Lifestyle/Culture

World's worst national team aims to inspire by giving every San Marino newborn a jersey

When we cover the San Marino national team here at The18, it's usually to report on players breaking down in tears after securing 0-0 draws with Gibraltar. 

The squad has attracted a global following by virtue of being the worst international team on the planet — San Marino sits dead last (211th) in the FIFA Rankings with an all time record of 194 matches played, one win, eight draws and 185 defeats with a goal difference of negative 770.

The top 10 best soccer cities in the U.S.

Where is Soccer City, USA? Apparently, it's not Portland, Oregon, which has long laid claim to that title. According to a new study released last month, Los Angeles actually tops the list of best soccer cities in America.

Portland finished third overall in the rankings, just behind their Cascadia rivals to the north, Seattle.

FIFA investigating how Salt Bae was able to crash Argentina's celebrations and touch the World Cup trophy

FIFA has launched an investigation to determine how in the hell restaurant owner and famous chef Salt Bae got access to the field during Argentina's World Cup celebrations in Qatar. 

"Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail Stadium on Dec. 18," the world soccer body said in a press release.

Salt Bae World Cup acts anger fans 

Although FIFA didn't name Salt Bae, whose real name is Nusret Gökçe, you don't need to be a genius to know what's going on here. 

Here's the history behind the black cloak Lionel Messi wore while lifting the World Cup trophy

Written by Pardis Mahdavi courtesy of The Conversation

Shortly before Lionel Messi took to the stage to lift up the World Cup trophy, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani put a black cloak, called a “bisht,” over the Argentinian soccer star’s shoulders.

Emiliano Martínez sure is the most hated soccer player right now

Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Diego Costa and Luis Suárez have all been, at some point in their careers, the most hated soccer player in the world. And after the 2022 World Cup, we may agree that such an infamous honor now belongs to Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.

What a cake!

There's a chance that Martínez is a wonderful person around his family and friends, but on soccer player duties, there is no doubt that he's a massive prick.

At least among those who are not Argentines.

This U.S. map of most-viewed soccer teams by state is wild and defies logic

FBref.com last week published a map of its most-viewed soccer teams by state in 2022 and the results show the incredibly varied interests across the United States.

Across the 50 states there were teams represented from the English Premier League, MLS, La Liga, USL, NWSL, the EFL Championship, the English fifth-tier National League – and the U.S. national team.

“There were definitely some surprises,” Jonah Gardner, product marketing manager for FBref, told The18 in an email.

¡Dio resultado! La (casi) inadvertida cábala de Antonela Roccuzzo y los hijos de Messi durante el Mundial

Fue el Mundial de Messi. El GOAT cumplió su sueño de ser campeón del mundo con Argentina, en una performance difícil de olvidar, ganada por el talento sobrenatural que llevan sus pies, la conmovedora entrega de sus compañeros en el campo de juego y también el incondicional amor de su familia en las tribunas.

Richarlison gets a tattoo of himself on the back alongside two Brazilian legends

After Brazil's exit from the World Cup and while Richarlison recovers from a muscular injury that will keep him out of the field for at least one month, the Brazilian forward decided to add some ink to his skin. The design of the new tattoo? An image of himself on his back. 

Yep, Richarlison now has a tattoo of Richarlison.

Ivana Knoll, former Miss Croatia, is turning heads at the Qatar World Cup

Soccer fans were curious if there would be a modest dress code for women at the Qatar World Cup. Former Miss Croatia Ivana Knoll has gone on to prove that just about anything flies. 

Despite Qatar’s tourism rules stating that visitors need to avoid wearing excessively revealing clothing in public, Knoll has done the exact opposite.

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