Is it even a World Cup without a mascot? Well, how about three? With the 2026 FIFA World Cup being the biggest edition (48 teams) of the marquee soccer extravaganza, we’ll also have a plethora of mascots for next summer’s edition. [WORLD CUP 2026: WHICH TEAMS HAVE QUALIFIED?] Three co-hosts. Three distinct mascots. Each of these…
Lionel Messi had two goals and an assist to reach 37 goal contributions this season and Inter Miami clinched a playoff spot with a 4-0 victory over New York City FC on Wednesday night. Miam (16-6-7), which won its third straight game, extended its league-leading goal total to 64 this season. Five of Miami’s last…
Doug McIntyre Soccer Journalist U.S. men’s team manager Mauricio Pochettino learned plenty about his team during two games earlier this month (a 2-0 loss to South Korea and a 2-0 win over Japan). He even experimented with a three-man defensive line, a potentially intriguing wrinkle moving forward. There’s also still an awful long way…
Guillermo Ochoa’s AEL Limassol debut ended in disaster, as the Mexican goalkeeper conceded five goals in a heavy 5-0 loss to Omonia on Monday. The setback capped a turbulent summer in which Ochoa served as a Gold Cup backup and saw a move to Spanish side Burgos collapse before landing in Cyprus to chase regular…
Ousmane Dembélé won the Ballon d’Or for leading Paris Saint-Germain to its first Champions League title and Aitana Bonmatí received the women’s award for a third successive year on Monday. Dembélé succeeded Manchester City midfielder Rodri to become the sixth Frenchman to win it after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane and Karim…
Lionel Messi had a first-half assist before scoring two goals in the second half to take over the league lead and propel Inter Miami to a 3-2 victory over D.C. United on Saturday night. Messi scored the go-ahead goal in the 66th minute before adding some insurance in the 85th. He has 22 goals this…
Lionel Messi went to watch some soccer on Friday. He didn’t say a word about his own future. The Inter Miami star — who is closing in on a contract extension that will keep him with his Major League Soccer club through at least the 2026 season and likely beyond — showed up to watch…
Spain and Lamine Yamal took top spot from Argentina and Lionel Messi in the FIFA men’s rankings published on Thursday, and lead for the first time since being dethroned as world champion in June 2014. Spain’s two-win start to a 2026 World Cup qualifying group this month — against Turkey and Bulgaria — lifted the…
Erling Haaland became the fastest player to score 50 goals in the Champions League with his latest strike for Manchester City on Thursday. The Norway striker reached the landmark figure in his 49th game in European club soccer’s top competition. He surpassed the previous record by former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward Ruud van…
Lionel Messi’s time in MLS is set to continue. The Argentina superstar is set to sign a new multiyear deal with Inter Miami, according to ESPN. Messi joined Miami in July 2023 after his celebrated career at Barcelona and PSG, originally signing a two-and-a-half-year deal that runs through the end of the 2025 MLS season. …
