Lewandowski Strikes Twice for Champion Barcelona but Can’t Catch Mbappé for Scoring Title 

Football - LaLiga - Athletic Bilbao v FC Barcelona - San Mames, Bilbao, Spain - May 25, 2025 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski scores their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Athletic Bilbao v FC Barcelona - San Mames, Bilbao, Spain - May 25, 2025 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski scores their first goal. (Reuters)
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Lewandowski Strikes Twice for Champion Barcelona but Can’t Catch Mbappé for Scoring Title 

Football - LaLiga - Athletic Bilbao v FC Barcelona - San Mames, Bilbao, Spain - May 25, 2025 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski scores their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Athletic Bilbao v FC Barcelona - San Mames, Bilbao, Spain - May 25, 2025 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski scores their first goal. (Reuters)

Barcelona capped its title-winning campaign with a 3-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, with Robert Lewandowski scoring twice, but falling short of catching Kylian Mbappé as the Spanish league's top scorer for the season.

Lewandowski found the net in the 14th and 17th minutes in Bilbao to finish the league season with 27 goals, four fewer than Mbappé, who scored twice in Madrid's 2-0 win against Real Sociedad on Saturday.

Lewandowski, who was out injured in some recent matches, hadn't scored since April 9 in a Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund. His last league goal was in March against Girona.

Lewandowski had led the scoring race during most of the season, but Mbappé finished with a red-hot run that included 10 goals in his last six matches.

Barcelona finished with a goal-difference of plus 63 after scoring 102 times and conceding 39. It won 28 matches, drew four and lost six.

It ended with 88 points, four points more than second-placed Madrid and 12 points more than third-placed Atletico Madrid.

Athletic had already secured a fourth-placed finish to secure a Champions League spot for the first time in a decade.

‘Under control’

The 36-year-old Lewandowski reached 101 goals in total across all competitions in his three seasons with Barcelona. He had 42 this year after scoring 26 last season and 33 in his debut campaign.

“We had it under control,” Lewandowski said. “This season was almost perfect. We have to enjoy this moment.”

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised his team.

“We wanted to finish like we started it, like we performed during the season, and they did a great job,” Flick said.

Levante promoted

Carlos Álvarez scored seven minutes into stoppage time as Levante won 3-2 at Burgos to seal its promotion to the first division three years after being relegated.

Levante rallied for the victory after trailing 2-1 up to the 85th minute. It secured one of the top two spots in the second tier to automatically advance to the first division.

Relegation and European places

Saturday's matches decided the final European places and the last relegated team. Leganes was demoted after Las Palmas and Valladolid had already been relegated in advance. Celta Vigo grabbed the final Europa League spot and Rayo Vallecano earned the Conference League place.

Barcelona, Madrid, Atletico, Athletic and Villarreal will play in the Champions League next season. Real Betis got the other Europa League spot.

Atletico finished the season with a 4-0 win at Girona with a hat trick by striker Alexander Sorloth. He had scored four goals in a 4-0 win over Real Sociedad earlier this month.

Sorloth, often used as a substitute by Atletico coach Diego Simeone, ended with 20 goals, fourth in the league's scoring list. Ante Budimir of Osasuna was third with 21 goals, six fewer than Lewandowski and 10 fewer than Mbappé.

Fifth-placed Villarreal beat 17th-placed Sevilla 4-2 with a pair of goals by Pape Gueye.



Saudi National Team Coach: We Aim to Conclude Our Participation in the Best Possible Manner

Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA
Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA
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Saudi National Team Coach: We Aim to Conclude Our Participation in the Best Possible Manner

Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA
Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA

Saudi national team head coach Hervé Renard affirmed during a pre-match press conference ahead of the team’s encounter with the UAE that the squad aims to conclude its participation in the tournament in the best possible manner. He noted that reaching this stage was not the desired objective, but focus and readiness remain essential requirements.

Renard explained that preparations for the match against Jordan were solid and that statistics reflected the Saudi team’s superiority in terms of possession and presence in the opponent’s half, as well as prior understanding of the opponent’s strategy, SPA reported.

However, he said that failure to capitalize on scoring opportunities prevented goals, while Jordan’s team succeeded in converting its chances.

He stated that exiting the semifinals is a difficult challenge for everyone, emphasizing the need to maintain professionalism and prepare well to secure victory in tomorrow’s match. He noted that the team delivered strong performances in previous matches, but effectiveness in front of goal remains a decisive factor that must be further developed in the next phase.

Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions, emphasizing that preparation for the World Cup requires higher readiness and a more competitive level to present the image expected on the global stage.

Saudi national team player Abdulrahman Al-Aboud said the ambition had been to win the title, but that was not achieved, noting the players’ readiness to compete for third place against the UAE national team.


Carlos Alcaraz Ends 7-year Partnership with Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning the first set against Joao Fonseca during the Miami Tennis Invitational tournament, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning the first set against Joao Fonseca during the Miami Tennis Invitational tournament, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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Carlos Alcaraz Ends 7-year Partnership with Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning the first set against Joao Fonseca during the Miami Tennis Invitational tournament, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning the first set against Joao Fonseca during the Miami Tennis Invitational tournament, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz is parting ways with his longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Alcaraz announced their decision to end a seven-year partnership on Wednesday in a message on his social networks, The AP news reported.

With Ferrero, Alcaraz has claimed six Grand Slam titles __ two French Open titles, two Wimbledon crowns and two US Opens.

“After more than seven years together, Juanki and I have decided to bring our chapter together as coach and player to an end,” Alacaraz wrote. Thank you for turning childhood dreams into reality. We started this journey when I was barely a kid, and throughout all this time you’ve accompanied me on an incredible journey, on and off the court. I’ve enjoyed every single step with you immensely."


FIFA Launches $60 Ticket Tier amid Criticism of 2026 World Cup Pricing 

13 December 2024, Switzerland, Zurich: The FIFA logo is seen on the façade of FIFA headquarters before the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (dpa)
13 December 2024, Switzerland, Zurich: The FIFA logo is seen on the façade of FIFA headquarters before the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (dpa)
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FIFA Launches $60 Ticket Tier amid Criticism of 2026 World Cup Pricing 

13 December 2024, Switzerland, Zurich: The FIFA logo is seen on the façade of FIFA headquarters before the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (dpa)
13 December 2024, Switzerland, Zurich: The FIFA logo is seen on the façade of FIFA headquarters before the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (dpa)

FIFA introduced on Tuesday a small number of $60 "Supporter Entry Tier" tickets, aiming to make next year's World Cup more affordable for fans of qualified teams.

Football's governing body said that the discounted tickets would cover all 104 matches of the tournament, including the final.

The cheaper tickets will make up 10% of Participating Member Associations' (PMAs) allocations.

The PMAs, which represent competing national teams and manage dedicated fan ticket programs, will handle the ticket allocation process.

They will also define their own criteria to prioritize tickets for "loyal fans" closely connected to their national teams.

"In total, half of each PMA's ticket allocation will fall within the most affordable categories: 40% under the Supporter Value Tier and 10% under the new Supporter Entry Tier," FIFA said in a statement.

"The remaining allocation will be split evenly between the Supporter Standard Tier and the Supporter Premier Tier," it added.

Fans who apply through PMA ticketing programs and whose teams fail to progress to the knockout stage will have administrative fees waived for refund requests.

The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of ticket pricing ahead of the 2026 tournament, set to take place from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Last week, Football Supporters Europe (FSE) accused FIFA of imposing "extortionate" ticket prices that could prevent average fans from attending the event.

'STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION'

FSE director Ronan Evain told Reuters on Tuesday that while the new pricing was a step in the right direction, it was "clearly not sufficient".

He noted that following a team to the final would cost $480 under category four, but jumps to $6,900 for category three, meaning one fan "sitting in the same section" as another could pay 15 times more.

Evain also said there was a lack of transparency around ticket distribution.

"FIFA doesn't provide any guidelines or obligations for the PMAs. They have the freedom to choose how they distribute the tickets," he said.

According to the BBC, this will mean about 400 of the cheaper tickets will be available for England and Scotland in their group games, yet Evain said that most PMAs don't disclose the number of tickets.

FIFA said in its statement on Tuesday that PMAs were requested to ensure that these cheaper tickets were "specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams".

Evain also raised concerns about accessibility for fans with disabilities. "The cheapest they can get all the way to the final is $7,000 and they also must pay full price for companion seats, meaning that following a team to the final could cost $14,000," he said.

Reuters has put Evain's points to FIFA for comment.

Despite the backlash, FIFA reported strong interest in the sale's third phase draw, which began on December 11 and will remain open until January 13, driven by the release of match schedules, venues and kick-off times.