In Friday’s Championship (England’s second division) matchup between Leicester City and Watford, 18-year-old Chelsea FC up-and-comer Nathaniel Chalobah — currently on loan with Watford — delivered an unstoppable blast to the upper-left corner of the Leicester net, past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

The goal came in the 43rd minute with Watford leading 1-0, as Chalobah fielded the ball from 35 yards out. But before the announcer could spit out the end of his previous sentence, Chalobah had already demolished the ball, sending it in for Watford’s second goal of the game.

“Wow. That’s the only adjective I’ve got for that, wow. That should not be allowed,” the bewildered commentator can be heard saying. “That is an unbelievable strike of a football, and it has silenced the entire stadium.”

Chalobah’s rocket turned out to be the game’s decisive goal, ensuring Watford would hold on to its crucial third place spot in the Championship standings and keep alive its hopes of promotion to the Premier League.

“I’m sure really there are a lot of Leicester fans that would love on a different day to applaud this — because that’s all you can do, just stand up and applaud it — because it comes out of nothing,” the announcer added. ”He’s got no right to strike the ball like that.”

Check out Chalobah’s amazing long-distance bomb in the video below.

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Thumbnail image via Twitter/@AdamLeventhal 

In what can only be described as his best day ever, Red Bull Salzburg’s Jonathan Soriano started the morning by welcoming his third child into the world, a daughter named Abril. 

But instead of spending the rest of his day with wife Cristina Sabater and their brand spanking newborn, the 27-year-old Spaniard rushed over to Red Bull Arena to join his team for the second half of Saturday’s matchup against rival side Wolfsberger.

With his team deadlocked at 2-2 after the first 45 minutes of play, Soriano stretched out, suited up and took to the field, where he found the net after just four minutes. He added two more goals to round out the hat-trick and led Salzburg to an emphatic 6-2 victory over Wolfsberger.

Though Soriano’s second-half performance was astonishing, it was no fluke. The hat-trick Saturday brought his season goal tally up to 25, trailing Austrian Bundesliga goal leader Philipp Hosiner by just two strikes.

Maybe he was brimming with energy and excitement after his daughter’s birth, or maybe he just didn’t want to miss a day of work — feeding three mouths is no easy feat — but either way, Soriano is a happy guy.

“This is an incredible day for me,” he said. “Having the chance to play and three goals, I think I will not forget any time soon.”

Check out the full highlights from Saturday’s game, including Soriano’s three masterful goals in the video below.

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This past weekend, Persewa Wamena’s Pieter Rumaropen received the highest discipline — banishment for life — from Liga Indonesia officials after striking a referee in the face during a Super League game against Pelita Bandung Raya.

In the 81st minute with the score level at 1-1, referee Muhaimin awarded a pretty blatant penalty shot to Pelita Bandung Raya, which evidently angered Rumaropen very much.

The striker then ran up behind the ref and sucker punched him in the nose with an unseen left hook. The front of Muhaimin’s shirt can be seen covered in blood, and he was later transported to the hospital where he received four stitches and treatment for the excessive bleeding.

Rumaropen would receive a red card, and his team would lose 2-1. Serves him right.

Check out the moment Rumaropen punched his ticket out of Indonesian pro soccer in the video below.

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In the 75th minute of a Portuguese Liga matchup between longtime Lisbon rivals Benfica and Sporting CP, Nicolas Gaitan fielded the ball well inside Lisbon’s defensive zone.  The 25-year-old attacker continued forward, miraculously slicing through two Lisbon defenders until he reached the top of the box, looking to pass.

Gaitan then tapped the ball over to Benfica’s first goal-scorer of the day, 22-year-old Eduardo Salvio, who reciprocated the favor immediately afterwards, allowing Gaitan to cross the ball into the middle of the box where 29-year-old forward Lima was there to catch it and send it screaming past Sporting goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

The play took all of three seconds to complete, and left the defeated Sporting defenders shaking their heads in disbelief. The ball didn’t touch a blade of grass from the moment it left Salvio’s foot until it was settled inside the Lisbon net.

Benfica held on to win the game by a score of 2-0, which helped cement its top spot in the Portuguese Liga standings.

Watch as Benfica’s front line dissects Sporting en route to a phenomenal goal in the video below.

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Thumbnail photo  via Twitter/@benficastuff

On Friday, David Beckham was spotted with his two sons, 8-year-old Cruz and 13-year-old Brooklyn, at the Paris Saint-Germain practice facilities introducing them to a taste of the professional soccer lifestyle.

The two youngsters tested out their budding skills against the likes of PSG superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, who both competed at full intensity against the Beckham progeny.

Late last January, Brooklyn Beckham made his first splash in the English Premier League when he was granted a tryout with Chelsea FC’s U-14 squad at the club’s practice fields.

There’s no telling whether Cruz or Brooklyn will ever have the same impact on the game as their iconic father, but with opportunities to practice and play against the world’s best, their chances aren’t too shabby.

Watch as Beckham’s offspring sharpen their skills with PSG’s elite in the video below.

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Recently Adidas kicked off a bold advertising campaign for next year’s Chelsea home uniforms by issuing a challenge to diehard fans to buy the new jersey — without seeing what it looks like.

The campaign’s tagline aims to justify this brashness: “It’s [Chelsea] Blue. What else matters?”

That was all Jamie Bosher needed to hear.

To reward him for his blind devotion, Adidas sent Mata and a camera crew to Bosher’s workplace where the Spanish midfielder was able to talk his way past the front desk — he didn’t have an appointment — and deliver the new jersey and pose for pictures. After that, Bosher slipped his new uniform on over his striped button-down, and showed off his moves to Mata outside in the company parking lot.

Not a bad day at the office.

Watch Bosher’s awesome workday surprise in the video below.

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Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@PremierLatina

In a recent red-carpet interview at an MTV-sponsored party in Athens, Greece, the 28-year-old model Shayk — who has been dating Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo since May of 2010 — was presented with a Lionel Messi Barcelona jersey and a pair of scissors.

The interviewer gave Shayk the opportunity to show her support for her boyfriend by shredding Messi’s iconic Barcelona jersey, but the Russian beauty refused.

“No, this is your thing, you have to do it,” Shayk said to the reporter. “Do it yourself.”

He did.

Shayk’s buff beau Ronaldo might soon have the chance to face off against Messi if both Real Madrid and Barcelona advance beyond the UEFA Champions League semifinals next week. Messi will no doubt appreciate Shayk’s kind gesture, but that won’t affect his tenacity in trying to capture the Champions League trophy.

Until then, let’s hope that these demonstrations of respect continue to grow in a game so often plagued by controversy and ugly behavior.

Watch Shayk’s awkward denial of the reporter’s bizarre request in the video below.

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Thumbnail image via Twitter/@WeAreMadrid10

The 31-year-old Arsenal forward was spotted outside a London nightclub Saturday night engaging in a verbal altercation with one of the club’s enormous bouncers. Arshavin is 5′ 8.”

The confrontation was captured by cell phone camera. It shows Arshavin, dressed to the nines, spewing mean things in his native Russian tongue in a crowd of club-goers who were standing outside the front door.

Though Arshavin has plenty of talent — he was once captain of Russia’s national team – he failed to meet expectations throughout his stint with Arsenal.

When Arsenal signed Arshavin from Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2009, he was the Gunners’ most expensive ever signing , carrying a price tag of £15 million ($22.8 million).

Since 2009, Arsenal has had more than its fair share of talented attackers, leaving the underperforming Arshavin with few chances to regain his once impressive form. This season he’s made just two starts and has only seven appearances total on the campaign.

Fully aware of Arsenal’s plans to dismiss him at year’s end, Arshavin has voiced his willingness to join other teams in England, though this latest mishap probably won’t look good on his resume.

Have a look at a sloppy Arshavin voicing his discontent with someone in the video below (warning: it contains some foul language).

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Thumbnail image via Twitter/@AIS_BJM

In the 32nd minute of a Danish SAS-Ligaen — Denmark’s top-tier league — matchup between home side Esbjerg FB and Randers FC, 20-year-old Esbjerg winger Youssef Toutouh delivered one of the most impressive goals of the year.

After receiving a deflected goal-kick just outside of the offensive zone, Toutouh popped the ball into the air, then swiftly snuck around the unsuspecting defender before catching the ball on the fly and sending a blistering shot well beyond the goalkeeper’s reach.

The goal helped to spur sixth place Esbjerg to victory. It would go on to dominate the second half netting three more goals after Toutouh’s first-half stinger, defeating 3rd-place Randers by a final score of 4-0.

Check out Toutouh’s tremendous goal from distance in the video below.

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Last-place Reading FC followed in the footsteps of Wigan Athletic (18th of 20 teams) recently, when it posted a job opening online for a year-long postgraduate internship position with the club’s performance analysis department, according to the Independent.

The lucky recipient of this coveted position will be required to attend all of Reading’s home games and some away games, using their own car, and will receive no compensation for gas or travel expenses. Nor will they be paid for any of their effort.

Not only will the intern work full-time, but will have to put up with “unsociable hours,” spending them collecting, analyzing and interpreting raw statistics and video data for the coaching staff.

England’s Employment Minister Jo Swinson has been working to compile information on more than a hundred instances of companies overworking their unpaid interns — Premier League teams being no exception.

Wigan representatives defended their similarly demanding opening as an “excellent opportunity to join a progressive, forward-thinking club,” adding that it could be “an important part of career progression and experience building for any individual starting out on the path to their dream job.”

So essentially, unless potential applicants are independently wealthy fans of Reading or Wigan, with copious free time, a valid UK license, a car and a postgraduate-level expertise in sports data analysis… they need not apply.

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Photo via Twitter/@ReadingFC

“The Biebs” certainly has lots of spare time to kill in between selling out arenas, dating other pop stars and hanging out with Usher, but evidently some of it he spends kicking around his soccer ball, like he did backstage one night in this quick video clip.

Though sports are important to Bieber, nothing is more important than his signature coiffure — a fact well-known by the man behind the camera.  ”No headers though,” he warns.  ”That would mess up the hair.”

Check out Bieber’s impressive juggling acumen in the video below. Swag.

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Before boarding the Real Madrid team bus following its aggregate victory over Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, Ronaldo encountered a familiar face waiting to meet him.

That face belonged to Gökmen Akdoğan, a 23-year-old Turkish semi-professional soccer player, who supplements his income by impersonating Ronaldo whenever possible.

The Ronaldo lookalike signs autographs, poses for pictures with fans and even has his very own Facebook fan page.

Akdoğan’s glimmering smile and painstakingly tweezed eyebrows look just like those of the Portuguese striker, but he doesn’t stop there. Akdoğan and Ronaldo also share the same chic hairstyle, the same jersey number and the same free-kick technique.

The doppelgangers finally had a chance to meet face-to-face Tuesday, posing for pictures and sharing more than a couple heartfelt embraces. After burying his insuppressible smile into Ronaldo’s shoulder, Akdoğan received a wink and a friendly pat on the cheek before his idol climbed aboard the Real Madrid bus.

Though Gokmen Akdoğan might look like a small Turkish man dressed up as Cristiano Ronaldo for Halloween, his dedication and fanhood are simply unquestionable.

Check out the moment Akdoğan got to meet his hero in the heartwarming video below.

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Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@RifoWahyu33

The Nacional supporters unfurled a gargantuan, handmade banner moments before a Copa Libertadores game against Toluca on Thursday. It officially set the record for ”biggest flag ever at a sporting event.”

The banner measured 600 by 50 meters (1,968 by 164 feet), and was able to cover literally half of the 25,000 people in Parque Central Stadium.

Construction of the banner originally began in 2006, but never came to fruition due to its sheer magnitude, according to ESPN. However, earlier last year, 5,000 dedicated fans took it upon themselves to finish the project, which started seven years ago.

Before Nacional earned the world record, it belonged to rival Uruguayan club Penarol, who unfurled their own giant banner in April 2011. Theirs was about half the length of Nacional’s, and looks like a mere handkerchief in comparison.

Check out the world-record breaking flag make its way across the heads of 12,500 Nacional fans in the video below.

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Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@febriansyah

In a segment recently broadcast on Japanese television, the soccer superstar faced off against a remote-controlled robotic goalkeeper. Although the robo-’keeper might look silly, its blazing speed is nothing to joke about.

Messi — who has converted all four of his penalty kicks in La Liga this season — missed his first two shots, hitting the right and left post in succession.

After failing to sneak either ball past the robotic goalkeeper, Messi launched two line-drive shots that no man or machine could have kept out.

While the robo-goalkeeper did eventually concede a 2-2 comeback draw from Mr. Messi, its two saves are more than a lot of very highly paid human goalies have managed to make against the Argentine.

It’s only a matter of time before speculation saying Real Madrid is actively targeting the robo-keeper to replace Iker Casillas this offseason makes headlines.

Check out Messi’s one-on-one battle against Japan’s potential No. 1 in the video below.

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In Saturday’s matchup between the Golden Arrows and the host Kaiser Chiefs, an incensed fan burst onto the field with vuvuzela in hand, running straight for one unfortunate referee.

The fan was able to wallop the ref in the back of the head once before security guards wrangled him off of the field.

The tough referee shook off the blow without breaking a sweat, but at least his life was never actually in any danger. Referees in Lebanon and Argentina have been dealing with more violent attacks over the last few weeks, so this South African referee got off easily.

Check out ruthless vuvuzela attack in the video below.

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Photo via Twitter/@SollyMalatsi

Before Sunday’s game between AC Milan and Fiorentina, Balotelli snuck into the bathroom of the train car transporting his team from Milan to Florence and lit up a cigarette, according to the Guardian.

Not only did the act set a bad example for health-conscious athletes everywhere, but it is also completely illegal. Like in most countries, smoking on public transportation is prohibited in Italy.

A train guard reportedly caught and chewed out Balotelli for the foolish move. He told AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani, “You need to pull his ears. He was smoking in the bathroom.”

Galliani said the club will fine Balotelli, but he did not disclose how much the star striker would have to pay.

Although “Super Mario” has been nothing short of an exemplary player since his transfer to Milan, questions over his character and maturity will inevitably spring up after this latest incident.

Put it out before it puts you out, Mario.

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Photo via Twitter/@acmilan

With this in mind, Portuguese street artist “Mr. Dheo” customized a pair of Nike soccer cleats for the AC Milan striker’s size 13 feet.

The shoes feature what most soccer fans all know to be Balotelli’s favorite things: camouflage, Superman logos, the Italian flag and his signature number 45.

The killer kicks also include the phrase “BALO IS BACK,” to commemorate Balotelli’s instant success after joining AC Milan from Manchester City in January. The Italian international has found the net seven times in his first seven games with Milan.

These sinister shoes are not Mr. Dheo’s first foray into cleat customization. In March, the Portuguese artist helped make a similar pair for on-loan Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong.

As long as “Super Mario” continues to build on his furious goal-per-game pace, the fashion-conscious natives of Milan won’t care what he decides to put on his feet. However, these shoes probably wouldn’t be their first choice.

See Balotelli’s customized cleats below.

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Photo via Twitter/@MrDheoOfficial; Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@Adrenalina_Exc

Moments before Sunday’s “El Super Clasico” matchup between Liga MX’s two most popular clubs – Club Deportivo Guadalajara (“Chivas”) and Club America — fans, players, referees, broadcasters and even mascots all Harlem shook themselves crazy in every corner of Omnilife Stadium.

Guadalajara’s striped goat mascot — sombrero in hand — initiated the dance at the center circle and the madness ensued from there. Players from both teams boogied in their locker rooms, fans shook their stuff in their seats, and even the referees gave gleeful thumbs-up.

After the dancing and tomfoolery ceased, America striker Raul Jimenez secured a 2-0 victory over Chivas with two second-half goals.

Mexico is a nation historically known for many of its traditional dance styles, so Sunday’s rendition of YouTube’s latest craze probably won’t make it into next year’s Spanish class textbook.

Does Mexican soccer know how to Harlem Shake? What’s that skeleton doing in the locker room? Was that a smoke bomb? Find out all this and more in the video below.

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In the 40th minute of Monday’s FA Cup semifinal matchup between powerhouses Chelsea and Manchester United, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez corralled a ball just past the midfield, ran toward the Chelsea goal and unleashed a low bouncing shot in Cech’s direction.

Though the ball never got more than three feet off the ground, Cech’s hesitant first reaction forced him to make a difficult corrective maneuver to stop the shot.

What resulted was a remarkable sideways bicycle-kick save that was equal parts impressive as it was unnecessary. If Cech had simply stood in place, he could’ve made the save without much worry.

Twenty minutes later, Cech reassured the Chelsea faithful of his Jedi-caliber focus after denying Chicharito a second time with a miraculous one-handed save that protected Chelsea’s 1-0 lead.

These are the kinds of saves that add those subtle streaks of gray to the remaining hairs on Chelsea interim manager Rafa Benitez‘s temporarily employed head.

Chelsea would go on to win the game and eliminate United from the FA Cup.

Check out the first of Cech’s two crazy saves in the video below.

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Photo via Twitter/@Chelsea_Gt

Now the 25-year-old living legend’s career achievements will be commemorated by a new museum set to open in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, according to Football Espana.

Planning for the museum is under way, and it is tentatively scheduled to open in 2015. Its displays would include memorabilia from throughout his career.

Though Messi’s museum is still just in its formative stages, let’s hope the curators remember to include this peculiar piece of memorabilia in the collection: a wax statue in the FIFA Ballon d’Or winner’s likeness.

Messi and his Barcelona teammates will travel to the Parc des Princes on Tuesday to take on Zlatan Ibrahimovich and Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

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Thumbnail photo via Twitter/TipsFutbol