MLS

5-time Champions League winner Gareth Bale announces his retirement

Wales and Los Angeles FC winger Gareth Bale said on Monday he had decided to end his playing career at the age of 33, having reached exceptional milestones in both club and international football.

Bale played a Wales record of 111 games for his country and was a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid. He helped the Welsh reach the 2016 and 2020 Euros before leading them in their first World Cup since 1958 at Qatar 2022.

Is he a nepo baby or the real deal? David Beckham's son Romeo joins Brentford

A Beckham is ready to start writing a new story in English football. 

Romeo, son of the legendary David Beckham, joined Brentford on a six-month loan from Inter Miami. 

Brentford announced the news on its social platforms, confirming that Romeo will not be on the Premier League squad but on the Bee's reserve team. The club also clarified that the 20-year-old midfielder has been training with them since the end of the MLS Next Pro season and impressed the coaches enough to make the move.

The details of how close Sporting Kansas City came to signing Ronaldo are crazy

When Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two and a half year deal with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on Friday, the Portuguese legend put pen to paper on a contract worth $75 million annually, meaning he'll almost certainly still be the world's highest paid footballer when he turns 40 on Feb. 5, 2025. 

In the U.S., Pelé’s legacy went far beyond the pitch

Pelé. 

The mere mention of the name conjures grainy, black-and-white footage of a bright-eyed young man announcing his arrival on the world stage in Sweden. Of a triumphant, shirtless star carried off the pitch at the Azteca. Of a smiling veteran bringing the beautiful game to a new audience. Of a septuagenarian snacking on a Subway sandwich with swimming stud Michael Phelps.

Of the greatest footballer to ever walk the earth.

Pelé. 

El Tráfico at the Rose Bowl, St. Louis City SC’s opener and more — MLS 2023 season schedule released

Major League Soccer opens a new season on Feb. 25 looking to ride a wave of interest from the Qatar World Cup as the league's 29th franchise St Louis SC makes its debut.

The first match of the 2023 campaign sees Nashville SC and MLS most valuable player Hany Mukhtar hosting New York City FC followed by the "El Tráfico" derby between MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC and Los Angeles Galaxy at the Rose Bowl.

This U.S. map of most-viewed soccer teams by state is wild and defies logic

FBref.com last week published a map of its most-viewed soccer teams by state in 2022 and the results show the incredibly varied interests across the United States.

Across the 50 states there were teams represented from the English Premier League, MLS, La Liga, USL, NWSL, the EFL Championship, the English fifth-tier National League – and the U.S. national team.

“There were definitely some surprises,” Jonah Gardner, product marketing manager for FBref, told The18 in an email.

USMNT inspiration is working: LAFC youth cracks unbelievable bicycle kick

Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Alexi Lalas told us this would happen — it's one generation inspiring the next after watching Christian Pulisic deliver and Tyler Adams dominate.

"If Shaq Moore can get 20 minutes in a World Cup, why not me?" is what these kids are asking themselves around the country, and they're heeding Donovan's advice to stop counting the days and to start making the days count.

19-year-old American Paxten Aaronson transfers to Bundesliga for $4 million plus add-ons

The Philadelphia Union agreed to transfer homegrown midfielder Paxten Aaronson on Thursday to German side Eintracht Frankfurt of Bundesliga for a multimillion-dollar transfer fee.

The Union will also retain a percentage of any future transfer fees for Aaronson, who will join Frankfurt in January.

After MLS Cup meltdown, Philly rallies around man who eats entire rotisserie chicken for 40 straight days

When Jack Elliott's 120+4' effort on the rebound put the Philadelphia Union up 3-2 on LAFC in Saturday's MLS Cup, it seemed like a fittingly batshit crazy ending to a remarkable match. Philly, after coming back from one-goal deficits twice during regular time, could breath easy and the city's special unit for greasing the poles could begin its work.

De Justin Bieber a levantar el trofeo: El día en que Carlos Vela se convirtió en campeón de la MLS

Cinemático, hollywoodense, extático y una dosis de mexicanidad. LAFC se coronó campeón de la MLS por primera vez en su historia al vencer a Philadelphia Union en una de las finales más emocionantes de la liga estadounidenses. Y Carlos Vela puso más que un granito de arena en la consecución del título.  

Además de los 12 goles y 13 asistencias que produjo durante la temporada 2022, el capitán de los angelinos influyó en dos de los tres goles que llevaron el partido a una emocionante definición a penales. 

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