Issue 11 of the 8 by 8 magazine

Summer, 2017: Major international football tournament? Nope. Exciting pre-season matches? Not really. Transfer rumors that raise your blood pressure? Of course. A new, better-than-ever issue of Eight by Eight? You betcha.

You’ve got that right, ladies and gentleman: Issue 11 is here to quench your footballing thirst. (And it doesn’t cost €222 million.) We’ve got you covered from the brightest young players in Europe to the legends of the past. Now, here’s a closer look at what you’ll find inside the magazine.

A few weeks before transfer rumors engulfed Neymar, we spent some time with the Brazilian in Los Angeles. “Neymar believes you are fundamentally like him,” reports Corley Miller, “that you have access to the same bright world that he does.” Miller’s dispatch is complemented by photographer Roger Neve’s vibrant images and original paintings by Nathan VanHook, the Senior Footwear Design Director of Nike.

If you’re a close reader of the magazine, you’ll notice that this is the first Eight by Eight to feature a photograph on the cover. We’re not swearing off illustration—there’s plenty inside!— Neve’s compelling images of Neymar demanded such placement.

Two months before we met with Neymar, the Brazilian stunned the footballing world by orchestrating the greatest comeback in the history of the Champions League. His 91st-minute penalty equalized, and his 95th-minute Hail Mary cross to Roberto for an unimaginable winning goal sent the Camp Nou crowd into delirium and PSG to an historic defeat. In a freaky comic strip version of the event, artist Diego Patiño shows you just how crazy it was.

When he turned pro eight years ago, D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid was pegged as Tim Howard’s successor for the U.S. national team. But injuries and a falling out with manager Jurgen Klinsmann left him out of favor. Hamid’s now back on the national team radar under Bruce Arena — he returned to the side for the U.S.’s victorious Gold Cup campaign this July. Senior Editor Andrew Helms spent some time with shot-stopper and found that he’s a bit older, wiser, and as confident as ever: “I don’t believe that there’s any goalkeeper better than me in this league, in this country, period. I don’t believe it,” Hamid said.

Of course, there’s so much more inside: From Matt Pentz’s look at the state of the NWSL to history lessons on the real Ronaldo, Roberto Baggio, and Eric Cantona, we urge you to pick up a copy. As more and more journalism moves online, we at Eight by Eight remain staunch supporters of print. There’s nothing greater than holding up the magazine, feeling the weight of its pages, and tucking into a few stories before the matches begin.

Thanks,

The Eight by Eight team