Aitana Bonmati, a midfielder for Barcelona and Spain, is expected to miss five months following surgery on a broken leg.
The 27-year-old sprang into awkwardness on Sunday during a practice session with her country side.
She had been getting ready for the national team’s Uefa Women’s Nations League match against Germany on Tuesday at the national team’s training facility in Madrid.
Barcelona claimed to be awaiting her return after the accident so they could decide what to do with her.
The club stated in a statement on Tuesday that Bonmati had undergone surgery and that he would need five months to recover.
She would miss almost the entire season due to her inability, with Barcelona’s final league game scheduled for May 31.
The previous weekend saw the Women’s Champions League final.
Bonmati became the first woman to three times win the women’s Ballon d’Or, with the award presented annually to the player who was chosen by a panel of journalists as the best overall.
She was also named Uefa’s player of the year in the Champions League.
The latest blow to Barca is the Bonmati injury.
Spanish football reporter Elizabeth Conway from BBC Sport
Barcelona dealt a significant blow to Aitana Bonmati’s injury. The captain of Barca, the midfielder, started 13 games, giving up six goals and giving three assists.
Her absence is just one more injury to the growing injury list, which includes Patri Guijarro, who has been sidelined until at least January, and Kika Nazareth, who has been sidelined for three weeks. Salma Paralluelo, the singer’s partner, won’t play until January, and Ewa Pajor, the forward, is still sidelined with a knee issue. A return date is anticipated for December.
Since Bonmati is likely to be out until May, Barca have only a few midfield and attacking options.
The Women’s Football Weekly podcast returns for another season featuring Ben Haines, Ellen White, and Jen Beattie. On the Women’s Football Weekly feed, you can find interviews and additional content from the Women’s Super League and beyond as well as new episodes that are available every Tuesday on BBC Sounds.
Red Bull will promote Frenchman Isack Hadjar to their senior team and hand 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad a debut Formula 1 season in 2026.
Lindblad, who has a Swedish father and a mother of Indian descent, will be team-mate to New Zealander Liam Lawson at second team Racing Bulls.
The shuffling of Red Bull’s driver line-up sees Japanese Yuki Tsunoda lose his seat on the grid after five seasons.
Hadjar, 21, will become four-time champion Max Verstappen’s team-mate after an impressive rookie season at Racing Bulls, which included an outstanding podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Lindblad joins five other drivers with British nationality on the grid next year – Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, McLaren’s Lando Norris, Mercedes’ George Russell, Oliver Bearman of Haas and Williams driver Alex Albon, who races under the Thai flag but was born and raised in Britain.
Who is Arvid Lindblad?
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Lindblad has been marked out as a potential future star by Red Bull since he was 12 years old.
Discussing the company’s young driver programme, Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko said last year that Lindblad “looks really promising”, praising his “pure speed”.
Red Bull have been working since last year to ready Lindblad for a potential F1 debut in 2026. They planned a programme for this season that would earn him enough points to secure an F1 ‘superlicence’, which is needed to race in grands prix.
He has completed two runs in F1 practice sessions, at the British and Mexico City Grands Prix.
Marko said: “In one of the Formula 3 races [at Silverstone in 2024], he overtook, in one lap, I don’t know, 10 or 14 other drivers. He won the race from being last in these tricky conditions, wet, dry and so on.
“If I look back, I met him first in Portimao (in Portugal). Portimao have a very attractive go-kart circuit and we had a Formula 1 race and I met him and his father. And it was Arvid who was leading the conversation, with 12 years (of age) or so. So that also was something which is not normal.
“But he had a clear vision and a clear way how to achieve it. And since then he moved steadily forward.”
Lindblad has won two races in F2 this year and is sixth in the championship heading into the final round in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
A big chance – and test – for Hadjar
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Hadjar’s F1 career started on a low note when he spun out of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in the wet on the formation lap. He broke down in tears and was consoled by Hamilton’s father Anthony on his walk back to the Racing Bulls garage.
But since then he has been one of the stand-out rookies this season, with an average grid position of 10th and beating team-mate Liam Lawson in qualifying 22 times to five at an average advantage of 0.186 seconds.
Hadjar lies 10th in the championship with one grand prix remaining this season.
But he faces a stiff challenge against Verstappen, who has comprehensively outperformed all his team-mates since Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull at the end of 2018.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said: “Isack has displayed great maturity and proved to be a quick learner. Most importantly, he has demonstrated the raw speed that is the number one requirement in this sport.
“We believe Isack can thrive alongside Max and produce the magic on track.”
Hadjar described it as “an awesome move” and said he felt “ready”.
For the seat alongside Lindblad at Racing Bulls, Red Bull have preferred Lawson over Tsunoda.
Lawson started 2025 with Red Bull but was demoted to the junior team in a swap with Tsunoda. He struggled badly alongside Verstappen, to the extent that Red Bull felt they had no choice but to remove him from the seat.
But he has settled back into F1 at Racing Bulls and some strong performances – including a fifth place in Azerbaijan and sixth in Austria – have convinced Red Bull he deserves more time.
He has completed 34 starts across three years but will be embarking on his second full season in 2026.
Tsunoda, meanwhile, has been ejected from an F1 race seat after a disappointing season alongside Verstappen.
The 25-year-old had long felt he merited a chance at the main Red Bull team but he has not been able to justify his position.
He has out-qualified Verstappen only once – in the Qatar sprint last weekend – and has an average deficit of 0.644secs to the Dutchman over the season, by far the largest margin between team-mates on the grid.
Verstappen has won seven races and is in contention for the world championship with McLaren drivers Norris and Oscar Piastri heading to Abu Dhabi.
There is also no place on the Red Bull driver programme for Ireland’s Alex Dunne.
The 20-year-old split with McLaren in September and had been of interest to Red Bull.
However, while Marko is said to have wanted to take on Dunne, other senior members of Red Bull did not, and Mekies has told BBC Sport that Dunne is not part of their plans.
Who: Real Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao What: Spain’s La Liga Where: The San Mames Stadium, Bilbao, Spain When: Wednesday at 7pm (18:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 15:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
After a string of draws, Real Madrid are attempting to reclaim control of the La Liga title with a victory over Athletic Bilbao.
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At lowly Girona on Sunday, Madrid were forced to hold on for a third consecutive La Liga draw before coming back from a goal down.
With goals from Robert Navarro and Nico Williams, Athletic Bilbao, who are eighth in the division, have 20 points from their first 14 games, won 2-0 at Levante on Saturday.
Real Madrid manager Alonso is under increased pressure.
Real coach Xabi Alonso is under increased pressure because of recent rumors that his future may be uncertain in the Madrid dugout as a result of their draw with Girona.
After the game, Alonso told reporters, “We are up there, it’s all very even, it’s a long season and we have to continue.”
“I liked how the players responded. We had to work together, be self-critical enough, and be ready to win away from home, but it was not enough to turn things around.
Due to the club’s participation in the Spanish Super Cup in January, Madrid will travel to Bilbao on Wednesday for its fourth straight home game.
Alonso continued, “The table will be difficult-fought and there will be a lot of movement.”
In the summer, Xabi Alonso replaced Carlo Ancelotti.
We must alter this dynamic, it says.
Before Morocco international Azzedine Ounahi fired a stunning header home from just inside the area on Sunday, Madrid’s superstar striker Kylian Mbappe was forced to play a goal for handball moments before the infamous handball ruled out for the striker.
Before Los Blancos fought back, Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved a stunning save to divert Vladyslav Vanat’s cross goal.
Vinicius Jr was clumsily felled in the box by Hugo Rincon after being denied an offside goal.
Mbappe scored his 14th La Liga goal of the season by smashing the resultant penalty past Paulo Gazzaniga’s diving effort.
The league is still ongoing and will continue for a very long, Mbappe wrote on social media. “Absolutely not the result we wanted. We must alter this dynamic and demonstrate our collective strength.
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring the equalizer in Girona [Josep Lago/AFP]
With their victory over Levante, Bilbao’s morale rises.
After a number of depressing defeats in recent weeks, manager Ernesto Valverde acknowledged that Athletic’s victory over Levante gave his team much-needed moral support.
Following the game, Valverde stated, “This match was very important for us in many ways, both morale wise and most importantly, to gain our confidence after some less than positive results.”
However, Valverde cautioned against “taking each game as it comes and fight for the win” and stated that “we have a difficult and very exciting week ahead of us with tough opponents coming to San Mames.”
In response to transfer rumors, Williams says, “Club and City mean everything to me.”
After being once more linked with a move to Barcelona despite having his contract extension until 2035, the Athletic winger revealed his deep devotion to his boyhood club and Bilbao.
I’ve developed as a person and as a player because of Athletic and Bilbao, Nico Williams said.
“Representing this club and this city has taught me the value of family, humility, and hard work. As the motto states, “Athletic is unique in the world.”
He continued, “I have my family and loved ones with whom I make every decision here in Bilbao.” It’s a dream come true to compete in the Champions League alongside my brother.
Nico Williams, left, and Jeremy Toljan of Levante [Getty Images]
Head-to-head
Real Madrid won 124 of the 248 games that were played between the two clubs, Athletic Club won 79, and 45 of those games ended in draws.
Alex Berenguer and Gorka Guruzeta scored for Athletic in their most recent home game, 2-1, winning the previous meeting 2-1.
Since Los Blancos have typically been the dominant team in recent matches, Athletic won Athletic’s first La Liga game 1-0 over Real Madrid.
Bilbao Athletic team news
Oihan Sancet is still suspended, but midfielder Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta’s return from suspension will boost the team.
Inaki Williams is still a major doubt after missing Athletic’s last seven games with a groin issue, and Benat Prados, Unai Egiluz, Maroan Sannadi, and Robert Navarro have all been suspended with injuries.
Aymeric Laporte’s illness prevented him from playing for Levante, but he is expected to start against Madrid.
At the moment, Madrid’s injuries are centered on the defense.
Due to the recovery of his own muscular injury, centre-back Dean Huijsen is a significant doubt after missing his last two games due to a muscular issue, and he is also unlikely to play.
After having a knee problem removed, Dani Carvajal will be sidelined until 2026.
However, center-back Raul Asencio is expected to recover in time for the Bilbao game despite missing the game against Girona due to illness.
The popular Gary Eats YouTube channel, run by Gary Hanna, made a comparison between the food in the bars that Jeremy Clarkson and James May frequented.
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Gary Hanna sampling an onion ring(Image: Gary Eats/YouTube)
A food critic has put two three-course meals from Jeremy Clarkson and James May’s respective pubs head-to-head – and declared a winner. Gary Hanna, behind the popular Gary Eats YouTube channel, set out to test the fare on offer at the former Top Gear presenters’ venues ultimately crowning one as champion.
As he kicked off his challenge outside May’s pub, The Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire, Gary, who claimed he’d been to both venues before and even featured them in his book, called them “superstars.”
He said he’d score each venue out of 50, with categories including ambience, service, starter, main and dessert each worth 10 points. He joked that fellow Grand Tour host Richard Hammond has “got to buy a pub” too.
Gary ordered pork, venison and pistachio terrine for £9.50 and flat iron steak for £28 while sipping a pint of the local bitter. In fairness, he noted that he would aim to try “very similar” dishes at both restaurants.
He praised the “stunning pub” and remarked the service had been “up there” before his terrine arrived. Tasting the dish, Gary highlighted the venison’s “punchy flavour” and the “rich and creamy” celeriac, calling it “bang on”.
Before tasting the “light” onion rings, Gary was surprised by the thickness of the steak when it arrived. The ring was deemed one of the best he’d ever tasted because he was so impressed.
Gary said the restaurant chain with the same name (Flat Iron) “doesn’t produce steak that classy,” and that Gary liked the steak dish at the bar. He continued, calling the sauce “absolutely gorgeous.”
He praised the “incredibly light” sponge and “lovely flavor” of the £9 sticky toffee pudding, saying the sauce was “too sweet” but that the sauce was “too sweet.”
Gary then made his way to Clarkson’s establishment, The Farmer’s Dog, near Burford, Oxfordshire, and Gary was swift to observe that the venue was bustling as he looked over the menu.
Repeating his earlier choice, Gary opted for the ham hock terrine for £12 before choosing the gammon steak with crushed new potatoes and roasted vegetables as his main course for £22.
He characterised the pub as possessing a more “modern feel” in contrast to the “traditional” touches of The Royal Oak, though he remarked that he appreciated both venues before his food and a pint of Hawkstone Harvest arrived.
He noted that it was “pretty good” and that it was “very nice” when he tasted his terrine, which he described as “very nice” and “excellent.” The gammon was “certainly not a small piece,” it was then.
Gary praised the “perfect piece,” pointing out the “lovely saltiness” and noting that it was “super tender.” Finally, he purchased an apple crumble for £12, calling the apple “the star of the show” and declaring it to be “really good.”
Gary gave May 9 points and Clarkson 8 points as their starters, rounding up the results. Both the main courses and the puddings earned Clarkson 9 and 9.5 points, while he gave it an edge by pointing out that Clarkson had edged it.
After Gary turned his attention to the “family” at May’s establishment, Clarkson received 9, and Gary received 10, before both were given full marks of 10 for service.
The popular Gary Eats YouTube channel, run by Gary Hanna, made a comparison between the food in the bars that Jeremy Clarkson and James May frequented.
View 4 Images
Gary Hanna sampling an onion ring(Image: Gary Eats/YouTube)
A food critic has put two three-course meals from Jeremy Clarkson and James May’s respective pubs head-to-head – and declared a winner. Gary Hanna, behind the popular Gary Eats YouTube channel, set out to test the fare on offer at the former Top Gear presenters’ venues ultimately crowning one as champion.
As he kicked off his challenge outside May’s pub, The Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire, Gary, who claimed he’d been to both venues before and even featured them in his book, called them “superstars.”
He said he’d score each venue out of 50, with categories including ambience, service, starter, main and dessert each worth 10 points. He joked that fellow Grand Tour host Richard Hammond has “got to buy a pub” too.
Gary ordered pork, venison and pistachio terrine for £9.50 and flat iron steak for £28 while sipping a pint of the local bitter. In fairness, he noted that he would aim to try “very similar” dishes at both restaurants.
He praised the “stunning pub” and remarked the service had been “up there” before his terrine arrived. Tasting the dish, Gary highlighted the venison’s “punchy flavour” and the “rich and creamy” celeriac, calling it “bang on”.
Before tasting the “light” onion rings, Gary was surprised by the thickness of the steak when it arrived. The ring was deemed one of the best he’d ever tasted because he was so impressed.
Gary said the restaurant chain with the same name (Flat Iron) “doesn’t produce steak that classy,” and that Gary liked the steak dish at the bar. He continued, calling the sauce “absolutely gorgeous.”
He praised the “incredibly light” sponge and “lovely flavor” of the £9 sticky toffee pudding, saying the sauce was “too sweet” but that the sauce was “too sweet.”
Gary then made his way to Clarkson’s establishment, The Farmer’s Dog, near Burford, Oxfordshire, and Gary was swift to observe that the venue was bustling as he looked over the menu.
Repeating his earlier choice, Gary opted for the ham hock terrine for £12 before choosing the gammon steak with crushed new potatoes and roasted vegetables as his main course for £22.
He characterised the pub as possessing a more “modern feel” in contrast to the “traditional” touches of The Royal Oak, though he remarked that he appreciated both venues before his food and a pint of Hawkstone Harvest arrived.
He noted that it was “pretty good” and that it was “very nice” when he tasted his terrine, which he described as “very nice” and “excellent.” The gammon was “certainly not a small piece,” it was then.
Gary praised the “perfect piece,” pointing out the “lovely saltiness” and noting that it was “super tender.” Finally, he purchased an apple crumble for £12, calling the apple “the star of the show” and declaring it to be “really good.”
Gary gave May 9 points and Clarkson 8 points as their starters, rounding up the results. Both the main courses and the puddings earned Clarkson 9 and 9.5 points, while he gave it an edge by pointing out that Clarkson had edged it.
After Gary turned his attention to the “family” at May’s establishment, Clarkson received 9, and Gary received 10, before both were given full marks of 10 for service.
Nicola Peltz and Brooklyn Beckham, his wife. have fought bitterly with David and Victoria since swerving the England star’s 50th birthday in May.
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Brooklyn Beckham’s alleged reconciliation with his famous family appears to have been given.
Brooklyn Beckham’s alleged reconciliation with his famous family appears to have been given. following their ongoing feud, which erupted this year.
In May, the self-confessed ‘nutter in the kitchen’, 26, and his wife, Nicola Peltz, 30, reportedly left the newly appointed Sir David Beckham ‘heartbroken’ when they swerved his 50th birthday, which was attended by all of Brooklyn’s siblings.
The family has been estranged ever since, with some sources blaming Nicola for the fallout while others claimed David and Victoria needed to do more to patch things up with their firstborn – who is very close to his wife’s family.
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Neither Brooklyn or his parents have commented directly on the drama. However, David’s mum, Sandra, seems to have offered her grandson an olive branch – just in time for Christmas.
After Brooklyn posted a video of himself preparing a bottle of his hot sauce for the holiday season, Sandra responded, “Is that for me?” and then a number of sweet emojis.
It comes after Victoria shared a video from her mother Jackie’s home showing all the grandchildren’s stockings hanging up that also included Brooklyn for Christmas.
As she zoomed in on the decorations, which included a Brooklyn-themed stocking, she said, “So I’m here at my mum and dad’s house and look how adorable.
They have prepared all of the grandchildren’s stockings for Christmas.
Last week, Brooklyn’s brother Cruz also hinted that he wanted to make amends as he posted a cryptic message on Instagram.
He wrote, “Life is too short to be silence, at least talk it out,” with an emoji for a crying face, in a close-up shot of himself, looking depressing.
Brooklyn and his wife Nicola will be in Los Angeles, while David and Victoria are reportedly spending Christmas with various extended family members, including Victoria’s mother, Jackie.
A source told us that David and Victoria are “coming to terms” with not seeing Brooklyn and that they are “going through it.”
“But the grandmothers are feeling it very strongly.” They adored Brooklyn because they bonded with him so deeply. They no longer see him because he had a deep love for them.
According to sources, Jackie and Sandra also claimed to be “very surprised” to learn that Brooklyn and Nicola exchanged vows again earlier this year without being informed.
Continue reading the article.
When Victoria celebrated the launch of her Netflix docuseries with family members in October, the couple were noticeably absent. Brooklyn and billionaire heiress Nicola were thousands of miles away in Beverly Hills, while the fashion designer was surrounded by her closest kin at the London premiere.
