2000’s Top News Stories of the Decade

We have come to the end. Not just to the end of a transformative soccer year, 2019, but to the end of a decade. And wow, it has been something.

The 2010s brought indescribable joy and unspeakable agony, probably more of both than any decade before. Their World Cup finals brought extra-time winners, two American titles, and a hat trick for the ages. Their Champions Leagues brought historic comebacks, unforgettable bicycle kicks, and four finals decided after the 88th minute.

They brought engaging narratives and captivating feats and swan songs. But most importantly they brought us iconic moments. Euphoric moments and brutal ones, but most of all incredible memories. So many that we couldn’t resist trying to rank them.

Without any further ado…to the top 10 iconic soccer moments of the 2010s, in descending order.

(Not so random disclaimer: We only considered on-field moments – so FBI raids and presidential resignations won’t be seen on our list. And we considered them from the perspective of the evolving soccer fan so they come off a bit vague, we know. Don’t hold back in the comments, let us have it.)

2010: Iniesta’s World Cup winner

From a global perspective, an extra-time World Cup-winning goal – one full of quality, too – belongs in the top five. But for fans with no emotional connection to Spain, Iniesta’s golden moment may not hit the same.

15 years from now though, Andres Iniesta’s strike to put Spain 1-0 up on the Netherlands in the 116th minute of the 2010 World Cup final will persist. It’s the one that kids will recreate in backyards. Its impact – clinching Spain a first world title – is forever etched into the era for Spain that will be remembered as Golden. It also solidified Iniesta as a legend.

2011: Rapinoe to Wambach

The toughest thing about back to back titles is determining which championship mattered more. Thirteen months after Donovan’s moment, the U.S. women found themselves in a similar situation: Down a goal, in stoppage time, with yet another World Cup flop staring them in the face. This was epitomized in ESPN’s Ian Darke’s laboured tone. “And it will go down as the USA’s worst performance ever in a Women’s World Cup.”

But then almost out of nowhere, Ali Krieger cut out a pass, Carli Lloyd fought through fatigue and cycled the ball left to Megan Rapinoe. With the U.S. players running on empty, the seemingly impossible became possible.

Eight-plus years later, the entire play still seems so absurd. Watching Rapinoe’s cross in mid-flight, you can almost see when the opportunity shifts from hopeful to perfection.

The Americans then won on penalties. The following weekend, they fell to Japan. But this moment helped re-launch women’s soccer. It enabled explosions of interest around 2015 and 2019. Can you trace most of the USWNT’s decade-long popularity back to July 10, 2011? We think so.

2012: Zambia wins AFCON 2012

2012 was a tough year to select for, but when Zambia beat the Ivory Coast on February 12 2012, in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, it meant redemption for a football team and a nation. It also gave football one of its greatest ever stories. For Zambia, though, there was a bittersweet joy, a sense of having done something that transcended sport.  It was a fairytale triumph for the team, who returned to Gabon 19 years after the plane crash which claimed the lives of the team's coach and 18 members of their squad.

2013: Football Says Goodbye to Sir Alex

United would get their own back on City the following season, and it would be the 13th and final Premier League title won by their legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

On 8 May 2013, Ferguson announced he would be retiring from the game at the age of 71. The Scot bowed out having won a staggering 38 trophies during his 27 years in charge at Old Trafford, more than any other manager in the history of the game.

The following day, David Moyes was appointed as Ferguson’s hand-picked successor. The less said about his 10 months in charge of United, the better. Sir Alex’s influence has only compounded in his absence as Manchester United, for all of their lore and prestige, look unrecognizable in the current hierarchy of club football. At least he still cheers them on from the crowd right?

2014: 7-1

The night of July 8, 2014, was less a moment, more a mood. It was an image that developed over two hours but has since remained in the minds of football fans. “7-1.” Even Google knows the significance of the scoreline. Go ahead, type them into the search bar. Let me know what you first result is?

The first of two World Cup semifinals that summer was humiliating and devastating for Brazil, a country who still is seen as the measuring stick of international soccer. But in one of the country’s worst moments, its world-class footballers looked paralyzed by the moment, by expectations, by the weight of a country on their shoulders. As they unravelled, on live TV with the world watching, we were left to wonder whether the team understood the unshakable grief they’d be responsible for.

You may not remember any of the seven goals. But you’ll remember where you were, the faces you saw, and the sheer disbelief in Brazil capitulating on the world stage.

2015: Carli Lloyd from midfield

In 2015 There was nothing dramatic about the USWNT’s return to the top of the women’s soccer world. They scored inside three minutes, and again inside five. By the time Carli Lloyd took a forward touch in midfield, they were 3-0 up and cruising.

But what Lloyd did next was, and forever will be, iconic. To cap a stunning 15-minute hat trick, from smack-dab in the middle of the centre circle, her strike was honestly a little disrespectful. The audacity.

Dare. To. Shine.

2016: Leicester City’s PL Title

Before the season began, bookmakers offered odds of 5,000–1 on Leicester winning the title. Once in a lifetime stuff. In the summer of 2015, Leicester City hired Claudio Ranieri to replace Nigel Pearson as their new manager and many pundits figured the Italian would struggle to keep the club in the first division.

But the Foxes made an excellent start to the season, spearheaded by striker Jamie Vardy, who scored 13 goals over 11 consecutive matches from August to November, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Premier League record of scoring in 10 consecutive games.

Despite having been bottom of the league exactly 12 months prior, Leicester topped the table on Christmas Day in 2016 and while the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur struggled with consistency, Ranieri’s men pressed on in second half of the season.

Leicester officially became the sixth club to win the Premier League following a 2-2 draw between Chelsea and Tottenham on 2 May 2016 and the trophy was lifted at the King Power Stadium a few days later.

2017 Part 1: Messi at the Bernabeu

No end-of-decade list would be complete without the GOAT, Lionel Messi. Constantly breaking records and boggling minds, Messi has won 23 club trophies and a record 6 Ballon d’Ors to date.

But besides all of his other record-breaking moments, the one that best encapsulated Messi’s brilliance happened on April 23, 2017. Barcelona and Real Madrid were deadlocked at 2-2 after a gritty and embattled 90 minutes of Classico football. It was a must-win for Barca in order to stay in the title race. Sergi Roberto skipped past Marcelo in midfield and passed the ball left. And as everybody’s eyes went with the ball, Messi performed his favorite magic trick. The greatest footballer on the planet made himself invisible, ghosting towards the top of the box and put Madrid to the sword just when they thought they had taken points from Barca.

Arguably more iconic was what he did next. Holding the “MESSI 10” side of his jersey up to a stunned Santiago Bernabeu crowd, and entire footballing world, Messi was flexing and we were all here for it. We are still here for it. And so were the Madrid fans, who couldn’t help but applaud.

2017 Part 2: La Remontada

On February 14, 2017, the decade’s most prolific club was exposed in front of Europe and beaten 4-0 on what felt like a consequential Champions League knockout night in Paris. Turns out the rumours of Barca’s demise were greatly exaggerated. 

With three minutes plus added time remaining in the return leg back in Spain, Barca trailed PSG 5-3 on aggregate and by an away goal. And just when you thought they were even more dead than they’d been in February, Neymar dazzled. Suarez embellished, and Sergi Roberto, a Catalan boy who’d joined the club at 14, provided one of the most iconic moments in recent Camp Nou history to complete a 6-1 victory, the biggest, most breathtaking, most dramatic European comeback ever.

Since it was only the Round of 16, and Barcelona limped out of the competition in the quarters after losing to Juventus, this only ranks at number 9 for us.

2018: Gareth Bale on his bike

“Wales. Golf. Madrid. Bicycle Kicks. In that order.” Gareth Bale’s decade, a majority of which was spent at Real Madrid has been polarizing, to say the least. Observing his current standing with Coach Zidane and the Merengues, you’d almost forget that Bale has arguably been Madrid’s most decisive player of the decade after the club’s all-time goat Cristiano Ronaldo.

Especially when you consider that Bale won two Champions League finals for the competition’s perennial winners. He put crosstown rivals Atletico to the sword with a 110th-minute header in 2014. Then, in 2018, to solidify the Threepeat – and four European crowns in five years for Real – Bale scored a goal that might just be the decade’s best.

Since this goal wasn’t as dramatic as many of the other moments on our list. And because Real fans never quite treasured it properly, we have Bale’s Bike coming in at number 10.

2019: Liverpool refuse to give up against Barcelona

The most recent memory on this list, we all remember Liverpool going into the second leg of their 2019 Champions League semi-final tie with Barcelona 3-0. Down from the first leg and their chances of making it to a second successive final looked extremely unlikely to say the least.

Adding insult to literal injury, Mohamed Salah would miss the game through injury, ensuring that there was no chance for Jürgen Klopp’s side to stage a comeback. But the Reds showed that night what can happen if you refuse to give up hope.

The young club legend Divock Origi got the ball rolling when he made it 3-1 on aggregate after just seven minutes and that was how it stayed until half-time. Georginio Wijnaldum stunned Barça with a quickfire double to level the tie shortly after the interval.

Liverpool knew that it would have been quiet for them if they conceded an away goal but kept pushing. Their fairytale comeback was complete when unlikely hero Origi converted following a now-classic Trent Alexander-Arnold delivery, and boom, 4-0.

Anfield has witnessed some truly magical European nights over the years but this one was definitely top.

Liverpool went on to clinch a sixth Champions League after overcoming a Tottenham side in the final who’d pulled off a pretty stunning comeback of their own in the semi-final.

It’s a Wrap!

So that’s it. An entire decade wrapped up in a matter of minutes. What was your favorite story of the decade? Who did we miss on our list? Who should have made it? Let us know in the comments below, subscribe and join the conversation!

EURO2020: From the heights of glory in 2014 to the dumps; Die Mannschaft struggles explained

Breaking hearts, they've been mostly known for being masters at breaking hearts and crushing dreams. Now, you have to persistently pinch us to understand that Germany being a case of broken hearts and crushed dreams is no Matrix movie, it's almost as good as reality gets. But how did we seriously get here?

(L-R) Thomas Mueller, Manuel Neuer, Mesut Oezil and Philipp Lahm of Germany celebrate a 7-1 victory over Brazil during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Semi Final match between Brazil and Germany at Estadio Mineirao on July 8, 2014 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

(July 7, 2014 - Source: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images South America)

The Mineirão Incident

It might not be the beginning of Die Mannschaft's free fall but definitely a moment in history worth reminiscing, for neutrals that is. Back in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, Brazil vs Germany, eight world titles between them; it was a fixture loaded with so much promise and had the world on its feet, anticipating to watch football entertainment at its best. It was supposed to be an edge of the seat encounter decided on fine margins and would have taken rocket scientists to study the performances and understand how one side outdid the other. But what happened? The churning German machine flipped the script! Only forty-five minutes into the match, they were 5-0 up and had already scored all sorts of goals. Long range shots, finesses, headers and you name it. Mesut Ozil in particular, had picked up his magic wand and reincarnated himself as a combination of Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Captain America and you get the idea. Almost like an Avengers movie. Rumors say, one of the main talking points during their half-time talk was a directive to tone it down a little bit, in bid to be more respectful to the hosts. It's no suprise how that worked out, the likes of Andre Schurrle came in and wanted in on the act. At the end of the day, Brazil had received seven digits! A 7-1 scoreline capped it all. A classic Germany side, ruthless and unrelenting. Now five years later, it looks like they used up all their vibranium on that day and in that championship. The cookie has crumbled.

“Controversially, retiring Boateng, Hummels and Mueller in the name of “fresh faces” looked like Löw dusted the mirror only to see his face looking back, straight at him.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

The end of the line

Prior to their World Cup triumph in Brazil 2014, the Nationalelf had to dig, claw and climb several times with no success. It was almost poetic justice that they became world champions in Brazil. Under the guidance of Jurgen Klinsmann at home in 2006, Miroslav Klose scored a ton of goals and Lukas Podolski won hearts by pipping the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo to the FIFA Young Player of The Tournament Award, as Germany ran riot only to be denied by Italy in the last few minutes of a semi-final extra-time. They dusted themselves, Joachim Löw picked up the pieces and unleashed the likes of Mesut Ozil and Thomas Mueller in South Africa 2010. Once again, scoring goals for fun including a 4-0 thrashing of Diego Maradona's Argentina in the quarter-finals. You guessed it, history repeated itself and the then 3 time champions were outdone by a Carles Puyol header in the World Cup semi-final against eventual champions Spain. In light of all this, it’s hard to contest that the ever consistent Germany deserved to finally conquer the world in Brazil for the 4th time. However, the generation of players that had lived through the so near yet so far moments since 2006 which included Philip Lahm, Klose and Lukas Podolski; had inevitably come to the end of their lines. They had given it the sweat of their youth over the years and to expect them to give more past 2014 could have been a difficult ask. Much of Germany's early to late 2000s dominance was used up in Brazil. It went with the Lahms. Now the obviously next sensible thing would be to raise a new generation to pick up the mantle right?

How did that go?

(L-R) Timo Werner of Germany, Mats Hummels and his team mate Mario Gomez react during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group F match between Korea Republic and Germany at Kazan Arena on June 27, 2018 in Kazan, Russia.

(June 26, 2018 - Source: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images Europe)

The champions' curse

It's a thing. After Italy won the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the Azzuri failed to go past the group stages in 2010 and even totally missed out on the 2018 Russia finals for the first time in 60 years. So did Spain, after winning the 2008 and 2012 European Championships and the coveted World Cup in South Africa 2010, for only their first time, they ran out of steam in Brazil 2014. Infamously humiliated by the Netherlands in the group stages as they lost 2-5 and like Italy, bowing out before the knock-out rounds. We all thought Germany's proven consistence would break the duck but "the champions' curse," proved stronger. Joachim Löw's men were also kicked out of the 2018 World Cup group men were also kicked out of the 2018 World Cup group stages by Mexico and Sweden, even losing to lowly ranked South Korea in their final group match. Clearly, their misfortunes post 2014 could be excused by the champions' curse. Maybe the fire just dies out after winning as complaceny sets in. But is that all?

Square pegs, round holes

Forget the superstitions for a minute, Germany's issues can also be equally attributed to the way they've been setting up. The National Eleven gaffer clearly tried coping the winning formula from 2014, setting up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, employing the same personnel, howbeit with a few tweaks in one or two positions that had been vacated by those who had retired. He forgot to give a more keen eye to the upcoming talent and also fix some problems which had been overshadowed by the glory of 2014. For instance, one of their problem areas right now, the left-back position dates back to Brazil 2014. Löw had to use Benedikt Howedes, a natural center-back as a make shift option in that position. It worked then but was no permanent solution. Dortmund's Nico Schulz is the latest to be tried in that position, who has done well but likes to go forward more than is necessary. It is quite ironic that a second fiddle Germany team won the Confederations Cup in Brazil 2014 whereas the main side failed to progress past the group stages of the World Cup. The younger side had their own of the World Cup. The younger side had their own culture and rhythm which helped knit them as a unit. Borrowing the likes of Goretzka and Timo Werner to take up roles in the main side wasn't going to work straight away. The German technical team were naïve to think that Werner would just be the next Klose or Podolski and churn out goals. He would be the first Werner and it could have worked better if they studied his individual style of play and gradually fitted him into the team. That idea of direct transfer and replacement of talents is one of the reasons why players like Reus, Werner, Goretzka and Sane have done well at club level but not so much in a German shirt. In short, it's not a lack of talent to fill the shoes of the 2014 champions that they lack. They are just failing to organize and get the best out of them.

German national football team coach Joachim Loew gives a press conference on the eve of the friendly match against Italy in Milan on November 14, 2016. / AFP / GIUSEPPE CACACE

(Nov. 13, 2016 - Source: AFP)

No one is above the Löw?

How do you question someone who has steadied the ship for close to 13 years and on most occasions produced results? It's very unlikely. Such is the case of the national team coach, Joachim Löw. An argument to phase him out together with some more experienced campaigners who departed cannot clearly be unfounded. Somehow, it’s almost treasonous in German circles. Essentially, a new team and generation work better with new set of eyes to identify it. That's what Kovac is doing at Bayern and Favre at Dortmund to keep the continuity. Controversially, retiring Boateng, Hummels and Mueller in the name of "fresh faces" looked like Löw dusted the mirror only to see his face looking back, straight at him. Nomatter how he has switched formations and personnel, the results have barely changed. Just recently, the Dutch embarrassed them to a 4-2 loss in the 2020 Euro Qualifiers. That was after they finished last in the League A of the inaugural UEFA Nations League tournament. Since October 2017, they won just 8 of 21 matches, losing a record 6 times in 2018 alone. They only beat a nation ranked 18th or higher once in that period. It's like they're stuck in a tailspin. For how much longer though and could Löw still be the man to turn it around?

When backstage, takes centre stage

It's a compound of issues surrounding the Germany national team, and not least the off-the-field debacles. In that same period where their struggles kicked in, Mesut Ozil, the five-time German footballer of the year retired in bizarre fashion. The mercurial playmaker released a long statement explaining how he felt racially discriminated against by the DFB who also spoke back sharply with a few other national players going for or against Ozil. It all started hinting at the possible division and unrest in the German camp which could have been a key factor also contributing to the poor results. Just recently, Bayern Munich President, Uli Hoenes spoke out threatening to stop sending their players for national duty if the veteran goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer was removed from the number 1 spot. Seriously, where does that happen? Barcelona shot-stopper, Marc Andre Ter Stegen has gained worldwide acclamation for Superman-like reflexes and sweeper role for the Blaugrana but still remains the second choice to the 32- year-old. Even after the former missed out the bulk of 2017-2018 season due to injury, only managing 3 Bundesliga appearance in before the World Cup, Neuer still surprisingly got the nod ahead of Ter Stegen. The German football house clearly needs to be put in order.

Serge Gnabry

Image Credits: Skysports

Rays of sunshine in dark clouds

We have talked all about the doom and gloom surrounding the National Eleven, but one thing we have learnt throughout history is that German Football is an institution. Quite capable of reinventing itself and bouncing back to glory. After crashing out of the 2002 and 2004 UEFA European Championships group stages, they remarkably revived to make the next four semi-finals. In addition, players like Serge Gnabry who has scored 11 times in his 10 caps for Die Mannschaft, the unblooded Jann Fiete Arp, Leroy Sane, the uniquely huge and quick Nicklas Sule and Joshua Kimmich are still 24 or younger and can only get better. More interesting to me is the creative Kai Havertz, one interesting to me is the creative Kai Havertz, one tipped not to directly replace Mesut Ozil but help carry on the creative mantle, seems quite special. The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder became the youngster player to reach 50 Bundesliga appearances and at 20 years of age, more is definitely coming from him. They are down and out, but still uniquely endowed with the talent and experience to conquer the world yet again.

The only real question is when? The German fans would be hoping its sooner rather than later!

The US may be the favorites, but who could prevent them from winning back to back?

France 2019 — the stage is set for FIFA Women’s World Cup; 24 teams gear up to lead their nations to world cup glory. The US come into the tournament as the team to beat. USA National Women’s Soccer team have become synonymous with world-class football, winning the World Cup a record three times since its inception in 1991. The US are deadly opponents, they play with rigor, determination, and with the intention of dominating the game, which has set them apart as the best team in the world over time.

This World Cup is set to deliver high-level performances not only from the US but from the other teams on the roster. The major competition for the US comes from England, France, Germany and Japan who have all recorded standout performances in the leading up to the 2019 FIFA World Cup, putting them among the favorites to win the title and dethrone the US women from their long-held position as the best team in the world.

Home field advantage—France

Host nation France has a legitimate chance to claim the title and replicate what the French men’s team did in Russia which was nothing short of magnificent. The stage is set for French women’s team to make history and follow the men’s team to keep the title in France come June. France’s squad is made up of talented and experienced players. Les Bleues will be banking on the expertise of Lyon forward and captain Eugénie Le Sommer who has scored 250 goals for her club and 74 for the French national team, to lead the team to their first World Cup title. France have a moral advantage in that as the host nation, they will have the support of large crowds at their games which will give the team the momentum and confidence that will have an impact of their performance on the field. Home ground advantage is powerful, Russia made the most of it last year; when most wouldn’t have predicted such an outstanding performance from the Russians, they put one of the most  memorable performances of the tournament, even eliminating the acclaimed Spaniards.

Coming from a major victory—England

England is the birthplace of football, yet both the women’s and men’s teams have not been successful in translating that legacy into the modern game by claiming the title of world champions. This could be the year that the title of world champions finds its way to England. They do not possess the same decorated world cup history as the US but the Lionesses made a case for their title chances when they won the SheBelieves tournament in March 2019, beating Japan 3-0 in the cup final. Having been grouped together with Argentina, Japan and Scotland, England has a tough challenge ahead, however, they remain favorites to progress to the knockout stage along with Japan. Still riding on the momentum from the win, the Lionesses come into this World Cup with newfound confidence and verve that if combined with the right tactical strategy from coach Phil Neville, they could have an edge in the group stages and in the knockout rounds.

The tactical advantage — Germany

Germany are eight-time European champions and two-time world cup winners. In the qualifying campaign for France 2019, Germany scored 35 goals and conceded only 3 times. Die Nationalelf are ranked second behind the US coming into the tournament and are the second most obvious contender for the world cup despite not having won the title since 2007. The Germans should progress with ease from the group stages where they face much lower ranked teams - China, Spain and newcomers South Africa.

Germany is a holistic team— they are both defensively tight and masters at creating and converting chances into goals. In 2015 they finished as the top goal-scoring team with 20 goals followed by the US who managed 14 goals. The US and Germany are always the top two teams on the FIFA rankings, alternating for the number 1 spot. The qualifiers have shown that the German machine is on form and delivering in the accuracy and organisation that they have come to be known for.

Two-time finalists — Japan

After appearing in two consecutive World Cup finals in 2011 and 2015, winning in 2011, Japan cannot be left out of this list. They are very familiar with the world cup stage and always leave it all on the field even as they demonstrated in the 2011 and 2015 finals. In 2018 they secured a second AFC Women's Asian Cup against Australia.  Japan has a solid record in the World Cup which they will be looking to extend by becoming the first team to be in three consecutive finals.  

Japan has a young and talented squad led by Lyon defender Saki Kumagai whose performance this past season earned her a nomination for BBC’s Player of the Year alongside teammate Ada Hegerberg. In March, Japan beat out Brazil and USA to make to the SheBelieves Cup final, despite missing key players like Sakaguchi Mizuho and Miyake Shiori who had to sit out due to injuries. Japan will face England in the group stages as well as Scotland and Argentina, a tough challenge but may not be a roadblock for Nadeshiko.

The US football team embodies what it means to dominate a sport through and through, they have the trophies to prove it. England, France, Japan and Germany have the World Cup experience and track records that make them all worthy title contenders. Will the US add a fourth world cup title and extend their reign as the most decorated football team in world cup history? — All will be decided in France.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snub: Honorary Mention - Leroy Sane

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Leroy Sane - Germany

Most arguably the biggest omission of them all. Leroy Sane, one of the best players in Manchester City’s title-winning squad, has been left out of the German team to compete at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. No one could have predicted that he would not make it having scored 14 goals and contributing 17 assists in the most competitive league in the world, the English Premier League. He also won PFA Young Player of the Year. Surely, Joachim Low has made a big decision that could backfire against him. He prefers Brandt and Draxler who have a combined 16 goals and 9 assists in the 2017/18 season. Clearly, these two are not on the 22-year old’s level which leaves us wondering. Why is it that he has been dropped out of that German squad? We need answers!

FT Top 10 World Cup Snub: #2 - Alexander Lacazette

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Alexander Lacazette - France

Alexander Lacazette has reasons to be extremely disappointed as he will not be flying to Russia with the French National Team to play in the World Cup this summer. After making a triumphant return with Arsenal following a mid-season knee injury, his goals helped guide Arsenal to the UEFA Europa League Final. French manager, Didier Deschamps, pointed to Lacazette perhaps not impressing him over the last two years as opposed to his recent form. During the last international friendlies, Lacazette and Anthony Martial were both decisive players and Lacazette scored against Germany. Nevertheless, a massive snub indeed, and some of the French media have focused on the fact that Deschamps has chosen more versatile attackers that are capable of playing in multiple positions and tactically assuming multiple roles. Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe, and Antoine Griezmann are most likely the starting attacking players and with players like Nabil Fekir and Ousmane Dembele also in the 23-man group, France certainly may not regret Lacazette’s absence.

FT 2017/18 African Transcendent XI: LW - Percy Tau [Mamelodi Sundowns]

Many African players have light up the European leagues ever since the days of George Weah. These include Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Okocha, etc. who have performed at an extraordinary level in the past decades. Mo Salah of Liverpool and Egypt has been the fan favorite this year for his record-breaking goals and guiding his club to the UEFA Champions League final. But this is not all the continent has to offer. There are other young players who are showing early promises of reaching these levels or even better them. Therefore, FirstTouch reflects on the next transcendent U23 players in each position.

LW - Percy Tau

The only player to make it on our list of the next transcendent players while playing in the continent of Africa is Percy Tau. The 23-year old has been the star of the show in the South African Premier Soccer League in recent years. The South African player has been likened to Premier League stars such as Sadio Mane with former football legends like El Hadji Diouf claiming that he is better than the Senegalese forward who plays for Liverpool. If you want to know more about this player, you can read an article we shared about his heroic performances for Mamelodi Sundowns who recently played against Barcelona on Wednesday, 15 May 2018.

FT 2017/18 African Transcendent XI: CF - Emmanuel Boateng [Levante]

Many African players have light up the European leagues ever since the days of George Weah. These include Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Okocha, etc. who have performed at an extraordinary level in the past decades. Mo Salah of Liverpool and Egypt has been the fan favorite this year for his record-breaking goals and guiding his club to the UEFA Champions League final. But this is not all the continent has to offer. There are other young players who are showing early promises of reaching these levels or even better them. Therefore, FirstTouch reflects on the next transcendent U23 players in each position.

CF - Emmanuel Boateng

21-year old Ghanaian striker made the headlines a few weeks ago after inspiring Levante into defeating Barcelona to end their undefeated run. The player scored a hat-trick in the match and many fans have been curious to know what he is about. The young African player joined Levante in the summer of 2017 from Portuguese side Moreirense and has a mixed start to life in Spain. He only started 11 matches for Levante and has scored 7 goals. Three of them coming on that historic night against Barcelona. He made a claim to the rest of the world that he is capable of performing against the very best just like Samuel Eto’o did after he was released by Real Madrid. He went on to make the move to Barcelona and became a legend for the club. Are we witnessing another story of an African player who proves his worth at a small Spanish side before moving to the biggest clubs in Europe? What we know for sure he has started to attract the attention that had been reserved for Kelechi Iheanacho who has stagnated ever since 2016.

FT Top World Cup Snubs: #1 - Mauro Icardi

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Mauro Icardi - Argentina

Mauro Icardi has been exempted from the FIFA World Cup 2018 Squad for Argentina. Many analysts have come out to say that the Inter Milan striker is so unfortunate to be playing in the age of great attacking options for the country with players like Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala and Lionel Messi. Nonetheless, the player has done enough to deserve a place in the squad. The role of the striker is to score goals and Icardi has just done that for his club this season scoring 30 goals in 38 matches. This rate is better than Higuain and Dybala’s returns this season who played in the same competitions with the player but only managed 27 and 26 each respectively. There are not many players as gifted as the young 25-year old at finishing but Jorge Sampaoli could not trust that he would bring them success in the tournament which raises questions about how these decisions are made. The player evidently had a better season than many but is omitted from the squad which proves that he falling short because he represents a smaller club than his counterparts.

FT World Cup Focus: Players vs The Mental Side of Football

PENALTY! It is this one to win it for Ghana and they will make it to the semifinals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. Asamoah Gyan steps up to take the last kick of the match. 1-1 is the scoreline against Uruguay. The referee gives the greenlight…OH…HE MISSES!

This event sparked the abusive attacks that the player received in person and on social media blaming him for his country’s elimination from the tournament in the quarterfinals. The whole continent of Africa was rooting for Ghana to go all the way and they were on the verge of a record-breaking semifinal place for an African team only for him to mistakenly hit his shot against the crossbar and fail to score. What many might not know is what the player went through after walking off the pitch at the end of the penalty shootout. Asamoah Gyan’s confidence ran low. He also missed a great penalty for Ghana 2 years later at the 2012 African Cup of Nations against Zambia in the semifinals.

He said, “I'd like to apologize to the fans. It's been very difficult for me. I'd never miss a penalty on purpose. It's now two of the biggest penalties in my country's history and it's difficult to take. I've been unlucky. We all miss them. Fans should know it's not easy. (Didier) Drogba missed in the final. (Samuel) Eto'o has missed before. It's happened to the greatest before, I'm sorry.” He apologized deeply because he had received so much stick which could have caused depression.

Another player who eventually could not recover from this depression and psychological pressures that players experience as part of the game is Robert Enke. The German goalkeeper ended up committing suicide. His club’s president confirmed the Hannover player had been ‘unstable’ but it had not been noticed publicly. He left a suicide note after a culmination of a long struggle with depression which shocked the world of football. It is such extreme instances that brings sense to everyone that the players are also human. They experience a lot throughout their career and sometimes play with injuries just to avoid being attacked by the fans.

Just recently, Loris Karius of Liverpool was culpable for conceding two cheap goals in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid. He immediately apologized at the end of the match. Today I lost my team the game and I feel sorry for everyone.

“I’m sorry for everyone – from the team, from the whole club – that the mistakes cost dearly. If I could go back in time, I would. I feel sorry for my team. I know I let them down today,” Karius said in the post-match interview with talkSPORT.

Memes have already been created by his mistakes and he is dubbed treacherous.

He is already being compared to Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ disciples who betrayed him for a bribe in The Bible. Many former players have come out to ask the fans to show the player some love. Mistakes are part of the game and he never intended to give away a win when he was also fighting for the title. It was a dark day for the player and the fans in the stadium clapped him at the end of the match. Their reaction proves that they understood what he was going through as a person and we only wish for that to spread across the world.

The FIFA World Cup is commencing in less than 3 weeks and it is almost certain that someone will make a big error leading to a goal. There are some players that will be psychologically challenged and our duty as fans of the game is to spread love in our messages to show support to the people that sacrificed their lives to entertain us in each and every 90 minutes of play. STOP abusing the players. They are human. They are like you and me. Let us support the game!

FT 2017/18 African Transcendent XI: RW - Keita Balde [Monaco]

Many African players have light up the European leagues ever since the days of George Weah. These include Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Okocha, etc. who have performed at an extraordinary level in the past decades. Mo Salah of Liverpool and Egypt has been the fan favorite this year for his record-breaking goals and guiding his club to the UEFA Champions League final. But this is not all the continent has to offer. There are other young players who are showing early promises of reaching these levels or even better them. Therefore, FirstTouch reflects on the next transcendent U23 players in each position.

RW - Keita Balde

The right-winger was born in Spain and chose to represent Senegal, his father’s country of origin. The 23-year old currently plays for Monaco having joined the club from Lazio in a £27.8m deal after the club lost their star forward Kylian Mbappe to PSG. They trusted that the African player has the right attributes to fill the boots of the most expensive teenager in world football. The player has been somewhat of a success. He scored 8 goals and created 7 in a season where he started 19 matches. If these statistics are not good enough, it shows that we already compare him to the best performers in Europe who have been consistent in providing assists more like Kevin De Bruyne. The Senegalese forward will be on the opposite side of another dangerous forward in Sadio Mane at the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018. Senegal will be a force to recon and this is thanks to how these African players have developed on the European scene.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #3 - Mario Götze

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Mario Götze - Germany

This one is quite shocking. Who would have ever thought that Mario Götze of all people, would be left out by Joachim Low. The attacking midfielder won Germany the FIFA World Cup in 2014 by scoring the goal that made the difference against Argentina in the final. He controlled the cross from the left and finished past Romero on the 112th minute. This gutted Lionel Messi who went on to retire from the national team. The young German became a hero for his goal which gifted Germany with the World Cup and many assumed that he would be repaid by a place in the final squad. The player has not had a terrible season either having made 38 appearances across all competitions which yielded 3 goals and 6 assists. Surely, Goetze deserved more from his team but the coach thinks otherwise. At the end of the day, Low probably sees that the player delivered when asked to but is now surplus to requirements. Such is the life of a footballer. One moment you’re idolized and the next, you’re insignificant.

FT 2017/18 African Transcendent XI: CM - Naby Keita [RB Leipzig]

Many African players have light up the European leagues ever since the days of George Weah. These include Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Okocha, etc. who have performed at an extraordinary level in the past decades. Mo Salah of Liverpool and Egypt has been the fan favorite this year for his record-breaking goals and guiding his club to the UEFA Champions League final. But this is not all the continent has to offer. There are other young players who are showing early promises of reaching these levels or even better them. Therefore, FirstTouch reflects on the next transcendent U23 players in each position.

CM - Naby Keita

Naby Keita made it in the German Bundesliga team of the Year in 2017 after guiding RB Leipzig to a second-place finish in the league. The following summer, Liverpool agreed on a deal in principle to take the Guinea international in the following year to the Anfield Stadium. The 23-year old has been the engine for one of the Red Bull franchise teams which have progressed in the past two years. The biggest headache that he will give to his new coach, Jurgen Klopp is his versatility. The player can play anywhere in midfield and can still be offensive. This season alone, he has scored 10 goals and provided 7 assists in all competitions according to WhoScored. He has been linked with clubs like Barcelona, Arsenal, and Liverpool before to show the caliber of player he is. He sure is destined to be a top, top player and it would be a mistake if Liverpool decides not to finalize the deal.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #4 - Renato Sanches

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Renato Sanches - Portugal

Young Portuguese prodigy, Renato Sanches had a breakout season in the 2015/16 season which earned him a place in the Portugal national team at the UEFA Euro 2016. Ronaldo’s team went on to win the tournament for the first time and the youngster was influential with his second half cameos. Since then, the young midfielder joined Bayern Munich, failed to compete for a starting spot before being shipped out on loan to Swansea this season. The player struggled to make the first team at Swansea who were relegated. He had so much promise which persuaded Bayern Munich into paying £27.5m for his services from Benfica but his trajectory is gradually declining. He will not be a part of the Portugal team that will compete at the FIFA World Cup Russia and he has no one to blame. 20-years of age and is already regarded as an extravagant option. He would not have imagined this, not in a million years.

FT 2017/18 African Transcendent XI: CDM - Wilfred Ndidi [Leicester City]

Many African players have light up the European leagues ever since the days of George Weah. These include Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Okocha, etc. who have performed at an extraordinary level in the past decades. Mo Salah of Liverpool and Egypt has been the fan favorite this year for his record-breaking goals and guiding his club to the UEFA Champions League final. But this is not all the continent has to offer. There are other young players who are showing early promises of reaching these levels or even better them. Therefore, FirstTouch reflects on the next transcendent U23 players in each position.

CDM - Wilfred Ndidi

Nigerian midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi has already started to make a name for himself in the most competitive leagues in Europe. The 21-year old moved to Leicester in January 2017 for £15m from Genk. He has since proved his worth against some of the best tacklers in the game such as N’golo Kante and Idrissa Gana Gueye who are all of the African descent. Ndidi is leading the Premier League charts as the best tackler with 138 in his 33 league appearances. The player also proved that he is an all-round midfielder and can offer more in terms of goal creation as he has scored a goal and provided 3 assists for Leicester in the league and FA Cup. It is exciting to hear that the young Nigerian is being linked with clubs like Arsenal who have had many problems in midfield ever since Patrick Vieira left the club. Ndidi has the potential to be a Premier League great if he makes a wise decision which involves him moving to a bigger club that can take his game to the next level like the likes of Michael Essien did at Chelsea under Mourinho. The season has ended and his focus is on the FIFA World Cup where he will be representing his nation who will play their first match against Croatia. 

The 21-year old midfield enforcer is as good as anyone you can get in his position and will be looking to strike a formidable midfield partnership with former Nigerian teammate and Golden Boy Winner John Obi Mikel who used to play for Chelsea before he left for China. We expect Ndidi to be doing the ‘dirty work’ for the team before distributing the ball to the playmaker who will transition the play to attack and hurt teams like Argentina, Croatia and Iceland in Group D. Wilfred has a long career ahead of him and should be looking to prove his worth especially against Messi’s team if he hopes of moving from being considered a good player to a great player. Arsenal has been reported to be sniffing around the possibility of capturing the talented African midfield enforcer and making him their new Vieira who will shut opponents if they try to break them on the counter. Will Ndidi be ready by the time the tournament kicks off in 21 days?

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #5 - Shkodran Mustafi

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Shkodran Mustafi - Germany

Another World Cup winner, Shkodran Mustafi has been left out of the Germany squad to compete at this year’s tournament in Russia. The Arsenal defender has had a poor season this year which saw his club finish 6th in the English Premier League. Mustafi was culpable for a number of errors alongside his injury-prone partner, Laurent Koscielny and the pair summarize the defensive problems that the club has. Although Arsenal scored 74 goals, they also shipped in 51 which explains their position in Wenger’s final year in charge. Mustafi had been an international regular as he was also in defense when the country won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017. Many expected him to continue his fill-in role where he usually stands in at right-back, left-back or anywhere in defense. He had been getting away with murder by turning in better performances for his national side than at Arsenal and his luck has finally run out. Joachim Low chose to drop the out of form defender and chose Rudiger instead who has had a slightly better season. Mustafi will not play at this year’s tournament. Ask the Arsenal fans for more.

FT 2017/18 African Transcendent XI: CDM - Franck Kessie [AC Milan]

Many African players have light up the European leagues ever since the days of George Weah. These include Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Okocha, etc. who have performed at an extraordinary level in the past decades. Mo Salah of Liverpool and Egypt has been the fan favorite this year for his record-breaking goals and guiding his club to the UEFA Champions League final. But this is not all the continent has to offer. There are other young players who are showing early promises of reaching these levels or even better them. Therefore, FirstTouch reflects on the next transcendent U23 players in each position.

CDM - Franck Kessie

The Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire) international currently plays as the holding midfielder for Italian giants, AC Milan. The 21-year old is on-loan from Atalanta but looks set to be the heir of long-retired Gattuso who is coincidentally coaching the player at AC Milan. Many comparisons have been drawn between the player and another football legend in Yaya Toure who enjoyed his best years of football in Manchester, England. Kessie has been dubbed the long-term replacement of Yaya Toure in the national team and he has not disappointed. Although the club has had a poor season, Kessie appeared in 36 appearances scoring 5 goals in the process as well as providing 5 assists. Kessie shows early promises of being a dominant enforcer in midfield who can drive his team forward at his own will just like Yaya Toure did in England. He looks ready for the next big challenge, clubs like Arsenal should definitely have the player on their radar.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #6 - Javier Pastore

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Javier Pastore - Argentina

The creative midfielder has failed to make the provisional list of the Argentina national team. This comes as a shocker for the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder who has enjoyed an amazing season with his club after the recruitment of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. Rubbing shoulders with great players is a dream for many footballers but Pastore’s numbers this season fail to reflect his contributions for PSG. He only managed 5 goals and 5 assists in all competitions which have led to his omission from the national team side. Pastore must be heartbroken to miss out on such a prestigious tournament that his national team came close to winning in 2014. That wraps up the list of the players that failed to make it because they were dropped but there are also big name players who have been ruled out because of injuries which include Dani Alves (Brazil), Chamberlain (England), Koscielny (France) among others.

FT 2017/18 African Transcendent XI: LB – Ramadan Sobhi [Stoke City]

Many African players have light up the European leagues ever since the days of George Weah. These include Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Okocha, etc. who have performed at an extraordinary level in the past decades. Mo Salah of Liverpool and Egypt has been the fan favorite this year for his record-breaking goals and guiding his club to the UEFA Champions League final. But this is not all the continent has to offer. There are other young players who are showing early promises of reaching these levels or even better them. Therefore, FirstTouch reflects on the next transcendent U23 players in each position.

LB – Ramadan Sobhi

Stoke City’s Ramadhan Sobhi currently plays as a winger in Paul Lambert’s team but his versatility allows him to fill in the left-back position in the Next African Transcendent XI. The 21-year old comes from the land of Egypt which has produced a 2018 Ballon D’Or contender in Mo Salah and he is as skilled as the Liverpool player. Sobhi is confident on the ball which has seen him represent his club and country on 29 different occasions scoring 3 goals in a process. Not bad for a 21-year old who is not a starter for the English club. The excitement brought about when such young players take on the best in the league prove that the continent of Africa has so much talent and it is just a matter of time before that talent translates to strong teams that can compete for the FIFA World Cup and other international tournaments.