MADRID: Real Madrid suffered a shock 2-0 loss and finished with nine men against Celta Vigo in LaLiga on Sunday after Williot Swedberg scored an audacious goal with his heel and a second in stoppage time to leave the hosts four points off leaders Barcelona.
Swedish substitute Swedberg cleverly diverted a cross from Bryan Zaragoza past Thibaut Courtois in the 53rd minute to put Celta ahead and had an easy finish three minutes into added time, going around the goalkeeper to wrap up the points.
Real’s cause was not helped by the 64th minute dismissal of Fran Garcia, who picked up two yellow cards in 60 seconds, but they laid siege to the visitors’ goal for the last 20 minutes as Celta went into a defensive shell to hold onto their advantage.
Real defender Alvaro Carreras was also dismissed for two cautions, his second coming in stoppage time at the end of the game as the home side’s frustrations boiled over.
It was a second clean sheet in 15 league games this season for Celta, whose keeper Ionut Radu made a first-half save from Jude Bellingham’s header and stopped a second-half free-kick whipped in by Kylian Mbappe.
Real stay on 36 points from 16 games as Celta celebrated a first win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in 19 years, leaving the Galician club with 19 points.
“With the team they have and their quality, it’s difficult to match them, but we read the game well,” said Celta striker Borja Iglesias. “We had possession, we played in their half, we played a fantastic match.”
Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins.
Xabi Alonso’s stuttering Real team have now won only one of their last five league games as they await the midweek arrival of Manchester City in the Champions League.
Earlier on Sunday, Espanyol moved up to fifth as Roberto Fernandez’s first half penalty handed them a 1-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano as both sides finished with 10 men.
Elche’s Rafa Mir scored twice as they ran out 3-0 home winners over struggling Girona, while hosts Valencia and Sevilla remained in the bottom half of the table after a 1-1 draw.
Real Madrid handed shock home loss as Celta Vigo spring surprise
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Real Madrid handed shock home loss as Celta Vigo spring surprise
- Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins
Inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026 gets $45m boost
- New tournament set to elevate global esports by establishing a structured ecosystem that supports players, clubs, and national teams
RIYADH: The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced the competition dates and prize model for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026 in Riyadh from Nov. 2 to 29.
The ENC adds a national layer to the global esports calendar. It complements the club-based Esports World Cup by giving players the chance to represent their nations.
ENC 2026 is backed by a three-part funding commitment totaling $45 million, structured to support the esports ecosystem through player and coach prizing, club release incentives, and national team development.
It includes $20 million in prize money paid directly to players and coaches across 16 titles.
In addition, the EWCF will provide $5 million in incentives for clubs that release and enable their professional players to participate in the ENC, with rewards tied directly to the performance of their players at the event.
The EWCF will also provide $20 million through the previously announced ENC Development Fund, supporting partners with logistics, travel, program operations, marketing, and the long-term growth of national team pathways.
“National teams bring a powerful new layer to esports, one that is accessible, intuitive, and rooted in identity and pride,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the EWCF.
“Clubs are the cultural backbone of esports. Nation-based competition expands the stage, creates new rivalries, and gives more fans a reason to care from day one.
“Our prize model is designed to keep competition fair and sustainable, rewarding performance while supporting the long-term development of players, clubs, and national programs.”
The ENC introduces a placement-based prize framework, applied across all game titles, designed to be clear and player-centric. Every qualified participant earns prize money and is guaranteed a minimum of three matches.
Equal placement earns equal pay: the same finishing position pays the same amount per player across all titles, and coaches are rewarded alongside players for the same placement.
A first-place finish awards $50,000 per player, whether competing in a solo title or as part of a team, while second provides $30,000, and third $15,000. For team titles, payouts scale with the roster size, so the result is consistent and transparent for everyone competing.
The ENC will launch in Riyadh and move to a rotating host-city model. The event will be held every two years to provide a dependable structure that supports long-term planning for players, partners, and national programs.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Trackmania, Dota 2 have already been confirmed for ENC 2026, with additional titles to be announced in the coming days.
