My favorite Thibaut Courtois moments are when he looks like Frankenstein’s monster, letting out a world-weary scream while the football rolls through his way-too-long-legs.
“Why would my creator make me like this?! All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things!” Courtois can frequently be heard saying.
When the USWNT defeated the Netherlands in the final of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a broadcast average of 14.27 million and peak audience of 20 million — along with a 10.0 overnight metered market rating — showcased the unifying power of the team over the course of an unforgettable month in France. A captivated nation tuned in to watch back home, creating an event that performed 22 percent higher than the 2018 men’s final.
Ecuadorean footballer Pervis Estupiñan lost his passport after his country's World Cup qualifying win over Colombia and took to social media on Wednesday to appeal for help in finding it.
"I want to make a call to help me find three black bags and a passport I lost yesterday in Carapungo (Quito)," the Villarreal player said on Twitter.
"I'd be so thankful if anyone who finds them can send me an email" he added alongside his personal email address.
Northern Ireland has been relegated from Nations League B after Romania was awarded a 3-0 win over Norway for their canceled match on Sunday.
Norway's health ministry prevented the team from travelling to Bucharest and insisted they went into quarantine following a positive test for Galatasary right back Omar Elabdellaoui, forcing the game to be canceled.
The matter was submitted to the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body, who confirmed that Norway had forfeited the match.
MONTEVIDEO — First half goals from Arthur and Richarlison gave Brazil a 2-0 win away at Uruguay on Tuesday and maintained their 100-percent record in the South American World Cup qualifiers for Qatar 2022.
Brazil were missing a host of players through COVID-19 and injury, including talismanic striker Neymar, but they were too strong for their opponents, who have not beaten them since 2001.
Germany coach Joachim Löw was at a loss to explain his side's humiliating 6-0 loss to Spain in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday which caused them to miss out on a place in the competition's final four.
"I really don't know what happened to the team," Löw told reporters after Germany's heaviest defeat in 89 years and their worst in competitive football. "We had hardly any chances and we didn't win a single individual battle out on the pitch."
Olivier Giroud bagged a double as he showed his worth for France again to help the world champions beat Sweden 4-2 at home in the Nations League on Tuesday.
Giroud scored either side of Benjamin Pavard's first-half strike as Les Bleus recovered from Viktor Claesson's early opener. Sweden, who reduced the arrears through Robin Quaison before France's Kingsley Coman wrapped it up in stoppage time, were relegated into League B.
Spain forward Ferran Torres scored a first career hat-trick as his side crushed helpless Germany 6-0 at home on Tuesday to storm into the final four of the Nations League.
Goals from Alvaro Morata, Ferran and Rodri gave Luis Enrique's side a convincing 3-0 lead at halftime, while Ferran struck again early in the second half and completed his treble with a classy finish. Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal tapped in the sixth goal in the 89th minute to adorn an incredible Spain display and deepen four-time world champion Germany's misery.
As the rain and mist rolled into Liebenauer Stadium in Graz, Austria on Tuesday, it was Mexico that moved like the onryō ("vengeful spirits") that originated in their opponent’s homeland before being proliferated around the world through the J-Horror genre.
An opening 20 minutes of Japan superiority was beat back single-handedly by Guillermo Ochoa, but the rhythm of the game slowly changed in Mexico’s favor and by the time Raúl Jiménez opened the scoring in the 63rd minute, you felt as though it’d been coming for El Tri.
But first, Ochoa.
USWNT manager Vlatko Andonovski has announced his squad for the Nov. 27 friendly against the Netherlands, and — as always given the extremely competitive nature of forcing your way into this team — the exclusions are probably more notable than the inclusions.