Human Interest

Good guy João Félix creates group chat for fans, or so it seems

Portuguese forward João Félix surprised fans a few days ago when he polled his followers via Instagram Stories about a possible group chat where they could talk directly with each other. The response was overwhelmingly positive and within an hour, the 23-year-old posted a second story with a link for fans to follow. 

Naples already preparing multi-day party for first Scudetto since Maradona era

NAPLES, Italy - The face of a young Diego Armando Maradona gazes down from a mural in Naples' Miracles Square, watching the city gear up for a celebration it hasn't enjoyed since the Argentine soccer star was at his peak more than 30 years ago.

Miracles for Neapolitans, who grew up in a city steeped in mysticism and superstition, are happening on the pitch, as their team cruise towards a third Serie A triumph and prepares for their first ever quarterfinal in the Champions League.

Player tries to return to game seconds after being resuscitated from cardiac arrest

Dragisa Gudelj is in stable condition.

A picture of Gudelj on Instagram, with two thumbs up and a big wide smile in his hospital room, is proof of his speedy recovery after the cardiac arrest he suffered on Saturday during a game between Córdoba and Racing Ferrol in the Spanish third division. 

Dragisa Gudelj cardiac arrest

The 25-year-old defender collapsed on the pitch in the 11th minute at El Arcángel Stadium. 

FIFPRO: Who thought a November-December World Cup was a good idea?

MANCHESTER, England - Global soccer players union FIFPRO said that the World Cup should never again be squeezed into a November-December window, and that Raphaël Varane's international retirement should ring alarm bells about the sport's smothering schedule.

FIFPRO released their World Cup 2022 Post-Tournament Review and Player Survey on Thursday, and said the results confirmed their fears around players' mental and physical fatigue and injury risk.

Syrian boy fulfills dream of meeting Cristiano Ronaldo after surviving earthquake

A boy from Syria who told rescue workers after a devastating earthquake in February that he wanted to meet Cristiano Ronaldo came face to face with his idol on Friday after being invited to watch his club Al Nassr play in Saudi Arabia.

Nabil Saeed made the request to rescue workers in Syria in a video shared on social media last month following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6.

More than 50,000 people have died as a result of the quake. The death toll in Syria is more than 5,900, authorities said.

We put together the best U.S. road trip routes for the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup — the first World Cup to ever be joint-hosted by three countries (USA–Mexico–Canada), will see the U.S. host 60 games in 11 stadiums across the country between June 8 and July 3 of that summer. It’s going to be nuts.

Messi named FIFA men's player of the year 2022

PARIS - Lionel Messi was named FIFA player of the year 2022 on Monday as Argentina scooped all major men's awards after winning a vintage World Cup final last December.

The 35-year-old forward scored two goals in the final against France, with the South Americans emerging triumphant on penalties following a 3-3 draw after extra time in Qatar.

‘Literally a tragedy’ — Missing footballer Atsu nearly left Turkey hours before earthquake hit

ANKARA — Missing footballer Christian Atsu was scheduled to fly out of southern Turkey hours before last week's devastating earthquake, but Hatayspor's manager said the Ghanaian opted to stay with the club after scoring a winning goal in their Feb. 5 Super Lig match.

"Atsu wanted to play more and asked for permission from his coach to leave if he wasn't going to get it," Hatayspor manager Fatih Ilek told a radio channel on Friday.

"He bought a ticket to fly to Istanbul, and from there to France. He was going to look for a club to get more playing time."

Trabzonspor fans honor rescue workers before emotional victory in Turkey

Soccer in Turkey has been a distant afterthought after the Feb. 6 earthquake that's claimed the lives of over 42,000 people.

The domestic Süper Lig has been postponed while two clubs — Gaziantep and Hatayspor — have withdrawn from the league. Hatayspor's Christian Atsu is still missing while recovery efforts continue in both Turkey and Syria.

Pages