Referees

Real Madrid’s turbulent week took another dramatic twist on Sunday as Kylian Mbappé was shown a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Alavés midfielder Antonio Blanco in the Galacticos' away 1-0 win at Mendizorrotza Stadium.

The flashpoint came just minutes after Eduardo Camavinga had given Los Blancos a glimmer of redemption with a thunderous long-range strike, putting the visitors ahead in what was expected to be a bounce-back performance following their humiliating Champions League defeat to Arsenal.

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano was fuming about a controversial VAR decision during his side’s 1-0 loss to LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Wednesday. The Argentine said LAFC deserved a red card and that the moment in question is “a red in China and on the moon.”

LAFC were fortunate not to go a player down when forward Nathan Ordaz was caught up in an off-the-ball skirmish with Miami defender Maximiliano Falcón. In the first half Ordaz was seen striking Falcón.

Mascherano VAR controversy vs. LAFC

UEFA said the correct decision was made to disallow Julian Alvarez's penalty in Atletico Madrid's Champions League loss to city rivals Real Madrid on Wednesday but European soccer's governing body would enter discussions to review the rule.

A livid Atletico enquired with UEFA after Alvarez had his shootout penalty ruled out by the referee in their last-16 tie that saw Real reach the quarter-finals of Europe's elite club competition.

The second leg of the Madrid Derby in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday had high drama with the main focus being a Julián Alvarez penalty being disallowed during the shootout which Real Madrid won 4-2 after drawing 2-2 on aggregate.

Alvarez appeared to convert Atlético Madrid’s second penalty when he powered his penalty kick into the roof of the net despite slipping.

Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho was handed a four-match ban and fined by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) on Thursday following his comments about Turkish referees after a match at Galatasaray.

The TFF fined the 62-year-old Portuguese $44,000 after he criticized the match officials in a press conference following the 0-0 Super Lig draw on Monday.

José Mourinho ban for comments on referees

Major League Soccer put its foot down and showed that no one is above the rules as Lionel Messi and superstar teammate Luis Suárez were both hit with fines after week 1 of the new season.

Suárez and Messi fined by MLS

The attacking pair were fined an undisclosed amount for violating the league’s “hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent” rule.

Cristiano Ronaldo turned 40 this February and hasn’t lost an ounce of his competitiveness. A “Ronaldo kicks ball into stands” video from Al Nassr’s 3-2 defeat to Al Ettifaq on Friday has gone viral.

In stoppage time Al Nassr were down a goal and in desperate need of an equalizer. The Saudi giants then went down a man after new star signing Jhon Durán was given a ridiculous red card.

Inter Miami and Lionel Messi’s first competitive match of the 2025 season was one for the books. And, of course, autograph worthy.

The final whistle of Inter Miami CF’s Concacaf Champions Cup match against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday night at Children's Mercy Park saw a referee ask Lionel Messi for his autograph, forcing Concacaf to put out a statement to confirm their disciplinary action against the official.