Haji Wright scored his 17th goal of English Championship League season in a 5-1 win over Portsmouth that clinched the 2025-26 title for Coventry City. The post Haji Wright scores No. 17; Coventry clinches English second-tier title appeared first on Soccer America.

Sergino Dest revealed some positive news ahead of PSV’s final slate of Eredivisie matches this spring. Dest admitted that he’s “almost back” after being sidelined since March 7 due to a hamstring injury. The U.S. men’s national team and PSV defender has been out of action for club and country since then, but is making ... Read more

While the USMNT’s World Cup opener is reportedly among the fixtures struggling to move tickets, FIFA has announced a new sales phase. FIFA has been at the center of mounting controversy over its ticketing strategy for the 2026 World Cup, with fan groups from multiple countries raising concerns about pricing that has directly impacted sales figures. With the USMNT‘s opener against Paraguay among the matches struggling to sell out, the governing body has now unveiled a new sales phase to address the shortfall. According to a report by The Athletic‘s Adam Crafton and Henry Bushnell, a document distributed to local organizers in Los Angeles revealed that the United States vs. Paraguay game has lagged behind other fixtures at the venue. With SoFi Stadium’s listed capacity of 69,650, the document showed that as of April 10, only 40,934 tickets had been purchased, leaving nearly 30,000 seats still available. As detailed in the report, when the first wave of World Cup tickets went on sale back in October, the USMNT opener was priced as the third most expensive game of the entire tournament, behind only the final and one of the semifinals. Despite that, Category 1 and Category 2 tickets, listed at $2,730 and $1,940 respectively, remained consistently available, a clear sign that fans have been reluctant to pay those prices. Those ticket prices have remained unchanged, a notable anomaly given that most other events have seen their prices increase significantly over the past six months. With close to 30,000 seats still unsold and the match scheduled for June 12, the USMNT opener is not alone in facing a slow uptake. A general view of the inside of the stadium at SoFi Stadium. Among the games with the highest remaining availability are matchups between lower-profile nations including New Zealand vs. Egypt, Uzbekistan vs. DR Congo, Saudi Arabia’s fixtures against Cape Verde and Uruguay, and three matches involving Austria, Jordan and Algeria. The fact that both the USMNT opener and Canada’s opener against Bosnia & Herzegovina also appear on that list suggests that fan reluctance is being driven not just by team selection, but by the price of entry. FIFA to open new ticket sales phase In an announcement released on Tuesday, FIFA revealed that additional tickets will be made available through a new initiative called the “Last-Minute Sales Phase.” Tickets will go on sale on April 22 and will be available across all 104 matches of the tournament. The new phase moves away from the lottery system used in previous rounds, switching to a public purchase model on a first-come, first-served basis. Unlike earlier sales windows, tickets in this phase will continue to be released on a rolling basis through to the end of the World Cup, covering Categories 1 through 3 as well as front-row seat options. FIFA’s official website states that more than five million tickets have already been sold, with cumulative attendance projected to surpass the record of 3.5 million set at the 1994 World Cup on U.S. soil. Whether that target is met will depend in part on how the market responds to the new sales phase, and whether FIFA is willing to reconsider its pricing structure for the games that have yet to find their audience.

Haji Wright got back to scoring ways on Tuesday night as already-promoted Coventry City officially clinched the top spot in the EFL Championship. Wright scored the Sky Blues’ opening goal in an eventual 5-1 home victory over Portsmouth. The result sealed Frank Lampard’s squad the league title with two matches left to play this season. ... Read more

THE United States' opening game at the World Cup is in utter disarray as Fifa is finding it tough to sell tickets. Other World Cup matches are outpacing the USMNT's high-priced opener. As the World Cup's tickets continue to come at high prices, recently revealed numbers display how little interest the US men's national team's...

With less than two months to go before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Christian Pulisic spoke about the current form of the USMNT. This summer, the USMNT will face what is likely the biggest challenge in its history. As the main host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the team will aim to deliver a performance that satisfies its fans—something Christian Pulisic reflected on. “The team’s in a good place. People should be excited and hopefully ready to cheer us on,” the forward said in a recent interview with Reuters. “I know the energy in the stadiums is going to be great. We want to take as much of that as we can, take that motivation and push to make the American people proud.” The USMNT will compete in Group D. They will open their campaign on June 12 at SoFi Stadium against Paraguay, before traveling to Seattle a week later to face Australia. Their group-stage run will conclude on June 25, back in California, against Turkey. Pulisic later expanded on why he believes American fans should be excited about the USMNT, attributing it not only to their role as hosts but also to the team’s quality. In fact, when asked whether this is the best U.S. team he has been part of, the forward responded: “I think you could say so.” Mauricio Pochettino, head coach of the USMNT. Regarding the strengths of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad, Pulisic was clear. “Looking at the guys playing at the highest levels and doing extremely well at their clubs, and I think for sure you have a really, really strong squad and depth as well,” said the AC Milan star. The USMNT’s growth in recent years It is no coincidence that Pulisic pointed to his own form and that of his teammates as key factors behind this USMNT potentially being stronger than in previous years. The vast majority of players currently in the squad—and likely to be part of Pochettino’s final 26-man roster—are playing in Europe. This trend of increasing European-based players and fewer from Major League Soccer has been growing with each World Cup. After the league’s creation in 1996, the USMNT brought 16 MLS players out of 22 to France 1998. That number has steadily declined over the years. This is not necessarily due to a drop in MLS quality—which has become increasingly competitive—but rather because top American players are in higher demand across the global soccer market. In fact, in Pochettino’s most recent USMNT squad for the March FIFA international break, only nine of the 27 called-up players currently play in MLS. This includes all four goalkeepers, meaning the number of domestic-league players seeing time on the field is even lower. The remaining 18 players are all based in Europe. Pulisic motivated by the World Cup After the USMNT’s absence from 2018 World Cup in Russia, Pulisic played his first FIFA tournament at Qatar 2022, where he started all four matches before the team’s elimination in the Round of 16 against the Netherlands. Now, he will have another opportunity—and he understands what it means. “A World Cup is enough motivation in itself and having it in the U.S., having my family and close friends there, there’s just nothing more you can ask for,” Pulisic told Reuters. “Representing the U.S. and being able to wear that crest, I don’t take it lightly.”

United States Men's National Team legend Tim Howard gives his passionate take on youth soccer in America after Matt Crocker's departure from U.S. Soccer.

FIFA is opening up another round of ticket sales starting Wednesday. Tickets for the U.S. World Cup opener at SoFi Stadium reportedly are lagging.

Tom Bogert and Tab Ramos break down the biggest storylines surrounding the USMNT heading into the FIFA World Cup, including the red-hot form of Folarin Balogun and the missed opportunity to build chemistry with Christian Pulisic during the March friendlies. They also discuss Pellegrino Matarazzo’s stunning Copa del Rey triumph and what it could mean for his future — could he one day lead the USMNT, or even make a jump to Real Madrid? Tom and Tab then rank their Top 5 most trusted USMNT players heading into the World Cup, with a few notable absences sure to spark debate. Plus, Tab shares his perspective on why the rise of Major League Soccer hasn’t necessarily translated into a true growth in soccer culture across the United States. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

United States Men's National Team legends Landon Donovan and Tim Howard discuss the fallout of Matt Crocker leaving U.S. Soccer.