It’s hard not to like Kylian Mbappé.
Time magazine announced he would become the fourth footballer to grace its cover on Thursday and the feature story on the 19-year-old included this statement on giving his $500,000 World Cup bonus to charity.
“(It) does not change my life, but it changes theirs,” Mbappé said.
What’s not to love?
Handed the unenviable task of leading the USMNT forward following its worst result in program history, interim boss Dave Sarachan has named the 24-player pool for a pair of October friendlies that could mark the end of his stint as caretaker manager. The U.S. will host Colombia in Tampa, Florida, and Peru in East Hartford, Connecticut, and then it's rumored that USMNT General Manager Earnie Stewart could make his final selection by the time a pair of November friendlies against England and Italy roll around.
The first African player to win the Ballon d’or. A successful run for the Liberian presidential candidacy. George Weah has shown time after time that he can do it all.
The Liberian legend proved yet again that he is no ordinary man when he featured for his home country in a friendly against Nigeria on Tuesday at the ripe old age of 51. Weah played a respectable 79 minutes in his side’s 2-1 loss and was honored after the game in a ceremony to retire his No. 14 jersey. He scored 22 goals in 60 appearances during his international career.
In the 65th minute of tonight’s “friendly” between the USMNT and Mexico in Nashville, U.S. defender Matt Miazga triggered six minutes of absolute bedlam after finally getting the better of 18-year-old Mexican phenom Diego Lainez. The diminutive (5 ft 5.5 in) Club America winger was probably the highlight of an otherwise tame first half.
He absolutely diced U.S. captain Wil Trapp and feasted on him at one point. It was frightening.
With Chile in Suwon for an international friendly against South Korea, 24-year-old midfielder Diego Valdes, who plays his club ball for Morelia in Liga MX, played the most abhorrent sort of tourist while posing for a photograph with a South Korean fan using the derogatory ‘slant-eyed’ gesture.
The USMNT plays host to Mexico tonight at Nissan Stadium in Nashville for the 68th meeting between the CONCACAF rivals. Mexico leads the all-time series with a record of 34W-18L-15D, and while victory is always of the utmost importance in this historic matchup, there’s no getting around the fact that this is an encounter between two very young sides that are casting their first covetous glances towards the 2022 World Cup cycle.
Brazil plays the second match of its post-World Cup tour on Tuesday after recording a solid 2-0 win over the USMNT in New Jersey last Friday. The Seleção will be looking to turn on the style against El Salvador — ranked 72nd in the FIFA World Rankings — at FedExField in Landover, Maryland after encountering an organized American side that was anchored by the stellar play of center back Matt Miazga.
Manchester United and England defender Luke Shaw carried his fine form into England’s friendly against Spain today while delivering a truly gorgeous assist to the put the Three Lions up early, but the 23-year-old was subsequently stretchered off in the 53rd minute after being knocked unconscious following a collision with Spain’s Dani Carvajal.
Shaw has started all four of Manchester United’s Premier League matches this season, and it was his finely taken goal that gave the Red Devils all three points against Leicester back in August.
I don’t normally abuse my position as a writer at The18 to bring you solely what I would like to bring you — the golden rule for hacks like me is to give the people what the people want — except when it comes Xherdan Shaqiri.