Notes
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
Vote for former Carmel FC and current college player Henry Slivinski Vote for Henry https://www.facebook.com/share/199akbaQnm/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Ben’s BBQ Shack near Grand Park has the Best Dang Brisket you can buy in Indiana
highschool rec games watching her sister play and dad Jerry coach.
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
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.
Proud Member of American Outlaws http://www.facebook.com/IndyAOUnite
Interested in advertising in TheOleBallcoach? Learn More shanebestsoccer@gmail.com
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.
USA
Balogun’s failed Everton transfer sums up USMNT’s underwhelming summer window
USMNT weekend roundup: Dest electric, Cavan & Pierre shine
Sources: Stoke near deal for USMNT’s McGlynn
Pulisic stays on bench as Ramos gives Milan win over Venezia
Who are the USMNT’s brightest U21 prospects bound for Europe?
Pulisic, Friedel, Dempsey: Best Premier League careers in USMNT history
USWNT legend Sauerbrunn joins Thorns staff
Rodman: ‘New and improved,’ less injury issues
Washington Spirit’s Rebeca Bernal nearing Manchester United move
Who is behind Monarch Collective? The 10,000-fan bet that changed women’s soccer investment
Top Women’s player Alexia Putellas arrival shows how far WSL has come
Europe
Jude Bellingham is already breaking records under Mourinho at Real Madrid
The good, the bad, and the ugly from the Premier League’s weekend
Giannis Konstantelias Suffers ACL Tear; BVB Dortmund Eyeing Ethan Nwaneri as Replacement
Elversberg’s Debut Stunner over Leverkusen
Ousmane Dembélé reportedly set to extend PSG contrac
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/three-things-learned-bundesliga-saturday-173500542.html
‘I was edgy about Welcome to Wrexham, but Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney proved me wrong’
MLS & NWSL
Lionel Messi scores 4 in 7-1 rout of CF Montréal, seizes MLS Golden Boot lead
Lionel Messi retires from Argentina via letter written after World Cup Final loss
Goalkeeping
MLS: Best Saves of the Week
American youngster Diego Kochen makes the Save.
Reffing
“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
By Henry Bushnell, Paul Tenorio, Tom Bogert and Felipe Cardenas
Sept. 4, 2026 Updated 11:15 am EDT
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Daily Pick’em
FINAL
Game concluded.
3
OL
Draw
1
AJA
90% Picked
7% Draw
3% Picked
<100 votes
See your accuracy in thePick’em Hub
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.)
Advertisement
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.
Cardenas: The only person at U.S. Soccer who benefitted from staying put was 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.
Advertisement
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
By Paul TenorioSept. 4, 2026 6:00 am EDT
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.
The Ole BallCoach 