Amid the speculation, Mourinho has now publicly addressed his situation for the first time in detail. Among European soccer fans, what the future holds for Jose Mourinho has emerged as a major topic of conversation. Reports linking the Portuguese coach with a dramatic return to Real Madrid continue to grow stronger, even as he remains under contract with Benfica until 2027. Amid the speculation, Mourinho has now publicly addressed his situation for the first time in detail. The Spanish giant is currently living through a chaotic period after another disappointing season that ended without major silverware. Pressure has increased on current coach Alvaro Arbeloa following internal tensions, inconsistent performances, and reports of dressing-room fractures. Florentino Perez’s explosive recent press conference also intensified the sense that major changes could soon arrive at the Santiago Bernabéu. Several reports in Spain suggest Mourinho has emerged as the leading candidate to take charge once again. His previous spell at Madrid between 2010 and 2013 brought a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey, and a Spanish Super Cup, while also reshaping the squad’s mentality during one of Barcelona’s most dominant eras. Jose Mourinho coached Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013. Mourinho finally reveals his stance on his future The experienced coach explained that he does not want distractions ahead of Benfica’s final domestic fixture against Estoril. Despite intense rumors surrounding Madrid’s managerial search, Mourinho insisted his immediate focus remains entirely on finishing the campaign properly. “Yes, I received a contract renewal offer from Benfica on Wednesday. The offer was given to my agent, but I didn’t want to see it, find out about it, or analyze it. I’ll only do that starting Sunday, I’d say Sunday,” Mourinho told Diario AS. The former Madrid coach also revealed that Benfica officials never directly pushed him to decide during the crucial final days of the season. According to Mourinho, even if the club had approached him earlier, his response would have remained the same. “They never told me they had an offer to show me. Not the president, nor any important person in the organisation. But if they had told me, I would have answered exactly the same way.” What’s more, he openly admitted that next week could define the next chapter of his career. Although he stopped short of confirming any move, his words strongly suggested that an important decision is approaching. “Next week will be important for me, for my future, and also for Benfica,” Mourinho explained. The 63-year-old tactician then delivered a statement many interpreted as leaving the door open for a possible departure. “Benfica is much bigger than me; there’s no comparison. It’s bigger than everyone, any coach, player, president, anyone. Therefore, as far as my personal situation is concerned, I think there’s no reason to worry, because the club is bigger than everyone, and there’s no need to worry if someone leaves.” No contact with Real Madrid, yet links persist Despite the mounting reports, Mourinho insisted he has not spoken directly with Madrid officials. The coach firmly denied receiving any approach from Florentino Perez or other senior figures at the Spanish club. “I have had no contact whatsoever with Real Madrid—not with the president, nor with any other key figure at the club,” he stated during a press conference. Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Benfica, speaks to Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid. He repeated the same position later while discussing the rumors once again. “As for Real Madrid, they never told me they had an offer to put to me. Neither the president nor anyone else in a position of authority.” Even so, speculation has continued to intensify across Spain and Portugal. Multiple outlets claim that behind-the-scenes negotiations are already advanced, with Mourinho reportedly requesting significant authority over transfers and sporting decisions if he returns.
Al Nassr were on the verge of winning the Saudi Pro League title, but a costly mistake by Bento denied Cristiano Ronaldo the chance to celebrate. The Saudi Pro League delivered its biggest match of the season on Tuesday. With Al Nassr on the brink of the title, a late mistake by Bento kept Al Hilal alive and prevented Cristiano Ronaldo from celebrating his first trophy in Saudi Arabia. With two matches remaining in the 2025-26 season, Al Nassr entered the game knowing that a victory would secure the title, as it would eliminate their rivals’ chances of catching them in the standings. And Jorge Jesus’ team appeared to be taking care of business. In the 37th minute of the first half, Mohamed Simakan gave Al Nassr the lead after scoring from a scramble inside the box. Aware of how valuable that advantage was, they defended well for the remainder of the match, giving their opponents very few dangerous opportunities. However, that resistance collapsed on the final play of the game. With Cristiano Ronaldo already on the bench after being substituted by Abdullah Al-Hamdan, goalkeeper Bento failed while attempting to clear a throw-in and scored a bizarre own goal that allowed Al Hilal to equalize, keeping the Saudi Pro League title race alive. ¡NO SE PUEDE CREER! 😱 Autogol del portero Bento que evita el grito de campeón de CR7 y compañía. #SPLenFOX #FOXDeportes pic.twitter.com/Y6POeZRrsZ— FOX Deportes (@FOXDeportes) May 12, 2026 Perhaps the strangest part of Bento’s mistake is that the goal was only possible — and ultimately counted — because of the goalkeeper’s touch. FIFA rules prohibit teams from scoring directly from a throw-in, meaning the ball must touch another player, either teammate or opponent, before entering the net. That means if Bento had simply allowed the ball to go into the goal untouched, the score would have been disallowed and Al Nassr would have secured both the victory and the title. Cristiano Ronaldo’s wait for a title with Al Nassr continues Cristiano Ronaldo came within seconds of ending the title drought that has followed him since arriving in Saudi Arabia in January 2023. Since then, Al Nassr have failed to win any of the three Saudi Pro League seasons they have played, while also falling short in the King’s Cup, the Saudi Super Cup, and the AFC Champions League Elite. That context helps explain Ronaldo’s reaction after Bento’s own goal. Once the match ended, TV cameras captured the Portuguese forward on the bench, visibly devastated and still lamenting the missed opportunity. All of us right now 😢 pic.twitter.com/d2XGs0XPsc— Al Nassr Zone (@TheNassrZone) May 12, 2026 What does the Saudi Pro League race look like now? Al Hilal’s late equalizer leaves the Saudi Pro League title race wide open. Al Nassr still lead the standings by five points, but there is one important detail working against them: Al Hilal have played one fewer match, meaning they control their own destiny to close the gap. On Saturday, May 16, Al Hilal will face Neom. If they fail to win, Al Nassr will officially be crowned Saudi Pro League champions. But if they earn the victory, they will move within just two points of first place with one match remaining. That final round will take place only three days later: on May 21, Al Hilal will take on Al Fayha, while Al Nassr will face Damac.
FC Barcelona claimed the 2025-26 La Liga title against Real Madrid on Sunday, and legends Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez celebrated the trophy on their social media. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez remain inextricably linked to the fabric of FC Barcelona, having spent years cementing their status as the most iconic duo in club history. In a heartfelt display of their enduring loyalty, both legends took to social media to celebrate the Blaugrana clinching the 2025-26 La Liga title following a decisive victory over Real Madrid. Barcelona entered Sunday with a golden opportunity to wrap up the league title in a high-stakes edition of El Clasico. Marcus Rashford opened the scoring with a breathtaking free kick before Ferran Torres finished off a clinical team move to secure the 2-0 win and ignite a trophy celebration at a packed Camp Nou. Immediately following the final whistle, Messi shared his excitement with millions of followers to commemorate the club’s latest milestone. “Campeones!!! Visca el Barca!!!” the Argentine posted on his Instagram story alongside an image of the current squad hoisting the trophy. Lionel Messi’s post celebrating FC Barcelona’s title. Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez was equally vocal, adding to the digital celebration with his own brand of South American intensity. He dropped an emphatic “VAMOS” in the comments of the team’s victory post, a gesture that quickly went viral among the Barcelona faithful. Luis Suarez’s celebration comment. Despite Suarez departing in 2020 and Messi following a year later, both strikers maintain a deep-rooted emotional connection to the Catalan institution. This bond remains especially strong for Messi, who returned to the Camp Nou last year to the club that raised him. How many trophies have Barcelona won in the post-Messi era? While Barcelona have always been a global powerhouse, Lionel Messi’s era brought a level of unprecedented parity with Real Madrid. Between his 2004 debut and his 2021 departure, the Argentine legend led the club to a staggering 35 trophies. The initial years following his exit were defined by transition and turmoil, as the club managed only two trophies in the first three seasons. However, the trajectory shifted under Xavi Hernandez and has reached new heights with Hansi Flick at the helm. Under Flick’s disciplined leadership and the rise of stars like Lamine Yamal, Barcelona have re-established their domestic dominance. After sweeping the domestic treble in 2024-25, they have now secured both the La Liga title and the Spanish Super Cup in the current 2025-26 campaign. This brings the club’s total to seven trophies since Messi’s departure five years ago. While international glory in the Champions League remains the final frontier, the foundation of this competitive roster looks stronger than it has in years.
Ousmane Dembele posted a video of his former Barcelona teammate Gavi after his goal for Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich. The match of the week featured Bayern Munich trying to come back from its one-goal defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semifinals. In the end, the Germans were left behind as Ousmane Dembélé scored the opening goal in a 1-1 draw. That led him to indirectly reference his former Barcelona teammate Gavi. While the most recent Ballon d’Or winner has already shown what he can do, proving his level last season with Paris Saint-Germain, he still seems to feel disrespected. Proof of that came in his celebration last Wednesday, when he made the famous silence gesture. But that was not his only message. Dembélé turned to social media to show his feelings with a video of Barcelona’s Gavi, in which the midfielder responds to critics in a blunt way: “A lot of people think I don’t know how to play football. And they have no f… idea. It’s true. It’s understandable. It’s football. Everyone thinks what they want.” El vídeo que Dembélé ha publicado en su instagram tras meterse en la final de Champions League 📸👀#UCLxDAZN pic.twitter.com/IvpDX8Aqdu— DAZN Fútbol (@DAZNFutbol) May 6, 2026 Dembélé after the Ballon d’Or There was some debate over who was the best player in the world last year. While Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe had strong arguments based on their individual performances, Dembélé won the award backed by team success. What Dembélé has not done is relax after a fantastic year. Instead, he has kept his level high to lead the team to another Champions League final in its quest to repeat the achievement. Dembélé has played 19 matches in Ligue 1 and contributed 10 goals. In the Coupe de France, he played two matches and scored once. He also played one match without scoring in the UEFA Super Cup, one match without scoring in the Intercontinental Cup, one match and one goal in the Trophee des Champions, and 12 matches with seven goals in the Champions League, for a total of 36 matches and 19 goals. The final Even though Harry Kane’s late goal for Bayern Munich added some suspense to the end of the match, Paris Saint-Germain was the better team in the semifinals. In the other semifinal, Arsenal eliminated Atletico Madrid by one goal to also reach the final against Paris Saint-Germain. The final was set for May 30 in Hungary.
After three years from his professional debut at FC Barcelona, Lamine Yamal has outperformed Lionel Messi over that same span with record numbers. Lamine Yamal made his professional debut at FC Barcelona at just 15 years old, and in the time since he has systematically shattered every record of precocity within his reach. Three years on from that historic moment, the numbers he has posted in that span surpass even those of Lionel Messi at the same stage. Back in the 2022-23 season, coach Xavi Hernández placed his trust in a group of young players as he looked to rebuild Barcelona amid a severe financial crisis. Yamal was among those who emerged during that period, making his debut on April 29, 2023, when he came off the bench in the 86th minute for Gavi in a 4-0 win over Real Betis, becoming the youngest player in the club’s history to appear in La Liga at 15 years, nine months and 16 days old. Three years on from those brief minutes off the bench, that teenager has developed into one of the best players in the world. Still yet to turn 19, with his birthday falling on July 13, Yamal, currently sidelined through injury, will have the chance to make his World Cup debut when the 2026 edition gets underway in North America. According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, across Barcelona and the Spain national team, Yamal has accumulated 12,928 minutes of action spread across 176 appearances. His production in those minutes has been equally impressive, totaling 57 goals and 55 assists between club and country. Gavi of FC Barcelona is substituted off for Lamine Yamal in the game against Real Betis. Yamal has already finished as runner-up for the 2025 Ballon d’Or behind Ousmane Dembele and claimed the Golden Boy award, but the accolades are only part of the story. His trophy cabinet already includes a Euro with Spain in 2024, two Spanish Super Cups, a Copa del Rey and two La Liga titles, with a third league title looking imminent, a collection that only hints at what may lie ahead in the years to come. Messi at the same age: a very different starting point Unlike Yamal, Lionel Messi did not emerge at a club in crisis. When he broke into Barcelona’s first team, he was surrounded by generational talents including Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o and Deco. His professional debut came on October 16, 2004, at 17 years of age, two years older than Yamal was when he first appeared, and with numbers that the young Spaniard has since surpassed. Measured against the same milestone of approaching the age of 19, Messi had accumulated just 1,954 minutes across Barcelona and the Argentina national team. His early output was solid rather than spectacular, amounting to 10 goals and six assists in less than two years of professional action. The gap becomes even more pronounced when matched against Yamal’s specific three-year timeline from debut to present. Over that same stretch, Messi had logged 6,612 minutes across 102 club and international appearances, roughly half of Yamal’s total, contributing 41 goals and 15 assists. While his goals-per-minute ratio was sharper, the overall volume and range of Yamal’s early impact stands in a category of its own.
