FC Barcelona Reaches Agreement to Sign Rodri

Posted on August 16, 2026 by Tom Castaneda

Rodri is returning to his Spanish roots.

FC Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle to sign the 30-year-old Spanish professional soccer star and Manchester City midfielder, according to ESPN sources.

Barça had failed with two previous bids for Rodri but the Spanish champions returned with a third offer over the weekend with the total package worth €76.5 million (£65.3M).

Sources confirmed to ESPN on Sunday that a deal had subsequently been brokered with Manchester City, with the two clubs exchanging paperwork and finalizing the agreement.

Rodri is expected to arrive in Barcelona in the coming days and could be presented before Wednesday’s Joan Gamper Trophy match against Al Ahly at Spotify Camp Nou.

The agreement for the Ballon d’Or winner came shortly after sources told ESPN fullback João Cancelo is also set to return to Barça as a free agent.

Cancelo and Rodri are set to become Barça’s fourth and fifth signings of a busy summer following the arrivals of Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Jesse Bisiwu.

The club remain in the market for a striker, too, with Atlético Madrid‘s Julián Álvarez their top target following the exits of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.

Rodri was not initially a priority signing at the start of the summer but the club jumped on the opportunity once he became available after winning the FIFA World Cup with Spain.

A long-term injury suffered by Frenkie de Jong had also forced Barça to explore the midfield market.

Real Madrid also tried to sign former Atlético Madrid player Rodri, but sources told ESPN last week he preferred a move to Barça.

Once an agreement was in place between Rodri and Barça, the Catalan club stepped up negotiations with Manchester City, who were prepared to sanction a deal for the right price given he had only one year remaining on his contract.

Sources at Barça view Rodri as a statement signing who can help take Hansi Flick‘s side — back-to-back champions in Spain — to the next level in the coming seasons.

After spells with Villarreal and Atlético Madrid, Rodri joined City in 2019 and has won almost everything there is to win in the game, both collectively and individually.

In addition to four Premier League titles and a Champions League with Manchester City, he has also won the European Championships and World Cup with Spain, being named player of the tournament at both championships.

Vinícius Júnior Agrees to New Deal with Real Madrid

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Tom Castaneda

Vinícius Júnior isn’t switching sides anytime soon…

The 26-year-old Brazilian professional footballer has accepted Real Madrid‘s latest contract offer, ending months of speculation by agreeing to a new deal at the club until 2032, the Spanish giants confirmed on Thursday.

It came a day after the star forward’s representatives held talks with club executives in a meeting that left his camp feeling optimistic about reaching an agreement, after Real Madrid offered improved terms.

Negotiations had previously been deadlocked for over a year, with doubts growing over the Brazil international’s future, and his deal due to expire in June 2027.

“Real Madrid and Vinícius Jr have agreed to extend our player’s contract, keeping him at the club until June 30, 2032,” the club said in a statement.

“Vinícius joined Real Madrid in July 2018, at the age of 18. In his eight seasons with us, he has played 375 matches, scoring 128 goals and winning 14 trophies: two Champions Leagues, three Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, three LaLiga titles, one Copa del Rey, and three Spanish Supercopas.

“His contribution to all these titles has been crucial thanks to his play, assists, and goals… Vinicius has become one of the most important players in one of the most successful periods in our history.”

ESPN had reported that Real Madrid were open to a departure this summer if no agreement was reached on an extension, with interest from Premier League champions Arsenal.

Vinícius returned to training at Valdebebas on Monday, after a break following Brazil’s elimination from the FIFA World Cup.

A meeting then took place Wednesday, with the player’s agent, Frederico Pena, and adviser, Tata Soares, both present, along with Real Madrid’s director general José Ángel Sánchez and chief scout Juni Calafat.

Sources told ESPN that discussions had been positive after Madrid proposed a new, improved contract beyond their previous offer, which had been worth around €22 million ($25.3m) a year.

Vinicius was earning around €17.5 million ($20.2m) a year in the final year of his previous deal and had previously been asking for a new package worth around €30 million ($34.6m) a year.

Vinícius joined Madrid as a teenager in 2018 and has been one of their most influential players in the years since, scoring in two Champions League finals.

He finished runner-up in the 2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or and was named FIFA‘s The Best Men’s Player that same year.

Spain’s Rodri Wins Golden Ball as the FIFA World Cup’s Best Player This Year

Posted on July 19, 2026 by Tom Castaneda

Rodri is celebrating a golden performance at this year’s FIFA World Cup.

The 30-year-old Spanish professional footballer, who captains the Spain national team, won the Golden Ball as the World Cup‘s best player this year.

Rodri earned the award for captaining Spain’s run to their second World Cup title. Lionel Messi had to settle for the Silver Ball, with France’s Kylian Mbappé taking the Bronze Ball.

Rodri picked up his award following Spain’s victory over Argentina 1-0 in the championship match on Sunday.

“This group is incredible,” Rodri said. “We are two-time world champions. It’s a tough feat, the hardest one to achieve. And we won it against a team like Argentina.”

Having won the Ballon d’Or in 2024, the Golden Ball completes Rodri’s return to the top of the sport after rupturing his right ACL almost two years ago.

The Manchester City midfielder didn’t have a goal in the tournament, but his passing and controlling the possession are central to the way Spain plays.

He became just the 11th man to win the World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and Ballon d’Or.

Aitana Bonmatí Named Player of the Tournament & Euro 2025 Team of the Tournament by UEFA

Posted on July 28, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Aitana Bonmatí’s team may have lost the title, but she’s earned her own…

England and Spain dominated UEFA‘s team of the tournament following the Lionesses’ triumph over La Roja in a tense penalty shooutout in the final on Sunday, with the 27-year-old professional footballer earning player of the tournament honors.

The reining Ballon d’Or holder four Spanish players to the UEFA‘s Euro 2025 team of the tournament.

Bonmati is featured in an all-Spanish midfield alongside Patri Guijarro and Alexia Putellas, while Irene Paredes is among the defenders on the list.

Chloe Kelly‘s spot-kick clinched the tournament for Sarina Wiegman‘s team and ensured England retained the European crown they won for the first time in 2022.

The XI, chosen by UEFA’s technical observer group, recognized the standout players during the tournament in Switzerland.

Here’s a look at the complete team:

UEFA’s Euro 2025 team of the tournament

Goalkeeper: Hannah Hampton (England).

Defenders: Lucy Bronze (England), Irene Paredes (Spain), Elena Linari (Italy), Franziska Kett (Germany).

Midfielders: Patri Guijarro (Spain), Aitana Bonmatí (Spain), Alexia Putellas (Spain)

Forwards: Jule Brand (Germany), Alessia Russo (England), Chloe Kelly (England)

Real Madrid Star Vinícius Júnior Considering Buying Football Club in Portugal’s Second Division

Posted on January 10, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Vinícius Júnior may be adding owner to his soccer resume…

The 24-year-old Brazilian professional footballer and Real Madrid star is considering buying a football club in Portugal’s second division, per ESPN sources.

The Brazil international — currently in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the Spanish Supercopa — is considering diversifying his business interests with an eye to his future career plans after retiring as a player.

Vinícius started for Madrid in their 3-0 Supercopa semifinal victory over Mallorca on Thursday, a result which will see them face Barcelona in Sunday’s final.

The news that the Ballon d’Or runner-up is contemplating buying a club in Portugal was first reported by the radio station Cadena COPE.

Vinícius already has a series of personal sponsorship agreements, as well as a contract with Nike which runs until 2028.

Vinícius and Nike recently reached a new deal after a legal dispute, which sees the Brazilian becoming one of the North American company’s most high-profile faces in football.

Vinícius is represented by the agency Roc Nation, and is in frequent contact with elite athletes from other sports, especially the NBA and NFL.

He also promotes the charitable foundation the Vini Jr Institute in Brazil.

The Portuguese second division has 18 clubs, including the reserve teams of Benfica and Porto. One club, Portimonense, already has a Brazilian at the helm, Rodiney Sampaio.

Vinícius would not be the first active footballer to purchase a club.

N’Golo Kanté owns Royal Excelsior Virton in the Belgian third division, and Vini’s Real Madrid teammate, Kylian Mbappé, became the majority shareholder of Caen, in the French second division, in July last year.

Lionel Messi Helps Inter Miami Break Major League Soccer Record for Most Points in Single Season

Posted on October 19, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi has helped Inter Miami break a Major League Soccer record.

The 37-year-old Argentine professional footballer scored a stunning 11-minute hat trick to his team break the MLS record for most points in a single season, after defeating the New England Revolution 6-2 on Saturday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Miami concluded the MLS regular season with 74 points in 34 games and a 22-4-8 (W-L-D) record, narrowly besting the Revolution’s 2021 mark of 73 points.

Luis Suárez propelled Inter Miami to rally from two goals down after 34 minutes, scoring twice in under four minutes to keep alive the chase for the points record.

Benjamin Cremaschi then put Miami ahead for the first time in the 58th minute.

But it was captain Messi who fittingly cemented Inter Miami’s name in league history when scoring the fourth, fifth and sixth goals.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner came off the bench in the 55th minute to make an instant impact with his first hat trick for Miami, in the process becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer with 33 goals.

Miami also became the first team in MLS history to have multiple players score at least 20 goals in a season.

With 20 goals apiece, Messi and Suárez are set to finish second in the Golden Boot race to D.C. United’s Christian Benteke. Messi, though, leads the league in total goal contributions with a combined 36 goals and assists in only 19 games.

“Our players are what has made this season successful,” Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham said. “Our captain has led us. Our players have led us in times where it was difficult. But now, tonight we celebrate. Tomorrow, we prepare for Friday, the playoffs.”

It was a night of celebration for Miami. The team was awarded the 2024 Supporters’ Shield after the final whistle, having clinched the prize for best regular-season record in MLS for the first time earlier this month.

The trophy was Miami’s first piece of MLS silverware since debuting as an expansion club in 2020.

Inter Miami previously lifted the inaugural MLS vs. Liga MX Leagues Cup trophy soon after Messi’s arrival in the summer of 2023.

After Saturday’s win, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced Miami would take part in the 2025 Club World Cup and host the expanded 32-team tournament’s opening game at Hard Rock Stadium.

More immediately, Inter Miami will now have home-field advantage through the MLS playoffs. The team kicks off the postseason Friday against the winner of the Eastern Conference wild-card match between CF Montreal and Atlanta United.

“Let’s get ready for the playoffs,” Beckham said.

Aitana Bonmatí Helps Lead Spain to Women’s Soccer Semifinals at 2024 Paris Games

Posted on August 3, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Aitana Bonmatí has helped reigning world champions Spain advance at the 2024 Paris Games.

The 26-year-old Spanish professional footballer and Ballon d’Or winner scored the decisive spot kick in a penalty shootout against Colombia to advance to the women’s Olympic soccer semifinals.

Spain had to fight back from 2-0 down on Saturday to get to the penalty shootout.

Spain won 4-2 in the shootout at Stade de Lyon.

Catalina Usme and Liana Salazar failed to score from the spot for Colombia, which had looked set to advance to the last four after taking a 2-0 lead through Mayra Ramírez and Leicy Santos.

Jenni Hermoso had sparked Spain’s second-half fightback and Irene Paredes forced the game to extra time with an equalizer in the seventh minute minute stoppage time.

Lautaro Martínez Scores Late Extra-Time Goal to Lead Argentina to Record 16th Copa America Title

Posted on July 15, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Lautaro Martínez will be receiving a hero’s welcome…

The 26-year-old Argentine professional footballer, who plays as a striker for Serie A club Inter Milan, scored a late extra-time goal to lead defending champions Argentina to a 1-0 win over Colombia to claim a record 16th Copa America title at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

Martínez, the tournament’s leading goal scorer, latched onto a precise through ball from Giovani Lo Celso before lifting his effort over advancing Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas in the 112th minute.

Martínez later ran to the bench to hug his captain Lionel Messi, who appeared to suffer a non-contact injury while running and falling in the 64th minute and covered his face with his hands when he sat on the bench, after the goal that propelled Argentina to surpass Uruguay for the most Copa América titles.

The win also marked Angel Di Maria‘s final Argentina match after the 36-year-old said last year he would retire from international football after the Copa, while defender Nicolas Otamendi is also set to end his international career.

“The truth is, this was written, it was this way,” Di Maria said. “I dreamed it, I dreamed that I would arrive to the final and win it and retire in this way.

“I have so many beautiful feelings and I am eternally grateful to this generation and today I am leaving in this way with a title.”

In a match that started over 75 minutes late because of crowd trouble at Hard Rock Stadium, Argentina won their third straight major title following the 2021 Copa América and 2022 World Cup and matched Spain, who won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships around the 2010 World Cup.

Argentina also stopped Colombia’s 28-game unbeaten streak dating to a February 2022 loss to the Albiceleste, when Martínez also scored the only goal.

Martínez entered in the 97th minute and scored from Giovani Lo Celso’s perfect through pass. Just inside the penalty area, Martínez sent a right-foot shot through the upraised arms of sliding goalkeeper Vargas for his 29th international goal, his tournament-high fifth.

Making his 39th and possibly last Copa América appearance at age 37, Messi had one goal in the tournament. He went down after his ankle was stepped on in the first half but remained in the game.

“Messi had to leave because of that ankle problem, but finally we were able to give him some joy,” Di Maria, who jointly lifted the trophy alongside captain Messi and Otamendi at the presentation ceremony, added.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner looked to the bench as soon as he fell to the field in the second half, appearing to know his tournament was over. He took off his right boot as he walked off and slammed it in frustration, and his ankle appeared to swell.

Colombia was more aggressive and forced goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to make four saves in the first half, but Argentina began to threaten more in the second.

Nicolás Tagliafico thought he scored in the 75th minute but was ruled offside. Nicolas Gonzalez, who replaced Messi, was stopped by Vargas in the 95th minute.

Alexia Putellas Helps Lead Barcelona to Champions League Title Win Over Lyon

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Alexia Putellas is being hailed as the “Queen of Barcelona”…

The 30-year-old Spanish professional footballer and two-time Ballon d’Or winner’s teammate Lucy Bronze made that declaration after Putellas came off the bench to score the second goal in Barcelona‘s 2-0 Champions League final win over Lyon on Saturday.

Putellas fired home in stoppage time after Aitana Bonmatí had opened the scoring earlier in the second half as Barça sealed back-to-back Champions League trophies, winning the competition for a third time in four years.

“Alexia is the captain of the team and she’s the queen of Barcelona for a reason,” England defender Bronze told DAZN after the game. She’s always so confident in the team and she showed today why she is a back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner. She’s got the quality to do that in the last minute of the Champions League final when we were up against it at the end and it just sealed the win for us. It was amazing.”

Barça — who boasted the lion’s share of the 50,827 attendees at San Mamés in Bilbao, which was a record for a Women’s Champions League final — had never beaten French champions Lyon in four previous attempts.

Two of those defeats came in Champions League finals, in 2019 and 2022, and there was a feeling they needed to beat the eight-time European champions to really establish themselves as one of the best teams ever.

“We knew that’s what we needed to be a club that really made history,” Bronze said.

“It’s hard to win it once, but to do it back-to-back, Lyon showed how difficult it is and this team has finally done that. I think we go down in history as one of the best teams in Europe.”

Success in Europe follows a domestic treble — Liga F, the Copa de la Reina and the Spanish Supercopa — as Barça win the quadruple for the first time in the club’s history.

Putellas, who signed a new two-year contract earlier this week, said winning back-to-back European trophies and all four trophies was the target set at the start of the campaign.

“Our objective was to win four out of four,” the Spain international told TVE. “After the Champions League final last season, we said we wanted to be here in Bilbao because we knew what it would mean. We can’t ask for anything else. We have achieved everything we wanted. Every minute of sacrifice has been worth the effort — and I’d say that not after the game, but before, just entering in the stadium, with all the support we had here, it was worth it.”

Ballon d’Or owner Bonmatí also praised the role of the travelling support in the north of Spain.

“It’s incredible … just incredible,” she told TVE. “It feels like Camp Nou, [the Olympic Stadium in] Montjuic or the Johan [Cruyff Stadium]. All we can say is thanks to the fans, we love them so much. No, [winning the quadruple has not sunk in yet]. I am on cloud nine right now. It is an historic day which we will remember forever.”

Victory over Lyon also signals the end of an era for coach Jonatan Giráldez, who will join NWSL side Washington Spirit next month.

Giráldez leaves after winning 10 trophies out of 12 during three years in charge, reaching the Champions League final in each of those seasons.

“It’s impossible [to imagine a better send off],” he told TVE. “It’s a dream day. It is difficult to explain with words the feeling I have right now. It is such a special moment. I am proud of all the players, the staff and fans that have been here. It is one of happiest days of my life.”

“I hope the night goes on for a long time,” Giráldez continued. “That we can enjoy it and celebrate with everyone who is here because it’s an unforgettable day.”

Aitana Bonmatí Named Best Sportswoman at Laureus World Sports Awards

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Aitana Bonmatí has earned a special recognition…

Winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards have been revealed, with the 26-year-old Spanish professional footballer – a midfielder for the Spanish national women’s soccer team and Liga F club Barcelona – named best sportswoman.

Bonmati and her Spanish teammates, who won Spain’s first-ever Women’s World Cup last year, were chosen as world team of the year for 2023.

Novak Djokovic received the sportsman of the year at the ceremony in Madrid, and American gymnast Simone Biles was given the comeback of the year award.

Real Madrid forward Jude Bellingham earned the breakthrough prize, and Rafael Nadal won the sport for good award thanks to his foundation.

The Spanish women’s World Cup breakthrough last August in New Zealand and Australia was tarnished in the following weeks because of an unwanted kiss of forward Jenni Hermoso by then-federation president Luis Rubiales after the final.

Laureus rewarded Spain as the first all-female team to win the team award.

Before the World Cup, Bonmatí also helped Barcelona win a second Women’s Champions League.

She’s the first female soccer player to win the Laureus, after also receiving the Ballon d’Or and FIFA best player award.

“I want to thank all my teammates and the staff of my club and national team who have helped me a lot, and because of them I am here today,” Bonmati said.

Djokovic won his record-equaling fifth Laureus sportsman award — tying Roger Federer — after titles at the Australian Open, French Open and U.S. Open to reach a record 24 Grand Slam singles triumphs. NFL great Tom Brady presented Djokovic the award.

Biles made a record-breaking return to competition last year when she won four gold medals at the world championships, including a record sixth all-around title.

Nadal’s foundation was rewarded for helping more than “1,000 vulnerable young people in Spain and India,” according to Laureus.

Teenager Arisa Trew won the action sportsperson award after becoming the first female skateboarder to land a 720 in competition.

Dutch wheelchair player Diede de Groot was selected as the sportsperson of the year with a disability after winning her third straight calendar tennis Grand Slam.

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