LaLiga news

Luka Modric has named Jose Mourinho as the toughest manager of his illustrious career, claiming the legendary boss is so intense that he once made Cristiano Ronaldo cry in the Real Madrid dressing room. The Croatia and AC Milan midfielder has worked under several world-class coaches during his sparkling spell in football, but he has labelled the Portuguese as the strictest of them all.

Luis de la Fuente says he has a "clear conscience" on Lamine Yamal after a long-running club vs country row. The Spain boss has previously been at loggerheads with Barcelona over his use of the 18-year-old, who was diagnosed with pubalgia after the first international break of the season in September. The teenager was forced to miss a number of games due to the chronic injury and has only played for Spain twice since the summer.

Kylian Mbappe is set for a spell on the sidelines after being diagnosed with a knee injury, which is a major blow to Real Madrid ahead of their return from the winter break. His absence will be keenly felt at Valdebebas. Since the start of the campaign, Real Madrid’s number 10 has featured in almost every fixture, scoring 27 goals across La Liga and Champions League competition.

Ex-Manchester City star Joao Cancelo is edging towards another mid-season transfer, with reports indicating the full-back is preparing to leave Al-Hilal when the January window opens. A return to Barcelona has emerged as a realistic possibility, with interest also coming from Italy as Europe’s elite look to bolster their squads.

Barcelona presidential candidate Marc Ciria is "sure that Lionel Messi wants to return" to the La Liga giants. Ciria will challenge current club president Joan Laporta in the 2026 elections and has admitted that he'd do everything in his power to bring the Argentine star back to Spotify Camp Nou. Messi tearfully left Barcelona at the end of his contract in 2021 before joining Paris Saint-Germain, and now plies his trade in MLS with Inter Miami.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is edging towards a Barcelona exit as fellow La Liga side Girona have revealed a public interest in signing Germany goalkeeper. Ter Stegen, who has been a pillar of the Barca defence for over a decade, has found himself in an unfamiliar position this season following the ascent of summer signing Joan Garcia and his own struggles with fitness.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's new 'offside revolution' plans are set to take a step closer to reality as FIFA and president Gianni Infantino are preparing a presentation of the proposed rule change to the IFAB. Wenger has pushed for a radical change to the offside law for some time, advocating for a change that would see an offside offence only occur if the attacker is completely in front of the last defender.

Marc Guehi has become a 'top target' for Real Madrid as the La Liga giants make contact with the Crystal Palace captain. The Palace centre-back will run down his contract until the summer of 2026. The England international has already informed the Premier League side that he will not sign an extension, effectively guaranteeing a summer exit and triggering a battle among Europe's elite.

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.

New Year's Eve is almost upon us, meaning 2025 is about to be consigned to the past - but how will it be remembered by the football world? It was certainly an unforgettable year for some players, coaches and clubs. Paris Saint-Germain, for example, finally got their hands on the trophy they craved above all others, the Champions League, thus vindicating a sensible change in recruitment strategy by the club's owners, who went from signing superstars to investing millions in youth.

Barcelona midfielder Gavi is refusing to let a brutal injury spell derail his biggest ambitions, with the teenager targeting a February return and keeping his World Cup 2026 dream firmly alive. Recovering step by step from knee surgery, the Barca No.6 insists everything is on track as he watches a flying team from the sidelines and vows to come back stronger.

Barcelona are eyeing a move for Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic on a free transfer as the Catalan giants see the striker as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski. The veteran Polish forward, who will soon enter the final six months of his current contract, has yet to decide on his future at Barcelona and has not penned a fresh extension yet.

A lot of leagues and competitions take the festive period off but there was no break for players in England, Italy and Portugal over the weekend, while the action at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco resumed on December 26. The Premier League's top two, Arsenal and Manchester City, both picked up hard-fought wins on Saturday but Aston Villa remain very much in the title race after a massive win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

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.

Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos has revealed what his relationship with Vinicius Junior was like on and off the pitch. Speculation is continuing to mount that the Brazil international will leave Los Blancos in 2026 after a difficult year or so at the Spanish giants. Amid such rumours, ex-midfielder Kroos has given a very strong character reference of the 25-year-old, while also giving his take on Endrick's Lyon loan.

Lamine Yamal has expressed his desire to build and follow his own unique path as his young career develops. Speaking after winning the Best Forward award at the Globe Soccer Awards, the 18-year-old played down comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo and stated that since the great Portuguese earnt his name in football by being unlike anyone else, he hopes to do the same thing as he comes ever closer to reaching the very top of the game.

Marcus Rashford has passed a Barcelona referendum as members voted in favour of signing the England forward permanently. Rashford move to the reigning La Liga champions on loan from Manchester United over the summer having been outcast by head coach Ruben Amorim. And the 28-year-old has made an impressive impact for the Blaugrana, who may be prepared to extend his stay in Spain.