It feels like Belgium's golden generation is somewhat fading. There was a time when the gloom of the 2000s turned to consistent deep runs under the leadership of manager Roberto Martinez. Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Vincent Kompany, and more all dominated the global scene. It was best shown by their […]

On June 13, the European Championship kicks off in Munich. Each nation competing, and fans around the globe, have a rising sense of anticipation. A significant number of the world’s greatest sides are featured in Germany. Four of the past five World Cup winners and eight of the top-10 clubs in FIFA's World Rankings are […]

At around this time, Veronique Rabiot was yelling at Wilfried Mbappé. Yelling. And yes, it was that Rabiot, mother of Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot. And yes again, it was that Mbappé, mother of then-PSG winger Kylian Mbappé. The argument came in the backdrop of France's shocking loss to Switzerland, where Switzerland came back from two […]

With the tournament only two weeks away, Copa America preparations begin in earnest for the USMNT. To get ready for such a massive event, the Americans will play a pair of big-time friendlies. Next Wednesday they will be down in Orlando to take on mighty Brazil. But before they do that, they first have a […]

It is no surprise that Group B at UEFA Euro 2024 is called the Group of Death, a term used to describe a tough group in a tournament due to the high quality of the teams involved. With three teams in the group in the FIFA rankings, it will be tough competition. To prepare appropriately, Luciano […]

Soccer can often follow patterns. Long-term observers of the sport notice a cyclical nature to teams’ dominance. This leads to waves of success followed by years of struggle. Elsewhere, traits will appear among teams that arise years apart yet contain all the signs of previous glories and failures. One team currently in the stages of […]

Since the 1960s, Italian defenders have been known for their selfless demeanor, often sacrificing their bodies for the team. Their fearless attitude involves trailing, shadowing, and committing fierce tackles against opponents in dangerous situations. Italy has consistently produced a plethora of world-class fullbacks, renowned for their refusal to concede a goal. However, the true essence […]

FIFA is advertising the 2025 Club World Cup as the greatest club competition with 32 teams from each of the six confederations. However, the main draw remains clubs from Europe, with the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Chelsea among the sides competing. Yet, those English and Spanish teams may not be […]

For Scotland, the last six years have been something of a renaissance period. The Scots qualified for their first international tournament in 22 years at the 2020 European Championships. Two years later, Scotland narrowly missed out on qualification for the World Cup in Qatar. That culminated in qualification to a second consecutive European Championship at […]

The 2024 European Championship pits the best national teams in Europe against one another. A historically tight tournament that leads to drama at every stage returns this summer. Germany is hosting the competition for the second time as the sole nation welcoming each team. It did host games in Euro 2020, but that tournament spread […]

Five brands have represented the Italian national team for their kits at the Euros in recent decades. Incontestably, the German sportswear company Puma takes the lead, having sponsored Italy from 2004 to 2020. Nevertheless, each kit the Italians have worn since Euro 1996 is worth examining. Significantly, the design and tailoring of each jersey have […]

For a brief moment in time, the Olympiastadion is on fire. Flares rocket in and out of the Berlin stadium as red-and-white fire licks the 75,800 seats in the arena. Above the utter joy and chaos on the field and in the stands, a huge Jumbotron reads Deutscher Pokal sieger 1996 – 1. FC Kaiserslautern... […]

As Barcelona sacks Xavi on Friday, the drama surrounding Joan Laporta's presidency of the club continues to come under fire. The former star midfielder was informed of the decision during a meeting with club president Joan Laporta on Friday. Also present at the summit were five other key figures at the Spanish side, including sporting […]

More details are beginning to surface regarding the fractured relationship between Chelsea owner Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino. It was announced on Tuesday that the manager departed the club by mutual consent. The Argentine coach lasted only one season with the west London team. Pochettino's place in the team previously seemed fairly secure after he […]

Selecting a Premier League team of the season for the 2023/24 campaign is not an easy task. Several players can certainly make their case to be among the best in their respective positions. However, the list was eventually whittled down to make a dream starting XI. Arsenal and Manchester City, unsurprisingly, have multiple players in […]