In total fairness, FC Barcelona Femení has carried the weight when it comes to winning trophies in recent seasons. Last season, the Barcelona men did not win any trophies, but they did win the 2022/23 LaLiga campaign under Xavi. By comparison, Barcelona has dominated women’s soccer over the last five years. In that span, Barcelona won Liga F five times, Copa de la Reina four times, Supercopa de España Femenina four times, UEFA Women’s Champions League three times, and appeared in another UWCL Final. It is an unprecedented run of form for a women’s soccer team in Spain.

On either the men’s or women’s side, dominance is not uncommon. For the men, Real Madrid seems to have no issue in winning the UEFA Champions League. The Spanish side has won five of the last nine Champions League crowns. Likewise, Lyon won the UEFA Women’s Champions League eight times in 12 years. It remains the most successful women’s team in history in that competition. However, in both the cases of Real Madrid and Lyon, their relative women’s or men’s teams have struggled in comparison. That allows Barcelona to stand out.

Ballon d’Or festivities top off form for Barcelona in all competitions

The Ballon d’Or Ceremony was perhaps a crowning moment for Barcelona. It gave the club firm recognition for how well it has performed in the last calendar year. Some of that is individual, as seen with Lamine Yamal’s Kopa Trophy and Bonmatí’s Ballon d’Or Femenin. Yet, the timing of the award ceremony comes when Barcelona is unofficially on top of Europe.

The Barcelona men’s team had its best week in recent memory. It defeated Sevilla and Real Madrid in convincing fashion in LaLiga play. In between, Barcelona dumped Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, 4-1. For many supporters, it was three performances that looked like the Barcelona of old. Likewise, the women’s team has, as usual, been in unbelievable form. Shaking off an early loss to Manchester City in the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage, Barcelona has thrashed every team it has come up against. The women’s team will have two massive fixtures once the calendar turns to November, with back-to-back trips to Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.

While it was a great night for Barcelona in Paris for the awards, the club must be measured in its reaction. What Barcelona is doing with the women’s team is unprecedented in part because of the infancy of women’s soccer as a whole. Real Madrid only incorporated its women’s team in 2020. Over time, Los Blancos will continue to grow, as will the English women’s teams that have regularly challenged Barcelona in the Champions League.

By the same accord, Barcelona must start producing tangible success with such promise. Lamine Yamal is already one of the best players in the world. At least that is per Ballon d’Or voters. They ranked the teenager eighth in the world ahead of players like Harry Kane, Phil Foden and Florian Wirtz. While Barcelona looked strong this past week in those challenging fixtures, the club needs sustained success from the men’s team. A strong start to the club’s LaLiga and Champions League campaign helps in that regard.

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Rodri’s claim to success was his performance at the European Championship with Spain. While Vinicius and Brazil floundered in the United States this summer, Spain was dominant. Rodri won the award for Player of the Tournament as Spain did not lose the entire tournament. Yet, that was one international tournament. Rodri was not the best player on his club team this past season, much less the best in the world. Vinicius, who won the award as the best player in the UEFA Champions League, is a far more deserving candidate.

This is not to discredit Rodri. He is assuredly one of the best players in the world currently. Had Vinicius not performed so well with Real Madrid in the 2023/24 season, few would argue against Rodri being a deserving recipient of the 2023/24 Ballon d’Or. Yet, the Ballon d’Or has lost credibility as a true representation of the best player in the world.

Instead, it goes to the best player in an international tournament. In 2024, the award goes to Euro 2024 champion Rodri. In 2023, Lionel Messi won the award because of his World Cup performance in Qatar, not necessarily what he did with PSG and especially Inter Miami. Before then, Karim Benzema won the award as something of an undisputed champion. Yet, even before that, Lionel Messi won again because of the Copa America.

Ballon d’Or for Rodri draws more controversy to once proud award

Benzema’s triumph in 2022 is a rare occurrence of a player winning the Ballon d’Or as the player with both the best statistics and trophies. That means we are now in the third straight year of the player having the best season not winning the Ballon d’Or. The verbiage in this case is also important. Lionel Messi may have been the best player in the world in 2021 or 2023. In 2021, Robert Lewandowski had more goal contributions, including scoring in all but four games that he played in for the Bundesliga. However, the Ballon d’Or voters were enamored with the Copa America win.

Before then, Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or after guiding Croatia to the World Cup Final. That was a fantastic achievement. However, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both had stronger cases for what they brought to their clubs and countries.

Over the years, the Ballon d’Or has become a popularity contest. It is refreshing in some regard to see Rodri win the award from his role as a defensive midfielder. Still, this is a product of his time with the Spanish national team. Had the award been given out at the immediate conclusion of the 2023/24 season, Vinicius would have won. It is hard to fathom that seven games at the Euros are enough to take that award away from him.

Inconsistency has become common for the Ballon d’Or, and it is leading to the overall distrust of the award as a true measure of greatness. The Real Madrid conglomerate of players and staff are not going to Paris because of their disappointment in Vinicius not receiving the Ballon d’Or. On one hand, it is disrespectful to Rodri and the other candidates. Yet, everyone thought Vinicius was the frontrunner. Broadcasters in El Clasico even said that Vinicius was going to win the award during the game against Barcelona. Now, though, the soccer world is left confused by the latest iteration of the popularity contest.

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Sharing a city with Juventus, Torino is a historically significant side in Italy. Under the current ownership of UT Communication and Urbano Cairo, Torino has maintained a spot in Serie A for the last 13 years, including 2024/25. Now, Red Bull is looking to expand on the partnership that started this year. Red Bull signed on with Torino as a one-year sponsor for the club. That was the first instance of Red Bull dipping into the Italian soccer market. Acquiring Torino FC would build upon the growth of multi-club ownership groups that extend across Europe’s top five leagues.

Red Bull’s plans also include the motion to buy Turin’s Stadio Olimpico, the location where Torino plays. This would give Torino FC ownership of the stadium as opposed to renting out access to the venue. However, those deals would be separate entities, and Red Bull’s potential takeover of Torino FC would stand alone.

According to Austrian publications, Red Bull has met with the current ownership of Torino three times. Such consistent meetings would suggest the talks are progressing well between Red Bull and Torino FC. Still, there is no indication if Torino would change its name to Red Bull Torino or RB Torino.

Multi-club ownership groups taking over as Red Bull targets Serie A

Red Bull has pioneered the idea of one entity owning clubs from across the world. Part of the reason for that is that the clubs under Red Bull’s umbrella share a name. The ‘Red Bull’ or ‘RB’ tag is something any soccer fan would recognize. However, Red Bull is far from the only organization that has a hand in one person or conglomerate owning multiple clubs.

City Football Group, which has Manchester City as its top club, has a stake in clubs in England, Italy, Brazil, France, the United States, Australia, India and Uruguay, among others. Both Red Bull and City Football Group use these partnerships to develop players and reduce transfer fees. While governing bodies have worked to minimize the threat to a fair transfer market, these groups of clubs can share ideas with one another, making them invaluable. For example, Torino FC could adopt some of the ideologies that have made RB Leipzig and Salzburg so successful in recent seasons.

As of now, there is no confirmed price for how much Red Bull would be paying Cairo and the rest of the Torino ownership for its acquisition. However, should the deal go through, the majority of owners in Serie A will no longer be Italian.

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According to reports out of Italy, Roma is plotting another switch as Juric faces mounting pressure. The leading candidate early on is none other than Claudio Ranieri. The Italian manager, who is currently enjoying retirement at the age of 73, has been out of work since the conclusion of the previous campaign. He was the head coach of Cagliari last season as the club narrowly avoided relegation.

Ranieri’s extensive experience as a manager has taken him to the Stadio Olimpico on two occasions. The first of those came from 2009 to 2011. Things got off to a blinding start as Roma finished second to treble-winning Inter Milan by two points, and Roma lost to Inter in the Coppa Italia Final. However, that fast start tapered off, and Roma never returned to those heights. Ranieri resigned in the middle of the 2010/11 season. He returned for a brief stint in the 2019 season. He failed to lift the club to Champions League qualification, so he did not extend his stay.

Now, though, Ranieri could be the one to help Roma out of a difficult time. The club is not at risk of relegation per se, but European qualification is looking like a distant goal.

What would Claudio Ranieri have to change at Roma?

Assuming the Friedkin Group and Roma executives want to change the look of the coaching staff, Ranieri would have several tasks ahead of him. The most glaring of which is lack of output. Last season, Romelu Lukaku occupied the striker role and he scored 13 goals. His hold-up play and focus from the defense also allowed players like Paulo Dybala to thrive. The Argentine also scored 13 goals last season.

With Lukaku off to Napoli, Roma has struggled to find the back of the net. Roma has just nine goals through nine Serie A games this season. New arrival Artem Dovbyk has scored one-third of those, but he does not have the proper service. Roma has no shortage of possession. For reference, the club has the second-highest rate of possession in Serie A. However, it fails to do anything meaningful with its ball retention.

Ranieri’s first step would thus be to make Roma more clinical in front of goal. The squad shoots heavily, but it has a poor ratio of shots hitting the target. As the adage goes, one cannot if they do not hit the target. That is what Roma is suffering from right now. That is not necessarily something Ranieri would be able to overturn in a snap. But he could prove the difference over time.

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In an interview with the Daily Record, Snoop Dogg revealed he would jump at the opportunity to invest in Scottish Premiership side Celtic. Snoop Dogg admitted that he has watched so much European soccer, but nothing compares to the atmosphere and support at Celtic Park. Also, despite its prominence in Scotland and history as a European champion, investing rather than buying keeps ownership affordable.

“Investing in a sports team has been something I have been looking at for a long time – if the chance came to invest in Celtic, I would be crazy not to take a look at it,” Snoop said. “I have watched so much soccer in Europe, but I have never seen fans like the Celtic fans. There is something so special about them.”

Of course, he went on to add that there are other aspects of the club that make it appear as if it is a perfect match.

“There is a reason why their fans are talked about across Europe – the best players and coaches in the world tell you there is nowhere like Celtic Park, and I want to be a part of that. Their mascot is a hound – you couldn’t make that up. Snoop Dogg becomes Hoopy the Hound – that’s gotta be a match made in heaven. The headlines write themselves.”

Snoop Dogg attributes Wrexham ownership as reason to want Celtic stake

Outside of Snoop Dogg wanting to become Hoopy the Hound, there are practical reasons for his interest in Celtic. He pointed to Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds as two inspirations. Their ownership of Wrexham has been beneficial to all parties involved. The Welsh side has climbed from the fifth tier of the English pyramid to the third level. There, Wrexham is a strong candidate to earn back-to-back-to-back promotions and reach the EFL Championship for the first time since the 1981/82 season.

“I love what Ryan has done with Wrexham – it’s just a great story.”

To be fair, investing in Celtic would not lead to the same story as Wrexham. Celtic is indisputably the biggest team in Scotland, and it has won 12 out of the last 13 Scottish Premiership titles. However, given the new look of the UEFA Champions League, there is still room for growth. Celtic has not made it out of the first round proper in the top European competition since the 2012/13 season. Further investment from people like Snoop Dogg would drive up international support and give the club more resources to break that drought.

“They are real classy – when Snoop touches down in Scotland, he always feels that love, and you guys get that love right back. The last show I did in Glasgow was off the shizzle. Scotland, I promise I’ll be back.”

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For now, Ruud Van Nistelrooy will take over in an interim role. The former United icon as a striker and manager of PSV Eindhoven has decent experience as a coach considering he only retired 12 years ago. He was the manager at PSV Eindhoven for one season in 2022/23. There, he won the Johan Cruyff Shield, which is the equivalent of the Community Shield, and the KNVB Cup, the Dutch version of the FA Cup. He resigned from the role just before the end of the season, then he joined the Manchester United coaching staff under Ten Hag before the current campaign.

Barring a miraculous turnaround under Van Nistelrooy, he is likely not the permanent successor. Given the present opportunity, Van Nistelrooy has a chance to impress. Manchester United still has the Europa League league phase and the early going in the Premier League.

However, United is turning its attention to other managers that would fit the club. Here are five that Manchester United will be in the market for over the coming weeks as it needs its next permanent manager.

Top prospects as next Manchester United manager

Some of these rumored names are more concrete than others. Yet, over the next several weeks, further reports regarding the future of Manchester United will escalate.

Ruben Amorim

In terms of building a side, Ruben Amorim of Sporting CP may have the best candidacy among Manchester United’s potential replacements. The Portuguese has risen to prominence over recent seasons after leading Sporting to newfound success. In his first full season with Sporting back in the 2020/21 campaign, Amorim led the club to its first league title in 19 years. Since then, he added a second title to go along with a Taca de Liga in Portugal.

Amorim has been linked to several top clubs, most notably being Liverpool last summer before the appointment of Arne Slot. Manchester United would be getting a top young manager to build the side around. Additionally, Amorim has been smart in the transfer market with the development of players like Pedro Porro, Matheus Nunes, Joao Palhinha, Nuno Mendes and Pedro Goncalves.

Initial reports show that Manchester United is already progressing in talks with Amorim, perhaps indicating that he is the side’s top target above the following names.

Graham Potter

Potter has been out of the soccer world since an abbreviated stint with Chelsea in the 2022/23 season. That project failed mightily, and many clubs turned their back on Potter who, at the time of his appointment, was one of the top English coaches available. Manchester United may be willing to take a chance on Potter, but it would require patience.

The current crop of players may not suit the eye of Potter’s preference for possession. However, the influx of young talents at Chelsea undoubtedly played a role in his struggles at Stamford Bridge. If United can introduce the right players with Potter, he could work as well as he did at Brighton.

Thomas Frank

Frank, like Graham Potter, would be a project. Currently at Brentford, Thomas Frank has relied on the use of analytics to get the most out of otherwise undervalued players. A clear goal of Frank is the press, and it leads to excitement. Brentford has scored 18 goals in Premier League play this season, more than Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal and more than double that of Manchester United. That leads to defensive inefficacies, as Brentford has conceded 18 goals as well, which is the fourth-most in the league.

Frank understands his role. At Brentford, that requires him to be smart. Brentford will not out-possess top teams in the Premier League, nor do they have the most skillful players. Frank would have more of an opportunity to be expansive at Manchester United, but he can always revert to the mentality and principles that have yielded early success with the Bees. Part of Frank’s success with Brentford would likely require the analytical and savvy approach to the transfer market that Manchester United seems to turn a blind eye to.

Xavi

If Manchester United wants a quick turnaround this season, Xavi is a potential solution. The Spaniard arrived at Barcelona on Nov. 8, 2021. At the time, the Catalan club sat ninth in LaLiga, and Xavi guided the side to second in the league. He picked up convincing wins over Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Real Betis and Sevilla in the back half of the season to show his quick growth.

The challenge Xavi would face at Manchester United is the lack of impact he would bring. At Barcelona, Xavi is a legend, and the young players at Barcelona such as Pedri and Gavi wanted to play for him. Xavi does not carry the same influence in England. His no-nonsense and forward mind of coaching would be paramount to any success in England.

Gareth Southgate

Hiring Gareth Southgate as the next Manchester United manager would be the most pragmatic option for the Red Devils. With England, Southgate showed that he can get results. It will not be flashy, and it will often not be pretty. However, making it to two European Championship Finals, a World Cup semifinal and a quarterfinal is impressive. It is the best run of form for any team in international soccer without winning a trophy.

Of course, Manchester United would be a success-oriented position. Failing to win trophies like he did with England would not be tolerated. That said, Southgate often managed to get the best out of England players who currently represent Manchester United. Marcus Rashford, when selected, would be lethal for the Three Lions. Kobbie Mainoo was a mainstay in the Euro 2024 run to the final. Even players like Luke Shaw or Harry Maguire were massively important to Southgate. Appointing him to the dugout at Old Trafford can return those players to some level of form. United would simply need to convince Southgate to end his sabbatical from the sport.

Simone Inzaghi

Should Manchester United look outside of England and the Premier League for its next manager, Simone Inzaghi would be another proven option. The three-time Coppa Italia champion as a coach added his first Serie A triumph last season with a dominant performance at Inter Milan. Inzaghi has brought Inter Milan back to the top of Europe, as seen with the club reaching the UEFA Champions League Final in 2023. Inter pushed treble-winning Manchester City to the brink in that game, too.

However, Inzaghi has never played or coached outside of Italy. Despite having his teams contend with European opposition that plays in the Premier League. Weekly battles in England are a different sort of challenge that is not as pressing in Serie A. That said, Inzaghi has finished in the top three in each of his three seasons at Inter, and it looks likely that the club is on track for a fourth. Manchester United could introduce his solid shape that would lead to more confident performances from a struggling United squad.

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Starting on Dec. 4, Peacock subscribers will have the opportunity to watch up to four matches at one time. It has long been a question as to whether this feature would come to the Premier League. For the Olympics, it made easy sense. However, the Premier League did not demand the concept as much as that sporting event. Regardless, NBC is expanding upon the use of Multiview during the Nov. 5 Election Night in the United States. One month later, it will be available for soccer fans.

Even if viewers have grown accustomed to GOAL RUSH, the Premier League’s whiparound show on Peacock, Multiview takes it a step further. Goal Rush focuses on one game at a time, meaning fans do not get the full picture of what is happening across the grounds. However, with Multiview, Premier League fans will soon be able to see four games at one time.

It is easy to see the importance and value of Multiview when considering there tend to be four to six games in the 10 a.m. kickoff window. These games are often exclusively available on Peacock. While the only option to keep track of those games previously was Goal Rush, fans have a new option. If there are only three games available on Peacock at those times, fans may be able to make one of the four screens in the Multiview feature Goal Rush. Further confirmation on this possibility will come as we enter December.

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Multiview to be latest valuable resource for Premier League fans on Peacock

For many fans, Peacock was already invaluable for Premier League fans. Each matchday, there are between four and six games that are exclusively on the streaming platform. Additionally, games on NBC are simulcast on Peacock, meaning half of all Premier League games are available on Peacock. The only challenge was that Peacock games tend to happen when there is an overlap in kickoff times. Therefore, it was not so simple to keep track of multiple games.

Now, Americans have access to Multiview and Goal Rush on Peacock, with other providers having access to 4K games where available. The depth of Premier League coverage in the United States continues to rise, and NBC looks to maximize the massive fees it paid for Premier League coverage in the United States.

NBC has also worked to do more of its Premier League fan fests. The most recent instance of the traveling studio show going to Chicago. In addition to adding prominent Premier League voices, NBC is continuing its work to establish the Premier League as the most popular soccer league in the United States.

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That Arsenal-Liverpool game is the finale of matchday nine, but it is not the only great game. Chelsea hosts Newcastle just before the game at the Emirates. The Blues have been resurgent this season under Enzo Maresca. They host a Newcastle side that has lost its last three games in the Premier League after showing early top-four challenges.

The first game of the weekend features two surprising teams. Leicester City, which has rattled off two wins in a row, hosts Nottingham Forest. The Tricky Trees, currently eighth in the league table, has only lost one game this season. It is the only team outside the top four with at most one loss. At first glance, many may have seen this game as a potential relegation scrap. While it is still early, both clubs are outperforming their expectations.

Two teams underperforming their goals are West Ham and Manchester United. Their contest at the London Stadium comes at a time when both are in the bottom half of the table. Again, it is still early in the season, but both sides are desperate for points to shake off poor starts.

NBC coverage

Lee Dixon will be in the studio for NBC’s pregame and postgame coverage as an analyst alongside Robbie Mustoe. For Saturday and Sunday, Rebecca Lowe will be the host for NBC’s coverage with the two analysts. Before then, on Monday, Anna Jackson serves as NBC’s host.

At 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, there are four games at one time. GOAL RUSH is thus an excellent tool for American soccer fans. The Premier League’s whiparound show focuses on one game, but it shows the other drama from the simultaneous kickoffs. Goal Rush is exclusively available on Peacock.

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There is also one game available in 4K this weekend. That is Sunday’s Chelsea-Newcastle game. This requires specific hardware and subscriptions.

Premier League commentators on NBC: Matchday Nine

Note that in the United Kingdom, the clocks change this weekend. Therefore, the kickoff times on Sunday appear one hour later than their normal slots.

Friday, Oct. 25

3 p.m. — Leicester City vs. Nottingham Forest. USA Network, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — Jon Champion and David Prutton.

Saturday, Oct. 26

10 a.m. — Aston Villa vs. Bournemouth. USA Network, Universo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — David Stowell and Paul Robinson.

10 a.m. — Brentford vs. Ipswich Town. Peacock Premium — Phil Blacker and Tony Gale.

10 a.m. — Brighton and Hove Albion vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers. Peacock Premium — Gary Taphouse and Adam Virgo.

10 a.m. — Manchester City vs. Southampton. Peacock Premium — Ian Crocker and Leon Osman.

12:30 p.m. — Everton vs. Fulham. NBC, Universo, Peacock Premium, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — Peter Drury and Graeme Le Saux.

Sunday, Oct. 27

10 a.m. — Chelsea vs. Newcastle. USA Network, Telemundo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — IN 4K. — Jim Proudfoot and Matt Holland.

10 a.m. — West Ham United vs. Manchester United. Peacock Premium — Tony Jones and Matt Upson.

10 a.m. — Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Hotspur. Peacock Premium — Guy Havord and Efan Ekoku.

12:30 p.m. — Arsenal vs. Liverpool. Peacock Premium — Jon Champion and Graeme Le Saux.

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Saturday’s game between the two Spanish giants will have an ESPN+ MegaCast. This means that on Saturday, there will be five different viewing options at the disposal of fans in the United States. ESPN+ will have traditional English-language coverage, as it has had for recent instances on El Clasico. Likewise, ESPN Deportes will broadcast the game for Spanish-language audiences. Then, as part of an increased push for reactionary commentary in sports, there will be English and Spanish watch-along shows for live reactions during the game. ESPN+ will have this available with the stars of ESPN FC for those in English and Ahora o Nunca for those watching in Spanish.

Viewing options for El Clasico

• English-language Broadcast — ESPN+
  • Commentary by Ian Darke and Steve McManaman
• Spanish-language broadcast — ESPN Deportes
  • Commentary by Fernando Palomo and Eduardo Biscayart
• English-language watch-along — ESPN+
  • Analysis by Dan Thomas, Alejandro Moreno and Craig Burley
• Spanish-language watch-along — ESPN+
  • Analysis by Mauricio Pedroza, Herculez Gomez, Alex Pareja, and Carolina de las Salas
• Aerial Camera — ESPN+
  • Fans can see formations and player movements from one perspective.

Additionally, ESPN is providing over two hours of pregame and postgame coverage for those watching in English and Spanish. For English-language audiences, ESPN2 will have pregame coverage with an El Clasico special with Dan Thomas, Alejandro Moreno and Craig Burley. ESPN Deportes will also have extensive pregame coverage in the buildup to the game.

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Much-anticipated El Clasico means heightened programming for ESPN

The widespread coverage for ESPN of this El Clasico is fitting. Real Madrid and Barcelona are a step ahead of the pack in LaLiga. Through 10 games this season, Barcelona has won nine. Its loss against Osasuna is the only blemish for Hansi Flick’s debut season domestically. Real Madrid is one of two teams in Spain without a loss this season. However, three draws for Carlo Ancelotti mean Real Madrid is three points behind Barcelona. ESPN is surely hoping for a goal fest between the two teams with the most goals in LaLiga thus far. Robert Lewandowski already has 12 goals in league play while Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Raphinha all have at least five goals.

These are the modern icons of the game that ESPN will be showing during the game. However, across the English and Spanish broadcasts, players who have represented Barcelona and Real Madrid will be all over the place. Iker Casillas, Luis Garcia, Jurgen Klinsmann, Patrick Kluivert, Rafa Marquez, Hugo Sanchez and Mario Suarez will feature in the pregame coverage of the Champions League.

Those looking to watch the actual game can tune in at 3 p.m. ET. ESPN+ is broadcasting the English language broadcast, aerial camera and watch-along shows. ESPN Deportes, which is available in many TV packages, has the traditional Spanish broadcast.

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Much of this relates to matchday revenue. In the 2022/23 season, Arsenal earned $133 million from matchday sales. This is below what London rival Tottenham earns at its lavish Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Each game, Spurs earn around $8 million in matchday revenue. Granted, much of this stems from the competitions each team plays in. For example, Arsenal expects to earn an additional $20 million from playing in the Champions League. Regardless, this can still be more.

As a result, Arsenal wants to increase the overall experience or the matchday capacity at the Emirates. Unfortunately for the club, there is no clear route to achieve that goal. Based on the stadium’s construction, it is hard to construct a new stand or build upon what already exists. That is what Liverpool did at Anfield to usurp the honor of the fourth-biggest stadium in the Premier League based on capacity.

One area that the club could change is the number of boxes and suites at the Emirates. There are 146 executive boxes at the Emirates, which is nearly twice as many as Tottenham. While that does make for more lavish experiences, Tottenham took a different route. Spurs recognized that many executives prefer to spend their time at games in hospitality lounges, not in boxes. There is a case where Arsenal turns some of these boxes into increased general seating to bump up its overall capacity. Also, Arsenal is working to improve the catering options in the stadium including tripling the size of the kitchen.

Is the Emirates Stadium due for an expansion?

The Emirates is not an old stadium by any means, as Arsenal moved into the ground in 2006. At the time, it was the third-biggest stadium in England behind the old Wembley Stadium and Old Trafford. Now, the Emirates barely cracks the top five in terms of Premier League stadium capacity. It is not even in the top two largest stadiums for Premier League clubs in London. Tottenham has shown the potential of what upgrades can do for matchday revenue.

Strictly in food and drink, Tottenham earns $1.5 million in sales at every game. That is because the stadium has great bars and restaurants within it, making it a true experience for fans even outside of watching their favorite team play. That must be the goal for Arsenal, as capacity expansion is not a cost-effective measure to raise the matchday revenues. Lowering the pitch and building seats closer to the field is a common measure to increase capacity. That is not an option for Arsenal because of the sightlines that exist at the stadium.

For now, there are no concrete plans for stadium expansion, but there are some to benefit the matchday experience. Revenues should also continue to rise with Arsenal’s appearances in the UEFA Champions League.

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Previously, the age group applied to the school years in the United States. In 2016, the USSF changed the youth soccer system cutoff from Aug. 1 to the current system. The argument was that it kept it simple as to what kids played in certain years. That is standard for Europe, which uses the calendar year as the cutoff, meaning it is Jan. 1. However, this is not fully in practice. For example, England and the United Kingdom use cutoff points that pertain to school years. In the UK, the cutoff for youth soccer teams is Sep. 1 to Aug. 31.

That applies to the major critics of the move to go back to the school years. Around the globe, using Jan. 1 as the cutoff is standard. FIFA, which hosts various youth tournaments for men’s and women’s soccer, applies the Jan. 1 cutoff to its tournaments. At the 2023 U-20 World Cup, players born between Jan. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2007, were eligible to compete. US Soccer adjusting its youth system for age groups could throw off potential chemistry among players in other parts of the world.

That said, US Soccer identified several reasons why it is reverting to the school-based system. For one, there is an issue of “trapped” players in the calendar-based system. Players born at the beginning of the year are in a different school grade than those at the end of the year. That can contribute to isolation from peers and teammates. In many cases, other activities in the United States revolve around the school calendar. Going to the school system can also increase participation, according to US Soccer.

Change to US Soccer youth system could lead to further disruption

Arguments for and against the calendar system and the school-based system both make sense. Even though the option of using the calendar is more widespread, it may be more user-friendly for young soccer players to associate their age group with those they go to school with. Regardless, pivoting the format is another instance of US Soccer getting in its own way.

Changing the youth system will lead to disruption of existing young soccer teams and how they will advance over time. Teams that currently exist will struggle to adjust to a system that uses different age parameters. There have been several reactions, both major and minor, to how this will affect soccer in the United States. We are only eight years removed from changing the system away from the school-based cutoff dates. Now, soccer organizations and clubs across the country must revert their systems to accommodate US Soccer’s failure to maintain one direction.

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In response to the deal that went through in April, over 100 professional women’s soccer players signed a letter. It criticizes the “brutal human rights violations” of Saudi Arabia. In this letter, the soccer players called Aramco a “nightmare sponsor” given its connection to the Saudi Arabian government. Many of these players criticized the way the Middle Eastern nation handles women’s rights. Yet, that has long been a complaint of the other times FIFA has operated in the area.

For example, there were considerable concerns for women ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Then, before the 2023 Women’s World Cup, FIFA signed a deal with the Saudi tourism agency Visit Saudi. Many players complained about this agreement, calling it hypocritical to the development of women’s soccer. This deal with Aramco is similar to that, but the signees were more deliberate in their comments.

Nightmare Sponsor: Women’s soccer players grill Saudi deal with FIFA

“Saudi authorities have been spending billions in sports sponsorship to try to distract from the regime’s ­brutal human rights reputation, but its treatment of women speaks for itself,” the letter read. “It is because we stand alongside the citizens of Saudi Arabia whose human rights are violated that we are speaking out. We don’t want to be part of covering up these violations.

“We urge Fifa to reconsider this partnership and replace Saudi ­Aramco with alternative sponsors whose values align with gender equality, human rights and the safe future of our planet.”

FIFA defended its sponsorship with Aramco in a message to The Guardian. It stated the money from these sponsorships allows it to reinvest in the game for both men and women. Investment, according to FIFA continued to develop in women’s soccer. It even added the deal with Visit Saudi and similar sponsorships that specifically benefited women’s soccer.

Lina al-Hathloul, head of monitoring and advocacy at ALQST for Human Rights, defended the letter. “As long as Saudi Arabia’s authorities fail to genuinely respect women’s rights and ­freedom, their reputation will continue to impede any lofty ambitions they may have. Thank you to these women for standing with the brave women of Saudi Arabia.”

Based on FIFA’s history, it is likely that it will ride out with this deal through the 2026 and 2027 World Cups.

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“I can say obviously discussions are ongoing, but I don’t know, we will see what happens in the future,” Van Dijk said.

“My full focus is on Liverpool, wanting to win games that are ahead of me and nothing else. What the future will bring I have no idea at the moment. I can only tell you that discussions have been started and we will see.”

By the start of next season, Van Dijk will be 34 years old. Center-backs tend to have longer careers, so there may be no issue for Van Dijk in staying fit. Moreover, after tearing his ACL in the 2020/21 season, Van Dijk has been remarkably consistent in terms of fitness. A slight hamstring knock in the 2023/24 campaign is the only injury that has ruled him out of multiple Liverpool contests. Last season, Van Dijk’s only absences in the Premier League came because of a red card suspension. Outside of that, he played the full 90 minutes when available.

Van Dijk carries strong form into contract negotiations

Of course, Van Dijk has proven to be invaluable to Liverpool in his time at Anfield. Given his stature as the club captain, Van Dijk’s ability goes beyond just his role as a center-back. Yet, that has not been shy for form either. Liverpool has conceded a remarkable three goals this season. It is the principal reason the Reds are at the top of the Premier League table. The shock loss against Nottingham Forest remains Liverpool’s only loss of the season in all competitions.

“My full focus is on Liverpool, wanting to win games that are ahead of me and nothing else. What the future will bring I have no idea at the moment. I can only tell you that discussions have been started and we will see.”

While there have been rumors about Van Dijk being the subject of a transfer, the defender wants to remain at Liverpool. There, he will be at the center of the strongest club competition in the world competing for titles. Additionally, Van Dijk can help Liverpool compete for another UEFA Champions League title.

“This is what you want to do. You want to play on the highest level against the best teams and perform and show what you can do. So, let’s go for it. I want to be successful. I want to win trophies in every competition we’re in.”

Arne Slot will enjoy having Van Dijk in the fold over the next few years, as well. Slot is off to a strong start in the dugout at Anfield, and Van Dijk occupying the middle of the park is a major reason for that.

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For years, CAF and many of the member nations and clubs within it, have been a part of controversy. Egypt had an unpaid fine that put its World Cup status at risk. Although unrelated to money, Nigeria boycotted an AFCON qualifier against Libya after drama with traveling. This new $16 million in expenses is perhaps the most concerning. This stems from a new CAF government that promised to help with the budget issues that plagued the region.

Appointed in 2021, CAF general secretary Véron Mosengo-Omba promised to lower the deficit that had reached $40 million at the time. Mosengo-Omba even appointed an auditor to clean up the finances for the administration. However, the official audit and compliance committee claimed there was interference. Mosengo-Omba appointing the auditor raised question marks that forced the committee to take a deeper look. That is when it discovered $16 million in expenses without knowing that the confederation spent the money on.

According to the audit and compliance committee, the $16 million still does not have a home. The committee found $12 million was for “technical costs not allocated to clubs, federations, and host countries” in Africa. Then, the other $4 million is, according to the official auditors, vaguely “unrecorded expenses that should be accrued and recorded.”

CAF scandal harms the future of the Confederation

CAF spending $16 million without any trace or benefit is concerning in its own right. However, this is the latest instance of CAF getting in its own way. Soccer in Africa is always going to be more complex due to the financial and geopolitical circumstances in the continent. Yet, the governing body only holds it back from competing on the top level.

For example, Mosengo-Omba said he hired the fraudulent consultant who oversaw the $16 million expenditure because there were no CAF statutes that said he had to find approval before working with a consultant. That is taking advantage of statutes for an underdeveloped confederation. CAF must fix that if it wants to develop further. Then, in another letter, Mosengo-Omba said CAF will extend its 70-year age limit by five years for prospective executive committee members. Everything he does seems to better himself, not soccer in Africa.

We are still one year away from AFCON 2025. Yet, there is no current path that makes it appear CAF is taking steps toward bettering its image. Instead, there is increasing controversy surrounding its member nations and, clearly, the executives in charge of the confederation.

The Guardian reached out to CAF to see if Mosengo-Omba or any other executives would comment on the story. All declined to comment for now, and the investigation into the scandal in CAF is ongoing.

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“I hear that the Premier League is interested and that the fans aren’t in support of it,” Garber said. “It’s up to them. I for one know the value of a regular season game, I know what it means to fans, I know what sovereignty means – that football is based around borders. I believe in the importance of those borders.”

In this case, Garber is correct. Premier League supporters have been vocal in their disapproval of taking a competitive contest out from a team’s 38-game schedule and dropping it in the United States. From the standpoint of competition, that Premier League team is losing a home game. However, and perhaps more importantly, the fans would suffer because they cannot attend a game. One team out of 20 would play 18 home games, while the other teams would play 19.

The argument in favor of the Premier League or any other domestic competition in Europe centers around money. A competitive game in the United States would grow audiences to develop future revenue. Teams and leagues would benefit from ticket sales that would likely be higher in the United States, depending on which teams play and where the game is.

Garber defending borders for foreign leagues is in tune with previous comments

For MLS, foreign leagues playing in the United States run the risk of taking interest away from the American top flight. Even though MLS has a largely different calendar compared to European soccer leagues, a game among two prominent European sides could be more interesting for casual soccer fans than a standard MLS fixture. Of course, this is all dependent on which teams are playing and where the venue

Don Garber propping up borders connects to the order that he previously wanted among soccer leagues across the globe. Garber encouraged the development of the sport on a global scale. Yet, it should not happen at the cost of domestic leagues.

“Clearly, we all need to be very thoughtful about how our market develops so that everybody can be a winner,” Garber said. “I really care a lot about those people that are investing in the game, doing the work, building the game for the next generation, investing in infrastructure and player development under the guidelines and requirements of our federation and confederation.”

A recent legal victory for Relevent Sports ensured that it is possible for foreign leagues to invade MLS territory. Nothing is official yet, but LaLiga has been a pioneer in advocating for competitive games in the United States. The Club World Cup will develop an already prominent fan base. European leagues will continue to increase their presence in the US.

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The issues facing the Premier League Summer Series come from three areas. To start, some major teams are simply unavailable. Chelsea and Manchester City will play in the 2025 Club World Cup. That new-look tournament from FIFA, which is also in the United States, happens around one month before friendlies like the Summer Series. Given their participation in that tournament, players will need rest. Additionally, teams would unlikely want to spend their entire summers in one location, even if it is rife with potential like the United States.

The other top Premier League clubs outside of the Club World Cup may not want to compete. For example, Manchester United and Liverpool believe they can field better financial offers away from the Premier League. This was the case in 2023 during the debut of the Premier League Summer Series. Manchester United and Arsenal played friendlies in the United States, but it was part of the Soccer Champions Tour. That preseason competition also included Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus and AC Milan.

That contributes to the matter of interest. In 2023, the Summer Series featured Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Brighton. Each of those four teams is either popular in the United States or they had on-field success in recent seasons. A Premier League Summer Series without top clubs will struggle.

Premier League ready to take action to help 2025 Summer Series

It may be concerning for the Premier League that it does not have any confirmed competitors for the Summer Series. Still, the league is calm. It is working to court some of these top clubs like Manchester United or Liverpool, so they take part in the miniature tournament. That includes a sliding scale of revenue for teams competing.

Manchester United or Liverpool may figure they can draw larger audiences than a club like Brighton or Brentford, two sides that played in the 2023 Summer Series. Therefore, the two Premier League giants would be able to earn around $10 million from the Premier League for competing. By comparison, clubs with smaller American fan bases would earn less money.

As expected, this decision would not earn a favorable reception from many Premier League sides. However, given the size of clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United or Tottenham, clubs lower down in the Premier League table may not have an option if they want to have a profitable summer earning money from the Premier League.

In addition to the lack of teams, the Premier League has also failed to name any of the locations for the 2025 Summer Series. The 2023 edition played nine games across five cities on the east coast. This summer, the Club World Cup is predominantly on the east coast. The 2025 Gold Cup is on the west side of the United States. All the while, Major League Soccer will also be in action in the summer of 2025.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

The weekend starts in London, where Tottenham hosts city rivals West Ham. It has not been the smoothest start to the campaign for either team, as both have fallen behind the pace in the Premier League. However, this game could be a turnaround point for both with the two having just two points of separation in the middle of the table.

After that, two Premier League upstarts in recent seasons battle. Newcastle hosts Brighton at St. James Park. Unlike Spurs and West Ham, both Newcastle and Brighton have started well, and they are just on the outside looking in at the top five spots in the Premier League.

However, the best game of the weekend involves two of those teams in the top four. Chelsea travels to Merseyside to face Liverpool in the second major test for Enzo Maresca as the boss of the Blues. So far, the only loss he has overseen with Chelsea was against Manchester City on the road. Only four points behind league-leading Liverpool, this match has major ramifications for the title race. The same applies to Liverpool, which is always under pressure from Manchester City and Arsenal.

NBC coverage this weekend

Rebecca Lowe will be hosting NBC’s coverage of the Premier League alongside Robbie Mustoe and Tim Howard. As the action rolls into Monday, Paul Burmeister will take over hosting duties on Monday alongside Danny Higginbotham and Howard.

At 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, there are five games at one time. GOAL RUSH is thus an excellent tool for American soccer fans. The Premier League’s whiparound show focuses on one game, but it shows the other drama from the simultaneous kickoffs. Goal Rush is exclusively available on Peacock.

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There are also two games available in 4K this weekend. Saturday’s finale of Bournemouth-Arsenal and the much-anticipated Liverpool-Chelsea game are available in higher resolution. This requires specific hardware and subscriptions.

Premier League commentators on NBC: Matchday

Saturday, Oct. 19

7:30 a.m. — Tottenham vs. West Ham United. USA Network, Universo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — Conor McNamara and Andy Townsend.

10 a.m. — Newcastle vs. Brighton and Hove Albion. USA Network, Universo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — Ian Crocker and Andy Walker.

10 a.m. — Fulham vs. Aston Villa. Peacock Premium — Andy Bishop and Courtney Sweetman-Kirk.

10 a.m. — Ipswich Town vs. Everton. Peacock Premium — Tony Jones and Darren Ambrose.

10 a.m. — Manchester United vs. Brentford. Peacock Premium — Seb Hutchinson and Michael Bridges.

10 a.m. — Southampton vs. Leicester City. Peacock Premium — Gary Taphouse and Sam Parkin.

12:30 p.m. — Bournemouth vs. Arsenal. NBC, Telemundo, Peacock Premium, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — IN 4K. — Peter Drury and Stephen Warnock.

Sunday, Oct. 20

9 a.m. — Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Manchester City. USA Network, Telemundo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — Mark Scott and Matt Holland.

11:30 a.m. — Liverpool vs. Chelsea. USA Network, Telemundo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — IN 4K. — Jon Champion and Stephen Warnock.

Monday, Oct. 21

3 p.m. — Nottingham Forest vs. Crystal Palace. USA Network, Universo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — Martin Tyler and Courtney Sweetman-Kirk.

PHOTO: IMAGO

“If [the MLS-Apple relationship] continues to grow, we’re very much in the revenue share mode with Apple, and it will turn out to be one of the greatest deals in sports history,” Garber said. “If we’re wrong and the world doesn’t go into the streaming environment the way we think it is, then you’ve just got to be smart, make a decision and if it’s not the right decision, you figure out what you need to do to go forward. But I am really bullish on Apple.”

Speaking in London at the Leaders Week conference, Garber’s conversation was littered with ifs. “If this works, we share in the revenue.” “If we’re sharing the revenue, we’re making lots of money.” However, the fact is that after almost two years since the partnership began with Apple, even with the addition of the world’s greatest player (Lionel Messi) to the league, Major League Soccer has been unable to surpass the minimum guarantee to trigger the revenue share part of the deal with Apple.

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MLS’ revenue share agreement with Apple

Apple’s deal with MLS to sell subscriptions to the MLS Season Pass streaming service includes a minimum guarantee of $250 million annually. Out of that money, MLS pays for all of the production and talent costs, which are in the tens of millions of dollars. If and when MLS reaches the number of subscriptions agreed with Apple, which is a closely guarded secret, MLS will earn 50 cents on every dollar (i.e. a 50% revenue share model).

As of October 2024, the league has not hit that magic number to trigger the revenue share agreement.

MLS hasn’t revealed any MLS Season Pass subscription numbers this year. The last reported number was 2 million subscribers as of December 2023. Since then, MLS dropped the free subscription offer through T-Mobile, which certainly would have resulted in a massive dent in the overall numbers for 2024. More worryingly, MLS failed to make a single mention of any numbers, not even in percentages, about MLS Season Pass in its Key Business Metrics report it published in July 2024.

At the same time, MLS is falling further behind compared to the TV revenue that other leagues are generating. For instance, the bottom two relegated Premier League clubs earn more TV revenue than all 29 teams in MLS.

MLS, Apple and the Future of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

Publicly, Garber continues to try to put a positive spin on the dilemma that MLS faces: How to win over soccer fans in the United States, as well as the rest of the world.

He told Sport Business, “I’m happy for [MLS’ deal with Apple] to go on forever because what are you looking for from a media partner? Revenue, support from a marketing and promotion perspective and insights and data, which for MLS is super important and there is no bigger data insights company in the world than Apple.”

At the same time, Garber criticized MLS’ linear partners that preceded the league’s deal with Apple, stating, “We weren’t getting enough in terms of exposure, schedule, and promotion from the linear networks, because we’re not just competing against the other leagues. We’re competing against every single football league that is selling their rights in the United States.”

The only soccer rights that Apple TV owns is Major League Soccer, so it has a monopoly within the Apple ecosystem. In doing so, though, it has been largely out of sight, out of mind for sports fans who consume their content through a mixture of television and streaming services that offer a range of soccer leagues for less cost than a subscription to MLS Season Pass.

Garber will be remembered for the Apple TV deal

Since joining MLS as commissioner in 1999, Garber has transformed the league and has helped to stabilize its future in this country. Within the industry, there are questions about whether he has taken the league as far as he can, with some thinking it’s time for new leadership atop MLS. When the history of MLS is written about in a future book, much of Garber’s legacy will depend on whether the move to Apple TV was a success or not.

Even Garber is reflective. When asked about the Apple-MLS deal at the London conference, Garber uttered, “So, the most important question is, ‘Are we early? Are we on time?’ Time will tell, history will judge it.”

PHOTO: IMAGO

Additional reporting by Christopher Harris

“If you were to ask the people that are running some of the big European leagues, they’d say, ‘Boy, MLS has got it right,'” Garber said. Specifically, Garber was alluding to the fact that the closed system and single-entity league have garnered the interest of investors. For reference, eleven teams have joined MLS in the last decade. Many of those sides have built soccer-specific stadiums that pull in decent-sized audiences regularly.

Garber’s close-minded view of world soccer

Yet, this is a close-minded look at Major League Soccer. Garber praised the lack of promotion and relegation and how it benefits investors and owners in the league. They know their investment will always be competing at the ‘top level’ of American soccer, regardless of how well they perform.

However, Garber misses the point that soccer is created and owned by the fans, not for the folly and investment dollars of owners.

Garber is still wearing his NFL hat when he’s thinking about soccer. The former NFL executive, who admitted he hated soccer when he joined MLS, looks at the National Football League as a comparison to MLS. A closed league that had massive expansion at one point. Investors spending billions to acquire NFL teams.

There is one key difference between NFL and MLS, though. NFL has no competition, while MLS must go up against leagues like the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, and tens of others worldwide.

Garber is off base to claim MLS is doing comparatively well

MLS is not a success because Garber propagates the closed system. It has done well so far because of the power of sports in the United States. Soccer continues to grow in popularity, and investors are entering the league for the untapped fans.

Additionally, Americans have looked to Europe as a means of entry into soccer. Leading up to and throughout 2024, more US billionaires than ever are buying shares or entire ownership stakes in clubs in Europe. In the Premier League, the Friedkin Group’s pending acquisition of Everton could make it the 11th club in the English top flight with at least some form of American ownership. Major Italian clubs like AC Milan, AS Roma, Fiorentina, and others have come under American ownership in the last five years. In France, Marseille and Olympique Lyon have a majority American ownership.

Garber said people running top European leagues would say MLS is doing well. It only begs the question as to why Garber is saying it while these leagues are not. On the contrary, there has been notable opposition to things like the European Super League. Yes, that competition goes against the domestic league systems in Europe. However, the argument against it comes from a sporting perspective.

To be frank, MLS is itself a Super League. In soccer, a Super League is defined as “a closed league without promotion and relegation, or a tier system where clubs are admitted based on revenue rather than titles.” That is undoubtedly MLS. While Garber is the face of the league, he answers to the owners in the league, many of whom are NFL owners themselves. Hence the reason why Garber continues to think of MLS as the NFL version of soccer.

MLS format changes have led to too many games

The MLS single entity model that Don Garber is promoting to European leagues is driven by money. That is why it’s not surprising to see Garber helping to promote more games for teams in MLS. An expanded MLS Cup Playoff format, the introduction of the Leagues Cup, and championing FIFA Club World Cup are at odds with what he said about schedule congestion:

“The world is shrinking, and with that sports are evolving,” said Garber. “I just want everybody to be thoughtful about it. Be strategic about it. Be mindful of the impact of any of those decisions on fans and on stakeholders.”

It seems as if Garber thinks MLS is the perfect embodiment of soccer, only he fails to realize that he is the only one who sees it in that way.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

From now through Nov. 19, FIFA will field bids from Portuguese broadcasters that want to air the World Cup in the country. In 2022, several broadcasters had the rights to the World Cup in Qatar. That included public-service station RTP. However, unlike some countries that sign multi-year deals and are locked in through 2026, broadcasters are lining up for the World Cup rights.

There are inherent challenges though. Broadcasters must contend with kickoff times that do not overly favor a European or specifically Portuguese market. For example, kickoff times for the World Cup in Qatar kicked off midday and into the evening. Moving to the United States, Mexico and Canada, World Cup kickoff times will be in the late afternoon and through the night. To be fair, those times are not locked in yet. FIFA tends to schedule games so fans of one nation will be available to watch easier. Given how many teams there are from Europe, though, it will be challenging to keep games spread out.

There is clear evidence of the effect of kickoff times, too. The 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand had far lower viewership figures than the tournament in France four years prior. Despite the USWNT being a favorite, it was hard for fans to tune in when kickoffs happened at 6 a.m. or 11 p.m. ET. The same will exist for Portuguese fans. That may affect how much broadcasters and providers are willing to offer FIFA.

American broadcasters do not have to submit bids for World Cup rights

While Portugal and several other countries will be in conversations with FIFA for the future of broadcast rights, the same does not exist for the United States. FOX, which has held FIFA World Cup rights since the 2015 women’s tournament in Canada. Games in the tournament will be at the mercy of FOX, making it the third men’s World Cup for the broadcaster. As the tournament nears, FOX will have increased and enhanced plans for how it will cover the World Cup on home soil.

That said, FOX will be in the mix again after the 2026 World Cup. However, there will be pressure from other broadcasters. FOX has become the home of international soccer in the United States. Given the sport’s growth, other contenders will see how much the rights will cost. Regardless of who submits rights, it will be an expensive property to take off of FOX’s hands. FOX has lost almost all of its club soccer competitions by building its focus on international soccer.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Speaking to the Puget Sound Business Journal, Redmond Mayor Angela Birney revealed the city has set aside $2 million in taxpayer money for the 2026 World Cup. Despite the 19-mile drive between the two cities, there is an Eastside light rail that will link the two areas. The hope is for that light rail to be open by the time the World Cup kicks off in the summer of 2026. Having $2 million ready will, in the eyes of the Redmond Mayor, allow the city to have a foothold on benefiting from the World Cup.

For example, Birney said a portion of that $2 million will go to local businesses looking to host watch parties or related events. Currently, the Seattle organizing group for the 2026 World Cup, SeattleFWC26, mentioned that certain areas in and around the state of Washington will be hubs for fans. The only confirmed location is the main hub at the Seattle Center near the famous Seattle Space Needle. Birney hopes that Redmond can be one of those celebration hubs where fans who do not have tickets can take part in the festivities.

Granted, Redmond still must pass this budget. The City Council must approve the proposed budget before Nov. 21.

Can Seattle, Redmond benefit from costly World Cup in 2026?

Birney did not elaborate on what helping local businesses would look like as part of the funding, nor did she specify how much of the $2 million in taxpayer money would go to businesses. The only concrete figures available so far are $748,000 toward the aforementioned staffing, including police and fire to accommodate more people. Additionally, more than $472,000 is for promotional and event costs that, according to Birney, maximize the chances of economic development in the area.

Birney wants to develop the outskirts of the Seattle area with the World Cup in town. However, that has not been a clear product of hosting the World Cup. Stadium construction, employment and promotional activities have left recent World Cup hosts short on money. If anything, the World Cup is a chance to show off prestige, and Birney recognizes that. Park maintenance and street cleanup to make the Redmond area stand out are part of the $2 million budget the city has set aside.

In any case, the World Cup in Seattle presents an opportunity for Redmond. Like many of the areas surrounding host cities, Redmond wants to take advantage. Soccer continues to grow in the United States, and the World Cup in 2026 is a potential high-water point.

“I just really want to put our best foot forward and show off what we have here between the light rail opening, amazing parks, the great businesses and hotels,” Birney said. “I want us to be the place people want to go after the World Cup to come visit to do all the things you can do in our region.”

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

The next Bundesliga TV rights in the United States cycle starts with the 2026/27 season. Therefore, the German division is in its penultimate year of the rights deal with ESPN. The two have been working with one another since the 2020/21 campaign, the first for the Bundesliga on ESPN’s family of networks. At the time, ESPN also had the rights to EFL media rights, including the Championship and EFL Cup. However, Relevent helped broker a new deal between the EFL and CBS which started ahead with the 2024/25 season.

The Bundesliga could follow suit, and there are several trends to point to the league finding a new home. For one, ESPN has gradually moved away from soccer rights since former ESPN President John Skipper left the company. Skipper, who was a noted soccer fan, helped build up the soccer rights portfolio within ESPN that, at one time, included the World Cup, Premier League, LaLiga, the Bundesliga, and the EFL, among others.

Relevent has an existing relationship with CBS, as seen with the deal involving the EFL. That could help get a foot in the door for the Bundesliga with what has become arguably the most important broadcaster for American soccer fans. German teams already feature on CBS via UEFA club competitions. Adding one of the most competitive domestic leagues in Europe would fit CBS’s aims.

Can CBS afford to add the Bundesliga after the EFL acquisition?

The challenge for CBS and other broadcasters in the United States is the rising cost of media rights. Although not public, the deal for the EFL rights in the United States was up compared to its previous cycle. The New York Times reported that the EFL had guarantees of $56 million for the Americas, with Relevent keeping a portion of anything more than that. It is likely the EFL earns more than that as part of the deal that runs through the 2027/28 season.

ESPN, however, is stuck in its deal with LaLiga that it overpaid for. That runs through the end of the 2028/29 season. Having paid $1.4 billion for the rights to LaLiga in the United States, it has held ESPN back from getting rights to other major soccer competitions.

Yet, given Relevent’s success in brokering deals with other providers, the Bundesliga may be finding a new home in the 2026/27 campaign.

This is by no means a guarantee in either direction. ESPN will have the rights for the current Bundesliga campaign and the next one. If ESPN recognizes the benefits of having the Bundesliga in its portfolio, it could be more willing to purchase future rights. In fact, it has already expressed interest in renewing the rights. Yet, this comes down to Relevent. The American media agency is responsible for marketing the league in the United States, and it will do its best to receive the biggest return on a future rights deal.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Bernd Reichart, the CEO of Super League organizing group A22, now has a defined starting time for the competition. Speaking to German outlet Kicker, Reichart identified a time less than one year from now as the point he wants the league to start. That time is September 2025. There has not been significant discussion about teams that would be interested in joining the European Super League. Regardless, Reichart remains confident that the league fits the desires of fans and clubs alike.

For example, the original aim of the Super League was to create intriguing matches on a European scale. At one point, clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City and Inter Milan expressed an interest in the league. Any time those teams play, fans tune in.

Reichart pointed to the new-look Champions League that, in some ways, incorporates aspects of the European Super League. Bayern Munich defeated Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 before Borussia Dortmund blasted Celtic for a 7-1 win. In Reichart’s eyes, the European Super League will give fans more matchups like Manchester City against Inter Milan or Arsenal against PSG. The former of those fixtures happened in this season’s Champions League, but that was a drab and scoreless draw.

Reichart: Super League launch date will also be more affordable for fans

In addition to having highlight-level matches, Reichart went on to add that the European Super League will also be more cost-effective. Currently, one of the biggest complaints among soccer fans is how expensive it is to watch. For example, watching a top Premier League club involves three different providers to watch all the games. ESPN has the FA Cup, NBC holds the rights to the Premier League and CBS wraps up the European competitions and the EFL Cup.

“We are studying new technologies and the business model based on them because we believe that football fans deserve a better and more affordable experience on their screens,” Reichart said.

In fairness, he did not mention how he and A22 achieve a more affordable product. In the past, the organizers had mentioned free streaming of all games in the European Super League. It would make money based on advertisements. However, this cannot rival the money that partnerships with TV providers would bring in. Clubs would certainly need assurances that they will still be able to make money if they are to join this competition.

Regardless, the launch date that A22 wants for the Super League is less than a year away. By that measure, it must work quickly to round up enough clubs that would bring in considerable interest to drive the product’s viewership.

PHOTO: IMAGO

Each of these players, and the continued trend of opting out of national team duty is right to prioritize fitness and their club over lackluster national team competitions. Whether it be the Nations League in any confederation or just simple friendlies, these star players do not need to risk injuries that could curtail their careers. Many of these stars are playing games in the domestic league, domestic cup and UEFA competitions. That number of games can seriously ramp up.

Although it is nothing formal, it is a conscious decision from players that aligns with the threat of a strike. Before his knee injury with Manchester City, Spanish midfielder Rodri actively campaigned for a strike to quell the growing number of games.

“I think we are close to a strike, and if you ask any player he will say the same. And if it keeps this way, there will be a moment where we have no other option, I really think, but let’s see. I don’t know what’s going to happen but it’s something that worries us because we are the guys that suffer.”

Leaving the national team early can be a smart move for one’s career

Players ditching their national teams with a Nations League or friendly fixture still to play are effectively striking against their national team. No, it is not in any bad blood, and these are often insignificant games that they will miss. Christian Pulisic, for example, performed well in Mauricio Pochettino’s debut. However, he is off to a sizzling start this season with AC Milan. To maintain that form, he cannot risk injury in a meaningless game that will turn physical against Mexico.

When considering how many games these stars are playing, it is no surprise to see this decision. They only need to turn to other wear-and-tear injuries that have damaged star players. Pedri and Ansu Fati broke out as teenage stars at Barcelona. The club’s reliance on them and early performances with the Spanish national team led to hamstring injuries that Fati never recovered from.

“When the amount of games starts getting bigger, the performance and quality are lower,” Rodri said.

Taking time off from the national team protects the players, and there should be no criticism for these players making this decision. Governing bodies in the sport at both club and international levels have done nothing to protect those who draw fans to spend money and watch. Therefore, the players have taken it into their own hands to look after their well-being. On the bright side, it comes at the cost of games that bear little to no significance for established competitions.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

The next batch of media rights regarding the World Cup is the 2027 Women’s tournament in Brazil. Starting early in 2025, FIFA will field bids from different broadcasters to be the TV or streaming home of the tournament. John Ourand of Puck said there will be heightened interest from various American broadcasters. There are not many media rights offerings on the table, regardless of sport. Broadcasters looking to make a splash could thus turn to the Women’s World Cup as a chance to expand.

“Given the growth in women’s sports, the popularity of the U.S. Women’s National Team, and the lack of significant rights on the market, it’s a good bet that FIFA will generate a ton of interest,” Ourand said in his newsletter.

That begs the question as to which broadcasters would challenge FOX in this endeavor. According to Ourand, the principal candidates are NBC and ESPN. CBS, which has made considerable headway in soccer for both men’s and women’s competitions, could throw its name in the ring, too. However, there is currently uncertainty at CBS because of Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount.

ESPN, NBC to battle FOX for World Cup rights

NBC’s and ESPN’s goals differ greatly from those of FOX, which has based its soccer coverage on linear TV. The World Cups in 2022 and 2023 had full coverage available on FOX or Fox Sports 1. The same mostly applied to the European Championship, which sublicensed five games in the group stage exclusive to Fubo.

Meanwhile, ESPN and NBC have built up their digital and streaming content to make that the focus of their coverage. Adding something like the 2027 Women’s World Cup could add to their impressive arrays of content that presently exist on streaming platforms.

“After all, sports media executives have consistently pointed to soccer programming as an effective customer-acquisition tool for their streaming services—the rights aren’t backbreakingly expensive, the market is global, etcetera—and so the Women’s World Cup should be especially valuable to ESPN, which is launching a direct-to-consumer service next year, and NBC, which is trying to build out Peacock around live content,” wrote Ourand.

As Ourand notes, the Women’s World Cup rights are not overly costly. Therefore, NBC and ESPN may not have to break the bank to acquire these rights. There is an argument that this could also set a precedent for the men’s World Cup. For example, FOX may be inclined to pay more for the Women’s World Cup rights. That may open the door for other broadcasters to target the 2030 men’s World Cup, a tournament FOX does not currently have the rights to.

Note that the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup was the first time that the broadcasting rights to the tournament were sold separately from the men’s World Cup.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

On Monday, FC Barcelona announced that Lamine Yamal will undergo further testing upon returning to the club. Yamal was on international duty with Spain, where he played the majority of the game in the side’s game against Denmark. He did not exit that game due to injury, which is at least some sort of good news for the club. Initial reports indicated that it was no more than a hamstring strain, something that Yamal can recover from. Yet, those further tests that are looming for Yamal will be able to further tell what the damage is.

Therefore, Barcelona cannot provide any timetable for what the status of Yamal is. The Catalan club plays Sevilla on the Saturday after the October international break, and his availability for that game is unclear. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick plans to incorporate Lamal in his squad for that game against Sevilla. Granted, if further scans and tests show the injury is more serious, Hansi Flick may have no option but to leave the wonderkid out of the squad.

Barcelona must be conscious of Lamine Yamal hamstring injury

Losing Yamal for that Sevilla game and perhaps several weeks would throw off what has been a great start to the campaign. Barcelona currently leads LaLiga, and it rattled off a dominating performance last time out in the UEFA Champions League. Lamine Yamal has been at the center of that, as the 17-year-old has scored four goals and tallied five assists in nine LaLiga appearances. He ranks top 10 in LaLiga in both categories in the early going.

Barcelona’s upcoming schedule is challenging. After playing Sevilla at home, Barcelona faces Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League then returns to LaLiga action with a trip to Real Madrid. That fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu could be paramount to Barcelona’s chances of a LaLiga title this season. The club will need Lamine Yamal available to maximize its chances of success.

Yet, this injury to Lamine Yamal goes beyond this season. Failing to allow the injury to fully heal could be detrimental to the teenager’s career moving forward. It was not long ago that Ansu Fati was the starlet for Barcelona. The club even gave him the No. 10 shirt after Lionel Messi. That was enough to give him the pressure of being the club’s next savior. Of course, that never came to fruition, and injuries played a massive role in that.

Lamine Yamal has already proven his ability, and Barcelona has someone to build around for the future. There is no need to rush back the teenager so early to force this injury to be worse than it already is.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

According to The Times, England reached out to Pep Guardiola and his representatives in the early stages of the 2024/25 season. Importantly, this does not mean Guardiola is the only candidate, nor has he expressed interest. For reference, England is only trying to see if this is something that Guardiola would have any interest in doing after his time with Manchester City. The Spaniard’s contract with Manchester City expires at the end of the 2024/25 season. After winning every possible competition with Manchester City, Guardiola may see it as time to move on to something else. Coaching a national team could fit his eye.

As of now, Guardiola has not responded to the inquiry from the England national team. The Spaniard’s next move is unclear. Manchester City has stated that it wants Guardiola to stay on board for at least one more season, which would be his 10th campaign in the Premier League. Guardiola mentioned the rumors about leaving Manchester City during an appearance on the Italian program Che Tempo Che Fa.

“It’s not true, I haven’t decided yet. And it is not even true that I will be the next England coach. If I had decided I would say it… I don’t know either, anything can happen.”

Is Pep Guardiola the right fit for the England job?

England has certain parameters that it wants the next head coach to fulfill. For one, it wants a coach with experience in English soccer. By the end of his current contract with Manchester City, Guardiola will have spent nine seasons in the Premier League. With the potential to add trophies in the 2024/25 season, the Spaniard already has six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and a coveted UEFA Champions League.

England does not have to hire an Englishman for the post, despite that being the trend over the years. Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello both coached the England national team despite not being English. Even the current interim boss, Lee Carsley, spent his playing career with the Ireland national team.

Carsley has been a candidate to take on the role on a permanent basis. However, he admitted after England’s Nations League win over Finland that England must appoint the best person for the job. That may be Guardiola, should he accept the position. Guardiola certainly has ample experience with players among the England ranks. Five players on the October 2024 England squad play for Manchester City, that is the most from any one club. Guardiola would likely be able to find a way to get the most out of these players, as he has done at City.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

According to Bild, representatives from Manchester United met with Sebastian Hoeness about the possibility of taking over at Old Trafford. At the time, Erik ten Hag has not signed the contract extension keeping him at the club until June 2026. The club saw Hoeness as someone who could lead the reconstruction of the club quickly, much in the same way he had with Stuttgart. However, the 42-year-old coach turned the Red Devils down. He elected to stay in the Bundesliga and continue his work with Stuttgart.

Hoeness is the son of Stuttgart and Bayern icon Dieter Hoeness. He is the nephew of Uli Hoeness, another former Bayern player who later served as President of the club. There was no indication that his decision to turn down Manchester United came down to interest in any other jobs. Rather, he wants to stay on with Stuttgart, where the ability to develop as a coach is far easier.

The German only became the manager of Stuttgart in April of 2023. At the time, Stuttgart was at the bottom of the Bundesliga and a candidate to go down to the second division. He rattled off 13 points in the club’s final eight games, which dragged Stuttgart to 16th. Stuttgart then dispatched Hamburg in the relegation playoffs, 6-1 on aggregate.

Manchester United interest in Sebastian Hoeness shows club keeps options available

Although this report comes from summer interest, it is worth noting that Manchester United is sifting around options to replace Erik ten Hag. Based on how the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign has gone, Manchester United may soon be in the market for a new manager. The Dutch manager remains confident that he will keep his job through the season. However, Manchester United is 14th in the Premier League. In the Europa League, United has drawn its first two games. The club may not put up with this level of mediocrity for much longer.

Sebastian Hoeness may not be at the top of the list for Manchester United currently. If he is focusing on his time with Stuttgart, his onus remains on the UEFA Champions League and the Bundesliga. Plenty of coaches have been linked to the Manchester United job in the opening months of the 2024/25 season. For example, Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel and Simone Inzaghi have been in the rumor mill around Old Trafford. Hoeness does not have the resume that those names carry, but he is bringing fresh ideas to Stuttgart to great success early on in his managerial career.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Opta, a British sports analytics company, compiled new rankings for all professional soccer leagues in the world. Using a formula that ranks all professional clubs on a scale of one to 100, Opta creates a table of every club. Using the average ranking for teams in certain leagues, we can see how the average club rating in each league compares to others. In this case, MLS ranks well. It is a slight improvement, but a significant one in truth compared to rankings from earlier in the year, when MLS was 13th.

Now, Major League Soccer ranks as the ninth-best league in the world, according to Opta. In achieving this spot, MLS sits at a rank above some of the most recognizable and historic leagues in the world. For example, the Eredivisie, Liga MX, Argentine Primera and Turkish Super Lig all sit beneath MLS.

Major League Soccer is, by Opta’s calculation, the second-strongest league from outside Europe. Only the Brasileirão, which is sixth, has stronger teams on average than MLS for leagues not in UEFA. The Brazilian Serie A occupying sixth is impressive in itself. Only the traditional top five leagues in Europe are better on average than the Brasileirão.

Why has MLS ascended in world rank?

Opta attributes MLS rising four spots in world rank to the league’s performance in the 2023 Leagues Cup. It was a strong showing from American and Canadian teams against their Mexican counterparts in the inaugural competition that Inter Miami won. Originally, Opta expected Liga MX to bounce back with strong performances in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup. However, this was not as clear as first thought. MLS consolidated its spot while Liga MX sits 14th in the world.

Another popular point of contention has been between MLS and the Saudi Pro League. Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami is on a comparable level club-to-club to Al Nassr, the club of Cristiano Ronaldo. However, MLS as a whole is considerably stronger than the Saudi Pro League in these world rankings. Al-Hilal is the top club when comparing MLS and the Saudi Pro League. Yet, the average club ranking for the Saudi Pro League is 73.6, while MLS has an average rank of 78.2.

Top 20 soccer leagues in the world

1. English Premier League
2. Serie A
3. German Bundesliga
4. LaLiga
5. Ligue 1
6. Brasileirão
7. Primeira Liga
8. Belgian Pro League
9. Major League Soccer
10. English Championship
11. Liga Professional Argentina
12. Danish Superligaen
13. Eredivisie
14. Liga MX
15. Czech First League
16. Ekstraklasa
17. German Bundesliga Zwei
18. Turkish Super Lig
19. Serie B
20. Swiss Super League

PHOTO: IMAGO

Speaking to the Italian TV program Che Tempo Che Fa, Pep Guardiola talked about who he deems the greatest player of all time. He went for a player who most would expect Guardiola to say. His time as a manager certainly played a role in his selection, as he was the coach of this star for four seasons that yielded unheralded success. Together, they won two Champions League titles, three LaLiga crowns, a pair of Copa del Reys and two FIFA Club World Cups, among other accolades.

“With all due respect to Pele and Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi is the GOAT in my opinion,” Guardiola said. “I have never seen someone like him as a coach, you can’t imagine him maintaining this longevity for 15-20 years. When you see him up close, you think of Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan.”

Messi brilliance extends beyond the Pep Guardiola years

Of those 15 to 20 years that Pep Guardiola alludes to, he was only the manager for Messi in four seasons. Yet, the two complemented each other to become one of the strongest coach-player duos in history. The development of Guardiola’s false nine suited Messi’s ability to dribble and pass unlike any other. Messi scored an unreal 211 goals in the four seasons that Guardiola was at Barcelona. That is almost a goal every game during his 219 games played in those four seasons. He also tacked on 90 assists for good measure.

Yet, Guardiola mentioned the longevity that has allowed Messi to stand out among the greats. Following Guardiola’s departure from Barcelona, Lionel Messi hit a new level of his game. In the 2012/13 season, for example, which was the first after Guardiola, Messi scored 46 goals. That contributed to his record-setting calendar year of 2012 when he scored a record 91 goals in all competitions.

Of course, Messi’s exploits would later come back to haunt Pep Guardiola. Messi scored a hat trick against City in Guardiola’s debut season in England when the two met in the Champions League. When Messi moved to PSG, he scored a stunning goal, his first for the French club, when PSG defeated Manchester City in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. In the 2014/15 Champions League, Messi scored a brace and added an assist in the semifinals when Guardiola was at Bayern Munich.

Regarding the comparison to Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, Messi’s longevity surpasses even their arguments as the greatest player. Messi is still one of the best players in the world. Granted, he is past those heights of his prime. Yet, few can argue with the individual accolades Messi has amassed.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Unfortunately for the players, these tournaments overlap. The Club World Cup spans almost one month from June 15 to July 13. The Gold Cup, which features fewer teams, runs from June 13 to July 6. Therefore, players cannot compete in both competitions. Even if they could, it would be far-fetched to think a player would be able to seamlessly go from a tournament with their national team to a tournament with their club, or vice versa.

That said, it may not be up to the players. FIFA regulations state clubs are obliged to release players. It is not mandatory.

“Clubs are obliged to release their registered players to the representative teams of the country for which the player is eligible to play on the basis of his nationality if they are called up by the association concerned.”

A player is free to reject an international call-up, should they have a desire to play in the Club World Cup over the Gold Cup. However, there are several considerations for that. For example, that may hurt the standing of players with their national team coach. Mauricio Pochettino is now the boss of the USMNT, and the Gold Cup is a chance for players to get valuable time with him as the coach.

CONCACAF players to make decision between Gold Cup and Club World Cup

Several players on the USMNT face that very dilemma as their clubs have qualified for the Club World Cup. Juventus will compete in the Club World Cup in the summer of 2025. Therefore, Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah will play in one of, but not both, of the Club World Cup and Gold Cup. The same applies to Gio Reyna, who, as of now, is under contract with Borussia Dortmund. None of those three players featured in the squad for the 2023 Gold Cup. Likewise, none of the three have won the Gold Cup, so they may feel inclined to perform with Pochettino at the helm.

This is not an issue exclusive to Americans though. Alphonso Davies of Canada can continue to be integral under Jesse Marsch. Yet, Bayern Munich will want to use the Canadian as its starting wing-back at the Club World Cup this summer. He faces the same dilemma as each of the Americans.

With three Liga MX teams in action, there could be a host of Mexicans facing the same problem. The most recent squad for friendlies in October featured one player from each of Pachuca, Leon and Monterrey, three clubs competing in the Club World Cup. Even more players featured in recent squads for the Mexican national team.

As more teams secure spots in the Gold Cup, their players who would also qualify for the Club World Cup face this decision that affects both tournaments.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

The financial year ending on March 31, 2024, showed that US Soccer earned projected revenues of $110 million. Just one year removed from the partnership with SUM and MLS, US Soccer is earning 243% more revenue than it did with that agreement. Overall revenue for the Federation as a whole may surpass $200 million to further establish its growth. US Soccer has taken a different approach compared to what SUM was doing.

The main revenue stream for US Soccer is now advertisements and sponsorships. Coca-Cola, Visa, Nike and Marriott Bonvoy are some of the biggest sponsors of US Soccer to help grow this revenue stream.

US Soccer is more financially free without SUM and MLS deal

Such an increased revenue stream has allowed US Soccer to be more aggressive with how it spends its money. For example, the federation made two high-profile signings for the senior men’s and women’s teams. The first of those was Emma Hayes, who is earning $2 million per year to oversee the United States Women’s National Team. Then, in the summer of 2024, US Soccer named Mauricio Pochettino as the replacement for Gregg Berhalter as the head coach of the USMNT. The Argentine is earning $6 million per year with the USMNT.

US Soccer chief commercial officer David Wright told The New York Times the growth is coming rapidly for the federation, and it is doing what it can to cash in on the excitement surrounding soccer in the United States.

“We’ve got 122 million fans of US Soccer – we’re projecting that to be well north of 150 million coming out of the 2026 World Cup. Those numbers have everyone who is connected with the game very excited. And now managing our own commercial rights, which we’ve been doing for less than two years, the receptiveness we’ve received in the marketplace is off the charts. The business is growing exponentially.”

Results will dictate how effective US Soccer’s revenue has been. Pochettino makes his debut in the USMNT dugout during the October international break. Meanwhile, Emma Hayes has done well in her admittedly brief time as the head coach of the USWNT. Major domestic tournaments that Wright mentioned will further establish growth for US Soccer.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

That includes making a rare move for a star player in January. Rodri’s season-ending injury has left a void in the midfield of Pep Guardiola’s side. Manchester City brought in Ilkay Gundogan who has brilliantly provided cover for Rodri. However, at the age of 33, Gundogan is not a long-term solution to Manchester City’s problems. Zubimendi, on the other hand, can naturally fit into the Manchester City ranks and continue to develop under Pep Guardiola.

Zubimendi has not signed a contract renewal with Real Sociedad. Under his current deal, the Spaniard will remain with the Basque club for the foreseeable future. Despite that, Sociedad is yet to offer the midfielder a new contract, which has made him available.

Liverpool previously worked to bring Zubimendi in this past summer in a deal that would have hovered around $70 million. However, the midfielder backed out of that, and instead opted to remain with Real Sociedad for the near future. That is where he stands now, but his desire to leave is clear. His release clause is still $68 million, but all signs point to Zubimendi being more open to leaving at the next available point, according to Relevo.

Manchester City sees Zubimendi as a replacement for Rodri in the long term

In the immediate sense, Zubimendi can work alongside Ilkay Gundogan in the midfield. Not only would this give the Spaniard ample opportunity to adjust to life in the Premier League and with a Champions League contender. He would learn from one of Pep Guardiola’s most reliable midfielders how to play a deeper role. Rodri will not return this season, and Zubimendi has shown during his time at Sociedad that he can play. Giving Guardiola options alongside Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic will also help the burden of playing time.

In the future, Zubimendi can be the natural replacement for Rodri, Gundogan and Kovacic. There is not a natural successor that has earned consistent playing time that is young. Most of the Manchester City midfield is aging. Granted, this position benefits experience, and there are regular examples of relatively older players performing well. That said, Manchester City is a club that has not been shy to move on from players in exchange for other options. Zubimendi would be an exciting arrival for Manchester City to maintain its hold on the Premier League.

If the move happens in January, Zubimendi would instantly join a club that is a contender in both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. By comparison, Real Sociedad has struggled in the early going of the 2024/25 season. The Basque club is 15th in the LaLiga table with just two wins through nine games.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

It is now the third year in a row MLS has beaten its attendance record for the regular season. In the 2023 season, MLS was just short of 11 million. Last year, 10,900,804 fans came out to MLS games in the 493-game regular season. With the same number of games for 2024, it is a sizeable step for MLS to surpass 11 million viewers in the stadium. Additionally, there are still 16 games remaining, culminating on Decision Day on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Bumping the total attendance above 11 million this season may be hard to qualify in the grand scheme. The average attendance across MLS this season is 23,240. For comparison, this is over 1,000 more spectators at each match compared to the 2023 campaign, which was 23,111 on average across the league.

MLS attributed this record-setting attendance to the arrivals of international stars and MLS clubs providing strong ticket packages. The latter is dependent on the clubs, but, on several occasions, MLS used larger stadiums to welcome massive audiences. For example, the LA Galaxy played LAFC at the Rose Bowl in front of over 70,000 viewers. Likewise, Sporting Kansas City hosted Inter Miami at the NFL’s Arrowhead Stadium for over 72,000 attendees.

Lionel Messi plays key role in MLS regular season attendance record

That game at Arrowhead Stadium speaks volumes about how effective players like Lionel Messi have been this season. Not only has Inter Miami’s average attendance grown with the Argentine in the fold. Other MLS teams have expanded their stadiums to accommodate the audiences that Messi brings in. For example, the Chicago Fire, New England Revolution, Charlotte FC and Sporting Kansas City all had their biggest audiences of the season when Inter Miami came to town.

Despite Lionel Messi picking up an injury, Inter Miami games still drew strong audiences at home and on the road. Having Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba on the field is clearly enough to draw a strong level of interest from fans across the United States. In this season, MLS also acquired players like Marco Reus and Olivier Giroud, both of whom have strong global audiences.

Attendances in the MLS Cup Playoffs should also be strong. The two teams from Los Angeles are both in the playoffs. Also, Inter Miami won the Supporters’ Shield as the club with the best record in MLS. They figure to be a contender in the playoffs with their former Barcelona stars in full swing in the fall.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Yet, for the October contests, there is plenty of reason to watch. There is no battle between top teams in the standings, but there is intrigue for those spots to get into the places that earn a spot in the 2026 World Cup. There is not one spot to watch the 10 games taking place during the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, either. The majority of games are exclusively available on Fanatiz via pay-per-view, but certain fixtures are also available on more traditional TV or streaming.

In total, there are eight games out of the 10 this international break that are available on Fanatiz pay-per-view. The schedule below lists where each game is available. The other two games are available on TV and streaming. Argentina’s game against Bolivia on Tuesday, Oct. 15, is on Universo and Fubo. On the same day, Peru’s game against Brazil is streaming on ViX. The links attached to the schedule take users directly to the page to stream games.

CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers schedule

The following times are listed in US Eastern Time

Thursday, Oct. 10

4 p.m. — Bolivia vs. Colombia. — Fanatiz PPV.

5 p.m. — Ecuador vs. Paraguay. — Fanatiz PPV.

5 p.m. — Venezuela vs. Argentina. — Fanatiz PPV.

8 p.m. — Chile vs. Brazil. — Fanatiz PPV.

Friday, Oct. 11

9:30 p.m. — Peru vs. Uruguay. — Fanatiz PPV.

Tuesday, Oct. 15

4:30 p.m. — Colombia vs. Chile. — Fanatiz PPV.

7 p.m. — Paraguay vs. Venezuela. — Fanatiz PPV.

7:30 p.m. — Uruguay vs. Ecuador. — Fanatiz PPV.

8 p.m. — Argentina vs. Bolivia. — Universo, Fubo, DirecTV Stream, ViX.

8:45 p.m. — Brazil vs. Peru. — ViX.

How much is Fanatiz Pay-per-View?

There are different options for those looking to watch CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying via Fanatiz. Fans can subscribe to one individual game for $30. The teams playing both of their games in the October CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers on Fanatiz PPV have packages available. Users can pay $50 to get access to one team’s games. For example, Uruguay is playing on Fanatiz for both of its games, and fans can subscribe. The final option costs $100. That unlocks pay-per-view access to all eight games for the October window.

A thrilling competition ramps up in October

As is standard, CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying has been an unpredictable ride. Argentina has been the best team with 18 points through. That includes a win in Brazil. Yet, it is Colombia which is the only team without a loss in South American qualifying. Uruguay and Ecuador have also been performing well, with Brazil sitting fifth in the standings. Although Brazil has been struggling, its current position would be good enough to get into the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

The regular season is not quite complete, though. The Orlando Pride must still play three more games to finish the 26-game regular season. With a 10-point lead in the standings, Orlando no longer has anything concrete to play for. It will host a game in the quarterfinals of the 2024 NWSL Playoffs. The Orlando Pride will host one of the semifinal fixtures if it wins in the quarterfinals.

That said, there is history at stake for Orlando Pride over the next three games. Through 23 games, the Orlando Pride is yet to lose a game. The club’s 57 points come from 17 wins and six draws. No team has ever finished an NWSL regular season with an unbeaten record, and the Orlando Pride is doing so in a season where there are more games than ever before.

The remaining contests will not be overly easy, though. Orlando’s last three regular-season games include trips to the Portland Thorns and Gotham FC. Both clubs are currently inside the playoff picture for the NWSL postseason, and Gotham is the third-best team in the league. Those will be difficult games, but Orlando can call on its wins over both at home as a means for success in the closing games of the season. In the season finale, Orlando faces the Seattle Reign at Inter & Co. Stadium in downtown Orlando.

Can Orlando Pride win both NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship?

Unlike many European leagues, though, the NWSL Shield for the Orlando Pride does not mean success of the highest order in the league. The measurement for success in the NWSL comes from the NWSL Playoffs, and while the Orlando Pride will compete as a home team in the first two rounds, should it advance, these one-off games can be a hurdle.

This is the 11th season the NWSL has handed out the NWSL Shield to the regular-season champion. The NWSL Shield Winner has only won the NWSL Championship twice, with the North Carolina Courage accomplishing the feat in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019. Each of the last three NWSL Shield winners has struggled in the NWSL Playoffs. Portland, Seattle and Angel City each lost their semifinal game at home, meaning a quick exit from the NWSL Playoffs for each team.

Unlike those teams, the Orlando Pride will be entering the playoffs in the quarterfinals. With three games left, Orlando does not know who it will face in the opening fixture of the playoffs. That will be the eighth seed, which could be any of five teams currently vying for a playoff spot.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

The role of a soccer studio analyst is to give opinions. Not just any opinions, but to speak his or her mind, sharing insightful analysis that adds to the conversation about the sport or a specific game. Not every analyst can do it, but the best ones provide unique thoughts that elevate the game. The worst ones just talk, talk, talk without providing anything insightful.

So, instead of naming the studio analysts needing improvement, let’s focus on the best ones that you’ll find on American TV.

Top 10 studio analysts to watch

In alphabetical order by last name:

Karen Bardsley

Former goalkeeper Karen Bardsley was born and bred in the United States. Bizarrely, though, she hasn’t yet had many opportunities to share her analysis on US television. Now based in the United Kingdom, she has been one of the stars of BBC’s radio coverage of major competitions recently such as the World Cup. We’d love to see her get more chances to appear on US television.

Nico Cantor

The versatile Nico Cantor can speak intelligently on a variety of topics about world soccer. Whether it’s CBS’ Morning Footy, The Golazo Show, or coverage of South American fútbol, he’s an expert on all things soccer, which is rare to find among American studio analysts. What we especially like about Cantor is that he doesn’t regurgitate the same talking points about MLS that hold back some of his colleagues. He speaks freely without being worried about the repercussions.

Maurice Edu

If you break Maurice Edu out of his MLS comfort zone, he’s a good analyst who reads the game very well. Just like many of his Apple TV colleagues, though, he doesn’t appear on television enough to analyze non-MLS games. We want to see him on CBS more often in the studio instead of being a co-commentator on Apple TV.

Herculez Gomez

Herc Gomez is one of the few American analysts who is outspoken. Despite his tendency to schill for too many brands on social media, he is one of the top analysts on US television. His successful Futbol Americas show on ESPN+ alongside Seb Salazar is unique. In a perfect world, though, we would love to see Gomez in the studio more often to deliver his analysis on games and big topics instead of just US/Mexico-related topics.

Kasey Keller

You’re not going to get a lot of passionate outbursts out of Kasey Keller’s mouth, but what you will get is a lot of wisdom from the former USMNT goalkeeper. Yes, his delivery is dry, but if you listen to what he says, it’s often highly intelligent analysis where he cuts through the noise. We’d love to see him more on TV too instead of just La Liga broadcasts and ESPN FC episodes.

Sacha Kljestan

MLS 360 on Apple TV has a lot going for it, and Sacha Kljestan is the shining star. He caught us by surprise when he debuted in 2023. We had no idea he was such a good analyst. Not only that, but he’s entertaining too, as well as possessing a good sense of humor. While he can be protective and overly sensitive when MLS is criticized, he’s still worth watching. Just like several of his colleagues on this list, though, we’d love to see him outside of the MLS bubble, analyzing games for other networks where he would be more visible.

Michael Lahoud

Other than Karen Bardsley, former professional soccer player Michael Lahoud is the one person on this list who flies under the radar. Whenever we’ve watched him on Scoreline or guest appearances on CBS, he’s been solid. He thinks differently than a lot of the other carbon-copy analysts. He’s got plenty of enthusiasm as well as feel-good vibes. To us, he’s a natural, and his love of soccer shines through the broadcasts when he’s on.

Marco Messina

It’s difficult to pick one person from the CBS Serie A studio crew since the entire team does good work, but one person who stands out is Marco Messina. You can tell he loves the game from the bottom of his heart. So the mix of unbridled joy combined with his knowledge of the sport is infectious. Full credit to CBS for taking the risk by hiring him in the first place. It’s been a wise move for a network that is willing to take risks.

Tab Ramos

Out of all of the studio analysts, Tab Ramos is the one who we’d like to see more of on US television. His appearances are often limited to Spanish-language television. Yet, every time we see and hear him on English-language broadcasts, his honesty and razor-sharp opinions always make him a breath of fresh air to listen to. Ramos never holds back. He is the real deal and has the experience as a professional footballer and coach to back him up.

Nigel Reo-Coker

Nigel Reo-Coker is everywhere. He’s on The Golazo Show, as well as guest appearances on Morning Footy, in addition to being in the studio for many of the EFL games this season. On top of that, he’s on BBC Radio 5 Live all the time on their soccer analysis and discussion shows. At the heart of it, Reo-Coker is a smooth talker. He’s able to share his opinions and gets straight to the point. If you listen carefully to what he says, he’s always offering solid analysis while avoiding the cliches that a lot of other pundits keep on repeating.

Honorable mentions: Tony Meola, Mike Grella, and Aly Wagner.

There is yet to be an American, particularly one with playing experience, who can lead analysis of soccer coverage on US TV. Several of the better ones have stepped away from TV roles to focus on other parts of the sport. Those include Oguchi Onyewu and Eric Wynalda.

Hopefully, over time, the United States will develop a respected analyst who will be the top voice in American soccer.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Additional insight and analysis by Christopher Harris

By most accounts, those four clubs have straightforward contests on matchday seven. Liverpool travels to Crystal Palace, which has struggled early on this season, with three draws and three losses. Manchester City hosts Fulham, which could be a tricky game. However, a comfortable 4-0 win in the Champions League could get City back on track domestically. Arsenal and Chelsea also play home games, with the London duo facing Southampton and Nottingham Forest, respectively.

Therefore, we have to look elsewhere for marquee games. For most fans, that is Manchester United’s game against Aston Villa. United’s is historically out of form, and pressure on Erik ten Hag continues to rise. By comparison, Aston Villa defeated Bayern Munich in the Champions League for a historic result. Villa Park will be rowdy once again on Sunday when a desperate United comes to town.

Also on Sunday, Brighton and Hove Albion hosts Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs bounced back from two Premier League losses on the spin with convincing results against Brentford and Manchester United. Brighton failed to win any of its Premier League games in September with three draws and a loss. The schedule does not get any easier for Brighton, which faces Spurs, Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester City in its next five EPL games.

NBC coverage this weekend

Rebecca Lowe is the host of NBC’s studio coverage of the Premier League this weekend. Robbie Earle will serve as an analyst alongside Gary Neville. The former Manchester United and England defender is working with NBC this season as part of a new collaboration. Previously, Neville appeared on NBC’s live coverage of the Premier League.

During the five-game slate at 10 a.m. on Saturday, fans can watch GOAL RUSH. This is the Premier League’s whiparound show that focuses on one game but shows the major moments from across the grounds. Goal Rush is exclusively available on Peacock for those in the United States.

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American fans can also watch the Premier League in 4K this weekend. There are two games available in 4K, and those are Crystal Palace-Liverpool and Aston Villa-Manchester United. Watching the Premier League in 4K requires specific subscriptions and hardware.

Premier League commentators on NBC: Matchweek 7

All of the following times are US Eastern Time.

Saturday, Oct. 5

7:30 a.m. — Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool. USA Network, Universo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — IN 4K. — Jon Champion and Matt Holland.

10 a.m. — West Ham United vs. Ipswich Town. USA Network, Universo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — Tony Jones and Tony Gayle.

10 a.m. — Arsenal vs. Southampton. Peacock Premium — Bill Leslie and Matt Upson.

10 a.m. — Brentford vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers. Peacock Premium — Rob Palmer and Glenn Murray.

10 a.m. — Leicester City vs. Bournemouth. Peacock Premium — Rob Jones and Courtney Sweetman-Kirk.

10 a.m. — Manchester City vs. Fulham. Peacock Premium — David Stowell and Michael Brown.

12:30 p.m. — Everton vs. Newcastle. NBC, Universo, Peacock Premium, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — Peter Drury and Lee Dixon.

Sunday, Oct. 6

9 a.m. — Aston Villa vs. Manchester United. USA Network, Telemundo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — IN 4K. — Jon Champion and Graeme Le Saux.

9 a.m. — Chelsea vs. Nottingham Forest. Peacock Premium — Jacqui Oatley and Lee Hendrie.

11:30 a.m. — Brighton and Hove Albion vs. Tottenham Hotspur. USA Network, Telemundo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream — Jim Proudfoot and Paul Robinson.

PHOTO: IMAGO

Each of the three can play different positions. Generally speaking, Foden plays down either the right or in the middle, as does Cole Palmer. Jude Bellingham is also exclusively an attacking midfielder, but he has played out wide when necessary. With Gareth Southgate at the helm, Foden and Bellingham were the starters, with Palmer relegated to the bench. Yet, it was always going to be a challenge to fit these two in. His traditional 4-3-3 bumped Foden and Bellingham out to the wings. Naturally, those two players drifted into the middle, and England was congested in the attack.

Lee Carsley summoned all three, unsurprisingly, to his squad for October’s Nations League games against Greece and Finland. Yet, this will be the first time the interim England boss has any of those three under his command. His squad last month consisted of players with less recognition Anthony Gordon or Jack Grealish. Now, Carsley, who has been more experimental in his limited time than Southgate was, can show a new side of what Palmer, Foden and Bellingham can do with England.

Fitting Foden, Bellingham and Palmer into one England squad

Carsley used two formations in his two England games. The first one was a 4-3-3, akin to what Gareth Southgate did. Then, he used a 4-2-3-1. The former formation may be more challenging to fit in all three in one squad. Foden can play off the left with Palmer on the right. Then, Bellingham can play in the middle of the park with Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo on either side of him. This requires that Bellingham play deeper, though. Additionally, this relegates Bukayo Saka to the bench, who presents another cog of confusion for England coaches. The 4-2-3-1 is the same problem, it only bumps Bellingham slightly forward in the formation.

Therefore, it may be worth seeing if Carsley can try a formation that uses three traditional defenders at the back. Bukayo Saka’s work rate is enough to deploy him as a right-wing back, and Luke Shaw, when fit, can play as a left-wing back. This takes care of the width, and it lets the creativity permeate in the middle. Declan Rice can remain the holding midfielder in front of the three at the back. In front of Rice are Palmer, Bellingham and Foden.

Although this would grant freedom to each, Bellingham should remain as central as possible. His physicality compared to Palmer and Foden’s speed makes him more of a threat in the middle while they can take players on. Foden and Palmer can both drift into the middle to pick balls up from the defense. Their distribution can feed Kane or Ollie Watkins as the striker, with Saka blazing down one side as well.

Playing opponents like Finland and Greece can afford England the opportunity to experiment and see what works. This lineup would be overtly offensive, the antithesis of what Gareth Southgate championed in his pragmatic preference with England.

Someone in the England attack would go to the bench

The fact remains that England is perhaps too strong going forward. Ensuring Palmer, Bellingham and Foden play takes another England star out of the equation. Using a more traditional formation sacrifices Bukayo Saka, who continues to prove his value for club and country each time he plays. Reverting to this more attacking look would put pressure on Declan Rice in the deeper midfield without Kobbie Mainoo there.

Palmer and Foden do not have the defensive work rate that is often required of midfielders, and Bellingham is not the most defensively sound either. In this case, four players would be designated to the attack, which can often be too much of a struggle. That is why Southgate struggled to get all three in one formation.

Each of these players is at risk of not starting features in Lee Carsley’s squad for the October Nations League games. This affords him the chance to see what works for England, and potentially prove his value should the England FA want to keep him aboard in a more permanent role.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Major League Soccer remains a closed system without promotion and relegation. The 30 teams in 2025 will compete against select teams with minimal consequences for those having poor seasons. On the other hand, the J1 League has relegation. Therefore, the three teams finishing at the bottom of the league drop down to the J2 League. Granted, the mere presence of promotion and relegation does not mean any league is stronger. However, 30 years on from their inception, the two leagues are worth discussing in terms of how they fare against one another.

In terms of which league is stronger, one place to look could be the Opta Power Rankings. A formula to determine the strength of every professional club in the world provides an aggregate ranking for each domestic league in soccer. MLS stands as the 13th strongest league in the world, as of April 2024. At that same time, the J1 League sat 22nd. That may not be the best metric, though, so let’s look at some of the more tangible things to come out of the two leagues.

How MLS compares against the J1 League

Even though the Opta Power Rankings put Major League Soccer ahead of the J-League, many other areas favor the Japanese division. Looking at on-pitch performance, the J1 League appears to produce more talent. This does not inherently mean better players, but perhaps more of an abundance of them. As seen, 18 current players across the Premier League, Ligue 1, LaLiga, Bundesliga and Serie A first made their professional debuts in the J1 League. It is important to note that this only applies to Japanese-born players, as well.

Likewise, only seven Americans in those same leagues made their career starts in MLS. Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna and Yunus Musah have never played in MLS. The likes of Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams started in MLS, though.

The above comparison is particularly timely because of the Red Bull CEO’s comments this week that MLS is developing too slowly.

Product vs. Power

Even though MLS may fall short in comparison to the J1 League in regularly producing European players, the 30 years of the two competitions have produced different looks. Promotion, relegation, and the open system in Japan have led to fewer different champions than Major League Soccer. There are pros and cons to this, including increased parity and diverse interest. However, the J1 League is known for its fan atmosphere and performances in continental competition. Even though MLS may have bigger stadiums and more attendees, the J1 League experience is exciting.

Still, the on-field play dictates what constitutes an objectively better league. By many accounts, MLS has better players. According to Transfermarkt, the J1 League’s most valuable player is Hayao Kawabe of Sanfrecce Hiroshima. According to the website, most clubs would pay around $5.5 million for the midfielder. MLS has 33 players the website deems more valuable than Kawabe. The headline of that is Lionel Messi.

In fairness, the J1 League has shifted away from buying big names in the sport. In the past, it brought in Andres Iniesta, Freddie Ljungberg, Hristo Stoichkov, Fernando Torres and David Villa. Those days are gone, and the J1 League has developed players rapidly. That may

explain why it exports so many top talents to Europe. Among the 18 active players to come up through the ranks in Japan are Kaoru Mitoma, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Daichi Kamada.

Impact on national team success

How has Japan faired in recent World Cups compared to the United States Men’s National Team? Let’s take a look to see how far the national teams went in the competition.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Most recently, Raya preserved another clean sheet, already his fifth of the season in all competitions through eight games. The shutout against PSG comes on the back of his clean sheet in the Champions League opener against Atalanta. In that contest, he made a spectacular double save on a penalty to keep Arsenal level. He did not have that standout save against PSG, but there were several moments where he was strong.

Raya made a snap save on a shot from distance off the boot of Lee Kang-in. The swerving shot perplexed Raya, who did enough to get a strong hand on the ball to make it challenging for Randal Kolo Muani to settle the ball. He also had a reactionary save on a set piece to keep the game at a two-goal margin. In truth, it was comfortable for David Raya on Tuesday. PSG only had two shots on target, and Raya was level to both.

However, his performances so far in the Champions League show massive improvement compared to last season. Shot-stopping has been consistently strong for Raya, but he added the element of distribution to his game. He created an early opportunity for Gabriel Martinelli against PSG. By comparison, his passing gave goals away in the Premier League and Champions League last season.

David Raya can be reliable presence as Arsenal hunts trophies

Goalkeeping could be the one area that Arsenal needs to solidify if it is going to take that one step further in 2024/25. William Saliba and Gabriel have a case to be the best center-back duo in Europe. Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard can transition Arsenal with ease, and Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard have grown to allow Kai Havertz to thrive up top. Seeing David Raya deliver such important performances will give the team an extra boost of confidence.

As stated, his ability to play the ball out of the back adds a new layer to Arsenal’s attack. It may not have led directly to a goal on Tuesday, but it keeps opposing clubs honest. The risk of a press is nullified by the fact that Raya can spread the ball out. Whether it be the long ball or quickly playing out of the back, Arsenal has multiple ways to beat the opponent.

Then, Raya backs up his play with saves. That aforementioned saves against Atalanta preserved a potentially invaluable point for the Gunners. In the Premier League, Raya’s miraculous save against Aston Villa secured three points in what was then a tie game at Villa Park. If he keeps making moments like that, Arsenal could be bound for success.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

United icon Paul Scholes, for example, has taken aim at the poor business from Manchester United. He takes exception to the acquisition of Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich. The move for the Dutchman cost United $50 million. He came in as a replacement for Harry Maguire as the man to pair with Lisandro Martinez in the central defense. Scholes says De Ligt is hardly an upgrade over Maguire, particularly when considering the price United paid.

“When you bring players in, you expect them to be a lot better than who you’ve already got,” Scholes said on SuperSport. “I don’t see players coming in who are a big difference. De Ligt has come in for Maguire, let’s say, but there’s no big difference there.”

Scholes added that he does not prefer De Ligt to Maguire, something that United manager Erik ten Hag has done in the majority of games so far. United’s defense has not been dreadful this season, but it has been poor. The club has conceded eight goals in the Premier League through six games. That is fewer than both Aston Villa and Brighton, both of which are ahead of United in the table.

Van Basten also lambasts recent Manchester United transfers

The criticism has not come from only former Manchester United players. Marco van Basten, who played for Ajax and AC Milan, chimed in with his criticism of Manchester United’s business in the transfer window. Talking on Ziggo Sport, Van Basten said many of the players currently in United’s squad are not up to the level a club of that stature demands.

“I saw a new player, Ugarte, or something like that,” Van Basten said. “Fifty million euros! Then I think: how can he walk around like that? It’s crazy how much money he spent on players who aren’t good.”

In fairness, Van Basten did not reserve his criticism to those who just arrived at Manchester United. The Dutchman named players like Marcus Rashford and Casemiro as ineffective based on how they are used in Erik ten Hag’s system. Rather than having great players, Van Basten said United has some good players. That includes Bruno Fernandes or Andre Onana. However, there is not a player that some of the lesser talents can latch onto for success.

United’s road does not get any easier off the back of the 3-0 loss against Tottenham Hotspur. The Red Devils travel to Portugal on Thursday in the Europa League to play Porto. Upon returning to England, Manchester United takes on Aston Villa in Birmingham. Should United lose that game, it could fall nine points outside the top four after just seven games in Premier League play. That may be insurmountable, and pressure would continue to pile on Erik ten Hag.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Now, there is a new video of the moment he revealed his plans to the Barcelona players. At the time, Barcelona’s loss to Villarreal sank it to fourth in LaLiga. However, the club was still alive in the UEFA Champions League, with a round-of-16 tie with Napoli on the horizon. Yet, Xavi still stepped into the dressing room to address his players.

“I have decided that I have had enough time,” Xavi told his players the day after the Villarreal loss. “I think I’m starting to be the problem.”

The shock loss to Villarreal undoubtedly played a role in Xavi’s unexpected departure from the club. His reveal to the public during a press conference over his intention to leave could have seemed like a snap reaction. He assured his players that this was not the case.

“I know it is not an easy day. First, because of yesterday’s result. We will analyze and see what has happened to us. I feel bad for not saying anything before the press conference. What I said after the game was something I decided on for a long time, it is not a reaction from yesterday and the defeat.”

Xavi resigned from Barcelona early, but drama lasted until summer

It was an assuredly heavy moment for the Barcelona players, many of whom were just teenagers. The video showed Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal, two teenagers that Xavi provided debuts for. It was club captain Sergi Roberto to provide the first words after Xavi talked to the players, saying the club still had more to play for.

“I know there are still four months left together to give thanks to you and all the staff,” Sergi Roberto said.

Barcelona did not win any trophies in the 2023/24 season, and it crashed out of the UEFA Champions League dramatically with a 4-1 loss at home against PSG. There were signs of encouragement, though, and that was enough to keep Xavi’s name in the mix as the club wanted to convince him to stay.

At one point, that was a feasible possibility. However, as it looked likely Xavi would stay, the club pulled out and confirmed that it would bring on a new manager. Hansi Flick took the reins at Barcelona, and he has the club off to a good start in the 2024/25 season. Xavi has not found a new role in soccer, perhaps enjoying his time away from the sport after the calamity that is FC Barcelona.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Fortunately, Atletico Madrid has taken steps to ensure this kind of action has the proper consequences. For one, Atletico successfully apprehended one of the culprits who threw something at Thibaut Courtois. Sunday’s Madrid derby suffered from a 15-minute delay because fans behind the Real Madrid net lobbed various objects on the pitch. This included lighters and other firm objects. Atletico manager Diego Simeone and the club captain Koke pleaded with fans to stop what they were doing.

Authorities identified one fan. Atletico thus banned him for life from all of the club’s games. Yet, he was far from alone in targeting Courtois and other Real Madrid players. Many Atletico Madrid fans who committed these acts were wearing face masks and hoods. Consequently, it has been a challenge for authorities to properly identify who threw things on the pitch. The club’s security department is still working with Madrid police to apprehend other individuals who caused the delay in the game.

Atletico Madrid bans things that conceal identity of attendees

As this has made the process more challenging, Atletico Madrid released a statement saying it is banning all garments and clothing that otherwise impede authorities in locating an individual.

“The club will imminently incorporate into its internal regulations the prohibition of using inside the stadium any element or garment that prevents distinguishing the face of a person in order to hide their identity, which until now was not contemplated in our regulations. In the event of non-compliance with this rule, they will be immediately expelled from the stadium,” the club said. That includes hoods, balaclavas, scarves and other similar garments.

Atletico Madrid working for bans after racist incident

The issues from the Metropolitano also shed light on a long-standing issue in Spain. There were more racist chants at Real Madrid winger Vinicius. The Brazilian has been the target of racism from several cohorts of fans, and that was no different on Sunday. The Anti-Violence Commission met on Monday morning to discuss Sunday’s events and to see if any further action is necessary. LaLiga President Javier Tebas has been a staunch opponent of racism in the league. Recently, he revealed he would support jail sentences for those found guilty of racism.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

The Leagues Cup, on the other hand, follows a more traditional route despite having more teams. Every MLS and Liga MX team splits into 15 groups of three teams. Therefore, each team plays two games, with the top two advancing to the round of 32. Having such a limited number of games has consequences and benefits. For example, playing one poor game could set up a team for failure. That said, 32 out of 47 teams play in the knockout stages. That is 68% of all teams reaching the elimination rounds.

Shifting to the format of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League would be an interesting look. Not only does the Champions League accommodate more teams. It increases the number of fixtures. MLS and Liga MX could look into expanding the first phase to embrace more of a league look. Bumping up the number of games in that first phase could, in turn, lower the number of games in the knockout phase. For example, each team could play six first-stage games, up from two that currently exist. Each team could host three games, and each team could play three on the road. At the end of that, the top 16 teams in a league phase would advance to the knockout rounds.

It would not be perfect, and there would need to be certain accommodations for Mexican teams. Yet, it would make it more likely the best teams would advance in the event they play two games poorly. That said, it would struggle to fit into busy MLS and Liga MX schedules.

Leagues Cup with Swiss Model opens doors for more fixtures

One of the key arguments for the new-look UEFA Champions League is that bigger teams play one another earlier on. Teams in Pot One of the UCL draw will play two Pot One teams. They also play two teams from Pots Two, Three and Four. MLS and Liga MX do not have the same disparity in the quality of teams. For the most part, the Leagues Cup is an even competition. Drawing opponents can still come down to general location. For example, teams on the east can play teams on the west. Regardless, playing more games can provide different kinds of matches between opponents.

It would also be more of an opportunity to play games in Mexico. Each game in the 2023 and 2024 Leagues Cup was in the United States, including contests involving two Liga MX or Canadian teams. Having more games would spread it out further and potentially increase fan involvement.

For competitive purposes, the Swiss Model can help the Leagues Cup. If Liga MX, which ranked above MLS in the Opta World Rankings, wants to prove itself against MLS, it needs more games. Monterrey and Chivas, which were two of the top teams in the 2023/24 Liga MX season, failed to escape the group stage of the 2024 Leagues Cup. Chivas lost both its games on penalties, while Monterrey missed out because it lost a penalty shootout. Eliminate the point system associated with the Leagues Cup and play more games like the Swiss Model.

Swiss Model increases number of games where there is no room for growth

Granted, playing more games is not always a solution. While it may increase competitiveness, coaches and players have voiced their opposition to playing so many games. Teams reaching the Leagues Cup Final played six games. For comparison, teams in the UEFA Champions League that reached the final played 13 games. In the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League, teams could play as many as 17 games depending on where they finish. Critics have lamented that many games, rightly so.

Major League Soccer has not been willing to budge on changing the Leagues Cup. It allowed the top four teams in Liga MX to set up hubs in the United States, but that did not pan out well for Monterrey and Chivas. Expanding the tournament to the Swiss Model would force these Liga MX teams to spend more time in the United States, assuming the tournament does not travel to Mexico. That would be almost too damaging for the Mexican top flight. In other words, the Swiss Model would only work if it happened in the United States and Mexico and Canada. In truth, that is the way it should be regardless.

This is strictly hypothetical, and MLS and Liga MX have no intention of changing the format. However, it would be worth considering to bring in interest for the competition.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

As of the end of September 2024, there is just one American coach in the top divisions in Europe. That is Pellegrino Matarazzo, the manager of Bundesliga outfit TSG Hoffenheim. There are coaches in the lower divisions across Europe. For example, Joe Enochs, a native of Petaluma, CA, manages SSV Jahn Regensburg, a club in the second division in Germany. Likewise, Daniel Wilson is the coach of a third-tier side in Austria. Neither of those two would be considered the best American soccer coaches in Europe, but it is always good to spread representation.

So, we would have to take a look into the past to decide the best soccer coaches in Europe originally hailing from the United States. That standout coach among these is Jesse Marsch, who managed RB Salzburg, RB Leipzig and Leeds United before returning to the west side of the Atlantic Ocean with the Canada national team. He is not the first manager from the United States to coach in the Premier League. Let’s break down the best American coaches in European history.

Best American soccer coaches to manage in Europe

Fans may think of certain failures when it comes to Jesse Marsch. Leeds barely stayed in the Premier League with the American, and RB Leipzig struggled mightily in Marsch’s brief stint with the German club. However, he won a league and cup double in back-to-back years with RB Salzburg. He failed to advance out of the group stage in his two seasons in Austria. In fairness, he played Liverpool and Napoli in one season before going up against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid in the next. In both campaigns, Marsch and Salzburg finished third in their Champions League group.

Pellegrino Matarazzo is the only other American coach to reach a UEFA club competition. His qualification to the Europa Conference League with TSG Hoffenheim came as something of a surprise after several mid-table finishes. His success with the German club was enough to pull some interest in the then-vacant USMNT job. Hoffenheim has struggled in the early going of the 2024/25 campaign. That has put Matarazzo under threat of the sack.

Former USMNT managers who spent time in Europe

American soccer fans will also recall the coaching stint of Bob Bradley, who notably coached at Swansea in 2016. Bradley was the first American to manage a Premier League team, and it did not go over well in Wales. Bradley lasted 85 days and a mere 11 games with the Swans. He picked up eight points in those games. Bob Bradley said he needed more time to coach Swansea. Yet, fans were always against his appointment. Other than his time in the Premier League, the American also coached Le Havre in the French second division and Norwegian club Stabæk. His time in Norway made him the first American to coach in a European top flight. Yet, he failed to win any competition while there.

Gregg Berhalter also coached in Europe before his time with the USMNT. Berhalter led Swedish club Hammarby from 2011 to 2013. At the time, Hammarby was in the second division in Sweden, but Berhalter made headway as the first manager of a professional club in Europe. Hammarby failed to win promotion with Berhalter leading the way, and that led him back to the United States.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

The common adage on social media is that the game is gone. While it is often no more than a joke to criticize officials or styles of play, there is some validity when applying this to the money-hungry nature of soccer. Organizers sense opportunities to profit in certain ways that often take away from the competition’s core.

For example, take the World Cup. In 2026, there will be 48 teams competing in the United States, Mexico and Canada. That is a massive 16-team increase to the number of nations at the World Cup, the biggest jump in size in the tournament’s history. Previous expansions for the 1982 and 1998 World Cups only increased by eight teams.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino says the expansion to 48 teams allows smaller nations to play on the grandest stage in soccer. Yet, this many teams take away from the intrigue of the best teams competing in the World Cup. In truth, it is a way to increase the number of games in the tournament from 64 to 104. More games mean more tickets sold and more opportunities for broadcasters. It all focuses on money in the end.

The continued push for business in soccer has hurt the sport

Unfortunately for fans of the sport, this hunt for revenue can turn supporters away. FIFA has flirted with the idea of hosting the World Cup every two years. Again, Infantino and FIFA defend themselves by saying it makes it more open for the fans to watch games because of increased frequency. On the contrary, supporters do not want to harm the grandeur of the World Cup. Making it more frequent takes away from both the celebration as it happens and the historical significance of success.

If there was any indication as to how FIFA has turned soccer into a business, the Club World Cup has undergone a similar rebrand. Previously, FIFA hosted the tournament every year with just seven teams. Continental cup winners from South America and Europe would play at most two games in the tournament, and it had a limited impact on their ability to field the best team.

Now, the Club World Cup features 32 teams in a format that follows the World Cups pre-2026. FIFA is putting the Club World Cup in the United States as a means to take advantage of the fervor surrounding Lionel Messi. The Argentine’s seasons remaining as a player are numbered. Affording him the chance to play in the Club World Cup is a way to win over broadcasters. That in itself has been challenging for FIFA, which is struggling to land the support it thought it would bring in with this new tournament. Yet, fans do not care about it, they want the competitions they already know that carry weight and importance in their eyes.

Business still plays a role, but how much?

This is not to say business and sport are mutually exclusive. There are valid and deserved reasons organizers make some of their decisions, even if it goes against some of the more competitive reasons for sport. For example, the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup is almost entirely in the United States. The USA has hosted or co-hosted the tournament each time it has happened since 1991. That gives the United States, Mexico and Canada an enormous advantage in the tournament because their fans have comparatively easy access.

However, CONCACAF puts the Gold Cup in the United States because it maximizes profit. That then goes to each of the competing countries. The infrastructure in the United States is special compared to CONCACAF rivals because it can handle so many fans. The relative ease of access for large masses to get to the United States is far easier than in other countries. It may be fairer to split the hosts between CONCACAF countries. Still, the profit is too valuable for CONCACAF to make that change.

Other confederations like UEFA and CONMEBOL tend to not have as much of a problem with this. As many note, UEFA would not shy away from hosting its competitions in the same area if the profit was so much greater. That disparity in comparison does not exist in Europe, which is why it is easier for UEFA to pivot around host countries.

There is a balance between business and sport, and it comes down to how much competitors benefit from one versus the other. In terms of the Gold Cup, it could be valuable for nations like Costa Rica, Panama or Jamaica to host a tournament. It can help grow the game and develop holistic interest in soccer in North America and the Caribbean. Yet, the tournament and its countries would suffer with an inexperienced host. The loss of profit does not come into play for Europe, which is why it has more opportunity.

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At that time, Garber said, “You’ve got Mexican soccer. You’ve got Major League Soccer. There’s way too much soccer on television. I think all of us got to figure out a way to narrow that window so you can get a situation like the NFL has, a couple of days a week, short schedule, something that’s very compelling and very targeted.”

Eleven years later, the number of games on US television has exploded mainly due to the abundance of legal streaming options. For instance, there are now:

• 133% more Bundesliga games shown live in the US compared to 2013, and
• 55% more Champions League games played each season than last year.

Those are just two examples of more than a dozen where viewing options have increased.

Let’s not forget where MLS has come from. It used to be the second most-watched soccer league in the United States, behind Liga MX. Looking back, MLS’ average cable viewership climbed from 185,000 viewers per game in 2013 to 285,000 in 2021, an increase of 54%. By 2023, the same year that Apple launched MLS Season Pass, the Premier League leapfrogged both MLS and Liga MX to become the most-watched soccer league on US television.

More than 70 pro soccer games every Saturday for US viewers

It’s not just the Bundesliga and Champions League where the viewing options have skyrocketed. Take any league from around the world, and chances are that they’re now shown here. Plus, since 2013, the growth of women’s soccer has been incredible with more teams and more games from around the world than ever before.

On any typical Saturday during the soccer season, there are more than 70 professional soccer games available for viewers to watch in the United States. Garber previously mentioned his goal of narrowing down the kickoff window for Major League Soccer to make a more centralized and targeted product. He delivered on that front as part of the 10-year streaming deal with Apple for MLS Season Pass. Generally, there are 13 MLS games each Saturday and generally one on Sunday. At some points, eight to 10 games are happening simultaneously in Major League Soccer.

Regardless, MLS is up against the popularity of world soccer when it comes to pulling in fans.

MLS competition for viewers extends to TV issues

The fight MLS finds itself in is more than just one about streaming. MLS Season Pass is a good production that caters to different kinds of supporters. Yet, the fact that it is not available for TV viewers and instead is only on an exclusive streaming deal hurts the league’s viewership. By comparison, smaller leagues both in the United States and Europe have more potential for viewers.

The National Women’s Soccer League signed a deal with multiple broadcasters. While the majority of games are available on streaming through Paramount+, ESPN+ and Amazon Prime Video, there are games on traditional TV. CBS Sports Network, ESPN and even the broadcast CBS channel have aired games in the women’s soccer division. Likewise, the USL Championship has put games on broadcast TV to strong audiences. Despite both being professional soccer divisions in the United States, the USL Championship recently pulled a larger audience than Major League Soccer.

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At the same time, MLS has also failed to capitalize on the growing free ad-supported television channels (FAST) that have popped up for soccer fans. The CBS Sports Golazo Network has had coverage of games falling under the CBS umbrella. It is also easier for CBS to discuss those leagues, not necessarily MLS, on the various studio shows that the CBS Sports Golazo Network produces.

It’s worth noting that MLS had its own free ad-supported television channel for years on Pluto TV and other free channels. But when the deal with Apple was signed, the free channel was shut down shortly thereafter. CBS has made its properties more visible while Major League Soccer hides behind its MLS Season Pass paywall.

In the long run, with its streaming strategy, we’ll find out if MLS moved to streaming too early or if it was ahead of its time. Apple’s deal with Major League Soccer doesn’t end until December 2032.

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“Eredivisie is one of the weakest leagues in Europe,” Jorge Jesus said. “Koeman is in no position to make that kind of statement because he doesn’t know about the [Saudi Pro League]. There is no comparison. The SPL is stronger than Eredivisie.”

In recent seasons, the Saudi Pro League has made strides to bolster its soccer standing. That centers around bringing in stars from Europe, many past their primes. Consequently, clubs like Al Hilal, Al Nassr and Al Ittihad have benefited. Al Hilal and Jorge Jesus have brought in players like Neymar, Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo and Kalidou Koulibaly in the last two seasons. Jorge Jesus would argue the talent in the Eredivisie is not as strong, citing its reputation as a selling league to other European elites.

In fairness, Koeman did not comment on the Eredivisie when speaking about the Saudi Pro League. The Dutch head coach did, however, call seven players from the Eredivisie into his most recent squad during the September international break. Those seven players came from four clubs within the Dutch top flight.

Comparing the Saudi Pro League and the Eredivisie

The argument in favor of the Saudi Pro League comes from the list of talent. In addition to the players on Al Hilal, the Saudi Pro League boasts the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney. Again, though these top talents are predominantly on the teams at the top of the table.

Holistically, it is challenging to compare leagues. The Opta World Rankings at least provide a means of comparison between international divisions. Earlier in 2024, Opta ranked the Eredivisie as the 15th strongest league in the world. That is below the likes of the Brasileirao, Liga MX and even Major League Soccer. By comparison, the Saudi Pro League was down to 26th in the world. It is between the top flights from Cyprus and Czechia, for reference.

In Jorge Jesus’s defense, some of the top teams in the Saudi Pro League are on the same level as those in the Eredivisie. His Al Hilal side is in the same area of the Opta Power Rankings as PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord. Al Nassr is also part of the top 100 clubs in the world based on current form. Yet, those Saudi sides are playing against teams far below the bottom teams in the Eredivisie, which hurts the overall balance of the league.

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Last week, Schalke sacked head coach Karel Geraerts. Despite picking up a win in the side’s first 2. Bundesliga match of the season, Schalke has amassed a mere one point in the five games since then. As a result, Schalke is in the relegation zone after six games, and dropping into the 3. Liga is a legitimate prospect. Jakob Fimpel is overseeing the team on an interim basis, but Schalke wants to bring Raul in on a permanent job.

Raul is one of the future candidates to be the head coach of Real Madrid. With the side currently under the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti, Raul has served as the head coach of the Real Madrid reserves since 2019. Raul has had success with Real Madrid Castilla. The reserve team narrowly missed out on promotion to the second tier of Spanish soccer. He has played down talk of becoming the next Real Madrid manager in the past, but there is reason for him to want to leave.

Schalke executives flew to Spain this week, but BILD is reporting that had nothing to do with meeting with Raul, at least according to the club. However, the club is starting to prepare plans for the future.

Raul tops Schalke list of coaches, but others remain available

Schalke is not the only team that wants to bring Raul to Germany as a coach. Hoffenheim is a popular name that is in the mix for Raul. Current coach Pellegrino Matarazzo is on the hot seat after a sluggish start to the season. The American has guided the side to just one win in Hoffenheim’s first four games in the German top flight. Despite helping Hoffenheim to European qualification last season, the club may be looking to make an early change.

In that case, Raul would have to decide between his former club and the club that is currently in the Bundesliga. Hoffenheim, at least in the immediate sense, is the better job. Yet, Schalke is indisputably one of the biggest clubs in Germany. Raul could be the one to guide the team back to success and Bundesliga relevance.

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Should that not happen, Schalke has already lined up backup options. One of those is current interim manager Jakob Fimpel. Depending on how well Fimpel does in his first game as head coach against Prussia Munster, the club may stick with him for the coming season. Another option is the current head coach at Alemannia Aachen, Heiner Backhaus. Backhaus is a Schalke supporter, and he is in the second season with Alemannia Aachen. He led the side back to the 3. Liga after promotion in 2023/24.

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