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The National Football League kicks off its 2018 season Thursday night as the Atlanta Falcons take on the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Mascots — the oversized, creepy creatures controlled by people who can’t possibly have great relationships with their mothers — are widespread in American sports. But a lot of people wonder: do soccer teams have mascots?

For better or worse, they do. 

Soccer mascots range from the weird to the cute, but they’re always weird. Did we mention they’re weird? 

STOP THE PRESSES! We’ve got some pulp for you: Unami Emery has banned Arsenal players from drinking fruit juice at London Colney. That’s right, gone are the days of sucking down Simply Lemonade (I like the raspberry best) and cracking open a Snapple (I like the kiwi strawberry best) to read “Real Fact” #646 inside the bottle cap. 

September 1, 2018, marks just 279 days until the FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off at the Parc des Princes in Paris. The competition at the event has never been stronger or deeper, and those who illuminate the tournament will rightly be elevated to the status of legend. Historically, the best female soccer players of all time have earned that moniker by dominating one of the seven previous editions of the tournament.

There’s something about soccer players born in September. 

While talent should in theory be equally divided throughout the world by players born in each month, soccer players born in September make up a hefty portion of some of the best players in the world right now and throughout history. In fact, nine of the following best soccer players born in September were born in 1989, apparently a great month in the history of the sport, which gave us the likes of Thomas Mueller, Daniel Sturridge, Alexandre Pato and Gylfi Sigurdsson. 

When it comes to brands, adidas is the king of the of the soccer world. Nike, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar under its belt, gives the German giant a run for its money, but there’s no doubt the official partner of FIFA is the biggest brand, especially when you look at what soccer players are sponsored by adidas.

Adidas has long been king in the soccer world. The official partner of FIFA gives the German giant a huge following as perhaps the most popular producer of soccer-related equipment from clothes to cleats. But a look at what soccer players are sponsored by Nike reveals how close the American company is coming to overtaking adidas as the biggest soccer brand.

Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Real Madrid to Juventus, interest in Italy’s Serie A has increased tenfold around the planet. But even before Ronaldo made the move, the division was experiencing something of a renaissance with clubs like Napoli garnering immense praise for its playing style while traditional powers Inter and Milan began targeting glory again. With ESPN now committed to broadcasting the league stateside, an Italian revolution is upon us.

Who’s ready for LaLiga?! While everyone (and I will not lie, I was one of those people) was stoked for the return of the Premier League last weekend, you should be equally as excited for LaLiga’s return! Yes, the games are on the beIN network, but LaLiga from top to bottom is probably the best league in the world. 

But if you’re looking for more reasons to get hyped on the season, then look no further!