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Barcelona Teenager Yamal Wins LaLiga Player of the Season Award

Barcelona's Spanish forward #10 Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on April 11 , 2026. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)
Barcelona's Spanish forward #10 Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on April 11 , 2026. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)
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Barcelona Teenager Yamal Wins LaLiga Player of the Season Award

Barcelona's Spanish forward #10 Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on April 11 , 2026. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)
Barcelona's Spanish forward #10 Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on April 11 , 2026. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has been named LaLiga Player of the season, the Spanish league announced on Friday.

The 18-year-old helped Barca retain their domestic crown, became the first player to win the league's Player of the Month award three times in one season and finished as the club's top scorer in La Liga with 16 goals and 11 assists.

Barcelona's Hansi Flick was named the Coach of the Year on Thursday, Reuters reported.

Regarding Yamal, Barca said in a statement: "He is the proverbial headache for opponent defenses, who have to make a real effort to try to stop the blaugrana's attacking threats.

"Beyond the intangibles, the young Catalan scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists, with no other LaLiga player providing that many passes leading to goals."

Yamal, who has been sidelined with groin issues multiple times this term, is expected to be fit for Spain at the World Cup starting next week in Canada, Mexico and the US.

He missed the last six games of the season for Barcelona due to a hamstring injury.

Yamal exploded onto the scene at 16 and was an integral part of Spain's record fourth European Championship triumph in 2024.

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Sports

FIFA Cancels Dozens of World Cup Tickets Issued for Free by Mistake

04 June 2026, Canada, Toronto: A General view of the Toronto Stadium, during a media tour one week ahead of the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Photo: Leonardo Ramirez/eyepix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
04 June 2026, Canada, Toronto: A General view of the Toronto Stadium, during a media tour one week ahead of the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Photo: Leonardo Ramirez/eyepix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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FIFA Cancels Dozens of World Cup Tickets Issued for Free by Mistake

04 June 2026, Canada, Toronto: A General view of the Toronto Stadium, during a media tour one week ahead of the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Photo: Leonardo Ramirez/eyepix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
04 June 2026, Canada, Toronto: A General view of the Toronto Stadium, during a media tour one week ahead of the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Photo: Leonardo Ramirez/eyepix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

FIFA canceled World Cup tickets for about 60 fans who mistakenly received them for free because of a website error.

The governing body's acknowledgment of the glitch adds to the ongoing controversy surrounding the ticketing program for the tournament in North America, which begins next week.

The tickets were issued at no charge "due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process," FIFA said in a news release on Thursday. The tickets were sold through the official World Cup site on May 21.

"FIFA regrets the error and any inconvenience caused," the statement said, adding that "the tickets requested by these fans remain reserved, and the affected fans have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount."

The high price of tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins on Thursday in Mexico City, has been a hot topic since they went on sale. The costs are considerably higher than any previous World Cup.

Sports

De la Fuente Pleased with Injury-Free Friendly as Spain Turn Focus to US

Spain's coach Luis De La Fuente during an international friendly soccer match against Iraq in A Coruna, Spain, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP)
Spain's coach Luis De La Fuente during an international friendly soccer match against Iraq in A Coruna, Spain, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP)
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De la Fuente Pleased with Injury-Free Friendly as Spain Turn Focus to US

Spain's coach Luis De La Fuente during an international friendly soccer match against Iraq in A Coruna, Spain, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP)
Spain's coach Luis De La Fuente during an international friendly soccer match against Iraq in A Coruna, Spain, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP)

Coach Luis de la Fuente was ‌happy Spain came through their final home friendly without injuries and used the opportunity to hand debuts to several youngsters, but said the intensity would step up a notch once they arrived in North America for the World Cup.

Spain, one of the favorites to lift the World Cup, were held to a 1-1 draw by Iraq in a warm-up match in La Coruna on Thursday, fielding a heavily rotated lineup.

"Today was about sensations and giving opportunities to other players. No injuries — that's important," de ‌la Fuente ‌told reporters.

"Now we enter a new phase with ‌more ⁠intensity and more ⁠players contributing. Tomorrow we're in the United States, and that puts our focus exactly where it needs to be."

Spain, who will be based in Chattanooga, Tennessee during the World Cup, face Peru in their final friendly in Puebla, Mexico on Monday before their Group H campaign against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and ⁠Uruguay.

De la Fuente rested several key players, including ‌Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, David Raya, ‌Victor Munoz, Marc Cucurella, Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Martin Zubimendi, Rodri and ‌Mikel Oyarzabal due to fitness concerns.

Meanwhile, Marc Bernal, Jon Martin, ‌Gonzalo, Turrientes, Javi Guerra, Marc Pubill, Javi Rodriguez and Leo Roman were handed senior debuts against Iraq.

"They all earned it. The match allowed us to give debuts to players who deserved the chance. They ‌helped us a lot," the 64-year-old said.

"They're players for the future, and we'll see them with ⁠the senior ⁠team soon. Another objective accomplished."

Spain will face Cape Verde in their opening match on June 15, though doubts remain over Yamal's fitness.

The Barcelona forward is recovering from a left hamstring injury that cut short his season in April, and de la Fuente said on Wednesday that the 18-year-old could be ready for the opener, though there were no guarantees.

"The plan is to stick to what we'd planned, and that schedule gave us confidence that he could be ready by the 15th," he said.

"Things are generally going very well, but there might be a day when we have to put something on hold."

Sports

France Brush Off Ivory Coast Loss, Call It Timely World Cup Reminder

Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo, center, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the international friendly match between France and Ivory Coast in Nantes, France, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP)
Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo, center, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the international friendly match between France and Ivory Coast in Nantes, France, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP)
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France Brush Off Ivory Coast Loss, Call It Timely World Cup Reminder

Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo, center, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the international friendly match between France and Ivory Coast in Nantes, France, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP)
Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo, center, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the international friendly match between France and Ivory Coast in Nantes, France, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP)

France brushed aside concerns after ‌suffering a surprise 2-1 defeat by Ivory Coast in a World Cup warm-up match on Thursday, insisting the setback would serve as a useful reminder rather than a cause for alarm ahead of the tournament.

Didier Deschamps' side led through a superb first-half goal from Rayan Cherki but were overrun after the break as Guela Doue and Amad Diallo turned the game around for the Elephants in Nantes.

With France opening their World Cup campaign against Senegal in New York on June 16, midfielder Aurelien ‌Tchouameni said the ‌result should be viewed in the context ‌of ⁠preparations rather than ⁠as a warning sign.

"It's a pity to lose but we're in a preparation phase, we stay confident," Tchouameni said.

"There is no conclusion to draw from this game, even if we had won it. We will be ready."

France fielded an experimental side, with several Paris St Germain players rested after last weekend's Champions ⁠League final triumph, and made numerous changes after ‌halftime.

Defender Lucas Hernandez also played ‌down the significance of the defeat.

"We always want to win but we're ‌in a phase of preparation and there were a ‌lot of substitutions," Hernandez said.

"We're in good spirits."

Deschamps, however, admitted his side had lost control of the contest after an encouraging opening 45 minutes and warned that France would face opponents with similar qualities in ‌the United States.

"A defeat is never pleasant, even if we did some good things in ⁠the first ⁠half," Deschamps said.

"In the second half we made a lot of changes but that's no excuse. We were not as good after the break and they brought a lot of pace.

"We will face the same type of team on June 16."

The France coach said the result could prove useful if it prevented his players from becoming complacent before the tournament.

"It's a reminder, if we needed one, not to think we're better than we are," he said, with Cherki adding: "It's a little warning, and I can tell you we're not going to the World Cup thinking we're favorites but we're going to crush everyone."