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Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Group F Preview
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup kicks off on June 14th, and 32 teams will embark on a quest to lift the Club World Cup trophy in the first edition of an expanded format. With the match being hosted in the United States, the team payouts are higher and the stakes are higher for the teams involved as they hope to prove they are the best club in the world. Group F is an open group where there could be a couple of dark horse candidates. We take a look at the teams in this group and who could emerge as the favorites to move through to the knockout stage. Fluminense League: Brasileiro Serie A (Brazil) How they qualified: 2023 Copa Libertadores winners Fluminense will not be afraid of any team in the group. Top Players Thiago Silva is back in a major tournament! The 40-year-old defender is the captain for Fluminense, and he will try to help steady the defense. Jhon Arias is someone that is poised to break out, and it could help really generate some creativity in their offense. Advertisement Team Synopsis Fluminense hasn't tapped the maximum of their ability yet, and they hope to take this opportunity to take a huge step forward. Their ability to score has been an issue at times for them during the season, and they can't afford to waste chances against the teams in the Club World Cup. Borussia Dortmund League: Bundesliga (Germany) How they qualified: 3rd best UEFA team in 4-year ranking Can Gio Reyna make an impact, or will he struggle to get minutes? Top Players Fans of the USMNT will no doubt focus on whether Gio Reyna can make an impact during the tournament. There is also American Cole Campbell who may make the bench for Dortmund during the group stage. However, Serhou Guirassy was the talisman this season for the Black and Yellow, scoring 34 goals across all competitions. His production is vital to Dortmund's success. Advertisement Team Synopsis Dortmund is a strong team and they're built to withstand the pressure of a major tournament. They need to remain organized on defense, as that is where some of their struggles come to the surface. They should be one of the better teams in this group, but if they slip into some of the bad play that plagued them at times during the season, they can make it very difficult on themselves. Ulsan HD League: K League 1 (South Korea) How they qualified: Best AFC team in 4-year ranking Ulsan hope to turn people onto K League soccer. Top Players Heo Yool leads Ulsan in goals so far this season, and he has the work rate to continue that production in the group stage. Um Won-sang is one of the commanders of the midfield and he helps the team push forward. Advertisement Team Synopsis Ulsan is a team that most fans in the United States have not seen outside of the occasional Club World Cup from years past. That doesn't mean that they should be counted out. Ulsan is a very organized team defensively and they will attempt to keep their names at the forefront of people's minds with their play. The question will be whether they can generate the offense needed to win some games. Mamelodi Sundowns League: Betway Premiership (South Africa) How they qualified: 2nd best CAF team in 4-year ranking Mamelodi Sundowns hope to let the world know that they should never be underestimated. Top Players Lucas Ribeiro Costa (14 goals) and Igraam Rayners (13 goals) were the top scorers in the Betway Premiership this season, and the 1-2 punch will be counted on to provide more scoring for the Sundowns in the group stage. Advertisement Team Synopsis Mamelodi Sundowns is just used to winning so far in the 2020s. They have won the South African Premiership 5 straight times and won the inaugural African Football League (CAF's version of the Nations League) in 2023. With some prolific scoring, they hope to bring that open style of soccer to the Club World Cup and leave the tournament with fans finally understanding that African soccer begins at Sundown. Group Predictions Borussia Dortmund should have the firepower to advance out of Group F, while the second team to get out of the group could be a toss up. Each team has the ability to win, but in the end it's Fluminense's experience that pulls them through. Advertisement More from
Fox Sports
a day ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
13 USMNT World Cup hopefuls who could, or should, switch clubs this summer
Somehow it's June already, and while the summer transfer season won't officially kick off for most European soccer clubs until the beginning of next month, teams across the continent are quickly getting their ducks in a row ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. For many members of the U.S. men's national team player pool, their next move is pivotal. The 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil is now just 12 short months away, and how they perform in their day jobs starting this August will go a long way to determining how much they play during the Greatest Show on Earth, if they even get there at all. Here are 13 Americans who could — or should — find a new club over the next 13 weeks or so. GK Matt Turner No U.S. player needs a move more than Turner, who played in just four games for Palace all season and none after March 1. Asked earlier this month about his top keeper's lack of minutes, Mauricio Pochettino admitted that Turner needs reps before the World Cup. "Until now Matt was our number-one choice, but that can change," the U.S. coach said. " In one year's time, I think he needs to find a way to compete every week" at the club level. That could be in England's second-tier Championship, elsewhere in Europe, or even back in MLS, where Turner was named Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021 before moving from the New England Revolution to Premier League Arsenal. But the Americans' 2022 World Cup starter has mostly been a backup over the last three seasons, making just 31 appearances for the Gunners, Nottingham Forest and Palace. Wherever he lands in 2025-16, he has to be the No. 1. M/F Gio Reyna If the 2026 World Cup began today, Gio Reyna probably wouldn't be on the roster. That's a damning indictment of how far the 22-year-old's stock has fallen over the last year. Reyna made just three starts for Borussia Dortmund in 2024-25. He logged just 20 total; minutes off the bench over the Black & Yellow's last 10 Bundesliga games and was an unused substitute in eight of them. With a year left on his contract, BVB has given the oft-injured attacker the green light to find a new employer this summer. It could even happen this month; FIFA has opened a special early-June transfer window for Club World Cup participants such as Dortmund. Per multiple reports, Spanish La Liga side Real Sociedad is interested in signing Reyna. It would be the perfect fit on paper. Wherever he ends up, though, the Qatar 2022 veteran must play regularly — and well — to ensure that he isn't watching the biggest event in sports from his couch 12 months from now. M/D Yunus Musah An in-pen starter for the national team since 2022, Musah isn't one right now under Pochettino— something that missing the Gold Cup for undisclosed personal reasons won't help. In Milan, Musah is seemingly on the way out after two seasons. He made 19 starts under since-fired managers Paulo Fonseca and Sérgio Conceição, but reports in Italy say the seven-time European champs are looking to offload the American over the summer. Perhaps the appointment of Max Allegri on Friday changes that. Otherwise, expect to see Musah at a new club in Serie A, Spain or the Premier League next season. M Gianluca Busio After four seasons with Venezia, Busio is ready for a chance of scenery. The Sporting Kansas City product suffered his second relegation from Serie A this season. If competing week-in and out in one of Europe's best leagues wasn't enough to make him a U.S. regular — after starting Pochettino's first two games as USMNT boss, Busio was dropped to the bench and then dropped from the squad altogether — heading back to Serie B won't cut it, especially in a World Cup year. Busio will have options abroad, no doubt. Would the 23-year-old consider a return to MLS? That path worked for another technical and undersized central midfielder in Luca de la Torre, who was loaned from La Liga side Celta to expansion San Diego in January and subsequently played his way onto the Gold Cup squad. M Johnny Cardoso Even before his wildly successful first half season with Real Betis was over, Cardoso was being linked with a move elsewhere. Tottenham purchased a right of first refusal. Even mighty Real Madrid were sniffing around. Now, after the New Jersey-born, Brazil-bred central midfielder's first full campaign ended with a UEFA Conference League final loss to Chelsea, Cardoso seems set to join the Spanish capital's other giant: Atletico Madrid. Last week, reported that Atléti is leading the race to sign the 23-year-old. M/F Diego Luna Luna enters the Gold Cup in excellent club form; in 16 MLS games for Real Salt Lake so far this season, the diminutive winger/attacking midfielder already has as many goals — eight — as he did all of last year. That production has caught the attention of European teams. RSL could receive a bona fide offer for Luna between now and Aug. 21, when the domestic league's summer transfer window slams shut. The Californian has earned the opportunity to test himself at the top level. He should be careful, though. Four years ago, U.S. striker Ricardo Pepi put himself on a path to the 2022 World Cup. Then he left MLS for Germany and struggled for playing time; the move that probably cost Pepi trip to Qatar. Luna, 21, is in a good spot now with RSL but is destined for Europe eventually. It will be interesting to see when he decides to make the leap. LB Antonee "Jedi" Robinson Although the longstanding Jedi-to-Liverpool rumors have died down a little heading into the silly season as the English champions consider all options, the expectation remains that Robinson will leave Fulham for a Champions League-level club this summer. The 27-year-old left back is coming off a career season for the Cottagers; his 10 assists led all defenders and was tied for fourth overall in the Premier League. With three years remaining on his contract, Jedi, who was voted U.S. Soccer's male athlete of the year for 2024, could fetch a fee as high as $50 million. F Josh Sargent A Best XI season in England's Championship wasn't enough to get Sargent on the Gold Cup squad, which means there's nothing Sargent can do at Norwich to return to Pochettino's good graces. Simply put, Sargent has to move to a better league and continue scoring regularly to have any chance of making his second career World Cup squad. A return to the Bundesliga, where he began his career, could be the perfect fit. F Christian Pulisic The odds that Pulisic leaves AC Milan before the most important season of his life seem slim. Pulisic himself wrote on social media this week that he was "hungry for more" at the San Siro after what he described as "Not our best season." Despite the 26-year-old's career-best 17 goals, Milan finished eighth in Serie A and will not compete in European competitions next season. That led to speculation that Pulisic, who has delayed signing a contract extension with the Rossoneri even after agreeing to term, could leave the club this summer. Word is several Premier League clubs are interested in brining America's best player back to England. Pulisic helped Chelsea win the European title in 2021. The arrival of veteran manager Allegri may have settled Pulisic, though. Over the weekend on Instagram, the Pennsylvania native dropped another hint that he's staying put: "He's to bigger and better next season," he wrote. RB Alex Freeman The rumored interest in Freeman in England is real, a source with knowledge of the situation told FOX Sports. Why wouldn't it be? The son of Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman is young, technical, coachable and outlandishly athletic. Those attributes make the 20-year-old the prototypical modern fullback. No wonder European suitors are eager to get him across the pond as soon as possible, though he won't come cheap: Orlando would probably have to receive an eight-figure transfer offer to consider moving Freeman mid-season. No wonder, given how rapidly the youngster's stock is climbing: The lesser known Sullivan brother — 21-year-old Quinn is six years older than Philadelphia Union teammate Cavan Sullivan, who made international headlines last spring when he signed with Manchester City at age 14 — has been one of the best midfielders in MLS season. Poch isn't the only one who has noticed: so too have European clubs, particularly in the Netherlands, sources told FOX Sports. The fact that Sullivan also has a European Union passport (via his German mother) and therefore wouldn't count as a non-EU player only makes him more appealing to suitors across the pond. LB Max Arfsten The converted winger has emerged as one of the top left backs in the country under the tutelage of Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, with whom Arfsten won an MLS Cup in 2023 and nearly the continental title a year ago. This year, Arfsten, 24, broke in at the international level. He made two starts and played in three games overall, and beat out the Europe-based likes of Kristoffer Lund, John Tolkin and Caleb Wiley for a Gold Cup roster spot. The University of California-Davis product could soon join them overseas; a French Ligue 1 club is interested in inking him in July, one source told FOX Sports. LB Peyton Miller Still just 17, the New England Revolution fullback probably isn't a realistic candidate for 2026. But the U-20 U.S. national teamer is already being touted by some as Jedi's eventual replacement long-term. A second-year pro, Miller has started 10 of the Revs' 15 MLS games in 2025. On Saturday night, he scored his first career goal in a 3-0 rout of CF Montreal. At least one Premier League club wants to buy him this summer, though under FIFA rules they'll have to loan him back to New England until he turns 18 in November. Either way, he's expected to be in Europe by January, multiple sources tell FOX Sports. Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . recommended Get more from FIFA Men's World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
The Guardian
7 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Pochettino turns to an unlikely savior for USMNT's struggles: MLS
So far, the conversation around the United States' Gold Cup camp roster is primarily about absence. Christian Pulisic isn't there. Neither is Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, or Gio Reyna. Yunus Musah is missing for personal reasons. Josh Sargent is out for 'football reasons.' Mauricio Pochettino doesn't have this name, he doesn't have that name. He also doesn't have much time. That was already the case when he took on the US job with just two years to go before a home World Cup, but the situation seems all the more pressing now, a year away from the international game's signature event and only a couple months removed from some Concacaf Nations League results that were, well, a bit catastrophic. Fans want to see Pochettino and his team right the ship. They want to see the results they've envisioned for the better part of a decade since that night in Trinidad in 2017. They want goals. They want glory. And in his search for answers, Pochettino seems to be staring directly at one of the oldest, simplest types of analysis. 'You need to fight, you need to show attitude, the right attitude, but not only that, perform, and be brave,' he said of the players coming into camp prior to the Gold Cup. That says one simple thing to me. Pochettino thinks the current USMNT crop does not have the asset most prized by sports radio hosts: that dawg in them. It's hard to say he's wrong. While we've seen this USMNT generation produce some brilliant moments and disciplined results, we've seen them fall apart just as much. For as joyous as Pulisic is to watch when he's playing with a chip on his shoulder and a spring in his step, he's equally as miserable cutting the figure he did against Panama in March. There are two wolves inside you, etc. And while this generation of players may have a claim to being the most talented USMNT ever, talent does not win matches or even score goals. There's a reason you still have to play the game. So in comes a curious mixture of longtime mainstays and fresh blood. There are five players without a cap on the Gold Cup camp roster, many more with little international experience, and in total, 16 players from MLS from the 27-man group – players who were called upon in place of European-based players that could make it, like Sargent and Joe Scally. Pochettino is still looking for pieces he thinks the USMNT is missing. And MLS is where he's looking. An international coach looking for talent in his team's domestic league shouldn't be a shock, but it's been the opposite of how USMNT rosters have been constructed for the last five years. Since Jürgen Klinsmann's dismissal in 2016 and Bruce Arena's ill-fated return, USMNT roster-building has looked a little bit like a new Football Manager save. Younger and younger additions were celebrated, then damn-near required. Rosters with heavy representation from European clubs (good) were cheered, while MLS mainstays (bad) were trashed. Only three MLS players started for the US in their games at the 2022 World Cup. At Copa América 2024, that number dropped to zero. Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer after newsletter promotion Obviously, that Copa América didn't go to plan. Neither did March's Nations League finals. So, in comes Diego Luna, he of a particular testicular fortitude. Patrick Agyemang, despite Charlotte's woeful MLS form of late, is back, and so is Max Arfsten, who went from a 'hey, you're here' addition to the Nations League roster to starting the third-place match. Matt Freese, DeJuan Jones, Jack McGlynn, Brian White are there too. And in one of the more ridiculous karmic twists, Gregg Berhalter's son Sebastian earns his first call-up on the back of a legitimately stunning run of form with the Vancouver Whitecaps. Are these players the talent that's going to carry the USMNT over the hump and into World Cup glory next summer? Maybe not. It's still a longshot to go from a Gold Cup camp participant to a World Cup roster in a year. But Pochettino isn't necessarily looking for talent. He's looking for players that know how to win. The ones who will do anything to get a result despite not having a famous name on their back or a world-renowned club crest on their chest. Once upon a time, the USMNT specialized in that type of player. Now Pochettino seems to be searching for them once more. Crucially, Pochettino may be the only coach that could do exactly this type of reversion for the US. Could you imagine Gregg Berhalter calling in a roster this heavily laden with MLS players in 2025? Can you imagine the response from fans and media if any American coach that hypothetically took the reins of the national team two years before the '26 World Cup did this? The digital rivers would run red. But Pochettino has the CV to go against this particular grain of USMNT fandom. The man who's managed Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, and many more has taken stock of the players at the United States' disposal and decided he needed a closer look at MLS. There's no guarantee this particular gambit works. But it's a fascinating search for an old identity being initiated by a man many thought would pluck the USMNT from the mediocrity of its past.
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Report: Brazilian giant Flamengo interested in Reyna
Gio Reyna is likely to be on the move this summer, but could South America be the destination instead of Europe? According to Brazilian outlet RTI Esporte, Flamengo is interested in a move for the Borussia Dortmund attacker. The report states a businessman brought Reyna's name to the attention of Flamengo sporting director José Boto, who passed along the recommendation to the team's coaching staff. Head coach Filipe Luis has given his approval for a move, which would be a season-long loan with a purchase option. Luis sees Reyna as a possible backup for attacking midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta. Flamengo is looking to bolster its squad ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, which kicks off next month in the United States. Dortmund is also set to play at the Club World Cup, through Reyna's role is unclear after his playing time vanished toward the end of the 2024-25 season. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle Reyna was an unused sub in eight of Dortmund's last 10 league games, making a total of 25 appearances during the 2024-25 season. The 22-year-old was not named to the U.S. men's national team preliminary Gold Cup roster this week due to his participation in the Club World Cup. But the possibility has now emerged that he could be at the tournament with Flamengo instead of Dortmund. Flamengo will face ES Tunis, Chelsea, and the winner of a playoff between Club América and LAFC at the Club World Cup. Sky Germany also reported this week that Real Sociedad is interested in a move for Reyna, who has a contract with Dortmund through the end of next season.
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Reyna linked with Rangers
Borussia Dortmund and USA midfielder Gio Reyna, 22, is a summer transfer target for Rangers, with LAFC also interested, according to MLS Transfers on X. (Daily Record), externalRead the rest of Thursday's Scottish gossip.
