For the entirety of 38 games at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, you could do whatever the hell you pleased at corner kicks. Use Pepe as a battering ram to create some space for Ronaldo? Sure. Tackle Harry Kane to the ground with two players? Why not. Shove Miranda in the back to snatch a Swiss equalizer? That sounds wild, but we’ll definitely allow it.
After watching first Lucas Biglia and then Enzo Perez do little except play balls into places where things go to die, it’s looking like Argentina’s riding Ever Banega next to Javier Mascherano from here on out (which still might not be very long whatsoever). Regardless, my God was it nice to see a ball from the Argentina midfield that wasn’t first coated in the feces of a leaky Mascherano anus.
With Argentina’s back up against the wall in a must-win match to close out Group D, Lionel Messi finally showed up. The Messi goal vs Nigeria put La Albiceleste on top 14 minutes into the game and the reaction from Diego Maradona was priceless.
Messi, who is trying to pass Maradona as Argentina’s all-time greatest player with a World Cup title, made a great run spotted by midfielder Ever Banega. The lofted through ball, the first touch and the finish were all sublime for the Messi goal vs Nigeria.
World Cup final viewers surpassed the one billion mark for Germany's 1-0 win against Argentina in 2014. That made the World Cup final the most-watched sporting event in history, and it should break its own viewership record this year.
Although the Olympics slightly outpaces the World Cup in terms of overall viewership, no single game or match can stack up against World Cup Final viewers.
England vs Belgium kicks off Thursday, June 28, at 2:00 p.m. ET on FOX and Telemundo, with the winner taking top spot in Group G. With both nations sitting on six points and with a goal difference of +6, it’s possible a draw could see FIFA fair-play points determine who wins the group. (England currently has one less yellow card than Belgium.)
Switzerland secured a come-from-behind victory over Serbia in an enthralling match the Swiss won 2-1. Two world-class goals from Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri secured the three points for Switzerland, but the win was overshadowed by the Shaqiri and Xhaka goal celebration.
Yep, a simple goal celebration received more attention that the victory for the Swiss.
You may be asking — why on earth would a goal celebration hold such significance? Well, strap yourself in for a bit of a history lesson.
This is where the introduction usually goes but fire the torpedoes!