Xabi Alonso will hope his Real Madrid side can land a statement win when they take on Atletico Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final showdown on Thursday night. The winner of the Madrid derby in Jeddah will face Barcelona in Sunday's final after the defending La Liga champions eased to a 5-0 win over over Basque giants Athletic Club on Wednesday.
Real Madrid have suffered a massive blow ahead of the Spanish Super Cup as Kylian Mbappe has been ruled out of the entire tournament with a knee injury. The French superstar will not travel to Saudi Arabia as the club adopts a 'zero risk' policy, though there is a major boost for Xabi Alonso with Trent Alexander-Arnold returning to the squad after injury.
Athletic Club captain Inaki Williams has slammed the decision to play the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. The tournament will once again take place in the Middle East in January with Athletic facing defending La Liga champions Barcelona in the semi-finals. The winners of the match will go on to face either Real Madrid or Atletico in the final for the chance to claim the first Spanish trophy of the current season.
The January transfer window is fast approaching, and clubs will once again be scrambling to strengthen for the second half of the season. In the 2025 winter market, £1.2 billion ($1.4bn) was spent across Europe's top leagues and the English Championship, the highest mark in seven years, with Manchester City accounting for £191 million ($256m) of that amount alone.
GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.
GOAL looks at the biggest storylines among Americans Abroad, including Richards taking on Aaronson and what the French Cup could mean for Ligue 1's USMNT quartet.
Atletico Madrid icon Saul Niguez has sparked controversy by claiming bitter rivals Real Madrid have "no fans" compared to his current club Flamengo. The midfielder, now playing under former teammate Filipe Luis in Brazil, launched a stinging attack on the Bernabeu atmosphere while praising the passion of the South American giants ahead of their clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly plotting a sensational move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios and are looking to secure a cut-price move for the young midfielder. The 22-year-old has made 16 La Liga appearances for Diego Simeone's side this season and Spurs have identified him as a potential option to offer some variation to their lethargic midfield options.
Cristian Romero’s Tottenham future has been thrown back into doubt after Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez revealed he held talks with the Spurs captain about a potential summer move to Spain. The World Cup-winning defender ultimately signed a new long-term contract, but Alvarez’s admission has reignited speculation. With Atletico still admiring Romero, his commitment could again be tested next summer,
Julian Alvarez has addressed the growing speculation linking him with a shock move to Barcelona. The Atletico Madrid forward, currently midway through his second season at the Metropolitano, insisted he remains "very calm" about his future and focused on winning titles under Diego Simeone, despite reports suggesting the Catalan giants are monitoring his situation.
Manchester United and Bayern Munich have reportedly locked horns in a battle to sign Liga de Quito’s 16-year-old sensation Ederson Castillo. The midfielder has attracted serious interest from the European heavyweights after dazzling displays at youth level, though they face stiff competition from Atlético de Madrid and Anderlecht who are also tracking his progress.
Wrexham's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have sold a minority Wrexham stake to new Atletico Madrid owners Apollo Sports Capital. The fresh round of investment will provide added funding for the club's stadium redevelopment. The iconic Racecourse Ground is undergoing a serious facelift as the Red Dragons remain focused on fulfilling their dream of competing in the Premier League.
Atletico Madrid are planning to rival Chelsea for Strasbourg's Valentin Barco but the Spanish side will face a huge hurdle to beat the Blues to the Argentine's signature. Barco came to England for a brief period after plying his trade at Boca Juniors at the start of his career. However, the youngster was soon sent out on multiple loan spells before finally joining the Ligue 1 club in the last window permanently.
Brenden Aaronson is fighting for minutes at Leeds, Johnny Cardoso needs fitness at Atlético, and both Weston McKennie and Haji Wright have chances to make statements in key matches across Europe.
Diego Simeone has lavished praise on "incredible" Raphinha and expressed his surprise at the Barcelona star missing out on the 2025 Ballon d'Or. The Brazilian winger was once again decisive on Tuesday night as the Blaugrana overturned an early deficit to defeat Atletico Madrid 3-1 at the Camp Nou and tighten their grip at the top of La Liga.
USMNT star Johnny Cardoso was hit by another injury blow, which forced him out of Atletico Madrid's clash with Barcelona after just 14 minutes on Tuesday. The midfielder was named in the starting XI for the huge clash at Camp Nou but came off early on in the game after picking up another injury issue in a collision with Barcelona star Dani Olmo, and was replaced by Koke.
Barcelona’s 3-1 comeback win over Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou on Tuesday night was marred with concern as Dani Olmo suffered a painful shoulder injury while scoring the second goal. Having finished a sweeping team move with an exquisite left-footed strike from the edge of the box, Olmo lost his balance mid-shot and crashed awkwardly onto his left shoulder.
Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 at the Camp Nou on Tuesday evening, as they came from behind, and shrugged off a missed Robert Lewandowski penalty, to record a vital three points. Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres all found the net, after Alex Baena had fired Atletico into an early lead.
Captain Ronald Araujo has been granted indefinite leave by Barcelona following a request for a period of absence. The Uruguay international's representatives held discussions with club sporting director Deco on Monday after the defender was not part of the matchday squad for Saturday's 3-1 La Liga victory over Alaves at Spotify Camp Nou.
Liverpool face stiff competition from Atletico Madrid if they are to finally complete the signing of Crystal Place captain Marc Guehi after narrowly missing out on landing him in the summer. The Reds’ couldn’t complete one of their top transfer targets because the Eagles failed to find a replacement on deadline day and now Arne Slot’s side have another massive name to capture Guehi, who has declined the offer of a new contract at Selhurst Park.
Diego Simeone reignited speculation about a future at Inter after admitting "he could imagine" coaching the Serie A giants one day and then beating them 2-1 in the Champions League. However, club president Beppe Marotta has moved quickly to cool the noise, publicly backing Christian Chivu to stay long-term despite back-to-back defeats for the Nerazzurri.
Diego Simeone has stirred the Champions League conversation by boldly naming Inter as the competition’s “strongest team” even after Atletico Madrid edged them with a dramatic 93rd-minute winner at the Wanda Metropolitano. The Argentine’s remarks come as Arsenal maintain a perfect record in the tournament, adding further intrigue to a campaign where momentum, form and perceptions are shifting every week.
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Atletico Madrid
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