FC Barcelona: 2026 UEFA Women's Champions League Winners

 

Two second-half goals each by Ewa Pajor and Salma Paralluelo gave Barcelona victory in the 2026 UEFA Women's Champions League final against OL Lyonnes in Oslo.

Arsenal: 2024-25 UEFA Women's Champions League Winners

 

Arsenal defeated Barcelona 1-0 to win the UEFA Women's Champions League final in Lisbon with a goal from Stina Blackstenius seven minutes after she came off the bench.

Barcelona, aiming for a third straight title as they featured in the final for the fifth year in a row, had the majority of the play and the chances. But they could not force a breakthrough and, with 16 minutes left, Beth Mead set up fellow substitute Blackstenius for the goal that sealed victory 18 years on from Arsenal's only previous final, when they won the old UEFA Women's Cup by beating Umeå by the same 1-0 scoreline on aggregate.

Match in brief: Substitutes provide late twist

Arsenal were boosted by goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar being fit, having not appeared since the semi-final second-leg win at Lyon on 27 April, while Chloe Kelly started on the right with Beth Mead on the bench. They looked to start brightly and had the better of the opening ten minutes, but the first real chance fell to Aitana Bonmatí, whose effort was blocked.

However, Arsenal continued to think positively and Frida Maanum let fly from distance, forcing a fingertip save from Cata Coll; Kim Little blazed over following the resultant corner. Aitana was denied by Van Domselaar after a solo run, and Leah Williamson did well to block from ten-goal competition top scorer Clàudia Pina, starting today having come off the bench for Barcelona in the previous three finals.

Having dominated the later stages of the first half, Barcelona kept that up after the interval, with Pina testing Van Domselaar from distance before combining with Aitana and looping the ball via a deflection off Emily Fox onto the top of the crossbar. Alexia Putellas then played into the path of Ona Batlle, who was only just off target from outside the box.

The pressure continued as again Van Domselaar saved from Aitana. Arsenal brought on Mead and Blackstenius, and they almost struck against the run of play as the Swedish forward won the ball in midfield and broke free – but could not beat Coll. Straight up the other end, Ewa Pajor put a header off target.

However, the changes and the Blackstenius chance gave Arsenal confidence, and with 16 minutes to go they won a corner. That was delivered by former Barcelona stalwart Mariona Caldentey; the ball was only half-cleared and Mead played back in for Blackstenius to apply a cool finish.

Barcelona pressed for an equaliser and an Aitana shot was deflected wide. But Arsenal were able to keep Barcelona at bay to inherit their crown as European champions.

Visa Player of the Match: Stina Blackstenius (Arsenal)

"Had two chances before the goal with her runs in behind, stretching the game more. Then came the goal showing her match-winning influence; Mead's assist also shows the impact of substitutions for Arsenal in changing the game."

UEFA Technical Observer panel

Faye Hackwell, Arsenal reporter

An 18-year wait for a European trophy finally comes to an end, as Arsenal wrap up a campaign of twists and turns with a momentous victory. There have been so many occasions this season when they could have exited the competition, but they always hit back and today they fought with their hearts on their sleeves. There's a special togetherness in this squad and they channelled their hunger into collective determination and discipline to overcome a great Barcelona side, with a winner from perennial super-sub Blackstenius.

Graham Hunter, Barcelona reporter

They arrived with über-confidence, were heavily favoured, kept trying to compete with Arsenal, but, ultimately, this was a final in which the reigning champions Barcelona were both outplayed and outcompeted.

Reaction

Renée Slegers, Arsenal coach: "I'm super-proud of my players. You can have all these ideas in your head, show videos, use your tactics board and then train them, but when you play such a good rival, who we've not faced for years, then it's executing all that in a Champions League final, which says so much about my players. I think this was the hardest game we've played so far – Barcelona gave us so much to deal with.

"So many hard times this season. We’ve been through so much together, but we've always fought back. Belief was growing all season, and a couple of critical moments in the season gave us more and more of that. The players have invested so much; they've been so intense in how they train. All the things we've demanded of them, all the questions we've asked them – they so deserve this!"

Pere Romeu, Barcelona coach: "Losing a final like this leaves you in a complicated mood. Our most experienced, best players know that in a final like this, anything can happen. We wanted more possession, more control. It cost us to generate the superiority which we wanted to achieve.

"I think that the space we generated wide, we didn't manage to convert into clear chances. I thought that the crosses in could have been better. It's one thing we didn't do all that well."

"Everyone can judge our work as they wish. We got to the last match of the Champions League. Self-critically, we didn't produce the best performance, but I don't think that anyone should judge our season just on this match."

Stina Blackstenius, Visa Player of the Match and Arsenal goalscorer: "I just can't believe it. It was such a team performance from the very beginning until the very end. I just can't believe we won the Champions League. It hasn't sunk in yet.

"They said I should try to run in behind and try to stretch them. This is, once again, a big team performance. I'm so proud of our journey, how we came here, and how we managed the game today."

Daphne van Domselaar, Arsenal goalkeeper: "I can't believe it. Honestly, it's something we worked towards the whole season, and we finally made it through to the final and actually won it – that's insane. I think we showed so much determination, and I'm just so proud of everyone.

"Of course, you dream [about keeping a clean sheet in the final] and then it becomes reality. That's insane. I need to give a lot of credit to the girls as well, how much they showed, the blocks they did and they just literally put their body on the line. And I think we all have the same mentality, so I think we've done it as a team."

Kim Little, Arsenal captain: "We knew that we had to be basically perfect to beat Barcelona, who've been one of the best in Europe for years. We did things in training which didn't work; we adapted them, and they did work today. Our players who came on today had an incredible impact.

[On sharing the trophy lift with vice-captain Williamson] "Leah and I went through the game close together. It was hard, it was intense, physical and it was hot. So when we shared that moment at the end, it was very special. Given how much it means to me, it was great to share that with her."

Aitana Bonmatí, Barcelona midfielder: "We weren't at our sharpest in the first half. It cost us to impose our game. After the break, I thought the game was more comfortable for us, but I want to congratulate Arsenal because they hit their game plan, waited for their opportunity and then took it.

“It really hurts me to look up at the stands and see our fans. It reminds me of losing in Turin [in the 2022 final]. Arsenal's goal came from a set play which we didn't defend well, but they knew how to convert their chance. We weren't at our best level, but we gave all we had. In situations like that, football sometimes punishes you. We need to push onwards and use what's happened here to our benefit in the future."

Cata Coll, Barcelona goalkeeper: "I think the game had a bit of everything. Both teams competed, but they managed to get that goal. It hurts, in all honesty. The match is over; we have to deal with it, and that's it.

"Obviously, my main objective is to ultimately keep a clean sheet, and it hurts not being able to achieve that. Arsenal scored, and I'm happy for them. We were just lacking a goal of our own, but it still hurts."

Key stats

Arsenal won their second title 18 years on from their only previous final; a record gap between first and second titles and finals.

Arsenal were the first team to reach the final from round 1 of this format and their campaign involved an unprecedented 15 matches.

Katie McCabe started all 15 matches and her 1,297 minutes is the most ever by a player in a single UEFA women's club season. Blackstenius, Mariona, Caitlin Foord, Maanum and Alessia Russo also appeared in all 15 Arsenal games.

Barcelona played their 100th game in the competition, the fourth team to reach the mark after Lyon, Arsenal and Wolfsburg. Their first two matches were also losses against Arsenal in the 2012/13 round of 32 (Alexia and Little involved then too).

Barcelona equalled Lyon's record by playing in a fifth consecutive final.

Aitana and Alexia kept up their record of appearing in all six of Barcelona's finals. The only other player to appear for Barcelona in their first five was Mariona, who moved to Arsenal last summer and thus celebrated her third title in a row having won in 2023 and 2024 with the Blaugrana.

Barcelona ended the campaign with 44 goals, one off Wolfsburg's record from 2013/14.

Arsenal: Van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Mariona, Maanum (Blackstenius 67), Little; Foord (Hurtig 86), Russo (Wubben-Moy 90+1), Kelly (Mead 67)

Barcelona: Cata Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Mapi León (Engen 78), Rolfö (Brugts 78); Aitana Bonmatí, Patri Guijarro, Alexia Putellas; Graham Hansen, Pajor, Pina (Paralluelo 62)

Barcelona: 2024 UEFA Women's Champions League Winners

Second-half strikes from Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas won Barcelona their third UEFA Women's Champions League title in four years as they beat Lyon 2-0 in front of over 50,000 supporters at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao.

Prior to this encounter, Lyon had defeated Barcelona in all four previous matches between the teams, including the 2019 and 2022 finals.

But it was a case of fifth time lucky for Jonatan Giráldez's team as the holders asserted their recent dominance in this competition with an assured performance on Spanish soil, spearheaded by the brilliant Bonmatí, who once again proved to be the difference-maker.

It was Barça who started on the front foot, and Caroline Graham Hansen set up Salma Paralluelo early on following a mazy run, only for the Spanish forward's effort to be well saved by Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler.

Despite Giráldez's team enjoying the majority of possession, OL remained a threat, and Barça defender Lucy Bronze was fortunate to see her header skim off her own crossbar from a corner.

Just before the interval, Graham Hansen did brilliantly to burst into the box, but she could only drag a shot just wide from a tight angle to ensure there would be no first-half breakthrough as a tight, evenly matched period ended level.

Lyon captain Wendie Renard, playing in her 11th Women's Champions League final, had the first clear chance after the break, though she could only scoop her shot over the bar after the ball had fallen kindly for her in the box.

It was a case of cometh the hour, cometh the hero for Barcelona, as Mariona Caldentey's clever pass set away Bonmatí down the left in the 63rd minute, and the No14's dinked effort beat Endler via a deflection to spark delirium among the majority of the crowd.

Lyon pushed for a response, and the competition's top scorer for this season, Kadidiatou Diani, went close with a curling effort narrowly over the bar.

In the closing stages, however, substitute Putellas put the gloss on the victory with a wonderful crashing finish, and Barça celebrated joyously with their outgoing coach Giráldez as they earned a fourth trophy in what has been another sensational campaign.

Visa Player of the Match: Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona)

"Influenced the game all over the pitch in and out of possession. High progressive passes, high ball recoveries and scored a great goal."

UEFA Technical Observer panel

Graham Hunter, Barcelona reporter

So much of the talk from Barcelona's staff and players leading up to this final was about "maturing", "managing matches better" and "learning from bitter defeat". All those things needed to be true here. The finalists were so well matched, so full of tactical discipline and cleverness. It meant that before the twinkle-toed brilliance of Bonmatí could make its wonderful impact, there needed to be patience, calm and cold-blooded control, all leading up to an eruption of talent. Then an eruption of joy.

Vanessa Tomaszewski, Lyon reporter

In the first half, Lyon struggled with Barcelona's possession. Despite creating opportunities, the French side made technical errors and lost possession easily. After the break, Bonmatí capitalised on Lyon's defensive gaps to score and Lyon failed to regain control, with wider gaps appearing in their defence. Putellas sealed the victory in the final minutes as, despite their best efforts, Lyon tasted defeat in a stadium dominated by Barcelona supporters.

Jonatan Giráldez, Barcelona coach: "It was an incredible game. I am really happy, and it's one of the best days of my life, for sure. We did an amazing job. I am very proud of all of them. When I decided in December to leave at the end of the season, people thought the team's performances might dip. We showed that wasn't the case today. An amazing performance, and a deserved victory."

Lucy Bronze, Barcelona defender: "We knew we needed to be a club that made history. It's not easy, it's hard to win it once, but to do it back to back, Lyon showed how difficult it is. This team's finally done that. I think we go down in history as one of the best teams in Europe."

Sonia Bompastor, Lyon coach: The disappointment is great, and losing a final is very hard, but Barça played a great game. Our lack of offensive efficiency has cost us, but I will need more time to analyse it. Congratulations to Barcelona on winning this final. They're a great team. We would have needed to play a perfect game to win but, above all, we should have been more efficient in attack in order to get a better result."

Daniëlle van de Donk, Lyon midfielder: "I'm very emotional. Nobody likes to lose a final and we were here to win it. It's a shame we didn't create enough. Barcelona deserved the win, but I'm proud of my team; we gave it our all. I wish we could have pressed them a bit more, as I think that could have made a difference."

Key stats

Barcelona have become only the fourth club to successfully defend the title after Umeå (in 2004), Lyon (in 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) and Wolfsburg (in 2014).

The Spanish side's third European crown leaves them behind only Lyon (eight) and Frankfurt (four).

Bonmatí scored for the second time in a Champions League final, after also netting in the 2021 win against Chelsea.

Putellas struck in her third Champions League final, following goals in the 2021 and 2022 editions.

Barcelona have become the first Spanish women's side to claim a quadruple, having also won the league, Spanish Cup and Spanish Super Cup this season.

Lyon's Kadidiatou Diani finished as the competition's top scorer this season with eight goals.

Wendie Renard has played a part in all Lyon's 11 finals. She has been captain for seven of them.

Line-ups

Barcelona: Coll; Bronze, Paredes, Engen, Rolfö (Batlle 67); Bonmatí, Walsh (Putellas 90+2), Guijarro; Graham Hansen, Paralluelo (Brugts 85), Caldentey (Pina 90+2)

Lyon: Endler; Carpenter, Renard, Gilles (Becho 81), Bacha; Horan, Egurrola, Van de Donk (Hegerberg 81); Diani, Dumornay, Cascarino (Majri 63)

Roll of honour: Finals

UEFA Women's Champions League:

2024 (Bilbao): Barcelona 2-0 Lyon

2023 (Eindhoven): Barcelona 3-2 Wolfsburg

2022 (Turin): Lyon 3-1 Barcelona

2021 (Gothenburg): Barcelona 4-0 Chelsea

2020 (San Sebastián): Lyon 3-1 Wolfsburg

2019 (Budapest): Lyon 4-1 Barcelona

2018 (Kyiv): Lyon 4-1aet Wolfsburg

2017 (Cardiff): Lyon 0-0aet, 7-6pens Paris Saint-Germain

2016 (Reggio Emilia): Lyon 1-1aet, 4-3pens Wolfsburg

2015 (Berlin): Frankfurt 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain

2014 (Lisbon): Wolfsburg 4-3 Tyresö

2013 (London): Wolfsburg 1-0 Lyon

2012 (Munich): Lyon 2-0 FFC Frankfurt

2011 (London): Lyon 2-0 Turbine Potsdam

2010 (Madrid): Turbine Potsdam 0-0aet, 7-6pens Lyon

UEFA Women's Cup:

Two-legged finals

2009: Duisburg 6-0/1-1: agg 7-1 Zvezda-2005

2008: Frankfurt 1-1/3-2: agg 4-3 Umeå

2007: Arsenal 1-0/0-0: agg 1-0 Umeå

2006: Frankfurt 4-0/3-2: agg 7-2 Turbine Potsdam

2005: Turbine Potsdam 2-0/3-1: agg 5-1 Djurgården

2004: Umeå 3-0/5-0: agg 8-0 Frankfurt

2003: Umeå 4-1/3-0: agg 7-1 Fortuna Hjørring

One-off final

2002 (Frankfurt): Frankfurt 2-0 Umeå

FC Barcelona: 2022-23 UEFA Women's Champions League Winners

Barcelona have won the UEFA Women's Champions League for the second time in three years after a thrilling comeback from two down to beat Wolfsburg 3-2 in Eindhoven.

Ewa Pajor and Alex Popp had put Wolfsburg seemingly in control at half-time. But, within five minutes of the restart, Patri Guijarro scored twice to level the scores, and former Wolfsburg player Fridolina Rolfö later sealed only the second comeback from two goals down to win a final of this competition.

A fast start had proved the key in the previous four finals – three of those involving Barcelona – and the Blaugrana poured forward immediately, piling on the pressure. After just three minutes, however, they were behind, as Ewa Pajor dispossessed Lucy Bronze, cut inside and fired in from outside the box for her competition-leading ninth goal of the season, and a strike similar to Amandine Henry's opener for Lyon against Barcelona a year ago.

Barcelona responded confidently, Irene Paredes getting in a great position from a corner but heading wide of the far post. Aitana Bonmatí then had a shot blocked in the box, and Barcelona kept building in their trademark way, only to encounter tenacious pressing from the likes of Alex Popp – nominally Wolfsburg's centre-forward – Lena Oberdorf and Jill Roord.

In the 37th minute, Popp buried her record-equalling fourth goal in a final. Pajor was the provider this time, receiving the ball from Felicitas Rauch and sending in a perfect cross for her captain, playing in her seventh decider overall, to nod in. Barcelona needed a response and Bronze, a three-time winner with Lyon, nearly provided one just before half-time, forcing her way through and slipping the ball to Salma Paralluelo, who was denied at close range by Merle Frohms.

The first-half stats had Barcelona 16-3 up on attempts and they quickly added to their tally after the interval, Mariona Caldentey shooting straight at Frohms. And the next attempt was a goal, Bonmatí's trickery freeing Caroline Graham Hansen for a clever cutback which set up Patri Guijarro to halve the deficit.

Two minutes later it was 2-2, and Guijarro again the scorer, heading in after another superb piece of skill and perfect lobbed cross from Bonmatí. Barcelona were now pouring forward, stretching Wolfsburg on both flanks and bombarding the penalty area.

Wolfsburg were not giving up, though, and Dutch duo Lynn Wilms and Roord combined to feed Pajor, whose angled shot did not beat Sandra Paños. Pajor again had the ball in a similar position on the left a couple of minutes later – with the same result.

Instead, it was Barcelona who found the net once more. Soon after coming on, Geyse sent in a cross and an attempted Wilms clearance hit Kathrin Hendrich in the Wolfsburg box. Caldentey was there to pounce and somehow wriggled free of the defensive pair to feed former Wolfsburg player Fridolina Rolfö, who made no mistake with the goal gaping.

There was no way back for Wolfsburg, despite a last-gasp effort from their semi-final hero Pauline Bremer, and even before the final whistle there was an extra treat for the large Barcelona contingent in the Dutch women's record 33,147 crowd as Alexia Putellas came off the bench for her first appearance in the Women's Champions League this season after serious injury.

Visa Player of the Match: Patri Guijarro (Barcelona)

"She changed the game by scoring two goals in quick succession. The catalyst for the Barcelona comeback. Her attacking attitude in the second half got her into the box to capitalise on crossing opportunities that Barcelona couldn't capitalise on in the first half."

UEFA Technical Observer panel

Graham Hunter, Barcelona reporter

Barcelona won a final which they'd looked like losing thanks to one of their oldest tricks: dropping an extra player into midfield to create 'superiority' of numbers, Caldentey in this instance.

Wolfsburg's tactics and execution had been so clever. But Spain's champions took trailing 2-0 as a personal insult. The turbochargers went on and the reset strategy worked a treat. Rolfö was also key, playing as a left-winger not a full-back. 'She who dares wins' was the motto.

Judith Tuffentsammer, Wolfsburg reporter

In the end, it was rare blips in defensive coverage that cost Wolfsburg their hard-earned lead – and the game. Up 2-0 thanks to impressive ruthlessness in the first half, the Wölfinnen surprised everyone and looked like the formidable opponents they'd set out to be.

After Barcelona had endured their fair share of bad luck in the first half, they came out of the dressing room blazing. The Spanish side proved the more dominant and clinical team throughout the second period, with Wolfsburg unable to recreate their attacking output of the first 45 minutes.

Paul Saffer, match reporter

After four straight finals in which a fast start to the game had been the key, this time it was what came immediately after the interval that proved decisive. Barcelona have shown their ability to dictate and dominate in recent years; what they unveiled tonight was a grit and tactical flexibility to go with the incredible individual talents they boast.

Reaction

Jonatan Giráldez, Barcelona coach: "Maybe the half-time score was unfair because of how many chances we'd created and the pattern of play. We made a mistake at the start and we conceded. It's not about what happens but how you react, and we did that well but then conceded again. At half-time, we wanted to improve ball reception. We had to wake up, be optimistic, realise there were 45 minutes left and it wasn't impossible."

Patri Guijarro, Player of the Match: "It complicates matters when you concede two goals. We created chances but didn't take them. We talked at half-time about those small details, the self-belief that we've matured since last year and that we didn't break down after going behind. It was everyone’s hunger and belief [that led to victory]. I'm really happy about helping my team win this piece of silverware."

Lucy Bronze, Barcelona defender: "We made it hard for ourselves in the first half, even though we created so many chances. We could have scored many goals in that first half. I think we knew we had enough quality to come back into any game. I don't think we were ever worried about scoring three goals, which is a crazy feat to do, but that's the talent within this team."

Caroline Graham Hansen, Barcelona forward: "This game had every emotion it could have. I'm just so happy. Two-nil down at half-time, I had a big flashback to the last final [losing to Lyon in 2022] and thought, 'It's not going to happen again.'"

Tommy Stroot, Wolfsburg coach: "Congratulations to Barcelona. We saw a great game here in Eindhoven. It was an advertisement for women's football. Everyone in the stadium and watching on TV saw a game of a great standard with high individual quality – from Barcelona, but also the way we played."

Alex Popp, Wolfsburg forward: "Firstly, it's an incredible disappointment. For one, there's a big feeling of emptiness, because we had a 2-0 lead. But I believe we played a very good season – in the Champions League, winning the German Cup and doing well in the league. That's extremely difficult to understand now because the pain and disappointment are so big. But give the players a few days and then, hopefully, the world will look a bit different."

Key stats

Contesting their fourth final in five years, Barcelona won a second title to go with their 2020/21 triumph.

Barcelona are only the second team to come back from two goals down to win a final of this competition, Wolfsburg having done likewise against Tyresö in 2014.

Popp equalled Ada Hegerberg's record of scoring in the final in four separate seasons.

Wolfsburg suffered their fourth straight final defeat after losing to Lyon in 2016, 2018 and 2020. They won the final in their first two European campaigns in 2012/13 and 2013/14.

Line-ups

Barcelona: Paños; Bronze, Paredes, León, Rolfö; Bonmatí (Putellas 90), Walsh (Syrstad Engen 89), Guijarro; Graham Hansen (Crnogorčević 79), Caldentey (Pina 79), Paralluelo (Geyse 70)

Wolfsburg: Frohms; Wilms (Hegering 84), Hendrich, Janssen, Rauch; Oberdorf, Roord (Lattwein 71); Huth; Jónsdóttir, Popp, Pajor (Bremer 84)

Roll of honour: Finals

UEFA Women's Champions League:

2023 (Eindhoven): Barcelona 3-2 Wolfsburg

2022 (Turin): Lyon 3-1 Barcelona

2021 (Gothenburg): Barcelona 4-0 Chelsea

2020 (San Sebastián): Lyon 3-1 Wolfsburg

2019 (Budapest): Lyon 4-1 Barcelona

2018 (Kyiv): Lyon 4-1aet Wolfsburg

2017 (Cardiff): Lyon 0-0aet, 7-6pens Paris Saint-Germain

2016 (Reggio Emilia): Lyon 1-1aet, 4-3pens Wolfsburg

2015 (Berlin): Frankfurt 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain

2014 (Lisbon): Wolfsburg 4-3 Tyresö

2013 (London): Wolfsburg 1-0 Lyon

2012 (Munich): Lyon 2-0 FFC Frankfurt

2011 (London): Lyon 2-0 Turbine Potsdam

2010 (Madrid): Turbine Potsdam 0-0aet, 7-6pens Lyon

UEFA Women's Cup:

Two-legged finals

2009: Duisburg 6-0/1-1: agg 7-1 Zvezda-2005

2008: Frankfurt 1-1/3-2: agg 4-3 Umeå

2007: Arsenal 1-0/0-0: agg 1-0 Umeå

2006: Frankfurt 4-0/3-2: agg 7-2 Turbine Potsdam

2005: Turbine Potsdam 2-0/3-1: agg 5-1 Djurgården

2004: Umeå 3-0/5-0: agg 8-0 Frankfurt

2003: Umeå 4-1/3-0: agg 7-1 Fortuna Hjørring

One-off final

2002 (Frankfurt): Frankfurt 2-0 Umeå

FC Barcelona: 2015-16 Copa Del Rey Champions

Jordi Alba’s goal in the seventh minute of extra time capped a stunning turnaround of events and handed FC Barcelona a well-deserved 2–0 victory over Sevilla in the 2016 Copa del Rey final on Sunday night at the Vicente Calderón Stadium in Madrid.

Neymar tacked on a goal just instants before the final whistle. Lionel Messi had both assists.

Overall, the title is Barça’s fourth of the season. The Catalans beat Sevilla in an extra-time thriller in the UEFA Super Cup final to start the season before winning the FIFA Club World Cup in December.

With the La Liga championship already in the bag, Sunday’s Copa del Rey win — the 28th in Club history — means Barça have emerged on top in both of this season’s national competitions, giving them the coveted domestic double and ensuring the 2015/16 season will be hailed as a success for years to come.

An hour before Alba’s scored the eventual game-winner, though, the outlook was not as bright.

After dominating possession through the first 30 minutes of the final, FC Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano were slapped with straight red card in the 36th minute for getting tangled up with Sevilla’s Kevin Gameiro as he raced in on goal.

Later, not long after the second half had gotten underway, Barça received a second shock, as Luis Suárez had to leave the game with an injury after stretching just a bit too far to haul in a pass.

As Suárez sauntered off gingerly, Luis Enrique conferred with his assistants in the face of what was looking more and more like a chess match.

With Sevilla getting ever deeper into Barça territory and threatening to take the lead, midfielder Éver Banega was shown a red card after tackling Neymar from behind just outside the box. Just like Mascherano, Banega was also judged to be the last man.

Tasked with a 22-metre free kick to essentially win the game, Messi somewhat awkwardly lobbed the ball over the wall before it was slapped over the bar by Sergio Rico.

Nevertheless, when the whistle came signalling the end of regulation, Barça, no longer down a man, were visibly relieved and used the hiatus to regroup both physically and mentally.

The Barça XI came out of the huddle looking as confident as they had all evening. If they were going to win this one they would have to do it like they did in last summer’s Super Cup — in extra time.

And that’s just what happened.

Retaking control of the game, Messi picked out Alba with a long pass and the speedy full-back hauled it in before flicking it past Sergio Rico for the game’s first score in the 97th minute.

Celebrations erupted on the Barça bench and among the throngs of supporters who had made the trip to Madrid.

There were still 20 minutes left of extra time. As the clock plodded on into triple digits, players from both sides appeared to be on the verge of physical exhaustion.

With Sevilla now fighting for their lives, defender Daniel Carriço was booked twice in the 120th minute after a hard tackle on Messi followed by a surplus of vociferous protest.

On the ensuing play, and with the game, and the tournament, all but over, Messi found Neymar in the Sevilla area and the Brazilian slotted past Rico, touching off FC Barcelona’s second title celebration in the last eight days.

FC Barcelona: 2015 FIFA Club World Cup Champions

Football players constantly state that victory can only be achieved by teamwork. The way in which that victory is celebrated, however, is a very individual thing, as the emotions on display tend to depend on the player’s personality and past experiences. Following their FIFA World Club Cup Japan 2015 triumph on Sunday, Barcelona’s players all reacted in distinct ways as they received their winners’ medals.

To understand the great joy visible on the face of Neymar, it is crucial to wind the clock back four years. In December 2011, the skilful forward was part of the Santos side that, as South American champions, earned its place at the global tournament.

Prior to the final, where they were to face Barcelona, the media built it up as duel between the Brazilian and Lionel Messi. However, instead of creating a tight contest, Santos fell to a comprehensive 4-0 defeat, during which Messi scored a brace and Neymar put in a somewhat anonymous performance.

“They were so much better than us,” the then 19-year-old admitted to FIFA.com. “They gave us a footballing lesson.” One image in particular made its way around the world after the match, that of Neymar exchanging a few words with Messi and Pep Guardiola. While the exact details of that conversation may never be known, could it be that La Pulga was advising his now team-mate to join him in Catalonia as soon as possible?

By the following year, Neymar had put pen to paper with the Blaugrana and would soon begin to amass a considerable number of prestigious trophies, the latest of which was held aloft on Sunday in Japan. “Today, I’m on the other side of the fence, and I’m glad about that. I’m very happy to be a world champion,” he said to FIFA.com.

Isolation and concentration
His obvious delight contrasted with the contained joy exhibited by Javier Mascherano in the corridors of International Stadium Yokohama after the match. But rather than demonstrating nonchalance about his team’s victory, the robust defender was struggling with conflicting emotions.

“This final was a difficult one for me to deal with,” explained the San Lorenzo native, who turned professional with River Plate in 2003. “I came through the ranks with them, and they’re from my home country. Unfortunately, in situations like that you just have to cut yourself off. I tried to be as professional as I could about it. I don’t know if it was the right thing to do, but I have to think about the team that I currently represent.”

Proof of this approach came when fans of Los Millonarios, who had travelled in large numbers and noisily supported their heroes throughout the encounter, cheered his name when the teams were presented to the public. The Barcelona stalwart decided to keep a low profile and held back from recognising the Argentinian contingent.

“Maybe they took it badly, but I didn’t mean anything disrespectful by it,” he said. “Ever since I found out that we would be facing River, I’ve tried to shut myself away from everything and stay completely focused on the task at hand.”

And that he certainly did, repelling the Argentinians’ attacks and marshalling a defence that performed superbly in front of an on-song Claudio Bravo, even if the Catalans were willing to admit that River made life tough for them at times.

“River’s commitment and pressure caused us a few problems during the first 35 minutes, until we got the breakthrough,” said the Argentinian, who starred for his nation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ Final. “It wasn’t easy, but we knew that they would fight hard, and it was that style of play that got them to this level in the first place.”

Titanic trio
Unfortunately for the South American giants, their battling qualities were not sufficient against an on-form Barcelona, driven forward by their highly effective and harmonious attacking triumvirate. Messi struck first and Luis Suarez added a brace, while Neymar contributed two assists.

“I don’t know if we’re the best frontline in football history, but we’ve got a great understanding and we’re in the process of making history,” said Neymar, responding to a question that is often brought up by fans of the beautiful game. “But 150 goals is certainly not something to be sniffed at. We’re playing some great stuff and we’re delighted to be doing so.”

That happiness is clearly shared by every player in the Barcelona squad. “Getting to this stage involves putting in a huge amount of work and achieving important objectives. We’ve managed to cap off this year in the best way possible,” concluded Mascherano with understandable self-control and the hint of a winning smile.

FC Barcelona: 2014-15 UEFA Champions League Champions

For Gerard Piqué, it had been a long day, one that had begun rather too early for his liking. He had woken up early in the confines of his luxury suite at the five star Grand Hyatt hotel in Berlin. Perhaps it was because of the unfamiliar surroundings, maybe because he was feeling a few pre-match nerves. Understandable, of course. Today wasn’t just any old day; it was the most important day of the year so far: UEFA Champions League final day to be exact.

Throughout his illustrious career, Piqué could count himself fortunate enough to play in two previous European Cup finals, a European Championship final and a FIFA World Cup final, amongst others. He knew how to handle the pressure, to manage his nerves and channel any slight anxiety he felt into a positive performance for his team. But still, there was something about today that felt different…although up until now, he hadn’t quite been able to put his finger on it.

Then, as he sat down on the bench, deep in the bowels of the Olympiastadion in the Barça dressing room, Gerard leaned back and it was then, with a cigar in his mouth as he posed for a photo with his friend Gabri, the long-serving kitman that it hit him. Suddenly, he understood perfectly just what was so different about today, about this game that had been bothering him earlier…

Tonight wasn’t just about winning a singular, isolated match; no, this had been about something more. A greater cause, a higher purpose: the chance to truly rewrite history and achieve perfection.

By beating the Serie A champions, Juventus FC in Berlin, FC Barcelona would become the first club to ever record two separate treble-winning campaigns, and as such, there was an accompanying level of pressure following the Blaugrana in their trip to the German capital. After closing out the La Liga season in style and emphatically defeating Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final, Barça were heavy favourites to lift the trophy tonight and while there were wobbles along the way, they lived up to that status and perhaps even exceeded their billing.

Recovering from a shaky opening couple of minutes, Barcelona wasted no time in demonstrating their offensive prowess and putting the Bianconeri to the sword. Lionel Messi was integral in the game’s opening goal, but in truth, it was a real team effort. Messi’s cross-field pass was expertly cushioned back to Neymar by the overlapping Catalan full-back, Jordi Alba and even if the Brazilian’s first touch was uncharacteristically lacking, he kept his composure to maintain the pressure and save the attack.

With a shimmy of the hips and a swerve of his slender frame, Neymar juked past one Juventus defender with relative ease to create enough space for another pass: this time to find the ghosting run of Barcelona’s pale-faced midfield assassin, Andres Iniesta.

Andres himself is no stranger to the spotlight, nor is he a newcomer to this grand stage; yet even so, the subtle genius and sheer ruthlessness in his play was staggering. Rather than chance his arm with a shot of his own, Iniesta was selfless, shirking the responsibility on to his Croatian midfield partner, Ivan Rakitic. Simplistic and ruinous, Iniesta’s simple pass across handed Rakitic a simple tap-in; after just four minutes, FC Barcelona were ahead.

And it was from there that they threatened to run riot on their seemingly helpless opposition. For a period it appeared as though every attack, every pass in the final third could lead to a goal – and that just about anyone on the Barcelona side was capable of doing the damage. Nominal right-back, Dani Alves came closest to doubling the advantage but his powerful and well-placed effort was matched by a spectacular, game-saving piece of heroics from Gianluigi Buffon.

Wave after wave of attack was keeping the Juve midfield penned into their own defensive third and while the Italians survived that onslaught to launch a retaliatory spell of pressure, the first-half ended on a similar note: with a barrage of Barça attacks. Suarez was next to be denied by Buffon’s stupendous performance and at the interval, the world was in awe of the Barcelona juggernaut.

However, with just a single goal to their name, Barcelona’s lead was fragile and their position precarious. Try as they might to grab that all-important second goal, they faced spirited resistance, again from Buffon but also from his defence – Suarez was denied once more, but Messi also missed the target with a chance of his own.

And all it took was one mistake, one defensive breakdown and Juventus were level.

Dani Alves’ clearance was rushed and Neymar’s attempt to salvage the situation and retrieve the ball was futile; Juventus had won it back, in space with time to assess their options and attack the Barcelona backline. Even so, it took a moment of magic from Claudio Marchisio, arguably their best midfield performer on the night, to unlock the Barça defence. A cute back-heel unleashed Stephan Lichtsteiner and his subsequent cutback found Carlos Tevez in space for a shot on goal.

Under pressure from Piqué, Tevez’ effort was well-saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen but the rebound was kind to Max Allegri’s side, as the ball ricocheted to the left – into the grateful path of Alvaro Morata who applied the finish.

A former product of La Fabrica with a dagger to the heart of Barcelona’s Champions League dream. It could have been poetic; alas, the Blaugrana were not to be denied…

***

For Luis Enrique, you can forget about today. For him, it had been a long season – albeit one that had threatened to end quite prematurely. In January, he had taken the decision to leave Lionel Messi and Neymar out of the starting line-up against Real Sociedad following their extended periods of absence over the winter break. At the time, he was certain that it was the right decision; by the time that night was over, he feared for his job.

Against all the odds, an under-performing Real Sociedad outfit coached by David Moyes had defeated his Barcelona by a solitary goal and the pressure was starting to tell. There were disagreements in the dressing room, on the training ground and stories began to surface in the media. All those changes he had enforced, all the hard work he had put in since his appointment in May…it seemed as though they would count for nothing. Luis thought for sure that he was on the way out of the Camp Nou.

But the board, preoccupied with their own internal strife, handed him the vote of confidence – a stay of execution. His long-term future was not certain by any means, but for now, Enrique remained in his role as Barcelona head coach.

In some respects, he was thankful for the opportunity. In others, he was tired of the pressure and tired of the criticism; in his eyes at least, he wasn’t doing anything wrong. Rather, it was the players who couldn’t see the bigger picture.

The solution was simple; desperate to succeed on his terms, he merely changed the delivery. The underlying principles remained the same, but he adapted his style to suit the dressing room, to soothe the egos and manage the squad as a whole. Rotation remained pivotal to all this but he knew how to package it, and crucially, he learnt from the players when it was required.

At the time, the Sociedad defeat seemed like a curse, destined to tarnish his reign in charge of his former club, but it was now as he felt a sense of pure jubilation, having been thrown in the air by the very players he had won over that Luis Enrique realised the truth…

He had been right all along.

With Juventus back on level terms, the match was now on a completely different path. While it had previously seemed as though the Blaugrana were coasting to victory and their second treble in six years, now it was Juve who were in the ascendency and taking the game by the throat. Morata, again, Tevez and Paul Pogba went close; though never did Barcelona waver.

They sat back, took the punches and responded in kind with a flurry of their own. It was about Round 8 of 12 in this heavyweight slugfest and the Blaugrana, weary though they might have been, turned the tables through sheer willpower alone.

The scorecards had been even up until this point, but the Barcelona frontline remembered the wise words of wisdom that their trainer had imparted on them in preparation for this bout; Lionel Messi took the ball, drove at the Juventus defence and went for goal. His effort wasn’t good enough to beat Buffon outright, but it was enough to force a rebound and Luis Suarez, sharp of mind and quick on his feet was first to react.

Reaching the ball before Patrice Evra was the hard part, but courtesy of Enrique’s teachings and trainings he was well prepared and went on to apply the finish with consummate ease. Never say die, FC Barcelona were back ahead and back on track in their quest for the treble.

***

For Neymar, today had been a good day. For him, it had been about the realisation of a lifelong dream. Ever since he was a child, he had wondered what it might be like to play for biggest clubs in the world, to line up with the best players and to score in a major final. And now here he was, the little kid from Mogi das Cruzes was in Berlin, phone in hand, wandering over to the FC Barcelona support to take a selfie with the travelling Culés having scored the goal that secured the club’s fifth UEFA Champions League title.

Even now, some six years into his career as a professional footballer, Neymar struggles to comprehend just how he has scaled these heights and how he now features alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta. Clearly, he has a lot to be thankful for, to God, and the band tied around his head is symbolic of his deep Christian faith.

With a smile on his face, he’s patient, waits for the camera to focus and presses the button. Not once, not twice, but a few times – you know, just to be sure. He wanted to capture this moment, this elation, this euphoria, and treasure it forever. It’s only after the fact as he’s scrolling through the photos to see which one to upload and share with his fans that Neymar realises something…

This is just the beginning.

The minutes were ticking by, but all too slowly for the Barcelona players, management and fans alike. Everyone had seen what Juventus were capable of given the chance; every moment that the score remained at 2-1, the nerves, the anxiety levels in the stadium increased.

Pogba, Marchisio and Tevez all tried in vain to help their side find an equaliser, but Barcelona were equal to their efforts, fending off their desperate attempts at goal. Maybe they were taking a few more punches than they would have liked, but the Blaugrana remained calm and deep into the 12th and final round, they delivered a hay-maker, the knockout blow in this title fight courtesy of the left boot of Neymar Jr.

Gerard Piqué was involved, so too was Luis Enrique’s final substitute, Pedro Rodriguez but the star of the show had to be the Brazilian. Having previously seen a goal chalked off for handball, Neymar wasn’t about to let this opportunity pass and after yet more selfless work from Pedro, he drilled the ball past the despairing dive of Buffon to seal the tie and secure the title.

***

It was a goal, and a performance that served to epitomise FC Barcelona under Luis Enrique: that all for one and one for all altruistic spirit, as the individual talents seamlessly come together to form a greater collective and a team that seems virtually unstoppable.

50 wins in 60 matches. Three trophies out of three – FC Barcelona once again achieved perfection in 2014/15 – and while for now, Enrique’s future might be uncertain there is a great sense of optimism around the camp and a pervasive feeling that current success considered: the best might yet be to come.

Quick Hits: August 2, 2009

Michael Phelps is BACK. Take that Milorad Cavic, you Serbian piece of shit! You said you wanted payback. Fuhgeddaboutit!


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In spite of his efforts against AC Milan and F.C, Barcelona, I would love to see David Beckham leave the Galaxy. He chose not to start for the first part of the season, and while I frown on the actions the bloke of my friends from the Los Angeles Riot Squad, Beckham's infidelity to his club has elicited my vote of no confidence.

Landon Donovan is still one of my favorite footballers. He will always be. He would do what Beckham is doing. I don't think it would even register.


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Rest in peace, Cory Aquino. What you did-no, what everyone in the People Power movement did-will go down as the most important event in the history of this country. I was only two years old when this happened, and I remember this well.

And so I will salute you by wearing yellow tomorrow at church. Rest in peace. When I return to the Philippines, I plan to pay a visit at Heritage Park. You will go down as the Greatest Filipina That Ever Lived.