ROME — Napoli paid tribute on Tuesday to Hugo Maradona, younger brother of the Italian club’s former great Diego, following his death from a heart attack at the age of 52.
RIP to Hugo Maradona who passed away today at the age of 52
He was a midfielder for Ascoli in the 1987/88 season. pic.twitter.com/tqwBlq2eGy— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) December 28, 2021
Soccer fans have a different circadian rhythm than others. They're up early to see what's going on in Europe, they're in bed late to follow along with Liga MX, they reach an emotional peak on Wednesday afternoons and frequently block off entire month-long periods in the summer for international festivals of footie. It's a delicate balance, but the 2022 soccer tournaments calendar is a disruptive year with the Qatar World Cup falling between Nov. 21 and Dec. 18.
Here's all the major action between January and December of 2022.
The draw for the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League took place on Friday, but that wasn’t the biggest Nations League news by a longshot. A massive announcement was made that in 2024 we will see a Neymar and Lionel Messi Nations League crossover. That’s right, South America is joining the UEFA Nations League. All 10 South American members will be joining Europe's best.
El plan de la FIFA de jugar un Mundial cada dos años recibió un duro revés esta mañana con los reportes de que la CONMEBOL se sumará a la UEFA Nations League a partir de 2024.
Sergio Agüero had an emotional farewell to the sport on Wednesday after being forced to retire at the age of 33 due to a heart condition. Fans of all clubs — even those who had Agüero as a bitter rival for so many years —fondly remembered Agüero’s career that was ended far too soon.
Pelé was hospitalized for a scheduled procedure as part of his treatment for a colon tumor and the Brazilian soccer great will be home in time to spend Christmas with his family, his daughter Kely Nascimento said.
Three-time World Cup winner Pelé, who was admitted to São Paulo's Hospital Albert Einstein on Wednesday, underwent an operation to remove the tumor in September and spent nearly a month under care.
The Colombian soccer players’ association has called for an investigation into suspicious circumstances surrounding a key promotion match that was decided by a late goal one senior player called an “embarrassment for Colombian football."
Llaneros played Unión Magdalena at home on Saturday night and were leading 1-0 until the 95th minute, when the visitors scored twice in succession.
Video of the winning goal appeared to show the Llaneros players backing off their opponents and allowing them to score.
It wasn’t a convincing win but Real Madrid defeated Athletic Club 1-0 on Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabéu to open a seven-point lead over Atlético at the top of LaLiga (although los Colchoneros maintain a game in hand).
Athletic doesn’t make it easy for anyone — the Basque side entered this match with the division’s best defensive record after conceding 10 goals through 14 matches — but they came up against two of the planet’s most in-form players in Karim Benzema and Vinícius Júnior, and it was ultimately that duo that made the difference.
Miraildes Maciel Mota is known by most Brazilian soccer fans by her nickname: Formiga, meaning "ant" in Portuguese. It is a testament to her tireless work on the pitch and unselfish play — much like the way an ant contributes to its colony.
Palmeiras revalidó su corona como rey de Sudamérica, luego de vencer a Flamengo en la final de la Copa Libertadores.
Sin embargo, si nos centramos en las cosas que son realmente importantes, el verdadero campeón de la final 2021 fue el amor, simbolizado en una peculiar propuesta de matrimonio.