Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi turns Brazil draw into breakout moment
The temptation, watching Ayyoub Bouaddi in a World Cup opener at 18, is to call him precocious. Resist it. Precocious […]
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Brazil vs Morocco opens a changed World Cup rivalry
Five World Cup titles and a calf injury are not compatible at a tournament opener. Brazil have both. Neymar won’t
USA vs Paraguay brings a forgotten World Cup record back
The most interesting thing about USA vs Paraguay is that it happened before, in Montevideo, in 1930, before MLS existed,
Valentín Barco steps into Argentina’s World Cup picture
Argentina beat Iceland 3-0 in Auburn, Alabama, last Tuesday. The result was unimportant. The eighth minute was worth watching, when
Bernardo Silva nears Real Madrid as Mourinho’s first move takes shape
Bernardo Silva’s path out of Manchester City has suddenly become part of something larger than a free-agent market. Real Madrid
José Mourinho returns to Real Madrid after 13 years
Real Madrid has gone back to the one coach it was never supposed to need again. Thirteen years on, José
Deschamps is making Mbappé central by design
Didier Deschamps doesn’t run France as a talent show. He captained the country to the 1998 World Cup, coached it
Messi plays against son of former Barcelona teammate
Football rarely offers a clean measure of how long someone has been at it. Sure, all those injuries, scars, and
Real Madrid’s $173 million Julián Álvarez bid gives Atlético new leverage
Real Madrid put $173 million on the table and got something more useful than Julián Álvarez. They got a story
FIFA warned of visa risk before Omar Artan’s World Cup exit
Omar Artan should’ve been a shoo-in. Somalia’s first referee at a men’s World Cup had worked the CAF Champions League