What happens when you find out that the hotel you're staying at is the same one as Liverpool FC ahead of its Champions League game in Leipzig? The last time I shared a hotel with a professional soccer club was in Swansea where I stayed near the marina in the 1990s. Crystal Palace was in […]

In the same quiet city where composer Johann Sebastian Bach performed many of his miraculous compositions, its greatest export these days is RB Leipzig. Led by head coach Marco Rose, the club is hitting all the right notes as it sits at the top of the Bundesliga table alongside Bayern Munich. A key reason for […]

Athletics come to mind when people hear the name Ethiopia. But, by some distance (no pun intended), the most popular sport in Ethiopia has always been soccer, with European competitions drawing large crowds in show houses. Soccer from Europe even tops local competitions in terms of how regularly fans tune in. Despite the nationwide interest […]

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber is no stranger to comments that outwardly and, perhaps incorrectly, defend the MLS model. Most recently, Garber was a speaker at Leaders Week 2024 in London where he touted that soccer would be in a better position if it followed the lead of Major League soccer. "If you were […]

Last summer's European Championships demonstrated something unsophisticated about modern international soccer. Europe's most prolific soccer nations faced off every few days with an abundance of world-class talent on display. Yet the end product often felt somewhat underwhelming. Games involving many of the tournament's favorites felt cluttered, disorganized and rigid compared to the highest quality of […]

The October international break was bizarre. Sure, there were some interesting games and notable storylines like Mauricio Pochettino's debut with the USMNT. However, a bigger trend made headway. Players left their national teams prematurely to return to their clubs and prevent the further risk of injury. Headline players like Christian Pulisic, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van […]

It seems strange to think of a Chelsea without Enzo Maresca that was once battling with Crystal Palace, Wolves, and West Ham for 12th place in the Premier League. The 2024 team in the hunt for their first league title since 2016 seems like a whole different entity than the squad Graham Potter had the […]

Brenden Aaronson and Josh Sargent discussed USMNT’s Austin training camp under Mauricio Pochettino. Both had a great start to the Championship campaign with their respective clubs. They also reflected their renewed confidence at the club level. Pochettino’s style of play demands intensity From a remarkable Champions League final appearance with Tottenham Hotspur to last season’s […]

Soccer coverage in the United States has made leaps and bounds recently, but despite the increase in coverage, why are there so few great American soccer studio analysts? Yes, there are plenty of world-class ones on US television. However, most of them are foreign. The ones who are American are fairly decent, but many of […]

Since securing promotion to the Premier League in 2021, Brentford has established itself as a top-flight side. This is largely because of their manager Thomas Frank. The Dane has led the Bees to 13th, 9th, and 16th-placed finishes since entering the Premier League. Unlike the new norm of promoted sides opting for a more expansive […]

This week, Lee Carsley named a talented England squad that features three elite midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden. Each of the young stars would be one of the top players in any international team. England is fortunate to have so many top players in the squad, but that also creates a situation. […]

Editor's note: Since World Soccer Talk writer Michel Sakr is based in Beirut, Lebanon, we asked him to share his unique perspective on what life is like there. Even though sport is a much lower priority at times like these, Michel addresses the role that soccer plays in Lebanon. The drums of war have been […]

People who think Major League Soccer is holding back soccer in the United States gained an unexpected ally this week. Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Corporate Projects and New Investments for Red Bull, said in an interview on Monday that MLS is not growing as fast as it should be. Additionally, Mintzlaff said the players coming […]

The Swiss Model has drastically shaken up the UEFA Champions League, and the Leagues Cup may be able to learn something from it. For reference, the Swiss Model eliminated the traditional group-stage games in the UEFA Champions League. Rather than eight groups of four teams playing each other twice, there is one connected league. Thirty-six […]

Following an underwhelming four-year stint at Chelsea, Milan fans welcomed Christian Pulisic as the latest star alongside Rafael Leao. Fans showed skepticism coupled with cautious excitement in the summer of 2023. After all, the American’s vast talent was never in doubt. Instead, his ability to fulfill the early promise showcased during this time at Dortmund […]