Spain

Spain bested Croatia 3-0 on Saturday in a game where everything went wrong for the boys wearing red and white. A good summary of Croatia’s game was a disallowed goal late in the second half during a penalty kick.

Trailing 3-0, Croatia were given a lifeline with a penalty kick after Rodri brought down Bruno Petkovic who was about to score. Rodri escaped with just a yellow card.

A penalty was given for this challenge in the box by Spain

World soccer governing body FIFA's appeal committee confirmed on Friday its three-year ban on Luis Rubiales after dismissing an appeal by the former head of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

Rubiales was banned for three years from all football-related activities on Oct. 30 after kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips, allegedly without consent, following Spain's Women's World Cup final win over England in August.

Morocco, Spain and Portugal have been named hosts of the 2030 soccer World Cup, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will host the opening matches to mark the tournament's centenary, world soccer body FIFA said on Wednesday.

The 2030 World Cup will be hosted in SIX different countries, on THREE different continents:

Uruguay: opening game
Argentina: opening game
Paraguay: opening game
Morocco
Spain
Portugal

The UEFA and CONCACAF Nations League finals both took place Sunday, and records fell, legends became immortal and history was written as the world came to a standstill to watch the heroics of goalkeeper Unai Simón and a blonded Gio Reyna.

ROTTERDAM - Serial winner Dani Carvajal converted the decisive spot-kick to hand Spain a first title in more than a decade as they edged Croatia 5-4 in a penalty shootout to win the Nations League in Rotterdam on Sunday.

The 31-year-old, who has won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid, calmly chipped home Spain’s sixth kick of the shootout as they claimed their first silverware since the 2012 European Championship.

MADRID - Spain's most capped player Sergio Ramos announced his international retirement on Thursday after being told by new coach Luis de la Fuente that he was not part of his plans.

The 36-year-old Paris St Germain defender, who won the World Cup in 2010 as well as two European Championships, has not played for Spain since March 2021, yet said he should have been given the chance to show he could still be of service to his country.

Netflix has been killing it already this year with a collection of celebrated sports shows that take you behind-the-scenes to a degree that few other projects have ever been able to. Much of that stems from the success of Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which has given birth to an entire generation of American F1 fans as the docuseries releases its fifth season.

With this year's World Cup being held in the middle of the European soccer season, many questioned the impact it would have on the players’ clubs. While there have been some high-profile injuries, there've also been some players who've written their names among the stars. 

For their clubs, this break has helped star players gain global recognition and grow their values ahead of the January transfer window. Whether they cash in and sell high or keep their players, the World Cup has absolutely helped some clubs more than others.