England

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. 

Manchester United announced Wednesday that they have signed Swedish defender Victor "The Ice Man" Lindelof away from Benfica. The only two things we know about Lindelof are his nickname (again, "The Ice Man") and the fact that he has earned the Zlatan seal of approval.

We here at The18 understand that as passionate as soccer fans are, we’re also a diverse group with a large variety of interests. Even the most ardent of soccer fans may need a weekend off from time to time.

Fortunately, the schedule makers at the English Premier League released their fixture list Wednesday and there are plenty of weekends with the excitement level of your nephew’s U-7 match. 

Keep these dates in mind when making plans for your wedding, a road trip or an all-weekend bender (please drink responsibly).

Leave it to the outspoken Noel Gallagher to bring France and England together.

The Oasis front man’s song "Don’t Look Back In Anger" was played prior to the England-France friendly Tuesday in Paris in a show of solidarity between the two nations following the recent terrorist attacks in England. 

2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup action resumes today and tomorrow with the fourth round, and I'll forgive you for not knowing that, but I'll never forget. Founded in 1914, the competition has overcome some turbulent times in American soccer, as evidenced by the fact that the tournament’s two most successful sides, Bethlehem Steel FC and Maccabi Los Angeles, no longer really exist.

A lot of people like to moan about international football, but it can be really fun if you approach it with a no f**ks given attitude — just follow the example set by San Marino’s social media team during their qualifier against Germany. If you didn’t follow any of Saturday’s UEFA qualifying, here’s what you missed.

#1. Norway And Martin Odegaard Won’t Be At The 2018 World Cup

Manchester City attacker Nolito wants out of England, the sooner the better.

He hasn't learned much of the language, just the basics like "good morning", "good afternoon" and "tomorrow". He also is no fan of the weather.

"My daughter's face has changed color. It looks like she's been living in a cave," he told radio station El Transistor. 

The good news is this move makes Manchester United once again much easier to hate. That's right, Zlatan is gone, banished from Manchester United after 42 appearances, 28 goals and one horrible knee injury.

Obviously Zlatan is going to come back. He is Zlatan, after all. The question is where, and that is a question for another day. Today, we must wrap our heads around the fact that we actually kind of liked Manchester United for a bit there, when they had Zlatan and Pogba doing Zlatan things and Pogba things.

With Real Madrid having won its third Champions League title in four years, pundits and fans alike continue to make the case that La Liga has overtaken the other major European leagues as the most elite division in the world.