National Teams

Sophia Smith has had enough — Portland Thorns star calls out NWSL’s awful officiating

Sophia Smith called out NWSL’s continuously awful officiating on Tuesday after the referees missed a clear foul on her in the Portland Thorns’ game vs. Kansas City Current game from Sunday. In the second half of Sunday’s game Smith was taken down in the box with a dangerous tackle from behind.

No foul was called, and one Twitter user posted the highlight asking how nothing was given from the referee. Smith responded, too.

Luis Enrique is giving instructions to the Spanish national team players via walkie-talkies

Seeing a coach standing on the sidelines yelling at his/her players is part of the soccer weave. However, this traditional rite seems to have its days numbered after witnessing the new technology innovation in the Spanish national team camp: mini walkie-talkies.

BREAKING: Ronaldo Makes Decision On Portugal Future Post-World Cup

On Tuesday evening at the Portuguese Football Federation's "Gala Quinas de Ouro 2022," Cristiano Ronaldo used an award acceptance speech to outline his international future with the national team.

Predicting 10 Of The Biggest World Cup Snubs

This week serves as the final international break before clubs must release players to their national teams just one week before the World Cup begins, so the latest squad selections should be huge indicators of the final 26-man rosters for the competing nations.

However, a look at the current teams indicates that this won't be a traditional World Cup of blockbuster snubs, but rather an exploration of player pools in an attritional battle against lingering muscle strains.

Honduras Player Was Doping For Qualifier vs. USMNT, Still Lost 3-0 And Now Faces 18-Month Ban

Honduras defender Wisdom Quaye has been banned for 18 months due to an anti-doping rule violation, soccer's global governing body FIFA said on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old right back tested positive for clostebol — which is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency — following a World Cup qualifying match vs. the United States on Feb. 2.

Team-By-Team Guides: 2022 World Cup Previews

To prepare you for the tournament, The18 has launched 2022 World Cup team previews for each of the 32 nations competing in Qatar. 

Below you will find each team listed along with a link to those previews that have been published. Check back throughout the buildup to the 2022 World Cup as we publish a complete list of World Cup team previews, updated with the latest on each team participating in the greatest men's soccer tournament in the world. 

Team-By-Team Guide: 2022 Brazil World Cup Preview

To prepare you for the tournament, The18 has launched team-by-team previews for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. This is the Brazil World Cup preview for the Group G favorite.

Brazil World Cup Preview 2022

World Cup Appearances: 22 (last in 2018)

Best Finish: Champion (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)

Shootout Mastermind Louis Van Gaal Searching For His Next ‘Penalty Killer’ Ahead Of World Cup

AMSTERDAM — The Netherlands will be testing their goalkeepers in a special penalty shootout training session this week with an eye on the World Cup later this year, coach Louis van Gaal said on Monday.

He has called up four goalkeepers for this week's Nations League clashes against Poland and Belgium as the Dutch look to finish top of their group and advance to the finals next June.

But Van Gaal said a priority will be putting together the final touches for the World Cup in Qatar in November, where the Dutch play in Group A against the hosts, Ecuador and Senegal.

Jordan Pefok Scores Again To Increase Scrutiny On USMNT Omission

Seven match weeks into the Bundesliga season, Union Berlin is top of the table — two points clear of Borussia Dortmund and five of Bayern Munich — with a 26-year-old American leading the charge.

On Sunday, he scored again — his third (to go with two assists) in six appearances — in Union's 2-0 victory over Wolfsburg. This one was a perfectly timed near post run to get in front of his marker and glance a header inside the opposite post. 

This, my friends, is good forward play.

Ecuador Loves This: FIFA Denies Chile's World Cup Dream (Again)

Millions of Chileans are gearing up for an Independence Day weekend full of celebrations. Choripanes, grilled meat and empanadas will be part of the menu, as well as bottles and bottles of red wine — mostly cabernet sauvignons, merlots and carménères — which will come in handy to swallow the devasting news coming from FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. No, Chile is not going to the World Cup.

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