Memepocalypse now! Ancelotti. Endrick and the Brazilian content machine www.nytimes.com/athletic/738...

Colombia 1-0 DR Congo With 20 shots, it was ironic that the only one Colombia scored was the effort they did not direct themselves. Munoz's deflected winner puts them top of Group K — to stay there, they only need to draw with Portugal. W/ @jacklang.bsky.social:

Harry Kane loves NFL so much that at Tottenham he used to run the Fantasy Football league. Today he will finally play at the home of his beloved New England Patriots. My piece on his NFL fandom and his friendship with his hero Tom Brady. www.nytimes.com/athletic/737...

Lost my dad four years ago. Wrote this in Qatar. Another World Cup, this time on Father's Day. Wish he could've seen the book. Hard to be away from my family and kids, but making arroz con pollo today, thinking of my dad and sharing a meal with friends. www.nytimes.com/athletic/394...

“You have chosen to play. The baby will still be there afterwards.” “A World Cup is a unique moment. You’re going to walk away from that?” Reactionary garbage. Hats off to Jérémy Doku. Some things are far more important than football www.nytimes.com/athletic/737...

Starting Pitta against Turkey… Paraguay know how to fuck with you

Better from Brazil (Couldn’t really have been worse) www.nytimes.com/athletic/736...

My name is Jack Lang and I am addicted to Lucas Paquetá

EXCLUSIVE: Ivory Coast starting striker Elye Wahi arrested on suspicion of alleged fixing offences just two weeks before World Cup. The 23-year-old has not been charged but remains subject of an active investigation.

Who runs the England dressing room? And will Thomas Tuchel be able to solve the issues from Euro 2024? My piece ahead of England's opener tomorrow www.nytimes.com/athletic/734...

Yan Diomande: I see the fuss. Thoughts from Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador, won by a fine late Amad strike (but really, check out Singo's work in the build-up) — with @jacklang.bsky.social:

Ecuador start their World Cup campaign today. Second in South American qualifying despite a points deduction. Spoke to coach Sebastián Beccacece last year about their mean defence and why *not* playing at altitude has boosted their confidence www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães running back, slowly, painfully, for the rest of time

“It’s a very religious and very spiritual atmosphere." Paul Clement on working with the Brazil squad — & with Carlo Ancelotti again: "Carlo is always a great fit for a big team; big characters, big personalities. "They’re desperate for that sixth star on the shirt" www.nytimes.com/athletic/733...

At the Azteca, a beer-soaked feast for the eyes and soul www.nytimes.com/athletic/735...

At the Azteca, a beer-soaked feast for the eyes and soul www.nytimes.com/athletic/735...

“For many LGBTQ people, hearing it in a stadium recalls decades of discrimination, bullying and exclusion.” After a decade of fines and campaigns, can Mexican football finally banish ‘el grito homofóbico’? (Free to read) www.nytimes.com/athletic/734...

“For many LGBTQ people, hearing it in a stadium recalls decades of discrimination, bullying and exclusion.” After a decade of fines and campaigns, can Mexican football finally banish ‘el grito homofóbico’? (Free to read) www.nytimes.com/athletic/734...

Listen, fair play. We’re LIVE here: www.nytimes.com/athletic/liv...

The run-up. The technique. The clearly evil goalkeeper. The mind games. The 90s optimism. The haunting figure with a clipboard. The fallout. The agony and – yes, unironically – the glory. Diana Ross and the penalty: a love story (Free to read) www.nytimes.com/athletic/675...

The run-up. The technique. The clearly evil goalkeeper. The mind games. The 90s optimism. The haunting figure with a clipboard. The fallout. The agony and – yes, unironically – the glory. Diana Ross and the penalty: a love story (Free to read) www.nytimes.com/athletic/675...

Totti's bad acting, Roberto Carlos breaking the cage with a shot, burnt grass, Seol Ki-hyeon's entourage vs Ronaldinho and a t-shirt with 'Terry Gilliam made me sit in the corner' printed on it. The oral history of Nike's 2002 Secret Tournament ad (Free to read) www.nytimes.com/athletic/731...

“I win by losing games. I have relegated 42 football clubs since 2009, including some big ones." "This isn’t new. It’s been around for 30, 40 years. You know this. Let’s not try and block the sun with a sieve." Meet Brazil's RELEGATION KING (Free to read) www.nytimes.com/athletic/730...

“I win by losing games. I have relegated 42 football clubs since 2009, including some big ones." "This isn’t new. It’s been around for 30, 40 years. You know this. Let’s not try and block the sun with a sieve." Meet Brazil's RELEGATION KING (Free to read) www.nytimes.com/athletic/730...

He’s the man who claims to have sent down 42 sides. Meet the Relegation King. “Let’s not try and block the sun with a sieve. This has existed for a long time.” Part four of @theathleticfc.bsky.social’s match-fixing series, w/ @jacklang.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/athletic/730...

Totti's bad acting, Roberto Carlos breaking the cage with a shot, burnt grass, Seol Ki-hyeon's entourage vs Ronaldinho and a t-shirt with 'Terry Gilliam made me sit in the corner' printed on it. The oral history of Nike's 2002 Secret Tournament ad (Free to read) www.nytimes.com/athletic/731...

Spent the past eight months investigating fixing. The first in the seven-part series explores why experts believe corruption is rapidly growing - including at some of the world’s largest events. “It’s in every sport on every continent.” Free to read ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/730...

"I don’t know what we did to the football gods to make them so angry.” Mexico and the World Cup, a hard-luck love story, part of our new Language of Soccer series (Free to read) www.nytimes.com/athletic/709...

Brazil 6-2 Panama late last night. One for the long-time Lucas Paquetá tragics (hi!) (Free to read) www.nytimes.com/athletic/732...

🚨THURSDAY POD!🚨 @acjimbo.bsky.social, @oilysailor.bsky.social, @colinmillar.bsky.social & @jacklang.bsky.social cover the quest for silverware🏆 🔒Can Arsenal shut down PSG? 🦅Palace Euro glory with Reuben Pinder 🧠Why do Barca want Gordon? pod.fo/e/4211d9

The king of the playground (Free to read) www.nytimes.com/athletic/719...

Carlo Ancelotti has granted Neymar his World Cup wish. The wisdom — or otherwise — of that call will be now be the central theme of Brazil’s summer, for better or worse (Free to read) www.nytimes.com/athletic/728...

"Going up the mountain" www.nytimes.com/athletic/686...

A day in the life of the worst football team in the world www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

He used to be homeless. When I was at his salon, he got a phone call. He answered like this: "This is Mauro Shampoo from Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, broadcasting to the world. Footballer, hairdresser, man, at your service. Let’s go, show, show, show!" www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

This is Mauro Shampoo, the most iconic Brazilian footballer you've never heard of. "Pelé, Maradona & Zico were all No 10s, and so was I. I played for the worst team in the world, but I was still a No 10. I was the best of the worst, show." www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

Íbis SC call themselves 'the worst team in the world'. They once went four years without winning. Their mascot is called Little Defeat. Their biggest icon is a hairdresser called Mauro Shampoo, who only ever scored one goal for them. So why is everyone so... happy? www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

Between 1980 and 1984, Ibis won none of their 55 matches. Their goal difference over that period was minus 206. Ibis say this was the longest winless run in football history. They have attracted global fame as a result. @jacklang.bsky.social went to Brazil to meet them.

Football in 2025 doesn’t look how we expected it to in 2000. Here’s a list of eight things I anticipated would happen in that time, that have not happened at all. www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

Íbis SC call themselves 'the worst team in the world'. They once went four years without winning. Their mascot is called Little Defeat. Their biggest icon is a hairdresser called Mauro Shampoo, who only ever scored one goal for them. So why is everyone so... happy? www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

"I am hungrier than I was 25 years ago. I feel more alive than ever." Why Benfica are banking on José Mourinho, fuelled by a sense of unfinished business, to conjure a bit of the old devil magic and bring the glory days back to the Estádio da Luz www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

Brazil's defeat to Bolivia last night brought the curtain down on their worst qualification campaign ever. Lots of work for Carlo Ancelotti to do. Not much time in which to do it www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Brazil's defeat to Bolivia last night brought the curtain down on their worst qualification campaign ever. Lots of work for Carlo Ancelotti to do. Not much time in which to do it www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Ecuador beat Argentina last night. That's 11 matches unbeaten. They finish second in South American World Cup qualifying, above Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia. "The feeling among the players and staff is that we are in a position to make history" www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Ecuador haven't lost in 10 games. Their defensive record is laugh-out-loud amazing. They qualified for the World Cup with a year to spare despite a points deduction. I spoke to coach Sebastián Beccacece about their rise – and their big ambitions for next summer www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Watched Matheus Cunha's Manchester United debut with his old futsal mentor in Recife – and a few of the kids who hope to follow in his footsteps one day www.nytimes.com/athletic/656...

“He was a symbol of this region.” “We felt he was ours.” In northern Portugal, a community mourns Diogo Jota, a blue-collar footballer who never lost sight of where his journey began www.nytimes.com/athletic/647...

“He was a symbol of this region.” “We felt he was ours.” In northern Portugal, a community mourns Diogo Jota, a blue-collar footballer who never lost sight of where his journey began www.nytimes.com/athletic/647...

Stand-out performer so far at this Club World Cup? There’s a strong case for Jhon Arias, the softly spoken, Gabriel García Márquez-reading dreamer who has come from relative obscurity in Colombia to bring his brand of magical realism to Fluminense 🇧🇷🇨🇴 #Fluminense www.nytimes.com/athletic/646...

“He will soon be seen as one of the top managers in the world.” How “restless” Filipe Luis went from novice to Brazil’s most promising coach in the space of eight months www.nytimes.com/athletic/645...