Real Madrid

The UEFA Champions League has confirmed the fixtures for the new "league phase" format for the 2024/25 season. The draw marks a significant change from the traditional group stage format, with a shift towards a league phase that includes 36 teams, an increase from the previous 32.

Spoiler: Paris Saint-Germain are not liking the new format.

Confirmed: New UEFA Champions League "league phase" draw fixtures

Pot 1 fixtures:

MADRID, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Second-half strikes by Federico Valverde, Brahim Díaz and Endrick gave feeble Real Madrid an unconvincing 3-0 win over lowly Real Valladolid on Sunday, earning the defending champions their first win of the LaLiga season.

Although Real dominated possession, they struggled to breach Valladolid's ultra-defensive approach until breaking the deadlock from a free kick in the 50th minute, with Valverde slotting in a thunderous strike from the edge of the box.

MADRID — Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham sustained a muscle injury during training, the Spanish club said on Friday, and will miss key games for club and country.

The 21-year-old England international, who was a key player last season when Real won the Champions League and LaLiga titles, will be sidelined for several weeks, according to club sources.

Jude Bellingham injury

Aug 18 (Reuters) - Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was critical of his team's lack of balance and bad defending in a 1-1 draw at Mallorca in their LaLiga season opener on Sunday.

Ancelotti said his players lacked focus after taking an early lead through Rodrygo in the 13th minute but allowing Mallorca to rescue a point with a Vedat Muriqi header after the break.

MADRID, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Real Madrid and Brazil forward Vinicius Jr. is open to an offer of more than one billion euros from Saudi Arabia, sources close to the player told Reuters on Monday.

Saudi Arabia to offer Vinicius Jr. $200 million salary

Vinicius, 24, was approached by Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) officials to inquire about his interest of moving to the Saudi Pro League (SPL) on a five-year contract worth around 200 million euros per season fixed, plus bonuses.

Portugal defender Pepe has retired from football, the 41-year-old said on Thursday.

Pepe's last game came at Euro 2024, where Portugal were defeated by France on penalties in the quarter-finals, and he became the oldest player to appear at a European Championship finals tournament.

Pepe retires

The race for the upcoming Ballon d’Or is going to be close.

As anticipation builds for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, the battle for soccer’s most coveted individual award is shaping up to be thrilling. 

After a long 2023-24 campaign, paired with a summer full of international play with the Euros and Copa América, the number of contenders for the award has only increased.

MADRID — France forward Kylian Mbappé said on Tuesday he was so convinced he would one day play for Real Madrid that he began taking Spanish classes at school.

"Since I was a child, I knew my destiny was to play for Real Madrid," Mbappé said at a Bernabeu stadium packed with fans, many of them wearing replica shirts with his name.

June 10 (Reuters) - Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said his comments to an Italian daily that Real Madrid would decline FIFA's invitation to participate in the Club World Cup had not been interpreted the way he intended, as the La Liga side reiterated its desire to play in the tournament.

Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid will not participate in inaugural 2025 FIFA Club World Cup