Central & South America

Gabriel Barbosa, a.k.a. Gabigol, has a very similar story to many Brazilian youngsters. Born in the suburbs of São Paulo, the talented 19-year-old decided to try to mae a better life to him and his family via a football career. The first club to take a chance on him was São Bernardo do Campo, and soon  he received an offer to come to  Santos FC. 

At Santos his career took off. Santos is known to have a a very strong Youth Academy, discovering Brazilian stars such as Pelé, Robinho and Neymar.

When we last checked in on our friend River Plate goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero, he had received a pair of shoes from Lionel Messi during the Club World Cup. It was a beautiful story, but things appear to have taken a turn for the worse for Barovero, who conceded a hat trick to Alan Ruiz in the Argentine Premier Division.

One of the goals will trouble poor Barovero for some time, we're guessing.

Neymar made his professional debut when he was just 17 years old. He was still a kid, with idols and a need to prove himself, and probably had no idea how much success he would eventually see. Seven years later, Neymar is a part of one of the greatest teams of all time, and has done enough to surpass Neymar’s greatest idol as a child: Robinho.

This month we celebrate the seven year anniversary of Neymar's debut in professional football for Santos FC, which happened when he was just 17. Since then Neymar has collected titles, individuals awards, and many other achievements the likes of which few could have imagined he would achieve. He is one of the kings of international football, and plays with players idolized all over the world.

The legend of Messi grows and grows. His latest straight-out-of-a-hollywood-script moment comes from the FIFA Club World Cup final that took place on December 20, 2015. It may have happened three months ago, but River Plate keeper Marcelo Barovero has apparently only just shared the story yesterday to Sport ENGLISH. Barovero’s son received a gift from Messi after the final.

With incredible numbers in terms of goals, broadcast rights, attendance and international popularity, the Copa Libertadores has conquered its place in the world of soccer. It is the most important soccer tournament and the greatest club competition in South America.

We personally do not plan on living to be 102 years old, but, should we somehow manage it, we would like to be a professional soccer player when we reach that age. This 102-year-old lady has given us a blueprint for such an achievement, taking part in a training session with Barcelona (the Ecuadorean version).

102-Year-Old Lady Has Better Touch Than Us

2016 is a very important year for CONCACAF teams. The road to Russia 2018 is beginning and they will also compete in a very special edition of the Copa America, called the Copa America Centenario, which is a celebration for the tournament’s 100 years. Therefore, we decided to rank the Top 18 CONCACAF players that you must follow in the next months.

The Selecao will be hoping that the next Brazilian soccer star will emerge this summer. The Olympics are coming to Rio, and the Brazilian soccer team will be hoping to avoid the same traumatizing result as that of the 2014 World Cup. They'll also be looking for a bit of revenge after being the favorites in London in 2012, only to lose to Mexico in the final. 

A word of advice: never play chicken with Carlos Tevez.

During a match between Boca Juniors and Newell's Old Boys, Tevez made a great run, received the ball, found himself one on one with the keeper, shot, had the ball saved then kneed the keeper in the face (accidentally, it appears) and broke the man's jaw. So that play had everything.

Carlos Tevez Misses Breakaway, Clobbers Keeper