Top 50 Football / Soccer Events, Clubs and Equipment

Association football, more commonly known as football or SOCCER, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries, making it the world's most popular sport. The game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by getting the ball into the opposing goal.

The goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play and then only in their penalty area. Outfield players mostly use their feet to strike or pass the ball, but may use their head or torso to strike the ball instead. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is level at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time and/or a penalty shootout depending on the format of the competition. The Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association in 1863. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA; French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association) which organises a World Cup every four years.

Soccer News & Resources

• 12 European football teams to form breakaway 'Super League' throwing elite game into turmoil - "In a joint announcement Sunday night, six English clubs - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur - alongside three teams from Italy - AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus - and three from Spain - Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid - laid out plans to form a breakaway competition, referred to in the announcement as the Super League."
• 20-year-old Norwegian destined for greatness like Messi & Ronaldo - "Erling Braut Haaland: The making of football's 'humble' superstar."
• 100 best male footballers in the world 2020 - The Guardian.
• 101 Great Goals - "Football (soccer) highlights, goals, news, videos amp; clips."
• A beginner's guide to the World Cup 2018 - The Guardian.
• Abramovich hands ‘stewardship & care of Chelsea’ to charitable foundation - "Roman Abramovich has passed the stewardship of Chelsea to the trustees of the club’s charitable foundation. The Russian, who bought the club in 2003, remains the owner but has relinquished the running of Chelsea after a call in parliament for him to be sanctioned following the invasion of Ukraine."
• Assist (football) - in association football, an assist is a contribution by a player which helps to score a goal.
• Association football - Wikipedia.
• Ballon d'Or - (1956–2009). Often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been voted to have performed the best over the previous year.
• Bitter Scottish fans join Italians & Danes to accuse Raheem Sterling of DIVING to win penalty that put England into Euro final - "Some Scottish and Danish fans are accusing England of cheating their way into the Euro 2020 final and say Raheem Sterling took a dive to secure the crucial penalty that secured England's win over Denmark."
• CONMEBOL - the South American Football Confederation the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations.
• Cristiano Ronaldo - Wikipedia.
• Cristiano Ronaldo continues to defy age with strict diet & state-of-the-art technology - "The five-time Ballon d'Or winner may have now turned 37, but Cristiano Ronaldo continues to defy his age with a strict lifestyle and even uses futuristic technology. Cristiano Ronaldo has now turned 37, but continues to have the body and the athleticism of someone half his age."
• Cristiano Ronaldo makes history at Euro 2020 as Portugal beats Hungary - "Cristiano Ronaldo became the greatest goalscorer in the history of the European Championship finals after netting a brace in Portugal's 3-0 win against Hungary on Tuesday."
• Cristiano Ronaldo scores landmark 100th international goal for Portugal - "Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th international goal on Tuesday, becoming just the second man in history to reach the milestone."
• Cristiano Ronaldo shoots to top of Instagram rich list - "Portugal footballer can command as much as $1.6m to endorse a product on social media."
• Danish defender scores 'miraculous' goal - "Defender scores 'miraculous' scissor kick after his bicycle kick rebounds off crossbar. The Puskas Award is handed out by FIFA, world football's governing body, at the end of every calendar year for the best goal in the global game. And we might have just found 2020's winner. Nicolai Geertsen, playing for Danish side Lyngby BK, first sweetly struck a bicycle kick from a corner, only for his effort to ricochet off the crossbar."
• Deloitte Football Money League - since 1998. "We profile the highest revenue generating clubs in world football." Ranking of football clubs by revenue generated from football operations. It is produced annually by the accountancy firm Deloitte and released in early February of each year, describing the season most recently finished.
• Diario AS - Spanish daily sports newspaper, concentrating particularly on football.
• Diego Maradona: Obituary - Argentina's flawed football icon - "Dazzling, infamous, extraordinary, genius, outrageous. Diego Maradona. A flawed football icon."
• Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand Of God’ Jersey Sells For Record-Breaking $9.3 Million Amid Controversy - "A soccer jersey its sellers said was worn by Diego Maradona when he scored his notorious 'Hand of God' goal during the 1986 World Cup quarter final match sold for $9.3 million Wednesday, the highest price yet fetched by a piece of sports memorabilia at auction, despite claims by Maradona’s family that the jersey isn’t authentic and a reported attempt by Argentina’s soccer association to have it returned to Maradona’s home country."
• Explainer: how will the new European Super League work? - "Questions and answers on plans unveiled by 12 leading European clubs to launch a breakaway midweek league."
• FANHOUSE - AOL Sports.
• FIFA Ballon d'Or - since 2010. Association football award given annually to the male player who is considered to have performed the best in the previous year. It is awarded based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams, as well as journalists from around the world.
• FIFA | FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION - since 1904. The international governing body of association football, futsal and beach soccer.
• Football Leaks - since 2015. Website that reveals transfer fees, wages and contract information about famous footballers. The website has been described as the football version of WikiLeaks.
• FOOTBALL RICH LIST 2009/10 - the full 100.
• FOOTBALL SCORES
• FOUR FOUR TWO - the shamelessly passionate football site. Latest football news, blogs & forums.
• GOAL.COM - "Football News, Football Scores, Football Transfers, Transfer News, Transfer Rumours, Premier League News."
• Handcuffs, pitch invasions & fame: life as PelÉ's bodyguard in the 70s - The Guardian.
• Hooliganism - disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying, and vandalism, usually in connection with crowds at sporting events.
• HOW TO WATCH THE 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP - Wired.
• In pictures: Soccer legend Diego Maradona - "Diego Maradona dies after suffering heart failure."
• Inside Cristiano Ronaldo’s $25m Private Jet - "The first one to arrive at training and the last one to leave, Cristiano Ronaldo always goes the extra mile to keep on top of his game. This mentality translates across the superstar’s life. As the footballer continues to break records during the Euro 2020 tournament, we thought we’d take a look at the private jet he flies."
• Lionel Messi - Wikipedia.
• Lionel Messi Is the Highest-Paid Soccer Player in the World - "Here's How He Makes and Spends His Millions."
• Lionel Messi scores 643rd goal for Barcelona to equal Pele's record of goals for a single club - "Lionel Messi equaled Brazil legend Pele's record of 643 goals for a single club after scoring in Barcelona's 2-2 draw against Valencia on Saturday."
• LIST OF ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL CLUBS - Wikipedia.
• MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER - the top-flight professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by United States Soccer Federation.
• Newcastle United's takeover by Saudi Arabian-backed consortium agreed - "The three-party consortium includes the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), venture capital and private equity company PCP Capital Partners, and RB Sports and Media. There has been much controversy about PIF's involvement in the takeover, but the consortium was apparently able to successfully demonstrate that Saudi Arabia would not have control of the club and could therefore pass the Premier League's owners' and directors' test."
• PELÉ - Wikipedia.
• PelÉ is depressed and has become a recluse, says his son in interview - "Edinho says Brazil legend is ‘embarrassed’ by his failing health. Pelé, who turns 80 in October, requires frame to walk."
• Playoffs - Wikipedia.
• PREMIER LEAGUE
• Roligan - nickname for a supporter of the Danish national football team. "Roligans" are noted for being the opposite of ultras, i.e. calm, quiet, well-mannered supporters of their team which shuns unsportsmanlike behavior or violence. This behavior is the exact opposite of that exhibited by hooligans. The term roligan is a pun based on the word rolig which means "calm" in Danish.
• Russia 2018 World Cup: the complete guide to all the stadiums - The Guardian.
• SOCCER - Wikipedia.
• The Football Rich List - the managers.
• The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams 2019 - "Real Madrid Is Back On Top, At $4.24 Billion."
• TRANSFER WINDOW - Wikipedia.
• UEFA | UNION OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONS - The official website for European football."
• UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - since 1955. Annual continental club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Introduced in 1992, it replaced the European Champion Clubs' Cup, or simply European Cup, which had run since 1955.
• WEMBLEY STADIUM - Wembley Park, in the Borough of Brent, London, England.
• United States Soccer Federation - since 1913. The official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States.
• video assistant referee (VAR) - football assistant referee who reviews decisions made by the head referee with the use of video footage and a headset for communication. In 2018 VARs were written into the Laws of the Game by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) following trials in a number of major competitions.
• What Is VAR? Soccer's Video Review Is Making a Mess of the Women's World Cup - "VAR - soccer's version of video review - has been the deciding factor in too many Women's World Cup games, upsetting players and fans alike."
• World Cup 2018 stadiums from the air - in pictures - The Guardian.
• World Cup 2022 draw: Everything you need to know - "The draw for an unprecedented FIFA World Cup takes place Friday as teams discover their fates for the first winter edition of football's flagship event, in Qatar this December."
• Your Ultimate Guide to Watching the 2018 World Cup - TIME Magazine.

Professional Clubs

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• List of association football clubs - Wikipedia.

Top 8 Professional Clubs

• A.C. Milan - founded in 1899.
• Borussia Dortmund - founded in 1909.
• Chelsea F.C. - founded in 1905.
• FC Barcelona - founded in 1899.
• FC Bayern Munich - founded in 1900.
• Manchester United F.C. - founded in 1878.
• Paris Saint-Germain F.C. - founded in 1970.
• Real Madrid C.F. - founded in 1902.

Soccer Equipment

• soccer.com - since 1994. "Soccer Cleats and Shoes, Soccer Jerseys, Soccer Balls, Goalkeeping, Shin Guards, Socks."
• WILSON - "A Force on the Field."

Soccer Events

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• Euro 2020 postponed until next summer - "Euro 2020 has been postponed by one year until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. European football's governing body made the decision during an emergency video conference involving major stakeholders on Tuesday."
• List of FIFA World Cup finals - Wikipedia.
• World Cup 2018 stadiums from the air - in pictures - The Guardian.
• Your Ultimate Guide to Watching the 2018 World Cup - TIME Magazine.

Top 7 Soccer Events

• AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS - since 1957.
• Copa AmÉrica - since 1916. Known as South American Championship, is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of CONMEBOL. One of the world's most widely viewed sporting events.
• COPA DEL REY - annual cup competition for Spanish football teams.
• El ClÁsico - since 1902. The name given to any football match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
• FIFA World Cup - the championship has been awarded every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930 (except in 1942 and 1946).
• UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - "The UEFA Champions League is the world's elite club competition. Football's premier club competition was launched one month after UEFA's first Congress, held in Vienna on 2 March 1955."
• UEFA Nations League - since 2018. Biennial international football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA, the sport's European governing body.