel Messi and Juventus star, Cristiano Ronaldo have not yet broken in the history of Europe’s topflight competitions, (Champions League and Europe League).

UEFA took to their official website on Wednesday to release the records, indicating that Messi and Ronaldo are yet to break the following feats in the Europe topflight leagues:

1. Most appearances – Messi has 126, while Ronaldo has 158, but the record is being held by Porto goalkeeper, Iker Casillas (179).

2. Most final goals – Messi has scored only two final goals (in 2009 and 2011), while Ronaldo has four (one apiece in 2008 and 2014, and two in 2017) but is still three shy of the record shared by two Real Madrid legends, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, who have both scored seven.

3. Oldest goalscorer – AC Milan legend, Paolo Maldini scored for his side’s defeat to Liverpool at the age of 36 in the 2005 Champions League final and also Roma legend, Francesco Totti scored at the age of 38 in his side’s Champions League group stage clash against CSKA Moskva in 2014.

4. Player with most success with different clubs – Clarence Seedorf (Ajax 1995, Real Madrid 1998, Milan 2003, 2007) and Zlatan Ibrahimović (Ajax, Juventus, Internazionale, Barcelona, Milan, Paris Saint-Germain) are both ahead of Messi and Ronaldo.

5. Fastest goal – Roy Makaay scored in 10.12 seconds for Bayern München against Real Madrid in 2007. Ronaldo’s earliest Champions League goal came in the fourth minute for Real Madrid against Juventus in 2013, while Messi’s fastest goal came in three minutes into Barcelona’s 7-0 win against Celtic in 2016.

6. Long-distance goal – Manchester United legend, Ryan Giggs has sixteen long-distance goals in the Champions League. Ronaldo has 13, while Messi has 14.

7. Goalscoring consistency – Bayern Munich forward, Gerd Müller has 0.97 goals per game ratio. Ronaldo has 0.76, while Messi has 0.82.

8. Fastest hat-tricks – Bafétimbi Gomis got his fastest hat-trick for Olympique Lyonnais against Dinamo Zagreb in 2011. Ronaldo scored his fastest hat-trick in 12 minutes for Real Madrid against Malmö in 2012, while Messi scored his fastest hat-trick in 22 minutes for Barcelona against Arsenal in 2010.

9. Most goals in a single European season – Colombia striker, Radamel Falcao scored 18 goals for Porto during the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League. Messi’s best year came in 2011/12 when he ended the European season with 14 goals, while Ronaldo set a European Cup/UEFA Champions League record with 17 in 2013/14.

Sevilla’s Portuguese forward Andre Silva (C) celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish league football match Sevilla FC against Real Madrid CF at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville on September 26, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / CRISTINA QUICLER

Barcelona conceded twice in 68 seconds and Real Madrid were three down at half-time as La Liga’s two title favourites were each stunned by surprise defeats on Wednesday night.
Barca’s 2-1 loss to relegation fighters Leganes was the greater shock but Madrid’s beating was more emphatic, blown away 3-0 by Sevilla after a torrid 39 minutes at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

For both, it was their first defeat of the season and for both, defensive fragility was the key factor, which will be a major concern with the second round of Champions League games to come next week.

By the end, Atletico Madrid, who had cruised to victory over Huesca on Tuesday and play Real on Saturday, were the biggest winners. After a stuttering start, Diego Simeone’s side will jump above Real with a win at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Sevilla can be a formidable opponent on their own patch but few expected Leganes to inflict what was only Barcelona’s second league defeat in 17 months.

“We are in a very difficult moment that was unexpected,” Barca coach Ernesto Valverde said.

Gerard Pique committed the decisive error, his fluffed clearance allowing Oscar Rodriguez to score Leganes’ second goal in two incredible minutes at Estadio Municipal de Butarque.

Nabil El Zhar had nodded in an equaliser moments before and by the end Philippe Coutinho’s sumptuous early volley was reduced to little more than a footnote.

After drawing at home to Girona on Sunday, albeit with 10 men, Valverde’s selection also came under scrutiny, after he opted to rotate for the second time in three days.

Against Girona, it was Coutinho, Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti on the bench and just as they all had to be called upon in the second half at the Camp Nou, so were Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba this time.

“Of course the coach is responsible, a losing coach always feels responsible,” Valverde said.

“But obviously it is easy now to talk about the rotations – in the end, matches are analysed on results – but you can’t win the league with only eleven players.”

Barcelona face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday and then Tottenham at Wembley in the Champions League four days later but one point from two of La Liga’s lesser opponents is a concern.

So is the form of Pique, who was also at fault against Girona and will almost certainly start against Spurs, with Umtiti suspended.

“You have to judge the whole team, not individuals,” Sergio Busquets said.

“There are no excuses. We have to concede fewer goals and be more solid. Today the league isn’t lost but we might miss these three points at the end of the season.”

Real Madrid, who were just kicking off as Leganes closed out, could have pulled three points clear at the top but instead were three down at half-time for the first time in a league game since 2003, also against Sevilla.

Twice Jesus Navas sped away on the counter-attack, and twice he found Andre Silva, the first time with a deliberate cut-back, the second when his shot was palmed out for a rebound.

Wissam Ben Yedder added a third six minutes before the interval, volleying in from close range after the Madrid defence had pushed out.

“We had a bad first half,” Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui said. “Especially a bad start, when they scored two goals and set the tone for the game.

“We have to pick ourselves up, we have another important game in three days so we congratulate Sevilla and recognise we have not played how we wanted.”

Modric, who has had a stellar year for club and country, was also named Midfielder of the Season for the second successive year.
As expected, Los Blancos cleaned up at the awards ceremony after lifting a third successive Champions League title last season.

Sergio Ramos picked up the Defender of the Year, while Keylor Navas scooped the Goalkeeper of the Year accolade.
Former Manchester United and Real Madrid star David Beckham was honoured with the President's award.

Full award winners:
UEFA President's award: David Beckham

UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season: Keylor Navas (Real Madrid)

UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

UEFA Champions League Forward of the Season: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

UEFA Women's Player of the Year: Pernille Harder (Wolfsburg & Denmark)

UEFA Men's Player of the Year: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

Real Madrid have reportedly decided to make one final offer to sign Chelsea winger Eden Hazard this month.

The European champions are long-term admirers of the Belgium international, but it had appeared that Chelsea had won the battle to keep their star man until at least next summer.

Hazard has suggested that he is committed to representing Chelsea during the current campaign but according to The Mirror, Real are prepared to make another effort to tempt the Blues into a sale before the end of the August window.

The Spanish giants are yet to find a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, and new boss Julen Lopetegui is keen to bring in a new attacker over the next 10 days.

The report suggests that Real do not realistically expect Chelsea to change their stance regarding Hazard this summer, but are putting in the work to try to convince the 27-year-old to move to the Bernabeu in 2019.

Ronaldo and Messi

Ernesto Valverde has said that Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Juventus could be a turning point in his rivalry with Lionel Messi.

Barcelona and Real Madrid’s encounters were taken up a notch following Ronaldo’s move to the Bernabeu in 2009, and Ronaldo and Messi have won every Ballon d’Or for the last decade.

Real Madrid are yet to make a big-money signing to fill the gap left by Ronaldo, but Valverde is still expectant to see if they try to replace him before the window shuts on Aug. 31 and is interested in seeing how they cope without him.

“Ronaldo’s departure would seem to have ended the competition between Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo because people rarely mention one without mentioning the other,” Valverde told Barca Magazine.

“A lot of people are interested, me too, to see how it will affect Real Madrid’s football and what they might do in the transfer market, and also knowing that Ronaldo is at another club and what that might mean for La Liga and the Champions League too.”

other when the team won five out of six possible trophies, so the club always wants to win the lot. But you can’t always win the lot, it’s very difficult.

Lionel Messi’s brother, Matias, who was found guilty of possessing an illegal firearm, has been handed a two-and-a-half-year suspended prison sentence.

The footballer’s older brother, who was found with the illegal firearm in a blood-stained boat which he crashed in the Parana River, received a two-and-a-half year prison sentence on Thursday August 16th but instead of going to jail, he will undertake community service.

It was gathered that Lionel Messi’s brother who was initially held under preventive arrest and later released while he recovered from a fractured jaw and other injuries in the Santa Fe province of Argentina, was handed the community service option through a deal with investigating prosecutors.

It also emerged that under Argentinian law, Messi’s brother could have be sentenced to up to eight and a half years in prison if convicted. The minimum prison sentence he could have face for an illegal firearms conviction, would be three and a half years according to local reports.

Matias’ lawyer Ignacio Carbone had also initially insisted he checked himself into hospital after injuring himself when he hit a sandbank – and has suggested the gun found on the boat could have been planted by cops.

Matias who has been linked with known criminals in the past, was held for 16 hours in a prison cell for in 2015 after officers found an an unlicensed 22-caliber gun in his car. He was also arrested in 2008 for allegedly having a loaded gun in his belt.

Matias is the middle brother in the Messi family, with Rodrigo aged 38 and Lionel aged 31. The trio also have a younger sister, 31, called Maria. Matias and Rodrigo helped the Argentina international build up a huge passion for football by playing constantly together when they were younger.

Lionel Messi’s brother alongside his mother, Celia María Cuccittini – helps manage the Barcelona forward’s charitable organisation, the Leo Messi Foundation.

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has described Juventus signing of Cristiano Ronaldo as “A Waste Of Money”.
Juventus paid Real Madrid £105m earlier this summer for the Portuguese.

The deal will see Ronaldo earn £106m over the four years on his current contract.

The 33-year-old has had his first training session with new Juventus teammates today in Turin.
And Napoli Presi De Laurentiis has mocked the deal.

“Spending so much money to buy only one player at the end of his career is very dangerous,” De Laurentiis told La Vertia.

“Let’s remember that Cristiano Ronaldo is of a certain age and in terms of the club’s balancing of accounts his signing is a risky move.
“The signing of Ronaldo is out of any standard.

“If you start to pay such absurd and out-of-the-ordinary salaries, sooner or later this turns against you.”

By signing Ronaldo, Juventus became the first Italian club to break the £100m barrier for incoming transfer.

They also smashed the previous transfer record in Italy by landing Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli in a £75m deal two years ago.

“(Ronaldo) has at his side what – perhaps- is the most intelligent of sports agents: Jorge Mendes,” De Laurentiis added.

“I had been with him for breakfast in Portugal and in those days we talked about the goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

“Then, when it was clear that Real wanted to left home (Real Madrid), he called me and said: ‘Listen Aurelio, can we play this game?’

“Was it too expensive? Nah. That said, it’s a nonsense. I imagined a model in which the costs were matched exclusively with the proceeds mirrored to the relative costs of the operation.

“I had told Mendes: ‘Do you think that Ronaldo will mak me rich? If so, we do it so the first €250m turnover goes to Napoli, and the next €100m are due to Ronaldo’.

“If he could actually earn (those figures), he would hav nothing to risk or to fear.

“But then Juve arrived, and – behind FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, who have part-funded the Ronaldo deal) – raised the stakes.”

Nigeria’s Super Eagles Ahmed Musa’s goal against Iceland was ranked eighth among the Top 10 goals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup which held in Russia.
The winner of the Hyundai Goal of the Tournament was Benjamin Pavard of France.

Top 10 World Cup Goals;

1. Pavard (France) vs Argentina

2. Quintero (Mexico) vs Japan

3. Modric (Croatia) vs Argentina

4. Ronaldo (Portugal) vs Spain

5. Messi (Argentina) vs Nigeria

6. Cheryshev (Russia) vs Croatia

7. Chadli (Belgium) vs Japan

8. Musa (Nigeria) vs Iceland

9. Quaresma (Portugal) vs Iran

10. Kroos (Germany) vs Sweden


This are the best goals scored in the World Cup 2018.

Midfielder of the French national team Paul Pogba shared his expectations from the finals of the 2018 World Cup against Croatia.

“The Croatian team played a very difficult match with England, but they did not give up. They lost 1: 0, but could turn the tide of the match.
There are two teams and one cup. They played on the World Cup for 90 minutes more than we did. I do not know if it will make it harder for them, or, conversely, add motivation to win.

In the finals everything can happen, for example, a penalty in the second minute. I do not think that luck will play a big role in this match, the best will be the most determined team.

Croats do not have stars on T-shirts, they want to get one. They have come a good way and want victory, just like we do. But I do not have a star, it’s only on a vest, I did not earn it. We want to get it for all of us, “Pogba said.

France vs Belgium: French football player Oliver Giroud has picked on Thiery Henry, who is a French citizen, but on the coaching crew of the Belgium team and to him, the French team will show him that he has chosen the wrong side.

Retired French striker Henry is now a member of the Belgian coaching staff. The two sides will meet on Tuesday to decide who plays in July 15’s World Cup final.

“It is bizarre to have Thierry against us in this match,” Giroud said. “I would be very proud to show Thierry that he chose the wrong camp.”

Both teams have earned their billing as pre-tournament favourites, with France ousting Uruguay in the last eight and Belgium stunning five-time champions Brazil to book their own semi-final spot.
“I would have preferred to have Henry on our side, to give me and the other French forwards advice, but I am not too jealous,” the 31-year-old Giroud said.

The forward has been criticised by Henry in the past, but he said there were no hard feelings – just his hunger to win.
“It has been a few years since he said what he said about me. My job is to be good on the pitch, to represent France as well as possible. It is also a particular match for him.
“I really want to communicate (to France team-mates) my hunger to win.”

Kylian Mbappe also said it would be odd to face Henry. “It’s going to be weird to see Thierry again,” the 19-year-old told Telefoot. “He is someone I like a lot. There is a lot of respect between us. He was a great player, he inspired me.

“He is French, but he will be on the bench of the opponent. It will surely be weird for him too.”

Giroud said his team-mates knew Belgium very well with many players from both teams competing in the English Premier League, including himself.

But he said France were talented and experienced enough to break down Belgium’s defensive “wall” around keeper Thibaut Courtois.
“Courtois is difficult to play against. He is very good in this World Cup with a good defence in front of him,” Giroud said. “There will be gaps that will have to be used,” the forward added.
“I am convinced that we will break down this wall.”

Let the battle begun.

As rumours of a potential Cristiano Ronaldo move have been spreading, Juventus have seen their stock market shares raise by 5.89% on Wednesday.

Apart from strengthening the squad, such a transfer would also have a huge financial impact for the Old Lady, whose shares had already marked a notable 3.2% rise one day before.

Financial analysts indicated that the boost in the organisation's market price, has been made mainly because of the Portuguese's future, which has been linked with the Italian club.

Madrid are reportedly willing to accept a £100 million euro offer from Juventus, who would offer £30m euros per year to Ronaldo.

But actually we haven't heard a word from Cristiano Ronaldo about this. What all people's think is he will leaved Madrid and join Juventus.

No matter what he sacrificed everything for Madrid, even if leaves Madrid he'll not be forgotten.

AC Milan will not be able to take part in European competition for one season after being served a ban by UEFA for failing to complay with Financial Fair Play regulations, European football's governing body announced in a statement on their official web site this afternoon.

AC Milan have been banned from participating in European competition next season due to a contravention of Financial Fair Play, UEFA have confirmed.

The Rossoneri finished in sixth in last season's Serie A campaign, gaining a spot in the Europa League group stage for 2018-19.
But according to UEFA, the Italians have fallen foul of FFP laws and will not be able to take up their spot.

Milan will have the right to appeal, but if that is unsuccessful they will be expelled from the 2018-19 Europa League, although they would be eligible to enter again in 2019-20 if they qualify for either the Champions or Europa League.

A statement read: "The Adjudicatory Chamber of the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), chaired by Jose Narciso da Cunha Rodrigues, has taken a decision in the case of the club AC Milan that had been referred to it by the CFCB Chief Investigator for the breach of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations, in particular the break-even requirement.

"The club is excluded from participating in the next UEFA club competition for which it would otherwise qualify in the next two (2) seasons (i.e. one competition in 2018/19 or 2019/20, subject to qualification).

"This decision may be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, in accordance with Article 34(2) of the Procedural rules governing the UEFA Club Financial Control Body, as well as Articles 62 and 63 of the UEFA Statutes.
"Atalanta will qualify straight to the group phase. Fiorentina will enter the preliminary round."
Milan returned to European competition after an absence of three years in 2017-18, reaching the last 16 of the Europa League before going out to eventual finalists Arsenal.

The Reds forward has been nursing a shoulder problem since the Champions League final, but he is in contention to feature against Uruguay on Friday.

Mohamed Salah is in line to start Egypt’s opening game of World Cup 2018 against Uruguay, with Hector Cuper “100 per cent” confident the
Liverpool forward is over a shoulder injury.

The 25-year-old has been a fitness doubt for the Pharaohs since picking up an untimely problem in a Champions League final clash with Real Madrid on May 26.

Salah’s tears in Kiev suggested that he knew his international dreams were in danger of being dashed , but a positive period of rehabilitation has got him back in contention sooner than expected.

With Egypt resting much of their ambition on the shoulders of a talismanic presence who fired them to a first finals in 28 years, they are understandably keen for him to be involved as much as possible.

British born Nigerian football star Dele Alli was booed every time he touched the ball during the pre-World Cup friendly match yesterday between Nigeria and England.
And Nigerians have revealed the reason behind their action of the popular social media platform, twitter.

Bamidele Jermaine Alli, popularly known as Dele Alli, is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team.

Born on April 11, 1996 to Nigerian father, Kenny and English mother, Denise, Alli was raised in Milton Keynes.

In the run-up to the World Cup when a national team was being assembled for Nigeria, Alli opted to play for his country of birth, England.

This didn’t seem to sit well with Nigerian football fans who see his decision as not good enough.
Dele Alli is not new to controversy, though, as FIFA once banned the England midfielder for one international match following his middle-finger gesture in the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Slovakia late 2017.

He was also fined 5,000 Swiss francs (£3,852) by the governing body, which described the gesture as “offensive and unsporting.”
Nigerians took to Twitter to discuss why Alli was booed throughout the Nigeria-England Friendly, which England won 2:1.

Zinedine Zidane has resigned as manager of Real Madrid today. The Frenchman announced his decision after calling for an impromptu press conference following a meeting with club President Florentino Perez.
While the reason for the presser was not given, most of the Spanish news outlets had already come to the conclusion that Zidane had resigned. And it was proved right by the French great who confirmed the decision to step down.

Zidane enjoyed sensational success with the Los Blancos in two and a half years, winning the Champions League thrice and the LaLiga once apart from the Club World Cup.
Florentino Perez said, "Zinedine Zidane communicated to me yesterday the unexpected decision that he will leave as coach."

Zidane explained, "I love this club and the president who gave me the chance to play for this club and manage the club of my dreams. But everything changes and that's why I've taken the decision to leave."
"What I think is that this team needs to continue winning but I think it needs a change, a different voice, another methodology and that's why I took this decision."