Football guides
Articles and guides to understand and enjoy football more: how to watch the matches, how competitions work and what the terms used by commentators and fans mean.
How to watch live soccer for free from the U.S. and Latin America
A practical guide to following your team's matches live without paying: where to get minute-by-minute scores, how to find legal streams and what to keep in mind depending on your country.
August 21, 2026 · 6 minWhat VAR is and how it works: the definitive guide
Video refereeing explained without the jargon: which incidents it reviews, who makes the call, why it sometimes takes so long and how it changed modern football.
August 21, 2026 · 5 minCopa Libertadores: what it is, the format and how it's played
Everything about South America's most important club competition: its history, how many teams take part, how the stages work and why the final is a one-off match.
August 21, 2026 · 6 minSoccer glossary: basic terms every fan should know
A clear dictionary of the most widely used terms in soccer: from offside and tiki-taka to hat-trick, sweeper and golden goal. Ideal for getting more out of every match.
August 21, 2026 · 7 minThe world's great soccer leagues: a fan's guide
A tour of the planet's top leagues (Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Liga MX and those of South America) with their style, their clubs and why they're worth following.
August 21, 2026 · 8 minHow the Champions League works: format, stages and how to qualify
We explain the current UEFA Champions League format: the 36-team league phase, the play-offs, the round of 16 and the one-off final.
August 21, 2026 · 7 minBasic football rules for anyone starting to follow the game
A simple guide to the fundamental rules of football: match length, how goals are scored, offside, fouls and cards, explained without jargon.
August 21, 2026 · 6 minThe most famous rivalries in world football
A look at the planet's great derbies and classic fixtures: Argentina's Superclásico, Spain's El Clásico, the Madrid Derby and other historic rivalries.
August 21, 2026 · 7 minHow the transfer market and transfer windows work
We explain how player transfers work in football: what transfer windows are, the types of deal, loans and release clauses.
August 21, 2026 · 7 minWhat the Copa Sudamericana is and how it differs from the Libertadores
We explain what the CONMEBOL Sudamericana is, how it is played and how it differs from the Copa Libertadores in South American club football.
August 21, 2026 · 6 minThe Club World Cup: what it is, its format and the teams taking part
Everything about the FIFA Club World Cup: what it is, how it arrived at the new 32-team format and which clubs qualify from each continent.
August 21, 2026 · 7 minWhat Financial Fair Play is and why it exists
We explain what UEFA's Financial Fair Play involves, why it was created and how it affects transfers and the finances of the biggest clubs.
August 21, 2026 · 6 minHow the champion is decided: points, goal difference and tiebreakers
We explain how points are awarded in football, what goal difference is and which criteria are used to separate two teams who finish level.
August 21, 2026 · 6 minFootball positions explained: from goalkeeper to centre-forward
A guide to football positions: goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards, with their duties and the most common roles in each line.
August 21, 2026 · 7 minLiga MX and its liguilla format: how the title is decided
We explain how Liga MX works: the Apertura and Clausura tournaments, the regular season, the play-in and the liguilla that crowns the champion of Mexican football.
August 21, 2026 · 7 minWhat the Ballon d'Or is and how the best player of the year is chosen
We explain what the Ballon d'Or is, who awards it, how the voting works and what is taken into account when crowning the best footballer of the season.
August 22, 2026 · 6 minThe World Cup: history and format of the biggest international tournament
What the World Cup is, when it was born, how its format has changed and how it is played from the group stage all the way to the final.
August 22, 2026 · 7 minThe Euros: what it is and how Europe's national team tournament works
We explain what the Euros are, how often they are played, how many teams take part and how you get from the group stage to the grand final.
August 22, 2026 · 6 minWhat expected goals (xG) are and what they are used for
A simple explanation of the expected goals or xG statistic, how it is calculated and why it has become so popular in modern football.
August 22, 2026 · 6 minThe offside rule explained in depth, with examples
Understand the offside rule once and for all: when a player is in an offside position, when it is penalised and in which situations there is never offside.
August 22, 2026 · 7 minHow to read a league table: points, goal difference and form
Learn to interpret a league table: what each column means, how points are awarded and which criteria separate teams level on points.
August 22, 2026 · 6 minThe most iconic stadiums in world football
A look at football's most legendary stadiums, from the Maracanã to Wembley, and at what turns a ground into a temple of the sport.
August 22, 2026 · 6 minThe greatest rivalries in South American football
A tour of South America's most intense derbies and clásicos, from Argentina's Superclásico to Uruguay's, and why they stir up so much passion.
August 22, 2026 · 6 minWhat a derby is and which are the fiercest in the world
We explain what a derby is in football, how it differs from a clásico and which are some of the most intense on the planet.
August 22, 2026 · 6 minHow promotion and relegation work in football leagues
We explain the promotion and relegation system: how teams go up and down divisions, what play-offs are and why it does not exist in every league.
August 22, 2026 · 6 minWhat the Copa América is and what its history is
We tell you what the Copa América is, when it was born, who organises it and why it is the oldest national team tournament in the world.
August 22, 2026 · 6 minHow a penalty shootout works and what its history is
We explain how a penalty shootout works, when a match goes to one, which rules govern it and how it came to decide some of football's biggest finals.
August 22, 2026 · 6 minWhat VAR is and how it works: the definitive guide
Video refereeing explained without the jargon: which incidents it reviews, who makes the call, why it sometimes takes so long and how it changed modern football.
August 23, 2026 · 7 minHow to read the league table and who finishes higher when teams are level on points
Points, goal difference, head-to-head records: we explain step by step how a league is ranked and which criterion decides when two teams are tied.
August 23, 2026 · 6 minFootball positions explained: what each player does on the pitch
From goalkeeper to centre-forward, via the holding midfielder and the full-backs: a simple guide to the roles and why each one is key.
August 23, 2026 · 8 minGoals for, goals against and goal difference: why every goal counts even when the game is already won
We explain what goal difference is, how it's calculated and why teams keep attacking when they're already winning by a landslide.
August 23, 2026 · 5 minHow a team qualifies for the Champions League and the Copa Libertadores
Places per league, qualifying rounds and the differences between the European and South American systems, explained so you can follow the race to get in without getting lost.
August 23, 2026 · 7 minPossession, shots, xG: how to read football match statistics
What a match's numbers tell you (and what they don't): possession, shots, shots on target, corners and the famous xG, or expected goals.
August 23, 2026 · 7 minThe FIFA World Cup: history, format and how each national team qualifies
From 1930 to today: how the World Cup was born, how its format has changed and how national teams from each continent qualify.
August 23, 2026 · 8 minThe transfer market explained: windows, release clauses, loans and free agents
How buying and selling players works: when clubs can sign, what a release clause is, what a loan means and who becomes a free agent.
August 23, 2026 · 7 min