The United States will play Senegal in a friendly on May 31 at Charlotte, North Carolina, in the Americans’ next-to-last game before their World Cup opener
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — The United States will play Senegal in a friendly on May 31 at Charlotte, North Carolina, in the Americans’ next-to-last game before their World Cup opener.
The U.S. has four games remaining before co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The 14th-ranked Americans play No. 8 Belgium on March 28 and sixth-ranked Portugal three days later, both at Atlanta. After meeting 19th-ranked Senegal, the U.S. faces No. 9 Germany on June 6 at Chicago.
This will be the first meeting between the Americans and Senegal. The U.S. Soccer Federation announced the Senegal match on Thursday.
At the World Cup, the U.S. opens Group D against No. 39 Paraguay on June 12 at Inglewood, California, faces 26th-ranked Australia seven days later at Seattle and closes the group stage back in Inglewood on June 25 against the winner of playoffs among Turkey (No. 25), Slovakia (45), Romania (47) and Kosovo (80).
Senegal starts Group I against No. 3 France on June 16 and 29th-ranked Norway six days later, both in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Lions of Teranga finish the first round on June 26 in Toronto against Bolivia (76), Iraq (58) or Suriname (123).
FairSquare, a London-based human rights nonprofit, said Tuesday it filed requests for investigations into Infantino’s alleged breaches of FIFA’s statutory duty to be politically neutral.
FIFA said its ethics committee does not comment on potential ongoing cases, and could not confirm receiving the complaint.
FIFA’s ethics code calls for a ban from soccer of up to two years for violating the duty of neutrality, though it is unclear if the case will be taken up. The FIFA-appointed current ethics investigators and judges are seen by some observers to operate with less independence than their predecessors a decade ago when then-president Sepp Blatter was removed from office.
Infantino has expressed views this year backing Trump and his policies, including suggesting the U.S. president deserved to get the Nobel Peace Prize which he did not win.
Political leaders of all three co-hosts joined Infantino on stage to begin the World Cup tournament draw last Friday in Washington, D.C., after Trump got the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
“The award of a prize of this nature to a sitting political leader is in and of itself a clear breach of FIFA’s duty of neutrality,” FairSquare said in an eight-page complaint.
FIFA has not specified how Infantino created the peace prize last month though people familiar with the process in private conversations said they learned about it through media reports.
“If Mr. Infantino acted unilaterally and without any statutory authority this should be considered an egregious abuse of power,” FairSquare said.
FairSquare has previously challenged FIFA over the human rights record of Saudi Arabia, the 2034 World Cup host; the influence of the kingdom’s oil company Aramco which is a highest-tier World Cup sponsor; FIFA governance standards; and FIFA’s slow-moving investigation into possible statutes breaches relating to teams from Israeli settlements playing in the national soccer league.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi will play for another trophy. Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets clearly aren’t ready to begin their retirements, either.
Tadeo Allande scored three goals — Alba and Busquets, a pair of longtime Messi teammates who will retire when this season ends, had the assists on his first two — and Inter Miami topped New York City FC 5-1 on Saturday night for the Eastern Conference title and a berth in the MLS Cup final.
Mateo Silvetti scored in the 67th minute for Inter Miami, with Messi setting up that goal — the 405th assist of his career for club and country, which is generally believed to be the most in soccer history. Telasco Segovia scored off a heel pass from Alba in the 83rd minute to turn it into a runaway, and Allande finishing off the hat trick in the 89th minute was the final play.
Inter Miami — the No. 3 seed in the East — will play host to either San Diego or Vancouver for the league title on Dec. 6 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. San Diego and Vancouver play for the Western Conference title later Saturday night.
It’ll be the first MLS final appearance for Inter Miami, which had never made it past the opening postseason round in any of its first five seasons. Messi’s club went 0-2 against Vancouver this season, losing both legs of a semifinal meeting in the CONCACAF Champions Cup by a 5-1 aggregate.
Justin Haak scored in the 37th minute for NYCFC, which went 0-2-1 against Inter Miami this season.
The win moves Inter Miami one step closer to another trophy, after winning the Leagues Cup in 2023 and the Supporters’ Shield as MLS’ top regular-season team last year. Messi, a World Cup champion for Argentina and now eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, joined the team midway through the 2023 season when it was at the bottom of the MLS standings and in an 11-match winless streak.
Stars flock to see this team because of Messi; tennis great Carlos Alcaraz was there Saturday night, as were some members of the U.S. women’s national team.
“Everyone in the world knows who Lionel Messi is. … I think everyone thought he would come in here and do exactly what he’s done,” said U.S. women’s forward Lindsay Horan — whose Messi fandom goes back many years.
Messi got struck along the left side of his head in the ninth minute and was briefly shaken up, remaining down near the center circle for a few seconds before eventually getting to his feet. He got tripped with Inter Miami on the attack about two minutes later, then took a direct kick from about 30 yards out — playing it into the box, but Silvetti’s header was easily caught by NYCFC goalie Matt Freese.
Inter Miami’s next chance came a minute later. This one was cashed in — a long pass from Busquets was controlled by Allende, who easily beat Freese from about 12 yards out for a 1-0 lead.
Allende struck again on a header off a long pass from Alba in the 23rd minute, making it 2-0. And after Messi set Silvetti up for the 3-1 lead, what essentially was a 25-minute or so countdown to a celebration was underway.
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Anders Dreyer scored in the second half and Pablo Sisniega made three saves to lead expansion side San Diego FC to a 1-0 victory over Minnesota United on Monday night in a Western Conference semifinal at a sold-out Snapdragon Stadium.
San Diego will host the second-seeded Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday with a chance to play for the MLS Cup on the line. No. 5 seed New York City FC travels to play third-seeded Miami for the Eastern Conference title, in Saturday’s first match.
Dreyer, the Newcomer of the Year and Best XI honoree, used assists from Corey Baird and Jeppe Tverskov to find the net in the 72nd minute. The 27-year-old midfielder from Denmark had 19 goals and 19 assists during the regular season to help San Diego earn the top seed. He has four goals and two assists in his first four playoff appearances.
It was Tverskov’s first postseason goal contribution in his fourth appearance. Baird’s first three postseason assists have come this season. He had one goal in 10 prior playoff appearances with three different clubs.
Sisniega, who made only four regular-season starts for San Diego, earned his second clean sheet in his second postseason start. He made a dazzling save in the 64th minute to keep it scoreless.
Dayne St. Clair did not have a save in his 11th career playoff start for No. 4 seed Minnesota United, which made a second straight exit in the conference semis in its sixth trip to the postseason since joining the league in 2017.
Coach Mikey Varas’ San Diego squad set MLS records for an expansion team with 19 victories and 63 points on the way to a first-place finish.
Admittedly , it’s pretty hard to get much more historic than Abington, Pennsylvania.
But during the same week as the premiere of Ken Burns’ The American Revolution on PBS and nearly 248 years since the town was the site of a Revolutionary War skirmish that ended with patriot forces holding the heights against the British , history has been made once again.
Nearly 41 years since Abington Senior High School’s last Boys Soccer Championship — the team ended a dominant 22–2–3 season with a PIAA Class 4A State Championship over West Chester Henderson by a final score of 3–1.
Abington School District’s Recreational Fields themselves haven’t just seen history — beneath their perfectly-manicured blades of grass, freshly mowed in the April sun , is the story of America. The land was originally utilized for thousands of years by native American hunters and gatherers, and whose colonial farms were pillaged by the British Army for supplies.
Credit: WikiCommons
Those fields even witnessed a Revolutionary War engagement — as Continental Forces retreated down Susquehanna Street Road past the present-day athletic fields — in a headlong retreat desperately attempting to regroup atop the high ground of Edge Hill as British forces occupied Abington and forced the Americans back during the Battle of Edge Hill.
In modern times — thankfully — Abington’s recreation fields have been relegated to a different kind of engagement. One that is athletic and not military. Each year , people come from hundreds of miles away to see family members and friends in some of the best athletic competitions around — a combination of school-district sponsored, regional competition, as well as community recreational league events.
Those blades of grass have also played host to incredible athletic euphoria. Abington Girls Soccer won the Suburban One League in 2023. It was a Liberty Conference Champion in 2020, and Abington Senior High School Boys Soccer advanced to the District One 4A Championship Game in 2023. The evergreen painted baseball backstops basking in the Philadelphia suburban sun even saw the Abington Senior High School Baseball Team advance to the PIAA State Playoffs (the 2023 PIAA Class 6A Baseball Championships).
Credit: Matt Ralph-Philadelphia Soccer Now
Sixty years ago — years after the last remnants of the farmland that had occupied the current location of Abington’s recreation fields had been claimed by the School District — a brand new Junior High School was constructed on the grounds. During the construction of that three-story building , workers listened to the news reports of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The building they would help create would educate students in the Township for more than 6 decades.
This past spring — a vote was cast that supports a $285 million new middle school for Abington — which will provide both a new home for innovative learning and a makeover of recreational facilities.
Oh and when the sun rose on another cold December Day around Abington in 1777 in the aftermath of the Battle of Whitemarsh?
It was the Americans who held the field. As a victorious celebration paraded through the streets of nearly Glenside , a sense of sadness filled the air.
History has been made in the 2025 NWSL Championship.
No. 8 NY/NJ Gotham took down No. 2 Washington Spirit Saturday at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., to win the NWSL title, becoming the lowest ever seed to do so.
Gotham topped the previous record it set itself, as the Bats won the 2023 title over the Seattle Reign 2-1 as the No. 6 seed.
Though history wasn’t on Gotham’s side entering the game, let alone the postseason, the team had more than enough star quality to get over the line. Striker Esther Gonzalez, midfielder Rose Lavelle, center-back Emily Sonnett and veteran goalie Ann-Katrin Berger provided Gotham with a key piece in each line.
And, of course, it was Lavelle, the eventual Final MVP, that delivered the game-breaking moment when someone needed to step up.
In the 80th minute gaining some momentum, substitute left-back Bruninha showed off some stepovers before putting it back into the box. The ball cleared several players, but made its way to Lavelle for a clean look at goal. And Lavelle turned in a beauty with her strong left foot.
Washington threw what it could in hopes of equalizing at the death to send the game to extra time, but a key chance never arrived.
In fact, Washington ended the game without a single shot on target despite seven attempts. Gotham had three shots on target from 12 total, while no side registered a big chance in what was a grind-it-out defensive battle.
The Spirit ended the game with 0.49 expected goals generated, per FotMob, slightly upping Gotham’s 0.39. But moments win championships, and Lavelle delivered it.
To win the championship unprecedently, Gotham upset No. 1 Kansas City Current, the NWSL Shield winners by a large margin, 2-1 in the first round. Gotham then beat No. 4 Orlando Pride 1-0 to reach the final.
Washington got past Racing Louisville in a penalty shootout in the first round before beating the Portland Thorns 2-0 to make the final.
Trinity Rodman, who has an uncertain future in the NWSL and has dealt with injuries most of this season, came on in the 57th minute to try to deliver the decisive moment. But it never went Rodman’s way, who seemed to suffer another knock in the closing seconds as she appeared emotional while briefly heading to the sidelines.
It also marks the second straight heartbreak for Washington, who also lost the championship game 1-0 to Orlando last season. The Spirit’s lone title win came in 2021.
For Gotham, it’s the franchise’s second title along with the aforementioned 2023 triumph. Onto 2026…
Here are five things to know about USWNT and OL Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle.
SAN JOSE — Few players in the NWSL cover more ground than Paige Metayer.
The former Cal midfielder has transformed into one of the league’s most versatile players. On Saturday, she brings that full-spectrum game back to the Bay Area as the Washington Spirit face Gotham FC in the NWSL championship at PayPal Park.
The third-year pro has played at forward, midfield, and fullback for the Spirit, and started at right back in last year’s 1-0 championship game loss to Orlando.
Bay FC’s Penelope Hocking advances on Gotham FC in Saturday night’s NWSL match in Harrison, N.J. Hocking scored Bay FC’s lone goal when she scored from close range in the 11th minute. It was Hocking’s fourth goal in her last five games. (Courtesy of Bay FC / NWSL)
Metayer started for four years at Cal, but didn’t receive all-conference recognition and went undrafted. But the Spirit offered her a preseason invite, and it took her just a few weeks to prove she belonged.
As a rookie in 2023, she started all 21 matches she appeared in, and scored three goals—every one of them a headed finish off a corner kick. Heading had never been a strength earlier in her career, but like so much else in her game, she developed it quickly, even unexpectedly.
“It wasn’t something I specialized in,” she said. “I wasn’t very tall growing up, so heading wasn’t really part of my game. But the service was great, and I was able to get my head on things. It became a strength I didn’t know I had.”
Cal coach Neil McGuire wasn’t surprised at Metayer’s professional evolution.
“She’s got incredible soccer intellect,” McGuire said. “She understands the game at a really high level, so positionally she can play in a number of spots. Athletically she’s extremely fit. Technically she’s gifted. She can deal with pressure, strike a ball over distance, receive with both feet—she just has a lot of strengths that make her right for the professional game.”
That combination of intelligence, composure, and athleticism turned her into one of the most adaptable players on the Spirit roster. In 2024 alone, she appeared in 20 regular-season matches, making 11 starts, and played across all three levels of the field.
Her first start at outside back came against Arsenal.
“I was like, ‘Oh, we’re playing Arsenal and I’m playing outside back,’” Metayer said. “But it worked out well. I’m grateful for the belief they had in me.”
Spirit head coach Adrián González sees that adaptability as a defining trait.
“It’s so positive for a player to have that many options,” he said. “She’s been open-minded. With her physicality and her quality, she can cover a lot of ground. Inside, outside, higher up, defensively—she can give us so much. And she’s improving. That type of versatility is important for her development and for our team.”
That growth stalled briefly this year when Metayer sustained a knee injury in preseason. Suddenly, a player known for covering ground couldn’t cover any. The timeline for her return was uncertain.
“Nothing’s ever guaranteed,” she said. “I was lucky it wasn’t season-ending, but I had to claw my way back.”
Metayer returned in the second half of the season, appearing in 11 matches, earning four starts, and playing 38 minutes in the quarterfinal against Racing Louisville that was decided on penalties. By the time the playoffs arrived, she felt fully herself again.
And now she’s back where she spent some of the most meaningful years of her life.
Cal’s women’s soccer alumni network is organizing a tailgate for Saturday’s final, and she expects plenty of familiar faces in the stands.
Returning now, with an NWSL title at stake, adds an extra layer of emotion—especially after the Spirit played in front of 40,000 fans at Oracle Park earlier this year.
The Bay FC takes on the Washington Spirit during the first half of an NWSL game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
“That was very, very cool,” she said. “It showed how much the Bay Area wants to support women’s sports. To play the final here is special.”
It’s going to be a fierce competition on the pitch Saturday night as New York’s Gotham FC, with Esther González, takes on the Washington Spirit and Trinity Rodman, competing for the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League championship title.
There’s history between the two teams. They’re the most-played matchup this season.
Fans are ready for what’s expected to be a nail-biting performance between rivals — with around 18,000 in attendance for the sold-out match at San Jose’s PayPal Park. The NWSL closed its 2025 regular season with record-breaking numbers, reporting a 22% bump in viewership year-over-year.
Here’s what to know about the highly anticipated matchup.
How to watch Washington Spirit vs. Gotham FC
You can watch the Washington Spirit vs. Gotham FC on CBS or stream the game on Paramount+ on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. Here’s more information on how you can watch pregame coverage.
Country music star Mickey Guyton is going to kick off the big game with the national anthem. Guyton, who previously performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl LVI, acknowledged it’s one of the hardest songs to sing.
“Listen, I don’t always feel patriotic lately, but when it comes to women and women’s sports, I’m always going to show up for us,” Guyton told “CBS Mornings.”
Artists have different renditions of the national anthem, but Guyton said she’s going to stick to what she knows. “Just keep it very traditional; just sing it through,” she said.
Washington Spirit vs. Gotham FC: What to expect
Two teams are vying for one championship trophy in what’s expected to be an intense matchup.
“This is going to be a nail-biter,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said, adding that five of the six playoff games went to penalty kicks, extra time, or were decided in the last minute.
1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup winners Brandi Chastain and Briana Scurry agreed the game is going to be really exciting, but urged players to stay focused on the game plan.
“We love those dramatic moments…we love all of that as fans,” Chastain told “CBS Mornings.”
“Seeing the growth, seeing the activity, just seeing all the investment that’s been happening has been absolutely fantastic. I’m just excited to be here and see it with my own eyes,” Scurry added.
Lori Lindsey, CBS Sports NWSL lead analyst and former Women’s National Team member, said the NWSL championship title will come down to “offense versus defense.”
The Washington Spirit capitalizes on its offensive attacks, with plenty of players who can find the back of the net, Lindsey said. Meanwhile, she said, Gotham FC is one of the most experienced defensive teams, led by Ann-Katrin Berger in goal.
“It’s so fun. We have goal scorers. We have great defense. We have great goalkeepers. I mean, you name it, those players are here,” Lindsey said of NWSL players.
UCLA beat Michigan to win the Big Ten Tournament giving them a spot in the NCAA postseason Tournament, however they lost in the first round in penalty kick’s to GCU.
The UCLA men’s soccer team won its first-ever Big Ten Tournament last Sunday when they beat Michigan in the final. Michigan came into the tournament as the 3 seed, while UCLA was seeded 4. They had also previously lost to Michigan 3-0 in the regular season, as well as the Big Ten Semifinal last season in a penalty’s. Additionally, Michigan had not lost a game since facing Maryland on October 10.
However, the Bruins were on a hot streak of their own as they had won the final 5 games of their season, outscoring opponents 21-5. They did not let this discourage them and came out strong. Just 13 minutes into the match, graduate student Konstantinos Geogallides scored the first goal, a diving header. At the 38th minute mark, UCLA scored again, this time off a header from redshirt sophomore Sergi Solan’s Ormo. The forward didn’t stop there, though, and used the momentum to score a second goal just a few minutes into the second half.
Solans Ormo completed his hat trick in the 60th minute, pouncing on a pass from the Michigan goalkeeper. Not even a minute later, Georgallides followed with his second goal of the night, putting the Bruins up 5-0. The rest of the game was a battle, but the score stayed the same, and the Bruins came out on top as the Big Ten Tournament Champions.
Solans Ormo’s hat trick gave him his third of the season, which makes him the only player in the school’s history to total 3 hat-tricks in a season. The accomplishment also set a record for the only hat-trick scored in the Big Ten Final since its inception in 1991, which earned him Player of the Tournament honors. He was also named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team alongside teammates Andrer Marticorena and Shakir Nixon.
UCLA winning the Big Ten tournament automatically secured them a bid in the NCAA tournament that started this week. The Bruins’ victory makes this the 5th consecutive time they will be making a postseason appearance in the 7 years under head coach Ryan Jordan. It marks their 50th tournament appearance, and they will be joined by 4 other Big Ten teams in the tournament, including Indiana, Michigan, Maryland and Washington.
Their first game of the tournament took place on Thursday against Grand Canyon University (GCU). UCLA lost 3-1 in penalty kicks after a scoreless match and overtime, with Georgallides being the only Bruin to make his PK. The result knocked the Bruins out of the NCAA tournament in the first round, a devastating loss after the success of the previous week. GCU is now set to face No. 9 the University of San Diego, and the College Cup is set to take place in Cary, North Carolina, on December 12th and 15th.
From passive to pouncing, the Pioneers are marching on.
The University of Denver men’s soccer team opened its NCAA Tournament run with a 2-0 first-round win over UC Irvine on Thursday afternoon at University of Denver Soccer Stadium. And the Pios have a true freshman to thank for it.
When outside back Kai Carlson stepped onto DU’s campus for the first time this fall, he leaned on defensive tendencies he developed at the Portland Timbers academy. But at his position in DU head coach Jamie Franks’ system, he had to adjust.
The Pioneers thrive with attacking wingbacks with speed, precision and a willingness to attack. Carlson rode the bench for half the season while he built up that part of his game. Forward Ian Welch became a close friend and role model over that time, Carlson said, and some of his attacking habits have been passed down.
After a much-too-passive first half, Carlson subbed on in the 69th minute and wasted no time changing the story. Receiving a ball from a center back, he saw space and attacked it, forcing a defender to make a decision. The result was a wide-open Bryce Willoughby as a target on the byline.
Carlson found the winger, who then provided service to Kyle McGowan for the opening goal in the 71st minute.
“I’ve learned a lot about myself since being here,” Carlson said. “… I’ve learned that if I’m confident in myself, I can make things happen going (into the attack), and I can also get back and defend and help us keep a clean sheet.
“Building that trust has really helped me a lot to get to where I’m at.”
It was difficult for Franks, who often takes a traditional approach of redshirting freshmen, to keep Carlson off the field — especially at a position that isn’t all that deep. He’s got stalwarts like senior Dylan Akau and Will King, but Carlson has proven he can make an impact off the bench.
Both career assists for the freshman have come in the postseason — one against UC Irvine on Thursday, and one in the Summit League semifinal against Oral Roberts.
“He’s a gamer, you know? We loved Kai (as a recruit) because of his instincts. He plays off his instincts, he trusts himself, he really believes in us and in his game,” Franks said. “He’s just come such a long way this fall. It’s so hard for incoming guys to come and play college soccer, but he’s just done a great job learning and growing. We knew he was ready for this moment.”
University of Denver midfielder Luke Schultz (14) scores a goal against UC Irvine goalkeeper Joe O’Shaughnessy (1) during their first-round NCAA Tournament game at University of Denver Soccer Stadium in Denver on Thursday, November 20, 2025. DU won 2-0. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
The beneficiary of Carlson’s impulse to attack was McGowan, whose first shot rebounded straight back to him, allowing him to blast it into the roof of the net for the opening goal. It was his 10th of the season, making him the seventh player in program history to reach double figures in a single season.
Seven of those goals have come since Oct. 10.
Like in the Summit League final on Sunday, once the first goal came, it didn’t take long for another. Keegan Kelly found a streaking Luke Schultz at the penalty spot, who took an extra touch toward the right post before blistering the roof of the net himself from a tight angle in the 74th minute.
A marvelous kick save by Isaac Nehme in the 85th minute took the sting out of the Anteaters’ attack and slammed the door shut on a comeback effort.
Now, both Carlson and McGowan — both from Oregon and the Timbers academy — can look forward to going home for the weekend. The Pioneers will take on the eighth-seeded Portland Pilots, a familiar face from earlier this season. Back in September, the Pioneers were “surprised” by then-fourth-ranked Portland, which jumped out to a 3-0 lead within 55 minutes. DU scored twice in the final 10 minutes, but ran out of time to find an equalizer.
Carlson didn’t play in that match, as he had yet to battle his way onto the pitch. If anything, the memory of that game from a bench point of view pumps him up even more.
“I was super excited (when the bracket was released). Portland is a great team, and it’s tough to go back there and play, especially with the atmosphere they have,” Carlson said. “But I know that with the team we have, the players we have and the heart that we show, we’re just a different team (than in September). I know we can go there … and keep this run going.”
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — The tiny Caribbean island country Curaçao will go to the 2026 World Cup as the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the marquee event in men’s soccer.
Curaçao, an autonomous territory of about 156,000 people within the Netherlands kingdom, takes the record of Iceland, with a population of just over 350,000, which was the previous smallest country to reach the World Cup when it qualified for Russia 2018.
A team relying heavily on players born and raised in the Netherlands rode its luck Tuesday to take a 0-0 draw in Jamaica and finish top of a four-team group. Its other opponents were Trinidad and Tobago and last-place Bermuda.
Curaçao has actively recruited from its diaspora, getting permission from FIFA within world soccer’s rules to change the national-team eligibility of players who once represented the Netherlands at youth or Under-21 level, including five since August.
Defender Joshua Brenet even played a World Cup qualifying game for the Netherlands in 2016.
Tahith Chong, a former Manchester United youth player, is one of the few squad members born in Curaçao, which was called Netherlands Antilles until getting its autonomy 15 years ago.
A storied Dutch coach has led Curaçao on to the elite stage for the first expanded 48-team World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Haiti scored a decisive victory against Nicaragua on Tuesday, securing a place in the 2026 Soccer World Cup. (AP/ Pierre Luxama)
Dick Advocaat, at age 78, is set to lead his third team at a World Cup, and his second in the U.S. He took his native Netherlands to the quarterfinals at the 1994 edition and coached South Korea at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Curaçao’s adventure is set to put players from unheralded clubs on the biggest stage. The squad that clinched qualification included players from Rotherham in England’s third-tier league, Bandırmaspor in the Turkish second division and Abha in Saudi Arabia.
Curaçao got the historic result despite not having Advocaat on the bench. He missed the match in Jamaica because he had to return to the Netherlands last weekend for family reasons.
His team saw Jamaica strike the woodwork three times in the second half in Kingston. A potentially decisive penalty kick awarded to the home team in stoppage time was overturned after a video review.
Curaçao will be joined by regional neighbors Panama and Haiti, which also booked their World Cup spots Tuesday.
Panama advanced to its second World Cup after defeating El Salvador 3-0 on first-half goals from César Blackman and Eric Davis, plus Jose Luis Rodriguez late in the game.
Panama’s only previous World Cup appearance was in 2018. It overtook Suriname, another Dutch-influenced team, which started play atop the group before losing 3-1 against Guatemala.
Haiti, a troubled Caribbean country, had a surprising campaign and beat Nicaragua 2-0 to win its group over favorites Honduras and Costa Rica, which was a quarterfinalist at the 2014 World Cup.
Haiti’s only previous trip to the World Cup was in West Germany in 1974.
The Caribbean and central American results Tuesday also finalized the six teams which will take part in the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico in March.
Two teams will qualify from the playoffs, which includes Jamaica and Suriname, plus Iraq from Asia, Congo from Africa, Bolivia from South America and New Caledonia from Oceania.
The Caribbean island nation is the smallest country to ever make the World Cup
Curacao is known for being an offshore casino gambling haven
The tiny Caribbean island country of Curacao is headed to the 2026 World Cup.
Members of the Curacao National Football Team celebrate after qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Jamaica on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Curacao is known for being an offshore gambling hub. (Image: FIFA)
On Tuesday, Curacao made history by becoming the smallest-ever nation to qualify for the World Cup. The country’s ascent to global soccer’s main stage came after a 0-0 draw against Jamaica on Tuesday to finish atop its four-team Concacaf group (Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football).
The island nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands went undefeated in its 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying. Curacao beat St. Lucia 4-0 and Haiti 5-1 in June, tied Trinidad and Tobago, and beat Bermuda 3-2 in September, and beat group favorite Jamaica 2-0 to open their October window before tying Trinidad and Tobago again.
In November, Curacao made easy work of Bermuda 7-0 to reach the group finale. The Jamaica rematch resulted in a tie, sending the nation that’s home to only 156,115 people to soccer’s main event.
Curacao easily becomes to smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup. Iceland previously held the mark, the country home to more than 352K people, making the 2018 tournament.
Curacao poached many football players from the Netherlands, as approved by FIFA, to help the nation reach its debut World Cup.
Curacao Casinos
Part of the ABC islands, along with Aruba and Bonaire, Curacao is less reliant on tourism than most other Caribbean countries and territories. Curacao has large financial services and trade industries relevant to its size.
The nation also relies on its gaming industry. Along with land-based casinos, the country is known for being a hub for offshore online casinos and sports betting platforms.
Until 2023, obtaining an online gaming license in Curacao was a rather easy process. The country updated its compliance regulations that year to include stricter anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.
The changes, which additionally included more stringent oversight of licensees’ gaming operations, were to improve the country’s poor global reputation for being home to many offshore gambling entities.
Once scorned by countries from the United States to China for allowing their licensees to take bets from people abroad, the Curacao Gaming Authority now goes by the motto, “Elevating the Curacao Gaming Industry.”
The Curacao Gaming Authority strives to protect the interest of the public and the integrity and stability of the Curaçao gaming industry by ensuring that all gaming is conducted honestly, responsibly, competitively, and free from criminal and corruptive elements, thereby elevating the Curacao gaming industry,” the regulator said.
The focus of the online gaming updates has dealt with protecting consumers and combating money laundering and terrorism financing. The regulatory reforms haven’t appeased foreign nations wishing for Curacao to prohibit its iGaming concessionaires from targeting players in their countries.
World Cup Odds
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted throughout North America in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Host cities include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Boston, Miami, New York, and Philadelphia.
The odds are long that Curacao will make a deep run. FanDuel has Curacao at 1000/1 to win the Cup. A $1 bet on that unthinkable coming true would net $1,000.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Alex Freeman scored twice and Sebastian Berhalter and Diego Luna had one goal each as the United States overwhelmed Uruguay with a four-goal first half in a 5-1 win on Tuesday night to head into a World Cup year with a five-game unbeaten streak.
Tanner Tessmann added a 68th-minute goal for the U.S., which scored five times against a South American confederation opponent and a top 30 team for the first time.
The 16th-ranked Americans continued their autumn turnaround after lackluster performances in the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup.
They have just two more games, March friendlies likely against Belgium and Portugal, before coach Mauricio Pochettino selects his World Cup roster.
Freeman, Berhalter and Tessmann all scored their first international goals as the U.S. got five goals against a team outside the CONCACAF region for the first time since beating Scotland 5-1 in 2012. The Americans have won four games, including three straight, during the five-game unbeaten streak against World Cup-bound teams.
Uruguay’s Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off in the 64th minute for a high sliding tackle on Berhalter. La Celeste, ranked 15th and headed to its fifth straight World Cup, had entered the friendly with a six-game unbeaten streak.
Berhalter, a son of former coach Gregg Berhalter, put the U.S. ahead in the 17th minute off a free kick and Freeman headed in Berhalter’s corner kick in the 20th. Freeman added a 31st-minute goal and Luna opened a four-goal lead in the 42nd.
Fielding a starting lineup of mostly backups before a crowd of 26,110 in 69,000-capacity Raymond James Stadium, the U.S. scored four goals in a half for the first time against a South American team.
Uruguay’s Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored on a 7-yard overhead kick in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, his 13th international goal, after goalkeeper Matt Freese and defenders Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie converged and all failed to clear the ball.
Before the start and again at the final whistle, Pochettino hugged Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa, the coach who signed him as a 13-year-old for Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina.
The U.S. went ahead after Manuel Ugarte fouled Haji Wright just to the side of the penalty area. Berhalter exchanged passes with Sergiño Dest and one-timed a shot past backup goalkeeper Cristopher Fiermarin inside the far post
Freeman, a son of former NFL all-pro receiver Antonio Freeman playing in his home state, outjumped Bentancur to head in Berhalter’s corner kick for the second goal and Timmy Tillman slid to win a challenge against Nahitan Nández, leading to the third goal. Tillman passed wide to Trusty, who one-touched the ball into the path of Freeman. He dribbled between Ronald Araújo and Manuel Ugarte to score from short range off a deflection, becoming only the second American defender with a two-goal game after Aaron Long in 2019 against Trinidad and Tobago.
Luna got his fourth international goal after Tillman’s cross deflected off Rodrigo Zalazar and rolled into his path near the penalty spot.
Tessmann headed in a cross from fellow second-half substitute Gio Reyna following a short corner kick.
Pochettino change nine starters, keeping only Freese and Dest, who played wide right. Trusty made his second start, his first since his debut in March 2023, and Tillman made his second start, his first since his debut in January 2024.
So much for Germany being at risk of missing the World Cup.
A 6-0 thrashing of Slovakia on Monday completed Germany’s recovery from a shocking start to group play as the four-time champion maintained its proud record of always qualifying for the World Cup.
The Germans will be competing on soccer’s biggest stage for the 21st time in 23 editions. They didn’t enter the inaugural 1930 World Cup and were not allowed to enter the 1950 edition.
The Netherlands — a long-standing rival of Germany — also won its group to reach next year’s tournament being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. A 4-0 win over Lithuania saw the Dutch qualify with an unbeaten record, finishing ahead of Poland.
Slovakia and Poland will be in the playoffs, the draw for which takes place on Thursday.
Germany and the Netherlands joined England, France, Portugal, Croatia and Norway as the European teams to have qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
The remaining five automatic spots will be booked on Tuesday when group play is wrapped up.
It was Slovakia which handed Germany a surprising 2-0 loss in the first round of matches in Group A. That was only the Germans’ third ever defeat in World Cup qualifying but they have responded with five straight wins, culminating in the heavy beating of Slovakia in Leipzig where the pressure was firmly on Julian Nagelsmann’s team.
Four of the goals came in the first half; Leroy Sane scored twice after strikes by Nick Woltemade and Serge Gnabry.
The second-half goals were by two Leipzig players — substitute Ridle Baku and Assan Ouédraogo, a 19-year-old midfielder making his debut.
Germany entered the game needing only a draw and finished three points ahead of Slovakia.
No team has reached the World Cup final more times than Germany. It was the winner in 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014 — the first three as West Germany — and the runner-up in 1966, 1982, 1986 and 2014.
Germany has been eliminated in the group stage in the last two World Cups, however, to damage its status as a global heavyweight.
The Netherlands will get another chance to win that elusive first World Cup trophy, four years after exiting the 2022 tournament in a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the quarterfinals.
A draw with Lithuania on Monday also would have been enough for the Dutch, who started the game three points clear of Poland, but they wound up pouring in the goals in Amsterdam — starting with Tijjani Reijnders in the 16th.
Cody Gakpo made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 58th and there were more goals from Xavi Simons and Donyell Malen, who scored off a powerful effort at the end of his solo run that began inside his own half.
The Netherlands has been runner-up at the World Cup three times — in 1974, 1978 and 2010.
RABAT, Morocco — Congo advanced to the World Cup intercontinental playoffs after beating Nigeria in a Sunday night penalty shootout.
Chancel Mbemba struck the decisive spot kick to seal a 4-3 shootout victory for Congo after the final playoff match of African qualifying ended 1-1 after extra time in Rabat, Morocco.
Congo’s victory secured its place in FIFA’s six-team intercontinental playoff tournament in March that will send two teams to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Nigeria led after three minutes of the game through Frank Onyeka’s goal before Mechak Elia leveled for Congo in the 32nd.
Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, the leading scorer in the UEFA Champions League, was substituted at halftime.
Mbemba had scored in added time in Congo’s 1-0 win against Cameroon on Thursday to secure a place in the final. This time he was the hero in the shootout.
Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia have already qualified for the World Cup from Africa.
DUBLIN (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo is at serious risk of being banned for the first game of the 2026 World Cup if Portugal qualifies as expected.
The soccer superstar was sent off for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea in the second half of a qualifying game Thursday that Portugal lost 2-0 in Dublin.
Ronaldo will serve a mandatory one-game ban imposed for any red card when Portugal hosts Armenia on Sunday knowing a win will secure a place at the World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
FIFA disciplinary rules require its judges to impose a ban of “at least two matches for serious foul play.”
The ban should be “at least three matches for violent conduct” or “at least three matches or an appropriate period of time for assault, including elbowing.”
A FIFA ban would apply to competitive games and could not be served in pre-tournament exhibitions.
Ronaldo spun round and swung his right elbow into O’Shea’s back as they waited for the ball to be crossed around the hour mark at Aviva Stadium with Ireland holding a surprise 2-0 lead.
The referee issued a yellow card but minutes later upgraded it to red after a video review at the pitchside monitor.
Ronaldo curled his lips in a wry look as he walked off the field being jeered and mocked by Ireland fans.
He stopped and looked at the fans, clapped his hands toward them and raised two thumbs up in an apparent sarcastic gesture.
Ronaldo, who turns 41 in February, is aiming to play at a record sixth World Cup tournament.
The tournament draw is made Dec. 5 in Washington DC when Portugal, if it qualifies, will learn its schedule of three opponents in the group stage.
Ireland forward Troy Parrott had scored twice in the first half Thursday to revive Irish hopes of qualification likely through the playoffs ahead of facing second-place Hungary on Sunday.
Portugal tops Group F with 10 points, two ahead of Hungary. Ireland is third with seven points.
Luis Rubiales, the former Spanish soccer federation president who resigned after kissing a player without her consent at the 2023 Women’s World Cup final, was pelted with eggs while on stage promoting his book.
The culprit, who was later arrested by police, was revealed to be Rubiales’ uncle.
Jorge Vilda, Head Coach of Spain (L), with Luis Rubiales, President of Spain’s football federation, during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Final match between Spain and England at Stadium Australia on Aug. 20, 2023, in Sydney, Australia.(Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
The incident was captured on video and showed Rubiales sitting on stage while promoting his 500-page memoir. A man can be seen throwing several eggs in Rubiales’ direction, one hitting him directly in the back.
Rubiales charged at the man, but several others stepped in to restrain him.
Spanish police told The Associated Press that the man, identified as Luis Rubén Rubiales, was arrested. No motive was immediately revealed. The suspect was Rubiales’ uncle and a local actor.
“A man entered who I later saw was my uncle, who is a troubled man, and always has been,” Rubiales told reporters, via the AP. “He had some eggs and threw some at me, but I didn’t know what he had in his hands, and when I first saw him I thought he might be carrying a weapon.”
The former president of Spain’s soccer federation Luis Rubiales sits in a courtroom on the outskirts of Madrid, Monday Feb. 3, 2025, where he goes on trial for his unsolicited kiss on forward Jenni Hermoso. (Chema Moya, Pool photo via AP, File)
In February, Rubiales was found guilty of sexually assaulting Spanish soccer player Jenni Hermoso after he kissed her without her consent following the Women’s World Cup final in 2023. The controversy overshadowed Spain’s title and led to Rubiales’ resignation just weeks later.
Despite prosecutors seeking prison time, Rubiales was ordered to pay a fine and was prohibited from being near or communicating with Hermoso for a year.
A smiling Jennifer Hermoso of Spain with the FIFA Women’s World Cup winners’ trophy after the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Final match between Spain and England at Stadium Australia on Aug. 20, 2023, in Sydney, Australia. (Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
The 48-year-old former soccer chief has denied kissing Hermoso without her consent. According to its publisher, Rubiales says he was the victim of a “conspiracy of different powers of Spanish public life” including the government and “the profitable world of feminism.”
GENEVA (AP) — New Sweden coach Graham Potter wants to help players deal with the frustration of losing 2026 World Cup qualifying games, with the team set to have a second chance in playoffs next year.
Potter’s first game with Sweden — seven weeks after the Englishman was fired by West Ham — is on Saturday at qualifying group leader Switzerland, which can book its place at the World Cup in North America with a win.
Sweden’s three-game losing run, including at home to the Swiss last month, cost previous coach Jon Dahl Tomasson his job and left the team last in the four-team group.
Potter’s likely task on an initial short-term contract is to steer Sweden through the European playoffs in March, which it should enter because of winning a Nations League one year ago. FIFA makes the 16-team playoffs draw next Thursday in Zurich.
“The team is in a difficult situation,” Potter acknowledged on Friday. “Results-wise the campaign hasn’t gone how we wanted it to go. When that happens there’s a lot of pain, there’s frustration.”
He said he’s setting a goal “to help players feel better on the pitch.”
Potter has worked on the emotional side of team building with his players, while describing messages on the field as “relatively clear, relatively simple.”
Sweden has a talented squad though injuries currently leave Potter without Arsenal forward Viktor Gyökeres plus Tottenham pair Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall.
Isak available
Liverpool forward Alexander Isak, signed for an English record transfer fee of 125 million pounds ($170 million) in September, is available, Potter said, but cannot play two full games against Switzerland and at home to Slovenia on Tuesday.
“We have to be smart with him,” said Potter, who has returned to Sweden after his last two jobs in England ended abruptly at Chelsea in 2023 and at West Ham.
He made his admired reputation by taking small-town club Ostersund from the fourth tier to the top, and won a Swedish Cup title, in seven years through 2018.
Potter spoke Swedish for most of a half-hour news conference at Stade de Genève. It’s a rare talent among English coaches who have worked abroad.
“I speak to a lot of the players in English because it’s better for them and easier for me,” he said. “I also think it’s important for me to improve my Swedish.”
Luis Rubiales was pelted by eggs thrown by his own uncle when the former head of Spain’s soccer federation was presenting a memoir late Thursday relating his downfall after kissing a player at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Rubiales was seated on a stool on a low stage when he jumped up and spun quickly trying to avoid three eggs hurled his way. One impacted on the back of his dark jacket, and another splattered against a screen behind him as he charged into the small audience.
“A man entered who I later saw was my uncle, who is a troubled man, and always has been,” Rubiales told reporters. “He had some eggs and threw some at me, but I didn’t know what he had in his hands, and when I first saw him I thought he might be carrying a weapon.”
Spanish media reported that the uncle was Luis Rubén Rubiales, an actor who has appeared in several domestic television shows.
Spanish police told The Associated Press they arrested the egg thrower. No motive was immediately given for the incident. A video shows a group of men in the audience grabbing the uncle immediately after he launched the eggs and escorting him away.
Luis Rubiales, on his way out of the National Court, on 12 February, 2025 in San Fernando, Madrid, Spain.
Matias Chiofalo/Europa Press via Getty Images
Rubiales also had a falling out with another uncle, Juan Rubiales, several years ago when Juan was working for him at the federation.
His book “Matar a Rubiales” (Killing Rubiales) is a 500-page version of his professional demise after kissing Spain forward Jenni Hermoso during the 2023 Women’s World Cup awards ceremony. It was the first time Spain’s women’s team took home the title. According to its publisher, Rubiales says he was the victim of a “conspiracy of different powers of Spanish public life” including the government and “the profitable world of feminism.”
Rubiales has always denied he kissed Hermoso without her consent. After initially clinging to power amid a national uproar, he stepped down under immense pressure from the government, soccer officials, women players and fans.
Earlier this year he was found guilty of sexual assault for the unsolicited kiss by a Spanish court. He was fined over $11,000 and ordered not to come within 650 feet of Hermoso or contact her for a year. Prosecutors had pushed for him to spend over two years in prison. Rubiales was acquitted of a separate charge that alleged he and other officials pressued Hermoso to support him in the aftermath of the kiss.
Hermoso testified in court that Rubiales’ actions “tarnished” what should have been “one of the happiest days” of her life.
“I’d spent years fighting to win titles for my team, like the World Cup,” she said. “But all that’s happened to me means that I just haven’t been able to enjoy any of it from the moment I set foot back in Madrid. I’m a world champion, but it seems that, even to this day, my life has been on standby. I honestly haven’t been able to live freely.”
Rubiales, 48, is also under scrutiny by Spanish authorities probing his 2020 deal to move the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.
