All About The Beautiful Game
For years, I’ve written about u21 (or u23) talents either with expiring contracts or no contracts. In the first of these articles, in 2020, I chose four exciting talents: Angel Gomes, Malang Sarr, Abdul Mumin, and Luca Zidane. Nearly three years later, Gomes and Sarr are in Ligue 1, Mumin is in La Liga, and … Read more
In 2021, German super club Bayern Munich announced a new project: the World Squad. The team was made with the aim of creating “an additional opportunity for talents from all over the world to realize [their] dream,” in the words of World Squad coach Christopher Loch. You can find the first episode here. The series, … Read more
The MLS has established itself as one of the best development leagues in the world. I’ve talked about this extensively over the years, but it’s easiest to see right now. The latest season saw the MLS sell a whopping nine U23 players overseas, with the clubs ranging from Barcelona to Rosenborg. Even the Chicago Fire … Read more
In 1960, the first European Championship was held in France. Four countries participated in the inaugural tournament: France, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union. Hosts France was, on paper, the best side: two years earlier, they advanced to the World Cup semifinals, and they had one of the world’s best forwards in Just Fontaine. However, … Read more
Over the years, many of the Czech Republic’s finest players have featured in the German Bundesliga. Tomáš Rosický spent five years with Borussia Dortmund, having left Sparta Prague when he was 20. Jiří Němec spent nine years with Dortmund’s rivals Schalke 04, having also featured for Sparta. All-time top scorer Jan Koller spent five years … Read more
In the late 19th century, soccer was starting to gain popularity all across the world. Scotland and England played the first international match in 1872, with thousands showing up to watch a 0-0 draw. In 1888, the English Football League was founded. Nations nearby took notice, and soon founded their own clubs. Greece was one … Read more
Roma is a club with a long history of promoting players through its youth academy. Look at club legend Francesco Totti, for instance. No player in the club’s history has scored more goals, made more appearances, or assisted more strikes than Totti. The Italian forward spent his entire career at the club, originally joining the … Read more
For two consecutive World Cups, Colombia was one of the most exciting teams in the world. In 2014, they thrashed everyone in their group, advancing to the knockouts and eventually the quarter-finals by scoring 12 times in five games. In 2018, they were eliminated in the Round of 16, having scored six goals in four … Read more
This January, many of the best prospects in South America will face off in the South American Youth Football Championship. The tournament, essentially the Copa America for U20 players, has been a showcase for some of the continent’s stars in the past. Just look at some recent players. In 2017, Racing Club forward Lautaro Martínez … Read more
In 2011, a talented player from Uzbekistan joined Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala on loan. The 23-year-old midfielder had been one of the top players with Pakhtakor Tashkent for years, as well as impressing with the Uzbekistan national team as they reached the semifinals of the Asian Cup. This midfielder would go on to win countless … Read more