By: Casey Rhine
Ohhhh El Clásico, where to begin. One of soccer's most heated, yet most deeply cherished rivalries.Few of you readers get to experience El Clasico, in Barcelona, while it's happening. This was my mission on December 23rd and should be your mission on May 6th if you are not lucky enough to go to the game in the Camp Nou.
MADRID — The top court in Spain's Catalonia region on Friday overturned Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves' rape conviction, saying the case against him had inconsistencies and contradictions.
The 41-year-old defender was convicted last year of raping a woman in the restroom of a Barcelona nightclub in 2022 and sentenced to 4-1/2 years in prison.
Dani Alves rape conviction overturned
BARCELONA — Raphinha scored twice and Lamine Yamal netted with a stunning strike as a superb Barcelona dismantled Benfica 3-1 in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, advancing to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 aggregate victory.
It was an inspired evening for teenager Yamal who was virtually unplayable running up and down the right channel, creating most of Barca's scoring chances.
Lamine Yamal goal vs Benfica
BARCELONA — Atletico Madrid clawed back from two goals down to rescue a 4-4 draw at Barcelona in a rip-roaring battle in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Tuesday.
Atletico stunned the home side early on, taking a two-goal lead with Julian Alvarez opening the scoring inside the first minute and Antoine Griezmann extending their advantage five minutes later.
Barcelona vs Atletico highlights
The Champions League last-16 draw threw up some mouth-watering matches with holders Real Madrid playing local rivals Atletico Madrid while Bayern Munich were drawn against Bundesliga title challengers Bayer Leverkusen on Friday.
Champions League draw bracket
In a surprising move, FIFA has significantly slashed ticket prices for this summer’s inaugural 2025 Club World Cup in the United States.
2025 Club World Cup ticket price drop: FIFA 'panicking' amid low fan interest
Reports from Mail Sport indicate that the cost of the cheapest seats for matches at the last-16 stage and beyond has been reduced by as much as $385, with some tickets for the semi-finals plummeting from an eye-watering $526 to just $140.
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.
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.
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.