Youth Soccer

While Germany’s A-team takes a much-needed breather before next summer’s World Cup finals, Germany’s B-team have advanced to the final of the Confederations Cup and Germany’s C-team have just captured the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. One can only imagine what it’s like to support the German national team.

The much-heralded attacking talents of Spain, spearheaded by Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio and Atletico’s Saúl, could only manage a single shot on target against Germany in the final. 

It is no surprise that Belgium team Anderlecht signed Moroccan superstar Rayane Bounida when he was only seven. The Belgium side has a knack for bringing in star youth players such as Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans and Vincent Kompany. Bounida already possesses skills that professional players dream of.

The most common pitfall for youth players is an understanding of tactics and positioning. Smart and quick on his feet, Rayane seems to have a great understanding of the game already. His most recent highlight compilation will drop your jaw.

Spain’s team competing at the UEFA U-21 Euros is ridiculously talented, as we’ve laid out before. 

Saúl Ñíguez is making a case to be the best of the lot.

The Atletico Madrid midfielder notched a brilliant hat trick to send Spain past 10-man Italy 3-1 in the semifinals to set up a date with Germany in the final on Friday.

Poor Gianluigi Donnarumma didn’t have a chance. 

Seventeen-year-old Orlando City SC U-17/18 forward Alejandro Pereira put the exclamation point on a year that’s had its fair share of incredibly acrobatic goals with this breathtaking overhead kick at the 2017 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs in Westfield, Indiana.

The Ovideo, Florida native put the finishing touches on a 2-0 victory for Orlando over Pateadores U-17/18, a club from Irvine, California. 

Spain will approach the 2018 World Cup as a nation largely in transition. Nobody’s ready to write off the likes of Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, David Silva and Cesc Fabregas, but this could well be the last World Cup for all of them.

On Sunday, England won the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, sparking snarky Brits to declare the nation had finally ended its 51-year cycle of hurt, dating back to last winning the World Cup in 1966. 

Despite being home to arguably the world’s most entertaining league, England has consistently failed to flatter at the international level. A stellar crop of English players (including David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Michael Owen) in the 2000s were dubbed the Golden Generation. Their play at the highest level didn’t exactly live up to the lofty moniker. 

Trigger warnings are all the rage these days so in the spirit of that I just want to warn y'all you are about to read the stupidest story in the world.

Mili is an eight-year-old girl who plays on a U-11 team because she is very good for an eight-year-old. The combination of Mili being very good and Mili having short hair led the organizers of a soccer tournament her team was playing in to wrongly conclude Mili is a boy and disqualify the team.

The United States matched their biggest-ever triumph on the U-20 World Cup stage, and Mexico scored a game-winner in the 89th minute as North America sent two representatives into the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup quarterfinals — just as many as South America and one less than Europe.