In the build up to the World Cup, Zlatan had been quoted as saying that there is no such thing as a World Cup without Zlatan. This led many to believe that he would come out of international retirement and play for Sweden in its first World Cup since 2006. Although Sweden manager Janne Andersson ultimately decided to go with the group that got through qualifying, this Zlatan tweet shows that both sides have officially moved on.
Australia put up a valiant fight against France in the opening match of Group C at the 2018 World Cup.
In the eyes of many, USMNT legend Landon Donovan is now a massive sell-out. The man with the second-most appearances in the history of the USMNT and the joint-leader for goals has decided to support El Tri at the World Cup (in partnership with Wells Fargo) despite his role in turning the Mexico-United States soccer rivalry into one of the biggest in the world.
After being spotted training alongside his Egypt teammates at yesterday’s training session in Grozny, manager Hector Cuper has today revealed that star forward Mohamed Salah is almost certain to feature against Uruguay on Friday in Yekaterinburg.
Lionel Messi will celebrate his 31st birthday on June 24, just two days before Argentina takes on Nigeria in its third and final group stage match. Accordingly, should Messi choose to prolong his international career after Russia, he’ll be 35 by the time Qatar 2022 kicks off (that World Cup will be played from late November until mid-December).
After losing back-to-back Copa America finals on penalties to Chile, there’s also the 2019 tournament in Brazil to consider (that would certainly constitute sweet revenge for Messi and company).
Hope Solo has often been a figure of division throughout her playing career, and she has only added to that with her latest remarks. Solo believes that the joint bid consisting of the United States, Mexico and Canada should not win the hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup.
Former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has dropped some serious allegations against Pep Guardiola, who managed the Ivorian at both City and Barcelona, in a recent interview with France Football.
Having played for Deportivo, Valencia and Betis in La Liga, Mexico captain Andres Guardado has had the privilege (or perhaps the horror) of lining up against Barcelona’s Lionel Messi extensively over the past decade.
Jurgen Klinsmann, the man who invented football in 2006 and created Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger using nothing more than some bits of string and an abandoned Doritos bag, is targeting a top-four finish at the 2018 World Cup after finishing fifth in the Hex.