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Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

The Club World Cup is controversial. Could Philadelphia's games make it a success?

Sports / Soccer /

PHILADELPHIA — You’ve heard plenty by now about the fact that Philadelphia will host the men’s World Cup next summer, bringing the world’s most famous sporting event here for the first time.

You also might have heard that this summer, the city will host part of the Club World Cup: eight games in 18 days at Lincoln Financial Field, from ...Read more

Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS

All eyes on Messi, Inter Miami as they face Al Ahly in Club World Cup opener Saturday

Sports / Soccer /

MIAMI — The first hint that Inter Miami’s Club World Cup opening match Saturday is much bigger than a typical MLS game was the crowd of international media that showed up at the team’s training site Friday morning.

Club co-owner David Beckham was also there, another telltale sign that the game against Egyptian power Al Ahly at Hard Rock ...Read more

Nick Wagner/The Seattle Times/TNS

Sounders earned spot in Club World Cup. How will they perform against world's elites?

Sports / Soccer /

RENTON, Wash. — Plenty of tension is swirling around the debut of the FIFA men’s Club World Cup this weekend.

Obed Vargas and his Sounders teammates have tried to not let it tarnish this moment. The teenaged midfielder still feels the same excitement from last December when he watched the tournament’s draft from his phone in his bedroom, ...Read more

Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images North America/TNS

Kevin Baxter: Why? Why not. The Club World Cup is more than a trial run for FIFA's marquee event.

Sports / Soccer /

LOS ANGELES — The biggest question surrounding the expanded FIFA Club World Cup is why?

Why do we need this tournament? Why is FIFA adding to an international schedule that was already dangerously overcrowded? And why are they doing it less than a year before the 2026 World Cup?

That last question — why now? — is probably the easiest to ...Read more

Daniel Duarte/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Scouting Club World Cup opponents of Inter Miami, Messi: Al Ahly, Porto, Palmeiras

Sports / Soccer /

MIAMI — The casual sports fan may assume that Lionel Messi and his high-profile Inter Miami teammates are locks to advance from a Club World Cup group that includes Al Ahly of Egypt, Porto of Portugal and Palmeiras of Brazil.

But soccer fans who follow the international game are fully aware that although Messi’s No. 10 pink shirt is the ...Read more

Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times/TNS

Reign's Jordyn Huitema details harrowing home invasion experience: 'Just survive'

Sports / Soccer /

SEATTLE — Quick, clear thinking helped Seattle Reign FC forward Jordyn Huitema get to safety during a May home invasion. She said she hid and listened behind a locked door as multiple men ransacked the bedroom she’d exited seconds earlier.

“Just survive,” Huitema said when asked what was going through her mind. “I just hope that they ...Read more

Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Chicago Stars players started trivia nights for fun. The result was a stronger team bond.

Sports / Soccer /

CHICAGO — The NWSL season is long, with games starting in March and rolling through November. The Chicago Stars have found a fun way to release the pressures of the year — and bond.

The soccer players meet up weekly to try their hand at Waddayaknow Trivia, a free event started in 2008 at multiple bars in Illinois to keep family and friends ...Read more

Countdown to 2026 World Cup has begun, and pressure is on US team to improve

Sports / Soccer /

MIAMI — Soccer is making big headlines in the United States this week with the kickoff of the Club World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday and celebrations in 11 cities across the country on Wednesday commemorating one year to go to the 2026 World Cup.

All 16 World Cup host cities (11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada...Read more

Alex Gallardo/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Amid protests, questions loom about how active ICE will be at Club World Cup games

Sports / Soccer /

LOS ANGELES — The Department of Homeland Security said border patrol agents will provide security for Saturday's FIFA Club World Cup opener between Inter Miami and Egyptian club Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

"Let the games begin," U.S. Customs and Border Protection wrote in a social media post Tuesday. "The first FIFA ...Read more

David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Public transit was 'an essential part' of Philly's winning World Cup bid. Will it be there for next year's games?

Sports / Soccer /

NEW YORK — Meg Kane, the host city executive of Philadelphia’s World Cup organizing committee, joined her counterparts from the other 10 U.S. host cities on Monday for a media event about the tournament’s logistics.

It was the kind of stuff that isn’t always entertaining, but is certainly always important, especially when it comes to ...Read more

Carl Juste/Miami Herald/TNS

Club World Cup kicks off Saturday. Here are teams that have arrived, roster updates.

Sports / Soccer /

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — High above downtown Coral Gables, on the sixth floor of an office building, is the nerve center for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, which kicks off Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium with Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami against Egyptian power Al Ahly.

It is there that hundreds of FIFA executives and staff members are working ...Read more

Megan Briggs/Getty Images North America/TNS

Why the CONCACAF Gold Cup carries significance for 2026 World Cup hosts

Sports / Soccer /

LOS ANGELES — When the CONCACAF Gold Cup was launched, it was intended to be the confederation's version of UEFA's European Championships or CONMEBOL's Copa América.

And for more than a generation it sufficed.

But as Mexico and the U.S. got better, playing group-play matches against the likes of Saint Kitts and Nevis or Martinique every ...Read more

Nick Wagner/The Seattle Times/TNS

MLS players 'deeply disappointed' with league's Club World Cup proposal

Sports / Soccer /

SEATTLE — The MLS Players Association received a formal proposal from the league late Friday regarding how FIFA men’s Club World Cup money would be divided, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.

The league didn’t deviate from the collective-bargaining agreement to factor the split for the tournament’s participation ...Read more

Nick Wagner/The Seattle Times/TNS

Matt Calkins: Should MLS resolve Sounders' Club World Cup payout protest?

Sports / Soccer /

SEATTLE — The players signed an agreement. Sticklers could stop the argument right there.

They could say that the footballers should have been smarter about capping their earnings at $1 million per tournament, and instead opted for a 50/50 split. They could say the union should have been better visionaries in anticipating what might come.

...Read more

Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images North America/TNS

USMNT shows much improvement, but Jack McGlynn's goal isn't enough in 2-1 loss to Turkey

Sports / Soccer /

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — A U.S. men’s soccer team full of young prospects from unheralded teams looked across rain-soaked Rentschler Field at a Turkey squad with stars from Real Madrid, Juventus, Benfica and more.

And for the most part, the Americans gave as good as they got.

The final score was a 2-1 loss, and it was deserved for the ...Read more

Nick Wagner/The Seattle Times/TNS

Sounders owner angrily addresses team after Sunday's protest over Club World Cup payout

Sports / Soccer /

RENTON, Wash. — After Sunday’s protest regarding how FIFA men’s Club World Cup money will be disbursed, Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer “upbraided the team in a profanity-laced postgame address,” according to reporting by online publication Sounder at Heart.

But, in terms of the issues, the MLS Players Association said there is...Read more

Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Paul Sullivan: Did the Fire just call dibs on The 78? Or are the White Sox's ballpark dreams still alive?

Sports / Soccer /

CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox were trailing the Detroit Tigers by eight runs Monday in their 13-1 loss at Rate Field when a young couple made their way to the top of the upper deck down the left-field line.

The upper deck was closed to fans for security reasons, as it often has been during low-attended weekday games this year. The Sox allow...Read more

Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS

Michelle Kaufman: Messi looks happy again with Club World Cup, new Inter Miami contract on horizon

Sports / Soccer /

MIAMI — Lionel Messi arrived in Buenos Aires early Monday morning wearing a giant smile, a comfy-looking Adidas sweatshirt (of course!) and carrying a fashionable black satchel.

He posted a photo of his happy self in front of Argentina’s national team headquarters, letting his 505 million Instagram followers know that things are good again ...Read more

Sounders protest Club World Cup payout with 'Ca$h Grab' T-shirts

Sports / Soccer /

SEATTLE — Sounders players wore white T-shirts during pregame warm-ups and player walkouts Sunday with the phrase “Club World Ca$h Grab” emblazoned on the front with Mr. Monopoly centered, wearing a hat with “MLS” on it and “FIFA $” on the money pouch. The back read “Fair Share Now.”

Once fans caught on, they chanted “Fair ...Read more

Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

United States women's soccer impresses in return to Allianz Field with 3-0 shutout vs. China

Sports / Soccer /

ST. PAUL, Minn. — What a year it’s been for the United States women’s national soccer team since the last time it played in St. Paul.

When the Americans beat South Korea at Allianz Field last June, it was only coach Emma Hayes’ second game in charge of the squad. The clock was quickly ticking toward the Paris Olympics in August, where ...Read more