I don’t normally abuse my position as a writer at The18 to bring you solely what I would like to bring you — the golden rule for hacks like me is to give the people what the people want — except when it comes Xherdan Shaqiri.
Spain begins a new era today under the direction of former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique. After completing seven million passes against Russia without ever moving forward during La Furia Roja’s shock World Cup Round of 16 exit, these are exciting times for the federation with Enrique promising an attractive evolution of the nation’s playing style.
Enrique is a coup for the federation on the back of being named the FIFA World Coach of the Year in 2015 and due to the respect he commands as one of the few footballers to ever successfully bridge the El Clasico divide.
If you’re curious to check out the most famous football players with photos and visceral evidence of their existence, you’ve come to the right place. In the latest edition of the ESPN World Fame 100, 32 of the entries were footballers, giving you a fitting idea of the sport’s global appeal. We’ve included all 32 of those players and some other footballers that are instantly recognizable to followers of the game.
Take a look below, and get inspired to run more.
Edinson Cavani | PSG & Uruguay
It was supposed to be the best matchup of the first match day of the UEFA Nations League, the last two World Cup champions going at it on the first day of the new competition. Unfortunately, aside from a few lively moments from Kylian Mbappé early and Germany late, the match was mostly tepid, finishing in a 0-0 draw.
There’s some real dumb shit going on with the Denmark national team right now. Despite international matches against Slovakia and Wales scheduled during this international break, there’s no sign of Christian Eriksen, Kasper Schmeichel or even coach Age Hareide. So the Denmark vs Slovakia friendly on Wednesday had an interesting look.
If you follow college football, you’ve probably heard of 37-year-old University of Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck. He rose to prominence at Western Michigan after leading the unfancied program to a 13-1 record in 2016 and a trip to the Cotton Bowl, but it was his approach to coaching (hyper energy, hyper millennial-approved, hyper “elite”) that won him both fans and detractors in equal measure.
On Thursday, Wesley Sneijder will make his 134th and final appearance for the Netherlands in a friendly against Peru at Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam. The 34-year-old, who currently plays his club ball with Al-Gharafa in Qatar, is calling time on a 15-year international career that included mesmerizing performances at both Euro 2008 and, most famously, the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The Scotland women’s national team made history on Tuesday. A 2-1 victory over Albania saw it lock up the top spot in Group 2 and secure its place in the World Cup finals next summer for the first time ever.
Scotland’s WWC debut was made possible thanks to a little help from Poland. In one of the more surprising results of this qualifying series, Poland held 18th-ranked Switzerland to a 0-0 draw. A Swiss win would have put it in first to automatically qualify, but with points dropped, opportunity awaited Scotland and they seized the moment.
The Denmark national team was ever so close to making it to the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup, losing on penalties to eventual runner-up Croatia. Fast forward a few months, and the Danish are at risk of not being allowed to play in Euro 2020.
So… erm… how does a nation that was successful at the World Cup and in the top 10 in the latest FIFA rankings reach this point?
The international break is coming up, and depending on how your club team is going this season, it could be either a major help or a major hindrance. But fear not, fellow fans, because UEFA has decided to make the international breaks a little more interesting.
The UEFA Nations League is the latest big creation by the boffins at UEFA, and it is aimed at making international friendlies actually mean something.