Off the Pitch

Pelé is in 'stable condition' according to hospital amid concerns of soccer legend's health

SAO PAULO — Brazilian soccer great Pelé remains in stable condition after being hospitalized this week as he battles colon cancer, a hospital medical report said on Saturday.

Pelé, 82, has also responded well to treatment for a respiratory infection diagnosed this week and his condition has not worsened in the last 24 hours, medical staff at Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Hospital said.

Pelé - one of the greatest footballers of all time if not the greatest - was admitted to hospital on Tuesday to re-evaluate his cancer treatment.

Juventus board of directors resign amid allegation of financial wrongdoing

It has been announced via a club press release that the Juventus board of directors has resigned immediately, including long-time club president Andrea Agnelli. Amid investigations into the Turin-based club’s finances, it was deemed necessary that the entire board “forego their office” to aid with the investigations. Juventus has endured a torturous season in 2022, and it seems to only be getting worse. 

Hazard and Courtois make surprise media appearance to deny rumors of chaos in Belgium squad

DOHA - Belgium captain Eden Hazard has denied there is a rift in the squad but admits frank words were exchanged between the players following their surprise 2-0 World Cup Group F loss to Morocco on Sunday.

Hazard was speaking to the media along with experienced goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois on Tuesday after they replaced the players originally scheduled to talk, Yannick Carrasco and Arthur Theate.

Meet the Qatar Metro guy — a worker from Kenya who became the most viral person at the World Cup

A 23-year-old worker from Kenya has become one of the biggest stars off the field in Qatar. Abubakar Abbas has risen to stardom by saying one simple word: "Metro." Ladies and gentlemen, meet the star of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Metro guy.

Metro? Metro!

The internet and social media — especially TikTok — is incredibly random in terms of what goes viral. Abbas’ popularity spawned on TikTok where videos of him have garnered millions and millions of views.

Tyler Adams handles geopolitical interview question better than most politicians

One day before the United States takes to the field against Iran in a must-win Group B clash, the crucial match at hand seems to be the last thing anyone wants to talk about. In their pre-game press conference with the media on Monday, American midfielder Tyler Adams joined head coach Gregg Berhalter. The pair faced questions about racism, geopolitical tension and many other questions one would feel would be better suited to a press conference at the White House than a World Cup match. 

Iran wants to ban the USA from World Cup after USMNT social media posted an altered Iran flag

According to Iran media, the Iranian soccer federation is filing a complaint to FIFA after the United States men’s national team posted a picture that included an altered imagine of Iran’s flag.

On Friday the USMNT twitter account tweeted a photo of the Group B standings with one noticeable detail missing. In a show of solidarity with the protests taking place in Iran, the symbol of the Islamic Republic was removed from Iran’s flag.

A USA fan’s perspective in Qatar – Heart of Doha

The biggest soccer fans in the world journeyed to Qatar in their love of the beautiful game and hunger to experience Middle Eastern culture. The World Cup in Qatar pulled in more foreigners to this part of the world than all the crusades combined. Only the pilgrimage to Mecca has a greater influx of people to this region of Asia.

Not even Alexi Lalas’ biggest haters can dislike his emotional USA vs. England pregame speech

Alexi Lalas is a polarizing character in the U.S. Soccer sphere. Beloved as player but not so much as a pundit, Lalas can rub people the wrong way. Despite this, the Alexi Lalas England pregame speech on FOX before kickoff could make his most vehement haters feel something.

The USA is about to play arguably its biggest men’s soccer game in recent history. This could be a defining moment for the program and Lalas emphasized this before kickoff.

Wesley Sneijder lo admite: #NoEraPenal

A la espera del proximo enfrentamiento del Tri ante Argentina, los mexicanos presentes en Catar han encontrado diferentes maneras de entretenerse.

Entre partidos, varios se han tomado el tiempo de conocer más sobre el país anfitrión, salir de fiesta, asistir a otros partidos y hasta aclarar cuentas con un viejo conocido no muy bien recordado del fútbol mexicano.

Neymar injury update: Will Brazil's driving force play again in Qatar?

Brazil opened its World Cup on Thursday with a memorable (because of Richarlison's jaw-dropping overhead kick) 2-0 victory over a dangerous Serbia team, but some of the shine was taken off by Neymar's 80th-minute exit and subsequent images of the Seleção's most important player in tears on the bench.

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