UEFA Champions League

The18's UEFA Champions League Round of 16 predictions

Football's greatest club competition resumes Feb. 14 with the beginning of the knockout stages. Accordingly, our 2022-23 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 predictions examine which eight teams will advance to the quarterfinals.

There's a lot of consensus around Manchester City vs. RB Leipzig and Napoli vs. Eintracht Frankfurt, but three matchups are almost too close to call: Chelsea vs. Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan vs. Porto and the big one between PSG and Bayern Munich.

Let's gaze into the crystal ball.

Kylian Mbappé out for 3 weeks with hamstring injury and will miss several huge games

Paris Saint-Germain’s star boy and top scorer Kylian Mbappé will miss the next three weeks with a hamstring injury. The Mbappé injury means he’ll miss PSG’s first leg Round of 16 Champions League game vs. Bayern Munich on Feb. 14.

Dudek’s save in the 2005 UCL Final shows why keepers must keep both feet on the line for PKs

Have you ever wondered why the rule that forces goalkeepers to keep both their feet on the goal-line during a penalty kick exists?

Well, an old video of Jerzy Dudek saving a penalty in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final between Liverpool and AC Milan has resurfaced on social media, serving as a prime example of why that is.

Warning, it's a hard watch.

Juventus shares down 10% after 15-point deduction for transfer dealings

MILAN - Shares in Juventus tumbled some 10% on Monday after Italian soccer authorities docked the club 15 points for its transfer dealings, in a blow to its reputation and short-term sporting prospects.

Juventus, who have won the Italian league more times than any other club, are now 9th in the Serie A standings and face an uphill struggle to qualify for lucrative European competition.

Juventus drew 3-3 with Atalanta on Sunday night in their home city of Turin in their first game since the punishment was announced late on Friday.

Watch all 11 Puskás Award finalists right here, right now

I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast, but if you've been following The18 for the past year then you've already seen all 11 FIFA Puskas Award nominees. We have exquisite taste like that. 

But in case you can't remember the strikes — arriving as early as Apr. 2 and as late as Kylian Mbappé's side-volley against Argentina in the World Cup final on Dec. 18 — here's a trip down memory lane with videos that you can watch right here, right now. I've also included a link to what The18 said at the time.

European Super League dealt huge blow after EU court sides with UEFA and FIFA

BRUSSELS - Soccer bodies UEFA and FIFA on Thursday won the backing of an adviser to Europe's top court on rules contested by potential rival the European Super League (ESL) as anti-competitive in a case that could affect other sports.

The case centers on the dispute between European soccer's governing body UEFA and world equivalent FIFA and the ESL last year but could also impact other sports, clubs and players tempted by lucrative deals offered by rebel bodies and seeking to cash in during relatively short careers.

Complete calendar for all the biggest soccer events in 2023

Soccer fans have a different circadian rhythm than others. They're up early to see what's going on in Europe, they're in bed late to follow along with MLS and Liga MX, they reach an emotional peak on Wednesday afternoons and frequently block off entire month-long periods in the summer for international festivals of footie. It's a delicate balance, but the 2023 soccer tournaments calendar is packed with both a Women's World Cup and Concacaf Gold Cup to look forward to.

Stéphanie Frappart leads the first all-female officiating crew in men's World Cup history

FIFA has announced that the Group E matchup between Costa Rica and Germany will be officiated by an all-female crew led by the highly experienced Stéphanie Frappart. This will be the first time that an all-female crew has taken charge of a men’s World Cup match in history. 

Juventus board of directors resign amid allegation of financial wrongdoing

It has been announced via a club press release that the Juventus board of directors has resigned immediately, including long-time club president Andrea Agnelli. Amid investigations into the Turin-based club’s finances, it was deemed necessary that the entire board “forego their office” to aid with the investigations. Juventus has endured a torturous season in 2022, and it seems to only be getting worse. 

Fastest footballers in the world: Meet the 21-year-old Ukrainian wanted by Arsenal

Who are the fastest soccer players right now? UEFA has just released its study of top speeds throughout the 2022-23 Champions League group stage, and the main takeaway is that speed does in fact kill.

The list for the 10 fastest players in the world's premier club competition is loaded with many of today's most exciting footballers: AC Milan's Rafael Leão, Real Madrid's Federico Valverde, Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies and Barcelona's Ousmane Dembélé.

Pages