Gerd Müller
“… Today, it’s the prolific striker, ranked 13th in our original list, who scored for West Germany in the 1974 final. There is one thing every footballer in this book has in common. It’s a bit technical, so apologies for blinding you with jargon here, and please don’t feel too bad if you don’t completely follow, but here it is: They’re all really good at football. … Are those two things different? Maybe not. But Gerd Müller made up for not being stellar at the other stuff, the things we often talk about when we talk about the “greats”, by being maybe the best there ever was at the game’s most fundamental task. …”
NYT/ATH
Garrincha — The king of the playground “Today, it is the Brazilian who came in 14th in our 100, having decorated the national team’s performances for 11 years. Before the hard sell comes a pause. He stands there, briefly upright. It’s as if he is rifling through his mental hard-drive, looking for the right words for a lover or a child or a jury — although, given what we know about him, it’s more than possible he’s just looking at distant clouds. It’s a split second, over in the flap of a bird’s wing, but it seems longer. It feels like just this side of forever. …”
NYT/ATH
Garrincha in full flight against Wales at the 1958 World Cup
“When Neymar was 18, he made his debut for Brazil as part of the rejuvenation of the national squad after the 
“A month out from the World Cup, Brazil’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti appears, as always, utterly at ease. Now 66, Ancelotti has seen it all, and worked for them all: Silvio Berlusconi at Milan, Roman Abramovich at Chelsea, the Emir of Qatar at Paris Saint-Germain, 
“The final of the Minas Gerais state championship in Brazil descended into chaos on Sunday night, with a violent brawl leading to red cards for no fewer than 23 players. Cruzeiro led bitter rivals Atletico Mineiro 1-0 in added time when a mass altercation — a textbook example of what Brazilians call cenas lamentaveis or lamentable scenes — broke out on the pitch at the Mineirao stadium. The flashpoint was a clash involving Cruzeiro forward Christian and Atletico goalkeeper Everson: the former made a late challenge and ended up pinned to the floor, his upper body trapped under Everson’s legs. Within seconds, almost every player in the two squads, including substitutes, had sprinted over to the goalmouth. Inevitably, a melee ensued. …”
“The 2026 tournament is the 10th since it was expanded in 2017, from 38 to 47 teams. And it wasn’t just an expansion of teams in the tournament, it was also an expansion of the tournament’s length. 10 years ago, the Libetadores’ schedule was expanded from a 6 month-time-frame to a whopping and roster-depleting 11 month-long tournament (to the detriment of smaller clubs). Since then, no team from a country other than Brazil or Argentina has won the title. Brazilian teams have won it 8 times since the tournament-expansion, and an Argentinian team has won it once since then. 
“… Forty eight years after they were defeated in 
“World Cup 1962, hosted in Chile, is up there with World Cup 1938 as the least fabled editions of the tournament. There’s a common link between them: they’re the only two World Cups where the defending champion has triumphed. And this one came as little surprise — it was almost impossible to find a tournament preview that didn’t imply that Brazil were strong favourites. …”
“With apologies to the fans of the clubs that have been eliminated from the FIFA Club World Cup, it’s a relief that this tournament’s penchant for upsets and excitement hasn’t ended after the group stage. Like 
“The Club World Cup begins on Saturday, June 14, when Inter Miami take on Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. How will Lionel Messi and friends get on? Are they likely to get out of Group A? And what about Real Madrid? The world’s biggest club have replaced Carlo Ancelotti with Xabi Alonso, their former midfielder, and signed Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen in the mini transfer window before the tournament. 
“Brace yourselves, the World Cup countdown officially starts…now. … Having 16 more teams means even more of the globe’s best players can showcase their talents on the biggest stage, but who do we expect to be the protagonists next summer? Some names might be obvious, others might not have even earned their first international cap or play for countries whose qualification hangs in the balance. It’s a tricky assignment, but it is fun to try. So, almost one year out, this is The Athletic’s shortlist of those predicted — or expected — to light up World Cup 2026. …”
“Jorge Jesus winced as he read what sounded a lot like the last rites. … The situation belongs to Neymar. The cloudy future, too. In that small Riyadh press room, Jesus confirmed he would not be registering the forward for the second half of the Saudi Pro League season, effectively drawing a line under this latest chapter of his career. It is not clear what will happen next. Neymar is 33 in February. As Jesus was at pains to emphasise on Thursday, his ability is not up for debate. His recent injury record makes for grim reading, however: the Brazil forward has not started a match since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury playing for his country in October 2023. Zoom out a little further and it is just 733 competitive minutes in 23 months. …”
The 1943 Santa Cruz squad. Players marked with a red cross died during the tour.
“Sometimes it happens. High stakes, growing tension, a sheer desperation not to lose — the biggest games can light a fire within compulsive competitors that catches too quickly, spreads across the pitch, and burns any sense of spectacle to the ground. Uruguay’s Copa America quarterfinal clash with Brazil fell foul to that intensity: an ugly collision of arms, legs and bodies constantly interrupted by the referee’s whistle. By the time Dario Herrera signalled for the end, it felt as if the contest had barely been given the chance to begin. …”
Scissors Kick 