Europe

BREAKING: Gerard Piqué abruptly retires from football

BARCELONA - Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué called time on his glittering career on Thursday, saying he will retire from football when LaLiga breaks for the World Cup this month.

Piqué, 35, said in a video posted on social media that Saturday's league clash with Almería on Saturday will be his last at Barcelona's Camp Nou after 14 years with the Catalan giants following his return from Manchester United in 2008.

Barcelona will travel to Osasuna on Tuesday for their final fixture before the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup.

Champions League round of 16 odds: Who's most likely to meet in the knockout stage?

It was another memorable UEFA Champions League group stage with England, Germany and Portugal flexing their collective might while Spain suffered some historically bad performances. The Champions League last 16 draw date is now set for Monday, Nov.

Ranking all 8 of Federico Valverde's comically good goals this season

It's early in the race for the 2023 Ballon d'Or, but with the season now over 30 percent complete, there's no denying that Real Madrid utility man Federico Valverde has put himself in the conversation with some unbelievable contributions in the Champions League and LaLiga.

It used to be that Valverde was the unsung hero of either the midfield (deputizing effectively for Luka Modrić or Toni Kroos) or right wing (with Karim Benzema and Vini Jr in the spotlight), but this year, whether deployed on the wing or in midfield, the 24-year-old has blossomed into the star of the show.

Team-by-team guide: 2022 Denmark World Cup preview

To prepare you for the tournament, The18 has launched team-by-team previews for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Here’s the Denmark World Cup preview who’ll play in Group D against France, Australia and Tunisia.

Denmark World Cup Preview 2022

World Cup Appearances: 6th

Best Finish: Quarterfinals (1998)

Spurs, Eintracht go through after batshit crazy finish to Champions League Group D

Heading into the final matches of the Champions League group stage, there was no set of games as appealing as the action in Group D. Tottenham entered Tuesday on top with eight points, but Sporting (seven), Eintracht Frankfurt (seven) and Marseille (six) all had a clear path to the round of 16.

Spurs had a difficult task, traveling to the Vélodrome in southern France but needing only a draw to go through. They also had to do it without manager Antonio Conte on the touchline because of a one-match ban.  

Guy messes up shot so bad it goes full Roberto Carlos and becomes Puskás contender

Every weekend in global football ushers forth a new 30-yard screamer, mesmerizing solo dribble or acrobatic display of technical ability to feast on, but it's a rare thing indeed to see an effort of such bend and swerve that it makes Roberto Carlos weep gentle tears upon his tree trunk legs.

Bend it like Beckham? David Beckham never took a shot near the halfway line that looked destined for a throw-in on the near touchline before violently changing course and swazzing inside the far post. No, bend it like this guy on Kvk Avelgem in Belgium's fourth provisional division. 

Paul Pogba to miss World Cup after failing to recover from knee surgery

France midfielder Paul Pogba will miss their World Cup title defense after failing to recover from knee surgery in time for next month's tournament in Qatar, his agent said on Monday.

Pogba had an operation on a damaged meniscus in September but his agent said that, following a medical review, he would not be able to return to the Juventus squad or join up with France before the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup.

Another American goes down: USMNT dealt Weston McKennie injury blow

There's more unfortunate news for the USMNT midfield with just 22 days to go until lining up against Wales: Weston McKennie, after coming off injured at the start of the second half during Juventus' 1-0 win over Lecce on Saturday, has been diagnosed with a thigh injury that'll keep him out for over two weeks.

Manager immediately shifts focus to getting wife in 'sexy mood' after big win

Hartlepool United manager Keith Curle led his side to a 2-1 victory over Grimsby Town on Saturday to climb off the bottom of the League Two table, and the 58-year-old wasn't bashful when discussing his feelings during the post-match interview.

David Luiz se suma a la exclusiva lista de futbolistas campeones en Champions League y Copa Libertadores

Dentro de la lista de cosas que hacer antes de morir de cualquier futbolista sudamericano, seguro que hay una línea en que dice ser "campeón de una Copa Libertadores y campeón de una Champions League". Sin embargo, en la historia son pocos los jugadores que pueden presumir haber ganado los trofeos de los torneos continentales más importantes del planeta.

Pero de vez en cuando pasa y el central brasileño David Luiz es testimonio vivo de que ese deseo puede ser realidad.

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