Education

All this talk about Messi retiring lately made us really depressed, so we decided to look to the future instead. Namely, his offspring, the fabled Messi sons.  

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is a rock star. No, seriously. Watch this: 

That is Bilic's rock band side project, Rawbau, who were formed in his hometown of Split in Croatia. It's not his first, either. Back when he retired in 2001, he tried his hand at the whole music game with a band called Newera, although it never really took off. 

Every week, The18 takes the world's most frequently asked soccer questions and attempts to answer them. That way, when that clone of yours turns evil and tries to convince everyone that you're the evil one, your football knowledge will allow your friend to put a slug in his head, not yours. You know. Like in Star Trek. Or The Island. Man, Hollywood has used that plot device a lot. Anyways, this week: Why do soccer players dive? 

We're going to preface this article by saying this: Diego Maradona was a great player and is one of the legends of the game. Good, now that that's out of the way, Diego Maradona is a huge hypocrite.

The Russia 2018 World Cup may be a somewhat sad and empty affair. Lionel Messi announced his retirement from the Argentina National Team (whether he means it or not remains to be seen), Zlatan Ibrahimovic has officially retired from Sweden, Cristiano Ronaldo will be 33 and Wayne Rooney will be 32. The traditional stars of the world's game are fading away, and Russia will probably be the first tournament where that truly sinks in. 

Every week, we here at The18 will take soccer's most frequently asked questions and attempt to answer them, so you can show off all of your fancy knowledge on trivia night. You're welcome. This week: When did soccer start in America?

It's safe to say that NYCFC fans are not completely impressed with Frank Lampard so far. He's been booed by his own supporters, he's been called the worst MLS signing in history and he's only managed to play 14 times for NYCFC in just under a year. 

West Ham announced the signing of Algeria international Sofiane Feghouli today. The 26-year-old was signed on a free transfer after six years at La Liga side Valencia. 

We are delighted to confirm the signing of Algeria winger @sffeghouli on a three-year contract! #FeghouliIsAHammerhttps://t.co/YbBZdRdzs9

It's a hard life for an England fan. As the England National Team gear up for another go at a European Championship, most fans can't help but remember the heartbreak and tears of past attempts. 

Tomorrow, Albania vs Switzerland finish up the first game of Group A in Euro 2016, and while football will certainly take center stage, there is another intriguing plotline to keep an eye on as the game kicks off. Granit Xhaka, Arsenal's new midfielder, will take the field for Switzerland against his brother Taulant, who plays for Albania. 

You may be wondering how two brothers became seperated in such a fashion, especially as both of them have acknowledged that they share a very close relationship.