Phenoms

After a 3-2 defeat to relegation-threatened Lorient on Jan. 31 acted as the first true bit of unpleasantness in Mauricio Pochettino’s short Paris Saint-Germain reign, the club has since rebounded nicely with back-to-back victories over Nîmes and Marseille in Le Classique. 

Key to the uptick has been the play of Kylian Mbappé, who reached and surpassed the career landmark of 150 goals with two world-class goals in those wins. 

Against Nîmes, the 22-year-old showcased the lethal finishing power of his right foot.  

Jesús Ferreira made his second game for the U.S. men's national team memorable with two goals and three assists in a 7-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago in Orlando, on Sunday.

The Colombia-born Ferreira, 20, debuted on Feb. 1, 2020, vs. Costa Rica — two months after gaining American citizenship. The FC Dallas striker did not get on the scoreboard in that game but more than made up for it against the Trinidadians.

We’ve reached a new level in the relationship between Nike and the young phenoms churned out at Santos FC. It began with PSG’s Neymar, who signed with the multinational corporation at the age of 13. That trend continued with Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, who, at the tender age of 11, became Nike’s youngest-ever affiliated athlete after dazzling at a youth tournament in New York.

In between going the full 90 in Juventus’ Supercoppa victory over Napoli and scoring against Bologna in Serie A play on Sunday, Weston McKennie found time to visit Ollivanders wand shop in Diagon Alley. 

This is a magical goal celebration. 

This week's football wonderkid comes from the depths of the English Football League, in Manchester's industrial suburb of Rochdale.

Rochdale AFC teenager Kwadwo Baah, a tender 17 years of age, announced himself by scoring a pair of goals in Tuesday's League One match against Charlton that would make any Premier League winger envious.

Both goals came from the left wing, the opener a sublime first-time strike, and the second a powerful bottom-corner finish after a clever dribbling sequence.

Want to feel old? Gareth Bale’s iconic sprint vs. Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final was seven years ago. An incredible Yunus Musah sprint against Real Valladolid on Sunday brought a wave of nostalgia of Bale's brilliance and showcased the young American’s incredible speed.

In case a refresher is needed of Bale torching Marc Bartra, here is the moment the Welsh man immortalized himself in YouTube “Best Last-Minute Goals Compilations”.

The National Women’s Soccer League recently announced the opening of player registration for the upcoming 2021 NWSL Draft. The draft will be streamed live on the NWSL’s Twitch channel on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. ET. It's the most life-changing day for college players who are looking to continue their careers at the professional level. 

It’s not everyday that Americans exchange goals in the 2. Bundesliga, but that was the case on Sunday when Julian Green’s Fürth defeated Leon Flach’s St. Pauli 2-1. 

The 25-year-old Green hasn’t played for the U.S. since 2018 and has fallen down the attacking midfield depth chart at the international level, but he opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 24th-minute in a man of the match display.  

Of all the phenomenons we’ve covered over the last six years — Christian Pulisic’s tender years, Martin Ødegaard’s journey of the Prodigal Son, Alphonso Davies meep meep — Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko stands out as the most prodigious.

Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies has been named the 2020 Canadian Player of the Year, Canada Soccer said on Thursday, on the back of a remarkable season with the Bundesliga club.

The 20-year-old left back, who also claimed the honor in 2018, enjoyed a stellar year in which the German club won five trophies, including the Champions League. Davies earned the highest voting score from Canadian media and coaches, finishing just ahead of Christine Sinclair's record set in 2012, Canada Soccer said.