Real Madrid turned the Ballon d'Or into a farce with their refusal to attend after Vinicius Jr was beaten by Manchester City's Rodri to the top prize - but the Brazilian won FIFA's award on Tuesday

For much of a cold night Chelsea were under pressure, taken to the line by Real Madrid, but ten minutes of Catarina Macario was enough to maintain their unbeaten record and take them through as winners of Group B. Six meetings later and still this is a fixture the Spanish club can’t win but they may never have been closer. Leading thanks to a goal from the immensely impressive Caroline Weir, they were eventually defeated by the American – who came on at half-time and belted in two penalties. In the end that was enough, Madrid pushing to the last but unable to find a way through that they might have felt they deserved after an early goal that came as a statement of intent in the opening period where Chelsea never managed to get control, Erin Cuthbert often a lone figure surrounded by white. Madrid kept possession, letting their opponents see the ball but not touch it, and although it was worked all the way back to their goalkeeper, Misa Rodríguez, it was not a move to nowhere. Instead, it served as the starting point for a sequence of twelve more passes that ended with it in the net at the other end. Continue reading...

Real Madrid winger attends after boycott of Ballon d’OrEmma Hayes and Carlo Ancelotti win best coach awards Vinícius Júnior and Aitana Bonmatí were named the top footballers of the year at Fifa’s Best Awards in Doha, with Emma Hayes following up her Ballon d’Or win with the women’s coach of the year accolade. Hayes guided Chelsea to a fifth successive Women’s Super League title last season before leaving to take over the United States national team, and leading them to Olympic gold in Paris. Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti won the men’s award after delivering the La Liga and Champions League double last season. Continue reading...

Rodri beat Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior to win the Ballon d'Or in October but the Brazilian has got his own back by pipping the Manchester City midfielder to the men's FIFA Best award

Madrid was without striker Kylian Mbappé, who is nursing a left-thigh injury  Leer