Jon O'Brien

Lists With the latest Ballon d'Or shortlist revealed, Jon O’Brien looks at those unlikely candidates once considered among the world’s greatest footballers

Prepare the Babelcopter! It's the day that makes us all go doolally – and these are its most peculiar moments

Strange circumstances have often conspired to make for some peculiar summer experiences...

Premier League Despite playing for Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United – among others – these attacking players all went on woeful scoreless streaks

Lists The official Twitter FA Cup account took flak from all angles after their Harry Kane gaffe – but there's plenty more where that came from, as Jon O’Brien attests

Lists Jon O’Brien reviews the campaign’s most comical cock-ups, from forgetful keepers and farcical red cards to premature celebrations and pitiful penalties

Everton From goalpost handcuffing and gun-toting presidents to wayward parachutists and weasel-like creatures, here’s a look back at the oddest

FIFA World Cup We’ve seen a record 12 own goals at Russia 2018 – including one for poor Mario Mandzukic in the final - but are they as embarrassing as those of the past? Jon O’Brien counts down the tournament’s 10 best (or worst?) own goals

Women's World Cup Heartbreak for Phil Neville's Lionesses after a disallowed goal and missed penalty end hopes in France 

Women's World Cup With the 2019 Women’s World Cup now in full flow, here’s a look back at five of the tournament’s greatest ever games 

FIFA World Cup From controversial new technology to calamitous TV coverage, Jon O’Brien looks at 10 big talking points from the first round of games

UEFA Champions League What became of these unlikely lads? 

FIFA World Cup From fixing to failed drug tests, bloodthirsty battles to player revolts, Jon O'Brien looks at the events which have dragged the game's biggest tournament into dispute

FIFA World Cup On the 10th anniversary of Rob Green's slip up, we look back on a pair of Italian strikers, one soul diva, a crazy Colombian and certain English referee all 'star' in our countdown of the biggest World Cup blunders

Women's World Cup The Lionesses are through to the semi-finals after a comfortable 3-0 victory. So what are their chances now of going all the way?

FIFA World Cup Lowdown on the crunch matches that could seal qualification for Russia 2018 - or see major nations on the scrapheap - with Jon O'Brien

FIFA World Cup From Senegal’s teenage record-breaker to Russia’s Chelsea target via an unlikely South Korean, Jon O’Brien profiles the players who’ve seriously enhanced their reputation this summer

England Women ​By going for the win against an increasingly strong Japan side, Phil Neville’s team sent out a message to their Women’s World Cup rivals

UEFA Champions League From a Premier League winner to two strikers with famous fathers, these 21-and-under stars could follow in Kylian Mbappe's boots and make a big impression in their early tastes of Euro action

Lists As the 2017/18 season draws to a close, Jon O’Brien looks back at the times when suffering the drop was even more painful than usual

Lists Sometimes it’s the smallest of things that can make the difference between triumph and despair – or at least that’s what these sides thought