The reason you won’t see some of the best men's soccer players at the Olympics is sort of peculiar. In order to preserve the status of the World Cup as the greatest international event for men’s soccer, an Olympic soccer age limit was instituted for the men's tournament.
The men's Olympic soccer tournament only features players under 23 years old, with three exceptions for each country.
FIFA finally stepped in (not like Concacaf was going to) and punished Mexico for the continuous homophobic chants from fans on Friday. On top of a $65,000 fine, Mexico will be forced to play its first two home games of World Cup qualifying without fans. Officially, the punishment is due to the chants heard during Olympic qualifying.
Round two of Concacaf World Cup qualifying wrapped up on Tuesday and featured one of the worst own goals you'll ever see at the professional level. This Haiti own goal will leave you lost for words.
An own goal from Josue Duverger gives @CanadaSoccerEN the lead pic.twitter.com/qHEWFcmcc0
Argentina drew 2-2 with Colombia in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday night at El Metro in Barranquilla after Los Cafeteros were able to snatch an equalizer with the game’s final attack.
The detective work done by all neutrals when watching this Albiceleste side is to determine how much progress has been made since the nervy, need-a-Messi-hat-trick-on-the-final-day 2018 qualifying cycle, but it remains difficult to say.
The difference between the two cycles after six games is just one point (although it’s a positive point).
The past weekend was about as good as it gets for USMNT fans. The result top of mind will be the exhilarating, tumultuous triumph against Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League final. But there was another interesting result that happened in the Caribbean that American fans might have missed.
Trinidad and Tobago has been eliminated from World Cup contention.
Last Thursday, the world’s second-most populated country once again failed to qualify for the World Cup. India had never managed the feat before, and a 1-0 defeat to Qatar confirmed that 2022 wouldn’t mark a maiden voyage for the Blue Tigers.
But there’s one contest that India might yet win, and that’s the personal battle between 36-year-old captain Sunil Chhetri and six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.
FIFA will carry out a feasibility study on holding the World Cup and the Women's World Cup every two years after backing a proposal at its annual congress on Friday.
The two competitions are currently held every four years but the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) put forward a proposal for a study of the impact of switching to every two years.
The Saudi proposal of hosting World Cup every 2 years had been accepted by the FIFA pic.twitter.com/E2qfQ2hGBE
HONG KONG - The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed on Sunday that North Korea has pulled out of next month's qualifying tournament for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
The move comes after the country had already withdrawn from the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer because of concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
South Korea is due to host the remaining matches in Group H of the second round of Asia's preliminary tournament in June, but North Korean officials informed their southern counterparts of their intention to withdraw this month.
HONG KONG - China head coach Li Tie has included five overseas-born players in his 26-man squad ahead of the resumption of their World Cup qualifying campaign later this month.
The former Everton player has selected England-born duo defender Tyias Browning and midfielder Nico Yennaris as well as Brazil-born forwards Elkeson, Alan Carvalho and Fernandinho.
Browning, Elkeson, Carvalho and Fernandinho are among seven Guangzhou FC players in the squad, with the eight-time Chinese Super League champions dominating the selection.
Russia will host the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup from Aug. 19-29. The qualifying matches have yet to be played. In some countries, the curfew and lockdowns are still in force due to Covid-19 and the global health crisis.
The million-dollar question: Will there or won't there be a beach soccer World Cup this summer in Europe? I would say: It all depends on the pandemic, its consequences and the accumulation of international sports events that have been postponed since 2020.