With less than 24 hours until the start of the World Cup and just two days before Spain takes on Portugal in one of the marquee group stage matches of the tournament, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has announced its decision to fire manager Julen Lopetegui.
It was a wild ride for American midfielder Dax McCarty in 2017. In January, McCarty was recalled by the national team for the first time since 2011, but he was subsequently shocked to learn that after five and a half seasons with the New York Red Bulls, he’d been dealt to the Chicago Fire before the start of the new campaign.
McCarty then helped the USMNT triumph at the Gold Cup, starting in two group stage games and appearing in five games overall, including a late substitute appearance in the final against Jamaica.
Most of the time when it’s a big player’s birthday their teams and fans will post cool photos of them and a best goals compilation. For example:
it's Coutinho's birthday! The Brazilian magician turns 26 today. pic.twitter.com/Bnjg3C16Jm
— (@Sakkax10) June 12, 2018
Every four years World Cup viewers wonder why the hell England is called the Three Lions or why French fans dress up as Smurfs. The answer: World Cup nicknames.
Politics and sports, particularly on the international stage, often intersect. Their connection is amplified during the ConIFA World Cup.
Held every other year since 2014, the ConIFA World Cup gives teams comprised of stateless peoples, ethnic minorities and sub-national entities the opportunity to compete at an international level.
Daniel Arzani has played one season of professional soccer, and his performances have earned him a spot on the Australian team for the World Cup. But how has the 19 year-old taken the A-League by storm, and how did he manage to book his ticket on the plane to Russia after one season with Melbourne City to become the youngest player at World Cup 2018?
No sporting events captivate a global audience like the World Cup and Olympics. Roughly half of the world's population tunes in to see at least a part of each spectacle. When analyzing the World Cup vs Olympics debate, no clear winner emerges. However, TV ratings suggest that the Olypmics has a slight edge.
Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona will be the top clubs at World Cup 2018, sending 16, 15 and 14 players, respectively. Even with Leroy Sane and Aymeric Laporte finding themselves among the most valuable World Cup snubs, Man City still managed to eclipse the two Spanish giants as the most-represented club in Russia.