Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2024 i World Soccer

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FIFA have announced a series of changes to the men’s Under-17 World Cup tournament, with Qatar set to host all of the next five editions – starting from 2025. Previously a 24-team biennial competition (from 2007 to 2023) – and before that a 16-team format following its inception in 1985 – the finals will now take place every year and feature 48 countries. The women’s edition will also operate with the same timetable, but will take place in Morocco with 24 teams.…

90+2 ByJohn Boland (Pitch Publishing, £14.99) 90+2: Last Minute Moments that Changed Football History tells the story of football’s most dramatic last-minute goals. From late twists that decided a league title, to the heartbreak of last-gasp goals that resulted in relegation, to incredible cup final drama, unbelievable second-leg recoveries and epic international tournament chaos – this is football at its most intense. A CULTURE OF KITS ByJohn Blair (Pitch Publishing, £30) Drawing on intel from experts and global collectors, this book provides the ultimate guide to classic football shirt collecting. What elevates a shirt’s status? Who is buying? Are shirts an investment? A Culture of Kits lifts the lid on the booming business behind the growing culture and community of classic football shirts. Discover stunning photos of 150 eye-catching designs…

“I went to speak to them. Really informal, enjoyable… it was good to see what their thoughts were and to explore whether I was ready to take that next step. It just went no further”England U21 boss Lee Carsley reveals in the Daily Mail that he had talks with the Republic of Ireland about their managerial vacancy IN OUT EUROPE RICHARD HUGHES & MICHAEL EDWARDS Liverpool confirmed that Bournemouth’s technical director will be their sporting director from this summer. The 44-year-old was hired by the Reds’ former sporting director Edwards, who returned to Anfield as CEO of football. IGOR TUDOR The Croatian took charge of Lazio after Maurizio Sarri stepped down from the role. FABIO LIVERANI Salernitana fired their coach after he took just one point from his five games…

Jose MOURINHO Where next for Jose following his Roma exit? The answer depends on his appetite: a lucrative offer in the Saudi league might appeal, but Napoli, Fenerbahce or Newcastle would get his competitive juices flowing. A job in international football is also an option. Antonio CONTE Out of work since leaving Tottenham Hotspur last March, Italian football insiders claim the ex-Juventus, Italy, Chelsea and Inter boss is first choice to replace Milan head coach Stefano Pioli. Other clubs may be wary of his demanding and tempestuous style. Zinedine ZIDANE Three years since quitting Real Madrid, Zizou’s sabbatical has run its course. Long regarded as France’s next boss, Didier Deschamps’ contract to 2026 means that it will take an early exit from Euro 2024 to open up that job. Only…

There is one reason why Brighton’s Italian coach finds himself linked with a host of top jobs in Europe: he fearlessly loves to fight fire with fire. The 44-year-old native of the Lombardy city of Brescia may be employed at one of the least prestigious football locations in the English top flight, with Brighton only in the Premier League since 2017. But that has not prevented De Zerbi steadfastly standing up for the little guy. Always pro-active, never intimidated by the big guns, his Brighton side just love to go on the front foot and stay there. Needless to say, the success De Zerbi has brought to Brighton since pitching up on the south coast in the autumn of 2022 – a fine sixth-place finish in the Premier League last…

When it comes to career choices, the much-coveted Feyenoord head coach marches to the beat of his own drum, going his own way and relying on his instincts to guide him. Midway through the 2020-21 campaign, AZ Alkmaar fired him, claiming Slot had lost focus amid speculation linking him with the Feyenoord job, where he would indeed end up for the start of the 2021-22 season. Then, last summer, he surprisingly rejected job offers from Premier League heavyweights Tottenham and Chelsea. Normally overseas managers jump at the chance of earning their corn in the English top fight, but 45-year-old Slot thought it wiser to remain with Feyenoord, whom he had just steered to their first Eredivisie title since 2017. It’s also fair to say that negotiations between Tottenham and Feyenoord…

PATH A Not since 1973 have Wales managed to beat Poland on the international stage – a sorry run of ten matches – and true to that half-century trend, Rob Page’s plucky side just came up short in the Path A final in Cardiff, losing 5-4 on penalties to Robert Lewandowski and co. In an encounter which produced zero goals, it was wholly ironic that both teams had their shooting boots on for the tiebreaker exercise, with the Poles netting all five of their efforts and Wales converting their first four kicks. Something had to give and sadly for the Dragons, substitute Daniel James was the one to err, left dazed and bemused after Poland keeper Wojciech Szczesny dived to his right to parry. Wales, who crushed Finland 4-1 in…

While the four CONCACAF teams already qualified for the 2024 Copa America competed in the Nations League finals, there were a couple of loose ends to tie up as two more places at this summer’s Copa in the United States were up for grabs. As Mexico, Jamaica, Panama and the United States themselves had already qualified thanks to their performances in the Nations League, the remaining CONCACAF guest spots at the CONMEBOL tournament were decided by a pair of qualifiers involving the four losing teams from the Nations League quarter-finals. Canada have struggled to replicate the form that saw them top the table in CONCACAF qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, but they were able to put a disappointing spell behind them with a win against Trinidad & Tobago in…

It’s becoming a common sight in the Premier League: Cole Palmer celebrating yet another goal for Chelsea by rubbing his upper arms, as if caught coatless in a sudden cold snap. Yet the young forward is not uncomfortable; rather, he wants the world to know he has ice in his veins. Indeed, given how frequently he is scoring and how freely he has breezed through opposition backlines since his £40 million summer move from Manchester City, the mere appearance of his name on matchday teamsheets is enough to send a chill down the spine of any defender. Leaving his hometown club could not have been an easy decision for the 21-year-old from Wythenshawe, especially as it meant swapping the most dominant side in Europe for a team in the midst…

What were your first impressions of Los Angeles and why did you decide to relocate to the United States and sign for Steve Cherundolo’s side? It’s amazing. I love the area because it reminds me a lot of Nice – the ocean, the hills, the mountains. The weather is quite different from London too! We wanted something new, something for the family to discover a new life. I also wanted to keep playing at a good level and LAFC ticked a lot of the boxes. I’m looking forward to this new chapter. Did you speak to your former Tottenham team-mate Gareth Bale, who won the MLS Cup with LAFC two years ago, before the move to California? No, I didn’t. To be honest, I didn’t need it. I had heard…

Ecuadorian clubs have won this competition the past two seasons, and on three of the last five occasions. This is remarkable given the extent to which the Copa Sudamericana is weighted towards Brazil and Argentina. The big two have six clubs each, or 12 of the field of 32. It could certainly be argued that with so many representatives in the Copa Libertadores, those Brazilian and Argentine teams in the Sudamericana are not the best. This is true up to a point. But Brazil’s Internacional, for example, have assembled a highly impressive squad, and were only minutes away from facing Boca Juniors in the final of last year’s Libertadores – and now both clubs are taking part in the Sudamericana. Boca’s group, along with last year’s runners-up Fortaleza of Brazil,…

Signs of the Canadian Premier League’s impact within the country continue ahead of its sixth season, with seven of the league’s alumni making it into Canada’s preliminary squad for their vital 2024 Copa America play-in against Trinidad & Tobago. Cavalry and Forge also recently gained invaluable experience in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Both suffered defeat in round one, losing to MLS’s Orlando City and Mexican outfit Guadalajara respectively, but the former were making their first foray into continental competition and enjoyed a slice of history when Myer Bevan scored their first CONCACAF goal. The route into the 2025 edition of the CONCACAF Champions Cup for CPL clubs will be either through winning the CPL Shield by finishing top of the regular season, or by winning the North Star Cup via…

Walking away at the top is hard but after bringing unprecedented levels of success to the footballing backwater of Tajikistan, Petar Segrt has done just that. After winning the 2022 King’s Cup in Thailand and the Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia last October, the veteran Croatian took his unheralded side to the quarter-finals of this year’s Asian Cup in Qatar – then quit. “It was so much better than everyone expected; it was a sensation,” says Segrt. “People thought we could maybe get to the second round but not the quarterfinals. In Tajikistan, it’s the biggest success, and not just in football, it’s brought the whole country together.” Tajikistan were drawn in a tough group alongside the hosts, Lebanon and China. After a 0-0 draw with the latter, Segrt’s side lost…

The summer of 2016 saw perhaps the highest turnover of high-profile managers that European football has ever seen. The Premier League saw the biggest changes: Jose Mourinho returned to England to replace Louis van Gaal at Manchester United and, in doing so, reignited his rivalry with Pep Guardiola who began his reign at Manchester City. Chelsea added their own big name in the dugout, Antonio Conte arriving after quitting the Italy national team, and it was also a time of change for Liverpool ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s first full campaign in charge. It was a similar story at Real Madrid, where Zinedine Zidane was still getting used to life as his old club’s head coach having taken over just a few months earlier. His former mentor, Carlo Ancelotti, stepped into…

225 Colombian league goals scored by Once Caldas’ 38-year-old forward Dayro Moreno, setting a new record in the competition. 2 Welsh champions The New Saints became only the second club from Wales to reach the final of the Scottish Challenge Cup, losing 2-1 to Airdrieonians and seeing their 26-game winning streak in all competitions come to an end in the process. $113m Value of San Diego Wave, the most expensive club in NWSL history, after being bought by LA billionaires Arthur Levine and Lauren Leichtman. 150,000 Kai Havertz’s goal for Arsenal in their 6-0 win away to Sheffield United was the 150,000th in the history of the English top flight. 205 Arrests that were made after violence erupted before the Rhine derby between Bundesliga clubs Borussia Monchengladbach and Cologne. 8…

With ten games of the season to go, the top three in the Premier League were separated by a single point. The last time there was a three-way race remotely comparable was 2010 when, in mid-March, Chelsea, having played 29 games, topped the table on goal difference ahead of Arsenal, who had played 30, with Manchester United a point further back after 29 matches. On that occasion, Arsenal fell away with a draw at Birmingham and defeat at Wigan and were effectively out of it with three games to go, but Chelsea and United kept the race alive until the final day – although with both facing fairly straightforward home games, the sense was that a 2-0 win away at Liverpool the week before had sealed it for Carlo Ancelotti’s…

SEASON RANKINGS Cumulative votes through the season GOALKEEPERS Yann Sommer (Internazionale) 22 Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus) 8 Marcin Bulka (Nice) 6 Lukas Hradecky (Bayer Leverkusen) 6 Alisson (Liverpool) 4 Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid) 3 Ederson (Manchester City) 2 Kepa Arrizabalaga (Real Madrid) 1 Lucas Chevalier (Lille) 1 Paulo Gazzaniga (Girona) 1 Kamil Grabara (Copenhagen) 1 Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund) 1 Mike Maignan (Milan) 1 Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) 1 Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) 1 Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) 1 Andre Onana (Manchester United) 1 Ivan Provedel (Lazio) 1 David Raya (Arsenal) 1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona) 1 DEFENDERS Alex Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen) 27 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) 22 Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) 15 Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen) 14 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) 13 Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen) 12 Bremer (Juventus) 8 Federico…

It will take a fairly seismic event for January 26 not to go down as the most chaotic day of 2024 for the UK’s sporting media. On that day, Jurgen Klopp announced that this would be his last season with Liverpool after eight-and-a-half years at Anfield and, in response, TV stations, news websites and social media exploded. The reaction to Barcelona’s announcement a day later that their coach, Xavi, would also step down at the end of the season was less tumultuous – unsurprisingly, given Barca’s stuttering form - and when Bayern Munich confirmed that they would be waving goodbye to head coach Thomas Tuchel this summer, the only surprise was that they weren’t parting ways sooner. Nevertheless, the upshot of all of the above is that three of Europe’s…

If a sustained period of success is a prerequisite for a coach to upgrade his surroundings, the 39-year-old Sporting boss should have no worries at all. Since taking over at Sporting in March 2020, his Midas touch has been there for all to see, leading the Lions to the Portuguese league title in his first full season in charge (2020-21) – the club’s first championship triumph in 19 years – the Primeira Liga runners-up spot 12 months later, two League Cups (2020-21 and 2021-22) and good progress in the 2021-22 Champions League, when the Green-and-White hoops qualified for the knockout phase for only the second time in the club’s history. Amorim also emerged smiling after a string of fine wins in Europe last season, defeating Tottenham and Eintracht Frankfurt in…

All the big clubs beating a path to the door of the former Bayern Munich and Germany head coach clearly do not think it important that Flick flopped in his two-year stint as Bundestrainer, overseeing a disastrous World Cup campaign in 2022 – the Nationalmannschaft failed to get out of their group – and losing four out of five friendlies in 2023 before finally being shown the door last September, thus becoming the first Germany boss to be sacked since the role came into existence in 1926. The fact that assorted head-hunters rate Flick so highly is essentially a consequence of his magnificent results during a 19-month reign at Bayern Munich, whom he led to the treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in 2019-20. An excellent man-manager with a…

Matthias JAISSLE Currently in charge of Saudi outfit Al Ahli, the former coach of Red Bull Salzburg – whom he led to two Austrian league titles and the last 16 of the Champions League in 2021-22 – wouldn’t say no to a return to the European mainstream. Wilfried NANCY Unknown in his French homeland, the Normandy-born coach won the 2023 MLS Cup with a Columbus Crew side playing a highly-attractive style. After 18 years in North America, a post in Europe awaits Thierry Henry’s former assistant at FC Montreal. Kjetil KNUTSEN Linked with Swansea City before Christmas, the visionary Bodo/Glimt boss is one of the most accomplished football thinkers in Scandinavia and too good for the English second tier. The 55-year-old would not be out of place in the Champions…

“Winning a match would represent a dream come true,” Roberto Cevoli told World Soccer ahead of San Marino’s clash with St Kitts & Nevis, the first of two friendlies between the two nations. The 55-year-old replaced Fabrizio Costantini as San Marino’s head coach at the end of 2023, and has overseen enough improvement to allow the team to dream of ending the longest winless run in international football history, which spans two decades. “Winning just one game in our entire history speaks volumes. If we were able to repeat this feat then it would mean ultimate satisfaction for the nation as a whole.” Between their solitary victory in 2004 and these March friendlies – a run of 136 games – San Marino had conceded 552 goals and scored just 20.…

As Europe focused its attention on the crunch Euro 2024 play-offs over the March international break, Serbia began preparations for the finals by travelling to Moscow, becoming the first UEFA member to play Russia in over two years. The friendly, on March 21 at Dynamo Moscow’s VTB Arena, is unpalatable for much of Europe while war in Ukraine rages on, including for Russians residing in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade. “I don’t plan to watch it because it lacks sporting interest,” says Roman, one of the estimated 300,000 Russians who have moved to Serbia since 2022. On matchday, it is clear his fellow emigrants – many of whom have a pro-Western outlook – have not turned out to support their homeland either. “The match doesn’t make much sense because it’s unclear when…

On April 15, 1999, Alex Ferguson enjoyed lunch at Newmarket Racecourse. It was a brief respite from an increasingly hectic schedule for the Manchester United manager as his side chased down an unprecedented treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies. Taking advantage of a narrow gap in his packed diary, he’d taken a 6.50am flight from Manchester to Stansted before travelling by car to the gallops of trainer Ed Dunlop, then on to the stables of Henry Cecil and Sir Michael Stoute. Later that afternoon, he’d watch Frankie Dettori ride two winners. Ferguson had bought his first racehorse the previous year – named Queensland Star after a vessel his father had worked on in the Govan shipyards. The world of racing was his latest fascination. An escape…

Uzbekistan reached the quarter-finals at the recent Asian Cup and went out undefeated, on penalties against the host nation Qatar. How do you assess the performances and results of your team? I think that we achieved a good result and that we left a positive impression. Our main problem was that we missed five players from our best XI. Nevertheless, we came very close to reaching the semi-finals. I think that we deserved to decide that game [against Qatar in the quarter-finals] in our favour, before extra-time and penalties. Your best player, captain and top goalscorer Eldor Shomurodov missed the Asian Cup with a foot injury. How much did your team miss him? It’s a shame that he was sidelined with that injury. I’ve been the national coach for two-and-a-half…

The 116-page bumper edition provides you with the ultimate guide to all 24 teams, including squad pen pics, tactics, analysis, strongest XIs, coach profiles and the view from journalists, pundits and ex-players. With the inside story on how every team qualified, interviews with all 24 coaches, 552 player profiles and a guide to all ten venues in Germany, this is the only tournament preview you’ll need for the Euros. The issue also comes with an A2 Euro 2024 wallchart* so you can follow your country’s journey this summer. Don’t miss it. Print £6.99 Digital £4.99 ORDER NOW shop.kelsey.co.uk/WSC24 Or Call: 01959 543 747 *Only UK and Ireland copies will come gifted with the Euro 2024 wallchart. You may have missed… SAVE10% when you spend £25 or more VOUCHERCODE: WSCSHOP24 Also…

If the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League are as dramatic as the quarters then there should be plenty to look forward to in April. In the eastern zone (the tournament is divided into two geographic zones until the final) it is another Japan v South Korea affair as Yokohama F. Marinos – led by Harry Kewell and looking for a first-ever continental crown – take on Ulsan HD, going for a third title. In the west, the rivalry between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia is not quite as fierce but the meeting between Al Ain and Al Hilal should be tasty indeed. After all, Al Ain disposed of Al Hilal’s bitter Riyadh rivals Al Nassr in the quarter-finals in what was a classic encounter. Al Nassr may…

In Malaysia, the Super League is shifting from a year-round format to a cross-year competition for the 2024-25 season. The biggest change, though, might come at the top of the table. Defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim completed a decade of dominance by lifting their tenth straight league title at the end of 2023 as part of a domestic treble, but they should now be considered the underdogs – at least, that is, according to the Crown Prince of Johor. Tunku Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim, who was recently appointed as the Regent of Johor, is the man behind all of JDT’s success in the last ten years. Founded in 1972 as PKENJ FC and later rebranded to Johor FC in 1996, the club did not have a single major title in…

Champions Leagues After the quarter-final second legs conclude on April 16 and 17, only four teams will remain in this year’s UEFA Champions League. In the semis, the winners of Bayern Munich v Arsenal will face the winners of Real Madrid v Manchester City, while on the other side of the draw Atletico Madrid or Borussia Dortmund will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Barcelona. The first legs of the semis will be on April 30 and May 1, with the second legs following a week later. The equivalent stages of the Europa League and Conference League will take place in the same week as the Champions League. For the full draws, turn to pages 96 and 97. In the women’s Champions League, the semi-finals are a weekend affair, with the…

EURO 2024 PLAY-OFFS Path A Semi-Finals Mar 21 – Cardiff Wales 4 (Brooks 3, Williams 38, Johnson 47, D. James 86) Finland 1 (Pukki 45) Wales: Ward – Mepham, Rodon, B. Davies – Roberts, J. James, Ampadu, Williams; Brooks (Moore 61), Wilson (Broadhead 90); Johnson (D. James 73). Finland: Hradecky – Alho (Niskanan 87), Tenho, Ivanov, Peltola; Lod (Antman 73), Schuller (Kairinen 73), Kamara, Hakans; Pohjanpalo (Kallman 78), Pukki (F. Jensen 78). Mar 21 – Warsaw Poland 5 (Frankowski 22, Zielinksi 50, Piotrowski 70, Mets 73 og, S. Szymanski 76) Estonia1 (Vetkal 78) Poland: Szczesny – Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior; Frankowski (Cash 46, Puchacz 56), Zielinski (S. Szymanski 72), Slisz, Piotrowski (Moder 73), Zalewski; Swiderski (Buksa 72), Lewandowski. Estonia: Hein – Paskotsi, J. Tamm, Klavan, Mets, Kallaste (Pikk 67); Palumets (Poom…

EUROPE 2023-24 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Last 16 – 2nd Leg Mar 5 – Munich B. Munich (Ger) 3 (Kane 38, 66, Muller 45+2) Lazio (Ita) 0 Bayern Munich win 3-1 on aggregate Mar 5 – San Sebastian Real Sociedad (Spa)1 (Merino 89) Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) 2 (K. Mbappe 15, 56) Paris Saint-Germain win 4-1 on aggregate Mar 6 – Manchester Man City (Eng) 3 (Akanji 5, Alvarez 9, Haaland 45+3) FC Copenhagen (Den)1 (Elyounoussi 29) Manchester City win 6-2 on aggregate Mar 6 – Madrid Real Madrid (Spa) 1 (Vinicius Junior 65) RB Leipzig (Ger) 1 (Orban 68) Real Madrid win 2-1 on aggregate Mar 12 – Barcelona Barcelona (Spa) 3 (Fermin15, Cancelo 17, Lewandowski 83) Napoli (Ita) 1 (Rrahmani 30) Barcelona win 4-2 on aggregate Mar 12 – London…

“I just want to play football but it’s hard to move forward. I feel less and less like playing [in Spain]…I will stay because that way the racists can continue to see my face more and more”An emotional Vinicius Junior on the racist abuse he has received while playing for Real Madrid Ukraine successfully qualified for a major tournament for the first time since the country was invaded by Russia in February 2022 after overcoming Iceland in their Euro 2024 play-off. Poland will be heading to Germany as well after they beat Wales on penalties in Cardiff, and Georgia also needed a penalty shootout to knock out Greece. For a full review of the gripping Euro 2024 play-offs, turn to page 44. Qualifying for this summer’s Copa America was also…

“Casement Park?” There was high degree of puzzlement when the British and Irish associations revealed their Belfast venue for the European Championship finals in 2028. Windsor Park, fine: century-old home to Linfield and Northern Ireland’s national team. But Casement Park? That was a new one. Social historians recognised the name more than football fans did. Sir Roger Casement was a diplomat turned Irish nationalist who was among 16 rebels executed after the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916, hence his being memorialised in the naming of a Gaelic Games stadium in Andersonstown, west Belfast, in the early 1950s. Is it doomed to remain a trick question: “Name the Euro venue that did not stage a match?” The biggest puzzle about Casement Park, though, is whether it really will welcome the…

His stock sky-high after sensationally transforming Leverkusen from relegation candidates into Bundesliga champions-elect, the Basque maestro no longer needs to send his agent Inaki Ibanez to prospect for job offers. No ifs, buts or maybes, Alonso is now an elite coach that any club would dearly love to employ. At a time laden with serendipity, two of the clubs he used to play for, Liverpool and Bayern, will both have a managerial vacancy to fill in the summer and in something of a feeding frenzy, English and German scribes have dived head-first into the propaganda war, busy building a case for the 42-year-old to join their club of choice. The pro-Liverpool brigade believe they have the edge, barely able to hide their glee when announcing that the Merseysiders have contacted…

It’s almost impossible to imagine this proud Basque football man ever earning a living beyond the walls of his beloved Real Sociedad. Devoted to the San Sebastian club’s cause, he has worked there in various roles for over two decades – nine years as a full-back, five years supervising the B team and six seasons and counting as head coach. When he says he is in his dream job, he means it with every fibre of his being. But that’s not to say that he will remain at the Estadio Anoeta forever. Nothing in this game is written in stone and both within and outside of Spain, clubs are anything but indifferent to his against-the-odds achievements at the Sociedad helm: the permanent encampment in the top six of La Liga,…

No one should be surprised to see the former Italy midfielder making such an excellent fist of leading Bologna in Serie A, turning the Rossoblu into shock candidates for Champions League qualification this campaign. A first-class defensive midfielder in his playing-day pomp with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Genoa, Internazionale and Paris Saint-Germain, he was one of the best readers of the game on the continent and over the course of those two decades worked with a string of world-beating coaches, including Jose Mourinho, Rafa Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti. In the midst of all those great managers, he was just bound to acquire a wealth of invaluable know-how, the sort of tips, tricks and insight that is serving him so well today. A recipient of countless winners’ medals during his playing career…

The fine line between success and failure in football was on show in Arlington, Texas for the 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League finals where the United States continued their dominance of this tournament, lifting the trophy for a third time. But it was far from plain sailing for Gregg Berhalter and his US side. Despite maintaining their record as the only team to win this trophy since the first final in 2021, they were mere seconds away from being knocked out in the semi-finals by an understrength Jamaica side. The Reggae Boyz were missing the likes of Michail Antonio, Leon Bailey and Demarai Gray, adding further weight to the favourites tag attached to the United States. But Jamaica took the lead via a Greg Leigh goal with just 31 seconds played,…

How do you reflect on the qualification campaign of your team for Euro 2024? We had a really good year with very good qualifiers, results and matches. It was a bit unexpected to finish first in our group because we had been drawn with Serbia, who, on paper, are much better than us. In the end, we achieved the most important target – to qualify for Euro 2024. We succeeded, so we are happy for that. But of course, football gives no time to reflect on what you have achieved. There are new targets and we have the desire to play a very good European Championship. You drew against smaller opposition like Lithuania and Bulgaria. Should your team be more imposing at times? You know, against smaller teams, you can…

Lindsay Horan angered many followers of the US women’s team she captains when she said, earlier this year, that: “American soccer fans, most of them aren’t smart. They don’t know the game. They don’t understand.” The remarks were understandably resented and she apologised, but it was timely nonetheless that it was the Lyon midfielder who rose at the back post to head in what proved the only goal of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup final. While the US are used to winning CONCACAF events – this was their tenth success in 11 attempts (including the CONCACAF W Championship) – this triumph meant more than most. For a start, the rebranded tournament had more depth than its precursors due to the presence of the last four from the 2022 Copa America…

Fluminense made it five consecutive Brazilian triumphs in the Copa Libertadores last year, and the smart money would be on a sixth. All three of the recent champions are back in the field – Fluminense with more attacking options than in 2023, Palmeiras with a coach (the Portuguese Abel Ferreira) who always seems able to come up with a plan, and Flamengo perhaps the overall favourites with the depth of their squad and the quality of their coach Tite. And then there are Atletico Mineiro, who finished last year as powerfully as a freight train, Sao Paulo, a club which takes pride in its special relationship with the Libertadores, a Gremio side full of momentum and, the only one never to have won the trophy, a Botafogo team looking to…

As the 2024 Brazilian Serie A campaign rolls into action, the league’s status as the strongest in South America is as safe as ever. Clever membership schemes have encouraged fans to turn up in unprecedented numbers – last year’s average crowd of over 26,000 was the highest in the history of the Brazilian championship. So are the clubs now ready to take over the running of the competition, on something like Premier League lines? It would seem not. Plans have floundered, with the clubs divided into two blocks which seem mainly concerned with negotiating broadcast rights. Key issues such as improving the pitches and, crucially, sorting out the calendar, are not even under discussion. It is the very issue of the calendar that adds an air of unpredictability to a…

Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 3 2005-06 La Liga, Santiago Bernabeu Real Madrid’s fans standing to applaud the genius of Ronaldinho remains one of the most iconic images in Clasico history. Watching on was his Barcelona team-mate and fellow Brazilian, Edmilson… This was a great Clasico. Real Madrid had a front line that day of Ronaldo, Robinho and Raul, with Zidane in behind. We marked zonally, and the players closest to my zone were Raul and Zidane. It is never easy to mark players at this level, but our squad was full of quality and the level of our training was always very high. We had three very important players – Ronaldinho, Eto’o and Messi. We prepared ourselves as every high-level player must prepare for any difficulty that may arise in…