Education

When Argentina manager Jorge Sampaoli announced his final 23-man roster for the World Cup, he didn't call on one of the hottest strikers on the planet. Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi tied Lazio's Ciro Immobile for golden boot honors in Serie A, scoring 29 goals in 34 games during the 2017-18 season. Instead of being rewarded for a stellar season, Icardi joined the unenviable list of World Cup snubs. 

Viewing a soccer match for your first time without knowing the rules and regulations may seem extremely daunting. Watching the clock run without stopping while players are on the ground or when the ball goes out of bounds seems unnatural compared to other sports. Because the clock counts up, you'd be right to ask: How long is a soccer game?

If you want to turn your child into the next Brian “McHead” McBride, at what age should you start sand wedging some crosses at their malleable dome piece? Well, in America, we have rules for this sort of thing.

Back in 2015, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced that children 10 years or under should abstain from heading the ball. Additionally, players from the ages of 11 to 13 were now limited to practicing the skill in training with headers still outlawed in games.

Haters think Cristiano Ronaldo is just lucky.

You might not, but plenty of people do. So many, in fact, that it's fair to say that the collective "you" of the Internet hates on Ronaldo almost constantly because he is lucky, a poacher, and many other things that don't have much to do with skill. Apparently, like so many super models, Ronaldo has bedded Lady Luck and now she plays exclusively in his favor.

One of the things I am most proud of as a soccer player is my first touch, which is as pure and soft as driven snow – not to mention as controlled as those terrifying door-opening dog robots that are eventually going to kill us all.

You, like me, probably think you have a pretty good first touch. Every footballer thinks they have a good first touch. It's like thinking you're a good driver. You think you're like the folks in the videos below.