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The reason why soccer players at the World Cup are cutting holes in their socks has been explained.
If you've been watching this year's tournament, then you may have noticed something unusual about a growing number of players' kits.
Across several matches, many stars, including England's Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, have been spotted wearing socks with large holes cut in the calf area.
This has left viewers wondering whether the strange look offers some kind of competitive advantage.
However, despite the various theories floating around on the internet, experts say there is still no scientific evidence that the practice actually improves performance.
Players have been seen modifying their socks at many major international tournaments over the past decade.
Professional soccer socks are specifically designed to fit tightly. They help keep shin guards in place while supporting the ankle, foot arch, and calf, Wired reported.
They are also meant to manage moisture and reduce foot movement inside the cleat, which improves stability during matches.
Even though modern materials have become lighter and more durable over the years, today's socks are mostly made from synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, and spandex.
Despite that, some professional players say the socks feel overly restrictive around their calves, and this causes tingling and numbness during matches.
To combat that sensation, they cut several holes into the calf section of their socks midway through matches in an attempt to "release tension" and make running feel more comfortable.
There's also a psychological element, as some players simply feel more comfortable and confident after making the change.
Former West Ham United striker Frank Nouble told The Athletic in 2023: "You look good, you feel good, you play good. It’s always about being as comfy as possible on the pitch."
In 2023, Dr Raj Brar, from 3CB Performance, told Tifo Football that there's no scientific evidence that cutting holes in socks actually improves performance or prevents injuries.
"One way of medically reducing pressure on the calves is the opposite of cutting holes in them, through using higher-pressure compression socks in between games as a recovery measure," he said.
"That will increase circulation and reduce swelling to varying degrees based on the level of pressure (tightness) of the sock. Besides, footballers get more than enough activity through their calves to not worry about circulation and swelling pooling up," he added.
Former Hummel CEO Allan Vad Nielsen also suggested the issue may come down to how some socks are made.
"Some brands knit their socks very tightly to improve the visibility and clarity of their logos, which can result in a snug fit that some players find uncomfortable. But more advanced materials like polypropylene provide better consistency and durability," he said.
"New technologies have enabled better cushioning zones in the ankles and compression zones that provide better blood transportation, reducing the risk of injuries and enhancing performance. Additionally, mesh inserts are now used in football socks to improve heat control and ventilation, keeping the feet dry and cool," he added.
Not everyone is convinced, though, as former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville questioned the trend on his Stick to Football podcast in 2024.
"They have about 400 pairs of boots, they have everything made to measure," he said. "I’m not having that Nike or a sponsor of a kit don’t make them a slightly bigger pair of socks."
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Soccer fans across the world have started to notice a strange trend that is spreading rapidly across the pitches, and it certainly is not endorsed by any brand.
While eagle-eyed fans may have noticed that players have been cutting holes into their socks during major tournaments for the last few years, cutting holes into their boots appears to be a newer phenomenon.
Some players cut the back of their socks to release the pressure on their calves and help them move more freely about the pitch. They might also take scissors to their socks as a solution to ward off cramping or reduce muscle strains and fatigue during a gruelling 90-minute game.
The reason players are now cutting holes in the heels of boots, which likely cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, is also not for aesthetic purposes. Similarly, it is more of a medical choice.
According to some of the world's best athletes, exposing the back of the heel can relieve pain and prevent inflammation. Many soccer players and Doc Martens wearers suffer from a rather niche medical condition called Haglund’s Heel.
Often called the “pump bump” by sportspeople, it is a bony bump that forms on the back of the heel bone following constant pressure and rubbing by tight, stiff shoes. Although it might seem like a minor inconvenience to most people, 90 minutes of running with tough material rubbing on it can trigger painful inflammation of the Achilles and bursitis.
This would also explain why soccer players are frequently seen wearing sliders and other open-back shoes between games; it’s not just because they can’t tie their laces.
As Haglund’s Heel plagues so many players, a changing room genius worked out that by cutting a rather large hole in the back of the boot, removing the hardest part, a huge amount of pressure is relieved and the shoes become far more comfortable to wear while running and hopefully goal scoring.
Throughout this year's World Cup, soccer fans have been speculating whether the modification is a fashion choice, some sort of medical intervention, or simply because the shoes are too small.
One X user shared another theory that suggested that players wore boots too small intentionally, writing, “Most footballers wear smaller sizes so they get a better feel for the ball, Lamine [Yamal] for example wears a couple sizes down than his normal boot size.”
Whatever the reason is, it seems to be working, as several players are making World Cup history by scoring a record number of goals already with a week and a half still left to go.
A soccer player shouted "you can see his f***ing bone" after his teammate suffered a nasty injury.
The incident took place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during a fourth-round FA Cup replay on Wednesday night. There, Shang Long canceled out Jack Stephens' goal to even the score for Southampton in the 34th minute.
However, for some, the match was overshadowed by a bad injury sustained by Saints midfielder James Ward Prowse to his knee. The match was halted as Ward Prowse was given oxygen while receiving treatment.
Watch the shocking incident below:
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While Ward-Prouse appeared to handle the injury well, his calmness couldn't have been helped by Long who, in the video above, shouts: "F*** me, you can see his f***ing bone!"
He was subsequently given oxygen and removed from the field by medics, and it was later revealed that his injury, though gruesome, wasn't believed to be as serious as first feared.
"I'm happy that Prowsey's injury is not that bad," Ralph Hasenhuttl said after Southampton's 3-2 defeat.
"That would've been horrible - to lose the game and lose him for longer, so this is the positive thing.
"It's only a cut on the knee - a deep one and you could see the bone, so it will take a little bit of time to heal, but if it was a ligament injury, it would be more of a problem for us.’
Jose Mourinho went on to praise his players for their performance in the game, saying: "My team performance was in the limits. It was in the limits for me with players available and not available. It was in the limits for them because two days ago they played such an incredible match.
"We suffered. We played against a very good team, we played against a team that was the best team on the pitch but we deserved to win because we were in our limits."
Mourinho continued: "They had their best players, they had one more day rest, they were fresh.
"I think I did very well because I had to manage a team with so many difficulties. I changed from the back five to the back four in the moment when I could. Then Dele Alli became the link.
"The players [played with their] souls, and heart and gave absolutely everything. Four matches over two rounds, really hard for the boys. They deserve this happiness."
This is not a question and it certainly isn't an overstatement: there is nothing better than a World Cup. While plenty of people will argue against this, they are all wrong. The World Cup is an all-encompassing, international competition. It brings people together, it gives us seconds of pure, unadulterated elation and, most of importantly of all, it makes us believe.
As I'm sure you're all aware, the world is a strange place right now. Among several international feuds and global disasters, the World Cup acts as a respite and a joyous occasion of which we can all get lost in. The moment the country of your choice scores, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, your arms propel into the air at the speed of light and for one second - one tiny, adrenaline-filled moment in time - you are overwhelmed with happiness and national pride.
However, for all the beauty, brilliance and fandom that a World Cup brings with it, it has also given birth to one of the strangest marketing campaigns in recent history.
It would be safe to say that football (or soccer) has traditionally attracted a very male-orientated crowd. The most famous players on the planet are men, the highest paid players are men and the crowd is made up of a largely male fanbase. However, in order to attract more women to the sport, a Mexican underwear company have come up with a very strange item of clothing.
The pants in question were created by Vicky Form and vibrate every time there is a goal in the World Cup and have been labelled as sexist and garbage by several commenters on Instagram.
The pants are called "Feel the Game" and retail at around $48 a piece. In a commercial from the brand, they break down exactly how they work in a not remotely sexist way: a girlfriend complains that her boyfriend spends too long watching sports, until she is given a pair of vibrating pants and is suddenly gripped by the sport.
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"We have created the first pair of [panties] that let you feel the passion of the game," the narrator of the commercial intones in Spanish. "The [panties] are linked to a robot that interprets the action and transforms it into vibrations in real time. The robot makes the panties move."
The company are now under scrutiny on social media, with people labelling it as sexist and ridiculous.
"A shame that a company 'for women with attitude' take out this kind of propaganda. When did they come to denigrate women like that?" wrote one incensed commenter on Instagram.
"How sad that a brand of female lingerie only know how to sell sexism, sex, and machismo," another wrote.
According to Forbes Mexico, the brand's CEO José Zaga indicated that he does not think the vibrating panties are sexist in the slightest. He said that Vicky Form invented the garment to keep the brand present in the conversation surrounding the World Cup — and insisted that the message of the ad was inclusion. He also added that the underwear is still in the prototype phase, and will only actually be sold if there is enough demand.
Giving the outcry against the pants, it's highly unlikely that we will ever see them come to fruition. Not exactly a major loss, is it?
Watching live sports on TV is one of the most shared forms of entertainment around the world. And sure, despite the fact many of us love it when a brawl breaks out on the field, one thing that's always better to see is an act of sportsmanship.
Sportsmanship is a show of respect for your teammates or opponents - no matter what side they play for, no matter what they look like, and no matter what they choose to believe in. That's the wonderful thing about sports; anybody can play. And now, a clip from a women's soccer game has gone viral after players showed the ultimate act of respect to a Muslim player who had lost her hijab.
The footage, which has resurfaced as a result of a share on the ESPN, was captured during a WAFF Women's Club Championship match between Shabab al Ordon Club and Arab Orthodox Club.
Following a minor collision on the pitch, one player's hijab comes loose, briefly revealing her hair to the crowd. As she pauses to fix her veil, players from the opposing team surround her - shielding the view of the cameras and spectators. It truly is an amazing scene of sportsmanship.
Check out the heartwarming amazing video below - you can't help be have a little bit of faith restored:
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ESPN shared the video yesterday, along with the message: "Bigger than sports. When a soccer player's hijab started falling off to reveal her hair, her opponents gathered around to provide cover while she fixed it."
Many Muslim women choose to wear a hijab as a way of protecting their modesty and privacy from unrelated males (in its most traditional form).
And the footage was praised wholeheartedly online, with Twitter user Abu Samira commenting: This video should be shown to lawmakers who are working hard to ban hijab. While the lawmakers are looking for loopholes in the constitution to ban hijab at schools in Germany, majority of students oppose the lawmakers and support the hijabis."
In another astounding scene at a soccer game, this is the moment viewers thought they spotted a child smoking a cigarette in the crowd (turns out he's a 37-year-old father):
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And user Etan Thomas tweeted: "Having respect for someone else’s customs and beliefs even if they aren’t your own. We definitely need more of this in the world today."
The WAFF Women's Club Championship features football teams from Jordan, Palestine, Bahrain, Lebanon and United Arab Emirates.
The Japan World Cup team has left their dressing room spotless after their incredible win over Germany.
On Wednesday (November 23), the Japanese players created a huge impression on the pitch at the football tournament when they beat the European team 2-1 in their opening game.
Despite the victorious win, the team didn't get carried away with the result as they cleaned their dressing room. They also left Origami swans and a heartwarming "thank you" message in Japanese and Arabic.
Pictures from Japan's locker room shared on social media by FIFA displayed the pristine floors, garbage sorted into neat piles and even windows left open for ventilation.
Check out the spotless locker room and message below:FIFA captioned the post on Twitter: "After a historic victory against Germany at the #FIFAWorldCup on Match Day 4, Japan fans cleaned up their rubbish in the stadium, whilst the @jfa_samuraiblue left their changing room at Khalifa International Stadium like this. Spotless. Domo Arigato."
Many users took to the social media platform to share their appreciation for the Samurai Blues' perfect manners in cleaning up after their achievement.
One user wrote praised: "Crane origami expresses gratitude and spirit for soccer games. Japanese people are people who dress well and pay respect."
Another delighted football fan chimed in and said: "Classic and beautiful! These are the morals and cultures that we need to take to world events such as the World Cup because they absolutely teach the rest of those who [don't] practice the beauty of living in a safe and clean environment. Fight for this culture, not the other one!"
A third exhilarated fan commented: "This is them. This is normal to them. Japanese people are like this. Salute! Humans should be like this! Regardless of which country you came from!"
Lastly, a fourth user expressed: "Congrats, @jfa_samuraiblue, your behavior is prestigious as always! For you, @FIFAcom, what I enjoyed the most today was the Germany squad gesture! Bravo @DFB_Team!"
Japanese football fans were also praised for their respectful etiquette on Sunday (November 20), after the opening fixture with Qatar and Ecuador, as they stayed behind to clean up despite their national team not playing that day.
Just like they did during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, many admirable fans - dressed in their national colors - walked around the stadium to pick up the empty bottles and food wrapping left in the stands.
The heartwarming act was filmed and posted by influencer Omar Farooq from Bahrain on Instagram, who said in shock: "The Japanese fans decided to clean the stadium. It’s not even their match!"
When he asked them: "Why are you cleaning something not related to you?" the Japanese fans responded: "Japanese never leave rubbish behind us. We respect the place."
It seems like the country has continued to gain a reputation for its kindhearted gestures at international tournaments, four years on.
Japan will resume its World Cup campaign on Sunday (November 27) when they take on Costa Rica, before facing Spain next Thursday (December 1).
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