Football news 2018
Here are some of the top football news stories from 2018:
International Football
- World Cup 2018: France wins the tournament, defeating Croatia 4-2 in the final (July 15)
- England reaches the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time since 1990, losing to Croatia 2-1 (July 11)
- Belgium finishes third in the World Cup, defeating England 2-0 in the third-place playoff (July 14)
- Spain is eliminated from the World Cup in the round of 16, losing to Russia 4-3 in a penalty shootout (July 1)
Club Football
- Champions League: Real Madrid wins its third consecutive title, defeating Liverpool 3-1 in the final (May 26)
- Europa League: Atlético Madrid wins the title, defeating Marseille 3-0 in the final (May 16)
- Premier League: Manchester City wins the title, finishing 19 points ahead of second-place Manchester United (May 12)
- La Liga: Barcelona wins the title, finishing 14 points ahead of second-place Atlético Madrid (May 13)
- Serie A: Juventus wins the title, finishing 17 points ahead of second-place Napoli (May 13)
Transfers
- Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Real Madrid to join Juventus in a €100 million deal (July 16)
- Neymar leaves Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record €222 million deal (August 3)
- Kylian Mbappé signs a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain, committing to the club until 2025 (May 25)
- Harry Maguire joins Manchester United from Leicester City in a £80 million deal (August 7)
Coaching Changes
- José Mourinho is sacked as Manchester United manager, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær taking over as interim manager (December 18)
- Antonio Conte is sacked as Chelsea manager, with Maurizio Sarri taking over as manager (July 13)
- Arsène Wenger leaves Arsenal after 22 years as manager, with Unai Emery taking over as manager (May 20)
Injuries and Controversies
- Neymar suffers a serious ankle injury in the World Cup, ruling him out of the tournament (June 2)
- Paul Pogba is criticized for his performance in the World Cup, with some calling for him to be dropped from the French team (June 22)
- Manchester City is accused of breaching Financial Fair Play regulations, with the club facing a potential ban from European competition (February 8)
- The English Football Association is criticized for its handling of the Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez incident, with Sterling and Gomez both receiving fines and suspensions (November 12)
These are just a few of the many football news stories from 2018. It was a year that saw some big changes in the sport, with new managers, players, and teams emerging to make their mark.