Football

Chelsea have bolstered their attacking options with the signing of Portuguese forward Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid on a seven-year deal. The Premier League club confirmed the transfer on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.Financial details were not disclosed, but English media reported that Chelsea paid around 46 million pounds ($59.95 million) to secure the 24-year-old's return to Stamford Bridge. Felix had previously spent a six-month loan spell at Chelsea in the 2022-23 season, scoring four goals in 20 appearances. He also had a loan stint at Barcelona last campaign, where he netted 10 goals in 44 games.Atletico Madrid had signed Felix from Benfica in 2019 for a club-record fee of 126 million euros ($140 million). He scored 34 goals in 131 matches for the Spanish club and helped them win the LaLiga title in 2021."It's a chance for me to find a home," Felix told Chelsea's website. "After two loans, Chelsea and Barca, I needed to stay permanently in one place. There's no better place for me to be than Chelsea. I see a perfect place to shine.""I felt really good when I was here, despite the results we had. I'm really happy to be back," he added.Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca praised Felix's versatility. "The good thing about Joao is that he can play in different positions. He can play inside, he can play as a (number) nine, he can play outside," Maresca told reporters.Chelsea will face Swiss side Servette in the Europa Conference League playoff stage on Thursday before visiting Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo's brace propelled Portugal to a resounding 3-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in their final Euro 2024 warm-up friendly. The Portuguese legend, who missed the previous defeat to Croatia, showcased his enduring brilliance with two stunning goals.Joao Felix opened the scoring for Portugal in the 18th minute, capitalizing on a short corner routine. Ronaldo nearly doubled the lead with a deflected free-kick that struck the post. Despite appeals for a penalty, the Al-Nassr striker was denied.However, Ronaldo's moment arrived shortly after the break. He curled a sublime effort into the top corner, leaving the Irish defense helpless. The 39-year-old then grabbed another goal, finishing off a pass from Diogo Jota.Ronaldo's 130th international goal extended his record as the all-time leading scorer for Portugal. He came close to completing his hat-trick but fired inches wide.Despite Ireland's efforts under interim coach John O'Shea, Portugal remained dominant. Joao Felix expressed confidence in the team's preparations for Euro 2024, stating, "We have 100 percent confidence on the way to Germany."Portugal's Euro 2024 campaign begins on June 18 against the Czech Republic. They will also face Turkey and Georgia in Group F.

Real Madrid maintained their commanding lead in La Liga with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mallorca on Saturday. Aurelien Tchouameni's long-range strike in the second half proved decisive, extending Madrid's unbeaten league run to 25 games.Despite resting key attackers Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo ahead of their Champions League clash with Manchester City, Madrid controlled the match. Jude Bellingham came close for Mallorca in the first half, but his effort rattled the crossbar.Tchouameni broke the deadlock three minutes into the second half with a deflected drive from outside the area. Brahim Diaz and Fede Valverde had chances to extend Madrid's lead, but their attempts were denied by Mallorca goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic.Vinicius entered the fray in the final 30 minutes, but Madrid failed to add to their tally. Sergi Darder's spectacular shot forced a fine save from Andriy Lunin, but Madrid held on for the victory.Barcelona kept pace with Madrid by securing a 1-0 win at Cadiz. Joao Felix's clever overhead kick in the first half proved to be the difference. Xavi Hernandez made several changes to his team, but they still managed to extend their clean sheet streak in the league to six games.Atletico Madrid continued their resurgence with a 3-1 victory over Girona. Antoine Griezmann scored twice, including a penalty, to help Diego Simeone's men move within four points of their opponents. Angel Correa also found the net for Atletico, who are now firmly in the race for Champions League qualification.Rayo Vallecano and Getafe played out a goalless draw in the other La Liga fixture on Saturday.