Europe

Having one of the worst seasons in his young career, Eden Hazard could be looking to trade that deep blue kit for an all-white kit in the Spanish capital. Before this season, Hazard was one of the top young talents in all of Europe, especially the summer of his big move to Chelsea.  

Racking up 49 goals in 162 games as well as a few trophies his first couple of seasons, Hazard was the new face of Chelsea FC. Unfortunately, a poor season for Hazard has taken all that from the young Belgian.

Johan Cruyff died today at the age of 68 after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was the kind of man whom you mentioned in the same breath as words like legend, revolutionary, and inspirational. You did so casually, because that’s how closely related to greatness he was. He was the embodiment of what any person with ambition, a dream, a struggle strives to be, the greatest version of himself. 

Johan Cruyff, a Barcelona, Netherlands and Ajax legend as both a player and manager, one of the giants of the game, one of the figures chiefly responsible for the way soccer is played today, has died from cancer at age 68.

A statement on WorldofJohanCruyff.com read:

On March 24 2016 Johan Cruyff (68) died peacefully in Barcelona, surrounded by his family after a hard fought battle with cancer. It’s with great sadness that we ask you to respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.

Ryan Shawcross is a rough-and-tumble defender. He's part of that exclusive club of old-school, fearless defenders who never shy away from a challenge and throw around their hefty frames like a sack of flour into opposing players. It's a trait that Arsenal fans still loath him for after he broke Aaron Ramsey's leg with a late tackle, an injury that kept him out of action for almost a year (Editor's note: As an Arsenal fan, Ryan Shawcross' England career can go die in a hole). 

Gerard Pique is one of the winningest defenders alive. The Spaniard has won the World Cup, UEFA Euro and Champions league, a career treble the likes of which makes the more commonly known treble of the Champions League, domestic league, and domestic cup look pedestrian (he’s won two of those as well, by the way).

Some days we can't help but conclude that soccer fans are just the worst. Today is one of those days. Some Spanish soccer fans rushed the field during a game Sunday and stabbed Alhaurin de la Torre striker Samuel G.P. in the heart. We are not making this up. We wish we were.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably at least heard a few whispers about Ousmane Dembele. The young Rennes prodigy could be the new Cristiano Ronaldo, at least according to former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre, who is now an advisor at the French outfit. 

Andrea Pirlo is a man of many talents. The Italian New York City FC midfielder can put a soccer ball wherever he wants. He always knows where the other team's free kicks are going. He has won the Champions League, the 2006 World Cup (he was man of the match in the final), and Serie A Player of the Year (three times).

He is...the most interesting man in the world.

Karim Benzema has 20 goals for Real Madrid so far this season, but that's not what everyone has been talking about in regards to the French striker.

Instead, Benzema has mostly been in the news for various run-ins witht the law and various appearances in various courtrooms.

We thought everything was on its way to settling itself, but we were wrong. Benzema finds himself banned from the French National Team until his legal troubles sort themselves out, putting his Euro 2016 in doubt.