When we read about things like allocation lists, sums of targeted and general allocation money and the processes of discovery and re-entry in MLS, we usually just smile, nod our heads in feigned understanding, and murmur things like “But of course.” In truth, it’s all terribly confusing and best left to the poor sporting directors and player personnel managers who need to assemble an entire roster for $3.845 million.
Qatar, the small country on the Arabian Peninsula with a population less than that of Nevada, is spending almost half a billion dollars per week in preparation for the 2022 World Cup according to the country’s finance minister.
As reported by World Soccer’s Jamie Rainbow, this will amount to more than $200 billion by the time the tournament rolls around.
En una entrevista reciente con Mundo Deportivo, Ronaldinho reveló que Pep Guardiola, en vez de querer avanzar sin la estrella brasilera como se creía, en realidad quería que se quedara antes de irse al AC Milan.
“Pep pidió verme cuando llegó en el 2008”, dijo Ronaldinho. “Me reuní con él y me dijo que me quería en el equipo, que me quedara porque contaba conmigo.”
“Aprecié eso, pero sabía que mi ciclo en el Barca había terminado, así que decidí irme.”
Even with the shadow of the collective bargaining agreement hanging over the United States Women’s National Team, the 2017 NWSL season is set to be the best one yet. Two new ownership groups and a new stadium in Orlando are positive achievements for the league, but Thursday’s announcement of an agreement between the NWSL and A+E Networks is the biggest news yet.
The conversation about technology in soccer reached a fever pitch following FIFA’s use of Video Assistant Referees at the Club World Cup. Video replay technology has long been an area of fierce debate, but it’s finally beginning to make headway after the unmitigated success of goal-line technology.
Alex Morgan may have left the NWSL on a six-month loan to France’s Lyon, but she’s still the face of the women’s game in America. Recently speaking with British newspaper The Guardian, Morgan stated that a labor strike for the USWNT players is still a possibility in the weeks or months ahead.
In a move that’s set to massively boost the income of both Minnesota United and MLS, the club and league have announced a partnership with Minnesota-based retailer Target, the 38th-ranked company in the Fortune 500 list. Minnesota’s 2017 jersey will now feature the Target bullseye logo.
Hold your horses and put away the torches, I’m not here to tell you that Neymar is better than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Although the top two players in the world might still outclass the young Brazilian on the pitch, they are not nearly as valuable as Barcelona’s number 11 according to a study from the CIES Football Observatory.
If you have been on the Internet in the last few days you have almost certainly heard about the unverified dossier Buzzfeed published in President-elect Donald Trump's alleged relations with Russia.
What you might not know is the operative in charge of putting the dossier together, British former MI6 agent Christopher Steele, recently helped bring down a corrupt, delusional politician: Sepp Blatter.
From the New York Times:
China is not a nation you’d list when thinking about the world’s footballing elite. But President Xi Jinping is hoping to change that. Last year, China unveiled a plan to “become a footballing juggernaut by 2050”. The country is spending more money to attract players, including some of the game’s biggest names, to move to China.