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		<title>Latest Men's FIFA World Cup News &amp; Videos from FOX Sports</title>
		<link>https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup</link>
		<description>Breaking Men's FIFA World Cup news, videos, articles, and stories from FOX Sports.</description>
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			<title>Latest Men's FIFA World Cup News &amp; Videos from FOX Sports</title>
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			<link>https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2026 21:29:29 -0400</pubDate>
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					<![CDATA[USA's Next Generation Lived Up To The Hype; Now The Real Work Begins]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usas-next-generation-lived-up-hype-now-real-work-begins</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usas-next-generation-lived-up-hype-now-real-work-begins</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
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				    <![CDATA[Mauricio Pochettino had a plan for the U.S. men's national team entering this international window, and it could hardly have gone much better.]]>
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				<pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:36:02 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[ALLIANZ FIELD (St. Paul, Minn.) — Mauricio Pochettino had a plan. Ahead of FIFA’s first international window of the 2030 World Cup cycle, the coach of the U.S. men’s national team knew that the Americans’ four exhibition games in late September and early October presented a unique opportunity to take a long look at the next generation of American talent before games that matter resume in November with the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. He summoned the kids. He played them all, with 20-year-old Cole Campbell, who became the 13 and final previously uncapped invitee to debut for the USA when he entered as a substitute in the second half of Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Canada in the Twin Cities. Pochettino got goals from teenagers in all four matches. Mathis Albert became the youngest scorer in program history, then saw his record smashed just four days later by fellow 17-year-old Cavan Sullivan. Justin Ellis, 19, scored the winner Tuesday against the Reds, his second goal in as many starts, having also found the net in the 4-1 win over Peru on Sept. 26 that started the USA on its way to a clean four-game sweep. Julian Hall, 18, scored in his first three international appearances, including game-winners over Chile and Peru. The plan could hardly have gone much better. "The players, I think they deserve the credit," Pochettino said after Tuesday’s contest. "I’m not talking only about the results. I’m talking about the way that we competed. "I think it was amazing," the Argentine continued, "to play always with the same intensity, with the same commitment, with the same passion. That is something that we need to keep." Surely he needs to keep some of the kids around, too. With the U.S. youth national teams idle this window, Pochettino didn’t have to consider the needs of the U.S. under-23 squad. That will change in November, when Olympic coach Steve Cherundolo convenes a group of players that will compete for the majority of roster spots at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles — an event the U.S. Soccer Federation is desperate to have a strong showing in on home soil. So Pochettino’s strategy was always to give big minutes to youngsters like Hall and Ellis with the senior team early this autumn. The former Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss revealed after Tuesday’s victory that that would’ve been the case even if World Cup striker Ricardo Pepi hadn’t gotten hurt playing for Dutch champs PSV Eindhoven a day before he was scheduled to arrive at the USSF’s training base outside of Atlanta. In November, the original idea went, most of the youngsters would return to the U-23s or even the U.S. U-20s, which in August qualified for next year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Their performances this month  could alter that thinking, however. Following the 3-0 win over Mexico, Pochettino told me that it "was a fantastic problem" to have. "Having a plan, you can adjust things and fix situations or change if you are seeing that you need to change," he said on Tuesday. Still, Pochettino won’t have the luxury of not caring about results next month. The Americans learned earlier Tuesday that they will face 2026 World Cup participants Haiti over two legs in mid-November, with a spot in next March’s Nations League finals on the line. "They made the World Cup for a reason: because they're a tough team," U.S. defender Chris Richards, who started the 2-1 win over Haiti in last year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, said of Les Grenadiers. "Got to go in there with the same mindset we've had throughout this camp, and we have to earn a victory to get to March." "We're very excited for it," the Premier Leaguer added. "It's another chance to prove ourselves. And whoever will be at that camp, I know we'll go in there with our heads held high after what we did in this camp, and hopefully, gonna get two wins." One camp into the new cycle, the competition for places should be fierce — especially if 2026 cycle mainstays such as Pepi, Folarin Balogun, Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic are all healthy and available and performing well for their European clubs. "Obviously, there are a lot of new faces, and they all had great energy and worked very hard while they were here," two-time World Cup veteran Gio Reyna said.  "It definitely brings competition, which is what we all need. And I think it's great  for the upcoming cycle to push everybody."]]>
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					<![CDATA[Messi's Final Match For Argentina Sees The GOAT Score One Last Time]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/messi-caps-argentina-farewell-with-a-penalty-and-2-assists-in-a-30-win-over-benin</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/messi-caps-argentina-farewell-with-a-penalty-and-2-assists-in-a-30-win-over-benin</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Lionel Messi turns his official farewell match for Argentina into a gala performance, scoring one last time.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:15:14 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Lionel Messi turned his official farewell to Argentina into a gala performance, contributing a penalty and two assists in a 3-0 win over Benin in an international friendly on Tuesday at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, where the crowd offered a deafening final ovation to the genius who, for over two decades, defined the footballing pulse of a nation. In front of 85,000 fans, the superstar capped off an international career spanning 21 years, 126 goals, a 2022 World Cup victory, and two Copa América titles. Orchestrating The Win Following a corner kick taken Messi, defender Nicolas Otamendi connected with a header to open the scoring in the 48th minute. Messi then provided an assist to young talent Nicolas Paz, who paid tribute to the star with an exquisite left-foot finish in the 61st. Ten minutes later, Messi buried a left-foot penalty into the top corner, adding to his tally as the Albiceleste’s all-time leading scorer. "Olé, olé, Messi," the crowd chanted in his honor. Passing The Torch Despite still playing at a high level at age 39, Messi announced on Aug. 31 that the end of his time with Argentina was set. Messi played his final match — his 208th for Argentina — amid a spectacular fireworks display. He wore a special edition Albiceleste jersey featuring wider vertical stripes than the standard design, a giant sun, and a golden No. 10 on the back. The back detail featured a goat’s horns in the print — a nod to the "GOAT," referencing both the animal and his status as the "Greatest of All Time." Ten minutes after kickoff, the referee paused the match to honor the Argentine captain. Rivals and teammates approached to greet him while fans rose for a standing ovation. Messi raised his hand in acknowledgment. "Come, come, sing with me, and a friend you’ll find; hand in hand with Leo Messi, we’ll all celebrate the victory," the crowd sang to him. From Heartbreak To World Cup Glory A successor to the legendary Diego Maradona, Messi made his debut for the senior national team in 2005. But his journey was fraught with frustration until 2022, when he finally lifted the World Cup — a triumph that secured his place in the pantheon of the sport’s greatest players and cemented his status as a national hero in Argentina. Accompanied by his sons Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro, Messi was overcome with emotion as the Argentine national anthem played, sung by a veteran of the 1982 Falklands War. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez tried to comfort him by placing an arm around his shoulders. Devoted Fans And Moving Tributes "It’s not a goodbye, it’s a ‘farewell forever,’ Captain" — that was the message Rebeca Arias and Daniel Lema emblazoned on a hat designed for the occasion. On the brim, they drew various depictions of Messi corresponding to each of the six World Cups he contested. The young couple traveled more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from their native Tucumán to witness his final performance. "We believe this is a unique moment. It’s all worth it — being here, making the journey we did. Something like this might never happen again with a player," Arias remarked. In the last World Cup, Messi went close to another title, falling just short after a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final. However, the runner-up finish didn't overshadow his remarkable performance in the tournament — featuring eight goals and four assists. His contribution was so pivotal that Messi has once again entered the conversation for the Ballon d’Or, competing against the two top contenders to succeed him: Spaniard Lamine Yamal and Frenchman Kylian Mbappé. The Argentine star remains the only footballer to have won the award eight times. Messi Receives Honorary Doctorate Before his farewell at the stadium, Messi received an honorary doctorate from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), a public institution. The academic institution presented the honor at the national team’s training complex in the suburb of Ezeiza. The star was awarded a diploma and a medal in recognition of his performance with the national team, as well as his influence both on and off the pitch. The Associated Press contributed to this report.]]>
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					<![CDATA[It's A Clean Sweep: 4 Takeaways From USA's Victory Over Canada]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usmnt-canada-win-friendly-concacaf-nations-league</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usmnt-canada-win-friendly-concacaf-nations-league</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[USA 1-0 Canada: 4 Takeaways]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 23:15:28 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[ALLIANZ FIELD (St. Paul, Minn.) — A fourth win and as many games for the U.S. men’s national team to kick off the 2030 FIFA World Cup cycle. The Stars and Stripes beat rivals Canada, 1-0, on Tuesday in the Twin Cities on a first-half goal by 19-year-old striker Justin Ellis — a win that comes on the heels of convincing victories over the last 12 days against Peru, Chile and historic nemesis Mexico. Here are my takeaways, plus post-game reaction from the players, USA coach Mauricio Pochettino and Canada's American boss Jesse Marsch. 1. The Teenagers Are A Force Back on Sept. 26 in Orlando, the 19-year-old Ellis scored the USA’s first goal less than four minutes into what turned into a 4-1 rout of Peru. Julian Hall (18) and Mathis Albert (17) scored three days later in St. Louis in a 4-2 victory over Chile. Hall hit the target again in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Mexico; in the second half of the same match in Glendale, Arizona, 17-year-old Cavan Sullivan broke Albert’s four-day old record to become the youngest scorer in more than a century of U.S. men’s soccer. That theme continued on Tuesday. Ellis earned his second start of this four-match set, and, despite being hobbled by a challenge by acting Canadian captain Stephen Eustáquio midway through the first half, limped back onto the field and promptly got on the end of a cross by Alex Freeman, his former teammate with Orlando City SC. It was the hosts only shot during a foul-laden first 45 minutes. Pochettino replaced Ellis with Hall for the start of the second half; Ellis left the stadium to have what a team spokesperson called a right lower leg contusion. He wasn’t the only teenager to start the game, though, as Albert, who entered as a sub in each of the Americans' first three outings this camp, made his first appearance in the coach’s 11. And towering 6-foot-7 center back Neil Pierre, 18, came in to help preserve the clean sheet. "They need to be ready to take the opportunity," Pochettino said of the youngsters in general before mentioning the two strikers in paricular. "To assess and to see Julian and Justin was always the plan for us." 2. U.S. Snaps Winless Streak Against Its Northern Neighbors Three days after halting a two-match losing streak against El Tri, the Stars and Stripes broke another run of futility against another cross-border rival. "I give credit to the way the U.S. defended," said Marsch, a former USA midfielder and assistant coach. "They bent, but they didn't break." Besides a shootout win in the 2023 Gold Cup quarterfinals — a result that FIFA officially considers a tie — the U.S. had gone six tries without besting Canada and lost the last two meetings between the sides before Tuesday. So this triumph was a welcome one for U.S. fans and a potentially important psychological one for the American players — especially given the makeup of Pochettino’s relatively inexperienced September/October roster. That could be important if these sides meet again next year in either the Concacaf Nations League in March or the Gold Cup next summer. Or both. 3. What’s Next For The Kids? With the competitive games of this World Cup cycle beginning next month (more on that below), it will be fascinating to see which of the youngsters stick with the senior team and which ones return to either the U.S. under-20 or -23 national teams, the latter of which will double as the 2028 U.S. Olympic squad when the Los Angeles games kick off two summers from now. The assumption is that many of those on Pochettino’s roster for the 2026 World Cup who were either injured, returning from injury, settling in with new clubs or are known quantities come back into the fold. That long list includes Folarin Balogun, Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah — players who have long been mainstays for the Americans, in some cases for multiple World Cups. Still, some will probably stay with the varsity. Hall is probably the likeliest candidate, though he’s not alone. It’s not just the teenagers, either. Diego Kochen’s performance in goal vs. Mexico could win him another look. Same for older players like keeper Brian Schwake, who made four saves on the way to posting a clean sheet Tuesday in his first start, and fellow 25-year-old George Campbell, who started his second match of the window and third overall. "They seemed pretty comfortable from the beginning" of camp, veteran defender Chris Richards said of the new guard. "It's been it's been a lot of fun getting to know everybody — and not just on the field, but off the field." 4. Haiti Looms In Next Month’s Nations League Quarterfinals The U.S. won the first three editions of the semi-annual Concacaf competition, hoisting the trophy in 2021, 2023 and 2024. It strolled past Jamaica over two legs to return to the final four just a month after Pochettino took over the program, winning a competitive game in Kingston for just the second time ever. An upset by Panama ended the trophy streak in the semis in March of last year, and this same Canada squad added insult to injury by beating the Americans in the third place match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Pochettino &amp; Co. would like to put that right in the same venue next March, when the Nations League finals return to Southern California. But they’ll need to get past a World Cup participant to get there, as Haiti was confirmed earlier Tuesday as the USA’s opponent in next month’s quarterfinals. Even with Haiti’s home leg of the two-match, total-goals-wins series to be played in a neutral country because of severe security concerns in the Caribbean nations, beating Les Grenadiers isn’t a forgone conclusion. Although the U.S. hasn’t lost to the Haitians since 1973, their five most recent meetings have either ended even or with a one-goal American win. The Americans could learn where the opening match will be held as soon as Wednesday. The back end of the home-and-home is scheduled for Nov. 17 in Cincinnati. "It's going to be a tough opponent," said U.S. captain Tyler Adams, who was a member of the U.S. team that defeated the Haitians 2-1 in the group stage of last year's Gold Cup. "That was a really, really tough game, one of those typical scrappy Concacaf games. So we need to be up for it."]]>
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					<![CDATA[As Lionel Messi's Argentina Career Ends, How It Started Is Worth Remembering]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/lionel-messis-glittering-argentina-career-ends-how-started-worth-remembering</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/lionel-messis-glittering-argentina-career-ends-how-started-worth-remembering</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[There will never be another player like him. I hope you enjoyed his greatness and reliving his legacy.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:34:12 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The first time I ever watched Lionel Messi play soccer couldn’t have been more anticlimactic. Though the player now generally accepted as the greatest in the history of the planet’s most popular sport had already made his first team debut for Barcelona by this time, the setting was far from the bright lights at the then 90,000-seat Camp Nou, Europe’s largest stadium. Messi was 18, the second-youngest member of Argentina’s under-20 national team, when he and his teammates met the United States on June 11, 2005, in both countries' first match of what was then called the FIFA World Youth Championship. Arke Stadion in the small Dutch city of Enschede was barely a third full. The kid who’d become the GOAT was on the bench when Chad Barrett — who’d go on to win one senior cap for the Americans — scored the eventual winner late in six minutes before halftime. Messi, still mostly unknown except to soccer dorks like me, didn’t do much when he entered in the second half of the game, which I watched on a 13-inch television in my cubicle at ESPN The Magazine’s midtown Manhattan office. Of course, Messi started the rest of the way, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer and MVP as Argentina claimed the title. A year later, I saw Messi live for the first time; he scored for Barça in a 4-1 friendly win over the New York Red Bulls. As he shyly answered questions in Spanish post-game, floppy brown hair hanging over his eyes, I was struck by how tiny he was. This is the guy who some Argentines were already calling Diego Maradona’s heir apparent? "He’s the closest one yet," Bob Bradley told me when I asked about the comparison a year after that. Bradley, who had just been named coach of the U.S. men’s national team, is as serious as they come. But he couldn't help light up at the mere mention of Messi, who his squad would face in the opening match of the 2007 Copa América in Venezuela. I used the quote in a short blurb about Messi, writing that the youngster was well on his way to eventually eclipsing Barcelona teammate Ronaldinho as the best player in the world. Over the almost two decades since, he’s vastly exceeded that prediction and most others, too. MESSI'S LEGACY WAS cemented during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but it's easy to forget now what the mood was like inside Lusail Stadium with less than 30 minutes remaining against Mexico in the Albiceleste’s second group stage match that November outside of Doha. Billed as Messi’s last chance to win the ultimate prize in sports — he’d said he’d retire after the tourney, win or lose — Argentina was in danger of being eliminated with one first round match to go. Then Messi popped up out of nowhere and stroked the ball past El Tri keeper Guillermo Ochoa, his first of eight goals — including two in the final win over France — on the way to his country’s only World Cup title since Maradona’s in 1986. With that golden trophy in hand, Messi promptly changed his mind about hanging up his boots. I was at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami in 2024 when he hoisted the Copa América for the second time in three years. In July, I watched him break down in tears on the field as Spain beat Argentina in extra time to wrest the World Cup away from the 39-year-old. La Roja were worthy champs, yet a wave of sadness engulfed me as I realized that this was probably the last time anyone would ever see Messi wearing that famous baby-blue and white striped No. 10 shirt. Messi was still his side’s best player that day. Now, with Messi having played his send-off match with Argentina (and scoring one last goal from the penalty spot), I’m filled with gratitude for having been able to cover his career almost from start to finish. Most soccer lovers have never watched him play in person. I don’t take for granted that I’ve seen him so many times I’ve lost count. l've been there for the downs — the shootout loss to the Netherlands in São Paulo in the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, another to Chile in the Copa final in New Jersey in 2016, after which an emotional Messi vowed never to play for his country again before changing his mind for the first time — as well as the once seemingly unreadable heights of 2022 and ’24. It’s still surreal to see Messi in MLS and probably will be until he walks away for good, hopefully not before his current contract with Inter Miami expires in 2028.  Watching Lionel Messi play soccer — whether it's on a screen or in the stands or a press box — is a privilege that never gets old. There will never be another player like him. Enjoy it as long as you can.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Cristiano Ronaldo Is Not Retiring, Blames Coach Jorge Jesus For Portugal Walkout]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/cristiano-ronaldo-says-he-is-still-available-for-portugal-after-walking-out-on-squad</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/cristiano-ronaldo-says-he-is-still-available-for-portugal-after-walking-out-on-squad</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Cristiano Ronaldo is not following Lionel Messi into international retirement just yet.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:27:07 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Cristiano Ronaldo is not following Lionel Messi into international retirement just yet. The Portugal superstar said he will remain available to play for his national team, despite having walked out on the squad during the current international window. In a long statement issued through the Portuguese media Tuesday, Ronaldo said recently hired coach Jorge Jesus had not been true to his word about when he would play the striker in the latest round of Nations League matches. Still, the 41-year-old Ronaldo said he owed his teammates an apology and expects to receive a punishment. "I can promise all my fans, and naturally especially all Portuguese people, that we will have one or more farewell matches. There will be time for that," Ronaldo said. He added: "Therefore, if I am physically fit, playing for my club, hopefully scoring goals, then after serving whatever suspension is imposed on me, I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team." Ronaldo said he had agreed to a plan for managing his playing time and that he expected the coach to publicly clarify the situation and accept responsibility. He said Jesus did not follow through and instead spoke aggressively at a press conference, causing a breakdown of trust. Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Lionel Messi's Farewell To Argentina: A Look At The GOAT's Historic World Cup Career]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/lionel-messi-argentina-world-cup-legacy</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/lionel-messi-argentina-world-cup-legacy</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[As Lionel Messi says farewell to the Argentina, let's look back at his legendary World Cup career.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:36:30 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The time has come for Lionel Messi to don his Argentina jersey for one last time. The greatest of all time announced on Aug. 31 that he would retire from international play, culminating a 22-year career with Argentina that included a World Cup title. Across six World Cup appearances, Messi has led Argentina to the quarterfinals or better five times and reached the final three times. His résumé includes six World Cup appearances, 34 matches, 21 goals, 12 assists, and countless records, many of which he extended during his historic tournament this summer. His legacy on the tournament’s biggest stage is unlike anything the sport has ever seen. Argentina will face Benin in an international friendly in Buenos Aires at 7 p.m. ET. In honor of Messi's final match with Argentina, let’s look back at his remarkable World Cup journey, starting with his all-time tournament records, then revisiting each of his six appearances on soccer's biggest stage. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Cristiano Ronaldo Reportedly Won't Play For Portugal Under New Coach Jorge Jesus]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/cristiano-ronaldo-reportedly-wont-play-portugal-under-new-coach-jorge-jesus</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/cristiano-ronaldo-reportedly-wont-play-portugal-under-new-coach-jorge-jesus</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Cristiano Ronaldo has threatened to not represent Portugal under new coach Jorge Jesus.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:50:15 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Portugal wants Cristiano Ronaldo to know he's welcome back to the national team, if he so desires. The issue? It's not something he desires — not so long as Jorge Jesus is the coach. According to a report from ESPN on Tuesday, the 41-year-old superstar has issued the Portuguese Football Federation an ultimatum, threatening not to return to the national team under Jesus. Portugal coach Jorge Jesus and federation president Pedro Proença have downplayed the "misunderstanding" that led to Ronaldo’s decision to leave the national team's training camp last week, saying after a 2-1 win over Norway in the Nations League on Sunday that the veteran star can return whenever he wants. "We are talking about the greatest player of all time, a player who has given more than two decades to Portuguese soccer," Proença told Portuguese television channel RTP. "He will always be part of this squad if he is technically fit to play. Cristiano knows this. He knows that is the sentiment. What happened was a misunderstanding that needs to be resolved internally." Ronaldo walked out on Portugal’s training camp on Wednesday, hours after Jesus said the veteran star would not start in a game against Denmark in the Nations League. Jesus had kept Ronaldo on the bench in a previous match despite saying he would play. Ronaldo said after leaving that in due course he would "tell the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons" behind his departure, but has not commented on the situation since. Jesus said Sunday he had no reason to apologize to anyone, and that he would call up Ronaldo again for the next international break if the player wants to come back. "I don’t know what Cris will decide," Jesus said after Portugal’s win. "To me, there was never an issue. There are non-negotiable principles for a coach, but since there were no issues regarding my authority, for me, if Cris wants to return, he will be eligible for the next call-up, as long as he is playing for Al Nassr. It's up to him." Proença said there will be time for everyone to sit down and discuss the situation. "Ronaldo is a symbol of our country. He is a Portuguese icon, an absolutely extraordinary player who could have ended his international career after the World Cup but chose not to out of love for the national team," Proença said. While Ronaldo has said that the 2026 World Cup was his final one, he has not spoken on his future in international play. Jesus, who was hired in July following Portugal's exit at the World Cup, said at the time of his hiring that he needed to discuss Ronaldo's future with him at some point. "That’s a conversation we’re both going to have. What does he want to do for the future of his career?" The Associated Press contributed to this report.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Balogun: Premier League 'Definitely' Still An Option After Collapsed Everton Move]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/balogun-premier-league-definitely-still-option-after-collapsed-everton-move</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/balogun-premier-league-definitely-still-option-after-collapsed-everton-move</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[United States striker Folarin Balogun hasn't given up on a return to the Premier League, a month after his deadline-day move to Everton fell apart.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2026 17:19:12 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[United States men's national team striker Folarin Balogun hasn't given up on a return to the Premier League, a month after his deadline-day move to Everton fell apart. Asked by talkSPORT whether a Premier League move still interested him, the 25-year-old called it a possibility. "I was close to a transfer," Balogun said. "It didn't materialise, but for sure it's definitely an option." Balogun, who came through Arsenal's academy before joining Monaco on a permanent transfer in 2023, remains with the Ligue 1 club after a summer that put him at the center of two major controversies. "Football has many twists and turns as we've seen after the World Cup," Balogun said. What Happened With Balogun's Everton Move? Everton had a deal in place to sign Balogun from Monaco for a reported £40 million ($54 million), but it collapsed in the final minutes of the Sept. 1 transfer deadline. Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro later laid out the timeline at a news conference. According to Scuro, Balogun took his medical at Everton that afternoon, and about three hours later, Everton came back with questions about the results that he said "made no sense at all" to Monaco's medical staff and the player's own doctors. After the two clubs' medical teams talked, Everton said it was ready to complete the signing. At the last moment, Balogun decided not to sign. Scuro said the striker told Monaco he wasn't comfortable committing to a long contract after Everton raised doubts about his health. Balogun's World Cup Red Card Controversy Balogun was the United States' top scorer at the World Cup with three goals, but his tournament ended in controversy. He was sent off in the Americans' 2-0 round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, which normally carries an automatic one-game suspension, but FIFA suspended the ban for one year, clearing Balogun to face Belgium in the round of 16. FIFA's disciplinary committee cited a rule that allows it to suspend sanctions. Balogun played against Belgium, but the U.S. lost 4-1 in Seattle, ending its run on home soil. He later acknowledged that the outside noise around FIFA's decision had affected the team mentally, the AP reported. How Has Balogun Started The Season At Monaco? Monaco has thrived without him. The club won four of its first five Ligue 1 matches and drew the other to go top of the table, sitting five points clear of defending champion Paris Saint-Germain after beating PSG 2-1 in Paris on Sept. 4. Balogun made his first appearance since the World Cup as a late substitute in a 2-1 home win over Lens on Sept. 18. Paris Brunner, a 20-year-old striker, has filled the void with six goals this season. Scuro said after the Everton collapse that Monaco was still open to selling Balogun to clubs in markets where transfer windows remained open, per the AP. Saudi Arabia's window stays open until Oct. 12, but for now Balogun remains at Monaco, where he has two years left on his contract. Monaco hosts Toulouse on Saturday, Oct. 10.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Tired USA Meets Canada Aiming To Kick Off 2030 World Cup Cycle With 4th Straight win]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/tired-usa-meets-canada-aiming-kick-off-2030-world-cup-cycle-4th-straight-win</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/tired-usa-meets-canada-aiming-kick-off-2030-world-cup-cycle-4th-straight-win</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[After trouncing Mexico on Satuday, the U.S. men's soccer team finishes this four-game FIFA window against another North American rival in Canada.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2026 14:51:26 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[As palpable as the euphoria was among the Americans players who sauntered down the tunnel beneath State Farm Stadium following the USA’s 3-0 dismantling of Mexico last Saturday night in Arizona, so was the exhaustion. There was no hooting or hollering. The smiles were tired ones.  Before walking into the desert night, playmaker Gio was asked how he’d celebrate the Stars and Stripes most lopsided win against its arch nemesis since his father Claudio’s goal capped a 4-0 victory in 1995. The 23-year-old didn’t hesitate. "I'm gonna go to sleep," Reyna deadpanned. Mauricio Pochettino’s young U.S. team can’t rest quite yet. Led by a fresh generation of young players — including teenagers Cavan Sullivan and Julian Hall, who both scored against Mexico — the Americans are 3-0 so far during this extended, 16-day-long FIFA international window. They’ve managed 11 goals over those exhibitions, including multigoal strolls over South American foes Peru and Chile. But before Pochettino’s players pack up this camp and return to their clubs, the American men’s other big rival, Canada, looms on Tuesday night in Minnesota. (Kickoff at 8 p.m. ET.) Once a regional also-ran, the U.S. hasn’t beaten its northern neighbors in six tries dating to 2021; the USA’s shootout victory in the 2023 Gold Cup quarterfinals counts officially as a tie. They’ve lost two straight to Canada heading into Tuesday’s contest at Allianz Field in St. Paul, including last year under Pochettino in the Concacaf Nations League Finals’ consolation game. So much has happened since then. The United States and Canada co-hosted the World Cup over the summer along with Mexico, with all three North American squads reaching the round of 16. Both teams are different even since then; Pochettino’s current roster is almost four years younger than the one he named for soccer’s marquee quadrennial tournament. "It’s a new chapter," the Argentine said on the eve of the match. Naturally, Pochettino and his players want to beat the Canadians, break the Americans' five-year winless streak and complete the four-game sweep. But it’s not the coaching staff’s only priority. The Reds have played just two times so far this window and have done far less travel. They’re better rested. Pochettino must plan accordingly. "After three games, [the players are] not in the best condition," Pochettino said. "But we cannot change the reality. We need to adapt to the reality and be ready to compete. "The result," he continued, "Is important. But it's not our principal objective." Stylistically, Canada will provide a different challenge for the U.S. than any of the first three September/October tests. Led by American and former U.S. player and assistant coach Jesse Marsch, the Reds are supremely athletic. They press with abandon, are deadly on the counterattack and take advantage of their scoring chances. "I know Jesse very well, I respect him, and I like him like a coach," Pochettino said Monday. "It’s always difficult to play against teams that he coaches. It's very intense…yes, it's a very good challenge for us." He also called Canadian goal machine Jonathan David, "one of the greatest strikers today in the world." "When we were at different clubs, he was always on our radar to try to sign him," the former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham manager said. "Now seeing him in La Liga, in a club like Atlético Madrid with a coach like Diego Simeone, is fantastic." Meantime, the U.S. has been paced by Hall, who has three goals in his first three international games. World Cup strikers. The 18-year-old has stood in for World Cup strikers Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright, who are either hurt or returning from injury. Mixing inexperienced youngsters — 20-year-old Cole Campbell, who’s been nursing a minor ailment, is the only one of the 28 players invited to this camp who hasn’t yet seen the field — alongside veterans like Chris Richards and captain Tyler Adams has been the theme for the U.S. as it starts down the long and winding path toward the 2030 FIFA World Cup. It will be the same on Tuesday, no matter the opponent. " I think we all know what it means to play against Mexico and Canada," Pochettino said. "We need to be focused in our performance. It's not, ‘Oh, we need to win.’ We need to win. Yes, of course. "But the journey is the most important" thing, he added.  "That is our focus now."]]>
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				<title>
					<![CDATA[Cavan Sullivan, USMNT's Youngest Goalscorer, Is Just Getting Started]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/cavan-sullivan-usmnt-goalscorer-age-17-mexico</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/cavan-sullivan-usmnt-goalscorer-age-17-mexico</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Mature beyond his years on the field, Cavan Sullivan looks and sounds like just about any other 17-year-old off it.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2026 13:15:01 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[STATE FARM STADIUM (Glendale, Ariz.) — With his USA jersey slung over his shoulder and the history-making ball in hand, Cavan Sullivan almost looked overwhelmed as he fielded questions from a throng of reporters in the bowels of the 60,00 seat arena he had just about silenced an hour before with one swing of his right foot. During his 65 minutes on the field in Saturday’s 3-0 drubbing of Mexico, he was anything but. Sullivan, who had only turned 17 just five days earlier, became the youngest goalscorer in the century-plus history of the U.S. men’s national team, helping the Americans secure their largest margin of victory over their biggest rival in more than 30 years despite an overwhelmingly pro-El Tri crowd in greater Phoenix. "That wasn't the way I pictured scoring a goal," said Sullivan, whose defensive pressure forced Mexico keeper Jose Rangel into an errant pass that the youngster intercepted and then coolly lofted over Rangel's head and into the net before being mobbed by the entire U.S. bench. "But the celebration was." Though Sullivan has only officially been a senior national team player for a week, it’s clear that he belongs at this level. In his Sept. 26 debut against Peru and last Tuesday vs. Chile, he showed glimpses of the attacking ability that has made the Philadelphia Union academy graduate one of the most productive players in MLS since the domestic league returned from its World Cup break in mid-July. "I think we just got to stop talking about his age," U.S. captain Tyler Adams said. "He's here for a reason." It’s the reason Manchester City struck a deal with the Union for Sullivan to move to the English titans next year — depending, of course, on the outcome of its appeal of financial cheating charges leveled by the Premier League. Yet coach Mauricio Pochettino has been just as impressed by Sullivan’s attitude, work ethic and his commitment to precisely the sort of defensive work that directly led to Saturday's record-breaking strike. "He's a fighter. He's a warrior," Pochettino said. "It’s difficult to find this type of player with a tremendous [offensive] quality, with the ball in possession, and then [the willingness to be] chasing people and recovering the ball. "That is what my impression is after nearly three weeks together," the former Chelsea, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain manager added. "It’s unbelievable to have a player like this. I think it's fantastic news for the USA. I hope that he continues growing in that way." "The thing I always was told by my dad growing up was to try and make offense out of defense," Sullivan said. "Obviously, I'm an offensive player, but you're always in the best spots when you win the ball during the press. It's taken time to get better at my defensive work, and I still have a lot to do and a lot to improve on. But yeah, it's a great moment." And not just for Sullivan. The other two Philadelphia players on this young U.S. roster were among the first reserves to reach their teammate after he pumped his fists and ran to the corner flag and slid on his knees before disappearing into a pile of bodies. "To see him so excited, celebrating, coming to us," 18-year-old central defender Neil Pierre said. "He was dreaming of that forever." "Just happy for Cavan, happy that he got his first goal for the national team," added fullback Frankie Westfield.  "But I know there's more to come for him, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else he can do." Sullivan didn’t know exactly what to do after the match. Mature beyond his years on the field, he looks and sounds like just about any other 17-year-old off it. After the final whistle sounded, he searched the crowd for his parents and older brother Quinn, who also plays for the Union and who won three senior caps for the U.S. squad last year before a serious knee injury cut short his season. Before the younger Sullivan was whisked away to the team bus and some much-needed sleep before the U.S. heads to Minnesota to take on Canada on Tuesday in this final game of this new, extended four-match FIFA window, he was asked a final question. What will he do with that ball? "Just sort of, I guess, get it signed by the guys," he said, almost sheepishly. "I don't really know what to do with it, to be honest."]]>
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				<title>
					<![CDATA[History Made By Cavan Sullivan: 4 Takeaways From USA's Win Over Mexico]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usmnt-mexico-3-0-cavan-sullivan-goal-pochettino-julian-hall</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usmnt-mexico-3-0-cavan-sullivan-goal-pochettino-julian-hall</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[A statement win over your biggest rival? The USA's youngsters shined against Mexico.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2026 01:13:12 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[STATE FARM STADIUM (Glendale, Ariz.) — The U.S. men’s soccer team trounced Mexico, its fiercest rival and FIFA's No. 10 ranked nation, 3-0 in Saturday’s exhibition match here in front of a heavily pro El Tri crowd of more than 60,000 at the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Eighteen-year-old forward Julian Hall scored for the third straight game, 17-year-old Cavan Sullivan added the second and Malik Tillman rounded out the scoring with just a few minutes remaining. Here are my takeaways, plus post-game reaction from U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino and his players. Last weekend against Peru, Cavan Sullivan became the second-youngest player to start in U.S. men's national team history. On Saturday, he notched an even more impressive milestone when he pounced on an errant pass by Jose Rangel and chipped the Mexico keeper to give the Americans a dos-a-cero lead — the youngest goalscorer in the 113-year history of the program. "He's a talented player with enormous quality, but with a very good balance in possession and out of possession," Pochettino said. "He's a fighter. He's a warrior. It's difficult to find this type of player. "Happy for him, happy for the team," the coach added. "I like what he said [on TNT's broadcast] after the game, that the most important thing was the result. He's learning every day. That is a good thing." Until losing back-to-back games to Mexico in 2024 and ’25, the U.S. had dominated its southern neighbor this decade, beating El Tri in three straight Concacaf Nations League Finals and the Gold Cup final in 2021. The pendulum swung back after Pochettino took over as coach, though that was hardly his fault, with an understrength U.S. squad falling in a so-called friendly in Guadalajara and in the 2025 Gold Cup final in Houston. After beating the Peruvians and Chile decisively late last month, Pochettino cautioned on Friday that there would be downs as well as ups for this unusually young roster, the first one of the 2030 World Cup cycle. But the kids didn’t get the memo, growing into the match against Mexico and taking the scoring chances they were presented with. That’s a hugely encouraging sign going forward. "Mexico is a great team," Pochettino said. "They forced us to play backwards. We never connected, we were losing all the duels. And then we started to grow after 15-20 minutes." "We had to adapt in different ways," U.S. captain Tyler Adams said. "At halftime we kind of regrouped…I thought it was a complete team performance in a lot of different facets of the game. We had some challenges to defend. I think we defended all right for most of the part, and then obviously scored some good goals." It’s possible that the 18-year-old Red Bull New York striker wouldn’t even have been on Pochettino’s roster for Saturday’s contest. World Cup starter Folarin Balogun and one of his backups, Haji Wright, were not called in this window. Hall might not have played nearly as much if Ricardo Pepi, who appeared in all five games during the Americans’ run to the round of 16, hadn’t gotten hurt after Pochettino named his roster back on Sept. 17. No matter. Hall has taken every opportunity he’s been given since making his senior international debut in last week’s 4-1 win over Peru, scoring it that game shortly after entering as a second half substitute and then finding the net again in his first start, a 4-2 victory against Chile. Those goals were enough for Poch to keep the Manhattan-born Hall in his lineup for Saturday’s showdown with Mexico, the highest-profile match among the four the No. 16-ranked U.S. team will play this window. And Hall rose to the challenge again, giving the home team a 1-0 lead following one of the only extended spells of possession the USA had during a first half in which El Tri had the ball for more than 60 percent of the time. "I mean, three goals in three games is not bad for a striker, especially in your first three games in the national team," said Gio Reyna, whose cross led to Hall's tap-in. "He sort of has that eye for goal." Like most of the rest of the youngsters who Pochettino handed minutes to this month, Hall will probably return to either the U.S. under-20 national team or the 2028 Olympics-bound U-23s when the more experienced forwards in the player pool inevitably return. But for a country that never seems to have enough pure goalscorers, he’s definitely given Poch and his staff something to think about ahead of next month’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. "It's a fantastic problem for us," the coach told me when I asked if the performances of Hall and the other youngsters might alter thier plans. Once its strongest position by far, the U.S. has had a devil of a time producing elite goalkeepers in recent years. But the 20-year-old Kochen is the country’s best backstop prospect in years, and the fact that Poch started him in a hostile environment in Glendale says plenty about the Barcelona product's potential. That talent was on full display in the 58th minute when, with the U.S. clinging to a 1-0 lead and Mexico knocking on the door, he made an all-world stop on El Tri attacker Roberto Alvarado on the way to a clean sheet: "It's one of the greatest moments of my entire life," a beaming Kochen told me about an hour after the final whistle blew. "I'm super thankful that the coach trusted me with this." It remains to be seen if Kochen will keep his place going forward, stick with the senior team in an understudy role, or if he, like others, will return to the youth ranks. Given his competition, his age, and his status as the American keeper with the highest ceiling, don’t be surprised if it’s the first one. The Americans have another quick turnaround following Saturday’s victory, with just two days between the Mexican match and another rivalry game on Tuesday against Canada and its American coach, Jesse Marsch. "We have Canada in three days," said Reyna, the only U.S. player to start all three games during this camp. "First time I started three games in the week in probably four or five years, so I'm a little bit tired now. But I'll be good for Canada." While the U.S. holds the all-time series lead with a record of 17 wins to 12 losses (along with two draws), it has won just once in the last six meetings between the teams, including the most recent in 2025. Can the Red, White and Blue break another streak of futility against another neighbor in Minnesota?]]>
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					<![CDATA[Cavan Sullivan And Barcelona Prospect Diego Kochen Start For USA vs. Mexico]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usa-starts-cavan-sullivan-barcelonas-diego-kochen-vs-mexico</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usa-starts-cavan-sullivan-barcelonas-diego-kochen-vs-mexico</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[What a way to get your first start for the U.S. men’s national team.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 2026 21:22:45 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[STATE FARM STADIUM (Glendale, Ariz.) – What a way to get your first start for the U.S. men’s national team. A week after making his senior international debut in the second half of the USA’s 4-1 win over Peru, 20-year-old Barcelona goalkeeper Diego Kochen was named in coach Mauricio Pochettino's lineup for Saturday’s high-profile exhibition with blood rivals Mexico just outside of Phoenix, where a sellout crowd of 64,000 fans is expected at the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Cavan Sullivan, who turned 17 on Monday, is also in Pochettino’s 11 against El Tri. The Philadelphia Union attacker started against Peru — becoming the second-youngest starter in the 113-year history of the U.S. men's program and the fourth-youngest overall — and came in off the bench in the Americans' most recent outing, a 4-2 victory over Chile last Tuesday in St. Louis. Kochen earned the nod over Matt Freese, who was between the posts for all five U.S. games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Chris Brady and Brian Schwake are the other two keepers in Pochettino’s current squad. Kochen didn’t allow a goal in his 45 minutes of action against Peru. Brady and Schwake each played a half vs. Chile, surrendering one goal apiece. The Stars and Stripes will close out this extended four-game international window against Canada on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minnesota. Although he didn’t make Pochettino’s World Cup roster, Kochen served as a training keeper during the USA’s pre-tournament training camp. Five-time European champs Barça then sent the South Florida native on loan to Danish club Lyngby for the 2026-27 season. Kochen has one clean sheet in nine Danish Superliga games so far, conceding 16 times in all. Pochettino, the 54-year-old former Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager, said during Friday’s pre-match press conference that his lineup would contain a mix of experienced players and youngsters. Two-time World Cup veterans Antonee Robinson, Gio Reyna and Tyler Adams — who the Argentine named U.S. captain on the eve of the contest — round out the team, which also includes 2026 World Cup goalscorers Alex Freeman, Sebastian Berhalter and Auston Trusty. Eighteen-year-old Red Bull New York striker Julian Hall, who scored in each of his first two U.S. appearances last month, will lead Pochettino’s front line against Mexico. Saturday’s contest marks the second straight start for Hall.]]>
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					<![CDATA[England Puts 7 Goals Past Croatia As Kane, Saka, Bellingham All Shine]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/kane-and-saka-score-2-each-as-england-crushes-croatia-70-in-nations-league</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/kane-and-saka-score-2-each-as-england-crushes-croatia-70-in-nations-league</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka have scored two each as England crushed Croatia 7-0 in UEFA Nations League action.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 2026 16:38:34 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka scored two each as ruthless England crushed Croatia 7-0 away in the Nations League on Saturday. Ballon d’Or contender Kane extended his national record to 89 international goals. Left winger Anthony Gordon set up Jude Bellingham and grabbed one for himself. Substitute Morgan Rogers completed the rout in Rijeka. "It was very impressive, and we created so many chances. In the first 40 minutes we were so fluid right from the start. It just never stopped," England coach Thomas Tuchel said. "We just kept the pace up and played through the gaps. We were very, very clinical." Later in other League A play, World Cup champion Spain hosted Czechia in Oviedo and looked to make it 40 straight games unbeaten. Switzerland faced Slovenia and Scotland went to North Macedonia in League B matches. England cruises Kane put England ahead in the eighth minute, controlling a pass from Bellingham with the outside of his right foot and then curling the ball into the top left corner. Bellingham poked in Gordon's cross midway through the first half. Gordon stooped to head in Jarell Quansah's right-wing cross and Saka side-footed in England's fourth approaching halftime. After the break, Croatia's defense was sliced open again on a quick break and Elliot Anderson curled in a cross from the right and Kane slid in at the back post for a poacher's finish. "We’re at our best when we’re free, when we’re physically just overpowering," Kane said. "They couldn’t live with our pace, our movement, our runs." More bad defending saw Croatia unable to clear the ball and it ended up at the feet of Kane, who gifted Saka his second in the 68th. Rogers controlled Bellingham’s pass with his heel and slotted in from an angle. The result eclipsed England’s previous highest score against Croatia, 5-1 in World Cup qualifying in 2009 at Wembley. Tuchel’s England moved onto six points from three games. Bad start for Bilić It was another tough match for Croatia coach Slaven Bilić following Tuesday's 4-1 loss in Spain. His side has conceded 12 goals in three matches. Luka Modric started the game in Rijeka but the 41-year-old looked frustrated by his team's sloppy performance.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Lamine Yamal Scores Golazo And Spain's Unbeaten Streak Continues]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/spain-star-lamine-yamal-scores-another-early-goal-in-the-nations-league</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/spain-star-lamine-yamal-scores-another-early-goal-in-the-nations-league</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Lamine Yamal has kept up his run of early goals as Spain are now riding a 41-game unbeaten streak.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 2026 16:34:35 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Lamine Yamal kept up his run of early goals in the Nations League when he put Spain ahead with a superb sixth-minute goal against Czechia on Saturday. Spain, winners of this summer's World Cup, have now gone 41 matches without a loss. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente shook his head in admiration and disbelief as Yamal cut inside down the right and unleashed a powerful curling shot with his left foot into the top left corner. Goalkeeper Antonín Kinský could not even get near the ball. This trademark Yamal strike followed the 19-year-old star's second-minute goals against Croatia in a 4-1 win on Tuesday and away to England in a 3-2 victory on Sept. 26. The Ballon d'Or contender has also been in outstanding form for defending La Liga champion Barcelona this season. Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[USA-Mexico Is A Huge Test For New Generation: 'Like A Cup Final']]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usmnt-mexico-world-cup-pochettino-friendly</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usmnt-mexico-world-cup-pochettino-friendly</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The intensity of the USA's game against Mexico figures to be unlike anything any of the newcomers have seen before.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 2026 20:53:15 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[TEMPE, Arizona — For any international soccer squad (or really a team in any sport at all), hitting the road for games in inhospitable environments is a fact of life. Home-field advantage is real. The flip side of that fact is that it also holds true for opponents. Being the away team is almost always harder. It sure has been for the U.S. men’s national team against Mexico, its fiercest rival. While the USA has gotten the better of El Tri more often than not over the last quarter-century — including a 2-0 win that sent the Americans to the quarterfinals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, it still has never won a competitive match south of the border since the neighbors first met in one there almost 80 years ago. Saturday’s exhibition between the U.S. and Mexico just outside of Phoenix is technically a home game for the Stars and Stripes. As a practical matter, it isn’t. The overwhelming majority of the 60,000-plus fans expected at State Farm Stadium in nearby Glendale are sure to be rooting for the visiting team. "It's going to be an adverse crowd, tough conditions to play in," veteran American defender Antonee Robinson said on Thursday. "But that's something we embrace." They should. It’s been almost two years since Mauricio Pochettino’s side last played outside the United States. Because the USA qualified automatically as co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, it didn’t have to earn its way there by collecting points in hostile regional outposts such as Port-of-Spain or San Pedro Sula or Mexico City. That won’t be the case ahead of the 2030 World Cup. Concacaf’s marathon two-year-long qualifying tournament begins late next year. Saturday’s contest will help prepare the U.S. for what’s coming. "It’s a good opportunity for us to live that experience, of course," Pochettino said during his pre-game press conference, adding that if the composition of the crowd resembles the 2025 Gold Cup final that the U.S. narrowly lost to Mexico in front of an ocean of green jerseys in Houston, it will be like starting the game "down 1-nil." "To play in a difficult atmosphere, I think that for sure is going to help for the future." The U.S. kicked off this new World Cup cycle with impressive multi-goal wins over South American foes Peru and Chile. Pochettino started a number of young players against both. The initial feeling was that he’d opt for more experienced lineups for the final two tests of this extended four-match window. But the youngsters did well enough — the Americans got goals from teenagers Mathis Albert and Justin Ellis and two from Julian Hall — to suggest that they won't be at all overawed if they’re called on against Mexico and/or Canada. After facing El Tri, the U.S. will wrap things up in St. Paul, Minnesota, with another rivalry game against their neighbors in the north. "Tomorrow is going to be similar to Peru or Chile," Pochettino said Friday. "We are going to always try to find a good balance, a mix between experienced players and non-experienced players at the international level." Still, the intensity of the game against El Tri figures to be unlike anything any of the newcomers have seen before. "Dislike, hate. I mean, it's a rivalry," said Tyler Adams, who Pochettino announced will inherit the captain’s armband from the now-retired Tim Ream. "Whenever we play Mexico — whether it's a qualifier, a friendly, Gold Cup, Nations League — it's always seen as a must-win game," Robinson said. "It feels like a cup final, and we get a lot of boys who've never experienced that at this level who’ll get to see it for the first time." Given what we’ve seen from the new generation so far, they’ll likley be up for the challenge. "There's a lot of games where we've played and it's been mostly Mexico fans. Some teams could fold under that pressure," Robibnsion continued. "But I think we like the kind of adversity that comes with that. We love when we score and we're getting beers thrown at us and things like that. "It's a great feeling."]]>
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					<![CDATA[End Of An Era? Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Stunning Decision]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/portugal-cristiano-ronaldo-leaves-nations-league-world-cup</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/portugal-cristiano-ronaldo-leaves-nations-league-world-cup</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Ronaldo said that “in time" he would “tell the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons" behind his departure from the team's camp.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:34:30 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Cristiano Ronaldo has walked out of Portugal’s training camp on Wednesday, hours after coach Jorge Jesus said the star forward would not start the game against Denmark in the Nations League on Thursday. Ronaldo said that "in time" he would "tell the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons" behind his departure. "Following the national team coach’s news conference, and after a conversation with the president of the Portuguese football federation, I decided to leave the national team’s training camp," he said on Instagram, adding that he has always "dedicated" himself to the side. Jesus had said in the pre-game news conference he was not planning to start Ronaldo, but dismissed the notion there was a feud between the pair. Jesus said every player knows the coach makes the decisions, and that Ronaldo told him he would abide with whatever choices he makes. The coach added the "rules are the same for everyone" and that Gonçalo Ramos would start up front against Denmark if everything went to plan. "I don’t know what’s going to happen in the game," Jesus said. "If we need him (Ronaldo) to play (at some point), he’ll play. If not, he won’t." Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer in men’s international soccer with 146 goals and pursuing the milestone of 1,000 career goals, didn’t play on Sunday in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway. He has not trained with the rest of the group since, sparking widespread rumors about a possible feud with Jesus. Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Another Test, Another Win: 4 Takeaways From USA's Victory Over Chile]]>
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				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usa-steamrolls-chile-second-post-2026-world-cup-contest-4-takeaways</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usa-steamrolls-chile-second-post-2026-world-cup-contest-4-takeaways</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[World Cup veterans and up-and-coming youngsters combined to lead the USA past Chile in Tuesday's 4-2 win.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 01:27:51 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Three days after trouncing Peru in Florida, the U.S. men’s national team overcame a stiffer test against a stout South American foe. World Cup veterans and up-and-coming youngsters combined to lead the USA past Chile in Tuesday's 4-2 win in St. Louis. Chris Richards nodded home a Sebastian Berhalter corner kick with about 20 minutes to help seal a 4-2 win over Chile in Tuesday’s exhibition match in St. Louis. Earlier, teenage striker Julian Hall scored the equalizer for the USA less than three minutes after La Roja had taken their first lead of the match on a long-range strike from Maximiliano Gutiérrez. Berhalter, who also scored in the 4-1 win over the Peruvians, opened the hosts' account late in the first half after being set up by Sergiño Dest. Mathis Albert added the exclamation point deep into second half stoppage time, becoming the youngest scorer in program history in the process at 17 years, four months and eight-days-old, breaking the record set by Christian Pulisic a decade ago. The Stars and Stripes will face Mexico, their fiercest rival, on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona in the third of four late September/early October "friendly" games before closing this FIFA window against Canada next week. Here are my takeaways: While just about everything that could’ve gone right for the Americans against Peru did, the Chileans were expected to provide significantly more resistance. They did. Though the U.S. dominated most of the first 45 minutes, the visitors had the better of the play both at the end of the first half — netting their tying goal in stoppage time — and early in the second. With an intentionally young and inexperienced roster in this, the first international get-together of the 2030 FIFA World Cup cycle, it would’ve been easy for Mauricio Pochettino’s side to fold. Instead, they pulled level almost immediately; just 2:35 elapsed between Gutiérrez’s screamer and Hall’s response, which was made possible by another inch-perfect service from Gio Reyna. With the momentum back in their favor and 2026 World Cup starters Richards, Tyler Adams, Alex Freeman and Malik Tillman all inserted by Pochettino just after the hour mark, a USA winner felt inevitable. And it was. "You saw the second half, how guys dug. They dug deep," Berhalter said. "To go down a goal against a good team and to get two more is what it's about." The 18-year-old Red Bull New York forward earned the start on the strength of his debut goal last weekend, but he looked very much like a player making his second appearance a the top level early in Tuesday’s contest when he squandered two golden opportunities in the first half. But Hall made no mistake when Reyna picked him out with a curling pass from the left wing, becoming the youngest player in the century-plus-long history of the U.S. program to score in each of his first two caps. "It's been amazing to share the field with some amazing players," Hall told the TNT crew afterward. "They put me in the right spots, and I'm just doing as much as I can to put them away." Pochettino split the first match this month evenly between World Cup starter Matt Freese and Barcelona prospect Diego Kochen. On Tuesday, he gave 45 minutes to both Chris Brady — the No. 3 behind Freese and veteran Matt Turner over the summer — and 25-year-old debutant Brian Schwake. Through two games of the 2030 cycle, the Argentine manager has almost as many backstops (four) as he did during his first almost two years at the U.S. helm (five). Freese figures to get the nod against the Mexicans in what will effectively be an away game at 63-000-seat State Farm Stadium. But Brady played well against Chile, making five saves. Schwake was faultless on Gutiérrez’s blast and Kochen has the highest ceiling of all of them. It will be interesting to see how the competition progresses over the coming week. Albert didn’t start either game but still managed to make a major impact. Does Poch see what the kid can do in Concacaf’s SuperClasico? What about fellow 17-year-old Cavan Sullivan, who came off the bench against Chile? With no senior strikers available this month, will Hall keep his place vs. El Tri, or does 19-year-old Justin Ellis come back into the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss’s 11? Common sense says Pochettino will prioritize experience against Mexico, a team he’s 0-2 against so far at the U.S. helm. But it’s also clear that he believes in the kids, so don’t be surprised if a couple of them get the nod. Said Richards: "It's going be really fun to see these young guys get involved in a real Mexico game." "That's never a friendly, and I think everyone knows that," Berhalter added. "This was a good test, but Mexico's a different deal."]]>
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					<![CDATA[Tim Ream, USA's World Cup Captain, Makes Major Decision About His Career]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/longtime-captain-and-defender-tim-ream-announces-retirement-from-us-mens-national-team</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/longtime-captain-and-defender-tim-ream-announces-retirement-from-us-mens-national-team</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Tim Ream, the longtime captain and defender for the U.S. men’s soccer team, is ending his national team career.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:23:26 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Tim Ream, the longtime captain and defender for the U.S. men's soccer team, is ending his national team career. Ream had previously told head coach Mauricio Pochettino that he would not retire from national team play, but says now that the evolution of the team and the game has changed things. "The kids are getting younger and younger, and I don’t mean my own kids," Ream said Tuesday before the Americans faced Chile in a friendly in his hometown. "It is retirement. We’ve used the word recognition. We weren’t really sure how we wanted to label it, but, yeah, that’s it for me. I’m proud of being a part of something for 16 years, but it is time to step away and stay away from play with the national team." The 38-year-old Ream has 86 caps since making his national team debut on Nov. 17, 2010, in a friendly against South Africa. Only DaMarcus Beasley has more caps than Ream’s 60 after turning 30 years old. Ream has worn the captain’s armband for 26 matches, including four at the World Cup earlier this year. "It’s an honor, there’s not really any other way to put it," Ream said. "The biggest thing that I wanted to do as I started to get the captain’s armband more and more is, ’How can I help these guys become the next captain? How can I help this group continue to develop and be more special than they are." Ream says the future for the U.S. team is looking bright with a group of young talent, including 17-year-old Cavan Sullivan, that reminds him of when the current core of Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams and Weston McKinnie was emerging. "The thing that stands out to me with them is the same thing that stood out when the Westons, the Tylers, the Gios, these guys stepped in to the national team," Ream said. "They have a ridiculous amount of confidence, and it’s refreshing. It borderlines being cocky, but I think you have to have that little bit of swagger. You have to have that that belief in yourself. They’re still learning." Ream said he will continue to play for MLS’ Charlotte FC and has not made a decision on his club future.]]>
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					<![CDATA[World Cup Winner Spain Has Now Gone 40 Matches Without A Loss]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/spain-lamine-yamal-nations-league-world-cup</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/spain-lamine-yamal-nations-league-world-cup</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Lamine Yamal led World Cup winner Spain on Tuesday as it defeated Croatia in the Nations League to add to its record unbeaten streak in its homecoming game.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 29 Sep 2026 20:44:06 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[Lamine Yamal led World Cup winner Spain on Tuesday as it defeated Croatia in the Nations League to add to its record unbeaten streak in its homecoming game. Yamal scored twice and set up another goal as Spain beat Croatia 4-1 at home to reach 40 matches unbeaten. It was Spain's first home game since it won its second world title in July. Before the match, captain Rodri lifted the World Cup trophy in front of a raucous home crowd at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville. Spain got past Croatia in its second game since beating Argentina in the World Cup final, with Yamal scoring two minutes into the match and again in the 63rd. Marc Pubill also scored, finding the net in the 31st for his first goal with Spain, two minutes after Dion Drena Beljo had equalized for the visitors, also with his first international goal. Substitute Nico Williams sealed the Spain victory in the 89th. Yamal gave the assist for Pubill's goal. He has scored 11 goals in his last eight matches for country and club Barcelona. "He is a very generous footballer who puts all that talent at the service of the team,' Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said. 'We are fortunate to have him with us. He is someone who is truly loved within the squad. We are very happy with him." La Roja had extended its unbeaten streak to 39 games by rallying to a 3-2 win over England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. Spain has lost only one of its last 16 Nations League group matches, winning seven straight. "We know Spain are the best. There is no debate about that,' Croatia coach Slaven Bilic said. 'We knew that before kickoff. They have been the best side for several years. Against England, we did not see them play quite like this, but tonight there was simply too much space." Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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					<![CDATA[Timeline: How Man City's Financial Case Went From Leaked Emails To Verdict]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/timeline-of-the-premier-league-vs-manchester-city</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/timeline-of-the-premier-league-vs-manchester-city</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The verdict has been delivered in the seismic case between the Premier League and Manchester City.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:42:52 -0400</pubDate>
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				    <![CDATA[The verdict has been delivered in the seismic case between the Premier League and Manchester City. City was found guilty of nearly all of the 115 financial charges laid by the Premier League, the competition said Tuesday in an explosive statement. City faces a severe punishment, potentially even expulsion from the world's most popular league, but has vowed to appeal. Here is a timeline of events in one of the biggest scandals in English soccer history: 2018 November — German outlet Der Spiegel publishes internal emails from City which it claimed detailed schemes by the club to allegedly cover up true sources of income in a bid to comply with financial fair play regulations. The information published by Der Spiegel was unearthed by the "Football Leaks" website, whose founder is Rui Pinto — a Portuguese computer hacker. City did not dispute the authenticity of any emails but said it would not be providing comment on "out-of-context materials purportedly hacked or stolen from City Football Group and Manchester City personnel and associated people." City said it is an "organized and clear" attempt to damage its reputation. UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, starts to conduct a review of the case, which also sparks a Premier League investigation. 2019 March 7 — As Der Spiegel continues to publish internal City documents from "Football Leaks," UEFA opens a formal investigation into whether the club violated financial rules. City says it welcomes the opening of the investigation, adding it is "an opportunity to bring to an end the speculation resulting from the illegal hacking and out-of-context publication of City emails." May 14 — City says the club has provided "comprehensive proof" that it did not break financial regulations and that the accusations are "entirely false." It came as reports say City has not been cooperating with investigators and is facing a one-season ban from the Champions League for violating financial monitoring rules. 2020 Feb. 14 — City is banned from the Champions League for two seasons by UEFA for "serious breaches" of spending rules and failing to cooperate with investigators. City also is fined 30 million euros (then $33 million). City says UEFA’s investigation was "flawed" and announces plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. July 13 — City successfully overturns its ban from the Champions League after CAS upholds the club’s appeal, saying some UEFA allegations were not proven and others were "time-barred." CAS imposes a 10 million euro ($11.3 million) fine on City for failing to cooperate with independent investigators. 2023 Feb. 6 — City is referred to an independent commission by the Premier League, which alleges more than 100 breaches of financial rules by the club. City is accused of providing misleading information about its finances from 2009-18 and a subsequent failure to co-operate with the league’s investigation. City says it is "surprised" by the allegations and claims there is a "comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" to counter the allegations. May 24 — City wins the Premier League for a fifth time in six seasons and manager Pep Guardiola says he wants the financial charges to be dealt with "as soon as possible." Sept. 11 — Rui Pinto is given a suspended prison sentence of four years after being convicted by a Lisbon court of nine crimes: five counts of unauthorized entry into computer systems, three counts of intercepting correspondence for accessing emails, and one count of attempted extortion. During his trial, Pinto admitted to being behind the information published on the website that was set up in 2015 but argued he is a whistleblower, not a criminal. 2024 Sept. 16 — An independent commission, comprising three judges, begins the hearing into the Premier League charges against City at a secret location in London. Dec. 6 — The hearing ends after 12 weeks, with no announcement over the expected date for the verdict. 2026 Sept. 25 — The Athletic reports that City has been found guilty of all but one of the charges laid by the Premier League. Sept. 29 — The Premier League releases the verdict of the independent commission, confirming City is guilty of "all charges related to the serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period and the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the league’s investigation." The league says the commission found that City "clearly intended to circumvent" the financial rules with what it described as "sham" contracts whose purpose were "found to have been to artificially inflate the club’s revenues, and reduce its costs, by more than £900 million." City says it is innocent and will be "relentless" as the club pursues avenues to appeal. Reporting by The Associated Press.]]>
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