Huge news that US Soccer is saying they are taking over US Youth Soccer in an attempt to tie things together, work on easing pay-for-play and end these BS leagues being invented every year NAL, National League, ENCL boys & Girls, State League teams. Landon Donovan & Tim Howard discuss. When I coach I hear all the time – coach I just can’t learn how to juggle a ball – here’s a 6 Year old Juggling. Awesome to see 4 American’s now at Championship league club Middlesborough here’s Berhalter to Aiden Morris for the Goal. (see story below) American’s in Europe
Messi Retires from International Football with Argentina
The GOAT – Lionel Messi is hanging up the boots for the Argentina National Team just like we figured after the heartbreaking finals loss to Spain in the World Cup. Tons of tributes from all around the Globe for the GOAT. Messi buried England He’ll still be lacing them up for Inter Miami in MLS – so watch as many games and if you get a chance to go see him DO IT. I have seen him play in person 3 times and 2 of the times were just magical. Lionel Messi retires from Argentina via letter written after World Cup Final loss. Messi Messi’s 4 Goals last week (Click) Messi plays at Columbus Crew on Sun, Sept 27.
Champions League is Back
So Europe’s top competition – Champions League is back this Tues/Wed.
Tues, Sept 8 12:45 CBSSN Aston Villa vs Club Brugge 3 pm CBSSN Dortmund vs Villareal 3 pm Para+ Real Madrid vs Inter Milan 3 pm Para+ Porto vs Man City 3 p, Para+ Lille vs Real Bettis Weds, Sept 9 12:45 CBSSN Barelona vs Feyenord 3 pm Para+ Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid 3 pm Para+ Napoli vs Arsenal Thurs, Sept 10 12:45 pm CBSN Fenerbeche vs Roma 3 pm CBSSN Como vs RB Lepzig 3 pm Para+ Bayern Munich vs Bode/Glint 3 pm Para+ Man United vs Sabah
Indy 11 host Birmingham Sat 7 pm Oktoberfest
Phoenix, Ariz. – Indy Eleven came back once but could not do it a second time in their first loss in August, a 2-1 setback at Phoenix Rising FC on Saturday. At 8-8-4, 28 pts, the 11 sit at #6 in the Eastern Conference. The Boys in Blue host ”Oktoberfest” on Saturday, September 5 at 7 p.m. vs. Birmingham Legion FC. Mascots from Indy’s pro teams will be in the Fun Zone starting at 5:30 p.m. along with German band Indianapolis Liederkranz and free beer sampling with local craft brewers Field Brewing, Guggman Haus, Primeval, Sun King, and more for fans 21+. Indy Eleven will wear special Oktoberfest warm-up jerseys. Discounted tickets starting at $14 are available online and fans can add on an Oktoberfest knit scarf at checkout for $20. The Family Four-Pack is available for all 2026 home games and can be purchased online only. Priced at just $49, the Family Four-Pack includes four tickets, FREE parking, $20 in Concession Vouchers, and a 20% Merchandise Discount, along with access to the Fun Zone/Kids Activation Area.
Vote for former Carmel FC and current college player Henry Slivinski Vote for Henry
Ben’s BBQ Shack near Grand Park has the Best Dang Brisket you can buy in Indiana
Ben’s BBQ Shack – near Grand Park in Westfield IN — The Best Dang Brisket in Indy! (937) 823-0747 Get there early Thur-Sun 11:30 – 3 pm www.bensbbqshack.comGet directions Ben’s BBQ Shack VideoSure was fun seeing Dana Seiler (a superstar from my first team at Carmel FC back in 2008) at the Carmel Dad’s club highschool rec games watching her sister play and dad Jerry coach. A+ crew at The Carmel Girls Invitational at Atletto Event center at Badger. Sue, Mohammed, the ole ballcoach.
TV Schedule
Sat, Sept 5 7;30 am USA Newcastle vs Bournmouth (Adams) 7:30 am Para+ Middlesbrough (3 americans) vs West Bromwich Albion 9:30 am peacock/Fandango Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman) vs Union Berlin 9:30 am Peacock/Fan Union Berlin vs Frankfurt 10 am USA Man City vs Coventry City 10 am NBCSN/Peacock Fulham (Robinson) vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10 am NBCSN Brighton vs Leeds United (Arronson) 10 am Para+ Wrexham vs Watford ?????? 10:15 am ESPND/+ Athletic Club vs Atletico Madrid 12 noon CBS Inter Milan vs Napoli 12:30 pm NBC Hull City vs Aston Villa 12:30 pm USA Schalke vs Bayern Munich 2:45 pm telemundo/Peacock Roma vs Atalanta 6:30 pm Racing Louisville vs Angel City 7 pm TV 23 Indy 11 vs Birmingham 7:30 pm Apple Cincy vs DC United 7:30 pm Apple NY Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire 7:30 pm Apple Colorado vs Columbus Crew 7:30 pm Apple, XM Inter Miami vs Atlanta United Sun, Sept 6 9 am USA Everton vs Man United 10:15 am ESPND+ Valencia vs Barcelona 11:30 am Arsenal vs Chelsea 11:30 am Ausburg vs Schalke 2 pm CBS Denver vs Gotham FC NWSL 2:45 pm Para+ Juventus (McKinney) vs AC Milan (Musah, Pulisic) 2:45 pm beIN Paris vs Mareseille (Weah) 4 pm CBS Portland Thorns vs Washington Spirit (Rodman) 4 pm CBSSN Chicago Stars vs NC Courage 9 pm ESPN2 Seattle Reign vs San Diego Wave NWSL Tues, Sept 8 12:45 CBSSN Aston Villa vs Club Brugge 3 pm CBSSN Dortmund vs Villareal 3 pm Para+ Real Madrid vs Inter Milan 3 pm Para+ Porto vs Man City 3 p, Para+ Lille vs Real Bettis Weds, Sept 9 12:45 CBSSN Barelona vs Feyenord 3 pm Para+ Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid 3 pm Para+ Napoli vs Arsenal Thurs, Sept 10 12:45 pm CBSN Fenerbeche vs Roma 3 pm CBSSN Como vs RB Lepzig 3 pm Para+ Bayern Munich vs Bode/Glint 3 pm Para+ Man United vs Sabah Sat, Sept 26 4:30 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Peru Orlando Tues, Sept 29 8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Chile St Louis Sat, Oct 3 8 pm?? TNT/HBO USMNT vs Mexico Glendale Tues, Oct 6 8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Canada Minn Sat, Oct 10 8 pm TNT. HBO USWNT vs Spain DC Tues, Oct 13 7 pm TNT, HBO USWNT vs Spain Philly
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USMNT weekend viewing guide: We labor on
The Bundesliga is back, with some changes
Saturday
Newcastle v Bournemouth — 7:30a on USA Network/Peacock: For the second straight week Tyler Adams came off the bench and Bournemouth conceded a late goal to drop points as Everton scored in stoppage time to draw level. Bournemouth will travel to Newcastle this weekend in search of their first win of the season as they face a Newcastle side coming off a 2-0 win over Tottenham.
Preston v Blackburn — 7:30a on Paramount+: Caleb Wiley scored a banger in his first start in nearly a year after suffering through an injury layoff. Wiley joined Championship side Preston on loan from Chelsea this summer and looks to be back on track. However, Preston lost the match and are still looking for their first points of the season four matches in as they now host Blackburn who are coming off a scoreless draw with Lincoln City.
Hoffenheim v Borussia Dortmund — 9:30a on Fandango: 17-year-old Mathis Albert made the bench, but not the field last weekend in Borussia Dortmund’s opener, and then played 90 minutes Tuesday in the team’s 5-0 dfb Pokal win over fifth tier side HEBG Hamburg. By most accounts Albert looked like he fit in on Tuesday but will find minutes hard to come by early this season in league play.
Bayer Leverkusen v Union Berlin — 9:30a on Fandango: Malik Tillman and Bayer Leverkusen stumbled out of the gate last weekend against newly promoted Elversberg, falling 3-2 on the road. They bounced back midweek with a 4-0 Pokal win and will now host Union Berlin looking to get on track in Bundesliga play.
Borussia Mönchengladbach v Elversberg — 9:30a on Fandango: Joe Scally did not make a move before the close of the transfer window, despite strong indications from Borussia Monchengladbach that he is not in their plans this season. Scally did play 14’ off the bench last weekend but was an unused substitute midweek. Gladbach will be hosting Elversberg and Cole Campbell who got their Bundesliga debut off to a flying start with a 3-2 win over Leverkusen last weekend. Elversberg are playing in the Bundesliga for the first time in their club history and as recently as five seasons ago were playing in the German fourth division. Campbell, who scored the second of Elversberg’s three goals, joined the team this Summer on a $6m transfer from Dortmund. That amount may not seem like a lot but it was by far the highest spend in the clubs history.
Brighton & Hove Albion v Leeds United — 10:00a on Peacock: Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United drew 1-1 with Brentford last weekend. Aaronson started the match on the bench but came on as a halftime substitute as Leeds came from behind in the second half to pick up the a point. Leeds will be facing a Brighton side that lost a 4-3 shootout with Chelsea last weekend.
Fulham v Crystal Palace — 10:00a on Peacock: Crystal Palace have been soundly defeated in their first two matches of the EPL season including last weekend’s 4-1 loss to Manchester City. Chris Richards has started both matches and hasn’t been without fault in the team’s results. On a more positive note Zavier Gozo, who joined Palace from Real Salt Lake this summer, made his Premier League debut seeing 22’ off the bench in the loss. Palace will be visiting Fulham this weekend where Antonee Robinson has started both league matches but the team is also still looking for their first positive result of the campaign.
QPR v Middlesbrough — 10:00a on Paramount+: Sebastian Berhalter assisted Aidan Morris on Wednesday but Middlesbrough settled for a 1-1 draw with Burnley. Max Arfsten and Rokas Pukštas were unused substitutes in the match. Boro will travel to QPR this weekend who are undefeated in their first four matches.
Ajax v PSV Eindhoven – 2p on ESPN+: Sergino Dest scored for the second straight match as PSV throttled Utrecht 6-1 last weekend, scoring six straight after Utrecht scored the opener. Ricardo Pepi also started the match but was not one of the five different PSV layers to score. PSV look to be fully back on track after dropping points to Fortuna Sittard in their season opener. They do trail AZ Alkmaar by two points in the league standings but have a three point lead over this weekends opponent and their historic rival, Ajax.
MLS Season Pass Matches:
Columbus Crew v Colorado Rapids — 7:30p: Patrick Schulte, Paxten Aaronson
Philadelphia Union v CF Montréal — 7:30p: Cavan Sullivan, Quinn Sullivan
Cincinnati v D.C. United — 7:30p: Miles Robinson
Orlando City v San Diego FC — 7:30p: Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike
Charlotte FC v Houston Dynamo — 7:30p: Tim Ream
Toronto FC v Chicago Fire — 7:30p: Djordje Mihailovic, Chris Brady
Seattle Sounders v NY Red Bulls — 8:30p: Cristian Roldan, Adri Mehmeti, Julian Hall
Real Salt Lake v LAFC — 9:30p: Diego Luna
Sunday
Troyes v Strasbourg — 9:00a on beIN SPORTS: Gio Reyna received his first start of the season for Strasbourg as they defeated Lens 2-1 last weekend. Reyna played 76’ before being subbed off, his longest appearance for a club in nearly two years. Strasbourg will look to build some momentum this weekend as they face a Troyes side who are coming off a 2-1 win over Lorient after opening their season with a scoreless draw with Paris FC.
Parma v Monza — 9:00a on Paramount+: Benjamin Cremaschi has been used as a substitute in Parma’s first two matches, the longest appearance being the 22’ he saw last weekend in the team’s 2-0 loss to Juventus. The team is still looking for their first points of the season as they get set to host Monza.
Frosinone v Venezia — 9:00a on Paramount+: Gianluca Busio was an unused substitute midweek in Venezia’s 2-1 Copa Italia round of 32 loss to Udinese. Busio has played every minute in league play thus far for Venezia but the team is also still looking for it’s first points on the season. They will be facing a Frosinone side that defeated Fiorentina 3-0 last weekend but also lost in Copa Italia play midweek, falling in penalties to Udinese.
Athletic Club v Atlético Madrid — 10:15a on ESPN: Johnny Cardoso saw his first La Liga minutes of the season last weekend, coming off the bench for 5’ in Atletico Madrid’s 3-1 win over Sevilla. Cardoso had been an unused substitute in Atleti’s prior two matches. Cardoso will look to increase his impact this weekend as Atleti travel to Athletic Club.
Angers v Rennes — 11:15a on beIN SPORTS: Bryan Reynolds joined Rennes from Westerlo this summer but has seen just 2’ off the bench in the team’s first to Ligue 1 matches. Rennes defeated Le Mans FC 3-2 last weekend and will now travel to Angers.
Frankfurt v Augsburg — 11:30a on Fandango: Noahkai Banks was back in the starting lineup for Augsburg last weekend as they opened their season with a 3-0 win over Schalke. Augsburg’s defense will be tested against a Frankfurt side that scored three goals in their opener but settled for a 3-3 draw with Union Berlin.
Juventus v AC Milan — 2:45p on Paramount+: It’s an early season matchup between Italian giants possibly featuring head-to-head competition but this one seems likely to be impacted by fitness. Weston McKennie was held out of Juventus’ win over Parma last weekend due to muscle fatigue, though he has reportedly returned to training. For Milan, Christian Pulisic has watched both of the teams’ first two matches from the bench as he also looks to return from injury while Yunus Musah has unexpectedly returned to the Milan team and reintegrated himself to the starting lineup. Both teams have won their first two matches of the league season as they look to improve on disappointing results from last years campaign.
Marseille v Paris FC — 2:45p on beIN SPORTS: Timothy Weah has played the full 90’ and worn the captains armband in Marseille’s first two matches of the season. Unfortunately, the team was unable to back up their 4-0 season opening win over Strasbourg and fell to Monaco 2-0 last weekend. They now get set to host Paris FC on Sunday afternoon.
Brock Hurst, Jacob Boardman joined me at University High for a dang hot Varsity & JV set of games. Jerry & Mike Arrington at the Carmel High School Invite last weekend
“I find that American players tend to have a strong mentality. They work very hard and tend to be very into wanting to improve themselves and do everything they can, every day.” 🇺🇸 With the signing of Oklahoma native Rokas Pukštas today, Middlesbrough have four Americans in their squad. The other three are Max Arfsten, Sebastian Berhalter, and Aidan Morris. The first two were also signed this summer. Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg was recently asked about the club’s recruitment of American players. He explains why he likes Americans so much. “All the players and people are different, but in general, and I am not talking about individuals but in general, I find that American players tend to have a strong mentality,” Hellberg said. “They work very hard and tend to be very into wanting to improve themselves and do everything they can, every day. “Again, that’s a general picture, not for everyone, but in general that’s what I’ve noticed with American players – they are very strong in terms of what they want to do with their career going forward, and they put everything into their football. “That’s what I’ve found from the examples that I’ve had chance to work with, and I think that’s an impressive thing. “Everyone is different, but we have looked a lot at the profile of player that we want to sign, and that has ended up with signing a few players from America. “We want players who want to develop and progress in their career. “Are they more interested in going home at one o’clock and going to play golf, which is more common than you would think in a football club? “Or do they want to be here from morning to evening, have the double sessions and be in the theory for two 45-minute sessions some days? “Are they interested in that because they think it will help their career? That’s what we have been looking at, along, of course, with their qualities on the pitch. “It is not only one thing, it is an area where a lot of things go together.” Let’s see if the Americans can get Middlesbrough back to the Premier League. The last time they played in the Premier League was in the 2016/17 season, exactly 10 years ago. They also had an American player back then, former USMNT goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
USMNT in the summer transfer window: Assessing the post-World Cup moves and drama
With the eyes of the world on them, U.S. men’s national team players enjoyed a mixed bag of a home World Cup this summer. There were the highs against Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and the sobering low of elimination vs. Belgium; there were highlight-reel goals scored by Gio Reyna and Sebastian Berhalter and the blooper-reel concessions in that last-16 ouster. Top star Christian Pulisic was electric for the first 45 minutes of the tournament, then was plagued by injuries and scrutiny.
As it relates to the U.S. team, the European summer transfer window reflected some of that same mixed-bag vibe. No, performances at the World Cup did not lead directly to any blockbuster U.S. transfers to Champions League contenders. The likes of Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Ricardo Pepi, Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson and Folarin Balogun (plenty more on him and the transfer saga that resulted in a U-turn back to Monaco instead of a move to Everton below) all wound up staying put.
And in terms of U.S. players who did make notable moves overseas, the list isn’t exactly a who’s-who of top-line talent landing at marquee clubs. Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach to Strasbourg) and Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps to Middlesbrough) were the highest-profile World Cup players to earn transfers, while nascent U.S. internationals Zavier Gozo (Real Salt Lake to Crystal Palace), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo to Stoke City), Cole Campbell (Dortmund to Elversberg) and Rokas Pukstas (Hajduk Split to Middlesbrough) were among others to change teams.
The summer transfer window is now closed across most of Europe, so we took the opportunity to assess it from a USMNT lens, with the first camp of the 2030 World Cup cycle a few weeks away and the spotlight of this summer’s home World Cup in the rear view:
Gio Reyna moved to Strasbourg on the back of the World Cup.Darren Yamashita / Imagn Images
Which completed USMNT summer transfer was the most important one?
Henry Bushnell:Reyna to Strasbourg. Ligue 1 is a much better fit for him than the Bundesliga was. He’s already starting and impacting games, and I still believe that, somewhere in his 23-year-old body, he has some of the potential he flashed as a teen at Dortmund.
Paul Tenorio: Gozo to Crystal Palace. The U.S. needs more difference makers, and it needs them growing and developing at the highest levels. No one in the pool gets me as excited for their potential as Gozo, and he’s now playing in an environment that raises his ceiling.
Felipe Cardenas: Slim pickings to be honest. Gozo made the most newsworthy move and it didn’t surprise anybody. He’s 19 and can run for days. Gozo was in line to be the next MLS-based American to join a big-five league. Let’s see how he adjusts.
Tom Bogert: Gozo. The extremely talented teenager leaves Real Salt Lake for Crystal Palace and the Premier League. He’s already deserving of a call up to the senior national team, but if he plays basically at all at his new club, that cements it. How high is his ceiling?
Which player who stayed put were you hoping to see move?
Bushnell: Balogun. He needed a bigger stage than Monaco’s. To go from World Cup stardom back to a league that very few Americans watch, and to a club that averages less than 10,000 fans per game, and to a season in the UEFA Conference League, will be tremendously disappointing.
Tenorio: It’s definitely Balogun. It would have been great to see him make the jump to the Premier League or to a high-level Champions League club.
Cardenas: Antonee Robinson to Manchester United made some sense to me. United need a better left fullback, and Robinson, despite his recent injury history, would present as an upgrade to Luke Shaw.
Bogert: It’s the boring answer but it is very obviously Balogun. All summer he was expected to move, that was the plan both for Balogun and Monaco. A deadline day fiasco ended with him leaving Everton’s training ground without signing the contract, after both clubs had agreed.
Yunus Musah (80) has new life at AC Milan under coach Ruben AmorimMarco Luzzani / Getty Images
Which player benefitted most from not making a move?
Bushnell: I’m not sure anybody benefitted, because I’m not sure any potential moves were on the table that would have been mistakes. (I’ll use this space instead to say that I don’t love Gozo’s move to Palace. He was definitely ready for a next step, but I’m not sure a potential relegation battle at a chaotic Premier League club was the right step.)
Tenorio: It could end up being Yunus Musah if he continues to play at AC Milan. The 23-year-old American midfielder needed to find a way to gain his confidence back, and if he is able to push himself back on the field at a club like Milan, it might be his best path back to the national team under Mauricio Pochettino.
Bogert: Christian Pulisic. There were some calls from NYCFC about the USMNT attacker, but it’s not quite time for him to come to MLS. I still firmly believe he’ll excel in Ruben Amorim’s system at AC Milan. He is basically under contract for two years — one year guaranteed plus a one-year club option — so if it works out this season or not, he’ll have more leverage next summer over his future if he is to leave.
What are your thoughts on the Balogun saga and what it means for his season outlook?
Bushnell: I think he and people around him — including his new agent, Jorge Mendes, and whoever advised him to sign with Mendes — probably overestimated how much he could parlay his World Cup fame into a big payday at a big club. Monaco probably overestimated that too. That’s why all parties were scrambling ahead of deadline day, and why they left themselves susceptible to this unpalatable outcome. The best thing Balogun can do now is re-find his form from last spring and the summer, and try to earn a move in January or next summer.
Tenorio: I admire Balogun’s willingness to advocate and bet on himself. Feeling like Everton tried to leverage the medical against him to negotiate a better fee clearly pushed him away from the deal. Balogun surely is doing that with the belief that he’ll continue his goal-scoring ways in France and that a transfer will be there in the winter window or next summer. He’ll need to score at the same pace as he did at the end of last season if he wants the type of move that looked possible coming out of the World Cup.
Cardenas: He’s not hurting at Monaco. The club will be in contention for a top-four finish and he’ll likely continue to score goals. His move back to the Premier League didn’t materialize, but another door, at a bigger club (hello, Tottenham), could open sooner than later. Balogun didn’t hurt his stock or his public image by walking away from Everton, a club that fumbled its way through another transfer window.
Bogert: Really odd. I figured this would have been wrapped up by August 1 given the obvious fit in the Premier League (his quality, the money from England both for player and Monaco). It kept dragging on, perhaps, as Henry said, because of overestimations of the market from both parties.
For as good as Balogun was in his first few games at the World Cup, unfortunately the two events fans will most associate him with will be his red card suspension controversially being lifted and the failed move to Everton rather than anything he has achieved on the field. And that’s a shame.
Folarin Balogun’s eventful summer continued, but did not result in a move to Everton.Jamie Squire / Getty Images
Based on expectations, was this an underwhelming post-World Cup transfer window for the USMNT?
Bushnell: Beyond Balogun, not really. In this era of ubiquitous data and video, clubs don’t get seduced by small samples in a spotlight, so the “World Cup bounce” doesn’t really exist anymore. And every other USMNT player, at this point, is employed by a club at or near their level. So I didn’t expect it to be a summer full of transfer activity.
Tenorio: I felt like this was exactly the type of window I expected. You see less-heralded or less-experienced players leveling up (Gozo, Berhalter, Max Arfsten, McGlynn), a few players finding a path to minutes (Reyna, Damion Downs, Diego Kochen) and then one big swing and miss with Balogun. Nothing truly surprising considering where contract statuses stood with a lot of the starting group from this summer.
Cardenas: Again, the U.S. team wasn’t littered with players who were attractive to major European clubs. And as Paul notes, a lot of the players were under contract. However, Pulisic squandered a huge opportunity at the World Cup to prove that he’s a top-25 player in the world. It was a long shot, but an impressive tournament from Pulisic could’ve led to a high-profile move away from Milan.
Bogert: These things go in cycles. I wouldn’t call it an underwhelming summer window because the state of where most of the key players were. Pulisc at Milan, Chris Richards at Crystal Palace, Weston McKennie at Juventus … those situations are mostly good. Definitely more good than bad. Sure, Balogun should have moved, but even Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest staying at PSV is not a bad thing.
After Lionel Messi’s Argentina retirement, what does his future in MLS, Miami look like?
Lionel Messi has retired from international duty with Argentina Chandan Khanna / AFP / Getty Images
Fifteen hours after his plane landed back in Florida from his father’s funeral in Argentina, Lionel Messi stood at Nu Stadium in Miami, his hands on his hips, the crowd on their feet.Earlier that day, August 12, Messi posted a message on Instagram that reflected how unmooring grief can be.“All I ever did was play football,” he wrote. “And now I have serious doubts about whether I’ll keep doing it for much longer.”For years, the prospect of life without football had manifested its own fears and anxieties within the great Argentinian No. 10. A few years earlier, ahead of the 2024 Copa América, Messi said in an interview with ESPN Argentina that he was “a bit scared of it all ending”. But with the 2026 World Cup now over, the finish line felt closer than ever. His father’s passing undoubtedly only higlighted how life and time continues unchecked, even if you are not ready for it.With those realities swirling in his head, Messi found solace where he always had: on the football pitch. Only this time, as he prepared to enter Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup game against León as a substitute, he looked out at the field and saw his own name lit up on the concourse in front of him: Leo Messi Stand.It was a sign of how much more he still had awaiting him when he does step away.The field he would jog onto in Miami was one he owned — not as he had controlled so many pitches before with his extraterrestrial abilities, but as part-owner of Inter Miami. The key clause of the contract with the Major League Soccer team that lured him stateside in 2023 gave Messi a minority percentage in the club when he retired. Around 10 percent was linked in his first contract, and an undisclosed further amount baked into the extension he signed in 2025.A few weeks after that Leagues Cup return, and two days after scoring four goals in an Inter Miami win, Messi announced he was retiring from Argentina’s national team. It meant that his final days on the field will almost certainly come in Miami. How long he lasts remains to be seen. He is contracted through the end of the 2027-28 season, but really, the exact date matters less.
Lionel Messi has been an Inter Miami player since 2023Chandan Khanna / AFP / Getty Images
The inevitability of the end — the prospect of football without Messi — felt omnipresent since he first arrived in the United States. Messi pondered how he might fill the hole that the sport filled for as long as he could remember in his life.“I know these are my last years, and I know that when I don’t have this, I’m going to miss it dearly,” Messi said in the Apple TV documentary Messi Meets America. “Because no matter how many things I find to do, nothing is going to be like this, which I did all my life.”Inter Miami hoped he found the answer over his last few years in South Florida — for as long as he liked while wearing the No. 10 jersey, but for years after that, too.It’s what the ownership clause was about. Many thought of it as a financial incentive for Messi. And it was. Miami was valued at around $650 million when Messi signed. Its valuation has since shot up north of $1.3 billion. As long as Messi plays, the valuation of Inter Miami will continue to go up, and that means the value of Messi’s stake goes up, too.But there is an enormous benefit for MLS and Inter Miami, too. It is an analogous construct as David Beckham’s expansion team clause from when he signed with the LA Galaxy back in 2007. That deal, which gave Beckham rights to buy an MLS expansion team for $25 million — well below the fees that were being paid by the time he triggered it — was seen as one of the best contracts in sports history because of the enormous value the former England winger got out of it. But it was also a hugely successful play for MLS. Thirteen years after he stopped playing, Beckham, one of the biggest global brands in sport, is still linked to and remains a flag-bearer for MLS.
Lionel Messi will join David Beckham among Inter Miami’s ownership group following the conclusion of his playing daysElsa / Getty Images
The goal of Miami’s ownership group was always to turn Inter Miami into Leo Messi’s Inter Miami. It is why, when he signed his extension, they shot the accompanying announcement video inside the still-under-construction stadium. A venue that Messi helped build, and one that signified he was a part of the very bones of the organization, linked for as long as they could manage. That day, the entire ownership group brought family members down to the stadium and toured it together as partners.“When you think of Lionel Messi, I’m thinking 10 or 15 years from now, the greatest that ever played, no doubt, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?” Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas asked during an interview for my book, The Messi Effect. “It’s probably one of two images: Argentina lifting the World Cup and Barça. How do I get Inter Miami and the pink into that mix?“Ultimately, it’s going to be defined by the amount of these that we lift.”Mas, sitting at his desk in Coral Gables, Fla., raised his arms skyward, lifting an imaginary trophy over his head.“When it’s over, [the hope] is that it’s going to be discussed as not the end of his career, but part of his career,” Mas continued. “My goal is that the Messi legacy, the Messi image, is tied to Inter Miami, and that Inter Miami is tied to Messi. . . . He’s going to be an integral part of everything that we’re building.”What that will look like in practice remains up in the air, but Inter Miami is betting that people will want to play for Messi’s Miami, even if it does not mean getting to step on the field with him.That is not outlandish. Messi sent a video message to Beckham when Miami was officially announced as an MLS expansion club saying that maybe he would see him down the line. And he did. There will be a draw to Messi recruiting players to Miami — if he chooses to take on that role.
“I see Messi having a significant impact on the sporting side,” Mas said. “I think having him as part of this project will continue to keep Inter Miami at the forefront of people’s minds. . . . If you look at what we’re building economically and everything we’re doing commercially, we’re a big team. If we’re allowed to take the shackles off, we’ll be bigger. And that’ll come.”
Lionel Messi celebrates one of his four goals against CF MontrealCarmen Mandato / Getty Images
MLS is still debating how much it will take the shackles off to allow teams to build rosters that can actually compete globally. But Miami has shown it will maximize whatever it can as it chases titles — whether it is Concacaf Champions Cup, which it has yet to win, or the Club World Cup.Mas said he believed that the competitiveness that has always defined Messi, that made him one of the best at this summer’s World Cup, despite so many people who doubted he could maintain that level after going to MLS, would carry forward after his playing days.“All he wants to do is win,” Mas said. “I 100 percent guarantee you that once his boots are hung up and he’s in a different role, his competitiveness isn’t going to want to leave.”It was part of the bet when Mas brought Messi to MLS. It was never about just his on-field impact. The vision always had to be bigger than that.So, as Messi enters the final 22 months of his contract with Miami, and as fans flock at their last chances to see him play, Messi and Inter Miami will focus on planning how to make the most of what comes next.Paul Tenorio is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers soccer. He has previously written for the Washington Post, the Orlando Sentinel, FourFourTwo, ESPN and MLSsoccer.com.
NWSL Has added Roku Channel as a Partner to replace Victory+. Many Sunday night games including the Seattle Reign vs Houston Dash this Sunday at 7 pm. Two-time World Cup Champion with the USWNT and nutmeg queen Tobin Heath (Tobinyo) officially retired from pro soccer after signing a one-day contract with the Portland Thorns, and the club celebrated her legendary career last Saturday. Still the most skilled ballhandler the US has ever had. No. 1 Gotham has the Shield in its sights and they host #3 Portland in this weekend’s toughest NWSL clash. Gotham sits atop the NWSL table on a nine-game unbeaten streak, while the Thorns are carrying their own three-game winning streak bolstered by Sophia Wilson and Pietra Tordin, Portland ranks third in goals scored — but will meet its match in the Bats’ league-best defense.
Germany Starts league play this weekend and of course Bayern Munich will win the league (Again) – I think Dortmund will hold second while Beyer Leverkusen with American Malick Tilman, and RB Leipzig will battle it out for 3rd. The biggest change will be watching the games on Fandango in English and Peacock in Spanish as ESPN+ lost the contract. Stinks! (Full Preview Below).
Over the weekend, The Guardian reported that UEFA and Concacaf had begun discussing a combined Nations League tournament. A 96-team biennial tournament could launch as early as 2028 after the Euro’s. That might allow the US, Canada & Mexico play European teams in a Nations League setting. A baby got loose on the field
Indianapolis – Indy Eleven midfielder Jack Blake scored his 45th USL Championship goal to give the Boys in Blue a 2-1 victory over Eastern Conference rival Louisville City FC in front of 9,542 fans at Carroll Stadium. Boys in Blue goalkeeper Eric Dick (CDC, Carmel High) matched his season high with seven saves to increase his career total to 307 in USL-C regular-season play, good for 18th on the league all-time list. Indy Eleven takes its two-game winning streak to Phoenix Rising FC on Sat. August 29 at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The next home game for the Boys in Blue is “Oktoberfest” on Saturday, September 5 at 7 p.m. vs. Birmingham Legion FC. Indy Eleven will wear special Oktoberfest warm-up jerseys. Discounted tickets starting at $14 are available online and fans can add on an Oktoberfest knit scarf at checkout for $20. The Family Four-Pack is available for all 2026 home games and can be purchased online only. Priced at just $49, the Family Four-Pack includes four tickets, FREE parking, $20 in Concession Vouchers, and a 20% Merchandise Discount, along with access to the Fun Zone/Kids Activation Area.
MLS teams blasted out of Leagues Cup
The Leagues Cup 2026 semi-final field is set after all 4 of the MLS teams lost to the Liga MX teams in the quarterfinals. This will be the first time no MLS team is in the Final 4 in the tourney history. Seattle won the Cup in 2025.
High School Wrap –
Boys defending State Champs Carmel High are off to rough starting having lost to Lawrence Central and tied Ben Davis & Cathedral so far. They host Brebeuf Tues & travel to Fishers Thurs. The 3rd ranked Carmel High Girls are off to a great start at 3-0 with zero goals given up by star Sophomore GK Gwyneth Provost. They host the Carmel Invite at Murray Stadium Sat vs Cathedral & Mishawaka before traveling to Pike Tues & Guerin (Thurs). Full rankings below.
Fri, Aug 28 2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Musah, Pulisic) vs Venezia (Busio) 2:45 pm beIN Sp Lille vs PSG 3 pm Para+ Birmingham City vs Wrexham 3 pm USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City 8 pm Prime Gotham FC (Lavelle) vs Portland Thorns (Wilson, Moultrie) Sat, Aug 29 7;30 am USA Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest 7:30 am Para+ Middlesbrough (3 americans) vs West Bromwich Albion 9:30 am peacock/Fandango Elversburg vs Bayer Leverkusen 9:30 am Peacock/Fan RB Leipzig vs Borussia M’Gladbach 9:30 am Peacock/Fan Union Berlin vs Frankfurt 10 am USA Everton vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10 am NBCSN Bournmouth (Adams) vs Everton 10 am Para+ Wrexham vs Watford 12:30 pm NBC Tottenhamvs Newcastle United 12:30 pm USA Dortmund vs Hamburger 12:30 pm CBSSN Fiorentina vs Frosinone Italy 2:45 pm telemundo/Peacock Juventus (McKinney) vs Parma 3:30 pm ESPN+ Sevilla vs Atletico Madrid 4:30 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs Chicago Fire 6:30 pm Ion KC Current vs NC Courage NWSL 7:30 pm Apple NY Red Bulls vs Philly Union (Sullivan) 7:30 pm Apple Cincy vs Nashville SC 7:30 pm Apple NY Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire 7:30 pm Apple NE vs Columbus Crew 8:45 pm Ion Denver (Leaps) vs Chicago Stars NWSL 9:30 pm Apple Colorado Rapids vs Salt Lake City 10:30 pm Apple Portland vs Austin 10 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 @ San Antonio Sun, Aug 30 9 am NBCSN Chelsea vs Brighton 9 am USA Leads (Aaronson) vs Brentford 9 am Peacock Sunderland vs Fulham (Robinson) 11 am ESPND+ Real MAdrid vs Malaga 11:30 am USA Man United vs Ipswich Town 11:30 am Ausburg vs Schalke 12:30 pm CBSSN Napoli vs Como Italy 4 pm ESPN2 Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Bay FC 2:45 pm Para+ Lazio vs Genoa 2:45 pm beIN Monaco vs Mareseille (Weah) 4 pm ESPN2 Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Bay FC 4:30 pm Apple New England vs NYCFC 6 pm CBSSN Bay FC vs Houston Dash 7 pm Apple St Louis vs Dallas MLS 7 pm Roku Seattle Reign vs Houston Dash NWSL Mon, Aug 31 12:30 pm Para+ Lecce vs Roma 3 pm USA Aston Villa vs Arsenal 3:30 pm ESPND+ Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano 8 pm CBSSN Boston Legacy vs Angel City (Thompson) NWSL
Sat, Sept 26 4:30 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Peru Orlando Tues, Sept 29 8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Chile St Louis Sat, Oct 3 8 pm?? TNT/HBO USMNT vs Mexico Glendale Tues, Oct 6 8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Canada Minn Sat, Oct 10 8 pm TNT. HBO USWNT vs Spain DC Tues, Oct 13 7 pm TNT, HBO USWNT vs Spain Philly
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USMNT weekend viewing guide: Full send
The Bundesliga is back, with some changes — by jcksnftsn Aug 28, 2026, 12:53 PM EDT
The Bundesliga joins the fray this weekend so there is a full slate and it starts with a bang on Friday with two good matches for USMNT eager fans, and the potential for a sighting in Spain as well. The restart of the Bundesliga also brings a major change to viewing habits, with those matches shifting from the ESPN platform to a combination of Peacock (for Spanish language broadcasts) and Fandango which is apparently being offered in English for free in many cases. No longer behind the ESPN paywall the Bundesliga matches should be more accessible but perhaps a little harder to find, this is going to take some getting used to. Regardless, it’s a very full weekend of action and here’s what we’re watching:
Friday
AC Milan v Venezia — 2:45p on Paramount+: Start off the weekend with some American on American action in Italy on Friday afternoon as a pair of American’s in Milan host Venezia and Gianluca Bussio. Christian Pulisic did not make it off the bench last weekend as he continues to recover from his injury sustained during the World Cup but Yunus Musah started and went 90’ as he is apparently rebounding quickly at Milan after a rough 2025-26 season for the young midfielder. AC Milan opened their season with a 2-1 win over Torino and will now face Venezia and Busio who fell 2-0 to Lecce in their return to Serie A. Busio played the full 90 and captained the Venezia squad.
Crystal Palace v Manchester City — 3p on USA Network: Chris Richards went 90’ last Saturday as Crystal Palace fell to Everton 2-0. Zavier Gozo was not included in the squad and instead played with the Palace U21’s as he acclimates to the new club. Their opponent, Manchester City, opened with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth.
Alaves v Villarreal — 3:30p on ESPN+: Alex Freeman has had a meteoric rise with the USMNT but is still looking to make his breakthrough at Villarreal. The young right-back was an unused substitute for Villarreal last weekend as they drew with Atletico Madrid 2-2, after seeing just two minutes in the teams opening draw with Racing.
Saturday
Middlesbrough v West Brom — 7:30a on Paramount+: The Boro boys keep growing as Rokas Pukstas has joined Aidan Morris, Max Arfsten, and Sebastian Berhalter in the Championship. The group fell 2-1 to Blackburn last weekend with Morris, Berhalter, and Arfsten all starting though they did bounce back midweek in EFL Cup action with a 3-1 win over third tier side Doncaster.
RB Leipzig v Borussia Mönchengladbach — 9:30a on Peacock and Fandango: Joe Scally is apparently on the outs at Borussia Monchengladbach as he’s been instructed by the club to find a new home. Given the current state it seems pretty unlikely that Scally will see the field for Gladbach on Saturday, the end of an era.
Elversberg v Bayer Leverkusen — 9:30a on Peacock and Fandango: Malik Tillman and Bayer Leverkusen will start their Bundesliga campaign against newly promoted Elversberg on Saturday morning. Tillman did play 90’ last weekend in Leverkusen’s 4-0 win over Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of dfb Pokal action. Cole Campbell transferred to Elversberg over the summer and played 90’ in the team’s Pokal win over MSV Duisburg last weekend.
Bournemouth v Everton — 10:00a on Peacock: There have been some rumors quietly swirling around a possible Tyler Adams move ahead of the transfer window closing on Tuesday and he came off the bench to play 15’ in Bournemouth’s 2-1 loss to Man City. Bournemouth had take a first half lead and both goals came after Adams had taken the field which isn’t a great look. The team will look to rebound on Saturday when they face an Everton side that started their season with a win.
Celtic v Falkirk — 10:00a on Paramount+: Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers were unfortunately both part of Celtic’s awful collapse against George Bello and LASK in Champions League qualifying midweek. Celtic had scored twenty minutes in to go up 4-0 on aggregate in the home-and-away fixture but proceeded to give up five unanswered goals and crash out of the competition. They will look to rebound this weekend in Scottish league play as they host Falkirk.
Strasbourg v Lens — 11:15a on beIN SPORTS: Gio Reyna saw 21’ off the bench in his first competitive match with Strasbourg, a 4-0 loss to Tim Weah captained Marseille. Strasbourg was already down 2-0 when Reyna was introduced but he was unable to turn the tide. The team will have their home opener this weekend as they host as Lens side that opened with a 5-2 win over Auxerre.
Brest v Toulouse — 2:45p on beIN SPORTS: Mark McKenzie will remain with Toulouse until the January transfer window and was in the starting lineup and playing 90’ last weekend against Lyon. Toulouse will travel to Brest this weekend.
Lyon v Le Havre — 2:45p on beIN SPORTS: Tanner Tessmann may be on the move from Lyon as there have been some rumors of the team cashing in amidst financial struggles that were exacerbated when the team failed to qualify for Champions League, falling 2-1 at home to Fenerbahce. Tessmann started the match and was subbed out midway through the second half with his team looking for an equalizer. Tessmann only played 10’ in last weekend’s win over Toulouse as the team rotated heavily to prepare for the midweek match with Fenerbahce.
Juventus v Parma — 2:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie started and went 90’ in Juve’s 1-0 win over Frosinone but has been ruled out this weekend with fatigue and won’t be on the field for his teams home opener.
Sevilla v Atlético Madrid — 3:30p on ESPN+: Johnny Cardoso has been on the bench for Atletico Madrid’s first two matches of the season, a 2-0 win over Malaga and a 2-2 draw with Villarreal. Atleti hit the road for the first time this season, travelling to take on a Sevilla side that have won their first two matches of the season.
Seattle Sounders v Chicago Fire — 4:30p on Apple TV: Cristian Roldan, Chris Brady
New York Red Bulls v Philadelphia Union — 7:30p on Apple TV: Julian Hall, Adri Mehmeti, Ethan Horvath, Quinn and Cavan Sullivan
Toronto FC v NYCFC — 7:30p on Apple TV: Matt Freese
Charlotte FC v Atlanta United — 7:30p on Apple TV: Tim Ream
Nashville SC v FC Cincinnati — 8:30p on Apple TV: Roman Celentano
Colorado Rapids v Real Salt Lake — 9:30p on Apple TV: Diego Luna
MLS Season
Seattle Sounders v Chicago Fire — 4:30p on Apple TV: Cristian Roldan, Chris Brady
New York Red Bulls v Philadelphia Union — 7:30p on Apple TV: Julian Hall, Adri Mehmeti, and Ethan Horvath for NYRB, Quinn and Cavan Sullivan for Philadelphia.
Toronto FC v NYCFC — 7:30p on Apple TV: Matt Freese
Charlotte FC v Atlanta United — 7:30p on Apple TV: Tim Ream
Nashville SC v FC Cincinnati — 8:30p on Apple TV: Roman Celentano and Miles Robinson
Colorado Rapids v Real Salt Lake — 9:30p on Apple TV: Diego Luna
Sunday
PSV v Utrecht — 6:15a on ESPN+: Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest both scored last weekend in PSV’s 5-1 win over FC Groningen. This weekend they will host Utrecht where Kevin Paredes is apparently yet again dealing with significant injury concerns after coming off with a leg injury against Sparta Rotterdam last weekend.
Leeds United v Brentford — 9:00a on USA Network/Telemundo: Brenden Aaronson saw 23’ off the bench in Leeds 2-0 EFL Cup win over Nottingham Forest midweek and started against the same Forest team last weekend as Leeds opened their EPL season with a 1-0 win.
Sunderland v Fulham — 9:00a on Peacock: Antonee Robinson started Fulham’s EPL opener on Monday, a 3-2 home loss to Chelsea but was not included in the midweek squad as the team defeated AFC Wimbledon 3-0 in EFL Cup action. The team will travel to newly promoted Sunderland on Sunday.
Rennes v Le Mans — 11:15a on beIN SPORTS: Bryan Reynolds moved from Westerlo to Stade Rennais this summer and Reynolds saw 2’ off the bench in the teams opening match, a 2-2 draw with PSG. Rennes will now host newly promoted Le Mans who opened their season with 2-2 draw with Brest.
Augsburg v Schalke — 11:30a on Fandango: Noahkai Banks started and went 90’ in Augsburg’s 2-0 Pokal win over Energie Cottbus. Banks saw over 1,700 minutes in the Bundesliga last season as a 19-year-old centerback but appeared just once in the teams last eight matches. The team will open their Bundesliga season by hosting Schalke who have spent the last three seasons in 2 Bundesliga.
Monaco v Marseille — 2:45p on beIN SPORTS: Folarin Balogun is also a name to watch in the transfer rumors and he has not appeared in any of Monaco’s first three matches (across all competitions) to start the season. Unfortunately, that will probably deprive USMTN fans of another opportunity to watch American’s face off head-to-head as Monaco are hosting Tim Weah and Marseille on Sunday afternoon.
MLS Season Pass Matches:
Columbus Crew v New England Revolution — 4:30p on Apple TV: Patrick Schulte v Matt Turner
NWSL
NWSL Has added Roku Channel as a Partner to replace Victory+. Many Sunday night games including the Seattle Reign vs Houston Dash this Sunday at 7 pm. Two-time World Cup Champion with the USWNT and nutmeg queen Tobin Heath (Tobinyo) officially retired from pro soccer after signing a one-day contract with the Portland Thorns, and the club celebrated her legendary career last Saturday. Still the most skilled ballhandler the US has ever had. highlights
Chicago, Real Salt Lake & Columbus all lost this week as La Liga teams dominated the Leagues Cup. Several of MLS’s top young talents will step into the spotlight at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Saturday night as Red Bull New York host their I-95 rivals the Philadelphia Union, headlined by rising homegrown stars Cavan Sullivan, Neil Pierre, Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV).
The Legacy has found a home, as Boston’s NWSL club announced it will play all 2027 home matches at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Ongoing delays have derailed a permanent move to Boston’s White Stadium, with the expansion team now targeting a 2028 debut.“We are deeply grateful to our fans, partners, the City of Boston, and Boston Public Schools for believing in this vision and helping us move it forward,” Legacy controlling owner Jennifer Epstein said. (See full release)
Goalkeeping
US GK Battle – Columbus Crew v New England Revolution — 4:30p on Apple TV: Patrick Schulte v Matt Turner
Rahsaan & Matthew surviving the Thunderstorms & a 2 hr delay at Park Tudor Wednesday night. Courtney took care of us. Fun Reffing at University High with Chris Roussel & fellow Gator Robert Hart Mon
Caught World Cup fever? Here’s how to follow USMNT stars’ club careers
Cesar HernandezAug 20, 2026, 07:06 AM ET
Did you catch soccer fever over the summer and want to know what’s next for American stars after the FIFA World Cup?With international duties now behind them, many of the top names from the U.S. men’s national team will now set their sights on a new challenge: the 2026-27 club season. Settled among the top leagues in Europe, a growing list of Americans will continue to develop and fine tune their skills within the rosters of elite clubs from abroad. And with more and more names making the move to Europe, tracking them all can at times feel, well, overwhelming for even die-hard supporters of the beautiful game. With that in mind, we’ve got you covered with ESPN’s guide to following USMNT stars in their 2026-27 club seasons.
Of course, tracking every American in the top European leagues would be far too long of a list, so to keep things simple, we’ve narrowed it down to 10 noteworthy players that we believe you should be following. In no particular order, let’s dive in.
It was fair-to-middling. Amid flashes of brilliance, he also failed to provide consistent performances, while dealing with injuries. Tasked with taking charge of the attack through the left flank, but providing no goals and one assist, Pulisic himself admitted feeling “disappointed” after the round-of-16 exit.
How does he fit into his club’s setup?
Whether he’s an attacking midfielder, winger or a wide forward, Pulisic provides plenty of work in the opposition’s half. As a chance creator and goal scorer, the 27-year-old relies on his dribbling, pace and vision to provide game-changing moments. At his best, he is capable of being one of the top players for his club and one of the standouts in Serie A.
What to know about his club
Pedigree and status comes to mind when thinking about the 126-year-old club with 19 Serie A titles and seven European Cup/Champions League trophies. Despite the fact that they’re in a transitional era with new coach Ruben Amorim, expectations will remain high as they chase a spot in Italy’s top four, which would secure a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League. Deep runs in both the Coppa Italia and UEFA Europa League will also be expected.
One big question: Will Pulisic stay fit?
He doesn’t have the best record when it comes to staying healthy. Last season, Pulisic missed seven matches through injury, which limited him to just 1,609 minutes — down roughly a third compared to his previous two seasons in Italy. At the World Cup, the injury setbacks continued, leading to him being a doubt for Sunday’s season opener at Torino. Pulisic has the tools to shine, but that’s all dependent on how much time he spends on the pitch.
Where can you watch him play?
Serie A: CBS, Paramount+ UEFA Europa League: CBS, Paramount+ Coppa Italia: CBS, Paramount+
If we’re avoiding the elephant in the room of what happened off the field that was out of his control, Balogun had a successful run in the World Cup. Very few complaints about the striker, who stepped up with three goals across four appearances. A constant threat in the attack, he did earn a red card that initially left him off the U.S.’s final game, although it’s debatable whether that was the correct decision from the referee.
How does he fit into his club’s setup?
You’ll see similar performances at club level to the ones we watched over the summer. Much more than just a goal scorer, the 25-year-old is clever with his sprints and connects well with the rest of the front line. And as seen with the USMNT, he’s also a clinical finisher. Last season he averaged a goal every 75 minutes, scoring 13 times.
What to know about his club
It’s a rebuild/redemption season for Monaco with new manager Filipe Luís leading a side that had an underwhelming finish in 2025-26. Looking at a team that gave up 54 goals across 34 games, Filipe Luís will first have to fix defensive issues that hampered progress. That said, we’ll see how many key players they hold onto in the transfer window.
One big question: Will he stay at Monaco?
Of the players who are potentially on the move this transfer window, none may be as important to Monaco than Balogun. Thanks to a positive World Cup and 2025-26 season, there’s been interest from clubs in France, England and Spain, with Tottenham Hotspurmooted as a possible landing spot.
With five World Cup starts under his belt this summer, there’s no denying that McKennie is one of the more pivotal pieces of the USMNT puzzle. Like most others on this list, he’ll get docked points for his performance against Belgium, but the midfielder thrived with his chance creation and endless roaming.
How does he fit into his club’s setup?
Where doesn’t he? Able to play as a competent wingback, anywhere in the midfield, and even as a false nine if needed, Juventus have plugged McKennie into countless positions. Well rounded and with excellent stamina, he’ll be a valuable utility option in the starting XI.
What to know about his club
As the most successful side in Italy, becoming a title contender once again will be the bare minimum for the team that finished in sixth last season. Like Milan, there will also be an expectation to make deep runs in both the Europa League and Coppa Italia. A handful of reinforcements, such as the return of Randal Kolo Muani, could help.
One big question: Where will he play most often?
This is less of a worry and more genuine curiosity about the player who would start as a false nine at the top of the attack one game, move to fullback in the next, and would then switch to a midfield spot in the heart of the XI. Keep an eye on the highly versatile player.
Where can you watch him play?
Serie A: CBS, Paramount+ UEFA Europa League: CBS, Paramount+ Coppa Italia: CBS, Paramount+
With the caveat that he went into the summer as something of a surprise roster addition due to having very few starts at club level, the World Cup was a small step forward. He got a goal in the opener and earned 76 minutes vs. Türkiye, which marks the most he has played in any match in all of 2026 for club or country.
How does he fit into his club’s setup?
Transferred to Strasbourg this summer, we’ll have to wait and see what his exact role will be, although he played 45 minutes of a friendly vs. Newcastle United in an advanced role. The good news for the attacking midfielder? He earned an assist for the equalizer in the 1-1 draw.
What to know about his club
Much like sister club Chelsea under the BlueCo umbrella, Strasbourg aim to qualify for European competition with a very young roster. In the match against Newcastle, for example, the average age of the starting XI was 22.5. Reyna, 23, fits neatly into this youthful focus.
One big question: Can he finally become a starter for his club?
Once viewed as the most promising American player of his generation, Reyna’s stock has plummeted in recent years after being unable to cement a starting role. Looking at his last two seasons in the Bundesliga, the midfielder had just seven starts.
Defensive solidity? Check. Crucial distributor from the back? Check. Excellent in the air? Check that one off as well. A positive World Cup run for the Alabama native who once again highlighted why he’s the top central defender in the program.
How does he fit into his club’s setup?
Playing in the center of a three-man back line or just off to the right, Richards shares similar responsibilities at club level when it comes to his accurate distribution going forward. He’s just as much of a rock when it comes to his defensive interventions, and can also occasionally push forward to help cover the midfield.
What to know about his club
Building off their historic Conference League title last season, Crystal Palace will aim for midtable stability in the Premier League in 2026-17 while also finding a way to make some noise in the Europa League. Whether they can do so will come down to new coach Pierre Sage.
One big question: Can he level up once again?
Moving to the Premier League has done wonders for the player who has risen to be the top central defender in the American player pool, but can he reach another gear? Only 26, he could add to his game even further if he can improve some of his defensive awareness and long passes.
Where can you watch him play?
Premier League: NBC, USA, Peacock FA Cup: ESPN Carabao Cup: CBS, Paramount+ UEFA Europa League: CBS, Paramount+
From the U.S. roster, Freeman was the breakout star. Playing as a right back and right-sided central defender, the 22-year-old from Florida rose to the occasion with a goal, an assist and a long list of interventions in the backline.
How does he fit into his club’s setup?
With Villarreal, the Orlando City academy graduate is still a substitute option at right back. Arriving in Spain in January, and still playing in MLS‘ reserve league just two seasons ago, fans might have to be patient when it comes to him earning a starting role in one the best leagues in the world.
What to know about his club
After lifting their expectations last season with a third-place finish, there’s a lot of intrigue and excitement about what Villarreal can do in both LaLiga and also the Champions League. Leading them on the sidelines will be new coach Iñigo Pérez, who could implement a more aggressive style of play.
One big question: Will his development continue at breakneck speed?
It’s worth reiterating just how quickly Freeman has gone from MLS academy prospect to World Cup starter. Two years ago, he was still earning minutes in MLS’ reserve league and was nowhere on the USMNT radar. Within a matter of months he then became one of the best players in MLS, a go-to call-up for the USMNT and now a LaLiga player. Perhaps that starting role with Villarreal won’t be too far out of reach.
A solid run for the central midfielder who contributed to both the defense and attack with his coverage in the center of the pitch and his distribution. Few players in the USMNT roster can match his elite combo of aggression and stamina.
How does he fit into his club’s setup?
Playing as a defensive midfielder for club and country, there aren’t any major differences between the way that Adams performs his duty with the USMNT and Bournemouth. Nonetheless, while he is used as an additional defensive shield within the USMNT midfield, Adams has been known to move into higher areas for Bournemouth in order to win back the ball.
What to know about his club
With an impressive sixth-place finish last season, Bournemouth qualified for a European competition for the first time in their history. The goal in 2026-27 will be to maintain at least a midtable position in the Premier League, while also looking competitive in their Europa League debut. Part of their evolution means adapting to new coach Marco Rose, and some upgrades to their stadium.
One big question: Can he avoid another major injury?
Whether Adams can stay fit for a full season is another worry for USMNT fans. Over the last few years, issues ranging from a hamstring problem, back ailment and sprained left MCL have hindered regular playing time and caused him to sit out for stretches of time. We’ll see if he can avoid another significant knock in 2026-27.
Where can you watch him play?
Premier League: NBC, USA, Peacock FA Cup: ESPN Carabao Cup: CBS, Paramount+ UEFA Europa League: CBS, Paramount+
A hit-or-miss tournament for the player who oscillated between a winger with defensive duties and a fullback with winger tendencies. Perfectly illustrated in the knockout round, he stepped up in the USMNT’s round-of-32 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, but was then substituted out at halftime in the next match vs Belgium.
How does he fit into his club’s setup?
It isn’t as a winger, but considering how far up Dest plays as fullback for PSV, he’s someone who takes up much of the attacking space on the flanks (typically on the right) whenever he’s on the field. It’s entertaining yet chaotic with how he plays, and it also leads to some jeopardy with the space he leaves open behind.
What to know about his club
Second all time in Eredivisie championships and with three consecutive league titles in hand, another domestic trophy is anticipated in 2026-27 for Dest and fellow American Ricardo Pepi at PSV. The USMNT duo will also be expected to make a splash in the Champions League, but a title chase there is far too difficult.
One big question: Can he refine his defensive game?
At the peak of his abilities, Dest, 25, is a captivating watch with his daring runs and risky sprints forward, but there’s a reason as to why Barcelona moved on and he didn’t stick at AC Milan. His defensive decision-making and scanning leave much to be desired, and if he wants to hold his starting spot with the national team, he needs to improve his backline work.
Where can you watch him play?
Eredivisie: ESPN KNVB Cup: ESPN UEFA Champions League: CBS, Paramount+
A decent yet not remarkable showing at the World Cup. As the go-to left back, he was imposing against Australia and made his mark in the knockout match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, but also wasn’t as impactful as he should have been against Belgium. Didn’t lose his starting role, but it’s not guaranteed going forward.
How does he fit into his club’s setup?
Now a well-established member of the Fulham squad, Robinson should hold onto his spot as the high-flying accelerator on the left flank that can provide some whipped crosses and combative efforts in defense. At 29, he’s likely already fulfilled his potential, and with his history of injury issues, he may have hit his ceiling.
What to know about his club
Can new coach Álvaro Arbeloa take Fulham from midtable regulars to fighting for spots in European competitions? Assuming that they won’t be fighting for the league title, supporters will be more eager to watch Fulham stepping up in domestic competitions like the FA Cup and EFL Cup.
One big question: Will he ever get a big transfer?
Manchester United are reportedly considering a move, and in the past, Liverpool, among others, have had an interest in the pacy fullback. With Fulham since 2020, and now almost 30 years old, it feels as if he were to make a leap to a bigger club, it would be in the near future.
Where can you watch him play?
Premier League: NBC, USA, Peacock FA Cup: ESPN Carabao Cup: CBS, Paramount+
Tillman earned not just one, but two, highlight-reel moments with a couple of free-kick goals in the knockout round. The 24-year-old also provided an assist in the tournament opener vs. Paraguay. Scrappy with winning the ball back but also creative with his chance creation, the attacking midfielder had a commendable World Cup run.
How does he fit into his club’s setup?
He might be asking himself the same thing after drifting in and out of the starting XI in 2025-26. Following his notable appearances at the World Cup, he’ll hope to gain a boost in the start to the new season and to settle himself into the XI.
What to know about his club
After a historic Bundesliga title in the 2023-24 season, Bayer Leverkusen have slowly slumped down the standings and fell to sixth in 2025-26. With Carles Martínez Novell as the new coach, the club will aim to move back into the title-contender conversation and to also make deep runs in the DFB-Pokal and Europa League.
One big question: Will Tillman remain in Leverkusen?
As mentioned earlier, Tillman wasn’t able to establish a starting role with Leverkusen, leading to comments from the player that have noted that he’s open to a move. If he’s not immediately utilized in the first couple of games, don’t be surprised if he’s transferred this summer.
Where can you watch him play?
Bundesliga: USA, Fandango DFB-Pokal: TBC UEFA Europa League: CBS, Paramount+
U.S. Soccer nears takeover of U.S. Youth Soccer. This is what it means for the sport’s future
U.S. Soccer is nearing a takeover of the U.S. Youth Soccer Association, a move that some view as a significant step toward reform across the sport’s American landscape.
At a momentous meeting Saturday in Dallas, members of USYS, the largest youth sports organization in the United States, will vote on a bylaw amendment that would essentially hand control of their organization over to the U.S. Soccer Federation. A dozen people close to the matter, including several members who will vote, told The Athletic over the past two weeks that they expect the amendment to pass comfortably.
It will not unwind the “pay-to-play” model, nor will this alone make soccer significantly cheaper, multiple sources cautioned — but many believe it will improve grassroots soccer and empower U.S. Soccer to push further changes. (Most sources spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the reform process publicly.)
USYS, a 52-year-old national association, boasts 2.5 million registered players and 54 individual state associations. Collectively, they govern large swaths of recreational youth soccer across the country. Over the past two decades, as the youth sports industry boomed, they lost hundreds of thousands of teenagers to US Club Soccer and competitive national leagues. But for many young kids — and still for some teens — USYS-affiliated clubs, leagues and programs are gateways to the game.
Much of that programming is administered by the state associations. They are the ones who will vote on Saturday to eventually dissolve the national association and work directly with U.S. Soccer. U.S. Soccer has told the state associations that it plans to empower them as “local arms” of a coordinated strategy, but the specifics of that strategy and the so-called “future state” of youth soccer in America remain unclear.
So, although the vote feels consequential, the consequences are murky. And they’ll depend on what comes next.
Why is this happening?
For most of its 113-year history, the U.S. Soccer Federation largely ignored youth soccer. In the 1960s and ’70s, separate organizations, such as USYS, sprang up to govern clubs and leagues for children. The federation mostly let them run themselves — and allowed any entrepreneurial challenger to compete with them.
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The result was a “fractured” or “fragmented” landscape that confuses parents, exacerbates costs, hinders player development, and stunts the growth of the sport.
So, a few years ago, U.S. Soccer decided it was time for change.
The federation launched an “ecosystem review” in 2023, hired more staff to build relationships with youth soccer leaders, and spent months simply trying to understand the landscape. After analyzing it, state associations were identified as important, well-meaning organizations that served localized soccer, but with two core problems.
First, they didn’t serve all soccer. Because of their affiliation with USYS, they’d been dragged into competition with US Club and other organizations. They therefore spent time and resources trying to keep players within the USYS orbit — because player registration fees are central to their business models — rather than spending that time and those resources working with, say, local governments to build fields or get soccer programming into underserved communities. (They do some of that, but they could do more.)
Second, some (not all) were inefficient and struggling financially.
The solution to both, U.S. Soccer decided, was to eliminate USYS and create a direct line to the state associations. They will essentially be repurposed, and perhaps restructured, as local executors of U.S. Soccer’s broader vision for growing the game. And with the federation in control, there could be a centralized player registration system that gives U.S. Soccer better access to millions of boys and girls who play the sport.
Will this make soccer less expensive?
In theory, the new structure could make soccer somewhat more accessible at grassroots levels if U.S. Soccer supports the state associations. It could do this by streamlining administrative tasks (thereby lowering expenses or allowing the state associations to coordinate more low-cost programming) or by providing direct financial support — perhaps via sponsors and philanthropists who can now reach all 50 states with a single donation.ut the truly prohibitive costs hit families in the pre-teen and teen years, and this takeover won’t make it much more affordable for them.
At those “competitive” and “pre-professional” levels — as U.S. Soccer defines them — there is a dizzying web of clubs and leagues that, in exchange for (supposedly) better coaching and exposure, charge families thousands of dollars. They also force kids to drive or fly past similarly skilled kids for tournaments or exclusive “showcase” events, or even for standard league games, simply because those other kids belong to a rival league or acronym. That travel adds thousands of dollars — and dozens or hundreds of hours — to the overall cost.
To lower it, and align the whole system, U.S. Soccer must get a variety of other organizations — including the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), Girls Academy (GA) and Major League Soccer (MLS, which runs MLS Next, the top academy circuit for teenage boys) — on board with a plan that stretches far beyond USYS.
What is U.S. Soccer’s broader vision or plan?
The USYS takeover, multiple sources said, is merely one piece of a puzzle. U.S. Soccer is trying to re-architect the competitive structure of youth soccer across the country. It wants “a more connected system that is easier to navigate, more accessible, and better aligned around the needs of players and participants.”
The question that remains unanswered is how to do that.
The utopia is a singular pyramid that is clearly defined and filters the most talented players up to the top levels. But that’s probably unrealistic, because this is America — a free market. Even if U.S. Soccer took over every existing league and organization and molded them into one, new ones could form to challenge it. U.S. Soccer could try to stop them, but that would surely lead to legal battles. It could become an expensive game of whack-a-mole.
The more realistic outcome, which would still take years to reach, is some sort of tiered system comprising multiple organizations and leagues, with standards underpinning each tier — standards that a league or club must uphold to retain a certain desirable designation. The designations would ease parental confusion, and the standards would help ensure the quality of programming and environments. The tricky part, again, is getting all the leagues that would be involved, such as the ECNL and GA, to agree on what those standards should be. (Last decade, when U.S. Soccer pushed standards within its Development Academy, many clubs resisted.)
Ideally, there would also be more inter-league games, or perhaps a merger of more competitions — and therefore less travel. Speaking to The Athletic in July, U.S. Soccer chief operating officer Dan Helfrich envisioned a future where “the structure of competitive soccer between the ages of 11 and 15 has a different, more joined-up, more local and regional organization to it.” At the very top tier, there will inevitably be more travel because “best against best” is a core tenet of elite player development. But below that top tier, much of it could be alleviated by common sense (rather than economic sense) and cooperation.
U.S. Soccer COO Dan Helfrich at April’s SheBelieves Summit in Seattle, WashingtonAli Gradischer/USSF/Getty Images
Will U.S. Soccer take over other youth organizations?
Potentially, but not necessarily.
The federation is talking with US Club, the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) and other youth soccer entities. But each serves a distinct role and has a distinct structure. The purpose and process of U.S. Soccer taking control, therefore, varies from one to the next.
Among people close to the talks, there is a general expectation that U.S. Soccer will at least deepen its ties with some of those organizations over the coming year. It is already working closely with US Club under the terms of a January agreement, which saw U.S. Soccer “enter into a new strategic partnership” with the for-profit company that managed US Club’s business. But US Club’s board of directors and members still have full decision-making power and control over their strategic direction.
What exactly will happen to U.S. Youth Soccer and its competitions?
The bylaw amendment, which has been thoroughly revised over the past few months, would make U.S. Soccer the sole voting member of USYS. Over the next two years, USYS would gradually dissolve into U.S. Soccer.
U.S. Soccer will then direct the state associations and take control of USYS competitions, including the President’s Cup (a July national championship) and the Olympic Development Program (ODP).
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ODP, once the premier pipeline to college and pro soccer, has lost relevance throughout the 21st century as academies and national leagues have proliferated. But U.S. Soccer could reinvent it as a hub for talent identification locally or push it in another direction.
Whatever the vision, that program and others will likely change, but the “how” remains to be determined.
What exactly will happen to the state associations?
None of this will happen instantly. Throughout the fall, and likely beyond, state associations will continue doing what they’ve always done — registering players, safeguarding all participants, assigning referees, coordinating local programs.
But eventually, after extensive discussions with U.S. Soccer, they will evolve. They will probably consolidate. There are currently 54 (two each in California, Texas, New York and Pennsylvania); there will likely be fewer in the not-too-distant future, multiple people involved in discussions said. Their staffing models will change, and some services will be run regionally or nationally, though having some “boots on the ground” will remain critical. The changes will vary from state to state because each has a different model and different needs.
Whether they’ll remain separate non-profit entities or become local U.S. Soccer offices is not yet known.
Will they definitely vote in favor of all these changes?
All that uncertainty is, to some state leaders, the scary part. Some are stressed and anxious. In many ways, they don’t fully know what they’re voting for. Some remain skeptical of U.S. Soccer, of its talks with the USYS board of directors that led to this, and of its relationship with US Club. Some worry that they and their colleagues won’t have jobs once this new structure materializes.
But there is unequivocal confidence that enough will vote in favor of the amendment on Saturday, for two main reasons. One: Even if it’s voted down, U.S. Soccer could still press ahead with changes.
In that unlikely scenario, things would get messy — the supportive state associations might have to effectively secede from USYS and begin working solely with U.S. Soccer — but there’s a sense that change is inevitable.
“U.S. Soccer is the train, and it is pulling out of the station,” Jim Walker, the executive director of Georgia Soccer, told The Athletic. “And we can either get on board the train, or when the train leaves we’re left at the platform; and when the train gets to the next station, somebody else is gonna get on. I would much rather be a part of the solution to the obstacles that occur than be left standing on the platform and watching somebody else be part of the solution.”
The second reason is that throughout this years-long process, by listening and collaborating, U.S. Soccer has earned trust that it didn’t have before.
So, there is a willingness to venture into the unknown.
“It’s putting trust in U.S. Soccer,” Evan Dabby, the executive director of New Jersey Youth Soccer, told The Athletic, “to do what’s right to grow the game.”
Henry Bushnell is a senior writer for The Athletic covering soccer. He previously covered a variety of sports and events, including World Cups and Olympics, for Yahoo Sports. He is based in Washington, D.C.
Wow are the EPL, Italy & French seasons really already here? This glorious summer of Soccer that had me traveling the country to follow the US team for the Best World Cup ever has ended and I can’t believe the regular season is really here. Data analyzed by the BBC shows the English top flight is more competitive than it has been in over two decades. Basically every team, bar a couple of the newly promoted, will be competing for European football and therefore I think ‘easy’ games will now be few and far between. The same four or five teams at the top of the pack are in the running to win the league. Then there’s another group fighting it out in the middle of the pack and those at the bottom struggling to avoid relegation. A record 9 new managers take over this year –
The Ole Ballcoach likes Champions League finalist Arsenal (who are far and away the top team in the EPL), along with Manchester United, Liverpool, & Manchester City with Chelsea, Brighton, and Leeds United battling for European slots. I think newly promoted Coventry City with Frank Lampard in charge and American Haji Wright up front will finish mid-pack while teams with the American’s Bournemouth (Tyler Adams), Crystal Palace (Chris Richards), and Fulham (Jedi Robinson) will slip a little as they all have new coaches. Full Preview and Rankings below.
Italy is also tough to pick this year – do Juventus and AC Milan return to form and the top 3 with Inter Milan? Predicting the ENTIRE 2026/27 Serie A Table video. I am hoping Pulisic rounds back into his early form last year and helps AC Milan rise back up while I fully expect Juventus and American Weston Mckinney bounce back into the Top 3. For France – Its PSG of course – and the little sisters of the poor. PGS will be looking for a 3rd straight Champions League title while winning the French League of course.
Ben’s BBQ Shack near Grand Park has the Best Dang Brisket you can buy in Indiana
So many of you know I consider myself a BarBQ Conesiur having tried BBQ all over the South like GA, AL, NC, SC, LO, FL and Texas along with California, Ohio, Indiana and Kansas City. But I am hear to tell you ole Ben’s BBQ Shack (actually its a Palace now) has some of the Best Brisket I have ever bought. Moist and smokey – no sauce needed – a solid 9.5 on the piggy scale. His pulled Pork, Ribs, Turkey are also legendary along with his mom’s Bourbon Buttermilk Pie (8 piggies). The Cole slaw is some of the best in town too. Proprietor Ben Hoffman (fine Louisville Kentucky man that he is), has opened a new place near Grand Park and he’s serving some of the Best BBQ in the state every Weekend – Thurs-Sun 11:30 till 3 pm. Now get there early as he runs out of food sometimes before 2:30 Safest thing is to call in an order early (937) 823-0747 then you can take it home or eat in the expanded dining room, on the porch or on the roof.
With Ample Seating inside, on the porch and on the Roof – Ben’s BBQ Shack is now Ben’s BBQ Palace – near Grand Park in Westfield IN — The Best Dang Brisket in Indy! (937) 823-0747 Get there early Thur-Sun 11:30 – 3 pm Ben Cuts the meat he’s been grilling over 12 hours and puts it right on your plate in front of you with a smile
1000 East 181st Street Westfield, IN 46074 (937) 823-0747Get direction Thursday 11:30am – 3:00pm Friday 11:30am – 3:00pm Saturday 11:30am – 3:00pm Sunday 11:30am – 3:00pm
Indy 11 beat Jax 1-0, Host Louisville City Sat 7 pm – Carmel’s GK Eric Dick records 35th Shutout & 300 saves
Jacksonville, Fla. – Indy Eleven scored off a free kick in the 92nd minute to earn a 1-0 road victory at USL Championship Eastern Conference opponent Sporting JAX on Saturday night. Cam Lindley delivered an exquisite ball past the far post that Paco Craig headed down off the shoulder of defender Antonio Gomez into the upper 90 for the game’s only goal and three points for the Boys in Blue. It was another record-setting night for Indy Eleven goalkeeper Eric Dick, who recorded his third clean sheet of the season and the 35th of his USL Championship career to become the 14th player in league history to reach that plateau. The Carmel Dad’s Club, CHS grad and Butler product made two stops in the match to reach 300 saves in his USL-C career, making him the 19th player to achieve that. Dick earned his third “Save of the Week” nomination on Tuesday and he has a chance to get another one after stopping a breakaway from Jean Mota in the 32nd minute. The win moves Indy Eleven up two places into sixth in the 13-team Eastern Conference. The top eight teams in the East at the end of the regular season on October 24 advance to the USL Championship playoffs. The Boys in Blue host “Noche Latina” next Saturday, August 22 at 7 p.m. vs. Louisville City FC. Indy Eleven will wear special Noche Latina warm-up jerseys and discounted tickets starting at $14 and a Noche Latina scarf are available online. The Family Four-Pack is available for all 2026 home games and can be purchased online only. Priced at just $49, the Family Four-Pack includes four tickets, FREE parking, $20 in Concession Vouchers, and a 20% Merchandise Discount, along with access to the Fun Zone/Kids Activation Area.
Leagues Cup MLS vs Mexico Liga MX
The Leagues Cup 2026 quarterfinal field is set after eight teams advanced from Phase One. The four quarterfinals will be played from Aug. 25-27, with four MLS clubs facing four LIGA MX sides for semifinal spots.
Quarterfinal matchups Chicago Fire FC (MLS 1) vs CF Monterrey (LMX 4) Austin FC (MLS 2) vs. Toluca FC (LMX 3) Wed 8:30 pm Apple Club León (LMX 1) vs. Real Salt Lake (MLS 4) Club América (LMX 2) vs. Columbus Crew (MLS 3) Wed 10:45 pm Apple
Notes & Tidbits
For those who really love their team and their dogs – Adidas unveil football kits for dogs.Paul Pogba, who joined Monaco last season after serving a doping ban, will leave the club by mutual consent (More) Harry Kane has been awarded his second European Golden Shoe after scoring 36 goals in 31 Bundesliga games last season (More)
A 14-year-old, Zoe Thompson, sister of professionals Alyssa and Gisele, has already signed a deal with Nike (More); read more about the up-and-comer (More) Real Salt Lake achieves club record sale of $15m after selling teenager Zavier Gozo (More); see Crystal Palace’s creative announcement of the signing (Watch) |Washington’s Trinity Rodman scored her 10th goal on Sunday, becoming the first Spirit player to reach 10+ single-season goals since 2021 — with 10 games to go.
Ted Lasso Season 4 premiere pulled in 296.6 million minutes watched over the course of August 4-5, a total measured by Nielsen [Variety]
Back on the HS Circuit -A little Hamilton Heights vs Lapel with Dennis & Brian Joe F, the Ole Ballcoach and Ed Terrell in Shelbyville First HS game of the yr with Mike A, & Marc E.
TV Schedule
Fri, Aug 21 3 pm Arsenal vs Coventry City (Wright) EPL Start 3 pm ESPND, + Real Betis vs Real Sociedad 10 pm Prime San Diego Wave vs Utah Royals Sat, Aug 22 EPL 7;30 am USA Hull City vs Man United 7:30 am CBS Golazo Birmingham City vs Bristol City 10 am USA Everton vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10 am NBCSN Ipwich Town vs Sunderland 10 am Peacock Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United (Aarsonson) 10 am Para+ Wrexham vs Watford 10 am Para+, Golazo Blackburn vs Middlesborough (Berhalter) 11 am ESPN2 Athletic Club vs Sevilla ( ) 12:30 pm NBC Brentford vs Tottenham 12:30 pm CBSSN Udinese vs Como Italy 2:30 pm USA Dortmund vs Bayern Munich Supercup 3:30 pm ABC Espanyol vs Real Madrid 6:30 pm Ion KC Current vs Seattle Reign 7 pm ABC Indy 11 vs Louisville City 7:30 pm Apple Cincy vs Seattle Sounders 7:30 pm Apple NY Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire 8:30 pm Apple Nashville vs Columbus Crew 9:30 pm Apple Vancouver Whitecaps vs Dallas 10:30 pm Apple LAFC vs Portland 11 pm Univision Cruz Azul vs Atlas Mex Sun, Aug 23 9 am USA Man City vs Bournemouth (Adams) 9 am Peacock Brighton vs Aston Villa 11:30 am USA Newcastle United vs Liverpool 12:30 pm Para+ Frozinone vs Juventus (McKinney) Italy 2 pm CBSSN Chicago Stars vs Racing Louisville 2:45 pm Para+ Torino vs AC Milan (Pulisic) 2:45 pm beIN Sport PSG vs Rennes France 3:30 pm ABC Elche vs Barcelona 4 pm ESPN2 Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Orlando Pride (Marta) 4:30 pm Apple New England vs NYCFC 6 pm CBSSN Bay FC vs Houston Dash 7 pm Apple Atlanta United vs Sporting KC 8 pm Ion Angel City (Thompson) vs Gotham (Lavelle) Mon, Aug 24 12:30 pm CBSSN Bologna vs Lazio 3 pm USA Fulham (Robinson) vs Chelsea Tues, Aug 25 3 pm Para+ Lask Linz vs Celtic 3 pm Para+ Bode/Glimt vs NEC 3 pm ESPND or + Valencia vs Real Betis Wed, Aug 26 3 pm ESPN+/D Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad 8 pm CBSSN NC Courage vs Angel City (Thompson) 8:30 pm Apple Toluca vs Austin Leagues Cup 10:45 pm Apple America vs Columbus Crew Thurs, Aug 27 3 pm ESPN+/D Barcelona vs Athletic Club Fri, Aug 28 2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Musah, Pulisic) vs Venezia (Busio) 2:45 pm beIN Sp Lille vs PSG 3 pm USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City 8 pm Prime Gotham FC (Lavelle) vs Portland Thorns (Sam???) Sat, Sept 26 4:30 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Peru Orlando Tues, Sept 29 8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Chile St Louis Sat, Oct 3 8 pm?? TNT/HBO USMNT vs Mexico Glendale Tues, Oct 6 8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Canada Minn Sat, Oct 10 8 pm TNT. HBO USWNT vs Spain DC Tues, Oct 13 7 pm TNT, HBO USWNT vs Spain Philly
Looking to Get a Professional Company Headshot? Check out https://capturely.com/ Tell Rob The Ole Ballcoach Shane Best sent you and he’ll give you a deal.
Coming home from Practice or Games at Badger Fieldhouse? Need food for a Graduation, end of school party, World Cup or Back to School Party? Call Ryan now to ask about catering options at 317-688-7290. Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ
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Need some good ole AMERICAN BarBQ for the preschool parties, end of summer picnics or group outings? Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after for watch parties – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
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One Big Thing – There’s Nothing Quite Like the LIPAFC, and Saturday’s Meeting Has Intrigue – Indy 11 vs Louisville
There are numerous great rivalries around the USL Championship, formed by location and on-field history, and in some instances both.Still, there’s still something distinctive about the Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest – or the LIPAFC, for short – between Indy Eleven and Louisville City FC. What’s more, this Saturday’s first edition of the 2026 season at Michael A. Carroll Stadium (7 p.m. ET | ESPN+) could prove one of the most interesting – and pivotal – games in its history.RICH HISTORY: Arriving a year apart – at that point in different leagues, with Indy part of the North American Soccer League at its founding in 2014 and Louisville part of the USL Championship as it kicked off in 2015 – the sides still found common ground in the U.S. Open Cup. Those early contests progressed to an annual series starting in 2018 when Indy landed in the Championship, and while Louisville has come out on top more frequently – it holds a 13-5-7 record overall – the series has produced some memorable contests over its first decade-plus.
BEAT THE STREAK: This year’s first edition offers some intrigue for a couple of reasons. First, both sides are in the top six in the Eastern Conference standings, and as sixth-place Indy looks to close the gap to fourth-place Louisville it will also try to end a six-game winless streak in the series in league play. Over that span, Louisville has recorded 15 goals, including claiming the remarkable 5-3 victory at Lynn Family Stadium two years ago that stands as one of the best games of the series.
STUDY IN CONTRASTS: The other is how the clubs have succeeded – and struggled – in what have been up and down seasons for both. At one end, you’ll have an Indy attack that has underperformed, scoring 21 goals on a 29.07 Expected Goals mark in the league against a LouCity side that has leaked goals, conceding 34 times on a 21.73 Expected Goals Against mark. At the other, the staunch Indy defense – which has allowed only 21 goals on a 23.47 Expected Goals Against mark – will try to contain LouCity’s attack, which ranks third in the league with 36 goals on a 35.7xG mark.Even with their respective travails, both sides are looking good to reach the USL Championship Playoffs as they enter the final stretch of the season, and coming off victories both will be hoping to maintain momentum.As much history as the two clubs share – including player crossovers that currently see Indy veterans Aodhan Quinn and Paco Craig preparing to face their former club – the heart of the rivalry comes from the supporters, whose ability to not only dub the rivalry the LIPAFC but create a trophy made up of a beaten-up construction barrel with an I-65 road marker lodged in its lid has made the series one that’s taken seriously, but not too seriously, by either set of supporters.“We’ve known for a long time that this is the No. 1 game in all of U.S. Soccer regardless of what level, what league you’re playing in,” said Indy Brick Yard Battalion member David Ziemba two years ago. “This is it. This is the place that you want to be two times a year, you want to see this match. It’s just great.”That’s what keeps the LIPAFC special, no matter the circumstances the clubs find themselves in, and why it remains must-see for neutral fans far and wide.READ MORE:How the LIPAFC became ‘the single most important sporting and cultural event in human history’
Premier League 2026-27 mega-preview: Team-by-team analysis
Ryan O’Hanlon and
Bill Connelly
Aug 19, 2026, 02:55 AM E ESPN
We have officially entered a new era of the Premier League, and nothing sums it up better than the following:
• The number of current Premier League managers who were born in a 700,000-person province in the autonomous Basque region of northern Spain called Gipuzkoa: four.
• The number of current Premier League managers who have won the Premier League before: one.
• The number of current Premier League managers who have won the Premier League before but weren’t born in a 700,000-person province in the autonomous Basque region of northern Spain called Gipuzkoa: zero.
After three straight years of second-place finishes, Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta finally got over the hump. Pep Guardiola finally left Manchester City after managing the team to six Premier League titles, and Liverpool shockingly fired Arne Slot just a year after he led them to win the Premier League. The Gunners are the favorites to repeat, but beyond that? It’s anyone’s guess.Manchester United are managed by a guy with just 19 Premier League matches under his belt. Chelsea are on their fourth manager in less than a year, and one of the guys they fired is now managing Manchester City. Liverpool seem more focused on selling part of the team to Jeff Bezos & Co. than building a coherent team. Tottenham have finished 17th in each of the past two seasons. Newcastle have theoretically unlimited wealth, but they, and fellow top-four gate-crasher Aston Villa, just got rid of all of their best players.
With all of that uncertainty humming around us, Bill Connelly and Ryan O’Hanlon are back again with their 20-team mega-preview ahead of the 2026-27 season. As always, they’ve each predicted what the standings will look like at the end of season, averaged their predictions together, and produced one joint mega-prediction.
What will happen this season? And what changed over the summer so that it won’t be a repeat of last season? Read on to find out.
(Note: All transfer values come from Transfermarkt.)
1. Arsenal
Last season’s finish: first (85 points, plus-44 goal differential)
Ever since Declan Rice joined from West Ham in the summer of 2023, Arsenal’s defense has been at another level, almost on another planet, from everyone else in the Premier League. Here’s how Mikel Arteta’s side stacks up with the rest of the ever-present Premier League sides over the past three seasons:
There’s a gap of about 37 xG (expected goals) between Arsenal in first and Manchester City in second. There’s also a gap of about 37 xG between City in second and Fulham … in 12th.
One big question: How healthy will Arsenal be?
Manchester City first lost Pep Guardiola and now Rodri. Manchester United haven’t finished higher than third in eight years. Liverpool have a new coach and no new defenders besides a loan for Ronald Araujo. Chelsea have a new coach and just finished in 10th.
Arsenal, meanwhile, just won the league, lost the Champions League final on penalties, signed one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and have a super-deep roster of players almost exclusively in their prime years.
So, what might stop them? Outside of a sudden reinterpretation around set piece physicality by the league’s referees, it’s hard to think of anything — other than injuries.
The Gunners’ three most important players all have varying degrees of broken-down bodies. Bukayo Saka was playing with an Achilles injury throughout the World Cup, while Declan Rice dealt with back and hamstring injuries that were strangely described as “terrible” and “[not] an injury” by England manager Thomas Tuchel. William Saliba, meanwhile, injured an already-injured back in the semifinals and is expected to miss a couple of months. Not to mention, Jurriën Timber missed the World Cup entirely and will be out for at least the start of the season.
If you take away all of their best players, will Arsenal still be the best team in the Premier League? — Ryan O’Hanlon
2. Manchester City
Last season’s finish: second (78 points, +42 goal differential)
City have won 38 major trophies in their history. Twenty of them — over half! — were earned with Guardiola in charge.
Granted, you could also spin that to note that 26 of those came since City Football Group took over the club, and they’re still in charge even after a manager change. But Guardiola rewrote the City history book, and it’s awfully difficult to figure out how to set an appropriate bar now that he has handed the reins to Maresca. Maresca admits concerns as Man City plan more spending
One big question: Where do City go from here?
You can paint two completely different pictures if you focus on who City have versus who they don’t.
On one hand, they’ve not only lost Guardiola, but they’ve also lost Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, longtime talisman Silva and a good percentage of their defensive veterans. Considering their (impossibly high) previous form fell off a bit over the past two seasons before all these losses, you could certainly envision a City fall in the post-Pep era.
On the other hand, have you seen who’s still on their roster?
Erling Haaland is still just about the best pure goal scorer on the planet, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma might be the best pure shot stopper, new midfielder Elliot Anderson is already one of the best pivot men in the Premier League, Rayan Cherki is a terrifying chance creator, Antoine Semenyo and Jérémy Doku are impossibly dangerous wingers, Nico O’Reilly and Abdukodir Khusanov are two of the best 22-and-under defenders in the world, center back Marc Guéhi is one of the league’s best, and Phil Foden is a onetime Premier League player of the year.
Everyone in the above paragraph is 27 or younger — and we haven’t even mentioned potential midfield additions Ayyoub Bouaddi and/or Enzo Fernández before the transfer window closes yet.
City still have one of the most talented rosters in the world, and even if there’s an awkward transition period in moving to Maresca — and pretty much everything about Sunday’s Community Shield loss to Arsenal screamed “AWKWARD TRANSITION” — this lineup could easily still give Arsenal their biggest challenge over 38 matches. — Bill Connelly
3. Chelsea
Last season’s finish: 10th (52 points, +6 goal differential)
Since BlueCo took over Chelsea ownership in the spring of 2022, they have spent an average of €417 million per season in transfer fees; so far, that’s bought them finishes of 12th, sixth, fourth and 10th. They were spectacularly unlucky last season — fourth in xG differential, but 10th in the table — but the spending-to-results ratio has been utterly hapless.
And yet, we’re picking them third this season. That’s what happens when you (A) hire the right manager for the job, (B) avoid European play and (C) throw another €339 million at your problems over the summer.
One big question: Can Xabi Alonso craft something cohesive?
In adding veterans Welbeck and Henderson, Chelsea earned a lot of positive headlines about learning their lessons after fielding countless squads that were far too young and far too devoid of leadership. We probably shouldn’t go overboard in that regard, since they also spent a positively ridiculous sum of money on Rogers a season after he overachieved statistically (he had 25 goals and assists in all competitions for Aston Villa, but they came from just 17.8 combined xG and xA), and they still brought in another five players aged 22 or younger.
Still, few managers are more respected than Xabi Alonso, and unlike during his time at Real Madrid, he’s now in charge of a roster loaded with players who should be young and hungry enough to actually run and press.
Now, though, not only is he in charge of a roster that is loaded as mentioned, but one that also features Henderson and Welbeck, a couple of respected veterans coming off solid seasons. The squad is as bloated as ever, and some of its best players are coming off poor seasons, but it still has Cole Palmer, Rogers, Joao Pedro, Welbeck, Pedro Neto and tantalizing teenagers Estevao and Geovany Quenda in attack. It still has Moises Caicedo, newcomer Valentin Barco, Henderson, Romeo Lavia and — for now, at least — Enzo Fernandez in midfield. It still has Reece James (when healthy), Maxence Lacroix, Levi Colwill and countless others in defense.
The talent is undeniable, and if Alonso can’t make something of it, no one can, especially in a season without European play. — Connelly
Can Chelsea finish in the top 4 under Alonso?
4. Liverpool
Last season’s finish: fifth (60 points, plus-10 goal differential)
Key outs: manager Arne Slot, CB Ibrahima Konaté (Real Madrid, free), RW Mohamed Salah (Trabzonspor, free), LB Andrew Robertson (Tottenham, free)
Key stat
A simple way to measure the intensity of a team’s pressing approach is through passes allowed per defensive action (PPDA). The stat, essentially, looks at the number of passes a team allows in their attacking half for every defensive action they attempt.
The lower the number, the more aggressive the press, and Liverpool’s number was the highest it has been in eight years last season:
Of course, they won the league in 2018-19 with a higher PPDA than they produced last season, but the declining intensity coupled with the decline in results seems to be the main reason the club decided to fire Arne Slot and replace him with Iraola.
One big question: Can Iraola make the pieces fit?
One way I’ve heard the best managers described to me by analytically inclined decision-makers is not as the people with the best ideas or smartest philosophies about how the game should be played but rather as the people who can look at any collection of talent and figure out how to make it work best together. In other words, they want coaches who allow them to identify and acquire whatever undervalued talent is out there.
While you wouldn’t call Alexander Isak‘s transfer fee “undervalued” by even the loosest definition of the word, Liverpool clearly acquired whoever they thought were the best available players last summer, regardless of fit. How else to explain spending $200-million-plus on two quite similar strikers in Isak and Hugo Ekitike?
Slot was unable to find the right combination of players for any consistent period of time last season. Iraola did exactly that season after season after Bournemouth kept getting rid of his best players, but can he do it with a team that expects to be challenging for Premier and Champions League trophies every season? — O’Hanlon
5. Manchester United
Last season’s finish: third (71 points, +19 goal differential)
You can officially see whatever you want from Michael Carrick’s stint as Manchester United’s manager last season.
• Before Carrick’s hire, United ranked sixth in points per game but third in xG differential • Under Carrick, they rose to first in points per game … and fell to fifth in xG differential
Carrick engineered undeniably sound play and got the absolute most from star Bruno Fernandes, who produced 13 of his league-record 21 assists in Carrick’s 17 matches. But the team also enjoyed a torrid level of finishing — 33 goals from shots worth 26.9 xG (Matheus Cunha and Casemiro had 11 goals from shots worth 4.5) — that they almost certainly won’t sustain.
Just as Chelsea took on spectacularly poor fortune when the calendar flipped to 2026, Manchester United’s fortune was all positive. It was virtually perfect content for the narrative generation machine that this club tends to be.
One big question: Is this squad deep (and young) enough?
Fernandes (31), left back Luke Shaw (31), center back Harry Maguire (33) and Casemiro (34) were all among the top six in minutes played under Carrick; Carrick did figure out a proper role for 21-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, but he leaned heavily on age and experience.
Casemiro has aged out (and went to Inter Miami), but Carrick will again be asking a lot of those remaining veterans, and they’ll be adding at least eight Champions League matches to the fixture list. Mainoo and newcomer Andrey Santos (22) will log major minutes, while other younger players like defenders Leny Yoro (20) and Ayden Heaven (19) and wingers Patrick Dorgu (21) and Shea Lacey (19) could be asked to provide sturdy depth. But this could still be a pretty old squad. (Shaw certainly looked his age in the preseason.)
Tielemans was the primary summer addition: He’s 29 and has started more than 21 league matches just once in the past three seasons. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford (28) has returned from loan, and Carrick gave Mason Mount (27) a lot of midfield minutes in the preseason. What happens if the older players suffer a run of injuries? What happens when the finishing evens out? — Connelly
6. Brighton
Last season’s finish: ninth (53 points, +3 goal differential)
No one forced more high turnovers than Brighton in 2025-26 (12.4 per game), and no one scored more goals from them (23) either.
Brighton allowed the lowest passes per defensive action in the league (9.95 PPDA). The press was their best attacker, and after a midseason funk dropped them to 14th in the table, Fabian Hurzeler doubled down on pressure and steady ball progression — primarily by installing Pascal Gross (back from Borussia Dortmund) in defensive midfield and penciling central attacking midfielder (and general chaos agent) Jack Hinshelwood into the lineup — and was rewarded: Over the final 12 matchdays, Brighton averaged 1.83 points per game (fourth in the league) and charged to seventh in the table. They’ll play in the UEFA Conference League this season.
One big question: Do they have the depth (and scoring) for a season with European nights?
If the press was Brighton’s best attacker, Welbeck was second, and he’s off to Chelsea. Among returnees, no one scored more than five league goals last season, and even with their spring surge, Brighton finished with only 52 goals, 10th most in the league. They must figure out how to generate more shot quality, and they’ll have to do so while adding at least six Conference League matches to the docket.
Progression in the finishing department would help as outside of Welbeck, Brighton players scored just 38 goals from shots worth 45.5 xG. Their roster management and talent identification have been dynamite through the years, and we might find out that youngsters like Charalampos Kostoulas (19) and Stefanos Tzimas (20 and returning from an ACL tear) are ready to burst onto the scene like Hinshelwood (21) was last season. (They must hope that new 19-year-old defender Luka Vuskovic is as ready as they think, too.)
Brighton get the benefit of the doubt at this point, but they do have questions to answer. — Connelly
7. Tottenham Hotspur
Last season’s finish: 17th (41 points, minus-9 goal differential)
Key ins: DM Sandro Tonali (Newcastle United, €108 million), CM Mateus Fernandes (West Ham, €99 million), CB Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton, €60 million), CB Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth, free), LB Andrew Robertson (Liverpool, free), GK Martin Dúbravka (Burnley, free)
Key outs: CB Luka Vuskovic (Brighton, €54 million), CF Will Lankshear (Middlesbrough, €11.70 million), CF Alejo Veliz (EC Bahia, €9 million), LW Manor Solomon (West Ham, €5.85 million), AM Alfie Devine (Preston, €5.3 million), CB Radu Drăgușin (Fiorentina, loan fee €1.5 million), RW Yang Min-Hyeok (KVC Westerlo, loan), CB Cristian Romero (Atlético Madrid, fee TBD), DM Yves Bissouma (contract expired)
Key stat
Over the course of last season, Tottenham’s adjusted goal differential (70% expected goals, 30% goals) was minus-0.3 — the 16th-worst mark in the league and just slightly better than West Ham United in 18th.
But the performances were drastically different across their three different managers:
• Thomas Frank: minus-0.29 • Igor Tudor: minus-1.1 • Roberto De Zerbi: plus-0.24
It was only seven games, but Tottenham’s level of performance under De Zerbi would’ve been right where we expect a team with Tottenham’s resources to be over the course of the whole season: sixth-best in the league.
Michallik: Tottenham will finish top 4 under De Zerbi
One big question: Are we sure Spurs are out of the woods?
Combine the performance under De Zerbi with the tons of money spent on Premier League-proven talent this summer, and everything should be good, right … right?
There are two reasons Spurs fans shouldn’t exhale just yet.
Reason 1: Teams that spend the amount of money that Tottenham has this summer — more than Real Madrid! — tend to massively underperform the following season.
The simplest explanation? The transfer market is incredibly inefficient, and so if you’re spending as much money as Tottenham have, you’re spending more inefficient money than everyone else. Plus, the same people spending all that money: they’re the ones who built the Tottenham team that finished 17th in each of the past two seasons.
Reason 2: De Zerbi is one of the most chaotic and cantankerous managers in European soccer. He left Brighton on bad terms relating to their transfer strategy, and his Marseille tenure ended after the club decided that “it was clear that the relationship between the manager and the squad was broken.”
How long will it last before something similar happens at Tottenham? — O’Hanlon
8. Brentford
Last season’s finish: ninth (53 points, +3 goal differential)
Key outs: CM Frank Onyeka (Coventry, €7 million), CM Jordan Henderson (Chelsea, free transfer)
Key stat
Premier League teams averaged 0.16 xG per shot attempt last season; Brentford averaged 0.20, highest in the league. They averaged the shortest shot distance (13.4 meters), attempted the highest percentage of shots in the box (75.6%), attempted the lowest percentage of shots with at least two defenders between shot and goal (72.5%) and put the highest percentage of shots on target (36.3%).
Granted, the tradeoff for high shot quality was low shot quantity — they were 15th in shots per possession.
Still, no one took better shots than Igor Thiago (0.24 xG per shot, 0.18 without penalties), Kevin Schade (0.21, 0.20) & Co. Their ever-reliable set-pieces-and-directness style produced. And this season, the Bees have added more talent than they lost as well.
One big question: Is this the year that their long, slow build pays off?
According to the estimated player values at Transfermarkt — as good a source as any for such a thing — Brentford had the No. 16 roster in the Premier League in its first two seasons, then inched up to 14th for the next two seasons and 13th last year. They finished higher than their talent ranking in four of those five years, but heading into 2026-27 they’re up to 10th in player value.
With Thiago, Schade, right back Michael Kayode, center back Sepp van den Berg and others returning and midfielder Mamadou Sangare joining from Lens (who finished second in Ligue 1 last season), this could genuinely be the most talented Brentford squad that has ever existed. And Keith Andrews has thus far proved up to the task of managing this talent, too.
This club, famously led with analytics-heavy flair by owner and Smartodds founder Matthew Benham, has proved to be astute and impossibly patient. They all but qualified for Europe last season — they were one point short of a Europa League berth, and they missed out on Brighton’s Conference League spot because of a three-goal difference in goal differential. Is this the year patience pays off? — Connelly
T-9. Aston Villa
Last season’s finish: fourth (65 points, plus-7 goal differential)
Key ins: AM Johan Manzambi (Freiburg, €60 million), CM João Gomes (Wolverhampton Wanderers, €40 million), CB Modou Kéba Cissé (LASK, €5.5 million), LW Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea, loan)
Key outs: AM Morgan Rogers (Chelsea, €138 million), CM Youri Tielemans (Manchester United, €41 million), CF Donyell Malen (Roma, €25 million), DM Enzo Barrenechea (Benfica, €12 million), LW Lewis Dobbin (Southampton, €10.5 million), LB Lucas Digne (PSG, €7 million), RB Andrés García (Getafe, loan), GK Oliwier Zych (Vitória Guimarães, loan), GK Joe Gauci (Lincoln City, loan)
Key stat
Over the past three seasons, only Arsenal and Manchester City have a bigger gap between their actual goal differential and their expected goal differential than Aston Villa do: a plus-4.4 xG differential, compared to a plus-29 goal differential.
As such, Villa have won way more points than teams with their balance of chance creation and suppression typically do:
How much of that is luck? How much of it is the personnel? And how much of it is Unai Emery’s tactics?
One big question: Can Villa handle all of the upheaval?
Villa’s arguably four best players will be gone this season: Tielemans, Digne and Rogers left via transfers, while Amadou Onana tore his ACL at the World Cup. Recent reports suggest that goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez could soon be on his way out before the end of the transfer window, too.
In a vacuum, all of those moves make sense: Digne and Tielemans have aged out of their primes, while Chelsea offered superstar money for Rogers, a player who hasn’t come close to that level of performance yet. Martinez, too, turns 34 in a couple of weeks.
Villa don’t have the revenue of the biggest clubs in the league, and the new squad-cost rules essentially require them to make all of these moves to avoid getting penalized, but it’s still so much talent to replace in one offseason. Plus, Ollie Watkins has led the team in goals for six straight seasons, and he turns 31 in December.
Add in the extra grind of Champions League matches, and this season should be Emery’s biggest challenge yet. –O’Hanlon
T-9. Newcastle United
Last season’s finish: 12th (49 points, minus-2 goal differential)
Over the past four Premier League seasons, these are Newcastle’s leaders across a number of key metrics:
• Goals: Alexander Isak • Assists: Guimarães • Passes into the penalty area: Trippier • Successful dribbles: Guimarães • Shots: Isak • Expected assists: Trippier • Expected goals: Isak
Anthony Gordon, meanwhile, ranks second in dribbles, shots and xG. He, along with the other three names listed above, no longer plays for Newcastle.
One big question: Do Newcastle know something we don’t?
Newcastle have responded to losing several key players, along with Sandro Tonali to Tottenham, by signing five players with an average age of 20. The only one older than 20 is Hornícek, who is 24 and a goalkeeper, a position with a later age curve than all of the outfield roles.
Touré, Bamba and Steur — the three outfield signings — have looked promising to start their careers, but the latter two combined for 24 total starts in Ligue 1 and the Eredivisie last season, and Touré has one full Bundesliga season under his belt. There’s a lot of risk in these deals, and more than €100 million combined is a lot to shell out for that level of uncertainty.
It has never been quite clear what the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia wants from Newcastle — on the field, at least. Off the field, they get to be a member of the most popular sports leagues in the world. But after the departures of all the players we’ve mentioned — along with manager Howe — it seems like someone decided that this would be the year the club takes a step backward and tries to rebuild. –O’Hanlon
11. Bournemouth
Last season’s finish: sixth (57 points, plus-4 goal differential)
In a league with a possession count that gets lower every season, Bournemouth comfortably averaged the fastest tempo. They had the most possessions (89.9 per match), most ball recoveries (45.4), most shots from ball recoveries (25) and highest direct speed* (1.48 meters per second) in the league.
They nearly made the Champions League playing this way, and now-former manager Iraola has said he drew inspiration from the vertical attacking of Rose’s old Borussia Monchengladbach teams. With Iraola off to Liverpool, Bournemouth quickly scooped up Rose, who spent the past year out of coaching after an up-and-down three seasons with RB Leipzig.
(* Direct speed: average meters per second that the ball advances toward the goal)
One big question: How do you move on from a run like Iraola’s?
The general consensus from an analytics perspective is that very few managers make a sustained difference in soccer. Spending and luck tend to mean more over time. Good business and high-level talent identification can make up for a lack of spending, at least in the short term — Bournemouth can certainly vouch for that — but managers matter only so much.
It won’t surprise anyone if Iraola is an exception. Bournemouth scaled to 12th, then ninth, then sixth in the league in three years with Iraola. Bournemouth! Bournemouth finished three points short of a Champions League berth! That’s one of the cooler stories imaginable, and now Rose has to clear the highest possible bar.
By typical club standards, Bournemouth mostly kept the roster intact this offseason — after losing five players worth transfer fees of €287.2 million before and during their best season ever — but we’re pretty quickly going to find out how much of the Cherries’ success was based on the talent and how much was on a particularly special manager. — Connelly
12. Nottingham Forest
Last season’s finish: 16th (44 points, minus-3 goal differential)
Key ins: manager Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), CB Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP, €40 million), AM Gustavo Sá (Famalicao, €20 million), CM Xaver Schlager (RB Leipzig, free transfer)
Key outs: manager Vitor Pereira, CM Elliot Anderson (Manchester City, €135 million)
Key stat
Nottingham Forest employed four different coaches during the 2025-26 season, and each one had a different playing style from the predecessor. And when the club finally found one who could steer the team to safety in the relegation hunt — Pereira, under whom they lost only once in their last 10 league matches — owner Evangelos Marinakis fired him over the summer, too, perhaps simply out of habit.
Despite this epic amount of self-imposed instability, Forest head into 2026-27 with a proven new manager (Glasner) and a lineup that still includes Morgan Gibbs-White in attack, stalwarts Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic at the back and plenty of intriguing talent and speed on the perimeter.
But the biggest potential accomplishment this year might be standing still, letting Glasner work and landing comfortably in the middle of the table.
One big question: How will the Forest midfield operate without Anderson?
Technically, Forest added more than they subtracted this summer, and grabbing defender Diomande seemed particularly astute.
But in losing Anderson to Man City, they’ve really lost a few players in one: In league play, he rather astonishingly managed to rank first on the team in chances created (54), passes received (1,819) and completed (2,039), progressive carries (281), progressive passes (362), total carry distance (8,839 meters), fouls suffered (80), ground duels (437), ground duels won (231) and crosses completed (51). He pushed the ball into dangerous areas and, with four goals and four assists, sometimes did more than that.
He was somehow also first on the team in tackles (104), blocked passes (50) and ball recoveries in the defending third (127), middle third (154) and attacking third (25). He went everywhere and did everything, and he leaves about three different sets of cleats for players such as Gibbs-White, Ibrahim Sangaré, Schlager and perhaps Nicolás Domínguez and Ryan Yates to fill. — Connelly
13. Everton
Last season’s finish: 13th (49 points, minus-3 goal differential)
Key ins: RW Brennan Johnson (Crystal Palace, €25.8 million), AM Merlin Röhl (Freiburg, €25 million), LW Tyrique George (Chelsea, €21 million), DM Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough, €19.3 million), DM Christian Nørgaard (Arsenal, €8.15 million)
Over the past two seasons, new Everton signing Hackney led the Championship in line-breaking passes through the opposition midfield and through the opposition defense. In the Premier League last year, the only player on Everton to rank in the top 15 for midfield breaking passes was Jordan Pickford, who is a goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, no one on the club ranked in the top 30 in the league for passes breaking through the defensive line.
One big question: Will David Moyes turn this Everton team over?
The Toffees spent €130 million on transfer fees last summer, but only one of the acquisitions, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, broke the 2,000-minute mark in the league.
Despite bringing in a bunch of new, younger players, Everton remained the third-oldest team in the league, per FBref’s average age weighted by minutes played. With the departure of 35-year-old Gueye, it’ll be close to impossible for them not to get a little bit younger this season, but Moyes has to start turning this into whatever the next version of Everton is going to be.
Given how close they’ve been to relegation in recent years, that’s a scary thought. But that’s the balance your manager has to find in order to keep the team alive. If you take too many risks and play too many younger players, then you might get relegated.
But if you hang onto the veterans too long, the same thing could happen — without any of the upside you get from turning into a younger team. This club hasn’t finished inside the top 10 since 2019. After the past two summers, Everton have more than enough peak and pre-peak talent to build something new … and build toward something better. –O’Hanlon
14. Leeds United
Last season’s finish: 14th (47 points, minus-7 goal differential)
Key ins: GK James Trafford (Manchester City, €46.7 million), CB Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo, €37.0 million), RW Harry Wilson (Fulham, free transfer)
Key outs: CB Pascal Struijk (Brighton, €23.2 million), LW Jack Harrison (New England, €1 million)
Key stat
From Dec. 1 through the end of the season — not a full-season sample, but a pretty big one — Leeds ranked seventh in points per game (1.44), seventh in goal differential (plus-5) and ninth in xG differential (plus-2.23).
Though Sunderland drew headlines for finishing seventh and earning a Europa League spot in their first season after promotion, Leeds were the superior promoted team for a healthy percentage of the season.
They forced mistakes and high turnovers — in this period, they scored 17 goals from high turnovers, and no one else topped 13 — but they were able to avoid overextending themselves and getting torn apart in transition. Daniel Farke crafted a unique combination of direct play and selective pressure, and it paid off.
One big question: Will the same approach work twice for Leeds?
Farke indeed found a fun mix of intensity without overexposure, and Leeds finished comfortably above the drop zone because of it. But teams know what to expect now, and the club is basically bringing the same roster back aside from a potential upgrade at goalkeeper — Trafford was dynamite at Burnley in 2024-25 before mostly sitting at Manchester City last season — and a Struijk-for-Muharemovic trade at center back.
Farke was perhaps a little too reliant on stellar scoring from injury-prone forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin and chance creation from injury-prone midfielder Anton Stach. Calvert-Lewin was particularly important: Leeds averaged 1.37 points per game when he started, and 0.75 when he didn’t.
Can players such as Noah Okafor and the incoming Wilson ease the scoring load a bit? Can Ethan Ampadu, Brenden Aaronson & Co. keep timing their pressure this well? Did the club need to add a couple more pieces to keep things fresh? — Connelly
15. Crystal Palace
Last season’s finish: 15th (45 points, minus-10 goal differential)
Key outs: manager Oliver Glasner, CB Maxence Lacroix (Chelsea, €60.7 million), RW Brennan Johnson (Everton, €25.8 million), RB Danny Imray (Wrexham, €6.6 million), GK Owen Goodman (Dundee, loan), LB Rio Cardines (Bristol City, loan), RB Nathaniel Clyne (contract expired)
Key stat
Last season, three players in the Premier League added at least 10 goals with their non-shooting on-ball actions, per Stats Perform’s expected possession value added metric. One was Jeremy Doku, who is essentially a free pass into the other team’s penalty area.
Another one was Bruno Fernandes, who set the Premier League record for assists in a single season. And the third was a guy who wasn’t even selected for his country’s World Cup squad:
One big question: How much of this was Oliver Glasner’s magic?
Over the past five seasons, Palace have had three full-time managers. Here’s how the team performed under each one, per their adjusted goal differential:
• Patrick Vieira: minus-0.13 • Roy Hodgson: minus-0.08 • Glasner: plus-0.21
How much of that comes down to Glasner’s special abilities as a manager? And how much of it comes down to the fact that his teams featured players who were eventually acquired by Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea? The fact that Glasner made, at best, a lateral move to Nottingham Forest this summer suggests that the rest of the soccer world believes the second question is the more important one. Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that none of those players is on the team that new manager Sage just inherited. — O’Hanlon
16. Fulham
Last season’s finish: 11th (52 points, plus-4 goal differential)
Key outs: manager Marco Silva, CM Saša Lukić (Ipswich Town, €10.5 million), CB Issa Diop (Ipswich Town, €10 million), RW Harry Wilson (Leeds United, free), CF Raúl Jiménez (Wolverhampton Wanderers, free), GK Steven Benda (contract expired)
Key stat
For the past couple seasons, I had been writing the same thing: This team was too old, but Silva kept finding a way to make it all work just well enough.
Ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, though, only half of that remains true. Last season, Fulham were the oldest team in the league, with an average age weighted by minutes played of 28.1. But Silva’s contract wasn’t renewed after the season, and he left to go manage Benfica.
One big question: Alvaro Arbeloa, really?
It kind of seemed like Arbeloa blew his one shot to be a manager last season. Real Madrid fired Xabi Alonso once the players refused to keep pressing, and he couldn’t figure out a way to make it still work.
But under Arbeloa, the team got significantly worse in every way: fewer points, fewer shots, fewer xG, fewer touches inside the box, less pressing, more shots allowed, more xG allowed and more touches inside the box allowed. Oh, and things got so bad in the locker room that Federico Valverde had to miss El Clasico with a concussion he suffered from a multiday fight with teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni in the training room.
So, Arbeloa failed on and off the field — and now not only is he managing Fulham, but he is seemingly being given a large say in who the team acquires. Two of the four signings this summer are players Arbeloa managed when he was running Real Madrid’s B team. I am very confused. — O’Hanlon
17. Sunderland
Last season’s finish: seventh (54 points, minus-6 goal differential)
Stats can be such killjoys. They turn cool stories into mirages.
In 2024-25, Nottingham Forest finished seventh in the Premier League table despite ranking 13th in xG differential and 16th in average xG differential in losses — they either won by a little or lost by a lot, and it was a sign that maybe their results didn’t match their quality. The next season, while balancing Europa League play with domestic regression to the mean, they plummeted to 16th in the league.
Sunderland, meanwhile, finished seventh in the table last season despite ranking 18th in the league in xG differential and 19th in xGD in losses. They had a negative xGD in 25 games but won five of those and drew in another eight. Meanwhile, eight of their 12 losses came by multiple goals, including a 5-0 thumping against Forest and 3-0 losses to Arsenal, Manchester City and Brentford.
It was a thrill to have the Black Cats — and the Stadium of Light crowd — back in the top division, and we’ll get to see them in the Europa League this coming season as well. But virtually any indicator you choose suggests they’re due some utterly massive regression.
One big question: Who will jazz up the Sunderland attack?
When Sunderland ran into problems last season, it was typically because of a meager attack. Forwards Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor had their moments, and Enzo Le Fée and Granit Xhaka each had six assists, but Sunderland ranked 17th in shots per possession, 17th in xG per shot and, predictably, 17th in goals.
And now they have to figure out how to create more advantages while potentially spreading themselves thin in the Europa League, and with no new signings up front (unless you count winger Simon Adingra, who scored three goals on loan with Monaco in the second half of last season). This is going to be a challenge. — Connelly
18. Coventry City
Last season’s finish: first in the Championship (95 points, plus-52 goal differential)
Coventry ranked first in the 2025-26 Championship in goals scored, first in goals allowed and first in xG differential. Sure, they played a version of the type of possession game that doesn’t always translate against the massive talent upgrade of the Premier League — they were first in shot attempts per possession (0.13), second in combined progressive passes and carries (115.7 per game), third in pass completion rate (81.4%) and fourth in possession rate (55.0%).
But there’s no question who the best team in England’s second division was last season. And with a wealth of athletic and age-appropriate signings, there’s reason for Coventry fans to be optimistic about surviving a season in the Premier League.
That said, this is still a really, really big leap.
One big question: Who will bring directness to the table?
After two straight seasons in which all three promoted teams went straight back down, Sunderland and Leeds both survived with directness.
They both ranked in the league’s top five in average pass distance and percentage of forward passes, and while they had different intentions in doing so — Leeds were looking for quick-strike opportunities, but Sunderland were often seeking to simply get the ball out of dangerous areas — they were both good enough at it to make directness and urgency work for them.
Frank Lampard’s side didn’t play that game last season. Coventry’s controlled possession approach worked beautifully and should have its moments of both attractive play (thanks to attacking midfielder Ephron Mason-Clark, midfielder Victor Torp and others) and brute-force crosses-and-chaos play (three players, including forwards Ellis Simms and Haji Wright, had at least three headed goals last season).
But they’ll need to force the issue and play with verticality at times, and we won’t know they can do it until we see it.
19. Ipswich Town
Last season’s finish: second in the English Championship (84 points, plus-33 goal differential), automatic promotion
Key outs: manager Kieran McKenna, GK Arijanet Murić (Sassuolo, €7 million), CB Elkan Baggott (Millwall, €1.17 million), RW Wes Burns (Leicester City, €90K), AM Conor Chaplin (Leicester City, free), LB Conor Townsend (West Brom, free), GK Cieran Slicker (Barnsley, loan), RB Ashley Young (retired)
Key stat
In case you’re still wondering how much the financial gap between the Premier League and the rest of Europe has warped the landscape, take a look at this. The four clubs with the biggest negative net spends this summer — transfer fees received minus transfer fees paid — are Chelsea, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Ipswich Town.
As of now, Ipswich Town have spent €115.49 million more than they’ve received. And with a rumored return for Strasbourg’s Julio Enciso, among others, it seems like that number is only going to get bigger between now and the end of the summer.
One big question: What will happen without Kieran McKenna?
It’s impossible to talk about Ipswich Town and McKenna without each other.
The club hadn’t been in the Premier League since 2002, and midway through the 2021 season it was just a middling third-division side. Then Ipswich hired McKenna away from Manchester United and everything kept getting better. They were promoted to the Championship in his first full season in charge. Then they were promoted to the Premier League in his second season. They were demoted from the Premier League in his third season, but then they were promoted back to the Premier League in his fourth.
Though we tend to give managers too much credit and too much blame for team performance, the cause-and-effect here seems pretty clear. It’s not as if McKenna inherited a sleeping giant chock-full of talent. The only major departures during his tenure were Omari Hutchinson‘s move to Nottingham Forest and Liam Delap‘s switch to Chelsea last summer. He, of course, still got the club promoted again after they both left.
McKenna left the club after the 2026-26 season and that, perhaps, explains all of the summer business: Ipswich can’t rely on their manager to make the team better anymore. — O’Hanlon
20. Hull City
Last season’s finish: sixth in the English Championship (73 points, plus-4 goal differential), promoted via playoff
Key ins: CB Nobel Mendy (Rayo Vallecano, €23.4 million), GK Konstantinos Tzolakis (Olympiacos, €23.3 million), CB Lucas Herrington (Colorado Rapids, €14.8 million), CM Jens Hjertø-Dahl (Tromsø IL, €9.5 million), GK Jack Butland (Rangers, €3.5 million), LM Elliot Stroud (Mjällby AIF, €2.5 million), CM Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP, free), LB Matt Targett (Newcastle United, free), DM Óscar Zambrano (NK Maribor, fee TBD)
Key outs: GK Ivor Pandur (Rangers, €7 million), CF Kyle Joseph (Middlesbrough, €4.70 million), RW Abu Kamara (Portsmouth, €2.9 million), CB Akin Famewo (Bolton Wanderers, €585K), AM Kasey Palmer (Luton Town, €580K), AM Harry Vaughan (Bohemians, free), CF Mason Burstow (Sheffield Wednesday, loan), GK Thimothée Lo-Tutala (Colchester United, loan), GK Harvey Cartwright (Grimsby Town, loan)
Key stat
The Stats Perform database has 13 full Championship seasons with advanced stats. We know this doesn’t happen, but if the three best teams were promoted to the Premier League every season, we’d expect most of the 39 promoted teams to rank somewhere inside the top 40 or 50 teams since 2013-14 by adjusted goal differential. Coventry and Ipswich landed inside the top 20 with their performances last season.
As for Hull City? They rank 235th. This is — by far — the worst team that has been promoted to the Premier League in the modern era.
One big question: How much does it matter?
Historically, it does not matter.
There is almost no correlation between performance in the Championship and subsequent performance in the Premier League for promoted teams. Some of the worst Championship teams to get promoted in recent years — Sean Dyche’s Burnley, Huddersfield Town, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland — survived in Year 1. Burnley and Forest went on to have significant runs in the first division, while Sunderland just finished 10th last season.
Hull, themselves, seem to be aware of their own limitations and what the proper expectations should be. Rather than spending a ton of money on older players who might help this season but not much beyond that, they’ve spent a reasonable amount — ranking 13th for net spend in the Premier League so far — on a bunch of players who are almost exclusively 24 or younger. They have added some veterans — Butland, Morita and Targett are all in their 30s — but for a combined fee of just €3.5 million.
This team is likely to get relegated, but it’s far from a sure thing. Their summer business aligns almost exactly with that balance: They’ve added some players who could help them right away and a bunch who could help them well beyond the upcoming season. — O’Hanlon
Gozo’s Palace move the latest step in rapid rise as USMNT attention beckons
Real Salt Lake midfielder Zavier Gozo celebrates after scoring a goal against the Portland Timbers during the first half at America First Field. Rob Gray / Imagn Images
SALT LAKE CITY — Zavier Gozo and his family were walking through the concourses of a Real Salt Lake game just two years ago when the teenaged prospect’s mom, Esther, suddenly spotted someone wearing a jersey with ‘Gozo’ imprinted on the back.
The then-17-year-old played mostly for the club’s second team, the Real Monarchs, at the time, so it came as a bit of a shock to see someone with a shirt that bore his last name.
“That person has to be a fan,” she said to her young son.
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There was simply no other way they’d have a jersey of an otherwise obscure mostly-second-team player. It was such a novelty, in fact, that Esther thought it’d be nice to memorialize the moment.
“Why don’t you go up to him and say hi? I can take a video of it,” Esther said.
Gozo approached the stranger.
“Hey, nice jersey,” the winger said.
The man smiled and nodded and turned back away. Gozo’s older brother, Elijah, a former RSL academy player who played at Utah Valley University, prompted the fan with a hint.
“This is Gozo,” he said, gesturing to the shirt. “This is him.”
“Pleasure,” the man said, then turned back away again. This time the body language was clear: the interaction is over.
The Gozo brothers walked away into the awkwardness.
“Clearly the shirt was a gift,” Zavier Gozo said with a smile and a chuckle in May, sitting on a couch with his mom and brother in the living room of their family home outside of Salt Lake City.
Things have changed in the years since.
The exciting, must-watch, goal-creating star was officially transferred Tuesday night to Crystal Palace for around $15 million, the second-highest up-front fee for an MLS homegrown player behind only U.S. striker Ricardo Pepi, who went for $20 million to Augsburg. (Vancouver Whitecaps homegrown Alphonso Davies was sold for $13.5 million to Bayern Munich, a fee that eventually reached $22 million with add-ons.)
The Gozo shirt might now be the most popular at Real Salt Lake games, with fans delighting over the 19-year-old who has become the team’s bonafide star. His face was on billboards around Salt Lake. He played in the MLS All-Star Game. Interactions with fans have changed dramatically since.
On a weekend this spring, Gozo went with his girlfriend to watch her little brother play a youth soccer game. He didn’t think anything of it and sat with her on the sideline. When one of the teams scored, however, the young goalscorer sprinted to the sideline and pointed at Gozo and then did a celebration. After the game, the Real Salt Lake star was swarmed by kids and parents wanting an autograph.
“Moments like that I’m like, ‘Wow,’” Gozo said.
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The Utah native might need to get ready for getting recognized a whole lot more as a Premier League player. And, if he’s called in by U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino this fall, Gozo will no doubt become a household name for U.S. men’s national team fans.
While he played well for the U.S. under-20 team at the U-20 World Cup, Gozo has never been called into a senior national team camp. The winger is most definitely on the radar for his senior debut. He was on the supplemental roster for Pochettino’s 2026 team, meaning he was in contention for the World Cup squad, and it was clear after the tournament that the U.S. very well could have used his ability off the bench, even without previous international experience.
He has shown he’s capable of making a difference in games. The teenager had six goals and five assists in MLS before the move. Before the World Cup break, he ranked in the top 20 in MLS for goal contributions despite playing much of the season as a wingback.
For now, Gozo will head to the Premier League and look to make an impression with Palace, which finished 15th in last year’s table but also won their first European trophy: the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League.
Those around him have no doubt that he’s ready.
“He’s got the engine, he’s got the creativity and he plays both sides of the ball,” RSL teammate and two-time U.S. World Cup veteran DeAndre Yedlin told The Athletic in May. “He’s not going to cheat at all. Very, very honest player. And most importantly to me, just a very good, humble kid, which I think is the most important thing.”
Said RSL coach and 2002 World Cup veteran Pablo Mastroeni: “You can just see that the sky is the ceiling for this young man.”
Zavier Gozo celebrates in trademark style.Rob Gray / Imagn Images
Gozo was born in West Valley City, Utah, the son of Esther and Alban, an Ivory Coast native. Both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Esther and Alban met at a college basketball game in Utah.
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Due to his Ivorian roots, Gozo grew up a huge fan of Didier Drogba. His father coached his early teams and Gozo honed his skills at home playing against his older brother.
“When I got to the academy, I was more ready than most people might have been to play and develop,” Gozo said. “Just having an older brother helped me learn things a lot faster, trying to keep up the speed and strength, because he was always stronger.”
A year after joining Real Salt Lake’s academy, he signed a pro contract with the team’s reserve side, the Real Monarchs, at the end of 2022. Gozo played 10 games for the Monarchs in 2023 and made his MLS debut as a 16-year-old, playing six minutes against the LA Galaxy. Gozo scored once for the Monarchs in that first season, then added another five goals in 2024.
His steady progression caught the eye of RSL’s first-team coaches, who brought him into the first team in 2025. Gozo played 25 games last season, starting 21, and scored four goals with three assists. An overhead-kick goal against LAFC put him on the map.
“I remember when he scored his first goal, the adrenaline rush was (so strong) I almost felt nauseous,” Esther recalled. “I was seriously buzzing that whole game. After that, it was just so exciting. He had just graduated high school that week, and it was like: to see his dreams coming true, after starting for a month, at that point it was (surreal).”
This offseason, Mastroeni started to hear stories about his teenage star showing up to the facility every day to get individual work in. RSL has an enormous indoor facility they call “The Box,” and Gozo would arrive every day to work on his 1-on-1 ability and finishing, especially with his weaker left foot. He also hit the weight room, adding 10 pounds of muscle to his 5ft 11in frame.
Gozo didn’t know that Mastroeni was getting reports about his individual work. It was meant to be a private effort. The teenager was intent on leveling up and finding that natural level of confidence on the field — something that drove him at every stage of his career prior.
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“I feel like every time I would move up age groups or levels, when I went from the academy to the Monarchs, it was kind of like I would get there on a high and then be, like, shut down (by the increase in quality) a little bit,” Gozo said. “I needed it. I need to get up to the level. And then after a couple months I’ll be like, ‘OK, this is my level now. I can be there.’ I felt the same thing from the Monarchs to the first team. I would go to the first team and have a good training, but then feel like I’m not the best player here anymore. And then I’d have to work my way up again.”
By the start of this season, though, Gozo’s confidence was oozing out of him. Mastroeni wanted Gozo to work on his final product, and that started to come through from preseason.
“Last year he created, for himself and his teammates, probably two or three big chances a game, but he was having a hard time finishing,” Mastroeni said. “In preseason I saw him come cutting into his left foot and then hitting curlers, and I’m, like, ‘Last year he didn’t even have a left foot.’ And so fast-forward to our preseason, he scored a couple goals in preseason from a wing-back position. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this guy’s really turning it up’.”
Against Atlanta United in March, he showed some of those new layers to his game, bringing the ball down out of the air in stride, dribbling at and then past a defender and onto his left foot, where he curled a shot to the far post.
One month later against Sporting Kansas City, he received a pass at the top corner of the box, flicked it up to himself and snapped a volley inside the upper corner of the far post, a brilliant finish that doubled RSL’s lead.
Gozo laughed when asked about the goal. Was the flick-up intentional?
“It was 100 percent a bad touch,” the teenager said. “Obviously I was thinking about shooting already. I wanted to shoot, just take a touch and shoot first time. But then it popped up to me, so I was just like, I have to shoot it, still. I gotta shoot it one way or another.”
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The finish spoke to the exciting element Gozo brought to the field. Gozo’s goals come in spectacular fashion, a nod to his willingness to try things. And the goals only added a layer of confidence for him and his team. Players started to look to find Gozo on the field as often as possible, and RSL moved him around the pitch, from his wingback position, to a winger role and even inside as a No. 10.
Gozo led the team in high-speed running and in sprint distances and rarely came off the field. Mastroeni pointed out that in the third game of a week earlier this season, Gozo was still “burning down the sidelines” late in games. His defensive work rate stood out. And the goals continued. He added four goals in four games across the first two weeks of May.
He had six goals and five assists in 1,417 minutes this season.
“When you put all that together, you got a guy that’s just growing technically, tactically, understanding the game, his finishing has improved, but he’s always been a physical monster,” Mastroeni said. “That’s why his ceiling is so high. And I think that translates to any league in the world. … It’s almost a cheat code. He has a real talent, plus his physical capacity.”
Through it all, Mastroeni said he was also impressed by how Gozo was handling the increased attention.
RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni has supported Zavier Gozo’s rise to prominence.Simon Fearn / Imagn Images
“He’s one of the brightest spirits,” Mastroeni said. “He’s always happy, always has a smile on his face. He exemplifies everything, and he’s just a real joy from a coaching perspective because he’s also a learner. He wants to get better, and so there’s he never has a feeling that I know everything. … He brings all the stuff that you see in the game, but he’s also just a world-class human being as well.”
Gozo’s family knew a move to Europe was inevitable. And what comes next with the senior national team will be yet another opportunity for Gozo to level his game up. It will be a lot for a kid who has lived at home in the Salt Lake area his entire career as a professional.
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During the recent visit to his house, Gozo was mingling with a childhood best friend just after training and before an interview. Those layers of comfort will be stripped away for the first time. The family planned to build support around him, with maybe his brother or mom coming out to help the transition.
“We know it’ll be a hard transition for him from going from a family home to your own place,” Esther said. “We just want to see him succeed. And however we can help him do that, I think is what we’ll want to do.”
Ahead of the World Cup, Gozo had once again found that level of confidence he is always seeking. He was playing his best soccer and was now the best player — or one of the best — at Real Salt Lake. He could “step on the field and just be me and do what I want to do with confidence.”
He knows what will come next at Palace: The same thing he experienced moving from academy to Monarchs and then from Monarchs to Real Salt Lake. A new challenge. A humbling introduction to a higher level. More motivation to push himself and find that comfort and confidence again.
For Gozo, it will be about how quickly he can fall back into the process that got him here, and on his ability to lean on the creativity and attacking mindset that pushed him to new levels this year.
“Being me is what’s going to get me farther,” he said. “I don’t know why I would shy away from doing the things that are making me succeed.”
An unpredictable Premier League returns with scope for fresh stars and new main characters
Only five weeks have passed since the World Cup final culminated at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey but the most popular domestic football league on the planet returns tonight in England.
This is a Premier League season as fascinating for those who have departed as for those who have arrived.
It was tricky enough to imagine Manchester City without Pep Guardiola but what on earth do they become without the lynchpins of his best years? Rodri, Bernardo Silva and John Stones all followed him through the exit door, and it is hard to envision that the master-planners in east Manchester hoped that Elliot Anderson, for all his potential, would be the sole arrival of substance for the opening weekend of the season.
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As for Enzo Maresca, he looks a little bit like Pep and plays a little bit like Pep, but can anyone really come close to Pep?
As for when or what may happen with those 115 alleged breaches of Premier League regulations, we are now over three years on since the Premier League, in announcing the charges, pitted itself directly against its most successful team of the past decade. City have always denied wrongoing, saying they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.”
If Manchester City appear confusing, then what to make of the puzzling turn of events at St James’ Park? Eddie Howe walked out in pre-season and has been replaced by Matthias Jaissle, a 38-year-old coach whose previous experience was in Austria and Saudi Arabia. Oh, and he will be doing it without Newcastle United’s best two midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, who have departed for Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, while Anthony Gordon swapped Tyneside for Catalonia when he headed to Barcelona at the start of the summer. Newcastle go into their opening game with six new signings, four of whom are 20 or younger.
Enzo Maresca has the unenviable task of succeeding Pep Guardiola at Manchester CityCarl Recine/Getty Images
There is unpredictability and nervous intrigue across much of the Premier League. Nine clubs have new managers, while Michael Carrick only joined Manchester United in January and Roberto De Zerbi has coached seven games at Tottenham Hotspur, so they feel pretty new too.
Andoni Iraola played the most exhilarating football in the division last season but how will he cope with the step-up in scrutiny from Bournemouth to Liverpool? Will his intense brand of football survive the rigours of European competition?
Are Aston Villa a team being ripped apart, picked off by Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal for Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers and now Ezri Konsa, or a team in exciting transition and ripe for reinvention under Unai Emery?
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Fulham have swapped five years of stability and growth under Marco Silva for a punt on Alvaro Arbeloa, whose five months in interim charge of Real Madrid left a dressing room in disarray but apparently provided enough encouragement for a passport to the Premier League.
Nottingham Forest have hired Oliver Glasner, a coach who won an FA Cup and the Conference League at Crystal Palace, as well as a Europa League at Eintracht Frankfurt, but how will he fare as the club’s fifth coach in 12 months under demanding owner Evangelos Marinakis?
Manchester United ended last season in title-competing form under Carrick, and, while incomplete, they appear to be building wisely. But how will the players respond now his position is permanent? Do they have the depth to compete when the demands extend to four competitions, having only competed in the Premier League during Carrick’s previous half-season in charge?Three storylines to watch ahead of this season
George Edwards and Rachael Tinde
Brighton & Hove Albion’s model is proven — developing well-scouted talents to produce big profits — but will they repeat the trick once more after selling Jan Paul van Hecke, Danny Welbeck and quite possibly Carlos Baleba and Yankuba Minteh?
Promoted teams Hull City and Ipswich Town have recruited at least 11 players apiece, and Frank Lampard returns to the division with Coventry City, but can any of them replicate the success of Sunderland and Leeds United last time around?
Everton appear to be constructing smartly under David Moyes, signing Hayden Hackney, last season’s Championship player of the year, as well as proven Premier League talent in Brennan Johnson and Christian Norgaard, but will results pick up after a disappointing end to last season?
That’s the thing about uncertainty: it can be dressed up as opportunity or doom-scrolled into vulnerability.
Optimism abounds at two of last season’s Premier League basket cases, where the good news is that results can, surely, only get better.
By the end of the window, Premier League clubs will almost certainly have spent a cumulative £1billion on players from within the English top flight. Manchester United will likely spend close to £150m on three midfielders from Villa, Chelsea and Brighton. Arsenal will spend more than £120m on players from Newcastle and Villa. Chelsea have spent more than £170m on players from Villa, Brighton and Crystal Palace. Manchester City spent £116m on Anderson from Nottingham Forest. Tottenham have recruited six players, all of whom played in the Premier League last season. Two of Leeds United’s biggest summer signings, James Trafford for £40m from Manchester City and Harry Wilson on a free transfer from Fulham, are domestic recruits.
It all underlines the perceived strength of the Premier League and how most clubs see certainty in buying from within. Coaches, knowing their window of opportunity is narrower than ever, are often less prepared to take risks. Several clubs have been stung by excessive ventures into external markets in recent years, most notably Tottenham in Italy and Manchester United’s mistakes in the Dutch league under Erik ten Hag.
Bournemouth, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sunderland are the only clubs yet to sign a senior player who played in the Premier League last season but as Liverpool track Minteh and Newcastle pursue Manchester City’s Nico Gonzalez, that will likely change.
After a World Cup where so many games were dominated by individual stars — albeit won by the ultimate collective in Spain — it is striking that the Premier League’s supply of world-class talent is running a little low, both on the field and in the dugout.
Mohamed Salah has departed Liverpool. Rodri has left for Barcelona. In recent years, the Premier League has lost Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Julian Alvarez and Luis Diaz, all of whom may have made sense individually at the time, either due to contract situations or career development, but together, their departures have diminished the pool of headline names. The Premier League has only Cole Palmer and Gianluigi Donnarumma from the top 10 players to make the Ballon d’Or list in 2025.
Mohamed Salah is one of the latest big names to exit the Premier LeaguePaul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images
The Premier League still retains the most potent finisher on the planet in Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes remains at Manchester United, and Arsenal have the best defence in world football. And their respective clubs will hope there is substantial growth yet in players such as Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Matheus Cunha, Cole Palmer, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.
Where the Premier League does differ this season, however, is in the coaches of its leading teams.
Only 10 years ago, the Premier League began a season with Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte and Arsene Wenger across its ‘Big Six’ clubs, all of whom, with the exception of Pochettino, had top-flight league titles to their name. The Premier League had become the galactico home of the world’s best coaches, the individuals who made the Premier League, and even its pre-match press conferences, feel unmissable.
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Yet this season begins with a selection of coaches who, while stacked with potential, are short of elite medals and whose mythology is yet to be written. Those same ‘Big Six’ teams are now coached by men aged between 44 and 47, and only Arteta has a Premier League title as a coach.
In this regard, it is not that the Premier League is not attracting elite coaches, merely that the clubs have cycled at rapid speed through so many of the contenders to spearhead a new dominance. Ten Hag, Ruben Amorim, Arne Slot, Thomas Frank, Graham Potter and Ange Postecoglou were all spoken about as innovators, only to find that the burning spotlight of the Premier League can break reputations as rapidly as it makes them.
Almost seven years into his reign, Arteta must sense an opportunity to not only defend his Premier League title but also push on to a period of extended dominance. Aside from the Arsenal manager, only the reigns of Emery at Villa and Daniel Farke at Leeds have exceeded three years.
With this young generation of coaches, it begs the question of which, if any, will emerge as the new main characters of the Premier League, offering up the sideshows, barbs and rivalries that provide the necessary theatre to any sporting season. Who might emerge as the provocateur of the Premier League touchline and who might cast dark aspersions in press conferences? Will one coach step from the shadows and be the conscience of a league whose moral compass can often be found wanting?
For all the flux, there is no suggestion that the Premier League is ceding popularity, wealth or market share. The power of the Premier League is that, even in emerging global markets, the attachment remains — not only to individual players or one-off coaches, but to clubs who have parked their lawns on television screens across the globe. And as former heroes depart, space is created for the next generation of defining characters to come forward.
Adam Crafton is a British journalist based in New York City, having relocated from London in 2024. He primarily covers soccer for The Athletic. In 2024, he was named the Sports Writer of the Year by the Sports’ Journalist Association, after winning the Young Sports Writer of the Year award in 2018
Community Shield Sun, Spain & Eng Championship start
EPL Winners Arsenal will get things started vs FA Cup Champs Man City in the Community Shield Sun at 10 am on ESPN. We’ll see how City fare without their long time coach Pep Gaurdiola. I’ll have predictions and a full EPL review next week. Meanwhile the Championship gets underway this weekend with American’s all up and down England’s 2nd division and of course America’s favorite Ryan Reynold’s & Rob McAlleny’s Wrexham from We are Wrexham fame. We just finished watching last season (spoiler alert – man they were SOO close to the playoffs for a beyond record breaking 4th straight promotion).
The stars of LaLiga are on ABC and the ESPN App La Liga welcomes the Special one – Jose Mourinho back to Real Madrid as they look to take back the trophy from 2 time champs Barcelona who looks to be the better team having won 3 of the 4 matches last year and with (the kids) will MBappe and Vinicius Jr and all the new signings be enough to get the Galacticos back on top? My team – Atletico Madrid finished 4th behind Villarreal with Real Betis also making a Champions League spot. Many of the players from the top teams are just getting back from World Cup break so the first few weeks might be fluid. LA LIGA 2026/27 | Season PREVIEW & League Table … CBS Golazo. (See more below) I like Barcelona to repeat with Atletico Madrid pushing Real Madrid for 2nd.
Leagues Cup MLS vs Mexico Liga MX
The Leagues Cup 2026 quarterfinal field is set after eight teams advanced from Phase One. The four quarterfinals will be played from Aug. 25-27, with four MLS clubs facing four LIGA MX sides for semifinal spots. A surprising group from MLS as Miami w/o Messi, LAFC, Galaxy & Seattle all lost.
Quarterfinal matchups
Chicago Fire FC (MLS 1) vs CF Monterrey (LMX 4)
Austin FC (MLS 2) vs. Toluca FC (LMX 3)
Club León (LMX 1) vs. Real Salt Lake (MLS 4)
Club América (LMX 2) vs. Columbus Crew (MLS 3)
Super Cup Thriller – PSG vs Aston Villa
Wow Europa League Winner Aston Villa really stood up to the Champions League 2 time winners PSG as they tied it up in at 1 before PSG pulled away late Wed in the Super Cup. Obviously PSG was missing a ton of players – still quite a show and now 2 straight champions League titles and 2 straight Super Cup wins – NO ONE has ever done what the Paris Champions have just accomplished.
Indy 11 ties Hartford Plays Sporting Jax on WRTV-ABC, ESPN+ Sat 7 pm
Indianapolis – Edward Kizza scored the fastest league goal of the season for the Boys in Blue, who shared the spoils with USL Championship Eastern Conference opponent Hartford Athletic in a 1-1 draw at Carroll Stadium. Sean McAuley became the longest-tenured Indy Eleven head coach with his 100th match, surpassing Martin Rennie, who managed 99 games between 2018 and 2021. McAuley has won 40 games and drawn 22 in his three seasons. Indy Eleven stand eighth in the Eastern Conference @ 6-7-4 (-1), 22 pts. Indy Eleven travels to Sporting JAX this Sat. August 15 at 7 p.m. on WRTV-ABC and ESPN+. The next home game for the Boys in Blue is “Noche Latina” next Saturday, August 22 at 7 p.m. vs. Louisville City FC with Indy Eleven wearing special Noche Latina warm-up jerseys. Fans can purchase discounted tickets starting at $14 and a Noche Latina scarf online. Ticket options include the new Desnuda Tequila Deck, Family Four-Packs, and Flex Mini-Plans.
Soccer High School Rankings – Season starts this Weekend
Fri, Aug 14 3 pm CBSSN Wolverhampton vs Blackburn Rovers 8 pm Prime Gotham FC (Lavelle) vs KC Current Sat, Aug 15 10 am para+ Middlesbrough (Berhalter, Morris, Arfsten) vs Lincoln City Champ 11 am ESPN+/D Racing Santander vs Villarreal Spain 12:30 pm para+ Sheffield United vs Birmingham City Champ 3:30 pm ESPND, + Sevilla vs Rayo Vallecano La Liga starts 6:30 pm Ion TV Racing Louisville FC vs Boston Legacy FC 7 pm ABC, ESPN+ Indy 11 @ Jacksonville 7:30 pm Apple Orlando City vs Cincy 7:30 pm Apple Charlotte vs Columbus Crew 7:30 pm Apple Miami (Messi) vs Nashville 9:30 pm Ion TV Portland Thorns FC (Williams) vs Orlando Pride (Banda. Marta) 10:30 pm Apple LAFC vs San Diego 11:15 pm Univision Atlas vs Tigras UANL Sun, Aug 16 10 am ESPN Arsenal vs Man City Community Shield 1 pm CBS Golazo Liverpool vs Como 6 pm Apple Chicago vs Portland Timbers 9 pm ESPN Angel City (Thompson) vs Washington (Rodman) NWSL 10:30 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs Vancouver Mon, Aug 17 3 pm Para+ Cardiff City vs Wrexham Champ Wed. Aug 19 3 pm ESPN+ /D Atlético Madrid vs Málaga Spain 3 pm Para+ Celtic vs LASK Linz UCL 7:30 pm Apple Philly Union vs Inter Miami (Messi) 8 pm FS1, Apple Sporting KC vs St Louis 8 pm CBSSN Houston Dash vs Chicago Stars 10:30 pm Apple #2 Vancouver Whitecaps vs Houston Dynamo #1 10:30 pm FS1 LA Galaxy vs SJ Earthquakes Fri, Aug 21 3 pm Arsenal vs Coventry City (Wright) EPL Start 3 pm ESPND, + Real Betis vs Real Sociedad 10 pm Prime San Diego Wave vs Utah Royals Sat, Aug 22 EPL 7;30 am USA Hull City vs Man United 7:30 am CBS Golazo Birmingham City vs Bristol City 10 am USA Everton vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10 am NBCSN Ipwich Town vs Sunderland 10 am Peacock Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United (Aarsonson) 10 am Para+ Wrexham vs Watford 10 am Para+, Golazo Blackburn vs Middlesborough (Berhalter) 11 am ESPN2 Athletic Club vs Sevilla ( ) 12:30 pm NBC Brentford vs Tottenham 12:30 pm CBSSN Udinese vs Como Italy 2:30 pm USA Dortmund vs Bayern Munich Supercup 3:30 pm ABC Espanyol vs Real Madrid 6:30 pm Ion KC Current vs Seattle Reign 7 pm ABC Indy 11 vs Louisville City 7:30 pm Apple Cincy vs Seattle Sounders 7:30 pm Apple NY Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire 8:30 pm Apple Nashville vs Columbus Crew 9:30 pm Apple Vancouver Whitecaps vs Dallas 10:30 pm Apple LAFC vs Portland 11 pm Univision Cruz Azul vs Atlas Mex Sun, Aug 23 9 am USA Man City vs Bournemouth (Adams) 9 am Peacock Brighton vs Aston Villa 11:30 am USA Newcastle United vs Liverpool 12:30 pm Para+ Frozinone vs Juventus (McKinney) Italy 2 pm CBSSN Chicago Stars vs Racing Louisville 2:45 pm Para+ Torino vs AC Milan (Pulisic) 2:45 pm beIN Sport PSG vs Rennes France 3:30 pm ABC Elche vs Barcelona 4 pm ESPN2 Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Orlando Pride (Marta) 4:30 pm Apple New England vs NYCFC 6 pm CBSSN Bay FC vs Houston Dash 7 pm Apple Atlanta United vs Sporting KC 8 pm Ion Angel City (Thompson) vs Gotham (Lavelle) Mon, Aug 24 12:30 pm CBSSN Bologna vs Lazio 3 pm USA Fulham (Robinson) vs Chelsea Tues, Aug 25 3 pm Para+ Lask Linz vs Celtic 3 pm Para+ Bode/Glimt vs NEC 3 pm ESPND or + Valencia vs Real Betis Wed, Aug 26 3 pm ESPN+/D Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad 8 pm CBSSN NC Courage vs Angel City (Thompson) 8:30 pm Apple Toluca vs Austin Leagues Cup 10:45 pm Apple America vs Columbus Crew Thurs, Aug 27 3 pm ESPN+/D Barcelona vs Athletic Club Fri, Aug 28 2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Venezia 2:45 pm beIN Sp Lille vs PSG 3 pm USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City 8 pm Prime Gotham FC (Lavelle) vs Portland Thorns (Sam???) Sat, Sept 26 4:30 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Peru Orlando Tues, Sept 29 8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Chile St Louis Sat, Oct 3 8 pm?? TNT/HBO USMNT vs Mexico Glendale Tues, Oct 6 8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Canada Minn Sat, Oct 10 8 pm TNT. HBO USWNT vs Spain DC Tues, Oct 13 7 pm TNT, HBO USWNT vs Spain Philly
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Houston Dynamo, MLS August 19th, 10:30 PM ET, Apple TV): The Easter Conference leaders last weekend, and now a #1 vs. #2 showdown in the Western Conference. Yes, the Dynamo are atop the Western Conference…it’s wild. Now, they’ll have the spotlight and a target as they face the conference PPG leader and potential favorite. Can they keep on keeping clean sheets against one of MLS’s most efficient attacks?
Sickos Match: Philadelphia Union vs. Inter Miami, MLS (August 19th, 7:30 PM ET, Apple TV): Usually the sicko match wouldn’t feature Messi, but we got red hot Cavan Sullivan and a red hot Philadelphia Union facing Messi and Miami. Don’t discount the chance to watch 6’7 18-year-old centerback Neil Pierre battling Suarez and the GOAT.
UNION JACK – BROAD RIPPLE – WATCH PARTY Indy 11 @ Jacksonville Sat August 15 – 6:30 PM ET – 9:00 PM ET https://unionjackpub.co/ 921 Broad Ripple Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46220
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The 2026-27 La Liga season kicks off this weekend, with no shortage of storylines involving Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as many other top-flight teams.
A novelty this year is the season kicking off without either Barca or Madrid in action — as a staggered kick-off has been introduced, allowing more rest for clubs whose international players went deep into this summer’s World Cup.
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The opening game will see Deportivo Alaves host Getafe at 7.30pm local time (6.30pm UK time, 1.30pm ET) on Saturday.
Champions Barcelona — who had eight players in Spain’s World Cup-winning squad — begin their title defence at Elche on Sunday, August 23. Jose Mourinho’s first game of his second spell as Real Madrid manager is away at Espanyol on Saturday, August 22.
Here’s The Athletic’s annual guide on what to look out for, as we attempt to predict how things might go…
Who do you think will win the title and why?
Barcelona look in a really strong position, having won the last two titles under Hansi Flick, finishing last season 12 points ahead of a Madrid team who ended the campaign in total disarray.
But… the only team to have won three consecutive La Liga titles in the 21st century were Pep Guardiola’s dominant Barca side from 2009-2011, and it was Mourinho who put an end to that run in his first spell at the Bernabeu.
Madrid have added substantially to their squad this summer, spending €240million ($277m) on Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Carlos Espi. Vinicius Junior extending his deal amid interest from Arsenal means they have plenty of attacking options.
Vinicius Junior renewed his deal at Real MadridDavid Balogh/Getty Images
So new arrivals Anthony Gordon (€80m from Newcastle United) and Karim Ayedemi (€22m from Borussia Dortmund) should get chances to impress.
Much will depend on who makes the best start to the season, and there is a decent chance Mourinho’s arrival provides a boost for Madrid, while Barca start slowly as other World Cup winners including Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Pau Cubarsi — and potentially Rodri, if he joins from Manchester City — take time to recover.
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Who will make up the rest of the top four?
Champions League qualification for a 15th consecutive season under Diego Simeone should not prove too difficult for Atletico Madrid, whether or not Barca target Julian Alvarez stays at the Metropolitano (more on that later…).
Villarreal finished ahead of Atletico in third last year, and go into the new season with an impressive new coach in Inigo Perez, but have not done much summer transfer business so far.
Real Betis also made the Champions League by finishing fifth last term, so Manuel Pellegrini’s squad will have to deal with at least eight extra games.
An outside bet to break through are Celta Vigo, who have a host of homegrown players developing under one of their own in coach Claudio Giraldez.
One must-watch match in the opening weeks?
Real Madrid hosting Real Sociedad in their rearranged game on Wednesday, August 26 stands out.
American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo’s La Real should provide an early test for Madrid, who have plenty of new players and a returning Portuguese coach. The San Sebastian team won last season’s Copa del Rey, and have Spain’s World Cup-winning centre-forward Mikel Oyarzabal.
Pellegrino Matarazzo led Real Sociedad to Copa del Rey glory last seasonFran Santiago/Getty Images
Madrid have not impressed in pre-season and struggled to create chances in their 1-0 victory at Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday. But most of their big names, including Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, have yet to feature after returning late from the World Cup.
The staggered start to the season should help, and a statement win against tough opponents like Real Sociedad would be an excellent way for Mourinho’s second coming to get up and running.
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Which team have had the most interesting transfer window?
Boosted by new U.S. financial giant Apollo Sports Capital joining Atletico’s ownership group in March, the Metropolitano side have invested more than €100m on experienced internationals Morten Hjulmand, Lee Kang-in and Alejandro Grimaldo, while long-time target Cristian Romero is set to join from Tottenham Hotspur.
It is difficult to know what is best for Atletico — keeping an unhappy player, or allowing their most talented star to leave with the season already underway.
Can Atletico Madrid hold on to Julian Alvarez?Javier Soriano/AFP via Getty Images
Which team have had the worst transfer window?
Getafe’s Luis Milla was one of La Liga’s outstanding midfielders last season, so losing him along with long-time midfield partner Mauro Arambarri in the same window looks a big blow, especially with El Geta heading into a season with Conference League commitments.Can this iteration of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙅𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙝𝙤 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 be a success at Real Madrid?
Tom Williams
Which team are well set to spring a surprise?
Athletic Club stumbled through most of last season, in part due to star forward Nico Williams never reaching 100 per cent fitness.
The Bilbao side’s new coach is former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic, as the club who famously only use players born or developed in the Basque Country once again tap into the knowhow and experience of outside coaches.
Howard Kendall, Jupp Heynckes and Marcelo Bielsa are among those who have previously harnessed Athletic’s local talent and adapted to the club’s philosophy to leave lasting legacies at San Mames.
Terzic definitely has talent to work with. Spain’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Unai Simon and defender Aymeric Laporte are joined by young midfielders Mikel Jauregizar and Peio Canales (returning after impressing on loan with Racing Santander, who won the second division and will play in La Liga this season)
Who looks most likely to underperform?
Sevilla and Valencia have been battling for this unwanted prize over the last few seasons. Both are big clubs with long-running financial issues that make it very difficult to match their fans’ expectations.
Sevilla’s situation is the most precarious, with key players from last season, including forward Akor Adams and young right-back Juanlu, leaving this summer. Their biggest outlay so far is €6.5m on Scotland Under-21 striker Robbie Ure from Swedish side IK Sirius.
Valencia have also had to wheel and deal — although there is excitement at Mestalla about new 19-year-old Japanese forward Ryunosuke Sato, who joined from FC Tokyo.
It would be a shock were either to be relegated, but European qualification looks a long shot too.
How are the promoted clubs shaping up?
Racing Santander, Deportivo La Coruna and Malaga are all historic clubs returning after long spells away, during which they have all suffered plenty of off-pitch turmoil.
Deportivo have been the biggest spenders so far. Leo Roman (signed from Real Mallorca) is an excellent goalkeeper, while Jonathan Asp Jensen (Bayern Munich) and Bright Ede (Motor Lublin) are promising youngsters. Their most interesting arrival is 37-year-old former Dortmund, Arsenal and Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has joined from Marseille.
There is also romanticism around the return of Sergio Canales to Racing, with the 35-year-old former Real Madrid and Real Betis playmaker coming back to his hometown club 16 years after first leaving for the Bernabeu.
Racing Santander have returned to La Liga for the first time since 2012Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images
Malaga face the biggest challenge — the Andalusians’ surprise promotion via the second-division play-offs last year was quickly followed by renewed legal battles over the club’s ownership, between rivals Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani of Abu Dhabi and local construction and hotel empresario Jamal Satli Iglesias.
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Who are the best youngsters to look out for?
Yamal is still just 19, and Barca fans will be hoping he gets enough rest and recovery this summer to set him up for a less injury-affected season.
Madrid’s Thiago Pitarch, also 19, impressed after making his debut in February, but may struggle for minutes this term given his midfield competition.
Real Betis’ young winger Jose Antonio Morante — who finished joint-top scorer in this summer’s Under-19 European Championship as Spain won the title — could be given lots of opportunities to impress.
Another to watch out for is Deportivo’s Yeremay Hernandez, 23, a wide attacker stepping up to the top flight after 27 goals and 18 assists in 86 second-division games.
Which under-the-radar player have big clubs been sleeping on?
Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra looks primed to make a big step forward.
A product of the club’s Paterna academy, Guerra has flashed great potential in his four seasons with the senior team, without yet demonstrating the consistency of a truly top player.
Valencia will be hoping Javi Guerra can firmly become an elite player with themAitor Alcalde/Getty Images
All the recent turmoil at Valencia has not helped his career progression, but Guerra enjoyed a strong end to last season, and earned a first senior Spain cap in a friendly in June.
Many different clubs have considered moves for the rangy midfielder over the years, and Atletico came closest to signing him in summer 2024. But Valencia supporters will be hoping the 23-year-old can stay and really kick on with them over 2025-26.
A great storyline involving La Liga we might have missed over the summer…
Rayo enjoyed a superb 2025-26 campaign, reaching a first-ever European final and, while they were narrowly beaten by Crystal Palace, it was still a brilliant achievement to make it that far.
But it was always unlikely to lead to a new era of stability. A mid-July audit of Estadio Vallecas found serious security, maintenance and health issues at the rickety old stadium, and Rayo’s hierarchy then refused permission for staff from Madrid’s regional government (the stadium’s owners) to enter to fix these problems.
Estadio Vallecas has long been in need of a makeoverRicardo Rubio/Europa Press via Getty Images
A week-long stand-off ensued, during which the possibility of Rayo moving multiple La Liga games 250 kilometres north to Burgos was mooted. The club and regional government have both had different design and financing ideas for modernising the crumbling Vallecas stadium.
This week it was confirmed Rayo’s first La Liga home game on August 20 against Alaves will be played across Madrid at Segunda club Leganes’ Estadio Butarque (as happened last season, when the Vallecas pitch was waterlogged in February).
Nobody can say for sure when Vallecas will be ready to host games again. New Rayo coach Benat San Jose has a huge job on his hands, especially with key players from last year leaving, including left-back Pep Chavarria (who has moved to Chelsea) and centre-half Nobel Mendy (Hull City).
Give us your boldest prediction for the season…
It will take at least a few months for Mourinho to get into any serious rows.
His previous spell on the Bernabeu bench was filled with arguments and feuds, with the Portuguese angrily taking on referees, journalists, opposition coaches and even his own players.
The 63-year-old’s return to the Spanish capital has so far been remarkably low-key. There has been no high-profile presentation to the local media or fans and he has not given interviews to anyone outside club media.
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Few inside and outside the Bernabeu doubt Mourinho will blow up at some point — most likely when his team suffer an unexpected defeat or are victims of a controversial refereeing decision.
But if Madrid can hit the ground running with some positive early results and big wins, maybe, just maybe, Mourinho’s return to La Liga will continue to be peaceful… for a while, at least.
Dermot Corrigan Dermot joined The Athletic in 2020 and has been our main La Liga Correspondent up until now. Irish-born, he has spent more than a decade living in Madrid and writing about Spanish football for ESPN, the UK Independent and the Irish Examiner.Follow
Will the Championship be tougher or easier? It’s a division that’s hard to second-guess
Raul Jimenez (left) and Wolves are expected to battle Jarrod Bowen (right) and West Ham for instant promotion back to the Premier League Getty Images
As the only manager to steer four different clubs to promotion from the second tier of English football, Neil Warnock has words of encouragement for all those looking to follow in his footsteps during the coming season.
“When you look at the sides I took up from this division,” he says, “we were never the best team. But what I always had was a very, very good dressing room. If you ask other managers in the league about facing my teams, they’d probably say we were near the top of the list they didn’t want to play against.
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“Yes, of course, money counts in the Championship. And the three teams coming down are always going to be firm favourites to go straight back up. But the Championship is about so much more than that.
“It is a hard league with hardly any breaks, totally relentless. And there’s no such thing as an easy game, with the bottom teams capable of beating the top every week. That’s why teams like mine, who most didn’t fancy at the start of the season, were able to win those four promotions.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers, one of those three relegated sides looking to earn an instant return to the Premier League, get the new season underway tonight (Friday) when they host Blackburn Rovers.
Then comes a series of intriguing weekend fixtures — including Southampton’s first league outing since last May’s ‘spygate’ scandal as Tonda Eckert’s side travel to Watford, while Burnley host West Ham United in a meeting of the other two sides to drop down from the top flight — before the first round of games culminates with Monday’s all-Welsh affair between Cardiff City and Wrexham.
There was a dip in quality, if not drama, last time out compared to the 2024-25 campaign, which saw Leeds United and Burnley rack up 100 points apiece on the way to automatic promotion.
Now, the Championship looks to be in strong shape once again.
Eckert’s Southampton are still in the ChampionshipWarren Little/Getty Images
Jarrod Bowen, following his decision to stay at West Ham after relegation, will bring undoubted extra quality to a division that still has the added attraction of no VAR during the 46-game regular season, after clubs voted against its introduction earlier this year.
The promotion play-offs have also been extended down to eighth place for the first time.
Fans should once again flock to the Championship, which last season posted its third-highest aggregate attendance figure since the Second World War.
In total, 12,223,766 fans filed through the turnstiles, slightly up on the 12,170,350 from the previous season and not far behind the post-war high of 12,725,488 in 2023-24. The only other 12 million-plus season came in 1947-48.
Will West Ham’s presence — their 61,500-capacity London Stadium is comfortably the biggest stadium at this level since Manchester United’s one-year stay in the second tier during the mid-1970s — see a new attendance record set across the division?
Only time will tell, but there’s no doubting the popularity of a competition that prides itself on an air of unpredictability, especially when compared to the Premier League.What were football transfers like before the transfer window?
Tifo Football
“I’m looking forward to the Championship,” adds Warnock, whose four promotions to the top flight came at the helm of Notts County (1991), Sheffield United (2006), Queens Park Rangers (2011) and Cardiff (2018).
“I do miss it in the summer months. We’re so fortunate in this country, in terms of the crowds we get. Even lower down (the pyramid), I’ve been going to Torquay a bit, and they had nearly 4,300 on Saturday (at home to Horsham).
“It’s not even the top level of non-League, it’s a division down (National League South, the sixth tier of the English game). And 4,300 fans were there! No other country has a football setup like ours.”
Hull City to be relegated and Leicester City for the play-offs? So thought yours truly, who also tipped Louie Barry to be the second tier’s Player of the Year, only for Sheffield United’s Aston Villa loanee to make just six starts (no goals) and end the campaign in League One with Stockport County.
“Ipswich are in turmoil, they’ll do a Luton,” said one reader. “Manning and Norwich will be in the top eight,” added another after they had been tipped to struggle. Norwich just missed out on that position, coming ninth, but head coach Liam Manning was nowhere to be seen by then, having been sacked in November with his team second-bottom of the table.
The number-crunchers at Opta fared little better with their supercomputer.
Eventual champions Coventry City and runners-up Ipswich Town were tipped to finish fourth and third respectively before a ball had been kicked last August, via the running of 10,000 simulations of how the campaign would unfold. But the computer also had Sheffield United to finish top (they came 13th in real life) and Leicester as runners-up (23rd, meaning back-to-back relegations), along with Hull 17th (sixth, promoted via the play-offs) and Wrexham 21st (seventh, missing the play-offs by two points).
Head coach Eckert being hit with three Football Association misconduct charges means the saga may yet cast a further shadow over the new campaign, especially as the German could be facing a lengthy ban.
Nevertheless, expect Southampton to be strong. They were the standout team in the second half of last season — Eckert’s team claimed 48 points from New Year onwards, four more than title-bound Coventry — and have since added Villa loanee Lewis Dobbin, who was impressive when farmed out to Preston North End in this division last season. The loans of Cyle Larin and Daniel Pertz have also been made permanent, though losing Shea Charles to Fulham of the Premier League is a blow.
Other notable arrivals at the Riverside include United States international Sebastian Berhalter and Radek Vitek, the 22-year-old Manchester United goalkeeper who impressed on loan at the Championship’s Bristol City in 2025-26.
Like Southampton and as mentioned above, Norwich finished strongly after a slow start. In fact, had the regular-season gone on another couple of weeks beyond May 2, Philippe Clement’s side may well have gatecrashed the play-offs. Andre Brooks is a good addition from Sheffield United, but it is perhaps continuity that will most help Norwich this time around after retaining the key figures from that charge up the table.
Elsewhere, Wrexham and Birmingham City, promoted together from League One in 2025, are looking to improve once again, while Millwall and Derby County have retained the core of the squads that finished third and eighth respectively in May. All four are likely to be in the mix for a top-eight berth.
Sebastian Berhalter (right) has joined MiddlesbroughStu Forster/Getty Images
As for the relegated clubs, Wolves, fresh from replacing Rob Edwards with Cesar Peixoto as coach, boast proven Championship goalscoring pedigree in Adam Armstrong and Raul Jimenez. The latter is fresh from a World Cup where his three goals helped Mexico to the quarter-finals. Kieran Trippier also brings plenty of know-how to their defence — like Jimenez, he is 35 years old — after joining on a free from Newcastle United.
West Ham, meanwhile, received the perfect tonic to their relegation when captain Bowen opted to stay. There have been big-money departures in Crysencio Summerville and Mateus Fernandes. But coach Nuno Espirito Santo, who built one of the finest Championship sides in recent memory nine years ago when he was Wolves manager, surely has sufficient quality to mount a concerted push for the title.
Burnley have become something of a yo-yo club over the past five years, bouncing between the top two divisions with two promotions and three relegations. This time around, however, they feel more of an unknown quantity with new Belgian coach Nicky Hayen at the helm.
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He’s done well with Club Brugge and Genk in his native country, leading the former to the championship in 2023-24. But Maxime Esteve and Jaidon Anthony, sold to RB Leipzig and Brentford respectively, will be missed. Florentino Luis’ switch to Ipswich for £4million or so less than Burnley had been contractually obliged to pay for him a few weeks earlier, when making last season’s loan from Benfica permanent, was not a great look.
“There’s some good teams in there this season,” says Warnock, whose managerial feat in achieving four promotions to the top flight is matched by only Steve Bruce (Birmingham, 2001-02 and 2006-07; Hull, 2012-13 and 2015-16).
“You’ve always got to look at the three teams who have come down, even though I was surprised Wolves changed their manager. But, as always happens in the Championship, someone will emerge strongly.
“Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Southampton, Norwich… one of them will come out and have a real go. I don’t see much beyond those teams we’ve just mentioned. There are plenty with potential, so who really knows?
“That’s the beauty of the Championship. It’s why we all love it so much.”
MLS vs Liga MX League Cup Takes Center Stage Apple TV/Fox, Univision
Fresh off another AllStar Win for MLS Allstars vs the Mexican Allstars – (Son w/a Brace in All Star Game was special) now we have The Leagues Cup — the 36-team tournament featuring select clubs from Major League Soccer and Mexico‘s Liga MX — is back! All 62 Leagues Cup matches will be streamed live on Apple TV. FOX will broadcast 10 Phase One matches. Univision will provide Spanish-language broadcasts of 10 Phase One matches. The Seattle Sounders are the defending Leagues Cup champions, having won the 2025 tournament final over Inter Miami. The Columbus Crewwon the 2024 Leagues Cup, while Inter Miamiwon the 2023 edition in Lionel Messi‘s first season with the team. “Phase One” match will feature direct MLS vs. Liga MX matchups. Despite playing against teams from the opposing league, MLS and Liga MX clubs will be in league-specific tables. There are no draws, with games tied after regulation going straight to a penalty shootout (3 points for win, 2 for penalty shootout win, 1 for penalty shootout loss). The top four clubs from each Leagues Cup league-specific table advances to the knockout rounds. The quarterfinal matchups will be determined by a team’s place in the top four of their respective league’s table: MLS 1 vs. Liga MX 4, MLS 2 vs. Liga MX 3, MLS 3 vs. Liga MX 2, MLS 4 vs. Liga MX 1. This is worth the watch folks — anytime US teams play Mexican Teams in Soccer — big time!! Here Messi is back as he scores a brace leading Miami to a home win. Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 6
New York City FC vs. Santos Laguna (Sports Illustrated Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
Cruz Azul vs. Philadelphia Union (Subaru Park), 8 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
Chicago Fire vs. Necaxa (SeatGeek Stadium), 8:30 p.m. ET
Austin FC vs. Tijuana (Q2 Stadium), 9 p.m. ET
Club América vs. San Diego FC (Estadio Banorte), 10 p.m. ET
Portland Timbers vs. Puebla (Providence Park), 10:30 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 7
FC Cincinnati vs. Pumas (TQL Stadium), 8 p.m. ET (Univision)
Tigres vs. Minnesota United (Allianz Field), 9 p.m. ET
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Juárez (BC Place), 10:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug. 8
Orlando City vs. León (Inter.co Stadium), 6:30 p.m. ET
Inter Miami vs. Monterrey (Nu Stadium), 8 p.m. ET
Chivas de Guadalajara vs. FC Dallas (Paypal Park), 9 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
Real Salt Lake vs. Atlante (America First Field), 10 p.m. ET
Toluca vs. Los Angeles FC (BMO Stadium), 11:10 p.m. ET
Sunday, Aug. 9
Seattle Sounders vs. Querétaro (Lumen Field), 3:30 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Union vs. Necaxa (Subaru Field), 7:30 p.m. ET
Cruz Azul vs. New York City FC (Sports Illustrated Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
Chicago Fire vs. Santos Laguna (SeatGeek Stadium), 8 p.m. ET
Nashville SC vs. Atlético de San Luis (GEODIS Park), 8 p.m. ET
Austin FC vs. Puebla (Q2 Stadium), 9 p.m. ET
San Diego FC vs. Tijuana (Snapdragon Stadium), 10 p.m. ET
Club América vs. Portland Timbers (Providence Park), 10:15 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
Tuesday, Aug. 11
Charlotte FC vs. Pachuca (Bank of America Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
FC Cincinnati vs. Atlas (TQL Stadium), 8 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
Minnesota United vs. Atlante (Allianz Field), 8:30 p.m. ET
Real Salt Lake vs. Juárez (America First Field), 9:30 p.m. ET
Tigres vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (Estadio Universitario), 10 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Aug. 12
Orlando City vs. Atlético de San Luis (Inter.co Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
Inter Miami vs. León (Nu Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
Monterrey vs. Nashville SC (GEODIS Park), 8 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
Toluca vs. FC Dallas (Estadio Nemesio Diez), 10 p.m. ET
San Diego FC vs. Puebla (Snapdragon Stadium), 10:15 p.m. ET
Los Angeles FC vs. Querétaro (BMO Stadium), 10:30 p.m. ET
Seattle Sounders vs. Chivas de Guadalajara (Lumen Field), 10:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, Aug. 13
Philadelphia Union vs. Santos Laguna (Subaru Park), 7 p.m. ET
New York City FC vs. Necaxa (Sports Illustrated Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
Club América vs. Austin FC (Q2 Stadium), 8:30 p.m. ET
Cruz Azul vs. Chicago Fire (SeatGeek Stadium), 9 p.m. ET
Portland Timbers vs. Tijuana (Providence Park), 10:30 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
QF Aug 25-27, Semi’s Aug 25-27, Final Sept 6
NWSL: San Diego Wave vs. Gotham FC —Friday at 8 p.m. ET Prime Video NWSL Drops Victory+
Defending league champion Gotham sits at the top of the table, but just one win separates these surging squads. Plus, the Wave is one of only three teams to defeat the Bats this year. This is gonna be good. The NWSL will finish out the 2026 season with one fewer broadcast partner, after the league announced last week that it has severed its partnership with Victory+, effective immediately.The Athletic reported on Thursday that the move is in part due to a lack of on-time payments — an issue that has caused MLB’s Texas Rangers and the NHL Anaheim Ducks to also leave the platform.“ There will be no disruption to our broadcast schedule, so you can continue to watch your favorite clubs all season long,” the NWSL said in a statement.
Big picture: The NWSL had signed on with Victory+ less than a year ago, finding a home for inventory in addition to the league’s ongoing partnerships with CBS Sports, Prime, ESPN/ABC, and Ion. All NWSL matches originally scheduled to air on Victory+ this season will now be streamed for free on the league-produced NWSL+ service.
Indy 11 host Hartford Athletic Sun 5 pm 317 Night
San Antonio, Texas – Indy Eleven midfielder Josh O’Brien scored his fourth USL Championship goal of the season in the Boys in Blue’s 3-1 setback at San Antonio FC on Friday night. The Boys in Blue return home Sunday, August 9 at 5 p.m. vs. Hartford Athletic at Carroll Stadium. It is a 317 Night, so fans can purchase $11 tickets through the link and add an Indy Eleven Medical Scrub Cap at checkout for $15 (cap must be picked up at the match). Ticket options include the new Desnuda Tequila Deck, Family Four-Packs, and Flex Mini-Plans.
Poch is Back for the US while 4 Games in Sept/Oct are coming for the USMNT
So I am not sure how I feel about Pochitino being back for the US as the Men’s Coach. On one hand we had a nice World Cup – we looked as good as any US team has ever looked in our win over Paraguay, had 2 group wins and won our first knockout game capturing the heart of the Nation – and having Country Roads trigger me for tears – for the rest of my life in pride for the US team. But the reality is this Sweet 16 advancement left us getting blasted by Belgium 4-1 showing that we were no better than ANY OTHER US Team that has advanced to the Sweet 16. At least those other 4 teams didn’t get destroyed the way we did under Poch? So what did we really get with this “Really Good” FOREIGN coach. Did we really play better than any other team that advanced to the Sweet 16? Yes this team played a higher press with more possession than at any World Cup we have ever played – but lets be real – we had 5 Champions League players out there and 9 guys starting who play in Europe everyday. The bottom line is the players are better – certainly the forwards and mids are anyway. But you could argue our Defense – especially with Tim Ream and our pathetic GK Matt Freese back there. This was our worst Goalkeeper pool EVER in the History of our Country PERIOD. I argue that the US was going to come back and at least control the ball and shoot 30 times over the last half vs Belgium if not for Ream and Freese’s horrific Gaff? Would a 2 -1 loss with the US shooting 15 times in the 2nd half been respectable enough to take away the sting from blowing our BEST EVER Chance to make a Quarter Final? Honestly NO – for $6 Million a season I expected our coach to not GET Schooled by the Belgium coaches with a gameplan that exposed just how horrific Tim Ream was vs a good team. What Poch did — while spending most of his time living in Europe and half ass coaching our national team to the same exact spot we always finish in – was not and is not worth $6 Million a year. His record with the U.S. stands at 17-12-2 (W-L-D). Another thing – I’ll bet my Car – that Poch will not be here for Copa America 2028 – he’ll bail to a club job as some point over the next 9 months is my guarantee. Was it cool at times – sure – but Poch is not bought in to making US soccer better overall. He’s just collecting a pay check, while living in a foreign country looking for other jobs. Prove me Wrong Poch and US Soccer. But I just don’t buy it. The US has announced a nice line-up of friendlies vs Chile, Canada, Mexico and Peru in Sep & October – will be interesting to see who Poch brings in.
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Fri, Aug 9 (Leagues Cup) 7:30 pm Apple Free Columbus Crew vs Pachuca Leagues Cup 7:30 pm Apple Charlotte vs Atlas 8 pm Apple/Unimas Cincy vs Pumas 8 pm Prime Gothem vs San Diego Wave NWSL 9 pm Apple Tigres vs Minn United 10:30 pm Apple Vancouver vs Juarez 10 pm FS1 Canada U20 vs Mexico U20 Sat, Aug 8 7 am Golozo, Para+ Juventus vs Inter Milan 8 am CBSSN Chelsea vs AC Milan 9 am Para+ QPR vs Millwall Leagues Cup 10 am Para+ West Ham vs Portsmith Leagues Cup 11 am CBSSN Man United vs PSG 1 pm CBSSN Frenencvaros vs Real Madrid 3 pm Golazo & Para + Barcelona vs Nottingham Forrest 4 pm Ion, Tubi Denver Summit vs Utah Royals 4:30 pm Apple Free New England vs Houston Dynamo 6:30 pm Apple Orlando City vs Leon LEagues Cup 6:30 pm Ion, Tubi Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs NC Courage 8 pm Apple Inter Miami vs Monterrey LEagues Cup 8:45 pm Ion, Tubi Houston Dash vs KC Current 11:10 pm FS1 Toluca vs LAFC Sun, Aug 9 7 am Golazo, Para+ Man City vs Atletico Madrid 9:30 am CBSSN Liverpool vs Monaco 3:30 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs Quertiero 4 pm CBSSN Boston Legacy vs Portland Thorns 5 pm ABC Indy 11 vs. Hartford Athletic 7 pm FS2 USA U20 vs Mexico U20 Finals 7:30 pm FS1 Cruz Azul vs NYCF 8 pm Apple Chicago Fire vs Santos Laguna 8 pm Apple Nashville SC vs Atletico San Luis 9 pm ESPN Seattle Reign vs Angel City (Thompson) 10:15 pm FS1 America vs Portland Timbers Leagues Cup Wed, Aug 12 3 pm Para+ PSG vs Aston Villa Super Cup 7 pm Apple Inter Miami (Messi) vs Leon LC 8 pm FS1, Apple Monterrey vs Nashville SC 10:15 pm FS 1 San Diego vs Puebla 10:30 pm Apple LAFC vs Queretaro 10:30 pm Apple Seattle vs Guadalejara Thur, Aug 13 7:30 pm Apple NYCFC vs Necaxa 9 pm Apple Cruz Azul vs Chicago Fire 10:30 pm FS1 Portland Timbers vs Tijuana Fri, Aug 14 3 pm CBSSN Wolverhampton vs Blackburn Rovers 8 pm Prime Gotham FC (Lavelle) vs KC Current Sat, Aug 15 10 am para+ Middlesbrough vs Lincoln City Champ 11 am ESPN+/D Racing Santander vs Villarreal Spain 12:30 pm para+ Sheffield United vs Birmingham City Champ 3:30 pm ESPND, + Sevilla vs Rayo Vallecano La Liga starts 6:30 pm Ion TV Racing Louisville FC vs Boston Legacy FC 9:30 pm Ion TV Portland Thorns FC (Williams) vs Orlando Pride (Banda. Marta) Sun, Aug 16 10 am ESPN Arsenal vs Man City Community Shield 6 pm Apple Chicago vs Portland Timbers 9 pm ESPN Angel City (Thompson) vs Washington (Rodman) NWSL 10:30 Apple Seattle Sounders vs Vancouver Mon, Aug 17 3 pm Para+ Cardiff City vs Wrexham Champ Wed. Aug 19 3 pm ESPN+ /D Atlético Madrid vs Málaga Spain Fri, Aug 21 3 pm Arsenal vs Coventry City (Wright) EPL Start Fri, Aug 21 – Sun Aug 23 EPL Season’s Start Sat, Sept 26 4:30 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Peru Orlando Tues, Sept 29 8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Chile St Louis Sat, Oct 3 8 pm?? TNT/HBO USMNT vs Mexico Glendale Tues, Oct 6 8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Canada Minn Sat, Oct 10 8 pm TNT. HBO USWNT vs Spain DC Tues, Oct 13 7 pm TNT, HBO USWNT vs Spain Philly
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USMNT summer transfers: Grading major American players’ signings
yan RosenblattAug 6, 2026, 03:18 AM ET
For the past year, the prospect of the FIFA World Cup meant that all but the truly elite players in the world’s game had to view potential transfers through the lens of their international careers.
If a player made an ambitious move to a big club but ultimately didn’t make the grade and their playing time declined, a place in their national team might no longer be a certainty. If a player chose to cash in on a mega-money move to a league outside soccer’s historic best, perhaps that weaker level of competition pushes them off the radar of their international manager. Those are big risks to take with a lifelong dream of a tournament on the horizon.
Now, though? The next World Cup is four years away, and players can take chances knowing that they have four full seasons of club football to rectify any less-than-ideal situations.
Already, several players in the U.S. men’s national team player pool have changed club allegiances — including a handful who featured for Mauricio Pochettino this summer. So with the transfer market in full swing and American players primed to make moves, ESPN assesses every done deal completed by a player in the USMNT pool and assigns a letter grade.
All fees are reported unless confirmed with an asterisk.
It’s an American party at Middlesbrough, with Arfsten joining Sebastian Berhalter and Aidan Morris at the North Yorkshire club. The 25-year-old heads to Boro for $7.5 million, according to The Athletic, and he too will jump into the club’s pursuit of Premier League promotion.
Arfsten is a very good two-footed attacker, but he’s limited defensively, which makes finding the right club for him a bit tricky. Anyone who signs him has to be able to cover in behind him, and Boro are perfectly suited for that.
Kim Hellberg often plays with three at the back, using attack-minded wingbacks that should mean Arfsten slots right in. Even when Boro do go more conservative and play with more traditional fullbacks, Hellberg makes allowances for them so Arfsten should still be able to get forward from his left back spot.
Arfsten should also have a good chance to unseat Matt Targett as Boro’s first-choice option on the left and show off his array of attacking talents for a team that was already fourth in the Championship in goals a year ago. If the Californian can add a little bit more, that might be the difference between promotion and another year in the second division.
Arfsten made the U.S. World Cup team but played just a single minute in the tournament. He’ll always be a more matchup-dependent selection because he’s not a traditional left back, but if he shows that he can be relied upon a bit more on defense while still driving to support the attack down the wing, he could play a much bigger role for Mauricio Pochettino going forward, especially with Antonee Robinson creeping toward 30 years old.
Reyna’s disappointing stint at Gladbach that saw him play fewer than 600 minutes is over and now he’s on his fourth club since January 2024, joining Strasbourg with the hope of getting his career back on track.
The New York City FC academy alumnus was arguably the most accomplished and exciting young player the U.S. has ever had when he was lighting it up alongside Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund, but injuries have taken their toll on Reyna’s career. He hasn’t played 1,000 minutes in a season since he turned 20 and when he does play, he has been much slower.
Still, his technical skill remains. There’s a reason clubs continue to take chances on Reyna, and Mauricio Pochettino’s controversial decision to include him on the World Cup roster paid off with his sublime trivela goal in the win over Paraguay. He has ability with the ball that maybe no American man has ever had, and if he can ever find fitness, he could be an incredible asset for both club and country.
Strasbourg is Reyna’s latest opportunity to get right, with the slower pace of Ligue 1 potentially offering him a welcome respite from the speed of the Bundesliga and Premier League, where he has played previously. The club is owned by Chelsea‘s parent company, so players from the Premier League side are constantly being funneled, but they haven’t signed anyone in the attacking midfield spot that should block Reyna. In fact, they are reportedly entertaining offers for Julio Enciso, potentially clearing out room in that part of the pitch.
It’s hard to believe that Reyna is going to get a consistent run of matches anywhere right now considering his recent history, but this could be the move that opens the door to him reestablishing himself so his tremendous talent can shine again. It’s just a question of whether his body cooperates.
You wouldn’t think that the Whitecaps, who lead the Western Conference and are in the Supporters’ Shield race, would part with their star midfielder and undercut their chances of lifting their first major MLS trophy. That’s especially true when the fee is reported to be around only $2 million, according to The Athletic, but Berhalter’s contract in Vancouver was set to expire in December and the Whitecaps opted to get something for him while they could.
This move puts Berhalter squarely in a promotion battle, with Middlesbrough coming off a fifth-place finish and making a slew of signings with the money generated from Hayden Hackney‘s transfer to Everton.
Hackney’s departure is both a blessing and a curse for Berhalter, as it gives him a great chance to start every week for Boro alongside fellow American Aidan Morris, but expectations will also be high because he has to replace such a good player.
Berhalter is a tremendous ball striker and his ability to ping it will be an asset both from open play and on set pieces, and he’s a fiery player who isn’t afraid of physicality, so the adjustment to the Championship and a promotion battle should suit him just fine. The question for Berhalter has been whether he has the athleticism and ability to hang in the middle of the pitch over 90 minutes at a high level, and this will be a big test of that.
If he excels at Boro, not only could he find himself playing in the Premier League in a year’s time, but he also will position himself for a regular role in the U.S. midfield.
There was a time when it looked as if Reynolds might be the future at right back for the U.S., having impressed enough as a teenager at FC Dallas to earn a move to AS Roma. That hasn’t quite panned out, with Reynolds playing only six times in Serie A and having last appeared for the U.S. in 2023, but the 25-year-old has quietly built a nice career in Europe and is now moving from Westerlo in Belgium to Stade Rennais in France.
Reynolds should have a chance to play regularly at Rennais after the club cycled through out-of-position right backs for much of last season. Whether it was Przemyslaw Frankowski, Alidu Seidu, Mahamadou Nagida or Mousa Al-Tamari, they were playing center backs, left backs and midfielders at right back. Now Reynolds comes in as an established player at the position who can play in a back four. But the player who grew up as a forward can also push into a wingback role when the French club goes three in defense, as they did at times last season.
Stade Rennais are coming off a sixth-place finish in Ligue 1 and are only two years removed from six consecutive seasons in European competitions, so this is a meaningful step up for Reynolds and a chance to test himself at a higher level than he has been at since he was at Roma. It’s a big opportunity for the Texan, who has stabilized his career, carved out a real reputation for himself and now could even find his way back to the national team if he shows that he’s up to the level in Ligue 1.
Kochen has long been a target of fascination for U.S. fans, having come through Barcelona‘s La Masia academy, but the 20-year-old hasn’t had much of a professional career yet with only 37 appearances with the club’s B team. That should change this season, with the goalkeeper heading to Lyngby Boldklub in Denmark on loan.
Lyngby Boldklub were just promoted to the Danish top flight and have immediately put Kochen into the lineup to start their season. If that continues, it will make it a successful loan because the priority for the goalkeeper at this point is simply playing.
The U.S. was burned by shaky goalkeeping at the World Cup as Matt Freese struggled, but uneven play between the sticks has become the norm for the team. The Americans haven’t had a reliable backstop since Tim Howard at the 2014 World Cup and there’s no obvious answer to the problem now, so what they need is to cast as wide of a net as possible and cross their fingers someone good comes along.
Kochen is part of that wide net. Though he hasn’t played much at the professional level, he has played at every youth national team level, Mauricio Pochettino has tapped him in for training camps and Barcelona thought enough of him to make him their third goalkeeper last season, in addition to his time with their reserve team. He’s only 20 years old and now he’s going to be playing full time in a serious European first division.
If Kochen performs well at Lyngby, he’s going to put himself in a position to make a move to a higher level next summer and maybe be the future in goal for the U.S. Now he’s at a club where he’s going to get every opportunity to make good on years of expectations.
Mauricio Pochettino is back with the USMNT. These should be his top priorities
USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino during a World Cup training session in June. Jamie Squire / Getty Images
It was an immediate alert from Pochettino that this won’t just be a carryover from the 2026 World Cup, which had some bright moments but ended with a brutal 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16. Pochettino said he will “set a different principle, with some similarities, but of course completely different,” from his first 18 months with the U.S. That actually makes sense. When Pochettino was hired previously, his job was focused on the narrow, short-term aims of a home World Cup.Now, Pochettino will have a more robust outlook on a cycle that has a finish line four years in the future — a lifetime in professional soccer.With that in mind, here are some top-priority things that should be on Pochettino’s to-do list as he begins this first full cycle as U.S. men’s national team coach.
Integrate new faces into the program
It’s critical that Pochettino not allow the program to stagnate at this key moment of transition.
The U.S. team that largely made up the 2022 and 2026 World Cup rosters needs to change, a process that should start immediately, even if it means calling in players who aren’t quite ready. In defense and goalkeeper, in particular, the U.S. could benefit greatly from a wholesale restocking of talent.
Regardless of position, it is in Pochettino’s best long-term interest to start integrating younger players so they are more prepared if their careers advance. That means summoning Zavier Gozo, who arguably should have been on the 2026 roster, and other teen rising stars Mathis Albert, Peyton Miller, Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti.
It also means building relationships with the generation coming behind them, including 18-year-old Philadelphia Union center back Neil Pierre and 16-year-old Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan, who likely need more seasoning before earning senior caps, but can start to be integrated in different ways around the program. (This will tie in with a later point about working with U.S. U-23 coach Steve Cherundolo for the 2028 Olympic Games.)
Midfielder Adri Mehmeti, 17, has turned heads at Red Bull New York this season.John Jones / Imagn Images
Recruit dual-nationals
One of the important parts of being an international manager is helping convince players who could play for more than one team. This is especially true when you are the coach of the U.S. men. Yes, you should want players who want to be with you, as Pochettino has previously said. But there is an element of making them feel wanted, the benefits of which were made clear by Folarin Balogun’s success at the World Cup.The biggest name right now is German-American center back Noahkai Banks, who has a relationship with Pochettino and his staff after coming to one camp last year already, but stopped short of declaring his allegiance to the U.S. in the spring even as a potential World Cup berth was looming.With a squad that has some clear need areas, Pochettino has to lean into the recruitment aspect more as he pushes for players like the 19-year-old Banks, including versatile 18-year-old Chelsea prospect Landon Emenalo, a player Pochettino fast-tracked into first-team training when he coached Chelsea; 18-year-old Bayer Leverkusen winger Montrell Culbreath; 16-year-old Bayern Munich goalkeeper Leonard Prescott and even a longshot such as 23-year-old Japanese-born goalkeeper Taishi Brandon Nozawa.
Win a trophy
For all the touting of Pochettino’s impact since his arrival, the U.S. has yet to win a trophy under him.The team was embarrassed in the 2025 Concacaf Nations League final four, with losses to Panama and Canada. They fell in the 2025 Gold Cup final to Mexico. Wins in upcoming friendlies against Mexico and Canada would be nice. Pochettino’s combined record against those two rivals is 0-3.
More importantly, though, they have to start to show they are the dominant team of the region. Winning the Nations League would at least match what was accomplished under Gregg Berhalter, who won it in 2021 and 2024 (along with a Gold Cup in 2021); and also BJ Callaghan, who won the 2023 Nations League as interim manager.
Strike a balance in what could be a crucial 2028 summer
We don’t know for sure just yet, but two summers from now could be quite the proving ground for the U.S. player pool.It has long been rumored that Copa América could be returning to the U.S. in 2028, and if that winds up being the case and it’s another combined CONMEBOL-Concacaf production, then the Americans will want to put the best team possible on the field. Two years ago, a failure to get out of a Copa group on home soil is what ultimately cost Berhalter his job. For Pochettino, that tournament would be the closest approximation to a World Cup challenge that he’ll get in this four-year cycle.
But the summer also gives the U.S. another chance to win in another home tournament with a major spotlight: the 2028 Olympic Games.
The U.S. hired Cherundolo, the former LAFC manager and U.S. World Cup veteran, as coach of the men’s Olympic team, which will also want to secure the best possible team talent for that U-23 tournament. How can Pochettino assist there? By building and cultivating his existing relationships with teams in Europe and MLS, who aren’t required to release players for the Olympics (the men’s tournament is not on the FIFA international calendar), but would be for Copa América.
That could present some unique player decisions, presuming nobody would feature in both competitions. For example, how does Pochettino manage Gozo and Alex Freeman, both of whom would be eligible for the Olympics if released but could be important pieces for the Copa team? And which over-age players (teams can feature three players over 23 on their squads) would go to the Olympics?It will be an important balancing act over the next two years.
After an uneven and injury-hit World Cup, what’s next for Christian Pulisic with the U.S?Fran Santiago / Getty Images
Manage the veterans in the pool
The U.S. should be looking to bring in some of the young players, but Pochettino also needs to figure out how to best handle Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Balogun.
Pulisic came under heavy criticism for his comments after getting injured in the U.S.’s 4-1 loss to Belgium. He had a difficult World Cup. After being the best player on the field in the first half against Paraguay, Pulisic exited with a calf injury and missed the Australia win, then didn’t make much of an impact against Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina before an awful showing in the Belgium defeat, during which he exited injured again.
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How does Pochettino handle bringing Pulisic, when fully fit, back into the mix? They had an up-and-down relationship, at least publicly, over the last two years, but it should still be expected that Pulisic will play an important role for the U.S. even as he crosses into his 30s during this cycle.
Pochettino should be thinking about what to do with all of his veterans, though. Is it worth calling them in for an entire summer Gold Cup during an “off year” edition in 2027? That feels like a prime opportunity to accomplish two other checks on this list: integrate new faces and work with Cherundolo on the Olympic team. The 2027 Gold Cup could be an opportunity for players like McKennie, Adams, Pulisic, Balogun, Malik Tillman and others to have some off time ahead of a (potential) 2028 Copa, 2029 Gold Cup and 2030 World Cup gauntlet.
That doesn’t mean Pochettino should relent on making sure players don’t pick and choose what camps they take part in, though. That complacency and entitlement were what he tried to weed out of the national team in the first place. Even so, it’s up to him to balance the minutes of his most important players while seeing both the short and long games. With World Cup qualifying, Nations League and summer tournaments, he has to find the right way to build up both the starters and depth of the 2030 World Cup team.
Paul Tenorio is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers soccer. He has previously written for the Washington Post, the Orlando Sentinel, FourFourTwo, ESPN and MLSsoccer.com.
Julio Cortez / AP Photo
For Pochettino and USMNT, second-cycle success means bucking history, resisting offers
Mauricio Pochettino is back for a second cycle with the U.S. men’s national team, but the high-profile coach returns to the job with less shine and more to prove — along with the need to halt a trend that has plagued his predecessors in a similar position.
The last time we saw Pochettino, the U.S. was licking its wounds after exiting its home World Cup with an embarrassing 4-1 round-of-16 loss to Belgium in Seattle. The Americans were one win away from matching a modern-era program best and reaching the quarterfinals. It was what, nearly eight years prior, a group dubbed as a “golden generation” set out to do in reshaping the reputation of the U.S. men’s program.ut the gap between securing that one win and falling short of that goal has proven enormous.
Pochettino was paid millions of dollars to cash in on that golden generation and bridge that gap at a home World Cup. He set goals of “touching the moon” and asked “why not us?” when it came to making history. It didn’t happen. The team absolutely captured the country’s attention with wins over opponents like Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Take me home, country roads,” became an American summer anthem.
Ultimately, though, the USMNT was exposed against a superior foe, a plot we’ve seen play out many times before. There may not have been a bigger chance for this program to reshape the narrative for good in front of as big of a captive home audience as there’s ever been. More than 50 million people tuned in, only to witness the U.S.’s gaffe-laden elimination.
Now, Pochettino and his multi-million-dollar salary are back. The mandate is arguably bigger, and progress — defined objectively by getting that one additional win in four years, but with more nuance woven into the journey — is expected. The next cycle is as much about building out the infrastructure and depth of the senior national team as it is managing the trajectory of a group that will be in much more of a transitional phase.
Mauricio Pochettino will look to get the most out of Christian Pulisic over the next four-year cycle.Fran Santiago / Getty Images
Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams will be 31 at the 2030 World Cup. Antonee Robinson will be 32. Tim Weah will be 30. There are still major question marks at goalkeeper and center back. A new generation of players must be integrated — and immediately.Pochettino helped to bring the USMNT program back to its core identity, one in which competition was paramount and full commitment was required. He can be the right coach for this program. But he has to get his decisions right over the next four years while dodging the same dangers that have plagued every other second-cycle coach in team history.And he will do so while another major question hovers over him that perhaps didn’t engulf his predecessors: Is he committed to a full four-year cycle?Speaking to a small group of reporters on Monday, Pochettino relished the chance to start fresh in a familiar role.
“I really believe that it’s an exciting situation for soccer in USA,” he said. “After 18, 19 months working in the objective that was only the World Cup, now to start in a fresh way, with a different approach, trying to create a different philosophy, different idea of what we need to do. To have the possibility to start from zero.“The demand from the vision of the federation for the future, demand us to have a different approach, and to set a different principle, with some similarities, but of course completely different. And our responsibility as a coaching staff is to provide the federation different things. That is why we were working in the last few weeks to try to reveal our way in all different areas, to try to provide better quality, better capacity, better knowledge, in every single aspect. Add different quality to the organization that needs to be fresh.“And I think we need to start from zero … to the goal that is going to be the next World Cup.”
Jurgen Klinsmann was fired two matches into the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup during his second cycle as U.S. coach.Moises Castillo / AP Photo
A horrid history of USMNT and second-cycle coaches
The history of second-cycle U.S. men’s national team coaches over the last two decades, to put it lightly, is not encouraging.
Bruce Arena followed up a 2002 quarterfinal appearance with a winless, group-stage exit in 2006, ranking 25th out of 32 teams. Bob Bradley was fired just a year into his second tenure following a 4-2 loss to Mexico in a compelling 2011 Gold Cup final. Jurgen Klinsmann was fired midway through his second cycle with the U.S. flailing at the start of 2018 World Cup qualifying (a campaign that Arena could not ultimately salvage). Gregg Berhalter was axed after the U.S. was eliminated in the group stage of the 2024 Copa América on home soil. The latter three coaches, like Pochettino, had reached the World Cup’s round of 16.
So why should Pochettino’s second run be any different? He’s unique in that he did not have a full qualifying cycle with the U.S. after his initial hiring. Pochettino goes into this second act with less time as U.S. coach than any of those predecessors. He needs to turn that into an advantage.Pochettino has at times shown a ruthlessness regarding how he approaches player selection. His first two years were defined by his insistence that no one is guaranteed a spot on the national team and that past performance would not dictate call-ups. He mostly stuck to that edict. He’ll need a heavy dose of that mentality going into this second cycle.
It’s also critical that in the two-week September-October window, which will feature four friendlies, we see Pochettino begin the transition of this national team with some new faces.Real Salt Lake’s Zavier Gozo (if healthy), and Red Bull New York’s Adri Mehmeti and Julian Hall, none yet 20 years old, should all be integrated into the group. He should also consider other Olympic-eligible players like 18-year olds Peyton Miller (New England Revolution) and Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union). Former USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard has called for 16-year-old Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan to get the call now, too.Pochettino said Monday that this cycle will be a chance to bring players “that maybe we didn’t have time to assess during that process that was very compact and very short period,” and to open “the possibility to perform and to be part of that next process.”This isn’t just about throwing bones to the next generation of players coming through, it’s sending a message that was clear during the World Cup: the depth has to improve — and quickly.
It is easy, of course, to get caught up in the hype of players who are almost all potential. It’s enticing because it’s easy to imagine what they could be. More important, however, is that Pochettino doesn’t get caught in the trap that is often the downfall of second-cycle coaches: leaning on your favorites so much that you’re blinded to what else is out there.It’s human instinct to call on the players you trust. But Pochettino has to keep that mentality that helped pull this U.S. team out of its funk post-Copa América. He has to encourage competition. The fall friendlies and November Nations League matches shouldn’t be tantamount to a ticker-tape parade for a round-of-16 World Cup team. This isn’t a celebration tour. It should be an announcement that the build is starting anew.
Pochettino seemed to indicate he felt the same way on Monday, and he didn’t shy away from the idea of integrating new faces into the program. With a home Olympics coming in 2028, it’s a big moment for the next generation.“It’s going to be important to provide the young kids that we really believe that they have the potential to arrive in 2030, in four years, to start to work and start to grow, and settle the principle that we expect from them,” he said. “I think now, after our experience, we need to provide everyone — the players that were with us in the World Cup, or were in the last process; and the new generation, a new young player, or player that maybe that mature, they didn’t have the possibility to be in that process — they need to feel they, if they perform, can have the possibility to to join us.”
Mauricio Pochettino and longtime assistant Jesus Perez are back to oversee the USMNT.David Gonzales / Imagn Images / Reuters
Warding off the lure of Europe
Pochettino’s second run with the U.S. will always have that one big commitment question humming in the background.
Part of the answer will be determined by how big of a buyout U.S. Soccer put into the contract and the structure of that clause. Is the figure escalating over the course of the four years? Are there different figures for different prospective suitors?
In reality, though, a buyout can be just a negotiating point. If a coach wants to leave, the odds are he is going to. Pochettino has always insisted that when he commits to something, he sees it through. He proved that once in this job. But in less than two years as coach of the U.S., he also gave multiple interviews in which he talked about his desire to coach again in the Premier League and win trophies on offer only in European club football.
In March 2025, he told Sky Sports, “Look, when I left the club I always remember one interview I said I would like one day to come back to Tottenham and that is of course … I am in the USA, I am not going to no, I’m not going to talk about that, but what I said then still after six years or five years, I still feel in my heart that, yes, I would like one day to come back.”
In June 2025, he shot down rumors about a return to Tottenham Hotspur as “not realistic.”Five months later, in an interview with BBC Sport, Pochettino called the Premier League “the best league in the world.”“Of course I am missing it,” he said. “I am so happy in America but also thinking one day to come back to the Premier League. It’s the most competitive league.”
In February 2026 on the High Performance podcast, Pochettino said he most wanted to win the Champions League and Premier League titles — even as the World Cup awaited just four months later.“I don’t know how, but I’m going to achieve it [winning the Premier League title],” he said. “I don’t know in which club.”
Pochettino was asked Monday if he’d tell European teams “no,” that he was committed to the U.S. for four years, when they came asking.
“Today it’s like this. Because already I say no. Too many possibilities, I say no without a contract in the federation,” Pochettino said. “Like (what) happened in the last 18 months. Always we were thinking beyond after the World Cup. … But the problem is, four years’ time is a really long period. You never know what can happen in soccer. Today, people really love you, but (in the future) maybe that changes, that feeling.
“That is why, for us, every time we sign a contract, it’s to go to the last day of the contract. If we sign a four-year contract, we need to think to arrive there. And we signed the contract because we really believe that we are going to be four years there. Because if not, it’s bad. If we don’t believe in that process, if we don’t believe in that journey, why (would) we sign four years? Only to be sure that we are going to receive a salary on the end of the month? That is not nice. It’s not the way that we think. We really signed that contract because we really believe that we can arrive to the end.“But in life, nothing is sure. Less in football. Who knows, if it’s in the opposite. Maybe the federation say, ‘OK, we cannot stick with you,’ in two years, in one year, I don’t know. For me, that is why the contracts are important, and always when we negotiate and we agree things, it’s important that the federation and us will feel comfortable in all the agreements that we make, and to sign that contract, thinking in to arrive to the last day.”
It would be a mess if U.S. Soccer were left to conduct a search again in the middle of World Cup qualifying. Pochettino’s return can be a good thing for U.S. Soccer. It could be a legacy-defining move for the coach. If he remains here through 2030, he’ll have spent more time with U.S. Soccer than anywhere else in his career, including Tottenham.
But everyone should heed history’s warnings here. For Pochettino, it will require a different strategy — in part by leaning into his already-established ethos — to make this work.
Paul Tenorio is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers soccer. He has previously written for the Washington Post, the Orlando Sentinel, FourFourTwo, ESPN and MLSsoccer.com.
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Spain Wins WC Final 1-0, Messi gets ripped off in Awards
Ok lets start with the World Cup final – Spain scored the winner late (Spain Goal) and held on for the 1-0 victory (Highlights) in Extra time thanks in large part to the send off of Enzo Fernandez on a hard tackle earning his 2nd yellow card. (The shame is his first yellow was for dissent and his sendoff ruined the game basically giving the win to Spain). Yes Spain dominated possession and deserved the goal after making Argentina’s GK Martinez (should have won Golden Gloves) make the most saves (11) ever in a WC Final. But Argentina had come back so many times late and in Extra Time but never had to do it a man down – and yes they had 3 shots on goal in ET (not zero) as many folks in the Press have reported – (more than Spain BTW in ET). Either way Spain kept the ball from Messi for the first 95 minutes of the game – and took the game out of his hands with their high press and ball control. Cudos for Spain a deserving World Cup winner who gave up just 1 goal in the World Cup. But the awards at the end were ridiculous! Unai Simon for Golden Glove? He had 10 saves all World Cup long (4 impressive) – Martinez had 11 in the final. Real Top 10 WC Goal Keepers. The 2nd was Rodri winning the Golden Ball as best player? Seriously? Across the entire WC NO ONE was better than Messi (8 goals, 4 assist, 5 Man of Match, created 29 chances on goal). Messi got ripped just because he couldn’t pull off a Miracle late game goal for a 4th straight game. Whoever decided the individual awards was simply blinded by Spain winning, Best young player was right in Pau Cubarsi (of Spain) however and best coach – though not a category was Spain’s De La Fuente hands down. I was extremely disappointed in the fighting post game by Argentina – the poor sportsmanship was astonishing. However the MEDIA got it wrong when they said Argentina turned their backs on the medal presentation to Spain – the Argentine Fans were singing goodbye to Messi – who stood alone in tears looking into the crowd and his teammates simply joined him in acknowledging the Argentine fans who were singing to Messi. The Real Reason Argentina Turned Their Backs on Spain … Folks can get on Argentina all they want about the after game fights – but THEY DID NOT PURPOSELY TURN THEIR BACKS ON SPAIN during the medal presentation – so just stop!
So what really happened to Argentina in this final? That was not the Argentina we have seen this World Cup late in games. I have heard conspiracy theory’s about FIFA sending a letter to Argentine officials telling them they can’t win, I have heard about a fight between coach Scaloni & Messi pregame (evidently Scaloni wanted to play a low block and counter – which is what Argentina did) and Messi wanted to attack and possess more. While some of that may be true – I think Spain simply took the fight out of Argentina much the way they did vs France. They kept possession and did not let Messi get comfortable with the ball – until the last 10 minutes or so when Argentina was pressing for the equalizer. (an equalizer I feel would have come late if Argentina was not a man down in the last 15 minutes). Give Spain and Del Fuente credit – all he’s done is win his only 3 tourneys coached – Nations League 2023, Europa 2024, World Cup 2026. That’s 13 wins no losses and 1 tie during the streak. (that’s never been done before). Somebody tell Del Fuente its nice in the US in the winter time – maybe he’s ready for a change. LOL. I will have more about the US breakdown and my personal trip across the west to follow the US in next week’s OBC.
MLS Allstar Game Wed, 8 pm on Apple/MLS Skills contest Tues 8 pm Apple Free
Lionel Messi is one of four players to have been ruled out of Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game at Charlotte, N.C., as he recovers from the World Cup (More); everything you need to know about the All-Star game (More) |The game has evolved beyond a typical exhibition. For MLS, it represents an opportunity to showcase the league’s growth and competitiveness. For Liga MX, it is a chance to defend its long-established reputation as the region’s traditional powerhouse. Thanks World, We’ll Take it From Here – MLS is Back
Indy 11 Loses at Home 1-0, Travels to San Antonio Fri 9 pm, Returns Sun 8/9 @ 5 pm vs Hartford
Indianapolis – Indy Eleven had its 10-game home league unbeaten streak (9-0-1) snapped in a 1-0 loss to Loudoun United FC at Carroll Stadium. The run without a home loss in the USL Championship lasted nearly a full calendar year, starting last August and concluding with a 2-0 win over Charleston Battery on July 4. The Boys in Blue earned a plethora of chances, finishing with 20 shots, 14 shots from inside the box, 10 shots on target, nine corners, and 36 crosses. But Loudoun goalkeeper Ethan Bandré had an extraordinary performance, making 10 saves, tying the the most in a USL Championship match this season. At the midpoint of their season, Indy Eleven is in playoff position in eighth with 15 league games remaining. The Boys in Blue take a 2-0 record against the USL Championship Western Conference this season to San Antonio FC on Fri. July 31 at 9 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Indy Eleven returns home on Sunday, August 9 at 5 p.m. vs. Hartford Athletic. It is a 317 Night, so fans can purchase $11 tickets through the link and add on an Indy Eleven Medical Scrub Cap at checkout for $15 (cap must be picked up at the match). Ticket options include the new Desnuda Tequila Deck, Family Four-Packs, and Flex Mini-Plans.
Wed, July 29 8 pm Apple Free MLS Allstar Game vs Liga MX 8 pm CBSSN KC Current vs Racing Louisville NWSL 10 pm CBSSN Bay FC vs Gotham FC Fri, July 31 7:30 pm Apple Free NYCFC vs Toronto FC (Stewart) 8 pm Prime NC Courage vs Orlando Pride (Marta) NWSL 9 pm CBS Golazo Indy 11 @ San Antonio FC Sat, Aug 1 4 pm CBSSN Racing Louisville vs Chicago Starts NWSL 6:30 pm Tubi, Ion KC Current vs Angel City (Thompson) 7:30 pm Apple Free Cincy vs San Jose 7:30 pm Apple Free DC United vs Nashville SC 7:30 pm Apple Free Inter Miami vs Columbus Crew 7:30 pm Apple Free Vancouver Whitecaps vs LAFC 8:30 pm Apple Free Chicago Fire vs Charlotte 8:45 pm Ion, Tubi Bay FC vs Seattle Reign NWSL 10:30 pm FS1 Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders Sun, Aug 2 12 noon ESPN Wrexham vs Sunderland 4 pm ESPN+, Des Liverpool vs Leeds United 4 pm CBSSN Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs San Diego Wave 7 pmVictory+Plus.nwslsoccer.com Utah Royals vs Portland Thorns 9 pm ESPN Denver Summit (Heaps) vs Boston Legacy Wed, Aug 5 10 pm CBSSN Denver Summit (Heaps) vs NC Courage Sat, Aug 8 8 am CBSSN Chelsea vs AC Milan 11 am CBSSN Man United vs PSG 4 pm Ion, Tubi Denver Summit vs Utah Royals 4:30 pm Apple Free New England vs Houston Dynamo 6:30 pm Ion, Tubi Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs NC Courage 8:45 pm Ion, Tubi Houston Dash vs KC Current Sun, Aug 9 4 pm CBSSN Boston Legacy vs Portland Thorns 5 pm ABC Indy 11 vs. Hartford Athletic 9 pm ESPN Seattle Reign vs Angel City (Thompson)
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FIFA has announced its ‘Dream XI’ of the 2026 World Cup, which was decided by fan voting throughout the tournament. It features three players from eventual champions Spain, the same number from France and two from Argentina, with England’s Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland of Norway and Cape Verde’s Vozinha completing the line-up.
To make life a little more interesting, we asked some of The Athletic’s writers to choose their best XI from this World Cup, with one rule: they could have a maximum of two players from any one nation.
Nobody went for Unai Simon, despite the Spain goalkeeper conceding only once in eight matches en route to lifting the trophy, while the cap on how many you could choose from each country meant there was room for some slightly left-field names. Julian Quinones and Youri Tielemans, come on down.
Here are those teams, along with their reasons for picking them…
The most obvious alternatives in central defence were Argentina duo Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez, but while they both made eye-catching contributions in certain moments, I felt they were all over the place in the victories over Cape Verde and Egypt in the knockout stage. I’ve turned instead to Diney, who was outstanding for Cape Verde in the group stage, particularly that opening 0-0 draw with Spain.
Brett Davis/Imagn Images via Reuters/Brett Davis
In goal, there will be a lot of votes for Vozinha, whose heroics for Cape Verde at the age of 40 were wonderful to watch, but I felt there was a stronger case for Egypt’s Mostafa Shobeir.
The front six picked themselves, really. It wouldn’t be any different without the restrictions.
It might seem a little surprising to have only one player apiece from runners-up Argentina and third-placed England, but it was the back-four positions that were up for grabs and I didn’t feel either of those teams defended particularly well. They were heavily reliant on Lionel Messi and Jude Bellingham, respectively.
There would be a case for England’s Harry Kane and Ousmane Dembele of France, but it’s impossible to look beyond that Kylian Mbappe-Erling Haaland-Lionel Messi front three.
Mark Carey
It is an outside, data-led shout, but Switzerland’s Gregor Kobel deserves credit for exceeding shot-stopping expectations — conceding four goals fewer than the quality of shots he faced, which is more than any other goalkeeper in the tournament.
Daniel Munoz’s marauding, box-crashing runs were as much of a joy to watch for Colombia (below) as they have been for Crystal Palace, while England’s Djed Spence secured his cult-hero status with some memorable moments at both ends of the pitch on the other flank. Cubarsi and Martinez can hold the fort while the full-backs push on, with both being excellent in possession throughout this World Cup.
Daniel Becerril/Reuters
Rodri’s place in the team was never in doubt, but from here things get a little… top-heavy.
I have squeezed in Bellingham in a deeper midfield role (one he did play on occasion this summer), to allow Messi to play as the No 10 ahead of him. While those two scored 15 goals between them, both are also crucial in catalysing their team’s attack creatively from the middle third of the pitch.
I am shifting Michael Olise back to the right flank after his World Cup roaming central role, while Mbappe is moved from his centre-forward role to the left side — given that he drifts into those spaces anyway.
That allows me to shoehorn in Haaland through the centre, with a ridiculous return of seven goals from five games in his first World Cup.
Phil Hay
It’s not too easy to think outside the box because this World Cup was dominated by the biggest names, right from the start.
Messi, Mbappe and Haaland all have to figure up front. They notched 25 goals combined. There’s also no way you can leave out player-of-the-tournament Rodri (back to his Ballon d’Or-winning best). Similarly, Bellingham and Olise were too influential to overlook.
At the back, though, I thought I’d mix it up a little (with the exception of Cubarsi — again, he should make every XI here). Munoz scored a beauty for Colombia from right-back and was full of beans until his team ran out of steam against Switzerland in the last 16. Pico Lopes put in a huge shift for lovable Cape Verde, and Spence (below) came of age internationally with England. He was one of this World Cup’s surprise packages.
Elsa/Getty Images
Really, Cucurella should have been at left-back with Unai ‘You shall not pass’ Simon in as the goalkeeper, but the rules set for us meant my quota of Spaniards was full. So for good reason, I went with Australia’s Patrick Beach in net.
Amelie Claydon
Rodri is the foundation. The Golden Ball winner controlled Spain’s title run, completing a tournament-record 790 passes. His positional discipline will also give Bellingham and Olise the freedom to play further forward. Mbappe is equally unavoidable after winning the Golden Boot with 10 goals, while Messi is my team’s chief creator.
Vozinha made the case for an expanded World Cup and supplied much of the tournament’s romance. The 40-year-old former electrician made seven saves in that goalless draw with eventual champions Spain, then another eight against Argentina as Cape Verde pushed the holders turned runners-up into extra time.
Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes provide elite pace and recovery speed that allow Messi and Mbappe to move into central areas without leaving the side too narrow. Manuel Akanji offers composure and experience between them, while Cubarsi (below) takes Spain’s second allowed place after winning the Best Young Player award and helping the tournament’s winners concede just once in their eight matches.
Calvin Hernandez/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Haaland gives the attack a focal point after his seven goals powered Norway to the quarter-finals. His movement and physical presence would create space for Messi and Mbappe.
Bellingham also scored seven but earned his place for more than his goals, supplying pressing, late runs into the box and essential midfield balance. Olise completes my trio after seven assists, making him the tournament’s outstanding provider.
Kane is unfortunate to miss out, but selecting him would overload an attack already containing three elite finishers.
Colin Millar
Until the quarter-final stage, this World Cup was dictated by stars: chiefly Messi, Mbappe, Olise, Bellingham, Haaland and Kane. It was telling that none of the obvious names then scored in the semi-finals or final, which was fitting for a tournament won by Spain: the epitome of a collective excelling ahead of individuals.
Focus will be on that mesmerising Spanish midfield, but in truth their entire game — which conceded just one goal and 10 shots on target in eight games — was built on an excellent defence whose positional sense, discipline, focus and technical quality were streets ahead of any other side.
Vozinha was the personal story of the tournament in the only team capable of stopping Spain: his performances for Cape Verde in the opening game and in extra-time defeat to Argentina bordered on heroic.
Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Julian Quinones was the standout player among the three co-hosts, scoring in four of Mexico’s five games, including several stunning strikes.
Honourable shoutouts to Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, Norway’s Martin Odegaard, Johan Manzambi of Switzerland, Cape Verde’s Pico Lopes, Ismaila Sarr of Senegal and Ivory Coast’s Yan Diomande. Oh, and the entirety of Spain’s starting line-up.
George Edwards
The many underdog stories of this World Cup seem eternities away now, but they made its early stages gripping, and Vozinha, a clubless 40-year-old playing for rookies Cape Verde, ended the tournament as the only goalkeeper to stop Spain from scoring.
Cubarsi’s composure both on the ball and in defensive actions rightly earned him young player of the tournament, and despite William Saliba never looking fit, France only seemed capable defensively with him by Dayot Upamecano’s side.
Flanking them, the availability of Hakimi and Spence would allow progression up the park, as well as the Moroccan’s recovery pace and the Englishman’s one-on-one speciality protecting what is admittedly an attack-heavy line-up.
Rodri’s ability to consistently make the correct decision in any scenario and his building presence as the tournament progressed was testament to the ripening of Spain — his composure would allow Bellingham and Manzambi (below) to float between midfield and attack as they saw fit.
Alex Grimm/Getty Images
The selections of Mbappe and Messi need no explanation, toppling and toying with records between them across the World Cup, and Haaland’s stubborn No 9 positioning and instinct gives this team the sharpest possible blade.
It’s very attacking, and relies heavily on Rodri’s anchoring, but given that 11 Spaniards cannot be selected, balance has gone out the window.
Eduardo Tansley
Rodri was the first name on the sheet, earning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player — while leading Spain to victory.
I had to max-out my Cape Verde picks as they were the fairytale of the tournament: unbeaten in the group, including that goalless draw with Spain, and then going toe-to-toe with Argentina before being beaten in extra time. The people have spoken, with Vozinha on close to 30 million Instagram followers, and Lopes recruited via LinkedIn to play a blinder at the World Cup.
In defence, Spence didn’t start every game, but after fans questioned his inclusion by Thomas Tuchel, he turned out to be one of England’s most valuable contributors. Cubarsi was an assured presence in Spain’s back line at just 19 years old, and Munoz scored twice to help Colombia win their group ahead of Portugal. I wish I could include more Spain defenders considering they only conceded once.
Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Mikel Merino of Spain were in with a shout in midfield, but there were a lot of attacking options to fit in.
Kane was one of the players of the tournament as well, but I chose its two top scorers in Mbappe and Messi and its record assist-maker Olise.
Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images
In his first World Cup, Haaland helped knock Brazil out with a brace on the way to the quarter-finals, scoring seven goals and starting various massed rowing incidents.
Bellingham was the match-winner against Norway (and settled things against France), and no Englishman has scored more World Cup goals at one tournament than his seven in this edition.
Spain are worthy World Cup winners. It’s a victory for method over madness
The Spain squad join captain Rodri to lift the World Cup trophy – a title they fully deserve Jose Hernandez/Anadolu via Getty Images
Had you closed your eyes, you might have thought you were sitting in Las Ventas, the famous bullring on the outskirts of Madrid. The fight wasn’t quite over yet, but it had reached the stage where the matador felt ready to tease the raging bull. “Ole!” the delighted Spanish supporters shouted. “Ole! Ole! Ole!”
After 104 games across three countries over five and a half weeks, the 23rd edition of the men’s World Cup was down to its closing stages. Spain had finally made the breakthrough in the final and glory was within touching distance. For a couple of minutes, they kept possession like it was a training-ground rondo, enraging their opponents. Argentina’s players saw red, their fury growing with every pass. Ole! Ole! Ole!
The late Cesar Luis Menotti, the cerebral coach who led Argentina to their first World Cup triumph in 1978, said in 2004 that Spanish football, having underachieved on the international stage for so long, needed to “forget its fury and decide if it wants to be the bullfighter or the bull”. It caused indignation in Spain at the time, but Menotti was right. In the past 18 years, since embracing possession-based football like never before, Spain’s men have won the European Championship three times and now the World Cup twice.President Donald Trump booed at World Cup final | World Cup Daily Briefing
Megan Feringa and Laura Williamson
It is a remarkable run of success and, while the first five weeks of this World Cup were dominated by the exploits of star players such as Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, few would dispute that Spain, after a slow start, asserted themselves as the outstanding team come the tournament’s business end. They beat Mbappe’s France 2-0 in the semi-finals and then, after 105 minutes of stalemate, a goal from Ferran Torres broke the increasingly fraught resistance of Messi’s Argentina in the final.
It was a triumph of teamwork, of intelligent, controlled possession football and of composure in contrast to their opponents’ aggression and paucity of attacking ambition. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second bookable offence just before the end of regulation time and the ugly antics of Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina at the end were in keeping with a performance that did not yield a single shot until the closing minutes of extra time.
Ferran Torres hammers home the winning goalJewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images
The way it unfolded called to mind two previous World Cup finals.
Long before he became FIFA’s chief of global football development, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had a dim view of the international game, likening it to “fast food” as opposed to the haute cuisine produced by the best club teams. A national-team coach, he told reporters in 2010, “has to make a quick meal and he has little time to do it. There’s little time to practise, to work on the style of the team, so… it’s instinctive, quick-fix management”.
Argentina were carried to Sunday’s final by a wave of emotion and by the genius of their 39-year-old captain. Spain, by contrast, were a calm, controlled, measured side, built on sound footballing principles. Their win was a victory for method over the madness that always threatened to be Argentina’s undoing.
Where does the greatest credit lie? Their captain Rodri, of Manchester City, won the FIFA Golden Ball award as the tournament’s outstanding player, looking back to something like his best form in midfield nearly two years after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Pau Cubarsi beat his fellow Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal to the young-player award after another outstanding performance alongside Aymeric Laporte in central defence. Full-backs Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella excelled at both ends of the pitch. Fabian Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Pedri, Nico Williams, Mikel Oyarzabal and others have made big contributions along the way, as did Torres by coming off the bench to score the World Cup-winning goal.
Pau Cubarsi, Rodri and goalkeeper Unai Simon, who won the Golden Glove, with their awards after the finalCarl Recine/Getty Images
But more than any of that, it comes down to the collective, to what is not just a coherent playing style in the senior team but a joined-up approach to developing players — and indeed coaches. Two of the most successful club coaches of this era, Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, are Spanish, as are the coaches of five Premier League teams, including champions Arsenal (Mikel Arteta), Europa League winners Aston Villa (Unai Emery), Chelsea (Xabi Alonso), Fulham (Alvaro Arbeloa) and Liverpool (Andoni Iraola).
England reached the World Cup semi-finals this summer under a successful and high-profile German coach, Thomas Tuchel, whose approach to the tournament seems to reflect the “fast food” approach of Wenger’s description. Spain have entered another golden era under a coach, Luis de la Fuente, who spent nine years coaching their under-19 and under-21 national teams.
“I never imagined anything like this,” De la Fuente, 65, told reporters after Spain’s victory yesterday. “I always just wanted to enjoy those moments I was experiencing (with the development teams). I always worked and coached where I wanted to be. When you look at this process, we couldn’t have achieved anything on this journey without these players and with the knowledge of the raw materials and the way Spanish players play and compete.”
Luis de la Fuente has now guided his team to the European Championship and World Cup doubleMaurice van Steen/ANP via Getty Images
It has not been uninterrupted success, or anything like it. There were painful learning experiences between winning Euro 2012 under Vicente del Bosque and reclaiming that title 12 years later with De la Fuente. Neither is the modern team a facsimile of the generation built around a Barcelona midfield of Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta; this one can look a little more functional, until it comes to the flamboyant threat of Williams and particularly Yamal on the wings.
But eventually they dominated this World Cup final. By the end of 90 minutes, they had recorded 66.2 per cent of the possession and 15 shots to Argentina’s zero. Extra time continued in the same vein and, while they were accused of being too devoted to their passing game in that group-stage draw against Cape Verde (just as they were when they were knocked out of the previous World Cup in 2022 on penalties by Morocco after recording 77 per cent possession in that match), their patience and confidence in that style has sustained through the rest of the tournament.Spain defeats Argentina to win the World Cup
David Ornstein and Lia Griffin
There was a direct element to the goal — a hanging cross from Porro, a clever and determined far-post header by Williams and an emphatic Torres finish — but it was a product of a controlled, composed performance that always looked likely to wear Argentina down eventually.
Yamal is the face of this Spain team, the one who will be on billboards for years to come, but that word “team” overrides everything else. In a World Cup that was so often illuminated by the game’s biggest stars, glory was claimed by the strongest collective.
It goes back to the message De la Fuente said he gave his players before the game.
“I told them, ‘Gentlemen, we have an appointment with history — and we want to be there first’,” he said.
It took a while, but in the end they got there with a flourish. Ole! Ole! Ole!
Oliver Kay Before joining The Athletic as a senior writer in 2019, Oliver Kay spent 19 years working for The Times, the last ten of them as chief football correspondent. He is the author of the award-winning book Forever Young: The Story of Adrian Doherty, Football’s Lost Genius.
So why should you be tuned in today to watch the World Cup Final? Because its the Best team from Europe vs the Best from the Americas? Or because over 1.6 billion people are expected to watch across the world (compared to the Superbowl at 125 million), because its the culmination of the a month long tourney which over 5 billion people watched and captured even the heartbeat of America? No you should watch today – because the GOAT – the undisputed GREATEST SOCCER PLAYER of all Time is playing in what should be his last International Competition. He was considered the GOAT based on his club play for Barcelona over the past 25 years – but that was solidified when he lead Argentina to the World Cup Championship 4 years ago. Now the chance at a 2nd straight title for Argentina (which would match the Great Pele for Brazil 1958 – 1962) is upon us.
Argentina has grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat 3 times in this run to the Final — tied with Cape Verde in the Round of 32 late, trailing the Swiss with 10 minutes to go in the round of 16 and finally down 2 goals in the Semi-Final vs England. Each time it was Messi who lead the charge delivering assists and goals to help lead Argentina to victory. What he is doing at 39 years old is matched by only perhaps the Great Tom Brady – QB for New England. You MUST WATCH TODAY because this is history – this is a chance to see the GOAT of a sport: Futbol ride off into the sunset with his country Argentina and millions of others like me crying on the sideline. Do yourself a favor – watch and Enjoy!!
Now onto the game today – listen Spain is really really good. They are the best defensive team in this tourney – having only given up 1 goal this entire World Cup – that to the explosive France. They do this by possessing the ball for endless amounts of time, a good center defense and a very good goalkeeper in Unai Simone?? So can Argentina press the attack and keep the ball enough to worry the Spanish? I expect Spain will have 70-30 possession until its crunch time. I think Spain will take a 1-0 lead late in the first – and Argentina will again – make a go in the last 20 minutes to net the equalizer. Then in Extra Time – before overtime – Messi will find a way to get Argentina a goal and take home the victory. Or so I hope – Argentina wins it 2-1.
Here are a ton of things about Messi
Congrats to the Carmel FC U13 Girls, Coach Matt, Coach Tracy, and all the families – Finishing off with a 1-0 victory against Real NJ, closes out a season culminating in the @usysnationalchampionship. Its the furthest a Carmel FC team has ever gone!
TV Schedule
Sun, July 19 3 pm Fox WC FINAL – Argentina vs Spain 7 pm Victory+ Boston Legacy vs Washington Spirit All games on Fox, FS1 & Telemundo Wed, July 22 MLS 7:30 pm Apple Free Columbus Crew vs NYCFC 7:30 pm Apple Cincy vs Vancouver 7:30 pm Apple Inter Miami vs Chicago 7:30 pm Apple Philly vs NY Red Bulls 8:10 on FS1 Charlotte vs Atlanta United 10;30 pm FS1 LAFC vs Real Salt Lake Fri, July 24 8 pm Victory+ Houston Dash vs Bay FC NWSL 10 pm Prime Portland Thorns vs Gotham FC Sat, July 25 5 pm Tubi, Ion Boston Legacy vs KC Current 7 pm FS1 Columbus Crew vs Cincinnati FC Sun, July 26 5 pm CBSSN San Diego Wave vs Seattle Reign 7 pmVictory+ Washington Spirit vs Denver Summit 9 pm ESPN Angel City vs Racing Louisville
Good Morning World Cup Fans MIB
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World Cup final: Argentina vs. Spain – What you need to know, predictions, odds
ESPN
Jul 19, 2026, 02:46 AM ET
We’re down to the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as there are now just two teams still harboring dreams of becoming world champions. We’ve seen 46 teams — including co-hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States, as well traditional powerhouses Brazil and Germany — fall by the wayside over the past month. Now only reigning world champions Argentina and reigning European champions Spain still have their eyes on victory in the final in New Jersey on Sunday. But how did we get here? Who are the players who have stood out the most? And what are the moments that we’ll never forget? ESPN’s Mark Ogden brings you up to date with answers to all of those questions, Sam Tighe looks at where the final will be won and lost, a selection of our writers who have been reporting on the tournament give us their predictions on the winner, and we’ll bring you the latest betting odds via DK Sports.
Spain vs. Argentina (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET | East Rutherford, New Jersey)
SPAIN
How they got here: The European champions have flown under the radar at this tournament after opening up with a shocking 0-0 draw against Cape Verde. But despite that inauspicious start, Spain have quietly gone about their business and conceded their first — and only — goal of the tournament in the 2-1 quarterfinal win against Belgium. Any doubts over La Roja’s ability to go the distance were emphatically blown away with a 2-0 semifinal win against France in Dallas. Luis de la Fuente’s team went into that game as underdogs because of France’s impressive run to the last four, but Spain defeated Les Bleus with a dominant performance that showcased the very best of the Euro 2024 winners.
Star player: Mikel Oyarzabal is the unheralded striker who always delivers for Spain, and the Real Sociedad forward has done it again at this World Cup, where he has scored five goals in the team’s run to the final. Oyarzabal scored the winning goal in Spain’s Euro 2024 final win against England in Berlin and, with three goals in the knockout stages of this World Cup, he has helped take his team to the final. The 29-year-old has spent his entire career with Sociedad and lacks the star quality of many of his teammates, but Spain wouldn’t be playing on Sunday without his goals.
Best moment: Pedro Porro‘s goal in the 2-0 win against France made the game safe, but it was the manner of the goal which stood out. The Tottenham Hotspur defender is not one of Spain’s attacking players, but he took his goal with such calmness and authority — it highlighted that this is a team that can hurt an opponent from all areas of the pitch.
Why were Argentina able to come back vs. England?
ARGENTINA
How they got here: On paper, Argentina have had an easy route to the World Cup final having avoided an opponent in the top 15 of the FIFA world rankings until facing England — ranked fourth — in the semifinals. But while their path has looked straightforward, it has been anything but with Cape Verde taking the world champions to extra-time before losing 3-2 in the round of 32 and Egypt claiming an “injustice” after VAR decisions contributed to their 3-2 defeat in the round of 16. Switzerland looked set to take Argentina all the way to penalties — or even beat them — during a hard-fought quarterfinal that only turned following a red card for Swiss striker Breel Embolo. England were five minutes away from the World Cup final before Argentina turned the semifinal on its head with two late goals, but Lionel Scaloni’s side have certainly played on the edge — but they keep on winning.
Star player: Lionel Messi — who else? The 39-year-old carried Argentina to glory at Qatar 2022, but it’s incredible to think that until recently, there were doubts as to whether he would even play in this tournament. He has not only played, he has dominated, and he goes into the final tied with Kylian Mbappé on eight goals in the race for the Golden Boot. But while Messi is everything for Argentina, it is only fair to mention Lautaro Martínez and Enzo Fernández because both have delivered in big moments. Lautaro has three goals at this tournament and Enzo has netted twice — both scored in the 2-1 win against England, so Messi knows he has a reliable support cast.
Best moment: Argentina and Messi have had plenty, but the moment that has made this World Cup for La Albiceleste is Lautaro’s winning goal against England. The semifinal was such a tense, emotional encounter, so to win the game with a header from Messi’s cross will be a highlight of Lautaro’s career and a moment that will be remembered for a lifetime in Argentina. — Ogden
Where will this game be won?
The original ethos of the World Cup was to bring together the globe’s various different footballing styles and approaches, then pit them against each other to see who emerges victorious. In that sense, Spain vs. Argentina is a fitting finale to this year’s edition; it’s the ultimate battle between consummate control and frenetic frenzy.
Spain got the whole world talking with their remarkable dismantling of France in the semifinals, winning 2-0 thanks to a performance that held that vaunted attacking trio of Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé to almost nothing; Fabián Ruiz and especially Rodri delivered a masterclass in midfield that allowed for total domination.
France boss Didier Deschamps failed to match up tactically (and numerically) in midfield and it cost them. They also could not get a handle on Dani Olmo’s one-touch playmaking, or Yamal’s speed and directness on the flank.
Argentina will not make the same mistake. This is a team that floods the middle of the pitch with numbers in order to get players combining quickly with Messi, and an important part of their game is committing little fouls to break up their opponent’s rhythm. Can Spain keep their nerve and stave that off?
That, truly, is the key question here, and it’s not a case of doing it for 60 or 70 minutes and being fine — it’s a case of doing it for all 90. Because La Albiceleste‘s track record of launching late sieges in this tournament is stunning, as the defeated trail of Cabo Verde, Egypt, Switzerland and England will attest.
It is remarkable what Messi & Co. can conjure when their backs are against the wall with the clock ticking. This match will not end quietly. — Tighe
Laurens: Halftime shows should be left to American sports
Predictions
Becherano: Argentina 2-1 Spain. It’s hard to imagine Argentina not clawing their way to the trophy after the way they’ve played this tournament. The team have found scrappy ways to win, proving that you don’t always need to play well to eliminate a rival. It won’t be the prettiest game of football from either side, but Argentina may just have enough to become consecutive World Cup champions.
Carlisle: Spain 2-1 Argentina. Argentina’s survival instincts are off the charts, but they haven’t yet faced a technically superior team. That changes with the matchup against Spain, who will starve La Albiceleste of the ball much like they’ve done to other opponents, giving La Roja their second World Cup title.
Connelly: Spain 4-1 Argentina. With the way Argentina put together late-game charges, you either knock them all the way out ahead of time or you get knocked out in the 12th round. We’ll say it’s the former (though the latter wouldn’t be surprising at this point).
Dawson: Spain 3-1 Argentina. Argentina’s knockout games have been entertaining but chaotic. If Spain can find the same level of control as they did against France, they’ll score first and be able to withstand Argentina’s late push to close out the game.
Hamilton: Argentina 1-3 Spain: Spain won’t make the same mistakes England did. They’ll score one, and then go for another – just like they did against France. Argentina will have their moments but this is Spain’s final. They know how to control big matches, how to nullify threats (Mbappe and Dembele) and their form is ridiculously good. Argentina have completed many Houdini-esque escapes, but this is one ask too many.
Olley: Spain 2-0 Argentina. Spain have peaked at the right time and have the mixture of togetherness and composure that can see off an Argentina side that are probably a little lucky to reach the final.
Ogden: Spain 3-1 Argentina. My predictions in the knockout stage have been woeful, so I need to redeem myself with the final and that’s why I am tipping Spain. Argentina have Messi, they have the desire, they will probably have 90% of the fans in MetLife Stadium on Sunday, but Spain are so good with the ball and so full of quality that I am tipping La Roja — and if it descends into a scrap, they showed against France that they can get tough when they need to.
Lindop: Spain 2-1 Argentina. Both of these teams have recent experience of international glory, but ultimately I think Spain’s superior quality will win out. Argentina have ridden their luck at times in this tournament, and I expect Spain’s well-drilled possession game will prove too much for the reigning world champions.
Marcotti: Spain 2-1 Argentina. I write this in the full knowledge that Messi can subvert logic and football. However, if Spain keep the ball half as well as they did against France, it’s going to be very hard for Argentina to create chances: they’re another side that simply doesn’t match up well with De la Fuente’s crew.
Odds (via DK Sports, correct at time of publication)
Spain: +115
Argentina: +285
The two teams being level after 90 minutes is +200.
For the past two decades, watching Lionel Messi has been a joy, a privilege and a source of near-constant wonder. There are good footballers, there are great footballers and then there is Messi, who plays as if he has been sent here from another dimension, a superior life form inside the 5ft 7in frame of a normal guy from Rosario, Argentina.At the dizzy peak of his powers at Barcelona, spanning all the way from the late 2000s to the early 2020s, he took the breath away almost every time he played. In the blink of an eye, he went from mesmerising to killer mode. He didn’t just score goals at a prodigious rate. He created, caused havoc and performed in a way that left even the most cynical press-box veterans in thrall. Watching Messi at this World Cup — and indeed the previous one, given how little we knew at the time — has felt different. You are not just watching in awe of his other-worldly talent. You are watching in disbelief that he is still doing it, albeit perhaps more sporadically, at the age of 35 in Qatar in 2022 and at 39 now, and knowing, in the knockout stages, that each time might be the last you see him play on the sport’s biggest stage.Beyond that, there is the knowledge that every game, every performance, every dramatic intervention on Argentina’s behalf, is embellishing a sporting legacy that already seemed complete. Among those who have long felt Pele’s or Diego Maradona’s legacies unsurpassable — perhaps even for a small minority of those who insist the Argentina captain is not the greatest of the modern era — Messi is challenging deeply entrenched beliefs. Sunday’s final against Spain will be Messi’s last game on the World Cup stage. He has made that clear — even if he said the same thing in 2022 and for a long time afterwards, reflecting that leading Argentina to glory at his fifth attempt, fulfilling his life’s ambition, “closed a circle” and represented the perfect ending.This time it really will be the end. That song Argentina’s players and fans have been singing, which features a well-documented line about wanting to win the World Cup “por las Malvinas” (for the Falkland Islands, the subject of a decades-long dispute with the UK), also contains a line about wanting to do it “por la ultima de Leo” (for Leo’s last one).
Messi has appeared far more emotional at this World CupGetty Images
He might yet continue as far as the Copa America in 2028, also to be held in the United States, but the 2030 World Cup looks beyond even his remarkable powers of endurance. For the vast majority of sports fans across the world, those who are not minded to tune in to follow his exploits for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, this could, realistically, be the last time they see Messi play.At times over the past five weeks, it is as if that realisation has dawned on him in the closing stages of games. For long periods he has been quiet until, at 2-0 down against Egypt in the round of 16 and trailing England 1-0 in the semi-final, a raging intensity has taken hold of him. As his former Barcelona team-mate Thierry Henry put it, in the Fox studio: “You do not (want to) wake up the beast. You look at his eyes, and he switches. When he goes into that mood, it’s very difficult to stop him. He starts to take the ball and dribble past almost everybody to try to change the game.”The danger is that, if Argentina find themselves trailing once again in Sunday’s final, their opponents will be far less accommodating than Egypt and particularly England were. England’s response to taking the lead against Argentina in Wednesday’s semi-final in Atlanta was to retreat further and further until Messi’s inevitable impact, setting up goals for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez. By contrast, Spain’s response to going 1-0 up against tournament favourites France 24 hours earlier was to double down and dominate the game until they scored a second.CSince a stuttering start with a draw against Cape Verde, Spain have looked the most complete, most cohesive team at this tournament. Argentina have played in bursts, frequently drawing on their never-say-die spirit as well as Messi’s brilliance. Bookmakers’ odds, data-based predictive models and indeed the majority of Athletic readers in our predictions hub lean towards a Spanish victory at MetLife Stadium.That said, France were favourites in the last final and Argentina beat them, albeit by the finest of margins, recovering from the shock of Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick before holding their nerve to win the penalty shootout.In 2022, there was much focus on the symbolism of a meeting between Messi and Mbappe, seemingly the heir to the Argentinian’s throne. Mbappe is a wonderful player, as he has demonstrated for France during this World Cup, but Messi has remained pre-eminent, even while playing his club football in Florida. Now thoughts turn to whether the final might see the torch passed to Spain’s 19-year-old phenomenon Lamine Yamal, which would be all the more poignant given the extraordinary circumstances of their only previous meeting.In these situations, the narratives can be so seductive. But in Messi’s case, his status and his legacy are surely by now so secure that he has nothing left to prove.The same feeling took hold in the build-up to the 2022 World Cup final. The notion that Argentina had to win it in order to secure his position on the pantheon of all-time greats, elevating him to the level of Pele and Maradona, was appealing but ultimately facile. Had Argentina lost that penalty shootout, rather than won it, would it really have caused Messi’s career to be seen in a less favourable light?It probably would, but it shouldn’t. Before that World Cup final in Qatar, he had played 1,002 games at senior level for club and country. In that time, he had changed our perception of what elite performance in football looks like. The idea that his legacy should hinge on the outcome of one game — let alone a game settled on a penalty shootout — was the 1,003rd game of his career for club and country. His greatness had already been proved over and over.The same applies now. Sunday’s final will be the 1,196th game of his career. It makes little sense to suggest that his legacy hinges on whether or not, at the age of 39, he is able to lead Argentina to a second world title.But that word “lead” is significant because, for years, leadership was the one thing Messi was perceived to lack. His talent was extreme, but his introverted personality seemed at times to inhibit him on the World Cup stage, where the burden of trying to deliver glory for his country — as Maradona did so memorably in 1986 — weighed so heavily on his shoulders. Maradona himself remarked after Argentina’s defeat by Chile in the 2016 Copa America final that Messi had “no personality” and lacked the “character” to be a leader.
Messi has a devoted following among Argentina’s playersElsa/Getty Images
In 2016, Messi was faced with a dilemma: fight or flight. His instinctive reaction, tearful after losing another final, was to throw in the towel, to announce his career with Argentina was over at the age of 29, to focus on his club career, which by comparison brought him so much joy and so little anxiety. But then he listened to his heart, listened to the advice of his nearest and dearest, and pledged to carry on trying to bring Argentina success. He reevaluated his role as a captain and a leader and made it his greatest obsession. He finally won his first senior trophy with Argentina at the Copa America in 2021. Since then, they have won the Finalissima (a one-off match between the champions of Europe and the Americas), the World Cup in 2022 and the Copa America again in 2024. Now he has the opportunity to win his second World Cup and Argentina’s fourth. In some ways, watching this late-career Messi has become just as compelling an experience as watching the one who recorded a quite absurd 91 goals and 22 assists for Barcelona and Argentina in 2012. Not as reliably, breathtakingly, constantly brilliant — you would not expect that of a 39-year-old — but perhaps slightly more human, more relatable, more conscious of his own (notional) fallibility and of how time is now so precious, particularly in those moments when Argentina’s ambitions have been hanging by a thread. He knows his time as a footballer is running out. He knows his powers have to be used more selectively these days. There have been times at this World Cup, even until the closing stages of the semi-final against England, when it has felt as if his previous endeavours might just have caught up with him. Watching him has become a more intense, more dramatic experience, perhaps less about appreciating his incredible talent and more about marvelling at his ability to conjure up one more piece of magic when the stakes are so high and when time — not just on the scoreboard but on his body clock — appears to be catching up with him. He is astonishing: the prolific goalscorer who is also a selfless creator; the virtuoso who brings out the best in every team-mate; the quiet, unassuming guy who is transformed with a ball at his feet; the teenage wunderkind who is illuminating the World Cup more brightly than ever in his 40th year. Now, as ever, he leaves his audience in thrall. Oliver Kay Before joining The Athletic as a senior writer in 2019, Oliver Kay spent 19 years working for The Times, the last ten of them as chief football correspondent. He is the author of the award-winning book Forever Young: The Story of Adrian Doherty, Football’s Lost Genius.
Messi’s Argentina face Spain in today’s 2026 World Cup final: Live updates
Argentina attempt to defend their title against European champions Spain.
The Athletic Live Team
July 19, 2026 at 12:15 PM EDT
Argentina take on Spain in today’s World Cup final. Getty
Luke Brown·
Senior Managing Editor, Live
Spain vs Argentina — Latest
The 2026 World Cup winners will be crowned today at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Spain and Argentina meet in the final, bringing the curtain down on a 104-match tournament staged across North America.
Follow our live coverage for all the latest news, updates and analysis from our team.
2m ago
Ed Mackey·
Senior Editor, Live
Spain look almost impenetrable
Getty Images
Spain are only slight favourites, but I think they should be more highly fancied to win this World Cup final.France had become many people’s favourites to win the tournament after they way they ripped through everything in front of them, but then they were soundly dispatched by Luis de la Fuente’s men in the semi-final.Spain have conceded just one goal at this tournament and we are often told that defence wins you titles. Well, their defence looks worthy of winning this title.To their credit, Argentina were great against England after going behind but they have struggled their way through this World Cup a little.They needed extra time to see off Cape Verde and 10-man Switzerland, while they left it late in normal time against Egypt and England.Granted, they also kept finding ways to win on their way to the trophy four years ago but I can see Spain keeping them at arm’s length today.
Check our tournament hub for on-the-ground reporting, instant scores, and expert analysis as the drama unfolds.
Mark Carey·
Football Writer
Spain have the edge
Getty Images
Sunday will have the first- and second-placed teams in FIFA’s current global rankings going head-to-head, and is the first World Cup final between the reigning European Championship and Copa America title holders.
The Athletic’s forecast model gives Spain the edge, with a 59 per cent chance of victory to Argentina’s 41 per cent.
Neither nation has made a habit of losing in recent years: Spain’s last competitive defeat came in March 2023 away to Scotland during qualification for a European Championship they subsequently won, and Argentina haven’t been beaten in a major-tournament knockout since the 2019 Copa America semi-final against Brazil.
They have won three major tournaments on the bounce in the years since. Something has to give today. May the best team win.
Andrew Marchand·
Senior Writer, National
Fox quartet including Henry, Lalas to arrive by helicopter
Getty Images
Fox’s top studio crew of Rebecca Lowe, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry and Alexi Lalas started the network’s four-hour pregame show at 11 a.m. ET under the Brooklyn Bridge.
So how will they get to MetLife Stadium for the rest of the show? A little after noon ET, the foursome will travel by boat and helicopter.
20m ago
Michael Dominski·
Deputy Managing Editor, Live
IShowSpeed to perform?
Getty Images
In addition to the unprecedented half-time show, today’s final will also feature a closing ceremony for the World Cup, which will begin 90 minutes before kick-off.
Rapper Post Malone will headline the show, which will also feature performances from Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and IShowSpeed.
What IShowSpeed will be performing is anyone’s guess. Tom Cruise will also be making an appearance.
Closer to kick-off, Jennifer Hudson will sing U.S. national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” and Christopher Macchio will perform “America the Beautiful”.
2Max Mathews·
Staff Writer, Live
Argentina fans span the globe
Getty Images
As you can see from this snap in Kolkata, India.
These guys are performing a yagya, a special prayer to express their hopes for Argentina’s victory.
Our reporter Anantaajith Raghuraman dives into the phenomenon of support for the South American nation in Bangladesh, which borders India, below.
These two men are the leading goalscorers for our two finalists and will be tasked with leading the charge again today.
Mikel Oyarzabal has been superb for Spain, after also playing a key role at Euro 2024, while Lionel Messi is… Lionel Messi.
It feels that if Argentina are going to have a chance, the 39-year-old is going to have to play a starring role again.
Will Jeanes·
Senior Editor
This tournament could be the highest-scoring since 1958
Getty Images
If there are five goals in today’s final then the 2026 World Cup will have averaged exactly three goals per game.
That would be the first time a World Cup has averaged three goals per game (or higher) since the 1958 tournament (3.6).
46m ago
Max Mathews·
Staff Writer, Live
Tom Cruise is here!
Getty Images
Seeing the Hollywood star and failing to mention him feels like Mission Impossible.
Max Mathews·
Staff Writer, Live
Sounds like pretty good conditions to play football, Aaron.
Albeit maybe a little hot.
51m ago
Aaron Mentkowski·
Meteorologist
How’s the weather looking today?
Getty Images
A pleasant day for the World Cup final. kies have cleared out after yesterday’s storms and the smoke from the Canadian wildfires, and it will be mostly sunny today.For the 3pm ET start of the match, the temperature will be near 82F (28C), winds will be northwesterly at five to 15 miles per hour, and the humidity levels will be comfortable.
Luke Brown·
Senior Managing Editor, Live
Reuters
Pope Leo XIV has been greeting people at the Piazza della Liberta in Rome today, where a number of the faithful have brought Argentina and Spain flags.
The Pope said earlier this tournament that he was rooting for the United States.
That’s because his other two favourite teams — Italy and Peru, the country where he has spent most of his life and started following soccer — had failed to qualify.
What can we expect from the half-time show?
Getty Images
In genuinely unprecedented scenes — rather than the standard sporting hyperbole — the interval during the World Cup final will extend beyond the usual 15 minutes and could last between 25 and 30 minutes. Alongside the introduction of hydration breaks, the first Super Bowl-style half-time show at a World Cup final represents another American influence on this tournament. Madonna, Shakira and BTS will headline the show, with Justin Bieber also among the performers. Whether the managers will extend their team talks accordingly remains to be seen.
Nancy Froston·
Senior Writer, Live
Has Messi surpassed Maradona?
Getty Images
One player has traditionally been revered above all others in Argentina: Diego Maradona.
Would a second World Cup triumph elevate Lionel Messi beyond his former national-team manager?
His performances at this tournament may already have done so in the eyes of some supporters.
Messi has arguably sustained excellence for Argentina over a longer period. Another victory today would strengthen his claim to be regarded as the greatest player of all time.
1h ago
Luke Brown·
Senior Managing Editor, Live
Getty Images
Legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer is among the first to arrive at MetLife Stadium today.
Buffer, 81, is the official announcer for the World Cup final.
1h ago
Nancy Froston·
Senior Writer, Live
Do not expect to see Messi running today
Getty Images
It might be the World Cup final, but if this tournament has taught us anything, it is that Lionel Messi will spend much of the match walking.The challenge for Spain will be keeping track of him while he appears relatively inactive, before he suddenly comes to life and causes problems for their defence.Messi will remain heavily involved — he will simply do it at his own pace.
2h ago
George Edwards·
Sports Writer
Who is the referee?
Getty Images
Slavko Vincic will referee the World Cup final. It will be his first Argentina match since their shock 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia in the opening game of the 2022 tournament.
The 46-year-old Slovenian has officiated three Spain matches, all victories at European Championship finals. They include the 2024 semi-final win over France before Spain went on to lift the trophy.
Vincic is appearing at his second World Cup and fourth major international tournament. He also refereed the 2021-22 Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers and the 2023-24 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
Today’s final will be his sixth World Cup match. His most recent was Ecuador’s round-of-32 defeat by Mexico, during which he sent off Piero Hincapie following a confrontation with Santiago Gimenez.
Vincic also oversaw the group-stage meetings between Brazil and Morocco and Jordan and Algeria at this tournament. At the 2022 World Cup, he refereed England’s 3-0 group-stage victory against Wales.
Vincic was in tears when he learned of his appointment at FIFA’s refereeing base in Miami on Thursday.
2h ago
Conor O’Neill·
Senior Football Writer
Where will the game be won and lost?
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The final could hinge on Argentina’s ability to withstand Spain’s intense pressure.
Lionel Scaloni’s side struggled against England’s high press early in their semi-final, managing only three touches in the opposition penalty area before half-time.
Unlike England, Spain are unlikely to retreat or tire to the same extent, leaving Scaloni to devise a way through that sustained intensity.
Argentina tend to grow into matches. If they can withstand Spain’s suffocating counter-press, the final could develop into a battle for control.
Alongside the contest in midfield, the individual duels on the flanks could prove decisive.
2h ago
Melanie Anzidei·
Football Writer
Spain hope training disruption does not affect them
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Spain’s final training session on Saturday was cancelled after initially being delayed when a lightning storm moved through the area.
The same weather system affected the start of Argentina’s session, held about five miles away in Morristown. Their training was delayed by approximately 45 minutes before beginning at 12.15pm.
Argentina’s players appeared unfazed by the disruption. All 23 outfield players were seen passing among themselves and appeared in good spirits during a rondo.
Conditions alternated between steady rain and torrential downpours — common summer weather for local residents in New Jersey.
2h ago
Aaron Mentkowski·
Meteorologist
What is the weather looking like for the final?
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
It will be another active weather day, with an Air Quality Alert in effect until this evening and a Flood Watch continuing until late tonight.
Showers and thunderstorms are likely, with heavy rain potentially causing flooding in areas with poor drainage. Severe storms are also possible later this afternoon, bringing damaging winds, large hail and even isolated tornadoes.
The rain should help to clear some of the smoke from the sky. Yesterday’s rainfall may be described as “dirty rain”, a common occurrence during wildfires.
As raindrops fall through the atmosphere, smoke particles attach themselves to the water and fall to the ground through a process known as wet deposition.
When the rain dries, those particles remain and can leave brown or grey spots on windows, cars, decking and other outdoor surfaces. Prolonged rain is far more effective at clearing the air than a brief shower.
The rain is expected to ease and the sky should clear during the afternoon.
By the 3pm ET kick-off, the temperature is forecast to be around 28C (83F), with mostly sunny conditions and the thickest smoke having cleared.
Will Argentina be affected by their knockout-stage exertions?
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One factor that could work against Argentina is the demanding nature of their matches at this World Cup, particularly since the end of the group stage.
Cape Verde took Lionel Messi and company to extra time in the round of 32 before Argentina eventually emerged as 3-2 winners and avoided one of the greatest upsets in the competition’s history.
In the round of 16, Egypt led 2-0 with 11 minutes remaining, although Argentina recovered to win 3-2 without requiring extra time.
10-man Switzerland then took the holders to extra time in the quarter-finals, before Argentina eventually prevailed 3-1.
Lionel Scaloni’s side trailed England until late in their semi-final, but two goals in the closing stages completed another comeback and sent Argentina into a second successive final.
Spain, by contrast, have required a couple of late winners but have not been taken to extra time at this tournament.
Jordan Campbell·
Football Writer
What can Argentina learn from Scotland’s win?
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Scotland set up in a 5-4-1, with their wide midfielders choosing their moments to press Spain’s centre-backs and disrupt the build-up.
After taking the lead — with both goals originating from the left — Scotland defended deeply and encouraged Spain to cross because of their limited aerial threat.Frustrating Rodri was crucial. Avoiding an indiscr
Another option is to disrupt Spain emotionally — something Argentina are capable of doing — with Rodri likely to be a particular target if they can get close enough to him.
3h ago
Max Mathews·
Staff Writer, Live
Who were the last team to beat Spain in 90 minutes?
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Perhaps a little surprisingly — with all due respect to Steve Clarke and company — it was Scotland.
Spain have conceded only once in seven matches at this tournament and are unbeaten in 37 games, equalling the men’s international record set by Italy. That sequence includes their penalty-shootout defeat by Portugal in the 2025 Nations League final, which officially counts as a draw.
Their run stretches back to March 2023, when Scotland beat them 2-0 at Hampden Park. No team has defeated Spain inside 90 minutes since.
3h ago
Max Mathews·
Staff Writer, Live
Expect plenty of touchline antics
Reuters
Our writers were asked to make some extremely specific predictions before the semi-final between England and Argentina.
This reporter predicted that an Argentina substitute would storm off the bench and onto the pitch to confront the referee over a decision.
I was half-right. Instead, Valentin Barco sprinted onto the field and celebrated in front of several England players after Enzo Fernandez’s equaliser.
John Stones gave him a small shove as he lingered in front of the defender, while Jude Bellingham clipped him around the back of the head after the match.
Spain have also shown a willingness to challenge refereeing decisions, so it would be no surprise to see similar scenes involving either side today.
3h ago
Max Mathews·
Staff Writer, Live
Argentina president absent for superstitious reasons
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Argentina president Javier Milei has said he will not attend today’s final because of superstition.
The 55-year-old will instead watch from the presidential residence in Olivos, north of Buenos Aires, where he has watched each of Argentina’s previous matches at the tournament.
Milei said he became too hot while wearing a jacket during the quarter-final against Switzerland and removed it, only for Argentina to concede. He promptly put it back on.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has also revealed that he steps onto the field with his right foot first.
Do you believe such rituals make a difference? What sporting superstitions can you not let go of? Join the conversation using the tab at the top of the page or email live@theathletic.com.
Max Mathews·
Staff Writer, Live
‘You talkin’ to me?’: How De Niro helped New York New Jersey secure the final
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MetLife Stadium — known as New York New Jersey Stadium during the World Cup — has a charmless exterior, awkward transport links and a playing surface described by players and coaches as “dry”, “hard”, “uneven” and “a bit like artificial turf”.
When The Athletic’s team of football writers ranked all 16 venues a week into the tournament, MetLife finished last. Its aesthetics received a score of 4/10, while its transport and location scored 3/10. A return train ticket from Manhattan for a World Cup match also costs $98 (£73).
Despite those drawbacks, FIFA selected it to stage the most-watched sporting event on the planet, with the global audience expected to exceed one billion. Why?
It may have helped that Robert De Niro, a New Yorker, narrated a three-minute, 20-second video presented to a FIFA delegation.
It began with the Statue of Liberty, her torch reaching towards the sky and described as a beacon shining a light on dreams.
“We dare to dream big, really big, because that is what we do in New York and New Jersey,” De Niro, one of the country’s most celebrated actors, said in a video viewed by The Athletic.
He called the sport football rather than soccer before the video cut to the Empire State Building.
“Are we ready to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup?” De Niro asked. “Come on, baby, we were born ready. Our time is now.”
Credit to Adam Crafton, Henry Bushnell and Dan Sheldon for the reporting.
3h ago
Nancy Froston·
Senior Writer, Live
Rodri will pull the strings
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While Lamine Yamal often dominates the headlines with his attacking displays, Rodri is the player Spain can least afford to be without.
The Manchester City midfielder is a Ballon d’Or winner and has returned to his best after an anterior cruciate ligament injury kept him out for much of 2025.
Expect him to receive and distribute the ball under pressure while dictating the tempo of Spain’s play.
3h ago
Max Mathews·
Staff Writer, Live
Which Spanish substitute might make an impact?
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Alejandro Grimaldo is a tenacious, technically accomplished left-back and a set-piece specialist.
He could provide an important delivery if Marc Cucurella is booked early or Spain need greater attacking threat from that position.
Mikel Merino’s habit of making an impact from the bench is well documented, while Barcelona midfielder Gavi could also have a role after several injury-disrupted seasons.
Liverpool winger Victor Munoz offers unpredictability, while striker Borja Iglesias provides experience and a physical presence.
The 33-year-old was prolific for Celta Vigo and previously refused to represent Spain while Luis Rubiales remained president of the Spanish football federation.
Rubiales had kissed Jenni Hermoso without her consent after Spain won the 2023 Women’s World Cup and initially refused to resign.
Rubiales later stepped down and was found guilty of sexual assault and fined. Iglesias subsequently returned to the national team.
Max Mathews·
Staff Writer, Live
Which surprise Argentina player could make a difference?
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The experienced Nicolas Otamendi, 38, remains a threat at set pieces and could be called upon if Cristian Romero or Lisandro Martinez encounters difficulties.
Thiago Almada has lost his place in midfield but remains a creative option, while 21-year-old Nico Paz could thrive if given a cameo.
Striker Jose Manuel Lopez has been prolific for Brazilian side Palmeiras but is unlikely to feature, with Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez ahead of him in the pecking order
Nancy Froston·
Senior Writer, Live
Messi remains Argentina’s leading figure
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Argentina have several players who are stars at club level, including Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, but nobody has displaced Lionel Messi as the team’s leading figure.
Messi continues to deliver on the biggest occasions, creating and scoring decisive goals. Even when Argentina’s goals come from elsewhere, he is so often involved in their construction.
If anyone can rival his importance, it is goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. But even his match-defining saves tend to be overshadowed by Messi’s contributions at the other end.
4h ago
Nancy Froston·
Senior Writer, Live
Will this be Messi’s farewell?
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We do not know whether this will be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup appearance, but time is clearly against him.
Croatia’s Luka Modric and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo are among the other great players who may have made their final appearances at the tournament.
It seems almost impossible that Messi would return in 2030, when he would be 43, but he has spent his career defying the usual expectations and conventions.
Conor O’Neill·
Senior Football Writer
What should we expect from Argentina?
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Combativeness, a refusal to accept defeat and, of course, Lionel Messi.
Lionel Scaloni’s side have laboured through long stretches of matches before coming alive late on, with 12 of their 19 goals arriving after the 75th minute of normal time.
Sit off them, as England fatally did late in the semi-final, and they possess enough midfield quality to circulate the ball comfortably and create a steady stream of chances.
Their tournament-high average of 5.4 passes per possession sequence reflects that patience and composure. Those combinations are concentrated through the middle, where Messi generally operates.
Argentina have directed a smaller proportion of their passes towards the flanks than any other team at the tournament.
4h ago
Conor O’Neill·
Senior Football Writer
What should we expect from Spain?
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Control, cohesion and dogged intensity without the ball.
Spain’s identity as a possession-dominant, short-passing side is well established. They have remained true to those principles throughout this tournament, averaging 63.7 per cent possession across their seven matches.
That dominance is physically and mentally exhausting for opponents, who are left chasing shadows as Spain’s technicians pass around them with precision.
But their approach is not simply about grinding teams down and waiting for gaps to appear.
Spain’s movement is dynamic, with players exchanging positions and making surging runs that pull defensive structures apart.
4h ago
Max Mathews·
Staff Writer, Live
Parallels with their 1966 meeting?
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Two names stand out when looking through the team sheets from the sides’ only previous competitive meeting, at the 1966 World Cup.
For Argentina, there was captain Antonio Rattin, the powerful Boca Juniors midfielder.
For Spain, there was outside-left Paco Gento, the diminutive Real Madrid great.
And today? Argentina are again led by an influential captain, while one of Spain’s greatest threats is a brilliant winger.
Some things never change.
5h ago
Darren Richman·
Contributor
Head-to-head record
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There is nothing to separate these teams historically.
Spain have won six of their 14 meetings, Argentina have also won six and the other two ended in draws.
It is worth noting that 13 of those matches were friendlies. In their only competitive meeting, Argentina beat Spain 2-1 in the group stage of the 1966 World Cup.
Somewhat surprisingly, given that it took place between Spain’s two golden eras, the most recent meeting between these sides ended in a 6-1 Spanish victory.
Argentina had reached the 2014 World Cup final and the friendly formed part of both teams’ preparations for the 2018 tournament.
Lionel Messi missed the game through injury, while Isco scored a hat-trick for Spain. Both countries were subsequently eliminated in the round of 16 in Russia.
Austin Green·
Staff Writer, Live
Argentina’s journey to the final
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Argentina’s road to a second consecutive World Cup final has been anything but smooth. But boy, it’s been entertaining.
The reigning champions breezed through the group stage, unfurling a team that defended tenaciously and was built to get the best out of a 39-year-old Lionel Messi, whose intelligence, passing and finishing ability has made up for his inability to run like he used to.
Messi scored his first World Cup hat-trick in the opener against Algeria, broke the World Cup all-time scoring record against Austria and scored a vintage free kick against Jordan.
But then the knockouts came, and the road suddenly became much tougher. Messi scored the opener in the round of 32 against Cape Verde, but the underdog African side kept fighting back, first by equalising late in the first half.
Then, after Argentina retook the lead at the beginning of extra time, leveling the score again thanks to an absolute stunner from full-back Sidny Lopes Cabral. It took a Cristian Romero header to create an own goal off a Messi corner kick for Argentina to finally put away Cape Verde for good.
Argentina appeared on the ropes again, down 2-0 against Egypt with a third goal from the Pharaohs controversially ruled out due to a perceived foul in the build-up. Yet they waged a stunning comeback with three goals from the 78th minute to win in normal time.
They did, however, need extra time to get past 10-man Switzerland, with late goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez to avoid penalties.
And lastly, another shock comeback against a stunningly tentative England side, with an 85th-minute equaliser from Enzo Fernandez and a stoppage-time winner from Lautaro Martinez — both assisted by Messi — for a 2-1 win to return to another World Cup final.
5h ago
Austin Green·
Staff Writer, Live
Spain’s journey to the final
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Spain were quickly put on notice in a 0-0 draw against minnows Cape Verde in their tournament opener, the game which made Vozinha, 40, a household name for keeping Spain’s talented attack at bay.
That turned out to be more of a sign of things to come for Cape Verde than Spain, though.
Luis de la Fuente’s side righted the ship with a 5-0 drubbing of Saudi Arabia in their following match and closed off the group stage with a 1-0 win against Uruguay in Mexico.
They breezed past Austria in the round of 32 but needed late winners from substitute Mikel Merino in the round of 16 against Portugal and quarter-final against Belgium respectively.
But Spain saved their best performance for when they needed it most, dominating fellow heavyweights France in a 2-0 semi-final victory.
5h ago
John Riker·
Staff Writer, Live
Who will be the next World Cup host?
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After today, the World Cup jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico will be complete. Fear not – more World Cup action is on the horizon next year.
Brazil will host the Women’s World Cup in 2027, and another group of countries — Morocco, Portugal and Spain — will follow North America with a joint hosting of the 2030 Men’s World Cup.
The 2030 edition, held 100 years after the first tournament, will also see special centenary matches take place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
5h ago
John Riker·
Staff Writer, Live
Recent Golden Glove winners
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Excellent goalkeeping performances are near-essential in launching a nation’s run into World Cup contention, as reflected by the recent run of winners of the Golden Glove award.
Four of the past five Golden Glove winners played on the World Cup-winning squad. Which goalkeeper will join this fine company?
The leading goalscorer at each World Cup receives the Golden Boot — and this year’s race has been historic.
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have not only emerged as the leading contenders for the award but have also become the two highest goalscorers in World Cup history, surpassing Miroslav Klose’s previous record.
Here are the Golden Boot winners from the past five tournaments:
2022: Kylian Mbappe (France)
2018: Harry Kane (England)
2014: James Rodriguez (Colombia)
2010: Thomas Muller (Germany)
2006: Miroslav Klose (Germany)
6h ago
John Riker·
Staff Writer, Live
Recent Golden Ball winners
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Awarded to the tournament’s best player, the race for this year’s Golden Ball remains wide open and could be decided by events in today’s final.
Here are the winners from the past five World Cups:
2022: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2018: Luka Modric (Croatia)
2014: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2010: Diego Forlan (Uruguay)
2006: Zinedine Zidane (France)
6h ago
Lukas Weese·
Staff Writer, Live
World Cup finals decided by penalties
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Ah yes, penalties — the most dramatic way to decide a knockout match after 120 minutes of football.
Four matches at this World Cup have required a penalty shootout: Germany against Paraguay, the Netherlands against Morocco, Australia against Egypt and Switzerland against Colombia. Could a fifth be on the cards today?
Three previous World Cup finals have been decided on penalties.
Brazil’s victory over Italy at the Rose Bowl in 1994; Italy’s win against France in Berlin in 2006, after Zinedine Zidane’s infamous headbutt; and, of course, Argentina’s triumph over France in Qatar four years ago.
It is a brutal way to lose but a euphoric way to win. If today’s final goes to penalties, expect plenty of drama.
6h ago
Austin Green·
Staff Writer, Live
Other awards at stake today
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Remember, the FIFA World Cup Trophy will not be the only prize presented in New Jersey today.
Several individual honours will also be awarded: the Golden Ball for the tournament’s best player, the Golden Boot for its leading goalscorer, the Golden Glove for its best goalkeeper and the Best Young Player award.
We will bring you the latest Golden Boot standings shortly, but several nations could be represented among today’s individual winners.
Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are the leading contenders for the Golden Boot and Golden Ball, although Messi remains in contention to claim both.
The Golden Glove also remains up for grabs, with Spain’s Unai Simon well placed to win it if he produces another strong performance today.
The same applies to 19-year-old team-mate Lamine Yamal, who has been consistently lively without producing eye-catching numbers and remains a leading candidate for the Best Young Player award.
6h ago
Lukas Weese·
Staff Writer, Live
Have Spain and Argentina ever played at a World Cup?
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Yes — Spain and Argentina have met at the World Cup before.
Their only previous encounter at the tournament came during the 1966 group stage, when Argentina won 2-1.
Luis Artime scored twice for Argentina, either side of Pirri’s equaliser for Spain.
The nations have faced each other 14 times in senior internationals, with six wins apiece and two draws.
Today’s final will therefore break the deadlock in their remarkably even head-to-head record.
Why pink boots are causing problems for World Cup commentators
Pink boots are everywhere at this World Cup – much to the annoyance of play-by-play announcers. Alex Pantling / FIFA via Getty Images
When Vicki Sparks takes her seat in the broadcast booth for a World Cup game, she takes out her print-out of the two matchday rosters and scours the field during the warm-ups.As a commentator for the UK’s BBC Sport, one of her first steps in the stadium is to look out for any clues which may help differentiate between the stars in the match ahead. She will scribble little notes by each player’s name.Play-by-play announcers are often positioned towards the very top of vast stadiums, reducing the players to ant-like specks far below. Of course, they have already done hours of preparation, but no stone is left unturned as they seek every marginal gain from the gantry, eager to ensure that the game’s definitive moments can be called with confidence.
They look for signs of any difference between the 20 outfield players in the match: hair color, hairstyle, a wristband, a bandage, whether a player is in a short- or long-sleeved jersey and, in many cases, the color of their footwear.
Yet this World Cup has presented a unique challenge, because so many of the players are wearing pink boots. From such a distance, whether these are made by Nike, Adidas, Puma, New Balance or Skechers, they all look very similar. There are exceptions — including Lionel Messi’s white and pale blue Adidas cleats, or the golden pair designed by Nike for Cristiano Ronaldo — but pink footwear is pervasive at this World Cup.
Why are World Cup boots pink?
The blur of pink has also created complications for announcers such as Sparks, particularly for identifying players from those countries whose national teams are not usually followed by mainstream audiences outside major tournaments. In an expanded 48-team World Cup with increased rosters of 26 players, that leaves commentators trying to familiarize themselves with more than 1,000 individuals. That’s a lot of pink boots.“You want to get them in your head so you can immediately call it,” Sparks tells The Athletic. “The aim is to call it in the moment. Anything that can give you those marginal gains makes it easier and makes it more likely to be more accurate, which is so important as a commentator.“I’ve done some games in the World Cup at SoFi Stadium (in Los Angeles). It is an incredible venue, but you are nearly at the very top of the stadium. Those players are tiny dots running around in front of you, so you are looking for absolutely anything to distinguish. Boots are the first thing you go to, because they stand out and it is just such an easy way. It really helps if you’ve got a mix of colors, you narrow it down.”Ian Darke, who has been working on the tournament for Fox Sports, wrote on X: “Only the commentators care — but why are all the World Cup players wearing the same pink boots? Clearly commercial reasons but so dull and sameish. Don’t they come in other colours anymore?”
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Derek Rae, who has also called games for the same U.S. broadcaster during this World Cup, is more forceful, joking that “pink boots can be banished to the dustbin of history”.Rae tells The Athletic: “People always say, ‘What do you do to make sure your identification is as well-oiled as possible?’ Boot colors are a very important part of that. As soon as the teams come out, I do my writing up of the line-ups. When the players warm up, you can see me with binoculars glued to every single player, looking at their boot colors and other identifying features on that particular day. Pink is the ‘in’ color at this World Cup, much to the chagrin of every commentator, because normally we have an even spread of maybe white, black, red, orange and blue. But this time, it is not much else except pink.“I’m always grateful for the one or two who are not wearing pink. They get big capitals (by their names) with the color that they’re actually wearing!”Sparks laughs: “Leandro Trossard, who played for Belgium, started the tournament with blue boots! I was like, ‘Yes! Thank you, Trossard!’ He has a big ‘Blue’ next to him on my sheet.”For other announcers, different factors have presented obstacles in calling names.Seb Hutchinson, a commentator for ITV in the UK, also has binoculars to hand, but his preparation and visual aids focus more on hairstyle, a player’s gait and the positions they occupy on the field. He says one complication has been identifying the number on the back of player jerseys, particularly where the digits can blend in with the pattern on striped fabric.Ian Dennis, a BBC Radio 5 Live commentator, says the vantage points in NFL stadiums being used at this World Cup have created “a real test for the eyesight”. Dennis, who has been in the U.S. since England first arrived for two pre-tournament friendlies in early June, has another preparatory trick: gaming via EA FC.“At home, I normally play on my son’s game,” he says, adding that the graphics are so “lifelike” that it helps to associate player movements with the figures he calls on the field. “All I do is, for instance, play a video game simulating Borussia Dortmund against Borussia Dortmund. I literally pass the ball from player to player. I don’t play the game as such, but it’s all about number association for me.”
He continues: “Boots are normally a giveaway. But a problem I’ve found is, normally, you spot the numbers on a player during their warm-up and align them with the players early doors. That 15-minute warm-up for a commentator is absolutely crucial, because it gives you an opportunity to look for distinguishing features.
“But one thing I noticed with three or four teams is that, because of the heat at some venues, they were not wearing the kit with their numbers on to warm up, which they would tend to do back in the UK. So they’re wearing different training tops, without numbers, and different shorts. I noticed it with Saudi Arabia and with Iraq.
Not too many pink boots but no numbers as Saudi Arabia warm up to play Cape Verde in Houston on June 26.Leslie Plaza Johnson / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“It means that you can’t get that number association, which is how you identify the players. When the team sheets come out, I can normally say, ‘Right, number 15, black boots or orange boots, blond hair’, and I write it down in little thumbnail descriptions to go alongside the player.”
To Rae, however, the footwear has been the biggest challenge:
“It is obviously our job to know the players, their traits and what they look like on the ball irrespective of boot color… but it has been harder. Also, because the commentary positions in the USA are, by and large, a lot higher than we are accustomed to in Europe and further away.
“That may be a function of how things are set up for the NFL and, talking to colleagues who cover the NFL, they don’t necessarily want to be close to the action. They want to have this bird’s-eye view, as if they’re watching a chessboard in front of them. But, of course, they have spotters who help them with who’s carrying the ball and who’s made the tackle. We don’t have that in our work.
“I’ve never worked with a person who would call themselves a spotter. It’s down to our own identification. We’re always up for a challenge. It is not meant to be easy. I would say the pink boots have definitely been a little bit of a detriment this summer.”
Adam Crafton is a British journalist based in New York City, having relocated from London in 2024. He primarily covers soccer for The Athletic. In 2024, he was named the Sports Writer of the Year by the Sports’ Journalist Association, after winning the Young Sports Writer of the Year award in 2018.
So this fantastic World Cup is wrapping up this weekend with the Current South American Champs Argentina and Messi playing the European Champion Spain and Yamal. Argentina continues to find a way to win games the comeback vs England in the last 15 minutes of the game down 1-0 was a thing of brilliance. (highlights) Let’s be real – England’s Tuchel was an idiot for pulling attackers and replacing them with defenders with 25 full minutes still to go. His approach allowed Argentina to maintain total control of the game and with Messi on the field that is just not a smart thing to do. Just like the last 3 games – Argentina merely found a way to win it. Bellingham was stupid to poke the bear in a confrontation with Messi early in the match Lesson 1 for the from England’s Bellingham was you don’t mess with Messi – 2 – you certainly don’t question him. The quote was supposedly you know the refs are giving you all the calls this world cup – oh and Ronaldo is better – said the Real Madrid man vs the Barcelona legend. It lead to this Last Goal for Argentina and its not coming home for England and their up and comer Bellingham. Now as we head to the battle with Spain what about these pics of Messi with Yamal? Messi: Yamal photo ‘incredible’ path to WC final pret Messi did photo shoot with Baby Yamal. Wild. Listen Spain might be the better team in this final – but you can’t sleep on Messi & the Argentines. I like Arg 2 – Spain 1. Spain has a great D but this is Messi here now.
As for England vs France – the 3rd place game where neither team seems to thrilled about playing – has a chance to be a classic – I mean the odds were these 2 teams would be in the Final – now as 3rd vs 4th its still a great game that I see France winning 3-2 assuming Tuchel doesn’t pull his entire offense off with a 1 goal lead like he just did vs Messi.
Indy 11 lose to Miami, travel to Detroit on Sat
Indy Eleven fell on the road at Miami FC on Wednesday, conceding on both sides of halftime to lose 2-0 at Pitbull Stadium. The defeat snapped a seven-game winning streak against Miami FC in all competitions for the Boys in Blue, who hadn’t lost to their Eastern Conference rival since 2022. Indy Eleven — who entered the game tied for first place in league goals conceded with 12 allowed in 12 games — stayed strong defensively for much of the first half. Indy Eleven have won four of their last six in USL-C play and sit in sixth place in the conference. The Boys in Blue have three games in hand on Miami and two games in hand on three of the other four teams above them in the table. Watch: WRTV 6, ESPN+, Greg Rakestraw & Brad Ring. The next home game for the Boys in Blue is “Princess Night” on Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m. vs. Loudoun United FC. Fans can meet their favorite princesses including the 2026 Indiana State Fair Queen, create magical crafts, get their face painted, and join the halftime Princess Parade. Fans can purchase a “Princess Pack” with four tickets, free parking, $20 in Concession Vouchers, and a 20% Merchandise Discount, along with access to the Fun Zone/Kids Activation Area for just $49. Ticket options include the new Desnuda Tequila Deck, Family Four-Packs, and Flex Mini-Plans.
TV Schedule
Fri, July 17 8 pm Amazon KC Current vs San Diego Wave NWSL 8:10 pm Fox Nashville SC vs Atlanta United MLS 10:25 pm Fox LA Galaxy vs LAFC El Traffico Sat, July 18 12 noon ABC Gotham FC vs Seattle Reign NWSL 2 pm CBS Denver Summit (Heaps) vs Portland Thorns NWSL 4 pm CBS Bay FC vs NC Courage NWSL 5 pm Fox 3rd place France vs England 6:30 pm Ion Tubi Chicago Stars vs Angel City (Thompson) 8:45 pm Ion Utah Royals vs Orlando Pride (Marta) 11 pm Uni Quertaro vs Toluca Sun, July 19 3 pm Fox WC FINAL – Argentina vs Spain 7 pm Victory+ Boston Legacy vs Washington Spirit All games on Fox, FS1 & Telemundo Wed, July 22 MLS 7:30 pm Apple Free Columbus Crew vs NYCFC 7:30 pm Apple Cincy vs Vancouver 7:30 pm Apple Inter Miami vs Chicago 7:30 pm Apple Philly vs NY Red Bulls 8:10 on FS1 Charlotte vs Atlanta United 10;30 pm FS1 LAFC vs Real Salt Lake Fri, July 24 8 pm Victory+ Houston Dash vs Bay FC NWSL 10 pm Prime Portland Thorns vs Gotham FC Sat, July 25 5 pm Tubi, Ion Boston Legacy vs KC Current 7 pm FS1 Columbus Crew vs Cincinnati FC Sun, July 26 5 pm CBSSN San Diego Wave vs Seattle Reign 7 pmVictory+ Washington Spirit vs Denver Summit 9 pm ESPN Angel City vs Racing Louisville
Good Morning World Cup Fans MIB
Day 35 of the Copa das Copas saw a game at biblical levels—and of biblical miracles. A football match between Argentina and England that epic poems will be written about and which tapestries will be woven to commemorate. A clash of football, but also one about war and politics. Imperial colonialism, the death of empire and collective memory, and at the end of the day, Argentina progressed thanks to another epic comeback. England were shattered. They’re gonna make Thomas Tuchel walk home after experiencing this kind of World Cup Final edge-lording and curiosity. 1990, failure. 2018, failure. 2022, failure. All noble failures, but agonizing ones. We’re filming with John Oliver later today and he previously compared England in World Cups to Charlie Brown running at a football with Lucy holding it. Twas always thus, and always thus will be. Much more on yesterday’s stuff-of-legends semifinal below, but for now, Spain await Argentina. In true Atlanta form, they left France smothered and covered. They are fit and have played six of their seven games in climate-controlled stadiums. Lamine Yamal has never lost while playing for La Roja in 32 games. But maybe most fascinating of all: the two people in this photo will face off in the World Cup Final, 19 years after it was taken. The odds of this happening are impossibly small, and yet, we’re just one game away.More:Watch my instant reaction to Argentina’s epic comeback against England here.
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World Cup final: Argentina vs. Spain – What you need to know, predictions, odds
ESPN
Jul 16, 2026, 09:30 AM ETK
We’re down to the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as there are now just two teams still harboring dreams of becoming world champions.We’ve seen 46 teams — including co-hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States, as well traditional powerhouses Brazil and Germany — fall by the wayside over the past month.Now only reigning world champions Argentina and reigning European champions Spain still have their eyes on victory in the final in New Jersey on Sunday.
But how did we get here? Who are the players who have stood out the most? And what are the moments that we’ll never forget?
ESPN’s Mark Ogden brings you up to date with answers to all of those questions, Sam Tighe looks at where the final will be won and lost, a selection of our writers who have been reporting on the tournament give us their predictions on the winner, and we’ll bring you the latest betting odds via DK Sports.
Spain vs. Argentina (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET | East Rutherford, New Jersey)
SPAIN
How they got here: The European champions have flown under the radar at this tournament after opening up with a shocking 0-0 draw against Cape Verde. But despite that inauspicious start, Spain have quietly gone about their business and conceded their first — and only — goal of the tournament in the 2-1 quarterfinal win against Belgium. Any doubts over La Roja’s ability to go the distance were emphatically blown away with a 2-0 semifinal win against France in Dallas. Luis de la Fuente’s team went into that game as underdogs because of France’s impressive run to the last four, but Spain defeated Les Bleus with a dominant performance that showcased the very best of the Euro 2024 winners.
Star player: Mikel Oyarzabal is the unheralded striker who always delivers for Spain, and the Real Sociedad forward has done it again at this World Cup, where he has scored five goals in the team’s run to the final. Oyarzabal scored the winning goal in Spain’s Euro 2024 final win against England in Berlin and, with three goals in the knockout stages of this World Cup, he has helped take his team to the final. The 29-year-old has spent his entire career with Sociedad and lacks the star quality of many of his teammates, but Spain wouldn’t be playing on Sunday without his goals.
Best moment: Pedro Porro‘s goal in the 2-0 win against France made the game safe, but it was the manner of the goal which stood out. The Tottenham Hotspur defender is not one of Spain’s attacking players, but he took his goal with such calmness and authority — it highlighted that this is a team that can hurt an opponent from all areas of the pitch.
Why were Argentina able to come back vs. England?
ARGENTINA
How they got here: On paper, Argentina have had an easy route to the World Cup final having avoided an opponent in the top 15 of the FIFA world rankings until facing England — ranked fourth — in the semifinals. But while their path has looked straightforward, it has been anything but with Cape Verde taking the world champions to extra-time before losing 3-2 in the round of 32 and Egypt claiming an “injustice” after VAR decisions contributed to their 3-2 defeat in the round of 16. Switzerland looked set to take Argentina all the way to penalties — or even beat them — during a hard-fought quarterfinal that only turned following a red card for Swiss striker Breel Embolo. England were five minutes away from the World Cup final before Argentina turned the semifinal on its head with two late goals, but Lionel Scaloni’s side have certainly played on the edge — but they keep on winning.
Star player: Lionel Messi — who else? The 39-year-old carried Argentina to glory at Qatar 2022, but it’s incredible to think that until recently, there were doubts as to whether he would even play in this tournament. He has not only played, he has dominated, and he goes into the final tied with Kylian Mbappé on eight goals in the race for the Golden Boot. But while Messi is everything for Argentina, it is only fair to mention Lautaro Martínez and Enzo Fernández because both have delivered in big moments. Lautaro has three goals at this tournament and Enzo has netted twice — both scored in the 2-1 win against England, so Messi knows he has a reliable support cast.
Best moment: Argentina and Messi have had plenty, but the moment that has made this World Cup for La Albiceleste is Lautaro’s winning goal against England. The semifinal was such a tense, emotional encounter, so to win the game with a header from Messi’s cross will be a highlight of Lautaro’s career and a moment that will be remembered for a lifetime in Argentina. — Ogden
Where will this game be won?
The original ethos of the World Cup was to bring together the globe’s various different footballing styles and approaches, then pit them against each other to see who emerges victorious. In that sense, Spain vs. Argentina is a fitting finale to this year’s edition; it’s the ultimate battle between consummate control and frenetic frenzy.
Spain got the whole world talking with their remarkable dismantling of France in the semifinals, winning 2-0 thanks to a performance that held that vaunted attacking trio of Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé to almost nothing; Fabián Ruiz and especially Rodri delivered a masterclass in midfield that allowed for total domination.
France boss Didier Deschamps failed to match up tactically (and numerically) in midfield and it cost them. They also could not get a handle on Dani Olmo’s one-touch playmaking, or Yamal’s speed and directness on the flank.
Argentina will not make the same mistake. This is a team that floods the middle of the pitch with numbers in order to get players combining quickly with Messi, and an important part of their game is committing little fouls to break up their opponent’s rhythm. Can Spain keep their nerve and stave that off?
That, truly, is the key question here, and it’s not a case of doing it for 60 or 70 minutes and being fine — it’s a case of doing it for all 90. Because La Albiceleste‘s track record of launching late sieges in this tournament is stunning, as the defeated trail of Cabo Verde, Egypt, Switzerland and England will attest.
It is remarkable what Messi & Co. can conjure when their backs are against the wall with the clock ticking. This match will not end quietly. — Tighe
Laurens: Half-time shows should be left to American sports
Predictions
Becherano: Argentina 2-1 Spain. It’s hard to imagine Argentina not clawing their way to the trophy after the way they’ve played this tournament. The team have found scrappy ways to win, proving that you don’t always need to play well to eliminate a rival. It won’t be the prettiest game of football from either side, but Argentina may just have enough to become consecutive World Cup champions.
Carlisle: Spain 2-1 Argentina. Argentina’s survival instincts are off the charts, but they haven’t yet faced a technically superior team. That changes with the matchup against Spain, who will starve La Albiceleste of the ball much like they’ve done to other opponents, giving La Roja their second World Cup title.
Connelly: Spain 4-1 Argentina. With the way Argentina put together late-game charges, you either knock them all the way out ahead of time or you get knocked out in the 12th round. We’ll say it’s the former (though the latter wouldn’t be surprising at this point).
Dawson: Spain 3-1 Argentina. Argentina’s knockout games have been entertaining but chaotic. If Spain can find the same level of control as they did against France, they’ll score first and be able to withstand Argentina’s late push to close out the game.
Hamilton: Argentina 1-3 Spain: Spain won’t make the same mistakes England did. They’ll score one, and then go for another – just like they did against France. Argentina will have their moments but this is Spain’s final. They know how to control big matches, how to nullify threats (Mbappe and Dembele) and their form is ridiculously good. Argentina have completed many Houdini-esque escapes, but this is one ask too many.
Olley: Spain 2-0 Argentina. Spain have peaked at the right time and have the mixture of togetherness and composure that can see off an Argentina side that are probably a little lucky to reach the final.
Ogden: Spain 3-1 Argentina. My predictions in the knockout stage have been woeful, so I need to redeem myself with the final and that’s why I am tipping Spain. Argentina have Messi, they have the desire, they will probably have 90% of the fans in MetLife Stadium on Sunday, but Spain are so good with the ball and so full of quality that I am tipping La Roja — and if it descends into a scrap, they showed against France that they can get tough when they need to.
Lindop: Spain 2-1 Argentina. Both of these teams have recent experience of international glory, but ultimately I think Spain’s superior quality will win out. Argentina have ridden their luck at times in this tournament, and I expect Spain’s well-drilled possession game will prove too much for the reigning world champions.
Marcotti: Spain 2-1 Argentina. I write this in the full knowledge that Messi can subvert logic and football. However, if Spain keep the ball half as well as they did against France, it’s going to be very hard for Argentina to create chances: they’re another side that simply doesn’t match up well with De la Fuente’s crew.
Spain, Argentina talk up World Cup final of Messi, Yamal and ‘two super teams’
Messi spoke warmly about Yamal as Spain and Argentina traded compliments (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK — There was a strong theme of mutual respect and admiration from the figureheads of Spain and Argentina as the teams enter the final day of preparation before Sunday’s World Cup final.Speaking in a press conference at the Javits Center on the West Side of Manhattan, Spain captain Rodri praised both Lionel Messi and Argentina as “the toughest rival” for a World Cup final. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez countered by calling Spain “a great team.”For both coaches, it’s clear that they see the other as a worthy confrontation to earn the title of world champion.“I really do see two super teams with a lot of similarities in behavior and in footballing talent,” Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said.Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni said: “How could Spain not worry us? They’re a great team.”Indeed, these two teams enter the final with arguably the sport’s best resumes. Argentina is looking to win four consecutive major trophies: two Copa América titles and back-to-back World Cups. Spain, meanwhile, is unbeaten in 37 straight matches and won both the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League and 2024 European Championship. The two were due to battle in La Finalissima — the match pitting the reigning Copa América and Euro winners against each other — in March in Qatar, but the occasion was canceled due to the conflict in nearby Iran. They’ve found their way to a match with the greatest possible significance instead.Is Rodri back to his Ballon d’Or best?
Reuben Pinder
They are teams known for their respective stars — Messi and Lamine Yamal — but who have thrived off of team mentality as much as the ability of those respective players.
“Regarding Messi, I don’t think it’s necessary to spell out the kind of player he is or what he means to Argentina,” Rodri said. “I consider him the greatest player of all time, a player who has been able to lead his national team, taking them to win the World Cup in Qatar and now in this case to a final.
“However, I believe Argentina is much more than just Messi; they have proven to be a very well-rounded team with top-tier players. Honestly, I think the two of us are currently the teams that play the best collective football, so to speak. So, obviously, we’ll have to keep Leo in mind, but plenty of others as well.”
Following suit by lauding Messi’s abilities, De la Fuente recalled the first time he faced him.
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“I met Lionel Messi, I was training at Sevilla Fútbol Club in the (youth academy), and we played a Copa del Rey match … and we went to Barcelona,” the manager said. “People had told me very good things about a kid named Messi. Well, obviously at the start we put an individual marker on him, and by the 70th minute it was still 0-0, and when the player marking him got a card, I made a substitution — and in 15 minutes he scored four goals on me. Does this mean we’re going to man-mark him? No. But are we going to be very attentive to him? Yes.
“But exactly the same way they’re going to have to pay close attention to our players. Great players always deserve special attention. What happens is that in this match there are many players — both on Argentina’s team and Spain’s — that you have to watch closely, but one of them, obviously, is Leo Messi.”
Lionel Messi winks and flashes a thumbs up at a pre-World Cup final press conference in New YorkDylan Martinez / Reuters
Messi praised Yamal as a top talent during an event with Fanatics in between the respective press conferences.“Lamine is a huge talent, someone I’ve followed a lot because he plays for a club (Barcelona) I love and I always wish him the best, I always want the best for him,” Messi said. “And, well, he’s one of the world’s benchmark players at 19 years old, and he has his whole career ahead of him. He has a great opportunity to achieve something historic, which we’ll try our hardest to make sure doesn’t happen this time. I just want to wish him the best.”Yamal has just one goal in this tournament, a nod to an approach that has leaned into the quality of the group as much as any individual brilliance. Spain has suffocated opponents and has allowed just one goal in the tournament.“It’s not just about Lamine, they have a great group, they work very hard as a team,” Martinez said. “They have their weapons, but we have our weapons too, and hopefully it will be a match that the audience will remember for a long time.”Scaloni pointed out that both Argentina and Spain like to try to win games by dominating on the ball, and noted the similarities in philosophies between he and De la Fuente, under whom he took coaching licensing courses. The two shared an embrace at the Fanatics event in which they shared a stage.For Argentina, it’s a chance to make history by becoming the World Cup’s first repeat champion since Brazil in 1962. Meanwhile, Spain sees it as a coronating moment for a group aiming for the nation’s second title (2010).
Lamine Yamal goes on the attack vs. France in the World Cup semifinalsMaria Lysaker / Imagn Images / Reuters
“Our goal when we came to this World Cup was to win it,” Rodri said. “And we were convinced that it could happen. And we’ve shown that this national team has been capable of beating huge rivals, and now we face perhaps the toughest rival, the one that has shown the most in recent years, the one in the best form. So it’s going to be the perfect test to determine whether we’re capable of lifting this World Cup against the team in the best form.“I already told the guys in the World Cup semifinals that we needed to have more desire to win than fear of losing. And that’s what we’re going to try to do in Sunday’s final. We’re going to go all out for this World Cup.”Paul Tenorio is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers soccer. He has previously written for the Washington Post, the Orlando Sentinel, FourFourTwo, ESPN and MLSsoccer.com.
Spain vs. Argentina mega-preview: Predictions, form guide, key players and more
Yamal and Messi have never faced each other on a football pitch (Getty Images)
Spain, who have only conceded one goal in seven matches at the tournament, are looking to win the World Cup for a second time, 16 years on from their first success.Argentina, meanwhile, are defending the title they won in 2022 — their third in total — in a match that is widely expected to mark Messi’s farewell from the game’s biggest stage.We take a closer look at this mouthwatering tie, and where it might be decided…
What’s the key info I need to know?
Round: World Cup final World rankings: Spain (FIFA ranking: 2nd) vs Argentina (1st) Venue: MetLife Stadium, New York, New Jersey Date: Sunday, July 19 Kick-off: 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm BST
How did Spain reach the final?
Spain’s World Cup began with a big shock, as they were held to a goalless draw by African competition debutants Cape Verde, ranked 67th in the world.
Luis de la Fuente’s team then made sure they topped Group H by eking out a tough 1-0 victory over a stubborn Uruguay side in game three, thanks to Alex Baena’s snapshot.
The idea was always for the team to grow into the tournament, as key players including Yamal and Rodri returned to 100 per cent sharpness after recent injuries.
The last 16 brought a tight and tense 1-0 win over Iberian neighbours Portugal, decided by substitute Mikel Merino’s 91st-minute goal, which ended Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career.
Yamal and Cristiano Ronaldo embrace after Spain’s 1-0 win in the last 16Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
Spain upped their level further in the quarter-finals. Although a mistake by Belgium’s replacement keeper Senne Lammens helped ‘supersub’ Merino score late on again, the 2-1 final result did not fully reflect how well they played against a team who had eliminated the United States in the previous round.
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The biggest test came against pre-tournament favourites France in Tuesday’s semi-final. Spain matched the occasion with an outstanding display in both attack and defence, as 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri helped his team control the midfield completely, frustrating superstar French attackers Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise. Yamal’s persistence and intelligence won a penalty which Oyarzabal converted, and playmaker Dani Olmo set up Porro’s second-half strike to seal a fully deserved 2-0 victory.
Dermot Corrigan
How did Argentina reach the final?
There’s been more than a whiff of survival about Argentina at the World Cup, which is why their powers of progression are so remarkable. They’ve been backed into a corner more than once, and in a number of ways (physically and tactically), yet always able to find solutions. The group stage was a doddle, as it was always likely to be in a pool containing Algeria, Austria and Jordan. Messi ran riot, their defence experienced very little stress and it was nailed on that they would top the group from the moment they saw off Algeria at a canter, winning 3-0. The nature of the World Cup draw, with teams seeded by FIFA for the first time, meant that trouble wasn’t likely to occur until the knockouts — when it absolutely did.
Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 before coming back to win 3-2Elsa/Getty Images
Come the last 32, the pressure escalated drastically. Argentina were pushed hard by Cape Verde, and their legs threatened to give up on them in extra time. They were borderline eliminated in the last 16 before fighting back from 2-0 down against Egypt (and no mention of that tie can pass without reference to certain refereeing decisions in it).
They were in trouble again in their quarter-final against Switzerland, who had impetus behind them at 1-1, only for Breel Embolo to pick up a red card. And their semi-final victory over England was plucked from another incredibly precarious position.
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Messi’s influence is clearly critical. Eight goals and four assists are the definition of carrying a team, but just as vital to Lionel Scaloni is Argentina’s knack of hanging in, riding out storms and coming up with late goals. If this isn’t a name-on-the-trophy run, what is?
Phil Hay
How to watch on TV
United States: 12pm PDT/3pm EDT: Fox (English), Telemundo (Spanish) Canada: 12pm PDT/3pm EDT: TSN/RDS Mexico: 1pm CST: Televisa Univision/TV Azteca United Kingdom: 8pm BST: BBC One/ITV Streaming (U.S. only): Fubo (Stream Now)
What should we expect from Spain?
Control, cohesiveness, and a dogged intensity off the ball.Spain’s identity as a possession-dominant, short-passing side is well established, a principle they have adhered to in this tournament, averaging 63.7 per cent of the ball across their seven matches.This dominance is physically and mentally exhausting for opponents, who are left chasing shadows as Spain’s technicians pass around them with precision. But their approach is not just about grinding teams down and waiting for gaps to appear. Spain’s movement is dynamic, with players swapping positions and making surging runs that pull defensive structures apart.
Dani Olmo has been one of Spain’s best performers in midfield and attackAric Becker / AFP via Getty Images
Deep runs from full-backs into advanced areas have been particularly fruitful. Porro’s goal against France in the semi-final came from exactly that route, while Marc Cucurella has been even more active on the opposite flank, making 139 runs behind defensive lines, the fifth-most of any player at the tournament. Despite that volume, opponents are still struggling to track those movements or decide who should take responsibility.Spain’s obsession with controlling possession is matched by an equally fierce commitment to winning it back. De la Fuente’s forwards press aggressively, while centre-backs Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte hold a high defensive line, squeezing the pitch and pinning their opponents back. Holding it all together is the irrepressible Rodri, sweeping up loose balls and snuffing out counter-attacks with a positional awareness few central midfielders match.Spain have had the most well-defined playing style at this tournament, with every player knowing their exact responsibilities and sharing a strong understanding with their team-mates. Add to that the sprinkling of stardust provided by Yamal, and they will be a daunting proposition for Argentina to overcome.
Conor O’Neill
What should we expect from Argentina?
A feisty combativeness, a never-say-die attitude, and of course, Messi. Scaloni’s side have laboured through long stretches of games only to come alive late on, with 12 of their 19 goals arriving after the 75th minute of normal time. Sit off them, as England fatally did late in the semi-final, and they boast enough quality in midfield to knock the ball around comfortably, creating a steady stream of chances. A tournament-high 5.4 passes per sequence speaks to their composure, patiently moving the opposition around until an opening appears. Those combinations are concentrated through the middle, where Messi generally lurks, with Argentina directing a smaller share of their passing towards the flanks than any other team.
While Messi’s seemingly boundless talent has dragged them to the final, the 39-year-old’s physical limitations mean they do not operate with the same aggressive high press as Spain. They win possession in the final third 2.9 times per game, roughly half Spain’s rate. Instead, they sit off before snapping into challenges (and yes, sometimes fouls) once possession moves into midfield.
The focal point is obvious, but it is reductive to view them solely as a one-man team. Julian Alvarez provides bustling energy and quality up top, Enzo Fernandez has popped up with crucial late goals, and Emi Martinez is a confident presence between the posts.
Spain are the more complete side, but Argentina boast an indefatigable spirit and an uncanny ability to conjure moments of individual quality when they need them most.
Conor O’Neill
Who is the star player for each team?
For Argentina, while the supporting cast have pitched in with big moments, this is undoubtedly, and once again, the Messi show.
Joint leading the Golden Boot race with eight goals (level with Mbappe), Messi has scored or assisted 12 of Argentina’s 19 goals, with the graphic below showing that he is both their chief creator and primary threat, averaging the most shots and chances created per 90.
But this is part of the magician’s sleight of hand, springing into life when his country need him most. Against England, he completed 10 take-ons, more than any player in any of the tournament’s other 101 games, and his ability to hold off opponents with his remarkable core strength and weave away in either direction remains as potent as ever.
For Spain, Yamal brings the attacking fireworks, but Rodri is De la Fuente’s most important player. The Manchester City midfielder is unflappable at the heart of Spain’s build-up, providing the composure and control from which they launch their attacks. According to FIFA’s data, Rodri has completed 47 passes under pressure per match, the most of any player at the tournament.
Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d’OrMauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Image
Calm on the ball, Rodri is a ferocious monster off it, hoovering up second balls with his sharp anticipation and brushing opponents aside in duels with his imposing physicality. The map of his tackles and interceptions below shows that he covers the entire pitch, but he is particularly integral to Spain’s counter-press, winning two tackles in the final third per game, the most out of any player to reach the quarter-finals.
Conor O’Neill
Is there any history in this match-up?
Spain’s history with Argentina goes back to Iberian explorers reaching what is now Buenos Aires in the 16th century, and links between the two countries remain huge. Their national football teams have met 14 times previously — the record is dead even with six wins for Argentina, six for Spain, and two draws. Surprisingly for two historic heavyweights, their only World Cup meeting came at the 1966 tournament in England. Argentina won 2-1 in their opening group stage match. It’s also notable that, over a long international career spanning two decades, Messi has only three times played against Spain — the country where he spent most of his club career at Barcelona, which tried and failed to convince him to represent them internationally.
Messi’s most recent meeting with Spain came in November 2009, when he scored a penalty in a friendly in Madrid, and bamboozled club colleagues including Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets with his mazy dribbling. However, a double from Xabi Alonso saw Spain win 2-1.
Messi has only faced Spain in three matches, the last of which was in 2009Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Spain and Argentina last played in another friendly before the 2018 World Cup, with Spain hammering a Messi-less Argentina 6-1. Then-Real Madrid playmaker Isco bagged a hat-trick while Nicolas Otamendi, who could feature on Sunday, got Argentina’s consolation. The players in this year’s final will all know each other well from La Liga encounters — 24 of the 52 across both squads feature for Spanish clubs (18 for Spain and six for Argentina). Among the plotlines could be Atletico Madrid colleagues facing each other directly: Alex Baena and Marcos Llorente for Spain versus Nahuel Molina and Julian Alvarez for Argentina. Many of the eight Barcelona players in the Spain squad — including Yamal — grew up watching Messi at the Camp Nou. Of these, only midfielder Pedri actually shared a pitch with Messi for the Catalan club. Yamal was still just 14 years old when the Argentine left in 2021.
Dermot Corrigan
Where will the game be won and lost?
The game will hinge on Argentina’s ability to withstand intense Spanish pressure. They struggled against England’s high press early on in their semi-final, managing just three touches in the opposition box before half-time. Unlike England, Spain are unlikely to retreat or tire to the same extent, leaving Scaloni to plot a way through this sustained intensity. One small relief for Argentina against this relentless pressure is that, as shown in the graphic below, while Spain ferociously hound teams high up the pitch to win the ball back, they rarely mount rapid counters once in possession, averaging 1.9 direct attacks per 90. Yamal aside, there is not a huge amount of pace in Spain’s forward areas, an aspect Argentina have struggled with.
Argentina are a side that grows into games, and if they can withstand Spain’s suffocating counter-press, expect this to develop into a battle for control. Argentina actually shade Spain for passing accuracy, leading the tournament with a completion rate of 90.5 per cent, compared with Spain’s 89.8. Using that composure to gain a foothold and feed Messi consistently in dangerous areas between the lines will be key to their chances.
As well as the battle for midfield control, duels down the wings could prove decisive. Yamal is devastating down Spain’s right, tearing France left-back Lucas Digne apart in the semi-final with his explosive dribbling, and whoever Argentina start there, likely Nicolas Tagliafico, faces a daunting task.
But Messi, in something of a throwback to his early Barcelona days, has also provided crucial cameos out wide. Against Egypt and England, he shifted over to the right flank with Argentina behind, and his ability to weave inside and deliver pinpoint through balls and crosses helped swing both games, and could prove vital yet again.
Conor O’Neill
Who do our experts think will win?
Carl Anka:Spain 2-1 Argentina.The final will be a bitty affair thanks to hydration breaks and a 30-minute half-time show. Factor in Argentina’s tactical fouling and Spain’s midfield carousel, and this game will take a while to warm up. Argentina will score (likely through a header on a Messi cross) but ultimately lose.
Amelie Claydon: Spain 2-1 Argentina. Spain’s semi-final was controlled and Argentina’s comeback against England demanded far more physically from the players. Spain has the tournament’s strongest defence, but Messi’s delivery and Argentina’s resilience make a goal likely. Spain’s midfield control should eventually decide the final.
Greg O’Keefe:Spain 3-1 Argentina. Argentina’s helter-skelter run to the final will come up against its greatest test and their ferocious mentality won’t quite be enough against a better team in all regards. Messi may yet have one final say in New Jersey, but it won’t be decisive.
Conor O’Neill:Spain 2-0 Argentina. Only a fool bets against Messi, but I cannot see past Spain’s collective brilliance (cue a Messi hat-trick).
Dermot Corrigan: Spain 2-0 Argentina. Logic says this should be quite comfortable for Spain, who have looked like a much more complete team through the tournament. Argentina and Messi have shown an almost supernatural ability to defy such logic, but I’m going for Spain to win their second World Cup, with Oyarzabal and Yamal (due a standout performance) to get on the scoresheet.
How might they line up?
Tell me one thing about Spain that’s going to make me look clever to my friends
Spain are, statistically speaking, the best defensive side ever to reach a World Cup final. Expected goals (or xG) measures chance quality by assigning each shot a value between zero and one based on its likelihood of being scored.
Spain have conceded just 0.3 xG per game, the lowest figure recorded by any finalist, while allowing only 10 shots on target. Their defence has been just as imperious in reality, conceding only once across seven matches, against Belgium in the quarter-finals. A tough nut for Messi and company to crack on Sunday.
Conor O’Neill
Tell me one thing about Argentina that’s going to make me look clever to my friends
The best player at the tournament but also… the laziest? Among all outfield players, Messi has spent 64 per cent of his time walking, the highest share at the tournament. As a once-in-a-generation talent who is now 39, he has earned the right to take his foot off the pedal, conserving his energy for the most decisive moments. He may be sedentary, but he is always subtly drifting into dangerous areas, lulling opponents into a false sense of security.
Keep this statistic in the back pocket for the next time you are too lazy to track back during five-a-side.
Conor O’Neill
Who is the referee?
Slavko Vincic will take charge of the final; it will be his first Argentina match since overseeing their shock 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia in the opening round of the 2022 World Cup’s group stage. The 46-year-old Slovenian has officiated three Spain games, all victories at the European Championship finals, including their semi-final win against France in 2024 before they went on to win that competition.
He is appearing at his second World Cup and fourth major national-team tournament. He was also in charge of the 2021-22 Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers, and the 2023-24 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
Vincic took charge of Mexico’s round of 32 game with Ecuador and Brazil vs Morocco in the group stageKevin C. Cox/Getty Images
In last season’s Champions League quarter-finals, Vincic sent off Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga for a second yellow card offence in the 86th minute of their second leg at Bayern Munich, when the tie was 4-4 on aggregate, before the German side scored two late goals to progress. The midfielder was deemed to have delayed a restart by throwing the ball away. He also dismissed Madrid’s Arda Guler, who got two bookings for dissent at the end.
Sunday’s final will be his sixth World Cup match in total and first since dismissing Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie for covering his mouth while confronting Mexico’s Santiago Gimenez in the round of 32. He also took charge of the group-stage meetings at this edition between Brazil and Morocco and Jordan and Algeria. He also oversaw England’s 3-0 group-stage defeat of Wales at the 2022 finals.
Messi is the best player at the World Cup, and the best male athlete of all time
Ryan O’HanlonJul 17, 2026, 05:00 AM ET
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Soccer isn’t supposed to be easy to understand.
Data companies collect millions of data points, and that’s only for what’s happening with the ball. Tracking information, a newer technology in the space, now layers in millions more, updating the position of all 22 players and the ball multiple times per second. And that’s all just for a single game.
The complex interplay of everyone on the field, the fact that a player can pretty much do anything he wants with the ball other than pick it up with his hands, the volatility of a bouncing ball interacting with the oddly shaped human foot — it all adds up to the most popular game in the world, one that’s so dynamic and unpredictable that we’re left with no choice but to reach for magical or religious metaphors to make sense of what we’re seeing.
The one player who both embodies and defies all of this is Lionel Messi. He has spent 20 years doing the impossible: making soccer easy to understand. He’s the greatest we’ve ever seen because he’s the greatest at everything we see: scoring goals, creating chances, dribbling, passing, even walking.
That’s still true, but it didn’t feel that way before the 2026 World Cup started. Coming into the tournament, we had lost the defining modern feature of the sport: knowing that Lionel Messi is better than everyone else.
He had spent the past four years dominating Major League Soccer, but his performance had been close to the same as what we saw from him in Europe, despite the steep decline in his competition. And the last time we saw him play in a major tournament, the 2024 Copa America, he scored only once, assisted only once and came off injured in a final that Argentina won in extra time without him.
Messi was 38 when the 2026 World Cup began and turned 39 halfway through it. The proper expectation, it seemed, was for him to contribute some moments of brilliance on the margins, to help Argentina win but not be the reason Argentina win. Instead, he has done what he’s always done and proved that he’s still the best soccer player alive.
Four years ago, I was a little more equivocal about the idea, but after this summer I might not even be willing to concede that it’s arguable: Lionel Messi is officially the greatest male athlete we’ve ever seen. Period.
How Messi is still the best at 39
Earlier this summer, analyst Michael Caley put some even more definitive data behind what I wrote about four years ago and have been writing about, seemingly, for the past decade: why there’s no debate about who the greatest soccer player of all time is.
Here’s how Caley put it:
“Lionel Messi was not the best player of his era. He was the three best players of his era.
He was roughly tied with Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest goal-scorer. He stands alone as the greatest chance creator, with Ángel Di María, Neymar and De Bruyne his only competitors at his peak level. And he was the greatest ball progressor, with only perhaps Eden Hazard in the same class in his best seasons.”
When a team has the ball, there are three simple phases of achievement: moving the ball up the field, moving the ball into position for a shot to be taken and taking shots when the ball gets near the goal. Goal scorers need someone to pass the ball to them, and creators need someone to get them the ball in a position from where they can create.
Messi was the best at all three phases of the game. And the amazing thing about what we’ve seen this summer is that’s all still true.
Now, while you will hear announcers tell you that Messi looks as good as he ever has, that is simply not true. There was a two-year stretch when he scored 96 goals and added 27 assists for Barcelona across 64 starts when LaLiga was the best league in the world. He’s not doing that anymore, but he still is doing everything at a higher level than anyone else.
He is tied with Kylian Mbappé of France atop the goal-scoring charts for this World Cup, with eight goals. And that’s not just a random hot run of finishing or anything like that. No, Messi leads all players at the World Cup with 34 shots attempted.
The dots here are sized by expected-goal value, or the average probability of the chance being scored. The larger the circle, the higher the xG value of the attempt:
While Messi — what a bum — is only second in assists (four, behind France attacker Michael Olise), assists are a noisy number. You get one if you pass a ball sideways and your teammate rips a shot into the upper corner from 35 yards out. You don’t get one if you split an inch-perfect pass through six defenders and a goalkeeper but your teammate somehow misses the net.
Instead, we can look at expected assists, or xA, which awards players based on where they’re completing their passes. If you complete a pass to a teammate in a location where goals are scored, say, 50% of the time, you get 0.5 expected assists for the pass. And Messi, of course, is leading all players at the 2026 World Cup in expected assists.
Most players can’t even do both of these things. Just take a look at Mbappé and Norway striker Erling Haaland, the two other goal-scoring sensations from this summer. They’ve combined for 1.7 expected assists — just over half of what Messi has produced by himself.
If barely anyone else can score and create, then no one else can score, create and move the ball up the field. The stats app Futi tracks progressive passes and progressive carries. These are passes and carries that move the ball at least 25% of the remaining distance toward the opposition goal.
With one game to go — the World Cup final against Spain — Messi has completed 68 progressive passes; that’s 20 more than anyone else in the tournament. And he has made 45 progressive carries; that’s three more than his opponent Sunday and potential heir apparent, the 19-year-old Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal. Here, courtesy of Futi, is how all of that looks together:
Just in case it wasn’t clear already, Messi is also shattering metrics that didn’t even exist when he won his first Ballon d’Or. Futi created a possession-value model that “measures how much each touch changes the probability of scoring or conceding.” These models help highlight players who do more than score goals and also better contextualize players who score goals but do little else.
To make the numbers easier to understand, Futi adjusts for the player’s role and then normalizes their possession-value ratings on a percentile scale, where a 50 means you’re providing an average amount of value. Among the four teams that reached the World Cup semifinals, Mbappé was the second-highest-rated player, at 83.
Messi? He’s a 99.
Why Messi is officially the best male athlete of all time
When I talk about Messi being the best athlete of all time, I want to be clear about something: Yes, I do think he would be a better quarterback than Tom Brady, a better golfer than Tiger Woods and a better power forward than LeBron James.
Obviously, I don’t actually think that. “Athlete” has many different meanings, something that gets lost every summer when we all try to figure out how to fix American soccer.
The best middle-distance runner in the world has a very different body type than the best NBA player. Does being able to dunk mean you’re a better athlete than someone who can run a mile in under four minutes? In fact, most soccer players have similar body types and muscle fibers to middle-distance runners because that’s kind of what soccer is: lots of jogging and endurance with some sprinting sprinkled in.
Instead, to define the “best athlete,” I think we need to look at just two criteria: How much better are you at your sport than the second-best person? And how many other people actually play that sport?
(We have to rule out the likes of Pelé and Diego Maradona because the sport simply wasn’t as globalized or as competitive or as consistent when they played. Plus, Messi has now dominated for way longer than either of them ever did, across national team and club soccer. If you want to fly your flag for Pelé or Maradona still, then I won’t stop you, but there’s no way to make an argument for either one based on peak individual performance across their entire careers.)
We’ve already established that Messi is a lot better than the next-best player of the modern era of the sport. In the major American sports, there isn’t any man who has a bigger gap between himself and the next-best guy than Messi does.
In the NFL, Tom Brady won a record seven Super Bowls and was still a superstar into his 40s, but he won only three MVP awards — two other quarterbacks from Brady’s own generation, Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning, won more. In the NBA, the debate over Michael Jordan and LeBron has been fueling the basketball economy for more than a decade. And in MLB, you’ll hear reasonable arguments for Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds and Shohei Ohtani.
Instead, the closest thing to Messi-like undisputed dominance comes in the NHL, where Wayne Gretzky still holds claim to the most incredible individual record in sports. Gretzky scored 894 goals in his career — the second most all time. But if Gretzky never scored a single goal, he would still have more combined goals+assists than anyone else in NHL history.
Unfortunately, Gretzky — and all of the others mentioned thus far — fall by the wayside in this analysis. Gretzky dominated a sport that requires an ice rink and isn’t played by most of the rest of the world. American football is, well, just look at the name. Baseball has a global reach, but it barely exists in Africa, Europe and most of South America. And though the NBA is becoming increasingly globalized, it still can’t come close to matching soccer’s reach.
As I mentioned in 2022, researchers in Australia found that only about 5% of the global population has the physical capacity to play basketball because of the size it requires. However, nearly 30% of the global population has the physical traits you might find on a soccer field. Another survey found that twice as many people across the globe play soccer as do basketball.
Given how popular soccer is and how much better Messi is than the next-best soccer player, there’s really only one other sport where someone could lay claim to being so much better than as many other people who participate in their sport.
It’s not tennis, an incredibly popular sport but one with many financial filters at an early age and an ongoing argument over who the best player ever really was. And it’s not cricket, where the Australian Don Bradman holds a similar level of statistical dominance as Messi — and perhaps even a greater level of statistical dominance — because his career was limited and he played before major countries like India and Pakistan had competitive teams.
Other studies, unsurprisingly, have found that soccer and running are the two most popular leisure activities in the world. For one, you just need a ball. For the other, you don’t need a ball. And to get even more specific, short-distance sprinting, in particular, is accessible to every able-bodied person in the world.
The history of sprinting has, in fact, produced one Messi-like athlete: Usain Bolt, the only person to win the 100- and 200-meter dash in three consecutive Olympics. Not only that, he set the world records for both races in 2009 — and both still stand to this day.
Like Messi, Bolt has the extreme highs, the unmatched longevity and the versatility. Only eight other men have won gold in both the 100 and 200 in the same Olympics. No one else did it twice; Bolt has done it three times. Despite theoretically increasing technological advancements in sprinting, Bolt’s records have stood for 17 years and counting. And he’s the oldest person (29) to win gold in the 200.
In 2022, I was inclined to give the edge to Bolt over Messi: Everyone can run, and he was so much better at running than any person who has ever lived. But, four years later, I’m no longer sure that comparison is right.
Messi won his first Ballon d’Or in 2009, for his age-21 season. He’s currently 39, and based on what we’ve just watched this summer, he’s still the best player in the world. Bolt won his first gold in an Olympics or world championship at 21, too. But his last came at 29. That gives Messi an extra 10 years — a full decade — at the top.
Soccer is the most competitive team sport on the planet, and at worst, it’s the second-most competitive of all sports outside of running. Messi has been better than everyone else at soccer for almost 20 years at this point. His run at this World Cup, in my opinion, has stretched the lead he has held over the rest of the soccer world to the lead he now has on the rest of the sports world.
He’s the best male athlete of all time — and no, it’s not even close.
We are Down to 4-As France faces Spain Tues & England vs Argentina Wed 3 pm
So we are finally down to the best 4 teams in the World facing off in Semi-Final Action Tues & Wed. I will continue to say this is the BEST WORLD CUP Ever – as so many games have gone down to the last minutes. Despite all the upsets – we do get Chalk in the Final 4 as these are the top ranked teams in the World. For this first game today — France vs Spain – we have perhaps the best 2 teams in the World Currently – the finals of the Euro’s 2 years ago – which Spain won in the end. Somehow this year I see France with all its superstars getting the win. Lets call it 2-1 in a hard fought battle.
Now Argentina vs England – the Falkland’s War part 3 – remember Argentina and Maradona used the Hand of God Goal – and perhaps the best goal ever scored in the end to send England home from Mexico City in 1986. Now we get Messi – the GOAT vs England with Kane & Bellingham – is it time to bring it home for England. I really like England in this game – but I can’t root against the GOAT Messi – the best player to ever put on a pair of Cleats in soccer. I will take Argentina 3-2 in Extra Time of Course. Argentina vs England what is means.
Indy 11 win – Travel to Miami FC Wed 7 pm on ESPN+
Indianapolis – Indy Eleven scored two goals in the final 15 minutes to extend its USL Championship home unbeaten streak to 10 (9-0-1) dating back to last August with a 2-0 shutout of Charleston Battery at Carroll Stadium. Indy Eleven forward Loïc Mesanvi ignited the sequence for a valuable insurance goal in the second minute of stoppage time by poking the ball away and providing a burst of speed and a sliding tackle to win a 50/50 ball that caromed to Jack Blake. Boys in Blue goalkeeper Eric Dick made four saves to record his 34th career shutout against the highest-scoring team in the league. Dick moved up to a tie for 13th on the USL-C all-time list in clean sheets. The Indy Eleven defense has recorded four shutouts in the team’s last five matches in all competitions, tied for second place in goals conceded with 12 goals allowed in 12 league contests. The Boys in Blue have won four of their last five in USL-C play to improve to 6-3-3. Indy Eleven travels to Miami FC on Wed. July 15 at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. The next home game for the Boys in Blue is “Princess Night” on Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m. vs. Loudoun United FC. Fans can meet their favorite princesses including the 2026 Indiana State Fair Queen, create magical crafts, get their face painted, and join the halftime Princess Parade. Fans can purchase a “Princess Pack” with four tickets, free parking, $20 in Concession Vouchers, and a 20% Merchandise Discount, along with access to the Fun Zone/Kids Activation Area for just $49. Ticket options include the new Desnuda Tequila Deck, Family Four-Packs, and Flex Mini-Plans.
TV Schedule
Tues , July 14 Semi – Finals 3 pm Fox Semi 1 France vs Spain Weds , July 15 Semi – Finals 3 pm Fox Semi 2 Argentina vs England 8 pm ESPN Gotham FC vs Washington Spirit (Rodman) NWSL Fri, July 17 8 pm Amazon KC Current vs San Diego Wave NWSL 8:10 pm Fox Nashville SC vs Atlanta United MLS 10:25 pm Fox LA Galaxy vs LAFC El Traffico Sat, July 18 12 noon ABC Gotham FC vs Seattle Reign NWSL 2 pm CBS Denver Summit (Heaps) vs Portland Thorns NWSL 4 pm CBS Bay FC vs NC Courage NWSL 5 pm Fox 3rd place game 6:30 pm Ion Tubi Chicago Stars vs Angel City (Thompson) 8:45 pm Ion Utah Royals vs Orlando Pride (Marta) 11 pm Uni Quertaro vs Toluca Sun, July 19 3 pm Fox WC FINAL 7 pm Victory+ Boston Legacy vs Washington Spirit All games on Fox, FS1 & Telemundo Wed, July 22 MLS 7:30 pm Apple Free Columbus Crew vs NYCFC 7:30 pm Apple Cincy vs Vancouver 7:30 pm Apple Inter Miami vs Chicago 7:30 pm Apple Philly vs NY Red Bulls 8:10 on FS1 Charlotte vs Atlanta United 10;30 pm FS1 LAFC vs Real Salt Lake Fri, July 24 8 pm Victory+ Houston Dash vs Bay FC NWSL 10 pm Prime Portland Thorns vs Gotham FC Sat, July 25 5 pm Tubi, Ion Boston Legacy vs KC Current 7 pm FS1 Columbus Crew vs Cincinnati FC Sun, July 26 5 pm CBSSN San Diego Wave vs Seattle Reign 7 pmVictory+ Washington Spirit vs Denver Summit 9 pm ESPN Angel City vs Racing Louisville
Gk Moms. The world cup in a Keeper’s mom eyes The days of celebration are about to come to an end—the days of sitting in front of the TV, yet somehow feeling connected to people all around the world, are almost over. But this year, I experienced the World Cup differently—not just as a soccer fan, but as the mother of a goalkeeper who no longer just plays the game, but breathes soccer. During these days, I felt so many emotions. And as a mom, there are moments I will never forget. I was the mom of the Netherlands goalkeeper—the one who, after saving a penalty, accidentally knocked the ball into his own net. I knew he was going home devastated, and as a mother, I felt devastated too—not because of the loss, but because I knew he felt his dream had slipped away, even though he had given it his all. I was also the mother of the Cape Verde goalkeeper, the one nobody knew just a couple of weeks ago, yet who proved that no one has the right to tell you that you’re not good enough. If you have a big heart and you’re willing to fight, sometimes… that is all it takes. And of course, I was Courtois’s mom too—the mom of a legend, but still the mom of the little boy who needed a hug when he had to leave the field injured. I was also the mother of the goalkeeper who had to replace him. I could feel the pressure on that young man who never expected to wear the gloves that day, but when someone said, “It’s your turn,” he had no choice but to step onto the field and give everything he had. They didn’t win. But as a mother, all I could feel was pride in his courage to stand between the posts. And for sure, I was the mother of Dibu Martínez, telling him to be respectful with everyone, but to keep dancing and enjoying the game as if he were playing with his best friends. For a month and a half, I have been the mother of 48 men, young men, and boys who dared to dream of keeping the ball out of the net and becoming world champions but for the rest of my life, I will be the mother of one brave boy who wears the goalkeeper’s gloves. So don’t tell me about failure, joy, injuries, or challenges. Every one of us who raises a goalkeeper already knows those feelings… We were not born to be stars—we were born simply to love one.
US Mid – Tyler adams statement Tyler Adams sends USMNT fans a message following the home World Cup run to the Round of 16 🗣️ “When this journey begins, you don’t see it ending,” Adams said. “Like, when you’re at the start of it, the finish line in your mind is July 19th. That’s when the final’s gonna be. “In my mind, that was what I wanted more than anything. It’s gonna be a homecoming to play in MetLife in New York. Like, that for me would have been really, really special. “But I think everything happens for a reason. I have this overwhelming sense of gratitude, belief, just grateful that we went through that journey together. “The Belgium loss? It’s just one of those days. I think anyone that’s played sports at any level understands some days you got it, some days you don’t. “And it was just one of those days where it just felt like anything that could go wrong went wrong. “It wasn’t lack of competitiveness. It wasn’t lack of togetherness. It wasn’t lack of belief. I don’t think it was a lack of any of those things. “It was the lack of just moments in a game that, you know, sometimes you get them right, sometimes you get them wrong, and it just felt like we just got them wrong on that day. “So, we win together, we enjoy the best moments together, but we lose together and we suffer together. “And that’s what makes this sport incredible in the best moments and horrible in the worst moments. “So, you know, we have to stick together and continue believing that we did something special. Not as special as we wanted it to be, but, again, we’re changing how the game is viewed for sure amongst people in the U.S. and the world. “The support I’ve received individually and as a team throughout this journey was incredible. The best support I’ve ever received. “It’s great to see a nation rally behind you, have belief in you. The adjectives go on and on. But I think for me, it’s continued to have this belief now, right? “It can’t stop here. We have an opportunity now to grow the sport bigger than it’s ever been in the U.S. “It’s trending in the right direction. And not because of us. It’s because of everyone in the country, you know what I mean? “It’s because of you guys, the fans that support us, watching the games, coming to the games. Thank you. It doesn’t go unnoticed. And let’s keep this thing moving.”
Good Morning Football Fans – Men in Blazers
If you ask us, two whole days without World Cup football was two too many, but thankfully the most prestigious semifinals in the tournament’s history are here to rescue us all. In Spain, Argentina, France and England, for the first time ever, FIFA’s top four-ranked teams make up the World Cup’s final four. Lionel Messi will face the Three Lions for the first and probably last time in tomorrow’s war in Atlanta, but before that, a somewhat more neighborly affair between Spain and France in Dallas today. All of your El Clásico and Premier League favorites will congregate in a match that has the cachet of a final, as La Roja seek vengeance for a 3-1 schooling at the hands of Zinedine Zidane at the World Cup 20 years ago. Savor these mammoth matches, because time is the enemy of this tournament and the jeopardy couldn’t be higher. Didier Deschamps can become only the second manager in history to win this trophy twice, while Luis de la Fuente is on the verge of doing the Euros-World Cup double, something only two other coaches have achieved. Argentina won’t let go of their trophy easily, and if they retain, they’ll be the first nation to do so since Brazil in 1962, but there’s arguably no country more desperate to lift it than England. Despite insisting football’s coming home for the last seven tournaments, the Three Lions haven’t won the World Cup in 60 years, but they also haven’t had a player like Jude Bellingham before…
A World Cup Final Four Unlike Any Other
In the first iteration of a 48-team field, FIFA’s top-four ranked teams have made the semifinals for the first time… ever, in any format. For context, all four No. 1 seeds have only reached the Final Four during March Madness twice since the 64-team bracket began in 1985. This is a rare sporting moment, and one where football fans should take a step back and soak it all in.
Ahead of the tournament, FIFA announced that the four top teams were put in different quadrants and opposite sides of the bracket so that they couldn’t possibly meet until the semifinals to ensure a “competitive balance,” while also saving potential blockbuster matches for this stage. In five of the last six World Cups, one of the four top-ranked sides didn’t even make it out of the group stage, and the last time two played each other before the semifinals was in the 2010 competition. However, FIFA’s plan has worked out, and now the best of the best really are set to meet for a berth in the tournament’s epic finale next weekend in New Jersey. Gianni Infantino has also shared that FIFA is “exploring” the idea of an expanded 64-team field that would mimic the NCAA tournament’s size for 2030. With more nations participating, the potential for upsets expands and the likelihood of favorites making it to this stage theoretically lessens. But… is anyone really asking for a 64-team field? Let us know what you think at meninblazers@gmail.com.
France vs. Spain (3 p.m. ET, FOX) In a week where Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” debuts, it feels fitting that the World Cup’s own cinematic experience returns with a gargantuan clash between two European heavyweights gearing up for battle. Much like the city of Troy, both France and Spain have borderline impenetrable defenses, with just three total goals conceded between both teams across a combined 12 matches. But Les Bleus and La Roja also each have their own heroes heading into this one, which makes it all the more exciting. France’s Kylian Mbappé sits on eight goals, level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race, while Michael Olise is just two assists shy of passing Pelé’s single-tournament record. The reigning European champions, however, have defeated Les Bleus in their past two meetings in the Euros and the UEFA Nations League. Lamine Yamal is the brightest footballing talent we’ve seen since teenage Mbappé in the 2018 World Cup, but even if he can’t make the stage his own, it seems Arsenal’s Mikel Merino is perfectly fine doing so with two consecutive late winners off the bench to lead them here. More: France vs. Spain: The 2026 World Cup’s best attack meets its best defense.
Fierce France attack vs Steadfast Spain defence (and other subplots)
It’s a classic clash of the unstoppable force coming up against an immovable object. This is a basic way of looking at the first semi-final of the 2026 World Cup later today (Tuesday). It’s a battle between France, who have the best attack in the tournament with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise battering most other teams into the ground, and Spain, the best defence, having only conceded once in six games, midfielder Rodri prowling in front of centre-backs Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsi, setting the table for Pedri and Mikel Oyarzabal. A tense, cagey battle as one side hurls flaming boulders at the other’s city walls, and we all sit there nervously, waiting to see whether it breaches? Well, it could be. Or it could be a sensational clash between what are obviously the two best teams at this World Cup. Is it possible to have a dull game when Olise and Lamine Yamal are on the pitch? Stuart James has written about Olise, a “showman” one of his former managers compares to Lionel Messi, but is a different kind of superstar who doesn’t have a boot sponsor (he likes to match the colour of his footwear to the kit he’s wearing in a given game), doesn’t really give interviews and plays chess. And then there’s Yamal, who has been a little quieter than Olise over the past few weeks but still has the capacity to do something extraordinary and win Spain the match. Did you know his name isn’t actually Lamine Yamal? Well, it is… but he’s not ‘Mister Yamal’, because there’s a little more to it than that. And if you were to translate his name from Arabic into English, you might call him ‘Trustworthy Grace’… which is quite nice and fitting, isn’t it? Dermot Corrigan has more for you on that. Winner takes all? The chances are that the winners of the whole thing on Sunday will come from this first semi-final. And not just because of the trifling and spurious reason that ‘Both France and Spain are miles better than England and Argentina’. No. History says so, too. Because, as Michael Cox writes, 13 of the past 14 men’s and women’s European Championships and World Cups have been won by the team who played their semi-final first. That extra day of rest before the final might seem like a minor detail, but at the end of a gruelling tournament — this one more so than most, with the heat and the travel and the extra knockout-phase game — it really does seem to be crucial. And the exception, the 2017 women’s Euros, isn’t really much of an exception: the Netherlands won it after playing their semi-final second, but in that tournament both the semis were on the same day.
2026 World Cup: Best bets for France-Spain and England-Argentina semifinal
Jul 13, 2026, 12:02 PM ET ESPN
The 2026 World Cup moves into the semifinal round on Tuesday, with the field having been winnowed all the way down to the final four teams — all ranked in FIFA’s top four.
There’s some exciting soccer left to play and that means plenty of opportunities still remain to make some wagers on the action.
With so many potential bets that can be made over these next two games, it might be a bit overwhelming to know where to begin. Fear not! Victoria Matiash and Liz Loza hvave looked over the options and landed on their favorites as the teams battle it out to make the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final.
*Odds as of time of publication. For the most updated odds, visit DK Sports
Kylian Mbappé‘s record-setting play has dominated tournament headlines. He leads the French team with 30 total shots taken, 20 shots on target, and eight goals successfully achieved. Close behind him, however, is the seemingly ambidextrous Dembélé, who has averaged more than three shots per game, recording 16 in total throughout the 2026 World Cup. Facing a staunch Spanish defense and in what’s projected to be a tight match, Les Bleus figure to stay on the attack with Dembélé remaining a primary offensive focus. — Loza
UNDER 1.5 total goals, 90 minutes (+275)
Even though this epic semifinal is being billed as a clash of footballing heavyweights in Kylian Mbappé versus Lamine Yamal (and others), it also pits the two staunchest defenses against one another. Guided by midfielder Rodri, Spain has conceded just one goal this entire tournament. Arguably the second-strongest unit defensively, France has surrendered all of two.
While most fans would like to see the stars put on a scoring show and a 2-1 final is the most popular prediction from ESPN’s expert panel, a 1-0 result after 90 minutes (or even nil-nil) hardly feels unreasonable considering how well both sides are defending. For the record, UNDER 2.5 total goals is currently offering -105. — Matiash
Total corners, OVER 10.5 (+140)
Spain leads the remaining contenders in corner kicks with a total of 44 taken. This makes sense given Luis de la Fuente’s possession-heavy approach. France is not too far behind with 41 total corners taken across six matches. Both teams registered exactly five corners in their quarterfinal matchups. Additionally, the last time these two teams faced each other (a little over a year ago during the UEFA Nations League finals in Germany) 10 total corners were recorded (six for France, four for Spain). Given the stakes, Spain’s defense, and France’s attack? A total of 11 corners is a reasonable outcome to anticipate. — Loza
Two exhausted powerhouses with decades of bad blood? This matchup figures to be equal parts ill-tempered and physical, likely leading to an abundance of fouls committed. While England’s cards have increased, the Three Lions’ infractions count has decreased since entering the knockout rounds as the squad has managed fewer than 10 fouls in back-to-back efforts. Meanwhile Argentina’s trademark “garra” has continued at a consistent clip with La Albiceleste registering exactly 14 fouls committed in three consecutive outings. With pressure and accusations of favoritism mounting, Argentina’s approach doesn’t figure to change. — Loza
Defensively, England is not Spain or France. If Thomas Tuchel’s side performs as shoddily as it did for too much of their quarterfinal against Norway, Argentina is going to find the net. So, if you’re buying that hypothesis, why not side with the nation’s most dynamic scoring threat? Some are arguing that Argentina and their superstar are running out of steam. Others suggest No. 10 doesn’t have it in him to fade out quietly. After racking up eight goals over his first five matches, Messi failed to score against Switzerland. Running neck-and-neck with Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot, expect the 39-year-old to get back on track against England — win or lose. — Matiash
Gordon has, quite fittingly, outpaced Marcus Rashford, establishing himself as England’s top-option on the left wing. The 25-year-old effectively broke out during the Round of 32, logging two assists against Congo DR and becoming the first player in World Cup history to do so as a substitute in a knockout match. Gordon is now tied with Bukayo Saka for the most team assists (3), having successfully set up Jude Bellingham versus Norway. Gordon’s facilitating skills should “flash” again when facing an Argentinian defense that has allowed at least one assist per match since entering the knockout stage of the tournament. — Loza
France counterattack, Argentina set pieces: How World Cup semifinalists score goals
Bill ConnellyJul 13, 2026, 09:58 AM ET
Despite a beautifully unpredictable group stage and a consistently dramatic set of three knockout rounds, we’ve somehow managed to land exactly where everyone thought we would at the start of the 2026 World Cup.
The four favorites from each quadrant of the bracket — France, Spain, England and Argentina — have crafted a star-studded set of semifinals. France and Spain will meet in Dallas on Tuesday, before England and Argentina face off on Wednesday in Atlanta.
While France has been mostly comfortable to date, each of the other three semifinalists have needed late-game excellence to hold on and get to this stage. But all four attacks have been pretty unique.
As we prepare for the final four matches of an exhilarating tournament, let’s ask a simple question: How do each of these semifinalists score the goals that got them here?
– Progressive carries (possessions ending in goal): Mbappe 4, Doue 4, Olise 3, Barcola 2, Dembele 2, LB Theo Hernández 2, RB Jules Koundé 2, CB Maxence Lacroix 2, five players with 1 – Progressive passes (possessions ending in goal): Olise 6, Mbappe 4, Rabiot 3, CB William Saliba 3, DM Aurélien Tchouaméni 2, four players with 1 – Duels won (possessions ending in goal): Mbappe 4, Doue 4, Olise 2, Tchouameni 1
No one in the World Cup has scored more goals from counterattacks than France’s three. All three came when France were up 1-0: Adrien Rabiot assisted Bradley Barcola against Senegal, Kylian Mbappe assisted Ousmane Dembele against Norway, and Michael Olise assisted Barcola against Sweden. For that matter, their second goal against Morocco — another Mbappe-to-Dembele job — wasn’t technically a counter, but it was sudden and vertical all the same.
A France goal is quite likely to involve transition in some way — a ground duel won, a progressive carry or a ball recovery in an opportune position and then sudden danger. France have always attacked more vertically than other dominant nations; it’s been the best way to get the most out of Mbappe, and in Dembele and either Barcola or Desire Doue, he has by far his most dynamic dance partners yet.
Honestly, you could even make the case that France’s most important attacker isn’t even Mbappe, no matter how many goals he has scored.
Olise hasn’t found his shooting range at all in the U.S. — he has attempted 17 shots worth 2.1 xG, but has yet to score — but he’s averaging 16 progressive carries per game in the knockout rounds. (For a frame of reference, he averaged 10.7 while absolutely dominating the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich this past season.)
And wherever Olise needs to go to fill a gap for the French attack, that’s where he is.
Once France open the spigot, it stays open. They scored three times in 30 minutes against Senegal, three times in 25 minutes against Norway, three times in 29 minutes against Sweden and twice in six minutes against Morocco. The first goal, however, has taken a while at times; after all, you can’t beautifully attack open spaces if they don’t exist. They needed until the 66th minute to score against Senegal, until the 70th against Paraguay in the round of 16 and until the 60th against Morocco in the quarterfinals.
They always break through, but sometimes it requires some extreme grinding (as against Paraguay), and sometimes it requires a moment of absolute magic, like Mbappe’s tiebreaker against Morocco.
That’s like the soccer version of a step-back jumper. He created space from nothing, but still got enough power on it to beat an excellent keeper.
Spain vs. France will be a ridiculously interesting semifinal for a million different reasons, but here’s one I’m really intrigued by: Spain aren’t going to park the bus. They defend with the ball in their possession, and they’re willing to make games extremely boring — a compliment, I swear — if it keeps you far away from their goal. They’ve allowed just one goal in six matches, and they could make France defend more and theoretically take their attacking legs away in the process.
Or they could leave exactly the spaces that France love to exploit and lose big. It could go either way, and I can’t wait to watch.
– Progressive carries (possessions ending in goal): Rodri 3, CB Pau Cubarsí 3, Porro 2, Pedri 2, seven players with one – Progressive passes (possessions ending in goal): Pedri 6, Rodri 3, Cucurella 3, CB Aymeric Laporte 2, Porro 2, Yamal 2, three players with one – Duels won (possessions ending in goal): RB Marcos Llorente 1, Merino 1, Oyarzabal 1, Rodri 1, Torres 1
Burley: France will punish Spain if they don’t improve
Spain’s eight goals in six matches are easily the fewest of any semifinalist. That would be more alarming if they had allowed more than one goal in the tournament, but even with their extreme talent and generally mistake-free play, they’ve left games dangerously close. They suffered a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their tournament opener and almost got hit by a shocking late counterattack; more recently, they weren’t able to put either Belgium (in the quarterfinals) or Portugal (in the round of 16) away until the 88th and 91st minutes, respectively.
Both goals were scored by substitute Mikel Merino, which is a cool story in itself. But Spain would benefit more from not waiting so damn long to find the winner.
Now, in other words, would be a good time for Lamine Yamal to get a little bit more connected to the rest of the attack.
Yamal’s been hard to evaluate in this tournament. He’s 18 years old, and he’s already the primary defensive focus for every opponent. He’s still led his team in shot attempts worth 0.2 xG or more (three), shots on goal (10), one-on-one attempts (48, with no one else over 13), ground duels won (36), fouls won (seven), fouls won in the attacking third (three) and crosses completed (six). He’s also second in average carry distance (6.1 meters), ball recoveries in the attacking third (eight) and, perhaps most surprisingly, tackles won in the defensive third (four). No one in the tournament has attempted more than his 78 ground duels, and only Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi has won more than his 36.
Yamal’s doing so many things and is putting in the work, but after producing five combined goals and assists at Euro 2024, he has produced only one goal with no assists in six World Cup matches. Opponents have kept him isolated on the wing, winning duels but finding nowhere productive to go with the ball. Therefore, goals have had to come from the other side of the pitch.
Against France, they could hog the ball and limit counterattacking opportunities, but the French back line is so incredibly destructive in one-on-one situations — center backs Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba and fullbacks Jules Kounde and Lucas Digne have won 62% of ground duels and 61% of aerial duels in this tournament — and Spain will need their very best attacker to do some incredible things.
– Progressive carries (possessions ending in goal): Saka 4, Bellingham 3, DM Declan Rice 3, DM Elliott Anderson 2, O’Reilly 2, GK Jordan Pickford 2, four players with one – Progressive passes (possessions ending in goal): Anderson 3, Rashford 2, eight players with one – Duels won (possessions ending in goal): Gordon 3, five players with one
Burley: Bellingham believes ‘he can take England all the way’
England have had a journey over this past month. In six matches they’ve been about five different teams. The fun (and mostly healthy) team we saw thumping Croatia in the tournament opener spent their next three matches struggling mightily to break down low-block defenses and quickly cycling through a number of right backs looking for a healthy one. After surviving Congo DR in the round of 32, they got four goals from Jude Bellingham in two matches to beat Mexico and Norway: the former in the absurd elevation of Mexico City, the latter in the absurd midday heat and humidity of Miami.
England haven’t been the best team, but they’ve survived each unique test uniquely. As someone who married himself to the idea that It’s Coming Home, it’s been heartening, if stressful.
For a team that looks so different hour to hour, though, England have still produced some themes in their goal-scoring possessions.
– Six have involved headers — four goals, plus two more shots that created rebounds – Five involved successful crosses – Five involved set pieces, either directly or indirectly
There are plenty of rebounds involved — in the knockout rounds, they’ve averaged 1.4 shots per scoring possession, the most of any semifinalist. And for the tournament they’re averaging 4.7 box touches per scoring possession, also the most. Aside from a couple of breakaways against Mexico, they’ve been best at arranging bodies in advantageous areas and sending the ball in after them. It certainly worked to put away Norway.
As you can probably piece together from the fact that wingers Gordon and Saka have six of England’s 10 assists, crosses have been a pretty solid weapon for England as well. England have averaged 21.5 cross attempts per game, the sixth most in the tournament (among semifinalists, only Spain have attempted more), and looking specifically at open-play situations (no corners), their 3.8 completed crosses per game rank fifth.
There are some old-school, get-it-into-the-mixer vibes here, but when combined with top-to-bottom big-club talent and a willingness to bunker in to defend a lead, it has worked.
I’m curious if this works against Argentina. Their semifinal opponents have primarily allowed goals from sudden, brilliant strikes with no rebounds. Jordan‘s goal and Egypt‘s second came from high-percentage opportunities, but usually you need a great individual effort to score on the defending champs. Can England provide that?
– Progressive carries (possessions ending in goal): CM Leandro Paredes 8, Messi 6, CB Lisandro Martínez 4, LM Thiago Almada 4, CB Nicolás Otamendi 3, RM Rodrigo De Paul 3, Alvarez 2, Romero 2, Mac Allister 2, Fernandez 2, two players with one – Progressive passes (possessions ending in goal): Messi 6, Paredes 3, Martinez 3, De Paul 2, Mac Allister 2, Almada 2, CM Enzo Fernandez 2, RM Giuliano Simeone 2, 10 players with one – Duels won (possessions ending in goal): Mac Allister 3, De Paul 2, Almada 2, Alvarez 2, five players with one
Klinsmann: Argentina vs. England semifinal will be 50-50
Argentina have scored 16 goals in this tournament. Leo Messi has scored eight of them and assisted two more, and he’s played a role in some of the others, too, like firing in a tough shot that Switzerland‘s Gregor Kobel could only parry, beginning the sequence that ended with Julian Alvarez’s game-winning goal in the quarterfinals.
Even beyond goals themselves, Messi has had a hand in almost everything threatening Argentina have done; he comfortably leads the tournament in combined xG and xA.
It would therefore have been pretty easy to just say “Argentina score because of the 39-year-old GOAT.” But there have been two other dominant Argentina trends:
1. They have dominated on set pieces. They’ve been officially credited with five set piece goals in six games, the most in the tournament. And it even goes beyond that: Three other goal-scoring possessions also featured corners, even if they didn’t directly lead to the goal.
Messi’s corners are effective enough that Argentina even maintain possession from them if they don’t score. Considering they scored only two set piece goals in 2022, this has been a life saver in 2026.
2. When they need a late goal, they score it. Argentina have certainly given themselves some work to do considering what looks on paper to be a pretty easy path to the semis — they’ve only beaten one team that ranks higher than 23rd in the FIFA rankings. They were down 2-0 against No. 24 Egypt in the 79th minute (and tied in the second minute of stoppage time) in the round of 16; they were tied in the 111th minute against No. 64 (but No. 1 in our hearts) Cape Verde in the round of 32; and they were tied in the 112th minute against Switzerland in the quarters.
In each instance, however, they ratcheted up the pressure until the goals came. They got a goal from Lisandro Martinez and an own goal against Cape Verde, then Cristian Romero, Messi and Enzo Fernandez all scored against Egypt. Messi couldn’t break through against the Swiss, so Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez did instead.
Considering Thomas Tuchel’s willingness to ask England to park the bus late in elimination games, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a scenario in which England lead late in the semis, and Argentina are constantly searching for the equalizer with long, late possessions.
England vs Argentina at the World Cup means pantomime villains. Who will it be this time?
For English fans, the rivalry has centred around individuals. For Argentina, it runs deeper (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)
The World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina in Atlanta will be the sixth time the two nations have met at the competition.The first was in 1962, a relatively routine 3-1 group-stage England win. But the others have each been marked by some kind of controversy caused by the supposedly nefarious actions of an Argentina player.his is why, from an English perspective, it is a rivalry that, for the most part, has been defined by individuals.In their 1966 World Cup quarter-final, it was Antonio Rattin, the Argentina captain who refused to leave the pitch after being sent off in a 1-0 win for tournament hosts England. This was painted in England as a cheating foreigner who refused to respect the authority of the referee, but the reality might have been a bit more nuanced.Rattin had been told that if anything was lost in translation between him and the German referee Rudolf Kreitlein, he could ask for an interpreter, but when he was given his marching orders for slightly unclear/spurious reasons, no interpreter was forthcoming, hence his protest. Still, that did not stop England manager Alf Ramsey calling the Argentina players “animals” in a TV interview, and a spiteful on-pitch rivalry was born.Two decades later, the villain was Diego Maradona following his ‘Hand of God’ goal, viewed in England as the lowest form of cheating (even after his sensational second goal in their 1986 World Cup quarter-final 2-1 victory). In Argentina, and by Maradona, it was celebrated for its cunning.Who to root for in the World Cup final four
“I am not sorry for scoring with my hand,” he wrote in his book Touched By God, about that game at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. “Not sorry at all! With all due respect to the fans, the players, the management, I am not the least bit sorry.”
In 1998, it was Diego Simeone, who supposedly needled David Beckham into the fairly weak kick that earned him a red card in the 47th minute of a World Cup last-16 epic, which Argentina won on penalties following a 2-2 draw.“Let’s just say the referee fell into the trap,” Simeone said a year later, before facing Beckham again when his Inter side played Manchester United in the Champions League.
Simeone and Beckham clash in 1998Gerard Cerles/AFP via Getty Images
The pair reached a detente after that match, exchanging shirts (Beckham had Simeone’s jersey framed and hung in his snooker room).
For Argentina, the rivalry has never been so personalised, and the villain has rarely been an individual. One minor exception was England’s midfield hard man Nobby Stiles, who was singled out for opprobrium after his robust performance against Argentina in 1966, a reputation burnished when he was sent off during the 1968 Intercontinental Cup (a forerunner to the Club World Cup) final first leg in Buenos Aires between Manchester United and Estudiantes.
“Stiles had been goaded all game,” wrote Jonathan Wilson in Angels With Dirty Faces, his history of Argentinian football. “Suffering a cut eye from a headbutt, and with 11 minutes remaining, he finally snapped, flicking a V-sign at the linesman. Having already been booked for a foul on Carlos Bilardo, he was duly sent off.”
For Argentina, the ‘villain’ has been the concept of England, a national enemy rather than a personal one, an enmity which has taken a few different forms.
Maradona is synonymous with the England-Argentina rivalryLouisa Buller/AFP via Getty Images
One was the idea that England were part of an establishment who tried to screw them over in 1966. FIFA was, at the time, headed by the Englishman Sir Stanley Rous, and there were various complaints about Argentina’s training arrangements and the appointment of referees.
Another is the constant moaning from England about the individual Argentinian players mentioned above. But most significantly, it’s been about the Falkland Islands, and the war which was fought in 1982 when Argentina attempted to ‘reclaim’ the territory, which is around 300 miles from their coast but had been part of the United Kingdom since the 1800s.
So while the Argentinian players still sing songs about the Falklands (or Las Islas Malvinas, as they call them) and focus their attention on the wider idea of England, history suggests the English will still look for a pantomime villain at whom to direct their ire.
There are a few candidates in this Argentina side. Often in these cases the focus is on the opposition’s best player, but aliens cannot be cartoon baddies, so that rules out Lionel Messi. But there are plenty of other possibilities.
There’s Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez, on the basis that anyone nicknamed ‘The Butcher’ is likely to ruffle a few feathers. Enzo Fernandez is not the most popular player in England — among Chelsea fans because he constantly seems to have one foot out the door, among non-Chelsea fans because he plays for Chelsea — and could take on the role.
Cristian Romero is a live candidate too. He’s an agent of chaos, the football equivalent of those balloons that fly in every direction when you let go of them. Only in his case, the balloon is stuffed with firecrackers.
Since making his Spurs debut in August 2021, Romero has been sent off six times in all competitions — more than any other Premier League player during that timeKyle Rivas/Getty Images
The Tottenham Hotspur centre-back is just as likely to score the winning goal as he is to cut Jude Bellingham in half with a ludicrous foul. At the moment, anyone who so much as harms a hair on Bellingham’s head will face the anger of a nation, and while Romero has been relatively quiet on that front during this tournament, there’s always a sense that his next outburst is just around the corner.
But let’s be honest: if we’re looking for a pantomime villain in the Argentina team, someone who could join the ranks of Rattin and Maradona and Simeone as players who have wronged the English in some way, there’s only one name.
Emiliano Martinez has made being a performative rotter his unique selling point. He’s part goalkeeper, part alpha dog, part troll, using whatever means he can to throw you off your game.
Martinez was an Argentina hero in the 2022 World Cup final penalty shootout against FranceDavid Ramos/Getty Images
The Aston Villa No 1 can be a menace to opponents at any stage of a match, a wind-up merchant extraordinaire, but he really comes into his own during penalty shootouts. His approach to these situations is to impose himself on them before a ball has been kicked, whether that’s through insults, crude psychological warfare, trying to convince the taker he knows where they are going, making a funny face — whatever works, whatever helps him gain mental control of the situation.
And it often does work, most famously four years ago at the World Cup in Qatar, when he psyched out France in the final.
For the most part, neutrals enjoy the brazenness of Martinez’s antics or are slightly irritated by them. He’s almost too cartoonish to properly dislike, a man whose intentions and tactics are so naked that hating him almost seems pointless.
But let’s say the game on Wednesday goes to penalties, he pulls his usual stunts — insulting Harry Kane, throwing the ball away from Bellingham, pulling Bukayo Saka’s shorts down — and Argentina win. He will become even more of a hero than he is in his homeland, and public enemy No 1 where he works, in England. There’s been a sense for some time that Martinez has an eye on the exit door at Villa: if he becomes a figure of hate by doing something… well… ‘Martinez-y’, he’ll be charging towards that door headfirst.
Perhaps this game, whatever the result, will come and go relatively peacefully, with no incidents to speak of and no new Argentinian ‘villains’ in the collective English consciousness.
But history tells us there’s a good chance the opposite will be true.
Nick Miller is a football writer for the Athletic and the Totally Football Show. He previously worked as a freelancer for the Guardian, ESPN and Eurosport, plus anyone else who would have him.
France vs Spain mega-preview: Predictions, form guide, key players and more
France’s Kylian Mbappe, left, and Lamine Yamal of Spain Getty Images
Didier Deschamps’ preferred attacking quartet is Kylian Mbappe (eight goals in this tournament), Ousmane Dembele (the reigning world footballer of the year), Michael Olise (one of the standout players at this World Cup) and Desire Doue (scored twice in the 2025 Champions League final).
Their bench is not bad either.
Good luck to Unai Simon, the Spain goalkeeper.
Of course, the Spanish have some wonderful talents of their own, including the best teenager in the world, Lamine Yamal. The Barcelona forward helped Spain win the European Championship in 2024, just a day after turning 17. Their midfield is superb, with Rodri pulling the strings and helping Luis de la Fuente’s team pass sides to death on their way to this semi-final.
This match, at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, pits the two teams at the top of the world rankings against one another, and the winners will face either England or Argentina in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, just outside New York City, on Sunday.
We take a closer look at this game and where it might be decided…
What’s the key info I need to know?
Round: World Cup semi-final World rankings: France (FIFA ranking: first) vs Spain (Second) Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas Date: Tuesday, July 14 Kick-off: 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm BST
How did France reach the semi-finals?
With greater ease than anyone else.
Their last-32 tie against Sweden was a 3-0 breeze in which they could have scored a few more had the woodwork not been their enemy.
France were felt to not have faced a proper test yet at this tournament. Morocco were meant to be the team that changed this in the quarter-finals, but opted for an uncharacteristically conservative approach, having lost star forward Ismael Saibari to injury, and barely laid a glove on the French, who won 2-0. Are Mbappe & Dembele the deadliest World Cup duo?
Liam Twomey
They have not conceded a goal in the knockout stage and have not really looked like doing so. In the opening group-stage game against Senegal, they were far from convincing and, even against a Norway second-string in match three, looked too open at the back. They have tightened up as the competition progressed, though. Crucially, France arrive at the semi-final stage having not expended any of the emotional energy of the others, who have all been embroiled in dramatic and prolonged battles.
Jordan Campbell
How did Spain reach the semi-finals?
Spain have won their last two knockout stage games against Portugal, in the round of 16, and Belgium, in the quarter-finals, through late Mikel Merino goals off the bench.
Against Portugal, they prevailed 1-0, reaching the quarter-finals without conceding a goal in five matches. Belgium were the first team able to breach their defence but lost 2-1 after Merino pounced on substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens’ error in the 88th minute.
Mikel Merino pokes the ball beyond Senne Lammens to give Spain a late victory against BelgiumDavid Ramos/Getty Images
They started the tournament frustratingly when Cape Verde and inspired ’keeper Vozinha held them to a goalless draw, but Spain went on to top Group H with wins over Saudi Arabia (4-0) and Uruguay (1-0).
Mikel Merino – World Cup super sub & Spanish hero 🇪🇸
Felipe Cardenas
Round-of-32 opponents Austria provided no real challenge, as they eased to a 3-0 victory. Mikel Oyarzabal got his second goal double of the tournament in that match, having also scored twice against Saudi Arabia.
Eduardo Tansley
How to watch on TV
United States: 3pm ET / 12pm PT: Fox (English), Telemundo / Peacock (Spanish) Canada: 3pm ET / 12pm PT: CTV, TSN / RDS (French) Mexico: 1pm CST: TelevisaUnivision / TV Azteca, with streaming on ViX UnitedKingdom: 8pm BST: ITV1 and ITVX
What should we expect from France?
A less philosophical approach to the game than Spain. While today’s opponents operate in a strict system with a near-religious commitment to possession and pressing, France are happy to adapt depending on what a match demands.
It is what makes them so dangerous and difficult to stop.
Sit off them and the front four of Mbappe, Olise, Dembele and Doue will pick holes where you thought there were none. Try to press them and they will tear you open with two passes through the middle. Take the game to them and they will kill you on the break.
Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele celebrate a goal against Sweden in the round of 32John Sibley/Reuters
They appear to have the answers to every equation, and are playing a more expansive game than at the three previous World Cups. Deschamps has found a way of platforming four attackers by having Adrien Rabiot and Manu Kone protecting the midfield behind them. So far, it has not posed them many problems, but against Spain, they will need to find the perfect balance. Jordan Campbell
What should we expect from Spain?
Passes, and lots of them.
No team have averaged a greater share of possession across their six games so far at this World Cup (65.8 per cent). They had even more of the ball at the previous edition in Qatar in 2022 (76.5 per cent), and also led the way at the one before that in Russia eight years ago.
Such a patient approach is embedded in Spain’s identity — they will look to control the flow of the game with the ball at their feet, pen their opponents back, and try to counter-press aggressively and win possession straight back the second they lose it.
All of that has led to a solid, if yet unspectacular, route through the tournament, conceding only once along the way and recording three of their five wins by a single goal. Rodri has shone at the heart of midfield, his innate sense of positioning and quality on the ball keeping them ticking in the final third.
Rodri has been essential to Spain’s passage through the tournamentCarlos Barria/Reuters
Full-backs Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro have both pushed high and kept their wingers supplied, while Yamal’s threat has simmered, yet to truly bring his game-breaking talents to this World Cup.
Spain’s ambitious high line has yet to be truly tested by a clinical centre-forward; how they deal with the pace of Mbappe could make or break this game.
Thom Harris
Who is the star player for each team?
Mbappe is the obvious choice for France, with his eight goals being the joint-highest by anyone in this tournament. However, French fans could feasibly make a case that Olise has been the team’s most indispensable man this summer.
Michael Olise glides past a Paraguay challengeKyle Ross/Imagn Images via Reuters
Olise’s ability to glide across the pitch makes him one of the most aesthetically pleasing players to watch in the world, but there is an end product to his game that few opponents can live with. His five assists are more than any player in the tournament, while his punched balls between the opposition lines have been enough to knock most sides to the canvas.
Only Lionel Messi (15) has attempted more through balls than Olise’s 14, with nobody completing more than his seven. Mbappe will rightfully get the headlines, but Olise has been powering France’s attack.
For Spain, it is difficult to look beyond Yamal as the jewel in their crown. The teenager (he was 19 on Monday) continues to look at home on the biggest international stage, even if he has not reached the goalscoring numbers of his fellow elite global stars.
Lamine Yamal celebrates his goal against Saudi Arabia in the group stageJustin Setterfield/Getty Images
In truth, Spain’s biggest strength is their collective unit, but Rodri’s fingerprints have been all over anything they do well in and out of possession. A tempo-controller on the ball and an aggressive counter-presser off the ball, the 30-year-old is hitting the levels that we saw prior to his season-ending ACL injury in September 2024.
Mark Carey
Is there any history in this match-up?
France will become only the second European nation to reach three successive World Cup finals if they overcome Spain, but it is De la Fuente’s side who have had the upper hand in the teams’ two most recent meetings.
In June last year, Spain defeated the French 5-4 in an exhilarating UEFA Nations League semi-final in which they led 4-0 just before the hour but were very nearly reeled back in.
Yamal and Nico Williams celebrate during their Nations League final win in 2025Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Eleven months before that, in a Euro 2024 semi-final, they also emerged the victors, coming from behind to win 2-1 and seal their place in the final.
France have had their own momentous wins in this fixture: in 1984, they beat Spain 2-0 in the European Championship final and also came out on top, 2-1, in the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League final.
The only World Cup meeting between the nations came in 2006, when Zinedine Zidane inspired France to a 3-1 victory in the round of 16.
Spain holds the lead in the overall head-to-head record with 18 wins to 13, alongside seven draws. They have the momentum from those recent meetings, but this is a France team which has rapidly evolved and has become more adventurous since Spain’s European title two years ago.
Jordan Campbell
Where will the match be won and lost?
Spain are likely to dominate possession to maximise control in the game, but that may play into the hands of France’s greatest strength at times.
The breakneck speed with which the French can spring forward is a potent weapon they have not been shy about using this summer. Their 32 direct attacks (a proxy of counter-attacking play) are already more than in their previous four major tournaments, dating to winning the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Even adjusting for minutes played, that rate of 5.3 direct attacks per 90 remains the highest.
A neat example of their devastating counter-attack was Bradley Barcola’s goal against Sweden in the round of 32. After Aurelien Tchouameni recovered the ball on the halfway line, a simple pass to Olise then released Barcola to finish at the near post within seconds of recovering possession.
Thankfully for Spain, they have been one of the best counter-pressing sides in this World Cup.
As The Athletic recently analysed, their defensive strength has been built upon excellent recovery work to sustain attacks and keep the other team far from goal on the rare occasion they do give up possession.
As shown below in their round-of-32 clash with Austria, Yamal loses the ball in the penalty area, but Rodri is quick to hound Marcel Sabitzer and regain the ball in seconds — with four Spanish team-mates congregated around him in support to keep those spaces tight and suffocate the opposition.
With so much individual talent on show, this game is likely to be decided by Spain’s counter-pressing to nullify France’s counter-attacking threat.
Mark Carey
Who do our experts think will win?
Colin Millar: France 2, Spain 1 (after extra time). The tournament’s best two teams. Spain’s connections, rhythm and control of both possession and territory are a step above anyone else in the tournament, but their key attackers, notably Yamal, are lacking form and full fitness. This is a side who have lost some of their sparkle from that European Championship win two years ago, while France have blown away their World Cup opposition to date.
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Eduardo Tansley: France 2, Spain 1. We saw Morocco try to nullify the French with possession in the previous round, and it didn’t work. France’s performances have been too convincing and their attack too fluid to bet against them.
Mark Carey: France 2, Spain 1. I think Spain will try to control the tempo of the game as much as they can, but the attacking firepower of France’s front four will prove too devastating.
Thom Harris: France 1, Spain 1 (France win on penalties). Spain should be able to keep France at arm’s length with the ball at their feet. I see a moment of magic from both Mbappe and Yamal, before penalties decide the teams’ fate. France will make it through!
Amelie Claydon: France 2, Spain 1. Spain will probably have more of the ball, but that should suit France. Their full-backs push high and their midfielders commit numbers ahead of the ball, leaving space for the French to attack as soon as possession changes hands. France do not need to dominate possession to control the direction of a game. They are comfortable absorbing pressure and waiting for the moment when Spain overcommit.
Miller: France 2, Spain 1 (after extra time). If anyone has a good enough defence to stop France, it’s Spain, who have only conceded once in this tournament. But even they won’t be able to completely hold off Mbappe, Olise, Dembele and the ‘lobster thermidor or Wagyu steak?’ choice between Doue and Barcola. I think this will be the tightest game either will play — including the final — and much higher quality than their semi-final at Euro 2024, when France were weirdly, crushingly dull. I’ll say France, with a late Mbappe winner.
Dermot Corrigan: France 2, Spain 1. Spain’s chances in this game rely on their midfield — led by Rodri — dominating possession so they can keep the ball away from France’s tremendous attackers. I can definitely see them outnumbering and outplaying the French in central areas to have more of the ball, but it’s more difficult to see their attack really hurting Deschamps’ defence. Mbappe, Olise and Dembele are playing so well that, over the 90 minutes, logic says they will have enough opportunities to send France through to a third straight World Cup final.
Charlie Scott: France 2, Spain 3.Surely one of us has to back Spain?! Yamal scores twice in a performance for the ages, and Simon has a ridiculous game in goal. Mbappe and Dembele to both find the net for France.
How might they line up?
Tell me one thing about France that’s going to make me look clever to my friends
Mbappe scored an incredible opening goal in the quarter-final against Morocco, opening his body up to finish beyond Yassine Bounou to the far post.
One of Mbappe’s biggest strengths is being able to switch between a near-post and far-post finish depending on the situation — a skill he has developed since earlier in his career. When he gets himself into his favoured left zone of the pitch (see below), seven of his efforts have gone to the far post and six have gone to the near, with an unpredictability that can leave goalkeepers guessing until the very last second.
Contrast that with France’s right zone, where left-footed Olise and ambipedal Dembele typically reside, and a more predictable pattern emerges. Both tend to opt for a far-post finish when unleashing their efforts, and considering their success rate when they do, you can understand why.
If Simon is looking to play the percentages, he can be confident that France’s left-footers are going to shoot across goal when he is making a save.
When the ball is on Mbappe’s side, Simon might just have to pray that the goalkeeping gods are looking down favourably on him as France’s captain shapes to release his shot.
Mark Carey
Tell me one thing about Spain that’s going to make me look clever to my friends
Keep an eye out for cutbacks.
With opponents often sitting deep against De la Fuente’s side, space rarely opens up in central areas of the pitch, meaning Spain are frequently tasked with going around the defensive block as they cannot go through it.
Their 14 chances created via cutbacks are the most of the nations still in the tournament, and brought them a goal when Alex Baena’s pulled pass found Porro during the last-16 meeting with Austria.
France are more likely to go toe-to-toe with them today, meaning there might be more space to exploit through the heart of the pitch.
However, on the occasions when Spain do pin their opponent back and look to create, do not be surprised to see them reverse a pass backwards to find a free man when all others converge towards France’s goalmouth.
Mark Carey
Who is the referee?
If a referee can ever ‘shoot to fame’, the official in charge of the World Cup semi-final between France and Spain certainly had a shot at becoming an overnight sensation earlier in the tournament.
Ivan Barton, a 35-year-old from El Salvador, became the first referee to send off a player under the new law barring them from covering their mouths while confronting an opponent.
After watching the incident at the pitchside monitor, Barton returned to the field and delivered his verdict to Paraguay forward Miguel Almiron with considerable gusto.
“After review! Number 10! Paraguay! Cover his mouth! Decision is: red card!”
Darren Yamashita/Reuters
Almiron’s dismissal aside, Barton has kept a low profile through draws between Japan and Sweden in the group stage, and Switzerland (who advanced on penalties) and Colombia in the first knockout round.
This is his second World Cup. His games in Qatar four years ago included Germany’s shock group-stage defeat to Japan and England’s 3-0 win over Senegal in the round of 16.
While his card count is normally around average, Barton reduced the U.S. men’s national team and Mexico to nine men each in a 16-minute spell late in a 2023 Concacaf Nations League semi-final. He then blew for time early, due to homophobic chanting in the crowd.
He will be hoping for a quieter time of it on Tuesday and I wish him well, while secretly hoping he has to overturn a decision so we get to hear another on-field announcement.
Graham Scott
Who will the winners play?
The victors in Arlington today will face whoever wins the other semi-final between world champions Argentina and England, which is being played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta tomorrow (Wednesday) at 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm BST.
That final will be played at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, a few miles west of New York City, this Sunday, July 19, with kick-off at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm BST.
How France are playing four proper attackers and not conceding chances at this World Cup
Ousmane Dembele, right, celebrates with his team-mates after scoring France’s second against Morocco Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Creating a World Cup-winning side is all about balance. As a disciplined defensive midfielder who won the tournament in 1998, and as a cautious manager who won it again in 2018, Didier Deschamps knows this better than most. This summer, his France team feel more attack-minded than usual. And yet, ominously, their defensive record remains excellent.
It’s not simply that France have yet to concede a goal in the knockout stage of this tournament, recording clean sheets against Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco. The real story is that they have barely even allowed any half-chances. Sweden looked meek when recording just 0.7 expected goals (xG, a measure of the quality of goalscoring opportunities a team creates) in their round-of-32 match, but that’s more than Paraguay (0.2) and Morocco (0.1) managed between them. In their 2-0 defeat on Thursday night, Morocco only had sights of goal from set pieces or hopeful long-range shots.
This is despite Deschamps continuing to use four attackers, a departure from his previous approach at World Cups, when he often favoured a more responsible central midfielder shifted out wide to help screen the defence.
Neither Adrien Rabiot nor Manu Kone is a world-renowned holding player: Rabiot is more of an all-rounder, Kone is an unheralded 25-year-old in his first international tournament. But they have been excellent together, patrolling the centre as a tight duo, and they are being trusted to cover the width of the pitch — sometimes without huge support from ahead.
But France are making it work, in part because of their boldness in attack.
France’s main task against Morocco at Gillette Stadium was coping with Achraf Hakimi, the best right-back in the tournament and familiar to the France players who have played club football with him at Paris Saint-Germain.
Hakimi has sometimes seemed like a right-back, a No 10 and a No 9 combined in this tournament, and here he carried Morocco’s main attacking threat, operating as their most advanced player on occasions.
France, in general, seemed happy for him to push forward, knowing that he would leave space to break into. That’s not quite what they would have done at previous tournaments — in 2018, box-to-box midfielder Blaise Matuidi played on the left and would have been practically man-marking an attacking full-back like Hakimi. But here, Desire Doue played a little deeper than usual, and Kylian Mbappe drifted over to that side, always ready to break. France’s passing network, below, shows the extent to which Mbappe took up inside-left positions.
Midway through the first half, there was the perfect example — Hakimi pushed forward and was tackled by Doue. Morocco’s key player was stranded upfield.
This was France’s dream scenario, and they broke quickly. Mbappe drifted left, sprinted in behind to get on a pass from Michael Olise…
… and was clumsily brought down inside the box by Noussair Mazraoui. Mbappe’s subsequent penalty was saved after a long VAR review.
France eventually went ahead 10 minutes into the second half with a classic Mbappe curler. It came after a good example of another element of the game France do excellently: counter-pressing. The heat has made it physically tough to spend all game closing down, but various top teams have been excellent at pouncing to regain the ball quickly after losing it.
For their opening goal, France effectively won possession in those situations three times within the space of 20 seconds — and as much as this period was scrappy, it showed how France’s attackers were simultaneously denying counter-attacking chances, and creating chances of their own. Their defensive work isn’t about shielding the back line, but about being proactive — Morocco were trying to launch a break here, but Rabiot stepped in to intercept and put France on the attack shortly before Mbappe curled home.
At 1-0, there was another incident where Hakimi got caught high up the pitch acting as a right-winger, while a France player — this time William Saliba — jumped in to make an interception. Mbappe was free to break into the space Hakimi had vacated, and a Morocco centre-back — this time Issa Diop — flew into a tackle to bring him down.
This was different to the Mazraoui penalty concession, in that it was a deliberate foul to halt a counter-attack, but the pattern was the same. Often, a team’s strength is also their weakness, and that was the case for Morocco and Hakimi.
The second goal came from a rare example of France attacking through the middle. The instigator was again Mbappe, who played a simple pass to Ousmane Dembele — coming off the right flank — to record an assist, but more crucially made a sudden burst that occupied both Morocco centre-backs and allowed Dembele the freedom to cut onto his right foot and squeeze a shot under Yassine Bounou and put the game out of Morocco’s reach.
You can argue that France haven’t been seriously tested yet — or, at least, not since their 3-1 win over Senegal in their opening fixture. A semi-final meeting with Spain, who face Belgium on Friday, would be a different challenge entirely. But to play two knockout matches without conceding even a sniff of a chance is hugely impressive — especially considering Deschamps hasn’t compromised on his unusually daring approach of using four proper attackers.
Sleepless in Seattle – US Gets Pounded 4-1 by Belgium in Round of 16
Wow I am going to admit I did not expect to see what we so painfully watched in Seattle. We didn’t get beat we got slaughtered at home. An unbelievable march of over 5,000 followed the beating drums of the American Outlaws thru the streets of downtown Seattle on way to the stadium – a stadium where the US had never lost. a Full house of over 70K cheered and sang but just 40 seconds in Belgium had a great shot turned back by Freese. Six minutes later Belgium’s Raskin brought it down the left wing crossed and youngster Charles de Keteraere overpowered Capt Tim Ream to start the onslaught. The US answered with this magical freekick by Malik Tillman that wrong footed the world’s best Goalkeeper Courtois, only to have the same thing happen 2 minutes later as Belgium again came down the wing crossed and the same guy de Ketelaere embarrased our Capt Ream again as he lept over him for the 2nd goal. The US pushed and had more possession as they pushed for the 2nd half equalizer but still could barely get a shot on goal. Belgium literally intercepted every single pass we made in the middle of the field – Pulisic gave up the ball a record 15 times in the first half alone as the US could barely string 3 passes together once in the final half of the field. Still there was hope just 1 goal down until Tim Ream and Freese had a middle school moment as Freese tried to control a long pass out of the box and had is stripped from him outside the box. A bumbling Ream let his man by to steal from Freese then let the ball roll right past him as he tripped on himself and watched it roll into the goal ending any chance the US had of a winning in the 57th minute. The US was outshot 15-7, 7-2 shots on goal, &
Before the tournament started I said that the round of 16 would be a good World Cup for the United States and the round of 8 would be a great World Cup for the United States. It turns out I was right about that. I am disappointed because this team made me believe they were capable of more than the typical round of 16 finish. When they blew out Paraguay, (the best I have ever seen us look) beat Australia with ease, and their backups tied with Turkey into the 98th minute- I thought this team was different. When Balogun got a red card, and they responded by not only holding Bosnia Herzegovina scoreless, but getting another goal, I thought this team was different. They scored 10 goals. The United States never scores 10 goals in a World Cup. Yes the group stage teams were weaker this time, but other countries had weaker group stage opponents as well and most didn’t score as many goals as the United States. I was super excited and it turns out overconfident. Then they had their first test against an elite team, a team in the top 10 – they not only failed – the got embarrassed. They didn’t execute well and they made mistakes they normally don’t make. In fairness, Belgium had a lot to do with that. They are an elite team and they forced some of those mistakes. I would say overall this World Cup was bittersweet as a Team USA fan. I definitely think they have made a lot of progress compared to 4 years ago and I think Pochettino should be retained if he wants to return for 2 years until the Copa America. It is also obvious that the USA has a long way to go before they will be an elite team. Will they ever get there? I don’t know. Our nation’s best athletes still play Football and Basketball over Soccer. I do think it is possible, but it is going to take 7 or 8 players with the talent level of Malik Tillman and Folarin Balogun, Pulisic & McKinney & Adams and a much better defense. Chris Richards held down the fort well – but I told you Tim Ream would cost us come the Round of 16 when we would have to play a better team and he was absolutely exposed. (I love Tim Ream – have his Fulham jersey in my closet) but he’s 38 and runs like he’s 45. We had to get Trusty in there earlier each game to get him ready come Sweet 16 time. Instead Poch gave him the Captain’s band forcing the start each game with Ream. And he paid him back by letting the backup Belgium forward school him twice in front of goal – before being involved in that Farce with Freese for the 3rd goal. Ream and Freese combined – led to a horrific mistake and just poor all-around Goalkeeping & Defending.
Let’s be honest Pulisic is never healthy and he is NOT Captain America – he’s no longer even our best player as McKinney & Adams are both better at their positions that Pulisic is. He is inconsistent and he is injury prone and honestly he should probably be a super sub in the future because he can’t go 90. Balogun, Tillman, Freeman along with Adams, McKinney, Dest are the future of this team.
Down to 8 – The Quarterfinals
The Magical Ole Ballcoach Tour across the West with the US ended with a Wimper in Seattle
So its over – a little earlier than I thought – I truly thought I would be retuning to LA for 1 more game on Friday – a blowout loss to Spain in the Quarterfinals. Tying the best the US had ever done. But alas no – while the fans showed up -sold out 70K strong and the loudest and largest March to the Stadium by the American Outlaws ever. The team simply did not show up – playing by far their worst game of the World Cup. Us in San Fran
So many to thank on this wonderful – trek with the US team – first my daughter Courtney – who not only let me crash in her apartment for close to a month – but accompanied me all over this state to each and every game sometimes paying for them. 🙂 To her friends in LA who welcomed this old man on our forays around town to watch World Cup games where the fans were.
To our family Dee Dee and Daryl Beliel in Seattle who allowed us to crash at their place while driving us places all over town. To my wife Karen who put up with me being gone and spending all our money on this trip. To my Soccer buddy Bart who allowed us to buy his US supporter Tickets – since he was out of town on a cruise. Without you Bart – we don’t get 3 of the 5 tickets to games we went to. I owe you beers the rest of our lives! To the American Outlaws – who set up all the parties the night before and day of the games – providing the backbone of our support from game to game – city to city. You helped us find 2 tickets to Seattle when we had none just 1 day before gametime.
To all you US supporters who came along for the ride – I met so many people from across the country from Maine to North Carolina to Florida and Minn, Chicago, Texas, Kansas, and of course California and Seattle. You came across this great country of ours just like me – spending whatever it took to get in and support our team. To the guy who finally played Country Roads after our win in Seattle the 2nd game – I had been trying to get the Outlaw Marchers to sing both that song and Don’t Stop Believing on the way in — and to hear that song sung by 70K of my closest US fans – well its gonna bring tear’s to my eyes every time I hear it from now on. To Dan and Shey on the first game – who sang the National Anthem – so our fans could sing along – another time of extreme pride and tears in my eyes – as I held my AO Indy Scarf over my head while singing as loud as I could next to my daughter. These are all things I will never forget! We honestly fell one game short of what I thought we would – but still the experience was something I will never forget. The World Cup – what a sport, what fans, what excitement and fun. Perhaps see you in Brazil for the ladies in 2027. (Don’t let my wife see this).
Shane & Courtney from our seats in Seattle for the last game (4-1) behind us,
TV Schedule
Thurs, July 9Quarter Finals 4 pm Fox Fri , July 10 Quarter Finals 3 pm Fox Belgium vs Spain 8 pm Prime Orlando Pride vs KC Current NWSL 8 pm HBO Max Racing Louisville vs Bay FC NWSL Sat, July 11 Quarter Finals 5 pm Fox Norway (Erland) vs England (Kane) 6:30 pm Ion NC Courage vs Washington Spirit (Rodman) 7 pm ESPN+ Detroit City vs Indy 11 9 pm Fox Argentina (Messi) vs Switzerland 8:45 pm Ion San Diego Wave vs Angel City (Thompson) Sun, July 12 4 pm ESPN Seattle Reign vs Portland Thornes Tues , July 14 Semi – Finals 3 pm Fox Semi 1 Weds , July 15 Semi – Finals 3 pm Fox Semi 2 Sat, July 18 5 pm Fox 3rd place game Sun, July 19 3 pm Fox WC FINAL All games on Fox, FS1 & Telemundo
Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois admitted that they used the disrespect they felt by Americans as fuel before the game. And he also said Senegal are a better team than the USMNT. After everything that went on in the last couple of days, Belgium came out firing from the opening whistle last night. They also did the U.S. President Donald Trump’s dance both on the pitch and in the dressing room after the game. “The kind of disrespect we received in recent days — that’s no longer the same team,” Courtois said about Belgium. “We proved that we’re still a good team and that you can never take anything for granted at a World Cup. “Honestly, when I read those things [that Americans said], I just laughed a little. “I understand that people wanted to give a lot of publicity to the United States, but honestly, I felt much more certain that we were going to beat the U.S. than I did against Senegal, because Senegal is a better team. “And I think that was proven.”
Goalkeeping
NWSL action returns with Wave tea party, Sophia Wilson’s 50th goal, and Trinity Rodman late game-winner
Ally Sentnor, Kennedy Fuller, and Lily Reale also make debuts for their new clubs
WEEKEND RESULTS
Washington Spirit 2-1 Houston Dash
Denver Summit 0-3 Kansas City Current
Angel City FC 2-0 Orlando Pride
North Carolina Courage 3-1 Seattle Reign
San Diego Wave 2-0 Gotham FC
Boston Legacy 2-2 Bay FC
Chicago Stars 3-2 Utah Royals
Portland Thorns 4-0 Racing Louisville
FIRSTS
Michelle Cooper scored her first NWSL brace to lead the Current to a win
Bay’s Claire Hutton scored not only her first club goal but her first NWSL goal
Kennedy Fuller (Bay FC), Ally Sentnor (Angel City FC), and Lily Reale (Boston Legacy FC) all made their club debuts after recent transfers
CELLY CORNER
San Diego’s Melanie Barcenas broke out a timeless celly in honor of the GOAT’s birthday. After scoring her third goal of the season, Mel B hit ‘em with a sip of tea à la Alex Morgan. Bottom’s up!
COMING UP…
Rivals Face Off
Is there anything better than a good rivalry? No, there isn’t.
NWSL Rivarly Week presented by Ally is coming up, and it’s a three match slate that will set the tone for the rest of the season.The first place San Diego Wave host Angel City FC for the next SoCal Derby It’s always fun when San Diego and Angel City face off, but with both coming off shutout wins, neither one will want to give up an inch of momentum. The Cascadia Rivalry returns to Seattle. The Thorns are coming off a stunning 4-0 win that got everyone involved while the Reign are had a tough go of it in North Carolina. It would be quite the statement to win at home against a bitter foe. Finally, Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit are set to make history at Citi Field on July 15 in a 2025 NWSL Championship rematch. With Gotham set to make the move to Queens in 2028, it’s a great way to kick off a new era.
Cesar HernandezAug 20, 2026, 07:06 AM ET
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How Spain won the World Cup and why Lionel Messi’s Argentina finished up furiousFerran Torres scored in the 106th minute of the final against Argentina at MetLife Stadium to win Spain’s second World Cup
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SPAIN
ARGENTINA
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Ryan O’HanlonJul 17, 2026, 05:00 AM ET
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Bill ConnellyJul 13, 2026, 09:58 AM ET
FRANCE: The second goal is a counterattack
ENGLAND: Leverage and rebounds
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Argentina
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