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Hello! Today we have a big change coming to Major League Soccer and an international break has finally dished up some drama.
On the way:
Big MLS move explained: Why club owners voted for season to run from May-July
Don Garber (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)
MLS owners have voted on a massive shake-up when it comes to the league’s fixture schedule – and the majority of people are happy about it. But as we all know, you can’t please everyone all the time. From what I can see, this looks like it will benefit MLS globally and means, personally, I will probably watch a lot more of its games.
So what has happened?
Well, in 2027, the league will begin in July and end with a big finale in May 2028. This brings MLS — a league which for the past three decades has started early in a calendar year and ended late — into a new era.
Teams will soon be playing in the same months as Europe’s best leagues, which also means they will be preparing their deal sheets at the same time. Commissioner Don Garber (above) called it “one of the most important decisions in our league’s history,” and there are some key reasons why the vote went in favour of the change:
- Transfers. The window will open and close more in line with the European market. Shopping together is always more fun. And this schedule change will increase opportunities for MLS teams to buy and sign players at the same time as a lot of clubs worldwide are adding to their own rosters. It will also mean the league’s best players can be sold at top prices before a season begins, and not in the middle of one, which can naturally prove disruptive.
- TV times. The move will also mean the MLS playoffs will no longer be competing with the business end of the NFL and college football regular seasons, which could help increase the league’s overall popularity and viewership. On top of that, MLS will no longer be behind a separate paywall on Apple TV. According to Paul Tenorio’s sources, MLS and Apple have agreed to alter the partnership agreement at the end of the current season, meaning if you have an Apple TV subscription, you will have access to MLS.
- FIFA disruptions will be no more. I mean, wait, none of us will ever be free from the disruptive forces of never-ending international breaks. They can be long and boring and can injure your team’s best player. Who wants that? But this does mean MLS won’t just wave goodbye to its stars when they head off to play for their countries; the league will take a break until those international players return.
What about the weather?
One aspect of the switch that has proved frustrating for some fans has been what this means for the weather at matches. Some will be scorching hot, others will be freezing cold. Talking about the weather is a British pastime, so if you are looking for company or solace, TAFC is here for you. It means that in cities such as Toronto, New York and Chicago, when games are played in winter, snow will potentially be a factor, and could limit ticket sales and outdoor training sessions.
On the flip side, there will be a winter break from December through to February, and there is also talk of front-loading or back-loading games in the colder and hotter climates. But as David Rodriguez’s ‘icicle kick’ showed us on Monday, as he helped deliver as Atletico Ottawa’s first Canadian Premier League championship, it’s certainly a spectacle!
So, what do we think overall? We asked our mate Felipe Cardenas what he makes of the plans:
“Garber touted the decision to shift to a Fall-Spring calendar as ‘a historic step’ for the league. I don’t disagree but it has taken MLS nearly 30 years to do something that is an obvious game-changer for America’s top flight.
“The league’s sporting directors and coaches will celebrate the decision because it allows MLS teams to maximize the global transfer windows.
Teams will no longer be gutted and forced to play their reserves during FIFA’s international breaks. Still, there are potential drawbacks, namely the harsh winter weather in northern markets. Time will tell whether that is a small price to pay for a common-sense decision.”
Tears and triumph: Ronaldo sent off for an elbow, risks missing World Cup opener
(Ben McShane/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Just when you were counting down the days for the international break to be over, Cristiano Ronaldo decides to lash out at an Irishman.
Portugal’s captain was sent off for the first time in 226 games for his country. There were tears too, of the pretend sort (above).
It came after the Portugal captain threw an elbow in the direction of Ireland defender Dara O’Shea. If you’ve never been to Dublin, then trust me, it’s a city where a 40-year-old man should know better than to start swinging elbows. And so it proved; after initially being shown a yellow card, the red was produced following a VAR review.
Ronaldo will now miss Portugal’s game against Armenia this weekend, in which they could qualify automatically for the World Cup. Should his red card ban be more than one game (they can be up to three), Portugal could also be without him for their opening match of the World Cup, given bans carry over to non-friendly games.
As for Ireland, the two goals scored by AZ’s Troy Parrott mean they have a lifeline. They are now one point off Hungary in second-place in Group F. Guess what? The two sides go head-to-head in Budapest on Sunday to battle it out for a play-off place.
Magnificent Mbappe
“On a night heavy with history and significance, rich with sub-plots and featuring any number of players who could have ended up writing their name in the headlines, when the dust settled and the smoke cleared, it ended up being all about the man who it is always all about.”
Why would I write an introduction to this segment about Kylian Mbappe when Tom Williams already served up some sweet poetry. It was a stirring night in Paris as France qualified for the World Cup with a 4-0 win against Ukraine. Mbappe scored twice. His first was a Panenka penalty, dinked to perfection.
Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise got in on the action before Mbappe wrestled back the spotlight. When I say wrestled, let’s face it, the light never really leaves. And with that second goal, France’s third of the match, it was a moment of history. Mbappe, at the age of 26, scored his 400th goal. It’s scary how good he is.
Haaland, Odegaard on cusp of qualifying
In other qualifying news…
- Norway have all but qualified for their first World Cup since 1998 after beating Estonia 4-1 to stay top of Group I ahead of Italy, who they play this weekend. It means Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard are a step away from next summer’s tournament, alongside all these countries who have sealed their places.
- Nigeria’s captain William Troost-Ekong has said he and his team-mates simply “had to take a stand” when boycotting training on Tuesday over a financial dispute with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The team still beat Gabon 4-1 in their play-off semi-final, to set up a decider against DR Congo on Sunday.
- England, who have already qualified for the World Cup, beat Serbia 2-0. And was it the moment Jude Bellingham forced his way back into Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI ahead of Morgan Rogers?
- Thursday’s most clicked: Is the World Cup too bloated?
News round-up
- Donald Trump has given a presidential pardon to Joe Lewis, whose family are the majority shareholders of Tottenham Hotspur. The Bahamas-based billionaire, 88, pleaded guilty to insider trading in 2024 and was fined $5million by a New York judge. He asked for a pardon so he could receive medical treatment in the United States.
- Remember Tuesday’s news that a jaw-dropping 1,024 players in Turkey had been suspended by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) due to a betting scandal investigation? A truly wild story has got even more interesting as the TFF has now banned 102 players from the country’s top two divisions as part of its continuing investigation.
- While a return to Barcelona for Lionel Messi is unlikely, it looks like he could be there in a more permanent form soon. President Joan Laporta says the club is working on plans for a statue. They might want to get a move on, having first mooted the idea in 2021.
- Disgraced former president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, had eggs thrown at him by his own uncle, also reportedly named Luis Rubiales, during an event for his new book ‘Matar a Rubiales’ (Killing Rubiales) in Madrid on Thursday. Yes, you read all of that correctly. Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault in February after he kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso without consent following Spain’s World Cup final win in 2023.
- The Athletic has revealed a 19-year-old man had been arrested after allegedly verbally abusing Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount during his team’s Premier League match at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.
- Manchester United are the subject of legal action in the High Court over allegations of sexual abuse relating to a former member of staff, Billy Watts, at their old Cliff training ground. Watts, who died in 2009, was employed in a variety of roles, including kit man, caretaker and groundsman for an unspecified number of years.
Quiz question
Order these teams by the number of games they have won at the men’s World Cup (first to last): Spain, England, Uruguay, Argentina, France and Italy. The answer will be here later today and in Monday’s TAFC.
Catch a match
(Selected games, times ET/UK)
Saturday: UEFA World Cup qualifiers — Georgia v Spain, 12pm/5pm — Fubo, ViX/Amazon Prime; Liechtenstein vs Wales, 12pm/5pm — Vix, Fubo/BBC; Greece v Scotland, 2.45pm/7.45pm — FS2, Fubo/BBC.
Sunday: UEFA World Cup qualifiers — Hungary vs Ireland, 9am/2pm — FS1, Fubo/Amaxon Prime; Portugal vs Armenia, 9am/2pm — FS2, Fubo/Amazon Prime; Albania vs England, 12pm/5pm — Fubo, ViX/ITV; Azerbaijan vs France, 12pm/5pm — FS2, Fubo/Amazon Prime; Italy vs Norway, 2.45pm/7.45pm — FS1, Fubo/Amazon Prime.
And finally… What are those?
Marcus Rashford tries on the new Nike neuro-science shoe (Getty Images; Nike)
Yes, I’m a millennial, but does anyone remember the “What are those?” trend from about 10 years ago?
Basically, you would wear a questionable pair of shoes and your mate would heckle you with a “What are those?”
Well, I’m that mate now for Nike after it spent the past decade working on these neuroscience shoes, which look like the wearer has stepped in a bunch of gobstoppers — 22 with each foot to be precise.
Why? Apparently, they help you stay grounded. Yes, gravity does that too but Nike says these shoes help — they ‘activate key sensory areas of the brain via underfoot stimulation,’ you see — and England’s men’s team are all over it.
