WASHINGTON — Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Development, said that expanding the World Cup tournament field from 32 to 48 teams was the right decision and that it won’t dilute the quality of the group-stage matches. It is the first expansion since 1998.

Wenger pointed out that 48 is still fewer than 25% of ...Read more

MIAMI — Of the many scintillating storylines surrounding the MLS Cup Final between Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, the one getting most global attention is the matchup between Argentine icon Lionel Messi and German legend Thomas Muller.

They have faced each other 10 times representing club and country and Muller’s team ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — For organizers of the 2026 World Cup, Friday's tournament draw is a like the bell lap of a long-distance race, the moment when the slow slog turns into a sprint.

"This is going to be huge," said Kathryn Schloessman, president and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission. "This is going to be...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi and his high-profile Inter Miami team is finally living up to the hype and meeting expectations, heading to its first MLS Cup Final in club history after an emphatic 5-1 win over NYCFC in the Eastern Conference final on Saturday night at Chase Stadium.

A year after a disappointing first-round playoff exit,...Read more

MIAMI — Lionel Messi is on fire with six goals and six assists through four playoff games heading into the Eastern Conference final between Inter Miami and New York City FC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.

With the astonishingly youthful 38-year-old Argentine leading the way, Miami has reached peak form the past two weeks, ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Steve Cherundolo’s first season at LAFC ended in a penalty-kick shootout that decided one of the most compelling playoff games in MLS history. His final season ended in the same way last Saturday.

Cherundolo and LAFC won that first classic match, beating the Philadelphia Union in the 2022 MLS Cup final. They lost the second ...Read more

MIAMI — The highly anticipated World Cup draw is coming up on Dec. 5, and soccer fans the world over will tune in as the 48 qualified teams will be allocated into groups for the 2026 tournament, which is being held in the United States, Mexico and Canada next summer.

The draw ceremony will be at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. ...Read more

CINCINNATI — Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates arrived at TQL Stadium on a crisp sunny Sunday afternoon, determined to avenge an embarrassing summer loss there and extend their post-season by beating FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference Semifinal.

Led by a master class performance from the Argentine icon, they did that, and then ...Read more

MIAMI — Inter Miami will open the 2026 MLS season with five consecutive road games and then play its first league home game April 4 against Austin FC at Miami Freedom Park, the new 25,000-seat stadium under construction just east of Miami International Airport.

Captain Lionel Messi and his teammates will finally have a permanent home after ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The women's national soccer team will return to Carson in 2026 for the first time in nearly two years for its annual January training camp, U.S. Soccer will announce Thursday.

The 10-day camp will run from Jan. 17-27 and will conclude with two international matches. The first, on Jan. 24 against Paraguay, will be played at ...Read more

MIAMI — Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba probably never imagined, when they were linking up passes with Lionel Messi at FC Barcelona, dazzling fans at Camp Nou, that the final game of their careers could be at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati.

But that is where they and their Inter Miami teammates will be for the MLS Eastern Conference semifinal game ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — The U.S. men’s soccer team closed its year with one of its toughest tests under Mauricio Pochettino, against star-studded Uruguay on Tuesday. And if the opponent’s quality wasn’t enough, Pochettino upped the ante by starting many of his backups to test them.

What resulted was one of the most surprising games not just of ...Read more

FIFA and the White House announced on Monday a new expedited visa system for ticketholders who hope to attend 2026 World Cup matches in the U.S.

FIFA’s Priority Appointment Scheduling System — or “FIFA PASS” — will help those with World Cup tickets get a prioritized visa interview.

“America welcomes the World,” FIFA president ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — As the final whistle pierced the dusk Sunday and Gotham FC sprinted across the pitch in celebration, a heavy silence descended on Inter&Co Stadium. The Orlando Pride players collapsed — exhausted, gutted, emptied. And Orlando’s dream of back-to-back NWSL championships evaporated into the November sky.

Yes, this ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — After waiting six years to see the U.S. men’s soccer team in town again, Philadelphia soccer fans got their money’s worth on Saturday.

Gio Reyna scored in the fourth minute and assisted Folarin Balogun’s winner in the 71st to give the Americans a 2-1 win over Paraguay, extending their unbeaten run this fall to four games....Read more

MIAMI — With just a few weeks to go before he’s out of office, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has a big ask of his colleagues on the City Commission: approve up to $7.5 million in city services to support FIFA-sanctioned events when the World Cup games come to town next year.

That’s in addition to a $5 million cash contribution that the city ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Major League Soccer’s board of governors voted Thursday to move the start of the league’s nine-month season from February to July beginning in 2027.

“The calendar shift is one of the most important decisions in our history,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “Aligning our schedule with the world’s top ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Major League Soccer’s board of governors voted Thursday to move the start of the league’s nine-month season from February to July beginning in 2027.

“The calendar shift is one of the most important decisions in our history,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “Aligning our schedule with the world’s top ...Read more