Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal collected his third straight Kopa Trophy, the best young player award, at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on Monday night. Yamal said he would have preferred to see teammate Pau Cubarsi accept the prize, praising the young defender's excellent recent form. Cubarsi was also nominated but did not win. Yamal was praised for his goals, creativity and dribbling for Barcelona, while Cubarsi's defensive numbers were not judged strong enough to beat him. Yamal did not win the main Ballon d'Or award.
Kylian Mbappe scored in each half to give Real Madrid a 2-1 win over Barcelona in El Clasico. Barcelona had won all nine of their La Liga matches this season before the defeat. Raphinha levelled for the hosts in the 61st minute after Pedri's reverse pass. Eduardo Camavinga set up Mbappe's winner three minutes from time with a cut-back that the striker finished. The result cut Barcelona's lead at the top of the table to three points.
Barcelona will wear a special jersey featuring the logo of Golf Wang, the streetwear brand of musician Tyler the Creator, for Sunday's El Clasico against Real Madrid. The one-time partnership is part of Spotify's ongoing sponsorship deal with the club. Only 1,899 of the shirts were made available, a nod to the club's founding year of 1899. Shirts cost $600 each through the club's official store. The kit is one of several special designs Barcelona have worn through the Spotify deal, which was extended through 2030.
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Juan Martinez Munuera has been chosen to referee the first league El Clasico of the 2026/27 season between Barcelona and Real Madrid on Sunday, October 25. The 44-year-old has been a La Liga referee since 2013 and has officiated the 2021 Copa del Rey final. This will be his fifth El Clasico. Real Madrid have won three of the four previous matches he has refereed between the clubs. Javier Iglesias Villanueva will serve as the VAR for the match.
Around 100 people have been arrested in Spain after hooded demonstrators at an anti-establishment rally looted shops and set fire to street furniture around Barcelona's Plaza de Catalunya. Catalonia's interior minister, Núria Parlon, said about 25 per cent of those arrested on Saturday night were minors. More than 30 fires were lit and 14 stores were vandalised or looted in a area popular with tourists and weekend shoppers. Social media videos show people trapped inside shops, including El Corte Ingles, after shutters were lowered.
Barcelona host Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the 2026-27 season on Sunday at Camp Nou. It marks Jose Mourinho's return to the fixture after more than 13 years away. Mourinho's Madrid played Barcelona 17 times during his first spell in charge, and a ranking of those matches has been published. The top-ranked clash was a 5-0 Barcelona win in November 2010, Mourinho's first Clasico, which he later called the biggest defeat of his career.
Paris Saint-Germain beat Barcelona 4-2 in a Champions League match at Parc des Princes. Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz scored late goals to settle the contest after Barcelona had equalised. Desire Doue, Lucas Hernandez and Xavi Espart also scored in a game that saw Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia leave with injuries. Barcelona's Lamine Yamal scored in between. The result came a week after PSG beat Manchester City 4-2.
Barcelona have equalled a La Liga record after winning their first nine matches of the 2026/27 season. A 5-2 win over Real Betis on October 17 gave them nine straight victories, matching the mark Real Madrid set in 1968/69. Barcelona lead the table by five points with 27 points and have scored 39 goals, averaging 4.3 per game. Barcelona could break the record outright with a win in the next El Clasico against Real Madrid.
