New research reveals former professional footballers experience higher levels of clinical depression (33% vs 9%), anxiety (42% vs 25%), and self-reported cognitive issues than non-players, with MRI scans showing reduced brain volume.
The World Cup champions will receive $51 million, an increase from 2022, along with the iconic trophy and new championship rings. FIFA's total spend for the 48 participating teams is $871 million, with all teams receiving at least $12.5 million.
Official FIFA World Cup portraits capture a range of player personalities and poses, from rigid to playful. Photographers used special techniques and had limited time, with some players like Marcelo Bielsa standing out for their unconventional approach.
Two Brazilian football players, Matheus Reis de Lima and Joao Victor da Silva Marcelino, along with two Russian teammates, were added to the controversial 'Peacemaker' website's database for allegedly supporting the Russian military and infringing on Ukraine's sovereignty. The players were blacklisted for participating in an event that raised funds for Russian servicemen.
Iran's football players have received US visas for the 2026 World Cup, but senior officials remain pending clearance, complicating team travel plans amid heightened US-Iran tensions.
Striking teachers in Mexico City disrupted World Cup preparations, setting mannequins and soccer balls ablaze and blocking roads. They demand salary increases and pension law reversals, threatening protests during the event. Clashes with police injured five, with authorities denying excessive force.
Striking teachers in Mexico City have caused significant disruption ahead of the World Cup, protesting for salary increases and pension reform. Clashes with police and blockades have impacted city access and business operations, with teachers vowing to continue their actions.
Paris Saint-Germain football stars presented their two Champions League trophies to the French Open tennis crowd on Monday, two days after winning the European club title for the second consecutive year. The team beat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the final.
Petr Vlachovsky, a former head coach, has been banned for life by UEFA for secretly filming 14 women footballers in changing rooms and showers over four years. He was previously given a suspended prison sentence and a five-year coaching ban in the Czech Republic and was also found in possession of child sexual abuse material.
Brain trauma and football have become inexorably linked. But a recent Harvard study suggestions there are other dangers for football playersWhen an NFL player takes his own life, there is often speculation about why. Injuries and unemployment – a common occurrence in a violent sport where players are frequently traded and cut – have been linked with increased risks of suicidal ideation. In parallel to those factors, however, exists chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). A degenerative brain condition caused by repeated trauma to the head, CTE’s links with football are established and almost impossible to ignore. Players ranging from widely admired Pro Bowlers such as Junior Seau and Dave Duerson, to those infamous for more notorious reasons, such as Aaron Hernandez and Phillip Adams, were all confirmed to have CTE by autopsies. (The condition can only be diagnosed posthumously.) All four players killed themselves.Such anecdotal observations imply a certain, coherent logic that connects playing football with suicide. Tackle football, by its nature, increases participants’ risk of head injury. Head injuries increase the likelihood of an affected individual attempting suicide. CTE is often the cumulative consequence of years of head injuries and, indeed, many high-profile NFL players who have taken their own lives have been confirmed to suffer from CTE. So it’s easy to reason that football and/or CTE, by their very nature, lead to an increased risk of suicide.In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
ESPN college football reporters identify under-the-radar players on each of the Way-Too-Early Top 25 teams who could make significant impacts in the 2026 season. From linebackers like Ohio State's Payton Pierce to safeties like Notre Dame's Brauntae Johnson, these players aim to fill key voids left by departures and contribute to conference championship races and College Football Playoff pursuits.
Under previous regulations, RPL clubs were allowed to roster 13 foreign players and field eight legionnaires on the pitch during matches
