Marcus Rashford’s excellent goal helped Barcelona beat Real Madrid to win the La Liga title against their biggest rivals at Camp Nou

Marcus Rashford helped fire Barcelona to the La Liga title as the Catalan giants secured the championship with an El Clasico win over Real Madrid. Rashford scored an outstanding free-kick to hand Barca the lead at Camp Nou after just nine minutes.

The forward, on loan from Manchester United, has grabbed a title-winning moment in what has been a successful spell in Spain. Having fallen out of favour under Ruben Amorim as United finished 15th last season, Rashford has been rejuvenated by his move to Catalonia and marked his stay by lifting a trophy.

There can be few more memorable moments than recording such a win against your biggest rivals. While Los Blancos have seen incidents of infighting heading into the clash, Barcelona have remained focused on claiming their win and coasted to victory on Sunday evening.

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Former Manchester City star Ferran Torres doubled Barca’s lead to help Rashford’s dreams come true. The United academy product had a plan upon joining the club last summer that was successfully completed.

“I want to win the biggest trophies and feel like Barcelona is a huge club in the football world so it is the perfect place,” Rashford said at his official unveiling. “You see, with the team last season, they have a young, ambitious team, and I want to add my qualities, my personality, improve the team and help them win.”

Rashford was mobbed by his team after netting against Real Madrid, and his celebrations took him towards the dugout of Hansi Flick. The 28-year-old has always been clear that he would like to extend his stay in Barcelona.

The La Liga champions have the opportunity to make his stay permanent for £26 million, though whether that move will go through appears to still be up in the air. Barcelona could yet prioritise other moves as they target the likes of Julian Alvarez.

Rashford has recorded 14 goals and 14 assists in 47 outings during his stay with the Catalan side and has impressed boss Hansi Flick. Barca could yet be interested in a cheaper transfer or another loan, with Rashford’s salary proving problematic.

But last month, it was reported that Rashford has ‘zero plans’ for his future beyond continuing with Barcelona. The player was said to be ‘settled and valued in a squad he considers the best in the world’, and that seems unlikely to have changed after tonight’s antics.

Rashford is also said to be willing to reduce his salary by almost half, and tonight’s iconic impact could also tug on the heartstrings of those keen to see him extend his stay. Regardless, his outing will be good news for Manchester United.

His impact could boost his chances of Barca activating their option to sign him permanently, and if not, he has certainly put himself in the shop window. A year on from not being involved with United’s squad, he has had a full season of making an impact that could boost any transfer fee his parent club can achieve.

The only remaining drawback is that Rashford has just a year left on his contract.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Alex Fitzpatrick’s hopes of a first individual win on the PGA Tour were dashed as Kristoffer Reitan claimed a maiden victory at the Truist Championship on Sunday.

England’s Fitzpatrick went into the final round with a one-shot lead over Reitan but his Norwegian rival secured a two-shot victory at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The 28-year-old fired a two-under round of 69 to reach 15 under overall, with Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard and American Rickie Fowler tied for second.

Fitzpatrick was a shot further back after a round of 73, which began with a bogey and double bogey inside his first three holes.

The 27-year-old recovered to level par with his fourth birdie on the 13th hole, giving him a share of the lead.

There was a four-way tie at the top of the leaderboard on the back nine but while others faltered, Reitan stayed steady to win on only his 15th PGA start.

Fitzpatrick won the Zurich Classic with his older brother Matt last month, which earned him a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

He then finished in the top 10 at the Cadillac Championship and was one stroke behind Reitan before his second double bogey of the day on the par-three 17th.

Compatriot Tommy Fleetwood finished in a tie for fifth on 11 under after closing with a two-under 69.

Fitzpatrick, the world number 120, told Sky Sports: “It’s still very surreal [to be in contention]. It’s crazy to feel disappointed but I still am.

“I’m happy for Kris, he deserves it, and hopefully it’ll be mine another time.”

World number four Matt Fitzpatrick finished on one-over after a final round 72 while Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy bounced back from a 75 on Saturday to finish with a 67 on five under.

After losing his undisputed super-middleweight crown, Canelo Alvarez is set to jump back into an immediate title challenge against newly crowned WBC ruler Christian Mbilli, and Devin Haney has shared his thoughts on how he thinks the bout will play out.

Canelo became a two-time undisputed 168lb champion last May, but then lost all of his titles to Terence Crawford four months later, in the standout fight of the 2025 boxing calendar.

Alvarez suffered an injury in that contest and has been sidelined ever since, with Cameroon-born Christian Mbilli the opponent upon his return, after ‘Solide’ was elevated to WBC world champion earlier this year.

Speaking to Inside The Ring, Haney explained why he believes Mbilli is ‘tailor-made’ for the Mexican superstar and will prove to be ‘no test’ for Mexico’s four-division world champion.

“I think that he is a guy who is going to come forward and he is going to be right there for Canelo to let off and do his typical things.

“I think it will be easy, he is tailor made for Canelo. He [Mbilli] stands right there in front of you.

“Even if Canelo has slipped a bit, I don’t think that Mbilli would be the one to exploit that. I think that it is a tailor made fight for Canelo to go in there and look good and look like he is back and he’s reincarnated. I don’t think Mbilli will test him at all.”

Alvarez vs. Mbilli is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Football supporters have been issued a stark warning over a significant rise in ticket fraud, with new data revealing victims are losing an average of £215, as criminals prepare to exploit the upcoming World Cup.

Lloyds Bank’s analysis indicates a staggering 36 per cent surge in football ticket scams during the current Premier League season. The findings, based on thousands of fraud cases between October 2025 and March 2026 compared to the previous year, highlight a growing threat to fans.

Fraudsters are specifically targeting supporters of top-tier clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United, alongside high-demand fixtures such as the FA Cup and Champions League Finals.

While the average victim loses £215, some have been defrauded of hundreds or even thousands for non-existent “season tickets” or VIP packages.

With the upcoming World Cup, Lloyds anticipates a significant escalation in these fraudulent activities, exploiting international demand.

Many scams originate on social media, where criminals advertise phantom tickets, pressuring victims into irreversible bank transfers before vanishing.

Tactics include fake waiting lists, counterfeit QR codes, and bogus “pre-release” offers designed to part people from their money.

The higher cost of World Cup tickets, coupled with international travel expenses, means potential losses for victims could be devastating.

In response, the Government and Lloyds are collaborating on the “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign, led by the Home Office, to raise awareness among football supporters.

Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds, said: “Fraudsters thrive on urgency and target fans looking for hard-to-get tickets for big name fixtures.” She added: “It’s incredibly convincing, and we don’t want fans to lose their money trying to support their team. We’re urging supporters to stay alert and stick to official ticketing channels.”

Lord Hanson, minister for fraud, echoed this sentiment: “As excitement builds for the World Cup, fraudsters are preparing to exploit loyal fans searching for tickets.”

He urged: “I urge all football supporters hunting for tickets to Stop! Think Fraud and show fraudsters the red card.” He concluded: “Missing out on a big match is disappointing, but becoming a victim to a scam makes it even harder to bear.”

Earlier this year, the Government launched a new fraud strategy aimed at tackling the UK’s most commonly experienced crime.

To avoid falling victim to these scams, Ms Ziegler offers crucial advice:

Sean Strickland left everything in the octagon at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday night, upsetting Khamzat Chimaev to be named UFC middleweight champion once again for his career.

Chimaev, who had never lost a UFC fight in his 16-bout career, was a convincing favorite heading into this co-main event for UFC 328, but Strickland was named victor by split decision after five hard-fought rounds, where he revealed he wasn’t even at full health.

After having the belt put around his waist by Chimaev, Strickland said that he injured his shoulder sparring earlier in the week.

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Sean Strickland reacts after a split-decision victory against Khamzat Chimaev of Russia in the UFC middleweight championship fight during UFC 328 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on May 9, 2026. (Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

“Funny story – on Tuesday, I’m sparring Johnny [Eblen], that motherf—–, PFL champ. I’m at Plinio Cruz’s gym. He shoots on me, and I hit his bricka—wall, and I separate my shoulder,” Strickland told reporters during hisi post-fight press conference. “So, I had a grade one AC join separation on Tuesday. I remember lying in bed on Tuesday night, and I can’t lie on my right side. I’m like, ‘You’re such a f—ing idiot. You’re such a f—ing idiot.”

Strickland added that he likes to have some better pre-fight warmups in the back dressing rooms, but he was unable to do so in fear that he might hurt his shoulder again. And a shoulder injury is never good against a wrestler, which Chimaev has shown to dominate in throughout his UFC career.

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Chimaev proved that in the first round, as he took down Strickland to the canvas just 15 seconds in. It was the dominant performance many believed would ensue at the Prudential Center between these two fighters.

That is until Strickland found some momentum in the second round, staying on his feet and landing strikes. From there, both fighters were trading blows, but the fifth round was when Strickland had an interesting moment with Chimaev.

Sean Strickland reacts after a split-decision victory against Khamzat Chimaev of Russia in the UFC middleweight championship fight during UFC 328 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on May 9, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

As both fighters were bloodied, Strickland said that Chimaev pointed to the mat near the end of the fifth round, which is a sign to fighters to start throwing haymakers. However, there’s usually an honor code with that – nothing else but punches and giving the fight crowd a show.

“He pointed at the mat and said, ‘Let’s give the people what they want, let’s have the man dance,’ or some s—. And I was like, ‘OK. I trust you, the guy that just kicked me in the balls yesterday. I trust you, Chimaev. You seem like a real trustworthy guy. I like your smile. We shook hands, I believe you.’

“So, I put my hands up, and he f—ing shoots at me.”

Sean Strickland punches Khamzat Chimaev of Russia during the UFC middleweight championship fight at UFC 328 in Newark, N.J., on May 9, 2026. (Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

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While Strickland didn’t like the move, he and Chimaev were showing respect for one another during the match, and obviously the move by the latter after the match to pass the belt over to his opponent.

The 35-year-old Strickland is a polarizing figure in UFC, but he had the crowd raucously chanting “U-S-A!” over and over, especially after being named champion.