2018 has been a great year for soccer. The World Cup, Liverpool being at the top of the Premier League, and some of the coolest soccer cleat releases ever. Below are our top 10 picks of 2018.
#10 Adidas Glitch 2.0 Russian “World Cup Pack”
This cleat is pure art. Adidas did a great job modeling the boot for the Russia World Cup. The red and blue match the colors of the host flag and the geometric patterns are a traditional Russian art technique.
#9 New Balance Furon 4.0 “Otruska”
The fourth generation of the New Balance Furon is a simple, yet stunning cleat. The red glossy sole plate works really well with the white upper. Thumbs up!
#8 Nike Hypervenom Phantom Harry Kane “Keep It Kane”
To celebrate Harry Kane’s 100th Premier League goal, Nike designed these sweet Hotspur boots. Production was limited to 100 pairs. Definitely a thing of beauty.
#7 Nike Superfly GS 360 Remake
Made out of 100% recycled material, the GS 360s are the most innovative cleats for 2018. Designed to look like the original Superfly Green Speeds, (released in 2012) only 1500 pairs were produced.
#6 Adidas Predator Telstar
Modeled after the 2018 World Cup Knockout Stage match ball, the Adidas Predator Telstar looks amazing. The red, black, white and gold color way is nice and clean just like ball itself.
#5 Nike x Kim Jones Mercurial Superfly VI
These limited edition boots were inspired by the cheetah. The fastest land animal on the planet and a boot specifically designed for speed go hand and hand. Kim Jones and Nike nailed it.
#4 Nike Phantom Vision Jordan x PSG
Black & red—it doesn’t get any better. These cleats came out of a collaboration between Jordan and PSG. Love to see more boots like these in the future.
#3 Adidas Glitch 18 “Nocturnal Skin”
One of the most unique cleats of the year. The safari style pattern and the purple, pink and blue color way allows a player to stand out on the pitch. These boots were exclusively released in France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
#2 Nike x EA Sports Phantom Vision
This is the 3rd iteration of the Nike EA Sports collaboration and it’s probably one of the best. The red, blue and gold work perfectly together. Nike even incorporated the buttons from the Playstation and Xbox controller patterns on the shoe. As fate would have it, the cleat was sold in limited supply.
#1 Nike Mercurial Vapor Luka Modric
These cleats are insane. The color way is beautiful and the glassy design pattern is mesmerizing. It is unfortunate that Nike made only one pair just for just Luka Modric. One can only dream!
No matter where you travel in the world, you will find beautiful people playing The Beautiful Game. All you need is a ball.
To showcase the world’s love for the Game, we’ve compiled what we consider to be the 100 coolest places to play soccer. If you’ve ever seen or (better yet) played on any of these pitches, drop us a note on Twitter @teamcharityball, we’ love to hear about it.
—Enjoy.
100 Ice Soccer
Antarctica
Photo: Frank Hurley
99 Roof Top Soccer
Miami, Florida, USA
Photo: Brickell Soccer Roof Top
98 Empty Pool Soccer
Havana, Cuba
Photo: Alexandre Meneghini
97 Indoor Soccer [Grand Park]
Westfield, Indiana, USA
Photo: Grand Park
96 Naval Destroyer Soccer
USS Arleigh Burke
Photo: Scott Pittman
95 Street Soccer
Times Square, NYC
Photo: Street Soccer USA
94 Swamp Soccer
Hyrynsalmi, Finland
Photo: Nokian Tires
93 Ruins Soccer
Paricatuba, Brazil
Photo: Felipe Dana
92 5-a-side Soccer [Fives Futbol]
Cape Town, South Africa
91 Playmore Soccer [Moscova]
Milan, Italy
90 Renewable Energy Soccer [Morro da Mineira]
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
89 ESPN Wide World of Sports
Orlando, Florida, USA
88 Urban Pitch Soccer
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Photo: Ford Europe
87 Midnight Soccer
Mocimboa Da Praia, Mozambique
Photo: Ian Allen
86 Historical Soccer
Bambugh Castle, England
85 Crazy Cold Soccer
Tasiilaq, Greenland
Photo: Grant Dixon
84 Pier 5 Soccer
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Photo: Julienne Schaer
83 Hotspur Soccer [Tottenham Training Field]
Enfield, United Kingdom
Photo: KSS Group
82 Underground Soccer
Paris, France
Photo: Soccer Bible
81 Pick Up Soccer
Sorrento, Italy
Photo: Swig
80 Stade Louis II Soccer
Fontvielle, Monaco
79 Lake Michigan Soccer [Northwestern University]
Evanston, Illinois
Photo: Northwestern University
78 Build Your Own Soccer
Helsby, England
77 Tavares Bastos Soccer
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
76 Macul Soccer [Estadio Monumental]
Santiago, Chile
75 Favela Soccer
Sao Carlos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
74 Arctic Soccer
Qaqortoq, Greenland
Photo: Steve Menary
73 French Riviera Soccer
La Turbie, Monaco
Photo: AS Monaco FC
72 Favela Soccer
Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Photo: Charity Ball
71 Mud Soccer [Harbor Island]
Grand Haven, Michigan, USA
Photo: Charity Ball
70 Arctic Circle Soccer
Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland
69 Changlimithang Soccer
Thimphu, Bhutan
68 2013 Snow Classico [DSG Park]
Colorado, USA
67 The Big Issue Soccer [Darling Harbour]
Sydney, Australia
66 Alpine Soccer
Saas-Fee, Switzerland
65 Space Soccer
International Space Station
Photo: NASA
64 Laser Light Soccer [Adidas Nitro Charge Pitch]
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
63 Bamiyan Soccer
Bamyan, Afghanistan
62 5-A-Side Soccer [ProDirect Soccer]
London, England
61 Dome Soccer [Aspire Dome]
Doha, Qatar
60 Cage Soccer [Thompson Flyover]
Singapore
59 Parking Garage Soccer [University of Utah]
Utah, USA
58 Near West Soccer
University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA
57 Mountain Soccer
Bilad Sayt, UAE
56 Parking Garage Soccer [Pomona College]
Claremont, California, USA
55 Train Station Soccer [Five Points MARTA Station]
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
54 Oil Rig Soccer
Pechora Sea
53 Salt Mine Soccer
Soledar, Ukraine
52 Indoor Soccer [Soccer Coliseum]
Teaneck, New Jersey, USA
51 Africa Bush Soccer
Rongo, Kenya
Photo: Charity Ball
50 Mini Pitch Soccer
Hoboken, New Jersey, USA
49 Street Soccer
Yangon, Myanmar
Photo: Urban Pitch
48 Pier 40 Soccer [Hudson River Park]
NYC, New York, USA
47 Big Apple Soccer [Asphalt Green]
NYC, New York, USA
46 Play [well] Soccer
Mocimboa da Praia, Mozambique
Photo: Charity Ball
45 Evergrande Soccer
Qingyuan, Guangdong, China
44 Roof Soccer
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Photo: Pillitz
43 Skyline Soccer
Tokyo, Japan
Photo: Eric Meola
42 Taj Soccer
Agra, India
Photo: Eric Meola
41 Beach Soccer
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
40 Ancient Soccer
Giza, Egypt
Photo: Stecker
39 Quarry Soccer
Uluwatu, Indonesia
Photo: Levon Bliss
38 Favela Soccer
Dona Marta, Brazil
37 Paradise Soccer
Hurawalhi, Maldives
36 Cornfield Soccer
Landshut, Germany
35 FIFA Soccer
Cape Town, South Africa
34 Floating Soccer
Ko Panyi, Thailand
33 Eiffel Soccer
Paris, France
Photo: Pries
32 Church Soccer
Jaurez, Mexico
Photo: Aguirre
31 Motor City Soccer [Keyworth Stadium]
Hamtramck, Michigan, USA
Photo: Degennaro
30 Power Soccer [Osceola Heritage Park]
Kissimmee, Florida, USA
Photo: Goodman
29 High-Rise Soccer [City Place]
Toronto, Canada
Photo: Tait
28 BVB Soccer [Westfalenstadion]
Dortmund, Germany
27 Pickup Soccer [Griffith Park]
Los Angeles, California, USA
26 ‘The Bont’ Soccer [Pontcysyllte Aqueduct]
North Wales
25 Gladiator Soccer [The Colosseum]
Rome, Italy
24 Scandinavian Soccer [Prioritet Serneke Arena]
Gothenburg, Sweden
23 West Coast Soccer [MacArthur Park]
Los Angeles, California, USA
22 Breathtaking Soccer
Celerina, Switzerland
Photo: van der Meer
21 Sugarloaf Soccer
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Photo: Griffiths
20 Local Pride Soccer [Tabard Gardens]
London, England
Photo: Fox
19 Andes Soccer
Urubamba. Peru
Photo: Kass
18 Cocodrilos Soccer
Caracas, Venezuela
17 Camp Nou Soccer
Barcelona, Spain
16 Himalayan Soccer
Annapurna Region, Nepal
15 Big Dome Soccer [Toyohira-ku]
Sapporo, Japan
14 God’s Country Soccer [Lake Tahoe Community College]
Lake Tahoe, California, USA
13 Rocky Mountain Soccer
Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA
12 Zenit Soccer [Petrovsky Stadium]
St. Petersburg, Russia
11 Leicester City Soccer [King Power Stadium]
Leicester, England
10 Urban Soccer [The Base]
Berlin, Germany
9 Royalty Soccer [Buckingham Palace]
London, England
8 Winner Stays Soccer
Rome, Italy
7 Khayelitsha Township Soccer
Cape Town, South Africa
Photo: Amandla EduFootball
Today we are launching a very unique fundraiser for us here at Charity Ball. This is the first time we have been given an official jersey from a historic English club, Southampton FC, which has been signed by the ENTIRE first team. You can now enter to win this awesome and distinct prize. However, I thought the back story behind the jersey would be worth noting, especially for die hard soccer fans.
The main man behind this jersey donation is Hugo Scheckter (@hugoscheckter on twitter). Hugo was born in the great state of Georgia (USA) and now lives in London. Soccer has been an integral part of Hugo’s life and career, which started with coaching in high school. He then studied Sports Business at George Washington University and continued to coach club and high school soccer. After graduating from GWU he was hired by Indy Eleven, an NASL team at the time. He then progressed to work as a Player Liaison Officer for Southampton FC for 3.5 years. This past March, he signed on with West Ham to work as their Head of Player Care.
As the Head of Player Care, Hugo’s primary objective is to make sure the players have everything they need off the field so they can be their best on the field. On match days he arrives 5 hours before kick off to arrange reserve tickets for players’ friends and families, set up sponsor visits and organize pre match meals. Once warm up begins Hugo’s work is more relaxed and he gets to take in the game from the bench. He really enjoys the relationships he gets to build with both players and their families.
To wrap things up, I asked Hugo if he has a favorite team that he didn’t work for, and his answer was surprising: “To be honest, soccer is my life and my career – so my time as a fan is over! My entire energy goes into making sure the players I work with are the best they can be, so I don’t really have time for following other teams. But from time to time I like to check in on clubs that I used to support when I was younger, like DC United and Indy Eleven.”
Hugo found us on Twitter and wanted to get involved with us right away. He loved how Charity Ball is different from many other charities in that we use soccer as a medium to improve children’s lives across the globe. You can expect to see more collaborations between Charity Ball and Hugo in the future!
Now that you know the story behind the jersey be sure to check out our online raffle drawing below for the signed Southampton Jersey.
Be sure to follow and tweet us about this story! @teamcharityball, @hugosheckter, @ethan_king5 (our founder)
WIN THIS SIGNED SOUTHAMPTON JERSEY!
For every $25 you donate (using the link below) your name will be entered into a drawing and a new, quality soccer ball will be given to a child. Enter as many times as you like.
Winner will be announced at half time during the FA Cup Semi-Final, Southampton vs Chelsea (April 22, 2018).
Before I get too into this enthralling topic I would like to thank Manchester United Football Club and their enigmatic manager, Jose Mourinho, for the inspiration. With the source of this article clearly defined, I can say that it is very difficult to enjoy a game like the one we saw on Monday between Liverpool and Man U.
Personally, I was a Jose Mourinho fan when he was at Chelsea the first time, and a little bit less during his second spell. This is mainly because he is afraid of nobody, and is not afraid to speak his mind to the press, or poke fun at an opposing manager, *cough* Arsene Wenger *cough*. That being said, he seems to have turned up his trash talk now that he is Manchester and turned down his desire to play attacking football. At any previous club he has managed he was known for parking the bus on occasion, and it is typically effective at killing the game.
That is what made Monday such a sad game. Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp have been one of the most dynamically scoring teams in the Premier League since his arrival, and with Man U assembling the most expensive team of stars IN THE LEAGUES HISTORY it was a mouthwatering match up. So when Jose parked the most expensive bus in England in front of their goal at Anfield you could feel the disappointment. The drab game finished 0-0 with the only highlights being a couple of David De Gea saves, and Mourinho was quoted after the game saying, “It was a good performance and the result is acceptable.”
With another big game coming up for United and Mourinho, at Chelsea on Sunday at 11am (EST), will there be a tactical change? Or will the irony of Mourinho parking the bus at Stamford Bridge take over? From the fans point of view, I sincerely hope the game is less defensive and more open.
So my advice for enjoying a 0-0 game is; you don’t. Take a nap like I did.
For some time Marseille has been known as the second biggest club in France with a great successful history and amazing fan base. Here is some other need to know’s about the L’OM.
Founded it 1899
Home Stadium: Stade Velodrome (since 1937 and it’s beautiful) holds 67,394 which is bigger than Arsenal’s homes stadium, The Emirates
Successes: Ten time French Champions, Ten Time Coupe De France Winners, One time UEFA Champions League winner (only French team to ever win it)
Notable Former Players: Steve Mandanda, Dmitri Payet, Andre Ayew, Didier Drogba, Michy Batshuayi (twitter legend), Frank Ribery, Samir Nasri, Cesar Azpilicueta
Why you should use them in FIFA 17? Pacey wingers, and some solid midfielders with a big striker means possibility for greatness but a poor defense and goalkeeper might hinder that. Better off using them for a challenging manager career mode
What else? They were recently purchased by American Frank McCourt, who used to be the LA Dodgers owner. Which means they might come to America for summers and there are big changes will be happening and hopefully Marseille will rise to challenge PSG in France. They are rumored to be bringing in Luis Campos for their new Sporting Director, who currently works at Manchester United as a scout, and previously worked at Monaco bringing in players like James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao and Anthony Martial to the club.
The future is finally looking up in Marseille so keep your eye on that club, give them a try on FIFA Manager Career Mode, they always have cool jerseys and check out their stadium, it’s dope.
There were some big match ups this weekend, whether we are talking about Tottenham v. Manchester City, or Jose Mourinho trying to stay in the top four with all the big names that Manchester United have bought this past transfer window. But, outside of those events, we saw Diego Costa absolutely kill it against Hull City. He finished the game with an assist and a goal, which is why I am choosing him as player of the week this week. In the 61st minute, Costa found himself getting a lucky bounce off a defender, then finding Willian, who had a brilliant finish past David Marshall.
Diego Costa, in the 67th minute, had a spectacular finish hitting the upper-ninety easily. Matic started the counter attack in Chelsea’s defending third. Hull City gave him plenty of space to continue dribbling up the field, all the way into their eighteen yard box. Matic found the easy pass to Costa who seamlessly finished, giving Chelsea the brace. Chelsea continue on to win the game 2-0 against Hull City.
Onto fantasy soccer, those who decided to purchase the $10.0 million probably ended up having a spectacular week. He scored 12 points this week, proving he is worth the money. Looking towards their next game, they will be playing Leicester City. This weekend is International Break, so their next game is not until the 15th of October. Leicester has a large center back who has seemed to handle Costa pretty easily in the past. Costa has been held scoreless in four straight games against Leicester. My word, I would not play Costa against Leicester, meaning you might need to find someone that can get a couple points.
We recently released our latest Charity Ball product, the super-cool CB Supporter Scarf.
Back in April, some of the guys at Team Charity Ball thought we should design a custom soccer scarf to give people another way to support the cause. We wanted the look to be simple, clean, and still feel like a scarf you would wear or rep at a professional soccer game. The Charity Ball colors, red, white and black, were a non-negotiable for the first round.
The limited edition scarves are made out of 100% acrylic and are high-definition jacquard knit.
At a $25 price point, it’s the perfect compliment to your Charity Ball event, fundraiser or more beautiful lifestyle.
Nike unveils it’s latest rendition of the Mercurial Superfly. Redesigned and fine-tuned, the new Superfly is the result of Nike’s passion to bring inspiration and innovation to every soccer player on the planet.
About 6 months ago I was contacted by two brilliant people named Scott Balaban and Elizabeth Sarquis. Elizabeth is the founder and CEO Global Gaming Initiative and Scott is the Development Director. GGI helps those in need around the world through entertaining and inspiring mobile games. They had the great idea of creating a game for the iPhone and Android platforms that would promote and help sponsor Charity Ball. For the last half a year, we’ve been working with them to bring this idea to life.
The game is called “Winning Kick” and the objective is to score as many goals as possible in 30 seconds. It applies some of the simple fun of Flappy Bird and also has a classic 80’s arcade game feel. It is very addicting, and in some moments you to want to throw your phone across the room, which is part of the thrill and experience, right? Not only are you having fun playing the game, you’re also helping get brand new, quality soccer balls to kids in poverty-stricken communities around the word. It’s a win-win and the perfect way to give back — 50% of the proceeds to go Charity Ball!
Thought it might be worth posting a “How To” on the blog section from time to time.
Every now and again, someone will ask, “what is the best way to clean a soccer ball?” Good question. Balls can get pretty ugly after a while and If you play on a turf field, the artificial pitch can make things even worse. There are probably a dozen different ways to do this, but here’s what we do at our house:
1. Begin by rinsing the ball with clean water. Try not to drench it, because the water can eat away at the seams over time. Use a rag and get rid of all the loose dirt.
2. Once all the loose dirt is gone, we need to use a cleanser. Soap doesn’t always do the trick, so we take it up a notch. Grab some diluted Simple Green and spray the ball. We usually use a 50/50 mix: 50% Simple Green and 50% water. (We talked to some of the guys at Adidas and they tell us that 409 can make it happen as well.)
3. Spray the diluted Simple Green on the ball and wait about 30 seconds. It will loosen the grime.
4. Next, take a 3M Scotch-Brite pad and gently scrub each section of the ball . Make sure you take it easy around the decals. (Scotch-Brite tip from Coach Brent Kowalski)
5. Rinse with a wet cloth, dry with a towel and call it good.
#10 Adidas Glitch 2.0 Russian “World Cup Pack”
#9 New Balance Furon 4.0 “Otruska”
#3 Adidas Glitch 18 “Nocturnal Skin”
The main man behind this jersey donation is Hugo Scheckter (
