Latest news with #LAFC
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
World Cup Winners Failed to Convince Antoine Griezmann to Join MLS Club
World Cup Winners Failed to Convince Antoine Griezmann to Join MLS Club originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The MLS will not have Antoine Griezmann as its new international star for another two years, as he has renewed his contract with Atlético de Madrid through the summer of 2027. LAFC attempted to sign him. Despite the efforts of fellow World Cup winners Giroud and Lloris to sway him, Griezmann turned down the MLS opportunity. Advertisement The love affair between Griezmann and Atlético dates back to 2014, when the Madrid-based club paid $34 million to Real Sociedad for the French striker. In his first season, Atlético won the Europa League, the UEFA Super Cup, the Supercopa de España, and La Liga's Best Player award. Griezmann had an auspicious start with Atlético, but after years of competing in the Champions League and La Liga without major silverware, he left in 2019 to join Barcelona on a free transfer a year after winning the World Cup with France. The transfer did not go well for both sides, as Griezmann joined Barcelona at a tumultuous time for the Catalan club. He stayed for two years before returning to Atlético, which had just won the La Liga title with Luis Suárez as the main striker. In the summer of 2025, Antoine Griezmann was ready to become a free agent, and a move to LAFC to be reunited with his former France national team teammates Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris was an option. Advertisement According to the Spanish website Fichajes, both players were urging Griezmann to sign with the LA club, but the attempts were unsuccessful, and the striker renewed his contract until the summer of 2027. LAFC was looking to add another striker ahead of the Club World The LAFC joined Inter Miami and Seattle Sounders as the third MLS representative in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. The tournament will take place in the United States and feature some of the world's biggest clubs, including the Champions League winner PSG, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Atlético de Madrid. This is the first time FIFA has organized a tournament like this, one that goes beyond the classic championship - that features only the winners from every continent. The main goal is to attract more people from the United States to soccer ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the country. Advertisement LAFC has a history of impactful strikers, including Carlos Vela, Gareth Bale and now Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman is struggling to stay healthy in an advance stage of his career, and the club was hoping to sign Griezmann to help in the Club World Cup. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carlos Vela: The Legacy of the Best Mexican Player to Ever Play in MLS
Carlos Vela: The Legacy of the Best Mexican Player to Ever Play in MLS Carlos Vela announced his retirement from professional soccer on May 27. His career in MLS will be viewed as one of the best by a Mexican international. For many, both on the national team and in public perception, Vela represents Mexico's unfulfilled soccer potential. And one night, he said 'goodbye.' Carlos Vela hung up his boots at the age of 36. The Mexican international had played for Chivas, Arsenal, Salamanca, Osasuna, West Bromwich Albion, Real Sociedad, and LAFC. Like Gio Reyna of the United States men's national team today, Vela was seen by Mexican pundits as a player with world-class potential. Despite his unquestionable ability, he didn't find a true home until landing at Real Sociedad. Advertisement By the time Vela arrived in MLS with LAFC — a club he helped launch by becoming the face of the franchise — he had already been written out of the Mexican national team, more due to his own personal choice than his on field form. Whatever the circumstances surrounding Vela as a player and national team star, at the MLS level, he was nothing short of fantastic. He was exactly the kind of player the league needed to succeed and shift the narrative surrounding previous Mexican stars in MLS. Vela: The Best Mexican Player to Play in MLS On paper, Vela's numbers are unmatched when it comes to Mexican players in MLS, or Designated Players in general. He was an MLS Cup winner, a two-time Supporters' Shield winner, and a U.S. Open Cup winner with LAFC. Advertisement Individually, he was named to three MLS Best XI teams, won the MLS MVP in 2019, and also took home the Golden Boot that year. He was a four-time All-Star and a two-time CONCACAF Champions League Best XI selection. He also holds the record for most goals scored in a single MLS season (34 in 2019), and he was the fastest player in MLS history to reach 75 goals and 50 assists. Off the field, Vela gave LAFC a strong connection to the Mexican fanbase looking for an alternative to the LA Galaxy. LAFC aimed to capture the hearts of Los Angeles' urban community, and Vela was the face of that effort. He was also surrounded by young talent, including Diego Rossi and Eduard Atuesta. Vela became the first player to score in the El Tráfico derby against the LA Galaxy, netting the first two goals in a game remembered for Zlatan Ibrahimović's incredible debut. Vela finished his debut season with 15 goals. Advertisement In 2019, Vela had the best season of his MLS career, and one of the best in league history, scoring 38 goals in 36 games across all competitions. That season included his first MLS hat trick, which came in a 5–0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes. Vela is the all-time leading scorer in El Tráfico with 12 goals and delivered countless jaw-dropping moments. One of his most memorable goals came against San Jose in August 2019, when he weaved through multiple defenders and slipped past the goalkeeper before calmly slotting the ball home. In total, Vela scored 93 goals in 187 matches for LAFC, playing injured in two of those seasons. When compared to other big-name Mexican stars, only Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Jorge Campos — each for different reasons — come close in terms of delivering on all fronts in MLS, both in performance and in drawing crowds. Advertisement The league has seen its share of high-priced Mexican disappointments, including Rafa Márquez, Luis Hernández, Carlos Hermosillo, and more recently Giovani dos Santos and Chicharito Hernández. A Passion for the Game To many Mexican pundits, Vela's Achilles' heel was his 'lack of passion' for the game. It's one of the reasons often cited for why he never reached an even higher level. Vela himself admitted he never had the burning obsession for soccer that drives players like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. For him, soccer was a job, not a lifelong passion. That mindset shaped his career. He showed moments of brilliance — perhaps most notably in the 2013-14 season with Real Sociedad, where he had 28 goal contributions, the fifth-most in La Liga — but lacked the relentless drive to dominate year after year in Europe. And in the brutal world of elite sports, that missing edge can make all the difference. Advertisement At 29, still at the peak of his powers and capable of competing in top European leagues, Vela chose a different path — one of balance, lifestyle, and personal happiness. To many in Mexico, choosing MLS was a fatal mistake and a growing trend among the country's top talents: a reluctance to truly test themselves at the highest levels. Carlos Vela and the Mexican National Team: The Big 'What If'Vela was once seen as the future of Mexican soccer: A gifted forward with European pedigree and rare creativity. But after a fallout with the Mexican Football Federation in 2010, his relationship with the national team grew distant. Vela began skipping call-ups, citing personal reasons and mental fatigue. Advertisement What followed was a series of high-profile absences: the 2011 Gold Cup, the 2013 Confederations Cup, and, most notably, the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. In each case, the decision to stay away was his — not due to injury or exclusion. Those years marked a golden window for Mexico, and Vela's absence was always felt. Under Miguel Herrera, the team played bold, attacking soccer, but lacked a player with Vela's vision and calmness in the final third. His skill set might have made the difference in matches that slipped away, like the heartbreaking loss to the Netherlands in 2014. Fans could only imagine what a Vela-Chicharito partnership might have accomplished on the world's biggest stage. When Vela finally returned for the 2018 World Cup, he delivered, scoring in Mexico's group stage win against Korea. But by then, the narrative had shifted. He was no longer seen as the face of a generation, but rather as a gifted outsider who had passed on too many chances to lead. Advertisement Vela's story with Mexico isn't one of failure, it's one of detachment. In choosing distance over devotion, Vela gave up the opportunity to become a national icon. Instead, he remains one of the sport's most fascinating 'what ifs.' Maybe MLS and LAFC saw the very best version of Carlos Vela. And while some may criticize him for spending prime years in MLS, Vela was a star for a segment of fans that the league had long tried to attract. Say what you will about him, but in the halls of MLS and LAFC, Vela is one of the best to ever do it. When Vela was happy, he delivered. And in LA, he was at peace.
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
LAFC qualify for Club World Cup with win over Club America
LOS ANGELES: Denis Bouanga grabbed a dramatic extra-time winner to send Los Angeles FC into the Club World Cup with a 2-1 (aet) win over Mexico's Club America on Saturday. The team from Mexico City looked to have booked their place - and the guaranteed $9.5 million participation reward - after a penalty from former LAFC player Brian Rodriguez in the 64th minute. But Brazilian Igor Jesus's 89th minute header for LAFC took the game into extra-time and five minutes from the end of the second period Bouanga drilled home the dramatic winner. It was a game with high stakes played in front of a boisterous crowd divided between the two teams and the tension was palpable from the outset. But it was the Californian club, who only began life in MLS seven years ago, who triumphed and earned a spot in the first edition of the expanded 32-team FIFA tournament. LAFC will line up in Group D of the Club World Cup, where they will face Premier League side Chelsea, Brazil's Flamengo and Esperance Tunis of Tunisia in the tournament which gets under way on June 14. The one-off 'play-in' match came about following FIFA's decision to ban Mexican club Leon from the tournament. Leon were barred because the club is owned by Grupo Pachuca, which also controls Liga MX side Pachuca, who are also taking part in the tournament. LAFC were given the chance on the basis of finishing as runners-up to Leon in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League. America, founded 108 years ago, were handed the opportunity due to their status as the "top-ranked team" in confederation rankings. While LAFC had the nominal home field advantage, at their BMO Stadium, California is home to many Club America fans and the result was a de facto neutral venue. The atmosphere was electric but chances were rare in the opening half with the Mexican team enjoying the better possession but causing few problems for LA's former France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. But when Mark Delgado's challenge on Erick Sanchez in the box was ruled a foul, after a VAR review, substitute Rodriguez kept his cool and sent Lloris the wrong way to put America ahead. Rodriguez had a chance to secure the outcome 10 minutes later but he floated his shot wide. The introduction of former France and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud in the 74th minute proved to be decisive, however, with the 38-year-old's presence causing plenty of problems for the America back line. Thundering header Giroud's improvised shot with the outside of his foot forced Luis Malagon into a save and moments later the Club America keeper kept out a header from the Frenchman. With just a minute of normal time remaining, LAFC grabbed a lifeline when a Bouanga corner was met with a thundering header from Jesus. LAFC almost won the game in regulation but Malagon did brilliantly to keep out a cross/shot from Timothy Tillman that was heading towards the top corner. Then it was extra-time and with penalties looming, Frankie Amaya fed a ball in to Giroud on the edge of the box who laid off to the on-rushing Bouanga whose fierce shot took a wicked deflection and flashed past the helpless Malagon. The France-born Gabon international has scored 80 goals for LA, in all competitions, since joining the club from Saint Etienne in 2022 but none more valuable than this one. The win ensures that the tournament host nation will have three competing teams from Major League Soccer with the Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami already in the competition. The tournament concludes with a final in MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13 with the winner taking home over $100 million. – AFP
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Seattle Sounders players wear T-shirts to protest Club World Cup prize money distribution
The Seattle Sounders players wore T-shirts before a match Sunday that read 'Club World Cup Ca$h Grab' to demand a share of the prize money for participating in the upcoming international tournament. The Sounders, one of 32 teams set to play in the Club World Cup later this month, wore the shirts before kickoff of their match against Minnesota United. Major League Soccer's Players Association issued a statement in solidarity with the protest. 'FIFA's new tournament piles on to players' ever-increasing workload without regard to their physical well-being. In order to seize this additional calendar territory, FIFA had to commit historic amounts of prize money to secure club and player participation,' the MLSPA statement said. 'As a result, MLS will receive an unprecedented windfall. Despite the windfall, the league has refused to allocate a fair percentage of those funds to the players themselves.' The Sounders are among three MLS teams taking part in the Club World Cup, along with Inter Miami and LAFC. The tournament, which features an expanded field of club teams from around the globe, starts June 14 and will be played across 11 U.S. cities. The Sounders will earn $9.55 million as a club for participating in the tournament, with a chance to win additional prize money from wins. The MLSPA said the players have invited the league to discuss bonus terms but that 'MLS has failed to bring forward a reasonable proposal.' Currently, there is a provision of the collective bargaining agreement that caps how much prize money can go to players at $1 million. Major League Soccer declined to comment because negotiations with MLSPA are ongoing. The Sounders' starters posed for the pregame photo wearing the T-shirts, which also said 'Fair Share Now' on the back. 'It is the players who make the game possible. It is the players who are lifting MLS up on the global stage,' the MLSPA said in its statement. 'They expect to be treated fairly and with respect.' ___ AP soccer:
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Chelsea finally discover Club World Cup opponents as former star, 38, assists dramatic winner to set up reunion
CHELSEA have finally discovered their final Club World Cup opponent — thanks to a dramatic late winner created by one of their former stars. The Conference League champions head to the US this summer to take part in the newly-expanded tournament. 4 Conference League champs Chelsea have discovered their final Club World Cup opponent Credit: Getty Chelsea already knew they were going to be facing Brazilian side Flamengo and Tunisian team Esperance Sportive de Tunis in the group stage. However, their third and final opponent remained unknown after Mexican outfit Club Leon were booted out due to Fifa's multi-club ownership rules. Fellow Liga MX side CF Pachuca — also owned by Grupo Pachuca — had already qualified for the Club World Cup, forcing Leon to withdraw. And it meant that another Mexican side, Club America, were handed a dramatic playoff against MLS club LAFC. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL CAN'T BEE REAL Brentford AGREE transfer for Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher The Americans were trailing 1-0 with just minutes to go when they equalised in the 89th minute. LAFC then scored an amazing winner in the 115th minute through Denis Bouanga, with former Chelsea star and Champions League winner Olivier Giroud creating the goal for 2-1. Now, the Frenchman will face his former side with LAFC in the opening group stage game on June 16. Chelsea will then play Flamengo four days later on June 20. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS And five days after that, on June 25, Chelsea end their group stage experience against Esperance. The Club World Cup will be one of the most lucrative tournaments going, with the winner set to bank a mind-blowing £100million. From embarrassing Chelsea pal to interview with dad - Five times Cole Palmer stole show AFTER Conference League finals 4 Chelsea will take on LAFC and former striker Olivier Giroud Credit: AFP 4 He bagged a late assist as LAFC dramatically beat Club America in a playoff And Chelsea will be desperate to keep the good times rolling after ending a three-year trophy drought against Real Betis on Wednesday. The Blues came back from a goal down to win 4-1 in Warsaw. It came just days after they secured a fourth-place finish to qualify for next season's Champions League. And new signings are already inbound, with Chelsea reportedly beating Manchester United, Newcastle and Everton in the race for £30m Ipswich striker Liam Delap.
