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Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has injured his left knee, the Spanish club said on Wednesday. Madrid said in a brief statement that the French superstar had been diagnosed with a sprain but did not provide a timeline for his recovery. French sports daily newspaper L’Equipe said Mbappé would be unavailable for at least three weeks, without quoting a source. L’Equipe added that Mbappé had been suffering for several weeks from an issue with the lateral ligament in his knee, and an MRI carried out on Wednesday morning revealed a lesion that requires treatment and rest. The striker has been in great form. Earlier this month, Mbappé scored his 59th goal for Madrid in 2025, tying the club record for the most in a year held by Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Paris Saint-Germain player, who joined Madrid in the summer of 2024, has scored 29 times for Madrid this season, including a league-leading 18. Madrid’s next game is on Sunday against Real Betis in La Liga.

Orlando City has a new keeper. Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau is set to sign with Orlando City, according to soccer insider Fabrizio Romano on Wednesday. Crepeau spent the past two seasons as the starter for the Portland Timbers. He made 35 starts and achieved four clean sheets, with three coming in 2025. The 31-year-old from Greenfield Park, Quebec, will also be looking to prove himself to Team Canada ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Crepeau will battle with Inter Miami’s new goalie Dayne St. Clair to see who will start between the posts on the grandest stage. Crepeau has made 29 appearances for Canada’s senior team since 2016.

Arsenal ensured it will end the year top of the Premier League after beating Aston Villa 4-1 at home in a powerful statement win on Tuesday. The fourth goal, scored by substitute Gabriel Jesus one minute after coming on, highlighted the depth of Arsenal’s bench this season and coach Mikel Arteta jubilantly high-fived his assistants at the final whistle. The victory moved Arsenal five points ahead of Manchester City, which plays at Sunderland on New Year’s Day, and six points clear of third-place Villa. Elsewhere, Chelsea drew 2-2 at home to Bournemouth; Newcastle won 3-1 at lowly Burnley; and Manchester United was held 1-1 at home to rock-bottom Wolverhampton. Struggling West Ham drew 2-2 with visiting Brighton and Everton won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.

LIVERPOOL, England — Premier League defending champion Liverpool parted ways with its set-piece coach Aaron Briggs on Tuesday. Liverpool said in a brief statement on its website that Briggs “departed his role” after joining as a member of coach Arne Slot’s backroom staff in July last year. “He leaves with the appreciation and best wishes of everyone at the club,” Liverpool added. Liverpool’s precarious start to its title defence has seen six defeats and 26 goals conceded in 18 games — compared to just four league defeats all last season. During Saturday’s nervy 2-1 home win against rock-bottom Wolverhampton the visitors scored from a corner, and after the match Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk highlighted Liverpool’s ongoing problems from set pieces. Liverpool will next play Leeds at Anfield on Thursday.

ROME — Roma scored three times in a one-sided first half to beat Genoa 3-1 on Monday and move into fourth place in Serie A. Matías Soulé’s neatly taken goal after 13 minutes was followed quickly by an opportunistic strike by Manu Koné as the home side overran its lowly opponent. On-loan Irish striker Evan Ferguson pounced on a parried shot to poke the ball home and make it 3-0 just past the half-hour mark. Jeff Ekhator got a late consolation goal for Genoa with a deflected shot. Roma had been at risk of falling out of touch with the leading pack after only one win in its last four games. The result lifts Gian Piero Gasperini’s side to 33 points, one point behind Napoli, two behind AC Milan and three behind leader Inter, although all three have a game in hand. Genoa, meanwhile, remains 17th in the 20-team league and just two points above the relegation zone after its third loss in a row.

A proposed settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit over the non-appearance of soccer superstar Lionel Messi and other Inter Miami players in a match against the Vancouver Whitecaps last year. The proposed settlement between fans who sued the Whitecaps and Major League Soccer includes updates to the Whitecaps’ ticketing policies and a $475,000 charitable donation. The lawyers for the fans say the settlement remains subject to court approval at an upcoming hearing, and that the Whitecaps and MLS continue to deny wrongdoing or liability. There were chants of “Where is Messi” among the crowd of more than 51,000 fans at the May 25, 2024, match, which Inter Miami won 2-1. The lawyers for the fans say the Whitecaps and MLS advertised the game by referring to Miami players Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets, but were “reckless” about whether they would actually play. Class members have until Jan. 28, 2026, to opt out of the planned settlement, in which the Whitecaps agre...

Maritime Messi is headed to La-La Land. Canadian soccer winger Jacob Shaffelburg is going from Nashville SC to LAFC, MLS insider Tom Bogert reported on Monday. The Kentville, N.S. native has become a fan-favourite on the Canadian men’s national team. He has six goals in 31 international caps. The 26-year-old spent most of his youth and early professional career with the Toronto FC academy, making 46 appearances with the big club. He was loaned to Nashville in 2022, and played 82 games for the club over four seasons, scoring 11 goals. Shaffelburg joins a strong LAFC club which finished third in the Western Conference in 2025, losing to Vancouver in the Western semifinal. LAFC boasts a big-name squad, featuring World Cup champion goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, and South Korean soccer legend Son Heung-Min. Shaffelburg is expected to be a key piece on Canada’s 2026 men’s World Cup squad.

Toronto FC has signed Brazilian left back Matheus Pereira from Portuguese side CD Santa Clara through the 2027-28 MLS season, with a club option for 2028-29. The 25-year-old, who can also play on the wing, joined Santa Clara in July 2024 and went on to make a combined 49 appearances in all competitions. Pereira will likely join Canadian international Richie Laryea at Toronto’s first-choice fullback pairing.  Laryea, a former TFC designated player who made $1.17 million (all figures in U.S. dollars) last season, can play both sides and did everything when healthy for TFC last season, also playing at wingback, centre back and midfielder for Toronto.  Laryea, when not playing on the right side, joined Raoul Petretta and 22-year-old Kobe Franklin in spending time at left back last season for TFC. Toronto opted not to exercise the 2026 contract option on Petretta, a 28-year-old German-born Italian who made $854,750 last season, according to the MLS Players Association. Frankli...

With each goal in his career-best scoring run, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is advancing his claims for a recall to the England squad ahead of the World Cup. The striker netted for the sixth straight game to earn Leeds a 1-1 draw at Sunderland, which missed a chance to climb to fifth place in the Premier League on Sunday. By staying injury-free and being on the hottest streak as a professional, Calvert-Lewin is making a convincing case to be Harry Kane’s back-up for England for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer. His equalizer at the Stadium of Light came in the 47th minute and was a trademark close-range, one-touch finish, turning in a cross from U.S. forward Brenden Aaronson. Calvert-Lewin has eight goals in the league, more than any other English player. “I am feeling good, feeling fit, strong and enjoying playing with the lads,” said Calvert-Lewin, who last played for England as a substitute at the European Championship in 2021 and experienced injury is...

Christian Pulisic is on pace for the best season of his career — in a season that will conclude with a home World Cup for the United States. The American standout scored the opening goal for AC Milan in a 3-0 victory over Hellas Verona in Serie A on Sunday to raise his total to 10 goals and two assists in 15 matches across all competitions with the Rossoneri. The victory moved Milan atop the Italian league table, two points ahead of Inter Milan, which was visiting Atalanta later. Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan hasn’t lost in Serie A since getting beat by Cremonese in the season opener in August. Pulisic was in the right place at the right time to volley in from close range in first-half added time following a corner from Luka Modric that was headed on by Adrien Rabiot. After the break, Christopher Nkunku converted a penalty for his first Serie A goal and then added another four minutes later by knocking in the rebound of a shot from Modric that was turned onto the post by the goalkee...

ROME — Late goals from Pierre Kalulu and Kenan Yildiz earned Juventus a 2-0 win at promoted Pisa on Saturday as the Bianconeri won their third straight in Serie A. It was a challenge for Luciano Spalletti’s side, though, as Pisa threatened by twice hitting the woodwork. Following morale-boosting victories over Bologna and Roma, Juventus moved up to third place – four places higher than when Spalletti was hired to replace the fired Igor Tudor two months ago. Edon Zeghrova provided a burst of energy for Juventus when he came on just after the hour mark and his work down the left flank led to Kalulu finishing off a counterattack from close range. Yildiz then added another from close range in stoppage time. Pisa’s 17-year-old winger Louis Thomas Buffon, the son of former Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon, came on in the 85th for his fourth Serie A appearance. Earlier, Como won 3-0 at Lecce to move up to sixth as Nico Paz netted his sixth of the season. Jacobo Ramon and ...

MANCHESTER, England — Rayan Cherki kept Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge powering on with a late winner at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The France forward’s 83rd minute strike secured a 2-1 victory at the City Ground to make it six league wins in a row for Pep Guardiola’s team. City is on an eight-game winning run in all and provisionally moved to the top of the standings — one point ahead of Arsenal, which was playing Brighton later on Saturday. “Today is a big win,” Cherki told TNT Sports. “I’m proud of the team because this game is very complicated to win.” It was Cherki’s second goal in three games and fifth over all. He also provided an assist with an intricate pass to Tijjani Reijnders to put City ahead three minutes into the second half. Omari Hutchinson equalized for relegation-fighting Forest, which was holding out for a crucial point until Cherki fired through a crowded box for the winner. Guardiola looks like a man who believes his team is re...

CF Montréal has signed forward Prince Owusu to a five-year contract extension, the team announced Friday.  The deal includes the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons with options for the 2028-29 and 2029-30 campaigns, using targeted allocation money. Owusu scored 17 goals across all competitions (13 in Major League Soccer, two in the Canadian Championship and two in Leagues Cup) in his first season with the club in 2025.  The 28-year-old was awarded CF Montréal’s Giuseppe-Saputo Trophy as the team’s MVP. Owusu was originally acquired via trade with Toronto FC on Jan. 13, 2025. He represented Germany at the under-15, U18 and U19 levels ahead of being called up to the Ghanaian national team for the first time last month.

NOTTINGHAM, England — John Robertson, a former Scotland winger who won the European Cup twice with Nottingham Forest and scored the only goal in the 1980 final, has died. He was 72. The Premier League club said in  a statement  Thursday that it was “heartbroken to announce the passing of Nottingham Forest legend and dear friend, John Robertson.” No cause of death was given. Robertson won 28 caps for Scotland during his five-year international career, which included playing at the 1982 World Cup. He became a cult hero at Forest after playing an integral part in the East Midlands club’s European Cup victories in 1979 and 1980. Robertson provided the cross for Trevor Francis to head home the only goal against Swedish side Malmo in Munich as Brian Clough’s side lifted the European Cup — which evolved into the Champions League — for the first time in 1979. Twelve months later, Robertson was on the scoresheet in another 1-0 victory as Forest successfully defended its European c...

Unwanted by Toronto FC, veteran goalkeeper Sean Johnson signed with D.C. United as a free agent Tuesday. D.C. United said the 36-year-old ‘keeper has signed a one-and-a-half-year contract through June 2027.  “Sean is an experienced and proven goalkeeper who has consistently performed at a high level throughout his career,” Erkut Sogut, D.C. United’s managing director of soccer operations, said in a statement. “He brings valuable international experience having represented the U.S. men’s national team, and his leadership and competitive mentality will elevate our entire team. “Sean is a proven winner having won the 2021 MLS Cup with New York (City FC), and we look forward to welcoming him to the Black-and-Red family.”  Luis Barraza, who started 24 regular-season games for D.C. United last season, is a free agent. The club also has goalkeepers Jordan Farr and Kim Joon Hong under contract. Johnson is leaving a Toronto club that finished the season 12th in the East...

LONDON — Arsenal will face Chelsea in the English League Cup semifinals after beating Crystal Palace 8-7 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in normal time Tuesday. Kepa Arrizabalaga stopped Maxence Lacroix’s spot kick to seal the shootout victory at Emirates Stadium. Lacroix’s own goal in the 80th minute had given Arsenal the lead before Marc Guehi equalized for Palace deep into stoppage time. Manchester City will play defending champion Newcastle in the other semifinal.

CF Montreal traded midfielder Dante Sealy to the Colorado Rapids for up to US$2.5 million in general allocation money Tuesday. Montreal will receive $1.15 million guaranteed in 2026 and $750,000 in 2027, with the potential for an additional $600,000 if certain performance-based conditions are met. The team did not say what those conditions were. The Major League Soccer club also said it could retain a sell-on percentage if Sealy is transferred out of Colorado “above a specified amount,” but did not disclose the percentage or the required threshold. Sealy scored nine goals and provided two assists in 30 games last season for Montreal, which finished 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 6-18-10 record.  The 22-year-old from New York joined the club on Feb. 6 after spending the first four seasons of his MLS career with FC Dallas. He now moves to a Colorado side that went 11-15-8 last season for 11th in the West. “We’d like to thank Dante for his efforts and contributions throug...

Canada Soccer and the men’s national team have agreed on compensation for the players’ participation in next year’s World Cup. But there is a catch, which hopefully will be resolved ahead of the 48-team tournament’s June 11 kickoff. While there is a deal, it is not yet official. “The labour agreement framework between (Canada Soccer) and the players includes World Cup compensation for both 2026 and 2027,” Canada Soccer said in a statement to The Canadian Press, referencing the 2026 men’s and 2027 women’s World Cups. “Its ratification is dependent on the CSB (Canadian Soccer Business) agreement being resolved.” Canadian Soccer Business, whose investor group and board includes the Canadian Premier League owners, looks after marketing and broadcast rights for both Canada Soccer and the CPL, which just completed its seventh season. Kevin Blue, Canada Soccer’s chief executive officer and general secretary, announced in September 2024 that the association had reached a “framework” for a ...

SAO PAULO — Neymar underwent minor surgery on his left knee, his club Santos said on Monday. The 33-year-old Neymar previously said he wanted to fix the pains that have sidelined him from several matches this year. The arthroscopy was performed by Rodrigo Lasmar, who also works with the Brazil squad. The procedure was minimally invasive and treated problems inside joints. Last weekend, the striker said during a music event in Sao Paulo he still hoped to play in the World Cup and score in the final. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, appointed in May, has yet to pick Neymar. “We will do the impossible to bring this cup to Brazil,” Neymar said. “In July, you can remind us of it. Hi, Ancelotti, helps us out!” Neymar has struggled to recover since he tore his ACL in October 2023 in World Cup qualifying. He returned to boyhood club Santos in January and played only 19 of the 38 rounds of Brazil’s Serie A, which started in April. He scored eight goals. His goals in the fina...

MONACO — Japan midfielder Takumi Minamino has torn the ACL in his left knee while playing for Monaco and will almost certainly miss the World Cup. Minamino was injured in a French Cup game on Sunday against Auxerre and “medical examinations revealed a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament,” Monaco posted on social media on Monday. Players typically need up to nine months to return from an ACL injury. Japan opens its World Cup group on June 14 against the Netherlands in the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium at Arlington, Texas. Japan also plays Tunisia and a European playoff winner which could be Poland or Ukraine. Minamino, who turns 31 next month, scored four goals as Japan was among the first teams to qualify for the 2026 tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The former Liverpool and Salzburg player has made 73 appearances for Japan, including three at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and scored 26 goals. Minamino also will miss the rest of Monaco’s Cham...

Even by Bayern Munich standards, it’s been an unusually dominant year in Germany. A 4-0 win at Heidenheim on Sunday meant Vincent Kompany’s team ends 2025 nine points clear in the Bundesliga, well on the way to retaining the title it won back in May after Bayer Leverkusen’s one-season reign. A first domestic double since 2020 is possible, too. “It was an amazing year. To be able to win the league with this team was really special for me,” Bayern striker Harry Kane said Sunday. “I felt like from that moment, even in the Club World Cup (in June), we started to build a spirit and a team energy that’s hard to break.” Just once in 2025 has Bayern lost to German opposition, 3-2 against humble Bochum in March. The team’s goal difference 15 games into this Bundesliga season is a barely believable +44, far more than any other team in Europe’s “big five” leagues. Kane has scored 30 goals for Bayern in all competitions this season, while Luis Díaz has shone since arri...

BIRMINGHAM, England — Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes could be out for “a while” after pulling up with an injury against Aston Villa on Sunday. United coach Ruben Amorim said Fernandes had sustained a soft tissue injury in the first half of the Premier League game at Villa Park. Villa won 2-1 . “I think it’s soft tissues, so it’s going to take a while. We’ll see,” Amorim told Sky Sports. Fernandes appeared to hurt his hamstring when pulling up. He played on until the break but was replaced by Lisandro Martinez for the start of the second half. Fernandes was then seen walking uncomfortably along the sideline as he made his way to the bench for the second half. “I think he is going to lose some games, but I don’t know for sure,” Amorim said in his post-match news conference. “I don’t want to talk about the matter. It is a guy who is always fit and he has shown he can always recover.” United is already without Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui, who are p...

MADRID — Raphinha and Lamine Yamal celebrated each other’s goals with a raised arm and hands linked as Barcelona won 2-0 at 10-man Villarreal on Sunday to stay four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. Raphinha won a penalty after being fouled when cutting inside. He took a slow run-up and sent goalkeeper Luiz Junior the wrong way in the 12th minute for his seventh league goal of the season and Barca’s 50th. Yamal also grabbed his seventh this season, striking from close range in the 63rd after being set up by midfielder Frenkie de Jong following a goalmouth scramble. It was a seventh straight win in all competitions for coach Hansi Flick’s side. Barcelona was without central defender Andreas Christensen, who tore the ACL in his left knee in training on Saturday.  Villarreal defender Renato Veiga was shown a straight red card late in the first half for a heavy tackle from behind on Yamal, who briefly had treatment on the ground. Villarreal’s defea...

PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain started its French Cup defence with a 4-0 win at fifth-tier Vendée Fontenay to reach the last 32 on Saturday. Gonçalo Ramos scored twice while star forwards Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué netted once for record 16-time champion PSG in a match at the stadium of Ligue 1 side Nantes. There were no upsets as top-tier sides Lille, Lorient, Metz, Paris FC and Toulouse all advanced, with Jonathan Ikoné scoring a hat trick in PFC’s 3-0 win against minnow Raon-l’Étape. Third-tier Avranches knocked out Ligue 1 side Brest on Friday.

MILAN — Roma missed the chance to go to the top of Serie A after losing at Juventus 2-1 on Saturday. Francisco Conceição and Loïs Openda scored for Juventus before Tommaso Baldanzi set up a frantic finale. Juventus moved to within one point of fourth-placed Roma. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side would have moved level with Serie A leader Inter Milan with a win, as the three teams above Roma — and Bologna — were involved in the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. Paulo Dybala, who won five Serie A titles with Juventus, almost got Roma off to the perfect start but his finish was too weak and straight into the arms of Bianconeri goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio. Juventus broke the deadlock on halftime. Conceição found Kenan Yıldız on the left and he cut inside before putting in a low cross that was backheeled on by Andrea Cambiaso to Conceição who fired across into the bottom right corner. Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar pulled off magnificent saves and did well again in the 70th to parry Weston...

WOLFSBURG, Germany — Dzenan Pejcinovic scored a hat trick and was still on the losing team as Wolfsburg succumbed to Freiburg’s late surge 4-3 in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Pejcinovic hadn’t scored in the Bundesliga before but the 20-year-old forward, starting because Mohamed Amoura was away at the Africa Cup of Nations, made his mark with three goals as Wolfsburg exploited defensive errors by Freiburg. Wolfsburg’s own blunders also proved costly as defender Jenson Seelt, on loan from Sunderland, gave away a penalty and diverted a save from goalkeeper Kamil Grabara into his own net. That allowed Freiburg to level the score twice before substitute Derry Scherhart scored a 78th-minute winner. Frankfurt’s draw Eintracht Frankfurt ended 2025 in seventh place with one win from its last six games in all competitions, after drawing with Hamburger SV 1-1.  A poor pass across Frankfurt’s defense was picked off by Albert Sambi Lokonga to give Hamburg the lead before Hug...

Chelsea recovered from conceding two early goals to Nick Woltemade to draw 2-2 with Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday, with Joao Pedro’s equalizer coming off a rare assist from a goalkeeper. Robert Sanchez smashed a long clearance up to Pedro, who headed the ball forward and ended up collecting it himself after Fabian Schar slipped. Pedro slotted a finish underneath Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to earn Chelsea a point in the 66th minute. Woltemade put Chelsea 2-0 up by scoring from close range in the fourth minute and then glancing home a cross from Anthony Gordon in the 20th. For the tall Germany striker, it marked a huge contrast in emotions to last weekend — when he scored an own-goal to consign Newcastle to a derby loss at fierce rival Sunderland. “I wanted to give a good performance today and I think I did,” Woltemade said. “I just want to say thank you to the fans for still being good with me.” Reece James launched Chelsea’s fightback by curling a free kick ...

DORTMUND, Germany — Borussia Dortmund beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 and extended its unbeaten run to eight league games to move into second place in the Bundesliga on Friday. Dortmund was six points behind leader Bayern Munich and three clear of Leipzig. Dortmund began without the suspended Jobe Bellingham or the injured Waldemar Anton, Aaron Anselmino and Marcel Sabitzer, but another injury concern, Julian Brandt, made it into the starting lineup and had an immediate effect. With 10 minutes on the clock, Brandt appeared at the far post to sweep home a cross from Niklas Sule and put the home side ahead. It was the second goal in two games for the influential midfielder. Dortmund controlled the game for long spells after taking the lead but it had to wait until the dying seconds for a concluding second. Maximilian Beier scored after a nice pass from Fábio Silva to calm the nerves of a side that had given up leads in its last two league games. Monchengladbach was in 11...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Rasmus Højlund starred for Napoli as the defending Serie A champion beat AC Milan 2-0 to reach the final of the Italian Super Cup on Thursday. The former Manchester United player set up one goal and scored the other to send Napoli into Monday’s final. Napoli will play the winner of Friday’s other semifinal between Italian Cup winner Bologna and Serie A runner-up Inter Milan. The Italian Super Cup, played in Saudi Arabia, involves the winners and runners-up of last season’s Serie A and Italian Cup. Milan lost to Bologna in the Italian Cup final. The Rossoneri, who won the Italian Super Cup last season, were wearing special jerseys with their names in Arabic lettering on the back. Both Milan and Napoli were dealing with numerous injury problems but Napoli welcomed back Romelu Lukaku to the squad for the first time since he tore a muscle in August. Lukaku, who was most likely included in case of penalties, was on the bench and cele...

After their stellar run to the MLS Cup Finals, the Vancouver Whitecaps are keeping the band together. The Whitecaps have put pen to paper on a new contract with goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, keeping him in Vancouver through June 2027, the club announced Thursday. The financial terms of the deal were not reported. Takaoka, 29, enjoyed a strong season for the ‘Caps, making 46 starts in all competitions and recording a club-record 16 clean sheets. He also led MLS in clean sheets with 13. “I’m delighted to extend my contract with the Whitecaps,” Takaoka said in a press release. “I’ve felt the love and support throughout the club since day one, and I can’t wait to go again. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone back at BC Place. Our best season is yet to come, and let’s go win every trophy next year.” Over 34 MLS games, the Japanese shot-stopper allowed 38 goals for a 1.12 goals-against per 90. He registered 83 saves and finished with a 72.1 save percentage, helping him earn an MLS All-St...

AFC Toronto moved to retain nine players Wednesday, including goalkeeper Sierra Cota-Yarde, midfielder Nikki Small and forward Kaylee Hunter. Cota-Yarde, Small and Hunter had their contracts extended through 2027 with Hunter’s deal also including a club option for 2028. Goalkeeper Danielle Krzyzaniak’s contract was extended through 2026 with midfielder Sarah Stratigakis’ extension running through 2027. The Northern Super League team also exercised 2026 contract options on defenders Kaela Hansen and Ashley Cathro and midfielders April Lantaigne and Cloey Uddenberg. “We’re really pleased to have this group of players returning after such a successful inaugural year,” Toronto sporting director Billy Wilson said in a statement. “Each of them made meaningful contributions to our first season, and we’re excited to see how they continue to grow and push our standards forward in 2026, and beyond. “Their commitment to the club and their performances this past year give us a strong foundati...

DOHA, Qatar — The inaugural Women’s Club World Cup will be staged in January 2028, FIFA said Wednesday. No host nation has been confirmed, but the dates — Jan. 5-30 — likely means the tournament will be staged in a country with a warm climate at that time of the year. In March, FIFA confirmed plans for a 16-team Club World Cup, following on from the expanded men’s Club World Cup, which was held in the United States this past summer. World soccer’s governing body approved the dates at a meeting of its council in Doha, Qatar. The timings mean the tournament would clash with top European domestic league seasons such as the Women’s Super League in England, but not the Women’s Champions League, which takes a break during January. America’s NWSL would be in its offseason. The competition will feature four groups of four and then a knockout stage from the quarterfinals on. There is also a six-team “play-in” phase when three teams will advance to the competition proper. Europe ...

The MLS SuperDraft goes Thursday with Canadian defender Nikola Markovic expected to go high in the three-round draft. The North Carolina State centre back is one of four underclassmen to sign Generation Adidas contracts with Major League Soccer, adding to their desirability, given that such deals do not count against a team’s salary cap budget. D.C. United has the first overall pick, with Atlanta going second and FC Dallas third, having acquired the pick from CF Montreal. Vancouver has all three of its picks, including the 29th overall selection in the first round. CF Montreal has a second- and third-round pick (46th and 63rd overall) while Toronto FC only has a second-round selection (36th overall). Orlando, Colorado and Dallas will be major players in the draft, with 10 first-round picks between them. Orlando has the fifth, ninth, 14th and 20th picks, while Colorado has the sixth (from Toronto), 10th and 19th. Dallas has the third, 16th and 21st. Two Canadians, University of Po...

The 2026 World Cup champion will take home a record $50 million (all figures in U.S. dollars), with every one of the 48 participating teams collecting at least $10.5 million. The FIFA Council, meeting ahead of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final in Doha, Qatar, announced that a record $727 million will be distributed through the expanded 104-game showcase. Some $655 million of that will be paid out as prize money among the participating teams.  The runner-up will collect $33 million, with the third-place side picking up $29 million and the fourth-place finisher $27 million. That goes all the way down to $9 million for teams finishing 33rd to 48th. In addition, each qualified team will receive $1.5 million to cover preparation costs.  The announcement comes in the wake of widespread criticism of FIFA for inflated ticket prices at the tournament co-hosted by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. FIFA has said more than six million tickets will be made available for the tournament....