It’s been a long time coming but the Real Madrid Femenino team has finally arrived, and there’s some North American representation in the form of Mexican defender Kenti Robles.

Previously known as Club Deportivo Tacón, Real Madrid officially announced the absorption of the team back in June of 2019 following its promotion to the Primera División. The club spent the 2019-20 season as Tacón, finishing in 10th with a record of six wins, five draws and 10 defeats in a season that was brought to a premature end by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

MADRID — Real Madrid have taken the final step towards officially launching their women's team after the Spanish soccer federation approved a deal to merge with CD Tacon, the club said in a statement on Wednesday.

Real agreed to absorb Tacon last year after they were promoted to the top division of Spanish women's soccer, a move that was approved by the club's members at last year's general assembly.

Veró Boquete is one of the most accomplished footballers in the world. A short list of her achievements includes being Spain’s all-time top scorer, having a stadium named after her and fighting for women to be included in the FIFA video game.

The 33-year-old has been all over the world playing for clubs in the United States, Spain, Russia, Sweden, Germany, France and China. She recently returned to the NWSL last year after a five-year hiatus from the U.S.

BARCELONA — Barcelona's women's team was officially declared champion of Spain's Liga Iberdrola on Friday after the national soccer federation's executive committee agreed to end all non-professional competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spain's women's soccer season is on the verge of being cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with champions in each tier being declared based on the standings before the campaign was halted, the country's football federation (RFEF) has said.

Relegation will be scrapped this term as a result of the decision, which must be ratified by the RFEF executive committee on Friday, the governing body added in a statement on Wednesday.

Much like they did during their 2019 World Cup Round of 16 match against the USWNT, Spain brought its sauce today with equal measures of intricate passing shapes and technical quality. During that 2-1 U.S. victory back in France, it was a shock to the system to see La Roja actually edge the possession statistic in the second half — today, they absolutely bossed it with 60 percent of the ball.

While much of the soccer-loving world was fixed to ESPN+ to watch Real Madrid lose dramatically to Real Sociedad or Barcelona struggle against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals on Thursday, there was a bigger match going on in Spain not shown on international TV. 

The nominations for FIFA's self-indulging award of naming "The Best FIFA Football Awards" for coaches and players were announced Wednesday morning. The winners will be revealed Sept. 23 in Milan at The Best FIFA Football Awards show. Here are the FIFA Best Awards nominees for 2019.

2019 FIFA Best Awards Nominees

Men's player finalsists

 Ready? #TheBest Men's Player nominees:

With the USWNT and Spain knotted at 1-1 after the hour mark at the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims on Monday, La Roja’s Patricia Guijarro broke free on the left-hand side of the U.S. defense and fizzed a shot just wide of Alyssa Naeher’s far post. It was in this moment that a possible upset of historic proportions went from “there’s no way in hell” to “oh shit, this kinda feels like it’s happening.”