Barcelona advanced to the Champions League semifinals with a 6-0 win over Real Madrid on Thursday, completing a 12-2 aggregate rout in their quarterfinal matchup.
Entering the UWCL quarterfinal's second leg with a 6-2 lead, Barcelona took control early and never let Real Madrid back into the tie. The hosts built a 4-0 halftime lead, before adding two more after the break to put a stamp on the rare Champions League El ClĂĄsico.
Caroline Graham Hansen led Barca's attack with two goals while Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes, Ewa Pajor, and Esmee Brugts each added a tally. The result marked Barcelona's eighth straight Champions League semifinal appearance.
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— W Golazo (@WGolazo) April 2, 2026
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Putellas reached multiple milestones in the win. She scored her 30th Champions League goal in her 500th appearance for Spanish powerhouse. She additionally become the first player to score for Barcelona at Camp Nou in both the 2020/21 and 2025/26 UWCL competitions.
Real Madrid entered the match hunting comeback after last week's 6-2 loss. But Barcelona limited chances and dictated possession from the start, controlling both ends of the pitch.
"Barcelona just ran over the top of us," Madrid coach Pau Quesada told reporters. "I think they were very superior to us in all areas. We knew that this was a team which, when they have their night, there's little you can do."
The win continues Barcelona's dominant 2025/26 run, racking up six wins against its Liga F rival this season across all competitions. It also keeps the club on track to capture another European title, after ceding last year's UWCL championship to WSL side Arsenal.
Champions League Semis Pit Barcelona Against Bayern Munich
Barcelona will next face Bayern Munich in the UWCL semifinals, with the first leg set to kick off on April 24th, live on Paramount+.
The winners will advance to the May 23rd Champions League final in Oslo, Norway.
Spain soccer star Alexia Putellas is hitting the pitch in style, with Nike releasing the two-time Ballon d'Or winner's first Player Edition with the sportswear giant â a bespoke Phantom 6 boot â earlier this week.
Drenched in a bold red, black, and metallic colorway, the Putellas boots include glitter designed to "create additional distinction under bright stadium lights."
With multiple elements highlighting the FC Barcelona attacker's lucky number 11, the Phantom 6 boots also feature the custom Nike logo for Putellas emblazoned on the heel.
Constructed from a pair of interlocking 11s that combine with the letter "A," Putellas's new logo forms a crown, referencing her nickname of "La Reina" â Spanish for "The Queen."
"Growing up in Spain, I could only watch men playing football," Putellas said in a Nike statement on Sunday. "I never dreamed about playing at Camp Nou or having my own Nike boot. This is crazy, but I'm enjoying the process."
Just days before her 32nd birthday, Putellas adds her new Nike Player Edition Phantom 6 boot to a resume stacked with a World Cup (2023), three UEFA Champions League trophies, and numerous Liga F titles as well as her two Ballons d'Or.
How to purchase the Alexia Putellas Nike Phantom 6 boots
The Nike Phantom 6 Alexia Putellas Player Edition boots are currently available for purchase in both adult and kids sizes at select retail stores and online at nike.com.
Stars of the 2025 Euro stole the EA FC 26 spotlight this week, as the video game giant's fan-voted 2026 Team of the Year recognized some of international soccer's top achievers on Thursday.
Champions England fielded four honorees as forward Alessia Russo joined a trio of Lioness defenders â Leah Williamson, Millie Bright, and Team of the Year captain Lucy Bronze â on the 11-player list.
"Being named the first-ever Women's EA Sports FC TOTY Captain is an honour," Bronze said in a statement. "2025 was an amazing year â winning the Euros again and picking up my first BWSL with Chelsea â so much of that success is thanks to our fans, and it's great to see them recognize my efforts with this award."
The rest of the EA FC 26 Team of the Year also favored European titans, as Euro runners-up and Nations League winners Spain also saw a quartet of players make the roster. La Roja fully owned the Team of Year midfield as stars Aitana BonmatĂ, Mariona Caldentey, and Alexia Putellas joined forward ClĂ udia Pina on Thursday's lineup.
Rounding out the squad were three other European club standouts as EA FC 26 also tapped Chliean goalkeeper Christiane Endler (OL Lyonnes), French defender Selma Bacha (OL Lyonnes), and Polish forward Ewa Pajor (FC Barcelona).
The stars of last summer's Euro ruled the 2025 FIFA Best Awards on Tuesday, as international players for world No. 1 Spain and No. 4 England shut out the competition at the annual ceremony in Qatar.
Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana BonmatĂ won her third straight Best Women's Player of the Year award, after finishing as a runner up at both the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League and this year's Euros.
"I'm grateful to have the award, it's for all the players all the coaches and the fans, thanks very much," BonmatĂ told the crowd, as the reigning three-time Ballon d'Or winner continues to recover from a broken leg.
The 2025 Euro tournament also influenced the 2025 FIFA Women's Best XI, with the lineup exclusively featuring Spain and England standouts.
Joining BonmatĂ on the FIFA roster were Spain teammates Irene Paredes, Ona Batlle, Patri Guijarro, ClĂ udia Pina, Mariona Caldentey, and Alexia Putellas, with Euro champion Lionesses Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson, Alessia Russo, and Hannah Hampton rounding out the field.
Hampton also picked up Goalkeeper of the Year honors, with England boss Sarina Wiegman snagging the 2025 Coach of the Year award.
Months after a controversial 2025 Ballon d'Or ballot, FIFA took a similarly narrow Euro-centric view of success at the individual level for this year's Best Awards.
Germany and Spain are taking the 2025 UEFA Nations League tournament by storm, with both European powerhouses earning shutout wins on Friday to claim a lead in their two-leg semifinals.
World No. 5 Germany took down No. 6 France 1-0 behind a goal from winger Klara BĂŒhl, while a pair of braces from midfielder Alexia Putellas and forward ClĂ udia Pina lifted No. 1 Spain to a massive 4-0 win over No. 3 Sweden.
"The victory here feels incredibly good and also the way we played, we played football the way we wanted to," BĂŒhl said in DĂŒsseldorf following Friday's game. "Very, very strong match, I think the fans have noticed it."
"We expected a Sweden like the one we saw, very intense, but once again the team were very mature in many aspects of the game, and we're very happy with the performance," Spain defensive midfielder Laia Aleixandri said postgame.
How to watch the 2025 Nations League semifinals
Both Germany and defending Nations League champions Spain will try to punch their ticket to the 2025 final on Tuesday, while France and Sweden attempt big wins to lift themselves over their opponents on aggregate.
The second leg of the Nations League semifinals kicks off with Sweden vs. Spain at 2 PM ET before France hosts Germany at 4:10 PM ET.
Live coverage of Tuesday's semifinals will air on Prime.
Celebrated Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana BonmatĂ took home her third consecutive Ballon d'Or at Monday's 2025 awards, becoming the first-ever women's footballer to accomplish the feat.
FC Barcelona has dominated the last five international football player of the year honors, with the voting panel of journalists tapping Barça star Alexia Putellas in 2021 and 2022 followed by Bonmatà starting in 2023.
"My third time in a row here, and I still can't believe it, incredible," BonmatĂ said at the annual Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris. "Thank you to France Football for this, for the third time â it really could have gone to anyone."
The 27-year-old's win wasn't without controversy with BonmatĂ beating out fellow Spanish national Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal), who came in second despite scoring in both her club's UWCL Final win and Spain's 2025 Euro Final loss.
"If it was possible to share it, I would, because I think it has been a year with an exceptionally high level, above all among my teammates, who had a great year," added BonmatĂ.
After their successful Euro title defense, England fans were also miffed at the choice, though manager Sarina Wiegman did win Coach of the Year.
Five Lionesses also earned spots in the Ballon d'Or's Top 10: No. 3 Alessia Russo (Arsenal), No. 5 Chloe Kelly (Arsenal), No. 7 Leah Williamson (Arsenal), No. 9 Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), and No. 10 Hannah Hampton (Chelsea).
Meanwhile, Arsenal was named Women's Club of the Year after dethroning Barcelona in May's Champions League final.
As for the USWNT, standouts Emily Fox (Arsenal) and Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes) made this year's 30-player finalists list, clocking in at Nos. 25 and 26, respectively.
The 2025 Ballon d'Or nominations dropped on Thursday, and only two USWNT players earned nods on the 30-athlete shortlist for soccer's most prestigious individual honor.
US and Arsenal defender Emily Fox earned her first career nomination after the 27-year-old won 2024 Olympic gold with the USWNT and the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League with her club side.
With her third career Ballon d'Or nod, USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps joined Fox on Thursday's 2025 list after leading the US in Paris last summer and playing another strong season with OL Lyonnes.
While the first half of 2025 has been admittedly quiet for USWNT without a major continental tournament on the docket this year â and many of the team's heavy hitters sidelined for various reasons â the Ballon d'Or's consideration timeframe includes their Olympic gold-medal run, making the team's lack of nods a bit head-scratching.
It's far from the first time that the award's shortlist has fallen short. Awarded by French magazine France Football, the Ballon dâOr has long been criticized for heavily favoring athletes who play in Europe. Of the 30 2025 nominees, only six play for clubs outside of Europe â five of them in the NWSL.
Notably, only one US player has ever won the Ballon d'Or, with the 2019 trophy lifted by USWNT icon Megan Rapinoe.
Since then, Barcelona FC have maintained a stranglehold on the award, with midfielder Aitana BonmatĂ's two straight wins following attacker Alexia Putellas's back-to-back reign.
USWNT drop to No. 2 in world rankings
This week also saw the USWNT cede ground in the overall FIFA rankings, falling to world No. 2 as new No. 1 Spain claimed a narrow lead of less than two points with their 2025 Euro Final appearance.
Like the Ballon d'Or, Thursday's world ranks contained more than a few confusing shifts, with Brazil somehow falling three spots to No. 7 despite winning a fifth straight Copa América title last weekend, and England earning a mere one-spot rise to No. 4 after defeating Spain in last month's Euro.
The 2025 Ballon d'Or FĂ©minin nominees
Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea, France)
Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride, Zambia)
Aitana BonmatĂ (Barcelona, Spain)
Lucy Bronze (Chelsea, England)
Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal, Spain)
Klara BĂŒhl (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Sofia Cantore (Washington Spirit, Italy)
Steph Catley (Arsenal, Australia)
Melchie Dumornay (OL Lyonnes, Haiti)
Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current, Malawi)
Emily Fox (Arsenal, US)
Cristiana Girelli (Juventus, Italy)
Esther GonzĂĄlez (Gotham FC, Spain)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona, Norway)
Hannah Hampton (Chelsea, England)
Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich, Denmark)
Patri Guijarro (Barcelona, Spain)
Amanda Gutierres (Palmeiras, Brazil)
Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, US)
Chloe Kelly (Arsenal, England)
Frida Maanum (Arsenal, Norway)
Marta (Orlando Pride, Brazil)
Clara Mateo (Paris FC, France)
Ewa Pajor (Barcelona, Poland)
ClĂ udia Pina (Barcelona, Spain)
Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain)
Alessia Russo (Arsenal, England)
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea, Sweden)
Caroline Weir (Real Madrid, Scotland)
Leah Williamson (Arsenal, England)
USWNT and Chelsea FC star Catarina Macario inked a 10-year, $10 million contract with Nike on Tuesday, securing one of the most lucrative sponsorship deals in the women's game.
Macario started her pro career as an Adidas athlete, but swapped brands after battling back from a long-term knee injury to win a domestic treble with WSL side Chelsea this year.
The Brazilian-born US national is also starring in Nike's "Scary Good" ad campaign, a series of short films that "pay homage to the horror and satire of late-night television with a cast of the game's most dominant attackers."
Other soccer stars joining Macario in the sportswear giant's short film series are Spain's two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas and winger Salma Paralluelo, Brazil's Kerolin, and Germany's Giulia Gwinn, as well as Macario's Chelsea teammate, Australian national Sam Kerr.
"Nike has always been a part of my journey â from Surf to Stanford, to the USWNT and now Chelsea FC," Macario said in Tuesday's press release.
"Now, to be officially with the brand feels incredible. Not only because I get to join a team of football legends that have influenced my style of play since the beginning, but because I believe Nike represents the fearless spirit I try to bring with me every time I step on the pitch."
Women's soccer is blowing up on the sponsorship front, with payouts jumping from Norwegian superstar Ada Hegerberg's $1.1 Nike deal in 2020 to this week's blockbuster Macario signing.
How to watch Macario in her "Scary Good" Nike film
Catarina Macario's "Scary Good" film â dubbed "The Cold-Blooded Clinic" â will drop on July 16th on Nike Football's YouTube channel.
World No. 10 France opened their 2025 Euro campaign with a bang on Saturday, beating defending champs No. 5Â England 2-1 to better their chances of escaping a tough group stage draw.
Currently sitting atop Group D â the notorious "Group of Death" that includes France and England â are the No. 11 Netherlands, who opened their European Championship tournament run with a 3-0 win over Euro debutants No. 30 Wales.
Notably, star forward Vivianne Miedema made history in the victory, becoming the first-ever Dutch player to score 100 international goals with her record-setting first-half strike on Saturday.
Also hitting the ground running in their first group-stage match were 2023 World Cup champions and world No. 2 Spain, who routed No. 22 Portugal 5-0 on Thursday â La Roja's biggest Euro victory to date.
Gotham FC star Esther GonzĂĄlez notched a brace in that opener before tallying another goal in Spain's 6-2 win over No. 20 Belgium on Monday â tying the NWSL scoring leader with teammate Alexia Putellas atop the early 2025 Euro Golden Boot race.
Reigning atop Group B, Spain is now guaranteed a spot in the tournament knockouts, joining Group A's No. 16 Norway â the first team to advance from group play.
Norway handed No. 26Â Finland a 2-1 defeat in their second match on Sunday, mere hours before host nation No. 23 Switzerland's 2-0 win both eliminated No. 14 Iceland and punched the Norwegians' quarterfinals ticket.
How to watch the 2025 Euro group stage action
The second-match cycle of the 2025 Euro group stage continues on Tuesday before wrapping up on Wednesday.
England's 12 PM ET Wednesday game vs. the Netherlands is already stealing the midweek spotlight, as the Lionesses will need a result against the Dutch to realistically keep their back-to-back title hopes alive.
Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches airs across Fox Sports platforms.
Global soccer's biggest awards ceremony is making changes, with UEFA announcing Monday that the Ballon d'Or is adding three new women's categories and shifting its dates in order to better accommodate the FIFA women's calendar.
Traditionally held in late October to accommodate the men's calendar, the Paris event historically conflicts with the women's international window, impeding nominees from attending what is arguably the sport's biggest night.
Heavy criticism of that schedule prompted owners UEFA and France Football magazine to move the upcoming 69th edition of the awards ceremony to September 22nd, 2025.
"I mean, it'd be like running an Oscars or a Golden Globes, without having any females present," USWNT head coach Emma Hayes said of the event last year, shortly before earning the first-ever women's coach of the year award. "It just wouldn't happen. And I think that all too often it's an afterthought, to be honest with you."
In addition to addressing scheduling concerns, the 2025 women's ballot will also expand to include Best Young Player, Best Goalkeeper, and Top Scorer for Club or Country â categories previously limited to the men's side.
The Ballon d'Or began honoring women's soccer athletes in 2018, with a combined four of the six total Best Player awards going to Spanish nationals Alexia Putellas (2021, 2022) and Aitana BonmatĂ (2023, 2024).
The only other recipients of the award are USWNT star Megan Rapinoe (2019) and Norway's Ada Hegerberg (2018).
This year's nominees will be announced in August.
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