A lot of people were left hurting by Ricardo Pepi's snub from the final 26-man USMNT World Cup roster.
The 19-year-old from El Paso, TX, is a hugely likable talent who came up clutch in qualifying with three goals, including the go-ahead strike on the road in Honduras and a brace against Jamaica. What worked against Pepi is that those three goals were all registered in back-to-back games over a year ago.
FRANKFURT - Germany handed a surprise call-up to Borussia Dortmund teenager Youssoufa Moukoko in their World Cup squad on Thursday as 2014 World Cup winner Mario Götze marked a sensational return to the national team set up after five years.
Germany coach Hansi Flick announced his 26-man squad for the tournament in Qatar starting on Nov. 20, with the 17-year-old Moukoko, who has scored six times in the Bundesliga this season, included.
"Youssoufa is lively and quick player. We are really happy for him," Flick said.
Rayo Vallecano came from behind to beat Real Madrid 3-2 on Monday with the champions failing to reclaim top spot in the standings after two consecutive games without a win and suffering their first loss in LaLiga this season.
Barcelona are top on 34 points, two ahead of Real Madrid and ten ahead of third-placed Atlético Madrid. Following their third consecutive win, Rayo climbed to eighth place, two points off the European qualification spots.
Brazil, king of kings, became one of the first World Cup participants to reveal their final squad Monday — basically telling the rest of the world to gaze upon its marvelous 26-man roster and despair.
Brazil just announced their final squad ahead of the start of the World Cup this month and they're one of the first big nations to do so.
Big names, young stars and attacking machinery. The clear outcast? A very, very familiar face in world soccer.
Brazil's squad for the World Cup pic.twitter.com/en8JnQha8D
Monday, Nov. 7, marks exactly two weeks until the USMNT opens World Cup play against Wales at Al Rayyan Stadium. The event is almost upon us, and it all becomes very real Wednesday when manager Gregg Berhalter reveals his final 26-man roster at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
There are still plenty of question marks to discuss in our final USA World Cup roster prediction. Berhalter just wrapped up a nine-man fitness camp for MLS-based players, and he'll spend the next 24 hours gathering all the latest intel on European-based guys who are suffering with lingering injuries.
It's become an annual tradition unlike any other here at The18. Every winter the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament comes around and, like clockwork, drops the highlight of the year.
When Alejandro Garnacho was born in Madrid in 2004, he'd already missed Cristiano Ronaldo's first season with Manchester United and his legendary performance in the FA Cup final as a 19-year-old.
However, Ronaldo would transfer to Real Madrid five years later and Garnacho — who spent his youth career in Madrid with Getafe and then Atlético — was in the city for all nine illustrious seasons of CR7 at the Santiago Bernabéu.
EA Sports have always been the curators of cool, finding the vibe before it exists and getting it right every single time. Over the years, the FIFA soundtrack has become synonymous with playing the game in our youth and the immaculate vibes that came with it.
Everyone has their favorites. A culmination of great songs and the memories we hold near and dear make them more than regular music. It's the butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling you get when “Love Me Again” by John Newman plays in the bar or when your friend queues up “Love Natural” by Crystal Fighters in the car.
To prepare you for the tournament, The18 has launched team-by-team previews for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Here’s the Denmark World Cup preview who’ll play in Group D against France, Australia and Tunisia.
World Cup Appearances: 6th
Best Finish: Quarterfinals (1998)