The 35-year-old Lionel Messi spent two decades at Barcelona after leaving his Argentina home as a young teenager. He won all possible club titles — including 10 LaLiga and four UEFA Champions League crowns — before leaving for his current club, Paris St.-Germain, in 2021. Following Argentina’s World Cup win in Qatar, Barcelona celebrated Messi […]
Mike Woitalla
Soccer America Executive Editor Mike Woitalla has written freelance articles about soccer for more than 30 media outlets in nine nations. The winner of eight United Soccer Coaches Writing Contest awards, he is the author of two books. He coaches and referees youth soccer, and is a "Soccer Without Borders" volunteer.
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Watch: Scenes from Argentina's homecoming
About 4 million people hit the streets of Buenos Aires after Lionel Messi and Co., returned with the World Cup trophy. The Argentine national team’s plane touched down at 3 a.m. The Argentine federal government declared the day a national holiday. The 50-mile victory parade through the capital was to finish up at the El Obelisco, […]
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Watch: The goal archive — 172 strikes from World Cup 2022
In the 64 World Cup 2022 games, 172 goals were scored for an average of 2.69 per game. That’s the highest goal total since the tournament was expanded in 1998 to 32 teams/64 games). Both the 1998 and 2014 World Cups saw 171 goals hit the net. * * * * * * * * * […]
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Watch: The BBC's colorful World Cup 2022 closing montage
A myriad rapid-fire highlights and off-field scenes accompany the British broadcaster’s farewell from the 2022 World Cup. It’s the latest from the BBC’s tradition of turning its credit reel into an entertaining recap. For this one, Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “The Power of Love” provides the soundtrack.
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Reaction: Five takes on the 2022 World Cup final
1. Argentina celeberates The third World Cup in Argentina’s history came after a long and frustrating 36-year drought following the 1986 title that had come only eight years after La Albiceleste’s first title in 1978 as host. The celebrations were massive. • Argentina Hits the Streets for Long-Awaited Celebration By Jack Nicas (The New York Times) 2. […]
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Watch: The 10 goals from the Messi-Mbappe Golden Boot quest
Tied for 2022 World Cup leading scorer at five apiece, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe will meet in Sunday’s Argentina-France final — as will two next highest scorers. * * * * * * * * * * Golden Boot: 2022 World Cup 5 goals Lionel Messi (Argentina) 3 assists5 Kylian Mbappe (France) 24 Julian […]
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American refs in Qatar: Two U.S. officials assigned to final; two on standby
Americans Ismael Elfath and Kyle Atkins will serve as fourth official and offside VAR, respectively, for the Argentina-France 2022 World Cup final on Sunday. Two other U.S. officials, Kathryn Nesbitt and Corey Parker, have been named reserve AR and standby AVAR for the final, which will be refereed by Poland’s Syzmon Marciniak with Polish assistant referees […]
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Watch: Argentines excel at soccer fandom
Singing, instead of chanting, has long made Argentine fans soccer’s most entertaining. At the 2014 World Cup, it was a song to the tune of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising” — starting with “Brasil decime que se siente, Tener en casa a tu papa” — that raised the level of soccer cheering to new […]
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Tony Meola on Berhalter-Reyna, the USA's bar for World Cup success, and rating its goalkeeper corps
Goalkeeper Tony Meola started every game for the USA at the 1990 World Cup — after helping it qualify for the first time in 40 years — and at the 1994 World Cup, when he served as captain. He was also a reserve on the USA’s 2002 World Cup quarterfinal team in the middle of […]
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Watch: Local news coverage of Syracuse's College Cup victory
On Monday in Cary, North Carolina, Syracuse beat Indiana in a PK shootout after a 2-2 tie to win the New York college’s first men’s soccer NCAA national title and the 80th national championship in Syracuse Athletics’ history. The Orange’s men’s basketball home game at the Dome was moved from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. […]