Lamine Yamal Becomes Barcelona's Youngest Captain at 19
Lamine Yamal became the youngest Barcelona captain at 19 years and 58 days old during the Spanish champions' 5-1 win over Feyenoord in the Champions League on Wednesday.
First-choice captain Raphinha handed the armband to the Spanish forward when the Brazilian was substituted in the 71st minute, said Reuters.
Bojan Krkic was Barcelona's previous youngest skipper, having captained the team during a 2010 Copa del Rey match when he was 20.
German Great Muller Isn’t Ready to Retire, Signs Extension with Vancouver Whitecaps
The Vancouver Whitecaps announced Tuesday that the club has signed the German soccer great to a contract extension through Major League Soccer’s 2027 “sprint season.”
The sprint season is set to run from February through May 2027 before the league switches to the international summer-to-spring calendar in July 2027.
“So far it’s a hell of a ride. It’s really fun to be with this team, to be with these people and to be with the club,” Muller said in a video released by the Whitecaps. “And my body is still good.
“I just feel that it’s so much fun to be out on the pitch, week in and week out. Every match day is a good day for me. And we want to achieve our goals.”
Reaching the extension required the 37-year-old Muller to evaluate how his body was feeling and whether he could physically handle another season, Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster said.
“He’s smart enough to say, ‘I don’t want to be on the pitch one day, and people say, ‘You should have stopped,’'" Schuster said. “He doesn’t need that. He had his massive career. He could have retired before he came to Vancouver, and he can retire at any given end of a season, and everyone will be happy. And he doesn’t want to play then over that time.”
Muller signed with Vancouver in August 2025 following 17 seasons with Bayern Munich, where he scored 250 goals across all competitions.
The midfielder has continued to be a dominant force in MLS, tallying 16 goals and 11 assists over 29 regular-season games.
He has made 45 appearances across all competitions for the Whitecaps, contributing 19 goals and 12 assists in the process, and was named an MLS All-Star this summer.
Before joining the Whitecaps, Muller led Bayern to 13 league championships and 33 total titles.
He also won the 2014 World Cup with Germany, scoring five goals in the tournament, and took home the Golden Boot from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, finishing with five goals and three assists.
“I really appreciate to be here, hunting titles with this team, especially the MLS Cup,” he said. “And the journey continues. But that doesn’t mean that we kind of take it easy this year. But we have another bullet.”
With Muller in its ranks, the club won the MLS Western Conference title last season and made it to its first MLS Cup final, falling 3-1 to Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
Vancouver has hovered around the top of the league standings this season, and currently holds first place in the Western Conference with a 15-6-5 record.
Spain Brush Aside Croatia in Nations League, England Down Czechs
Lamine Yamal netted a brace as world champions Spain continued their winning start to the UEFA Nations League with a 4-1 success in Seville against Croatia on Tuesday, while Harry Kane scored as England won in the Czech Republic.
The match at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan was Spain's first home outing since lifting the World Cup in New York in July.
La Roja captain Rodri was handed the trophy by 2010 winner and Sevilla legend Jesus Navas, before presenting it to the ecstatic crowd.
"We were very excited to bring the trophy here," Yamal said.
"To be able to win the game and bring it home is great."
Spain's supporters did not have long to wait before their side provided further excitement in Andalusia as Yamal fired them into the lead inside 75 seconds.
Dion Beljo nodded in Ivan Perisic's cross to briefly level the scores shortly before the half-hour, but Atletico defender Marc Pubill popped up at the other end three minutes later to head in a Yamal center and restore the hosts' lead.
After also scoring early in Spain's 3-2 win at Wembley against England last week to kickstart their Nations League campaign, Yamal brought his tally in the 2026/27 edition of the tournament to three as he put Spain two clear of Croatia in the 63rd minute with a precise finish at Dominik Livakovic's near post.
"Lamine is keen to keep developing and show the world the sort of footballer he is," Luis de la Fuente said of the 19-year-old star.
"We've enjoyed his magic in the service of the team. In the future, he'll be much more recognized for what he does and for his contribution to the team's play," the coach added of Yamal, who is among the frontrunners for the Ballon d'Or.
Nico Williams then put gloss on the result for Spain with a crisp step-over and finish with one minute remaining on the clock.
With two wins from two, Spain lead Group A3 on six points, while Croatia sit third on three points, behind second-placed England on goal difference.
Harry Kane (L) of England celebrates with teammate Anthony Gordon after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Nations League match between Czechia and England in Prague, Czechia, 29 September 2026. (EPA)
In Prague, Thomas Tuchel's England got their first win of the group with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Czech Republic thanks to second-half goals from Anthony Gordon and Kane.
The home team kept England at bay in the first half at the Fortuna Arena despite being a man down after Pavel Sulc was sent off for a high challenge on Elliot Anderson in the 23rd minute.
"We played very professional, second half we stepped up... Deserved victory," Tuchel told ITV.
"Strange to get an early red card, not the best for the team and spectators. It's an awkward one but we kept going, got a win and that's what counts."
