International Football
Why are centre-halves taking, and missing, so many penalties at the World Cup?
When identifying players best suited to taking a penalty, you would probably think of ability, technique and ball striking as…
The greatest World Cup comebacks of all-time: From Lionel Messi heroics to ruthless Belgium
By the end, it felt inevitable — but Lionel Messi and Argentina’s World Cup comeback to beat Egypt was statistically…
The remarkable story of Lionel Messi’s meeting with a baby Lamine Yamal
A version of this article was first published in July 2024.“It was a difficult shot,” photographer Joan Monfort told The…
World Cup predictions: Brazil vs Norway and Mexico vs England
Welcome to The Athletic’s daily World Cup Predictions.This article gives you the lowdown on all today’s games but with the…
Is this the best USMNT ever? Are World Cup win-or-go-home games bringing back the fun? Day 21 recap
Get free access to the most comprehensive World Cup coverage in The Athletic appThere’s only one place to start when…
The anatomy of a World Cup implosion: 40 minutes that broke Senegal and revived Belgium
Nobody inside the stadium could foresee the most preposterous of World Cup comebacks.Well nobody except, perhaps, Belgium manager Rudi Garcia,…
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