“There was a time where Hungarian football was a global force, it’s clubs reckoned with and it’s players among the elite of the sport. It’s now a shadow of what it once was. Ilija Trojanovic takes a look at what happened to the country in the beautiful game, and how the political situation had a positive and eventually negative role to play.” Outside of the Boot
“A few years ago, a young striker was creating waves around Europe, and was quickly labelled ‘The New Drogba’ by plenty of people. With pace, and power, Romelu Lukaku certainly bore the physical resemblance. His healthy goal scoring averages for club and country only added to the aura he had built up, and a mad race began, as Europe’s top clubs all wanted to snap him up. Eventually, Lukaku signed for Chelsea, a team he supported growing up, and earned the chance to train and play with his hero, Didier Drogba. He was the new leader of a new Chelsea attack that was going to change its ethos and style under the talented, and watchful eye of Andres Villas Boas.” Outside of the Boot
“In professional sports there are saints, sinners and opportunists who take their chances for a better life. Southampton F.C, known as the Saints, is the only team on England’s southern coast competing in the Premier League. Four years ago, the club faced bankruptcy. It was saved by a German-Swiss businessman, and four months ago Southampton dared to threaten the elite teams vying for Champions League spots. But sometimes a rapid rise begets instability.” NY Times
“The city that will host the 2022 World Cup final doesn’t yet exist. And so, on a relatively temperate day in Qatar—97 degrees at 3:45 p.m.—you drive a half hour north from Doha, past all the construction cranes, past the billboards heralding the future (Lusail City, Iconic City, We Will Make It Happen) to the patch of bare desert sand that, eight years hence, will stage the planet’s biggest Big Game. You step out of the car, and your sunglasses fog up instantly. In the distance you can make out a white school bus carrying migrant workers—from Nepal, perhaps, or India—to a nearby job site.” SI
“The French league has gotten some good P.R. of late (thanks to a certain player on a certain club), but it’s still a long way from Europe’s elite. If some segments of the soccer press are to be believed, Paris Saint-Germain, with its record transfer fees, big-name stars, and Zlatan-mania, is leading French football into a new, vibrant era. Despite the club’s undeniable glamour, though, Ligue 1 is still not ready to crack Europe’s big four: the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and Serie A.” Fusion
“The World Cup issue, filled with everything you could possibly want to know about the tournament. A 36-page timeline of its history. Bin Laden’s plot to blow up France ’98. Ashley Cole, Philipp Lahm, Tim Howard, and Carles Puyol on how to stop Cristiano Ronaldo. Profiles of Aron Johannsson, Graham Zusi, and Matt Besler. Eight reasons we’re optimistic for the U.S. national team. The official songs and films of the Cup. So much more. $15. Howler #5
Scissors Kick 