NEWS
A selection of FirstTouch's best football writing, brought to you by emerging journalists, collaborators, and fans.
Who were MLS’ Most Valuable Teams in 2019 and Why?
Soccer is no longer small business in America.
“The Women in Football Leadership Programme” – a much needed breakthrough
Lovejoy explores how the FIFA led programme could loop in huge dividends for the global soccer community.
How did Borussia Dortmund become a factory for talent?
Here is a story of a club that has continually reinvented itself and now stands tall as one of the top destinations for highly-rated football talent.
FirstTouch have a fireside chat with Portland Timbers' Jeremy Ebobisse
Find out what happened when FirstTouch’s Topher Hegngi linked up with one of MLS’s top young forwards, Jeremy Ebobisse.
FIFA’s battle to win over top clubs ahead of the revamped 2021 Club World Cup
A 24-team Club World Cup slated for 2021 seems exciting for soccer fans around the world, but there’s something else in the water.
FIFA to turn Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium into a soccer laboratory
Barcelona is taking a leap in pioneering transformative soccer technologies, find out how.
Soccer clubs, the perfect home ground for brand sponsorship?
It’s not just the packed stadiums, t-shirt sales or television that rings the till for football clubs, brand sponsorship also brings in quite a significant portion.
Put aside the 93% of Spanish women following in the footsteps of the USWNT, protests over pay and working conditions are just starting
Discussions and debates about gender equality in football are all but just starting. A crescendo of the matter is surely at hand all around the world.
Brazilian team culture and the infectious recipe for success
In exploring what makes the most successful team in the history of football tick, Lovejoy reveals that they are more than a football team.
Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of OGC Nice signals a more competitive Ligue 1 but they are no PSG
Billionaires continue to make inroads into buying out clubs in the French Ligue 1. Their investments may take time to bear fruit but their status as one of Europe’s least competitive leagues is bound to come to an end.
What’s the reason for Argentina’s woes and how can they change the narrative?
Even the reign and majestic contributions of the mercurial Lionel Messi haven’t helped Argentina break the duck of over 25-years without winning a major senior trophy. What’s really going on in La Albiceleste’s camp?
Will racism ever end in Serie A?
Racism incidents have spiked in the Italian Serie A over the last couple of months. The real question is how do they move on and perhaps save the reputation of one of the best leagues in the world.
PSL: Can the tides turn for AmaZulu or are they destined for relegation?
One of the oldest and culturally connected clubs in South Africa, founded over 80 years ago, AmaZulu still find themselves feasting on the fruits of mediocrity and unimpressive institution building.
How can PSG win the UCL and be taken seriously across Europe?
It’s been a long road of elite stars that include Beckham, Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho and most recently Neymar; but PSG always seeming less than the sum their parts on biggest stage in all those occasions. They strangely seem to be slowly getting it right.
To what extent are local football associations determining results by successive pay-dispute rows?
Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Cameroon, only to mention but a few, are some of the sides that have had their overall performances negatively impacted by off the pitch scandals of late or non-payment resulting from maladministration and corruption. What’s local football associations’ role in this? How far does the cancer go? Simiso answers it all.
Is VAR a superhero or a villain in the future of global football?
Even after having a major run out in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, VAR looked all new during the women’s world cup and particularly the Copa America, dishing out some fresh controversies. Even Messi came out a supposed victim of the technology more than once. But what is it really to global football, a friend or a foe?
2019 WWC Review: After all the African teams failed to make it past the Round of 16, What’s next for the game in Africa?
The progress is evident, but we need more. We look back at Africa’s overall performance at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, seek to understand why, explore some of the challenges plaguing women’s football on the continent and suggest a few solutions.
The recurring and disturbing horror of footballers’ relatives kidnapped for ransom
Joseph Yobo, John Obi Mikel and most recently, Samuel Kalu have had their parents abducted for ransom money. When and how will authorities put an end to this vicious cycle in Nigeria?