Europe

When Newport County goalkeeper Tom King took a goal kick in a League Two game at Cheltenham Town on Tuesday, little did he know he would be writing his name into the Guinness World Records book for the longest goal ever scored.

World soccer's governing body FIFA says players who feature in any breakaway European Super League would be banned from playing in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.

In a joint statement with European governing body UEFA and the other five continental confederations on Thursday, FIFA said they would not recognize any such breakaway.

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin is weighing up whether to stage the European Championship in one country this year rather than across the continent as planned due to COVID-19 concerns.

However, UEFA responded by saying it was continuing to work on existing plans for 12 countries to host the tournament. The 24-nation event, a major revenue generator for European football's governing body and the national federations, was postponed by 12 months due to the pandemic.

It’s been decreed by content creators across the land: Cristiano Ronaldo, with his 760th career goal, is now the top scoring player in soccer history, and there’s nothing Pelé can do now except bow to B/R Football’s use of the goat emoji. 

pic.twitter.com/okMjoSslS0

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 20, 2021

Christian Pulisic GQ photoshoots aside, Chelsea’s men’s side has struggled recently; reports suggest Frank Lampard will be fired sooner rather than later. The women’s team, however, is currently playing the best soccer in England.

Wednesday was unforgettable for America as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in as the new U.S. President and Vice President. It was a hopeful day for Americans who want the divisive Trump era to be a thing of the past. It was a Hoppeful day for Americans abroad, as a 19-year-old Californian added to his impressive goal haul in 2021. 

BARCELONA — Barcelona's coach Ronald Koeman is not happy that they are playing Thursday's Copa del Rey last-32 tie away to third division Cornella on an astroturf pitch but said he will not make excuses should his side suffer a shock defeat.

Cornella knocked out LaLiga leaders Atletico Madrid in the last round with a 1-0 win and Cup shocks are becoming much more common in Spain since the competition format changed last year, eliminating two-legged ties.

Every keeper dreams of the day when everything is perfect for absolutely bombing balls downfield. Your legs are fresh, the footing is good and the wind aligns perfectly at your back to create ideal kicking conditions. 

You step on the field and feel the breeze run through your hair while having visions of recreating Tim Howard's famous goal against Bolton. Picking out teammates? Never heard of it. I'm here to hit absolute piss missiles. 

If you believe The Athletic — and not just their 15,000-word oral histories about that time when something slightly, comparatively odd happened — then Frank Lampard is finished as manager of Chelsea following Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Leicester City.