England

If you were a documentary filmmaker, you couldn’t be handed a much better subject than the life of Wayne Rooney. He achieved worldwide recognition at the age of 16, played with an unmatchable style, finished as the all-time leading scorer for both Manchester United and England and courted controversy throughout it all. 

"Goalkeepers are a different breed," as the old adage goes, but what exactly makes the pair of keepers different from the other 20 players on the pitch?

The ability to use their hands is what formally sets these shot-stoppers apart, yet I'd argue that the biggest distinction between keepers and field players is their mindsets on the pitch.

There's a certain mentality you need to have to be able to succeed as a goalkeeper, and it requires you to disregard your body and do whatever it takes to keep the ball out of the net.

England bounced back from a disheartening loss in the Euro 2020 final with a resounding 4-0 win over Hungary in 2022 World Cup qualifying on Thursday in Budapest. On the pitch, England was superior. Off the pitch, England was superior. After fans hurled projectiles and racist abuse toward England players, the Three Lions’ mockery of Hungary fans was the best moment of the week.

One of the greatest stories in sports right now belongs to Major League Baseball, where the New York Mets have collapsed throughout August to piss away a spot in the playoffs. The fans at Citi Field in Queens have voiced their displeasure by booing the players, but players have responded by jeering their own fans.

After hitting a home run last Sunday, Javier Báez gave the fans a double thumbs-down gesture when crossing the plate — an action that was repeated by teammates Francisco Lindor and Kevin Pillar.

They say size doesn't matter, but with the modern men's goalkeeping landscape populated by giants like Manuel Neuer (6-4), Gianluigi Donnarumma (6-5) and Thibaut Courtois (6-7), 6-2 is almost considered the minimum height for a professional goalkeeper in the modern age.

A few players, like Yann Sommer (6-0) and Jordan Pickford (6-1) buck this trend, but it is increasingly rare to see a men's keeper under 6-0, much less one who is 5-8 or 5-9. 

The U.S. will host the men’s World Cup for a second time in 2026, which will coincide with the nation’s 250th anniversary. It won’t be the first major birthday the U.S. has celebrated with a soccer tournament, though the USMNT won’t have had fond memories from the first. Not even Pelé was able to save the U.S. at the Bicentennial Cup. 

For over half a decade now, Jordan Pickford has been billed as the next great English goalkeeper.

He represented the national team from the U-16 side onward, was playing senior football at age 17 and became a Premier League starter by 22.

Pickford was Sunderland's best performer in his first season as a regular in 2016/17, and he was even named to WhoScored?'s EPL team of the season in spite of the Black Cats' relegation.