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Mbappe Makes Madrid Heavy Favorite to Repeat as Spanish League Champion for 1st Time in 17 Years

Real Madrid's French forward Kylian Mbappe reacts as he attends a training session on the eve of the UEFA Super Cup football match Real Madrid v Atalanta Bergamo in Warsaw, Poland, on August 13, 2024. (AFP)
Real Madrid's French forward Kylian Mbappe reacts as he attends a training session on the eve of the UEFA Super Cup football match Real Madrid v Atalanta Bergamo in Warsaw, Poland, on August 13, 2024. (AFP)
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Mbappe Makes Madrid Heavy Favorite to Repeat as Spanish League Champion for 1st Time in 17 Years

Real Madrid's French forward Kylian Mbappe reacts as he attends a training session on the eve of the UEFA Super Cup football match Real Madrid v Atalanta Bergamo in Warsaw, Poland, on August 13, 2024. (AFP)
Real Madrid's French forward Kylian Mbappe reacts as he attends a training session on the eve of the UEFA Super Cup football match Real Madrid v Atalanta Bergamo in Warsaw, Poland, on August 13, 2024. (AFP)

Real Madrid was one of the teams to beat in Europe last season, winning the Spanish league with ease and adding another Champions League trophy to its collection.

And what was good got even better for 2024-25, with France star Kylian Mbappe finally joining the Spanish powerhouse after years of flirtation between both sides.

Mbappe’s addition makes Madrid the heavy favorite to win back-to-back league titles for the first time since 2007-08.

Barcelona, still struggling financially, will debut coach Hansi Flick, while Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid brought in Argentina forward Julián Álvarez and Spain defender Robin Le Normand to improve its squad.

The league kicks off Thursday with Copa del Rey champion Athletic Bilbao hosting Getafe, while Girona — the surprise team from last season after a third-place finish — will visit Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis.

Here’s what to watch in the Spanish league this season:

Mbappe’s Madrid

Mbappe will boost a Madrid attack that includes Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and will also count on young Brazil sensation Endrick.

Mbappe is likely to start alongside Vinicius, with Rodrygo losing his spot as a starter. Endrick, who is only 18, is expected to wait a bit longer to make it to the squad.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti won’t count on stalwart Toni Kroos, who retired after last season, but fellow veteran midfielder Luka Modric will stick around for what is expected to be his final campaign with the club.

Ancelotti will still count on Jude Bellingham, who is returning after thriving in his first season with Madrid.

Madrid’s success came despite many serious injuries to some of its top players, including Thibaut Courtois, Éder Militão and David Alaba — all who should be fully fit again to start the new season.

There was an early setback already, though, with midfielder Eduardo Camavinga set to miss several weeks because of a knee injury.

The defending champions, looking to win their third league title in four seasons, debut at Mallorca on Sunday.

Flick’s Barcelona

The Hansi Flick era in Barcelona begins after the German coach replaced former great Xavi Hernández, whose final year with the club was marred by turmoil on and off the field.

Flick won’t get any new significant signings for his first season, which will begin amid lingering doubts surrounding the fitness of midfielders Gavi, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.

João Félix and João Cancelo are among the players not staying for 2024-25.

Barcelona, which finished 10 points behind Madrid last season, kicks off its campaign at Valencia on Saturday.

Atletico’s additions

Atletico Madrid finished only fourth last season, behind Girona, Barcelona and Madrid. Simeone’s team ended 19 points behind the city rival in the standings.

But the club boosted its squad with some international players that include Álvarez, Le Normande and Alexander Sorloth of Norway.

France forward Antoine Griezmann should remain the team’s top weapon in attack.

Among those who left are Stefan Savic, Mario Hermoso, Memphis Depay and Spain international Álvaro Morata.

Atletico’s first game will be at Villarreal on Monday.

Girona’s losses

Girona made an impressive run to third place last season, earning a spot in the Champions League for the first time in club history.

But the Catalan club will have a hard time repeating its success after the departures of several players, including Artem Dovbyk, Aleix Garcia, Savinho, Eric Garcia and Yan Couto.

Others Girona will debut against a Real Betis squad that will be among the other contenders, at least for a European spot. The group also includes Basque Country rivals Athletic and Real Sociedad.

Valencia and Villarreal will be looking to build on decent seasons in 2023-24, while Sevilla hopes to be further from the relegation zone than it was last campaign.

Leganes, Valladolid and Espanyol were the three teams promoted to the first division.

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Sports

Sinner Seeks Australian Open ‘Three-Peat’ to Maintain Melbourne Supremacy

13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)
13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)
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Sinner Seeks Australian Open ‘Three-Peat’ to Maintain Melbourne Supremacy

13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)
13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)

Jannik Sinner returns to the Australian Open targeting a third straight title as the Italian seeks to impose a level of supremacy reminiscent of Novak Djokovic's stranglehold on the year's ​opening Grand Slam.

The 24-year-old will arrive at Melbourne Park under vastly different circumstances from 12 months ago when his successful title defense was partly overshadowed by a doping controversy which saw him serve a three-month ban.

With that storm firmly behind him, Sinner steps onto the blue courts unencumbered and with his focus sharpened after an outstanding 2025 in which he was only seriously challenged by world number ‌one Carlos ‌Alcaraz.

"I feel to be a better player ‌than ⁠last ​year," Sinner ‌said after beating Alcaraz to win the season-ending ATP Finals with his 58th match victory of a curtailed campaign.

"Honestly, amazing season. Many, many wins, and not many losses. All the losses I had, I tried to see the positive things and tried to evolve as a player.

"I felt like this happened in a very good way."

Sinner now sets his sights ⁠on a third straight Melbourne crown - a feat last achieved in the men's game during ‌the second of Djokovic's "three-peats" from 2019 to ‍2021 - and few would bet ‍against him pushing his overall major tally to five.

That pursuit continues ‍to be built on a game as relentless as it is precise, a metronomic rhythm from the baseline powered by near-robotic consistency and heavy groundstrokes that grind opponents into submission.

Although anchored in consistency and control, Sinner has worked ​to add a dash of magic - the kind of spontaneity best embodied by Alcaraz - and his pursuit will add intrigue ⁠to a rivalry that has become the defining duel of men's tennis.

"It's evolved in a positive way, especially the serving," Sinner said at the ATP Finals of his game.

"From the back of the court, it's a bit more unpredictable. I still have margins where I can play better at times.

"It's also difficult because you have to give a lot of credit to your opponent. Carlos is an incredible player. You have to push yourself over the limits."

The "Sincaraz" rivalry has already lit up most of the biggest tennis tournaments but Melbourne remains the missing piece, ‌and all signs point to that changing this year with the Australian Open set for a blockbuster title showdown.

Sports

Record Seeker Djokovic Faces ‘New Two’ Roadblock at Australian Open

13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)
13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)
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Record Seeker Djokovic Faces ‘New Two’ Roadblock at Australian Open

13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)
13 January 2026, Australia, Melbourne: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic in action during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. (dpa)

Novak Djokovic returns to Melbourne Park looking to roll back the apparently inexorable tide of the "Sincaraz" era and produce an Australian Open triumph that would establish ​him as the most successful Grand Slam champion of all time.

The Serbian clinched his 24th major title at the US Open in late 2023, but Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have since dominated the Grand Slams with a brand of fast-paced tennis that has blown their rivals off the court.

Djokovic, who will be 39 in May, is not impervious to the physical toll two decades on the tour has taken on his body, but only the most foolhardy observer has ever written off one of the mentally toughest players to play the game.

To move out of ‌a tie with ‌Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam singles titles in the ‌Australian's ⁠own ​back yard, ‌though, he looks likely to need to beat one or both of the "New Two" at the business end of the tournament.

Last year, the last survivor of the "Big Three" beat Alcaraz in the quarter-finals only to retire from his semi-final against Alex Zverev with a hamstring tear.

He reached the semi-finals of all four majors in 2025, losing to Sinner in Paris and at Wimbledon, as well as Alcaraz in New York.

"I lost three out of four slams in semis against these guys, so they're just too ⁠good, playing on a really high level," he said after his loss at Flushing Meadows. "Best-of-five makes it very, very difficult for me ‌to play them. Particularly if it's like the end stages ‍of a Grand Slam."

'ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION'

Djokovic pulled ‍out of the warm-up tournament in Adelaide in January but Australian Open tournament director Craig ‍Tiley moved quickly to douse any question over the 38-year-old turning up in Melbourne.

"He'll be here to play 100%," Tiley said at the weekend.

"Just out of the abundance of caution, he just wanted to make sure he's 100% ready. He's won this event 10 times. He wants to go for that record, and this ​is the place that he has the best chance of doing it."

Indeed, Tiley said, it was highly unlikely to be Djokovic's last Australian Open either, tallying with ⁠the player's own ambition to defend his Olympic title in Los Angeles in 2028.

Djokovic's battered body might have other plans, though, and his chances of going deep will probably rely on him staying healthy into the second week at Melbourne Park.

He managed ATP titles in Geneva and Athens last year to take his tally to 101 but his best efforts at the longer Masters events were a Miami final and a semi in Shanghai.

It will be his 21st appearance in the main draw at the Australian Open, a run that started as a qualifier in 2005 when he was thumped by eventual champion Marat Safin.

Melbourne's large community of fans with Serbian heritage will ensure he has plenty of support at a tournament where he has otherwise been more admired than loved.

There is no doubting he ‌will go down as one of the tournament's great champions, however, especially as his 10 triumphs came in the "Big Three" era when Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer were also at their peak.

Sports

Rooney Open to Man United Return if Carrick Named Interim Manager

10 January 2026, United Kingdom, Macclesfield: BBC Sport pundit Wayne Rooney pictured ahead of the England FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace at the Leasing.com Stadium. (dpa)
10 January 2026, United Kingdom, Macclesfield: BBC Sport pundit Wayne Rooney pictured ahead of the England FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace at the Leasing.com Stadium. (dpa)
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Rooney Open to Man United Return if Carrick Named Interim Manager

10 January 2026, United Kingdom, Macclesfield: BBC Sport pundit Wayne Rooney pictured ahead of the England FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace at the Leasing.com Stadium. (dpa)
10 January 2026, United Kingdom, Macclesfield: BBC Sport pundit Wayne Rooney pictured ahead of the England FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace at the Leasing.com Stadium. (dpa)

Wayne Rooney said he would be open to joining the coaching staff of former teammate Michael Carrick if he ​takes over as interim manager of Manchester United following Ruben Amorim’s departure last week.

Rooney made 559 appearances and scored 253 goals in a trophy-laden 13-year spell as a player at the club. He retired in 2021 and has had management ‌spells at ‌Derby County, DC United, ‌Birmingham ⁠City ​and ‌Plymouth Argyle.

Asked if he would consider joining Carrick's coaching department, the 40-year-old said on the BBC's The Wayne Rooney Show: "Of course I would. It's a no-brainer.

"I'm not begging a job here, by the way.

"Just so everyone knows, ⁠if I was asked to go in of ‌course I would. Appointing the ‍manager is the most ‍important thing."

Following his retirement from football ‍in 2018, Carrick stayed on at United as part of Jose Mourinho's coaching staff and was also part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's set-up ​when the Portuguese was sacked.

Carrick, who had a short stint as caretaker boss ⁠following Solskjaer's dismissal in 2021, spent two-and-a-half years as Middlesbrough manager from October 2022 to June 2025.

"I think it would be a really good fit," Rooney said.

"Michael loves the football club and would step in to do a job if he can.

"He lives and breathes that club - that's what the club needs."

United, who are seventh in the ‌Premier League, face Manchester City on Saturday.