Five Emerging Nations Who Could Make Their First World Cup Appearances in 2026

In 2026, the World Cup will have a record 48 teams. This means more countries will have the opportunity to make their World Cup — however controversial, this is something that is needed. In the 2022 edition, Qatar was the only nation to make its debut in the tournament. In 2018, it was two (Panama … Read more

Tahitian Ligue 1: One of the Oddest Leagues in the World

Palm trees. Lagoons. Waterfalls. Beaches. These are, for many, what Tahiti is famous for. The island, the largest in French Polynesia, has become a travel sensation, with hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, despite its size. Tahiti is part of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is not independent — Tahiti is … Read more

FC Groningen Threatened With Relegation For The First Time This Century

Virgil van Dijk, Arjen Robben, and Luis Suarez: all three of these players have lifted the UEFA Champions League. Other than that, they don’t have a whole lot of similarities. All of them play different positions. Two of them represent the Dutch national team, with Suarez representing Uruguay. Only Robben has appeared in a World … Read more

Smurfs Up: Samsunspor’s Return to Turkey’s Top Flight

May 5, 2018. It’s the final day of the 1. Lig season, the second flight of Turkish soccer. Samsunspor, previously a fixture of Turkey’s top flight, the Süper Lig, needs a win to avoid relegation. They take a 2-0 lead into the half, thanks to goals from journeyman striker Göksu Türkdogan and former Fenerbahce prospect … Read more

Hammer Time: Ones to Watch on West Ham’s Trophy-Winning u18s

In terms of youth academies, few cities are better than London. Chelsea has one of England’s finest, with talents breaking through despite the ridiculous sums they pay for first-team players. Arsenal’s title charge this season has been heavily aided by players who came through their academy. Tottenham’s academy, too, has produced some fine players — … Read more

Five Signings Ambitious Wrexham Should Consider After Big Year

Wrexham AFC has enjoyed a remarkable rise in the past few years. The historic Welsh club — one of the oldest in the world — was languishing in the English non-league after years of mismanagement as recently as 2020. Then, out of nowhere, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney dropped a bombshell: the celebrity duo had … Read more

Five Under the Radar Strikers to Watch This Summer

Right now, there is a big demand for strikers. Bayern Munich has been playing journeyman Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting up top: a capable player, but not exactly a star. Chelsea has, despite heavy spending, been unable to find a solution at number nine. Manchester United has struggled for a consistent striker, although Rashford has been successful up … Read more

Relegation Battle in La Liga: Who Will Go Down?

Spain’s top flight has been, with little doubt, one of the strangest leagues in Europe this season. Defending Champions League winners Real Madrid currently sit a distant second, twelve points behind Barcelona. Barcelona themselves have been dominant in Spain but again were dumped out in the Champions League group stages — and then again in … Read more

Going Down? The Spectacular Collapse of Brescia Calcio

Back in 2019, everything was going Brescia’s way. The Italian club stormed to the Serie B title, earning promotion back to the top flight for the first time in eight years. Journeyman striker Alfredo Donnarumma bagged 25 goals in his debut season with the club, enough to finish as the league’s highest scorer. Talented midfielder … Read more

One Prospect to Watch on Every Ekstraklasa Team

The Polish national team has traditionally been very dependent on its league, the Ekstraklasa. However, that is a trend that is gradually shrinking: in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, just four and three players from the league made the final roster, respectively. In each of their prior two appearances at the tournament (2002 and … Read more

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