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Mauricio Pochettino USMNT HIC

Pochettino: 75-80 players believe they can make USMNT's WC roster

Mauricio Pochettino says that he believes there are between 75 and 80 players who believe they can make the U.S. Men's National Team's World Cup roster. One of the head coach's main priorities has been building out and empowering the player pool, not just the top players, and he believes that the competition for World Cup places is more fierce because of it.

USAM. Pochettino
Kylian Mbappe Thierry Henry France 2026

Has Mbappe eclipsed Henry? ‘Generation’ argument explained

Kylian Mbappe is a World Cup-winning global superstar in his own right, but can the Real Madrid ‘Galactico’ be considered to have eclipsed the legend of fellow Frenchman Thierry Henry? Jeremie Aliadiere - a former Arsenal team-mate of another ‘Invincible’ in north London - has explained why all-time lists will always be influenced by generational favouritism.

K. MbappeFrance
Christian Pulisic Weston McKennie

USMNT brutally told why Pulisic & top stars won't stay in MLS

MLS has been told why retaining home-grown stars such as Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie will remain impossible in the foreseeable future, with “real football” being played in Europe. Giuseppe Rossi - who spent time in England, Italy, Spain and the United States during his playing career - has told GOAL why top American talent will continue to fly the domestic nest.

Major League SoccerUSA
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Meet the USMNT

USMNT told talk of winning World Cup 'won't be fair at all'

The United States has been warned that talk of the USMNT winning a home World Cup in 2026 “won’t be fair at all”, with a more realistic example of “huge success” being pointed out. Giuseppe Rossi, who qualified to represent the land of his birth but opted to play for Italy, has - while filling a role as vice-chairman and head of soccer at the New York Cosmos - given GOAL his assessment of the so-called ‘Golden Generation’.

USAC. Pulisic
Panel Discussion with Pierluigi Colina and Johannes Holzmüller at The REACH

Legendary ref Collina compares VAR to 'crisis with your wife'

Pierluigi Collina has delivered a blunt assessment of the current state of VAR, comparing the technology’s recent struggles to a crumbling relationship. As football prepares for a suite of radical changes to how the game is policed, the man who once struck fear into the world’s best players suggests that the initial love affair with technology has hit a rocky patch.

P. CollinaPremier League
Cole Palmer Thomas Tuchel Marcus Rashford England

Tuchel urged to snub Palmer & pick England ‘world-beater’

Thomas Tuchel has been urged to snub the likes of Cole Palmer and Phil Foden by picking “world-beater” Marcus Rashford on the left wing for England at the 2026 World Cup. Former Three Lions star Lee Sharpe has told GOAL the Manchester United academy graduate, who is currently on loan at Barcelona, possesses qualities that his rivals for an international starting berth do not have.

M. RashfordEngland
Lionel Messi Cristiano Ronaldo 2026

Does Messi care about Ronaldo’s 1,000-goal target?

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to chase down 1,000 competitive career goals, but will eternal rival Lionel Messi have the same target in mind? Portuguese superstar CR7 appears destined to get there first, as he turns out for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, and a former team-mate of the Manchester United legend has told GOAL why Inter Miami talisman Messi may care more about Ronaldo’s exploits than he likes to let on.

C. RonaldoL. Messi
South Africa World Cup 2010 GFX

ICONS: Controversies that dogged the 2010 World Cup

This is Icons, a GOAL feature and podcast series revisiting the last 10 World Cups through the moments, characters, and controversies that defined them, bringing the spirit of each tournament vividly back to life. This week we look back on vuvuzelas, Jabulanis, a French mutiny and the other 'Hand of God'. The 2010 World Cup was chaos, noise, heartbreak, and pure spectacle; a tournament that shaped football’s modern era in ways few could have predicted.

IconsL. Suarez
Al Najmah v Al Nassr: Saudi Pro League

Ronaldo in danger of missing Portugal's final camp before World Cup

The road to the 2026 World Cup has hit a significant speed bump for Cristiano Ronaldo, as the Portugal captain is now a major doubt for his nation’s final international camp before the tournament. After limping out of domestic action in Saudi Arabia, the Al-Nassr forward is facing a race against time to prove his fitness to Roberto Martinez.

C. RonaldoPortugal

Betting spotlight

Premier League relegation odds: Tottenham’s odds drop to new low price
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FBL-WC-2026-SAMERICA-QUALIFIERS-URU-BRA

Richarlison hits out at 'fake news' he will boycott World Cup

Brazil and Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison has denied he is planning on sitting out the 2026 World Cup amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Iran has recently come under attack from the United States - one of three co-hosts for this summer's tournament - and Israel, leading to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

RicharlisonBrazil
FBL-WC-2022-MATCH54-BRA-KOR

Neymar consoles 'little brother' Rodrygo after World Cup heartbreak

Real Madrid star Rodrygo has suffered a devastating knee injury that will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season. In a cruel twist of fate, the diagnosis also confirms that the forward will miss the 2026 World Cup, a tournament he was expected to light up for Brazil. Following the confirmation of the injury sustained during the La Liga clash against Getafe, Brazil legend Neymar led the tributes with a deeply personal message for his young compatriot.

RodrygoNeymar
FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw

Trump offers dismissive view of Iran's World Cup hopes

The build-up to the 2026 World Cup has been hit by a major geopolitical storm as United States president Donald Trump admitted he is indifferent to whether Iran participates in the upcoming tournament. Despite being the first nation to secure qualification for the showpiece event, Iran were the notable absentees from a high-profile FIFA planning meeting held in Atlanta this week. The silence from the Iranian camp has sparked intense speculation regarding their involvement in the tournament, which is set to be hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada this summer.

IranUSA
Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid: Spanish Super Cup

Rodrygo ruled out for season after ACL tear

Real Madrid suffered a catastrophic tactical setback after Brazilian forward Rodrygo Goes was diagnosed with a severe anterior cruciate ligament tear. The crushing news, confirmed by medical scans following their La Liga loss to Getafe, effectively ends his domestic season and tragically rules him out of the upcoming World Cup.

RodrygoReal Madrid
Kylian Mbappe Lionel Messi Cristiano Ronaldo 2026

Mbappe's 'longevity' to match Ronaldo & Messi questioned

Kylian Mbappe has seen his “longevity” questioned, with doubts cast over whether the Real Madrid and France superstar can emulate certain achievements of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Jeremie Aliadiere is a big fan of his fellow countryman, but has told GOAL why chasing down the target of 100 international goals may prove difficult for the most fearsome of forwards.

K. MbappeFrance
Mason Greenwood Jamaica

Greenwood could end England hopes for WC chance with Jamaica

Mason Greenwood may yet bring his hopes of earning an England recall to a close by pledging allegiance to Jamaica at the 2026 World Cup, admits a man that once trod a similar path. Frank Sinclair joined the Reggae Boyz ranks for a major tournament adventure in 1998 and has told GOAL why a forward starring at Marseille could take a similar decision.

M. GreenwoodJamaica
France Legacy GFX

LEGACY: How France learned resilience at the World Cup

This is Legacy, GOAL’s feature and podcast series to mark the countdown to the 2026 World Cup. Each week, we explore the stories and the spirit behind the nations that define the world’s game. This week, we revisit one of international football’s most dramatic sagas: the rise, fall, and rebirth of Les Bleus. From Zinedine Zidane's headbutt in Berlin to Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick in Doha, France’s World Cup journey between 2006 and 2022 is a tale of collapse and resurrection; the story of a nation that turned shame into strength, and forged an identity where resilience became its greatest art.

LegacyFrance

Frequently asked questions

Al-Hilal are the most successful Saudi Pro League side ever, having won an astonishing 19 league titles. Their first-ever league title came at the end of the 1976-77 campaign. Currently, they are also the defending champions, having gone all the way in the 2023-24 season.

Currently, there are 18 teams in the Saudi Pro League. In the first season ever, which took place in 1976-77, there were just eight teams. The number increased to 10 in the following season. Ahead of the 1981-82, Saudi Premier League and Saudi First Division merged to form one single league for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process. However, from the 1984-85 season, the number teams reverted to 12.

Legendary Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea holds the record for most appearances in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Deayea played for Al-Taee and Al-Hilal and managed 406 appearances inthe league.

Majed Abdullah, also known as the Arabian Pele, is the league's all-time leading topscorer with 189 goals in 194 league games, all of them coming with Al-Nassr in a 21-year span. He is Al-Nassr's record goalscorer, with 259 goals in just 266 games.

Former Syrian midfielder Jehad Al-Hussain has registered the most assists in Saudi Pro League history, setting up 50 goals for his teammates in 208 games.

Former Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary is the oldest player to ever feature in Saudi Pro League. El Hadary was 45 years and 81 days old when he featured for Al-Taawoun in April 2018.

Teenage sensation Talal Haji, who plays for Al-Ittihad, is the youngest player to ever play in Saudi Pro League. Haji achieved this feat at the age of 16 years and five days when he came on as a substitute for Romarinho in Al-Ittihad's 2-1 win over Al-Fateh in September 2023.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Riyad Mahrez, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, N'Golo Kante, Sadio Mane, Yassine Bounou, Nacho, Aymeric Laporte, and Fabinho are among the most famous players to have played in the Saudi Pro League.

Steven Gerrard, Laurent Blanc, and Stefano Pioli are some of Saudi Pro League's most prominent managers in history.

The King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, which is home to Al-Shabab and Al-Riyadh, is the biggest stadium in Saudi Pro League. It has a capacity of 68,752.

Neymar is the most expensive player in Saudi Pro League history, costing a whopping £77.6 million when Al-Hilal bought him from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.

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