Often imitated, never beaten — for decades now the BBC's closing montage for major sporting events has been a treat. Sunday's World Cup finale was no exception.
Everything tagged #football
The AP explores one important facet of why US soccer, even with an eager and enormous population at its disposal, struggles to produce world beaters.
In Argentina, one of the greatest honors for a local soccer club might be to produce a player who moves to an even bigger club, then maybe becomes part of the country’s storied national team. In the United States, if a player like that walked into a local soccer program, it would surprise nobody if that program tried to eke every penny out of the player’s parents before showing him or her off to the world.
Therein lies one of the crucial differences between a nation of 46 million that plays Spain on Sunday for a fourth World Cup title and another with more than seven times the population that has never sniffed that kind of success.
One wonders what Wednesday might bring...
The brief history of those five games includes: a match so violent that it prompted the introduction of red cards, a goal so controversial it became known as the “Hand of God,” a goal so sublime it became known as the “Goal of the Century,” allegations of vile racism, endless chants about the Falkland Islands, the ejection of soccer icon David Beckham, and an effigy of a player hanged outside a London pub.
The Greatest Rivalry in Sports Braces for Its Biggest Game Everwsj.comThere are other epic rivalries, from Yankees-Red Sox to Ohio State-Michigan. But nothing comes close to the 64-year-old World Cup feud that is England vs. Argentina.I just find it really stupid. That’s the thing I thought when they came up with it, that it was stupid and annoying, and I didn’t want to do it.
Viral Norway fan hits out at “stupid” Row celebration thats taking over the World Cup - Dexertodexerto.comA Norway fan who has gone viral for not doing the now-iconic row celebration at the World Cup has explained why he won’t get involved, even if they win the whole thing.Pink boots
Why are so many footballers wearing pink boots at the World Cup?ft.com (GIFT LINK)From Jude Bellingham to Kylian Mbappé, players are voting with their feet for this year’s colour — and challenging traditional ideas of masculinityWe've all noticed. Pink boots — or cleats, as Americans inexplicably call them — are all the rage at the 2026 World Cup. Of the 26 players in the England squad, the Financial Times tots up, 22 have worn pink boots during the competition. There's a few reasons. First up:
Much of the popularity is pragmatic. “Brands used bright pink because it creates maximum contrast against the green pitch,” explains Matt Powell, senior adviser at BCE consulting. In an era where millions of people watch games by looking to the palm of their hand as well as a TV or big screen, pink boots “boost broadcast visibility”.
But then, neon yellow or maybe bright blue boots would have the same effect, so why pink? Players are of course being paid many millions to wear them, but beyond that, there's a broader signal emerging from the traditionally "feminine" colour being readily embraced:
Pink became more prominent on luxury menswear catwalks in the 2010s, as designers sought to subvert rigid gender norms. Gentle shades of the hue — what would become known as “millennial pink” — appeared proudly on runways for brands such as Sacai and Robert Geller and in the wardrobes of male celebrities like Bad Bunny and Mac DeMarco, possibly looking to market themselves more softly for female audiences — and provoke questions around what masculine identities could look like.
For this reason, expect more pink in football in the upcoming season, starting with my very own Cambridge United — the team's new third strip is positively on-trend:
What nation in the same situation wouldn’t have done the same thing?
Hate us for it if you want, but the U.S. did what was necessary for Folarin Balogun’s returnnytimes.comIt’s hard to believe other countries in the tournament wouldn’t have done exactly what the Americans did here.Mikel John Obi
In case, like me, you were wondering why the player formerly known as John Obi Mikel is now doing punditry on Fox as Mikel John Obi — this is an interesting article about identity (and some sloppy admin on the part of the Nigerian football association).
John Obi Mikel officially changes his name - world now even more confusedmirror.co.ukIn attempting to clarify his ACTUAL name, the Nigeria veteran just made everyone very, very confusedOne of my favorite moments of the World Cup so far: Congolese fans at a watch party in Lisbon celebrate their team’s equalizing goal against Portugal. The match finished 1-1, earning DR Congo its first ever point in the competition's history.
