The transformation of the 2018 Copa Libertadores Final from one of the most anticipated club matches of the calendar year to an absurd sideshow was complete when the second leg’s staging at the Santiago Bernabéu was confirmed — a decision that turns the Superclásico into nothing more than the “most costly friendly in history,”
After 10 years of nothing but Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Croatia and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has become the first player since Kaká back in 2007 to wrest football’s biggest individual accolade from the two behemoths of the modern game: The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner is Luka.
If you’re a supporter of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus or Bayern Munich and you’re looking to distinguish yourself in 2019, look no further than this collaboration between adidas and EA Sports. These “Digital 4th Kits” are inspired by FIFA, and although they’ll be available for use in FIFA Ultimate Team, you can also cop the actual limited-edition jerseys from online club stores (retailing for $98).
Real Madrid has had its ups and downs — mostly downs — this season since the departure of what’s-his-name. Fortunately for Los Blancos, their biggest competition in the Champions League group stage is having an equally tough go of it this season, which was perfectly embodied by a pitiful AS Roma miss from close range on Tuesday in Rome.
The magic was never going to last in Rome. Despite securing top three finishes in Serie A in each of the last five seasons and reaching the dizzying heights of last year’s Champions League semifinals, this is still a selling club, as evidenced by the big-money departures of Miralem Pjanić, Mohamed Salah, Antonio Rüdiger, Alisson, Kevin Strootman and Radja Nainggolan over the last three summers.
For all the reported leaks in the footballing world right now — Cristiano Ronaldo rape allegations, Financial Fair Play improprieties, Sergio Ramos testing positive for a banned substance — one leak is more surprising than any other this season. The one in Real Madrid’s defense. In particular, Thibaut Courtois stats with Los Blancos after a shocking 3-0 loss to Eibar on Saturday.
It’s been almost 180 days since Sergio Ramos put Mohamed Salah into a judo hold, fun-cussed Loris Karius and gave Roberto Firmino the flu by sweating on him, but to Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren, it still smacks of yesterday.
The Croatian defender has gone full-on Dani Alves of late, telling anyone and everyone under the sun about his every whim and desire, and we’re here for it.
It’s too early to declare Santiago Solari the true heir to Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, but three wins, 10 goals scored and zero conceded is a fine start to the Argentine’s reign. Most evidently, as Toni Kroos so rightly pointed out, Real actually won a LaLiga match last weekend.
We won a league game yesterday. pic.twitter.com/h2hv83Fruh
— Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) November 4, 2018
If everything goes according to plan — and, as the numbers to come show, it almost certainly will — the USWNT will reach the milestone of 500 wins with a victory over Portugal on Thursday. Having only begun play in 1985, the program has reached the mark at a fiendish pace by rolling off wins at a remarkable clip — the USWNT boasts a win percentage of 84. That certainly puts the USWNT in the discussion for the winningest team in sports history.