With Argentina in flux under interim manager Lionel Scaloni and this international break containing only two inconsequential friendlies being played in the United States, Lionel Messi’s absence from the squad directly following his exertions in Russia came as no surprise, despite the myriad of hot takes that are attempting to read between the lines.
Neymar’s return to the Seleção for a pair of September friendlies against the USMNT and El Salvador brought forth the requisite questions concerning his World Cup antics, and the Paris Saint-Germain star was measured in his response to being labelled a diver before meeting the U.S. in New Jersey on Friday.
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
When Carlos Saguier was announced as head coach of Paraguayan second division side Club Sporting 2 de Mayo back in July, he probably knew he was consigning himself to what Dick Advocaat called “the loneliest job in the world” — that of the football manager.
When 18-year-old phenom Timothy Weah takes the pitch on Friday for the USMNT’s headline friendly against Brazil at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, it’s likely that he’ll see three of his Paris Saint-Germain club teammates opposing him. With 90 caps to his name, Neymar is the most experienced of Brazil’s PSG bunch, but Thiago Silva (who’ll captain the side) isn’t far behind on 76, and defender Marquinhos has already represented the Seleção 27 times at the tender age of 24.
IMPORTANT: Simply click/tap on "CC" in the video above to turn on the English subtitles.
Lionel Messi gave a rare, extended interview with FC Barcelona's YouTube channel, and the far-reaching sit down offers everything from Messi's new status as Barcelona's captain to his son Thiago's growing understanding of the game.
Paolo Guerrero has seen more ups and downs in the last 10 months than Donald Trump.
At least one of those two now knows his fate — at least for now.
When most people think of the great Premier League strikers, names like Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney spring to mind. But, Sergio Aguero is better than all of them. Yes, the speedy little Argentine is the GOAT of Premier League goal scorers.
OK, so he might not be at the top of the goal scoring list. In fact, he's only just broken into the Premier League all-time top ten. His hat-trick against Huddersfield nudged him past Dutchman Robin van Persie, with Aguero now sitting on 146 goals in the EPL.
Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez registered his 27th goal of the 2018 season on Sunday, drawing him level with Roy Lassiter (1996), Chris Wondolowski (2012) and Bradley Wright-Phillips (2016) for most goals ever scored in a single MLS season.