The soccer world will be frozen in front of their TVs this Sunday as the FC Barcelona host Real Madrid at 1 PM ET at Camp Nou in most anticipated Spanish football derby in the last years.

These two teams are arguably the two most famous squads on the planet filled with playmakers that can change the course of game with a single kick.

Both teams are coming off wins in the Champions League, however the victory of the “Azulgranas” 2-0 over the Italian Champion Inter Milan said more than the “Merengues” win 1-0 over Zurich; especially since Barcelona played without their best striker Lionel Messi and Swede striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic; both of whom remain questionable for this Sunday.

The big news for Real Madrid this week is that world class winger Cristiano Ronaldo played for the first time in 2 months last Wednesday after recovering from a nagging ankle injury suffered in a World Cup qualifier with Portugal.

Ronaldo still has some bad blood with Barcelona as the “Azulgranas” defeated him and their former squad Manchester United 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League final on May. “I’m definitely ready to play in Barcelona. I’m feeling good and I want to play. Now it’s down to the coach whether I start”, said CR9.

This game will be a battle of styles. Despite Real Madrid’s Golden Ball trophy winners Ronaldo and Kaka, Barcelona is a better prepared team with more playing time together and that could end up being a defining factor.

“They are top of the table for a reason; they’ve won almost all of their games this season and we know they can hurt us if we allow them to,” the Barcelona defender Charles Puyol explained. “The most important thing for us is that we keep possession and play as we know how to. I think it will be an evenly balanced game.”

At this point the “Merengues” lead the Spanish league standings with 28 points, just one more than Barcelona. “Is time put distance between ourselves and Barcelona in terms of points on the board”, said RM goalkeeper Iker Casillas. “We know that Barça play good football but we’re not going there with any kind of fear. We’re first in the Liga and top of our UEFA Champions League group. We’ll do our talking on the pitch and we won’t be out there waiting to see what they do. It’s going to be a beautiful and emotional game.”

Real Madrid hasn’t forgotten the last time these two teams met, when Barcelona was unstoppable and ended up crushing the “Merengues” 6-2 in Madrid with outstanding performances from Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi.

The last time when these 2 met in Barcelona the home team also won 2-0.

Consider these soccer betting trends: on the last 10 derbies played at Camp Nou Barcelona have won 3, Real Madrid 2 and have tied 5 times. On totals goals overall Barcelona have scored 153 and Real Madrid 93 in a classic played at Barcelona.
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According to Forbes Magazine, Manchester United are the most valuable sports club in the world and topped a table of the 100 most valuable sports teams.

The Red Devils were valued at more than $1.8 billion [£1.1bn], more than £100m ahead of their closest rivals, American Football franchise the Dallas Cowboys.

Top Ten Most Valuable Sports Teams:

1 – Manchester United – $1.870bn (£1.144bn)
2 – Dallas Cowboys – $1.650bn (£1.009bn)
3 – Washington Redskins – $1.550bn (£948m)
4 – New York Yankees – $1.500bn (£918m)
5 – New England Patriots – $1.361bn (£833m)
6 – Real Madrid – $1.353bn (£828m)
7 – Arsenal – $1.200bn (£734m)
8 – New York Giants – $1.183bn (£724m)
9 – New York Jets – $1.170bn (£716m)
10 – Houston Texans – $1.150bn (£704m)

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Pele has urged world soccer’s governing body (FIFA) to introduce a salary cap for players and warned that the vast sums of money changing hands in the game could taint its image for future generations.

Pele, in Nigeria to promote Rio de Janeiro’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games, told Reuters he was concerned about how the game had changed with the influx of money from billionaire owners.

“My time was a little different — we did not have the big sponsors,” Pele told Reuters in an interview at the Brazilian embassy in Nigeria’s capital Abuja late on Monday.

“Today they have big sponsors, big companies to support football. But in my point of view and the point of view of FIFA, these (players’ salaries) must be controlled.”

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has spoken out about the huge sums of money in the game, echoing concerns from Europe’s ruling body UEFA and other sports officials.

However, Blatter also welcomed Cristiano Ronaldo’s 80 million pounds move from Manchester United to Real Madrid, saying it demonstrated the game’s enduring popularity.

The Spanish side have recently splashed out more than $300 million to bring in Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Kaka and Raul Albiol.

Pele warned that soccer’s image could be tainted for future generations if huge amounts of money continued to change hands in the sport.

“You get a player today that they announce in Manchester United, Real Madrid or Milan or any other team, and they kiss their shirt,” the three-times World Cup winner said after an event donating soccer balls to Nigerian children.

“The next day, he goes to another team and he kisses that shirt. This, I think, is something we have to pay attention to for the next generation.”

Pele, along with other members of Rio de Janeiro’s delegation, are expected to make their pitch to International Olympic Committee (IOC) members in Nigeria’s capital Abuja later on Tuesday.

Fellow candidates for the 2016 Games — Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid — will also make their case for hosting the event to IOC members. A winner will be chosen on October 2 in Copenhagen.

“You have had a lot of Olympics in the United States, in Europe, but in South America we don’t have,” Pele said.

“Everybody knows Brazil is prepared for (the Olympics). Not only Brazil, but the whole of South America.”

Brazil will also host the soccer World Cup in 2014.
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This extraordinary Spain team are determined to make history. As dusk descended on the Highveld, the European champions levelled the record for consecutive wins in international football as David Villa’s header gave them victory over Iraq.

A 15th straight win against South Africa on Saturday and Spain will surpass Australia (1996-97), Brazil (1997) and France (2003-04) as the national side with the longest winning streak in football history.

The statistics make formidable reading. This was Spain’s 34th game unbeaten, extending the record they set earlier this month. They haven’t lost since they were beaten by Romania in November 2006. However, there is a bit of bureaucratic ambiguity: for the overall record Fifa do not count losing as penalties as a defeat so they will need to make it 35 against South Africa here in Bloemfontein to draw level with Brazil’s run between 1993 and 1996, which included a shoot-out defeat to Uruguay. That, surely, will tumble too.

Having watched his strike partner, Fernando Torres, score a hat-trick against New Zealand in the previous game, Valencia’s Villa was clearly desperate to get among the goals. He hit the outside of the side-netting with a first-half volley and should have headed in a Xavi corner.

With Iraq defending en masse it was getting frustrating for Villa and Spain, with that record to play for. However, just 10 minutes into the second half, having just missed two more terrific chances, Villa finally put Spain on track and showed why the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea are eager to sign him.

Joan Capdevila, the left back playing effectively as a left winger, sent in a deep cross from the by-line and Villa, who had split two Iraqi defenders, met the ball with an exquisite glancing header that crept just inside the far post.

Having played effective congestive football, Iraq threatened to end Spain’s streak in the closing minutes. Spain had missed plenty of chances and both man-of-the-match Xabi Alonso and the excellent Sergio Ramos had gone close from range, when Nashat Akram, the Iraq captain, shot just wide from the edge of the box in the closing moments. It will take more than that to stop this Spanish team though.

Match details

Spain (4-4-2): Casillas; Ramos, Marchena, Pique, Capdevila; Cazorla (Silva 67), Xavi, Alonso, Mata; Torres, Villa (Guiza 74).

Iraq (5-4-1): Kassid; Ali Kareem, Khalid, Rehema, Shaker, Abbas; Saeed, Akram, Majeed, Mohammed; Zahra (Mahmoud 82).
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African pride is at stake for Egypt who take on world champions Italy in Group B of the Fifa Confederations Cup on Thursday after nearly pulling off a shock result against Brazil.

The Egyptians were unfortunate not to take at least a point off the defending champions in their opening Group B match, with a controversial last-minute penalty by Real Madrid’s Kaka crushing their hopes in a 4-3 defeat. But Egypt’s second-half performance, in particular, was encouraging enough to suggest they can cause big problems for Italy.

Their Borussia Dortmund striker Mohamed Zidan, who scored twice against Brazil and was voted man of the match, said it was important to demonstrate to the world that Africa has credible football teams. “We wanted to have a decent game against Brazil and show the world African football is good enough to compete with the very best teams,” said the striker.

“I think we showed everyone that we have fighting spirit and in my opinion we deserved to earn a point. We hope to do better against Italy. “I really like their coach, I like his way of managing his team; it’s going to be tough judging by how they played against Brazil.”

The Pharoahs’ coach, Hassan Shehata, who usually shuns press conferences and leaves his deputy Shawky Gharib to do the talking, said pushing Brazil so hard showed that African teams have what it takes. “Yes it is,” Shehata replied when asked by goal.com whether it was an historic footballing day for his country, but he also said fans needed to be realistic.

“We thank God for this result, but we have to be reasonable. After all, we lost the match. Even so, we will gain motivation and all players believe now that there is no impossible in football,” he said. While Egypt, who are struggling in Fifa World Cup qualifying, need a result to stay in the competition, Italy can seal their place in the semi-finals with victory in Johannesburg.
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Kaka is leaving his Real Madrid transfer aside for now and wants to stay focused on the Brazilian national team.

The newly signed Real Madrid player said he will not talk about the move to the Spanish club until the end of the Confederations Cup in South Africa.

‘I’ve already talked everything I wanted to talk about this subject,’ Kaka said on Sunday. ‘From now on I only want to talk about the Confederations Cup.’ Kaka said that he was thankful to AC Milan and to the Italian fans who supported him during his time in Italy.

‘The only reason I’m recognised as an international player is because of Milan,’ Kaka said. ‘I hope Milan can keep doing well.’

Real Madrid signed Kaka from AC Milan for US$92 million (S$135 million) on June 8. The player reportedly reached a deal for a six-year contract with the Spanish club.

The 2007 Fifa world player of the year, Kaka turned down a record 100 million euro transfer to Manchester City in January. He hopes his move to Madrid will help him regain the title of best player in the world.

‘It’s a great motivation for me, these individual prizes are really a motivation,’ Kaka said. ‘But I know that every time I won one of these prizes was after my team had won an important competition. If my team hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t be recognised either. So first I need to think of the group.’

The 27-year-old offensive midfielder will be key for Brazil when the Confederations Cup gets under way, being one of the team’s most experienced players.

‘I consider myself only one of the great names in this national team,’ Kaka said. ‘We also have players like Juan, Lucio, Gilberto Silva, who also have played in other World Cups like me. And even the younger players in this team have a lot of experience themselves.’

Kaka won the Champions League with Milan in 2007 and the Italian league in 2004, scoring 70 Serie A goals and 23 in the Champions League after joining the Italian club from Sao Paulo for US$8 million in 2003. He will play in Madrid along current world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Nemanja Vidic has warned Barcelona that Manchester United will not be intimidated by the attacking strengths of Pep Guardiola’s squad in the Champions League final next Wednesday.

United travel to Rome on Monday aiming to become the first club to retain the Champions League title in its current form. They will also emulate the feat achieved by Ajax, in 1973, by becoming the first club since the Dutch giants to defend both their domestic and European crowns if they beat Barcelona.

The Spanish champions, who are chasing a Treble in Rome, have perhaps the most fearsome attacking options in world football with the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi supported by midfield creators Andres Iniesta and Xavi.

But United defender Vidic insists that Sir Alex Ferguson’s team have enough strengths of their own to cancel out any fears over the threat posed by Barca.

Vidic said: “Barcelona have some good players, especially up front, so it won’t be easy. They have played some good football and scored a lot of goals this season and we have great respect for them.

“But we must concentrate on ourselves and what we’re going to do. We’re not just going to go there and defend; we want to attack them as well.

“We have players that can cause defenders problems and score goals. When we’ve needed goals this season we’ve scored them.

“In some games we’ve been one or two goals down, but have still come back to win. That shows that when we need to score our attackers have produced.”

Having lifted the European Cup in Moscow last season, United arguably go into next week’s game under less pressure than Barcelona, whose failure to win more than two European Cups leaves them trailing great rivals Real Madrid by seven continental crowns.

Vidic insists, however, that United will still go into the game with expectancy weighing heavy on their shoulders.

He said: “There’s always pressure on you when you play in a final. Of course, you want to enjoy the experience and play your game but you’re very aware of what is at stake in a game like this.

“You just have to try and deal with the pressure. We won it last season and have picked up great experience from doing that.

“Getting to a Champions League final is not something that happens every year so we want to make the most of our chance and win the trophy.”
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Former Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has announced that he will be a candidate to return to the post in elections next month.

The hugely successful businessman, once pivotal in bringing a host of top footballers to the club, said he had made the decision following the “serious events” at the reigning Spanish champions in recent months.

Former president Ramon Calderon stepped down in January following allegations that he rigged voting at a general assembly a month earlier.

A judge last week placed him under judicial investigation over the allegations.

He was succeeded by his deputy, who has declared he will not be a candidate in the June 14 elections.

Perez was the president of Real between 2000 and 2006 when the team became known as the ‘Galacticos’ thanks to the presence of players like Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos and David Beckham.

With three games remaining in the current campaign Real are second in the table with an eight-point deficit to arch-rivals Barcelona, who are virtually assured of the title.

Barcelona also won the Kings Cup with a 4-1 rout of Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, and will play Manchester United in the Champions League final in Rome later this month.
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Manchester City’s £32.5million striker was said to be “stunned and angry” by the amazing accusations made by the most famous ex-footballer on the planet.

A spokesman for Brazilian Robinho said: “We strenuously refute any such suggestions. The notion of him taking drugs is absurd and we completely deny it.

Ace … Robinho playing for Brazil

“We are trying at this moment to get Pele to clarify the situation.

“We think these comments have been genuinely misunderstood or got lost in translation.”

The spokesmen said they will press for a retraction if one does not come voluntarily.

Speaking after Robinho missed a penalty in a 1-0 victory over Sunderland, City boss Mark Hughes hit out at Pele.

He said: “He needs to be very careful saying things that have not been substantiated.”

And a club spokesman said: “We have only just been made aware of this.”

But he stressed: “There are rigorous drugs testing measures in force these days.”

Pele, 68 — now a global ambassador for the sport — made the slur at a private event in Brazil.

He also levelled similar claims against his fellow countryman and former world footballer of the year Ronaldo.

World Cup winner Pele said: “It’s unfair to talk of drugs in football just because of one or two cases, as happened with Ronaldo and Robinho who had that problem.”

The tourism event where Pele spoke was closed to the press and public.

It is believed his words were recorded while he addressed delegates.

They were broadcast by Brazilian radio station Jovem Pan, which posted them on its website.

The claims were then reported in the soccer-mad South American country’s newspapers, and caused a sensation.

Former Real Madrid striker Ronaldo is still revered there while 25-year-old Robinho is a current international.

Pele was quoted as claiming that both Robinho and Ronaldo took drugs at a private party in Sao Paolo.

During the three-minute recording he also laid into Argentina idol Maradona, accusing the former cocaine addict of being a “bad example”.

He added: “Maradona was a very good player.

“Unfortunately what happened with him happened.”

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David Beckham claims it is his ”dream” to win the Champions League with AC Milan, even if they were to come up against his former club Manchester United in the final.

The England international has settled in so well in Milan that he is already making plans for next season, when he is set to return to the Serie A club after a short stint back in Major League Soccer.

And the former Real Madrid star would like nothing more than to win the Champions League with the Rossoneri.

”That is my dream. I miss the Champions League so much,” he said in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport on Saturday.

”Even if the final next year were AC Milan-Manchester United, I would want to win it, even if I am a United fan.”

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti regularly claims that being successful in the Champions League is part of his club’s DNA, and this appears to be contagious.

Beckham admits he did not realise exactly what it meant to represent the club which prides itself on being the most successful in world football, until he pulled on a Rossonero shirt for the first time back in January.

”Milan is special for everybody who loves football,” he said.

”You don’t realise how much until you get involved in it yourself. I’m not only talking about the players. Everything is special, from the structure to the people who work here, from the chef to the cleaners.

”It is a unique environment and I have never seen anywhere with such dedication to football.

”There are only three clubs who can convince players to join them without money playing a role nowadays and they are Real Madrid, United and Milan. You don’t join these clubs for the money.”

Beckham joined Milan to preserve his chances of playing in the World Cup next year and he feels he is still an important component of the England national team, which he believes has taken a leap forward under Fabio Capello.

The 33-year-old believes his experience is necessary ”because we have a young team”.

”It is enough for me to be important to the squad and keep working with Capello,” he added. ”He has changed our mentality and we needed him.”

On Sunday night, another of Beckham’s dreams will come true when he steps out with Milan at the Stadio San Paolo in Naples.

”I cannot wait to play at Napoli, in Maradona’s stadium,” he said.

Victory there would take Milan closer to a place in the Champions League next season, where Beckham cannot wait to face the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool, the sides he believes are the strongest in Europe at present. ”I would like to see Manchester-Barcelona in the final this year,” he revealed.

”My ex team would win because they are too strong for anybody at the moment, even if Liverpool, with Gerrard, who is one of the best in the world, are fearsome.”

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