Tom Hindle

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has returned to the matchday squad and is among the substitutes for the Herons’ Eastern Conference matchup against the Columbus Crew. Messi hasn’t appeared for the South Florida side since Argentina’s World Cup final defeat on July 19. His international teammate Rodrigo De Paul, however, has slotted straight into the starting XI.

Mykhailo Mudryk, Chelsea's mercurial winger, has been allowed to return to the club after seeing his case for doping resolved. The Ukrainian forward was handed a four-year ban by the FA in June 2025, but after appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport has seen the suspension ended early. He will join the club's preseason camp as they revamp under Xabi Alonso.

Hernandez joins a list of legendary players who have joined USL. GOAL ranks the top players to join the American league.

CONCACAF is the latest confederation to come out against FIFA's shock plan to sell off part of its commercial rights to private investors. The confederation, which covers 41 football associations in North and Central America, released a statement Thursday afternoon saying they had 'rejected' the plan. Their move comes hours after UEFA boycotted FIFA competitions.

UEFA has asserted that its 55 member associations will not participate in FIFA competitions as long as Gianni Infantino's shock plan to sell off parts of World Cup rights to private investors exists. Their emphatic move comes after a series of statements and mixed reactions from football federations around the world - who were reportedly kept in the dark as to FIFA's decision-making.

Son Heung-Min scored twice, and the MLS All-Stars overcame some rocky defending to beat the Liga MX All-Stars 4-3 in a chaotic back-and-forth contest. The LAFC man was dominant in his 35 minutes of action, but Dean Smith's side struggled as they rotated and required some late heroics in defense to see off a Liga MX outfit that improved as the game wore on.

Gianni Infantino’s move to sell stakes in FIFA’s commercial rights is part of a disheartening trend stripping the soul from professional sports.

Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly close to agreeing a new contract that would see him be manager of the USMNT through the 2030 World Cup. Although nothing has been agreed, both parties are eager to get the deal over the line. Pochettino's initial contract ran out in August after he led the U.S. to their first World Cup knockout win since 2002.

FIFA has confirmed it is exploring a proposal to create a $20 billion company that would combine commercial rights and event operations across its men's, women's and youth tournaments. The new entity would sell minority stakes to private investors while, FIFA says, leaving control of competitions, governance and the international match calendar with soccer's global governing body.

With the World Cup still lingering in the rear view mirror, the MLS All Star game is in a precarious spot - yet it still carries something of a charm.

GOAL runs down the major storylines of the week in MLS, with new stars struggling for rhythm and old ones proving their quality

The 2026 World Cup had plenty of flaws, but its lasting legacy may be found in the streets, bars and stadiums where cultures converged and unexpected connections were formed.

From discounted tickets and free fan festivals, to 24-hour pitches and a visit to Rikers Island, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani tells GOAL how his administration sought to make the World Cup accessible - and what he hopes it will leave behind.

From Messi's brilliance to the American infatuation with Erling Haaland, GOAL looks at some of the best and worst of the 2026 World Cup

FIFA's 104th and final Super Bowl delivered plenty of American pomp and circumstance, yet seemed to forget about the soccer

After nearly 40 epic days, the World Cup has drawn to a close. The final did not deliver on drama, but there is perhaps justice in the best team winning it all.

Ferran Torres scored the only goal to win Spain the 2026 World Cup in a remarkably drab final. La Roja were the only side eager to play football on the day, and ran out deserved winners in extra-time thanks to the Barcelona forward's heroics. With the victory, they secured back-to-back major trophy wins - and might have ended Leo Messi's Argentina career with a loss.

England at least managed to put a bit of shine on their World Cup campaign. The highly-entertaining, 6-4 win over France in Saturday's bronze-medal match didn't change the fact that they collapsed in the semi-final against Argentina three days earlier, but it did at least save a little bit of face.