Riots in Rabat. Celebrations in Casablanca. Tears of joy in Tangier. Morocco has advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the first time in its long-lived history. It would not be possible without the Herculean heroics of one Yassine Bounou. The Sevilla stopper kept multiple shots out of the Moroccan net, but it […]

Now that we're in the knockout stages of the World Cup, soccer’s highest governing body, FIFA, has claimed that the tournament in the Gulf Nation is already delivering record breaking audience across the globe. In the United States, the coverage of the national team's encounter against England amassed the record of the most watched […]

The World Cup’s latest demolition derby of emotional turbulence ended with Japanese elation, Spanish relief, Costa Rican wonder at what might have been, and a German soccer nation limping painfully into introspective despair. The inquest – for the third time in four-and-a-half years – began immediately. German public broadcaster ARD brutally interrogated an exhausted Hansi […]

In a simply wild 45 minutes, Japan and Spain made their way into the World Cup knockout stage. Meanwhile, Germany won on the day, but failed to advance due to a poor goal differential. At halftime of the games, both Germany and Spain were in a position to advance. By the time each game reached […]

Spain’s progression to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup is almost secure, despite Sunday’s draw with Germany, but is Luis Enrique the best coach in the world? This may seem like a rather bizarre question. However, these were the exact words used by the Spanish coach to describe himself. Luis Enrique took the […]

This was arguably the game of the World Cup so far. With a respectful nod to Argentina–Mexico, the reason we love soccer is contests like this. The World Cup is not the World Cup without the best facing the best. And Spain's draw with Germany was its nearest tie yet to a heavyweight classic. Both […]

It was clear prior to the 2022 World Cup that Luis Enrique had his Spain team organized. They had been progressing well since Euro 2020 and expected to reach the semi-finals in Qatar. Whilst it’s not always wise to draw conclusions from one match, the 7-0 dismantling of Costa Rica was eye-opening. So dominant was […]

Japan’s national team navigated a mediocre group in 2018 (Colombia, Senegal, and Poland) to earn four points and a trip to the knockout rounds. How will they fare at World Cup 2022? Even with a better squad – their FIFA ranking has improved from 50 to 24 in four years – the draw provides a […]

Spain head to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a settled squad and coaching setup. After the catastrophic bereavement process Luis Enrique had to go through in his personal life, the Spanish coach returned to lead La Roja into Euro 2020. It was a tournament that didn’t start especially well. The former Barcelona coach […]

A Real Madrid theme park is coming to the Middle East late in 2023. The Spanish super club announced an agreement with Dubai Parks and Resorts for the launch of the park in the fourth quarter of next year. Real Madrid described it as an innovative experience for fans of all ages. They can immerse […]

Manchester United announced a friendly match against Real Betis during its World Cup break. The Red Devils will play Betis on Saturday, Dec. 10. They also previously confirmed a matchup with Cadiz CF for Wednesday, Dec. 7. United's winter break will be based in the Spanish city of Cadiz. “We’re pleased to have lined up […]

Spain's LaLiga could face a strike later this month. The league, as well as many teams, are upset over Barcelona and Real Madrid. The two giants still entertain hopes of keeping the European Super League. LaLiga president Javier Tebas organized a meeting with Spain's sports minister Miquel Iceta regarding the issue. Also, the meeting involves […]

The United States Women's National Team announced its 24-player roster ahead of two upcoming friendlies in early October. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski will lead his team against England on October 7th at Wembley Stadium in London. They will next travel to Osasuna's home stadium to play Spain in Pamplona on October 11th. The England match […]

The Spain women's team saw a number of players resign recently due to problems with the squad's coach. Fifteen players sent a mass email to the national team late Thursday. The women cited mental health issues brought on by head coach Jorge Vilda. On Friday, the email went public. In the statement, the players ask […]

The triumph of Paolo Rossi and Enzo Bearzot at the 1982 World Cup is underrated amongst the competition's lore. The late Italian manager Enzo Bearzot pioneered 'total football' from Ajax. He steered Italians away from the Catenaccio, or 'door-bolt,' defensive strategy. That tactic led to the emergence of Italian soccer during the 1960s. This defensive […]