ROSTER NAMED for Nations League Quarterfinal vs Haiti

The United States Men’s National Team will compete against Haiti in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals this month. At stake is a date in the Concacaf Nations League Finals in March as well as a place in the 2027 Concacaf Gold Cup. The team hope to build from the perfect 4W-0L-0D record they had in the September-October international window in preparation for these important matches.

Midfielder Weston McKennie and forwards Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun return to the roster after missing out on the September-October window. Bryan Reynolds gets called into the camp for the first time under Pochettino, helping to provide some depth to the back line for these matches. A pair of 21-year-olds, Defender Reed Baker-Whiting and midfielder Santiago Castañeda earn their first call-ups to the USMNT.

The USMNT roster:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Matt Freese (New York City FC), Diego Kochen (Lyngby Boldklub), Brian Schwake (Nashville SC)

DEFENDERS (9): Reed Baker-Whiting (Nashville SC), George Campbell (West Bromwich Albion), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union), Bryan Reynolds (Stade Rennais), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Auston Trusty (Celtic)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough), Santiago Castañeda (SC Paderborn), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Adri Mehmeti (Red Bull New York), Gio Reyna (RC Strasbourg Alsace), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)

FORWARDS (5): Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Justin Ellis (Orlando City), Julian Hall (Red Bull New York), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union)

INDY 11 Out of Playoffs

Mount Pleasant, S.C. – Indy Eleven fought valiantly with a strategic attack at USL Championship Eastern Conference runner-up Charleston Battery, but the Boys in Blue had their playoff hopes end with a 1-0 setback. Indy Eleven had 1.48 expected goals in the match with 13 shots, including 11 inside the box.

We had a big Weekend with our U11 Girls in Lexington – winning 3 of 4 games and only giving up 2 goals on the weekend in the top Bracket of the Tourney. . Congrats Coaches Mark Square!

So proud of former Carmel FC Goalkeeper Emme – so instrumental in Guerin Catholics run to the State Finals. Her Saves from the finals https://www.instagram.com/reel/DfQjon1uYAq/?srtk=dThwbnFoNzNkZ3Jv. Guerin’s boys also had a former FC GK in between the pipes in the Semi-Finals!

So awesome to see a former Carmel FC Player JD Slivinsky doing well in this his senior season at University of St Francis in Ft Wayne.

So proud of these girls – can’t wait to work with them fulltime in the Spring

I absolutely love this — this is why I coach !!

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TV Schedule

Fri, Oct 16
8 pm Amazon Prime Boston Legacy vs Racing Louisville FC NWSL

Sat, Oct 17
7:30 am USA Everton vs Chelsea
7:30 am Galazo Watford vs Lincoln City
8 am ESPN+ Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid
10 am NBCSN/Pea Brentford vs Liverpool
10 am USA Man City vs Ipwich Town
10 am NBCSN/PEa Fullham (Robinson) vs Hull City
10 am Para+ Wrexham vs Preston North End
12 noon Para+ Inter Milan vs Bologna
12:30 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Real Betis
12:30 pm NBC Newcastle United vs Aston Villa
12:30 pm USA Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig
12:30 pm CBS Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Gotham FC (Lavelle)
2:30 pm Apple Free Philly Union (Sullivan) vs Charlotte
6:30 pm Ion/Tubi Utah Royals vs KC Current (NWSL)
7:30 pm Apple free Atlanta United vs Inter Miami (Messi)
8:45 pm Ion/Tubi Denver Summit (Heaps) vs Angel City (Thompson) NWSL
10:30 pm Apple Free Seattle Sounders vs FC Montreal
10:30 pm Apple Free LA Galaxy vs San Diego
Sun. Oct 17
9 am NBBSN Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Brighton
9 am USA Leeds United (Aaronson) vs Man United
11:30 am NBCSN Nottingham vs Arsenal
1 pm CBSSN Houston Dash vs Orlando Pride NWSL
12 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah) vs Atalanta
2:45 pm Para+ Juventus (McKinney) vs Lazio
3 pm ABC Real Madrid vs Sevilla
5 pm ESPN Bay FC vs Portland Thorns
5 pm Apple Free Cincy vs Columbus Crew
Tues, Oct 20 CHAMPS LEAGUE
12:30 pm CBSSN Sabah vs Dortmund
12:45 pm Univ, Para+ Lask Linz vs Liverpool
3 pm Para+ PSG vs Barcelona
3 pm Para+ Liverpool vs Villareal
3 pm Para+ Atletico Madrid (Cordosa) vs Stuttgart
3 pm CBSSN Porto vs PSV (Dest, Pepe)
3 pm Para+ Napoli vs Bode/Glimt

Ben’s BBQ Shack near Grand Park has the Best Dang Brisket you can buy in Indiana

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USA Men

Pochettino names USMNT roster for Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals
USMNT weekend roundup: Puli scores, Pepi back
Pochettino’s squad illustrates his task: Blend prodigious prospects with USMNT’s golden generation

Pulisic staying in Milan reflects his club career: Good, but not quite great
|Musah is back in Milan, back in midfield and back in contention for the USMNT

World

– LIVE: Reaction to Ronaldo’s Portugal retirement
– The best moments from Ronaldo’s Portugal career
– Ronaldo’s messy history of feuding with coaches
– Ronaldo’s incredible Portugal career: Best moments, key stats
– Siuuuu! The story of Ronaldo’s career at Portugal, Man Utd, Real Madrid
– Ronaldo goal tracker: Every step on the road to 1,000 career goals

A serious question: Could the best manager in the world save struggling Manchester United?
Emery to leave Villa when THIS happens?
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has overseen a huge rebuild – but perhaps not even he could stomach losing another star

MLS Decision Day

Key Storylines & What’s at Stake

Western Conference Playoff Race: Six teams are fighting for the final three postseason spots in the West: LA Galaxy, Colorado Rapids, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders FC, and Minnesota United FC.
Eastern Conference Seeding: While all nine Eastern Conference playoff spots are clinched, Round One Best-of-3 matchups and home-field advantages (such as Chicago Fire FC and Charlotte FC) are still being decided.
Single-Season Points Record: Nashville SC (74 points) travels to FC Cincinnati and needs just a draw to set a new MLS single-season points record, breaking the tie with Inter Miami CF’s 2024 benchmark.
Golden Boot Race: Lionel Messi leads the Golden Boot presented by Audi race with 26 goals as Inter Miami wraps up its regular-season slate. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Schedule & Kickoff Times (ET) All intraconference matches kick off simultaneously on MLS on Apple TV:

Eastern Conference & Inter-Conference (CF Montréal vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC): 4:00 PM ET
Western Conference: 7:00 PM ET [1]

NWSL Playoffs

Angel City signs U17 WC record-holder DiMaria, eligible for playoffs
Why every playoff team will or won’t win the NWSL title

Reffing

Ref attack https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CswQS5nEv/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Goalkeeping

Maresca: Donnarumma knows he’s made mistakes
Why tragedy keeper could face prison
Jesus de Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest after colliding with goalkeeper Jesus Owono – who now could face criminal charges

McKalie Ball takes UNC goalie’s clearance to the face for wild Louisville goal

Emme state title game saves https://www.instagram.com/reel/DfQjon1uYAq/?srtk=dThwbnFoNzNkZ3Jv

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Men In Blazers Roger Four Big Takeaways From Yesterday’s USMNT Roster Drop

Take us home, Country Roads. Mauricio Pochettino’s unpredictability struck again as he named his November USMNT roster for the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals against Haiti.

The U.S. take on Les Grenadiers across two matches — leg one in Miami on Nov. 14 and leg two on Nov. 17 in Cincinnati — with the winner advancing to March’s semifinal round. Here are four of the most interesting details about Poch’s recent selections.

The Youth Movement Wasn’t Just an Experiment

When Poch’s September roster was released, he ushered in a new era — but nobody knew if it was a one-off. This group is proof it wasn’t. Teenage MLS prospects Neil Pierre, Justin Ellis, Adri Mehmeti, Julian Hall and Cavan Sullivan were all recalled, along with Borussia Dortmund’s Mathis Albert. Notably, if Hall appears in this window, it will cap-tie him to the program amid interest from Poland who he’s also eligible to play for.

Captain America’s Timely Return

A new long-term contract at AC Milan, a goal in the Derby della Madonnina against Inter and a return to the USMNT have Christian Pulisic nearing his best again.

After suffering a micro-fracture in his tibia at the World Cup, his summer was derailed, but his return signifies that he’s still looked at as a key member of the roster. On his best day, Pulisic remains the most talented American in the game, and him being back is a win for everyone involved.

Meet the Newcomers

Bryan Reynolds: This 25-year-old defender might be unfamiliar to some, as it’s his first call-up since 2023. Reynolds joined Ligue 1 side Rennes from Belgian club Westerlo over the summer and has broken out with two assists in six matches.Santiago Castañeda: Castañeda is a Colombian-American dual-nat defensive midfielder who was a key part of Paderborn’s recent promotion to the Bundesliga.Reed Baker-Whiting: He’s a 21-year-old left-back who just won the MLS Supporters’ Shield with Nashville, has consistently been a member of the USYNT and is age-eligible for the 2028 Olympic squad.

The Biggest Snubs

Peyton Miller: A wingback with blistering pace, this New England Revolution 18-year-old started one match during the previous camp and appeared in another. Since returning from the most recent international break, Miller’s recorded three assists for his MLS club.Cole Campbell: The Elversberg winger was injured through the first three matches of the last camp, but made his debut in the 1-0 win over Canada. He also recently scored this brilliant overhead scissor kick in the Bundesliga.Aidan Morris: A major part of Middlesbrough’s USMNTeeside contingent, Morris has been one of the best midfielders in the Championship this season, but he hasn’t been called up since March. Still, his exclusion does beg one very important question.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WRAP-UP BY mib

Wrexham vs. Wolves (Saturday, 7:30 a.m. ET, Paramount+)

Despite having no No. 10s and only a singular fit striker (Everton vibes for real), Wrexham pulled off one of the Championship’s most surprising results Wednesday night: a 2-0 win over league leaders Middlesbrough. Phil Parkinson’s mob will go again after just two days’ rest, hoping to string together their first back-to-back wins of the season in what would be another upset at home to second-placed Wolves.

Watford vs. Middlesbrough (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Paramount+)

Wednesday’s loss to Wrexham wasn’t enough to knock Boro off the top spot, thanks to last weekend’s 3-0 win against Charlton that put them there for the first time since mid-August. Kim Hellberg and the “Middlesbros” now travel to 20th-placed Watford one point above Wolves, where only a win guarantees they stay in first for a second consecutive week.

Do not adjust your Lens-es

That’s right. Cesc Fabregas-led Como set a Champions League record beating French side RC Lens by nine goals to one. On their own patch, as well. Sacre bleu…

Pochettino’s USMNT roster for Nations League presents some tantalizing possibilities

USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino at a training session

Mauricio Pochettino and the USMNT will play their first competitive games since the World Cup this month vs. Haiti in the Concacaf Nations League Omar Vega / Getty Images

By Paul Tenorio

Nov. 4, 2026

After opening the U.S. men’s national team’s new four-year World Cup cycle with a wave of talented young players, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino will go into the first official competition of this cycle trying to find the right chemistry between those inexperienced players and the program’s established stars — all with the added layer of preparing for a home Olympic games in 2028 for players under the age of 23.For Pochettino, the primacy always skews one way: winning games with the senior team. The Argentine coach brought back several of the program’s top young stars for November’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matches against Haiti, but he also summoned the country’s three biggest stars for the first time since the World Cup: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun.“The priority always is for the first team,” Pochettino said. “We all believe that if the players are involved with the first team, (there is a) possibility to keep growing and of course adding more experience and good experience …(but) now it’s a moment that we need to add players to the roster to try to provide a good balance to the team.”

The idea behind the September-October window was to introduce new faces to the senior program and gauge where the U.S. might be able to build depth and add competition. It was undoubtedly “mission accomplished” after four wins in four games and strong performances from a number of players.

The return this month of players like Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall, Mathis Albert and Justin Ellis is proof of that immediate injection of fresh attacking talent. Sullivan and Albert, especially, have added real depth and options at a winger position that previously lacked options. Pochettino can now experiment with how he wants to line up with the U.S., including reverting back to winger-driven approaches in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, a setup the U.S. and Pochettino deployed early in his tenure.

“It’s important always to try to add new ideas, new ways to try to perform and to create different patterns on the field with ball,” Pochettino said. “Always our priority is with the ball, but also when we don’t have the ball, it is to create a good organization to … get the ball back. But I think, yes, (this) roster provides a very good possibility to try different things. The most important is the combination, to try to see the chemistry in between (players). Because I think for Christian and Mathis it’s the first time that they’re going to be together, or McKennie with Cavan. And I think the combination also we need to see during the camp.

“From Monday we are going to start to see the chemistry off the field, but also on the field. That is really important, too, and try to see how that works.”

Cavan Sullivan and Christian Pulisic

Cavan Sullivan and Christian Pulisic could feature together for the first time vs. HaitiChris Coduto / Getty Images; Jamie Squire / Getty Images

A lineup with Pulisic and Sullivan on the wings would be an interesting new wrinkle, while Albert’s pace off the bench gives the U.S. some attacking punch it lacked late in games in the last cycle. Pochettino called Albert “one of the most talented players in the USA,” who brings “something different,” and said that while he’s not playing consistently at Dortmund, the national team is a good place for him to get a “boost” that can build form and confidence that translates to his club team.

Hall and Ellis are important options during a window in which both Balogun and World Cup veteran Ricardo Pepi lack full fitness. Pochettino left Pepi, who just returned from a five-week injury absence, back at PSV to regain his full fitness and confidence in part because he knew the Red Bull New York and Orlando City forwards could play.

Pochettino also isn’t done looking at new players.

Nashville SC defender Reed Baker-Whiting and Paderborn midfielder Santiago Castañeda both have a chance to make their U.S. debuts in this window. Castañeda, who will turn 22 this month, came up through the USL before moving to Germany, where he now starts in the Bundesliga. Baker-Whiting, 21, has been a stalwart for MLS’s Supporters’ Shield-winning side.

What You Should Read NextJulian Hall’s USMNT recall for Nations League puts him on cusp of being cap-tiedThe teenage star’s international future is set to be cemented later this month if he makes one appearance for the U.S.

“I think it’s very important for us to add more options, more players with the possibility to challenge the familiar faces,” Pochettino said. “They deserve the possibility to be with us, for us to feel them, and for them to see how they can fit in our national team. … The national team is open. We are following more than 100 players. Plenty of players that maybe they didn’t have the chance (before), but I think it’s important now to give the chance to these players because I think they deserve it.”

One area to keep an eye on in the coming days is center back. George Campbell came off for West Brom at halftime due to injury on Tuesday and Pochettino said he will have more information “today or tomorrow” and is “already thinking in different options to bring,” if the need for a replacement arises.

The U.S. will open training next week at the national training center outside of Atlanta ahead of the first game on Nov. 14 in Miami. The home leg is Nov. 17 in Cincinnati, with the winner advancing to the March 2027 Nations League final four at SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles.

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.

Champions League: Liverpool’s Istanbul nightmare, Como score nine and Bellingham’s wondergoal

Liverpool lost to Fenerbache while Jude Bellingham scored a brilliant goal for Real Madrid Getty Images

By Tim Spiers

Nov. 4, 2026 Updated Nov. 5, 2026

The Champions League is so much fun this year.

What the new(ish) group format lacks in jeopardy, it makes up for in goals, entertainment, attacking football and eye-catching results.

The second installment of matchday four brought us all of the above, with a wild 44 goals in nine matches, some shocks, some comebacks and a scoreline to make your eyes pop out their sockets, cartoon-style.

Liverpool looked to be getting back on track against Fenerbahce in Turkey after their frustrating defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, when they failed to register a shot on target for the first time in 412 home league matches. Alexander Isak’s first Champions League goal for the club had them heading for their fourth win from four matches in the competition this season.

However, the Reds mastered their own downfall with some woeful defending as Fenerbahce came from 2-1 down to win 3-2. The third goal involved Jeremy Jacquet, Alexis Mac Allister and Trey Nyoni all failing to jump for a high cross, leaving Fenerbahce striker Vedat Muriqi, who did jump, the opportunity to send a great header past Alisson for a famous win.

AEK Athens looked to be on course for a shock famous win too, leading 2-1 against the mighty Real Madrid in Greece with 15 minutes to go, but they should have known better. Madrid are the late comeback kings this season and, having come from 2-0 down in Roma a couple of weeks back to win 3-2, they left it until stoppage time to triumph by the same scoreline thanks to Federico Valverde’s thunderbolt (Jude Bellingham had scored a wondergoal of a different nature earlier in the evening, see below). Jose Mourinho’s team have scored five match-winning goals in the 85th minute or later in all competitions this season.

Madrid players celebrate Valverde’s winnerMilos Bicanski/Getty Images

While Fener and Madrid’s wins were impressive for different reasons, Como’s 9-1 victory at Lens will live a lot longer in the memory, or certainly in the record books. The biggest-ever away victory in the history of the Champions League is a scoreline to reverberate around Europe and make the world take notice of the remarkable things that are happening under Cesc Fabregas’ tenure, at a club that has never played in the competition before. It’s a heck of a story.What You Should Read NextCesc Fabregas exclusive: ‘In my first meeting with a player I don’t speak about football’Cesc Fabregas joined Como four years ago as a player when they were in Serie B. Now their coach, he has led them to the Champions League

Elsewhere, there were narrow away wins for Arsenal and Manchester City. Viktor Gyokeres scored and assisted for Arsenal, who won 2-1 at Slavia Prague, while Erling Haaland, of course, scored the decisive goal for City in their 3-2 victory at RB Leipzig, an important win after their defeat to Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday.

Norwegian side Viking won their first game of the group phase, overcoming Azerbaijani side Sabah 4-1, while Porto, Club Brugge and Borussia Dortmund boosted their chances of at least making the play-off round with wins over Napoli, PSV and Real Betis respectively.

Belgian side Brugge are a lofty ninth in the early standings, with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid the only sides with 100 per cent records on four wins each. Como are fourth, naturally.

This is the Champions League briefing.

Matchday four results

AEK Athens 2-3 Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Real Betis
Fenerbahce 3-2 Liverpool
Lens 1-9 Como
PSV 1-2 Club Brugge
Porto 4-1 Napoli
RB Leipzig 2-3 Manchester City
Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal
Viking 4-1 SabahDaily PlayPlay Connections: Soccer EditionGroup soccer terms that share a common thread. A new puzzle is available each day.

Fener and Kuyt inflict a reverse Miracle of Istanbul on Liverpool

When Liverpool fans saw that Dirk Kuyt had been appointed as Fenerbahce’s interim head coach, they must have ruefully shaken their heads.

It’s one of football’s unwritten rules that an ex-player will always come back to haunt their former club and, while Kuyt enjoyed six very happy years at Anfield and there is nothing but love between him and Liverpool supporters, rules are rules.What You Should Read NextFacing Kuyt’s Fenerbahce is a timely reminder of everything Liverpool fans want to seeKuyt’s work ethic and attitude made him a fan favourite. The current Liverpool team must use him as an example.

Kuyt duly oversaw not just Liverpool’s first Champions League defeat of the season and not just Fenerbahce’s first victory in their campaign, but also an equivalent to a reverse Istanbul from 2005 in what was a pretty remarkable comeback, all things considered.

Liverpool let a 2-1 lead slip to lose at FenerAhmad Mora/Getty Images

Amid a feverish atmosphere, Liverpool, who were 2-1 up with 17 minutes to go, wilted in conceding two quickfire goals to Englishman Archie Brown and Vedat Muriqi.

Even more incredibly, this was Fenerbahce’s first Champions League victory since 2008.

The 19-time Turkish Super Lig champions had failed to get past the competition’s qualifying rounds for eight occasions in a row until this season, but had still lost 6-0 to Aston Villa and failed to beat Slavia Prague in the group stage before tonight.

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola bemoaned his team’s inability to defend set pieces on the night but didn’t put the defeat down to complacency.

“We definitely have to defend better,” he told TNT Sports. “It was one of their strengths (set pieces), it has cost us today.”

To rub salt in Liverpool’s wounds, it will be Kuyt’s only match in charge, with Emre Belozoglu taking over as permanent head coach tomorrow.

Mbappe falls one game short of matching Messi record

While Liverpool blew a 2-1 lead, Madrid came from 2-1 down to win their thriller over in Greece against AEK.

Predictably, Kylian Mbappe was on the scoresheet for the sixth game in a row in all competitions for his 16th goal in 15 appearances in 2026-27.

It was only a four-yard tap-in from Denzel Dumfries’ excellent driven ball across goal (in turn from a perfectly weighted Bellingham pass to feed him down the right), but Mbappe’s equaliser was a goal of significance, not just in how it set the Spaniards up for another late comeback.

Only Lionel Messi reached 100 Champions League goal involvements quicker than MbappeAris MESSINIS / AFP via Getty Images

The strike was Mbappe’s 100th goal involvement in Champions League football (74 goals, 26 assists) in only his 102nd appearance. Of all the players to reach that milestone, only Lionel Messi has got there quicker (from 101 appearances). Robert Lewandowski, like Mbappe, took 102 games.

Incidentally, Mbappe is currently fifth on the all-time Champions League goalscorer list, behind Karim Benzema (90 goals), Lewandowski (109), Messi (129) and Cristiano Ronaldo (a frankly ridiculous 141). Still no Ballon d’Or, though.

Breaking down Bellingham’s incredible backheel

The only appropriate noise you could make when watching Bellingham’s sumptuous, impudent, flicked first equalising goal for Real was an 18+ rated ‘ooooooohhh’.

Marc Cucurella spotted Bellingham on the penalty spot and drilled over a low cross.

Bellingham immediately set himself…

… and sent an audacious, sassy left-footed flick into the bottom corner of the net.

It was filth personified. Bellingham barely reacted, jogging immediately back to the centre circle with a ‘what’s the big deal?’ expression across his chops. What a guy.

The strike equalled the same Champions League goal tally Kevin De Bruyne has managed across his whole career (16 goals), from 25 fewer games.

For US readers:

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As if trying to rival his team-mate, Federico Valverde’s 30-yard strike to win the game was an unstoppable missile, but for pure technical brilliance with a hint of nonchalant genius, Bellingham’s was the goal of the night.

Nine goals, Como? Nine?!

In 2019, they were playing in Serie D, the fourth tier of Italian football.

In 2026, two years after reaching Serie A, they’re not only playing in the Champions League, but they’ve just recorded the biggest away victory in the competition’s history. Yes, you read that correctly.

Como’s 9-1 (NINE-ONE) victory away at Lens, last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up in France, will have the rest of Europe standing up and taking notice. No team has ever won by a margin of eight goals since the format changed in 1992. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Slavia Prague, none of them have done that.

Como played some sublime, devastating attacking football against an admittedly hapless Lens team who effectively gave up in the second half. It was as one-sided as the scoreline states but Como were astonishingly clinical, scoring their goals from their first 11 shots on target and 15 shots overall, with Greek striker Tasos Douvikas the standout goalscorer with a hat-trick.

Como head coach Cesc Fabregas during the 9-1 win over LensFrancois LO PRESTI / AFP via Getty Images

The eighth goal epitomised the manner in which Como play their fun, energetic football, with Italian teenager Mattia Liberali flicking to Martin Baturina, who fooled goalkeeper Robin Risser with a dummy shot before driving it into the corner. Risser didn’t even bother to dive.

Another Italian youngster, Matteo Papaccioli, scored the ninth in stoppage time on his debut for the perfect icing on Como’s beautiful cake.

Former Arsenal and Barcelona schemer Cesc Fabregas is making a real name for himself as a manager.

Como’s journey is extraordinary and, judging by this result, there are plenty of chapters still to be written.

Tim Spiers is a football journalist for The Athletic, based in London. He joined in 2019 having previously worked at the Express & Star in Wolverhampton.

ristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal exit may have been messy but he leaves an untouchable legacy

By Tim Spiers

Nov. 5, 2026 Updated 4:20 pm EST

The Athletic has live coverage as Cristiano Ronaldo retires from international football.

International football dates back to 1872. In that time, nobody played more matches, nobody scored more goals, and arguably nobody has left a greater international legacy than Cristiano Ronaldo.Yet it is only by attending a Portugal game that you truly understand his monumental impact on a country with a population of just 11million.Around the stadium, almost every shirt you see has ‘Ronaldo, 7’ on the back. The people chant his name and children endlessly dart around doing his trademark ‘Siuuu’ goal celebration. They film his every movement, in the warm-up as well as in the match itself.It’s akin to hero worship and elicits levels of obsession usually reserved for pop stars. Some genuinely scream when he touches the football.Ronaldo-mania extends not just to every corner of Portugal, but every corner of the globe. In Uzbekistan, a country that, as far as The Athletic is aware, Ronaldo has never visited, nor has any discernible link with, they admire and adore him more than any other sportsperson.When Uzbekistan played Portugal at the World Cup this year, some Uzbeks genuinely supported Ronaldo (and, therefore, the opposition). In a market in Tashkent, the Central Asian nation’s capital, the only football merchandise on sale are keyrings with four teams or players depicted: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City and Ronaldo. At one point during The Athletic’s visit earlier this year, a small child let go of his mother’s hand as they walked down a street, sprinted across the pavement and unleashed a ‘Siuuu’ for no obvious reason.Much of this idolisation is due to the unprecedented successes of Ronaldo’s club career, particularly his exploits during nine years at Madrid. But it is in international football that Ronaldo, in terms of statistics at least, has no equal.He played 234 times for Portugal, 26 more than anyone else in international football. He scored 146 international goals, 20 more than anyone else. In both cases, Lionel Messi — his great rival, and the man with whom he will always be compared — is second. Messi bowed out from Argentina duty in October, scoring once and setting up two other goals in a 3-0 win against Benin in Buenos Aires.

We don’t yet know if Ronaldo will get a farewell match to say goodbye to Portugal, but if (statistically) the greatest international footballer of all time doesn’t get one, then who does?

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring against Croatia at the 2026 World CupDan Mullan/Getty Images

It is, by any standards, an extraordinary career, which makes its messy ending all the sadder.

Ultimately, Ronaldo’s last act as a Portugal player was to walk out of an international camp midway through a series of four UEFA Nations League matches, seemingly in protest at not being brought on as a substitute by coach Jorge Jesus in the second of those games, against Norway. He was later fined $286 for that behaviour.Daily PlayPlay Connections: Soccer EditionGroup soccer terms that share a common thread. A new puzzle is available each day.

It was no way for his gilded international career to end. Yet this moment has been a long time coming.

There was a strong sense at the 2022 World Cup, when Portugal’s then coach Fernando Santos dropped Ronaldo to the bench for a last-16 match against Switzerland and his replacement Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win, that his time had passed.

The next four years featured incessant accusations that he was well past his best, that he was playing purely because of the name on the back of his shirt rather than the talent in his boots. And yet in those four years from 2022 to 2026 he still scored 28 international goals: to put that in perspective, the two leading Scotland men’s goalscorers of all time (Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish) each got 30. The fact is, however diminished he may be, Ronaldo’s numbers and achievements in his pensioner era alone are more than the vast majority of international strikers manage in their whole careers.

Cristiano Ronaldo announces retirement from Portugal national team

Tim Spiers and Rachael Tinde

That’s why, in time, we’ll remember the peak years much more than the ‘fallow’ period at the end. And while the finger can be pointed at Portugal — and their previous head coach Roberto Martinez — for perhaps unnecessarily extending his international career, or at least his status as a guaranteed starter, we can hardly scoff at Ronaldo’s relentless will and desire for success, glory and goals in his forties.

It was precisely that ambition and hunger (the like of which some of his team-mates will tell you they’ve never seen in any other fellow professional) that underpinned his record-breaking career.

Why does he arguably leave a greater international legacy than any footballer before him? Because he lifted a well-established football nation to heights no one thought possible.

This wasn’t a team or nation languishing 105th in the FIFA rankings, or who had no history. This was Portugal, the country of Eusebio and Luis Figo, who had finished third in the 1966 World Cup. But some salient facts remain.

Before Ronaldo, Portugal had never won anything. With him, they won three trophies in nine years.
Before Ronaldo, Portugal had qualified for three of 17 World Cups. With him, they reached six out of six.
Before Ronaldo, Portugal had reached three of 11 European Championships. With him, they got to six out of six.

Given the rapid development of Portuguese football since the turn of the century, with club academies in Lisbon and Porto producing several generations of gifted footballers who have starred at home and overseas (think Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Joao Moutinho, Ruben Dias and Joao Neves), perhaps those things would have happened anyway. What isn’t in doubt is Ronaldo’s influence not just on matches and competitions, but on those who have followed in his footsteps, those who idolised him growing up and went on to share a dressing room with him.

Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates celebrate winning Euro 2016Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

There were times he dragged Portugal into major tournaments almost single-handedly. He scored 15 goals in nine appearances in qualification for the 2018 World Cup, embarked on a run of 11 goals in six games to secure a place at Euro 2020 and got 10 in nine on the way to Euro 2024.

In 2013, when Portugal finished below Russia in their World Cup qualification group, they were paired with Sweden — then boasting a similarly monumental figure in striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic — in a two-leg play-off. They won the home leg 1-0 in Lisbon (Ronaldo scored, obviously) but in Stockholm four days later were 2-1 down on the night to an Ibrahimovic double and in real danger of being dumped out with only 13 minutes left. Cue two Ronaldo goals in three minutes, completing a hat-trick and a 4-2 aggregate victory. What was billed in many quarters as Zlatan 2-4 Ronaldo became one of his finest hours.

Yet it isn’t his most famous Portugal hat-trick; that came in 2018, and included sending an extraordinary free kick past goalkeeper David de Gea to earn a thrilling 3-3 World Cup group-stage draw with Spain.

In the inaugural Nations League in 2019, it was Ronaldo who demolished Switzerland in the semi-finals, again with a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory, before Portugal beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the final. Six years later, aged 40, Ronaldo scored his country’s second equaliser in a 2-2 draw with European champions Spain in another Nations League final, which Portugal then won on penalties.

Ironically, his most iconic moment in a Portugal shirt arguably came when he wasn’t even on the pitch. Ronaldo had saved his team once more in the group stage of Euro 2016, scoring two goals and making the other to rescue them from a humiliating last-game elimination in a 3-3 draw against Hungary, then, in the semi-finals, a trademark towering header broke Wales’ stubborn resistance early in the second half and set Portugal on their way to the final.

Against hosts France in Paris four days later, his final ended in tear-soaked heartache — injured and substituted after only 25 minutes. However, as Portugal defended, kicked and screamed their way to the greatest sporting moment in the nation’s history, it was Ronaldo at the forefront on the touchline, Santos’ de facto over-stimulated assistant manager, cajoling and encouraging the team.

Ronaldo became Portugal coach Fernando Santos’ de facto assistant in the Euro 2016 finalMichael Regan/Getty Images

While Eusebio was a hero and Figo won a Ballon d’Or, Ronaldo transcended football and became a global icon, putting Portugal not exactly on the map, but giving the country prominence it never had before.

This was doubly poignant given his own background.

Ronaldo grew up on Madeira, an island outpost in the North Atlantic closer to Marrakesh in Morocco than to Lisbon, and in humble surroundings. He shared a room with his three elder siblings in a house that was so short on space, the washing machine had to go on the roof.

He has remained devoted to his family, but his journey from rural, working-class Madeira to one of football’s all-time greats, and the face of luxury brands from Louis Vuitton to Armani, Tag Heuer to Jacob & Co, is striking.

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In a country with an enormous diaspora tradition, the boy who left home at age 12 to join Sporting CP’s academy in Lisbon has made everyone notice where he came from.

“Thank you for allowing me to live a dream that began when I was just a little boy in Madeira, running after a football,” Ronaldo said when announcing his retirement.

“I leave with my head held high. Proud of the path I have taken and knowing that I gave everything I had for Portugal.”

Back on Madeira, there’s already a Ronaldo museum and an airport bearing his name. The accolades will continue for the rest of his life, but whatever you think of the man and the ego, no tribute can really do his achievements justice.