United States men’s national soccer coach Mauricio Pochettino has looked forward to having Gio Reyna back in the squad. But he also laid out clear expectations for the 22-year-old Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder. “If a player doesn’t behave well,” Pochettino told me, “he’s not going to be with us.” Gio Reyna is back in the mix…
Mauricio Pochettino’s assistants have been busy racking up some airline miles lately. Over two weekends in late October and early November, they fanned out across the U.S. to watch a half-dozen World Cup hopefuls perform for their club teams in the MLS Cup playoffs. Jesus Perez, the top lieutenant for the U.S. men’s national team…
Spain dropped Lamine Yamal on Tuesday before two World Cup qualifiers after the star forward underwent more treatment on a nagging groin injury. The Spanish soccer federation said it received notification from Barcelona that Yamal underwent “invasive radiofrequency treatment for discomfort in his pubis.” The federation said the treatment will sideline the 18-year-old Yamal for…
If there was any curiosity about how Lionel Messi feels about Barcelona after his dramatic exit back in 2021, the World Cup-winning superstar has cleared it up. “Last night, I returned to a place that I miss with all my heart,” he posted on Instagram on Monday with images of him standing on the pitch…
Cristiano Ronaldo said on Tuesday he expects his record sixth World Cup next year at age 41 will be his last. “Definitely, yes, because I will be 41 years old,” Ronaldo told CNN anchor Becky Anderson in a live video link from Portugal’s training camp to a tourism conference in Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo clarified that…
In partnership with Jude Bellingham has been recalled by England for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania. The Real Madrid superstar was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s selection in October, amid questions of his character, but has been drafted back into the Three Lions fold for November internationals. Phil Foden has also…
Midfielder Tyler Adams will miss the United States’ exhibition games against Paraguay and Uruguay, joining Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson and Malik Tillman among those not at the team’s next-to-last camp before players are called in ahead of the World Cup. The U.S. Soccer Federation said Monday that Adams and…
In partnership with Ousmane Dembele, Harry Kane, and Lamine Yamal are all prominently featured among the 11 nominees for The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2025. The nomination sets up another potential battle between Dembele and Yamal, who recently went head-to-head for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, an award Dembele ultimately won. And there’s a showdown between…
FIFA will host draws on Nov. 20 in Zurich for playoff brackets to decide the last six entries at the 48-team 2026 World Cup, the world soccer body said Friday. The European brackets will have 16 teams — likely including four-time champion Italy — playing for four places at the tournament next June and July…
In partnership with Thomas Tuchel has reportedly decided to draft Jude Bellingham back into his England squad for the November internationals. The Real Madrid superstar was surprisingly left out of the Three Lions’ ranks in October after recovering from shoulder surgery and returning to action at club level. The expectation is that he will figure…
