The 18-year-old Spanish professional footballer has won the Kopa Trophy, the award presented to the best player under age 21, prior to the 2022 Ballon d’Or presentation.
The Barca midfielder, who turned 18 in August, claimed the prize ahead of Borussia Dortmund‘s Jude Bellinghamand Bayern Munich‘s Jamal Musiala.
He succeeds Barcelona teammate Pedri, last year’s winner.
After breaking into the first-team setup at age 16 last year, Gavi went on to make 47 appearances for Barca in all competitions in 2021-22, scoring two goals.
His performances for the Catalan club earned him a call-up to the Spain national team and he became the youngest player to ever represent La Roja, at the age of 17 years and 62 days.
Gavi has since won 12 caps for Spain and is a regular for club and country heading into next month’s FIFA World Cup.
Armando Bo’s look into how a Brazilian man wrestled control from Europe of the biggest sport on earth is headed to Prime Video.
Amazon will release the 43-year-old Argentine Oscar-winning screenwriter and film director’s Amazon OriginalEl Presidente: The Corruption Game on November 4.
Bo’s Latin American series focuses on João Havelange.
In a neat historical echo, backed by Bo’s About Entertainment,Narcos producer Gaumont TV, Pablo and Juan de DiosLarraín’s Fabula and Argentine powerhouse Kapow, the second season in the El Presidente series saga of soccer business high jinks and low morals now looks set to become one of the biggest soccer titles released in the countdown to the greatest show on earth, the FIFA World Cup.
Whether FIFA will be entirely comfortable with it is another matter, if a trailer, shared in exclusivity with Variety, is anything to go by.
One of Iberseries’ biggest market premieres, El Presidente: The Corruption Game had its world premiere of its first two episodes on October 14 at this year’s reinvigorated Festival do Rio.
Season 1 turned on the feckless, sly, amoral but simpático Sergio Jadue, a Chilean small town soccer club supremo who’s elected president of Chile’s soccer association. The wrong man in the right place, a fish out of water, he rises in FIFA’s hierarchy, sparking FIFA Gate, a $150 million corruption scandal. Bo tells the story as ironic farce.
Now narrated by Jadue, The President: The Corruption Game teases out the human tragedy in a still arch comedy, which unspools on a far grander scale.
It takes on another extraordinary – but far more towering – figure, Brazil’s Havelange, FIFA president over 1974-98. A hulking giant with dashing blond looks, Havelange dedicated his life to serving Brazil – swimming in the 1936 Berlin Games, working as the vice-president of the Brazilian Sports Confederation from 1958 to 1973, when Brazil won three World Cups – and to serving himself from FIFA’s gravy train.
Glimpsed in the trailer, colorful scenes kick off El Presidente: The Corruption Game with Havelange fuming as Pele is literally kicked out of the first round of England’s 1966 Word Cup, Havelange, the son of a Belgian arms dealer, is outraged by a FIFA meeting where “third world” members are forced to sit in a different room from their European colleagues.
In 1974, as Johan Cruyff forged the modern game on-field, Havelange began to revolutionize its economics and reach – central events in the second season.
Seizing control of FIFA from Sir Stanley Rous, a neo-colonial buffer, over the next 24 years, he created soccer’s modern global business, powered by sponsorship and TV deals, while enlarging the World Cup to 32 teams and introducing a FIFA Women’s World Cup.
But Havelange did so at a tremendous cost, opening FIFA up to multi-million bribery and money laundering and losing his friends, family and honor when he fell into final total disgrace over the 2015-16 FIFA Gate at the age of 98.
El Presidente: The Corruption Game, a mixture of near doc recreation and self-declared fiction, begins with a doddery Havelange, now celebrating his 100th birthday. Only one guest accepts his invitation.
Much of this is caught in the fast-paced, extensive trailer. Havelange used Brazil’s stunning 1970 World Cup triumph to bid to become FIFA president. He is rebuffed by Europe’s still colonial FIFA members. “Even if Brazil wins 100 World Cups, decisions will never be made in the colonies,” FIFA general secretary Helmut Kässer tells him.
Havelange launches an extraordinary play for the votes of poor countries, winning them by his promises, backhanders and a tour of Africa with Pele.
“FIFA is entering the future,” Havelange announces in the trailer. Nobody transformed soccer more off the field more than he did. It wasn’t all for the better.
The 55-year-old Mexican professional futbolcoach and former player has been hired by the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) as the new sporting director for its women’s national teams, president Yon de Luisa announced on Sunday at a press conference in Los Angeles.
The former El Tri Femenil midfielder joins the FMF after previously coaching Club Tijuana in Liga MX Femenil and Mexico’s U20 women’s national team. Most recently, Rodebaugh has also done work with FIFA as a women’s football consultant.
“Andrea arrives to add and strengthen the women’s teams,” De Luisa said. “With her professionalism and dedication, Andrea has come to achieve the goal that we’ve all set for ourselves, which is to be in the top eight in the world. Andrea’s leadership will be essential.”
Rodebaugh will be tasked with reviving a women’s national team project that has gone through a turbulent 2022.
Despite a growth in domestic talent and the rise of the Liga MX Femenil (Mexico’s top flight for women’s soccer), the women’s national team failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Paris Games after finishing without a win in July’s CONCACAF W Championship — ultimately leading to the firing of manager Monica Vergarain August.
Coupled with the men’s U20 squad failing to qualify for the 2023 U20 World Cup and Paris 2024, the FMF made a decision in mid-July to dismiss general sporting director Gerardo Torrado, sporting director of national teams Ignacio Hierro, and U20 coach Luis Perez. Later that month, multiple coaches from the women’s U20 squad were also fired after an internal investigation “found of a lack of leadership and inappropriate behaviors.”
Through a restructuring of the FMF, Jaime Ordiales has since stepped in as a sporting director for only the men’s national teams, and on the women’s side, Rodebaugh will now be leading the efforts.
“It is an honor to contribute to the national teams, it’s a huge challenge and I’m aware that it requires commitment and plenty of discipline,” Rodebaugh said in her introductory press conference.
“We have a generation of very talented players, willing to give their best on the field. I will focus all my energy and concentration to improve their performances so they can reach their highest level.”
Later, De Luisa revealed that coach Pablo Lopez, who recently won the U20 Women’s World Cup with Spain, is in “very advanced” talks with the FMF to become the next manager of Mexico’s senior women’s team.
Currently in the middle of a trip to southern California, the Mexico women lost 1-0 to New Zealand during a friendly on Friday at Carson’s Dignity Health Sports Park. On Monday, they’ll then face the NWSL‘s Angel City FC in a country vs. club friendly at Los Angeles’ Banc of California Stadium.
Miguel Angel Gamero and Cristian Flores are the current interim coaches for the senior women’s team.
In a countdown to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the 30-year-old Puerto Rican/Dominican singer and rapper has joined voices with French-Congolese rapper Gims to release the new track “Arhbo,” part of the official soundtrack.
The feel-good track is named after the local slang word for “welcome” in Qatar and “perfectly embodies the welcoming spirit of the Arabian country.
“I think ‘Bienvenidos’, ‘welcome home’ says it all,” Ozuna said in a press statement. “Whatever journey everyone was on, it brought them here, to this moment, and for that moment they are home. They say that ‘home is where the heart is, right? El hogar está donde está el corazón. For all the people who are coming, and all the people who, with all their hearts, want to come, we are saying, ‘bienvenidos’, welcome home!”
Mexican club Pachuca have completed the signing of the 32-year-old Spanish professional soccer player and the 2021 FIFA’s The Best runner-up on a free transfer as she announced her departure from Barcelona.
Hermoso, who is Barca Femeni‘s all-time leading scorer with 174 goals, announced she is making the switch to Pachuca after turning down a contract extension at the Camp Nou.
“To have won everything with this jersey is something that I will take with me forever,” Hermoso said in a message posted to Instagram.
“To play in a sold-out stadium, to celebrate a goal at the Camp Nou and to lift high up our first Champions [League]… Now is time for a new adventure that fills me and that make me feel truly valued.”
Hermoso, who has scored a record 45 goals in 91 appearances for Spain, has been ruled out for Euro 2022 after sustaining ligament damage in her right knee and is expected to miss the start of the Liga MX Femenil season, which kicks off on July 12.
Hermoso has won seven league titles during her 18-year career, including five at Barca, who she initially played for between 2013 to 2017 and rejoined in 2019 from Atletico Madrid.
Hermoso was also a crucial part of Barca Femeni’s first European title when they won the Women’s Champions League in 2021.
She has also had spells at Paris Saint-Germain, Rayo Vallecano and Tyreso FF.
The 30-year-old Mexican American Twitch streamer has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for representation in all areas.
Castro is best known for his soccer-themed content including FIFA.
He averages 30,000 concurrent live viewers on the Amazon-owned platform and has over 3.5 million followers.
Castro is also active on YouTube and social media channels.
A sports enthusiast, Castro attends major sporting events annually such as WWE, F1, NFL, NBA and MLB.
Among his work with brands, Castro has collaborated with 7-Eleven, Gillette, Electronic Arts and Turtle Beach. Earlier this year, he was seen in a McDonald’sSuper Bowl commercial.
The 42-year-old Brazilian retired professional footballer is the focus of FIFA+’s debut feature documentary.
Entitled Ronaldinho: The Happiest Man In The World, the doc sets the gold standard for quality, scale and ambition for original content on the new soccer streamer, says its head of content.
FIFA+ launched this week with a suite of FIFA+ Original-branded shows, live matches, news and data and plans to offer 40,000 soccer games.
Headlining the debut was the 90-minute Ronaldinho: The Happiest Man In The World, a buzzy title from British directors Andrew and Stuart Douglas, Bernie Goldmann and the Los Angeles Media Fund (LAMF) looking into the life of the iconic Brazilian soccer star, focusing on his time at Barcelona FC.
FIFA+ acquired the doc in a competitive situation ahead of the free streaming service’s debut and Marley tells Deadline it acts as “an incredible launch vehicle for this platform.”
The film follows the colorful attacker’s ascent to the top of game in the mid-2000s, before looking at why he only remained there for a short time by speaking to those close to him and his mystique.
After winning two FIFA World Player of the Year awards through his effortlessly skillful and joyful approach to the game, Ronaldinho’s career took a turn for the worst, culminating a series of damaging personal life episodes, including a spell in a Paraguayan prison for entering the country using a false passport.
“A lot of narrative is filled in the negative space around him,” said Stuart Douglas. “Key access is the most important factor in a doc like this and through his brother Roberto, who manages the whole story, we got that for Ronnie. We were able to fill in the blanks.”
The documentary hears from the likes of Lionel Messi, seen by some as Ronaldinho’s protege at Barcelona and now widely recognized as the greatest soccer player of all time, and also includes a score by British singer-songwriter Jake Bugg, who composed the music while under Covid lockdown restrictions in 2020.
Despite officially retiring in 2018, Ronaldinho remains a top-ten most followed athlete on social media globally and has attracted a sea of younger fans via YouTube videos of his tricks and goals. Indeed, the player is considered by some as the star of the first viral video: a Nike commercial in which he strikes the crossbar of a goal several times in a row.
“Ronaldinho is a uniquely loved character in football,” said Marley. “As a footballer, he is good enough but once we’d got into the depths of his back story and his character, we knew we had to get involved with the distribution of this film.”
Billed as coming in at the “premium budget end of the doc space – several millions of dollars” by the LAMF’s Simon Horsman, it marks FIFA+’s entry into a narrative sports doc space that has served the likes of Netflix and Amazon well.
“We want to speak to lots of people and create a huge wealth of content with amazing groups of people like with this doc,” said Marley. “We’re in the market to create amazing stories around football – going beyond the appeal of just football and widening it out to a broader audience.”
“The sports docs space is proving to be very fruitful and Bernie [Goldmann], Jeffrey [Soros] and I will certainly be knocking on James’ door with ideas,” added Horsman.
Erik Lamela is celebrating his award-winning rabona…
The 29-year-old Argentine professional footballer, who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for La Liga club Sevilla and the Argentina national team, has won this year’s Puskas Award.
Lamela earned the award for his “rabona” for Tottenham Hotspur against Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowskiequaled Cristiano Ronaldo‘s FIFA The Best record when he won the award for a second time on Monday.
The Bayern Munich forward retained his FIFA The Best award following an incredible campaign in which he scored a Bundesliga record 41 goals, fighting off competition from Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah.
Chelseamanager Thomas Tuchel claimed the Manager of the Year award following success in the Champions League in 2021.
Chelsea and Senegal‘s Edouard Mendy won the Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Denmark team and staff won the Fair Play award following their reaction to Christian Eriksen‘s cardiac arrest at Euro 2020. Denmark and Finland fans also received the Best Fan award for their spontaneous unified chanting in support of Eriksen after he was taken off the pitch.
The award was first handed out in its present guise in 2016, after FIFA ended their five-year partnership with the Ballon d’Or. Ronaldo, who was given a special award for breaking the international men’s goal scoring record in 2021, won back-to-back awards in the first two years.
Meanwhile, Messi and part-Brazilian player Jorginhowere named to the FIFA FIFPro Men’s World XI team.
FIFA FIFPro Men’s World XI Gianluigi Donnarumma – Paris Saint-Germain, Italy
David Alaba – Real Madrid, Austria
Ruben Dias – Manchester City, Portugal
Leonardo Bonucci – Juventus, Italy
Jorginho – Chelsea, Italy
N’Golo Kante – Chelsea, France
Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City, Belgium
Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United, Portugal
Erling Haaland – Borussia Dortmund, Norway
Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich, Poland
Lionel Messi – Paris Saint-Germain, Argentina
The 27-year-old Spanish footballer, a midfielder for Barcelona and Spain, has won The Best FIFA Women’s Player award for 2022, marking her third individual award in the last six months.
Putellas previously won the Ballon d’Or Femininin November and was named UEFA Women’s Player of the Year in August.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes was awarded The Best FIFA Women’s Coach award after a year in which she won the domestic Treble and made it to the Champions League final.
Canada and Portland Thorns‘ Christine Sinclair was awarded The Best FIFA Special award while Chile and Lyon‘s Christiane Endler was awarded The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper award.
“This belongs to everyone,” Putellas said after receiving the award. “I hope we can continue with the same or even more motivations this year and we can be very successful again.
“This is the work of many years. 2021 was perfect. We only hope to finish this year the same way.”
Putellas fought off strong competition from teammate Jennifer Hermoso and Chelsea’s Sam Kerr for Monday’s award — the same two finalists for the Ballon d’Or Feminin.
Putellas helped Barca to a Treble-winning 2020-21 season in which they won the Primera Divsion, the Copa de la Reina and took home the Champions League trophy for the first time in their history.
Meanwhile, several Latina players were named to the FIFA Women’s World XI team, including Endler, Argentina’s Estefania Banini and Brazil’s Marta.
FIFA Women’s World XI Christiane Endler – Lyon, Chile Lucy Bronze – Manchester City, England Wendie Renard – Lyon, France Millie Bright – Chelsea, England Magdalena Eriksson – Chelsea, Sweden Estefania Banini – Atletico Madrid, Argentina Carli Lloyd – NJ/NY Gotham, United States Barbara Bonansea – Juventus, Italy Vivianne Miedema – Arsenal, Netherlands Marta – Orlando Pride, Brazil Alex Morgan – San Diego Wave, United States
The half-Colombian sports executive, the former U.S. Soccer Federation president, is considering a run to reclaim his old position, according to ESPN sources, with one source saying Cordeiro has made up his mind and has shared plans to run with others privately.
Cordeiro has received multiple nominations from the voting membership, according to the sources, as required as part of the presidential candidate process, and in recent days has wrestled with the decision on whether to run against current president Cindy Parlow Cone.
Cone announced last August that she would seek re-election.
The deadline for submitting nominations — and for candidates to indicate they are running — is midnight CT on Tuesday. The election itself will be held in March of 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Reached Monday, a U.S. Soccer spokesman said U.S. Soccer presidential nominations are confidential until the deadline passes.
Cordeiro was elected as USSF president in 2018, but resigned nearly two years later amid a backlash to court filings relating to the equal pay lawsuit filed by members of the U.S. women’s national team, which former and current players on both the men’s and women’s national teams called sexist.
In one filing, the USSF and its lawyers disparaged the players, saying they “do not perform equal work requiring equal skill [and] effort” because “the overall soccer-playing ability required to compete at the senior men’s national team level is materially influenced by the level of certain physical attributes such as speed and strength.” Cordeiro said at the time that he didn’t review the court documents filed by federation attorneys, but took responsibility for the filing’s language.
With sponsors applying pressure as well, Cordeiro resigned in March 2020. Cone subsequently took over and was re-elected while running unopposed in 2021 to finish out Cordeiro’s term.
One source expressed concern that if Cordeiro is re-elected, it would amount to a “step backward” for the federation, especially as it attempts to settle the ongoing equal pay lawsuit. The federation has also enjoyed some stability since the hiring of CEO Will Wilson two weeks after Cordeiro’s resignation and with Cone taking over after the turnover from former president Sunil Gulati and Cordeiro — and a source said Cordeiro running again would be disruptive to ongoing efforts at the federation.
There is also bound to be an immense public backlash if Cordeiro runs again, and a source worried about how that could affect the federation’s relationship with sponsors. Before Cordeiro’s resignation in 2020, Coca-Cola, a major sponsor, had called U.S. Soccer‘s handling of the lawsuit “unacceptable and offensive,” Deloitte said it was “deeply offended” and Volkswagen said it was “disgusted,” among other strong reactions.
But other sources say dissatisfaction among U.S. Soccer’s voting membership has been building with some aspects of Cone’s performance as president, especially within the state associations. Late last year, the USSF changed its voting structure in order to comply with the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic and Amateur Athletes Act. That law is primarily focused on preventing athletes from suffering the kind of abuse that came to light in the Larry Nassar case, one in which the former team doctor for USA Gymnastics was found to have assaulted hundreds of girls and women.
But the bill also contains language that mandates that athlete representation on boards and committees of national governing bodies be increased from 20% to 33.3%. A U.S. Olympic & Paralympics Committee policy change reinforced this mandate. While there was general agreement that the composition of the board should reflect these percentages, there was more disagreement about how these changes should apply to the voting membership. The concern among some members is that with the athletes’ council controlling 33.3% of the vote, it could team with another constituency to control the USSF’s agenda. That said, a policy change authored by a USSF task force was passed last October by the national council with 92% of the weighted vote.
There has also been concern that not enough is being done to push the 2026 World Cup — which the U.S. is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico — to the front of the federation’s agenda, with one source calling the USSF’s approach “somewhat passive.” Sources also say some members believe Cordeiro has better connections with FIFA given his role in securing the 2026 hosting rights. A former member of the FIFA stakeholders committee, Cordeiro was appointed last September to be a senior adviser to FIFA for global strategy and governance.
Another source said there is a sense from some segments of the voting membership that Cone “only cares about the senior [national teams] and does not respect the voting membership and what they do for the sport.”
The USWNT’s lawsuit was dismissed in May 2020, shortly after Cordeiro’s resignation, and the players have filed an appeal in federal court. The appeal is set to proceed with oral arguments in March.
The Barca midfielder, who turned 18 in August, claimed the prize ahead of Borussia Dortmund‘s Jude Bellingham and Bayern Munich‘s Jamal Musiala.
