Urrrghhh 😂

The impact of altitude on World Cup 2026: ‘Running back and taking a breath is what costs you’ Games in Mexico will be particularly affected and the conditions can significantly change players' ability to operate at their normal levels

"Going up the mountain" www.nytimes.com/athletic/686...

Meet the worst football team in the world… and their superstar hairdresser Ibis Sport Club once went almost four years without winning a game - the Brazilians' attitude to their status has brought them global fame

A day in the life of the worst football team in the world www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

He used to be homeless. When I was at his salon, he got a phone call. He answered like this:

"This is Mauro Shampoo from Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, broadcasting to the world. Footballer, hairdresser, man, at your service. Let’s go, show, show, show!"

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

This is Mauro Shampoo, the most iconic Brazilian footballer you've never heard of.

"Pelé, Maradona & Zico were all No 10s, and so was I. I played for the worst team in the world, but I was still a No 10. I was the best of the worst, show."

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

Meet the worst football team in the world… and their superstar hairdresser Ibis Sport Club once went almost four years without winning a game - the Brazilians' attitude to their status has brought them global fame

Íbis SC call themselves 'the worst team in the world'.

They once went four years without winning. Their mascot is called Little Defeat. Their biggest icon is a hairdresser called Mauro Shampoo, who only ever scored one goal for them.

So why is everyone so... happy?

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

He used to be homeless. When I was at his salon, he got a phone call. He answered like this:

"This is Mauro Shampoo from Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, broadcasting to the world. Footballer, hairdresser, man, at your service. Let’s go, show, show, show!"

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

This is Mauro Shampoo, the most iconic Brazilian footballer you've never heard of.

"Pelé, Maradona & Zico were all No 10s, and so was I. I played for the worst team in the world, but I was still a No 10. I was the best of the worst, show."

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

Meet the worst football team in the world… and their superstar hairdresser Ibis Sport Club once went almost four years without winning a game - the Brazilians' attitude to their status has brought them global fame

Between 1980 and 1984, Ibis won none of their 55 matches. Their goal difference over that period was minus 206. Ibis say this was the longest winless run in football history.

They have attracted global fame as a result.

@jacklang.bsky.social went to Brazil to meet them.

Eight expectations about football from 25 years ago that have proven misguided From pay-per-view coverage to the loss of technical midfielders to indoor stadiums – some expectations from 2000 haven't come true

Football in 2025 doesn’t look how we expected it to in 2000. Here’s a list of eight things I anticipated would happen in that time, that have not happened at all.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

Meet the worst football team in the world… and their superstar hairdresser Ibis Sport Club once went almost four years without winning a game - the Brazilians' attitude to their status has brought them global fame

Íbis SC call themselves 'the worst team in the world'.

They once went four years without winning. Their mascot is called Little Defeat. Their biggest icon is a hairdresser called Mauro Shampoo, who only ever scored one goal for them.

So why is everyone so... happy?

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

Jose Mourinho is back at Benfica and ‘more alive than ever’. They need his old devil magic Benfica have chosen Mourinho as their new head coach - 25 years on from his first crack at the job - following a horror loss to Qarabag

"I am hungrier than I was 25 years ago. I feel more alive than ever."

Why Benfica are banking on José Mourinho, fuelled by a sense of unfinished business, to conjure a bit of the old devil magic and bring the glory days back to the Estádio da Luz

www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

Brazil’s World Cup qualifying was an all-time low – Carlo Ancelotti faces a race to be ready Brazil lost six matches in qualifying for the World Cup. Can Carlo Ancelotti fix their problems in time for the tournament?

Brazil's defeat to Bolivia last night brought the curtain down on their worst qualification campaign ever.

Lots of work for Carlo Ancelotti to do. Not much time in which to do it

www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Brazil’s World Cup qualifying was an all-time low – Carlo Ancelotti faces a race to be ready Brazil lost six matches in qualifying for the World Cup. Can Carlo Ancelotti fix their problems in time for the tournament?

Brazil's defeat to Bolivia last night brought the curtain down on their worst qualification campaign ever.

Lots of work for Carlo Ancelotti to do. Not much time in which to do it

www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Ecuador are outperforming Brazil in World Cup qualifying. They are a footballing nation on the rise

Ecuador beat Argentina last night. That's 11 matches unbeaten. They finish second in South American World Cup qualifying, above Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia.

"The feeling among the players and staff is that we are in a position to make history"

www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

That's true. Guess they'll have to make an impact at the actual World Cup too!

Really engaging guy. We spoke about the growing confidence of Ecuadorian players, learning from previous WC experience with Chile & Argentina, and why *not* playing at altitude highlights La Tri's "leap in quality"

www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Ecuador are outperforming Brazil in World Cup qualifying. They are a footballing nation on the rise

Ecuador haven't lost in 10 games. Their defensive record is laugh-out-loud amazing. They qualified for the World Cup with a year to spare despite a points deduction.

I spoke to coach Sebastián Beccacece about their rise – and their big ambitions for next summer

www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Watched Matheus Cunha's Manchester United debut with his old futsal mentor in Recife – and a few of the kids who hope to follow in his footsteps one day

www.nytimes.com/athletic/656...

‘Thank you, for making so many people happy’: Gondomar mourns Diogo Jota, their humble hero Jack Lang reports from Portugal on the impact that Jota's death has had on the region where he grew up and leaves such an indelible mark

“He was a symbol of this region.”

“We felt he was ours.”

In northern Portugal, a community mourns Diogo Jota, a blue-collar footballer who never lost sight of where his journey began

www.nytimes.com/athletic/647...

‘Thank you, for making so many people happy’: Gondomar mourns Diogo Jota, their humble hero Jack Lang reports from Portugal on the impact that Jota's death has had on the region where he grew up and leaves such an indelible mark

“He was a symbol of this region.”

“We felt he was ours.”

In northern Portugal, a community mourns Diogo Jota, a blue-collar footballer who never lost sight of where his journey began

www.nytimes.com/athletic/647...

Meet Jhon Arias – a novel football hero The softly spoken Colombian winger has emerged as one of the stars of the Club World Cup, and was crucial to Fluminense's win over Inter

Stand-out performer so far at this Club World Cup? There’s a strong case for Jhon Arias, the softly spoken, Gabriel García Márquez-reading dreamer who has come from relative obscurity in Colombia to bring his brand of magical realism to Fluminense 🇧🇷🇨🇴 #Fluminense www.nytimes.com/athletic/646...

Filipe Luis: The Flamengo coach who is making a hard job look easy Tipped to manage Brazil in the future, Filipe Luis has already made a big impression at the Club World Cup this summer

“He will soon be seen as one of the top managers in the world.”

How “restless” Filipe Luis went from novice to Brazil’s most promising coach in the space of eight months

www.nytimes.com/athletic/645...

Filipe Luis: The Flamengo coach who is making a hard job look easy Tipped to manage Brazil in the future, Filipe Luis has already made a big impression at the Club World Cup this summer

“He will soon be seen as one of the top managers in the world.”

How “restless” Filipe Luis went from novice to Brazil’s most promising coach in the space of eight months

www.nytimes.com/athletic/645...

Igor Jesus, the Premier League-bound Club World Cup star who last year was a nobody The 'Little Frog' is now starring on the global stage and has a move to Nottingham Forest already agreed. Not a bad year's work for a nobody

Igor Jesus is one of the breakout stars of the Club World Cup.

The most interesting thing about him?

Just over a year ago, barely anyone had even heard of him.

📝 @jacklang.bsky.social

Read the piece

Igor Jesus – The Premier League-bound Club World Cup star who last year was a nobody The 'Little Frog' is now starring on the global stage and has a move to Nottingham Forest already agreed. Not a bad year's work for a nobody

Igor Jesus took the scenic route to the brink of global stardom. It might just have been the making of him www.nytimes.com/athletic/645...

Vinicius Jr evokes Guti’s ‘Heel of God’ at Club World Cup to set up Real Madrid v Juventus Watch Vinicius Jr's smart assist and read analysis of Real Madrid's victory over Salzburg

First came his opening goal, a thrilling reminder of what he can do when the service is right and he is not being double-marked.

Eight minutes later, he set up the second goal in stylish fashion, evoking Guti’s 'Heel of God.'

www.nytimes.com/athletic/644...

Igor Jesus – The Premier League-bound Club World Cup star who last year was a nobody The 'Little Frog' is now starring on the global stage and has a move to Nottingham Forest already agreed. Not a bad year's work for a nobody

Igor Jesus took the scenic route to the brink of global stardom. It might just have been the making of him www.nytimes.com/athletic/645...

‘We couldn’t believe what had happened’: Ten years on, Guti’s ‘Heel of God’ assist remains a middle finger to conventional football wisdom It is the most unlikely-looking assist of all time - but everything about it summed up the unorthodox charm of one Jose Maria Gutierrez...

Thou shalt not take Guti's name in vain

www.nytimes.com/athletic/157...