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Welcome to the Nutmeg, each week, you can expect: Exclusive previews of major football events – Spotlight features on top football creators – In-depth analysis of trending football culture.
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FUTSAL AND BEACH SOCCER TO THE OLYMPICS

FIFA is making moves to push futsal and beach soccer onto the Olympic stage. For the first time ever, FIFA plans to formally ask the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to include these two football variations in future Olympic Games.

Why the push now? Well, futsal and beach soccer have been growing in popularity, and FIFA seems ready to make the case that these sports deserve a global spotlight. With Olympic success stories from newer sports like skateboarding and surfing, the timing feels right for these two to join the lineup.

Futsal can be slightly mundane at times but wouldn’t take up much facility space. Plus, it allows some unexpected countries that live and breathe street football, such as Ukraine and Kazakhstan, to play on a larger stage. Beach soccer is just plain fun to watch. The skills and acrobatics make for matches that anyone can enjoy, even if they don’t know the game of soccer.

But there’s a bit of history to overcome. The IOC and FIFA haven’t always seen eye to eye, mostly because FIFA has its own futsal and beach soccer world cups, and there’s been concern about these events losing their prestige if they share the stage with the Olympics. Take men’s Olympic soccer, for example. FIFA didn’t want the World Cup to lose any value, so they lobbied for the Olympics to be U-23, and because of it, it’s not a mainstage event.

But we think there’s hope, as futsal and beach soccer aren’t as popular; having them at the Olympics would do more to expand their reach and pull more people into those disciplines.

UNAI EMERY OWNS BAYERN NOW

Unai Emery and Asto Villa have both turned into Bayern Munich's nightmare, and we hope the streak rolls on for the meme. The Spanish tactician is responsible for Bayern’s last two Champions League group stage losses—not a small accomplishment against a team that hasn’t lost a group stage game in 8 years. His first strike came back in 2017 when he was managing PSG, pulling off a stunning 3-0 victory. Fast forward to October 2024, and Emery did it again, this time leading Aston Villa to a gritty 1-0 win, snapping Bayern’s ridiculous 42-match unbeaten streak..

Not only that, but Aston Villa is also now 2-0 against Bayern Munich all time. Their last win came 42 years ago in the Champions League final.

Seems as if Unai Emery and Aston Villa are just the perfect storm to take out the German giants.

HARDWARE LANDS IN MIAMI

Inter Miami just added another piece of silverware to their growing collection, clinching the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield after a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Columbus Crew. It’s their first Supporters' Shield in club history, marking them as the best regular-season team in MLS this year. The match was packed with drama, as Lionel Messi netted two goals, including a beautiful free kick just before halftime, reminding everyone why he’s considered the GOAT. His former Barcelona teammate, Luis Suárez, also got on the score sheet with a timely header to secure the win.

Columbus put up a fight, with Diego Rossi pulling one back early in the second half and a penalty from Juan Hernandez, but after going down to ten men, they couldn’t close the gap. The win caps off an amazing season for Miami, who have dominated since Messi, Suárez, Busquets, and Alba joined forces.

With this victory, Inter Miami have cemented themselves as a force in MLS, and with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, don’t be surprised if they lift even more trophies by the season’s end. What’s next for Messi and co.? Possibly breaking even more records—and maybe winning all the trophies.

Other news you shouldn’t let slip through your legs:

🇺🇸 The push for American soccer is growing. The MLS has just announced a new global partnership with OneFootball. The deal allows OneFootball to distribute highlights and content from MLS matches, including MLS NEXT and MLS NEXT Pro, across its app, website, and connected TV platforms. This partnership is designed to attract young, tech-savvy fans from around the world by offering them easy access to MLS action. In a big move, MLS has even joined OneFootball’s Club Advisory Board, alongside major European clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona​.

🗣️ Wasted words. In a leaked “motivational” talk, Luis Enrique didn’t hold back when trying to push Kylian Mbappé in a PSG meeting. Enrique referenced NBA legend Michael Jordan, telling Mbappé, "Jordan would grab his teammates by the balls and defend like a son of a b****!" Obviously it didn't work because Mbappé still doesn’t know how to defend, but at least someone tried.

🪐 Closing in on perfection. Real Madrid is turning up the heat in their pursuit of Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, hoping to land the English right-back next summer, many months in advance. With Dani Carvajal aging and Lucas Vázquez nearing the end of his time, Madrid sees Trent as the perfect long-term solution. They're reportedly leveraging his strong connection with Jude Bellingham, his English teammate, to entice him. With only one year left on his Liverpool contract, this move is gaining traction, although Liverpool still hopes to extend his stay​.

👋 Goodbye to a legend. Andrés Iniesta, the legendary Barcelona and Spain midfielder, is set to officially announce his retirement on October 8, 2024, at the age of 40. Iniesta will forever be remembered as a maestro and for scoring the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final, gifting Spain their first-ever title. After leaving Barcelona in 2018, Iniesta played in Japan and the UAE, but now he’s ready to hang up his boots for good​.

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