Tom Hindle

One month into the MLS season, the early storylines are starting to take shape - from Inter Miami finding form again to growing concerns over James Rodriguez.

MLS has issued lifetime bans to Derick Jones and Yaw Yeboah for betting on games while they were playing, the league announced Monday afternoon. The duo bet on numerous games, including ones they were playing in, during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and after an extensive investigation, have been prevented from playing in the league. Neither player is signed with an MLS club.

Some in form teams lost, while one key player regained some much-needed form in another wonderfully unpredictable week of Major League Soccer

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including important three points for Pulisic's AC Milan.

U.S. international Ricardo Pepi bagged in the 86th minute to give PSV a 2-1 win over AZ Alkmaar in his first start since suffering an arm injury in January. The striker smashed home from close range after a well-worked move to cap off a narrow win in PSV's procession to the Eredivisie crown. It was Pepi's 10th goal of the season.

Federico Valverde's lucky late winner papered over an otherwise disappointing performance from Real Madrid as they snuck past Celta Vigo with a 2-1 win. Los Blancos took the lead inside the first half, but conceded an equaliser shortly after. They seemed destined to settle for a point, but Valverde's winner - a heavily deflected strike in second-half stoppage time - gave them a vital win on the road.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were honored during a visit at the White House following an invitation from President Donald Trump on Thursday afternoon. MLS commissioner Don Garber was also present as the Cup champions celebrated their 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the final. This is the second visit from a multiple Ballon d'Or winner in six months, as Cristiano Ronaldo met with President Trump in November last year.

Inter Miami spent big on German Berterame, yet his tactical fit in South Florida is puzzling as the MLS club try to push for four trophies

Inter Miami have revealed that Nu, a digital financial service platform, will sponsor their new stadium at Miami Freedom Park, set to open this April. The club announced that they have agreed a 'multiyear' deal with the company, ahead of an highly-anticipated debut of a stadium that has been teased for years. Nu Stadium will host both MLS fixtures and concerts.

Cristo Fernandez, who played Dani Rojas in the beloved Apple TV series Ted Lasso, trained with MLS's Chicago Fire last month, the club confirmed Wednesday. GOAL reported the Mexican-born actor was on trial with USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive earlier this week, and could yet receive a contract. Fernandez played academy soccer in Mexico as a teenager.

Jay DeMerit's story is one of struggle, doggedness, and never quite giving up on his dream. And since he retired, he's tried to reinforce those ideas - in a variety of wonderfully strange ways.

It is incredibly important that the USMNT perform on home soil, but that’s far from the only major storyline heading into the 2026 World Cup.

GOAL takes a look at the wild storylines that could take centerstage this summer, headlined by predictions involving the sport's biggest stars

Real Madrid lost for the second game in a row and were lacking in the final third in a 1-0 defeat to lowly Getafe. With Kylian Mbappe sidelined due to a knee injury, Los Blancos looked void of ideas. They conceded a remarkable goal in the first half, and didn't create enough in the second to deserve any more than a disappointing home defeat to a scrappy Getafe side.

Cristo Fernandez, who played Dani Rojas in the hit Apple TV series Ted Lasso, appeared in a preseason friendly for USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive on Saturday, a club source confirmed. They are expected to make a decision on a professional contract early this week. Fernandez, who appeared in the first three seasons of the show, played youth soccer in Mexico until he was 15.

Matchday 2 of MLS brought a signature comeback win for Inter Miami, and a continuation of form for the Red Bulls. But it might be time to worry about Atlanta.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including some big goals from strikers

German striker Timo Wener came off the bench to assist on his San Jose debut, as the Quakes saw off Atlanta United with a comfortable 2-0 win. Werner, who penned a multi-year Designated Player deal with San Jose, did not start in his first available game after moving from RB Leipzig. However, his impact was immediate, as he needed little time to grab his first goal involvement.