Inter Miami Completes Signing of Sergio Busquets 

It’s official… Sergio Busquets will be playing Major League Soccer.

Inter Miami has completed the signing of the 35-year-old Spanish professional footballer and former Barcelona midfielder on a deal until 2025, the MLS side has revealed.

Sergio BusquetsThe 2010 World Cup winner will join the squad in the coming days and will occupy a designated player slot, the club added.

“I am excited to welcome Sergio Busquets to Inter Miami,” said managing owner Jorge Mas. “Since day one we have set out to bring the world’s best players. Sergio’s repertoire speaks for itself.”

The former Barcelona captain, who retired from international duty last year, played more than 700 games for the Spanish champions, winning nine LaLiga crowns, seven Copa del Rey titles, three Champions League trophies and three Club World Cups.

Busquets was also linked with a move to Saudi Arabia as Al Hilal and Al Nassr made bids for his services, according to media reports.

 

Miami expect Busquets to be available to play next Saturday when they host Mexican side Cruz Azul for their Leagues Cup opener, when Messi is set to make his debut.

 

The MLS designated player rule allows clubs to acquire up to three players whose total compensation and acquisition costs exceed the salary cap.

Nacho Fernandez Signs New One-Year Contract with Real Madrid

Nacho Fernandez isn’t going anywhere…

The 33-year-old Spanish soccer player and captain of Real Madrid has signed a new one-year contract at the club.

Nacho Fernandez The defender announced earlier this month that he’d decided to accept Real Madrid’s offer of a new deal, having previously considered a move away from the club in search of more playing time.

club statement said: “Real Madrid and Nacho Fernández have agreed an extension to our captain’s contract, keeping him tied to the club until the 30th of June 2024.

“Nacho has represented Real Madrid for 22 years, ever since joining the club’s Under-11s academy side back in 2001.

“He has made 319 appearances for the Real Madrid first team, winning 23 trophies: three European Cups, five Club World Cups, four European Super Cups, three LaLiga titles, two Copas del Rey and four Spanish Super Cups.”

Fernandez, a Spain international, has taken on the role of club captain since the departure of Karim Benzema earlier this month.

“There are always offers from elsewhere, but I’ve decided to stay for one more year,” Nacho told TVE on June 11. “I’m really happy and excited about staying.”

The versatile defender, whose favorite position is centerback but can also play at full-back on either flank, has fallen behind Eder MilitaoDavid Alaba and Antonio Rudiger among coach Carlo Ancelotti‘s options in central defense.

Nacho played 27 LaLiga games last season, starting 18 of them, but became increasingly important over the course of the campaign, which convinced him to continue at the Bernabeu.

Brahim Diaz Returning to Real Madrid After Three Years on Loan to AC Milan

Brahim Diaz is about to get Real

The 23-year-old Spanish professional footballer, who plays as an attacking midfielder for Italy’s Serie A club AC Milan, is returning to Real Madrid.

Brahim DiazDiaz spent three seasons on loan at AC Milan, helping them win a Serie A title in 2022 and reach the Champions League semifinals this season.

He joined Madrid from Manchester City in 2019, but barely played in his single season in Spain’s capital.

He will rejoin a squad that won Spain’s Copa del Rey last season but needs to replace the loss of Karim Benzema.

Diaz is the third arrival at Real Madrid this month, following a deal reached with Borussia Dortmund for midfielder Jude Bellingham and the decision to buy back left back Fran Garcia from Rayo Vallecano.

Ernesto Valverde One Step Closer to Return to Coaching Roster at Athletic Bilbao

Ernesto Valverde could be making a big return…

The 58-year-old Spanish football manager and former player appears set to return to coaching at Athletic Bilbao after a candidate who pledged to sign him won the election for the presidency of the Spanish club on Friday.

Ernesto Valverde Jon Uriarte won a four-year term after he beat two other candidates with 46% of the 22,000 votes cast by members.

One of Uriarte’s campaign pledges was to bring back Valverde for a third stint as Bilbao’s coach.

Valverde has not spoken publicly on the chance to come back to the club that fields only players from the northern Basque Country region bordering with France and surrounding areas.

Another candidate for Bilbao’s presidency, Inaki Arechabaleta, promised to bring back Argentine Marcelo Bielsa for a second stint as coach.

Valverde has not coached since he was fired from FC Barcelona in January 2020. Barcelona let him go despite having won back-to-back Spanish league titles and the Copa del Rey under Valverde and with his team still leading the league.

Valverde, a former player, coached Bilbao to a club record 306 games in 2003-05 and 2013-17. He has also coached ValenciaOlympiakos, Villarreal and Espanyol.

Bilbao is, along with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Osasuna, the last Spanish clubs owned by club members, not shareholders. The club members elect presidents and board members to run the club. Candidates must have been a club member for at least one year to run.

Messi Nominated for FIFA Puskas Award for the Most Beautiful Goal of the Year

Could the fourth time be the charm for Lionel Messi?

The 28-year-old Argentine soccer superstar is among the 10 nominees for FIFA‘s Puskas Award, which celebrates the “most beautiful” goal of the year.

Lionel Messi

The award is named after legendary Real Madrid and Hungary striker Ferenc Puskas and the period for this year’s prize is from September 27, 2014 to September 23, 2015.

Messi, who was previously nominated for the prize in 2010, 2011 and 2012, was shortlisted for the Puskas Award for beating four defenders before scoring Barcelona‘s first goal against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final.

Here’s a look at this year’s Puskas Award nominees:

2015 Puskas Award nominations
David Ball – Fleetwood v Preston, League One
Gonzalo Castro – Real Sociedad v Deportivo, La Liga
Alessandro Florenzi – Roma v Barcelona, Champions League
Wendell Lira – Goianesia v Atletico, Brazil Football League
Carli Lloyd – USA v Japan, Women’s World Cup
Lionel Messi – Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao, Copa del Rey
Philippe Mexes – AC Milan v Inter Milan, friendly
Marcel Ndjeng – SC Paderborn v Bolton, friendly
Esteban Ramirez – Herediano v Deportivo Saprissa, Costa Rica
Carlos Tevez – Juventus v Parma Calcio, Serie A

The award was won by Colombia’s James Rodriguez last year for his goal against Uruguay in the World Cup.

Messi Records His 400th Goal for FC Barcelona

Lionel Messi is making history once again…

The 27-year-old Argentine soccer star reached another career milestone in an FC Barcelona uniform when he notched his 400th goal for the team in Saturday’s La Liga meeting with Valencia at the Camp Nou.

Lionel Messi

Messi completed his fourth ton for the Blaugrana with the very last kick of the match, latching onto a long ball over the top and landing the milestone after tucking home the rebound after his initial shot was saved by Diego Alves.

It was Messi’s 278th league goal for the Primera Division leaders, with a further 75 coming in the Champions League, 32 in the Copa Del Rey, 10 in the Spanish Super Cup, four in the Club World Cup as well as one strike in the UEFA Super Cup.

Messi had become Barca‘s all-time leading goalscorer in March last year when he exceeded Paulino Alcantara‘s 369 goals for the club scored between 1912 and 1927.

The Argentina forward, who has won the Ballon d’Or on four occasions, also holds the record for leading goalscorer in a single La Liga season, with 50 in 2011-12.

Among a host of other records, he’is also the joint record scorer in European Cup history on 75 goals, level with Cristiano Ronaldo. And he’s also tied with Ronaldo for the most La Liga hat tricks, with both forwards having scored 24.

Villa Moving from Barcelona to Atletico Madrid

David Villa is switching teams…

The 31-year-old Spanish international soccer star will be leaving Futbol Club Barcelona to play for Atletico Madrid.

David Villa

It’s all part of a deal potentially worth $6.55 million, according to Barça officials.

Copa del Rey winner Atletico will pay the defending La Liga champion 2.1 million euros this season, with the promise of another 2.1 million if Villa continues to play in 2014-2015, Barcelona said in a statement.

Atletico will have to hand over an additional 1 million euros if Villa remains with the club into the 2015-2016 season.

Barcelona also retains a claim to 50 percent of any future transfer fee for Villa.

With 56 goals in 92 appearances, Villa is Spain’s leading scorer in international play, despite his missing the 2012 European Championship due to an injury.

He was an integral part of the Spanish squad that won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

Villa joined Barça in 2010 and kicked 48 goals in 119 official matches with the club, but he had a hard time getting back into the starting lineup after the broken leg he suffered in 2011 kept him off the pitch for months.

Barcelona’s recent signing of Brazilian sensation Neymar left Villa’s future with the red-and-blue even cloudier.

Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United were said to be interested in Villa, but Atletico – anxious to replace departed striker Radamel Falcao – beat the English sides to the negotiating table.

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are to meet next month in the Spanish Supercup.

López Signs Lucrative Deal to Return to Real Madrid…

Diego López Rodríguez is getting Real again…

The 31-year-old Spanish footballer will be returning as a goalkeeper to Real Madrid, López’s team from 2000-2007, after agreeing to a $4.7 million dollar contract. He’d most recently played 172 games with Villarreal from 2007-2012 and about 8 games with Sevilla in 2012-2013.

Diego López Rodríguez

López’s hiring comes as the team aimed to secure an extra goalkeeper in light of an injury that’ll sideline the team’s netminder and captain Iker Casillas for up to 12 weeks.

News of the deal came as Casillas underwent surgery to repair damage to his left hand suffered when one of his teammates accidentally clipped him during Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey quarterfinal match against Valencia.

The operation went “very well,” surgeon Miguel del Cerro said, while urging that Casillas approach his recovery at a measured pace.

“We will follow the rehabilitation steps set out by Dr. del Cerro,” said Real Madrid’s director of medical services Carlos Diez.

Meanwhile, Lopez is expected to serve as backup to Antonio Adan, who had begun to move into the role of starting goalkeeper before a two-match suspension that opened the door for Casillas to return.

While out of contention for the 2012-2013 La Liga title, Real Madrid has a berth in the Copa del Rey semis and qualified for the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Messi Scores History-Making 86th Goal of 2012…

He’s already considered one of the greatest soccer players of all-time… And Lionel Messi  has just shown the world another reason why…

The 25-year-old Argentine fútbol star broke German great Gerd Muller’s 40-year-old record for most goals in a year on Sunday by scoring for the 86th time in 2012.

Lionel Messi

Messi scored twice to lead FC Barcelona to a 2-1 win at Real Betis in the Spanish league match.

His first was an individual effort in the 16th minute to tie Muller’s mark, and he eclipsed the 1972 milestone with a left-footed finish nine minutes later.

“As I have said many times, the record is nice but the important thing is the victory that keeps us on the path we want to continue on,” said Messi. “As I always say, my objectives are on a team level: to win the league, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey again.”

Messi has scored 74 goals for Barcelona and 12 times for Argentina this year, and he still has three games left to add to his tally before the end of the year. Muller scored 85 for Bayern Munich and West Germany.

The 25-year-old Messi passed Brazil great Pele‘s single-season milestone of 75 goals for Brazil and Santos in 1958 with his 75th and 76th goals of the year on November 11 to move into second place behind Muller.

“We won’t see another player like (Messi),” said Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova. “Not just because of his ability to score. But also for his ability to pass, play defense, and his understandings of the game. He is a global star that helps us in so many ways.”

Messi  is one of the three finalists for the FIFA world player of the year award along with teammate Andres Iniesta and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s won the Ballon d’Or for the past three years in helping Barcelona win three Spanish league titles and two Champions League crowns, along with several other competitions. He ‘s seeking to become the only player to win the award for a fourth time when the winner is announced on January 7.

“Leo is supernatural,” said Barcelona defender Gerard Pique. “He doesn’t have limits. We’ll always have to remember everything he gave us. We have to enjoy every minute we have with him.”