Skip to main content

Spain earns bonus 5th Champions League entry with Real Betis in line to benefit

By The Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) — Spain has clinched a bonus fifth entry into the Champions League next season, UEFA confirmed Friday, with Real Betis on course to earn the spot through the La Liga standings.

Rayo Vallecano’s win against Strasbourg in the Conference League semifinals Thursday gave Spain an insurmountable edge over Germany in the race for an extra Champions League place.

Since the Champions League was revamped into a 36-team format in 2024, UEFA has awarded bonus entries to the two countries whose teams have the best collective record across the three European competitions in the previous season.

Standings leader England had already clinched the first bonus entry for next season’s Champions League, which is worth tens of millions of euros (dollars) in prize money to that club.

Spain and Germany had been in a tight race for the second spot.

Real Betis is fifth in La Liga with four rounds left and is six points ahead of Celta Vigo in sixth.

Betis played just one season in the Champions League 20 years ago, failing to advance from the group stage behind Liverpool and Chelsea.

The Champions League bonus entries went to Borussia Dortmund of Germany and Bologna of Italy for the 2024-25 season. This campaign it was Newcastle and Villarreal.

England could yet have a record-tying six entries in the next Champions League just as it did this season.

Europa League path

The Europa League winner gets a direct entry to the next Champions League, and Aston Villa will play in the final against Freiburg on May 20 in Istanbul.

Villa is fifth in the Premier League with three rounds left. If coach Unai Emery’s team finishes fifth and win the Europa League, then the sixth-place team in the Premier League will get the UEFA bonus entry. Bournemouth is currently sixth and would be a debutant in Europe.

Last season, Tottenham won the Europa League and entered the Champions League despite placing 17th in the Premier League.

England and Spain also will contest the Conference League final. Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano play for the third-tier title on May 27 in Leipzig, Germany. The winner gets direct entry to the Europa League next season.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

By WTOP Staff
▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Read Next Story

Related Stories

British Open 2028 Golf
Sports
Ryan Fox wins first career major at 2026 Open Championship
July 19, 2026
British Open 2028 Golf

Ryan Fox wins first career major at 2026 Open Championship

Johnson memorial

DC sports fans have a chance to showcase their favorite memorabilia

Knicks take 1-0 lead into game 2 against the Spurs

Josh Hart's efforts help Knicks turn around Game 1 of the NBA Finals and beat the Spurs

Baseball Glance