Remember Ødegaard? Martin Ødegaard, the 16-year-old Norwegian wonderkid Real Madrid signed back in January 2015. He was all anyone in the soccer world could talk about for a brief moment. Everyone kept talking about how he was going to be the new Messi. Both lefties. Both on the right wing. Both showcasing a similar playing style of cutting in with their left.
The NFL and footy came together in holy matrimony this past week thanks to the crossover appeal of ties and people not kicking well, and, let’s be honest, NFL fans were not happy about it. We hold these truths to be self-evident: Draws in places like the Premier League and the World Cup group stage are a fitting outcome that usually serves to highlight the flow of 90 minutes and heightens further drama down the road; ties in the NFL are an absolute nonsense after three hours of start-stop pointgasms.
From the halls of Old Trafford to the shores of Brazil, what soccer players wear transcends cleats, trademarked jerseys and sometimes helmets like our friend Petr Cech. Thanks to the David Beckham era, my personal favorite metrosexual after Prince, we soccer and football lovers across the world know that swagger is just as important as skill.
Johan Cruyff, the most famous of all atheist footballers, once explained his beliefs succinctly.
“I don’t believe in God,” Cruyff said. “In Spain all 22 players make the sign of the cross before a game. If it worked, every game would end in a tie.”
And yet, soccer, and sports in general, is dominated by religious athletes, whether they're crossing him or herself before entering the field of play, praying after a touchdown or pointing to the sky following a match.
Lost amidst the scratched Frenchmen and bashed Irishmen during the opening day of the UEFA Nations League on Thursday was the start of the Concacaf Nations League. Kind of.
Nutrition in sports has fast become a vital component to any athlete’s life in recent years, with what soccer players eat becoming an increasing focus of the entire club. Despite former Sutton United goalkeeper Wayne Shaw eating a pie on live television, players are having their meals planned for them and some even employ their own personal chefs.
If you’re curious to check out the most famous football players with photos and visceral evidence of their existence, you’ve come to the right place. In the latest edition of the ESPN World Fame 100, 32 of the entries were footballers, giving you a fitting idea of the sport’s global appeal. We’ve included all 32 of those players and some other footballers that are instantly recognizable to followers of the game.
Take a look below, and get inspired to run more.
Edinson Cavani | PSG & Uruguay
To be a professional athlete, it takes a lot more than just talent. Obviously talent is a big help, but it will only take you so far. This is where training becomes vitally important. Footballers train for hours a day both on the field and in the gym. But how do soccer players train?
It can differ between clubs, but across almost all clubs there are some consistent themes. Players will do plenty of training exercises on the field to begin a session. It could be working out a pattern of play before a game, working on set-pieces, doing a shooting drill or a small-sided game.
Mascots — the oversized, creepy creatures controlled by people who can’t possibly have great relationships with their mothers — are widespread in American sports. But a lot of people wonder: do soccer teams have mascots?
For better or worse, they do.
Soccer mascots range from the weird to the cute, but they’re always weird. Did we mention they’re weird?
On Thursday, Wesley Sneijder will make his 134th and final appearance for the Netherlands in a friendly against Peru at Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam. The 34-year-old, who currently plays his club ball with Al-Gharafa in Qatar, is calling time on a 15-year international career that included mesmerizing performances at both Euro 2008 and, most famously, the 2010 FIFA World Cup.