It’d be difficult to identify a player that’s had a worse time with injuries over the last three years than Benjamin Mendy. He showed that he could be one of the world’s best left backs during his incredible 2016-17 campaign with Monaco, but after moving to Manchester City for a princely fee of $67.7 million, his personal nightmare began after suffering a devastating knee injury on only his fifth appearance for the Citizens.
No one did a personal redemption story out on the pitch quite like David Beckham. He did it during his final season at Real Madrid, when he went from being dropped by Fabio Capello to proving instrumental in the club’s dramatic LaLiga triumph. He did it with the LA Galaxy when shifting his reputation from disinterred Hollywood celebrity to two-time MLS Cup champion.
Foosball — or table soccer — was once the eighth-most popular sport in the United States. Professional footballers raked in huge winnings on a million-dollar tour with Porches given to champions. It was a glamorous time, with the sport appearing in major Hollywood films.
No player better represents the artistry and meritocracy of football than Andrés Iniesta. His nickname El Ilusionista (The Illusionist) encapsulates it all. He had an unmatched ability to confound the opposition from the midfield position, be it his miraculous power to effortlessly escape a pack of chasing defenders or his fantastic capacity to contort the ball to his every desire.
Welcome back to Germany, Emre Can.
In his first Bundesliga match with Borussia Dortmund, six years removed from his last appearance in the German league, Emre Can reminded his home country what he’s capable of on Saturday.
Playing against his former club Bayer Leverkusen, Can launched a glorious long-range curling effort to score one of the best strikes of 2020. However, the home side at BayArena scored two late goals to record a wild 4-3 win over Dortmund.
Somewhat lost in the hubbub of Erling Håland arriving at Borussia Dortmund has been the professional debut of 17-year-old American Giovanni Reyna. That’s understandable considering Håland seemingly scores once every 30 seconds.
El Paso Locomotive has only been around for one season, but it’s clear the club has already become a huge part of the community.
The above mini documentary, released by the USL Championship YouTube channel on Tuesday, highlights the impact Locomotive has made on the West Texas town of El Paso.
The crowning achievement of Lionel Messi’s international career remains the gold medal he captured as a 21-year-old at the 2008 Summer Olympics. It was a loaded Albiceleste squad with further attacking firepower provided by Sergio Agüero, Ángel Di María and Ezequiel Lavezzi, but Messi and Argentina were hugely reinforced by the over-age inclusions of Javier Mascherano and Juan Román Riquelme.
There’s been a lot of talk recently about how Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool first team aren’t even going to bother showing up for the FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury Town, instead sending its U-23 squad and coach. After all, when the Reds made a similar (albeit more necessary) move in the Carabao Cup, they were smashed 5-0 by Aston Villa.