With the dawn of a new era under Todd Boehly has come a new culture at Chelsea – buying talented young players to build a team of fresh blood anew. Ever since the beginning of the new takeover at Chelsea in 2022, they have signed 22 players aged 22 or under at the time of signing, except Willian Estevao and Kendry Paez, who are to move to London in the summer of 2025, highlighting the focus of the Chelsea higher-ups to sign youngsters for the project. With over £700 million spent purchasing youngsters, Chelsea has tilted more towards building a young squad, effectively tying them to long-term ..read more

A tale of opposite sides of a coin as Spain and France face off in the semi-finals of the 2024 European Championship. Spain and France have endured contrasting fates in the Euros until the quarter-finals. The battle of the tournament’s best offence against its best defence is upon us. Spain has provided maximum entertainment for the fans in each game in the tournament, playing free-flowing football and drawing accolades from fans and rivals. Coming into the Euros, they were not seen as contenders for the trophy but have proven themselves capable, slaying Germany, Georgia, Italy and Croatia and ..read more

The group stage of the 2024 Copa América is over, and while some surprise names have made it through the groups, there are further stories yet to be written in this year’s competition. Here are the eight quarterfinalists, hoping to go one step further.  Written off by many prior to this year’s Copa América, Canada have grinded their way into the knockout stages with gritty performances that have featured resolute defending, outstanding goalkeeping, and plenty of physicality. Head coach Jesse Marsch had just two friendlies under his belt before his side’s opening defeat to Argentina. Losin ..read more

A thumping opener from Germany to kick off their campaign, an underdog story for Slovakia against Belgium, Kylian Mbappe suffering a broken nose, N’Golo Kante covering the length of the pitch, a 3-1 thriller between Georgia and Turkey all in the opening round of matches in what promises to be an exciting European tournament. So far, we have been left in awe at the excitement generated by the Euro 2024 this early into the tournament – a couple of unlikely heroes and villains have taken centre stage. Embed from Getty Images Germany, alongside Spain, are tied for the most Euro trophies, three eac ..read more

When Marcelo Bielsa was appointed Uruguay head coach in May 2023, he became just their second foreign coach following fellow Argentine Daniel Passarella’s spell between 1999 and 2001. Passarella was a flop; his results were poor, and he was unpopular among supporters. He resigned, without taking La Celeste to a major tournament after falling out with senior figures in the AUF. In contrast, Bielsa has breathed new life into this Uruguayan side and has the backing of the supporters. His clear style of play has given Uruguay an identity under which they have prospered. There have been stutters, i ..read more

We witnessed a pure gem in Ansu Fati when he first broke onto the scene in 2019 at just 16-years-old, touted as the heir to Messi – an impressive talent with the world at his feet, and then came the season-ending injury. Before his injury, Ansu Fati was phenomenal, becoming Barcelona’s youngest La Liga and UEFA Champions League goal scorer. He also held the record for the youngest goal scorer with the Spanish national team before the emergence of another La Masia talent in Lamine Yamal, who has now broken the above records except in the Champions League. Embed from Getty Images Ansu Fati was p ..read more

Also affectionately known as the Matildas, the Australian women’s football team are a force to be reckoned with on the international stage. Having steadily climbed the ranks of international football in recent years, they’re not just participants at the 2024 Olympics in Paris – they’re genuine contenders for the gold medal. Here’s why should you be excited about their Olympic prospects: A team loaded with experience and success The Australian Women’s Football team are no strangers to the international spotlight. After showcasing their dominance in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) with a ..read more

Jack Grealish was arguably the biggest name to miss out when Gareth Southgate named his England squad for Euro 2024 last Thursday.  Grealish can count himself unlucky in some ways, England has a talented pool of attacking players to choose from, and a big name was always likely to miss out. But does Grealish have to look at himself and take responsibility for his omission? Or can he bemoan bad timing, given England’s current strength in depth in the attacking half of the pitch? Embed from Getty Images One of the tournament favourites England is stacked with stars. And as a result, they ar ..read more

Born in England to a French-Algerian mother and a Nigerian father, Micheal Olise has the luxury of picking from a list of four countries to represent on the international stage, but he has yet to. The 2024 Euros is in sight. Michael Olise has been overlooked from the squad list for the England and France national teams after already appearing for France youth teams at the U18 and U21 levels. It feels like an injustice when his performance for Crystal Palace in the just concluded Premier League season is considered. Embed from Getty Images Oliver Glasner on Michael Olise: I think everybody kno ..read more

The post-Moyes era has already begun. Life under Julen Lopetegui is already taking shape. Yet to take charge of his first game for West Ham, Julen Lopetegui is making moves at his new job amidst reports of signing 28-year-old Brazilian centre-back Fabricio Bruno for West Ham, a sign of things to come under the new Spanish boss. Lopetegui: A player has to see direction, knowledge, and an idea. He has to be convinced, above all. You have to find a way of conveying your ideas that wins him over. Embed from Getty Images Sevilla as a case study Julen Lopetegui often sets his team up in a 4-3-3 fo ..read more