Consistent and talented, Maxwell was one of his era’s most underrated footballers – despite becoming the most decorated player in history
Long before Rafa Nadal became one of the great modern sportsmen, his uncle, Miguel Ángel was one of Spanish football’s finest defenders at Barcelona
It’s remarkable to this that a black pioneer like Andrew Watson, in the 1800s, would encounter less racism that some black players today
Happy birthday LaLiga – the all-encompassing machine that now attracts a billion viewers a year. It wasn’t always that way, though
In a unique feat, three generations of Marcos Alonsos – all leading players in their own right at big clubs – have represented Spain at Wembley
This feature is part of Virtuoso If only they’d waited. In 2005, a film crew led by Philippe Parreno and Douglas Gordon decided to study Zinedine Zidane’s every movement during a game.…
Jorge Valdano. Gabriel Batistuta. Mauricio Pochettino, Gerardo Martino. Maxi Rodríguez. Walter Samuel. Gabriel Heinze. Carlos Tévez. Fabricio Coloccini. Éver Banega. Fernando Gago. Besides going on to achieve great things in world football,…
Cuban football is a minor mystery to the outside world. The league is amateur, in the literal sense, and the national team only contests one or two competitive ties each World Cup…
Spain’s domestic cup competition, the Copa del Rey, has provided plenty of weird and wonderful moments over the years and through its various name changes. There was Real Madrid’s violent 11-1 destruction of…
The year 1975 was a very different time for Real Zaragoza. Los Maños finished second that year, the joint-highest finish in their history, and nobody had ever heard of a club called…
This feature is part of Duology Sometimes we aren’t gifted a logical ending to a story. Sometimes a tale is wrapped up in the most head-scratching of manners. Sometimes the final act…
This feature is part of Duology Real Madrid revolves around the European Cup. It is their trophy; their raison d’être. The only squads considered legendary throughout the club’s illustrious history are those…
Nordin Amrabat spent last season living in Madrid and playing in LaLiga for Leganés, but he really wanted to beat Spain last Monday evening. Even though Morocco had already been mathematically eliminated…
HAVE YOU HEARD the story of Sir Michael Caine and the Brazilian footballer? Understandably, it sounds ludicrous. Can you really picture Neymar hanging out with Alfred or Dani Alves dancing with Harry…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Iraq’s national football team, the Lions of Mesopotamia, have scored just one World Cup goal in their entire history. It was at Mexico 86, the only time they’ve…
IF YOU HAD TO BE STUCK IN A LIFT with one footballing personality, who would you want it to be? You could pass the time asking Andrés Iniesta what it’s like to…
“YES ISCO, I stopped the silliness.” This was Asier Illarramendi’s first return to Anoeta since he decided to switch the blue and white stripes of Real Sociedad for the famous white of…
PICTURE THE SCENE. A multi-millionaire property developer is sat in a jacuzzi, where he is surrounded by half a dozen bikini-clad women young enough to be his granddaughters as he hosts his…