FIFA World Cup (Men's)

Former Argentina Coach Jorge Sampaoli Breaks Silence On World Cup And Messi’s Performance

The World Cup was an absolute shit show for Argentine manager Jorge Sampaoli. Jettisoned into the job in May of 2017 as the savior of Argentina’s horrendous qualifying campaign, the former Sevilla boss managed to secure passage to Russia on the final match day (although Lionel Messi’s hat trick in Quito certainly helped).

However, with one armageddon avoided, the next promptly arrived — the finals themselves revealed what many had known about La Albiceleste since the cycle began: The beaten 2014 finalists weren’t very good anymore, apart from Messi.

The 30 Finalists For The Ballon d’Or Are Here — Will Ronaldo/Messi Finally Be Dethroned?

The 30 nominees for the 2018 Ballon d’Or award were released today by France Football, and although The Best FIFA Football Awards got tongue’s wagging back on Sept. 24, the gala for the sport’s most prestigious individual prize is expected to follow in a similar vein. (Read: Luka Modric will win, denying Cristiano Ronaldo a third straight triumph.)

Soccer Technique: The Hidden Speed Of The Game

Pep Guardiola frequently says he considers himself  “a great thief” as everything that he does he’s seen it somewhere and took it for himself and his teams. Well Pep, if that’s the case bud, keep going because it’s working pretty darn good.

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12 Of The Best Team Goals Ever

As Jean-Paul Satre once said, “In football everything is complicated by the presence of the opposite team.” Breaking down an opponent has puzzled the world’s brightest minds since the beginning of time, but this process has eventually yielded a collection of the best team goals ever.  

Some of these goals are the finest examples of a style purveyed by a team throughout an era (Arsenal under Arsene Wenger, Spain’s golden generation, mid 90s Ajax, etc.), while some are simply instances of 11 footballers momentarily achieving authentic telepathic clairvoyance. 

Do We Really Believe Lionel Messi Is The Fifth Best Player In The World?

Donald Trump becoming president of the U.S. was unexpected. Leicester City winning the EPL was unexpected. Croatia making it to the World Cup final was unexpected.

But Lionel Messi ranked in fifth place for FIFA The Best Awards is just crazy. Fifth place? Are we serious right now? WTF?! Let’s pack our bags people; the apocalypse is coming: the white walkers or an "Independence Day" type of alien invasion. Or worse, we humans will manage to blow up the planet.  

Yet Another Update On How Bad Qatar Is To Human Rights

In news that will surprise no one, Qatar is still exploiting migrant workers in the build up to the 2022 Qatar World Cup. 

Qatar has not done enough to reform its “kafala” system, through which employees are bound to single employers, often to abusive ends, according to a recent report from Amnesty International.

Maradona Is Better Than Pelé

“Brazilian, Brazilian, you look bitter today/ Is it that Maradona is better, better than Pele” you hear thousands of Argentinians chanting, jumping and waving their arms, mocking their neighbors over the Maradona vs Pele debate. For they think Diego was better than O’rei (The King) Pelé, but truth is that in the albicelestes' hearts, Diego was the greatest of all, not only on top of Pelé, but also of the other Argentinian legends like Leo Messi or Alfredo Di Stefano. All four of these players could be argued to be the GOAT, so why Diego Maradona in particular?

Messi’s FIFA The Best Ballot Was Brutally Honest — It’s The 3 Footballers That Ruined His Year

As captains of their respective national teams, both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were given votes in deciding The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2018. It’s an award that the two have dominated — in it’s various guises — ever since Kaka was named FIFA World Player of the Year back in 2007 (Messi finished second and Ronaldo third that year).

Luka Modric Wins Best FIFA Men’s Player On A Night Full Of Absurd Decisions

Luka Modric has claimed The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2018 award ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah (and dare I say it at risk of being murdered, Lionel Messi), but that contentious decision pales compared to everything else that unfolded at a star-studded gala (sans Messi and Ronaldo) in London on Monday evening.  

The Elephant In The Room — Why Italy Is So Bad Right Now

Italy is synonymous with soccer. They have always been one of the top-ranked teams in the world. The Italian national team has won the World Cup four times (tied with Germany for second, behind Brazil). They've been a team others have simultaneously envied and been afraid to play. A team that generated stars like Paolo Rossi, Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero. A team with grace, class and a wondrous reputation.

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