There's a new kid on the block at Real Madrid and he goes by the name of Chicharito.
The summer signing from Manchester United bagged two goals from the bench in Madrid's 8-2 demolition of Deportivo and could well have forced his way into Carlo Ancelotti's next starting XI.
That could mean the end for Karim Benzema's run in the team who missed out on the goalscoring party on Saturday as Gareth Bale (two), Cristiano Ronaldo (three), James Rodriguez (one) all found the net instead.
Just four months after Cristiano Ronaldo & co. were holding aloft the giant trophy in Benfica's Stadium of Light, the Champions League is back as the group stages kick-off on Tuesday night.
Holders Real Madrid are in action against Basel and will be eager to kick-start their season, having so far struggled domestically, while Italian champions Juventus will be looking for a longer-lasting European adventure this time around - and have been handed an easier draw, beginning against Malmo.
The Premier League is well represented too, with Arsenal travelling to Dortmund looking to repeat the victory they recorded last term, while Liverpool's absence from Europe's premier club competition is finally over as they begin against Ludogorets.
As ever, you can follow all the action as it unfolds LIVE with Goal.
The countdown to the 2014 Goal 50 has begun and the debate is raging over which star performers from the season should be included in this year's list of football's most talented
Many of the world's greatest footballers are off enjoying their summer holidays, but the star performers of 2013-14 will still have more than one eye on the annual prize-giving ceremony that is the Goal 50.
Our brilliant artist Omar Momani has drawn up his vision of the high achievers in contention for the list - which will be announced on July 28.
Cristiano Ronaldo and reigning champion Lionel Messi have shared five of the six editions of the award, and both take their place on the first row of this year's starting grid. The Argentine will surely be more interested in winning the Goal 50 than he was in collecting the World Cup Golden Ball.
Gareth Bale joins the Clasico duo on the front row and will be feeling a lot of love after a superb first season at Real Madrid. In the middle are Arjen Robben, whose Goal 50 odds have plummeted after a wonderful World Cup, and Luis Suarez - who will be equally hungry to claim the prize.
Also challenging are the acrobatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the stylish Neymar, the no-nonsense Diego Costa, Colombian revelation James Rodriguez and a very proud Germany World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm.
But who is that at the back of the pack? Only Mario Balotelli and the Queen.
Indeed, some would say that the Italian's chances of winning the Goal 50 are about as good as the Titanic staying afloat after hitting the iceberg!
HAVE YOUR SAY
Do these players deserve to make the Goal 50? If not, who else should be on the list? If so, who should join them and in what order should they be ranked?
One of the summer's biggest transfer sagas reached its conclusion on Friday as Liverpool and Barcelona confirmed they had reached agreement for the transfer of Luis Suarez.
The controversial Uruguay international is expected to finally complete his move next week, putting pen-to-paper on a five-year deal for a fee in the region of £70m.
Suarez will wear the No.9 shirt at Camp Nou and will add some bite to the Barcelona attack alongside Neymar and Lionel Messi.
Real Madrid finally claimed La Decima with a 4-1 win over Atletico Madrid in Lisbon.
Diego Simeone’s men came within a whisker of denying their city rivals Champions League glory with Real needing a 93rd minute header from Sergio Ramos to take the game into extra-time.
Los Blancos then ran away with the game in the second period with Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo sealing a 4-1 victory and a 10th European Cup.
While Manchester City were celebrating their second Premier League title in three years having cruised to a 2-0 win over West Ham on the final day of the season, the scramble for the Spanish championship continued.
Atletico Madrid, who lead La Liga by three points, were held at home by Malaga but Barcelona were unable to capitalise as they slipped to a goalless draw at Elche.
Diego Simeone's side now face a trip to Barcelona next Saturday in a match which will decide the title.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, are now out of the running following their 2-0 defeat at Celta.
When Real Madrid visit the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night to face Champions League holders Bayern Munich, the Liga giants will be entering "hell" according to die Roten CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
The former Bayern player and club chief says Munich will be on "fire" for the second leg of the two sides' semi-final, and it will be up to Madrid's horde of superstars to put out the flames.
Speaking at a post-match dinner after the first leg, Rummenigge said: "Bayern have a quality when playing at home that makes teams think they are in hell.
"This [a 1-0 defeat at the Bernabeu] is certainly not the ideal result. But don’t be sad. On Tuesday, we and 70,000 fans will stand behind you, and Munich will be on fire."
Gareth Bale claimed the headlines with a brilliant late winner as Real Madrid clinched the Copa del Rey after beating Barcelona 2-1.
The Welshman struck in the 85th minute, showing stunning pace to surge past Marc Bartra before poking past Pinto to seal a dramatic win.
There was more drama to come with Neymar passing up a chance to equalize, hitting the post moments later, on a night when the Welshman lefts his rivals in the shade.
During his time at Barcelona, Pep Guardiola had some enjoyable battles against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
And the 43-year-old is now preparing for another test in the Spanish capital as Bayern Munich will meet Madrid in their Champions League semi-final tie.
Will Guardiola guide Bayern to the final in Lisbon?
The Real Madrid star is the hottest property in football and boasts an estimated wealth of €148 million [£122m] - just €2m [£1.5m] more than his Barcelona rival.
The list, topped by the now-retired David Beckham in 2013, features the likes of Wayne Rooney, Samuel Eto'o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Despite going 1-0 up via Karim Benzema's strike in a violent Madrid derby on Sunday, Real had to rally and come from behind to salvage a point against Diego Simeone's side.
Goals from Koke and Gabi gave Cristiano Ronaldo the perfect platform to salvage a point and help his side move closer to the La Liga title with his
The 2-2 draw leaves Carlo Ancelotti's side top and one point ahead of Barcelona and three ahead of their city rivals with 12 games to go.
Real Madrid obliterated Schalke on Wednesday night with two goals apiece from Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo in a 6-1 win leading to the trio being coined the 'BBC'.
Allegedly, their next trick is to turn to broadcasting with the actual BBC and deliver the news as accurately as their shooting and the weather as precise as their passing.
Radamel Falcao is set to be another high-profile star missing from the World Cup after being ruled out for six months through injury.
The Colombia international tore his anterior cruciate ligament while playing for Monaco against Chasselay in the Coupe de France meaning he will play no part in this summer’s tournament in Brazil.
The striker insists he still retains a small hope he will be fit in time, but it is expected that like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who missed out on qualification with Sweden, he will have to make do with simply watching the action.
It's the end of the calendar year and spirits are in the sky... footballers and managers across the world have much to reflect on - and look forward to - as we head into 2014.
It's been a great year for Pep Guardiola, who took over from Jupp Heynckes at the helm of treble winners Bayern Munich, while Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery fight it out for the Balon d'Or. Gareth Bale got his big-money move to Real Madrid, though it's time for Sir Alex Ferguson and David Beckham to leavethe party.
Jurgen Klopp is left to drown his sorrows after losing the Champions League final and dropping out of the Bundesliga title race, Jose Mourinho is back with Chelsea, Arsene Wenger is top of the pile and Luis Suarez is in and out of the dog house.
All that's left to say is Happy New Year to all our readers!
After massive transfer fees, bumpers wages, taxes and agent fees are totted up the sums are truly staggering: Gareth Bale's move will cost Real Madrid €198.8m!
With so much money flying around, no wonder the players have been enjoying themselves!
Real Madrid take on Valladolid on Saturday with coach Juan Ignacio Martinez claiming his side will need "1,000 eyes" to handle los Blancos star-studded attack.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men have scored 40 league goals already this season and a staggering 20 in their last four Liga games and Martinez is wary ahead of the clash.
"Madrid leave you with very few options,” he was quoted as saying by Marca.
“It's clear they are superior and we know it will be difficult, but in football nothing is impossible, although we will have to go out there with a thousand eyes because in the game last Wednesday they scored four goals with one less player".
So that's it. Uruguay became the 32nd team to qualify for next summer's World Cup, completing the line-up ready to compete for football's biggest prize in Brazil.
But spare a thought for the stars of the game that will miss out on a trip to South America after their qualification campaigns ended in failure.
Ice cream and tissues will undoubtedly be at the ready for the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gareth Bale and Robert Lewandowski, who will all be forced to watch the action unfold from the comfort of their sofas.
Gareth Bale has never kept his appreciation for Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo a secret.
Even prior to his move to the Bernabeu, the former Tottenham man indicated his preference for the Portugal star over Barcelona's Lionel Messi.
And having witnessed Ronaldo's quality first hand in Madrid, the Welshman has again declared his admiration for the 28-year-old.
"Cristiano is incredible, he scores hat-tricks every week," Bale told Real Madrid TV. "It's a pleasure to play with him."
But Bale has ambitions to continue to improve despite a promising start in Spain following his recovery from injury.
"The best is yet to come," he stated. "I've just finished my preseason and I can still give more. "Now I'll be able to score more goals and help the team achieve success. "It was just a matter of time until I got to 100 per cent. Now everyone is seeing what I can do. I need to keep working and hopefully there will be more goals."
He may alledgedly spend more time in the hairdresser's, but boy does that Ronaldo know how to score goals!
After being satirised by Fifa president Sepp Blatter, who claimed Ronaldo was a commander on the pitch before doing a silly walk, the Portuguese made sure he had the last laugh by bagging a hat-trick on a crazy night in Madrid.
Gareth Bale scored twice, and set up another two, on a fine night for the Welshman (even if there was a comedy dive thrown in for good measure), while Karim Benzema hit two of his own.
Ronaldo, backed by the cheers of every home fan at the Santiago Bernabeu, marked his first goal of the night with the kind of salute fitting of a true field commander - over to you, Sepp!