Erling Haaland became the fastest player to score 50 goals in the Champions League with his latest strike for Manchester City on Thursday.The Norway striker reached the landmark figure in his 49th game in European club soccer’s top competition. He surpassed the previous record by former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward Ruud van Nistelrooy, who took 62 games to score 50 goals.Haaland headed City in front 1-0 against Napoli early in the second half at the Etihad Stadium.Haaland this season has scored 12 goals in seven appearances for club and country. He hit five goals in Norway’s 11-1 win…

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are reviewing the final details of a contract extension that would keep the Argentine soccer great with the club into at least 2026 and possibly beyond, a person with knowledge of the matter said Thursday.The talks on what will be structured as a multi-year deal have been ongoing for months, the person said.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither Messi nor the team has revealed details.Inter Miami had no comment. ESPN and USA Today both reported Wednesday that the deal was close to being finalized.Inter Miami has been pushing…

Video Details Alexi Lalas and David Mosse broke down all the latest USMNT abroad storylines from this past weekend’s club action, including standout performances from Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Weston McKennie (Juventus), and Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach). 1 HOUR AGO・English Premier League・19:21 Source link

Doug McIntyre Soccer Journalist More than a year before Mauricio Pochettino was appointed the U.S. men’s national team coach, his name was brought up in a passing conversation.I asked former U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel if he felt the team would be better served by a non-American manager for the 2026 World Cup cycle. Friedel, who played under Pochettino at Tottenham, used his former boss to explain why a foreigner might struggle. [WORLD CUP 2026: WHICH TEAMS HAVE QUALIFIED?]”He and his staff would want a year just to assess everything and learn as much as possible,” said Friedel, who still owns the…

Ready for the world’s biggest sporting event? The countdown is on for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Spread across the countries (Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.), 48 teams will take part in the largest edition of the tournament ever next summer.The qualifying process picks back up in October. Which teams are already in and which ones are close to booking their spot?When is the World Cup?The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The FOX family of…

Alexi Lalas Soccer Analyst We saw the U.S. men’s national team split its two friendly games this past week – a 2-0 loss to South Korea followed by a 2-0 win over Japan. I don’t think my feelings about this window have changed. I’m going to give it grace and throw it out. And I know that doesn’t lend itself to analyzing this team, especially relative to the World Cup next summer. But because of the way that USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino framed this window, I’m going to put all my focus and energy into the next set of games in…

Don’t you cry, El Salvador fans. Thanks to Guns N’Roses, the men’s national team will now have its fun and (very crucial) games at the country’s main stadium. El Salvador will now play its two World Cup qualifying matches in October at Estadio Cuscatlán after the band agreed to move its forthcoming concert to another venue. Concert organizers confirmed that the band’s October 4 concert will now be at Estadio Nacional Jorge “El Mágico” González to accommodate the games.The Cuscatlán, El Salvador’s largest stadium, is set to host La Selecta’s qualifiers against Panama on October 10 and Guatemala on October 14. Officials…

Stu Holden Soccer Analyst This past international window for the United States men’s national team, which was highlighted by a 2-0 victory over Japan, might end up being more than a morale boost for a group that desperately needed it; it instead could be a confirmation of a significant learning under head coach Mauricio Pochettino — a tactical shift.Following a challenging period — a seven-game winless streak against Top 25-ranked opposition — Pochettino’s decision to experiment with a three-back system, specifically the 3-4-2-1 formation, proved to be a resounding success.If the September window’s primary objective was to learn and integrate new…

Chelsea was charged with 74 breaches of English soccer’s rules on Thursday.The charges cover a period from 2009-22 and relate to regulations covering soccer agents, working with intermediaries and third party involvement in player transfers.Chelsea said in a statement it self-reported the potential breaches to the English Football Association, which came to light in 2022 when American investors Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital led a consortium to buy out former owner Roman Abramovich.Chelsea said it became aware of “potentially incomplete financial reporting” of historical transactions and other “potential breaches of FA rules.””Immediately upon the completion of the purchase, the club…

The U.S. national team needed to respond after Saturday’s loss to South Korea. They got one. The USMNT defeated Japan 2-0 in Columbus, Ohio, to finish the September window on a positive note thanks to goals from Alex Zendejas and Folarin Balogun. Zendejas scored in the 30th minute and Balogun added a goal in the 64th which snapped a seven-game winless streak against top 25 opponents even with Japan playing mostly second-string players.The 15th-ranked U.S. was coming off a 2-0 loss to South Korea on Saturday in the first of eight friendlies before coach Mauricio Pochettino calls in players for training…