Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 109 i Soccer 360 Magazine

“SOME CLUBS HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONALITY QUIRKS THAT ARE VERY HARD TO SHAKE AND PERHAPS NEED TO BE EMBRACED.” Tottenham Hotspur have the very rare honour - or is it shame? Probably shame - of having an entire term coined about them. That term is Spursy. It sums up a unique ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory not once, but so many times with absolutely no respite that every season begins to feel like some disturbingly Sisyphean struggle. Every year they invariably start the campaign with a new coach, brand new players, the same old hope that this time will be different, and yet the Spursiness is just waiting to emerge at the right moment. There has to be a little bit of light first, just to…

BUKAYO SAKA - ARSENAL It has been five years since Arsenal won a trophy. That FA Cup win in 2019-20 coincided with the breakthrough of then teenager Bukayo Saka at the Gunners. Since then, the English winger has had all the hopes of the home support pinned on him. Still only 23, Saka has already made over 250 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal. RAHEEM STERLING - LIVERPOOL Making his bow in 2012 at the age of 17, Sterling became a key member of the Liverpool team under boss Brendan Rodgers and his importance only increased after the departure of star man Luis Suarez in 2014. The Reds would end up relying heavily on the young winger until he chose to leave for Manchester City the following year. NEYMAR JR…

For many years in the Premier League, a select group of clubs held all the power and were more or less untouchable. Through the majority of the 2000s, the quartet of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United were almost certain to occupy the top four places - the only question mark being which order they would finish in. Into the next decade and the Big Four became the Big Six, with Tottenham and a newly moneyed Manchester City added to the elite. But now, the landscape feels altogether different as although those sides still have the financial clout and immense prestige, other clubs have closed the gap to such an extent that the Premier League - in particular the battle for the top four and European places - is arguably…

YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE PLAYERS WHO ALWAYS LOOKS SO HAPPY PLAYING THE GAME? I am always serious about winning - but just because I am serious about winning I still want to enjoy myself and play with a smile on my face. LIVERPOOL HAVE SO MUCH ATTACKING ABILITY - HOW HARD DO YOU NEED TO WORK TO EARN A PLACE IN THE STARTING 11? You always want to play - but we have so many quality attacking players at Liverpool. When you want to be successful in the league, in Europe, and in domestic cup competitions - you have to accept there is going to be rotation. LIVERPOOL HAVE BEEN RIDICULOUSLY STRONG IN ALL COMPETITIONS - IS THERE ANY PRIORITY? Liverpool have such special fans - and our objective…

Don’t call it a comeback, Moise Kean has been around for years. At Fiorentina he’s proved to be a knockout in a sensational campaign that has restored his tarnished reputation in Italy. Unfairly mocked for drawing a blank at Juventus last term, many questioned why the Viola spent $13m on a striker that didn’t score a single goal all year. In truth, he wasn’t given a chance, as a troublesome shin injury kept Kean sidelined while coach Massimiliano Allegri often left him on the bench. Marginalised and denigrated, the 24-year-old became something of a scapegoat as the Old Lady frequently stumbled in another unsatisfactory season. However, things can change very quickly in football and the Italy forward has been einvigorated and replenished under new Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino, finding the…

LAST SEASON INTER WON SERIE A - WHAT IS THE PRIORITY THIS SEASONS? My answer is that I want to win everything. The thing is with winning is that the feeling becomes addictive. You work hard in training in games so you can be rewarded at the end of the season. WHAT DO YOU PUT INTER’S RECENT SUCCESS DOWN TO? We obviously have a great group of players, one of the best coaches, but just as importantly we are a very united team. There is a great togetherness with everybody at the club. YOU HAVE CREATED A GREAT STRIKE PARTNERSHIP WITH MARCUS THURAM. WHAT’S THE SECRET? There is no secret - but we have a very good understanding with each other on the pitch. Sometimes he drops out wide or…

The idea of Valencia being relegated to Segunda Division may appear absurd from outside the La Liga bubble. Champions on no fewer than six occasions and an illustrious name in European football, Los Che have been a fixture in the Spanish top-flight for decades and despite not being the force of old, they have survived turmoil and Gary Neville to remain at the top table. However, at the end of 2024, years of financial mismanagement and poor performances finally looked to be coming to a climax. Fan protests over Peter Lim’s leadership continue to increase in volume and with only two wins all season on the board, the club needed something drastic to change course. As it turned out, Christmas was selected as the time to make the switch as…

‘BAYERN ARE IN A STRONG POSITION TO REGAIN THE TITLE AS THE SEASON VEERS TOWARDS ITS BUSINESS END’ Such is the often beautiful unpredictability of sport and football in particular, it does have the ability to take us totally by surprise from time to time. There are unexpected results, player transfers that nobody sees coming, and managerial sackings that don’t appear to make much sense from the outside. That is all accepted as part of the game, but Bayern Munich’s decision to appoint Vincent Kompany as head coach last summer was a development that wrong-footed just about everyone. True, the Manchester City legend was far from the first choice for the role as Bayern courted several other candidates first and even tried to convince outgoing boss Thomas Tuchel to stay…

Aged still only 21, Benjamin Sesko’s career has already advanced very quickly. One of the standout pupils of the Red Bull production line, the Slovenian soon followed up his emergence as a prolific goalscorer for RB Salzburg by becoming one of the most sought after attacking players in Europe just one season after making the step-up to the Bundesliga with sister club RB Leipzig. For so much of last summer, it looked like Sesko was in line to be making a swift exit from Saxony having scored 18 goals in 2023-24, a record which included a run of finding the net in seven consecutive Bundesliga games - the youngest player to achieve that feat. After also impressing with his national team at Euro 2024, a queue of top clubs pursued…

CANADA’S ALPHONSO DAVIES’ LAST-MINUTE EQUALIZER AGAINST CELTIC In a dramatic encounter, Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies scored a stop-page-time equalizer to draw 1-1 against Celtic, resulting in a 3-2 aggregate victory for Bayern. RECORD-BREAKING MATCHDAY 5 Matchday 5 of the league phase set a new record for the highest-scoring matchweek in Champions League history, with 67 goals scored across 18 games. This offensive explosion surpassed the previous record of 63 goals set during the 2000/01 season. KYLIAN MBAPPÉ’S RECORD-BREAKING HAT-TRICK Mbappé scored three goals in just 21 minutes against Manchester City, eliminating them from the tournament. This was the fastest hat-trick in Champions League knockout history. MANCHESTER CITY’S FIRST EARLY EXIT UNDER GUARDIOLA For the first time in seven seasons, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City failed to reach the quarter-finals. This ended…

‘DESCHAMPS MADE HISTORY IN 2018 AS ONLY THE THIRD MAN TO WIN THE WORLD CUP AS A PLAYER AND AS A COACH’ When legendary former captain Didier Deschamps was handed the reins of the France national team back in 2012, a lot needed to change. The country was just coming to terms with its latest in a lengthening line of footballing failures and it was crystal clear that a new direction was needed. Discipline had to be restored; the pride of playing for Les Bleus had been lost and the volume of quality players available had visibly dwindled. So, the France Football Federation turned to Deschamps, their greatest ever leader on the field, to lead the revolution. And what a revolution it’s been. In a long and illustrious tenure, Deschamps…

Any soccer or futbol supporter will tell you that they love drama. Whether it is on the pitch during a tight game or off it as teams make a flurry of moves and changes a good dose of drama always adds to the action. If the offseason is any indication, then the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League should be full of drama this year. After a frenetic 2024 final which saw the Orlando Pride stave off the Washington Spirit to earn their first title the thought was that maybe perhaps supporters would be in for a quiet offseason. Instead, what everyone received was a constant deluge of player moves and news. After a 2024 campaign which saw the likes of Christine Sinclair, Becky Sauerbrunn, Alex Morgan, Desiree Scott, Quinn, and…

With football giants like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich alongside top teams from South America, Africa, Asia, and beyond, this tournament promises to be a true global spectacle. The idea of an international tournament with clubs from around the globe competing for supremacy is not a foreign concept. A true Club World Cup has always been something that a sizeable number of fans of the beautiful game have desired. A proper competition showcasing the elite teams from every continent seems like the dream of any soccer fan. But now that the competition finally does exist, there has also been plenty of controversy surrounding it. To be clear, this summer’s tournament will not be the first intercontinental club competition. In fact, there have been variations dating back to the…

INTER MIAMI While there have been some debate as to whether Inter Miami should even be participating in the tournament considering they didn’t win MLS Cup, but the Supporters’ Shield, there is no question the tournament could use the star power that Lionel Messi and friends provide. Even though most fans aren’t expecting Inter Miami to go too far in the competition, tickets to watch them play will still be highly in demand. FLUMINENSE After winning the 2023 Copa Libertadores, the Brazilian giants were runner-up in the latest edition of the FIFA Club World Cup in Saudia Arabia. Placed in a group with Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns FC, Fluminense will fancy their chances of qualification to the knockout round. SEATTLE SOUNDERS The Seattle Sounders booked their place…

‘YAMAL HAS ALREADY SHOWN MANY REASONS AS TO WHY HE IS LIKELY TO BECOME A LONG-TERM SUCCESS RATHER THAN DRIFT AWAY’ On 17th August 2002, an unknown English teenager made his debut for Everton Football Club. The match was against Tottenham in the opening game of the 2002-03 Premier League season. According to reports, whenever this baby-faced player touched the ball, Spurs fans chanted ‘Who are ya?’. Those in the know knew exactly who he was, after all, at the age of 14 he was representing Everton U19’s, at the age of 15 he was playing for England U17’s. And at the start of the 2002-03 season, he was just 16 years old. Weeks later he was burying Arsenal’s 30-game unbeaten record with a last-minute winner. His name was Wayne…

The future of football is in good hands. Across the globe, a new generation of young stars is proving that age is just a number. From teenage sensations lighting up Europe’s top leagues to emerging prospects on the verge of a breakthrough, these players are already showing glimpses of world-class potential. Whether they’re dictating play in midfield, scoring stunning goals, or making game-changing saves, these rising stars are set to shape the next era of the sport. In this list, we highlight 20 players under 20 who are destined for greatness. Some are already making headlines, while others are on the verge of their big break. With raw talent, incredible skill, and the hunger to succeed, these young footballers are the ones to watch as they continue their rise to…

FA CUP UPSET In a historic FA Cup fourth-round match on February 9, 2025, Championship side Plymouth Argyle eliminated Premier League leaders Liverpool with a 1–0 victory, marking one of the competition’s most significant upsets. ​ NEW RULE Starting from the 2025–26 season, goalkeepers holding the ball for more than eight seconds will concede a corner kick to the opposing team. This rule aims to address time-wasting tactics and was approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). NEW TECHNOLOGY The Premier League has implemented semi-automated offside technology this season to enhance the accuracy and speed of offside decisions. However, its debut faced challenges, where a record eight-minute VAR check occurred due to technical difficulties, leading to confusion among players and fans. SALAH RECORDS Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been in…

HE EXPRESSED HAPPINESS AT THE DEAL WHICH IS LIKE SAYING THAT YOU’RE HAPPY WITH YOUR NEW MANSION WHEN YOU ALREADY OWN TEN! WHEN YOU’RE SCORING WITH MORE REGULARITY THAN WAYNE GRETZKY, THE ACCOUNTANTS AT MANCHESTER CITY PROBABLY VIEW YOU AS LESS OF A FINANCIAL BURDEN AND MORE OF A MINTING MACHINE. Have you ever seen a two-hundred-million-pound smile? If not, you just might fancy checking out the video of Erling Haaland moments after Manchester City’s very own Viking pillaged his way through the club’s cash reserves. Inevitably, he expressed happiness at the deal which is like saying that you’re happy with your new mansion when you already own ten! It’s a lot of dough but doesn’t come close to making him the planet’s highest paid footballer. A moot point because…

BIG SPENDERS Serie A strugglers Como were the biggest spenders in the 2025 winter transfer window spending big to sign ten new players for the first team, including goalkeeper Jean Butez, Jonathan Ikoné, and Alex Valle. Como also signed Dele Alli on a free transfer. Top Spenders Como €49.2m, Milan €48.5m, Juventus €25.2m MARKET REFORM Proposed Transfer Market Reform Serie A is advocating for the transfer window to close before the season starts, aiming to stabilize squads early. This proposal aligns with England’s stance but faces resistance from other European leagues. TITLE RACE The 2024/25 Serie A season has delivered one of the most thrilling title races in recent memory. With only a handful of points separating Inter Milan, Napoli, and Atalanta, the fight for the Scudetto is wide open…

RONALDO MADE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE SAUDI LEAGUE BEING SUPERIOR TO THE FRENCH LEAGUE WHICH SEEM TO RILE YOU? It is not they made me angry - but you can’t debate something when there is no evidence for one side. PSG is one of the great clubs of Europe in a very good league. Maybe only Spain and England can for sure say they are a superior league. I can’t even reply to a suggestion that the Saudi League is superior - there is nothing to say. YOU SIGNED KYLE WALKER IN THE JANUARY WINDOW FROM MANCHESTER CITY. WHAT WILL HE ADD TO THE TEAM? It was an opportunity we could not pass up - to sign a player of that quality. He has won everything with City - and…

For the best part of a decade, the Torjägerkanone award as the Bundesliga’s top scorer belonged almost exclusively to Robert Lewandowski, until his departure for Barcelona in 2022. The indications so far suggest that his successor as Bayern Munich’s leading frontman is going to have a similarly vice-like grip on the trophy, as Harry Kane surges towards what is poised to be his second in as many seasons since arriving from Tottenham Hotspur. Kane struck 36 times in the league in his debut campaign to continue his longstanding reputation as one of Europe’s most lethal finishers, and this time around he’s just about on course to equal or perhaps beat that mark in what is looking increasingly like a one-horse race for leading marksman. For a while this term the…

‘IF LIVERPOOL COULD WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IT WOULD BE UNDERSTANDABLE IF THOSE WEARING RED IN THE CITY BEGAN TO ASK THE QUESTION, “JÜRGEN WHO?”’ When Jürgen Klopp announced that he was stepping down as Liverpool manager in January 2024, it was understandable that most fans were worried about what would come next. The German coach had revolutionised the way the club was run from top to bottom but it still looked far behind Manchester City in terms of potential. Now, the Reds are top of the Premier League and looking good for the Champions League too. Can a seventh European crown become a reality? It is an old-fashioned idea these days but Liverpool used to rely on the boot room system. When one massively successful manager felt it was…

The new, expanded formats of the European club competitions have thrown up a few surprises this season. But with no Champions League clubs parachuting into the Europa League after the opening phase, the second biggest prize on the continent still has a stellar list of clubs battling it out for glory. It is perhaps a sign of how competitive some of the bigger leagues are these days that the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham, Lazio, and Ajax all go into the round of 16 as favourites for the trophy. All of those sides have been regulars in the Champions League recently but now must be content with capping off their season with a Europa League triumph. The English clubs are regarded as the favourites but are both experiencing problems on…

For the first time next year there will be 48 teams contesting the men’s FIFA World Cup, and a quarter of them will be from Europe. With more places available at the tournament than ever before, UEFA has devised a whole new qualification process which will get underway in March, where the Nations League also has a major part to play. There are no fewer than 12 groups, each containing either four or five teams, with the winners qualifying automatically and the runners-up heading into the play-offs alongside four other sides based on Nations League rankings. While on the one hand fewer games means less margin for error, this format means the there aren’t as many potential banana skins for most of the favourites. For example, whereas the absence of…

“I FELL ON MY FACE THREE TIMES AS A PLAYER. SO FINALLY TO COME BACK TO THE CLUB THAT IS HOME FOR ME, I’M JUST, I’M PROUD.” Thirty years is a pivotal year in any person or organization’s life. In a person’s life it marks a transition a change from being a young adult to just being an adult. Figuring things out takes on more of a priority as spouses, children, and work become more and more important (also, bills). The same can be said for organizations or companies. A lot of businesses last twenty years but thirty years is a major milestone. Much like many of their supporters and their peers MLS is at a pivotal year entering year thirty. After years looking to just survive, the league seems…

GROUP A PALMEIRAS (BRAZIL) Qualification: 2021 Copa Libertadores Champions Overview: A dominant force in South American football, Palmeiras secured their spot by clinching the 2021 Copa Libertadores title. FC PORTO (PORTUGAL) Qualification: UEFA Ranking Pathway Overview: One of Portugal’s most successful clubs, FC Porto qualified through UEFA’s ranking system, reflecting consistent performances in European competitions. AL AHLY (EGYPT) Qualification: Winners of the 2020-21, 2022-23, and 2023-24 CAF Champions League Overview: Africa’s most decorated club, Al Ahly, earned their place by dominating the CAF Champions League in recent years. INTER MIAMI CF (USA) Qualification: Hosts; 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield Winners Overview: As the host nation’s representative, Inter Miami secured their spot by finishing atop the MLS GROUP B PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (FRANCE) Qualification: UEFA Ranking Pathway Overview: France’s premier club, PSG, qualified…

THAT’S NOT NICE! Former Chelsea and Galatasaray star Didier Drogba responds on X to claims accusing his former coach, Jose Mourinho, of racism. X MUM KNOWS BEST Injured Manchester United star Lisandro Martinez warmed hearts after sharing snaps from his mother’s visit. Instagram THE LAST LAUGH Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. posted a cryptic message on X after Manchester City fans unveiled a banner mocking him over Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win. Madrid had the last laugh, winning the match 3-2. X CELEBRATION DAY Mohamed Salah shares photos of himself decorating for Ramadan with his daughter ahead of the start of the holy month. Instagram FAN BOY Chelsea star Cole Palmer meets his idol, the legendary Jamaican artist Vybz Kartel, in a star-studded London gathering. Instagram PUMPING IRON Thierry Henry and…

APRIL 29 2023 - BARCA DEBUT Makes debut for Barcelona as a replacement for Gavi in the 83rd minute in the 4-0 win against Real Betis. Registers his first shot on target for the club. MAY 14 2023 - LA LIGA WINNER Earns a La Liga winners medal as a member of the Barcelona squad that wins the title for the 2022-23 season. MAY 30 2023 - U17 STAR Scores the consolation goal as Spain are knocked out of the U17 European Championship at the semi-final stage by France. Yamal is named in the team of the tournament. SEPTEMBER 8 2023 - SPAIN’S YOUNGEST SCORER Scores on his debut for the Spain national senior team in a 7-1 Euro 2024 qualifying win over Georgia, becoming their youngest ever goalscorer. OCTOBER…

‘MAN CITY BEGAN TO CRASH AND BURN IN A MANNER THAT NOBODY COULD HAVE FORESEEN’ As the curtain was being raised for the 2024-25 Premier League season, you would’ve been fairly hard-pressed to find someone who did not expect Manchester City to be parading their fifth consecutive title success nine months later - and with very good reason. The relentlessness of Pep Guardiola’s side during an unprecedented spell of dominance had given them a well-earned aura of invincibility, as they continued to reign supreme despite exceptional attempts on their crown by Arsenal and Liverpool. When Man City are around, dropped points have been more fatal than at any other period in the history of the English game. Liverpool in 2020 are the only side to have loosened City’s stranglehold on…

Ever since he arrived in the Premier League in 2022, the Golden Boot has belonged to Erling Haaland. With an amazing 36 goals scored in his debut campaign followed by a slightly more modest 27 last term, the phenomenal Norwegian has routinely terrorised defences and the full potential of his predatory instincts has been realised by an imperious Manchester City side. But he faces an unexpected battle on his hands to make it three in a row. With 10 goals in the opening five games including successive hat-tricks against Ipswich Town and West Ham United, it looked like the race for the Golden Boot was effectively over before it had even begun, yet as Man City’s form began on its remarkable slide, his goalscoring started to slow down too. That…

‘THIS HAS DEVELOPED INTO ONE OF THE MOST UNPREDICTABLE SERIE A SEASONS IN YEARS’ ANTONIO CONTE NAPOLI BY THE NUMBERS GAMES 28 WINS 18 DRAWS 06 LOSSES 04 ‘IT WOULD BE AN INCREDIBLE FEAT IF CONTE CAN GUIDE NAPOLI BEYOND INTER AND ATALANTA TO A MAGNIFICENT FOURTH SCUDETTO’ Then there were three. After two seasons marked by the outright dominance of a single club there is finally a legitimate title race in Serie A. Napoli and Inter left everyone else in a haze of dust after speeding to the Scudetto in the last couple of editions of the Italian championship. Now there is a third contender alongside the Partenopei and Nerazzurri as Gian Piero Gasperini’s thrilling Atalanta side have emerged as genuine challengers in what has developed into one of…

A new name will be added to the distinguished ranks of capocannoniere winners this season. Making bold predictions in the ever-changing calcio universe usually backfires spectacularly but the leading Serie A goalscorer will almost certainly come from one of two outstanding candidates. Neither Mateo Retegui nor Moise Kean would have featured very highly, if at all, on lists of potential leading marksmen when the 2024-2025 edition of Serie A began. Yet after an unexpected switch from Genoa to Atalanta, the Argentinian-born striker leads the way heading into the final stretch of the season. When Gianluca Scamacca sustained a devastating cruciate ligament injury just before the season kicked off, La Dea moved swiftly to recruit the Italy international. It has proved to be an utterly inspired capture. Nothing suggested Retegui would…

‘‘AFTER A SLOW START, KYLIAN MBAPPE IS HITTING HIS BEST LEVELS FOR REAL MADRID’’ The La Liga title race almost always guarantees a few twists and turns before its completion and the revival of Real Madrid will ensure that 2024-25 is no different. The start of 2025 has seen Carlo Ancelotti do what both he and Real Madrid do best, hit full power at the clutch moment. A stuttering end to 2024 had Los Blancos trailing both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid with their UEFA Champions League progression also in doubt, however anyone questioning how the second half of the season would play out has clearly not witnessed Ancelotti in full flight before. Speculation over his future in Madrid would have caused many of his rivals to stumble, but Ancelotti has…

The 2023-24 season witnessed a change in the La Liga top scorer race as two strikers from unfancied teams scrapped it out until the final day of the campaign. Artem Dovbyk’s 24 goals at Girona edged out Alexander Sorloth’s 23 for Villarreal in a change from the established order in this particular metric. Those goals secured summer transfer moves for the pair as Dovbyk headed to AS Roma and Sorloth joined Atletico Madrid and Girona qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history. However, the two main contenders this season are household names of the highest order and all in all the race has an old school feel about it - not just as a Barcelona v Real Madrid rivalry - but as two main central…

AUGSBURG RECORD Augsburg’s goalkeeper, Finn Dahmen, set a new club record by maintaining a clean sheet for 433 consecutive minutes during a goalless draw against SC Freiburg. TRANSFERS Bayern Munich focused on future investments, securing Bajung Darboe from Los Angeles FC 2 for €1.5 million and Jonas Urbig from FC Köln for €7 million. Hoffenheim made a notable acquisition by signing Gift Orban from Lyon for €9 million, aiming to strengthen their attacking options. ADVANTAGE There were eight away victories across a single matchday for just the second time ever in Bundesliga history, as home sides failed to win at all for just the 10th time ever. Playing at home is meant to offer a significant advantage but that was not the case on Matchday 24, with eight of the…

One team in this season’s Champions League competition will have an extra reason for wanting to get to the final. If Bayern Munich navigate the next few rounds, it will give them a chance to avenge a painful defeat - at their own ground - 13 years ago. Bayern had missed out on the chance to add to their impressive honours list just two years earlier when they were beaten by Inter. Their opponents in 2012 would be a Chelsea side who had lost their first-ever final in 2008. Both teams had eased through to the final, with Chelsea not conceding a single goal at home in the group phase and Bayern managing to put seven past Basel in their round of 16 match. This was to be only the…

For the first time in its short history, the UEFA Nations League has introduced a quarter-final stage, with four tantalising match-ups to come at the end of March with the competition set to be played to a finish in June. The line-up for the last eight includes all three previous winners along with most of Europe’s other international heavyweights, so it promises to be a high-quality and hotly contested battle for this latest piece of silverware. After the scintillating manner in which they won last year’s European Championships, defending champions Spain have to be considered the marginal favourites from here. They face a tricky encounter against an at times unpredictable Netherlands side, and Ballon D’Or winner Rodri will be missing from their midfield, but La Roja should have enough to…

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, here are key aspects and updates for this landmark season:​ 01 SAN DIEGO FC JOINS MLS: The league has expanded to include San Diego FC as its 30th team. The club made a historic debut by defeating the reigning champions, LA Galaxy, in their first match—a feat no other expansion team has achieved. ​ 02 REGULAR SEASON: Commenced on February 22, 2025, with each team scheduled to play 34 matches. The season will conclude with Decision Day on October 18, 2025, determining playoff positions. 03 MID-SEASON BREAKS: There will be a pause from June 15 to 24 to accommodate the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Notably, Inter Miami CF and Seattle Sounders FC will represent MLS in the Club World…

PARIS ST-GERMAIN VS ATLETICO MADRID - JUNE 15 With the two European superpowers locking horns at the site of the 1994 World Cup Final on day two of the competition, how could one not be excited? Both PSG and Atletico will be travelling to the United States with the objective of winning the entire tournament and they will be looking to get off to a positive start in Pasadena. BOTAFOGO VS SEATTLE SOUNDERS - JUNE 15 The Seattle Sounders host the 2024 Copa Libertadores champions in front of what should be a raucous crowd at Lumen Field. The Sounders have always had some of the most passionate fans in Major League Soccer and that enthusiasm will be on full display when they kick off the Club World Cup at home.…

Fernando Torres (March 20, 1984) Spain, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea, AC Milan Due to his consistent goalscoring as a young player, Fernando Torres came to be nicknamed El Niño (‘The Kid’), which stuck with him throughout his career. Torres started his career with Atlético Madrid, progressing through their youth system to the first team. He made his debut in 2001 and left the club with 75 goals in 174 La Liga appearances. Torres joined Premier League club Liverpool in 2007 and became the fastest player in Liverpool history to score 50 league goals. In 2008, he finished third for both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year. Torres is currently the manager of Atletico Madrid B. Mikel Arteta (March 26, 1982) Spain, Everton, Arsenal He is one…