National Teams

Here at The18 we've been discussing strategies for staying awake to provide you with the best coverage of the Women's World Cup. The latest plan is to collectively move to Washington DC, where bars and restaurants will now be open 24 hours a day during the month-long tournament after emergency legislation was passed in the District. 

New Zealand Football (NZF) said it will contact FIFA about protecting players from racism after the men's national team abandoned a friendly against Qatar at halftime in protest at an alleged racist slur against one of their players.

New Zealand said a Qatari opponent directed a "significant racist slur" at All Whites defender Michael Boxall, who has Samoan heritage, shortly before the interval.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois asked not to travel with Belgium for their Euro 2024 qualifier in Estonia on Tuesday, telling shocked coach Domenico Tedesco he did not feel respected within the team as he walked out of the squad.

Courtois, 31, played in Saturday's 1-1 home draw with Austria but told Tedesco after the match that he would not make himself available for the Estonia game.

Tedesco says Courtois's unhappiness spilled over when striker Romelu Lukaku was given the captain's armband for the Austria game in the absence of injured regular skipper Kevin De Bruyne.

The UEFA and CONCACAF Nations League finals both took place Sunday, and records fell, legends became immortal and history was written as the world came to a standstill to watch the heroics of goalkeeper Unai Simón and a blonded Gio Reyna.

The Concacaf Nations League trophy has only ever known one home, and it's staying put after the USMNT defeated Canada 2-0 on Sunday in Las Vegas to claim their most coveted prize of the summer. 

Canada came into this one with genuine belief that they could claim their first continental crown since the 2000 Gold Cup, but the pressure is now on manager John Herdman after the Americans — led by the interim mind of B.J. Callaghan — nullified their talented attack and provided all the entertainment going the other way.

ROTTERDAM - Serial winner Dani Carvajal converted the decisive spot-kick to hand Spain a first title in more than a decade as they edged Croatia 5-4 in a penalty shootout to win the Nations League in Rotterdam on Sunday.

The 31-year-old, who has won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid, calmly chipped home Spain’s sixth kick of the shootout as they claimed their first silverware since the 2012 European Championship.

It’s official USMNT fans. Gregg Berhalter has been announced as the head coach of the national team, first reported by The Athletic.