World Football

Alex Morgan's iconic career came to a close on Sunday after she announced on Thursday that she would be retiring following the San Diego Wave FC's matchup against the North Carolina Courage.

Morgan played for 13 minutes, matching her number, before being subbed out of the match. The plan was always for her to play limited minutes.

She had the chance to go out in incredible fashion, with the opportunity to score on a penalty kick before leaving the contest, but her effort was saved.

As expected, the tributes came pouring in before the match in anticipation of Morgan's final hurrah:

Fans and pundits alike also offered their thoughts on the legend's last hurrah:

Before the game, a number of prominent figures from across the sporting landscape also paid their respects.

"She's obviously brought a lot to the game, scored a lot of goals," AC Milan and USMNT striker Christian Pulisic told reporters. "Feels like I've been watching her for a while. Amazing career."

"Congrats on an amazing career, superstar gymnast Simone Biles wrote on social media. "Thanks for elevating women's sports!"

"What a legacy you're leaving... you're an inspiration for so many, including me!!" skier Mikaela Shiffrin posted.

Morgan, 35, had a monumental career. On the international level she won two World Cup titles with the USWNT and scored 123 goals, fifth all-time in USWNT history. At the club level, she won a title in both the NWSL and Women's Professional Soccer, alongside an NWSL shield and a Golden Boot.

Off the pitch, she was a huge proponent for the USWNT earning equal pay to their USMNT counterparts and was one of the faces of American soccer for parts of two decades.

She was undeniably a footballing legend in the United States. On Sunday, she had a send-off fitting of her impact on the sport.

The U.S. men's national soccer team had a chance to earn some positive momentum in a friendly against Canada on Saturday.

That did not happen as the USMNT fell to Canada 2-1 in Kansas City. The result marked Canada's first win over the U.S. since 2022 and the first on U.S. soil since 1957.

Canada opened the scoring with a Jacob Shaffelburg strike in the 17th minute and would expand the lead to two when Jonathan David capitalized on a U.S. turnover.

The U.S. would cut the deficit in half with a Lucas De La Torre goal in the 66th minute but it was too little, too late.

Canada outshot the U.S. 17-8, seven of which were on target. The U.S. possessed the ball for 58 percent of the match but 18 fouls and some inefficient offense held the team back from a win.

Many fans placed the blame on the lack of stability along the touchline. Mikey Varas served as the interim coach after the organization fired Gregg Berhalter. Former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is expected to be the next U.S. coach but the process to bring him aboard hasn't been formalized just yet.

U.S. fans took to social media to beg for Pochettino and an improved squad moving forward:

Pochettino has compiled a 316-144-189 overall record in his managerial career and has found success with Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. The U.S team, however, will be his toughest task yet.

The U.S. is ranked No. 16 in the world and is currently preparing to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team fell in the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup and did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

The United States men's national team plays its first game after the firing of Gregg Berhalter on Saturday against Canada.

Interim head coach Mikey Varas will be in charge of the USMNT in Kansas City. Numerous reports have the USMNT linked to Mauricio Pochettino as its new manager, but an official announcement has not been made yet.

Christian Pulisic and Co. could use a positive result against Canada to create some momentum going forward toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

The USMNT may not play a ton of top opponents in preparation for the World Cup because World Cup qualifying and other competitions will take up the international schedules of teams in Europe and South America.

Canada appears to be in great shape under its new manager Jesse Marsch and it will use Saturday's game as a chance to prove it can challenge the top team in North America.

USMNT vs. Canada Info

Date: Saturday, September 7

Start Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: TBS

Live Stream: Max

Preview

The USMNT is playing under its second interim head coach since the 2024 FIFA World Cup concluded.

This time around Mikey Varas, who has experience with U.S. Soccer as the Under-20 men's coach, is the interim manager. Varas is not expected to be at the helm for long with Pochettino's appointment likely happening soon.

The goal for Saturday's game against Canada and Tuesday's match versus New Zealand is to win and get back on track after a disastrous Copa America in which the Americans dropped out at the quarterfinal stage.

Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Tim Ream, Chris Richards and Joe Scally are among the first-team regulars in the squad for the September international window.

The whole collection of strikers, Haji Wright, Folarin Balogun, Josh Sargent and Ricardo Pepi, are also on the roster.

The USMNT is still looking for the clear-cut No. 1 at the forward position. Balogun scored twice at the Copa America and could have a slight edge over the rest of the field for now.

All of the squad questions will be answered when Pochettino takes over, but for now, the goal is to put the best 11 players on the field to win a soccer game.

As always, a ton of pressure will be heaped on Pulisic to create chances and put the USMNT on the scoreboard.

Canada boasts the more consistent striker unit, led by Cyle Larin and Jonathan David, who have 57 international goals between them.

Alphonso Davies is always the danger man on the wing, and the Americans must contain him to have a strong defensive game.

Canada has all the momentum right now after its run to the Copa America semifinal, and it would not be a surprise to see the two rivals on level terms throughout the 90 minutes.

Prediction: United States 1, Canada 1

American sports fans are accustomed to long droughts, but at least the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs won games when they were searching for World Series glory.

Until Thursday, that was more than the San Marino soccer team could say.

San Marino earned its first-ever competitive win with a 1-0 victory over Liechtenstein during Thursday's UEFA Nations League contest. As ESPN noted, it was the small nation's first win in any game since it defeated the same opponent in a friendly more than 20 years ago in April 2004.

San Marino is now 2-10-199 all-time.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the nation is last in FIFA's world rankings at No. 210. Yet that didn't stop Nicko Sensoli from sending the fans into celebration mode with what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 53rd minute.

The defense held strong from there and handed Liechtenstein, which is No. 199 in the FIFA world rankings, a stunning loss.

Sky News noted San Marino has a population of just 33,000, so it doesn't have an extensive talent pool to pull from when it comes to forming a team. The majority of the amateur players on the roster have other jobs.

The nation lost by double digits seven times during its 140-match winless streak and even set the European record for going 20 matches without a goal from 2008 to 2012.

But none of that mattered Thursday as Sensoli scored a goal that will be remembered in San Marino for years to come.

It's the end of an era for a soccer legend.

Alex Morgan, who won two World Cups and an Olympic gold medal with the United States women's national team, announced her retirement Thursday.

"I'm going to get to the point quickly," she said at the start of the video. "I'm retiring. I have so much clarity about this decision, and I am so happy to be able to finally tell you. It has been a long time coming, and this decision wasn't easy. But at the beginning of 2024, I felt in my heart and soul that this was the last season that I would play soccer."

She also revealed that she is pregnant and expecting her second child.

"This is also not the retirement video I expected when I initially thought I was going to do this," she said (2:30 mark). "Because Charlie's going to be a big sister. I am pregnant. And, as unexpected as this came, we are so overjoyed. To me, family means everything."

Morgan, along with Megan Rapinoe, became the face of an entire generation for the USWNT as it found success on the field and fought for equality off it.

Her combination of speed, physicality and scoring prowess made her an offensive machine, and she ranks fifth in USWNT history with 123 goals. She is also ninth with 224 caps and is the only player outside of the legendary Mia Hamm to finish with 20 goals and 20 assists in one year.

Morgan also helped define an era for the team with iconic moments, including her extra-time winner to defeat Canada in the semifinals of the 2012 Olympics and her memorable goal and tea-sipping celebration against England in the 2019 World Cup semifinal.

The 35-year-old will be best remembered for her success with the national team, but she also played for the Portland Thorns, Orlando Pride, San Diego Wave, Tottenham and Lyon at the club level.

Her illustrious resume includes four CONCACAF Female Player of the Year awards, a 2013 NWSL championship with Portland, a 2016-17 Champions League title with Lyon, three inclusions on the FIFA FIFPro Women's World XI, two USSF Female Athlete of the Year awards and the 2022 NWSL Golden Boot with San Diego.

The Americans won the 2012 Olympic gold medal and the World Cup title in 2015 and 2019 with Morgan helping lead the way.

Despite her history of success at the highest level, the United States did not include her on its roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"Today, I'm disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage," she wrote on Instagram at the time. "This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest.

"In less than a month, I look forward to supporting this team and cheering them on alongside the rest of our country. LFG."

It was the Americans' first major tournament without her since the 2008 Olympics, although they ended up winning the gold thanks to a new group of superstars that includes prolific goal scorers in Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman.

They figure to be the latest in a long list of American forwards who star on the sport's biggest stages and deliver World Cup titles and Olympic gold medals for their country.

And that is a list that Morgan will always be a part of even after her retirement.

It's a new era in world football.

The field for the 2024 men's Ballon d'Or trophy was released on Wednesday, showcasing the 30 nominees for the award. For the first time since 2003, neither Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo were featured on the list.

The two superstars have combined for 15 of the 21 awards issued since 2003, including every one from 2008-2017.

Ronaldo has not won the award since 2017 and was not nominated for the award in 2023 but Messi was the 2023 winner, so his omission may come as a bit of a shock. Additionally, both players continue to produce excellent statistics.

Messi—who is currently dealing with an injury—has scored 12 goals and 10 assists in 12 matches for Inter Miami CF while Ronaldo scored 35 goals in 2023-24 and has scored two goals in two games for Al-Nassr in 2024-25.

These statistics have come in leagues that are considered lesser level of competition. According to GlobalFootballRankings, the Messi's MLS is rated as the No. 12 league in the world while Ronaldo's Pro League in Saudi Arabia is rated No. 33.

This is certainly a major contributor to the omission, as well as both player's elder age and the emergence of some strong talent across the major leagues.

The 2024 Ballon d'Or is set to be awarded Oct. 28 in Paris.

Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé join NWSL standout Sophia Smith as players nominated for the 2024 Ballon d'Or and the Ballon d'Or Feminin.

The nominees for the women's and men's trophies were announced on Wednesday.

This marks Mbappé's seventh nomination for the award. He ranked third in voting for the 2023 men's award won by Argentinian star Lionel Messi.

Smith was one of five U.S. women's national team members nominated for the award. She joins U.S. Olympic gold medal winners Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Naeher and Lindsey Horan on the list.

The Ballon d'Or evaluates player accomplishments that took place between Aug. 1, 2023 and July 31. The winners of the trophies will be announced Oct. 28 in Paris.

Messi, who picked up the trophy for a record eight times last fall, and five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo were not nominated for the award for the first time in 21 years.

Vinicius Junior helped lead Real Madrid to victory in La Liga, the Champions League and the Supercopa de España during the 2023-24 campaign.

He told CNN's Zayn Nabbi and Darren Lewis that he is inspired by Brazilian soccer legends including Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Marta, Rivaldo and Kaká to add his name to the list of Ballon d'Or winners.

Mbappé meanwhile said after signing with Real Madrid this summer that "there is no better place to win titles" than his new club. For now, he will have the opportunity to win his first Ballon d'Or with his final campaign with Paris Saint-Germain, during which he helped power the club to a Ligue 1 title.

A third Real Madrid player is in contention for the award in Jude Bellingham, who played a key part in the club's Champions League win and helped power England to the final of Euro 2024.

The three Los Blancos stars will have to compete with Manchester City star Rodri, who helped City to a Premier League title and Spain to defeat Bellingham and England in the Euro final.

On the women's side, Aitana Bonmati followed up her 2023 trophy win by helping lead Barcelona to Champions League victory.

She joins Mariona Caldentey, Patricia Guijarro, Salma Paralluelo and Alexia Putellas as one of the five Spanish players nominated for the award after helping their country win the 2023 World Cup.

Bonmati will now look to hold on to the trophy despite a push from American standouts including Smith, who contributed to the United States' Olympic and Concacaf W Gold Cup in addition to starring for the NWSL's Portland Thorns.

Smith, who was also a finalist for the 2023 NWSL MVP award, will hope to become the first USWNT player to win the award since Megan Rapinoe claimed the women's Ballon d'Or in 2019.

The 2024-25 season will apparently be Mohamed Salah's swan song with Liverpool.

"As you know, it's my last year at the club," he told Sky Sports on Sunday following the Reds 3-0 victory over Manchester United (h/t Callum Davis and James Pearce of The Athletic). "I just want to enjoy it—I don't want to think about it. I feel like I'm free to play football and we will see what can happen next year."

Salah is entering the final year of his contract and said Sunday that no talks over an extension have taken place.

"Nobody at the club has spoken to me yet about contracts, so I will play my last season and see at the end of the season," he noted. "I don't know if I will (come back) but, yes, my last game here [at Old Trafford] with Liverpool. It's not up to me. Nobody (has) talked to me from the club but we will see."

New Liverpool manager Arne Slot didn't directly address the situation when asked about those comments.

"In this moment he's one of ours and I am really happy with him being one of ours," he said. "He plays really well. I don't talk about players' contracts but I can talk for hours about how Mo played today if you're interested in that? He was impressive, like he was in the first two days, but if you talk about an individual, you don't do justice to all the other ones because you saw a real good team performance—playing out from the back, high press, midfield that kept on running."

Salah, 32, had a goal against United—and probably could have had one or two more—to go along with two assists. He now has three goals and three assists in three matches to open the Premier League campaign, a blistering start that has only been bested in league play by Erling Haaland's absurd seven goals from three matches.

If Salah were to depart after the season, it would end a legendary run at Anfield that has included titles in the Premier League (2019-20), Champions League (2018-19), the FA Cup (2021-22), the League Cup (2021-22, 2023-24), the Community Shield (2022-23) and the Super Cup (2019-20).

He has managed 18 or more Premier League goals in every season for Liverpool while notching 10 or more assists in league play five times, emerging as one of the most clinical finishers and feared attackers in European club football.

But Liverpool may be moving onto a new era after former manager Jürgen Klopp stepped down in the offseason, with both Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold also in the final year of their contracts. The Reds could have quite the new look for the 2025-26 campaign.