When it comes to England and major tournaments, it's easy for headlines to go a lot of pressure-filled, negative places. The Three Lions have not won a World Cup since ’66. Golden generations in the early 2000s failed to perform. More recently, they suffered embarrassment in the Euros two years ago, crashing out of the tournament after a loss to minnows Iceland.
Senegal and Japan both had plenty to smile about yesterday. Both sides were tipped by many to be on the losing end of things in their games against Poland and Colombia, respectively, but they surprised just about everyone by taking home three points apiece.
You’d expect the fans to be going absolutely bonkers, right? Well, it turns out Senegal and Japan have the best fans at World Cup 2018. Sorry to every other nation, but it’s true.
Boom boom. Huh! The sound that will haunt Lionel Messi in his dreams tonight, the soundtrack of the Cinderellas, my new ringtone — the Iceland viking clap.
This Father's Day, we celebrate the World Cup's most celebrated dads. Here are the fathers of the World Cup!
After Messi, Thiago & Mateo are best. The have Messi's DNA. No debate. pic.twitter.com/AQwGAmLkSj
— Leo (@LeoKawsar10) June 9, 2018
Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson led his island nation to an improbable 1-1 draw against heavyweight Argentina, sparking Fox play-by-play man John Strong to say "Iceland beats Argentina, 1-1."
Halldorsson came up with six saves against an Argentina side that controlled 78 percent of the possession. His stop on Lionel Messi's penalty will play on World Cup highlight reels for years to come.
The action yesterday at the World Cup is going to be a tough match day to beat. Uruguay and Egypt went toe-to-toe before a 90th minute header, Morocco gave up an own goal after dominating the entire match and Spain-Portugal was, well, you know.
In 2018, one might say French striker Antoine Griezmann has a lot on his plate. He has been fielding rumors about his future for weeks and is withholding a much-anticipated decision about which club he will take his talents to next season. He’s also one of the focal points of a star-studded France side heading into the World Cup as a tournament favorite. After a significant Euro 2016 performance, he’ll be expected to produce in the Les Bleus attack.
Daniel Arzani has played one season of professional soccer, and his performances have earned him a spot on the Australian team for the World Cup. But how has the 19 year-old taken the A-League by storm, and how did he manage to book his ticket on the plane to Russia after one season with Melbourne City to become the youngest player at World Cup 2018?
Soccer legend Pelé is widely regarded as the greatest professional footballer who has ever played. With 767 goals from 831 matches, Pelé is the only player in history to have won three World Cups. He has shown the world that anything is possible, which includes finding true love at the age of 75 with Pelé's wife, Marcia Cibele Aoki.
The World Cup will be held in Russia for the first time ever this coming month. Four World Cup participants in particular will be quite pleased the tournament is scheduled for summer, because all good historians know it’s impossible to conquer Russia in winter (unless you are the Mongols, who didn't qualify). Germany, France, Sweden and Poland have all failed invasions of Russia in their past, so they’ll hope history doesn’t repeat itself when July rolls around.