BIRMINGHAM CITY VS. BARCELONA | 2-2 | INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY|

 

'DECO SENT AN OFFER' - JOAN LAPORTA SAYS BARCELONA HAVE MADE A BID FOR JULIAN ALVAREZ

“We know the player has wanted to come since before playing for Manchester City.”

Photo by Guillermo Martinez/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images

Joan Laporta is officially Barcelona president again and spoke about Julian Alvarez at an inauguration event on Wednesday.

Barcelona are keen to bring in Alvarez this summer but Atletico continue to insist they haven’t received an offer from the Catalans and that he’s not for sale.

Laporta insists that the two clubs have been talking and that Deco submitted a bid, believed to be for 100 million euros, for the Argentina international.

“We’ve spoken with Atlético de Madrid and Deco sent an offer. We know the player has wanted to come since before playing for Manchester City,” he said.

”I spoke with Gil Marin, who told me that in principle they did not plan to sell. The offer is firm and we will maintain it. We will not be at the expense of what Atlético de Madrid says.

“We have a great relationship with Atleti. The offer will remain in force and could be made, but it is not unlimited in time. Atlético says that they do not sell because they had no alternative; now if they have an alternative, we will see.”

Marin also admitted previously that he’d spoken with Laporta about Alvarez but also accused the Barca chief of “disrespecting” his club and insisted the Catalans aren’t capable of carrying out such a big-money transfer.

- Gill Clark

ANTHONY GORDON'S HUGE £80M BARCELONA DEAL WITH THREE CLAUSES SET TO MAKE NEWCASTLE MILLIONS

Anthony Gordon's sale to Barcelona could prove highly lucrative for Newcastle United down the line

Anthony Gordon made a big-money move to Barcelona before the World Cup(Image: Getty Images)

Anthony Gordon's move to Barcelona this summer could end up landing Newcastle United millions due to three clauses inserted into the deal. While he's been at the centre of one of the biggest transfers of the summer, the Liverpudlian winger failed to impress for England against Ghana on Tuesday evening.

In fact, so far, he's looked a shadow of the man that the Catalan giants shelled out in excess of £69.3million for. Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel elected to keep Gordon in his starting line-up for the tie with the Black Stars despite also underperforming in England's 4-2 win over Croatia last week.

Gordon's speed, directness and ability to race to the byline are just some of the reasons Barcelona chose to move for him over Marcus Rashford, who had impressed on loan at Barca last season. However, Gordon will do well to keep his place for England's clash with Panama on Saturday night.

Despite Gordon more often than not starring for Newcastle during his time in the North East, there'll be sections of the fanbase who believe they've had the better end of the deal with the player currently struggling at the World Cup.

He's signed on for five years in Spain and the figures involved are rather astonishing. His deal is set to expire in 2031 and it's thought he's pulling in £300,000 per week, for an annual salary of £15.6 million. Over the full five years of his contract, this amounts to around just shy of £80m.

Gordon, who joined Newcastle from Everton in 2023, cost the club £45m. The deal to take the attacker to the Camp Nou will see 15 per cent being paid to the Toffees.

Gordon struggled to make an impact against Ghana(Image: Getty Images)

With that in mind, the Magpies' trio of clauses mean there's a reality where they will bank much more than the initial fee for Gordon in the future.

Here we take a look at the trio of clauses, which were added to the deal by the club's sporting director Ross Wilson, and just how much Newcastle could bank from the deal.

The 60% Appearance Clause

Newcastle will receive £860,000 (€1m) per season if Gordon features in at least 60 per cent of Barcelona's fixtures, something he has never struggled to do during his time at St James' Park. If he stays fit and remains a regular starter, Newcastle will max this out at £4.3m (€5m) by the end of his contract.

The Silverware Clause

A further £4.3m (€5m) will be paid to Newcastle if Gordon helps Barcelona win trophies during his stint at the Camp Nou. This could bode well for the Magpies with Barcelona having won La Liga for the past two consecutive seasons.

He signed a five-year deal(Image: Adria Puig/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Sell-On Clause

Newcastle also wisely inserted a sell-on clause into the deal. While the exact percentage has been kept under wraps, it will ensure that the North East outfit will take a cut of any future transfer fee. This is typically based on the sale's profit if Barcelona choose to cut ties with Gordon before his contract expires.

- Chris Burns

BARCELONA FC LEGENDS RONALDINHO GAUCHO, RIVALDO AND CARLES PUYOL REUNITED FOR THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP IN THE USA 🇺🇸

#brazil #brasil #Ronaldinho #FIFAWorldCup #barcelona #Puyol #Rivaldo

ULI HOENEẞ ON HARRY KANE

 

🚨 Uli Hoeneß on Harry Kane:

🗣️ Hoeneß: "Harry is the best transfer we've ever made. Barcelona are interested? Well Bayern is a buying club not a selling club, and Barca have no money anyway."

RAPHINHA WAS SUPERB AS BARCELONA BEAT REAL BETIS

 

JOAO CANCELO BECOMES FIRST FOOTBALLER EVER TO ACHIEVE INCREDIBLE FEAT AFTER BARCELONA'S LA LIGA TITLE SUCCESS

Joao Cancelo has written his name into the history books following Barcelona’s clinical 2-0 victory over Real Madrid to secure the La Liga title. While the Blaugrana celebrated domestic dominance at the Camp Nou, the Portuguese defender reached a milestone that has eluded the greatest icons of the game.

A historic Clasico triumph

The Blaugrana secured the Spanish top-flight crown after a win against their bitter rivals in Sunday night's El Clasico at the Camp Nou. In doing so, they have achieved a historic first by winning La Liga as a result of a direct match against Los Blancos. Barcelona only needed to avoid defeat against Alvaro Arbeloa's side, as they led Real by 11 points going into the 35th game of the campaign.

Hansi Flick’s men delivered the goods in style, recording their 11th successive league victory on a night of double celebration. A stunning free-kick from Marcus Rashford - the first such goal in a Clasico since Lionel Messi in 2012 - was followed by a Ferran Torres strike to confirm Barca's 29th league crown and leave their rivals in turmoil.

Getty Images Sport 

Cancelo stands alone in the history books

For ex-Manchester City defender Cancelo, who won six major honours under Pep Guardiola, he has now finally won the league title that evaded him during his previous loan spell at Barca in the 2023-24 season. Brought back on loan from Saudi side Al Hilal in January, Cancelo, who appeared as a starter in last night's match, has been key in the club's stunning form in 2026, chipping in with one goal and three assists from 13 La Liga matches.

Deployed on both sides of defence, the 31-year-old has now become the first footballer to win league titles in four of Europe's 'Top Five' divisions. Having won the Primeira Liga with Benfica in 2014, the Serie A title with Juventus was the Portugal international's first 'Top Five' league championship. He then scooped three Premier League crowns while at the Etihad Stadium, before lifting the Bundesliga title while on loan at Bayern Munich. Now, with a La Liga medal secured, only France's Ligue 1 remains for him to complete the set.

Outperforming the legends

A host of legendary players have won league championships in three of the 'Top Five' leagues, but none could reach the fourth. David Beckham had the opportunity to become the first person to achieve the incredible feat; he was successful in England, Spain and France, but failed to win the Serie A title across two loan spells at AC Milan. Similarly, Cristiano Ronaldo triumphed in England, Spain and Italy, but never added a fourth major league to his haul.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic also came up trumps in Spain, Italy and France, and had the chance to create history when he joined Manchester United in 2016. However, he finished sixth in his only full season in the Premier League, though he did win the Europa League, League Cup and Community Shield. Other notable players to win titles in three major countries include Thierry Henry, Kingsley Coman, Dani Alves, Arturo Vidal, Maxwell, Sami Khedira and Claude Makelele.

Getty Images Sport 

What lies ahead for the history-maker?

Despite his loan deal from Al Hilal proving incredibly successful, questions remain regarding Cancelo's long-term future. It remains to be seen what the future holds for Cancelo come the summer, and whether Barcelona press ahead with another loan deal, look to turn his temporary stay into a permanent switch or if he returns to the Middle East.

There is, of course, the tantalising prospect of completing the "Top Five" set. With titles in England, Spain, Italy, and Germany secured, only France's Ligue 1 remains. Should Cancelo decide to leave the Camp Nou this summer, a move to a French powerhouse could provide the platform for the ultimate clean sweep of Europe's major championships.

- Donny Afroni

EL CLASICO RECAP: BARCELONA VS. REAL MADRID REACTION

 

BARCELONA AND REAL MADRID ISSUE STATEMENTS AS HANSI FLICK'S DAD DIES HOURS BEFORE EL CLASICO

A statement shared by Barcelona confirmed that the father of manager Hansi Flick had died just hours before the coach was due to take charge of the team against Real Madrid on Sunday

Hansi Flick has lost his father just hours before El Clasico

Hansi Flick will remain in charge of Barcelona for El Clasico on Sunday evening despite news of his father's passing emerging just hours before kick-off.

A statement released by the Spanish champions confirmed that the 61-year-old's father had died. "FC Barcelona and the entire blaugrana family wish to send all our love to Hansi Flick after the passing of his father," the statement read. "We share in your sorrow and our thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time."

Flick is anticipated to be in the technical area for the clash with Real Madrid. Barca's bitter rivals demonstrated their class by offering their own condolences to Flick through a statement, which read: "Real Madrid, its president and its directors deeply regret the death of the father of Hansi Flick.

Barcelona and Real Madrid released statements after the news was confirmed(Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"Real Madrid wants to express its condolences and affection to their families and all their loved ones. Rest in peace."

Barcelona could be crowned La Liga champions this evening if they secure a win against their rivals at the Camp Nou.

Flick's side sit top on 88 points, with Real Madrid trailing on 77 and only four games remaining.

A win or draw against Real would hand the 61‑year‑old German coach back‑to‑back league titles, continuing a hugely successful spell since replacing Xavi in May 2024.

Flick has already delivered four trophies during his time in charge, adding stability and silverware to a squad rebuilt around youth and discipline.

"We have to play our way," Flick said in his pre-match press conference.

"It's about our performance and showing once again why we’ve had a fantastic season as a team.

- Daniel Marsh and Bruna Reis

LAMINE YAMAL IS ABSENT FROM BARCELONA'S SQUAD LIST FOR THE CLASICO AGAINST REAL MADRID

Barcelona team (Photo/Archive)

Madrid, Spain – Barcelona’s coaching staff has announced the squad list in preparation for facing Real Madrid this Sunday evening, in the 35th round of the Spanish League.

Barcelona will host their rivals Real Madrid at the Camp Nou, in a highly anticipated match that could play a decisive role in the race for the La Liga title this season.

The Catalan team’s roster witnessed the continued absence of Lamine Yamal, due to the injury he recently suffered, thus continuing his absence from the Blaugrana matches.

Barcelona’s squad list is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Juan Garcia, Wojciech Szczesny, Eder Aller.

Defense: Joao Cancelo, Alejandro Balde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Coparsi, Gerard Martin, Jules Koundé, Eric Garcia, Xavi Espart.

Midfielders: Xavi, Pedri, Firmin Lopez, Marc Casado, Dani Olmo, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal.

Attackers: Ferran Torres, Robert Lewandowski, Rafinha, Marcus Rashford, Rooney Bardji.

- Ahmed Khairy

BARCELONA FORWARD SAYS EL CLASICO ''THE LEAST OF PRESSURE' FOR PLAYERS

Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images

With the La Liga title race reaching its decisive stage, all eyes are now on the upcoming El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou.

The pressure surrounding the fixture could hardly be bigger, as Barcelona know that avoiding defeat would place them in complete control of the title race, while Real Madrid simply cannot afford to drop points if they want to keep their hopes alive.

Ahead of the massive encounter, Barcelona forward Ferran Torres spoke to AS about the emotions, pressure, and excitement that come with playing in one of football’s biggest matches.

Despite the importance of the occasion, the Spaniard admitted that players often feel less pressure during games like El Clasico because these are the matches they dream of playing throughout their careers.

“This kind of match is the one every player dreams of playing. It’s actually the opposite. That’s when there’s the least pressure. 

“It’s fun. That’s when you most want to play, when you’re most motivated,” he said.

A decent record vs Real Madrid

Ferran already has significant experience against Madrid since joining Barcelona. 

Ferran Torres is not too worried about El Clasico. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

The Spanish forward has faced Los Blancos 14 times for the Catalan side and has regularly managed to hurt their defence, registering three goals and four assists in those matches.

One of his most memorable moments came during last season’s Copa del Rey final when he scored after getting past both Antonio Rudiger and Thibaut Courtois in a decisive attacking move.

Looking back at that goal, Ferran explained that footballers barely have time to process what is happening in moments like that because instinct takes over completely.

“When the game ended, I barely even remembered the play because you don’t have time to process it. 

“During the play, it was all about seeing the opening, and you don’t think about who’s in front of you or behind you – you just focus on scoring. 

“When you see the ball go in… honestly, it’s an incredible feeling,” he concluded.

- Swapnil

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULTS

 

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

 

JOAN LAPORTA DEFENDS ALEJANDRO ECHEVARRIA, ' DOES NOT FEAR' LIONEL MESSI SPEAKING ABOUT FAILED BARCELONA RETURN

Barcelona President Joan Laporta has moved to defend advisor Alejandro Echevarria, and given his version of events regarding the failed return of Lionel Messi in 2023. The Catalan side were in talks over bringing back Messi, but during an interview on Sunday night, then manager Xavi Hernandez claimed that Laporta sabotaged his return.

During an election debate on Monday morning with fellow presidential candidate Victor Font, Laporta put Xavi’s comments down to bitterness, due to the fact that Hansi Flick was enjoying more success than him currently. Speaking to Cadena Cope on Monday night, Laporta said that the decision not to return was purely down to Messi.

“What hurts me the most is that Mr. Font has used a Barcelona legend like Xavi. I don’t quite understand why Xavi is saying that about Messi. It seemed like things were going to happen after his time at PSG; I gave him a draft contract, he came to my house and said they had decided they would be better off in Miami. And that was that. Bringing this up now only serves to muddy the waters of the elections.”

Laporta ‘does not fear’ Messi explanation

So far Messi has remained relatively opaque about his return, admitting that there were conversations, but noting that he was told Barcelona had to sell players in order to make the deal happen. La Liga President Javier Tebas claims that the league did not approve Messi’s return in terms of the salary limit situation, while Laporta’s version differs from both.

“We were just barely within the fair play requirements. The contract was sent to Jorge (Messi), and while waiting for his response, May arrived. At the end of the month, he told me they had decided on Inter Miami. And that’s how it ended. I don’t fear Messi or Jorge speaking out. I’m convinced they would tell the same story. We’ve always understood each other; I don’t think the story would change. We don’t want to distract from what matters to the Barca fans. We choose the people we want to represent us for the next five years. Xavi’s involvement adds nothing.”

Alejandro Echevarria ‘one of the best people I know’

Meanwhile another focus of Xavi’s interview was the role of advisor Alejandro Echevarria. Originally part of Laporta’s board during his first term, Echevarria resigned in 2005 after it became public knowledge that he was a patron of the Francisco Franco Foundation, which promotes the ‘work’ of the former Spanish dictator. He has returned to the club under Laporta, but has no official role.

“Alejandro works for the club; he’s completely trustworthy, especially regarding RFEF and La Liga matters. He’s always looking out for the balance in the dressing room. He’s one of the best people I know – intelligent, brave, and honest. He has those qualities. I have Masip, and Alejandro. Some people get paid, but Alejandro, for example, doesn’t. He has his own professional life and can be exempt from this. I’ve had advisors like Johan, who was my idol, and we had a great rapport.”

The former Blaugrana midfielder claims that Echevarria, Laporta’s ex-brother-in-law, has as much control as the former president himself, and that it was Echevarria that engineered his sacking.

“It’s not about who’s in charge. It’s my turn to lead, and I lead willingly, making decisions after considering the opinions of those around me. They want to cause harm; it’s a deliberate attempt to hurt me by attacking someone else. It’s despicable because if we look at how Xavi’s services were dismissed, Yuste and Alejandro were his staunchest defenders. They stuck it out through the indefensible. We said that things weren’t working anymore. I had to be the one to say it was over. I did it with a heavy heart; I appreciate Xavi, and I still do. If I saw him, I would try to understand why he did it.”

Elections are scheduled for this Sunday in Barcelona, where one of Font or Laporta will be elected as president for a five-year term. The latter is running for his fourth mandate.

- Ruairidh Barlow

'BAD DAY AT THE JOB' FOR FC BARCELONA AS THEY WERE ROUTED 4-0 BY ATLÉTICO MADRID

 

LEAGUE TITLE CHANCES

 

OFFICIAL: BARCELONA SIGN JOAO CANCELO ON LOAN; SHIRT NUMBER CONFIRMED

 

Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images

FC Barcelona have officially confirmed the return of Joao Cancelo, with the Portuguese defender joining the club on loan from Al Hilal until the end of the current season. 

The move marks a familiar reunion, bringing back a player who already knows the environment, the demands, and the expectations of playing at the Spotify Camp Nou.

After weeks of speculation surrounding Barcelona’s search for defensive reinforcement, the club moved to secure Cancelo’s services once again. 

A sweet homecoming 

In an official announcement released by the club, Barcelona confirmed the deal and welcomed the defender back to Catalonia.

“Cancelo is once again a Barça player. FC Barcelona and Al Hilal Saudi FC have reached an agreement for the loan of the Portuguese full-back until the end of the season,” read a statement from the club.

The signing was formalised on Tuesday at the club’s offices, with several key figures present to mark the occasion. 

Hay lugares que nunca se olvidan.

Bienvenido de nuevo al Barça, João 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/m16iA067Tc

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) January 13, 2026

President Joan Laporta attended the ceremony alongside first vice-president Rafael Yuste, board member Joan Soler, and Director of the Football Area, Deco. 

Notably, this is not Cancelo’s first spell at Barcelona, as the full-back previously wore the Blaugrana shirt during the 2023/24 season, when he arrived on loan from Manchester City. 

Back then, Cancelo featured in 42 matches across all competitions, becoming a regular presence in the starting XI and offering consistency at both right-back and left-back.

Lastly, Barcelona have confirmed that Cancelo will once again wear the number ‘2’ shirt. 

The number became available after Pau Cubarsi switched to the number ‘5’, which was vacated by Inigo Martinez during the summer. 

- Swapnil Bhopatkar

VIVA FC BARCELONA FOR WINNING THE SULERCOPA DE ESPAÑA 🔥

EL CLASICO | FC BARCELONA VS. REAL MADRID | SUPERCOPA DE ESPAÑA FINAL

 

COPA DEL REY | MOST WINNERS