MARIETTA, Georgia — Chris Richards knew the question was coming. And when he heard it, he smiled. “Tell us about your knee — what’s going on there?” a reporter asked Monday ahead of the U.S. men’s national team’s training session. The Crystal Palace center back missed Saturday’s 5-2 defeat to Belgium because of a knee … Read more
Deniz Undav turned up the pressure on Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann to select him for the World Cup after he scored the 2-1 winner against Ghana on Monday to back up strong club form. Undav hadn’t played for Germany since June but seven goals in his last six Bundesliga games helped him earn a recall. … Read more
The final six teams of the 48-team World Cup – the largest ever in history — will be decided this week. Expect powerhouse teams and big-time stars when the tournament kicks off this summer. The United States has a favorable Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia, and either Türkiye or Kosovo (who’ll face each other on … Read more
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) — Walking the streets of Georgia’s stately capital on Saturday, shortly before the United States men’s national team’s World Cup warm-up against Belgium, the excitement among the home team’s fans was palpable. Under a cloudless sky, supporters of all ages wore those swanky new USA jerseys and ear-to-ear smiles. Inside “The Benz,” … Read more
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) — Christian Pulisic wants this responsibility. The one that requires him to carry the pressure weighing on the U.S. men’s national team as it embarks on what is expected to be a historic World Cup on home soil this summer. Pulisic, 27, has been in the senior national team for 10 years. … Read more
Alexi Lalas doesn’t want the United States men’s national team to brush aside goalkeeper Matt Turner’s performance in its 5-2 loss to Belgium in Saturday’s friendly. With the World Cup just over two months away, Lalas believes Turner’s outing on Saturday was devastating enough that it should cost him the opportunity to compete for the … Read more
Senegal’s national team stars have made a defiant statement by parading the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in front of a sold-out crowd at the Stade de France. Despite a recent ruling that officially stripped them of their continental crown, the Lions of Teranga clearly still consider themselves the rightful champions of Africa. Defiant scenes … Read more
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (ATLANTA) — The final score of the U.S. men’s national team game on Saturday, a 5-2 defeat to Belgium, wasn’t the only thing everyone was talking about. You couldn’t tell which team was which on the pitch because of similar jersey colors between the two sides. It made following the game a challenge … Read more
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (ATLANTA) — The United States men’s national team impressed early against Belgium. Then the wheels fell off. A first-half lead in Saturday’s high-profile World Cup warmup match against Belgium — FIFA’s No. 9 ranked squad — melted away as the USA conceded four straight goals in front of a heavily pro-USA crowd of … Read more
Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos is preparing a definitive offer to seize control of his boyhood club Sevilla alongside First Eleven Capital. However, the move hinges on the side’s top-flight status as they battle to avoid a disastrous relegation to the second tier. Ramos twice played for Sevilla to bookend an immensely successful career with … Read more