Human Interest

Ibrahimović Breaks Down When Asked About Family’s Reaction To Sweden Recall

STOCKHOLM - AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimović shed a few tears of pride as he returned to Sweden's national team after a four-year absence for their World Cup qualifiers and recounted how his son did not want him to leave home to join up with Janne Andersson's squad.

The 39-year-old, who quit international football after Euro 2016, choked up when he was asked what his boys, Maximilian, 14, and 12-year-old Vincent, thought of his decision to answer his country's call again and return to the world stage.

Want To Feel Old? Here’s How The World Looked The Last Time Messi And Ronaldo Didn’t Make The UCL Quarterfinals

The soccer world sat captivated as the two biggest names in the sport received the axe in the Champions League Round of 16. When the dust settled both Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus and Lionel Messi’s Barcelona had been reduced to rubble at the hands of Porto and Paris Saint-Germain.

10 Women’s Footballers Who Are Way Better Than Their Soccer-Playing Partners

As much as we at The18 love women’s soccer, it’s a sad fact that the men’s game receives far more attention, whether it’s from FIFA, other media companies, potential sponsors or the fans themselves. (We could spend hours debating why this is the case, but that’s for another story.) Despite this, there are still a large number of women’s footballers who are far more famous than their partners, who are themselves professional soccer players. 

Neymar Becomes First Playable Athlete In Fortnite

PSG and Brazil star Neymar will become the first athlete to be part of the popular video game Fortnite, Epic Games announced.

As part of the launch of the sixth season of the "Primal" game, players will be able to fight as Neymar as they compete to win it all in Battle Royale.

PSG To Monitor Players' Homes After Ángel Di María Robbery

Paris Saint-Germain will increase security at the homes of members of its squad after Sunday's robbery at the home of Argentine winger Ángel Di María and that of the father of Brazilian defender Marquinhos.

The case of Di María, whose home was already raided in 2015 when he was playing for Manchester United, occurred while the attacker was playing against Nantes. Warned by sporting director Leonardo, the footballer left the field and the Parc des Princes.

Why Palace’s Zaha Refused To Kneel In Protest Of Racism

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha became the first Premier League player not to take a knee in protest against racism when he stayed standing with his hands behind his back before kickoff in Saturday's 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

The Ivory Coast international said last month he would stop taking a knee before matches because he believes the meaning of the gesture, which he called "degrading," has been lost.

Russian Football Fans Treated To Pre-Game Covid-19 Vaccine

MOSCOW — Football fans attending the Russian Premier League clash between Zenit and Akhmat Grozny in St. Petersburg on Saturday were offered an unusual pre-game treat — a vaccine against COVID-19.

Upon arrival at the Gazprom Arena, people could decide whether or not to receive the free shot, Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. At least 20 fans were vaccinated before the game, according to a Reuters reporter. The service was available for two hours before and after the game, so that number could rise.

The Luck Of A Soccer Player

There are some crazy superstitions and lucky charms that soccer players make sure they have before any match they may play in. Some players have lucky underwear, some have to put a certain cleat on before the other and some have to step on the pitch with a certain foot first. These may seem out of the ordinary, but these are real things players make sure they stick to before each and every game or practice for good luck. 

Hindsight Is 20/20 — Here Are 5 Games From March 2020 That Were Totally Covid-19 Super-Spreaders

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared Covid-19 a pandemic. To be as straight-up as possible, this was the day that shit hit the fan for Americans.

March 11 was the turning point for the U.S. and the moment the severity of the virus became real for so many. In the span of only a couple hours the NBA shut down, Tom Hanks tested positive and Donald Trump announced plans for a European travel ban.

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