Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Time is running out for Mauricio Pochettino to get the U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with plenty to improve upon following their disastrous performances at the CONCACAF Nations League. With an eye on improving the USMNT's roster, many MLS fans have been calling on Pochettino to give Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, the son of the Argentine's predecessor Gregg, a shot. One such fan hoping the former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea head coach gives Berhalter a chance to earn his first international appearance is former USMNT defender and current Fox Sports analyst, Alexi Lalas. In a recent tweet, the longtime MLS star suggested Berhalter deserved to be called up for this summer's Gold Cup, scheduled to be hosted across the U.S. from June 14 to July 6. “You give him a look at the Gold Cup. And there is precedent of #USMNT coach coaching his predecessor's son.” Is he even a game changer when it comes to potentially here with the National Team? “But I think he's worth a flyer on for Mauricio Pochettino coming into this summer for a Gold Cup with the understanding that ultimately you're going to be judged next summer in the actual World Cup. “But there is a question as to, do you have the right collection of players? “And I think that from a Pochettino perspective, if there is to be success next summer, it's not going to be in a romantic version, it's not going to be sexy.” Berhalter's next chance to break into the USMNT roster will be in early June, with Pochettino's side set to take on Turkey and Switzerland ahead of the Gold Cup. This tournament will not only be an invaluable opportunity to test his players, but it will also be their final competitive set of games before the world's best teams descend on the U.S., Mexico, and Canada for the 2026 World Cup.

Since arriving in Italy for just over $24 million, Pulisic has proved a revelation, returning to the heights expected during his early days at Borussia Dortmund, before a mixed spell with Premier League side Chelsea. Now with just two years remaining on his existing contract, Milan are closing in on a new deal with Captain America, which would see him stay at the San Siro through at least the summer of 2029. While the specifics of Pulisic's proposed new deal have yet to become clear, he is expected to have earned a raise on his current $4.6 million annual salary, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport. This news comes a matter of days after he became the only Rossoneri star to have scored at least 15 goals in both of their first two seasons at the San Siro since the legendary Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as per CBS Sports. One player whose future appears up in the air is defender Theo Hernandez, with La Gazzetta dello Sport claiming that the French international, who will be a free agent in the summer of 2026, has been offered an extension, although at a lower salary. This roster reconstruction comes with Milan currently languishing in ninth in Serie A, and their hopes of European soccer next season resting almost entirely on their upcoming Coppa Italia final against high-flying Bologna. A win would secure Milan not only their second piece of silverware of the season, following January's Supercoppa Italiana win, but also a UEFA Europa League spot next year. That being said, with four league games still to go, there is still a chance Milan could secure European qualification the old-fashioned way, as they sit just six points behind sixth-placed Roma, in what is the final Europa League qualifier spot. Just two points ahead of Claudio Ranieri's side sits Juventus in the fourth and final Champions League spot. Next up for Sergio Conceicao's side, in what could be his first and final season in charge of Milan, is a trip to 13th-placed Genoa. A home game against Bologna follows, before Pulisic and Co. travel to Roma where they'll face the fifth-placed side once more in the Coppa Italia final.

A pro with a famous Dutch club and the subject of a tug-of-war for her international services, Lily Yohannes is the youngest and most unconventional prospect on the top-ranked U.S. women's national team. This spring, 17-year-old Lily Yohannes and her father, Daniel, were at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport when they heard the call to board their flight to the United States. Lily had grown accustomed to these transatlantic trips: Since her family left Northern Virginia in 2017 to live in the Netherlands, she had flown often with her parents and two older brothers to visit relatives in the D.C. area and Dallas. A pro with a famous Dutch club since she was 15 and the subject of a tug-of-war for her international services, Yohannes is the youngest and most unconventional prospect on the top-ranked U.S. women's national team. As they stepped onto that flight to San Francisco in late March, Yohannes turned one way to find her business-class seat, paid for by the U.S. Soccer Federation. Traveling on his own dime, her father headed back to coach. Don't forget about me,” Daniel, laughing, recalled telling his daughter. Yohannes has, indeed, worked her way into elite status. Early this year, she made her first start for Coach Emma Hayes, who has begun integrating young players into the talent pool as part of the buildup to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Hayes cautions that Yohannes is “17 years of age, and we have to proceed with an appreciation that she hasn't fully matured yet.” Nonetheless, Yohannes is on the right track. She starts in central midfield for Ajax, the Amsterdam club renowned for its men's program and a relative newcomer to the women's game. Big clubs in Europe have kept a close eye on Yohannes's progress and, with her Ajax contract expiring after the 2025-26 season, she has become a prized transfer target. Yohannes has taken a twisting road from her DMV roots. Several dozen relatives on her father's side live in the D.C. area. For close to eight years, though, the Yohanneses have lived in the Dutch village of Muiderberg, 14 miles southeast of Amsterdam. “It was cool,” she said with a shrug. Daniel Yohannes's work in IT risk management provided flexibility. “We are of a diverse background,” he said, referencing their Eritrean ancestry. He added: “You get the culture side, the football side — let's give it a try for a couple years. Lily's maternal grandfather, Bokretsion Gebrehiwot, played for the Ethiopian national team and scored a famous goal against Ivory Coast at the 1968 Africa Cup of Nations. Gebrehiwot immigrated to the United States and helped launch the Eritrean Sports Festival, a celebration that rotates among North American cities annually. At the 2000 event in Houston, Daniel and Semhar met. “I just thought that was super cool, always playing and having fun with it.” At 10, Lily began her Dutch soccer immersion playing on an under-14 team. Lily thrived at a local youth club before joining Ajax's academy, which, for more than a century, has developed hundreds of world-class men's players. It was also building up its women's program. Though far from home, she had not gone undetected by the U.S. staff, which invited her to youth camps in 2021 and 2022. In April 2023, two months shy of her 16th birthday, she signed a pro contract with Ajax. Though she is younger than her brothers, Lily was first to sign. Aethan, 21, enrolled in D.C. United's academy, played two seasons at Wake Forest University, represented U.S. youth national teams and is now with the under-21 squad at Den Bosch, a Dutch second-division club. Jayden, 19, is also with a second-tier Dutch side, playing for Telstar's U-21s. Lily's first pro season featured 32 appearances across all competitions, including 28 starts and five goals. Six months later, though, she accepted an invitation to Hayes's first camp in charge of the U.S. squad. Twelve minutes into her debut, she scored against South Korea. Because it was a friendly, she remained eligible for the Dutch team. Dutch citizenship was on the horizon, but her roots were American. She and her parents spoke often with both federations. “This is a lifetime decision,” Daniel Yohannes said. It took her a while to make that call.” That call came in November, less than a month before the U.S. was scheduled to play a friendly in the Netherlands. “When you have a big decision to make, it's always thinking about the pros and cons,” she said, “and about what really speaks to your heart.” Dutch Coach Andries Jonker did not take it well. “I read that she dreams of playing in an American shirt her whole life,” he said at a news conference before that international window. It would have saved [the Dutch federation] a lot of work. … I don't want a player who would rather play in another shirt.” Daniel Yohannes said Jonker's comments were “a bit disappointing.” He said others at the Dutch federation were “super professional, genuinely wonderful people.” When the teams met in Amsterdam, Yohannes entered in the 66th minute. Since then, she has started two SheBelieves Cup matches and appeared as a sub and a starter in friendlies against Brazil in early April. Hayes has tasked the roster's veteran core with mentoring prospects, such as Yohannes and 19-year-old midfielder Claire Hutton. “Sometimes we get so overexcited about the less experienced players, but the more experienced ones that do it again and again and again and again are going to be the key factor in ensuring … players like Lily or Claire feel they can be supported in the right way, so the expectation isn't too ridiculous,” Hayes said. “Looking up to the [U.S.] teams since I was a little kid and now being here with Emma and my teammates, it's just been great,” she said.

Question marks surround Antonio Rüdiger's place at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after the Real Madrid defender underwent a serious knee surgery that ended his season. Just a few minutes later, the center back received a red card for throwing ice at referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea and had to be held back from confronting the official. Rüdiger faces a lengthy suspension for the incident that would have likely ruled him out for the rest of Real Madrid's season, but now, he will certainly not only miss Los Blancos' upcoming matches, including El Clásico, but he also is a doubt for this summer's FIFA Club World Cup. Barring any setbacks, Rüdiger is expected to be available for Real Madrid in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The Germany international is looking at a two-month recovery from his knee injury, per ESPN, and could return to the pitch before this summer's tournament concludes on July 13. Of course, there is always the possibility that Real Madrid will not want to risk Rüdiger and therefore would keep the 32-year-old sidelined for the entire summer, even if he is technically fit to play. After I have played more than seven month with severe pain, it was unfortunately unavoidable that I had to undergo a meniscus surgery. Now I'm finally pain-free again, and the surgery was a success. "After I have played more than seven month with severe pain, it was unfortunately unavoidable that I had to undergo a meniscus surgery. Now I'm finally pain-free again, and the surgery was a success. Thanks to the medical team," Rüdiger shared on X. "I want to be able to play again as soon as possible as two big tournaments with the Nations League and the Club World Cup are in front of me, but I have to look from week to week now and we will see. See you soon and take care of yourselves." It will be a close race for Rüdiger to be back in time to represent his country this summer, but his participation in the competition, as well as the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, will remain uncertain until he gets further into his recovery. Amanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer covering the European game and international competitions. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — After Thursday's stunning loss to Panama, the U.S. men's national team promised a response. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino assured fuming fans that a sleepy CONCACAF Nations League semifinal “didn't describe, or doesn't describe, how we are.” Players said they'd “look in the mirror” and “raise the bar.” And yet, in Sunday's third-place match against Canada, they did none of that. They lost 2-1 to their northern neighbors, and deserved every last ounce of the defeat. They managed one solitary shot on goal over the game's first 84 minutes. In the face of criticism and doubts, they talked about how, “if we want to be praised, we have to give people something to praise us about,” as midfielder Tyler Adams said Saturday. Instead, they regressed, and further disillusioned their supporters, and inflamed doubts about their readiness for a World Cup on home soil next summer. All involved promised that, after the 1-0 loss to Panama, Sunday's performance would be better. This Nations League consolation match would “be an important game to see how we react,” Pochettino said Saturday. “Mentality obviously needs to change,” Adams said hours later. “We're gonna come out with that fighting spirit,” Tim Weah added. In the interim, they had one-on-one talks and a “beautiful meeting,” Weah said, in which Pochettino pleaded for “killer mentality” and more. The message, Weah said: “We have to want it. In a stadium that was once again nine-tenths empty at kickoff, they played dull soccer, and conceded a 27th-minute goal before they'd even taken a shot of their own. Playing in his first competitive match for the national team, he started an attacking move from the right side of midfield, and, with a driving off-ball run, propelled it into the penalty box. It was the exact type of initiative that the U.S. lacked Thursday — and has often lacked under multiple managers. At the end of his run, Luna received a pass in stride. Neither, though, could erase the mediocrity around them. Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, the team's two Italy-based stars, were quiet. Adams and Weah looked nothing like their typically active selves. "It's just the little things ... duels, tackles, leaving your mark on the field, not being naive in certain moments, being a little bit more clever — all the details of the game that, I feel like, when I watch people play with their clubs, we do. And then when we come here, sometimes I think we forget a little bit what the games are gonna give us." (Canada head coach Jesse Marsch was red carded for protesting one of the no-calls.) And that's how it ended, just as a friendly between these two teams ended in September, with the U.S. beaten — and with all sorts of questions swirling about the talent, passion, ceiling and capabilities of these U.S. players. It ended with Pochettino "disappointed," again, and reaching for reasons that the medium-term future, in 2026, could still be bright. But he couldn't offer clear rationale for why they shouldn't be, other than: "In football, anything can happen." And as he rose to depart his postgame press conference, he apologized to everyone present, saying that he felt "shame" after the two losses, and promising, again, that "next time" would be different. Later, as Pochettino slumped in his shotgun seat on the team bus, Adams was asked whether he, like fans, is concerned one year out from the World Cup. We didn't show up in this window here.

The Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami — and possibly LAFC, if FIFA opts for a play-in game between the 2022 MLS Cup champs and Club America — will get a windfall this summer when the MLS teams compete in FIFA's expanded Club World Cup. FIFA announced that each participating Concacaf team will receive $9.55 million for taking part in the tournament. Should an MLS team advance out of the group stage — far from a guarantee, but a possibility nonetheless — that club would be due another payment of $7.5 million. For MLS teams that still struggle to break even, and with many of them losing money, that sort of payout is a massive boost. For the players on those teams, however, there will be significantly fewer riches to be gained by participating in the tournament. What it didn't account for at the time was a new FIFA-run tournament with unprecedented prize pools. Thus, players are limited by a carve out for compulsory and non-compulsory tournaments. If an MLS Team or MLS receives prize money by virtue of the Team's performance and/or participation in a Compulsory Tournament or Non-Compulsory Tournament (other than the tournaments set forth above i.e., USOC, Canadian Championship, CCL, Campeones Cup, Leagues Cup), Players competing in that tournament will receive the following: (a) If the Team or MLS receives prize money, fifty percent (50%) of such prize money up to a maximum payment to the Players (collectively) of $1,000,000 per tournament. The MLS Players Association recently reached out to MLS to engage in discussions about the bonuses, per a league source, however no formal discussions have yet taken place and no movement has occurred beyond what is spelled out in the CBA. If each team maxed out its roster at the MLS limit of 30 players, that would amount to $33,333 per player. That bonus would not be reflected in a player's salary budget charge. It is an unfortunate set of circumstances for the players, as this level of prize money is unprecedented in club soccer, especially for an MLS side. It simply wasn't something that could have been anticipated. Interestingly, this comes at a time when the league is weighing flipping the calendar to a fall-spring format, something that would require MLSPA approval. A calendar change would mostly suit players, especially if it's paired with roster rule and spending changes, but will also come with hardships related especially to training in colder weather. Paul Tenorio is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers soccer.

Live Fantasy Analysis of the 2025 NFL Draft On the men's side, Major League Soccer (MLS) had only recently stabilized and begun its growth, with fewer than 20 active clubs until 2015. The four leagues had a combined 44 teams, only six of which were women's clubs. In 2025, there are 119 professional clubs, with 22 women's teams between the two Division I leagues, NWSL and the USL Super League. More are expected to join next year, including the dawn of professional lower-league women's soccer, which has been lacking due in large part to historical underfunding. On Friday, CBS Sports reported that the NWSL sent an application to U.S. Soccer to launch a second-division league. In its petition to the federation, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said launching this league would be “essential for (its) development and sustainability,” citing player and staff development. Affiliates are common in sports as a way of developing players and providing another path to pros for those not quite ready for primetime. It's also an avenue for markets that wouldn't be considered for the top division to get in on the fun, all while helping players and staff bolster their resumes for upward mobility. What the NWSL has proposed is a minor league, but there's room for argument that the space needs a proper lower division. However, wanting to launch lower-division soccer leagues is one thing; curating them to endure with genuine stability is a far more difficult venture. When the USL announced its intention to launch a professional women's league after previously launching the amateur W-League, it seemed like a clear solution to launching lower-division women's soccer. It also complicated how to contextualize its launch: was this a rival league for the NWSL or a developmental platform independent from it? Scouring the USL's publicly available Franchise Disclosure Documents, Colton Coreschi reported on the Super League clubs' first-year financial expenditure for Backheeled. Player expenses (including salaries, insurance and housing) range from $732,000 to $1.8 million annually per club. Tack on travel and off-field costs like front-office staff, broadcasts, supplies and annual dues, and the range of estimated operational expenses per year goes from $3.4 million to $7.7 million on top of the one-time $10 million expansion fee. It's an expensive pursuit to execute well, and one that isn't for the faint of heart. That league never really gained a foothold with frequent backroom reorganization, its stable of clubs varying greatly each season and the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, its launch sent a message: U.S. Soccer would grant (non-provisional) sanctioning within the same tier of its pyramid to multiple leagues, so long as their proposal was sound. MLS soon followed, launching Next Pro as a Division III league to house its affiliate (not reserve, per league guidance) clubs in 2022. The disjointed competition has left a myriad of Division III men's leagues looking for meaning. While USL League One is in its seventh season and expanding, NISA is on a partial hiatus and Next Pro is largely an MLS developmental league with only a small portion of its clubs being independent. Some MLS teams still send their top prospects who need more training on loans to USL clubs in the Championship and League One. Still, there's a promise of future payoff, especially in women's soccer. But dedicated support from fans requires more than proximity and abundance. It requires operational stability at the club and league levels: enough time for memories, often emotional, to occur. There has yet to be an investment or strategy in the lower-division landscape to produce despite recent efforts. NWSL's Division II proposal is up against WPSL Pro, another league that announced its intentions to apply for Division II status last week. (As a related aside: if the NCAA extends the college soccer season, it could leave well over a hundred amateur soccer clubs that play in the summer, in leagues like the USL W-League and modern WPSL, needing to decide if they can scale up and go professional or if they'll struggle to contend.) It's a conundrum of U.S. Soccer's own creation by opening the landscape like a marketplace instead of working to ensure a coherent structure — a far more Darwinistic method of curation than the launches of MLS and the NWSL. If a player or coach happens to benefit from the league and go on to do great things, it's a bonus rather than proof of concept. The first league that can coherently prove that being a second-division market should be a badge of honor with grassroots appeal and not a consolation prize for missing out on the NWSL will be the real breakthrough in the women's landscape. Maybe the WPSL is best positioned to fill that void with its own independent circuit, and can form a critical mass of sports-mad cities like Cleveland that'll create unique and intimate atmospheres that make them a draw to fans and neutrals alike. But even within the leagues that are trying to fill the void now, not every team is built to last. Over the last eight seasons, 26 independent lower-division men's clubs in the prominent leagues have folded or relocated, leaving their local fans with a void. Even in this golden age of American soccer, where interest has never been higher, at least three lower-league markets — in locals as notable as Saint Louis and San Francisco, and even those storied New York Cosmos — lose their hometown team each winter. Forming lower-league structures in both the women's and men's landscape is worth fighting for with three undeniable drivers: player development, staff development and giving a greater number of communities a team to fall in love with, even if they aren't at an NWSL scale or standard. College was that developmental launchpad for a long time, but as USL Super League president Amanda Vandervort told The Athletic before the league's launch last summer: “There's a delta (of opportunities) there that needs to be filled — because if we don't, we're going to fall behind.” Short-term opportunities can only help so much. A unified push with a coherent plan to set clubs up for success would make this even more impactful. We'll see if they can find it. Jeff Rueter is a senior soccer writer for The Athletic who covers the game in North America, Europe, and beyond. No matter how often he hears the Number 10 role is "dying," he'll always leave a light on for the next great playmaker.

It appears as though the future is set in stone for Real Madrid, with Xabi Alonso looking set to replace Carlo Ancelotti as manager for the 2025/26 season. Live Draw for the FIFA Club World Cup, involving Real Madrid, Inter Miami, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Chelsea. According to reports coming out of Spain, Alonso wants to wait until after the Club World Cup has finished before taking over as he does not want to inherit a squad that is already exhausted from a long season and would rather start from scratch when Los Blancos commence with the pre-season training ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. It is believed that the plan of action currently in place will see Ancelotti continue hs duties as manager until the end of the domestic term, before moving on to immediately start his preparations for the 2026 World Cup with Brazil in his first job as an international manager. GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Xabi Alonso played 236 games for Real Madrid as a player, winning five trophies. From Carlo Ancelotti to Pep Guardiola, European football's biggest competition has seen some managerial heavyweights take charge. While it seems Alonso is set to land the job that felt destined to be his, reports did indicate that club president Florentino Perez and Alonso himself were unsure about making the move. Perez had been a big supporter of Ancelotti and Alonso knew this and a combination of that and the fact he didn't want to rush into such a big job, left the move on the fence. When it became clear a change was needed, which reportedly was decided on after the Champions League elimination at the hands of Arsenal, it was proposed to Perez by some of his closest advisors that if there were any lingering doubts over Alonso, that he should make a move for Jurgen Klopp. The German has been out of management since last summer after leaving Liverpool, but now works as the global head of soccer for Red Bull. However, Klopp is said to be unhappy in his current role, which opened the door for potential talks with Madrid. Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful. Mohamed Salah could never quite get to grips with life in London. But 11 years after his departure, and now he's hunting down a Ballon d'Or. Manchester United icon Paul Scholes did not hesitate when naming the best midfielder of all time. Leeds United have sounded out the former Rangers manager as a potential successor to Daniel Farke.

In a recent guest appearance on the Unfiltered Soccer podcast, former U.S. Men's National Team head coach and current San Jose Earthquakes head coach/sporting director, Bruce Arena, expressed his concern with the USMNT appointing a foreign manager to lead the team. I think when you bring in somebody from the outside, they don't understand it.” This week, the show's co-host and legendary American goalkeeper Tim Howard added his perspective to the conversation suggesting that the level of buy-in from an American coach may differ from that of a foreign coach. Some of the foreign coaches that we've had... they don't really care if their legacy is tarnished in America. Howard, who made 121 appearances for the United States and was a member of 3 World Cup teams, questioned if a foreign manager holds the U.S. job in the same regard that an American might. “I have seen managers for the U.S. Men's National Team, particularly foreign managers... they use it as a stepping stone. They use it as an opportunity to get another job. “That's different,” Howard continued, “than when you get a manager like Bruce Arena, like a Bob Bradley, who all they've ever done is dream about coaching the national team, right? Since Gansler's tenure ended in 1991, U.S. Soccer has employed 7 full-time head coaches for the Senior team, four of whom – Steve Sampson, Bruce Arena, Bob Bradley and Gregg Berhalter – were American with Arena serving two separate terms. Ultimately, Howard contends that the U.S. Men's National Team can be managed by a coach from either category, American or foreigner, as long as their commitment to success is beyond reproach. “I don't give a good God darn if the manager's foreign. What I care is if a foreign manager comes to manage our national team, that he's all in. New episodes of “Unfiltered Soccer” drop every Tuesday. Watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the show @UnfilteredSoccer on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook for bonus content.

Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly reached an agreement with the Brazilian Football Federation to take over as head coach of the national team once he departs Real Madrid, according to MARCA. The Italian manager is expected to leave the Spanish giants at the end of the current season, ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, which begins on June 14. If the report proves accurate, Ancelotti would see out the remainder of the campaign, allowing Real Madrid to avoid the disruption of appointing an interim coach. Real Madrid is said to prefer that Ancelotti's successor be in place in time to lead the team at the Club World Cup, although a report from AS suggests that Solari could lead the club in that tournament. The club views the Club World Cup as an important international showcase and would like to ensure continuity and preparation heading into the summer. Ancelotti's legacy at Real Madrid is among the most celebrated in the club's history. Across two spells with the team, he has won major trophies including three UEFA Champions League titles (2014, 2022 and 2025), two Copa del Rey trophies, and two La Liga titles in 2022 and 2024. Check your inbox for a welcome email. Please enter a valid email and try again. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Call 877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in select states (for KS, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino).