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LaLiga news

Vinicius Mbappe Real Madrid GFX

Mbappe & Vini silence Bernabeu boos to end winless run

Real Madrid bounced back from their four-match winless run and kept their slim title hopes in La Liga alive with a 2-1 victory over Alaves on Tuesday. Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr got the job done for Alvaro Arbeloa's side, who closed the gap on leaders Barcelona to six points for at least the next 24 hours.

FC Barcelona v Olympiacos FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3

Rashford & De Jong among FIVE Barca stars set to be moved on in summer

Barcelona are preparing for a significant squad overhaul this summer, which could see five high-profile players depart the Camp Nou, including Marcus Rashford and Frenkie de Jong. Despite their domestic dominance in La Liga, the Catalan giants are looking to balance their books and refresh the first-team following another disappointing exit from the Champions League at the hands of Atletico Madrid.

Toni Kroos

Real Madrid icon Kroos responds to retirement U-turn suggestions

Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos has firmly dismissed suggestions of a sensational return to professional football two years after his retirement. During an appearance at the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards, the 36-year-old insisted that he has no intention of reversing his decision despite ongoing speculation regarding the current atmosphere in Madrid.

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Yamal-Messi

Yamal admits aim to 'follow in footsteps' of Messi after Laureus award win

Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal admitted he is aiming to "follow in the footsteps" of Lionel Messi after being crowned the Laureus World Young Sportsperson of the Year for 2026. The 18-year-old forward used the prestigious ceremony to pay tribute to the Argentine icon, who remains the only footballer to have ever won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award.

Vinicius Junior

Vini Jr ‘so big & so good’ that Real exit is almost impossible

Vinicius Junior continues to generate plenty of lively discussion at Real Madrid, but Michael Owen has told GOAL why the Brazilian superstar is “so big and so good” that only “two teams” could afford to put a transfer deal in place. The South American forward has become a divisive character in world football, but Owen doubts that he will trade Santiago Bernabeu for another landing spot in Europe or the Saudi Pro League.

Real Madrid CF v Girona FC - LaLiga EA Sports

€40m wiped from Bellingham’s valuation as Vini suffers same fate

Real Madrid’s era of dominance feels like a distant memory as the financial consequences of two consecutive seasons without major silverware take a heavy toll. The Bernabeu is witnessing a shocking decline in overall squad value, with marquee attackers Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior both suffering steep drops to their personal market valuations amid the team's ongoing struggles.

Mohamed Salah Lionel Messi 2026

Thiago snubs Messi & Salah in top three team-mates list

Thiago Alcantara has raised eyebrows by omitting Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah when naming the three best players he ever shared a pitch with. Despite playing alongside some of the greatest icons in modern football history, the former midfield maestro opted for a trio of stars that prioritised tactical intelligence and selflessness above raw goalscoring numbers.

lamine yamal

Aguero: Only one player ranks above Yamal

Sergio Aguero has heaped massive praise on Lamine Yamal, sensationally claiming that the Barcelona sensation is already performing at a level that puts him above almost every other player in world football with the exception of a certain superstar. The Manchester City and Blaugrana legend also believes the teenager possesses a rare talent that has not been seen at Camp Nou since the departure of eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi.

FC St. Pauli v FC Bayern München - Bundesliga

Kane ‘perfect for Real’ and ‘any team in the world’

Harry Kane is currently enjoying the most prolific season of his illustrious career, and former team-mate Fernando Llorente believes the Bayern Munich star would be the ideal fit for any elite club across the globe. Despite a history of injury issues, the England captain’s relentless scoring form in Germany has reignited discussions about his suitability for the very top level, including a potential fit at Real Madrid.

Vinicius Junior 2025-26

Vinicius Jr told he's 'far from' Messi and Ronaldo

Despite being a leading figure at Santiago Bernabeu, Vinicius Jr is reportedly missing a vital ingredient required to join the pantheon of footballing greats. Former Brazil and Atletico Madrid defender Joao Miranda has offered a stinging appraisal of the Brazilian winger’s standing in the global game. The Real Madrid star has been told he is still a long way off reaching the legendary heights of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lamine Yamal Neymar

Neymar backs Yamal for Champions League & Ballon d’Or double

Barcelona’s Champions League campaign may have ended in heartbreak against Atletico Madrid, but the performance of Lamine Yamal left a lasting impression on one of the club's former greats, Neymar. Despite the disappointment of exiting the competition at the quarter-final stage, Yamal’s emergence as a genuine leader at the age of just 18 has convinced many that he is the heir to the throne at Camp Nou.

FBL-POR-LIGA-BENFICA-VITORIA GUIMARAES

Mourinho casts doubt on Benfica future

Jose Mourinho has sent shockwaves through Lisbon by refusing to guarantee his stay at Benfica beyond the current season. Speaking ahead of a massive derby clash against Sporting CP, the legendary manager suggested that his future is not entirely in his own hands as speculation over a return to the elite continues to mount.

GFX Jose Mourinho Florentino Perez

Will Mourinho return to Madrid? Perez considers Benfica boss

Real Madrid are reportedly exploring the possibility of bringing Jose Mourinho back to the Santiago Bernabeu as they look to arrest a worrying slump in form. The legendary Portuguese coach, currently at the helm of Benfica, is emerging as a serious candidate to lead a new era in the Spanish capital as they plan to replace Alvaro Arbeloa.

Real Madrid CF v Atletico de Madrid - LaLiga EA Sports

Rudiger extends Madrid deal as Alaba nears exit

Real Madrid are preparing for a significant defensive overhaul this summer following a disappointing campaign that sees the Spanish giants on the verge of finishing without a major trophy for the second consecutive year. While the squad is expected to undergo deep changes, the club has moved to secure the short-term future of Antonio Rudiger.

Frequently asked questions

Egypt are the team who have won the most AFCON titles in history, with seven to their name. It was in 1957, the inaugural edition of AFCON, where Egypt attained glory. They would go on to add three more trophies before the turn of the century (1957, 1986, 1998), before completing a threepeat in 2006, 2008, and 2010.

The first-ever AFCON featured just three teams. Between 1968 and 1990, eight teams featured in the tournament. An expansion in 1992 saw 12 teams feature in AFCON, and 16 from 1998. The latest expansion in 2019, though, sees 24 teams fight for glory.

Cameroon legend Rigobert Song set the record of most AFCON appearances in 2010, playing in his 36th game in the tournament. That record was equalled by Ghanaian icon Andre Ayew in 2024.

Cameroon icon Samuel Eto'o leads the all-time goalscoring charts with an impressive 18 goals over the course of 29 matches during six different tournaments.

Egypt's Essam El Hadary is the oldest player ever to play in AFCON at the age of 44 years and 21 days. He achieved this feat in 2017 during Egypt's 2-1 loss to Cameroon.

Former Ghana defender Joseph Odoi made his AFCON debut in 1984 at the age of 15 years and 164 days, becoming the youngest player ever to feature in the African Cup of Nations.

Samuel Eto'o, Mohamed Salah, Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba, Jay-Jay Okocha, Sadio Mane, Roger Milla, Ahmed Hassan, George Weah, etc, are some of the biggest names to have featured in the African Cup of Nations.

Charles Gyamfi, Hassan Shehata, Herve Renard, and Avram Grant are some of the most famous coaches to have led their respective teams at AFCON.