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Long-form football features, in-depth stories and exclusive content from the Footy Times team.
From the Bench to the Spotlight: Gessime Yassine’s Key Role in Morocco’s Triumph
In a thrilling knockout clash at Estadio Monterrey on June 29, 2026, Morocco edged out the Netherlands 1-1 (3-2 on penalties) to advance to the Round of 16, where they will face co-hosts Canada. The match was a tense, hard-fought affair…
The Longest Run
On 17 June 2006, in Frankfurt, a 21-year-old wearing the number 17 shirt stepped up to take a penalty for Portugal against Iran. He was wearing 17 because Luis Figo — Portugal's captain, their most decorated player, the man whose shoes he…
Record Breaker, History Maker: There Is Simply Nobody Like Messi
The gods of football, as someone noted afterwards, clearly did not want the record broken from the penalty spot. They had something better in mind.
In the ninth minute at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Messi struck a penalty wide of…
History in Dallas as Messi Claims Absolute World Cup Scoring Record
History has been rewritten in Texas. Just two days shy of his 39th birthday, Lionel Messi has officially become the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history, inspiring Argentina to a clinical 2-0 victory over Austria at Dallas…
Messi: This Is His Dream — And It’s Still Running
On June 16, 2006, an 18-year-old scored his first World Cup goal. On June 16, 2026, the same man scored three. This is what twenty years looks like.
https://twitter.com/FIFAWorldCup/status/2067136363078545876?s=20
There are players who…
Who Is Vozinha? Cape Verde’s World Cup Hero Captivates the Football World
One of the most memorable stories of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been the remarkable rise of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha. The veteran shot-stopper captured global attention after producing an outstanding performance in Cape Verde’s…
First Steps on the Grand Stage: The Inspiring Rise of the Debutants
The expansion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to a massive 48-team format was met with plenty of debate, but it has undeniably achieved one of its core goals: opening the gates for the global game's rising underdogs.
This summer, four…
The Diaspora Advantage: How Cape Verde Built a World Class Roster from 14 Countries
The beautiful game thrives on fairy tales, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered its ultimate protagonist before a ball has even been kicked in the knockout rounds. Cape Verde (officially Cabo Verde), a stunning archipelago of ten…
World Cup 2026: Five pre-tournament predictions
For a sport that is so meticulously data-driven at the top level, football still remains wonderfully alive for diverse analytic opinions because the data only tells the facts and omits the context that provides the story.
And in…
Playing in the Shadow of Bombs: The Glaring Hypocrisy of American World Cup
The intersection of geopolitics and sport has long been a battleground of double standards, but the 2026 FIFA World Cup—co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada—has pushed this hypocrisy into plain view. As the tournament kicks…