The dark horses

All eyes are on Inter Miami, AKA Barça Old Boys: Lionel Messi has been playing alongside Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez, and Javier Mascherano replaced Gerardo Martino as head coach last

No one has ever fallen for the Basque County quite like Archduchess Maria Christina. An exquisite pianist and polyglot, she left the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy to marry King Alfonso of Spain in 1879

The Catalan club were the standout side in Spanish football in 2024-25

In Andre Villas-Boas’ first season as club president, the side from the north fell miles short of Portugal’s other Tres Grandes

Of all the 11 Ligue 1 titles won under their Qatari owners, this may have been Paris Saint-Germain’s most impressive

With four of Europe’s big five league titles successfully defended, the dominant clubs continued to impose their strength in 2024-25